Sean Payton was a fountain of information during Wednesday's NFC coaches breakfast.
The New Orleans Saints coach shot down the Drew Brees trade gossip, talked up his young skill players on offense and dished on the signing of running back C.J. Spiller.
Payton also revealed that he considered reuniting with Reggie Bush before Spiller came into the picture, saying that he viewed Bush as "a good fit" for what the Saints plan to do on the ground in 2015.
"And again with a player like (Bush), it's more about do we have a vision of exactly how we'd use him and I think we did," Payton said, per The Advocate. "But, again, a few days later, Spiller is taking a visit, so it just sorted out in a way that was a little unique. I think we expected Spiller to be somewhere else with a higher number. But it all worked out."
Payton went on to gush over Spiller's unique skill set, saying "his cutup is unbelievable," speaking specifically of the runner's thunderous 2012 campaign with the Bills that saw him amass more than 1,700 total yards.
"I think it became challenging," Payton said of Spiller's more recent work in Buffalo, "but you go back a couple of years and start looking at his screen reel, a sweep reel, a return reel. When you watch his film, you think of a lot of things he can do. He's physical, he's the most explosive player on the field a lot of times when you're watching him."
Payton credited Spiller and his agent for seeking the best fit over the most money, saying they prioritized "how he was going to be used," making the Saints a darling match.
Added to a backfield that includes last year's breakout star, Mark Ingram, Spiller now joins forces with a coaching staff that knows how to use his gifts in space. What Payton achieved with Bush, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas serves as the backdrop for what's to come with Spiller.
It's arguably free agency's finest pairing to date, making Spiller one of the NFL's strongest bounce-back candidates for 2015.
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