According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, there have been no "recent" talks between the Saints and franchise player Drew Brees. In other words, Brees won't be present for OTAs starting Monday after leading the team in offseason workouts during the lockout last season. We may not see a Brees resolution until well into the summer.

A league source tells Profootballtalk.com that the Saints have made "no progress" in long-term contract talks with unsigned franchise player Drew Brees. Brees said twice in a Tuesday interview that the sides are "continuing to work on a long-term deal," but those talks are apparently going nowhere. Brees will be prevented from participating in OTAs without a contract in place, be it of the long-term variety or his one-year franchise tender. PFT's Mike Florio expects the "impasse to continue," perhaps deep into the spring.

Franchise player Drew Brees confirmed Tuesday that he and the Saints are "continuing to work on a long term deal." Brees was predictably guarded on details and wouldn't comment on the start of the Saints offseason workouts, which begin Monday. We wouldn't expect to see Brees participating until training camp.

Franchise player Drew Brees remains hopeful of signing a long-term extension. "My goal will be and always has been to get a long-term contract with the New Orleans Saints that will keep me here my entire career," Brees said Friday. "I'm going to continue to work toward that." There have been no public developments in Brees' quest for a long-term deal since he was slapped with exclusive-rights franchise tag on March 3. The sides have until July 16 to reach a long-term accord. There's a very real possibility Brees will hold out of the Saints' offseason program, which begins later this month.

Drew Brees has denied any knowledge of the "real existence" of the Saints' bounty program. While pleading ignorance, Brees also said he "(knows) well the integrity of our organization from the ownership level, to management, our head coach, and the players on our team" in a Friday statement. Although it's borderline inconceivable the Saints' heart-and-soul had no knowledge of the team's bounty program, there have been no indications he was in any way involved.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune fully expects exclusive franchise player Drew Brees to skip Saints offseason workouts next month.

Despite a report that Drew Brees is "livid" about being franchise tagged, the New Orleans Times-Picayune still expects the two sides to reach a long-term contract "eventually." Sources close to Brees assured a local radio station that the QB is still optimistic about a long-term deal by the "ultimate deadline" of July 16. While there will plenty of hand-wringing when/if Brees misses offseason workouts, it's a good bet that he will be leading the charges come training camp.

WIST-AM New Orleans reports Drew Brees is "livid" about being franchise tagged, and will not sign his tender. WIST-AM New Orleans is not typically in the business of breaking major Saints' news, but this is certainly plausible. The Saints and Brees have been fruitlessly working toward an extension for nearly two years, and have made surprisingly little progress since talks got serious in August. The two sides now have until July 16 to work out a long-term contract. If a deal is yet to be reached by then, Brees not reporting to training camp cannot be ruled out.

Saints assigned the franchise tag to QB Drew Brees.

A team source tells the New Orleans Times-Picayune Saints GM Mickey Loomis "has not missed a beat on his GM duties" despite the team's bounty scandal. "The bounty stuff was not out of nowhere," the source said. "We knew about this and have cooperated and been involved in helping the league for years." The Saints are facing one of the league's most difficult franchise-tag quandaries as they attempt to lock up Drew Brees to a long-term contract extension so they can tag LG Carl Nicks or Marques Colston ahead of Monday's deadline. The odds are slim Brees' deal will be wrapped up before Monday, but they would have been none if Loomis was detained by "Bounty-gate" business this weekend.