Sean Payton Tops the List
Posted: January 3rd, 2016 | Author: Tommy Lawlor | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 94 Comments »Coaching rumors are hot and heavy this time of the year. You have to know who to trust. Paul Domowitch is one of the guys I definitely trust. He won’t always be right, but he’s not the type of writer to just throw rumors out casually. He’s only reporting something he feels really strongly about.
Tonight he reported that Sean Payton is the Eagles top target. There are 2 key issues here. First, Payton is still under contract. The Saints have to decide if they want to move on from him. Second, if they do, they would likely try to trade Payton rather than just firing him.
Payton’s situation in New Orleans appears to be a little more fluid. With two years and $17 million left on his contract, the Saints aren’t going to fire him, even though the team finished 7-9 this season and failed to make the playoffs for the third time in the last four years.
But there are have been indications that both sides might be ready to part ways. As Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer pointed out Sunday, though, the Saints likely would want compensation from the team that hires Payton. The price he mentioned was a second-round pick.
The Eagles currently don’t have a second-round pick in next spring’s draft. They gave that away to the Rams in the Sam Bradford deal.
Go read the whole piece. Domo has some other nuggets, including a bit about John Harbaugh.
Going after Payton makes a ton of sense. He is a proven coach and a proven winner. Things have fallen apart in New Orleans in the last couple of years, mostly on defense. Rob Ryan turned out to be an awful hire. The Saints also made a lot of short terms moves that left the team with expensive veterans and serious cap issues.
Payton coached in Philly during the Ray Rhodes era. He has some idea of the media, the fans and the pressure that comes with the job. That helps. If you aren’t prepared for Philly, it can be a bit overwhelming.
Would Payton want the Eagles job? Hard to say. We’ll get more into that angle when we find out this week (hopefully tomorrow) if he’s staying in New Orleans or will be available.
I hope the Saints do put him on the market and the Eagles do what they can. I’ve always been a big fan of Payton’s and would love to see what he could do with the Eagles offense.
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A nugget of interest from the Domo piece.
But in case you didn’t notice, Lurie was purposely vague about Roseman’s exact role in personnel last week.
They made a bigger deal about the elevation of senior personnel advisor Tom Donahoe to senior director of player personnel. But according to a league source, that’s essentially a short-term situation that will change once the Eagles hire a new coach and bring in a younger personnel lieutenant.
Makes total sense. Hire the coach and then go get a personnel guy that he and Howie Roseman can work with.
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Chuck Pagano seems like the type of coach that Jeff Lurie will want to talk to.
Coach Pagano's victory speech for #TENvsIND: https://t.co/qIFyv9pSvK
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) January 3, 2016
That is a great video.
Pagano is worth considering as a candidate, but he’s far from a slam dunk. I’ll write up a full post on him in the near future. The quick version goes like this. Guy went 11-5, 11-5 and 8-8 in the last 3 years. That’s a good record. He has had some success in the postseason, but hasn’t been good enough to get by the Patriots. His players love him and he’s got an extensive defensive background. Before becoming coach of the Colts, he ran the Ravens defense and they were 3rd in points and yards allowed.
The flip side is that he had a lot of success in Indy, but was handed a golden ticket in the form of Andrew Luck. That is also the worst division in football. His record is basically . 500 in non-division games. There is a lot of drama and in-fighting in Indy. It doesn’t sound like Pagano is responsible for much of it, but there is some guilt by association. There are also questions about him as a coach. The most famous example was the dreadful fake punt “thing” the Colts tried against the Pats this year. Pagano then didn’t handle the explanation of that very well.
I’m not advocating for him, but I do think he’s worth talking to.
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I put together an Around the League piece last night. Just random stuff.
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Domowitch also said he was hearing the same thing as Schefter about Doug Pederson being a leading candidate IF the Eagles can’t land Payton.
I think the plan with Pederson is that he will coach the first nine games of the season and then Donovan McNabb will take over as head coach and coach the team for the next decade.
He’ll draft a young qb named Andy Reid and ask him to throw the ball 40 times a game to a collection of mediocre receivers.
