Carl Nicks: “In my mind, I pretty much am gone”

[Mr. Laz]

Carl Nicks: “In my mind, I pretty much am gone”

Posted by Evan Silva on March 9, 2012, 8:23 PM EST

Reuters
All-Pro guard Carl Nicks will be free agency’s top offensive lineman if he makes it to the open market unsigned. The Saints haven’t so much as made Nicks a contract offer since season’s end, and he told WWL-TV New Orleans on Friday that he fully expects to hit free agency.

“In my mind, I pretty much am gone, to be honest. They’re gonna do something in the next four days that they haven’t done in the last four weeks?” said Nicks, referring to the lack of a contract proposal from the Saints. “I really don’t think so.”

Nicks has all along expressed hope that the Saints would re-sign him, but at the same time wants more money than teammate Jahri Evans. He can’t have it both ways, because New Orleans can’t afford to spend so much on two guards. The Saints are strapped for salary cap space.

Nicks should have no shortage of suitors on the open market. We suspect he’ll have become the NFL’s highest paid interior offensive lineman by no later than the end of next week.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Dylan

Saints offered Drew Brees more than the $18.5 million per season and Brees turned it down, Fox Sports reports. The Saints also offered Brees a $30 million signing bonus. Brees countered by asking for $23 million per season
.

wow, demanding that kind of money will pretty much destroy a team.

He wants 1/4 of the salary cap

Saints are just going to have to start cutting people and hope that Brees can literally 'throw it and catch it too'

[listopencil]

It's cool. Sometimes in my mind I am pretty much gone too. It happens.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Dylan

True Dat Dummies!

Mr. Fax: I can't help but think that Brees' greed is tarnishing his reputation in an effort to not help the Saints' keep the nucleus intact.

Of course, I suppose it's also possible that Brees was hoping to become a free agent (assuming, perhaps, that the Saints would use the tag on another player). Maybe the environment over there was more toxic than we knew and Brees was looking for a way out.

However, you are far more familiar with that side of the house (the NFC) than I, Ms. Dylan, so I defer to your opinion on these matters.

Either way, nobody is looking too good over there these days. And I sure don't see how the Saints can remain competitive given the amount of hammering the NFL is about to lay down on their who dats.

FAX