As everyone knows, there is still an impasse with the labor situation in the NFL. The players are still locked out and there is not an immediate end in sight. While not being able to communicate with coaches or use team facilities will certainly be a detriment to some teams, the lockout may actually end up benefiting the Saints if and when the 2011 football season begins.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been organizing workouts for his teammates at Tulane University. Some other NFL teams have had some organized workouts such as the quarterback and receivers getting together for throwing sessions but, according to all reports, none of the workouts have been as extensive as the ones the Saints are participating in. Brees has paid for the use of the Tulane University facilities as well as some of the coaching staff to work with the team. Brees has also paid for his own personal trainer from California to work with the team. Brees has also arranged for players to take part in studying game films of the teams that they will face in 2011. A recent story on ESPN offered a glimpse into some of the workouts the Saints are participating in. The video segment showed Brees explaining different workouts, Jonathon Vilma working with the defensive players and Brees working with rookie running back Mark Ingram. Brees knows this offense as well as coach Sean Payton does so he is very well equipped to teach it to their rookie running back.

Thanks in no small part to the leadership being shown by Brees and other veteran players, the Saints may be the team in the best position whenever the lockout ends. This time of year, teams are normally busy with mini-camps, organized team activities and rookies learning play books. The lockout is preventing all of this but the Saints are essentially doing the same things on their own. Drew Brees has stated he will continue to pay for him and his teammates to practice and make use of the Tulane facilities as long as the lockout is in effect. If the lockout continues for some time and ends up cutting into training camp time, these practices spearheaded by Brees will become more and more important.

The biggest way the lockout may hurt the Saints is that the rookie players who aren’t attending will have less time to practice with their new teammates. Rookies Cameron Jordan and Martez Wilson both have the potential to start on defense but they will need time to learn Greg Williams’ complex defensive system. The Saints also don’t have the ability to sign undrafted free agents until the lockout ends. The Saints are very good at finding good players who slipped through the cracks of the draft and signing them as undrafted free agents.

Although they would benefit from the lockout ending immediately, the Saints will be in the best position whenever the lockout does end. They have a deep and talented veteran roster and with the leadership being shown by their players in organizing the team for workouts, they will be better prepared than any other team once the lockout is over.

After the Saints drafted running back Mark Ingram in the 1st round of the 2011 draft, a lot of people were quick to call Reggie Bush’s time in New Orleans over. I wasn’t one of those and suggested several times that the Saints offense had room for both Bush and Ingram, as well as Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, but some recent events are changing my mind.

Let’s review what has happened in the last couple of weeks. Immediately after the Saints drafted Mark Ingram, coach Sean Payton said that he still believed Reggie Bush had a future with the team. Quarterback Drew Brees, who is possibly more of a leader to the team than the coach, also contacted Reggie Bush to give him some words of reassurance and public comments from Brees suggested that he wanted to see Bush back with the Saints. This might not mean much but Drew Brees has a lot of pull with the Saints organization.

Last week, over 40 Saints players gathered for a private workout organized by Drew Brees at Tulane University. Brees paid for almost the entire workout from his own pocket including the use of the Tulane facilities, coaching staff, lodging for players, etc. With workouts continuing this week, Brees could be shelling out over $100,000 for this. The Saints also have had the largest turn out for player led workouts of any team thus far, their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons had about 22 players turn out for theirs. Even players without a current contract such as fullback Heath Evans, safety Roman Harper and tackle Jermon Bushrod showed up. One player who was not at the workouts? Reggie Bush. Instead, Bush is sending out twitter messages saying he is enjoying be able to relax during the lockout instead of working out in the Louisiana heat.

My question, does Reggie Bush realize his teammates, including his quarterback who quickly jumped to his defense only two weeks ago are working out in the bad Louisiana heat? No player has made a public comment about Bush not being at the workouts but you know it has been noticed. It is starting to seem more and more like Bush, despite the Saints trying to make a place for him, might want out of New Orleans. If Bush is released from New Orleans, Seattle has been mentioned as a possible landing spot and you have to wonder if Bush is looking for a fresh start with his old college coach after an injury plagued career in New Orleans never quite blossomed like it should have for a player taken 2nd overall in the 2006 draft.

Reggie Bush has done some wonderful things for New Orleans. When he is healthy, he is a threat to break a home run every time he touches the ball. He was a key contributor in the 2006 season when the Saints, recovering from Hurricane Katriana, made an improbable run to the NFC Championship and he played a vital role in the Saints 2009 Superbowl Championship. His production though just doesn’t equal what the Saints invested in him with the 2nd overall pick and in terms of money. Pierre Thomas, an undrafted free agent who was making a minimum salary his first few years, has been far more productive.

It might be time for the Saints to cut ties with Reggie Bush. How are his teammates who have been sweating it out in player organized workouts going to welcome him back into the locker room once the lockout ends?  The team has a good stable of young running backs in Ingram, Thomas and Ivory as well as Lynell Hamilton and P. J. Hill who will be returning from injuries last preseason. It is unlikely the Saints will be able to trade Bush given his high salary so releasing him may be the only option. I said before that Bush would only stay in New Orleans if he renegotiated his contract for a pay cut. It doesn’t seem likely now that either side will be very willing to do that. If Bush is released, the Saints may look to add a running back with a similar skill set in free agency. Darren Sproles could be a possibility as could undrafted free agent Noel Devine from West Virginia.

We’ll see what happens once the lockout ends.

Yes, the NCAA basketball championship is over but Drew Brees has advanced to the Elite Eight of the Madden ‘12 cover voting, easily defeating New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Brees is now matched up against Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. The winner of that match will have a ‘Final Four’ match against the winner of the Michael Vick / Patrick Willis match. Head to www.espn.com/maddenvote/ to show your support for Drew Brees.

For those interested, EA Sports is having a bracket style vote to determine the cover athlete for Madden ‘12, this year’s installment of the video game series. Each round lasts one week and this first week of voting has Drew Brees matched up against Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. Brees was the cover athlete last year after the results of a fan vote. You can vote at www.espn.com/maddenvote/ The winner will be announced on ESPN’s Sportsnation.