Saints won't let Sean Payton walk, but a trade for picks is a real possibility – CBSSports.com

Several teams are prepared to approach the New Orleans Saints about trading for head coach Sean Payton, according to league sources, and under the right set of circumstances that’s a possibility that could well appeal to him. Contrary to a previous report, the Saints are not entertaining the prospect of releasing their most successful coach in franchise history from his deal and would not do so.

Payton is focused on the task at hand with the Saints and enjoys some unique circumstances there. Payton and GM Mickey Loomis essentially have full autonomy, with owner Tom Benson dealing with health issues and not a significant factor in organizational decisions, sources said. Payton is also very enthused about some of the talent on his young team, and any of the machinations about his future are taking place at a level he is not involved in. His mind is on the next game, but the reality is that other pro and college programs have been interested in him in the past and will be so again this winter.

The Dolphins, for one, are very interested in Payton, but it would likely take a change in their organizational structure to make that a job that most interested him, according to sources. The Titans, Colts and Browns could be in the market for his services as well, and the rebuilding Saints would likely be interested in the kind of draft-pick compensation a coach as distinguished as Payton could yield with two years left on his contract.

In a year in which a slew of openings are expected and in which there are few proven A-list candidates, a coach like Payton would have a particular allure, and he has no shortage of advocates in the league. A change of scenery could be the best thing for him at this point, and given the cap and roster issues the Saints face, January could make sense for all parties for a parting of the ways.

Regardless, Payton would be a cog in the process, and not spearheading it, as he has not expressed a desire to leave the team. Any approaches for him would be made at an ownership level well above his head. If a team pursuing him were not to his liking, however, Payton could scuttle the deal, and sources said the Saints would not deal him somewhere he did not want to go.

He would not sign an extension with a team that would not appeal to him, and that would be a component of any deal given the amount of compensation required to acquire him. But with the Saints in a recent free fall and their long-term ownership future in a state of uncertainty, sources said they will be approached by several other clubs about the status of their head coach, and dealing him could propel their rebuild.

Sean Payton could be available in a trade this offseason. (USATSI)

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