Is the whole buoyancy aspect of the TRD kind of being upsold? Are they really hit often when standing up off the bottom and deadsticked? I feel like almost every Ned Rig bite I've ever had was either on the fall or while actively swimming it. Should we be looking for baits that fall and wiggle well more than anything else? Of course, that might also be the TRD because it is still by far my most successful Ned Rig lure.

Upsold - oversold, call it what you want. It's mostly marketing hype, IMO. The one time I tend to have fish pick it up off the bottom, probably because it's the only time of year I fish it slow enough for it to happen - lol - is winter...like "lake half-iced over" cold. I've had some really good days deadsticking in that cold of water through winter when nothing else will get bit. Most of the year though, it seems 'movement' is the trigger, and as @A-Jay mentioned, the "swim and glide" retrieve is number one for me over the course of an entire season. 

I always get bit by bouncing it off the bottom.  I don't think I have ever caught one on a straight retrieve.   I have caught a few draging it around points.

I'm far more productive when swimming and shaking it letting it pause to touch bottom then right back up again. Most of my bites come on the fall or the initial lift after touching bottom. Never had much luck dead sticking or dragging.

Well, I don’t deadstick much anymore as I subscribe to the swim and glide presentation as well. After the “glide” it hits bottom and I continue the retrieve again. In that case I may leave it there for 2-3 seconds and continue the retrieve. So I suppose that amount of time could be effective for you. If the fish are aggressive and chasing you can let it just touch bottom and hop it continuously. Or if it’s a cold water deal, maybe dead sticking it for 10+ seconds could work. Either way, a ned is most effective when using a technique which has the bait moving. As the ZMan article which A-Jay linked says, the buoyancy supposedly helps with the gliding aspect but for me, a light jighead helps achieve that gliding motion  the best. Seriously, I basically only use a 1/16 oz head these days. 1/8 oz used to be my heaviest but even that looks unnatural on the glide. If I’m fishing an area with a lot of current, I’ll try a different technique instead of going to a heavier head. Even if you’ll be fishing it on bottom, I highly suggest the lightest jighead you can get away with. When it’s hopping, it’ll glide down in a much more natural looking way. 

I am usually tossing it in front of the direction I am trolling and since it usually get hit on the Fall, I pick it up a few times.  Long cast are out of the question on my lake.......snags will turn you off the technique

Never, has to touch the bottom for them to pick it off the bottom and mine never do. 

Depends on what I'm fishing in really.  The deeper I go and less weeds, the more likely I find it to be picked up off the bottom.  The more I'm moving through crap, the more likely it gets hit on the move.

I throw the ned around in stained water a lot and when I can see it it usually stands up. IMO I think bass don't care about the standing action that much.. at least in stained water. I could be totally wrong and also my bites either come on the intial fall or after giving it a few hops.

For the rare times that I actually finesse fish, If they're not taking a Ned while it's moving, I switch to a shakey head. Dead sticked in current, or just shaken in place, I feel it's the best, super slow presentation next to stitching a worm that there is.

I’ve literally caught hundreds of fish on the TRD. By far my most productive lure - not even sure why I use anything else because I always end up throwing this at the end of the day. 
 

With that said … probably 75% of my bites have come off the bottom. 

Note : Throw the Ned "up current" (if there is any current you can detect) or into the wind and bring it back on the glide or kissing the bottom occasionally looks more natural . I'm in the 1/16th oz. jig head size / #2  size hook down to #4 size hook  camp for majority of Ned Rig usage . Equipment can also play a role in how the Ned Rig looks in action : I use a 7' ML/F spinning rod , 2000 series spinning reel , #8 lb. Power Pro braid mainline with 6' Seaguar InvizX FC #6 lb. leader . I'm a tad lighter in my set up than many - but I believe I catch more bass as a result (i.e. I'm not MLF tournament speed fishing for bass who needs a heavier Ned Rig  set up).