Did Payton Take A Veiled Swipe At Reggie? (2 Viewers)

SaintVooDoo

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The article in today's TP is titled "Millions on pass line as teams roll dice." Sorry I could not find the article on Nolalive.com so there's not a link. But in the article, Jimmy Smith is discussing how important drafting well is in the modern game because of the huge dollars that teams must commit to unproven players. The article goes on to lament that the draft as it exists today is not what was orignally envisioned years ago as the almighty dollar has come to be the master to all. And so, as the article goes, Mr. Smith quotes several current execs about the draft and its importance and then he quotes Sean Payton on the subject, and this is what Payton said:

"You might think (grading) running backs is easy, Payton said. "You're just going to see a good runner. But you go back in the last six or seven years and you look at how many day-two running backs were drafted who were great players. (Dallas') Marion Barber for example (a fourth-round pick in 2005). "Then take a look at the first-round running backs...there are some mistakes at that position, and you can't put a handle on it. Everyone liked the player, but (running back) is a unique poition."

When I read that, I immmediately thought; would he be putting Reggie in that group right about now? I wonder what Reggie is going to think about that statement. Did anybody else notice this? I'm not trying to invent anything here, but still, it does have me wondering.
 
I doubt he was taking a shot at Reggie.

There have been much bigger disappointments at the RB position than Reggie

Reggie isn't even a disappointment or 'bust' at this point anyway
 
From a broad perspective, it was a swipe at Reggie.

What else is Reggie to think if he read that himself?
 
If it was a swipe at Reggie, so what? I think being the #2 pick overall warrants this type of scrutiny. The best thing Payton can do for Reggie is stop handling him with kid gloves and treat him more (not completely) like one of the other guys, and hold him to a standard. The best thing Reggie can do is get out there and prove himself, no excuses.
 
If Reggie reads that, I would hope he would think that his coach is discussing the draft in general terms. It's such a huge reach to call that a swipe at Reggie.

Honestly - sometimes I think this board is worse than a bunch of old women! :)
 
He also took a veiled swipe at Curtis Enis and KiJana Carter...wonder if they'll keep Payton on their Christmas card list?
 
huge reach?

Yes. Huge. Or desperate. It's pretty obvious he's speaking in largely general terms. He wouldn't just off-handily drop an insult towards one of his players. If he meant to send a message to Bush it wouldn't have been like that. If you're reading "a veiled swipe at Reggie" you're expecting to find a swipe. Or hoping.

But objectively you wouldn't read that and think "gosh, he means Reggie Bush there"
 
It is naive to think he is or isn't. To state that is to think it is an assertion.

What i do know is we drafted a RB in the first and since the coach drafted one in the first and this team did three times since Ricky. It isn't hard to comprehend that there could be smoke here. To say oh yes definatly huge reach is just funny as well as no he totally threw reggie under the bus.
 
Awesome. I was so paranoid that a 3.6ypc in his second year by a #2 overall runningback would be a bust.

Playing on a torn ACL with the hard-nose runner going down and he had to take the load?
I would call that a good excuse.
 
Yes. Huge. Or desperate. It's pretty obvious he's speaking in largely general terms. He wouldn't just off-handily drop an insult towards one of his players. If he meant to send a message to Bush it wouldn't have been like that. If you're reading "a veiled swipe at Reggie" you're expecting to find a swipe. Or hoping.

But objectively you wouldn't read that and think "gosh, he means Reggie Bush there"

Maybe he wasn't specifically speaking of Reggie Bush there, but Reggie situation definitely falls within this conversation, whether it was intentional or coincidental. As much as most of us like Reggie, he isn't performing up to expectations (the football world's or his own). If he had Reggie anywhere in his mind when he said this, I don't see it as a malicious swipe or an insult. It's the truth. While he has performed just fine in my eyes, I don't think anyone can truthfully say he's fulfilling the expectations most had for him.

All that being said, I don't even think Reggie NEEDS to perform up to expectations for the Saints to win a Super Bowl.
 
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Maybe he wasn't specifically speaking of Reggie Bush there, but Reggie definitely falls within the parameters of this conversation, whether it was intentional or coincidental. As much as most of us like Reggie, he isn't performing up to expectations (the football world's or his own). If he had Reggie anywhere in his mind when he said this, I don't see it as a malicious swipe or an insult. It's the truth. While he has performed just fine in my eyes, I don't think anyone can truthfully say he's fulfilling the expectations most had for him.

All that being said, I don't even think Reggie NEEDS to perform up to expectations for the Saints to win a Super Bowl.

Payton specifically said mistake in the quote. If he really thought Reggie was a mistake he wouldn't have him as the focal point of his offense. I think its much more likely Payton wasn't even thinking about Reggie in this quote. There are plenty of real first round draft busts at RB that he could of been referring to.
 
I would imagine this is more directed at the likes of Cedric Benson. If Bush was to take exception, so what? He needs to step his game up. Any additional motivation is fine by me
 
Payton specifically said mistake in the quote. If he really thought Reggie was a mistake he wouldn't have him as the focal point of his offense. I think its much more likely Payton wasn't even thinking about Reggie in this quote. There are plenty of real first round draft busts at RB that he could of been referring to.


Touche'. I don't think that Payton believes Reggie was a mistake. However I wouldn't be opposed to this comment had the "mistakes" part of it been removed. I really would like Reggie to have the "Prove everyone wrong" mentality this season.
 

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