NFL Rumors: Drew Brees Wanted Josh Norman, Offered To Re-Structure Contract With New Orleans Saints

NFL rumors reveal Drew Brees wanted Josh Norman on the New Orleans Saints. The rumors also state that Brees offered the Saints a chance to re-structure his contract so that the team would have enough money offer Norman a big contract. A report from NBC Sports came out on Saturday, April 23, stating that Brees was willing to help create salary cap space by agreeing to a new deal with the Saints. That bold move could have helped the Saints land one of the highest-regarded cornerbacks in the NFL.

Though there had been NFL rumors about Josh Norman considering several teams, he ended up signing a huge contract with the Washington Redskins. Though it appears that the New Orleans Saints did miss out on an opportunity to improve on defense, there might be some good news to come out of these stories. It appears that Brees is ready to commit to another long-term deal to remain with the Saints, especially if he was willing to take less money to bring in a top-notch player on defense.

The Saints finished the 2015 NFL season with a 7-9 record, which was good enough for third place in the NFC South. The Saints were eight games behind the Carolina Panthers, though, showing there might be a lot of ground to make up during the 2016 NFL campaign. Additional good news for the Saints is that the Panthers just lost their best cornerback, so the teams aren’t as far apart in on-field talent as last year. The Saints will have an opportunity to close that gap further during the 2016 NFL Draft.

Drew Brees is heading into the final season of his five-year, $100 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. Due to the way that it was constructed, Brees will count as $30 million against the salary cap, amounting to the biggest hit of any player in the NFL for 2016. Re-structuring that deal would have helped the Saints a lot, but it also isn’t too late for the two sides to negotiate it down a bit. If Brees and the Saints signed a contract extension, he could defer a bit of that 2016 salary to a later date.

There had been a number of NFL rumors about Brees possibly looking to leave the Saints after the team failed to make the postseason for a second-straight year. He put up great numbers again in 2015, though, amassing 4,870 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 101. It was the fourth time in five NFL seasons that Brees has led the league in passing yards, showing that he isn’t slowing down behind center. Brees also had a completion rate of 68.3, ranking him among the best in the NFL. Those numbers would be hard for the Saints to replace.

In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Saints have the No. 12 overall selection in the first round. The Saints possess six picks in the seven rounds, with their sixth-round selection going to the Washington Redskins to fulfill a prior deal. While some chatter has taken place about the Saints trying to move up in the draft order, recent trades by the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams to move into the slots previously occupied by the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns may have quieted negotiations.

Though Drew Brees still has a full year left on his current contract, New Orleans Saints fans should expect many more NFL rumors to surround the team as the offseason continues. With little visible movement between the front office and Brees in regard to a contract extension, it will become a more important topic as the 2016 NFL season draws closer. Will the Saints lock up Brees for a number of years? Or could the 2016 NFL season end up being his last one in New Orleans?

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