Career: Drew Brees made a name for himself at Purdue by setting Big Ten Conference records and
winning big games. With his superior decision making skills and throwing accuracy, Brees
finished his career with the records for passing yards, TD passes, and completions.
Despite the production and leadership he showed at Purdue, NFL scouts were wary of
selecting Brees in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft mainly because he lacked the
prototypical size and arm strength showcased by most other prospects. Brees went on to be
selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 32nd overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Early in his
career, Brees was unable to turn the tides in San Diego as he and teammate Ladanian
Tomlinson struggled behind a terrible offensive line. Brees posted below average numbers
in 2002 and 2003, and these early struggles prompted the Chargers to trade for QB Phillip
Rivers in 2004. Even with this acquisition, Brees was able to hold on to the starting spot
for the Chargers in 2004 and he responded with a breakout season while Rivers took notes
from the sidelines. With the help of tight end Antonio Gates and a much improved offensive
line, Brees posted the third highest QB rating in the entire league in 2004. The NFL went
on to name him the “Comeback Player of the Year” and he was selected to his
first Pro Bowl. Determined to prove that 2004 was no fluke, Brees followed up his breakout
season by throwing for a career high 3,576 yards in 2005. Things then took an unfortunate
turn for Brees in the final game of that season when he tore the labrum in his throwing
shoulder while attempting to recover a fumble. This devastating injury required Brees to
undergo arthroscopic surgery on January 5, 2006. Doubting Brees and the health of his
shoulder, San Diego made a cautious contract offer that was not to Drew’s liking. In
desperate need of a quarterback, the New Orleans Saints took a gamble on the rehabbing
Brees, and signed him to a 6 year deal worth 60 million dollars.
The gamble paid
off big time for the Saints in 2006 as Brees removed all doubt about his shoulder by
starting every game and leading the surprising Saints to a 10-6 record and a trip to the
NFC Championship game. Brees threw for a very impressive 4,418 yards, 26 TDs and only 11
interceptions. This production earned Brees the starting QB for the NFC in the Pro Bowl.
In 2007, to everyone’s surprise, Brees and the Saints got off to a rough start. In
his first four games, Brees uncharacteristically threw nine interceptions and only one
touchdown. Despite the miserable start, Brees settled in and ultimately threw for a career
high 28 TDs, cementing himself as the third best fantasy quarterback in the NFL.
Supporting Cast: The New Orleans Saints surround Drew Brees with plenty of speed and talent on the
offensive side of the ball. Receiver Marques Colston has emerged as one of the
league’s top young receivers. Colston’s big frame and soft hands provide Brees
with a target in the red zone, and he and Brees share a very nice rapport with each other
on the field. In the offseason, the Saints resigned receivers David Patten and Devery
Henderson. Veteran David Patten was brought in last year as a replacement to Joe Horn and
he did more than an adequate job by catching 54 balls from Brees in 2007. Devery Henderson
and Lance Moore provide the depth at the wide receiver position for the Saints. Henderson
had a problem with dropped balls in 2007 but is still a downfield threat on any play while
Lance Moore possesses reliable hands that can help Brees move the chains on third downs.
Second year receiver Robert Meachem was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the
2007 draft to complement Colston on the outside, but he has yet to play a down for the
Saints, and he is a major wild card going in to 2008. He is now fully recovered from his
injury and has had time to learn the system so he can only help Brees in 2008. Former
Heisman Trophy winning running back Reggie Bush gives Brees another dangerous receiving
option out of the backfield. On the offensive line Jonathan Goodwin will be replacing Jeff
Faine at center and is a slight downgrade, especially in pass protection. Jammal
Brown’s struggling start due to a bone bruise suffered in camp was one of the reasons
for Brees’s slow start and high interception numbers in 2007. A healthy Jammal Brown
should be able to make up for the loss of veteran Jeff Faine.
Job Security: Drew Brees is the unquestioned starter for the Saints this season and should once
again be backed up by veteran Jamie Martin. Brees has managed to stay healthy in the past
two seasons and hopefully he does again because the Saints will be in big trouble if he
goes down with an injury.
Fantasy Outlook: Brees has proven to be a reliable fantasy quarterback over the past four seasons. The
shoulder injury is no longer a concern, and he is a good player in a good situation with New
Orleans. He had little help from his receivers in 2007 and still managed to put up very
impressive numbers. Brees’s numbers over the last 12 games of the 2007 season would
have given him 4,600 yards, 36 touchdowns and 12 INTs over a 16 games season. He is only
the third quarterback after Peyton Manning and Trent Green to throw for 4,000 yards, 20
touchdowns and less than 20 INTs in two straight seasons. You will have to select Brees
relatively early in your draft so the reward is limited. For those reasons, Brees is a low
risk and medium reward player and his numbers should improve slightly over last year.
Article contributed by Stephen Longon
Content approved by Ultimateffstrategy.com
