What if Drew doesn't sign his franchise tender?
by Kristian Garic
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posted May 17 2012 1:30PM
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Kristian@wwl.com - We've gotten a lot of questions about what would happen if Drew Brees doesn't sign his franchise tender.
In the unlikely event that should happen, Drew would pass on the $16 million that he'd be due as a franchise QB in the NFL.
However, he'd also be locked in for at least two more years with the Black and Gold. The Saints would still be able to franchise him for the 2013 and 2014 seasons as well (although, with successively bigger and bigger paychecks, per league rules.)
It puts Drew in kind of a tough position, which is why I think that is part of the reason that he came on with Deke to talk about it on the air, to help speed up the negotiation process.
The Saints obviously want him to play in some capacity this fall, but they also have strong incentive to NOT have him under the "cloud" of the franchise tag. A player under franchise might not be as motivated, and the $16 million price tag for a franchise QB also makes for a much larger hit on the salary cap than would a long-term contract.
So, both sides have quite a bit of incentive to see Drew NOT be forced to play under a franchise tag. Drew does have some power here, but right now it looks like the Saints have a lot more of the leverage than he does.
Under the CBA, the Saints and Drew cannot continue negotiations on a long-term contract after July 16. So, the clock is ticking.
Do I think a deal will get done? Yes. I think in deals like this, you need deadlines, and there haven't been any real deadlines that they've missed...not yet, anyway.
Tags : Topics : SportsSocial : SportsPeople : Drew Brees
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