If the NFL Players Association is right, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees could gain some serious leverage against the team.

Brees was franchised by the San Diego Chargers in 2005 and was designated as such by the Saints this offseason. If the 2005 tag counts as being franchised a second time under the current collective bargaining agreement, his one-year tender would jump drastically in 2013 if the two sides fail to agree on a long-term deal and New Orleans tags him again next year.

This offseason, Brees has been tendered a one-year contract for $16.371 million that he has yet to sign. The two sides are seemingly far apart on agreeing to a long-term deal. Failing to reach one would open the door for Brees to be franchised by the Saints again next year.

Under the standard formula, Brees would get another 20 percent raise of the average top five quarterbacks' salaries, earning him around $19.645 million. The Saints have been using those figures as the base of a long-term contract offer that averages between $17 million and $18 million.

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However, if the union is correct in its CBA interpretation and 2013 would count as the third time Brees has been franchised, his cap number would be $23.574 million. Under the terms of the CBA, a player who is franchised three times gets at least a 44 percent increase in his salary.

The issue then comes down to interpreting the language of the CBA. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello would not clarify how the NFL Management Council views the situation. If the council interprets Brees' franchise tag with the Chargers not being governed by the current CBA, the union would have to prove otherwise. In the meantime, Brees' representation is looking to use the inflated figure as leverage for a more favorable long-term deal now.

"I don't think the Saints are counting on that situation," a source said of Brees possibly having a $23 million-plus franchise tag. "I think [New Orleans general manager] Mickey Loomis is crunching some much lower numbers than that."

Loomis is also trying to crunch some different logic with his fellow executives. Last week, two executives from other teams said Loomis was saying he intended to keep Brees' contract in line with being "one of the top five quarterbacks in the league."

"I think Mickey has dug himself in on his logic and there's no way to get him out of that thinking right now," the source said. "That's why they are where they are right now."

In February, Loomis told at least three sources that Brees was a "very good" quarterback after another executive called Brees "great."

Although Loomis promised last week that a new deal would be done, Brees has repeatedly expressed "frustration" with the process, and two other sources said there has been little movement by either side over the past two months.









For Brees' part, those sources have said that he likely will not sign the franchise tag at all. That's hard to believe, but Brees' ultimate leverage play would be to not show up at all this season as the Saints deal with the aftereffects of the bounty scandal.

Another team executive said part of the problem right now is psychological.

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