Saints reach 4 year deal(12 million) with Pierre Thomas

saintfan · 03-03-2011, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by strato

I want Steven Jackson's interest on his money...lol

And I'd like the interest on your money that you're getting from the interest on Steven's money. Pay it forward! LOL

niteadept · 03-03-2011, 03:28 PM

So glad PT finally got what he didn't last season. Welcome back and make us proud!!

Crusader · 03-03-2011, 03:32 PM

This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts.

Danno · 03-03-2011, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Crusader

This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts.

But when Ivory goes on IR after 6 games, we have PT to count on.

Great signing.

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-03-2011, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Crusader

This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts.

This doesn't excite me either. I was hoping the team would look into getting a bigger, more solid, less injury-prone back via the draft or free agency to handle the work load. I give credit to Thomas and everything he has done for the Saints. But I've grown sick of looking through the injury depleted running back corps over the past seasons and wondering from game to game who was going to shoulder (or knee, ankle, etc) the load. Going back to the last few injury plagued seasons of Deuce to Antowain Smith, to Aaron Stecker, to Mike Bell, to Thomas, to Hamilton, to Ivory it seems like the team thinks they can just throw a body out there and it will be good enough to get the job done. I don't agree with this. The most productive back in the team's history was obtained with a first round draft pick. Why the HECK is Payton satisfied with oft-injured unknowns to handle one of the most important spots on the roster.
I know a good run game requires good run blocking and that was lacking last season. But if we had a Stephen Jckson type back it would help our offense vastly. Rather than being able to run sometimes because teams feared the passing attack, we would be able to actually run the ball when we want to, which would open up the passing even more. Who knows, they may even be able to convert those 3rd and 4th down short yardage situations (Seattle playoff game anyone) that they seem to not get so often.
I dearly hope I am wrong and Thomas runs for 2,000 yards during the upcoming 18 game season, leads the Saints to their second Superbowl title and makes the pro bowl. But I don't expect it and I sure am not all excited about the prospect of the Saint's best running back being a guy who has averaged 41 yards per game and 5 games missed for injury over the 4 seasons he's been on the team.
Now go prove me wrong Pierre! PLEASE!

pherein · 03-03-2011, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL

This doesn't excite me either. PLEASE!

Well there are some other things you have to consider. PT has the sight, which is very rare in a RB. Faster stronger RB's don't mean anything if they don't have the sight. Ivory does not have the sight.
If you watch PT's footage he knows were guys are and how to move without thinking, you dont have time to think when running the ball. To me its an art form, your dealing 10ths of a second. Its a gift , you either have it or you dont, and PT has it. He might be slow and not as strong as people would like, but he also has a chip on his shoulder, another quality in a good RB. His ball control is amazing. I think the only thing hes missing as a RB is balance, he seems to struggle because of his brick build.

PT is a solid acquisition for 4 years. He could be rotated to 2nd or 3rd RB in year 3-4 with new talent taking a leading roll. I think he's one of the most underrated RB's in the NFL.

YouTube - Pierre Thomas Highlights 2009

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-03-2011, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by pherein

Well there are some other things you have to consider. PT has the sight, which is very rare in a RB. Faster stronger RB's don't mean anything if they don't have the sight. Ivory does not have the sight.
If you watch PT's footage he knows were guys are and how to move without thinking, you dont have time to think when running the ball. To me its an art form, your dealing 10ths of a second. Its a gift , you either have it or you dont, and PT has it. He might be slow and not as strong as people would like, but he also has a chip on his shoulder, another quality in a good RB. His ball control is amazing. I think the only thing hes missing as a RB is balance, he seems to struggle because of his brick build.

PT is a solid acquisition for 4 years. He could be rotated to 2nd or 3rd RB in year 3-4 with new talent taking a leading roll. I think he's one of the most underrated RB's in the NFL.

YouTube - Pierre Thomas Highlights 2009

You can pull up all the footage you want from 2 seasons ago and talk about how artful he is all you want. It doesn't change that fact that Thomas with his "gift" of sight averaged 3.2 yards per carry last year while the blind Ivory averaged 5.2 (not that I'm hyping Ivory as a savior, but you brought him up). You say Thomas could be "rotated to 2nd or 3rd RB in year 3-4 with new talent taking a leading roll." What makes you think Pierre is capable of holding the lead role himself for even one year when he hasn't been able to do that once in any of the four seasons he was given a chance to? Do you think he's suddenly going to be back better, stronger and more durable next year after suffering TWO serious ankle injuries this year?

Look, I think Thomas is a fine back and I'm not going to knock on any of his accomplishments. Having him on the team is a good thing. But IMO he, and all of the other backs on the team, owe most of their success because other teams were more worried about (i.e. gearing to stop) the passing attack than the running attack. On a cold, windy day when passing is tough, or on short yardage situations when a run is likely the Saints have had trouble converting.

