Broncos’ Sean Payton hype train appears to be going nowhere
Famed offensive guru Sean Payton was widely tipped to be the first name to be hired after Black Monday as NFL teams returned to the drawing board.
With as many as five head coach openings in the league (Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans), the belief was that these teams would be queueing up to make their pitch to the former New Orleans Saints head coach.
As things stand, however, few teams have pulled the trigger to bring Payton to town.
From NFL Now: As teams line up second interviews, former #Saints coach Sean Payton does not have one lined up. Will all the spots fill up? https://t.co/HG5qCXR3g1
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that as teams are lining up their second interviews this week, Payton does not have one lined up as of yet.
"If you go through the different places that Sean Payton has interviewed, it does not seem like a second interview is coming with any of those places," Rapoport said.
He mentioned that the Broncos were credited with strong interest in Payton, but they have not yet asked for a second interview.
The Panthers are leaning toward hiring Frank Reich, who was let go by the Colts earlier this season while Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is also linked with the job.
Jim Irsay's Colts have scheduled second interviews with Rams DC Raheem Morris, Broncos DC Ejiro Evero and interim HC Jeff Saturday, the last of which has baffled Colts fans.
Bad weather in Indianapolis is messing with some of the scheduling for the Colts' in-person second interviews. Saturday's may end up being delayed. Others who have been requested for second interviews include Broncos DC Ejiro Evero and Rams RC Raheem Morris, per sources. twitter.com/AdamSchefter/s…
At the time of writing, the Texans haven't asked for a second interview either, while the Cardinals are supposedly set to interview him this week.
So where does that leave Sean Payton?
#Broncos QB Russell Wilson has reached out to Sean Payton about coaching Denver, according to FS1.
"He wants Sean Payton. He needs fixing." https://t.co/zrrGZeYLD5
Sean Payton news and rumors: Broncos appear to be looking elsewhere
Now, make no mistake. Sean Payton's Saints were near the top of the league in most offensive metrics, being bested routinely only by Tom Brady's insane numbers.
Payton's magic on offense also prolonged Drew Brees' career, which appears to be why Russell Wilson also spoke glowingly of Payton after the regular season.
On the face of it, the fact that Payton hasn't been handed an offer yet comes down to the difficulty of acquiring him, in addition to the caliber of head coaching candidates this year.
.@SeanPayton addresses head coach openings https://t.co/LYWpWlcalC
Payton technically isn't a "free agent," as has been claimed time and again. Considering he stepped away from the Saints while under contract, New Orleans still has his coaching rights.
The Saints, as has been widely reported, will likely ask for a first-round pick as a bare minimum, though the Broncos could also top that with cash consideration since their picks aren't all that valuable after the Russell Wilson trade (their first pick will likely be at No 29 or worse, after the Bradley Chubb trade).
If the Broncos get rid of that pick to acquire Sean Payton, it leaves ownership with little wiggle room to flesh out the roster, especially after a dire season.
The Broncos are projected to have about $9.5 million in cap space for 2023, according to Over the Cap.
All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II is their most valuable trade asset, though that would likely be a no-go. Jerry Jeudy could command some interest, though not enough for Denver to equip a contending roster with.
Which brings us back to the draft, where they will have a third-round pick at the earliest if they give up trade compensation for Payton.
From NFL Now on @nflnetwork, to steal a line from my pal @JeffDuncan_, the longer this goes for Sean Payton, the more it seems he’s headed back to FOX for another year. https://t.co/FbkhvF0VZb
Perhaps it makes sense for Payton to sit tight and wait for another opening next year.
Maybe Sean McVay decides he's had enough of the grind. The Cowboys might move on from Mike McCarthy (Payton has a home in Dallas, so that could be something). The Raiders may decide to start afresh after Josh McDaniels.
Either way, considering the QB class in this draft hasn't inspired all that much confidence, maybe the right move for Sean Payton is to wait out this storm, perhaps take in another year of Tom Brady's Father Time-defying greatness from the Fox booth, and then show the NFL how it's done.