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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees comments on Mike and Mike in the Morning on the franchise tag, his contract status, Marques Colston, Carl Nicks, Robert Meachem, New Orleans' bounty scandal, Peyton Manning and more. Brees says he had no knowledge of the illegal system, but it's embarrassing for the entire organization.

Shortly after he agreed to a five-year contract worth about $40 million on Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints sent out a statement from wide receiver Marques Colston.

“This was important to me, to be back with this team in this situation,” said Colston. “I was not looking to chase free agency; it was more important for me to be back in our program, a program we have been building and a program I believe in. The Saints have been loyal to me from the beginning and I want to thank my agent Joel Segal and Saints (general manager) Mickey Loomis for getting this deal done before free agency. Now it is time to get back to work and win some more rings.”

That’s vintage Colston. He doesn’t have the “diva’’ personality so many receivers have and that quote is perhaps the longest I've ever seen from him. Colston is quiet and all about business and even though offseason programs don’t start until April, there’s little doubt Colston will be working out very soon — if he hasn’t been already.

Now, it’s time for Loomis to get back to work and see if he can find a way to keep All-Pro guard Carl Nicks from hitting the free-agent market later Tuesday afternoon. If the Saints, who face some major salary-cap challenges, can find a way to keep Nicks after re-signing Colston and placing the franchise tag on quarterback Drew Brees, then their offseason will be a success.

As we get ready for Tuesday afternoon’s start of free agency, let’s take a look at the top morning headlines from around the NFC South.

After staying silent while dealing with Drew Brees and the bounty program, the New Orleans Saints finally got around to offering a contract to guard Carl Nicks on Monday night. Nicks termed the offer “respectable," but hasn’t decided whether to accept it or test free agency.

D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that the Falcons might not be very active in free agency because of salary-cap constraints. It’s true the Falcons don’t have a lot of room at the moment. But they still could make some roster moves and restructure some contracts. I have a tough time seeing the Falcons sit totally still when it has been made so clear by owner Arthur Blank that they have to win big next season.

Roy Cummings takes a look at Tampa Bay’s needs in free agency and there are lots of them. But the good news is the Bucs have about $43 million in cap space and have pledged to be more active in free agency. One name Cummings includes as a possible target is Dallas tight end Martellus Bennett. I think that’s a real possibility because Bennett’s brother, Michael, plays defensive end for the Bucs and the team could use depth at tight end.

Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn hit on an escalator that raised his cap figure to $1.32 million. That doesn’t help Carolina’s overall cap situation. The Panthers are at least $6.5 million over the cap and need to get under it by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Some player releases and contract restructures likely are on the way.

With Monday night’s news that wide receiver Randy Moss is going to the San Francisco 49ers, it appears as if the New Orleans Saints are turning back to Plan A.

That’s Marques Colston, who has been the No. 1 receiver since he arrived in 2006. Colston can become a free agent Tuesday afternoon, but there are reports Monday night that he and the Saints are trying to hammer out a deal.

If that happens, it’s good news for the Saints. Colston and quarterback Drew Brees have a strong chemistry and Colston is a respected figure in a locker room that likely will see a lot of change this offseason.

The downside to re-signing Colston, however, is that it probably will diminish the chances of the Saints re-signing guard Carl Nicks. The Saints are tight against the salary cap and a deal for Colston probably means there won’t be enough room to keep Nicks.

The Saints recently had Moss in for a workout, but that likely was Plan B, and Moss only would have been signed if the Saints lost Colston and Robert Meachem.

The New Orleans Saints, who are on the verge of having some key free agents leave, just made a minor signing to keep one of their own players.

The team announced it has agreed to terms with quarterback Chase Daniel on a one-year contract.

“Ever since Chase joined our team in 2009, he’s continued to work hard and progress on the practice field, in the meeting room and in the weight room,” general manager Mickey Loomis said. “His work ethic has served him well as he’s continued his development for us at the quarterback position.”

