Tomcat Droning?

I read that the USN wants to replace the QF-4s with F-14’s. If the F-14 is so expensive to maintain why waste money flying it as a drone? To me this seems to be another example of the USN doing the best it can to destroy the best aircraft it ever operated and the only aircraft it has that can properly project power. So while the USAF is getting F/A-22s and doing their best keep their F-15s in service till 2028, the USN is doing its damndest to operate one of the biggest dogs in service today- the F/A-18E/F Stupid Hornet!