Trading Places: Drew Brees leaving the Saints may not be a joke
By Dean Mullen
The Saints have surely talked behind closed doors of the idea of Drew Brees not being here someday. There will be a day. Whether it’s 2016 or 2020, the time will come. Fans needs to come to this inevitable conclusion of how and when that will go down. The case for 2016 could be a very compelling one.
First of all, no one wants to see Drew Brees leave. Lets get that out now. What he has done for this franchise and city cannot be fully put into any article. The idea of Drew Brees in another uniform is like making Bourbon Street turn into Main Street in Disney World. It’s like having a crawfish boil surrounded with ice chests full of lemonade. The thought of that happening seems surely ridiculous. The idea seems unconscionable. However, there will be a day when that will happen.
So in 2016 when there is still some uncertainty of when Drew Brees will ink a new deal, the present day may just be the best time. Who Dat Nation may not be ready for it now, but there may not be any other time where the Saints can at least get something in return. I think we all need to ask a very tough question. What is it that we want? Are we okay with Drew Brees staying here and breaking more passing records while the team as a whole goes 8-8 and 7-9 every year? If that is the case, then you can stop reading here. I’m sure you are not in the minority. If though you might have an open mind to hear a different tune, then keep reading.
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The Saints could open up all kinds of scenarios if this goes down before the season or early on this year. There are teams that would love to have a Drew Brees on their team. Who wouldn’t? The one comes to mind is the Chicago Bears. While the Bears are not exactly close to winning a Super Bowl, adding Drew Brees for the next three years could offer a much-needed jolt to their résumé. The Bears had five losses that were within 4 points and another that went into overtime.
If you add a Drew Brees to that roster, there’s no doubt the morale instantly improves with confidence. Jay Cutler isn’t exactly a fan favorite there anyway.
Another team that has an excellent defense would be the San Francisco 49ers. This scenario involves a little bit more imagination. The reason I say that is there has been a lot of turmoil there since Chip Kelly arrived. That being said, Brees could instantly make an impact there. There’s no doubt that Chip Kelly is willing to do anything, if he believes the move will help his team win. Colin Kaepernick’s status right now at current is shaky at best. Drew Brees would also move way out west and perhaps start another rebirth, so to speak.
For the Saints, there would have to be some serious return for a trade this big. Those add-ons would be too long of a list for one paragraph. The Saints could at least have a chance to really make some upgrades on the defense. Additionally, the draft picks could be a Godsend for years to come. If the Saints wait too long, then this conversation is null and void. Brees has at least a couple of years of value left. If the Saints want to even think about it, then the move has to happen sooner than later.