Bodzilla29
The Shiznit
In an interview with "beloved" Pete Prisco, Brooks let his mouth run wild, and dissed some Phins BIG TIME! Some Tidbits:
On Fiedler:
~What about the five-year, $24.5 million deal that the Dolphins gave Jay Fiedler, a deal that includes a $4 million signing bonus and option bonus of $2 million next season? The Saints have mentioned that deal to Brooks and his agent in contract talks, but Brooks wants no part of that, leading to a shot at Fiedler.
"To be compared to one of the journeyman quarterbacks like Jay Fiedler is disrespectful," Brooks said. ~
On R Williams:
~Saints don't miss traded Ricky Williams, Brooks says
The offseason meant change. The Saints traded Ricky Williams to Miami for draft picks and lost some key players to free agency, although they've added a solid group to fill the void. The team is excited about the possibilities of Deuce McAllister replacing Williams, nobody more than Brooks.
"We'll be better with Deuce," said Brooks. "Ricky was weird. He's a weird dude. We're much better than we were with Ricky. No disrespect to him, but we didn't get what we wanted out of him. We were always in second and long and third and long. He worked hard in practice, but Ricky didn't do enough of the things to better himself. He was tired of New Orleans. He wanted out. The publicity was shifting from him to myself and Joe (Horn). He didn't like that." ~
Some pretty big words. Here is the article in full.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- If fury somehow turns into production, Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks is in for one heck of a season.
He's not a happy training camper.
Unlike some players, he's not afraid to flap his gums about it. Brooks opened the 2002 season by surprising the Saints as a no-show for the first three days of training camp, failing to call anyone, including Saints coach Jim Haslett, to let them know of his plans.
It was his way of sending a message about his contract: Pay now or you or some other team will pay later.
Since he ended the holdout, one he says helped make the Saints even more aware of his need for a new contract, Brooks has done everything on the field the team has asked. That was clear during the Saints workouts with the Jaguars here Friday, as he threw with accuracy and velocity, showing some of his best stuff on the field.
His right arm can indeed fire with the best of them.
On Friday, his mouth did, too.
During a lunch break, Brooks took aim at a variety of players, and especially Saints management, as he showed his frustration over not having a new contract. Scheduled to have a base salary of $450,000 in the final year of his deal this season, which is $113,000 less than backup Jake Delhomme and $100,000 less than third-team quarterback Jeff Lewis. Brooks currently is the third lowest-paid starting quarterback in the NFL and 35th highest-paid player on the Saints roster.
Unlike some players, Brooks isn't shy about stating his case, taking aim at anyone in sight.
"The quarterback should be the first priority," Brooks said as he sat leaning back on a chair inside Alltel Stadium. "It's disrespectful to me not to have a new deal done. They look at me like I'm a --- third-string quarterback. I'm worth millions of dollars to this football team in revenue. I did what no other quarterback has done in Saints history, which is win a playoff game.
"The more I talk about it, the more frustrated I get. I'm a top-five quarterback in this league and I should be treated like one. I'm not going to be in New Orleans if I'm treated like this. They have their opportunity to do it now. If they don't, it's their fault."
The Saints have made a contract offer to Brooks, believed to be $20 million for six years with a $3 million signing bonus now and another $3 million option bonus in 2003. That is not close to what Brooks is seeking.
"I definitely think it will get done," said Saints coach Jim Haslett. "As long as I'm here, I want Aaron Brooks as my quarterback."
Brooks not impressed with Griese, Fiedler
Reports indicate he's seeking a signing bonus in the $10 million to $12 million range. There has been some talk that he's seeking a deal similar to the six-year, $39-million contract the Broncos gave Brian Griese last year, leading Brooks to put his insult scope on Griese.
"I want more than that," Brooks said. "What's Griese done? He hasn't won a playoff game. He hasn't done anything for them."
What about the five-year, $24.5 million deal that the Dolphins gave Jay Fiedler, a deal that includes a $4 million signing bonus and option bonus of $2 million next season? The Saints have mentioned that deal to Brooks and his agent in contract talks, but Brooks wants no part of that, leading to a shot at Fiedler.
"To be compared to one of the journeyman quarterbacks like Jay Fiedler is disrespectful," Brooks said.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he talked with Brooks' agent this week, and plans to continue to discuss the extension in the coming days. The Saints want to work out a deal, but they have to be careful, too.
The Broncos gave Griese that big deal last year, and his play fell off. The Lions gave Charlie Batch a big deal after he played well in 1999, and he's no longer with the team. Awarding a big deal for a little over a year of solid play can be a risky proposition.
