Nobody is talking about Brees deal huh?

[Rockinkuwait]

Too much dead money being pushed into the future. $18 mil over three year after this current contract is up. And it might be $9 mil x 2 & not $6 mil x 3 when that dead money hits the cap, I am not sure which when it comes to automatically voided years.

Brees is still a good QB, but he is personally killing the future of that team.

And no, QBR should never be looked at as legit or used to measure QBs.

Well he's the one person they've spent money on that's deserved it there.

Having a 20 mil cap hit to Brees isn't the issue. It's having a 35 million dollar cap hit for Galette, Bunkley, Lewis, Evans, Browner, Colston and Hawthorne.

You make choices that badly it doesn't matter if you have a QB on a rookie deal, your situation sucks.

That's the one thing that has me thinking keeping Brees may not be a bad idea... If he's the only thing they are doing right, what good is more picks or more free agent busts going to do for them?


Saw something today about just how bad the Saints D was last year. I had already seen plenty of how historically bad they were, where you could argue they weren't just the worst last year, but worst in over a decade to play in the NFL. But DVOA is one measure for defenses based on who you play. IE stopping the Panthers offense is better than stopping Clevelands.. Anyways, Saints of course are 32nd there. Bears are 31st. Bears are closer to the Pats at 12th than the Saints at 32nd. It's just an insane outlier how bad that defense was last year and it showed.

 

[eaglesnut]

He has a no franchise tag clause. Interesting.

Guess he can run for a contender at the end of the contract if the Saints don't start winning again.

 

[DJ]

It's awfully hard to maintain your TD numbers when you throw 46 and then follow it up with 43 and 39. And 33 and 32 is usually good enough for top 5 in the league.

 

[DJ]

But your note of "declining" to 4870 passing yards (led the league) and 32 TDs (tied for 7th, leader had 36) shows that he's in decline? More like the team around him is in decline. He's getting up there in age and reps, but he's still going strong (much like Brady).

This.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I guess if you are not winning you are not newsworthy.

Noteworthy, but maybe not newsworthy.

What's interesting to me, Brees is still an effective, top tier QB, but clearly he's not the same QB he was 3 yrs ago, and the surrounding cast (particularly on DEF) is not really playoff caliber. I think top side is 9 wins for this team.

So it's kind of a why do this type deal to me if you're the Saints. It reminds me a little of the Lakers deal with Kobe.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Guess he can run for a contender at the end of the contract if the Saints don't start winning again.

Well it makes sense for the team. Basically he's taking next year at the normal franchise tag amount (with his salary it would have been a 40 mil franchise tag in 2017 if they wanted him 1 more year which is just... no).

So he had a lot of leverage over next year being basically un-franchisable.


As for the franchise tag, I am not sure if that is still available for 2018. Not sure how the voidable years work, where if they void the rest of his deal after 2017, he's still eligible to be franchised anyways? Like how you can't release a player and then franchise him.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Well he's the one person they've spent money on that's deserved it there.

Having a 20 mil cap hit to Brees isn't the issue. It's having a 35 million dollar cap hit for Galette, Bunkley, Lewis, Evans, Browner, Colston and Hawthorne.

You make choices that badly it doesn't matter if you have a QB on a rookie deal, your situation sucks.

That's the one thing that has me thinking keeping Brees may not be a bad idea... If he's the only thing they are doing right, what good is more picks or more free agent busts going to do for them?


Saw something today about just how bad the Saints D was last year. I had already seen plenty of how historically bad they were, where you could argue they weren't just the worst last year, but worst in over a decade to play in the NFL. But DVOA is one measure for defenses based on who you play. IE stopping the Panthers offense is better than stopping Clevelands.. Anyways, Saints of course are 32nd there. Bears are 31st. Bears are closer to the Pats at 12th than the Saints at 32nd. It's just an insane outlier how bad that defense was last year and it showed.

Brees is worth the money, but is he worth the money to the Saints? If he was 30 on a 6/120mil deal, maybe they would get some meaningful wins from his production. As it stands, Brees could produce 4800/35 and they win 8 or 9 games.

 

[shopson67]

Brees is worth the money, but is he worth the money to the Saints? If he was 30 on a 6/120mil deal, maybe they would get some meaningful wins from his production. As it stands, Brees could produce 4800/35 and they win 8 or 9 games.

