One by one, the New Orleans Saints who brought the city a Super Bowl championship are being let go.
Pierre Thomas was the latest to be released by the Saints, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday, according a source informed of their plans. Thomas made the Saints as an undrafted free agent and wound up lasting eight seasons as a core offensive player for the team.
You could make the argument that the Saints sentimentally held on to many their Super Bowl heroes too long. They have a ton of cap trouble and were forced to release players like Will Smith, Roman Harper, Lance Moore, Jabari Greer and Jonathan Vilma. Thomas was always on the books at a reasonable salary, but his role was clearly diminishing. He had 45 carries to go with 45 catches as the team's third-down back in 2014.
We will always remember Thomas as one of the quintessential Saints of this era. He was perhaps the best running back in the league at screens, and the Saints used those screens to great effect. Thomas' touchdown against the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV encapsulates his skill set perfectly and is one of the more underrated title game scores of the last decade.
Even last season, Thomas usually broke the first defender's tackle and found a way to pick up a few extra yards. Thomas should find another gig as a third-down back somewhere. And like so many of his 2009 teammates, Thomas should find it difficult to pay for a drink ever again in New Orleans.
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