PT is hardly in the top 10 backs in the league. Signing/drafting a guy like that (a top 10 caliber back) would excite me. But re-signing a guy who missed 10 games last year and averaged 3.2 YPA when he did play, not so much. The Saints had the 5th worst rushing offense in the NFL last year. Let that sink in....5th WORST. If re-signing Thomas is enough to make you and others here jump for joy, rave about his artistic running and shout HELL YEAH!!!!, then good for you. Myself, I have higher hopes and expect more from the front office. If they go into next year planning on PT being the featured back, then I will consider them short sighted, be very disappointed, and will expect them to have continued RB injuries and be searching other team's practice squads for bodies to sign just like they did last year. Time will tell if I am right or not.

pherein · 03-04-2011, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL

PT is hardly in the top 10 backs in the league. Signing/drafting a guy like that (a top 10 caliber back) would excite me. But re-signing a guy who missed 10 games last year and averaged 3.2 YPA when he did play, not so much. The Saints had the 5th worst rushing offense in the NFL last year. Let that sink in....5th WORST. If re-signing Thomas is enough to make you and others here jump for joy, rave about his artistic running and shout HELL YEAH!!!!, then good for you. Myself, I have higher hopes and expect more from the front office. If they go into next year planning on PT being the featured back, then I will consider them short sighted, be very disappointed, and will expect them to have continued RB injuries and be searching other team's practice squads for bodies to sign just like they did last year. Time will tell if I am right or not.

Chris Ivory NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com

Pierre Thomas NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com

Steven Jackson NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com

I think you're basing everything of a simple YPA for a single season, not a good judgement call, and Thomas, Bush, and a lot of our other RB's played very little in 2010, so being 28th in rushing is understandable. Ivory running more than everyone didnt improve that stat either.

IF you look at the stats, it will explain things better for you.
Jackson has always had almost 2x the Attempts at running that Thomas has. Thomas could easily clear 1200-1600 a season if he was given 324 Rush Attempts and 51 receiving attempts that Jackson is getting, all of the stats prove that.
Instead Thomas has 147 Rush attempts and 39 receiving attempts at the most in a season, and his YPA rushing was 5.4, and YPA receiving was 7.7. In 2007-2008 Thomas had even less attempts and still did a 4.8 rushing and 9 receiving.
Thomas in 2009 did better than Ivory this year, way better because Ivory had almost no receiving yards.

The problem with playing on the Saints is you have to be selfless. Colston will never get the numbers to put him in the HOF, because we play as a team and spread the ball around. Thomas, Ivory and Bush will never get their attempts either.
12 million for 4 years is a steal for an all around RB with PT's consistency and abilities. If we could get 4 RB's with the ability of PT for 48 million over 4 years, Id be in heaven.

Really cant understand why you have a problem with it. Especially sense Payton is crazy happy about it, and Im sure he knows PT's abilities better than anyone on this board.

st thomas · 03-04-2011, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL

This doesn't excite me either. I was hoping the team would look into getting a bigger, more solid, less injury-prone back via the draft or free agency to handle the work load. I give credit to Thomas and everything he has done for the Saints. But I've grown sick of looking through the injury depleted running back corps over the past seasons and wondering from game to game who was going to shoulder (or knee, ankle, etc) the load. Going back to the last few injury plagued seasons of Deuce to Antowain Smith, to Aaron Stecker, to Mike Bell, to Thomas, to Hamilton, to Ivory it seems like the team thinks they can just throw a body out there and it will be good enough to get the job done. I don't agree with this. The most productive back in the team's history was obtained with a first round draft pick. Why the HECK is Payton satisfied with oft-injured unknowns to handle one of the most important spots on the roster.
I know a good run game requires good run blocking and that was lacking last season. But if we had a Stephen Jckson type back it would help our offense vastly. Rather than being able to run sometimes because teams feared the passing attack, we would be able to actually run the ball when we want to, which would open up the passing even more. Who knows, they may even be able to convert those 3rd and 4th down short yardage situations (Seattle playoff game anyone) that they seem to not get so often.
I dearly hope I am wrong and Thomas runs for 2,000 yards during the upcoming 18 game season, leads the Saints to their second Superbowl title and makes the pro bowl. But I don't expect it and I sure am not all excited about the prospect of the Saint's best running back being a guy who has averaged 41 yards per game and 5 games missed for injury over the 4 seasons he's been on the team.
Now go prove me wrong Pierre! PLEASE!

u have good points s.m. but i'm sure if a ingram or leshoure is there at 24 he will grab one. and about s. jackson, he's been hurt the last few years besides 2010 so its just badluck involved in these injuries and our luck sucked the most i sure agree with it there.