He absolutely is worth that to New Orleans itself. He's practically the mayor, lol.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

I guess if you are not winning you are not newsworthy.

Shit, I can't believe this thread went on for four whole pages after that...shoulda been E/O/T

 

[shopson67]

It reminds me a little of the Lakers deal with Kobe.

I can see that, but Brees did just lead the league in passing yards. He's not as worn out as Kobe was.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

He absolutely is worth that to New Orleans itself. He's practically the mayor, lol.

Maybe to the city...good point.

 

[VikingFan2k2]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I can see that, but Brees did just lead the league in passing yards. He's not as worn out as Kobe was.

Yeah, he has more game left than Kobe did...of course 16 vs 82.

I think Brees can still play and maybe the D will turn the corner, but I've got them winning no more than 9.

 

[shopson67]

Yeah, he has more game left than Kobe did...of course 16 vs 82.

I think Brees can still play and maybe the D will turn the corner, but I've got them winning no more than 9.

I've got no faith in a D relying on Laurinaitis at this point in his career. He'll still get his tackles, just 5 yards farther down field that you'd like.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I've got no faith in a D relying on Laurinaitis at this point in his career. He'll still get his tackles, just 5 yards farther down field that you'd like.

That's right...I didn't realize he was starting! Not that he was a MLB but I forgot the kid...Kihaka (sp) was on IR, and the young rookie DT, rankins.

The Anthony kid can play, of course Cameron Jordan...got some pieces on D, but not enough to make Brees stats hold up I'm afraid.

 

[Dude]

Noteworthy, but maybe not newsworthy.

This is spot on and one of the reasons the media is like pesky mosquito: They flock to where there is blood -ref: bountygate- and ignore interesting subjects where there is no mass appeal. Brees is a very accurate, very good QB, but has been surrounded by a crappy defense in his most productive years.
Agree that this extension of his contract was necessary for Saints, he is their best player.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Brees is worth the money, but is he worth the money to the Saints? If he was 30 on a 6/120mil deal, maybe they would get some meaningful wins from his production. As it stands, Brees could produce 4800/35 and they win 8 or 9 games.

Agree, but kinda the "grass is greener on the other side" mentality plays into that. Lets say they traded Brees and got the top QB next year (or top two with Cle). Then 3 years down the line they realize they have a bust and traded their only decent shot at a wild card game in 2016/17 for 4+ years of 2-6 win football and are right back where the pre-Brees saints are?

Think of the Rams... Got all those picks for RGIII thinking they could build their team and address the QB through other means...

And what do they have of that haul?
2 RB's off the roster
1 WR off the roster
1 good CB on the Giants
1 G off the roster
1 solid run stuff DT
1 OLB moving to MLB
1 LT trying to avoid bust status by showing up to camp 20 lbs overweight this year.

...and after a bunch of 6-7 win years, basically traded back that worth for Goff.


I think if Brees played like last year and the D was just bad, they could have pushed for a wild card spot.



I'm agreeing with what they did, cheaper than slapping a franchise tag on him next year by 16 mil give or take. But not 100% onboard, more like 60/40.

 

[USCDoom]

But we have 10 million in cap this year and that can be carried over to next year with this restructure. We should have 20 million in cap next year.

Great because with this Saints Team, Next Year is Sooooo Much Better than This Year.

Guess what, You will have tons of cap space when Brees retires too. Too bad you did not have that space when it mattered, like the last 8 years.....

Why did he not do this before the offseason and maybe give the Saints a chance to fill some holes.

 

[Rockinkuwait]

Great because with this Saints Team, Next Year is Sooooo Much Better than This Year.

Guess what, You will have tons of cap space when Brees retires too. Too bad you did not have that space when it mattered, like the last 8 years.....

Why did he not do this before the offseason and maybe give the Saints a chance to fill some holes.

My guess is because it was a long negotiation with sides far apart.

 

[Brees#1]

Dead money is dead money. Rolling over saved money from 16 into 17 isn't going to help in years 18, 19, & 20. A temporary gain at the expense of future flexibility.


By the way, how the hell did the Saints GM mismanage his cap so bad to the tune of $33+ mil in dead money hitting the 2016 cap?

It wasn't all Brees. Gallette put us in a hole as did Browner.