Saints Exec VP & GM Mickey Loomis was seeking "more than the second-round pick that was deemed reasonable" compensation for coach Sean Payton, which was a main reason Payton yesterday announced he was returning to the team for the remaining two years of his contract, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Loomis was seeking "at least a first-round pick" from an interested team ("NFL Total Access," NFL Network, 1/6). FS1's Peter Schrager reports the 49ers "did have interest" in Payton, but the Saints were not in a situation "where they were shopping Sean Payton and trying to get draft picks." Schrager: "He wants to be in New Orleans. ... At the end of the day, he's pretty happy where he is. He's being paid a lot of money. He has control of personnel to the point where he can talk directly to the GM and say, ‘I like this’” ("Fox Sports Live," FS1, 1/7).
STILL PAYTON'S PLACE: In New Orleans, Katherine Terrell in a front-page piece noted Payton “put an end to months of speculation that he could walk away from his Saints contract and start over with another team.” If he “wanted to go, the Saints would have had to release him from his contract and would have received compensation." Payton said that it “never got that far.” Payton: "I know no one's giving up the compensation that he was, I'm sure looking and researching. That could only happen if I sign off on it, and I think the cart kind of gets ahead of the horse a little bit" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/7). Saints Owners Tom and Gayle Benson, VP Dennis Lauscha and Loomis attended the press conference “in a show of support and solidarity” (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/7). ESPN's J.A. Adande said, "Keeping Sean Payton is a nod to what they accomplished and what he helped build.” Adande: "Payton’s coaching is not the reason they’ve fallen off the last couple of years. I think their cap management and of course the inevitable decline of Drew Brees." The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan: "It’s a specific situation unlike any other in the league because of the Katrina thing and the way that he connected with that community. In the end I think that he is going to wind up being synonymous with them as much as anybody” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 1/6). However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said, "We’ve yet to hear anyone from the organization stand up and match what Sean Payton has said." Florio: "Twice during the season, he says I intend to stay with the Saints. Crickets from the organization. Today, ‘I intend to stay with the Saints.’ He’s out there alone” (“PFT,” NBC Sports Network, 1/6).
ASKING FOR THE MOON: ESPN's Tony Kornheiser wondered if teams not being willing to match Loomis' asking price on compensation was a "blow to (Payton's) ego." Kornheiser: "I honestly would have thought that a lot of teams would have traded for him. ... I thought he was a more highly prized commodity than this" ("PTI," ESPN, 1/6). ESPN's Pablo Torre: "You wonder maybe if the asking price was a little bit lower, could they have actually shipped him out for something of value?” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 1/6). ESPN's Joe Banner: "If I’m Mickey Loomis and I am asking ... for a first-round draft pick in compensation, the best offer I have is a third, I want to make it look like he is staying. I’m just wondering if there isn’t a negotiation behind the scenes that we just saw playing out publicly.” Banner added, “I am still not sure this is over" ("NFL Insiders," ESPN, 1/6).
