Brees has NEVER held the team to ransom. Where the heck are you getting that idea? He originally signed a 6 year $60M contract which even at the time was low. His next, and last, deal was for five years at $20M per year which very quickly became no more than average for the average starter in the league.

And it appears that you have no clue what that whole last contract year was all about. It has been explained on this site by myself and others dozens of times. The entire ordeal had nothing whatsoever to do with the contract terms. It all came down to the NFLPA and the league fighting over the definition of a second franchise tag. Brees was simply the Guinea pig in the case. Within one week after the case was resolved Brees was signed. It had nothing to do with his playing any sort of hardball. He got what he deserved and no more.

And it does not matter in the least what kind of deal sounds right to you. You are not involved and have nowhere near enough knowledge on the financial or personnel related issue as to when, why or what will eventually take place. NONE of us do. You have clearly been brainwashed as to the importance of any single contract on the ability of a franchise to make other deals by the media, of whom I can testify personally are infinitely less qualified in matters of finance than your average middle income individual, or by other fans who rely upon what that media feeds them.