Florio to interview Mike Tripplett
Triplett recap:
Drew update:
- Doesn't look like Drew will be there for OTAs.
- Both sides know what they want, and neither side feels necessary to move off of their position until there's a deadline.
- Thinks it'll be killing Drew to not be their for OTAs, considering he organized OTAs for the team last year during the lockout.
- Thinks ultimately Brees would choose to play under the franchise tag, rather than not play at all.
- At some point the Saints will make Brees the highest paid player in NFL history.
- Thinks Saints will bring in another quarterback to help get them through the reps of OTAs.
Bounties
- Legislature passed resolution to gain support from voters. Doesn't think it'll amount to anything.
- With the players bringing in lawyers and the NFLPA, we're finally starting to see some real fight back against the NFL.
- The coaches weren't happy about their suspensions, but didn't really have the means to fight back like the players do.
- There's no evidence that anything happened on the field to put players in harms way, the way they've been accused.
- The fans feel like the Saints been picked on for this by the NFL, with players coming out from other teams and admitting to things happening elsewhere. Saints deserved some punishment, but not the scale that has been dished out.
- Gregg Williams words before San Francisco were chilling, but then on the field the Saints did not do anything to go after Crabtree or other 49er players.
- We don't know the details of Gregg Williams testimony to the league. Believes the NFL "misinterpreted" Williams testimony the same way they misinterpreted the Hargrove statement.
- Believes the NFL does have evidence on pay for performance. Thinks the trouble the Saints are in is because their pay for performance included the "knockouts and cartoffs" for legal hits.
- Believes the only example of a specific bounty is before the Cardinals/Vikings playoff games.
Saints chance
- Believes the Saints still have a chance to go deep in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, despite the penalties handed down. No reason they can't be as competitive as the other Saints teams. Defense could be better, despite the suspensions. Paints them as the front runners in the NFC South.