Drew Brees on his future: 'I am Who Dat Nation for life'

It's been a long time since anyone in or outside the state of Louisiana has asked 'Who Dat' in reference to Drew Brees.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback's 14 years of service as the leader of the New Orleans Saints has made it impossible, however, to not associate that phrase with the man himself.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis made it clear last month that the team is still comfortable with heading in the same direction they've been going in since 2006. During an appearance on WEEI Boston radio program, 'The Greg Hill Morning Show,' on Thursday, Brees reiterated his desire to do the same.

Unlike Brady, the suspense surrounding Brees' 2020 plans has been all but nonexistent for the last couple weeks due to the fact that he announced his intentions to return to New Orleans in an Instagram post on Feb. 18."Listen, I have no intention of going anywhere. I don't care what the offer would be or what the situation might be, I am 'Who Dat Nation' for life," Brees said after being asked about what he thinks fellow "40 Club" member and pending free agent Tom Brady might do this offseason.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like 2019 could have been the last year we saw Brees in the Saints' old gold and white, either because of retirement or the team opting to go with a younger option under center.

Regardless of the figures the front office decides to offer, it seems very unlikely that Brees would say no to N.O. ahead of his 20th NFL season.

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Ex-Vikings OL Jeremiah Sirles announces retirement

A starting offensive lineman for three franchises is calling it quits.

Former Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills OL Jeremiah Sirles announced his retirement on Monday, less than six years after entering the league as an undrafted free agent.

Sirles, 28, started out with the Chargers in 2014 before being traded to the Vikings ahead of the 2015 season. In three years with Minnesota, Sirles played 28 games and made 14 starts."The decision doesn't come easy, but after two major ankle surgeries last year, my wife and I have made the decision to see what the future holds for our family," Sirles wrote in a tweet. "Part of me will always be a kid who was able to play a game he loved for 20 years. Here is to the next steps and some exciting things lined up."

The offensive lineman spent an offseason with Carolina in 2018 but joined the Bills after he was cut in September of that year. Sirles started five games for the Bills in 2018. Buffalo re-signed the O-lineman, but cut him in July after briefly placing him on the physically unable to perform list.

Sirles spent the 2019 regular season out of football. In total, he appeared in 42 games and made 20 starts.

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Jonathan Taylor compares himself to Zeke, others

Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor made a resounding case to be the top tailback off the board in the 2020 draft with a sterling NFL Scouting Combine performance.

The 226-pounder was a blur in the 40-yard-dash, becoming the only running back in the class to go under the 4.4-second mark with his 4.39. At his size, the speed answered one question for scouts entering draft season.

Taylor believes his performance underscored the type of running back he can be at the NFL-level, telling Albert Breer of The MMQB he believes he's in the same class as other big-name first-rounders who have gone in recent drafts.

"Todd Gurley was a playmaker on the field, Zeke was a playmaker on the field, Saquon was a playmaker on the field," Taylor told Breer. "Same thing with myself: playmaker on the field. I've been constantly able to make plays for three years, and that's something I really wanted coming into college. I wanted to make sure for the three years I was here, that I was consistent, coaches knew what they were getting out of me every single practice, game, rep.

"They knew that Jonathan Taylor was going to play at a high level and that he was doing it consistently. Same thing with Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott, I'm sure their coaches knew every single day, that player was going to play at a high level."

Questions about Taylor's workload could remain a sticking point for some clubs. Taylor toted the ball 926 times in 41 college games for 6,174 rushing yards with 50 TDs. That's a lot of tread on the tires entering the NFL. For comparison, Barkley had just 671 attempts at Penn State, and Ezekiel Elliott rushed just 592 times at Ohio State.

There is no questioning Taylor's college production on the ground. Running for nearly 2,000 yards in three straight seasons speaks to Taylor's talent and durability. He also displayed very good vision and pop to hit the holes before they closed.

