The New Orleans Saints tried to return to their new normal Monday with their voluntary offseason training program. It still won't feel right. Coach Sean Payton started his suspension, and the team's leader, Drew Brees, was in New York.
One year after leading the most organized, intense, player-only workouts in the NFL, Brees joined a small contingent of NFL Players Association representatives into league headquarters. My buddy, Albert Breer, is sweating through his suit on the pavement below getting "no comments" from all parties. I'm upstairs, thinking how Brees is seemingly always in the middle of all things football.
Brees is more valuable to the NFLPA at the moment because of the punishments on tap for Saints players following the "bounty" scandal. That won't be true in a month. If Brees is still unsigned when the Saints hit the field for OTAs in May, then the dichotomy between this year and last really will stand out.