We already have the mediocre wide receivers!
Good one. He’ll have to do a better job putting them in position to succeed.
Please
We don’t have James thrash, Toddy Pinkston and Fred Mitchell
I would take or current group in a heart beat and I’m more lukewarm towards them
Matthews would be just fine if he could channel his inner Jerry Rice and hold on to the flippin’ ball. Too many drops!
True but until he does (If he ever does) he’s more in the Pinkston category than the Jerry Rice category
1. Tennessee Titans: 3-13 (.492 strength of schedule)
2. Cleveland Browns: 3-13 (.531)
3. San Diego Chargers: 4-12 (.528)
4. Dallas Cowboys: 4-12 (.533)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11 (.473)
6. Baltimore Ravens: 5-11 (.508)
7. San Francisco 49ers: 5-11 (.539)
8. Miami Dolphins: 6-10 (.469)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-10 (.484)
10. New York Giants: 6-10 (.498)
11. Chicago Bears: 6-10 (.548)
12. New Orleans Saints: 7-9 (.504)
13. Philadelphia Eagles: 7-9 (.508)
14. Oakland Raiders: 7-9 (.512)
15. St. Louis Rams: 7-9 (.528)
16. Detroit Lions: 7-9 (.536)
17. Atlanta Falcons: 8-8 (.478)
18. Indianapolis Colts: 8-8 (.500)
19. Buffalo Bills: 8-8 (.508)
20. New York Jets: 10-6 (.441)
Jets win the 2014 Eagles award, 10 wins and the worst possible draft pick (20). Tough end of season
And a star player broke his leg (Wilkerson)
Anyone think Allas takes a QB
Nah, too much money tied into Romo, believe they are tied for two more years. Maybe later round or next year, but not at 4.
Wouldn’t that make it smart to get a solid prospect locked up for 5 years on the cheap? (Not that smart equates to likely…)
Nobody makes a #4 overall draft pick sit for two years nowadays, and that is what they would have to do. If they are going to spend a first rounder, more likely to do it next year
Anyone who thinks Romo’s backup is going to be sitting the next two years hasn’t been watching Romo.
After their experience this year, it wouldn’t surprise me. But hey, Manziel will be available. Ah hahahahahahaha!!!!!!
I think they go pass rusher probably
They could go for Ramsey
I hope they just go OL so they can say they have best 6 lololol
wait no never mind we need some beef in the draft but I think we trade back pretty much no matter what
Ugh saints just barely snuck ahead of us
Big loss to ATL week one as it turns out.
I miss the days of Jerry screwing up draft picks
That was fun. I wonder if they will look at treadwell. Dez’s foot was pretty bad (funny, Julio basically predicted it would be the whole year) and their receivers were exposed without him. Dez and treadwell would be downright scary
I have a suspicion they go with Jalen Ramsey. I agree it would be scary with Dez and Treadwell on either side.
FWIW and NFC scout said he doesn’t see any receiver being taken in the top-15. I think if any receiver is taken it will be Treadwell
Interesting, hadn’t heard that about no receivers top 15. I think there is only 1, but Treadwell looks like a stud to me. He did have the bad injury, wonder if maybe his 40 isn’t quite back to where it was
just one guy’s opinion really but i have heard it from others too now that i think about it……this class is nothing like the last 2, that is for sure
If we cut Chip with two years left but then pay compensation for Payton that will just piss me off. I’d rather go with Gase or someone.
Why? You paying lunch money to Jeffrey Lurie?
why? Because I don’t want to give up draft picks. The compensation won’t be cash.
Ah. Got it. Agreed.
He means paying draft picks
I don’t mind Payton, but I don’t think it is worth giving up draft picks to get him.
Maybe it’s just how we like to feel like victims, but since Chip was hired I felt like so many analysts/ reporters so badly wanted Chip to fail. It seemed like this even carried over to the local reporters. Just way over the top. I’m not sure if the firing was warranted quite yet, and I think this was all unfair but I’m happy to get back to a more traditional coach and stop talking about time of possession and reading all the hit pieces. I am a little fatigued by it all.