During the combine, Taylor also displayed solid pass-catching ability, a question mark for him entering the league after catching just 42 passes at Wisconsin. Taylor looked natural in the receiving portion of combine drills, didn't fight the ball, and corralled some off-target throws.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranked Taylor as the No. 39 overall player heading into the combine. Whether the running back's performance boosts him up teams' draft boards remains to be seen as we careen towards selection day on April 23.

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Jamal Adams' FA wish list includes Dante Fowler

The New York Jets want to make Jamal Adams a "Jet for life." That sounds just fine for the safety.

Appearing on NFL Network's coverage of the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Adams was asked about the declaration from general manager Joe Douglas that he wants the 24-year-old in New York long term, the safety expressed optimism a deal could get done.

After Sanders cracked a joke about the Jets' statement meaning they'll trade him soon, Adams said he realizes how the game is played."I feel good," Adams told NFL Network's Deion Sanders. "It gives me confidence going into next season, but we'll see where everything handles."

"It's a business," Adams said. "I understand."

Along with locking down Adams, part of the Jets' offseason business is upgrading a defense that got torched for long stretches last season and lacks start talent outside of Adams.

Entering his fourth season, Adams has a wish list for Douglas this offseason.

"I would definitely go for (Jadeveon) Clowney. Pass rusher, that's what I'm looking forward to," Adams said. "That's a safety's best friend. Definitely Clowney, Big 9-1 down in Jacksonville (Yannick Ngakoue), he's a beast. Dante Fowler. I mean, there are so many guys coming out right now in free agency that we could sure use coming off that end."

Clowney is expected to be the top defensive end to hit the open market. Ngakoue is expected to be franchise tagged by the Jaguars but has also said he no longer is looking for a long-term deal in Jacksonville, which could lead to a potential tag-trade scenario. Fowler had a solid season in L.A. and is likely to price himself out of the Rams' market.

The edge rusher market has depth this offseason if teams are willing to pony up the dough.

The Jets desperately need to upgrade the pass rush after years of neglecting the position. Whether through free agency or the draft, if Gang Green exits the offseason without adding multiple edge options, Adams won't be the only one disappointed.

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Jags plan to use franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue

Yannick Ngakoue no longer wants to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team plans to keep him around for one more season.

The 24-year-old edge rusher tweeted Monday morning he has no interest in a long-term deal in Jacksonville.

"The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long-term contract in Jacksonville," Ngakoue wrote. "Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I'm thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere."

The team plans to use the franchise tag on Ngakoue, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.The Jaguars, however, will steal a line from Lee Corso: Not so fast, my friend.

Ngakoue's tweet indicates he could be in for a battle with the front office. The edge rusher skipped offseason workouts last offseason in hopes of a new long-term solution before relenting to playing on the final year of his contract.

A third-round pick, Ngakoue has outperformed his deal in every way imaginable. He outplayed Dante Fowler, a former first-round pick, for three years, and generated 37.5 sacks in four seasons in Jacksonville.

Now he wants the long-term, guaranteed money security that comes with the type of player he's proven to be. The edge rusher owns a dominant first step, is relentless to the quarterback, and still has room to grow. Brinks doesn't own enough trucks to hold all the money Ngakoue would make if he were to hit the open market as a true free agent.

While Rapoport notes that the Jags' plan for Ngakoue to play for them in 2020, a holdout could ensue that potentially leads to a trade. We witnessed Jalen Ramsey force his way out of Jacksonville last season.

Tagging Ngakoue gives the Jags the opportunity to trade his rights to the highest bidder, who -- like Dee Ford and Frank Clark a year ago -- would then pay the pass rusher his new, big-money deal. Would the Jags stand firm and force Ngakoue to play for them or sit out all of 2020 without being paid if he truly wants out?

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Mahomes in 'injury prevention' mode this offseason

Patrick Mahomes has started 36 career NFL games, including playoffs, and already has a regular-season MVP and Super Bowl MVP to show for his ridiculous talent.

