Expect Saints, Brees to agree on contract very soon

    Before you even ask, the answer is: “Of course.”
    When? “Very soon.”
    Of course, I am referring to the only question I am asked daily by Saints’ fans.
    Sunday, as I was waiting in a line for a burger at a fast food restaurant, the young man waiting the counter asked.
    At church, going in and out, I am asked. At the store and at the gas station, I am asked.
    The level of concern is off the charts. Some would call it panic, and I wouldn’t disagree.
    Of course, the Saints will sign their quarterback Drew Brees to a long-term contract.  Of course, it will happen before the deadline of Monday, July 16.
    Brees only upped the anxiety level last week when he went public. He told a local radio station that he was “frustrated” by the lack of progress in the talks. Brees went on to say that he only wants “the appropriate number for my situation.”     
    Brees wouldn’t get into specifics.
    If the Saints were offering $19 million per season, a deal comparable to that of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, would you say that was unreasonable?
    After all, Manning has won a Super Bowl and is MVP of the NFL a record four times. Brady has won three Super Bowls and appeared in two others.
    While speculation goes on and on, it is important to remember a couple of key facts. One, as the July 16 deadline approaches, the leverage in these contract talks clearly swings to the Saints. If Brees is going to play football this season – and, at age 33, he won’t skip a year – he’s going to be a Saint.
    Two, it makes sense for Brees to sign a long-term extension, something he cannot do after the July 16 deadline.
    After 2012, Peyton Manning’s deal kicks in with $40 million guaranteed over the next two seasons.
    Do you honestly think Brees will leave $40 million or more guaranteed on the table as he and the Saints squabble over $1 or $2 million per season?
    In 2005, Brees was playing under the franchise tag when he suffered a serious shoulder injury while in San Diego. The Saints took a risk and paid Brees handsomely. If not for Sean Payton and the Saints, the market for Brees then, would have been considerably lower.
    So, if he doesn’t do a deal, Brees takes on a real risk financially. And, if the Saints don’t do a deal, they risk alienating the single most-important player in the history of the franchise.
    It makes no sense for either side not to do a deal.
    That’s why they will. By the time you read this in church on Sunday, it may have already happened.
    If not, remember the answer is, “Of course.” And, “soon, very soon.”
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected]