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Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.


According to an Associated Press report, the biggest holdup in the Drew Brees contract negotiations is in the amount to be guaranteed.
The AP report said the sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract Wednesday, quoting a source on condition of anonymity because talks the talks are ongoing.

The stakes are high for both sides and the negotiations have lasted for months, including long gaps in communication between the camps.

Brees, who is 33 and entering his 12th season, has never before had the chance to negotiate a contract on par with the elite quarterbacks of the game. The Saints, meanwhile, risk alienating the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention their fan base, by failing to make an offer to his satisfaction by Monday -- the deadline for players with the franchise tag to sign long-term deals.

Several months ago, Brees first raised the possibility that he would not report to the opening of training camp if all that was on the table at that time was the one-year franchise tag of about $16.3 million. People familiar with the quarterback's plans say that remains the case.

Brees has said he does not want to play under a one-year contract with no long-term security in the coming seasons. He did it once before, with costly consequences, when he played under the franchise tag for San Diego in 2005 and wound up with a career-threatening injury to his throwing shoulder.


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SmashMouth

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints should be able to overcome gap in guaranteed money as well as total value of long-term contract

When discussing the contract standoff between Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, we usually boil it down to the most important number - the average total salary. But there have always been similar gaps between the two sides when it comes to the "finer points" of the deal, such as the amount of guaranteed money and the amount to be paid out in the first three years.

According to an Associated Press report on Wednesday, a source familiar with negotiations said the two sides remain more than $10 million apart in the amount of guaranteed money. That fits with details The Times-Picayune has gleaned from sources as well, though we have never confirmed a specific dollar amount.

Guaranteed money is very hard to define in such specific terms because some contracts include "fully guaranteed" money, some including guarantees for injury only and some including guarantees that either kick in or disappear after certain bonuses are paid. For instance, Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson's megadeal earlier this year reportedly included $60 million in guaranteed money. But a closer breakdown revealed that it includes $48.75 million in full guarantees. Then if an option bonus is paid next year, it will include just $37.25 million in full guarantees and $22.5 million in injury guarantees.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's 2010 contract reportedly included $48 million in guarantees, and St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford's 2010 rookie deal reportedly included $50 million in guarantees, though it's not clear how they were structured.

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TheOak

Knew it! All of this is over structure.... The guaranteed part.... I'm assuming the Saints are offering $40M guaranteed and Drew wants $50M guaranteed ..... Brady has $48M guaranteed.

TheOak

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints still must close a significant gap in guaranteed money if they are to agree on a five-year contract worth about $100 million by Monday's looming deadline for a long-term deal, a person familiar with the negotiations said.


The sides were more than $10 million apart in the guaranteed portion of the contract on Wednesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing.
The stakes are high for both sides and the negotiations have lasted for months, including long gaps in communication between the two camps.
Brees, who is 33 and entering his 12th season, has never before had the chance to negotiate a contract on par with the elite quarterbacks of the game. The Saints, meanwhile, risk alienating the best quarterback in franchise history, not to mention their fan base, by failing to make an offer to his satisfaction by Monday -- the deadline for players with the franchise tag to sign long-term deals.
Several months ago, Brees first raised the possibility that he would not report to the opening of training camp if all that was on the table at that time was the one-year franchise tag of about $16.3 million. People familiar with the quarterback's plans say that remains the case.
Both sides have offered proposals that would give the Saints more flexibility under the NFL's salary cap than New Orleans would have if Brees played for the franchise tag the club has placed on him. In those proposals, a relatively low base salary number in the early years would be offset by guaranteed signing bonuses that are pro-rated, for salary cap purposes, over the life of the contract.
Such a contract structure would increase the salary cap burden of Brees' contract significantly in the final years, but the salary cap likely will be higher by then.
If the two sides can narrow their differences on the guarantees, the remaining portions of the contract should be easier to figure out. The two sides are working from a framework of five years. The difference in the annual average pay is about $1.25 million, with the Saints' last offer at about $19.25 million and Brees' last proposal at about $20.5 million.
However, it is not yet clear how much Brees is willing to come down from a $20.5 million annual figure that some in his camp have argued is low, based on past trends.
If the deadline passes without a long-term contract, Brees could still hold out for a one-year contract worth more than the current franchise tag. Brees could also hold out until the Saints put it in writing that they will not use the franchise tag on him again next season, allowing him to test the open market.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press





Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints reportedly $10 million apart - NFL.com

A good read and some insight to the reality and not the speculation.

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voodooido

It will get done. Both sides need this. 1.25 a year is not much. 10 mil in guaranteed is not overwelming. They will meet somewhere are 7 mil guaranteed and right at 20 a year. Im not worried at all.

DblBogey

Thought you were going to keep this in one thread???

FinSaint

TheOak

I never received executive approval.

TheOak

NFL.com version
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints reportedly $10 million apart - NFL.com

AlaskaSaints

Yeah. We've created a MONSTER.

WHAT WOULD BREESUS DO?!

Alaska