Daniel has served as the primary backup to Drew Brees, which means he hasn’t received much playing time. In the past two seasons, Daniel has completed six of eight passes for 45 yards and posted an 88.0 NFL passer rating. Daniel also has handled holding duties on field goals and extra points.

The Saints have several bigger names that can become free agents if they're not re-signed by Tuesday afternoon, including receiver Marques Colston, guard Carl Nicks, cornerback Tracy Porter and receiver Robert Meachem.

Take a look at this Insider piece by Gary Horton. He lists the six teams that face the most danger in free agency.

At the very top of the list, he has the New Orleans Saints. This kind of goes along with the column I wrote recently on how the salary-cap implications for quarterback Drew Brees could end up gutting the Saints as we know them.

Horton points out the Saints are running the very real risk of losing free agents Carl Nicks, Marques Colston, Tracy Porter, Robert Meachem and some other role players. As we count down to Tuesday afternoon’s start of free agency, the Saints have a little over $5 million in salary cap room.

I expect that number could grow higher between now and Tuesday afternoon because the Saints are likely to release some players and could restructure more contracts.

But I’m thinking Porter and Meachem will walk. The Saints likely will use whatever salary-cap room they can scrape up to try to keep Nicks and Colston.

It still might be impossible to keep both of them. I think Nicks is the first priority on their list, but they’ve let him get this close to free agency and he’s been making noise that he thinks he’s gone. Even if the Saints make a late offer to Nicks, it seems likely he at least would want to see what’s available on the free-agent market. He’s the best guard in the league and it’s likely some teams with less cap issues than the Saints would like to make a run at him.

After days of outcries, particularly from former NFL offensive linemen, for New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees to address the Saints’ bounty program, it has happened.

Brees posted on his website. You can read it in its entirety here. But the highlights are that Brees, a member of the NFL Players Association executive committee, said he had no knowledge of the bounty program. He also said there’s no room for such programs in the NFL. Brees also said NFL players should strive to serve as examples of integrity to young fans.

Here are a few excerpts:

“There is no place in the National Football League, or any sport played at any level, for players to conspire, to be coerced, or to be incentivized to intentionally injure another player. I did not participate in any Bounty program, nor did I have any knowledge relating to its real existence. I have spent the last several years as an Executive Committee Member of the NFLPA making health and safety a priority and I am proud of the advancements we've made and will continue to make.

“As a leader of our football team, I feel comfortable in stating that I know well the integrity of our organization from the ownership level, to management, our head coach, and the players on our team. We, as Saints players, pride ourselves on playing this game with honor and hold ourselves to a very high standard.

“The accusations and perceptions alone created by this issue make us feel like we should all apologize to the young people that love our game and aspire to be in our shoes. Regardless of the outcome of the "bounty" issue, we owe it to them to provide the best example of how to behave as professionals and more importantly, as people of integrity.’’

Brees also said people should wait until the investigation is finished before making any final decisions on how they view the Saints.

“To our fans, please reserve judgment until the investigation is complete and the facts in their entirety are known,’’ Brees said. “We are all working diligently to find the truth in this matter and if the facts prove there was improper behavior, we will hold ourselves accountable. Until that time, we will stand together and remain united as an organization.’’

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons

Key free agents: CB Brent Grimes (franchise tag), LB Curtis Lofton, DE John Abraham, WR Harry Douglas and C Todd McClure.

Where they stand: The Falcons put the franchise tag on Grimes but would like to sign him to a long-term contract. That would improve a salary-cap situation that’s already decent. Keeping Lofton and Douglas, who have been developed by the current coaching staff, is also likely to be a priority. Although Abraham led the team with 9.5 sacks last season, his age and salary expectations work against the possibility of his return. Unless Abraham’s price tag drops significantly, the Falcons seem likely to let him walk. McClure could opt to retire. But if he wants to play, it’s likely the Falcons would welcome him back.

