Before you shout "NO!!!" or "We just signed Noel Devine!" hear me out. Reggie Bush is due for a monster payout in New Orleans. New Orleans also has a plethora of running backs that, for what it's worth, have stayed on the field more than Bush has in recent memory. Pierre Thomas has proved serviceable and the drafting of Mark Ingram pretty much spells doom for the former USC standout. Bush won't be staying, unless he restructures his contract. That's an unlikely bet if you ask me.
I believe Reggie Bush is a rare talent that hasn't been utilized to the fullest in New Orleans. Yes, he's been hurt in recent memory, which is great for us in a sense - he won't be able to ask for nearly as much money, nor will he have any real leverage in contract situations because of that.
He would fit a need (however small) here in Atlanta. He's fast, he has a rather unbelievable cut-and-go, and he can catch, AND he could give us insider info against the Saints. (Let's face it, we all know players do that.)
He's only played in all 16 games once - his rookie season. However, his career rushing average is 4.0, helped largely by a 5.6 ypc in '09. He's a young 26 (March) so he still has plenty of life left. He also only has about 800 total offensive touches in his career, and that doesn't include kicks.
To be honest, I don't know that we would utilize him much more efficiently. We had a knack for running Jerious into the pile, although the Saints did that with Bush and had some success. The nice thing about Bush is that he can return kicks, which is always a plus in case Weems/HD goes down.
I don't know any advanced stats about Bush, but he's still a formidable enough athlete to have to be respected while he's on the field, and that's what we need from a speed back. Quizz and Devine are unproven. They're also rookies who don't know any plays, and they won't command the respect from opponents initially. Bush has the experience as well as the talent. Heck, I'd argue we don't even need him for more than a year or two, but I think it would be a worthy pickup if the price is right.
Your thoughts?