Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that there is a lot of buzz during Super Bowl week that once the New Orleans Saints cut running back Reggie Bush this off-season, he'll rejoin Pete Carroll and sign with the Seattle Seahawks.
"There is a lot of buzz about Saints RB Reggie Bush ending up in Seattle, playing for his former USC coach Pete Carroll after he's cut", Kelly posted on Twitter.
Bush, the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, doesn't turn 25 until next month and, if healthy, would add game-breaking speed to a Seahawks offense that lacks play-makers at running back and wide receiver, and would also provide the Seahawks with a dangerous return threat on special teams.
Injuries are perhaps the biggest question mark with Bush, who has missed twelves games over the last three seasons. He was placed on injured reserve at the end of 2008 with a left knee injury, which required microfracture surgery last January.
A starter when healthy, Bush failed to crack 4.0 yards per carry in any of his first three seasons in the league, and despite averaging nearly six yards per carry this season, he's now the team's third option in the running game, behind Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, a pair of undrafted free agents. Bush's inconsistency as a runner, as well as his injuries, reduced his touches per game from 15-20 per game in 2006-08, to less than 9 in 2009.
By all accounts, Bush has handled his reduced role in the offense like a professional. With him looking like the game-breaking star many thought he'd be coming out of USC, it's possible that the Saints would look to restructure Bush's contract and keep him in New Orleans as a multi-dimensional weapon in Sean Payton's offense, than release him and watch him sign with another NFC team.
