Drew Brees was on the Dan Patrick Show earlier today and he reportedly indicated that he was confident he would get a new contract done with the Saints within the next four to five weeks. If Brees and the Saints are able to get a deal done, they would not need to use their franchise tag on him, which means they could in turn use the franchise tag on either WR Marques Colston or OG Carl Nicks.
I bring this up on a 49ers blog in part because some folks have expressed interest in Colston and/or Nicks in free agency. My guess is the Saints would slap the franchise tag on Nicks, but I don't really know how they value the offensive line versus the wide receiver in their particular offense.
If Brees gets a deal done, I would imagine one of Colston or Nicks will hit the market, and it will cost a pretty penny to sign either of them. Is either worth the kind of big money contract they would require? The 49ers do need help at wide receiver, but there might be more cost-effective measures. The 49ers could have some question marks at guard as well depending on their plans with Adam Snyder. Do you try and re-sign Snyder, or shoot for the moon with Nicks?