The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... Brees and the Saints have said so many times that both sides want to get a long-term contract done that it seems like a mere formality that things will get worked out long before it's time for Brees to get to work at the Saints' first offseason mini-camp. But one report suggests that contract talks aren't moving as quickly as the Brees side expected: ESPN's John Clayton said on SportsCenter this morning that Brees' agent, Tom Condon, is surprised by the slow pace of the talks. "I ran into his agent, Tom Condon of CAA, last week, and even he's kind of baffled at this time as far as how this is going because it's going to slow," Clayton said.

Diehards Line:As PFT suggested, the issue isn't whether Brees will be the Saints' quarterback in 2012. He will be. One way or another, Brees and the Saints will find a way to get him under contract before the 2012 season starts. So is there reason for concern? Not really. As PFT pointed out, Condon's comments suggest that the agent is trying to do what agents do, and spurring the Saints to get moving on a long-term deal. If that doesn't happen and the Saints put the franchise tag on Brees, and if Brees decides he's not interested in signing the one-year franchise tender, this could drag out much further into the Saints' offseason than anyone in New Orleans would like. But the deal will get done. And it's in the best interest of both sides to expedite it.