QB Drew Brees

Estimated average annual salary: $36.5 million

Projected compensatory pick: 3rd round

Brees has already said that he intends on returning to the Saints or hanging up his cleats altogether, but for the sake of being thorough we’ll include him. Brees has grounds to demand market-setting pay for quarterbacks (Seattle Seahawks passer Russell Wilson currently leads the league at $35 million per year), but there’s no way the Saints would pony up that much for him given his age and the salary cap resources already committed to him. It’s in everyone’s best interests if Brees again settles for less, as he did on his last contract extension (which averaged $25 million per year). Accepting less for himself would allow the Saints to surround Brees with more help in what may be his last shot at another Super Bowl title.

[vertical-gallery id=28660]