Jimmy Graham wants Brees back “as soon as possible”
 

The Saints opened their offseason program with two weeks of lifting and running and catching passes from quarterbacks. But tight end Jimmy Graham will be catching no passes from quarterback Drew Brees until Brees signs a contract.

And Jimmy Graham wants that to happen, now.

“I can remember last year, during the lockout, other teams, they didn’t get together,” Graham told WWL radio in New Orleans, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “Drew orchestrated [workouts] and paid for a lot of the younger guys and even got me a place to stay and said, ‘Jimmy, I want you here.’ He paid that out of his own pocket for all of us to be here training together and we saw what that translated into and what that meant as far as us jelling. I’m not sure what’s going on or all the details but I just want him back as soon as possible.”

The details are, generally speaking (which means they’re not really details), that Brees wants more than what the team has offered, and that no one has blinked, yet. Also, each side likely thinks that the other side has more leverage in light of recent events, which has given rise to a high-stakes game of chicken that could eventually make it even harder for the Saints to be ready to put together the kind of regular season that prevents them from having to leave the Superdome in the playoffs.

Jimmy Graham wants Brees back

Jimmy, we all want Drew back as soon as possible

I sure hope this dosent become a problem with out players brews not there.... I mean Payton already not there so I wish they could get this deal done ! Should have already been done !

I'm shocked that he wants him back as soon as possible.

I don't think Jimmy will find many people who disagree with him. Problem is, how do we sign Drew to a $15-20 million per year deal with a little more than $500,000 left in cap space? Factor in having to sign our draft picks soon... we simply can't do it right now. Loomis is a freaking wizard though and I know he'll get it done, but it's going to take patience because it can't just happen right now.

Drew's franchise numbers are included in our current cap.

Signing him long term will likely clear more cap room.

Cut Shanle and that frees up the money needed to sign the low round selections the Saints have this year, depending on the length of the player suspensions it could free up some more money and trust me Loomis will find a way to get everyone signed

Ah gotcha! Thanks for clearing that up Danno. I had just kind of assumed that it didn't count against the cap until he signed the franchise tender but that doesn't make any sense now that I think about it. Why the heck isn't this deal getting done then?!

A-He's asking too much (based on pure speculation).
B-We're not offering enough (based on pure speculation).

I'm still not too worried about it, it will get taken care of some time or another. When Drew starts missing snaps that's when it's time to worry

Jimmy from your lips to Loomis ears and Drews pen.

i say drews practicing somewere, hes the king

Now this is just a question, so please, no one throw things at me for asking it. Is it possible, that with the Brees contract situation, that the bounty thing could be a blessing in disguise? Having no first rounder, and no second rounder, definately frees up alot of cap that can be used to sign Brees before the season starts right?

It'll clear some, but with the new rookie wage scale a late 2nd rounder is dirt cheap.