Good point. Depending on how his knee rehab goes, plan on re-signing him at a reduced salary before the draft. Besides which…if we really are going to take our shot at the Super Bowl, I’d like Deuce to be there.

But if he balks at the signing offer, and Payton truly feels he needs to take “Earth” in the draft…then we’ll just have to learn to deal with it.

As long as Deuce and Peyton have the same expectations it could be good. I think the team would really be inspired to work hard so that the old veteran with still some left in the tank can contribute to a team trying to get a ring. And, Deuce catches and blocks well- there is no guarantee that any rookie big bruiser back will catch and block and pick up blitzes well (especially the first season) at the NFL level. But, still there is Bell and Hamilton who Peyton likes so I think it might be unlikely…………..

I dropped my coffee (borrowing a joke from M-E).

I would love to see Deuce return. It would be a teary-eyed moment for me, no doubt. He’s the “26” in “satchmo26.” It could happen, depending on how that left knee heals. I once thought that Payton would never want him back because Deuce was a product of the old Haslett regime and it’s widely known that NFL coaches prefer to roll with the players they brought in. But, ever since seeing Payton’s response regarding Deuce in his NFL.com live chat last week, I think there may be a slim chance Deuce could return. His words seemed sincere:

If know one is interested in Deuce, would the team be willing to resign him with a reconstructed deal or the possibility of a position on the coaching staff?

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
First off, in regards to Deuce playing, what’s most important now is his rehab on his left knee. In the event that he doesn’t play anymore, I think all of us consider him a Saint for life. If that means doing something else inside the building, that would be a plus for our organization.

that Deuce is only 30 years old, that should be the age where a RBs physical ability meets his mental maturity….I also think that Deuce would not enjoy a positional coaching job. I’d hate to have to watch from the sidelines knowing that I am fully capable of playing. Another thing is that just like the Giants, if we have a 3 RB system, we won’t be able to keep all of them long, so why not just keep Deuce? Barring some knee-healing miracle, Deuce won’t play too much longer, so i think he’s the quick fix we need.

Drafting a RB early in this draft (ie in the first round) would cripple us this year and in years to come.

Is he working out to try and come back. I would like to see Duece back as well . Bell maybe able to handle the job but he’s going to need more reps . I like PT for times when the play book is wide open. But there are going to be times when you put your big meat package against thier big meat package and see who’s going to gain that 3rd. and 1 or hold thier ground. Hell , I’m tired of speculating. Think I’ll sit back and see what happens at the end of the month.