Nicks wants to stay in N.O.
INDIANAPOLIS — When it comes to getting contracts done this offseason, All-Pro left guard Carl Nicks understands the protocol New Orleans Saints officials are going to follow.
He knows it will start later this month with a record-setting quarterback who’s probably going to get a deal comparable to the ones Peyton Manning and Tom Brady recently received — contracts that average about $18 million per season.
“First and foremost, they have to get Drew (Brees) done,” Nicks, a two-time Pro Bowl pick in four seasons with the Saints, said Wednesday.
Speaking with Louisiana reporters for the first time since the Saints’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 14, Nicks seemed puzzled there has been no contact between the team and his agent, Ben Dogra.
In Indianapolis with the Saints’ other four starting offensive linemen to accept the 2011 Madden Protectors Award, Nicks said his camp hasn’t heard from the Saints in more than two weeks.
“You know as much as I do, they haven’t offered me anything,” said Nicks, who was chosen to The Associated Press’ All-Pro team last month.
“I don’t know if they’re interested in me or not. They said they were interested on that last day when we had exit meetings (Jan. 16).”
It’s not too surprising that Nicks, one of the team’s top potential free agents along with Brees, wide receiver Marques Colston and cornerback Tracy Porter, hasn’t heard anything.
After the season ends, front-office personnel and coaching staffs typically take several weeks to evaluate their players and decide which free agents they want back, then go from there before the signing period begins in early March.
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis did not respond to an email about Nicks, but it’s not likely they’ll let him walk as an unrestricted free agent. The 6-foot-5, 343-pounder is one of the league’s best guards since being inserted into the starting lineup midway through his rookie season in 2008.
If the Saints can sign Brees to a new contract, they could use the franchise tag on Nicks if the two sides have trouble agreeing on a long-term deal.
As an All-Pro, Nicks, an integral part of an offensive line that helped Brees set an NFL single-season record with 5,476 passing yards in 2011, is likely to command a contract that could be worth more than the one Jahri Evans, his running mate at guard, received from the team in May 2010.
Evans, a three-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, got a seven-year, $56.7 deal after his fourth season.
“Absolutely,” Nicks said when asked if he wants to be back with the Saints in 2012 and beyond. “Obviously, we’ve had some pretty good success here, and Drew makes the job a lot easier. But at the end of the day, it’s a business so we’ll see how it goes. I want to be back.”