New Orleans Saints Review

Today, two New Orleans legends will be honored.  Rickey Jackson, the Saints’ former all-world linebacker, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He’ll become the first player ever enshrined as a New Orleans Saint.

And, not to be overlooked, Times-Picayune columnist Peter Finney will receive the Dick McCann Memorial Award from the Pro Football Writers of America.  Jeff Duncan has written a really nice story on his colleague that is worth reading.

As for Jackson, there are just so many amazing memories of his time with the Saints.  He, along with the rest of the vaunted “Dome Patrol”, helped bring a legitimate contender to New Orleans (and a lot of pain to opposing quarterbacks).

Funny thing was, if you weren’t a Saints fan or a fan of one of their old NFC West rivals in San Francisco, Atlanta or Los Angeles, you might not have known just how dominant #57 was.  Rickey played in a time before the internet and the NFL Network, so he never got the publicity of his more famous counterpart in New York (Lawrence Taylor).

To see Rickey Jackson and Peter Finney receive such prestigious honors is a thrill.  Put that on top of the Saints’ Super Bowl victory, and all of the sudden we are seeing this franchise go from sad-sack to one having a great tradition.

Congratulations, Rickey and Peter!

According to ESPN, it appears as though Vikings QB Brett Favre is calling it a career.  Well, you can never say such things with 100% certainty.  But it looks like this is it for old #4.

If this is the end – the real end – it might be considered a bit ironic since most pundits expected him back for 2010.  Even Drew Brees had said that he fully expected to face the aged one on opening night.  The drama that surrounded Favre for the past few offseasons wasn’t at nearly the same level this time around.  Whether it was due to the ankle he injured against the Saints in the NFC Championship Game, or he simply felt it was really time to go is something we’ll have to wait and hear straight from the source.

Certainly, the Saints opening night game against Minnesota will be just a tad less hyped outside of NOLA.  Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson just aren’t as good of a story line.  But don’t expect the Saints to shed any tears over the matter.  They’ll still have a job to do that night, regardless of who plays for the other side.

Whatever criticisms I’ve had of Favre over the past few seasons for holding teams hostage, it was always a pleasure to watch him compete.  His pure enthusiasm for the game and gunslinger attitude will be the legacy he leaves behind.

Last week, John DeShazier of the Times-Picayune wrote a very interesting column about Saints running back Pierre Thomas and his long-term contract aspirations with the team.  Thomas is seeking a hefty raise in pay and it’s certainly due.  He’s a hard-working and talented player who has done nothing but good things since joining the Saints in 2007 as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Thomas, who was a restricted free agent this past offseason, is looking to get paid like one of the elite backs in the NFL.  The question is whether or not he’s worth that kind of coin.

In 2009, he had his best year as a pro with 793 rushing yards, 302 receiving yards and 8 total touchdowns.  He made some spectacular plays and was a force to be dealt with in the playoffs as well.  Great year and a certainly a piece of the Saints’ Super Bowl puzzle.

But if you take a look at some of the top rushers from the 2009 season, you wouldn’t say Pierre’s numbers are in that class.

That’s certainly not a knock on the talent and toughness that #23 shows out there every Sunday.  Perhaps the fact that he doesn’t put up numbers like Chris Johnson or Steven Jackson is due more to the style of offense the Saints play than anything else.

The Saints aren’t a one-man team (well, everywhere but quarterback).  They spread the ball around better than anybody.  The formerly pass-happy Sean Payton added a significant boost of running plays to the arsenal in 2009, and as a result you saw better numbers for Thomas.  But still, this offense is not to be confused with the one-dimensional attacks that Johnson and Jackson play for in Tennessee and St. Louis, respectively.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that Reggie Bush also sees a lot of time out there at running back, even if he’s not running the ball as much.

Unfortunately for Thomas, the numbers are usually what translate into dollars.  Talent-wise, I’d argue that he’s certainly in the top 10 in the league at his position.   But it’s those gaudy stats that fatten your wallet.