I’m with you on that. It was like it was a challenge. “So he’s a genius eh? We’ll see about that..”
yeah no geniuses this time please.
CHip brought a lot of ish on himself but I agree the media/pundits went above and beyond to crush Chip before he even showed up here. Even some fans never wanted the guy work out here.
I had my doubts, but the damn green blood kept me hoping I was wrong. It would be one of those, worth the risk moves.
it’s what i’m most happiest about too. Initially i didn’t like the firing, but if the players have tuned you out there really isn’t much you can do as an owner/GM. Chip’s style is tolerable if the team is winning but can run it’s course real quick when things snowball.
He’s not part of the NFL fraternity, he didn’t “pay his dues” by coming up through the ranks so a lot of people didn’t want him to succeed, it was painfully obvious watching most talk shows/pre-game shows. I think i started rooting for the guy more just to shut those guys up, but they ended up being proved right as much as i hate to say it. I don’t have a problem with people who opposed his style/philosophy but some of it just became irrational hate. Gus Bradley, Mike Mccoy,Joe Philbin and guys like that don’t get the same vitriol that Chip got and Chip arguably had more success than all 3 of them.
It’s why i’m sort of happy it looks like the next guy hired will be someone quiet who the old guard will nod in approval of. Not a guy the media will hail as a “genius”, then mock the guy for not living up to their expectations
then we can just try to quietly right the ship. I want to be a little under the radar.
Additionally I LOVE when nobody is talking about us. Thats when our team seems to thrive
Dreamteam+ This year= no more front running please
I ALWAYS feel like they root against Philly, actively.
Alex Marvez reporting that in addition to Gase, Teryl Austin and Ben McAdoo are targets.
Mcadoo a target…..
for what? That would probably be the worse choice we’ve seen mentioned imo. Best WR+ Vet QB and still can’t get it done in the nfcleast
Shaping up for a great finish in Green Bay
Cordarelle Patterson had the game won… and then he lost it
yup….i think Zimmer hates him….guy is in the dog house a lot
All he can do is return kicks. Isnt he a No 1 pick?
first round yes….went late in 1st round i think
Zimmer doesn’t come across as the friendliest of guys.
He looked like Josh Huff.
Dude has fumbled like once… people make it seem like he has a habit like Ertz, Murray or Mathews
to be fair he has a lot less catches than those guys too. I get nervous when I see Huff, bad things happen , usually to us
Maybe wherever Chip lands he will wanna trade for Huff? Just got to get him to tear an ACL first
Remember the kick off last year in the 2nd dallas game
or overtime he tries to catch he pops the ball in the air? He’s basically our preston parker
That Kick off was on Brad Smith… Coach and staff put that on him. That’s the whole reason you have an up man
If u believe that. Personally I don’t and have lost all confidence in that kid. Cooper needs to go first then hopefully Huff. I’m hopeful a new HC can get the best out of him but at this point I doubt it
Doesn’t really bug me. I think people hate him because he was drafted 2 rounds earlier than he should have been.
I just want him to succeed here because he cost us a 3rd rounder. I don’t see a reason to cut him this year, yet
wow Crosby the kicker for GB just caught up to a long kick return guy and actually stripped the ball out and GB recovered. Wow.
That’s got to be the most embarrassing thing ever for the returner. He’ll never live that down.
and it may cost the game too. That would have been an icing FG for the Vikings.
haha Rodgers intercepted.
you know if the search is like last time I would be surprised if they say interview Gase tomorrow and hire him right away. These guys just have been much more methodical in the past. The Chip hire seemed to take forever.
Rumors of drug abuse aside, I’m not a fan of Sean Payton. It has little to do with HC retreads not doing well, and more what happened with the bounty situation. There are two possibilities:
1. Payton knew about the bounties to injure opposing players and condoned it or looked the other way.
2. Payton had no idea what his assistants were doing in meeting rooms with his players.
Either of those are inexcusable for me. Not what I want in a coach.
