BENSON: Bush an improvement, but no savior for Saints

Saints fans still are celebrating the team's selection of Reggie Bush in the NFL draft.

For good reason.




Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner and tailback from Southern Cal, has Hall of Fame potential.

Yes, he is that good.
Yes, he will make the Saints more exciting. Much more exciting.

Yes, he will -- in fact he already has -- sell a lot of tickets. Merchandise, too, once the NFL decides whether he will be granted a waiver from league rules and be allowed to wear No. 5, his number at Southern Cal.

In the long run, however, none of that is as important as this simple question: How much better will Bush make the Saints?

Perhaps not enough.

Bush will be the most talented player to wear a Saints uniform since quarterback Archie Manning.

Think about that for a moment.

Manning, drafted in 1971 with the second pick in the first round from Ole Miss, was supposed to be the savior.

Manning had a wonderful career. He is beloved in Louisiana to this day.

But Manning's crowning achievement with the Saints was winning the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 1978. The team's record that season? 7-7.

Manning was an amazing quarterback. If he had been drafted by a team like the Cowboys or Redskins he probably would be in the Hall of Fame today.

But he's not.

And around the league, the most enduring memory of Manning is of a quarterback running for his life.

He did that a lot.

Got sacked a lot, too. And beat up, a lot.

As good as Manning was -- and he was spectacular -- he could not turn the Saints around.

Neither can Reggie Bush.

Overall, the Saints did not have a great draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper gave the Saints a C for the draft. Having an average draft is not a way to make a 3-14 team become a playoff team.

When you are 3-14, you obviously have a lot of places where improvement is needed.

Running back, featuring Duece McAllister, was considered one of the Saints' stronger positions going into the draft. McAllister, after all, ran for 1,074 yards last season.

Teaming Bush and McAllister will give the Saints all kinds of potential in the running game. New quarterback Drew Brees is a solid pro and a fierce competitor. He will do well in New Orleans, assuming he remains healthy.

Which brings us to the offensive line.

In the second round, the Saints traded picks with the Cleveland Browns, moving down nine spots in exchange for center Jeff Faine, a three-year veteran from Notre Dame.

Although Faine got little attention -- Saints fans were too busy celebrating the section of Bush -- this move might be just as important.

Saints fans had better hope Faine can provide leadership and solidify an offensive line in desperate need of improvment.

If the line doesn't block, the Saints won't be a good team, no matter who is in the backfield.

Archie Manning proved that a long time ago.

Randy Benson is sports editor of The Town Talk.