I know, I know, the season isn’t even over yet, but reports of Payton and the Saints possibly parting ways keep coming. You could dismiss them as conjecture and a ploy for clicks, but I personally think there’s something to it.
The Saints came close to going to another Super Bowl in 2011 and started mortgaging the future in an attempt to get back. Despite their aggressive approach, the team was only able to get back to the playoffs once in the following 3 seasons, and it looks as if they’ll miss the playoff yet again.
This off-season the team had to pay their bills, so to speak. They cut overpaid veterans, traded away what assets they had, stockpiled picks, and to everyone’s surprise, used all of them.
The results were leading the league in dead money and playing time for rookies, and as I write this, a 4-7 record.
It’s not all doom and gloom. The team looks to have had a very good draft. Young players like Cooks, Vaccaro and Armstead have made some significant progress. While there are glaring holes at key positions, and the roster depth is very poor, there are some young pieces (especially on defense) that could make a vacant head coaching job very attractive.
So why Dennis Allen?
When teams part ways with a head coach they usually replace him with someone whose expertise is on the other side of the ball. He already has a relationship with the players and the front office. He would have a leg up in coming up with a game plan for rebuilding the team.
People will be quick to point out his record as a head coach in Oakland, but it is important to remember that the roster he inherited was devoid of talent after years of terrible drafts (sound familiar?). His successor walked into a much more favorable situation.
Obviously the team would need to receive compensation for Sean Payton, which could yield 2 first round and a handful of lower round picks. The price payout could be sizable if numerous teams get involved.
The draft picks will be important, because the team will still be carrying a sizable amount of dead money next year. The Saints are already at current cap projections for next season with only 41 players under contract. Stockpiling picks and being thrifty in free agency will be the name of the game.
Of course there’s the issue of Drew Brees, who carries a cap hit of 30 million next season. You could extend him and continue with past salary cap practices. You could ask him to take a pay cut, but he’s not likely to obliged. You could try to package him with Payton, but that might be too steep for interested teams, and Payton might want to begin to work with another young player. Or, you could just absorb his cap hit and roll with him for one season.
I think the teams best bet is to trade him to a team that feels they’re just a quarterback away from being a contender. I think Brees has shown this year that he’s still very good if given time, but time has been a rare commodity.
You could potentially have 3 first round picks in next years draft if you play your cards right, which would be huge, especially if Jeff Ireland stays on board.
Maybe best of all, the team could finally get rid of dead weight at key coaching positions. In fact, I think you just clean house completely. I’m sure Payton would want his entourage anyway.
So with a stockpile of picks, and cap space opening up in 2017, you have Dennis Allen as your head coach, Jeff Ireland heading up scouting, and hopefully a wiser and more prudent Mickey Loomis.
Would you sign up for that? I just might.
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