Check out big brains on Saints, who drew own Brees conclusion (1 Viewer)

GoldenWarrior

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Next time I have my palm read in New Orleans, I'm not walking to Bourbon Street. I'm tooling down the road to Metairie to check in with the Saints.

You heard me. The New Orleans Saints. They're the guys who looked into the future and saw Drew Brees winning for them. OK, so that's a stretch. But they're the guys who saw Drew Brees playing for them, and look how that's working out.


Does Drew Brees like being a Saint? Well, he leads the NFL in passing yards and his team's a contender ... (US PRESSWIRE)
Brees has the Saints on top of the NFC South, is among the league's top-rated quarterbacks and is in the on-deck circle -- right behind Peyton Manning -- when talk gets around to a league MVP.

Remarkable? Yep. Brees deserves all the credit in the world for helping to turn around a franchise that hit rock bottom last season. But let's hear it for the Saints themselves. Remember, they were the only team willing to invest a small fortune in Brees, believing he could -- and would -- overcome a serious injury to his right shoulder and solidify the game's most important position.

"I don't think we were smarter than everyone else," said Mickey Loomis, New Orleans' executive vice president and general manager. "It was probably more of a gamble."

Maybe. But the key is that the Saints took a chance that no one else would. And they won. They won big. But listen carefully to Loomis. He's not convinced that Brees was the risk others did. In fact, he's convinced he wasn't.

"We talked to a lot of doctors with experience with this particular injury in baseball," said Loomis, "and basically they felt there was no reason he couldn't come back from it. Now, sometimes players don't recover the full velocity with throws for some time, but the people we talked to gave us every indication he could come back from this

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9805230
 
Loomis shouldn't talk sometimes. Maybe it was more of a gamble but why spew forth that stuff? Just leave that little comment out and the story reads much better.
 
yeah,

Loomis does deserve eons of credit if not all of the credit for bringing Brees here . . . and for that, I am eternally greatful!!!

I do agree, referring to the gamble to humbly downlplay credit is somewhat offensive to the real faith that was put into Brees. I really don't think that he means it like that more than he intends to humbly downplay credit due for taking such measures to bring Drew here. He does deserve credit! He did do good and know best! and doubt he ever really doubted it! It's like his way of saying "Aww, shucks, we just got lucky" but you know the first page of his portfolio says "Brilliantly signed Brees off free agency"

MOST OF ALL, Drew deserves the most credit! That dude rehabed more intensely than anyone ever. Remember when he got here . . . how publicly committed to getting back to 100% he was. Remember when press constantly covered his rehab habits and progress. I think he rehabed quicker than anyone could have ever imagined and I've gotta say, CAME BACK BETTER THAN BEFORE!!! I mean, what more could you ask for!
Brees for MVP!!!
 
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... But listen carefully to Loomis. He's not convinced that Brees was the risk others did. In fact, he's convinced he wasn't.

"We talked to a lot of doctors with experience with this particular injury in baseball," said Loomis, "and basically they felt there was no reason he couldn't come back from it. Now, sometimes players don't recover the full velocity with throws for some time, but the people we talked to gave us every indication he could come back from this
...

Funny, even into September, Saban was still saying it was strictly a medical decision by the Dolphins to pass on Brees.



Loomis shouldn't talk sometimes. Maybe it was more of a gamble but why spew forth that stuff? Just leave that little comment out and the story reads much better.


He's just down-playing it. Same way he has with drafting Colston. I prefer his approach than someone coming across as an arrogant "I knew it all along" blowhard.
 
I personally think bringing in Brees was a no brainer. If your going to pay a QB a contract fo 6 years 60 million it might as well be a young 2 time Pro Bowler with an excellent off the field attitude, leadership and a proven winner over a rookie. Even if the rookie is not a bust it would likely be his 3rd year of that expensive contract before he ever started putting up Pro Bowl number (if he ever did). Not only do you get a Pro Bowl QB but you maintain the 2nd overall pick in the draft.

Not only that but Payton's system and Brees is like a match made in heaven. I don't buy for one second that the Dolphins didn't want Brees over Culpepper. They simply were not in a position to match the contract offer that the Saints gave Brees because of the salary cap.

The real credit goes to the front office for making the smart move when they could have easily saved a couple bucks and drafted a QB. Then even more credit for waiting out Brees' decision. They could have easily said forget it and spent that time and money going after other free agents and then draft a QB.

It was perfect timing for Brees to hit the free agent market. A year earlier and the front office is still sticking with AB. We also were very fortunate that the other teams in the NFL were dumb enough to pass on him. I am still shocked the Jets, Browns and the Lions did not make a serious run at Brees.
 
Loomis shouldn't talk sometimes. Maybe it was more of a gamble but why spew forth that stuff? Just leave that little comment out and the story reads much better.

It's called humility, and in a league that tends to reward self-promotion I find it a little refreshing. Not only do I think Loomis is a good GM when paired with Payton, but I actually genuinely like the guy. I'm glad he is here. It's nice to be able to cheer for my team all the way even up to the front office.
 
Funny, even into September, Saban was still saying it was strictly a medical decision by the Dolphins to pass on Brees.

I still don't buy the medical excuse. Saban saw the same test results we did. He talked to Dr. Andrews who said full-recovery with 90 to 95% of his strength back this year and 100% next. Drew Brees performed the exact same on the physical for the Saints and the Dolphins, which was ahead of his rehab schedule. Either Miami has the single dumbest most idiotic medical staff known to the history of sports medicine or they passed of Brees for other reasons.
 
I still don't buy the medical excuse. Saban saw the same test results we did. He talked to Dr. Andrews who said full-recovery with 90 to 95% of his strength back this year and 100% next. Drew Brees performed the exact same on the physical for the Saints and the Dolphins, which was ahead of his rehab schedule. Either Miami has the single dumbest most idiotic medical staff known to the history of sports medicine or they passed of Brees for other reasons.

I don't disagree with you. But they have stood by that, even into the season. Miami Herald article, from 21 Sept 06:

The Dolphins studied their medical reports on Daunte Culpepper and Drew Brees during their mid-March hunt for a franchise quarterback and came away with the belief that acquiring either offered risk and reward, but Culpepper was the safer pick.

...

''Let me just say this,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said Wednesday in addressing the subject directly for the first time, ``It was a medical decision. I don't think medicine, personnel or any of that is an exact science.

``I think we have good, professional people in that area. I think they made the best judgment they could make at the time relative to the circumstances. No one could predict the future. It is what it is right now.''

...


Link to article: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/football/15569267.htm

Kinda funny, Saban totally contradicts what Loomis, Brees, and Dr. Andrews have said all along about the shoulder actually being stronger than before.
 
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I don't disagree with you. But they have stood by that, even into the season. Miami Herald article, from 21 Sept 06:

The Dolphins studied their medical reports on Daunte Culpepper and Drew Brees during their mid-March hunt for a franchise quarterback and came away with the belief that acquiring either offered risk and reward, but Culpepper was the safer pick.

...

''Let me just say this,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said Wednesday in addressing the subject directly for the first time, ``It was a medical decision. I don't think medicine, personnel or any of that is an exact science.

``I think we have good, professional people in that area. I think they made the best judgment they could make at the time relative to the circumstances. No one could predict the future. It is what it is right now.''

...


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/football/15569267.htm

Well I understand they stood by the party line. What would they say "Yeah we thought Daunte Culpepper was a better QB and would be a better fit". Whoops

They also are standing by keeping Culpepper out because he hasn't fully rehabbed when his problem was holding on to the ball to long and making poor decisions, problems he had last year before he got injured in the first place.

Miami is dysfunctional right now. It's going to be a train wreck next year when Saban wants to keep Harrington the starter but Culpepper locked in with a 7 million dollar signing bonus pitches a fit about it (like he did this season when he got benched, but much worse).
 

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