Would be we better off without DeAngelo?

[Catalyst]

There's been a lot of talk about DeAngelo possibly being cut/traded before the season, but lost in that is the fact that the team as a whole might actually be better off without him, and I'm not just talking salary cap space here.

 

It may sounds odd to say that we're better as a team without a talented back like Williams, but if you look around the league at the teams that really run the ball well it's usually teams that have one true #1 RB. Maybe they have a #2 that gets a few carries here and there - or these days a QB who runs - but the most productive rushing teams are usually lead by a dynamic RB that is the clear cut starter and gets 15-20 carries a game.

 

I think Jonathan Stewart can be that guy for us, but that won't ever happen with DeAngelo on the roster. Mike Tolbert is more than capable of handling the #2 load while splitting time at fullback or if Stewart gets hurt Tolbert has shown he can take over a starting role in SD. But Stewart getting the bulk of the carries as our clear #1 back would really help the offense out a ton, IMO.

 

Most backs tend to get better as the game goes on and the defense wears down and they get into a rhythm running the ball. It's much tougher to do that when you're coming out every 4-5 plays so the other $40 million back can get enough touches to justify the money he's being paid.

 

So to me it's not a matter of cap space, but of Stewart legitimately being, IMO, a top-5 caliber back in the NFL who has never really been given the chance to take that role as 'the guy'. As much as I like DeAngelo and respect him as a player and what he's done for this team, I just think our offense would be significantly better off with Stewart carrying the load as the workhorse back.

[LinvilleGorge]

Ironically, we started running the ball a lot better after Stewart went out and DeAngelo got the lion's share of carries.

 

Going with multiple backs is a fine strategy, but you can't do it while you're paying multiple backs like elite, workhorse backs.  That just doesn't work.

 

I think we're better off without DeAngelo, but that is primarily due to the cap.  If they were the same age, I'd take DeAngelo over J. Stew, but factoring in age and cap, going with J. Stew and cutting DeAngelo is the obvious choice.

[nagai]

What you described is is a coaching error, not a personnel error. DWill can still be on the team with Stewart getting the bulk of the carries. The fact that DWill gets more money should not automatically mean that he gets more carries -- it shouldn't even automatically mean that he gets around half the carries. I know this is hard with all the pressures that come with paying someone a lot of money, but it's the right thing to do. So everything else being equal, the team is better with DWill. The only reason not to want him is his contract.

[Gallagher]

You can never have too much talent. Ask San Francisco. Yeah, Stew will get you 5 YPC, but so will D WIll, and they'll both do it whether they get 10 or 20 touches a game, albeit with different volatility (ie Stew: 5, 4, 6, 2, 8 Will: 1, 2, 1, 3, 18). I for one, think that Stewart, WIlliams, Tolbert and Barner are an elite backfield, and that is what you need in today's NFL. Look at New Orleans with Thomas, Sproles and Ingram. And while yes William's contract likely isn't sustainable for 3+ years with Hardy and Newton's contract coming up, we have at least one more year of production to get out of #34.

 

I'll leave all y'all who say we should cut him come June 1st with this. Yeah Stewart might be better. Yeah, Tolbert or even Barner could pick up the #2 duties. But the fact remains that Deangelo Williams is still a really good football player and should be on our roster come week 1.

 

/rant

[Zod]

You can never have too much talent.

/rant

 

In general, thats true. But if you are paying 90 million to 3 players in one particular position while you have desperate needs in others.... it doesn't exactly help.

[Mvp2014]

Be we might.

[Panthro]

We are a better team with him with no other factors taken into account

We have been and will be worse team with him on it because of his productivity over the last 2 years, durability, and salary

Him being on the team with this contract has handicapped our team from improving and the sooner we rip off the bandaid the better off our cap will be in the future when we try to resign our own players.

[CRA]

Ironically, we started running the ball a lot better after Stewart went out and DeAngelo got the lion's share of carries.

I think the last game of the season blurs people's memories

[Panthro]

Saints D was so good last year they set records as one of the best defenses of all time.

Fact is no team allowed less yards and points in the NFLs history than the Saints last year

[GPantherfan]

The thing about J. Stew is year after year I keep thinking this is the year he finally and goes into complete beast mode and plays so well that the coaches can't afford to remove him from the game. He has been great at times and shown elite back skills but it never seems to sustain. Last year was his chance to really bust out when he was starting but he was just average. Maybe it was the blocking up front? IDK

[Sod]

The other thing to consider is RBs don't typically decline slowly, they squally fall off the table.

[Zod]

The other thing to consider is RBs don't typically decline slowly, they squally fall off the table.

 

Good point.

[panthers55]

First of all the 90 million figure is way overblown since Williams wont see all of his money nor will Stewart in reality. What we are paying them in cap space is roughly 11 million this year. Secondly what is lost in this discussion is not only the fact the fact that Stewart has not been shown to be durable or able to carry the load to this point but expectations are that we will rub more not less and Newton will be less oof a runner not more.

What also is missing is whether we are better as a team if one of our division rivals pick him up for cheap pumps him for info on our offense and runs him against us. We love DeAngelo when he plays for us but what if the Saints pick him up to run all over us. With Brees passing attack putting us in the nickel all day Williams could have a field day at our expense. Not only cant we use him if Stewart gets hurt but now he is a weapon against us. All for a player whose cap space is already accounted for giving up 10;million tonspend nwhen Anderson's cut is figured in.

[Zod]

The 90 million is fine to use because it is in a context of all the other contracts that are referred to in the same exact manor.

If we used the full weight of the running backs contracts but did not with anyone else it would be a problem.