QBREES9

Trust in the moves the Saints do or don't make

Kelly McElroy Staff Writer
.

If you are one of the Saints fans who bought a No. 21 Mike Bell black and gold jersey last season (and I saw a few of them around the Superdome), you may want to start thinking about a new look for the 2010-11 season or about somehow turning it into a retro Dalton Hilliard jersey.


On Wednesday the Saints officially said Bell won’t be back when they announced they would not match a contract offer to the fifth-year running back by the Philadelphia Eagles.

That means Bell will play for the Eagles (his fourth team in five years) next season at a price of $1.7 million — a price the Saints felt was too much to pay.

With so much money locked up in the running back spot already in Reggie Bush and the soon-to-be-paid Pierre Thomas, and with the emergence of third-year back Lynell Hamilton, Bell, who rushed for 654 yards on 172 carries and eight scores last season, was expendable.

But the decision was probably based on more than just money. Bell’s action became more limited as the season wore on. He wasn’t known as the best pass blocker for Drew Brees and that’s a good way to not make it onto the field in the Saints pass-happy offense. Plus, Bell just seemed like he was in coach Sean Payton’s doghouse for the latter part of the season.

With Bell leaving, the Saints still may make a play for a veteran running back (former Raiders running back Justin Fargas was in town last week) or they may look to a younger guy in the draft. Some people have asked about P.J. Hill and his whereabouts.

You may remember him as the rookie running back out of Wisconsin who rushed for 128 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns in the preseason for the Saints last season.

1
2
NEXT PAGE

www.sportsshooter.com/johnjcoleman

" Anyone can take a picture Only a Photographer can take a photograph "