Jackson Free Press

Some interesting things have come out of New Orleans over the past few days. Both the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees seem to be trying to position themselves for some possible post-draft fallout.

By now, nearly every Saints fan knows that Brees currently has a http://overthecap.com/player/drew-brees/1492/">$30 million salary number cap for this upcoming season. This is also the final year of his current contract with New Orleans.

The next few stories are why this is so interesting.

When the http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article73701242.html">Carolina Panthers suddenly rescinded their franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman, making him an unrestricted free agent, it quickly became apparent that Washington and New Orleans were his top destination options.

Norman signed with Washington instead of New Orleans, but after Norman was off the market, ESPN reported that http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/23/report-brees-offered-to-help-saints-make-cap-space-for-norman/">Brees was willing to rework his deal so the Saints could sign the star cornerback.

Neither side has said it had a contract deal in place after Norman signed with Washington. But could Brees have http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000656059/article/drew-brees-conversations-ongoing-in-contract-talks?campaign=tw-nf-sf25088047-sf25088047">worked out a deal in a few short hours to give the Saints room to sign Norman?

Then, there was this: Just this week, http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000656075/article/new-orleans-saints-in-play-for-paxton-lynch?campaign=Twitter_atn">Ian Rapoport said the Saints were looking to move up to the number-one pick before a trade was made between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tennessee Titans.

Brees said http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2016/04/drew_brees_rich_eisen_show.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter">in an interview on “The Rich Eisen Show” that he doubts the Saints tried to make a move for the top pick. New Orleans http://www.neworleanssaints.com/news-and-events/article-1/Quotes-from-Mickey-Loomis-pre-draft-press-conference/ba9085b5-c329-44c6-a19a-8ace13d96d2f">General Manager Mickey Loomis also said the report was false during a recent press conference.

Rapoport, in the same story, reported that the Saints were also interested in possibly moving up from the 12th pick to inside the top 10 to draft former http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000656075/article/new-orleans-saints-in-play-for-paxton-lynch?campaign=tw-nf-sf25092551-sf25092551">University of Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.

If you don’t remember, the Saints spent a third-round draft choice on Garrett Grayson last year. Grayson just rode the pine after the preseason, mainly as the Saints’ third-string quarterback.

The theory that New Orleans might want to draft a quarterback in the first round raises some questions.

Would the Saints want to sign Brees to a contract of three or fewer years if they draft a quarterback in the first round?

Will the Saints let Brees play out this season and then move on from the future Hall of Fame signal caller?

Will New Orleans rework Brees’ deal so they can trade him once his salary is more trade-friendly?

Even if the Saints rework Brees’ deal and draft a quarterback, is the club saying the Super Bowl window is closed with Brees?

Do the Saints want to rework Brees’ deal and make a couple of final runs at a Super Bowl?

Is this all really a pre-draft smokescreen that the Saints are using to work a better deal with Brees?

Let’s take a look at each question.

If the Saints take a quarterback in the first round, they can’t sign Brees to more than a two- or three-year extension. New Orleans doesn’t need to be in the same boat that the Denver Broncos are in now after failing to lock up Brock Osweiler.

If New Orleans does draft Lynch, even at the 12th spot, they have to put him on the field to see what he can do as the starter. Keeping Brees for five more years doesn’t make sense if the Saints are using a first-round pick on a quarterback.

The Saints could let Brees play out his contract at $30 million this year and let him hit the market if they draft a quarterback in the first round. That would give Lynch or another quarterback a year to sit behind Brees and learn before taking over the following season.

Or New Orleans could rework Brees’ deal and also draft a quarterback. After reworking Brees’ contract, they could trade him, either pre-draft or post-draft, to rebuild with a rookie quarterback. Depending on how the deal worked, this could save the Saints a ton of money.

Cutting Brees is out of the question, with $20 million in dead money if they let him go.

Again, depending on the deal, trading him could leave the Saints with a lot more cap space and Brees gets his last long-term deal... on another team.

If the Saints are drafting a quarterback in the first round, they are saying to Brees and their fans that they are giving up on the Super Bowl for the next two to five seasons. New Orleans would have Brees at quarterback and a young stud, hopefully, behind him but would still own one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

That horrible defense would get better if the Saints drafted a defensive player, who will hopefully turn into a superstar that New Orleans can build its defense around. Improving the defense would allow the Saints to make one final run at the Super Bowl if they signed Brees to a cap-friendly five-year deal and didn’t draft a quarterback.

Brees will be 38 years old before the next Super Bowl is played, and a five-year deal would end with him in his early 40s and certainly near retirement. New Orleans could try to do what Denver did with Peyton Manning and get Brees to a final Super Bowl with a strong defense to carry the offense.

If New Orleans doesn’t use the bulk of their six picks in this draft on defense, then fans will have to question what Loomis and head coach Sean Payton are planning. You don’t keep a guy like Brees without giving him the tools to bring you home a title.

Brees has made http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/23/the-saints-brees-p-r-battle-quietly-has-begun/">$140 million with the Saints since 2006. If he cut New Orleans a hometown discount to reach one more Super Bowl, it would help matters on the salary-cap front and make sense.

Finally, are the Saints leaking that they want to draft a quarterback in the first round a way to get Brees to sign a cap-friendly extension? This is the most likely scenario in my mind.

Unless the Saints can know, after just one season as backup, that Grayson will never be the man, why would they draft another quarterback?

That is not only a waste of a pick but also won’t help the team if they are playing to keep Brees for more than a couple of seasons. Also, it normally takes a quarterback a minimum of two years—more realistically, three to four years—to blossom into a starter in the NFL.

Cam Newton had his http://www.nfl.com/player/camnewton/2495455/careerstats">best season in his fifth year in the league, just as an example. Newton was the top pick in the draft, so Grayson will need time to develop into a starter. Brees needed time in San Diego, as well.

All this talk of wanting to draft a quarterback seems to me like New Orleans is trying to tell Brees to rework his deal, or else they would be happy to move on to a younger guy. In reality, they want to keep Brees in New Orleans but at a better price.

If New Orleans drafts a quarterback, they have three choices:

1.They can let Brees play out this final year—not a bad idea for a young guy to come learn from one of the best.

2.They can rework his deal and trade him—the best way to rebuild quickly.

3.The can rework his deal and draft a quarterback in the first round but give up on winning another Super Bowl with him, which would seem like a sad ending for a guy who did bring a Super Bowl to New Orleans.

But my gut says the Saints take a defensive lineman in the first round and rebuild the defense for Brees and Payton to make one last run at a title together.