What to expect: After a quick and embarrassing exit from the postseason, owner Arthur Blank made it very clear that simply making the playoffs isn’t good enough. Blank expects to contend for a Super Bowl title. The Falcons went all in last year when they traded up to draft receiver Julio Jones and paid big money to free-agent defensive end Ray Edwards. Look for them to take a similar approach this year. The Falcons are usually good for at least one major move an offseason, and this year we could see two or three. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons go hard after Houston linebacker Mario Williams because they need a pass-rusher to replace Abraham. Without a first-round pick, the Falcons also probably will use free agency to fill a big need at left tackle. There aren’t a lot of options, but tackle Marcus McNeill could be a target if he is released, as expected, by the Chargers. The Falcons could even make a play for New Orleans guard Carl Nicks. His presence would make life easier for any left tackle, and pulling him away from the Saints also would weaken a division rival.

Carolina Panthers

Key free agents: TE Jeremy Shockey, LB Dan Connor, G Geoff Hangartner, LB/DL Antwan Applewhite and QB Derek Anderson.

Where they stand: The Panthers seem to be uncertain whether Shockey plans to retire or keep playing. If he wants to play, they’d gladly take him back because he’s a nice complement to Greg Olsen. They also are likely to make a strong attempt to keep Hangartner, who did a nice job after Carolina had several guards injured last preseason. It’s similar with Applewhite, who was signed during the season and made nice contributions. But the Panthers seem prepared to let Connor test free agency because they can’t promise him playing time with Jon Beason returning from injury as the starting middle linebacker. Anderson could return, but the Panthers likely will at least explore the possibility of looking for an upgrade as Cam Newton’s backup.

What to expect: Don’t expect a lot. The Panthers had their big splurge coming out of the lockout last summer, and they’re paying the tab for that now. They will have to release players and restructure contracts just to get below the cap before free agency starts. Linebacker Thomas Davis, who is coming off his third torn ACL, is a prime candidate for release or restructure. Although the team clearly wants to improve its defense, don’t look for any major moves in free agency. The team simply doesn’t have the cap room to make any big deals. The team might sign a midlevel free agent or two, but major upgrades will have to come through the draft.

New Orleans Saints

Key free agents: QB Drew Brees (franchise tag), G Carl Nicks, WR Marques Colston, CB Tracy Porter and WR Robert Meachem.

Where they stand: The past three years have been the most peaceful and prosperous in franchise history. But the peaceful part already has ended this offseason. In addition to getting into trouble with the NFL for a bounty program, the Saints are dealing with contract issues that are beyond challenging. They used the franchise tag on Brees and that’s going to cost them around $15 million. Even if they do reach a long-term agreement with Brees, his cap figure for this year could climb above $15 million. Either way, the Saints are going to have major cap issues. They’ve already restructured the contract of defensive end Will Smith and may do the same with linebacker Jonathan Vilma or perhaps even release him and some veterans. The Saints are going to have so much cap space tied up in Brees that they’ll have a hard time keeping their other free agents. Nicks would seem to be the priority with Colston close behind. But keeping even one of them would be a victory for the Saints.

What to expect: General manager Mickey Loomis always has been aggressive and daring, and he might have to be even more creative than usual because of the cap situation. The Saints simply aren’t the type of team to sit still. They had flaws exposed in a playoff loss to San Francisco, and they’re asking new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to fix their defense. The problem there is a lot of the current personnel doesn’t fit all that well in Spagnuolo’s scheme. Loomis needs to find a way to get at least one more pass-rusher up front and needs to add an athletic linebacker or two. He also may have to fill more needs if the Saints lose as many free agents as most expect. This team lacks a first-round pick in the draft, so Loomis will have to make some big moves when it comes to releasing players or restructuring contracts just to give the Saints a shot at being a little bit active in free agency.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Key free agents: K Connor Barth (franchise tag), CB Ronde Barber, RB Earnest Graham, LB Geno Hayes, S Sean Jones, DE Michael Bennett (restricted) and RB LeGarrette Blount (exclusive rights).

