Darren Sproles or Reggie Bush?

[yo123]

Originally Posted by Saints-Tigers

So if Reggie makes a minuscule improvement and actually remains healthy, he could easily go from 3.8 yards a carry to 4.... would that make him a real RB? lol.

Wouldn't matter. A RB who can only get 4.0 yards a carry still isn't worth the #2 overall pick.

[E-Man]

Originally Posted by njx9

just to play devil's advocate:

a lot of people said the same thing about thomas jones after arizona. i'm not suggesting that bush=jones, but blanket statements like this aren't really true (not picking specifically on your comment, your was just the last one i saw expressing the same argument that others have put forward).

I can see what you're saying, and I agree that players can revamp themselves. Jones is a great example of that, but he's more the exception than the rule with RBs. Now Jones was in Arizona, so there was that built in excuse that he was playing for one of the worst franchises at the time. We can't really say how true that is, but it does seem to have some truth. It might be the same with Bush, but he's played in a great offense with productive backs so far in his career. I know he's a totally different player from Pierre Thomas, but if Thomas can be productive behind the Saints' so called crappy line why can't Reggie as a backup? Good backup tail backs average 4.5+ a carry, so his below 4 average is abysmal. There are excuses for his performance, and they may or may not be valid. The fact remains that as a running back he hasn't been what he was advertised as. You can't be an number 2 pick overall, hailed as the second coming of Jesus, and settle for the "he's not a true running back" excuse.

My point was more about the availability of RBs every year though as opposed to just being about Bush. One of the dumbest things said about Bush when the Texans passed on him was that RBs like him come along once every 30 years, but people failed to realize that great runners have been found in almost every draft. Thurman Thomas, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and Ricky Watters were drafted in consecutive drafts. Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Jamal Anderson, Curtis Martin, and Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Warrick Dunn, Tiki Barber, Priest Holmes, Fred Taylor, Ricky Williams, Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander, Thomas Jones, LaDanian Tomlinson, Deuce McAllister, Travis Henry, Clinton Portis, Brian Westbrook, and Larry Johnson all came out in consecutive years. Thomas, Sanders, and Smith are Hall of Famers that came out in consecutive years. Same thing with Bettis, Faulk, and Curtis Martin. I love running backs, more so than quarterbacks even. Still, it's easier to find a good or great runner than most positions.

Edit: This is what happens when I wake up too early on a football Sunday. I kill time looking up draft stats. lol

[NotRickJames]

This shouldn't be a debate.

Darren Sproles is a much better runner and arguably has just as good hands out of the backfield. Plus, Sproles can return kicks....Bush can't. Reggie Bush is a bonafide bust.

Yeah....Sporoles

[Saints-Tigers]

Originally Posted by NotRickJames

This shouldn't be a debate.

Darren Sproles is a much better runner and arguably has just as good hands out of the backfield. Plus, Sproles can return kicks....Bush can't. Reggie Bush is a bonafide bust.

Um, no he doesn't have arguably just as good of hands. Sproles has 47 catches for 426 yards in his 47 game career. Bush had 52 catches for 440 yards in 10 games last year, 4 of which he was playing with an injury that required microfracture surgery.

Darren Sproles has 3 touchdowns on 225 total returns in his career(1 td every 75 returns). Reggie has 4 touchdowns on 54 total returns(1 TD every 13.5 returns).

I know people love to hate on Reggie, but the hyperbole is getting ridiculous.

[Saints-Tigers]

Lol, make that 48 catches for 500+ yards. **** you sproles :D

[CC.SD]

Hmmm may have to go with Sproles now.

[P-L]

Like others have said, Sean Payton's stubbornness has hindered Bush. Reggie Bush is not a true running back, he really wasn't even a true running back at USC. The guy would be dynamite if New Orleans used him like Florida used Percy Harvin. It's not Reggie's fault that he's being used as a traditional running back. Sproles is probably the better runner, but if used correctly, Bush would be the better player.

[Saints-Tigers]

Bush has never been used as a traditional back. That's really where he functions best as a runner. All that toss play, draw play, reverses, and all that other **** is where his worst habits come out and he tries to make a big play. The drive where Mike Bell got hurt is how Bush should be used, and no surprise, it finished with a TD.

[Saints 4 Lyfe]

I'd trade Bush right now if I could. All i hear though is "I'd hate to see what he does with another team". Well, right now he's rushing for 9 yards a game, returning punts for -8 yards a punt and fumbling punts. It's become clear Payton will not utilize him like he should which is a slot WR. He wants to make him Brian Wesbook when he should be Steve Smith.

[Shiver]

I think the Saints have gone above and beyond to get Reggie Bush into successful situations. I think it is a copout to say that it is Payton's fault for using him incorrectly. You have to try hard to not succeed in New Orleans' offense. He has been used as a runner and as a receiver, all over the field to create mismatches, he simply hasn't produced up to his alleged talent. Maybe he just isn't that good? Chris Johnson is what Reggie Bush should have been, he is doing to NFL teams what Reggie Bush did to Pac-10 teams.

[Saints-Tigers]

Eh, he's been a fine receiver, he's the safety net, if all else breaks down, we hit Reggie right around the line and he gets us a first down most of the time, and breaks some off. He has always been successful as a downfield receiver, he doesn't get sent down field at all though, function of the offense though, so it's fine.

Running the ball has been the problem, but the gadget plays exasperate the issue tremendously. That, and lack of carries like I said, you can't break big runs if you only get a handful of carries, especially on a team that isn't opening big holes or wearing down defenses with the run.

[Flyboy]

I think it'd be silly to trade Bush, however, I do think the team should ask him to reduce his contract.

[no bare feet]

Sproles and I think it is pretty much a no brainer at this point.