This week’s New Orleans Saints news cycle isn’t focused on the team so much as its former head coach; general manager Mickey Loomis ensured that Sean Payton would own the spotlight by taking a week off to defuse any high-strung emotions before making decisions on the coaching staff and offseason strategy.
At this point we know the big players in Payton’s sweepstakes. The Denver Broncos have scheduled an in-person interview with him as soon as NFL rules allow them to meet, and both the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans have received permission to talk with Payton about their vacancies. Other teams could emerge after this weekend’s wild-card playoff round, but those are the big three right now.
So what would a trade with them look like? New Orleans will get some compensation back once Payton has chosen his next team, and they reportedly want a first round pick and additional draft assets as part of that deal (remember, players can’t be involved in coach trades). That’s led to plenty of speculation and daydreaming about the Saints getting a king’s ransom in return, so here’s a proposal for each team.
With apologies to fans thinking big about a Jon Gruden-style return (two first round picks, two second round picks, and his $8 million in remaining salary), this situation is different, and even though Payton should be valued at the same level, New Orleans shouldn’t anticipate something that lofty. There hasn’t been a comparable trade in 20 years, and it’s not like the Saints have a lot of leverage here. If Payton only okays one team, they’ll have to take that offer.
That also takes the second- and third-overall picks in the 2023 draft off the board. Crazy things have happened before in the NFL, but it would be wild to see either of those picks (owned by Houston and Arizona, respectively) go to New Orleans. For one thing, Payton is going to want to have those picks in his own pocket once he’s hired as head coach. Sorry if that feels like being dunked in cold water, but it’s better to keep expectations grounded in hopes of being surprised than to set them too high and end up being disappointed.
Okay, enough of that disclaimer. Here are three trade proposals for sending Payton to the Broncos, Texans, or Cardinals: