The trade is done, Sean Payton is set to be the next head coach of the Denver Broncos. All that's left is the debate: Did they get enough?
It's a fair question, considering the limited track record of head coach trades in NFL history and the Saints' reported desire to bring back multiple first-round picks in any deal for their former coach. Ultimately they landed a 2023 first and a 2024 second in exchange for Payton and a 2024 third-rounder.
So was it enough? WWL's Bobby Hebert lands firmly in the "yes" camp as he reacted to the deal on SportsTalk alongside Mike Detillier.
“The Saints got the best deal that they could’ve gotten," Hebert said, responding to a caller who wasn't a fan of the deal. "I think that this is a better deal than if Sean had went back to Fox and then we would’ve been in the same situation next year, we would’ve have gotten as much.”
As Hebert notes, one of the complicating factors in any negotiation was that Payton possessed a poison pill to potentially nix any deal with his ability to go back to Fox for another year. Any team that needs a head coach this year wouldn't be able to wait, meaning the entire market would have to reset and the Saints would've been left with no immediate compensation and a similar predicament heading into 2024 with one fewer year remaining on Payton's deal. Because of that, another team didn't just have to agree to meet the Saints' compensation demands, they'd also have to be an acceptable destination as far as the coach was concerned. Oh, and if that all worked out, they'd have to meet the steep salary demands, as well.
“It has to be a two-way street," Hebert continued. "It has to work out for Sean and it has to work out for the Saints. You might say, ‘well wouldn’t we have gotten more compensation from the Texans or the Cardinals?’ Whatever, but everyone has to agree on that. What if Sean Payton says ‘I’m not going to Houston. I’m not going to Arizona.’ No, it all has to work out. A lot of times fans don’t realize all the things that are involved to make that happen.”
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In the end that location was the Broncos, who looked to be reaching the end of their shortlist. They were reportedly eyeing DeMeco Ryans as a candidate, but he landed with the Houston Texans. Dan Quinn opted to return as the Cowboys defensive coordinator. Denver had also been linked to Jim Harbaugh, who has insisted that he'll remain at Michigan rather than take another foray into the NFL ranks.
The Panthers signed Frank Reich to be their next head coach. That left Denver and Arizona as the only two realistic destinations, with Payton in town for an interview last week. The Cardinals have been slowly working through their head coach interviews, and it's possible that their continued involvement might've driven up the price if the Saints had dragged things out. They didn't, and it's a difficult decision to argue. Ultimately it was Denver that wanted Sean, and an offense that features Russell Wilson and several compelling weapons to makes the most sense for Sean to want to lead.
So did the Saints get the most possible? That doesn't really matter. They got enough. Good luck in your new gig, Sean ... unless you face the Saints, that is.
“Hey, I want Sean Payton to do well," Hebert said. "But it’s all about the Saints. The Hell with Sean Payton. You can be buddy-buddy, Mickey Loomis and Sean, but you’ve got to go forward.”
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