Brees Failed Physical

[Ydub]

Sour grapes from the Fins on losing out on the guy they really wanted.

How did they "lose out"? It's common knowledge that Brees wanted to play in Miami. Unfortunately for Brees, the Dolphins didn't want him. Sounds to me like Brees is the one that's "losing out".

[mikus]

And yes, the Saints *are* that desperate. Who wants to play there? Aquaman? Sub-Mariner? Seriously, no one wants to commit to an organization that was submerged in water for the last 6 months.

First off, I think this is a pretty unclassy statement. Who are you to make fun of a city that suffered such a tragedy? And what do you know about the geography of New Orleans? The whole city was not submerged in water. In fact, the money-making regions of the city were mostly high-and-dry.

Will the fans show up? Will they stay in New Orleans? Will Tom Benson sell the team. Will they have a productive rushing attack next season?

Before the Saints signed Drew Brees, the team had already sold 25,000 season tickets, which is nearly double what the team sold by this time last year. I am sure that there will be a correlative spike in ticket sales following this signing of Brees and the other activity of the Saints in the free agent market.

I think the team will stay in New Orleans for quite some time. Tom Benson has come out and given a verbal committment to honor his current contract, which runs for a few more seasons. The Saints will be in New Orleans for at least the foreseeable future.

As for the rushing attack, I can only believe the team will once again be productive in this area. With Deuce coming back and help from a very capable back in Michael Bennett, the team is going to improve in this area. Also, should the Saints sure up the O-Line with a good draft, the rushing attack will only benefit.

I think if you are going to make an argument against the Saints, at least know what you are talking about first. Do a little research please.

[mikus]

Sour grapes from the Fins on losing out on the guy they really wanted.

How did they "lose out"? It's common knowledge that Brees wanted to play in Miami. Unfortunately for Brees, the Dolphins didn't want him. Sounds to me like Brees is the one that's "losing out".

I thought the "common knowledge" was that Brees wanted to play in San Diego. Show me a quote where Drew Brees said anything to the contrary, and I will believe you. Otherwise, this is only your "common knowledge."

[Algierine]

"I never had a conversation with him about this football team. It was always about what he needed financially and money. I never heard 'team.' I always heard 'me' and 'I' and 'I need 10 million dollars. I'm a 10 million-dollar-a-year quarterback.'''

-- Minnesota coach Brad Childress, to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, on the lunacy of how Daunte Culpepper shot his way out of town last week.

I found this on MMQB, and if this quote is even close to being accurate there is no way I will ever believe that Pep was Saban's 1st choice.

Fins lost out, and for once the Saints didn't. Deal with it.

[CC]

Sounds like the Saints fans are just hearing what they want to. I don't know why a team would bother leaking something like this if they actually wanted Brees more. Teams lose out on FA's every single year, it isn't a big deal.

I would prefer Brees, but I don't think his situation (talent included) is much better than Culpepper's and whoever was the cheaper and better value option would be my choice.

[Ydub]

Before the Saints signed Drew Brees, the team had already sold 25,000 season tickets, which is nearly double what the team sold by this time last year. I am sure that there will be a correlative spike in ticket sales following this signing of Brees and the other activity of the Saints in the free agent market.

ESPN.com (AP):

"Part of the surge has been the result of many ticket holders having money remaining in their accounts because of the cancellation of the New Orleans games last season, the team said. Other interest, the team said, is likely being generated by the offering of more than 20,000 seats at $35 or less. This year's package consists of eight games instead of nine or 10 because home exhibition games will be played at other venues around the state."

Leftover money. Discounted tickets. Ticket packages that consist of more games for less money. The threat of losing an NFL franchise. Of course they're selling more tickets, but considering the circumstances and incentives the Saints are offering it certainly doesn't mean that the franchise is in better shape.

I think the team will stay in New Orleans for quite some time. Tom Benson has come out and given a verbal committment to honor his current contract, which runs for a few more seasons. The Saints will be in New Orleans for at least the foreseeable future.

You "think" the team will stay in N.O., but you don't "know". And that's my point. The air of uncertainty which surrounds the Saints just isn't attractive to prospective free agents. Hence the need to "overpay". As far as Benson's "verbal committment" is concerned, surely you don't take that as gospel...do you? Isn't this the same guy who was knocking over cameras, firing off emails threatening to NEVER come back to Louisiana? Isn't this the same guy who issued a statement within days of "Katrina" that he was moving the team to San Antonio. It later surfaced that he was trying to make the move permanent, but was talked out of it by former VP Arnold Fielkow. Later Mr Benson fired Fielkow, a move predicated on his insistence that the Saints play some games in Baton Rouge's Tiger Stadium. Do you really trust Tom Benson to keep his word(ie. verbal committment)?

Ray Nagin (Dec. 27th): "We look forward to the day when the Saints organization will fully commit to this community and be a vital part of our recovery for many years to come.”

The implication is clear. Nagin would like the Saints to make a sweeping committment to the city of N.O. but Benson and the Saints have yet to do so. Again, why the optimism?

As for the rushing attack, I can only believe the team will once again be productive in this area. With Deuce coming back and help from a very capable back in Michael Bennett, the team is going to improve in this area. Also, should the Saints sure up the O-Line with a good draft, the rushing attack will only benefit.

How many RB's are truly effective less than one season removed from ACL surgery? Not many. You're obviously counting on Deuce being an exception. With his recent injury history I wouldn't count on it. Michael Bennett. "Very capable". It's been years since I've seen those two in the same sentence. What exactly has Bennett accomplished? 3.8 ypc last two seasons. Hasn't rushed for more than 473 yards in four seasons. Never scored more than 5 TD's in a season. And Deuce looks like the most durable back on the planet in comparison. I can think of a number of ways to describe Bennett. "Very capable" isn't one of 'em.

I think if you are going to make an argument against the Saints, at least know what you are talking about first. Do a little research please.

I'm really not "against the Saints". They belong in New Orleans and I've enjoyed watching guys like Jackson, Mills, and Pollard blowin' guys up back in the 80's - 90's. I wish 'em all the best.

But I think it's pretty clear that if Brees was really that enamored with New Orleans then he simply wouldn't have made the trip to Miami and subsequently issued a press release on the deal 5 - 10 minutes after the Culpepper trade was announced

[flotsamnjetsam]

"We're talking the quarterback position, right?" one Miami source said. "So what would you rather have, a guy coming off knee surgery or off shoulder surgery? You don't throw with your knee."

He stole my line! But, as pointed out by a few cafers, the knee does affect your throwing.


To me, this is all about Miami justifying taking Culpepper over Brees. Supposedly Brees failed a physical that included working out his injured shoulder. Duh! His shoulder isn't completely healed yet. Did Culpepper's physical include working out his injured knee? If so, he wouldn't have passed the physical either because his knee isn't completely healed.

Bottom line is that Miami felt more comfortable with a QB coming off a knee injury instead of a QB coming off a throwing shoulder injury.

[mattb47]

"We're talking the quarterback position, right?" one Miami source said. "So what would you rather have, a guy coming off knee surgery or off shoulder surgery? You don't throw with your knee."

He stole my line! But, as pointed out by a few cafers, the knee does affect your throwing.


To me, this is all about Miami justifying taking Culpepper over Brees. Supposedly Brees failed a physical that included working out his injured shoulder. Duh! His shoulder isn't completely healed yet. Did Culpepper's physical include working out his injured knee? If so, he wouldn't have passed the physical either because his knee isn't completely healed.

Bottom line is that Miami felt more comfortable with a QB coming off a knee injury instead of a QB coming off a throwing shoulder injury.

Yea, I agree with this. I think both NO and Miami are going to claim they got the guy they wanted....from what I have heard Brees's shoulder injury wasn't nearly as bad in severity as Culpepper's knee injury. Andrews said that Brees will be back to 100% again with the shoulder injury and he's supposed to be throwing in May. I'm not personally going to put much stock in what either team said about who they wanted and these kinds of things because we'll never get a straight answer.

[Ydub]

"We're talking the quarterback position, right?" one Miami source said. "So what would you rather have, a guy coming off knee surgery or off shoulder surgery? You don't throw with your knee."

He stole my line! But, as pointed out by a few cafers, the knee does affect your throwing.


To me, this is all about Miami justifying taking Culpepper over Brees. Supposedly Brees failed a physical that included working out his injured shoulder. Duh! His shoulder isn't completely healed yet. Did Culpepper's physical include working out his injured knee? If so, he wouldn't have passed the physical either because his knee isn't completely healed.

Bottom line is that Miami felt more comfortable with a QB coming off a knee injury instead of a QB coming off a throwing shoulder injury.

Yea, I agree with this. I think both NO and Miami are going to claim they got the guy they wanted....from what I have heard Brees's shoulder injury wasn't nearly as bad in severity as Culpepper's knee injury. Andrews said that Brees will be back to 100% again with the shoulder injury and he's supposed to be throwing in May. I'm not personally going to put much stock in what either team said about who they wanted and these kinds of things because we'll never get a straight answer.

Didn't Andrews say the same thing about Pennington's shoulder? I think we all know how that turned out....

[portisfan24]

Since when did free agency become about "winners" and "losers?" Who cares who missed out on who? Why does it matter that Brees may have been Miami's first choice? I'm sure both teams are happy with what they got, otherwise they would not have given up a second round pick and a 60 million dollar contract.

This thread is pointless.