New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Saints/Brees still trying to reach a deal

Days pass, seasons change, and the New Orleans Saints still don't have a long-term contract with Drew Brees.

Drew Brees will soon become the highest-paid player in Saints history.The uncertainty is driving Saints fans into purple, green and gold conniptions.

Everyone knows Brees is going to remain a Saint. That much is a given. It's strictly a matter of "how" he remains a Saint -- on his terms, or the team's.

And therein lies the intrigue.

That the negotiations have gone this long is somewhat surprising, considering the public sentiment on both sides to reach a deal.

Since these talks started last season, Brees has stressed he wants to retire a Saint and is willing to structure a team-friendly deal. The Saints recognize Brees is their franchise player and are prepared to pay as such.

Everyone says they're confident a deal will get done.

And yet, here we are, almost 18 months into negotiations without a signed document.

Something clearly doesn't add up. It shouldn't be this difficult when two parties are committed to the same goal.

After all, the financial parameters are in place. The market for elite quarterbacks was set when Tom Brady inked his four-year, $72 million deal in 2010 and Peyton Manning signed a five-year, $90 million deal last season.

These deals are complicated, but it shouldn't be this difficult to hammer out the details, especially if the sides are "on the same page" as everyone insists.

But with each passing day, the public placation rings more hollow. In fact, there's a "Move along, nothing to see here" feel to them.

It leads one to believe the negotiations have become a tad contentious.

Maybe that's why Brees' agent, Tom Condon, said at the Super Bowl he was "baffled" by the lack of progress in talks.

Nobody is at each other's throat, but the negotiations clearly are not as hunky-dory as the sides have portrayed them to be.

The importance of this deal cannot be overemphasized. The Brees contract is the most important personnel transaction in the history of the Saints' organization. When it's done, Brees will be one of the highest-paid players in NFL history and by far the richest Saint ever.

It's General Manager Mickey Loomis' job to make the numbers work. Loomis has a franchise to protect. In addition to being a steward for owner Tom Benson's coffers, he has a roster and salary cap to consider. His goal is to field a competitive team annually, so he can't just blindly cut Brees a blank check. The Colts pretty much did that for Manning a year ago, and look where that got them.

It's Loomis' mission to cut as team-friendly a deal as possible. He loses leverage with each passing day, though. He'll soon have no other option than to place the franchise tag on Brees.

That's not a bad alternative. The franchise tag for the 2012 season is projected to be around $14.5 million to $15 million. We'll know the actual number soon. Monday is the first day teams can designate franchise/transition tags to players. The tags must be in place by 3 p.m. March 5. Free agency begins March 13.

Regardless, if the Saints "tag" Brees, it will consume roughly two-thirds of their cap room. The team can create room by restructuring deals and/or cutting players, and that's a distinct possibility.

This is easily the most star-studded class of unrestricted free agents in team history. The group starts with Brees and includes All-Pro guard Carl Nicks, leading receiver Marques Colston, starting cornerback Tracy Porter and former No. 1 draft pick Robert Meachem.

Brees knows he's a better quarterback with Nicks, Colston and Meachem in his huddle. He has said his top priority is to keep the core of this team together. So it behooves him and the team to get a deal done before the start of free agency so team officials can focus on other assets.

You'll know the deal has reached the critical stage if it's still not finalized by the start of free agency. Until then, there's no reason to get worked up about the lack of progress. The rest is just posturing and positioning.

But don't expect Brees or agent Tom Condon to take one for the team. This is big business. Tens of millions are on the table. Beneath Brees' amiable façade lies a stone-cold killer. He's as competitive as any person walking this Earth. Understandably, he will demand market value on his deal, and nothing less.

And Brees can't be blamed for wanting to cash in. Unlike Manning, he was a second-round draft pick, so his rookie deal wasn't a bank-breaker. Even the six-year, $60 million deal he signed with the Saints in 2006 was below market rate for an elite quarterback, considering Brees' stature and production today.

He's coming off the most prolific passing season in NFL history, and has been a senatorial ambassador for the organization, city and state. Only Manning has had a similar singular impact on an organization.

A year ago, Colts owner Jim Irsay described contract talks with Manning as "not a normal negotiation, his legacy and our relationship, it's very unusual."

The same can be said for the Brees deal. This is anything but a normal negotiation. That's becoming clearer with each passing day.

New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees are still trying to reach a deal - New Orleans Saints Football NFL News - NOLA.com