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John DeShazier: C.J. Spiller brings more to the table than game-changing speed

It’s understandable – perhaps, even expected – to be mesmerized by the wheels.

C.J. Spiller can run, and it’s not just play-making speed that allows him to turn a 5-yard gain into a 13-yarder. It’s game-changing blaze – a recorded 4.37-second 40-yard dash – that can turn a toss sweep into a 70-yard sprint where he outruns the angle a defensive back has, and seam-splitting burn that makes any of his kick returns worth watching.

It’s the kind of blur that can add to a defensive coordinator’s collection of gray hairs. So it’s not much of a surprise that a pair of the open, welcoming arms that greeted Spiller when he agreed to join the New Orleans Saints as a free agent belonged to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.