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-04-2011, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by st thomas

i'm sure if a ingram or leshoure is there at 24 he will grab one.

That would be nice!

03-03-2011, 03:23 PM	#1
saintfan Donated Plasma Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 18,556 Blog Entries: 5	Originally Posted by strato I want Steven Jackson's interest on his money...lol And I'd like the interest on your money that you're getting from the interest on Steven's money. Pay it forward! LOL

03-03-2011, 03:38 PM	#4
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,758	Originally Posted by Crusader This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts. But when Ivory goes on IR after 6 games, we have PT to count on. Great signing.

03-03-2011, 06:20 PM	#5
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Originally Posted by Crusader This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts. This doesn't excite me either. I was hoping the team would look into getting a bigger, more solid, less injury-prone back via the draft or free agency to handle the work load. I give credit to Thomas and everything he has done for the Saints. But I've grown sick of looking through the injury depleted running back corps over the past seasons and wondering from game to game who was going to shoulder (or knee, ankle, etc) the load. Going back to the last few injury plagued seasons of Deuce to Antowain Smith, to Aaron Stecker, to Mike Bell, to Thomas, to Hamilton, to Ivory it seems like the team thinks they can just throw a body out there and it will be good enough to get the job done. I don't agree with this. The most productive back in the team's history was obtained with a first round draft pick. Why the HECK is Payton satisfied with oft-injured unknowns to handle one of the most important spots on the roster. I know a good run game requires good run blocking and that was lacking last season. But if we had a Stephen Jckson type back it would help our offense vastly. Rather than being able to run sometimes because teams feared the passing attack, we would be able to actually run the ball when we want to, which would open up the passing even more. Who knows, they may even be able to convert those 3rd and 4th down short yardage situations (Seattle playoff game anyone) that they seem to not get so often. I dearly hope I am wrong and Thomas runs for 2,000 yards during the upcoming 18 game season, leads the Saints to their second Superbowl title and makes the pro bowl. But I don't expect it and I sure am not all excited about the prospect of the Saint's best running back being a guy who has averaged 41 yards per game and 5 games missed for injury over the 4 seasons he's been on the team. Now go prove me wrong Pierre! PLEASE!
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

03-03-2011, 07:55 PM	#7
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Originally Posted by pherein Well there are some other things you have to consider. PT has the sight, which is very rare in a RB. Faster stronger RB's don't mean anything if they don't have the sight. Ivory does not have the sight. If you watch PT's footage he knows were guys are and how to move without thinking, you dont have time to think when running the ball. To me its an art form, your dealing 10ths of a second. Its a gift , you either have it or you dont, and PT has it. He might be slow and not as strong as people would like, but he also has a chip on his shoulder, another quality in a good RB. His ball control is amazing. I think the only thing hes missing as a RB is balance, he seems to struggle because of his brick build. PT is a solid acquisition for 4 years. He could be rotated to 2nd or 3rd RB in year 3-4 with new talent taking a leading roll. I think he's one of the most underrated RB's in the NFL. YouTube - Pierre Thomas Highlights 2009 You can pull up all the footage you want from 2 seasons ago and talk about how artful he is all you want. It doesn't change that fact that Thomas with his "gift" of sight averaged 3.2 yards per carry last year while the blind Ivory averaged 5.2 (not that I'm hyping Ivory as a savior, but you brought him up). You say Thomas could be "rotated to 2nd or 3rd RB in year 3-4 with new talent taking a leading roll." What makes you think Pierre is capable of holding the lead role himself for even one year when he hasn't been able to do that once in any of the four seasons he was given a chance to? Do you think he's suddenly going to be back better, stronger and more durable next year after suffering TWO serious ankle injuries this year? Look, I think Thomas is a fine back and I'm not going to knock on any of his accomplishments. Having him on the team is a good thing. But IMO he, and all of the other backs on the team, owe most of their success because other teams were more worried about (i.e. gearing to stop) the passing attack than the running attack. On a cold, windy day when passing is tough, or on short yardage situations when a run is likely the Saints have had trouble converting. PT is hardly in the top 10 backs in the league. Signing/drafting a guy like that (a top 10 caliber back) would excite me. But re-signing a guy who missed 10 games last year and averaged 3.2 YPA when he did play, not so much. The Saints had the 5th worst rushing offense in the NFL last year. Let that sink in....5th WORST. If re-signing Thomas is enough to make you and others here jump for joy, rave about his artistic running and shout HELL YEAH!!!!, then good for you. Myself, I have higher hopes and expect more from the front office. If they go into next year planning on PT being the featured back, then I will consider them short sighted, be very disappointed, and will expect them to have continued RB injuries and be searching other team's practice squads for bodies to sign just like they did last year. Time will tell if I am right or not.
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

