First up on Revis Island 2012 edition is Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson, Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

In two games last season, Johnson averaged 79.5 yards against the New York Jets’ four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. But against Darrelle Revis, 80 yards sometimes feels like 200.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning caused a stir prior to last season when he told the world he was an elite quarterback. Eli, of course, proved his doubters wrong when he was selected as MVP of Super Bowl XLVI — the second of his NFL career.

Drew Brees sat down at the podium today and uttered a completely classic line. The Saints QB has a way of offering brilliant nonchalance, and this was another example. “The offseason went by fast,” Brees told reporters. “A lot of crazy stuff happened obviously, but here we are — first day of training camp.” That’s one way to sum it up. Brees got a new contract, the Saints lost their coach and a bunch of other key parts to a bounty scandal, and that was only two of the crazy things that happened. The easy thing for the Saints would be to say that they are who they are and that the events haven’t changed them. That’s kind of the […]

NFL AM’s Steve Wyche and Mark Kriegel discuss how the Saints will start the season without head coach Sean Payton.

Contracts for NFL quarterbacks do not exist in a vacuum. So, when Saints QB Drew Brees earned a new deal, my mind immediately turned to a colleague. When will Packers QB Aaron Rodgers get similarly paid? “That stuff takes care of itself,” Rodgers told me yesterday. “I still have a few years left on my deal, and we’ll talk about that when we get there.” Perhaps. Or earlier. We’ll see. There are a lot of issues, and I tried to hit on many of them here. But Rodgers didn’t take a wait-and-see approach when discussing Brees’ deal. “You got to say he’s a fortunate man,” Rodgers told NFL.com. “I don’t think he’s complaining right now.“  No, I’d say not. One other […]

Quarterback Drew Brees’ new contract ensures his future not just on the field but in fantasy land as well.

In any event, NFL players made a big splash during the ESPY awards and here’s a look at the NFL winners.

Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was voted as the seventh-best player of 2012 on NFL Network’s “The Top 100: Players of 2012,” but he’s still not fully satisfied.

Earlier in the week, Saints QB Drew Brees made the media rounds to educate on concussions. He teamed with Dick’s Sporting Goods, who created a national marketing campaign aimed at teaching young athletes and parents about the realities of the condition. Of course, few actually wanted to talk with Brees about concussions, but that was his cause. Related to this fight for awareness, Brees made a fairly comical video that includes him flashing some Cash Cab-style skills. Yup, he’s the cab driver. Check out this video:

Saints QB Drew Brees is “hopeful” he will return to action soon, but will he be able to overcome a tumultuous offseason?

LeBron James might win a championship with a different team than the one that drafted him. But he’s hardly the first player to be in such a position.

The Saints begin minicamp today, three days of practices that are open to fans. I’ll be over there to check things out tomorrow after also making a cameo last week. But before I do, there was one thought I wanted to share from my trip to New Orleans, a not-so-shocking revelation that was still a bit shocking. The Saints still think of themselves as a team that can win the Super Bowl. With the bounty suspensions and a truck full of drama, they have an us-against-the-world feel. And with QB Drew Brees unsigned, they face more uncertainty than most teams. But still… Through all this, the Saints are the same confident — maybe cocky — group they’ve always been. The […]

You read earlier today about former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Sean Gilbert and his strong feelings about the situation surrounding Saints QB Drew Brees. As the last player to sit out an entire year in protest of the franchise tag, Gilbert has more than earned his bona fides on this topic. It’s been 15 years since Gilbert battled the franchise tag, sat out a year, then proved it was worth it. And he still hasn’t warmed up to the concept of the tag, which was, once again, part of the newest collective bargaining agreement. No, his serious opinions weren’t only for Brees. Want to hear Gilbert’s thoughts on the franchise tag? On his dealings with the franchise tag: “I wasn’t […]

There are so few people who can understand what Drew Brees is going through. The Saints franchise quarterback is without a contract for 2012, and he doesn’t want to sign his franchise tag that provides no long-term security. A contract drama that has played out in public may result in Brees missing mandatory mini-camp, some of training camp, and then who knows? The possibilities are chilling and endless. To gain some perspective, I spoke to the one person who can understand what Brees is going through and what his options are — Former Pro Bowl DT Sean Gilbert. Still the last player to sit out the entire season in protest of the franchise tag, Gilbert took the one stand so […]

The Saints held OTAs today, and it was open to the media. For the first time, everyone watched a Saints practice without coach Sean Payton or QB Drew Brees. Payton is suspended along with some others, and Brees is staying away because of contract issues. I surmised recently that the suspensions would actually help Brees, and no doubt the scene of little Chase Daniel running the team must’ve been jarring. Couldn’t have been pretty. Brees’ stance is noted by all. Reading the transcripts of the interviews of several Saints players and coaches, though, I can’t help but take one thing away from it: They think Brees will come back soon.  Sounds like they are optimistic or convinced it’ll happen. That […]