It feels like an entirely different era of New Orleans Saints football all of a sudden. Even though Sean Payton was not with the Saints in 2022, the new life stemming from his being traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for major draft compensation is a reinvigorating win for the Saints. Here’s why we grade this trade, even though it was not the same return as the coveted Jon Gruden trade between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the then-Oakland Raiders, an A.
While some expected multiple first-round picks to be the cornerstone of a blockbuster deal, that was always an unrealistic expectation. When Gruden was acquired by the Buccaneers, he was still actively serving the role as Raiders head coach. That was not the case with Payton, who stepped away from leading New Orleans after the 2021 season and spent the entirety of 2022 working with FOX Sports. That means Denver did not need to pay a premium to get the Saints to release their former head coach’s rights.
