NCAA Football New Orleans Saints

It's not a big secret that the Texans were looking for a running back in the draft. They acquired West Virginia standout Steve Slaton in the third round as a change of pace back.

While discussing the NFL trend toward having at least one receiving-type playmaking RB, Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan gave Reggie Bush a left handed compliment in the process (video above):

"I think Steve Slaton pretty much fits any offense to tell you the truth. The reason I think that is because he's a good runner, and a good enough runner can fit into any scheme. What we like most about Slaton, is I think he's got a chance to be a special-type player. You look at guys around the league like Kevin Faulk, a guy like Reggie Bush; guys who come in and fill a specific role on third downs.
...
I think when a guy is 197 pounds and if you look at the history throughout the NFL there are not too many guys that are first and second down player for long periods of time. When you look at a guy that people are projecting as a third down type guy or a change of pace guy I believe a lot of teams have more important needs that go early in the draft. One exception is Reggie Bush; he is the highest guy that I've seen go that is a third down type player. The third round is when these guys start popping out."

That's about as direct as the Texans have come to talking about why they didn't pick The! Best! Running Back! Evaaaar! that a lot of people thought was a no brainer pick in the 2006 draft.

Will the drama never cease?

Lloyd Lake walked out on Tuesday before giving a scheduled deposition in connection with the lawsuit he filed against New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush.

At issue was a person in attendance in possession of a gun, which apparently spooked Lake. Yahoo! News, which appears to be 100% in the bag for Lake, recounts what appeared to be a menacing person staring directly at him and revealing a gun during the deposition. It appears based on the ESPN story that this person was a member of Bush's private security outfit.

Lake, fearing for his safety, said no mas to the scheduled deposition after that.

From ESPN's story, Bush's side contends that Lake had made a pair of threats in December against Bush. Law enforcement and private security allegedly advised Bush to take extra precaution especially after Lake's attorney allegedly told Bush's attorney that he could not control Lake, a former alleged gang member, if Bush didn't pay up. Got all that?

Basically, welcome to civil court hell, but with guns and intimidation. Don't ever get divorced, kids. Or allegedly leave a business partner in the lurch for large sums of cash.

Stop crying, Colonel Reb. A day after we all discovered former Alabama and Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione thinks he might be out of options, there's good news for a coach who got the gate after the last college football season. Ed Orgeron, the famously incomprehensible former coach at Ole Miss, has been hired to coach the New Orleans Saints' defensive line.

Orgeron may have washed out in Oxford, but don't forget, he built Southern Cal's tremendous d-lines in the early part of this decade. A coach might fail as a head coach but still prove to be a tremendously useful assistant. It's a good move for the Saints, since Coach O is a son of Louisiana and probably was courted by more prestigious teams.

The only down side is that, as a d-line coach for the Saints, Orgeron won't be giving many press conferences, meaning that someday we'll have to explain the Coach O song to people who have never heard the man speak. Oh, cruel fate, why dost thou mock us so?

Or perhaps a better question: does Yahoo! have it in for Reggie Bush?

As usual, Yahoo! Sports is the first to the scene for all your Reggie Bush/NCAA Violation News. "Tarnished Heisman," a book by Don Jaeger and Jim Henry, will be released in January of 2008 and will reportedly include transcripts of conversations Bush had with New Era Sports & Entertainment. Those conversations allegedly include Bush "acknowledging he owed money" to Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels, owners of the now-failed sports agency, while still a student-athlete at USC.

From Yahoo! Sports:

Meanwhile, the NCAA interviewed three people this week who claim knowledge of the approximately $300,000 in cash and other benefits allegedly given to Bush by Lake and Michaels. The benefits included Bush's family living rent-free in a new home in a San Diego suburb for one year. Bush also allegedly received money for a car, spending money and had hotel stays paid for. Other allegations include furniture being purchased for the Bush family, travel expenses paid and free dinners provided.

Yaeger is a former writer and editor for Sports Illustrated who has written 14 books. Henry is a sportswriting veteran of more than 20 years with The St. Petersburg Times, The Tampa Tribune and The Tallahassee Democrat.

The way Yahoo! touts Yaeger's and Henry's credentials, you'd think they were stakehorsing them for a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Armed thusly, they conclude: