Again, with Drew Brees...
 

This is really for those of you that think Brees is greedy and wants Mickey Loomis to hold firm and not give him what he wants. I'm sick of people bashing Brees for doing what it seems ok for other players to do...
Most passing yards by a Quarterback over a span of 5 years.
Most passing yards in a single season
Only Quarterback ever to hit 5,000+ yards twice.
The most accurate quarterback ever (Only Quarterback to hit over 71% accuracy)
Only Quarterback in NFL history to get 400+ yards in 4 consecutive playoff games.
Led us to a Superbowl title
Probably has the best leadership in the game today
During the lockout, spend his own money to set up a training camp, including paying staff.
Has helped the team and players to countless other records and is a respected member of the human race.
Has played well over what he has been paid since 2006
Has other records that I haven't mentioned.
Raised over $7,000,000 with his wife for the Brees Dream foundation and has no hesitation in giving back.
Family man and man of faith (I am not a religious person but I do recognise the dedication of people who are and have faith)
If anyone can think of anything else to add, feel free. The point I am trying to make is to get off the man's back! We know that he always points to his teammates rather than take the credit but we also know that to let him go would be the best move ever if we are wanting a mediocre team. Yes he is asking for a lot but doesn't he deserve to be a little selfish, especially since he is asking for it to be front loaded as he has been burned before. For those of you saying let him go because he's being greedy and it's about the team, remember those words when we have an ok Quarterback and are 8-8, 7-9, 4-12 etc. Because, unless there is a miracle if we let him go, that is what will happen. CUT THE GUY SOME SLACK!

Fielding a competitive team in the NFL is a bit more than mortgaging the franchise for a quarterback. There has to be quality and depth at every position, and there is a price to pay for that. No one disputes that Brees should get a high salary.

The issue, essentially, is Brees morally deserving of enough salary to cause fielding a non-competitive team?

We should pay him 50 million/year, but we'd have to cut Evans, Grubbs, Colston, Lofton, Greer, Bushrod, PT, and Sproles.

Hmmm, I'm kinda thinking we should NOT pay him 50 million/year.

Brees was the face of the deal struck to put an end to the NFL lockout.

Look if you voted for the rules especially the Franchise tag. Well man up and live up to your end of the deal. Sign the tag!

Morality has NOTHING to do with it. The guy is getting paid to throw a ball around, and WE (including you) have enabled that and supported that and have created the monster, every step of the way. If you are worried that Drew Effing Brees is going to cause you to "field a non-competitive team," then I guess he is not the guy for you. Look at that list of accomplishments Saintgup posted, there are 31 other teams who would want that. Morality or "how much money is too much money for one person to live on" has nothing to do with it.


I personally think he does sign the tag, if it finally comes down to that, I think he will. Just not going to do it right now.

These are the kinda post I just don't understand.

Lets pay Drew what ever he wants and then lets cut every one of our playmakers and just limp by with scrubs. I mean hell; Drew has earned what ever paycheck he wants, right?

I just read Euphs post and he is "Spot on"! Drew AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THE FRANCHISE TAG. If Drew is this kind of person, and Drew is that kind of person; then he needs to be a man of his word.

Look, I love Drew. Drew has passed Archie as far as I am concerned. I know we wouldn't havew a SB victory without him. However, Drew did not win these games by himself!

Don't let "Foundations and Charity" cloud your vision. These are major tax write-offs for these guys in sports. They do a lot of good, don't get me wrong. Just don't let them be your guiding light as to them being unselfish.

Yes, he paid for and held practices during the lockout (That he was apart of the reason there was a lockout). If he did that for God, Country and the Saints; what is the difference now? Where is that loyalty now? I'm sorry, but I don't feel sorrow or pity for millionares. It's not like Drew has been offered "Slap in the face" type of contracts.

I'm tired of the "Quit bashing Drew", "Drew has to let Condon do the job he hired him to do" crap. I want him to be a man and follow the rules and guidelines he "Fought" for during the lockout.

I know Drew could care less what I think or say. However, Drew, not Condon; needs to get involved in this contract negoiations. Condon is wanting his share of Drews contract higher. So lets just face the bottom line up front. Drew knows what this team can and can't afford. This is Drew's career, not Condon's. Do any of you have an agent that settles your pay for the work you do?

Get involved Drew and sign a contract that wont kill this team or sign your TAG. You know, the one you agreed to during the lockout?!

Drew is doing what Drew needs to do...and SHOULD do...

Loomie is doing what Loomie needs to do...and SHOULD do...

I'm frustrated because we've already offered Drew the richest deal ever...twice...but it's clear (to me anyway) that he wants more of that up front, and that hurts our ability to pay other players. I'm confident they'll figure it out. I really and truly am. I'm hacked off about the whole thing, but I'm not blaming anybody. I can't say whether or not I'd do the same thing if I were Drew, but I'm guessing that I would.

I'm sorry, but what playmakers have we cut? Where are the scrubs that we are limping by with? And I am not letting charity issues cloud my judgement at all. It's not like if we sign Brees we don't have a team but if we don't and he doesn't play, we don't have a quarterback of his calibre to run that team.

