FA to New Orleans Saints.
For Brooks, the high point in his career with the Saints came very early. In the 2000 season, his first with the franchise, Brooks took over as starting quarterback after Jeff Blake was knocked out with a broken foot in the team’s 11th game. Brooks led the team to a 3-2 record in his 5 starts, and an overall 10-6 record (improving on their 3-13 record of 1999), winning the NFC West championship. Brooks threw nine touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games and five starts in the regular season for an 85.7 quarterback rating. In the playoffs, the Saints defeated the DEFENDING SB CHAMPIONS St. Louis Rams, 31-28…..The Saints were without their star running back (Ricky Williams) and lost their best receiver (Joe Horn) early in the game, but Brooks threw FOUR TD PASSES to lead the Saints to their FIRST PLAYOFF WIN IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!!!!! The Saints then went on to lose to the Minnesota Vikings, 34-16, to end their season with an overall 11-7 record.
In 2001, the Saints only went 7-9, ending in a four game losing streak. In these last four games of the season with Brooks at the helm, the Saints would be outscored by more than 100 points, 160-52. Although Brooks did manage to throw a then FRANCHISE RECORD 26 touchdowns and an overall career best 3,832 passing yards in his first full season as a starting quarterback, his consistency came into question as he also threw for a still standing franchise record 22 interceptions.
In 2002, Brooks helped lead the Saints to a 6-2 record and guided an offense that averaged 32 points a game through the first half of the season before the team imploded in the second half. The Saints proceeded to go to a pedestrian 3-5 to finish the season.
2003 was statistically Brooks’ most efficient year as a passer, as he compiled an 88.8 Quarterback Rating, a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio (24 touchdowns to eight interceptions), and a 59.1 percent completion percentage, all career bests.
In 2004, after a 4-8 start, Brooks led the Saints on a four game winning streak to finish the season, reaching the brink of the playoffs, but tiebreakers involving the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings did the Saints in. Brooks, though, was key to two of their victories in the four game winning streak, converting a key 4th and 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through a 13-yard (12 m) scramble to keep the game winning touchdown drive alive, and also by posting a 102.1 Quarterback Rating and no interceptions against the Carolina Panthers at the end of the season. Overall as a passer, Brooks regressed, as he threw for twice as many interceptions as the year before with 16. This would also be the final year Brooks would throw for more than 3,000 yards (2,700 m), at 3,810.

In New Orleans, Brooks became one of the NFL’s leaders in game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime with 16 (behind only Tom Brady), including five in 2004. Brooks took over as the starter in 2000 in relief of the injured Jeff Blake in Week 11 (vs. Oakland), he started the following week and took every starting snap until the last month of the 2005 season, when he was benched. Brooks played in 72 regular-season games with the Saints, including starting the last 69 contests. His 441 passing yards vs. Denver was the highest single-game total in franchise history until Drew Brees surpassed it while throwing for 510 yds on November 19, 2006. Brooks also has the distinction of being the only Saints quarterback to rush for over 100 yds in a contest (108 vs. San Francisco). In 2004, Brooks set club marks for attempts (60) and completions (34) in a contest.

Brooks was not a great QB. Thats not the debate. But considering he was brought in to revive the most moribund franchise in NFL history at the time, his numbers are absolutely respectable. AARON BROOKS WAS NO BUM!!!

….Furthermore HE was the QB of the SAINTS who had to deal with the immediate after affects, the displacement, ownership waffling and the bizare scheduling and slow response by the NFL. of what can be considered a natural disaster of biblical proportions(Katrina) that wrecked and deceinated an entire region of this country, let alone an NFL football team.
DO Ya Homework!!!

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The camp roster was increased from 80 to 90 players for this season. Teams need to fill out their rosters, expect to see more signings by all teams both UDFA and guys who were cut from other teams as teams try to meet the cap.
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^This.

A.J. Smith working his (post) draft magic…

Best of luck to the rookies!

Ever see one of these guys eat? Don’t pick up the check. LOL