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Dispelling a myth: Saban/Brees/Dolphins
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:08 am
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:08 am
For years the story from people (usually on Saban’s side) has been that the Dolphins docs would not allow Saban to sign Brees. Saban has always been vague about it, “If we had had Drew Brees, I might still be in Miami.”
That never passed the smell test as Saban negotiated unprecedented personnel power for a HC when he left LSU and then traded for Culpepper, who was coming of a major knee injury.
Only actual reporting I’ve seen done is from two guys covering the Dolphins beat at the time
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald isn’t sure Saban even made Brees an offer:
Just wanted to clear something up that I’ve seen talked about a lot. That decision was a sliding doors moment in football history that changed the SEC, delivered New Orleans a super bowl, and sent the Dolphins into 15 years of irrelevance.
That never passed the smell test as Saban negotiated unprecedented personnel power for a HC when he left LSU and then traded for Culpepper, who was coming of a major knee injury.
Only actual reporting I’ve seen done is from two guys covering the Dolphins beat at the time
quote:
Jason Cole
@JasonCole62
I really like Nick Saban, but he is not telling the truth about Drew Brees & #Dolphins. It was his call. Don't blame him for the call ...
Brees totally beat the odds on his recovery. But there is no question Saban made the call. He took info from 6 doctors. They didn't decide.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald isn’t sure Saban even made Brees an offer:
quote:
To this day, I am not certain whether or not the Dolphins made Brees an offer. A good source close to Brees insisted Miami did, although it was a lowball offer.
Regardless, Brees saw his future in New Orleans. His agent Tom Condon went back to the Saints and beat them up some more and extracted a six-year, $60 million deal that included $10 million in guarantees the first year and another $12 million the second year in the form of an option. Brees signed the deal on March 14, 2006.
Just wanted to clear something up that I’ve seen talked about a lot. That decision was a sliding doors moment in football history that changed the SEC, delivered New Orleans a super bowl, and sent the Dolphins into 15 years of irrelevance.
12
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:13 am to floridatigah
I don't blame him for not taking him. Brees coming back from that injury like he did was nothing short of miraculous
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:14 am to floridatigah
If Brees goes to Miami, Saints don’t win a Super Bowl, LSU wins more NC and the Patriots don’t cake walk to every division title. That was a huge domino.
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:17 am to floridatigah
Saban’s QB decision as Dolphins coach was a double edged sword for Louisiana sports fans. It allowed Brees to sign with the Saints but at same time ended up bringing Saban to Alabama to torment all the LSU fans for years
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:24 am to Henry Jones Jr
quote:
I don't blame him for not taking him. Brees coming back from that injury like he did was nothing short of miraculous
Brees was definitely a gamble. But so was giving up a draft pick for Culpepper, who had just torn 3 knee ligaments a few months earlier. He made the wrong gamble.
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:25 am to floridatigah
quote:
that included $10 million in guarantees the first year and another $12 million the second year in the form of an option.
there weren't "guarantees" in 2006
ESPN Link
quote:
a six-year, $60 million deal with the New Orleans Saints that included a $8 million signing bonus and a 2006 base salary of $2 million.
The contract includes a $12 million option bonus due next spring and a base salary of $3 million for 2007.
i hate how modern media tries to contort all this into "guaranteed money" as if it's an NBA contract
when Kirk Cousins signed with Minny, that was legit guaranteed. Brees just got the normal bonus structures of the NFL. that $12M wasn't "guaranteed" and the Saints could have just eaten the pro-ration on that $10M signing bonus
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:32 am to BigPerm30
I’m not sure Brees would be the Brees we know without Payton & New Orleans.
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:54 am to jacksajester
quote:
I’m not sure Brees would be the Brees we know without Payton & New Orleans
This is the one thing that is always overlooked in this discussion. Brees had some good seasons in SD. But he wasn't necessarily on pace to be an all time great there. I think we can all agree that at that time (and probably still today) Payton is a far more aggressive offensive coach than Saban and the marriage between Payton and Brees has made at least one, possibly both, HOFer's. Now, perhaps Brees wins more Super Bowls because Saban would have worked to make the Miami defense great and Brees would have just needed to be SD level good. But I'm pretty confident in saying Brees isn't the all time record holder in most categories if he signed with Miami over New Orleans
Posted on 3/31/20 at 7:54 am to SlowFlowPro
That would be what you took from this! Lawyers!