I guess it’s possible that the whole bounty thing never happened. However, I doubt the NFL would have taken the action it did were that the case.
Pass.
Buddy Ryan did the same for years! That’s exactly what this city wants in a coach!!
exactly.
I love some of NBC’s song choices on their way to commercial…..just played Minnesota’s own Prince after the Viking interception.
They have a knack for choosing a song that applies to a team or game situation
There’s a guy who does all that special. I read about him a couple of years ago.
who do you guys like in the games next week? In our neighborhood pool against the spread the overall champion will get $300 (b/c no winner the past few weeks). I am 4 games up (overall record) with 11 playoff games (if I am counting right) to play. Should I just pick all the favorites and see if anyone can pick enough underdogs to get me? (not sure why that feels safer to me when it’s against the spread)
I am 4 up on one person and I think 6 up on 2 people.
Anyone else notice that little jumping munchkin in the replay to the lions game?. It’s kind of hilarious
Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
32s32 seconds ago
Eagles will interview interim head coach Pat Shurmur on Monday and Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Tuesday, per @mortreport.
Sounds like we’re getting Gase’s first interview. Doubtful he’d be ready mentally to interview with team tomorrow right after game.
1 retweet
3 likes
Yay! that’s excellent news! I was so depressed.
John McMullen @JFMcMullen
#Eagles are bringing in Adam Gase to interview, per @diannaESPN. As reported at @973espn the timing of Kelly firing was to get first in line
Unless the next stop was browns or niners
Nick Saban! just kidding…
I’ll go with Greg Roman.
I think it’s hard to project coordinators out. Who knows if just because you can get Cutler to play well that means you can run the whole organization.
folks have been down on Howie getting power back, but look a lot of trouble teams find themselves in are self-inflicted. Like Ruben Amaro, my god. Howie won’t do that. It could be a lot worse. I feel kind of safe. Having someone who knows value and likely won’t make bad contract signings or horrible trades is actually a pretty good place to be.
Why even bother with the amaro metaphor, chip kelly was the well documented king of value disregard.
One thing Howie is good at is the misinformation game. Possibly be leaked interest in Payton to drive up the potential trade value for the Giants or even Cowboys…?
Genius didn’t even think of that.
I wouldn’t want Payton for free, let alone a draft pick
Bruh trading a top 10 pick for…. Nah they aren’t that dumb
Wow, the Pack went from looking like champs to chumps.
I think they will handle the skins easily though, so not too bad a loss
I don’t. Washington at home wont be a push over
Not sure they win that
it is all Olivia Munn’s fault.
RE Payton:
Tell us more about this coach who’s got a winning record but his defense and DC let the team down……..
feels eerily similar…. Does he at least prioritize Christmas parties?
Hop aboard the Gase bus! Ok it doesn’t have to rhyme.
Philly Sports Talk @_Philly_Talk 26m26 minutes ago
Philly Sports Talk Retweeted John Middlekauff
Per @JohnMiddlekauff, If Adam Gase is hired as a head coach, Jim Bob Cooter could be his offensive coordinator.
Gaceface
its like bad Eli but better?
Is Billy Bob going to be the DC?
Gase is married to daughter of former Eagles coach Joe Vitt who is of course Sean Payton’s boy, what a tangled web …
Has any Eagles’ impending FA had this team more over the barrel than Bradford? I think you have to go all the way back to Reggie White after the ’92 season.
It was a foregone conclusion that Braman wasn’t going to pay White at that time. White wound up surprising people and taking at the time record 4 yr/$17M deal from GB instead of signing with the Skins or 49ers.
It was the beginning of the end of Gang Green. Legendary Mike Flores replaced White, Evans blow out his knee never to recover, and Hopkins/Waters both had injury-plagued and largely ineffective years as their last year as starters. The ’93 defense still had several stand out starters but it notably declined.
I don’t even think they make a decision on Bradford until they hire a new coach. What comes first, the QB or the coach? Maybe Sean Payton comes in and says “Bradford blows, let’s draft someone”