2012 NFL Free Agents: Drew Brees Could Blow Up Quarterback Market

Recent reports out of New Orleans are indicating that negotiations between the Saints and star quarterback Drew Brees are deteriorating somewhat, and while it's all but inconceivable that the face of the franchise could leave the Big Easy, in today's National Football League anything is possible.

Just the possibility that the NFL's single-season record holder for passing yardage could become available is enough to send shockwaves across the free agent quarterback market.

In the admittedly unlikely (come on, speculate with me a little, it'll be fun) event that the Saints were to place a non-exclusive rights franchise tag on Brees, that would allow other teams to negotiate with the 33-year-old, provided they were also willing to part with two first-round picks in compensation to the Saints.

New Orleans would then be able to match any offer, but it's well within the realm of possibility that a team with loads of cap space and a need at quarterback could make Brees the sort of preposterous offer that the Saints would be hard-pressed to match without losing other free agents such as wide receiver Marques Colston and guard Carl Nicks, if not more as they scramble to clear cap space.

Also, while it may seem insane for a team to give up two first-round draft choices in addition to the truckload of money it will take to sign Brees, we're talking about a player who has thrown 147 touchdown passes over the past four years and topped 5,000 passing yards twice during that stretch.

Given what the Washington Redskins are reportedly offering to acquire the rights to draft Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin, what do you think Daniel Snyder would part with to get Brees? (I'm guessing he'd be OK with offering at least two of his three kids)

Additionally, it's at least fathomable that the Saints, now staring down the barrel of losing a number of draft picks as the result of league mandated penalties for the breaking "player bounty" scandal that also rocked the organization Friday, could use the non-exclusive franchise tag as "bait" of sorts in an attempt to reel in extra picks that would help jump-start the rebuild in New Orleans that Brees' departure would necessitate.

The effects of these hypothetical developments on the rest of the quarterback market would be staggering. The presumptive crown jewel of the market right now, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, would see his number of suitors shrink, as at least one of the deep-pocket clubs would be out of the running.

That could in turn lead to less money for Manning and an increased shot for a surprise candidate to land the four-time MVP's services, such as the one recently mentioned by Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

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[The Denver Broncos] have more than enough cap space [for Manning] and John Elway is probably quite convincing in making the point that you can win a Super Bowl in Denver as a 37- or 38-year-old QB.

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So, we now hypothetically have Drew Brees in the nation's capital, Peyton Manning playing at Mile High, and Tim Tebow holding a clipboard, never mind the fallout that this sort of quarterquake would have on the likes of Matt Flynn, Chad Henne or Kyle Orton.

Think that would give the folks on Pardon the Interruption something to talk about?

Odds are much more likely than not that the Saints will come to their senses and work out a long-term extension with Drew Brees, but if nothing else it's fun (except maybe for New Orleans fans) to start off the weekend with a little "what if," as were this particular set of dominoes to fall, the National Football League would look much different when the 2012 season begins than it does today.