NFL Free Agency 2012: Why the Saints Need to Lock Up Drew Brees Long Term

OK Mickey Loomis, we get it. Your role as General Manager of the New Orleans Saints is to negotiate contracts with the bloodthirsty agents, out to get the most for their clients. Where ethics and morals sometimes cease to exist, the negotiating table should never forget about the facts on either side of it. With Loomis' foolhardy comments at the NFL Combine last week, it seems that the Saints are negotiating in the wrong direction. With Brees set for free agency March 13, Loomis needs to take a step back to see where his franchise sat before Drew Brees signed with the Saints.

Seven years ago the Saints were coming off a 3-13 season, and had just fired their coach, Jim Haslett. The city had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, causing millions in damages and shattering lives throughout the city. Sean Payton was hired as coach, and the Saints signed free agent Drew Brees to be their quarterback, replacing the Aaron Brooks/Todd Bouman combo. Though the Saints, and the city, went through some serious growing pains, especially in the shadow of Katrina, their fortunes would change for the better.

In 2006, the Saints posted a 10-6 record and made it to the NFC Championship game, where they fell to the Bears 39-14 in Chicago. The following two years were met with frustration as New Orleans posted records of 7-9(2007) and 8-8(2008). The one constant through the trying times was the mercurial rise of Brees as one of the NFL's premier passers. Throwing for 8800 yards and 54 touchdowns over that time, Brees was hardly the reason for the team's mediocrity.

2009 started as a special season as the Saints started 13-0, and won home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Brees set franchise records with 5069 yards passing and 34 touchdowns. The Saints marched through the playoffs, and ended the season with Brees hoisting the Lombardi trophy, and Super Bowl MVP with a win over the Colts 31-17.

The next two seasons cemented Brees status as an elite quarterback in the NFL. With 79 touchdowns and over 10000 passing yards, including an NFL record 5476 yards in 2011. Though both seasons ended in the playoffs, it was again the defense that let New Orleans down.

Off the field Brees won the Sports Illustrated 2010 Sportsman of the Year, not only for his contributions to the Saints, but the efforts of Brees and his family as they literally helped the broken city recover from one of the worst natural disasters in US history. While Brees' heart and family appear to be embedded in the fiber of the city, he knows all too well that the NFL is a business first.

One of the reasons the NFL is so popular is because of free agency. The lack of "ridonkulous" contracts, and the ability of teams to cut the players whose contracts have outlasted them, makes the salary cap crucial. Necessary cuts this time of year become common place as teams look to restructure deals, and realign themselves under the cap. Casualties, as teams cut certain players, mean that though the players may renegotiate with the team that released them, it's an opportunity to seek employment elsewhere.

While it's obvious the Saints would never let Brees just walk away, they need to offer him the world to keep him there. A franchise tag is considered by many to be a slap in the face, especially those of Brees' caliber. While we would all love to take a $15 million slap in the face, Brees' value to his team and the city makes his franchise tag a bargain. Bottom line, unless the Saints are ready for the Chase Daniel era to begin in 2013, they need to ink Brees to a deal that takes him to retirement.