That's the point some are trying to make Gup. If we pay Drew $50 million (example), we can not afford to keep players like Sproles, Graham and others who will have contracts coming up. We lost Nicks because we couldn't afford him and Drew. What if the guy who takes Nicks' spot doesn't protect Drew as good and Drew gets hammered and is out for the season? Is it worth it?

How many teams have a "Real" QB? Brady and Rogers are the two "For real" QB's out there besides Drew. Peyton is still a guess but a good guess that he will be good. Eli is unpredictable. As well as Rothlesburger. Stafford is ok. Othere than that what teams have a "Real" QB?

Alex Smith is no Drew Bress, but he beat us.

I want Drew to get everything he has earned. I swear I do, but not at the expense of hurting the team in the near future.

So would you rather keep Nicks and pay top dollar to have him protect Chase Daniels? Quit inventing crisises that don't exist. Nicks was underpaid by the Saints, period, that's why he left, end of story. The new guy is the new guy and has nothing to do with Nicks.

Dang!!! Those are some awEsome accomplishments. Theres no excuse for us not to offer to make Drew Brees the highest paid player in the NFL.

Oh wait...WE ALREADY DID...TWICE!!!

We need to cut ownership some slack.

Brees is an amazing QB,one of the best of all time but unfortunately this is still a business and it cost money to run a successful business! If Brees were the only employee than sure pay him the big bucks,but he’s not.

Just to clarify my "morally deserving" reference:

A sole moral claim is one in which no other party has any right to the fruits of work.

If one can establish that the value Brees brings to the organization is in no way related to any other person in that organization, and that he would receive that compensation (in a relative sense) no matter when or where he was geographically and societally, then he is morally deserving of the compensation he seeks.

My point is that the line had to block, the receivers had to catch, and the running backs had to run, the defense had to play and the kickers had to kick, the coach had to have a plan, the front office had to find talent, we had to buy tickets and the networks had to pay to televise.

To claim Brees achieved what he has without at least partially attributing his success to the quality of the team around him would be difficult to justify morally. No one disputes he adds tremendous value, and that his compensation should reflect his contribution.

Even Michael Phelps, who wins most of his races by himself, recognizes his entitlements from winning those races do not give him moral claim to the entirety of the fruits of his work.

If in the spring of 2006, you told me that by the 2012 season, the quarterback of the Saints would accomplish all that .... I would of asked for what kind of bourbon you were drinking cause you'd have to be drunk to say that .... Drew means so much to this team and city that Loomis will pay him what is fair and a deal will get done before training camp, now that the team knows who is suspended I got a good feeling that Drew's deal will get done soon

SaintBro,

I don't see how I am inventing anything. I don't control the Saints anymore than you do. Was Nicks underpaid? Yes. But I guess it is okay to over pay a player at the cost of losing other players.

Say what you want. Call me dumb if you like.

But I don't want a crap team (because we can't afford to keep or bring in good players) again and then say "But we have Drew Brees!" Do you?

give drew the hornets as his signing bonus. that should make the deal cap freindly

You always bring reason to insanity Kevin. LMAO!

And I remember there was a big uproar during those lockout negotiations about a handfull of players (most notably Brees & Vincent Jackson) holding everything up because they wanted the new CBA to include that the franchise tag WOULD NOT be put on them for the rest of their careers. I remember Brees catching most of the flack for that until he came out and did damage control. Then they went ahead and signed the CBA as is.

Once the lockout was over......Saints supposedly offered him the highest contract in the league at that time. He and his agent turned it down. His agent went to plan B and got Manning the highest paid contract knowing that he could drive up the price for Brees. Then the bounty gate thing happen which was just the icing on the cake for Condon's negotiation strategy......


Just saying if you look at a lot of the stuff between then and now......it connects in a lot of ways.....

He will be paid.

Where is all this Drew Brees bashing?

All this posturing is some real BS need just to get done with it. Saints just never had to deal with a thing like this before they should offer something to make he a part of the Saints for life just for pot liquor and I think this would be a done deal. Never did like Tom Condom though.

Did not read LULZ:broccoli:

Another Brees thread....when he signs then awesome. Until then, I won't give a single damn.

............No Comment..........next topic

As good as he was, he couldn't overcome our defense in the last two years.

That winey, crybaby, Eli Manning won the Super Bowl for God's sake! You don't have to have records broken to win the Super Bowl, you need a TEAM.

Alaska

Eli had a defense, both times.

I love Brees as much as anyone, but he is not the messiah. Way too much emphasis is put into the quarterback. Yes he is the single most important player on our team, and yes he deserves to be paid accordingly. But they have tried to make him the highest paid QB in the entire league, and he still asks for more. Am I calling him greedy? No, he has a right to negotiate for as much as he can get. But the Saints simply can't give him more than they are offering.

To say that we could afford to lose everyone else just to keep Brees, because he is the franchise player doesn't really make sense to me. If drew didn't have any talent around him, would he have put up these kind of numbers? Drew is probably the best in the game right now, but even the best QB's don't win without a good team around them. They make their team better, but they can't do it alone.

