A perfect fit

Drew Brees has built a strong enough relationship with the city of New Orleans that he can finally admit it: He was leaning toward signing with the Miami Dolphins three years ago when the two NFL teams were competing for his services during free agency.

From a football perspective, it was a no-brainer. The Saints had just finished a dismal 3-13 season and were starting over with new coach Sean Payton. The Dolphins, meanwhile, had rebuilt themselves under former LSU football coach Nick Saban, coming off a respectable 9-7 season.

"And just looking at it from an outsider's perspective, not knowing anything about New Orleans other than Mardi Gras, you're thinking, 'New Orleans vs. Miami,' " said Brees, Miami rolling off his tongue like a game-show host announcing the grand prize. "And I'm coming from San Diego, where Miami would be less of a transition. So naturally going into it, I was leaning toward Miami."

New Orleans, on the other hand, was in obvious transition. About six months earlier, the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, leaving its future and that of its NFL franchise in doubt.

But all of Brees' concerns were quashed after one aggressive recruiting trip in which he visited Saints officials. After visiting the team's brass, the 27-year-old quarterback felt as if he had found a place where he belonged.

The Dolphins weren't as committed to Brees because of concerns about his ability to recover from major shoulder surgery, but the Saints "pulled out all the stops," according to Payton, in pursuit of the Pro Bowl quarterback.

"We were going to be 'all in,' " Payton said. "We weren't going to be lukewarm."

Things have turned out pretty well for both sides, enough that Brees said he won't be spending much time thinking about "what might have been" as the 5-0 Saints travel to Miami to face the 2-3 Dolphins on Sunday....