The New Orleans Saints have an issue on their hands bigger than the gaping hole in their defense. Drew Brees wants more money, not just more money but he wants to be the highest-paid player, and rumor has it that he wants a 4/year-$100M deal. Four years ago this was a steal but at the age of 37, the Saints might be better off trading him or letting him walk after this season. Yes, either scenario is a huge gamble to take, and while Bress has continued to play at a high level, all it takes is one play to change everything.
Bress has been healthy throughout his career, but his stats may be a bit misleading. His numbers are among the league’s best but at his age, how many more years can he continue to put up 640+ attempts with no real insurance in a ground game to take pressure off his arm? His offensive line has done a great job of protecting him but as of late his sack numbers have increased each season. If the Saints are not careful, Bress could end up as the next Tony Romo.
The Dallas Cowboys relied so heavily on Romo they forgot to begin grooming a successor, now look at where they are for the past two seasons. But here is the dilemma with Bress.
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His refusal to restructure his deal last season forced the Saints to trade Jimmy Graham and hurt chances of them getting a high-profile player in free agency. Now he wants another large deal that will handicap the team again. He will still produce but he will continue to do so with younger players and may face the same issues he has for the past two seasons.
The Saints have watched as Bress has put up All-Pro stats but the results have been 7-9 seasons in 3 of the last four years. Who is the QB of the future, Garrett Grayson? If Brees is not careful, he can set this franchise back a few seasons with his greed. Is he worth the money, yes, considering what QBs are making these days but is it wise for the Saints to pay? No.
If Brees loves this city and the team as much as he says he does, then he understands as a veteran that it takes money and talent to win. But if a single player swallows up 1/4 of the cap then how can the team make the necessary roster moves needed for him to get a shot at another championship before he retires?
Bress is a veteran, and he knows better, but now he’s acting like a little kid and taking advantage of an organization that has no suitable replacement and feels they owe him everything.