Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Saints running back Pierre Thomas was one of the most underpaid backs in football last year, making the league minimum while he led the Saints backfield in rushing.

He is hoping for a long-term extension this offseason, but he won't skip OTAs in an effort to get paid.

"It's a business and it's up to them," Thomas said. "You know, I'm putting my resume out there, showing them what I can do."

Pierre Thomas won't skip workouts | ProFootballTalk.com

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Thats the right way to go about his business. Organisations seems to remember that kind of stuff when the contract eventually are negotiated.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Reggie ought to give him part of his.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

PT is a class act on and off the field.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I agree with that! There's no way Reggie should be the highest paid back on the team, much less in the league.

Pierre is a class act and does deserve more money. If he gets the carries he'll easily have 1,200 yards and 10+ touchdowns.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Pierre can wait until his contract is up then he can get a new deal or we could always trade him for another RB on a losing team.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I'm glad you aren't the GM. Pierre is the best RB the Saints have. A player getting a contract extension when he is a restricted free agent is nothing new. He deserves to be paid more and receive some job security for what he has done on this team. The only reason he is being paid so little is because he went undrafted. Now that he has proven himself, the Saints need to prove to him that they want to keep him in the fold and ink him to a longer contract. If they only give him the one-year tender and don't give him a long-term deal, they are making a huge mistake.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

PT has earned a substantial pay raise.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Thats the way you send a message pierre, you have earned a pay rise with your play, but your unselfishness speaks volumes. Some NFL players could definetley learn afew lessons from your attitude.

gotta love pierre thomas!!!

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

He's earned it. Yo Loomis, PAY THIS MAN!

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

i'll second that saintfan, pay the piper. he's a top 5-7 back in the nfl.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Pierre sets a great example. Hey guys, pay attention! THIS is how you're supposed to conduct business.

Props to you PT!

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

P.T stands for Professional Tailback...

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

It is probably that his deal is close to being done and it is a fair deal.
I find it strange that no other teams showed interest in PT considering he only got a 2nd round tender.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

He's not a top 5 or top 10 running back in the NFL yet and that's why no other team bid for his services. I will admit he did very well last year but one year wonders have come and gone in 43 years why don't we wait and let him do it at least 2 years in a row.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I really don't agree with your opinion on this, i think PT was one of top players on this team driving us to the Super and his play resulted in helping us win it all.
He's played hard all season, i don't think we should slave the man through his pennies on the dollar contract any longer, he should be getting paid like the top back he is..

Im on board with us paying him his worth, i don't want us going into the season as a bunch of cheap scapes, scammers and slave drivers after giving the fans what we've wanted out of this team for 43 years.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Truth is PT knows what the situation is. He is part of a committee backfield. Yes, he does deserve a nice raise, but he is also smart enough not to hold out for it. I am sure if he was the type of player to raise stink and try and hold out, Loomis wouldn't have any issues letting him stay out. The way the Saints offense is structured, there really isn't anyone besides a Brees hold out that would cripple the unit. Brees has the only true leverage on that offense.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

He did very well in 2008 as well, so that's 2 years in a row.

And the "not top 5 or top 10", other than Drew Brees (because he touches the ball every time) no one in the offense amasses that many total yards to be labeled "top 5 or top 10", but that has nothing to do with players' abilities, it has more to do with the way Brees distributes the ball and the offense Payton calls.

Now, you don't know whether other teams have asked about him.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

know ur role, finish your contract the way you've been playing and you'll earn your new contract

im not a fan of players signing a contract then wanting more money before it expires

its 1 thing if the team wants to pay you more money for your services, the team that gave you an opportunity and carried you to a super bowl, the team that didnt leave you on the bench after your injury in favor of mike bell and reggie bush who were doing quite well without you, the team that was the #1 offense in the league without you

but sure, if you feel you deserve more money, then ***** and moan about not getting paid but remember that when you get hurt or underperform and that team throws you to the curb cuz you cant live up to that contract(charles grant) that you better not have any hard feelings

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

You ought to move to Atlanta and become a Dirty Bird fan.

I'll pitch in to help pay for the mover.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I agree.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I agree with you, too. You get one of those "oh well, I tried to give REPS but wouldn't let me."

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Normally I agree with this approach, and if a player is already making millions I think that matters, but these guys don't generally have a lot of years to work with in the NFL. I think guys like PT - ones that have performed above and beyond on minimum deals - should be able to renegotiate. The guy could rip his ankle off in a pre-season game and thats it.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Hold on a sec, there.