Where they stand: The Bucs begin coach Greg Schiano’s tenure in a unique situation. They’ve got a ton of cap room and need improvement in lots of areas. But they’ll deal with what they have between now and the start of free agency. A decision on Barber probably will come very soon. Schiano has indicated he’d like the veteran back, but Barber could choose to retire, which also would create a major need at cornerback. That position also could be an issue later in March when starting cornerback Aqib Talib is scheduled for trial on an assault charge. Talib could go to prison or face a suspension from the NFL, but his fate will be unknown at the start of free agency. Hayes didn’t have a great season last year, but he has upside, and the new staff might want to keep him. The Bucs are likely to let Graham walk because of his age. A return by Jones is possible at a reasonable salary, but the Bucs still need to look to upgrade at safety.

What to expect: The exact amount will depend on how many of their free agents are brought back, but the Bucs are likely to have somewhere around $50 million in cap space at the start of free agency and that will put them near the top of the league. After barely dipping into free agency last year, the Bucs were able to carry over extra cap room, and general manager Mark Dominik has publicly said the team plans to be more active in free agency. But fans need to keep that in perspective. The Bucs aren’t going to suddenly return to the days when Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen regularly shelled out money for big-name players in their 30s. The Bucs started a youth movement three years ago, and there are some parts in place. Now, it’s time for them to supplement those parts. They’ll be active in free agency, but they’ll be focusing on players still in their 20s. They’ll also be focusing on improving the supporting cast of quarterback Josh Freeman, who they believe can become great. Look for them to add a speed receiver, perhaps someone like Mario Manningham (Giants) or Eddie Royal (Broncos). The Bucs also want to improve at running back, where Blount is a one-dimensional power runner. They could look for a pass-catching specialist or opt to look for a complete back who could even replace Blount as the starter. On defense, the Bucs probably will try to upgrade at linebacker. If Barber and/or Talib aren’t back, the Bucs will have to make a move or two at cornerback and probably wouldn’t hesitate to pay big money to someone such as Cortland Finnegan (Titans).

We told you Monday how former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Turley called out New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees.

Well, another day and another Turley rant against Brees. This one came Tuesday on a Nashville radio station WGFX and thanks to AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky for passing it along. I strongly suggest you listen to the interview in its entirety because it’s lengthy.

Meantime, let’s just run through some of the highlights of Turley elaborating on his initial remarks from Monday.

“People don’t like to see those things, I guess,’’ Turley said of the “bounty program’’ the NFL said the Saints ran for the last three seasons. “People don’t like to see when people I guess call out certain things they might not want to see. But the reality is the reality. I just merely suggested if all of these people in the Saints knew that potentially Drew Brees knew. If Drew Brees knew about that, then there’s a bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger problem.’’

Turley pointed to Brees’ role as an executive member of the NFL Players Association, which negotiated a new labor deal last summer that included provisions for additional player safety. Turley went on to clarify what that “bigger problem’’ would be.

“That is that guys like Drew who hold high executive positions in the union are continuing to not address the real issues going on in the game of football,’’ Turley said.

Turley said it’s part of Brees’ ethical responsibility to help promote player safety and said he was bothered by some fans saying his initial comments were a personal attack on Brees.

“People just don’t get it,’’ Turley said. “They don’t understand. All I want to know is if Drew knew. That’s all I suggested. If all these people around the team and the Saints knew about all this, if the coaches knew, the general manager knew, the head coach knew, the owner knew, then I’m pretty sure Drew Brees knew. If a guy like Drew Brees knew, there needs to be accountability held.’’

Turley said there’s an easy way to get to the bottom of the situation.

“If he didn’t know, then he should say he didn’t know and he should say he didn’t know immediately,’’ Turley said.

