NFL 'franchise' deadline rapidly approaching
The deadline for "franchised" players to sign multi-year contracts is Monday.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who has said he will not report to training camp without a multiple-year contract, will garner the most attention.
There are six other franchise players -- wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (Kansas City), tailbacks Matt Forte (Chicago) and Ray Rice (Baltimore), defensive end Cliff Avril (Detroit), safety Dashon Goldson (49ers) and kicker Josh Scobee (Jacksonville) -- who have yet to sign.
And there are eight more players who signed only one-year tenders, most of whom are still negotiating for long-term contracts.
The buzz on the Brees front is under the radar and, while there is some frostiness between Saints' officials and agent Tom Condon, conventional wisdom is that an 11th-hour agreement will be reached. Sources from both sides, however, cautioned The Sports Xchange as recently as Friday morning, that there are still considerable gaps that need to be narrowed.
