2012 NFL Season

[gunnar hendershow]

San Francisco is my pick to land Wallace. He's exactly what they need in that offense. Baltimore gets thrown around by ESPN because "they're such huge rivals, it would be such a coup!" but the team already has a deep threat in Torrey Smith (though Wallace would certainly be an upgrade) and the team has much more important areas to spend its money (getting younger and stronger on the O-Line, finding another pass rusher, and getting younger at LB) this offseason. Oh and not to mention getting a long-term deal for both Grubbs and Rice. But another division rival, Cincy, would be a possible landing spot since Mike Brown is now forced to actually spend money. He would give Dalton a great deep threat and a weapon to free up some passes for A.J. Green. But, again, these are the Bungles.

Also, any update on the Welker negotiations? He's another WR who can make more money elsewhere.

[Lint]

If you think Drew Brees is a great quarterback, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis apparently disagrees with you.

According to a report from Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, Loomis thinks Brees is very good, but not great. And therefore Loomis thinks Brees’s new contract should be commensurate with what a very good quarterback, but not a great quarterback, gets paid.

Citing three league sources, Cole writes that Loomis made the distinction between Brees being “very good” and “great” in a recent discussion about the status of the soon-to-be free agent quarterback’s contract. When Loomis was asked why it was taking so long for the Saints and Brees to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension, Loomis described Brees as “very good” when others called called him “great.”

According to the report, Brees and the Saints are about $5 million a year apart on a new contract. Which is apparently the difference between what a great quarterback makes and what a very good quarterback makes.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/01/report-saints-want-to-pay-brees-like-a-very-good-but-not-great-qb/

Wow..seriously? The guy breaks Dan Marinos record, wins them a Super Bowl, is dedicated to rebuilding the city, and they want to lowball him and say he's a "very good" quarterback? Loomis is an idiot and will be the most hated man in New Orleans if he lets Brees go

[Meacon Keaton]

I hope Brees leaves, and Loomis can figure out where friggin' Chase Daniel fits on that good-to-great scale.

[Blitz]

Ray Rice is supposed to get the franchise tag today.

[gunnar hendershow]

No surprise there. Works better than spending most of the time this offseason figuring out a long-term deal.

And remember in 06, when Brees wanted to go to Miami and had to settle for New Orleans because the Dolphins went out and get Culpepper instead? Well, Miami is in the hunt for a QB again and the Saints look like they're trying their hardest to piss off their franchise QB.

[Blitz]

I would be shocked if Brees and the Saints don't work it out. He single handedly kept that franchise alive during and afterHurricane Katrina, gave them a SuperBowl, and consistent contenders.

His demands are a tad outrageous, and I think they'll settle somewhere in between each other's offers.

[gunnar hendershow]

These are the same Saints that were the worst-run franchise in the league for years, and nothing up top has changed since those days.

It wouldn't shock me if they botch these contract negotiations.

[TCO]

Surely they'll just tag him if they can't work out a deal? This is just an effort to lowball, I can't see anyway Brees isn't in New Orleans next year.

[livid]

Yeah but if they franchise him, that means Carl Nicks hits the open market (since it's unlikely they would be able to hang with what he'll be offered from other teams in FA) and that's something they were trying to avoid.

[Mofoticon]

the Saints have bigger things to worry about...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7638603/...rogram-nfl-says

Schefter and Peter King say the punishment could be far worse than Spygate.

[thatshortguy]

Schefter and Peter King say the punishment could be far worse than Spygate.

Knee-jerk reaction at this point. If Goddell reacts quickly, the Saints are in serious trouble. If he waits things out, I don't think it will be as harsh as expected.

Still, though...I can't help but think that this takes place in various forms everywhere in the NFL. This is the same league that will bring players on simply to be 'Gunners' on special teams, after all.

[naiwf]

ESPN says the Deadskins had the same bounty program when Gregg Williams was there as well. Can you imagine what he would have done with a Baltimore type defense? $15,000 for maiming and $25,000 for a fatality. What a douchebag.

[The Buscher]

The Saints don't have a first round pick this year, but I'd be shocked if they don't dock next year's first rounder on top of fines and such. Possibly a low round pick this year if they act quickly enough.

[sahyder1]

The Saints don't have a first round pick this year, but I'd be shocked if they don't dock next year's first rounder on top of fines and such. Possibly a low round pick this year if they act quickly enough.

They have to do at least a first rounder. They can't be on a player safety barrage and then not come down heavily here.

[gunnar hendershow]

This happens all over the league, you won't convince me otherwise. But the Saints got caught, Sean Payton buried his head in the sand during the whole thing, the league is all about player safety, and is being sued by former players for not getting enough protection and medical attention. There's going to be a harsh punishment here, the NFL backed itself into a corner and now has to do a public shaming to perhaps its most "feel-good" franchise.

As for the Saints' other concerns, if they slap the franchise tag on Brees it would hurt them in so many ways. Gone will be Carl Nicks, the only way he stays in New Orleans is with a franchise tag. Marques Colston can probably get more money elsewhere anyway, but if they don't have a long-term deal hammered out with Brees they would have a very tough time figuring out what kind of money to give Colston long-term. The next 48 hours are some of the most crucial hours in New Orleans front office history.

[The Buscher]

I'm interested in seeing what, if any, punishments the players involved will receive. From what I've read, the system encouraged them to hit hard and clean, just like any other team in the league. I'm sure there were a few dirty hits here and there, but those were likely already dealt with by the league at the time it happened per league policy. So I don't think players will be suspended, especially those who played clean football. However, if the investigation has a record of how much each player made in payouts, I could see them getting fined an equal amount.

Gregg Williams is a shoe-in to be suspended, even though that would hurt the Rams instead of the Saints. Payton's gonna be suspended too so that the Saints get an extra punishment.

[naiwf]

Just strip them of this season's franchise tag and really make them pay. That'll do more to make sure this never happens than suspending a coach/player/DC/GM or fining them what amounts to tip money in revenue.

Edited March 3, 2012 by naiwf

[gunnar hendershow]

That would be a major punishment. Not a bad idea though. Actually sends a message.

[Maxx]

It'd never happen, especially so soon after the lockout and the new CBA.

[The Buscher]

Too late for that anyway, the Saints just put the franchise tag on Brees today because they couldn't agree on a long-term contract. Now Carl Nicks is going elsewhere.