Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

(Triplett)

2013 depth chart:

Drew Brees. Age 35, signed through 2016. 2014 salary and bonuses: $11 million. 2014 salary-cap number: $18.4 million.

Luke McCown. Age 32, unrestricted free agent.

Ryan Griffin. Age 24, scheduled to become restricted free agent in 2016.

Analysis:

Brees
Brees is still in his prime. And though his home/road splits were too inconsistent in 2013, his overall performance was one of his best. Statistically, Brees had one of his top three seasons as a Saint in just about every relevant category, with 5,162 yards, 39 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. So he remains the No. 1 reason why the Saints will still be bona fide Super Bowl contenders in 2014 and beyond.

Brees’ salary and cap figure are obviously big numbers -- and they will only get bigger when they jump to $19 million in salary and bonuses and a $26.4 million cap hit in 2014. That will make it tough for the Saints to consider restructuring his deal this offseason to push even more cap costs into future years. But they might consider it since Brees isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and they could always work out some sort of cap-friendly extension down the road.

Even though those are big numbers to work around, Brees is worth every penny -- especially compared to the new deals that lesser quarterbacks have been signing around the NFL since Brees’ deal in 2012. It’s possible that Brees and the Saints could consider an affordable extension in the next year or two like Tom Brady signed with the New England Patriots last year. But an actual pay cut isn’t likely or necessary.

As for the backup jobs, I feel like I've been asked for the last two or three years now whether the Saints should consider drafting a future replacement. I still think it’s too early to invest a high draft pick in one. I think Brees has at least three or four good years left in him, and by that time a 2014 rookie would be headed toward free agency. If the Saints see a guy they really like in the middle or late rounds, though, it's possible.

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Ranking New Orleans Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback - ESPN

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Brees- trade- just joking.
Griffin-keep
McGown- let go
We can get by with 2 QB.'s and personally I would like to see Griffin in a live game that got out of hand to see what he's got. He may surprize!!

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Brees has at least two to three good years left. His arm strength is already a question to me as well as his accuracy(erratic). I think he's the best but I can see a slight difference. It could be just me........
Keep Griffin and cut "laces out" McCown. Bring in a cheap veteran to camp to compete.
Actually, we need a couple of extra QB's at camp to save Drew's arm from being over worked.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

How do you come up with this?
Manning and Brady are older than Brees and they have 2-3 maybe more years left.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

This was Drew's third best year as far as accuracy percentage for the season. 68.6%, only 2009 and 2011 were better.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

I've often wondered this.. And I finally got around to doing the stat crunching. We all know Peyton Manning has better "career" stats than Brees does, but that's only because Manning has been a starter for 15 seasons while Brees has only done it for twelve. So I decided to number crunch, and here are what their stats look like if you just compare their first twelve seasons as a starter

Brees:
186 games played
4466 completions
6772 attempts
65.6 completion %
50680 yards
362 TDs
177 INTs
94.3 rating

Manning:
192 games played
4232 completions
6531 attempts
64.8 completion %
50128 yards
366 TDs
181 INTs
95.6 rating


So Brees beats Peyton in every stat except for QB rating and TDs, while doing it in less games... Interesting. :bng:

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

I think 2-3 also, but even if I'm wrong it will only benefit the team, so if I take heat for it so be it, but what if we are right, what then!!

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Plus brees is the fastest player to reach 50,000 yards passing and is the only player with 4 seasons over 5000 yards

all that from a guy they gave a 25% chance he'd ever play again

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

This would of been his best year, had we had a decent OLine

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Brees has time left. 2 years at the very least. Don't know if shoulder surgery will shorten his life span. I think by the end of next year we will know more about how much time he has left and can make a decision on the future based on that. If I had to guess I would say we draft a first rounder in three years unless an awesome deal fell in our laps.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

I think we take a shot at a QB to start developing here...

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Take a look at the receiving talent that Manning has/had and the Brees numbers are even more impressive.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

I see this comment a lot.. The "play under Drew Brees and develop".

When has Sean Payton shown to be a coach that wants to develop his starting QB?

The veteran QB cap space has been made and worked around, I say he goes after another veteran FA.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

When I say at least 2-3 years left I mean that, but he could have five years or more at a very high level. He takes good care of his body. Which is possible even with a reconstructed shoulder.
Most people can't throw a ball again with that type of injury. When Payton brought him in we didn't know how well he would do. We've been lucky. Especially, with the number of hits he gets.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

In 2006 Sean Payton had a choice.

A veteran QB with a reconstructed shoulder that failed a physical in Miami Drew Brees

Draft from Vince, Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, Kellen Clemmons, Travaris Jackson, plenty of 3rd round or below QBs.

Rest of the 2006 QB Free agents
Simms
Kitna
McCown
Garcia
Wright
Martin


or Keep Aaron Brooks

He went with probably the biggest gamble of the time because he wanted a smart, veteran QB. This is what he will do again when Drew is gone. I do not see him changing what he wants in a starting QB to a Draft pick project.

Re: Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

We let Matt Leinart go? He could have been our Hall of Fame player. Seriously though, I'm not too afraid to admit that I was lobbying for Leinart. Good news is that no one worth listening was listening.

Ranking Saints needs: No. 12 Quarterback
 

Hind sight lol... At that time thought there were a heck of lot safer gambles than Drew Brees.



Sean Payton wants a high IQ QB, and as accurate arm as there is. He knew how accurate Drew was just watching Drew smoke manning in the skills Comp at the Pro-Bowl the previous year lol.



Business wise its hard to go from a 5m a year QB to a 18m a year QB... Once you have been shelling out 18m for a QB you want the next 18m QB to take his place.

There is always the chance this falls into my 20% margin of error though. ;)