Just when it looked like things in New Orleans couldn’t get any more bizarre, they have.

New Orleans radio station WIST-AM is reporting that Drew Brees is “livid’’ about being hit with the franchise tag. The report cites someone close to Brees and says the quarterback does not plan to sign the franchise tag.

As I’ve said many times before, a happy Drew Brees is a great Drew Brees. You don’t want this guy mad at you. He’s one of the most competitive people on the planet.

The Saints and Brees still have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If that doesn’t happen, then Brees either has to sign the tender for about $15 million or hold out.

I have a really tough time seeing Brees hold out because he loves football so much. I think the Saints and Brees also know it’s in both of their interests to get a deal done that will make everyone happy. My guess is a long-term contract will be worked out between now and July.

But, then again, the way things have been going in New Orleans recently, nothing would surprise me.

The news that Randy Moss is working out for the New Orleans Saints is big, simply because names don’t come much bigger when it comes to wide receivers.

But I don’t know that a 35-year-old wide receiver who was out of football last season is suddenly going to come in and carry the Saints to a Super Bowl title. I don’t even know if the Saints actually will sign Moss.

What’s happening here is the Saints are looking at possibilities. That’s not a bad idea because they could be losing top receiver Marques Colston when free agency starts next week. They also could lose Robert Meachem, who, while not as prolific as Colston, has become an important cog in the Saints’ rotation of wide receivers.

Moss is worth a look. If he has anything left, he becomes an option if Colston and/or Meachem depart. Like Colston and Meachem, Moss is a taller wide receiver and could pair nicely with shorter receivers Lance Moore and Devery Henderson.

But Moss isn’t a carbon copy of Colston. In his best days -- and it’s been a while since Moss was at the top of his game (2009 in New England was his last good season) -- he wasn’t the same style of receiver as Colston. Moss was a long-striding receiver who could get open deep. Colston has never been that kind of player. But Colston’s real value to the Saints has been in the midlevel passing game. He has dependable hands and his size has allowed him to make a big impact over the middle.

But the reality is that New Orleans’ cap situation could make it impossible for the Saints to keep Colston. Moss likely would come at a cheap price.

The question that’s always been associated with Moss has been, is he worth the trouble, at any price? As we all know, Moss’ enormous talent often has been overshadowed by his behavior. At just about every one of his stops, Moss has gained a reputation for being selfish and not a great influence in the locker room.

But if the Saints lose Colston and Moss shows in his workout that he has some physical skills left, I say go ahead and sign him.

The Saints have taken shots on guys with less-than-stellar reputations in the past and that often has worked out. That’s because the Saints have a different locker room than most teams. They have a locker room that’s run with an iron hand by quarterback Drew Brees.

There’s an unwritten rule in New Orleans that nobody messes with Brees, and everyone in the locker room is held accountable by the quarterback. A lot of people said tight end Jeremy Shockey would be a problem when the Saints brought him in a few years back.

Shockey had pushed Giants quarterback Eli Manning all around when the two were together in New York. But Shockey’s time in New Orleans was relatively peaceful. That’s because Shockey knew he wouldn’t be there long if he crossed Brees or didn’t work up to the standards expected by the quarterback.

It can work the same way with Moss.

The New Orleans Saints have saved $4.78 million in salary cap space by restructuring the contract of veteran defensive end Will Smith, according to numbers obtained by ESPN.com.

The deal was finalized Monday as the Saints position themselves to be under the salary cap at the start of free agency. That could be a challenge because the Saints have placed a franchise tag of almost $15 million on quarterback Drew Brees and want to attempt to re-sign guard Carl Nicks and receiver Marques Colston, as well as some other free agents. The Saints likely will be releasing some veterans in the coming days, but restructuring Smith gives them some added flexibility.