"We'll get this thing cooking," Loomis said. "I'd like to get this done as soon as possible. But remember, it takes two guys to get a deal. What he envisions for himself and what we envision could be two different things. He has a really bright future, and we obviously want that to be with us, so there's definitely a deal that needs to be made here. We just have to do it."
It's too much fun without one. Brooks is a breath of fresh air in a league full of players who bite their tongues. He lets it out, unafraid of the consequences. He has a ****iness about him that helps him place himself on a level that he has not yet reached.
But what's wrong with believing?
Brooks said he will not leave the team again if he doesn't get a new deal, but he also said he will impose a deadline to get the deal done. If it's not done by that deadline, probably sometime in October or November, than he's not going to take a new deal. That could force the Saints to use the franchise tag on him after the season, preventing his ability to move as an unrestricted free agent.
"I didn't make it like this," Brooks said. "Give me a new deal at some point, or I'm not doing one. Give me a new deal or I'm gone. I know they can franchise me, but that will cost them a bunch against the cap. They'll have to re-do the team, start from scratch. They can hold me for a year (with the franchise tag), but then it will unravel. Is that what they want? If they don't get it done, they will have to restart the whole offensive game plan. Are they ready to do that?"
Although angry, Brooks said he would still give all he can to his job. He knows that even without a new deal, how he plays on the field will be the deciding factor in what he makes down the road.
In 1 1/2 years as a starter, Brooks has become a dual threat, able to make plays with his big arm, but capable with his feet as well. He has the ability to escape the rush and also can stand in the pocket and make all the throws.
Brooks says he won't repeat mistakes of 2001
In 2001, he threw for 3,832 yards and 26 touchdowns. But he also was intercepted 22 times, which he said came from trying to do too much. He said that would not happen this year.
"I took on the responsibility of trying to do too much," Brooks said. "That's the competitive nature in me. I see other players not doing their job, I try and compensate and do it for them. If I'm throwing it, I feel like I have to catch it, too. I was forced to do other people's jobs."
Some viewed his 2001 season as a regress of sorts. When he burst onto the scene in 2000, taking over as the starter late that season and leading the Saints to the playoff victory, some pegged him for stardom right away. Then last season, he played well in spurts but he also had stretches of poor play, throwing into coverage and throwing off-balance.
The doubters began to wonder whether he really was the quarterback of the future, although Haslett thinks he is. Saints coaches think Brooks tried to press too much, leading to the problems.
New Orleans finished 7-9, losing their last four games. A division-winning team from 2000, they were left out of the playoffs. Fingers were pointed at Brooks' play, but there was more -- much more.
Inside the locker room there were problems. There were players stealing money from players, claims of infidelity among players with other players' wives, and talk that the team quit late in the season.
"It was bad," said Brooks. "It wasn't outspoken to the point where no one got along. It was just quiet. And you saw the team deteriorate quietly. I can't say it was a time bomb. It was more like the gas chamber, a slow death. You'd see people fall off one by one."
Saints don't miss traded Ricky Williams, Brooks says
The offseason meant change. The Saints traded Ricky Williams to Miami for draft picks and lost some key players to free agency, although they've added a solid group to fill the void. The team is excited about the possibilities of Deuce McAllister replacing Williams, nobody more than Brooks.
"We'll be better with Deuce," said Brooks. "Ricky was weird. He's a weird dude. We're much better than we were with Ricky. No disrespect to him, but we didn't get what we wanted out of him. We were always in second and long and third and long. He worked hard in practice, but Ricky didn't do enough of the things to better himself. He was tired of New Orleans. He wanted out. The publicity was shifting from him to myself and Joe (Horn). He didn't like that."
After Williams was traded, general manager Randy Mueller was fired, leading to problems of inner turmoil in the building. Loomis, who took over for Mueller, said Mueller's firing has had an impact on why Brooks' deal has not yet been redone.
"Part of the problem was the deal with Randy delayed stuff," Loomis said. "It delayed anything getting started. I talked to the agent about that, and they seemed like they understood. I have to get my feet under me. Aaron's important to us, though, and we need to get him signed."
If they don't, they will have one unhappy quarterback taking snaps.
During workouts Friday, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell came over for a quarterback-to-quarterback chat. Brunell asked Brooks how his quest for a new deal was going. It was a question Brooks has been asked a bunch, a question his teammates continually ask, a question he wants answered in the worst way.
