Sprained MCL, Pierre Thomas (1 Viewer)

[Maven]

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2009/...ury_upda_1.html

Tailbacks Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas were both held out of team drills in practice Wednesday. Thomas (knee) will not play in Saturday's preseason game at Oakland, and Bush (calf) is questionable.

Thomas, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during last week's preseason game at Houston, said earlier this week that the injury was minor, and he expected to be back on the practice field within a day or two. But the pain has apparently lingered.

Payton said his goal is to get Thomas some snaps in the final preseason game against Miami next Thursday night to get him up to speed. Thomas' snaps were limited in the first two preseason games while the team spent more time evaluating backup tailbacks Lynell Hamilton, Mike Bell, Herb Donaldson and P.J. Hill.

Bush has been limited all week because of the calf strain he suffered during practice last Thursday in Houston. Payton said Bush is "making progress," but said the injury is "somewhat like a hamstring. You just have to be careful."

...

In other injury news, rookie cornerback Malcolm Jenkins wore extra padding around his right wrist after getting dinged in Tuesday's practice. But Payton said it was "nothing significant."

Safety Darren Sharper remained out of Wednesday's practice with an Achilles injury. Payton labeled him as questionable for Saturday's game. Defensive end Charles Grant (hamstring) and tight end Billy Miller (knee) practiced Wednesday, but they are also listed as questionable.

Offensive linemen Jammal Brown (hernia) and Anthony Davis (elbow), tight end Darnell Dinkins (ankle), safety Chip Vaughn (knee) and receiver D'Juan Woods (neck) did not practice and won't play Saturday.

 

[Max Power]

Thomas should be fine for the opener.

Bush on the otherhand is becoming an injury punchline at this point.

 

[Garts]

If you're a Pierre owner, toss out all of the cheap 1-2 yd TD runs.

The News

Pro Football Talk reports that the Saints could be using a "three-headed monster" at running back this season, giving Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell all a good number of carries.

Our View

While this doesn't figure to hurt the reception-heavy Bush's fantasy value too much, a good number of carries for Mike Bell is not good news for Thomas owners, especially since Saints coach Sean Payton also insinuated that Bell will be their goal-line back this season.

 

[mattsam]

Mike Bell could be a HUGE sleeper this year. I'm in New Orleans and they are pumped up about this guy. He will be the only healthy option going into game one at RB. With him in there Def will fall back to defend the passing game.

I'm down on Bush, sort of down on Thomas, and real high on Bell

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Mike Bell is not going to push a healthy Pierre Thomas to the side. Remember who Thomas pushed to the side to get a starting spot...Deuce, so I believe Pierre has more skills. Mike Bell couldn't hold a job when Denver was desperate for RB help and had a decent OL plus a decent throwing game with Cutler and the WRs. Bell hasn't gotten better, he simply has done well as the RB3, big surprise. SO he is a top tier RB3 around the league, fine but he isn't going to take carries away from Thomas. The Saints are not game planning how they can get the ball to Bell more.

 

[Garts]

Mike Bell is not going to push a healthy Pierre Thomas to the side. Remember who Thomas pushed to the side to get a starting spot...Deuce, so I believe Pierre has more skills. Mike Bell couldn't hold a job when Denver was desperate for RB help and had a decent OL plus a decent throwing game with Cutler and the WRs. Bell hasn't gotten better, he simply has done well as the RB3, big surprise. SO he is a top tier RB3 around the league, fine but he isn't going to take carries away from Thomas. The Saints are not game planning how they can get the ball to Bell more.

No Bell won't push PT aside, just at the goalline....

 

[travdogg]

If you're a Pierre owner, toss out all of the cheap 1-2 yd TD runs.

The News

Pro Football Talk reports that the Saints could be using a "three-headed monster" at running back this season, giving Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell all a good number of carries.

Our View

While this doesn't figure to hurt the reception-heavy Bush's fantasy value too much, a good number of carries for Mike Bell is not good news for Thomas owners, especially since Saints coach Sean Payton also insinuated that Bell will be their goal-line back this season.

Not buying that at all. They've talked about Thomas being the guy since January, for both main carries and goal-line. Mike Bell is having a nice preseason. Thomas owners and to some extent Bush owners have nothing to be worried about other than the health of the guy they own.

This is somewhere below Caddy and Mike Bush being starters on the list of RB non-stories.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Mike Bell is not going to push a healthy Pierre Thomas to the side. Remember who Thomas pushed to the side to get a starting spot...Deuce, so I believe Pierre has more skills. Mike Bell couldn't hold a job when Denver was desperate for RB help and had a decent OL plus a decent throwing game with Cutler and the WRs. Bell hasn't gotten better, he simply has done well as the RB3, big surprise. SO he is a top tier RB3 around the league, fine but he isn't going to take carries away from Thomas. The Saints are not game planning how they can get the ball to Bell more.

No Bell won't push PT aside, just at the goalline....

Why would you say that? What in Mike Bell's background makes you scream goal line threat? Pierre Thomas was the #21 back last year and many weeks he played a lot higher than his year end numbers reflect. He also catches about 80% of the balls thrown to him...just don't see where Bell is going to fit in. Let's say Bush is on the shelf...I would expect 20+ touches a game from Thomas and I would not expect the Saints to pull Thomas at the goal line to march out the golden child Mike Bell, sorry just don't see it. Wanna sig bet who gets more TDs for the season...Bell or Thomas?