The deal was signed Monday and it dropped Smith’s 2012 base salary from $7 million down to the veteran minimum of $825,000. But Smith was well compensated for working with the Saints. He received a $6.175 signing bonus as part of the restructure. He also is scheduled to earn a $1 million roster bonus in late March and a $150,000 bonus for taking part in an unspecified number of the team’s offseason workouts.

The only downside is that Smith’s 2013 cap figure jumps to more than $14.5 million and will be almost $14 million in 2014, the final year of the contract. But the Saints can restructure the deal again in future years to make it more cap friendly.

Time for a Tuesday morning run through the top headlines from around the NFC South.

Carolina middle linebacker Dan Connor reportedly is high on Philadelphia’s list of potential free-agent targets. This makes lots of sense. Connor is from suburban Philadelphia and it seems like he wants out of Carolina. With Jon Beason returning from injury, Connor is out of a starting job with the Panthers.

A record 21 players were given the franchise tag, including Atlanta’s Brent Grimes, New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Tampa Bay’s Connor Barth.

Former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the man who seems to be at the center of the scandal in which the Saints allegedly used a bounty program to injure other players, met with league officials in New York on Monday. Williams, who now is with the St. Louis Rams, declined to speak with the media. Williams previously issued a statement in which he admitted to organizing the program and apologized for his involvement.

John DeShazier writes that the Saints might not have won any public-relations wars with fans or Brees by using the exclusive-rights franchise tag on the quarterback. But he says it was the smart business move. He’s right. With the two sides reportedly far apart on a long-term contract, the Saints simply had to make sure there was no way Brees could walk into free agency.

This column says Williams didn’t invent the use of the bounty system, which almost certainly is true. But it says his big mistake was keeping such detailed records. No doubt about that. The NFL says it has 50,000 pages of evidence, including 18,000 emails.

With Falcons coach Mike Smith in attendance, Georgia tight end Orson Charles had disappointing times in the 40-yard dash during his pro day workout Monday. A strong wind might have played a factor. The slow times might be good news for the Falcons. They might help keep Charles out of the first round. The Falcons have a second-round pick and could be looking for an eventual successor to Tony Gonzalez.

The New Orleans Saints will work out veteran receiver Randy Moss, according to Kristian Garic of WWL Radio.

It’s not known when the workout will take place, but the Saints can sign Moss at any time because he was out of the NFL last season. At the very least, consider this a sign that the Saints are looking at Moss as a possible option if receiver Marques Colston leaves when free agency starts next week.

That’s a real possibility because the Saints are expected to have minimal cap room and also could lose receiver Robert Meachem.

Like Colston and Meachem, Moss is a big target. The other top receivers remaining on the roster, Lance Moore and Devery Henderson, are smaller receivers. The Saints traditionally have liked to give quarterback Drew Brees a mixture of big and small receivers.

Monday afternoon was the deadline for teams to designate players for the use of franchise tags. We already know Drew Brees was tagged by the New Orleans Saints, Brent Grimes by the Atlanta Falcons and Connor Barth by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But let’s run through a little refresher course on what exactly the franchise tag means.

First off, there’s an exclusive franchise tag and a non-exclusive tag and there’s a significant difference between the two. Of all the players tagged around the league Monday, Brees was the only one given the exclusive tag. What that means, in addition to an extra $1 million for Brees, is that he cannot negotiate with other teams. He’s with the Saints no matter what this year and Brees and New Orleans still can reach a long-term deal.

As non-exclusive franchise players, Grimes and Barth are treated differently. They are permitted to negotiate with any other team. However, the Bucs and Falcons have strong protection here. If another team were to sign Grimes or Barth, that team would have to surrender two first-round draft picks as compensation.

Grimes and Barth are good players, but it’s highly unlikely any team would be willing to give up two first-round picks for either of them.

Grimes and Barth also could end up signing long-term deals with their current teams. The signing period for franchise players begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 13 and runs through Nov. 13 (the 10^th week of the regular season).