The New Orleans Saints want to get restricted free agent running back Pierre Thomas locked up before training camp. And Thomas, who hasn’t signed his one-year tender offer, wants to do a long-term deal. But that doesn’t mean the sides are close enough to be confident a deal will get done.
Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Thomas wants money in the Steven Jackson range, and that might be higher than the Saints are willing to go.
Jackson has a five-year, $48.5 million contract with the Rams, but Jackson was the unquestioned focal point of the Rams’ offense and had already had three 1,000-yard seasons when he signed that deal. Thomas is a good player, but he’s not even a regular starter, and his career high is 793 rushing yards.
It’s hard to see how Thomas could expect to get the kind of money Jackson got -- especially considering how much money the Saints already have tied up in their other running back, Reggie Bush.
And so, if Thomas is really holding out for as much money as Jackson, he’s probably going to be holding out for quite a while.