"They all feel my pain," he said.
Believe this: they can hear it, too.
On Fiedler:
~What about the five-year, $24.5 million deal that the Dolphins gave Jay Fiedler, a deal that includes a $4 million signing bonus and option bonus of $2 million next season? The Saints have mentioned that deal to Brooks and his agent in contract talks, but Brooks wants no part of that, leading to a shot at Fiedler.
"To be compared to one of the journeyman quarterbacks like Jay Fiedler is disrespectful," Brooks said. ~
On R Williams:
~Saints don't miss traded Ricky Williams, Brooks says
The offseason meant change. The Saints traded Ricky Williams to Miami for draft picks and lost some key players to free agency, although they've added a solid group to fill the void. The team is excited about the possibilities of Deuce McAllister replacing Williams, nobody more than Brooks.
"We'll be better with Deuce," said Brooks. "Ricky was weird. He's a weird dude. We're much better than we were with Ricky. No disrespect to him, but we didn't get what we wanted out of him. We were always in second and long and third and long. He worked hard in practice, but Ricky didn't do enough of the things to better himself. He was tired of New Orleans. He wanted out. The publicity was shifting from him to myself and Joe (Horn). He didn't like that." ~
Some pretty big words. Here is the article in full.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- If fury somehow turns into production, Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks is in for one heck of a season.
He's not a happy training camper.
Unlike some players, he's not afraid to flap his gums about it. Brooks opened the 2002 season by surprising the Saints as a no-show for the first three days of training camp, failing to call anyone, including Saints coach Jim Haslett, to let them know of his plans.
It was his way of sending a message about his contract: Pay now or you or some other team will pay later.
Since he ended the holdout, one he says helped make the Saints even more aware of his need for a new contract, Brooks has done everything on the field the team has asked. That was clear during the Saints workouts with the Jaguars here Friday, as he threw with accuracy and velocity, showing some of his best stuff on the field.
His right arm can indeed fire with the best of them.
On Friday, his mouth did, too.
During a lunch break, Brooks took aim at a variety of players, and especially Saints management, as he showed his frustration over not having a new contract. Scheduled to have a base salary of $450,000 in the final year of his deal this season, which is $113,000 less than backup Jake Delhomme and $100,000 less than third-team quarterback Jeff Lewis. Brooks currently is the third lowest-paid starting quarterback in the NFL and 35th highest-paid player on the Saints roster.
Unlike some players, Brooks isn't shy about stating his case, taking aim at anyone in sight.
"The quarterback should be the first priority," Brooks said as he sat leaning back on a chair inside Alltel Stadium. "It's disrespectful to me not to have a new deal done. They look at me like I'm a --- third-string quarterback. I'm worth millions of dollars to this football team in revenue. I did what no other quarterback has done in Saints history, which is win a playoff game.
"The more I talk about it, the more frustrated I get. I'm a top-five quarterback in this league and I should be treated like one. I'm not going to be in New Orleans if I'm treated like this. They have their opportunity to do it now. If they don't, it's their fault."
The Saints have made a contract offer to Brooks, believed to be $20 million for six years with a $3 million signing bonus now and another $3 million option bonus in 2003. That is not close to what Brooks is seeking.
"I definitely think it will get done," said Saints coach Jim Haslett. "As long as I'm here, I want Aaron Brooks as my quarterback."
Brooks not impressed with Griese, Fiedler
Reports indicate he's seeking a signing bonus in the $10 million to $12 million range. There has been some talk that he's seeking a deal similar to the six-year, $39-million contract the Broncos gave Brian Griese last year, leading Brooks to put his insult scope on Griese.
"I want more than that," Brooks said. "What's Griese done? He hasn't won a playoff game. He hasn't done anything for them."
What about the five-year, $24.5 million deal that the Dolphins gave Jay Fiedler, a deal that includes a $4 million signing bonus and option bonus of $2 million next season? The Saints have mentioned that deal to Brooks and his agent in contract talks, but Brooks wants no part of that, leading to a shot at Fiedler.
"To be compared to one of the journeyman quarterbacks like Jay Fiedler is disrespectful," Brooks said.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he talked with Brooks' agent this week, and plans to continue to discuss the extension in the coming days. The Saints want to work out a deal, but they have to be careful, too.
The Broncos gave Griese that big deal last year, and his play fell off. The Lions gave Charlie Batch a big deal after he played well in 1999, and he's no longer with the team. Awarding a big deal for a little over a year of solid play can be a risky proposition.
