Sean Payton is trying to clear up any idea the New Orleans Saints are ready to break away from Drew Brees. Yes, the franchise has undergone a number of changes including trading away offensive stars like Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, but the quarterback position will remain the same, at least the starter will. Payton confirmed Brees was staying put, but the team is open to drafting a backup.
Payton is well aware of the rumor mill stating Brees is on the move either this season or next. As the Saints aim to clear salary cap space, the quarterback is the biggest hit of all and will only get bigger in the coming season when he enters the final year of his contract. Naturally that has led to questions regarding Bress' future with the franchise.
"You can't control it," Payton said, via NFL.com. "What do you do when there's no truth to any of it? There's not one iota. So, if someone's written something like that, then it's either been taken out of context completely or just fabricated. I think we're in an age where we're seeing a lot of speculative reporting as opposed to a story." "There's no truth to any of that. He's a part of where we're going and we've got a number of areas we've got to improve on, but his production and where we've been able to finish offensively, those things will take care of themselves."
Payton is making it clear he believes Brees has a lot of football left to play in him, but the Saints are open to acquiring a quarterback if the value fits. Could that mean the team trades their two first-round picks for Marcus Mariota? It seems unlikely considering the Saints really need a wide receiver and some help on the defensive front. They could eye players like Bryce Petty or Brett Hundley in a later round. Garrett Grayson could also be a good option considering he has a cannon for an arm like Brees does.
The Saints would be better building a team around Brees next season rather than worrying about replacing him. Getting a star wide receiver to run with Brandin Cooks will be a good move and getting linebackers to replace departing players like Curtis Lofton would also be a smart move. A quarterback in a later round might be a better value than gambling on Mariota who they do not need for a few more years.
