The New Orleans Saints are keeping a close eye on the Sean Payton situation. Payton has made it clear that he plans on returning to the NFL soon and it looks like he is angling for the Denver Broncos opening.
So, why is this important to the Saints? Because they want to get compensated by the team that gets Payton. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints want a first-round draft choice for Payton.
It’s not unheard of for teams to get draft picks for head coach. In fact, it has been done a lot recently.
Bill Belichick from the Jets to the Patriots for a first-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a seventh-round pick.
Jon Gruden from the Raiders to the Buccaneers for two firsts, two seconds, and $8 million in cash.
Mike Holmgren from the Packers to the Seahawks for a second-round pick, and Bill Parcells from the Patriots to the Jets for first-, second-, third-, and fourth-round picks.
The Saints are smart to take advantage of the situation because they know Payton is going to be a hot commodity when he returns to the league. Several teams, including the Broncos, are looking to hire the Super Bowl-winning coach at almost any cost even if it means a first-round draft pick.
The question is, is Sean Payton worth all that? For some NFL team, he will be.
[ESPN/photo of a Saints’ fan on Dec. 18 from Stephen Lew/USA Today Sports]
