The New Orleans Saints continued to retool their offense on Thursday by signing former Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller.
The Spiller signing, which was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, came shortly after the Saints traded wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins. New Orleans also released running back Pierre Thomas on Thursday, which would seem to indicate that a plan was in place to sign Spiller.
Sean Payton has had tremendous success with speedy pass-catching backs like Spiller. One name that comes to mind is Darren Sproles, who proved to be one of the most explosive change-of-pace backs in the league in Payton’s offense. Like Sproles, Spiller is excellent in space. Payton is one of the best coaches in the league at creating space.
Mark Ingram, who the Saints recently signed to a four-year extension, will remain the primary back.
Between trading Jimmy Graham and Stills and cutting Thomas, it is clear the Saints are looking to shake things up on offense. They are also determined to stock-pile draft picks, which could be part of general manager Mickey Loomis’ bigger plan. It will be interesting to see how the redesigned Saints bounce back from a disappointing 7-9 season.