I'm not a lawyer, but at its most basic, a contract is merely the "rules of engagement" between 2 or more parties. When a contract is signed, it is understood that the parties involved have agreed to the rules , and that all parties are going to draw some benefit from this arrangement which they all perceive as "fair" or "satisfactory".

You said the Saints gave Thomas an opportunity, yes they did, but they didn't give him this opportunity out of the goodness of their hearts. The FO signed Thomas like they sign many rookie players not drafted prior to the pre-season:to see "what happens", and it just happened that PT did a better job than the player the Saints drafted as RB in the 4th round.

Now we have a situation where PT is certainly more valuable than an undrafted rookie signed as a camp body to see "what happens", and is doing much more than an undrafted rookie signed as a camp body. So, while the contract he agreed to sign still stands, and the FO has no obligation to re-work until it ends, the question now is, given PTs performance the past 2 years, how valuable is Thomas to this team the next 4 seasons? If the FO thinks he's valuable, the FO is going to not just agree to, but want to re-write the contract to ensure PT's services in the long haul, and make sure his price doesn't actually go up if he keeps playing better. Of course, he could get hurt, he could play worse, Donte' Stallworth could run him over with his Bentley and kill him, but that's the gamble FOs take every time they sign anyone.

And think about it this way: what do you do for a living? Say, for the sake of argument, you get a job as a salesperson with Company X. 3 months later, they come to you and tell you "we want to make you office manager". The first thing that's going to go through your mind is "what's the raise?", but they tell you "no raise, you signed a contract to work in this office. You'll have more work and responsibilities now, but since you signed the contract to work in this office, your pay is the same". Then a few months later, they come back to you and tell you "hey, based on your performance, we want to make you regional sales manager". Again, the first that would go through your mind is "what's the raise?" Yet again, the higher-ups tell you since you agreed to work at this office in your original contract for a certain amount, you get no pay raise. At that time, I am sure you'll be preparing a resume to go somewhere else.

And that's basically what happened to PT:
Got hired to be a camp body.
Got promoted to 3rd string - no raise.
Got promoted to 2nd string - no raise.
Got promoted to 1st string - no raise.

So, like PT says, he's building his resume. If he doesn't get his pay raise with this firm, he'll take his talents somewhere else, and it would be a shame to lose his talent.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I agree with your logic TR but most definitely agree with the Stallworth comment.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Pierre was a very good RB in year, 1, 2, 3, and 4, and you want another
year?

It's not Pierre's fault his talent was not recognized in years 1-3. I hope they
pay the man, or let him go to where he is appreciated. I hope it works out,
because I don't think the Saints will be be the same team without Pierre.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Career Stats Rushing Receiving Fumbles
Season Team G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Rec Yds Y/G Avg Lng YAC 1stD TD Fum FumL
2007-08 New Orleans 12 52 252 21.0 4.8 1 17 151 12.6 8.9 17 9.5 9 1 0 0
2008-09 New Orleans 15 129 625 41.7 4.8 9 31 284 18.9 9.2 24 10.3 15 3 1 1
2009-10 New Orleans 14 147 793 56.6 5.4 6 39 302 21.6 7.7 36 9.9 12 2 2 1
Career 41 328 1670 40.7 5.1 16 87 737 18.0 8.5 36 10.0 36 6 3 2

Hey Bo,

I'll give you he was good in year 3. Definitely not year 1, average year 2 and year 4 hasn't been played yet. Sorry still not convinced. The Saints style offense allows players the luxury of being 1 of 6 or 7 targets on every play. Defenses can't key on one or two players and that's why the offense is so good. Pierre is a product of the team not the other way around. Pierre would definitely not be as good in another system. That;s just my opinion.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I love PT. Hes gonna shine again this season.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

first off id like to say that this is a very unique look at it and im not totally against it.....but(dont you hate it when theres a but?)

but there were 2 parties that signed it, just like you said.....PT signed the same "see what happens" contract and promised to play at the top of his ability by signing that contract. he has proven that he goes hard nearly every play....and he has earned that initial contract by doing so

i feel PJ Hill, lynell hamilton, and herb donaldson are very talented young kids

and if the front office feels that his price will continue to rise, then im sure they will try to get a long term contract to him......but they dont have to rush because he still has a year that he is tendered to play under. we can easily wait til next year to sign him when he is officially a free agent

remember that the NFL isnt like a normal 9 to 5 job tho

remember that no matter how many "promotions" he gets.....hes still a running back......hes not being asked to play QB or LB.....hes not getting promoted to a completely different job.....hes still a running back and he signed the contract as a running back

did he sign a contract that said he only had to play in camp? no he signed a contract to play in the NFL.....now he is playing in the NFL.....that was the contract

does the company get to pay him less if he does a worse job? no.....contracts very rarely go the other way so i cant blame the front office for not wanting to make big contracts. we have been burned before by that mistake and im sure they dont want to make it again. PT isnt exactly invincible and has shown that he is pretty injury prone.......

