Darren Sproles, the New Orleans Saints, and the Rise of NFL Space Players – Grantland.

Finally, maybe the spot where Sproles is the biggest improvement over Bush is as a runner in the backfield. For his career, Sproles averages roughly a full yard per rush attempt more than Bush, and Sproles is averaging a staggering 8.9 yards per carry this season. Of course, those rushes are situational — Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram tend to handle the short yardage and inside plays — but that’s precisely the point. Sproles is a dynamic space player, and that’s how the Saints use him. The best run play for Sproles is the draw, but they’ve used him in a variety of other runs this season, including toss sweeps and anything else that gets him in open grass.

Whole thing is a great football read. (I might be extrapolating the praise a little bit much, but it’s a strong case.)