Tag on Brees a week or more away

Full Story Here: "The Chargers intend to use the 'franchise' tag on quarterback Drew Brees to keep him from walking away without compensation as an unrestricted free agent next month, but they won't do so for at least a week.

General Manager A.J. Smith said yesterday he plans to spend the rest of this week digesting recommendations and opinions offered during the team's end-of-the-season player-evaluation meetings, then forward a plan for 2005 to club President Dean Spanos next week.

The Chargers have until Feb. 22 to use the franchise tag, which would allow them to maintain Brees' rights for the coming season. The move immediately would count $8.078 million against the team's 2005 salary cap, but Smith planned for that possibility by clearing $21 million of cap space for the coming season."