The Facts: Scheduled to reach free agency next month, Brees has already emphasized his desire to remain in New Orleans as long as the Saints will have him. To that end, Brees' representatives are expected to meet with the team at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine "to try to hammer out what is potentially a short-term deal," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.

Diehards Line: Although negotiations have yet to begin in earnest, there's urgency to reach agreement before the start of the league year when Brees would count $18 million against the Saints' cap absent a new deal. Rapoport expects the sides to find common ground on a deal that will fall between $20 million and $25 million annually. As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling suggested, if there's drama to be encountered in this round of negotiations, it figures to occur early next month when Brees' agent has a chance to gain leverage via the threat of that $18 million in dead money hanging over the new league year. Still, all signs point to a deal getting done.