Rumor Whirlwind


Sources are reporting that several members of the Saints organization are quietly beginning to question whether or not Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks has reached the pinnacle of his career and is now on a downslide. In past years even with Brooks inconsistency through the air, supporters could always point to his threat as a scrambler as a benefit to him remaining as a starter. However, since the 2001 season Aaron Brooks’ yards per carry have dropped off year after year and finished at a career low of 3.0 yards a carry this season. This combined with an inconsistent season for the quarterback and the controversies during the course of the year with fellow players, along with those now coming at year’s end, several sources report that many in the organization feel as if now would be the best time to try and get what they can for the quarterback. At 28, it is tough to say that Brooks is over the hill; however, he appears to be losing mobility and with his regression this season, the doubts are surfacing. While Brooks did put up a nice amount of passing yards this season, many would add that much of those yards came when the game was already decided or out of reach for the Saints, allowing Brooks to pad his statistics. While no trades have been officially discussed, sources say that the team wouldn’t be opposed to listening to offers. Any possible deals that would be discussed would then depend on two things. The first would be if the Saints would get what they consider is the correct value for him and secondly it would depend on if the team could find a suitable replacement for him. Haslett and company don’t have the time to nurture a young quarterback along and need a veteran in there. While you may see them try to develop a young quarterback, the team would be more likely to hold onto Brooks for the next year or two if they were not able to find a suitable replacement for him. While this is a very long shot, it is something that should be kept in mind.