As soon as reports of the New Orleans Saints shipping Reggie Bush to the Miami Dolphins surfaced Thursday, much of the conversation in the national media revolved around the appropriate use of the "bust" label. The parameters of the discussion are well known. Since being selected with the second pick of the 2006 draft, the mercurial Bush provided an effective wrinkle in the Saints potent offense, but failed to compile statistics commensurate with the lofty expectations heaped upon him after his transcendent (if not eligible) college career at USC. For Saints fans, this argument is pure semantics. Nobody with a 504 area code seriously expected Bush to be back in Black and Gold this season. In terms of his performance on the field, the book was written on Bush a long time ago.

Looking back on the 2006 draft, it’s hard to say that the Saints made a mistake drafting Bush. Mario Williams was already off the board, and the top half of the first round was filled with quarterbacks and/or unqualified busts like Matt Leinart, Vince Young and Donte Whitner. Bush was also a key element during the Saints’s Super Bowl run, a fact that alone justifies the pick. The Saints recorded the sixth most rushing yards in the NFL in 2009, thanks in large part to the effect Bush had on opposing game plans. With Bush injured for much of 2010 (even when he returned to the field it was clear he was not at top speed) the Saints fell to 28th in rushing. He wasn't the superstar that many expected him to be, but he was a very important player on a very good team.

That said, he probably isn’t worth the reported $10 million per season that the Dolphins are reportedly going to pay him, especially with fellow speedsters like Darren Sproles on the market. It’s hard to get around the fact that he never rushed for 600 yards in a season. Nobody really expected Bush to be back at a discounted rate, because everyone knew that some team like Miami would fall in love with the highlight reel and overpay. This is just the way the NFL works. Thank you, have a nice life.

All of this, however, is overlooking Bush's true impact on the Saints and more importantly the city in general. It is easy to forget just how precarious a position Hurricane Katrina had left the city in. When Bush was drafted in 2006, the Saints were coming off a disastrous 3-13 campaign, having been forced to split their “home” games between Baton Rouge, San Antonio and the Meadowlands. There were serious doubts about whether New Orleans could continue to be a viable NFL city, especially considering the heavy damage to the Superdome. The franchise was in serious danger of being permanently relocated.

In many ways, the triumph of 2009 started in 2006. It was in that same offseason that the Saints hired former Cowboys assistant Sean Peyton as head coach, and signed former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees. Of these acquisitions, however, it was Bush that drew the most attention. Before he had even played a game, he was hailed as the savior of the city. The attention and excitement he drew to the organization, many argue, was a critical element in New Orleans’ surprise 10-6 season. Before 2009, the enduring image of New Orleans Saints football was the atmosphere against the Atlanta Falcons in the teams first home game back in the Superdome. The presence of Reggie Bush, like in so many subsequent goal-line situations, was no small factor.

Though his five years in New Orleans were inconsistent, they coincided with five of the best years in New Orleans Saints history. Even despite relative disappointing records in 2007 and 2008, the Saints were always dangerous and relevant, something they hadn’t been for a majority of their 40-year existence. No matter what you think about Bush’s mercurial on-field track record, there is no denying that he was one of the players that helped turn the franchise around from the ground floor up. Without Reggie Bush, the history (and future) of the NFL would probably be a much different story. Drew Brees may have taken Bush's presumptive title as the cities football savior, but Bush transformed himself into a loyal soldier. For someone as proud and competitive as Bush, this was no small feat. I wish him luck.

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-- NICK PERUFFO
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