Why did Bush go #2?

[Bossman641]

I'm with you Harvey. Reggie Bush is simply amazing. The things that he can do on a football field are just ridiculous. Rather than look at the things that Bush CANNOT do I think you need to look at the things he can do. He will cause matchup problems all over the field.

I actually don't think he will have injury problems. He is a little undersized but if you watch him he has a knack for avoiding big hits. Bush rarely ever allows a defender to hit him squarely.


I think he's a pretty good kid as well. He will be a star.

[HarveyWallbangers]

He's probably a tad under 6 feet tall and probably a ounce over 200 pounds, but he still put up 9 more reps on the bench than his much bigger college teammate, LenDale White. Bush did 24 reps at 225. White did 15. Laurence Maroney did 21. He's surprisingly strong for his size.

From Gil Brandt:

Bush is a player that everyone has been screaming about all season, and it's clear that he is an elite talent. He has good height for a running back and, while he is thinner than ideal for his height, within a season or two he will naturally add 10 pounds or so as all players do when they mature in their early 20s. Bush is similar to Marshall Faulk when he was a San Diego State star and he will be best utilized in the same type of role that Faulk has had in St. Louis. He is not going to be a running back in the NFL who gets 30-plus carries a game, but will eventually be able to handle 15-20 carries, 4-8 catches and return punts. Overall, Bush is going to make an immediate impact in the NFL with his ability to make game-changing plays once he is in the open field. While many people say you cannot risk using Bush as a returner, he is the type of returner who can change games and singlehandedly win the field position battle for his team.

[swede]

That's silly. You don't know that anybody going to #1 in a trade with Houston wouldn't have taken Mario. I would have!

[HarveyWallbangers]

That's silly. You don't know that anybody going to #1 in a trade with Houston wouldn't have taken Mario. I would have!

There are no guarantees, but considering how much New Orleans was demanding of teams that inquired about trading up and how eager they were to draft Bush, I doubt they would have taken Mario--especially since they were in dire need of a star in that city. Even if New Orleans had traded up to take Mario, Houston could have gotten value by trading down, and then they would have been able to take Bush (at a smaller contract). Or, they could have parlayed that into another trade down, and then taken the guy you really needed, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. They could have added several first day picks by doing this. They still would have gotten an elite prospect at a position of need, would be paying out a smaller contract to that prospect, and would have added several first day picks. Just plain stupid.

[Guiness]

That's the point I was trying to make HW. If Houston didn't want Bush, they damn well should've gotten out of that spot!

[HarveyWallbangers]

That's the point I was trying to make HW. If Houston didn't want Bush, they damn well should've gotten out of that spot!

Well, I totally agree with that. If they didn't really want Bush, they had some options:

1) Draft Mario Williams.

2) Trade down with New Orleans, get a first day pick (minimum).
a) New Orleans takes Reggie Bush. Draft Mario Williams, and get him at a lower salary will picking up valued pick(s).
b) New Orleans takes Mario Williams. Trade down with Tennessee or NY Jets, get a first day pick (minimum). Draft D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

I think they could have come out with these possible scenarios:

1) Mario Williams or
2) Mario Williams (while paying less for him) plus at least a first day pick, or
3) D'Brickashaw Ferguson (while paying less for him) plus at least two first day picks.

I think they ended up with the least appealing of the options.

[AKfaust]

I would have loved for the Packers to have had the chance to draft Bush. The guy's football talent is just out of this world. Thats what this is all about. He would be worth every $ you gave him. The world is full of scum agents/grifters, hangers on who will try and make a fortune off guys like him, comes with the turf. He'll get some wisdon along the way...at least you would hope so. Bush has the power to bring NO back from the DEAD! That's something. In many ways I think Bush got lucky Houston picked Mario instead...I would rather play in an LA swamp than a Texan one any day.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

I honestly see no reason why they passed on Bush. I'd rather blame it on conspiracy theory and conjecture than the reasons we have been given. The fact is Reggie Bush is simply amazing, against college athletes, we never got to see him in a college all-star game or a senior bowl. The Pac-10 really didnt have any strong defensive teams like the SEC Big 10 and ACC. I doubt he'll be as good in the NFL against all all-star college players than just the average defenses of the Pac-10, but his highlight tape is certainly amazing, and in the last 10-20 years, maybe since Herschel Walker, I haven't seen a college tailback dominate that much on just 20 carries a game.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Herschel was sweet in college. Barry Sanders was out of this world in college too.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Bush overwhelmed by city's warm welcome
By Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com

Compared to the massive effort it will take to rebuild the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, the remaking of the New Orleans Saints is a trivial pursuit. But the arrival of Heisman Trophy tailback Reggie Bush over the weekend provided those faced with the former formidable task to consider the latter efforts more than simply an afterthought.

Through the few good times and the mostly miserable seasons of the Saints' four-decade existence, one undeniable constant has been the manner in which the city has embraced its football team. On Saturday and Sunday, it wrapped its arms around Bush, who did nothing to elude the symbolic mantle bestowed upon him by virtually everyone he met in what will become his adopted hometown.

And just like that, the first chapter was authored in what could be the best feel-good story of the 2006 season, and perhaps beyond.

"To tell you the truth, it was a little overwhelming, and I really didn't expect it," Bush said of the rock-star welcome afforded him. "But after seeing some of the devastation here, so much worse than you can imagine even after watching it on TV, you gain some appreciation for what these people have been through and what they're still facing.

"Hey, I'm no savior, and I can't make everything better. But I want to do my part. I know now that I'm coming here to be more than just a football player. The people immediately made me a part of the community and I'm going to do my share. This really was an eye-opener for me. But it was very uplifting in a way."

[swede]

Well when Bush doesn't produce on the field in his first year I don't want to hear that he needs a little time to develop or that his offensive line isn't good enough. You all make him sound like a superhuman athlete. Check out Ricky Williams, Herschel Walker, and Kijana Carter as former superhumans.

If I have a chance to take the next Barry Sanders or a dominant DE I'm taking the dominant DE.

How many Super Bowls for Barry?

Yeah, Reggie Bush may be a star and he may sell tickets but New Orleans still won't win more than eight games this year.

[HarveyWallbangers]

How many Super Bowls for Barry?

That's a little silly. How many Super Bowls for Bruce Smith and Julius Peppers? I don't think Deacon Jones won any Super Bowls. Reggie won one Super Bowl, and he was the best ever. You need a team to contend for the title. Having a dominant DE doesn't guarantee anything--just like having a dominant RB doesn't.

[Scott Campbell]

How many Super Bowls for Barry?

A better question might be how have the Lions fared over the last 20 years with Barry, and without Barry.

[K-town]

How many Super Bowls for Barry?

That's a little silly. How many Super Bowls for Bruce Smith and Julius Peppers? I don't think Deacon Jones won any Super Bowls. Reggie won one Super Bowl, and he was the best ever. You need a team to contend for the title. Having a dominant DE doesn't guarantee anything--just like having a dominant RB doesn't.

By my count, I have 4 Super Bowls (appearances) for Bruce Smith and 1 Super Bowl for Julius Peppers. I doubt Buffalo makes more than one Super Bowl without Bruce Smith. Peppers made the Panthers into a dominant defensive team in his first two seasons.
But, you're right. It's a team game. If anything, having a dominant PERSONNEL guy guarantees you success - Scott Pioli (?spelling?), Ron Wolf, Bobby Beathard (in his prime), etc.

[Guiness]

Carmen Policy won SF a couple w/o ever lacing them up.