Brees feels a draft

By Kyle Charters
and Paul Trembacki

Drew Brees doesn't have many plans for Saturday.

He might hit some golf balls at the driving range in the morning, then settle down on his couch at 11 a.m. to watch up to 10 straight hours of TV.

Of course, it's what he'll be watching that's important. At 11 a.m. Saturday, ESPN will broadcast the NFL Draft. As of Thursday, Brees had no idea which team is going be his future employer.

"And I'm not just saying that; I really don't know," said Purdue's former starting quarterback. "I think there are about 10 possibilities."

Brees listed San Diego, which has the first pick, Cincinnati (No. 4), Atlanta (No. 5), Seattle (Nos. 7 and 17), Kansas City (No. 12), Buffalo (No. 14), Pittsburgh (No. 16), Miami (No. 26) and Dallas (No. 38) as possible destinations.

"I guess I didn't realize that there were that many teams out there that needed a quarterback right now," said Brees. "The list has definitely gotten a lot bigger since two months ago."

Brees said San Diego, Kansas City and Atlanta — three teams that each need a quarterback — have shown the most interest in him.

"With the other teams it's just kind of been rumored," he said. "Teams are so secretive now."

Since the end of the NFL season, it has been speculated that San Diego, which signed veteran QB Doug Flutie in the off-season, will chose former Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick with the top pick. But in negotiations this week, Vick has demanded a $15 million signing bonus, which the Chargers may be unwilling to pay.

"On draft day, San Diego might trade out of that pick," said Brees. "And if they trade out of that pick to the middle of the first round, then I would definitely get my hopes up."

Kansas City, which lost starter Elvis Grbac to free agency during the winter, doesn't have a quality starter on its roster. The Chiefs, under new coach Dick Vermeil, have been trying to trade for Rams backup Trent Green. Vermeil coached Green at St. Louis when the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2000.

"If the 12th pick came around and Trent Green had not been traded to Kansas City, then I would definitely get my hopes up that they might be the team," said Brees.

Atlanta has also shown interest in drafting a quarterback. The Falcons' current starter is 35-year-old Chris Chandler, who has missed several games during the past two years due to injury.

"I really look at it as if anything can happen," said Brees. "Of course, I'd be ecstatic if I went in the top 10. I'd even be very happy staying in the first round. Obviously, if I go to the second round, I’d like to be a first round guy. But really it's all about what team you end up on."

During the past week, speculation has grown that Detroit, which has the 18th pick, will draft Brees because the Lions are unhappy with the development of quarterback Charlie Batch.

"I find that hard to believe because they just signed Charlie Batch to a big deal two years ago," said Brees. "It's like the Indianapolis Colts called to just verify my (phone) numbers. You think they're going to draft me? I don’t think so.

"There's a lot of rumors going around."

Where Brees will go is uncertain, but most people, including a former Boiler who is already in the NFL, Chris Daniels, agree that Brees will have success.

"He's the most competitive player I've ever seen play," said Daniels, who was on the practice squad with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season after a shoulder separation caused him to miss a lot of the season. "Now that I've been in the league a year, I realize how lucky I was to have him as my quarterback."

Daniels, who caught 121 passes from Brees during his senior season in 1999, said it might be tough for Brees, at first, to get used to the speed of the pro game.

"Knowing how competitive he is, he'll find a way," Daniels said. "His personal drive is his biggest strength."

After a mediocre performance at the NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 23-25 in Indianapolis, Brees impressed scouts with his passing skills during a series of personal workouts in March.

Purdue offensive coordinator Jim Chaney is confident that Brees' reputation will get him far.

"He's simply a hell of a player," Chaney said. "What has not been said about Drew. He's a winner on and off the field and some team's really going to get lucky."

Brees leaves Purdue as the Big Ten's all-time leader in passing attempts (1,678), passing completions (1,026), passing yards (11,792), passing touchdowns (90) and total offense (12,692). But one number stands out to some people — 6 feet, Brees' height.

"The size thing comes up a lot," said Brees. "I think of the 15 or so teams that probably need a quarterback in the first round, there's probably about five of them that refuse to draft a 6-foot quarterback.

"That's a shame. There's a lot more to being a quarterback than just how tall you are, how big, how fast, or whatever. … I think it's a lot more of what's in your head and in your heart than anything else."

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Sports editor:
Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editor:
Anne McLaren

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