ssmitty

Brees already under center with Saints
New QB assuming early leadership role
Thursday, May 04, 2006
By Mike Triplett
Staff writer
Drew Brees insists that his rehab from shoulder surgery is going great -- "kind of scary good, actually" -- and he will be ready by the start of training camp.

But even before he takes the field, Brees, the Saints' new quarterback, already has been a dream come true for the organization.

Brees, 27, is a natural leader who has made it a priority here, as he did with the San Diego Chargers, to take ownership of his new team and to become visible in his community.

It was Brees' instinct to call Reggie Bush on Friday night after he heard Bush wasn't going to be drafted by the Houston Texans with the No. 1 pick. Brees called for two reasons -- one, because he was so excited to hear that Bush would be available to the Saints, and two, because he felt it was his role to encourage Bush in a time of disappointment.

"Well, you could imagine how shocked and excited I was to hear the news," said Brees, who had met Bush, a San Diego native, once before. "And I figured his head was spinning and everything. I thought maybe I could calm his nerves a little bit, to let him know his teammates here would be excited to have him."

Brees then called coach Sean Payton to let him know Bush sounded willing and excited to come to New Orleans.

"Obviously I knew he would want to hear that," Brees said, picturing a frantic Saints draft room. "Maybe I could put their minds at ease a little, too."

General Manager Mickey Loomis said the Saints appreciated both phone calls, perfect examples of the kind of take-charge guy they were so enamored with in free agency.

Brees' new teammates said they admired the way he led his team in San Diego, and they are seeing the beginnings of that here in New Orleans.

"He's excited about leading his team and knowing that it's his team," said tailback Deuce McAllister, who has attended an NBA game with Brees and some teammates. "He's going to prepare himself, he's going to be prepared to play. He's going to be able to put you in the right place and put you in the right situation.

"The respect issue will be there. He'll put in the time and go out and fight with you. That's what it's all about."

So far, Brees' effort and determination have been focused on rehabbing his right throwing shoulder after undergoing surgery in January to repair the torn labrum.

He has been throwing the football for about 3½ weeks. On the real "hard-core days," Brees said he will throw the ball up to 80 times, and he has increased the distance up to 25 yards.

But he is sticking to a very methodical regimen designed to prepare him for training camp and the regular season.

"I stay exactly on the number. . . . Actually, I take that back. I always have to end on a good one, so sometimes I'll throw one or two more," said Brees, who said he has felt so good that he has to keep telling himself to stay patient. "From Day One until now, it's been night and day. The way it feels, the way it comes out of my hand, I'm getting that snap back."

Brees is moving permanently to New Orleans this weekend after training primarily in Birmingham, Ala., where the surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews.

The Saints' next full-squad minicamp is June 2-4, but Brees doesn't expect to be too aggressive at that point.

"I'm probably in a position now where I can be (heavily involved), but is it worth it? Probably not," Brees said. "Of course, it's hard. I mean, shoot. But I figure I've waited this long, it's been four months. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that."

Brees said he has no doubts that he will be ready for the start of training camp in late July. That is an admittedly optimistic timetable. But that's what Brees is, an optimist.

He says once he is healed, his right arm will be stronger than it was before. He had a number anchors put into both his labrum and his rotator cuff after he was injured during Week 17.

The way Brees figures it, he probably had put enough wear and tear on his shoulder and rotator cuff that he was due for a clean-up procedure sooner or later.

"Oh man, I'm already so much stronger," Brees said. "I think my cuff might be stronger now than it ever was because we've been doing so much with it. It's a heck of a lot stronger than my left, I'll tell you that."

In the meantime, Brees has been studying the concepts of his new offense, the terminology, the formations, protections and routes.

He said he and Payton have had excited conversations about the offense. That will only increase as the season gets closer, especially now that the Saints added another dimension with Bush.

"Sean Payton's a great coach, and we can't wait to go full speed ahead," said Brees, who already had been attracted by the number of offensive weapons the Saints had when he signed as a free agent.

Another thing that attracted Brees to New Orleans was the role he could play in the community.

He has been enthusiastic about trying to inspire the region, and to "be a part" of it. He and his wife, Brittany, decided to buy a house Uptown.

"That was important to us. That's the charm of New Orleans. That's what you think of when you think New Orleans, the trolley running down St. Charles, that style of home in the Garden District," said Brees, who has big plans for his charitable foundation in his new city. "Obviously, it's hard to comprehend and understand everything that's gone on. We only know what we see and what we hear from teammates. But I'm the quarterback of this football team, and I think that represents a lot.

"It creates an opportunity for me, and I want to do everything I can for us to succeed as a franchise and as an organization, and also to help rebuild the community through the foundation."

. . . . . . .

Mike Triplett
http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...4857321760.xml

ssmitty

if he gets to zinging it up to 25 yds, we're good to go.........
hopefully, we not 3rd and 40 no more with brooks gone.........

stylee10

Drew Brees, I love you.

LKelley67

Is that refreshing or what??

I won't even care if he is just an average quarterback on a good team.