New Orleans Saints first round draft pick RB Reggie Bush, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft,
is toying with the idea of sitting out the entire 2006 season and going back in the draft in 2007 if he doesn't get his price. "No player has ever had the kind of leverage that RB Reggie Bush has right now," the source said. "The Saints made it clear what they were willing to do before and now we'll see if they're going to get there." It seems unlikely the Saints will do that in time for Bush to report to training camp with the team on Thursday in Jackson, Miss. Two sources said that talks between the Saints and agent Joel Segal have been nearly non-existent. Bush supposedly has more than $5 million in the bank from multiple endorsement deals Ornstein has negotiated since Bush left the University of Southern California. That money is guaranteed regardless of whether Bush plays this season. Bush also enjoys the backing of the people of New Orleans. In May, shortly after Bush was drafted, the Saints had already set a franchise record for season-ticket sales, having topped 55,000 at that time. That's extraordinary, especially considering the condition of the hurricane-ravaged city. Moreover, team owner Tom Benson is immensely unpopular in New Orleans.