He will sign though, so this is why myself and everyone else I have seen, are not bashing Drew, but simply voicing our impatience. They have offered a more than fair deal in most people's opinion.

Witch!!

Yes, Brees' accomplishments are great, but it's a team game.
Because we have to set aside money for him we traded down Nicks to Grubbs, and Meachem to Arrington. Next year will it be Graham and Bushrod? We can't weaken every other position just to keep one guy happy

Without drew we would still be the aints how can y'all sit up here and try to diminish what he has done for the Saints & the City of New Orleans you are right he wasn't the only. One who puts in work on the field but he's one of the rare ones who can make people around him better...and without Brees we wouldn't have. Had a chance at a come back against the niner's give us 1 minute with the ball no doubt in my mind we win and if brees gets his deal we wouldn't have to cut anybody because he wants most of the money front loaded anyway he deserves the money he's earned it

The NFL is a QB league. Ask SF how far they got or the other teams without a elite QB. PM was the colts, Brady is NE. Without those guys they have very little hope of making it. When was the last non elite QB that won a SB, Dilfer ?
If you really think we have a shot without Brees I think your kidding yourselves. Teams don't fear the Saints, they fear Brees. They know how good he is.

We didn't trade Nicks or Meachem they were free agents and grubbs is a better run blocker than Nicks and Meachem was inconsistent also who says Arrington is the one to replace him?

I think Arrington can. I really think Arrington has a shot of being better. I loved meachem, but your right, sometimes he would just disappear for 3-4 games. grubbs with our stable of RB's is a big up side, thats clock control.

Ben Roethlisberger sure isn't elite. A lot of people want to put him in that category because he has two rings, but really watch him play. He's a good quarterback, but he isn't the most consistent, and does some really stupid things. The Steelers have always been a defensive team.

No one here is saying we'll win a super bowl without Brees. We're simply pointing out the obvious, that he won't win a super bowl without his teammates. Drew deserves to be paid, but not in an unreasonable way. They offered the richest deal for a QB. Is that not fair? But he and his agent are trying to break the bank, and that just isn't fair to his teammates. I suspect this is more to do with Tom Condon doing his best Scott Boras impression, than it is Brees. But at some point, Drew needs to be there with his teammates, so this crap needs to end.

Brees is better than Manning and Brady and both of them have been paid. Don't understand why this isn't done yet. The Saints are a great team with great players, but Brees is the catalyst running it.

so how much do you want to pay him? we offered him more money than anyone has ever made

Oh, and SF beat us, and one of the other QB's in the final four last year was Joe Flacco. Tebow and TJ Yates won as many playoff games as Brees last year. and not piling on, but the previous year Hasselbeck beat us as well
Of course Brees is better than all of them, but in the end it is still a team game

You think I don't know our history ? Our defense sucks. Our offense made the points to win those games.So become a Tebow fan, Raven fan, texan, and spare all of us.
Why don't you explain what the saints were before Brees walked in that door?
You know, this becomes as bad as the time we had to defend Lance Moore.

His money has nothing to do with it, your silly statement that the Saints will be just fine without him is newbee or bandwagon at best.
Exactly who is Brees going to be replaced by ? Ill answer for you, you don't have a clue. In other words your willing to make a dramatic statement that hurts the team without forethought. Really sorry, not respecting that.

You seem to have a lot of serious decision your willing to make,but not one answer to solve your own action.

Go on its real simple, like you layed out, who's is the next QB equivalent to Brees ?


I can't tell you how sick I am of people down playing Brees or what he means to this ball club. He is doing what he needs to do to get his money. In the end he will be a Saint. But, saying we don't need him is becoming pretty stupid, and naive.

delete this thanks halo

I have a question.....

Where does Sean Payton and Loomis fit in to the Saints winning and record breaking?

its really not a question, is it. Your just stewing to give your answer ,lol

I think you really blew Scott's comment way out of proportion. At what point did he say that we didn't need Brees, or that we'd be just fine without him? He said that it is a team game, and I agree.

You continue to accuse all of us with this point of view of diminishing his importance. The overwhelming sentiment here, is that he is the most important player on the team, but even so you have to have a team around him, which we have. But we won't be able to keep that team around him if we're paying Drew 23 million a year.

And again, not to diminish anything Drew has done, because he is the biggest part of our success... But you asked Scott what we did before Drew got here, and the answer is obviously not much. But I'll also respond by asking you this. What happened before Sean Payton, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Jahri Evans, Carl Nicks, Robert Meachem, Pierre Thomas, Jonathon Vilma, Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham etc? All these players have been huge contributors to this team. Some are recent, some are gone now, and most of them have been here from the very beginning when Drew and Sean came in.

The point is not that we are better without Brees, the point is we need the whole team working together. There were a couple lean years between playoff appearances, when we had no defense and no running game. We've had to address the defense again, and also try to hold on to his weapons, and still offered him the richest deal, and he hasn't taken it. This isn't to bash Drew either, but it's more to defend management. What else can they do?