After apparently flirting with the idea last offseason, the New Orleans Saints might look to trade head coach Sean Payton after this year.
The Saints, 5-8, look like a team headed for a rebuild with Drew Brees getting up there in age and the roster in need of talent at several key places.
Payton is a big-ticket item, though his tenure with the Saints may have run its full course. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora shared the report:
League sources said the Saints — adrift in another lost season and with veteran quarterback Drew Brees spiraling in recent weeks — would consider moving the coach should there be suitors, and it would not likely require hefty trade compensation.
“I don’t think it would take all that much to get him, actually,” said one source with knowledge of the situation. “I don’t think [GM] Mickey [Loomis] would hold him back or ask for all that much in return at this point.”
Mired in a tough cap situation with an overhaul needed, the Saints might as well see what they can get for Payton if the organization doesn’t believe he’s the guy to lead a rebuild.
Many teams might pay whatever the Saints ask, too. This is especially the case for a team that fancies itself ready to take the next step.
No matter what happens, Payton has been a key figure in Saints history and the avenue of the split won’t take that from either party. He led the team through the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and won a title, cementing his legacy.
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