The B-side to this disastrous offseason for the New Orleans Saints offers up a slow, haunting melody of ongoing contract talks between the team and its star quarterback.
Locking down Drew Brees means an obvious and much-needed dose of good PR for this franchise, but that hasn't happened yet. As we inch closer to the start of training camp, Brees won't predict when a contract will be completed and he won't guarantee his presence at training camp, but he doesn't sound worried.
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"I've always said, you would think this process would be a lot more simple than it is. It just always seems to be complicated," Brees told ESPN's "Mike and Mike" on Tuesday. "(I'm) still very confident that we'll get a long-term deal done, and hopefully that will happen sooner than later."
Brees, making the media rounds Tuesday, later told "The Dan Patrick Show" he isn't motivated "to be the highest paid" player in football, but called for a fair deal (which could bring him very close).
Around the League visited with Brees during the Super Bowl -- many moons before the "bounty" mess -- and while his contract situation was a point of discussion, it wasn't a concern. Organized team activities then opened and closed. No Brees. Minicamp came and went. Brees -- ghostlike.
"I'm very aware of where the Saints are at, and certainly where I'm at," Brees said, suggesting there was "a lot of time" before now and training camp.
We expect this deal to get done in time, but this team has been nothing but twists and turns this offseason. It's easy to forget the New Orleans Saints play football. It's Brees who can help everyone remember.