Entering his third full season as a starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, the potential accolades seem endless for a player capable of making any throw at any moment from any platform to any area of the field. Perhaps the only thing that could stall Mahomes' career is a catastrophic injury. We've seen other signal-callers in the past fall apart after a brutal game takes its pound of flesh.

After dealing with an ankle injury, then missing two tilts with a dislocated knee cap last season, Mahomes is spending the first part of the offseason doing what he can to maintain his body.

Given the sometimes fluky nature of injuries -- he dislocated the knee, after all, on a quarterback sneak -- Mahomes' injury prevention plan can only do so much."These first few weeks, I've really kind of been building the injury prevention stuff," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio over the weekend. "The stuff I dealt with this year, with the ankle and with the knee, I've really been getting after that and trying to make sure that I can be 100 percent going into this next season, 120 percent, and ready to take on the impact of another entire football season. Every year is different, you've got to find ways to go out there and win football games. As of right now, (the offseason) has been about my body and getting myself in the best shape possible."

The 24-year-old added that the other aspect of his game he'd like to improve heading into Year 4 is his pocket presence.

"As I get on to it, and start working with my quarterback coach in quarterback drills, I'll work on my footwork and work on that stuff where I can be better from the pocket, and keep getting better because that's an area I still need to improve on," he said. "If I can get better there, extending plays is just a bonus."

These are the types of quotes that coaches, agents and front offices love to hear. Even with the world as his oyster, Mahomes knows if he's not working to improve, he's falling behind.

As for the massive new contract he's expected to sign at some point, Mahomes isn't worried about the deal getting done.

"I'm optimistic just to be able to be a Kansas City Chief for a long time," he said. "The best thing about this team and this organization is they handle things the right way. So, for me, obviously, I'm optimistic of getting that contract and extending my time in Kansas City. I'm just going to go about being who I am just like I have since the beginning since I was the backup until now. That's just to go out there, love this game, treat people the right way, and all that stuff handles itself."

Neither side is under pressure to strike a deal now. With questions about how much the salary cap might increase if the new CBA is ratified, Mahomes could decide to wait to see if it's in his best interest to push a new deal down the road, knowing that he's not leaving K.C. no matter what.

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Vipers drub Defenders, 25-0, for first XFL victory

The Tampa Bay Vipers have finally joined the winner's circle. And they did it in dominating fashion.

The XFL's lone winless team entering Week 4 played one of the best games of any team all season in a 25-0 drubbing over the DC Defenders.

Tampa Bay (1-3) was even more impressive on defense, holding the Defenders (2-2) to 107 total yards of offense, six first downs and 1.9 yards per play. The Vipers had come into the game having allowed the most touchdowns in the league while scoring the fewest.The Vipers ran for 256 yards, with De'Veon Smith and Jacquez Patrick becoming the league's first pair of teammates to top 100 yards in the same game. Quarterback Taylor Cornelius completed 24 of 31 passes or 211 yards and a touchdown while also running for 36 yards and a TD.

That notoriety is no longer, as Tampa Bay produced the league's second shutout. It forced a three-and-out following the opening kickoff and capped an 11-play drive with a Patrick touchdown run. The Vipers then scored on their next two possessions to take a 16-0 lead into halftime. Tampa Bay, which accumulated 477 yards of offense, continued to move the ball in the second half and punted just once in the game.

For the second week in a row, the Defenders were completely outclassed. Quarterback Cardale Jones went 9 of 22 for 72 yards with an interception before being benched in the fourth quarter in favor of Tyree Jackson. Jones' exit came after microphones on the ESPN broadcast picked him up calling for teammate DeAndre Thompkins to be taken out.

It's the second week in a row Jones, who looked like one of the stars of the league in mid-February, was forced to sit. DC has been outscored 64-9 in the past eight days after winning their first two games by a 58-19 margin.

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