In the off-season, which RBs do we keep?
 

We have 3 good backs(not including Sproles) that can pound the rock consistently and get decent yardage. Ingram isn't going anywhere. Pierre is very vital in the screen game, and is a very good runner. Ivory is a beast; and though Ivory seems like the clear choice to be the odd man out... there's a lot of variables into the equation.

And I know there's a lot of time between now and the off-season, as we are still in the middle of the season(so it's almost useless to discuss at this point).. it just seems like a very complicated problem(though a good problem to have). Could we carry them all into next season?

With Ivory's history of injury, I would say that he is the most likely candidate.

I could see Saints trading a RB for a DE or DT; isn't Jared Allen a FA next year?

I believe we keep all four of them...

And I doubt Ivory would be very good trade bait, the whole league is aware of his injury history not just us...

Ivory wouldn't net us a 7th rounder.

I don't think he's a free agent, but I hope I'm wrong. I read an article about Jared Allen, Clay Matthews, Larry Fitzgerald, and Drew Brees doing a workout with the Marines during the offseason. Maybe Brees was recruiting. I've been daydreaming about Allen coming to N.O. next year at a discount rate and Will Smith taking a pay cut and moving to LE. With Jordan spelling both of them and getting playing time at DT.

There is also J. Bell waiting in the wings. Payton has sat Ivory so one would think it would be him. But like Danno said 7th rounder for him, Payton isn't going to trade Ingram so I believe he will trade PT because Bell is very similar to PT he has the most value,at least a #2 pick. If you ask me I would not trade PT for anything, he is by far our best back and still cheap, I can't say enough about PT. I hope I'm wrong.

I'd like to see us keep 'em all, but I got a feeling Ivory is going to be the odd man out, which is a sad sad shame.

If they move PT I will 'occupy' training camp. Who's with me?

We keep them all.

PT isnt going anywhere, he's the best back we've got, he can do everything and he's way too important for Sean just to let him walk, the screen game would go straight down the toilet. Plus he got the big contract extension, we aren't going to pay him and then let him leave
I would like to keep all of them but my guess is Ivory, constantly injured hell of a RB just is never out there

Let's not forget last year when there were no healthy backs during parts of the season.

Question: any particular reason for offseason talk in the middle of the season? There will be 6 months of nothing to talk about but this kind of stuff after the Saints win the SuperBowl in February. ;-)

SFIAH

I agree we might need 6 RBs before its all said and done....lol

With his history of injuries, Ivory should be the odd man out.

The only question of keeping all 4 this upcoming off season is whether or not Ivory is content with playing time. No one is going to break bank for an injury riddled player so we should be able to re-up him for the vets minimum.

I would love to have all 4 back but he is the odd man out. Ingram's role next year will only expand therefore Ivory won't have a regular role on the team. His best chance of having long term success will be elsewhere.

I don't see any reason we can't keep four next year. We did this year and it seems to be working! It's really too far away to have any idea what's going to happen between now and then.

I know people will disagree with this, but I don't think Ivory is a really hot commodity for trading. The whole league knows that he has an injury history and while he is very talented, he is from a small school, an undrafted free agent, and he's STILL not really a proven NFL entity. He has some problems in his highlight reel, like that huge fumble against Atlanta, that teams will look at. I love me some Ivory, don't get me wrong -- but I kinda think he is going to continue on a path pretty much the way he has been, games here and there, and injuries, off and on, and then be out of football in a couple of years when somebody better suddenly falls into the Saints' sights. Maybe a stop at another team after he gets cut here, but as much as I like him, I don't really see him being a big trade value for the Saints, something that other teams would want. I can't really see him turning into a big feature back for another team. Remember Mike Bell didn't exactly light the world on fire once he left here, either. And don't forget Joique Bell -- come August he will presumably be back in it, battling it out as well. That is a long way away. Too far away to really think about.

Then again, there is no telling what kind of miracles this front office can do -- I would not be at all surprised if Ivory was traded for something/someone that made people's jaws drop, where someone gave the farm for him and the Saints got an absolutely ridiculous better part of the deal. We were supposed to lose out so badly on Reggie Bush and look how that turned out. If God forbid, Pierre were ever to be the one traded, that's what I think would happen -- it would be some completely ridonkulous deal that makes everybody laugh out loud with glee at what the Saints got for him, although of course we'd be sad to see him go.

I have thought since the beginning of this season and we would not see PT here next year....not sure why I feel that but it is a hunch. I hope he is here but not sure.