New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - NOLA.com Competition to become Drew Brees' heir apparent under way for New Orleans Saints young QBs

Heir Apparent, long term back up

The New Orleans Saints, to their everlasting credit, snapped up the last one.
But that doesn't mean they can stop shopping for the next one.
Right now, New Orleans simply needs a credible backup quarterback, a player Coach Sean Payton feels comfortable can win games if Brees is unavailable for any reason, likely a veteran who could steady the ship. But long term, the Super Bowl champs wouldn't mind unearthing a gem in the Brees mold.

The catch, of course, is finding and developing that kind of player, and it isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. Otherwise, every team with an All-Pro starter would replicate him several times over.

So the shopping is continual, on the free-agent market and in the draft and through evaluating rookies and undrafted players at minicamp (which the Saints held last weekend), trying to find the next quarterback who can develop into a star.

"I think a lot of people would say that it's one of the tougher positions to evaluate because you've seen that position get more attention, " Payton said. "It's probably one of the more difficult positions to play, with everything that's asked of it.

"All those other things go into why so many of these guys in the first round haven't made it and why a guy like Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round. I know there are other positions like that but certainly, quarterback would be at the top of that list."
And, obviously, at the top of the Saints' list has been finding a guy for the future.

Jamie Martin got a chance in 2006 to earn an extended stay, though more as a veteran No. 2 than a developing No. 3. Former No. 3 overall pick Joey Harrington was taken for a spin, though he probably also was being looked at as a possible long-term solution as a No. 2 quarterback -- and he couldn't unseat Mark Brunell for that spot.

Chase Daniel, an undrafted rookie in 2009 and currently the only quarterback other than Brees under contract, has a chance to be groomed. And now Sean Canfield, the Saints' seventh-round pick this year, and rookie free agent Greg Paulus, two of the quarterbacks in last weekend's camp, get to try to earn their keep and to learn from Brees how to be comparable to Brees.

"I was very excited when I got the call on draft day, " Canfield said. "To be coached by Coach Payton, an offensive-oriented guy, and to be kind of mentored and learn under a guy like Drew Brees, who's been through a lot and been through an injury like I had in college (a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder) and has had tremendous success, has been great. That's a great opportunity.

"At this point as a quarterback you've got to be a sponge. You've got to study your ass off, take all the coaching points and then come out on the field and show you can do it."

Said Paulus: "I think anybody that could be put in the same category as Drew Brees, that's something you want to be a part of. He's just won a Super Bowl, he's had an unbelievable career in the NFL and just to be considered for something like that -- trying to be a part of his team -- that's something that I'd love to have."

Don't believe the Saints wouldn't love to have Paulus, Canfield, Daniel or someone else to be the player they're looking for, too.
Not that Brees is going anywhere soon, mind you.

He's 31 and has played every game since joining the Saints in 2006, except the regular-season finale last year, when he was among several starters who were rested for the playoffs. The only significant injury he ever had didn't cause him to miss any games (it did, fortuitously, help land him in the Saints' lap).

The Super Bowl MVP is at the height of his powers, putting together one of the most productive four-year stretches in league history, and he and Payton probably are synced well enough to finish each other's thoughts.
But no one should feel comfortable yet that the Saints have anything in their rainy-day fund at quarterback. Minicamp, at least, provided Payton with a chance to get a look at more candidates.
"I like the idea, any time you get into this type of setting you really begin to look at new faces and you try to go in and really just evaluate what you see, " Payton said. "Sean (Canfield) was a guy that we'd seen some good things from and there are some things that we liked that he did.
"And these other guys have come in here, and they're physically in good shape and ready for this opportunity -- and that's been impressive. Just watching them operate, get in and out of the huddle, those are some of the more difficult things at that position: can you spit the play out in the huddle, can you get to the line of scrimmage with the proper snap count, and all the other things that go into the mental aspect of getting the snap from center and running a play."

All the things that could put them on the path to being the heir to Brees.
"I think everybody on the team brings something different, " Paulus said. "All the guys that are trying out or have this opportunity all have something that they do really well. That's what we're trying to show the coaches. That's what we're trying to do -- play to our strengths, improve upon our weaknesses, keep getting better and hopefully there's an opportunity down the road."

And maybe -- just maybe -- that opportunity will lead to the Saints finding their man.