03-04-2011, 03:47 PM	#8
pherein failclownHunter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: N.O. and V.A. Posts: 2,260 Blog Entries: 3	Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL PT is hardly in the top 10 backs in the league. Signing/drafting a guy like that (a top 10 caliber back) would excite me. But re-signing a guy who missed 10 games last year and averaged 3.2 YPA when he did play, not so much. The Saints had the 5th worst rushing offense in the NFL last year. Let that sink in....5th WORST. If re-signing Thomas is enough to make you and others here jump for joy, rave about his artistic running and shout HELL YEAH!!!!, then good for you. Myself, I have higher hopes and expect more from the front office. If they go into next year planning on PT being the featured back, then I will consider them short sighted, be very disappointed, and will expect them to have continued RB injuries and be searching other team's practice squads for bodies to sign just like they did last year. Time will tell if I am right or not. Chris Ivory NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com Pierre Thomas NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com Steven Jackson NFL & AFL Football Statistics - Pro-Football-Reference.com I think you're basing everything of a simple YPA for a single season, not a good judgement call, and Thomas, Bush, and a lot of our other RB's played very little in 2010, so being 28th in rushing is understandable. Ivory running more than everyone didnt improve that stat either. IF you look at the stats, it will explain things better for you. Jackson has always had almost 2x the Attempts at running that Thomas has. Thomas could easily clear 1200-1600 a season if he was given 324 Rush Attempts and 51 receiving attempts that Jackson is getting, all of the stats prove that. Instead Thomas has 147 Rush attempts and 39 receiving attempts at the most in a season, and his YPA rushing was 5.4, and YPA receiving was 7.7. In 2007-2008 Thomas had even less attempts and still did a 4.8 rushing and 9 receiving. Thomas in 2009 did better than Ivory this year, way better because Ivory had almost no receiving yards. The problem with playing on the Saints is you have to be selfless. Colston will never get the numbers to put him in the HOF, because we play as a team and spread the ball around. Thomas, Ivory and Bush will never get their attempts either. 12 million for 4 years is a steal for an all around RB with PT's consistency and abilities. If we could get 4 RB's with the ability of PT for 48 million over 4 years, Id be in heaven. Really cant understand why you have a problem with it. Especially sense Payton is crazy happy about it, and Im sure he knows PT's abilities better than anyone on this board.
	Saints proved that pigs could fly in 2009. Now its time for another miracle SuperBowl and go where no pig has gone before.

03-03-2011, 03:28 PM	#2
niteadept Site Donor Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 520 Blog Entries: 1	So glad PT finally got what he didn't last season. Welcome back and make us proud!!

03-03-2011, 03:32 PM	#3
Crusader Resident Swede Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Märsta, Sweden Posts: 8,051	This doesn't really excite me. Hope Ivory gets the starts.

03-04-2011, 02:12 PM	#9
st thomas Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: lafayette Posts: 7,753	Originally Posted by SAINT_MICHAEL This doesn't excite me either. I was hoping the team would look into getting a bigger, more solid, less injury-prone back via the draft or free agency to handle the work load. I give credit to Thomas and everything he has done for the Saints. But I've grown sick of looking through the injury depleted running back corps over the past seasons and wondering from game to game who was going to shoulder (or knee, ankle, etc) the load. Going back to the last few injury plagued seasons of Deuce to Antowain Smith, to Aaron Stecker, to Mike Bell, to Thomas, to Hamilton, to Ivory it seems like the team thinks they can just throw a body out there and it will be good enough to get the job done. I don't agree with this. The most productive back in the team's history was obtained with a first round draft pick. Why the HECK is Payton satisfied with oft-injured unknowns to handle one of the most important spots on the roster. I know a good run game requires good run blocking and that was lacking last season. But if we had a Stephen Jckson type back it would help our offense vastly. Rather than being able to run sometimes because teams feared the passing attack, we would be able to actually run the ball when we want to, which would open up the passing even more. Who knows, they may even be able to convert those 3rd and 4th down short yardage situations (Seattle playoff game anyone) that they seem to not get so often. I dearly hope I am wrong and Thomas runs for 2,000 yards during the upcoming 18 game season, leads the Saints to their second Superbowl title and makes the pro bowl. But I don't expect it and I sure am not all excited about the prospect of the Saint's best running back being a guy who has averaged 41 yards per game and 5 games missed for injury over the 4 seasons he's been on the team. Now go prove me wrong Pierre! PLEASE! u have good points s.m. but i'm sure if a ingram or leshoure is there at 24 he will grab one. and about s. jackson, he's been hurt the last few years besides 2010 so its just badluck involved in these injuries and our luck sucked the most i sure agree with it there.

03-04-2011, 06:39 PM	#10
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Originally Posted by st thomas i'm sure if a ingram or leshoure is there at 24 he will grab one. That would be nice!
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446