NFL rumors: One team willing to give Sean Payton “just about anything he wants”
As the race to secure Sean Payton's services warms up, and with four teams - the Arizona Cardinals, the Carolina Panthers, the Denver Broncos, and the Houston Texans - authorized to interview him by the New Orleans Saints, there might be one that is willing to do anything he wants to become the new head coach.
A report from Mark Maske from the Washington Post states that Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is willing to give Payton "just about anything he wants" to move to Carolina.
Panthers owner David Tepper would give Sean Payton "just about anything he wants" to be the team's coach, one source says. It's not clear, however, how enthusiastic Payton is at this point about the opportunity in Carolina.
The Panthers would be the odd choice in the race for Payton, as they're inside the same division as the Saints and there's no clear answer for the quarterback position. Since New Orleans still holds the coach's rights, any team that reaches a deal with him needs to send some trade compensation to the Saints. The price would be higher for a division rival.
Still, if he does get anything he wants from the owner to move to a new team, this would give him complete freedom to operate within the franchise - all while receiving a huge amount of money. If it's going to offset the current state of the Panthers' roster, it's a different story.
The expectation, as stated by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis directly to Payton, is that any team hoping to acquire the coach's services needs to part ways with a mid-to-late first-round pick.
Why are many teams interested in Sean Payton?
He's one of the most successful coaches this century, leading a complete rebuild for the Saints franchise that was historically bad and transforming it right after Hurricane Katrina, leading New Orleans to its first-ever Super Bowl four years after he was hired.
He's also one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of the league, and that's the expectation of any team that might hire him: give him enough pieces and time, and he shall orchestrate one of the best offenses in the league while making the team a constant playoff contender, just like he did in New Orleans.
There's no shortage of suitors for him, and while his salary will surely be a big one, he's the exact kind of guy you would invest in the long-term.