 

[Garts]

Mike Bell is not going to push a healthy Pierre Thomas to the side. Remember who Thomas pushed to the side to get a starting spot...Deuce, so I believe Pierre has more skills. Mike Bell couldn't hold a job when Denver was desperate for RB help and had a decent OL plus a decent throwing game with Cutler and the WRs. Bell hasn't gotten better, he simply has done well as the RB3, big surprise. SO he is a top tier RB3 around the league, fine but he isn't going to take carries away from Thomas. The Saints are not game planning how they can get the ball to Bell more.

No Bell won't push PT aside, just at the goalline....

Why would you say that? What in Mike Bell's background makes you scream goal line threat? Pierre Thomas was the #21 back last year and many weeks he played a lot higher than his year end numbers reflect. He also catches about 80% of the balls thrown to him...just don't see where Bell is going to fit in. Let's say Bush is on the shelf...I would expect 20+ touches a game from Thomas and I would not expect the Saints to pull Thomas at the goal line to march out the golden child Mike Bell, sorry just don't see it. Wanna sig bet who gets more TDs for the season...Bell or Thomas?

Sean Payton maybe... Saints coach Sean Payton said on Wednesday that Mike Bell can expect to see a good number of carries this season, and that he is likely to be their goal-line back, according to Pro Football Talk. Our View: Payton called Bell "an upright runner who stays the course," while also saying, "he's pretty physical when he hits the hole." Whether or not we could be witnessing the second coming of late-career Jerome Bettis won't be clear until the regular season, but what is clear is that you should certainly be keeping an eye on BellListen, I don't think Mike Bell is any good either, but Thomas's TD numbers are going to hurt here and that effects his value in standard scoring leagues.

 

[BobbyLayne]

How's Mike Bell special teams play? He's gotten a fair amount of opportunity there since his rookie year, so I expect him to be a solid contributor to the Saints.

Getting pt over PT? Puhleeze....next you'll try to tell Javon Ringer is gonna cut into CJ24s touches.



NM

Shark Pool + Late August = Wally Lundy/Mike Bell time.

Please continue.

 

[Garts]

How's Mike Bell special teams play? He's gotten a fair amount of opportunity there since his rookie year, so I expect him to be a solid contributor to the Saints.Getting pt over PT? Puhleeze....next you'll try to tell Javon Ringer is gonna cut into CJ24s touches. NMShark Pool + Late August = Wally Lundy/Mike Bell time.Please continue.

The playing time Bell will get will be the 1-2 yard TD runs and that will effect Thomas's scoring...don't see how that doesn't shrink his value some.There goes 5-6 tds.I never said I agreed either, just passing on what SEAN PAYTON said.

 

[BobbyLayne]

How long you been listening to what HC's say? Seriously, outside of lawyers, I don't know any profession where guys talk out of both sides of their mouth so much.

However, coachspeak makes sense from a motivational standpoint. If you're Mike Bell and here that, you keep on working hard. PT is similarly motivated for different reasons.

Conversely, if Sean says Bell is glued to the bench and PT's job is safe...come on man, we ain't building rockets here.

 

[Garts]

There have been rumours that Payton coveted a bigger back at the draft to run in short yardage and near the goalline. So maybe that's why Bell will perform the job here.

 

[Max Power]

Mike Bell is not going to push a healthy Pierre Thomas to the side. Remember who Thomas pushed to the side to get a starting spot...Deuce, so I believe Pierre has more skills. Mike Bell couldn't hold a job when Denver was desperate for RB help and had a decent OL plus a decent throwing game with Cutler and the WRs. Bell hasn't gotten better, he simply has done well as the RB3, big surprise. SO he is a top tier RB3 around the league, fine but he isn't going to take carries away from Thomas. The Saints are not game planning how they can get the ball to Bell more.

No Bell won't push PT aside, just at the goalline....

Why would you say that? What in Mike Bell's background makes you scream goal line threat? Pierre Thomas was the #21 back last year and many weeks he played a lot higher than his year end numbers reflect. He also catches about 80% of the balls thrown to him...just don't see where Bell is going to fit in. Let's say Bush is on the shelf...I would expect 20+ touches a game from Thomas and I would not expect the Saints to pull Thomas at the goal line to march out the golden child Mike Bell, sorry just don't see it. Wanna sig bet who gets more TDs for the season...Bell or Thomas?

Sean Payton maybe... Saints coach Sean Payton said on Wednesday that Mike Bell can expect to see a good number of carries this season, and that he is likely to be their goal-line back, according to Pro Football Talk.

Our View: Payton called Bell "an upright runner who stays the course," while also saying, "he's pretty physical when he hits the hole." Whether or not we could be witnessing the second coming of late-career Jerome Bettis won't be clear until the regular season, but what is clear is that you should certainly be keeping an eye on Bell

Listen, I don't think Mike Bell is any good either, but Thomas's TD numbers are going to hurt here and that effects his value in standard scoring leagues.

so who reported this? PFW has on site reporters?