Before his knee injury last year he was having a really good season. Near tops in the league in touchdowns, and was probably on his way to the pro bowl. To call someone a bust because of an injury ended half of their season is hilarious. With that being said, this is something to watch for us, how closely related was his surgery to what Tmac had done on his knee?
eh, it was close. But the situations are totally different, as basketball players run 10x more than football players do. Only reason Bush had the surgery so he wouldn't be like t-mac later in his career. Bush is good to go, and plus he still hasn't gotten used to the humidity yet as he been in Cali all off-season. That humidity in Mississippi will aggrivate healing injuries.
ooo yeah, forgot to say... WHO DAT!!! Saints going to have a top 10 defense to go along with that #1 offense Bowl Bound baby!!
It's really just a discussion of a major football player (especially for those of us who play fantasy football) already having problems after having serious surgery on his knee. I didn't even think about the draft or any of that when I started this thread.
Tough to say.....probably could make an argument for Cedric Griffin or Aaron Ross. Furthermore, both Brian Orakpo and Brian Cushing played in that game. They'll probably have a chance to make that claim in a few years, too.
Bush is not bust. Maybe not the league-changing player he was hyped up to be but he's still one of the most dangerous players at his position. Few can match his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and he's always going to be a home run hitter with the type of speed he has. Again, perhaps not an every down back but you are kidding yourselves if you really think you wouldn't take a player like that on your team.
If he's one of the most dangerous players at his position, why can't he come close to 4 YPC in one year? Hell, why can't he even break 3.7? See, to be dangerous, you actually have to consistently make big plays -- and if you do, your average won't be around 3.6 YPC. Likewise, if you're making big plays in the passing game, your YPC won't be around 8. Yes, he can catch passes out of the backfield. So can Kevin Faulk. Would I take a player like Bush on my team? Sure, just like I'd take Kevin Faulk on my team -- he's certainly a useful player. But for a No. 2 overall pick -- even completely disregarding the "once in a generation," Michael Jordan hype -- yes, that is absolutely a bust. Being a bust doesn't mean you're a bad player. It simply means you didn't live up to your perceived ability.
As a punt returner, maybe. As an offensive player, hilarious. YPC of under 4, two rushing touchdowns in 10 games. As a receiver, YPC of 8.5, 52 catches in 10 games, 4 TDs... keep dreaming. And no, don't say those numbers are skewed by injury, as they actually went up in the couple of games he played late in the year. Reggie Bush is a good -- but definitely not great -- punt returner, who could have a Pro Bowl season if everything went right. As an offensive player, to even imply that he was ever in the discussion just completely ruins your credibility on pretty much everything.
gonna have to go with Limas Sweed, who won a super bowl Or even Lyle Sendlein, who STARTED for the Cardinals....
I view a "bust" as a complete failure or flop (without debating semantics). At 24-years-old and for what he's accomplished, it's quite difficult for me to give him that label. He can run, he can catch, he can return kicks....this isn't some dead-weight player that's not good enough to make it on the field. His blazing speed is what makes him one of the most dangerous at his position to me. It's precisely what I love about Willie Parker. He has that home run hitting ability and can bust a long run at any given moment. Bush can do this in multiple ways. Is he football's Michael Jordan? Absolutely not and you're right that the hype was a little ridiculous (and unwarranted). Still, I view him as a vital component to that wild New Orleans offense that can/should be able to make a player like Bush stand out. I'm just waiting for it to happen....
Well, not the whole package. There's that dead inside, morally dubious, dumb as a box of hammer part of her. Great for a day, or two, sure.
No, what I'm hoping you love about Willie Parker is how he consistently produced in his prime, with a YPC of above 4 in four of his five years in the league, 1,200 yards or more in three seasons, and 13 TDs in the ground in 2006. By your logic, why not put Usain Bolt in the backfield? He certainly has home run hitting ability, and could theoretically bust a long run at any long moment. Oh, that's right -- because it takes more than speed to be good at football. If all it took were speed, why didn't Trung Candidate (he of the ridiculous 4.2 forty) turn into something? You couldn't get more opposite than Willie Parker and Reggie Bush. They might have similar talents on paper, but on the field, one has consistently gotten it done, and one has not. For a position where the shelf life is about 5-6 years, he's already wasted more than half of it. Give it up.
I made the Parker/Bush comparison because those are the two fastest RB's in the league, IMO. Sure, there's players like Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden, etc. that all deserve consideration but those are my top picks. If you want to compare resumes and merit, it's fairly obvious that Parker blows Bush away. All I am saying is I see the potential for Bush to establish himself as a legit starter and 15-20 carry type RB, and quite possibly, being a better player with his combination of speed and a unique ability to catch passes out of the backfield. That's something Parker cannot do nor Usain Bolt or any other inane example that you might want to use. Plus, 3.8 YPC is respectable considering that he's improved each year in that regard. No, not ideal but he's far from just a WR masquerading as a RB. He's very much a work in progress and I suspect that he may not have the toughness (both mentally and physically) to work hard enough to establish himself as an every down back. If that's the case, it's truly a shame. I still think he has upside and I still think he can become an elite RB. If he has what it takes there's no better offense for a pass catching RB than New Orleans. Bush has been sharing carries. His career shouldn't follow along the typical "Player A gets 20-25 carries his entire career then breaks down in his 30's" models. He has plenty of shelf life yet provided he can stay healthy.
Due to the unforgiving hard cap of the NFL, I'd say anyone who produces as much as Reggie Bush making near pro-bowl money is a bust. If Bush was signed as a young FA for that money, and produces like that, fans would've automatically called him a horrible signing. On topic though. Are these just freak injuries or is Bush going to be affected by the injury bug his entire career? He didn't seem like an injury prone player coming out of the USC. But 2 season-ending injuries in 3 years seems like a big deal. Oh well, he still rocks on Madden though.
Bust Talk: It's a tricky situation. If it wasn't for the media and nationwide ridiculous overhyping (Next Gayle Sayers!!! Change the game like LeBron!!!) and explosion over the Mario selection, there wouldn't be any bust talk. Ryan Leaf was a bust. Bush didn't pan out as a load-carrying back, but he offers enough that you can't rate him any less than an above-average NFL player when he accounts for over 10% of his team's scoring despite missing 6 games. BUT - fair or not, Bush was probably the most hyped player the league has seen in 10 years, if not longer. The way ESPN looked to hump his leg throughout his rookie season in highlight films and skewing his stats....I don't know that I've EVER seen that before. As a running back (and that is absolutely what he was billed as) he's been a bust. It's a good thing stats aren't kept on negative yardage plays, because he's an embarrassment in that regard, so much so that Payton and Brees have called him out in print over it. It seems clear at this point that he has no interest in adjusting his game to plow through tackles, and that will almost certainly prevent him from becoming the HOF-caliber player people were expecting to see. But his versatility as a short-yardage receiver, scatback, and special teams player should send him back to at least a pro bowl or two. The Saints could be very successful if they give up trying to use him as a traditional back and start getting more creative using him as a motion man.
