Brees in no rush to choose a team

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Brees in no hurry to choose a team

By Harvey Fialkov

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted March 13 2006

The Dolphins' dogged courtship of free-agent quarterback Drew Brees continued Sunday as he flew from New Orleans to South Florida to meet with team officials for the second straight day.

Both Brees and his agent, Tom Condon, confirmed the visit with the Dolphins after the 2004 Pro Bowl quarterback met with Saints officials on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

As if avoiding a blitz, Brees, 27, wouldn't allow any high-pressure sales pitches from the Saints or Dolphins rush his decision.

"I'm evaluating all of my options and I want to make sure that I give everything the chance that it deserves," Brees said Sunday in New Orleans. "I'm really just taking in a lot of information right now. I'm not going to rush it because this is a big decision. Wherever I sign is where I plan on spending the rest of my career and winning a few championships in the process and raising a family and everything else. It's more than just a one-year thing."

The Saints and Dolphins are battling for the services of arguably the top-rated free-agent quarterback on the market.

"He's going to dinner with club officials tonight and I'm sure I'll talk to [General Manager Randy Mueller today]," Condon said.

If Brees isn't signed, a source said the Dolphins will bring in Arizona quarterback Josh McCown for a free-agent visit early this week.

Also, disgruntled Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper and Redskins backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey are still being shopped around the league. The Dolphins are believed to have interest in Culpepper if they don't land Brees.

Brees, a native of Austin, Texas, said that New Orleans' struggles since Hurricane Katrina will not affect his decision.

Brees discounted the notion that the Saints would still use their second overall draft pick to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft if he signed with them.

"No, when they did that with Philip Rivers in San Diego, obviously they were drafting him to come in and replace me, but my mindset is I'm not competing against anybody but myself," Brees said. "I would assume they would not take a quarterback, just because when you draft me, you better expect me to be here a long time."

Brees, who sustained labrum and rotator cuff injuries to his throwing shoulder in the 2005 season finale against the Broncos, said the healing process is four weeks ahead of schedule.

"When I first had my surgery, they said it was going to be a six- or seven-month deal and it's going to be tough, but I know how to handle this," he said.

"I just have to realize it's a process. To these guys, the shoulder's a non-issue. I think they know, just like I know where I'm going to be when it counts."

The Dolphins refuse to comment on any free-agent encounters until they sign the player.

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All this talk about the money New Orleans can throw at him I'm thinking Brees may end up there.