There were a ton of coaching dominos that fell before the season ended and a couple more toppled again on Sunday (keep updated of all the coaching moves here with our handy tracker). There are still moves to make and one franchise that looms as a potential surprise shaker-upper are the Saints, who just finished 7-9 for the third straight season under Sean Payton.
According to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, "there remains a real possibility" that the Saints would consider trading Payton to the Los Angeles Rams, who are interested in acquiring a big name, offensive-minded coach who can make a splash in L.A., reinvigorate the franchise and work with Jared Goff.
Payton, despite his recent struggles, could fit the bill and, at the very least, make the Rams interesting to watch.
It's a potential move that GM Mickey Loomis, long Payton's partner in crime, is apparently "open" to considering, according to a report from Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Payton didn't do much to quell speculation either, declining to talk about the Saints season as a whole following the loss to the Falcons and offering up a "next question" when asked about whether he'll be coaching the Saints in 2017.
Holder also reports Loomis and Payton met for "about an hour in the Georgia Dome" after the Saints loss and that any compensation the Saints would seek is unknown at this point.
The Rams do not have a first-round pick because of the trade for Jared Goff, although it's not believed the Saints would require that much in a deal with Payton.
Asked about the report of Payton leaving, Saints quarterback Drew Brees called those rumors "completely made up" and questioned the veracity of Payton being traded in the offseason.
"I mean, I have no reason to believe otherwise. Sean Payton's our head coach," Brees said. "And honestly, I don't know where you guys are getting this stuff. I guess there's speculation, whatever. I guess anybody can just write whatever they want, and all of a sudden, people think that it's fact or there's some truth to it. I think it's completely made up, to be honest with you. Coach Payton's our head coach, and that's that."
The reality is there's too much smoke here for there not to be a little bit of fire. When many thought Payton would get axed after last season, he ended up getting a lengthy contract extension, with the Saints giving Brees additional money as well.
The 7-9 season wasn't the bounceback people expected, although Jeff Triplette of ESPN reports the Saints "are happy" with the direction the team is going.
Maybe Payton ends up sticking with the Saints. Or maybe he gets traded to Los Angeles. The only certain thing is the drama surrounding the Saints coaching situation is far from over.