Check Down Receiver (1 Viewer)

[State Of Affairs]

I just got the heart to watching the Seattle game and the one thing that stood out to me was the importance of a good receiving back to this offense.... Bush specifically has several check downs that he took a 4 yard catch and ran for a 1st down... I realize that everyone wants a back that can run 20 times for 135 yards and grind it out but I think a back like Bush is every bit as important...

In the zone defense, the underneath defenders have a choice, get deep and take away the bottom side of the deeper routes but this gives a quick RB a chance to pick up valuable yards underneath.. NOT big yards, but 5 yards that puts you in 3rd and 2 or a 1st down if they're really quick and slippery...

I realize that Bush's value is far less then his current contract but not only do I think the Saints will resign him but they will overpay a lil for him... I feel his value should be somewhere around $3MM to $4MM but I think he could get $5MM... I think that if they had another option to fill that spot they could consider it but I don't think there is another option like Bush in FA and to get a guy like Devine would cost a draft choice that they may not be willing to part with and a position that needs some experience...

So in summary, I think the Saints need a back with Bush's skills set and if they can't get one, which I don't know who would come in and do it, they will be forced to over pay Bush...

 

[rich70116]

Reggie does have value. He also becomes more trade-able with a lower price tag.

PT also works well as a check down back, but, injuries and money and attitudes will all come into play this year.

I do think any coach prefers to go into a new year with some of the major pieces in place. That works in Reggie and PT's favor, because Payton is not far away from looking at starting completely over with an all new backfield if both players get away.

Who knows how it will pan out?

 

[duckjr78]

Drew is our biggest weapon on O. Teams will take that away first with some form of two or three deep defense. To combat that, we need a really good TE to handle the middle that is vacated by the MLB (I think we may have more than that now, :smile and we need a RB who can handle pass pro and check downs, making the first guy miss and picking up good yardage.

For all their downside, PT and Reggie fill this role very well and as such, they will get just as many touches/plays as the #1 "running back," be it Mike Bell, Chris Ivory, or whomever.
For

 

[CitySaint]

A checkdown isn't always a runningback in the flats. The problem is opponents cover deep AND in the flats... they leave the middle open, but either Receivers and TE can't get open over the middle fast enough or the opponents D-line is intentionally blocking passing lanes over the middle causing hesitation on Drew's part in sticking the ball in there, Sometimes I see Drew scanning the middle... pump faking... shuffling his feet... pump faking again because either one of those two things are happening.

 

[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

We had just about zero big plays from the running game this season. We need to do whatever we can to remedy this problem and the rest of the offensive issues will resolve themselves, IMO.

 

[jazzjack]

Run the damn ball!!

 

[Cuozzo67]

No question the team missed David Thomas at the end of the season. He's a good blocker, but Brees often looks for him on those short, check-down routes. His loss hurt the team, but it's not an excuse for the Seattle disaster.

 

[kevinh]

Reggie's effectiveness as a checkdown receiver is one of his biggest assets. He's also really good at picking up blitzes, and of course as a decoy. It's weird how such an electrifying college player finds his strengths in some of the more "boring" facets of the game in our system. Kudos to Payton for getting all the skill guys to buy into the team concept.

 

[meily]

Last year was a fluke, no way do we have 5 running backs go on IR again...pessimist want to believe this is a sign of things to come, but like 08 when the secondary was depleted by injuries, its just the story of the season. people want to add backs like thats going to minimize the injuries, your just crowding an already talented backfield..its a waste of time and money, develop what you have (Ivory) and keep your young stable together, add if you have to subtract (cant resign PT).

 

[efil4stnias]

Last year was a fluke, no way do we have 5 running backs go on IR again...pessimist want to believe this is a sign of things to come, but like 08 when the secondary was depleted by injuries, its just the story of the season. people want to add backs like thats going to minimize the injuries, your just crowding an already talented backfield..its a waste of time and money, develop what you have (Ivory) and keep your young stable together, add if you have to subtract (cant resign PT).

finally ....thank you.

( i just dont have the strength anymore to post these )

 

[NOFALCONS10]

A checkdown isn't always a runningback in the flats. The problem is opponents cover deep AND in the flats... they leave the middle open, but either Receivers and TE can't get open over the middle fast enough or the opponents D-line is intentionally blocking passing lanes over the middle causing hesitation on Drew's part in sticking the ball in there, Sometimes I see Drew scanning the middle... pump faking... shuffling his feet... pump faking again because either one of those two things are happening.

I was going to post something similar upon reading the OP. We don't need to replace reggie bush and pierre thomas with "check down backs," why not just replace them with more check down receivers like lance moore or wes welker out of the slot? When chris ivory was healthy we rarely ever missed thomas and bush greatly because our lack of a screen game was offset by our improved play-action game.

 

[AARPSaint]

If Ivory could also be developed as a checkdown receiver, the offense would present even more possibilities to opposing defenses. Thomas and Bush are excellent in that capacity, and Heath Evans is pretty good as well.

I continue to think that the offensive line's falloff in quality was mainly responsible for the disappointing season. The running game was awful, and the increase in interceptions is also attributable to the decline in pass protection. Injuries to the running backs didn't help with running game and blitz pickups, either. Better OL play enables longer passes to develop and succeed. More offense gives the defense less time on the field and the greater possibility of taking chances to create turnovers.

 

[State Of Affairs]

Run the damn ball!!

It gets old reading these types of posts... You guys need to get it through your head, this isn't 1980 or 1990 anymore... The answer isn't as simple "run the damn ball"... This isn't a running team... this team is built to pass the ball and to simply become a running team would require a complete over haul of this entire team, including the way we play defense which is built to play with a lead provided by a high scoring passing offense...

I simply don't understand how we can win a Superbowl and then win 11 games this year and the only reason the 11 game season was a disappointment is because it was on the heals of a superbowl...

 

[State Of Affairs]

Check downs are when the defense drops into deep passing lanes leaving a void underneath where you can get the ball to a RB around the LOS to 5 yards matched up in the open field against a LB.... Check downls aren't just short routes like a TE curl 5 yards down field... This isn't necessarily a designed play... generally the play is something designed down field but after the QB realizes that the defense has it well covered, generally by dropping the LB's deeper into the seems leaving the void...

A guy like Bush has the ability to make this play into a 1st down where other guys might just get 4 yards... I know this isn't the glamorous play that everyone wants to see but it's very effective and when you pass as much as the Saints, it becomes a vital part of the offense..

 

[Scorpius the Allfather]

When Sean Payton doesn't trust the running game, he doesn't run the ball. 09 seemed to be the year where he trusted the run game. Last year, it was obvious that something wasn't right with the O-Line. They were too inconsistent. Because of that, Payton didn't trust running the ball, so he went pass happy. When we have a reliable running game we will use it, until then we will be pass happy all the time. We may need at least the scare of a possibility that changes could come to the O-Line to light a fire under their butts so they will play back up to their potential. Then Payton will trust the running game and we will decimate teams again on our way to Indianapolis for our 2nd trophy.