Saint Pierre the Feature Back

In his time with the Saints, Pierre Thomas can really claim only one accomplishment: exceeding the expectations of his fellow players, coaches, and the fans on every given opportunity, including his one opportunity to fill the role as feature back for the New Orleans Saints. If anyone has earned another shot at the feature back role for the 2008-2009 campaign, it’s Saint Pierre.

A History of Defying the Odds

Pierre Thomas was highly recruited out of high school by the University of Illinois, where he started as a true freshman. Thomas held that position of starting running back for the Illini for all four years of college, fending off challenges from Rashard Mendenhall, recently picked #23 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mendenhall, at 5’10½, 225 pounds with a 4.45 forty time, is both bigger and faster than Thomas, but watched Thomas, voted team MVP and team captain, get the greater share of the carries during both of Mendenhall’s years playing with Thomas.

Due to Thomas’s not fitting the NFL mold for a running back, he went undrafted in 2007, and signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, where it looked like he would be nothing more than a body at training camp. Antonio Pittman, fourth round pick of the New Orleans Saints in last year’s draft, was simply better than Thomas… in the weight room, on the track, at the combine, and on draft day. As a matter of fact, the only measurable trait Saint Pierre could claim over Pittman was production, and fortunately for Thomas, the Saints’ coaching staff and front office had the good sense to focus on that one category and disregard everything else.

The preseason ended with Pierre Thomas showing he could play in the National Football League and Antonio Pittman collecting his final paycheck from the Saints, who had decided to go another direction with that last roster spot reserved for a running back.

Doesn’t Matter Where You Put Him

Pierre Thomas barely saw the field in 2007 until game five against the Seattle Seahawks, where Thomas, who never stopped hustling after a botched punt, even after it looked like the Saints had the ball, corralled a loose football and scored a touchdown. As the perennial underdog who just refused to quit, the fans already loved Pierre Thomas, but this play seemed to really wake the coaching staff up to the fact that it was time to get Thomas in more games.

Pierre Thomas began to see the field more and more in spot duty from the running back position and also began returning kicks for the Saints. Thomas was always good for a burst of energy, a hard run, and a broken tackle from the running back spot, and improved the Saints’ kick return average to over 24 yards per return on 36 returns. He also proved to be accomplished at a skill necessary for any good Saints running back -- plowing over Falcons, a skill he was happy to demonstrate on October 23, 2007 when he took a handoff 24 yards to the house right through the Falcons defense.

However, Pierre Thomas never really got his time to shine until the last game of the season in 2007 against the hated Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. To say that Thomas did well with his opportunity on that day would be an understatement as severe as saying Reggie Bush was a bit overrated coming out of college. Thomas set a Saints’ team record for being the first running back in Saints history to compile 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in one game. And that was his first career start…

Thomas, the Saints in 2008, Reggie, Deuce et al

Thomas’s production in 2007 is undeniable, but he has yet to truly silence the doubters. Reggie advocates, including much of the staff at WhoDatSay, will tell you that Thomas lacks size and speed, can’t hit the homerun, produced because his legs were fresh, the other team wasn’t, the game didn’t matter, the line didn’t block for Reggie, and on and on and on. There are those Saints fans who believe that Deuce McAllister will be back to 2006 form this season. There are probably even those Saints fan that think Aaron Stecker deserves a chance. And to all those people, I ask, why not Pierre?

When are we going to stop writing off Pierre’s production last season (52 carries for 252 yards, or 4.8 yards per carry)? When are we going to stop making excuses for Reggie, who averaged a dismal 3.7 yards per carry last season and barely broke the 1,000-yard mark for rushing and receiving combined? Thomas started one game for the Saints at running back and rushed for over 100 yards; Reggie started 12, played in 3 others, and rushed for only 581 yards all season. It’s time for the Saints to accept the reality of the situation, broken down into 3 parts below:

1. Deuce McAllister’s career, as we know it, is likely over. There is no better clue from the team regarding Deuce's status as the fact that he took a large pay cut just to remain with the team. Without that pay cut, Deuce would almost certainly have been cut. Expecting Deuce to return to his once dominant form, taking into account his age and his two torn ACL’s, is like expecting Bear Bryant to come back from the dead and instantly revive the Crimson Tide from its current status as SEC West doormat;

2. Reggie Bush is not cut out to be a feature back in any NFL offense. Depending on who you ask, he is too small, his legs are not powerful enough, he doesn’t run hard enough, etc… [Insert your favorite excuse for Reggie’s performance here -- if you’re really a Saints fan, then you have one by now]. Reggie needs an important role in our offense, but that role should not involve more than 5-10 carries per game;

3. Pierre Thomas may not be Mel Kiper’s wet dream, but he produces. It’s time to get away from forty times and agility tests, from college highlight reels and jaw-dropping potential and look at that which matters: production. Reggie Bush has had two years to show he can play running back for the Saints. Am I the only Saints fan who thinks it’s strange that after two years, we’re still talking about what Reggie can do and not what Reggie has done?

The Solution

In 2008, Pierre Thomas should serve as the Saints feature back, receiving anywhere from 10-20 carries per game, depending on how our defense is holding up. Reggie Bush should also get 10-15 touches per game, split equally among rushing, receiving, and special teams. Reggie’s value to our offense can’t be denied, but neither can Thomas’s production and ability to run the ball up the gut, something Reggie simply can’t do.

This formula would bode well for a successful 2008-2009 campaign because it would prevent the Saints from forcing the ball to Bush. With Thomas’s ability to get the hard yards, Bush can be used as a decoy who will always draw heavy coverage, a wide receiver with the ability to house every ball he catches in space, and a running back who won’t have the bead focused on him the entire game because we will be able to move the ball with Thomas. The coaching staff seems to agree with this formula, as seen by their decision not to draft a running back in this year’s draft and give Pierre Thomas an opportunity to play. And Thomas, as much as anyone else on the team, has “earned it."