the NFL is a business......its cliche but its true.....PT needs to do whats best for him in the long run......although new orleans has proven over the past 4 years that they are a little different than the other teams in the NFL

look at what scott fujita did before he left because his heart is in NO.....jeff faine said the same thing about NO......and we even brought back deuce, the most beloved saint of all time, so he could get his ring that he deserved to get a long time ago

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

i'm not here to agree to disagree that p.t. is a top 5-7 or 5-10 r.b. but this guy has given 110% on every carry, and every catch this man made behind his back that 50 backs in the nfl would not have even tried to make. he has great balance that don't come often. to top it all off no one can get him down much on first contact. hes a top 5 back in my book. i think no one shows interest in him because it just a big waist of there time. the saints will counter with all offers, he's going nowhere!

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Show PT the money !!!

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I...like..big...BUTs and I cannot lie.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

+1...I agree with this 100%. All the blah, blah, blah give him another year. Blah, blah, blah he's a product of the system. Blah, blah, blah he's not top 5 or 10 RB in the league. Blah, blah, blah let him finish his contract. Pierre may be a product of the system, but he's the best RB in this system and has proved it over the last year and a half. He gives his all on every down and has been an incredible asset for the offensive either running the ball or catching it out of the backfield. He has the best vision out of the backfield on the team. His motor never shuts off. He's scored 20 TD's in the last two seasons and add three more in the postseason. He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry in his short career. I'm not saying he has to be paid like a top 10 RB, but he definitely deserves a raise and some job security.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I say let's pay him. Also remembering it was the Saints who gave him his start.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Pay.

Or someone else will.

His stock is on the rise but I don't think Payton wants to sell.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

PT ian't going anywhere, this offence is a great fit for him and he knows more succes will come down the line.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

Another player, hmmmmm SHARPER!, excuse me, I had something in my throat, that has earned his payday. Pay the man.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

He signed to league minimum and he earned it in his first two years. Last year he out performed his contract...how about we give him a substantial raise the last year of his contract and sign a new contract based upon this years production?

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

He is a class act all the way.I remember watching him in 2007 in spot duty and telling my dad that he was going to be great.He didn't let me down.He even rushed for 100 yards and caught for 100 yards in his first ever start.

Re: Pierre wants new deal but will not skip work outs..
 

I understand doing one's job, when it's the job they were hired for, and they made that commitment. The one thing I can't stand, is the fact that in ALL jobs these days, including the NFL, there is no such thing as job security anymore. Corporate heads, or managers themselves, never seem to notice hard work anymore. It's all about the bottom line, and how much money it will cost them. My father worked his butt off, for Georgia Pacific, for 35 years, and 5 years from retirement, he was replaced by a 22 year old kid, because they could pay him less money. My father got job offers from other companies, MANY times over the years, but because of his honesty, and sense of loyalty, he turned them all down. Now he has to drive a school bus, just to keep him and my mom, in some kind of health care plan.

"Life isn't fair." Yeah, I know that, but how did it get that way? Because instead of holding on to good employees, that dedicate their lives to their job, they downsize, and have the idea, "we can get someone else". As a matter of fact, as I'm typing this, I lost my job of five years today, to a guy half my age, because I was told that "he's younger, and is more reliable." This kid takes a vacation every other week, has been written up for numerous things, and thinks about only himself, not the rest of the business. I on the other hand haven't taken a vacation since i started there, have NO write ups what so ever, and have always put the needs of the many, against my own. That's what being a "team" is all about. Now I'm being transferred to a lesser club, for less money, for my trouble.

When you do a good job for someone, you should earn some kind of loyalty from the bosses. This entire attitude is why this country is in as much trouble as it is.

Pierre wants to get paid for the work he's done, and he's earned it by God. And this "wait and see" attitude is a bunch of bullcrap. Here's the bottom line, and I don't really care who disagrees with me: "Don't expect loyalty from someone, if you aren't willing to be loyal yourself." Do we really want to the Saints to get the reputation like this? Where every player coming in, KNOWS that no matter how well they do for us, that there's always a chance they will be gone tomorrow? You might think that this will make them play harder, but guys, if it becomes the norm for the Saints to do business this way, eventually, these players will stop caring if they do a good job or not,or they want come here in the first place.