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

03-03-2011, 08:28 PM

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

Or in other words, YES!!!!!

As I stated in a previous comment, I felt that Pierre Thomas was the number one priority. I know many do not agree with me, but I love his running style and the way he makes the most out of every run. He is also a good receiver.

RaginCajun83 · 03-03-2011, 08:29 PM

Championship

when healthy the screen is the Saints money play

ClintSaints · 03-03-2011, 08:32 PM

I think it's funny how the people who are opposed to this deal and who are in favor of Chris Ivory getting the starts because Pierre Thomas is "injury-prone." Um, are you kidding me??? Chris Ivory is great when he's healthy, but he had a whole host of injuries last year that kept him out of games. Pierre Thomas had a torn tendon and missed a bunch of games, but that does not mean in any way that he's not dependable. The two previous seasons he barely missed any time. I hope we keep Ivory and Bush but Pierre's my guy.

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-03-2011, 08:55 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.

TheDeuce · 03-03-2011, 10:27 PM

I like PT, so I'm glad we got this done. What it tells me is that we are now committed to the "Running Back By Committee" approach. You can debate whether that's a good thing or not, but PT is not a feature back like Steven Jackson so we are going to run different RBs out there depending on the situation. PT, IMO, is the best running back in the league at catching balls out of the backfield, especially on screens. He is such a threat and a great weapon in that capacity. The Saints now need to make sure they have enough depth to balance the load.

BringTheWood · 03-03-2011, 11:30 PM

Just got home from work, and this instantly put a genuine smile on my face. I couldn't be happier. Most underrated RB in the history of our franchise, and one of the best screen catch and go RBs of all time. THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US PT, AND THANK YOU PAYTON AND LOOMIS FOR SHOWING HIM TO HIS HOME!

breesfan27 · 03-04-2011, 12:14 AM

We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Glad PT Bruiser is sticking around!

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-04-2011, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by BringTheWood

Most underrated RB in the history of our franchise

Hmmm...Interesting thought. I mean it. Who would the other nominees be? Anyone? I'll throw Dalton Hillard out there.

SAINT_MICHAEL · 03-04-2011, 12:26 AM

Hokie Gajan?

BringTheWood · 03-04-2011, 12:49 AM

Perhaps my comment was hasty. He's the most underrated I've personally had the pleasure of watching. I'm younger than most here, and have only taken the Saints and Football seriously since the Haslett/Aaron Brooks era. I retract my previous statement, lol. To be fair though, I definitely feel he has caught the most crap for someone who has helped give us so much. He helped us win our first superbowl, and just as soon as he gets hurt (which I feel was a legit injury) people want to dismiss him for some of the subpar talent out of the shallow RB pool in this years draft. Signing PT was great for us and now we get to hit the draft defense candy store. Hilliard for sure though. Had he not been plagued by injuries himself, I think he would've been further appreciated outside of Saints fandom.

03-03-2011, 08:28 PM	#21
Threaded by ClintSaints 500th Post Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Glendale, CA Posts: 603 Rating: (0 votes - average) YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! Or in other words, YES!!!!! As I stated in a previous comment, I felt that Pierre Thomas was the number one priority. I know many do not agree with me, but I love his running style and the way he makes the most out of every run. He is also a good receiver.
Views: 7111

03-03-2011, 08:55 PM	#24
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

03-03-2011, 10:27 PM	#25
TheDeuce 1000 Posts + Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,928	I like PT, so I'm glad we got this done. What it tells me is that we are now committed to the "Running Back By Committee" approach. You can debate whether that's a good thing or not, but PT is not a feature back like Steven Jackson so we are going to run different RBs out there depending on the situation. PT, IMO, is the best running back in the league at catching balls out of the backfield, especially on screens. He is such a threat and a great weapon in that capacity. The Saints now need to make sure they have enough depth to balance the load.
TheDeuce 1000 Posts + Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,928

03-03-2011, 11:30 PM	#26
BringTheWood 100th Post Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 165	Just got home from work, and this instantly put a genuine smile on my face. I couldn't be happier. Most underrated RB in the history of our franchise, and one of the best screen catch and go RBs of all time. THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US PT, AND THANK YOU PAYTON AND LOOMIS FOR SHOWING HIM TO HIS HOME!
BringTheWood 100th Post Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 165

03-04-2011, 12:15 AM	#28
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Originally Posted by BringTheWood Most underrated RB in the history of our franchise Hmmm...Interesting thought. I mean it. Who would the other nominees be? Anyone? I'll throw Dalton Hillard out there.
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

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03-03-2011, 08:29 PM	#22
RaginCajun83 Hou Saints Fan Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, Tx Posts: 5,050	Championship when healthy the screen is the Saints money play

03-03-2011, 08:32 PM	#23
ClintSaints 500th Post Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Glendale, CA Posts: 603	I think it's funny how the people who are opposed to this deal and who are in favor of Chris Ivory getting the starts because Pierre Thomas is "injury-prone." Um, are you kidding me??? Chris Ivory is great when he's healthy, but he had a whole host of injuries last year that kept him out of games. Pierre Thomas had a torn tendon and missed a bunch of games, but that does not mean in any way that he's not dependable. The two previous seasons he barely missed any time. I hope we keep Ivory and Bush but Pierre's my guy.

03-04-2011, 12:14 AM	#27
breesfan27 Mrs. Drew Brees Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: The Who Dat Nation (by way of South Dakota) Posts: 2,276 Blog Entries: 1	We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Glad PT Bruiser is sticking around!

03-04-2011, 12:26 AM	#29
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446	Hokie Gajan?
SAINT_MICHAEL 100th Post Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 446

03-04-2011, 12:49 AM	#30
BringTheWood 100th Post Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 165	Perhaps my comment was hasty. He's the most underrated I've personally had the pleasure of watching. I'm younger than most here, and have only taken the Saints and Football seriously since the Haslett/Aaron Brooks era. I retract my previous statement, lol. To be fair though, I definitely feel he has caught the most crap for someone who has helped give us so much. He helped us win our first superbowl, and just as soon as he gets hurt (which I feel was a legit injury) people want to dismiss him for some of the subpar talent out of the shallow RB pool in this years draft. Signing PT was great for us and now we get to hit the draft defense candy store. Hilliard for sure though. Had he not been plagued by injuries himself, I think he would've been further appreciated outside of Saints fandom.
BringTheWood 100th Post Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 165