Brees has been worth every penny and then some to that franchise.
I still remember saying that my Vikings should sign Brees to a FA deal if they really plan to unload Culpepper that offseason. Brees signed with Saint's, Vikes traded Culpepper to Miami and the franchise took a 10 year hiatus from relevancy except for the 1 year that Favre was good for them (and of course that year they lost to the Saint's).
It really goes to show you how the long term fate of a franchise is almost singularly tied to the QB position.