WhoDat!656

Sean Payton can’t envision Brees not with the Saints in 2012

On Friday night’s edition of NBC SportsTalk on VERSUS, Saints coach Sean Payton joined the show via satellite for an interview.

He said there’s no update as to the contract talks between the team and quarterback Drew Brees. Signed in 2006, Brees’ six-year deal expires after the current season. Though the parties were talking earlier this year, no progress has been made in recent weeks.

But Payton also said he sees no set of circumstances in which Brees won’t be the team’s starting quarterback in 2012. Given that Payton has signed a long-term extension of his own, there’s no reason to doubt him in any way.

The bigger question is the manner in which it will all play out. Regarded as a consummate team player, what will Brees do if/when the Saints apply the franchise tag? Brees would eventually have to choose between signing the one-year tender and staying away from the practice field for all or part of the offseason program, training camp, and preseason. Like other franchise players, he could ultimately show up on the eve of the regular-season opener and collect the full amount of his guaranteed one-year salary.

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

homerj07

Niether can I - how is this even an issue???

Danno

I can, but I don't want to.

As long as we pay him what he's worth (and maybe just a tad more) everyone should be happy.

I can't see Drew demanding a ridiculous amout of money.

halloween 65

Pay the man and this conversation never took place.

FinSaint

Will Smith has a cap penalty of 8,75M (2011), so if Romeus could step us as a starter next season as the other DE with Jordan - the Saints could trade Smith away for draft picks or an OLB and use the salary cap left to sign Brees (and Nicks).

Problem solved.

FireVenturi

Give Drew a blank check, oh wait salary cap...

Ummm, just sign over the franchise to him, lol

jeanpierre

Give him part of the franchise - he needs to stay in New Orleans...

The Dude

Eh Im over Brees. Lets see if we can get Jamarcus Russel. I bet a change of scenery and being back in the state where he thrived will turn things around for him. Low risk, High reward. Better yet, Brooks would be great in Paytons system.

pherein

Im with you all the way on this, Brees is a trouble maker, dear god he could have killed that kid on the podium during the SB win, just like Michel Jackson, but I really think McNab can get us another ring and restore us to glory

The Dude

I tend to agree. I almost mentioned McNabb. Ryan Leaf deserves another shot and I think in the right system he could thrive. We could use the money we free up to fix our LB situation. Delhomme would be another good choice.