Was the Saints' Front Office (e.g., Loomis) Fleeced on the Sean Payton Trade?

Put aside for a moment the growing realization that the upgrade (downgrade?) from Dalton to Carr was not worth $150M.

For Payton, I had hoped for 2 #1s (less than Gruden), and was grudgingly ok with a 1 and a 2, not so happy with shipping back a 3 the other way.

But I am just a casual fan on a couch. Not an NFL GM. I'd hope they'd know better than me.

It now appears that Sean Payton is nothing less than a miracle worker. The Broncos looked left for dead last season, and Wilson's career was allegedly over.

But the Broncos' improvement this season, now on the verge of a 5th straight win over a playoff contending team, looks pretty incredible.

Did the Saints' front office not realize the value of what they had, despite working with Payton for a decade and a half? A first and a late second, getting back a third, for such a coach seems like a steal. If I were the Saints' new GM, and someone was willing to trade me a Sean Payton for that tomorrow, I'd make that deal.