"We'll get this thing cooking," Loomis said. "I'd like to get this done as soon as possible. But remember, it takes two guys to get a deal. What he envisions for himself and what we envision could be two different things. He has a really bright future, and we obviously want that to be with us, so there's definitely a deal that needs to be made here. We just have to do it."
It's too much fun without one. Brooks is a breath of fresh air in a league full of players who bite their tongues. He lets it out, unafraid of the consequences. He has a ****iness about him that helps him place himself on a level that he has not yet reached.
But what's wrong with believing?
Brooks said he will not leave the team again if he doesn't get a new deal, but he also said he will impose a deadline to get the deal done. If it's not done by that deadline, probably sometime in October or November, than he's not going to take a new deal. That could force the Saints to use the franchise tag on him after the season, preventing his ability to move as an unrestricted free agent.
"I didn't make it like this," Brooks said. "Give me a new deal at some point, or I'm not doing one. Give me a new deal or I'm gone. I know they can franchise me, but that will cost them a bunch against the cap. They'll have to re-do the team, start from scratch. They can hold me for a year (with the franchise tag), but then it will unravel. Is that what they want? If they don't get it done, they will have to restart the whole offensive game plan. Are they ready to do that?"
Although angry, Brooks said he would still give all he can to his job. He knows that even without a new deal, how he plays on the field will be the deciding factor in what he makes down the road.
In 1 1/2 years as a starter, Brooks has become a dual threat, able to make plays with his big arm, but capable with his feet as well. He has the ability to escape the rush and also can stand in the pocket and make all the throws.
Brooks says he won't repeat mistakes of 2001
In 2001, he threw for 3,832 yards and 26 touchdowns. But he also was intercepted 22 times, which he said came from trying to do too much. He said that would not happen this year.
"I took on the responsibility of trying to do too much," Brooks said. "That's the competitive nature in me. I see other players not doing their job, I try and compensate and do it for them. If I'm throwing it, I feel like I have to catch it, too. I was forced to do other people's jobs."
Some viewed his 2001 season as a regress of sorts. When he burst onto the scene in 2000, taking over as the starter late that season and leading the Saints to the playoff victory, some pegged him for stardom right away. Then last season, he played well in spurts but he also had stretches of poor play, throwing into coverage and throwing off-balance.
The doubters began to wonder whether he really was the quarterback of the future, although Haslett thinks he is. Saints coaches think Brooks tried to press too much, leading to the problems.
New Orleans finished 7-9, losing their last four games. A division-winning team from 2000, they were left out of the playoffs. Fingers were pointed at Brooks' play, but there was more -- much more.
Inside the locker room there were problems. There were players stealing money from players, claims of infidelity among players with other players' wives, and talk that the team quit late in the season.
"It was bad," said Brooks. "It wasn't outspoken to the point where no one got along. It was just quiet. And you saw the team deteriorate quietly. I can't say it was a time bomb. It was more like the gas chamber, a slow death. You'd see people fall off one by one."
Saints don't miss traded Ricky Williams, Brooks says
The offseason meant change. The Saints traded Ricky Williams to Miami for draft picks and lost some key players to free agency, although they've added a solid group to fill the void. The team is excited about the possibilities of Deuce McAllister replacing Williams, nobody more than Brooks.
"We'll be better with Deuce," said Brooks. "Ricky was weird. He's a weird dude. We're much better than we were with Ricky. No disrespect to him, but we didn't get what we wanted out of him. We were always in second and long and third and long. He worked hard in practice, but Ricky didn't do enough of the things to better himself. He was tired of New Orleans. He wanted out. The publicity was shifting from him to myself and Joe (Horn). He didn't like that."
After Williams was traded, general manager Randy Mueller was fired, leading to problems of inner turmoil in the building. Loomis, who took over for Mueller, said Mueller's firing has had an impact on why Brooks' deal has not yet been redone.
"Part of the problem was the deal with Randy delayed stuff," Loomis said. "It delayed anything getting started. I talked to the agent about that, and they seemed like they understood. I have to get my feet under me. Aaron's important to us, though, and we need to get him signed."
If they don't, they will have one unhappy quarterback taking snaps.
During workouts Friday, Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell came over for a quarterback-to-quarterback chat. Brunell asked Brooks how his quest for a new deal was going. It was a question Brooks has been asked a bunch, a question his teammates continually ask, a question he wants answered in the worst way.
"They all feel my pain," he said.
Believe this: they can hear it, too.
that is probably the most pathetic statement in an article full of them!
