Explosive Offense Gets More Weapons

[kidjock]

I read an interesting article about the trends of successful franchise strategies. One that stuck out was to focus on a specific niche or positon on the field and have great play at that position and have that be your identity. For example, the Giants have always had great d-line play and the Eagles have usually had good secondaries. I believe the Saints are doing this with running backs.

Don't get me wrong, Brees is the player on offense that runs the show, and everything resolves around him. But with that, the Saints run does not really need a number wide receiver. The current #1 receiver, Colston, is a 7th round former College TE.

The rb position is the area where they can distinguish themselves. They have had an outstanding prospect at rb since Payton has got here. This year they brought in Ingram and now Darren Sproles, to combine with Pierre Thomas and Ivory. I think they team is going to keep adding rb's year after year regardless of who is on the rostor so this position becomes synonymous with being a strength of the team.

[Andy Freeland]

Colston was a WR in college.

I really like what the Saints have done this year. They had a good draft, I really like Cameron Jordan. I think they'll miss Shockey, but not too much. They have assembled a nice stable of RBs.

[mkocs6]

I love the Saints this offseason. I really love the Sproles pick up. This team won't lose anything in the screen game without Bush. If anything, I say they gain, because Sproles usually manages to play all sixteen games.

[mikesteelnation1]

Saying running back is a strength of the saints every year since Peyton came is totally ridiculous!! It's a complimentary position, and the saints haven't had a top 15 running back at any point in that tenure. No team game plans to stop the run against nola. They game plan to stop brees and the passing game with the constant distribution to numerous receivers. If nola runs well its a product of the passing game, not the other way around. That's why broken down old rbs like deuce, udfa's like ivory and Thomas, and busts like bush have ever been effective. It's the system, not the player. Ingram may well change that but as it stands none of the other rbs for the saints would even crack the lineup on a true rushing team known for its rbs. None of the above mentioned guys would see the field for the ravens, chiefs, jets, or steelers. Those are teams known for having good rbs over the years. No one put 8 in the box ever against the saints in the Peyton brees era. That would be insane!!

[mikesteelnation1]

I do agree sproles is an upgrade over bush. Quite a big one in my opinion. He stays healthy and he gets tough yards for a little guy. Bush did neither.. sproles still is a mismatch in the passing game and he's just as dangerous in the return game as bush.