We wrote Monday how the Saints would love to use the franchise tag on guard Carl Nicks, if the team can get Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal first.
The biggest reason that the tag would be great for Nicks: He’s going to cost a ridiculous amount of money.
Carl Nicks told Rich Gannon and Jim Miller on SiriusXM NFL Radio Tuesday that Nicks wants and expects to make more money than teammate Jahri Evans, who signed a seven-year, $56.7 million contract in 2010 that made Evans the highest paid guard in the league at the time.
(Logan Mankins signed a deal with an $8.5 million average since, making him the highest paid guard.)
Nicks’ logic is airtight: Two years have passed since Evans’ deal. Nicks is also coming off a year where he outplayed Evans, although Nicks was too polite to say that. Nicks said he has not talked contract with the Saints yet.
We can’t imagine the Saints can afford to pay Nicks that much money with Evans already on the books and Brees about to get a monster contract. The only way the Saints can possibly keep Nicks will be to sign Brees before March 5, then use the tag on Nicks.
Based on Nicks’ comment Tuesday, we don’t think he would be too pleased to play on a one-year contract this season.