BREES BEMOANS SAINTS’ LOSS OF SPROLES
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has no doubt tight end and teammate Jimmy Graham will be on the field for Week 1, no matter how his franchise-tag fight plays out.
Running back Darren Sproles won’t be there, though. And Brees made clear Tuesday at the NFL Players Association’s annual meetings that Sproles is one key part of the Saints offense they won’t be able to replace.
“I think a Darren Sproles only comes around once in your lifetime, in my career and in everybody’s career,” Brees said of the speedy back who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last week for a fifth-round draft pick.
“He’s a special player. He’s a special person. He’s a special teammate.”
The Saints planned to cut Sproles, 30, if they couldn’t deal him rather than pay his $3.4 million base salary on the heels of a 2013 season in which he had 824 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
They’re clearing space in part to re-sign Graham, 27, who is headed for a lucrative contract extension or a grievance hearing on his claim that the franchise tag should pay him like a wide receiver, not a tight end.
“I think a Darren Sproles only comes around once in your lifetime.”
Saints quarterback Drew Brees
“Listen, I know Jimmy will be ready to play, whether that means he’s coming in tomorrow, April 21st or August 21st,” Brees added. “He’ll be a big part of our offense and a big part of our team for a long time. I’m very confident that will work out.”
Brees, 35, speaks from experience. He sat out all offseason practices in 2012 after getting the franchise tag, then signed a fiveyear, $100 million contract weeks before training camp began.
“I’ve been through it just two short years ago. You just know it’s part of the process,” he said. “You can’t take any of that personal.”
Nor can Brees take it personally that the Saints cut ties with receiver Lance Moore and several members of the defense — cornerback Jabari Greer, safeties Ro- man Harper and Malcolm Jenkins, linebackers Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma — who helped lead them to a Super Bowl win after the 2009 season.
“(Sproles) was one of the tougher ones for me, just because I was heavily recruiting him to New Orleans during the (2011) lockout,” said Brees, who also played with Sproles on the San Diego Chargers in 2005.
“So I feel like that was my guy, that was my pick, and I wanted that to last forever. But unfortunately, it didn’t last forever.”
Six players remain from the Saints’ Super Bowl team: Brees, offensive linemen Jahri Evans and Zach Strief, punter Thomas Morstead, running back Pierre Thomas and receiver Marques Colston.
“It’s tough because a lot of those guys I’ve played with for eight years,” Brees said.
“You become very connected during that time, so it’s always hard when you get to this point.”
The Saints also made one bold move in free agency, signing safety Jairus Byrd to a six-year, $54 million contract that included $26.3 million in guarantees. In a salary cap league, deals like that often can’t happen without trimming veteran fat.
“Unfortunately, that’s part of this game,” Brees said. “That’s the business of football. Sometimes, you love it and sometimes you hate it.”