Gayle Saunders & Steve O’Reilly bring you their selections for the 2011 NFL Pro-Bowl.

By Gayle Saunders
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When next season begins the possibilty of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas sharing the same backfield could be highly unlikely. The two star backs who helped bring them a Super Bowl championship, will go into next season unsure of what the future holds.

If the Saints want to get back to a Super Bowl caliber team they will have to evaluate the run game to become “top dawg” again.
As of right now Reggie Bush is due about $11.8 million next season and with the Saints with more important team needs overall its higly unlikely they will put all that money into a back who isn’t a “do it all” type of back. For the right price Bush will be brought back, but that depends on how low he is willing to re-negotiate.

Pierre Thomas whose contract is expiring, and its not clear if he’s a restricted or an unrestricted free agent until the NFL and the players’ union reach a new labor agreement. As of right now Thomas is not sure if the Saints will try to retain him, he believes the Saints sound interested.

Thomas has yet to get his big pay day in four NFL seasons. In his first three he played for bargain basement prices. Thomas was playing under the contract that he signed as an undrafted rookie. As a restricted free agent heading into the 2010 season, he had a bit of a protest before accepting the Saints’ $1.7 million tender offer. Pretty low for a running back who’d led the team in rushing in two of his first three seasons.

When you look at the 2010 Saints backfield one word comes to mind…Injuries. This season Bush broke his leg, Pierre Thomas hurt his ankle so bad that he missed 10 games. Thomas said he was never really satisfied by the diagnosis and treatment of his ankle injury by team doctors and anticipates having surgery in the off season.

The Rookie stud Chris Ivory could not stay fully healthy as well and Julius Jones who they brought off the waiver wire got nicked up at the end of the season.

With the numerous injuries in the Saints backfield they ended up using five backs throughout this season: Thomas, Bush, Ivory, Jones and Ladell Betts. When your left with different skill leveled backs blocking for your Pro Bowl QB Drew Brees your risking his safety with pass protection on passing downs.

The question Saints nation is left to ask is… who is gonna be the man at RB in New Orleans next year? Can Thomas a guy who has never carried the ball 150 times in a season really be the guy and stay healthy? Reggie Bush is a dynamic player but is also not worth the price. Chris Ivory showed flashes as a rookie and he also showed signs of a young back with fumbling issues. Ivory is also dealing with a Lisfranc injury that leaves his ability to work in the off-season a total question mark.

Coach Sean Payton has been able to slide with the three headed monster approach because in the past, it was cost effective. For the Saints it might be time to draft a stud in the 1st or acquire a guy who can tote the rock 200 plus times and be an effective third-down option in the future.

By Gayle Saunders
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Patrick Willis is looking for hits in all the right places. Willis seems to be everywhere he needs to be in order to instill fear in his opponents. Patrick Willis’ mother just checked his birth certificate and Ray Lewis…YOU ARE THE FATHER!

Sheldon Brown Jacks Reggie Bush Up!

The swing pass is one of the most dangerous plays in football, as Reggie Bush learned during the 2007 playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles. Running out of the backfield with his head turned to receive a Drew Brees pass, Bush was an easy target for Sheldon Brown. The hard-hitting Eagles cornerback drew a bead on the defenseless Bush and lowered the boom. To his credit, Bush hopped back up – but then dropped to his knees and crawled on all fours toward the sideline.

This could be sickest spin into a downhill cut we’ve seen in a long time. Simply remarkable!