New Orleans Saints franchise quarterback Drew Brees is entering the final year of his contract, but general manager Mickey Loomis doesn't plan to let his star quarterback go anywhere anytime soon, as he plans to lockup Brees for the foreseeable future with an extension, according to Fox Sports' Alex Marvez.
The Saints front office is also looking to create some salary-cap relief, as Brees' cap hit in 2016 is $30 million, and the team has already made moves to create more cap space this offseason. Saints linebacker Dannell Ellerbe has already restructured his contract to remain in New Orleans and have also created $4.8 million in cap space by converting defensive end Cameron Jordan's $6 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
"It's not mandatory we do something with Drew" before the free agent signing period begins in March, Loomis said, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. "We want Drew to be our quarterback this year, next year and the foreseeable future. I know he feels like he's got more years left in him. I would say we feel that way as well.
Despite a disappointing 7-9 season, Brees had another strong year, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,870 yards with 32 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. The Saints are looking to lockup their star quarterback, but they need to free some cap space as they look to build their defense in 2016.
The Saints finished with the worst defense in the NFL in terms of points per game last season, and Loomis knows that there is work to be done this offseason. "We've got some work to do. We've got to improve our pass rush and front seven," Loomis, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. "That will be one of the goals we have in this offseason - to get some help up front so we can climb defensively and help out our offense."
