Brees may take 1 year deal ...

ChargerMike · Post by **ChargerMike** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:49 pm

...and stay in San Diego!

Surgeon sees full recovery for Brees

By Kevin Acee
STAFF WRITER

March 3, 2006

On the day that the start of free agency was delayed, perhaps staving off the end of Drew Brees' Chargers career, the Pro Bowl quarterback's camp went on the offensive.

The agency that represents Brees released a letter yesterday from orthopedic surgeon James Andrews stating he anticipates Brees will make “a full recovery for the upcoming 2006 football season.”

Somewhat ironically, while the letter confirmed what Brees has been saying since shortly after his surgery, it also seemed to support Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith's assertion that there is more to Brees' injury than initially revealed.

Andrews wrote that Brees “had a successful arthroscopic repair of his shoulder capsule and repair of a partial rotator cuff tear.”

The capsule refers to the labrum tear, which has always been the official word on Brees' injury. But this is the first reference to a rotator cuff tear being repaired in the Jan. 5 procedure performed by Andrews.

Other orthopedic surgeons questioned yesterday said a rotator cuff tear could be considered more severe than just a labrum tear. But they also said they would be surprised if they saw a professional quarterback or pitcher who did not have a partial tear of the rotator cuff.

“There is going to be wear and tear,” said one.

The doctors, who did not want to be quoted because Brees is not their patient, said Andrews' letter should be taken at face value. They indicated that since Andrews thinks Brees will be ready, he probably will be.

Andrews, a renowned surgeon from Birmingham, Ala., repeated at the end of his letter the prediction that Brees will recover fully and added Brees should “participate at a high level” in 2006.

Other doctors cautioned there is no way to absolutely predict when Brees' shoulder will fully recover.

All Smith has said is that he has “some medical concerns” about Brees' shoulder.

Brees maintains he is four weeks ahead of schedule in his recovery. Andrews' letter confirmed Brees is “ahead of schedule” but did not specify how far ahead. The letter said Brees has “regained full range of motion.” Andrews also said, as Brees has, that Brees will begin throwing the first week of May.

But throwing does not mean passing at full strength, and that timing is what concerns Smith and what has at least factored into the team and player being far apart on the guaranteed dollar amount of a contract.

Brees' agent, Tom Condon, said through a spokeswoman yesterday that the two sides had not spoken since the NFL Combine and would not speak again until after free agency started.

While that leaves a possibility Brees and the Chargers could continue discussions, Katie Anderson of IMG said Condon “doesn't foresee much chance of anything happening” even after free agency starts.

Smith, who has said the team would part ways with Brees if a deal is not reached by the start of free agency, has not responded to several messages over the past two days.

Anderson spoke for Condon just hours after Brees floated an idea that could keep him a Charger for another season.

Brees went on the radio yesterday morning and said he would abandon the idea of a multiyear contract and play in San Diego on a one-year deal.

What the Chargers have already offered is essentially a one-year contract in terms of guaranteed money. But there is a five-year option attached to that offer, which gives the Chargers control over what happens after the 2006 season.

A one-year deal means the two sides would be back to this same point a year from now. The team is not believed to be interested in such a circumstance.

The Chargers are always interested in what they can control, which is why they are not as troubled as some teams by the pending deadline to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. That deadline was delayed yesterday until Sunday night as the league and players union continue to negotiate.

The Chargers have so deftly managed their contracts that the team is hardly affected in the short term by the fact the 2006 salary cap might stay at around $94.5 million, rather than become the approximately $105 million it was projected to be had the CBA been extended.

With a cap number of approximately $75 million, the Chargers have quite a bit of room should they choose to invest it in available free-agent talent. That $75 million does not include the money they will pay to draft picks or the tenders they will make or have made to their restricted free agents.

One such tender has already been made to guard Kris Dielman, who was given the first-round tender of $1.552 million. That means the Chargers can match any offer Dielman receives, and any team that signed Dielman would have to give the Chargers a first-round pick.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:05 pm

Good luck with Drew Pennington.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:12 pm

mvscal wrote:
BSmack wrote:Good luck with Drew Pennington.
We don't need it. The Chargers are the deepest team in the league at that position.

Are you serious? Who is behind Rivers?

AJ Feeley?

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:29 pm

mvscal wrote:That's right. How many number 3 QBs have as much starting experience in the league as he does?

And yet a player who has never started a game is ahead of him on the depth chart.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:57 pm

mvscal wrote:Yeah, I'll take Rivers and Feeley over Batch and Maddox any fucking day...and so would you.

You have a starter with a torn rotator backed up by a guy who has never started a game and a guy who when he was allowed to start, sported a 53% completion percentage.

And you think the Chargers are the deepest team in teh league at QB?????

Raiderfan called. They want their myopia back.

WhatsMyName · Post by **WhatsMyName** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:06 pm

Drew Pennington, not what I'm hearing. All reports I've read indicate Brees will be throwing again this spring and expects a full recovery, and isn't nearly as dire as people have said it is.

ChargerMike · Post by **ChargerMike** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:30 pm

..the torn tater has me a bit worried. I've had 3 surgeries on my right rotator and still have to wipe my a$$ left handed. Of course the first one was back in 19and78 when they still opend your whole shoulder up. The later clean-up job and repair were scoped.

Brees is double tough and my guess is he's gonna make it back.

Dumbass · Post by **Dumbass** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:36 pm

What are you guys even talking about?

(poot)

Come on even a shit QB can deliver the victory right?
Going 9/21 for 123 yards, no TDs and 2 picks can lock up those victories every week can't it?

Sin,

Household Name

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:37 pm

mvscal wrote:Partially torn...

And yes, if Brees can't go then I guess we'll have to "fall back" on one of the most experienced college QBs ever who has had two years to learn the system.

Contrast that to your situation. If Rothlesswhatever goes down, you're just fucked.

Maddox is gone next year.

Batch will be given the chance to compete for the #2 job against another experienced QB.

"Most experienced college QB ever"? What the fuck kind of mumbo jumbo is that?

ChargerMike · Post by **ChargerMike** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:41 pm

BSmack wrote:
mvscal wrote:Partially torn...

And yes, if Brees can't go then I guess we'll have to "fall back" on one of the most experienced college QBs ever who has had two years to learn the system.

Contrast that to your situation. If Rothlesswhatever goes down, you're just fucked.
Maddox is gone next year.

Batch will be given the chance to compete for the #2 job against another experienced QB.

"Most experienced college QB ever"? What the fuck kind of mumbo jumbo is that?

..rof..you guys are in rare form today. I can't get anything done cause I can't stop laughing.