jeanpierre

Agent's Take: How Drew Brees can get paid -- and still help out the Saints
By Joel Corry | Former Sports Agent
March 15, 2016 4:06 pm ET

Ideally, the New Orleans Saints would have signed 37-year-old quarterback Drew Brees to a contract extension to lower his league-high $30 million 2016 salary cap number before free agency started on March 9. A new deal would have given the Saints, who entered free agency with approximately $8.8 million of salary cap room, more flexibility to improve a 7-9 team coming off its second straight season without a playoff berth. Curiously, the Saints' big free agency move has been signing tight end Coby Fleener to a five-year, $36 million contract with $18 million in guarantees despite possessing a historically bad defense in 2015.

It has been quiet on the Brees contract front since Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shot down the notion that the nine-time Pro Bowler could be traded or released in January and subsequently declared his intention to sign him to a new deal in a Sirius XM NFL Radio interview. Head coach Sean Payton expressed optimism about quickly reaching an agreement with Brees in an NFL Network interview at last month's NFL Scouting Combine. Tom Condon, Brees' agent, in an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show last week, anticipated that contract talks would begin in a couple of weeks. This projected timing coincides with the NFL's Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, set for March 20-23. Loomis declined to answer questions about Brees' contract at LSU's Pro Day yesterday.

Brees appears to hold all of the cards in negotiations with the Saints. He is entering the final year of the five-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2012 to become the NFL's first $20 million-per-year player and reset the league's pay scale. $10.85 million of his $19.75 million base salary became fully guaranteed without an offset on February 10.

Using a franchise tag on Brees in 2017 if he played out his contract would be too cost prohibitive. His franchise tag number will be $43.09 million, which is based on 144 percent of his 2016 cap number. Brees must decide whether to exploit his leverage with a new deal or take some sort of hometown discount in an effort to help the Saints improve the talent around him to try to become Super Bowl contenders again.

Should Drew Brees give the Saints a hometown discount?

Agent's Take: How Drew Brees can get paid -- and still help out the Saints - CBSSports.com

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

SmashMouth

In a word, Yes.

voodooido

For the love of God, just give the man a 4 year 88 million deal. 22 million a year with the cap hit being around 18 after bonuses. Make both sides happy. That frees up 12 million more this year to sign some help on the O/D-lines.

jnormand

Nah, they're just gonna screw around and both sides are going to get into a pissing match.

RaginCajun83

What's the point now, any free agent that the cap relief could of brought in as an upgrade on defense has already signed with other teams

jeanpierre

The article is very lengthy, but well thought out...

Found it interesting that Joel Corry even has a section committed to The Tom Condon Factor

hagan714

lesson leaned from his last contract? Rolling back is not always the best thing to do.

jnormand

True. He's gonna get paid this season. Then start negotiations for an extension after this season and hope for a huge contract for 2 years. QBs are getting paid crazy money this year. Even just medium tier QBs are pulling in 15 million and more. I'm sure it'll even be higher after this season.

I hope it's not the case but maybe he's just gonna ride this one out and see what he can get after the season is over.

Rugby Saint II

Drew won't repeat the mistake of playing out the final year of his contract like he did with San Diego. He's smart and an even shrewder business man than I gave him credit for. I am surprised with how he's held the Saints feet to the fire during contract negotiations. I expected him to be more of a team player which is a foolish thought for me to have. The man works hard for his money and deserves to be paid.

Unfortunately, if he wants to win it might be a smart business decision to leave some money in the pot so we can pay a few more winners to come in and bring home another Lombardi. I feel like his contract makes winning tougher with less talent around him.

Also, I would think that the endorsement deals would come faster on a winning team as well.

Don't get me wrong. Drew is the Savior and we would still be the Saints of old that couldn't enjoy a winning season much less a Super bowl Championship. I just wish he would take a few million dollars off the top and see the advantage of taking less but benefiting more.