Posted on 3/31/20 at 8:16 am to floridatigah
way back when i used to be all up in NFL contract details. you don't often get the same details in normal media today. they just go "guaranteed money drrrr"
Posted on 3/31/20 at 8:24 am to SlowFlowPro
I don’t bother to keep up with it anymore. Lot of times you don’t get the full details. With the rising cap, bonuses, and restructuring teams go from cap hell to signing a big name FA the next day. I was so confused a few years ago when the Saints were able to sign that safety Byrd.
This post was edited on 3/31/20 at 8:26 am
Posted on 3/31/20 at 8:47 am to floridatigah
I thought this was common knowledge. Brees mentioned the phone call with saban in his book. That phone call he said pretty much. Made his decision because nick was pretty non committal when he asked nick if he thought drew could make it back
Posted on 3/31/20 at 8:47 am to floridatigah
I don't know how much I trust those reporters. I am not a Saban fan but I worked for Derek Dooley [when he was at LA Tech, which was right after all this went down] who was on his staff for the Dolphins and he told me Brees was XXX by multiple doctors which is only reason they didn't continue pursuit of him.
I'll trust the man I knows word over someone I don't. I worked for him for 2 years in the athletic department and got to know him pretty well. There would be no reason for him to fabricate a story like that.
I'll trust the man I knows word over someone I don't. I worked for him for 2 years in the athletic department and got to know him pretty well. There would be no reason for him to fabricate a story like that.
This post was edited on 3/31/20 at 8:53 am
Posted on 3/31/20 at 8:54 am to BigPerm30
quote:
If Brees goes to Miami, Saints don’t win a Super Bowl, LSU wins more NC and the Patriots don’t cake walk to every division title. That was a huge domino.
Why do we just assume Saban would have run a similar offense to Sean Payton? Especially the first year. He wasn't fired by the Dolphins, so maybe he leaves anyway?
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:03 am to Rabbs and QStick
quote:
I don't know how much I trust those reporters. I am not a Saban fan but I worked for Derek Dooley [when he was at LA Tech, which was right after all this went down] who was on his staff for the Dolphins and he told me Brees was XXX by multiple doctors which is only reason they didn't continue pursuit of him.
I'll trust the man I knows word over someone I don't. I worked for him for 2 years in the athletic department and got to know him pretty well. There would be no reason for him to fabricate a story like that.
It does not benefit the reporters to make up a story, especially Jason Cole, who hasn’t worked in Miami in over a decade. Obviously Saban and his staff would like to distance themselves from the decision.
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:06 am to josh336
quote:
I thought this was common knowledge. Brees mentioned the phone call with saban in his book. That phone call he said pretty much. Made his decision because nick was pretty non committal when he asked nick if he thought drew could make it back
Good call, I don’t think I ever read about that.
quote:
According to the book, Brees said to Saban: "Coach, I know what your doctors believe about me. My question is, what do you believe?''
Wrote Brees: "Nick Saban paused. That was really all I needed to hear. His pause told me everything.”
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:14 am to floridatigah
quote:
It does not benefit the reporters to make up a story, especially Jason Cole, who hasn’t worked in Miami in over a decade.
the 2 comments aren't exclusive of each other
quote:
But there is no question Saban made the call. He took info from 6 doctors. They didn't decide.
Cole is just saying the doctors didn't have some sort of administrator-veto power over the decision, which is a big "no shite"
the poster is saying multiple doctors did not give a glowing review of Brees's potential recovery. Cole didn't say what the 6 doctors said
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:19 am to SlowFlowPro
The argument is over whether Saban or the doctors had final say, if the poster acknowledges it was Saban’s call then my bad. I’ve heard front office people say things to the effect of “You can fail someone for a runny nose and you can pass someone with a broken back.”
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:24 am to floridatigah
What exactly did you prove and dispel?
I always heard Saban claimed Brees’s shoulder concerns was why he didn’t sign him.
I always heard Saban claimed Brees’s shoulder concerns was why he didn’t sign him.
Posted on 3/31/20 at 9:25 am to floridatigah
well 6 doctors evaluated Brees. what if 6/6 said his shoulder was fricked? 5/6? 4/6? half?
Saban had the ultimate say, but he was making a decision based on data and the word is, the data said "don't sign him"
the Saints were in a different position and were very desperate
Saban had the ultimate say, but he was making a decision based on data and the word is, the data said "don't sign him"
the Saints were in a different position and were very desperate
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