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Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

A few days ago, I asked for your opinions on where Deuce McAllister ranks on the list of the greatest players in the history of the New Orleans Saints.

I promised to sort through what you said in the comments section and the mailbag and I'm posting some of your responses now. As always, your response was overwhelming and I can't post every one.

But I picked out some representatives. Here are your thoughts on where McAllister ranks in Saints' history:

Volkan in Atlanta: Where does Deuce rank? Well, there are three great players for the Saints really...Archie Manning, Ricky Jackson, and Deuce. When you talk about how many game changing moments are due to a player, and who took the team further, you have to give it to Deuce. Add to that his commitment to the Gulf Coast and his unbelievable personality, and it MUST be Deuce. My only regret is that he never got to play in or win a ring in the Superbowl. He is beloved beyond all other sin New Orleans though, even more than Archie because of all the charity work Deuce has done.

Carl in Little Rock: Pat: Growing up in Louisiana, I have been a Saints (Ain'ts) fan since their initial kickoff runback in 1967. To quote our former head coach Bum Phillips when referring to Earl Campbell, "Earl's not in a class by himself, but it don't take long to call the roll." That's the Earl Campbell/ Duece McAlister story, Take 2. Archie did what he did with NOTHING around him....Rickey Jackson was one of the best talents on a more talented team. Duece, by far, was the best running back ever to run for the Black & Gold...(remember Jim Taylor was on our roster, George Rogers, Chuck Muncie, Tony Galbreath). Duece's on and off field demeanor towards New Orleans and the Gulf Coast is why he is so loved. He felt he was blessed to be able to play pro ball near his home. He was humble, not arrogant and genuine. Saints fans never thought we'd see the day Archie was traded away either...but this week saw Duece leave his beloved Saints. Fan hope he gets picked up by someone and proves the Saints wrong, that he still has it...we just hope it's not another gris-gris against the Saints somewhere down the road.

Michael in San Diego: Hey Pat- I think that Duece is definitely one of the best players in Saints History. Now is he better than Archie or Morten that is up for debate. But he is easily in the top 3 players of all time. Drew has not been there long enough yet but he will in all likely hood go down as the greatest Saint of all time. As long as he keeps putting up the numbers he has in the past couple of seasons there will be no one that can argue this fact.

Luke in Chesapeake, VA: I'm actually a huge Steelers fan but I've always enjoyed watching the Saints was very excited for them when they went 10-6 after going 2-12 or whatever it was the year before. I would say for now Deuce is the greatest Saint of all time but eventually Drew Brees will supercede him. Drew almost broke Marino's single season record for passing yards and I don't see any reason he would get worse with a guy like Marques Colston around and if Shockey can ever stay healthy he would be a phenomenal target. Drew Brees is easily one of if not the most underrated quarterback in the league today.

Patrick in Charlotte: Sam Mills.

Greg in Dallas: Pat, I've been a Saints fan for a long time, and spent a lot of time watching them throughout the years. Duece is most definitely the greatest RB in Saints history, but I don't think he's the greatest player. Right now, that has to be either Archie Manning or Sam Mills. However, with the way Brees is playing, he could edge those two out in a few more years. I think we'll have to re-evaluate things when the Saints finally win a Superbowl.

Allen in River Ridge, LA: I'm an old Saints fan... at least old enough to have seen them play in Tulane Stadium. Archie Manning remains the "most favorite Saint" because he embraced a city where most of his career was spent running for his life. He lived and worked here, and after football raised his family here. For that, he gets the nod as sentimental favorite Saint. Indeed, I can't think of a fan who would not like to see Archie as an honorary captain if/when the Saints ever go to a Super Bowl. Drew Brees, if he stays in New Orleans after his playing days are through, could surpass "St. Archie" however. Deuce McAllister is a class act, and a favorite, but not my all time favorite. And Rickey "City Champ" Jackson's legacy has been tarnished in a lot of Saints fans minds because of his child support issue. Morten Anderson, while certainly a great player, has become viewed as a vagabond, because of the time he has spent as a Falcon, Giant, Chief, etc.

Corey in Livingston, TN: I think Deuce is the greatest player is Saints history because of all he did for the team and the city of New Orleans. He is the Saints all-time leading scorer. He's efforts help put the Saints within one game of Super Bowl XLI a couple of years ago. Its sad to see him get release but that's part of life.

Garrett from lake charles, la: Deuce is without a doubt the greatest saint in history. He represented an entire region of people.

Michelle in New Orleans: Deuce may not be the best Saint's player of all time but he is certainly one of the greats! What made Deuce so special was what he brought with him both on and off the field. He was truly a class act and truly epitomizes the essence of the Saints. He will be sadly missed on Sunday's in the dome... afterall, we can't yell for DEEEEUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCE anymore.

Wally in Los Angeles: I would consider Deuce historically the same way I consider Joe Horn. They are both the faces of a generation of Saints and Saints fans. They were here during the best of times (2006) and the absolute worst of times (2005) and they will forever be linked to the tragedy of Katrina and the football team that brought life back to a beaten down city. Deuce wont go down as the best Saints player ever, his career records will be overtaken and the team will achieve greater things with other running backs. But Deuce will go down as the as the brightest flame in the darkest hour, the image of his strong, quite silhouette will live on forever in the minds of every Saints fan as a constant reminder that all things are possible, even for the New Orleans Saints and the people of the Gulf Coast. Bless You Deuce, you are a Saint.

Steve in Pearl River,LA: I was born in 1977 and h
ave been a Season ticket holder since 1996. So, yes heel to toe running Deuce McAllister is the best player I have seen in Saints history. Yes, better than hall of famer William Roaf, wide out Joe Horn, any of the Dome Patrol(Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson, Pat Swilling, and Ricky Jackson),Dalton Hillard, Eric Martin. Unfortatlly I have not seenArchie Manning, and hall of famer Doug Atkins play except on NFL films. My first impression of Deuce was in a preseason game in 2000. He ran back the opening kickoff and look like he was carry a refridgator on his back. He did not play much during the season because he was Ricky Williams's backup. He had that long td run against the Falcons and folks around here started to take notice. He was the talk of the water coolers in New Orleans the next day. We saw his vision for the first time. He had the perfect blend of size and speed before knee injury. He was a great cutback runner with break away speed. The skill that made him so great was he waited for the holes to open up,he trusted his o-line. He had a nose for the end zone also. In the playoff game against the Eagles a couple of years ago he took over that game at age 29 with less than a year removed from acl sugery.When he set the fanchise td record he thank four of his original offensive lineman(Jerry Fontenot, William Roaf, Kyle Turley, and Wally Williams at the post game press confence. His catch 22 fundation has had a lasting affect on the gulf coast. I remember going to training camp practices and he would stay to sign everyone who wanted ones autograph. Besides, he is from the Gulf Coast.

Pat Yasinskas: Again, thanks for the overwhelming response. I'm cutting it off here with Steve's note and the line that says, "Besides, (McAllister) is from the Gulf Coast." That line is hugely important and I'll take it one step further. I'll say Deuce McAllister is the Gulf Coast. Of course, I'm speaking symbolically here, but I'm thrilled to see so many readers realized the impact McAllister had on the region that includes Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. That's a region that's been through some hard times in recent years and McAllister was, in many ways, someone who helped the region recover from Hurricane Katrina. He's a point of pride for the entire region and he'll always continue in that role. Throw in his contributions on the field and McAllister's got my vote as the greatest player in the history of the Saints.

Of course, you're free to debate that. That's what the mailbag and the comments section below are for.