League sources tell the New Orleans Times-Picayune the Saints offered free agent Drew Brees an extension "in the range" of $18 million per year last season, and have since increased their offer. According to the Times-Picayune, the "sticking point" in negotiations might come from the way Peyton Manning's (soon to be voided) recent extension was structured. The five-year, $90 million pact was designed to pay Manning at least $23 million per season in salary and bonuses over the first three years of the deal. If Brees is intent on matching or surpassing that, talks that have stagnated since last summer could drag on well into free agency.

CBSSports.com's Larry Holder reports Drew Brees rejected an offer prior to the 2011 season that would have made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole, the Saints and free agent Drew Brees remain "roughly $5 million a year apart" on a new contract. That's a lot of ground to make up by Monday's franchise tag deadline. The Saints could free up $5 million by restructuring Will Smith's contract, and another $11 million by cutting MLB Jonathan Vilma and DT Sedrick Ellis. If the Saints are forced to use the exclusive franchise tag on Brees, they run the risk of losing both Marques Colston and Carl Nicks.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports free agent Drew Brees and the Saints remain "well apart" in contract talks. The two sides are up against the clock, with only five days remaining before Monday's franchise tag deadline. If the Saints are forced to apply the tag to Brees, they risk losing both Marques Colston and Carl Nicks while also green-lighting their QB to miss offseason workouts. Brees appears to be targeting a deal that will make him the highest-paid QB in the league.

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Profootballtalk.com long-term contract talks between the Saints and Drew Brees remain ongoing. The two sides still don't appear to be on the verge of a breakthrough in talks that began last August, but will continue working towards one ahead of Monday's deadline to use the franchise tag. Although Brees would surely like to avoid the tag, there's more pressure on the Saints to get a deal done so one of LG Carl Nicks and Marques Colston can be tagged.

Free agent Drew Brees reiterated Thursday that he's "very optimistic" about signing a long-term deal with the Saints. It'd be nice if the sides could get a deal done before March 5, so the Saints could place their franchise tag on LG Carl Nicks or WR Marques Colston. "This is definitely where things heat up," Brees said of the Combine. "There's no doubt in my mind we'll get a deal done. But just like everything it's a process. It takes time. It's not something that happens overnight."

ESPN's John Clayton reports Drew Brees' agent Tom Condon is "baffled" by how slowly long-term contract negotiations have been going with the Saints. The talks have been moving at a snail's pace ever since they began in August, but they'll have to pick up soon if the Saints hope to avoid wasting the franchise tag on Brees when it could be better used on someone like LG Carl Nicks or Marques Colston.

Drew Brees was voted as the 2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. In addition to breaking Dan Marino's single-season passing record, Brees set league records for completions (450) and completion rate (71.6 percent) this season. The Associated Press awarded Brees 43 of the panel's 50 total votes, with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers finishing a distant second.

Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show Thursday, free agent Drew Brees said he expects a long-term contract to be finalized with the Saints before free agency kicks off on March 13. Ideally, the sides can come to terms before the March 8 deadline for teams to apply franchise tags. Instead of tagging Brees, they could franchise Carl Nicks or Marques Colston. "There is no doubt in my mind (a contract will be done)," Brees said. "It's pretty straight up and should be done in the next 4-5 weeks."

Free agent Drew Brees confirmed that his "No. 1 priority" this offseason is "keeping our team together." "I'm not worried one bit about my contract or our ability to keep key guys at key positions," said Brees. It's another sign that Brees is willing to re-sign at a team-friendly rate to help keep key free agents in New Orleans. He went to bat for Lance Moore last summer and will likely to do the same for Marques Colston this year.