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New Orleans Saints seeking two first-round picks in Sean Payton trade

Sean Payton

Entering the offseason, Sean Payton seemed like a sure bet to be hired as an NFL head coach again. Five head coaching vacancies are five fewer than last season, but still, for one of the top coaching candidates in this year’s hiring cycle, Payton’s résumé speaks for itself as a Super Bowl-winning coach.

Yet, one option is already off the board, with the Carolina Panthers choosing to hire another experienced mind, Frank Reich. Now, there are just three teams who have interviewed Payton left, with the Indianapolis Colts yet to be linked to the former New Orleans Saints head coach.

Hiring Payton has its own complications, in that Payton is under contract with the Saints through next season. This means any team looking to hire Payton will have to complete a trade with New Orleans. Payton previously mentioned the expected cost for his services began at a first-round pick, landing somewhere near the middle of the round.

But NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has heard otherwise. According to Pelissero, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is seeking two first-round picks for the 59-year-old head coach. This meshes with other recent reports as well.

Trading a first-round pick is already a heavy price to pay, but trading two? That’s a massive trade that could potentially seriously impact a team’s depth and ability to improve their roster. Yet, this type of compensation in a head coaching trade is not unprecedented.

NFL head coach trades

  • 1970 – Miami Dolphins trade 1970 first-round pick to Baltimore Colts for Don Shula
  • 1977 – New York Jets trade 1997 third- and fourth-round picks, ’98 second-round pick, ’99 first-round pick, $300,000 for charity to New England Patriots for Bill Parcells
  • 1999 – Seattle Seahawks trade a second-round pick to Green Bay Packers for Mike Holmgren
  • 2000 – New England Patriots trade 2000 first-round pick, ’01 fourth- and seventh-round picks to the New York Jets for Bill Belichick
  • 2005 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers trade 2002, ’03 first-round picks, 2002, ’04 second-round, and $8 million cash considerations to the Raiders for Jon Gruden
  • 2006 – Kansas City Chiefs trade 2006 fourth-round pick to the Jets for Herm Edwards
  • 2019 – Buccaneers trade 2019 sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for Bruce Arians and a 2019 seventh-round pick

Trade cost could be scaring teams away from Sean Payton

NFL: Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Could we be reaching the point where Payton’s trade cost is becoming too rich? Maybe that’s been the Saints’ plan all along, not wanting to allow Payton to ditch the contract he originally agreed to back in Sept. of 2019.

Even if Payton desperately wants to return to NFL sidelines, New Orleans’ high demands may be preventing such a move. For other NFL front offices, the chance to hire any unproven coach may outweigh the cost of not only potentially parting with two first-round picks but likely also up to $20-$25 million in annual salary.

At this point, unless a team is willing to fork over major trade compensation in addition to a hefty salary, it wouldn’t shock anyone if Payton decides to return to FOX Sports for another year working as an NFL analyst.

On Sunday, Payton suggested we could learn a lot more about his future this week.

Payton remains alive in the race to become the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans. In Arizona, he’d get to eventually work with Kyler Murray once the QB recovers from ACL surgery. In Denver, Payton gets to try and turn around a future Hall of Fame QB’s career. And in Houston, he could potentially have the chance to mold and develop Heisman winner Bryce Young.

While rumors have suggested Payton prefers to work in Los Angeles or Dallas, getting to coach any of these talented QBs has to be enticing, especially when the alternative is another year on the outside looking in. Then again, the decision may not be his to make at all.

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