METAIRIE, La. – Mickey Loomis would love to have Darren Sharper back as a Saint.
But the Saints General Manager isn’t willing to dispense with a wad of cash for the veteran safety.
“I got all the love in the world for Darren Sharper,” Loomis said Friday. “I just don’t have all the money in the world for Darren Sharper. We would like to have Darren back. We really would.
“No different from any player. If it fits under the salary structure and the resources we have, then we’ll definitely want to have him back. If it doesn’t and he has an opportunity somewhere else, then we understand that.”
So continues the offseason saga that has become of the negotiations between Sharper, one of the Saints’ key unrestricted free agents, and the franchise.
New Orleans already lost one unrestricted free agent – linebacker Scott Fujita to the Cleveland Browns – and because of new league final four rules, weren’t allowed to sign an unrestricted free agent until one of theirs was signed elsewhere.
Additionally, they can only sign an unrestricted free agent to a contract that matches the first-year salary of the unrestricted free agent they lost.
Nevertheless, the main news this offseason thus far has been about Sharper and how the Saints didn’t tender him with the franchise tag.
Sharper had knee surgery to clean up a lingering issue and hasn’t taken any visits anywhere. Meanwhile, the Saints and Sharper are reportedly not seeing eye-to-eye on a new contract.
For now, those discussions will continue.
In other new:
- Loomis said the Saints have defensive end James Hall in town today for a visit and will be expecting quarterback Jake Delhomme in for a weekend visit.
- Don’t expect running back Reggie Bush to go anywhere else. Loomis said Bush will be back and will be paid what his contract stipulates.
- And Loomis wouldn’t talk about any kind of contract discussions with Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, saying, “He has a contract for this year. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”
