Derrick Brooks to Work Out for Saints

Future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks has stated numerous times he's not ready to retire. After being released this past offseason by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- with whom the 36-year-old had played his entire 14-year career -- Brooks couldn't find interest from anyone. Well, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Brooks has finally received some interest.

The Saints will bring the 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker in for a workout. Brooks still has enough ability to fulfill a need for the Saints, considering their weakness at linebacker other than Jonathan Vilma. The need became even greater when backup linebacker Mark Simoneau went down with a torn triceps muscle.

The Saints decided to give Brooks a shot in light of what head coach Sean Payton saw when studying film from last season.

"We felt like he was still playing at a high level," Payton said. "He's an intelligent player, instinctive, a guy that's really been a pain for us over the years, so we've got a lot of respect for his ability."

At this point in training camp, bringing in Brooks would be a superb move for the Saints. He's not highly sought after, so it's not like they'd have to break the proverbial bank to land his services.

In addition to the aforementioned Pro Bowl appearances, Brooks was named first-team All-NFL five times and NFL Defensive Player of the Year once during his sparkling stint in Tampa Bay. He also accrued a defensive touchdown en route to winning the Super Bowl in 2002.

We're talking about an all-time great linebacker, so anything he has left in the tank would be a plus for a defense that was dreadful last season. Plus, with his leadership and experience, he'd be like a coach on the field for many of the younger players.