Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Originally posted by okdkid:
Originally posted by chico49erfan:
I don't get why everyone thinks Marques Colston will not sign back with the Saints. Dude will either sign or be tagged...
You can say that about every top FA out there.
If Brees doesn't have his contract squared away by late Feb, the Saints will use their tag on Brees. They are currently said to be "far apart" on numbers. Also, Colston has said he will not be giving the Saints a hometown discount.
Brees has no intention of leaving New Orleans. Even if he "officially" becomes a FA, I think everyone recognizes that all that means is more time for the Saints to negotiate. At worst, Brees plays Kurt Warner hardball to get more money. I think the Saints don't feel they would be at risk not tagging Brees -- who strongly expressed his desire not to be tagged anyway.
In the end, I think Brees and Colston stay, Meachem goes.
No doubt Brees will likely stay. And in all practicality, Brees and the Saints will likely have a deal done sometime in February. But not tagging him would be idiotic.
Every team in the league knows how much it would take to lure Brees away, and I'm willing to bet 3-4 teams would be willing to offer him the world. This will be especially true if there is no risk of giving up picks. Not tagging him is way, way too risky of a move for the Saints front office. At some point money talks. And if a desperate franchise is willing to throw ungodly money at Brees... it could prove to be enough to lure him away.
Letting Brees hit free agency risk free allows other teams to quantify how much New Orleans means to him. Is it worth an extra $3MM per year over the Saints' offer? $5MM? $10MM? Somebody, perhaps the Browns or Redskins, would make him the NFL's highest paid player with some distance.
I believe if Brees does not have a contract squared away, the Saints will undoubtedly use their tag on him and let Colston test the market.
[ Edited by okdkid on Jan 30, 2012 at 2:21 PM ]