What is Payton up to? (2 Viewers)

Saint Spud

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I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why Payton has been pushing the Taysom train so much. There are only two explanations:

1. Payton really believes Taysom is our future
2. Payton wants someone to pony up a pick when we tender him.

I also wondered why Brees hasn’t announced a decision. I felt like it would be a no-brainer that he’d come back. Everyone saw how anxious he was on the sideline while he was out. He didn’t look like a guy who’s ready to retire.

Then, after Payton talked about Taysom being the future, Brees even went on some national shows and said he’d be glad to split reps with Taysom as a passing-of-the-torch year if he comes back.

Which means, again, one of two things:

1. Everything being said is true: Taysom is the future and Brees will be the “bridge” while Taysom transitions into more QB reps.

or....what I think is actually going on:

2. Brees is coming back. And not as a bridge or anything else. He (and Payton) realize they need to push the Taysom narrative to get someone to give up a pick.

Whether it’s drafting the QB of the future, someone to help right now, or both, we need more high picks. By delaying his decision, Drew is letting the Taysom hype train build. And Payton is fanning the flames.

We all love Taysom. And I do believe that Payton will transition to a mobile QB tailored offense soon enough. But I can’t see Drew walking away yet. And the only reason I can think of to delay what seems to be an obvious decision is to build more league wide interest in Taysom.
 
Never has a 3rd String QB gotten so much hype. I understand Taysom wants to be a starting QB, However I think he has a better future at pass catching.

Can't really see any team paying unproven QB like him a big contract and giving up a first Rd pick. This draft seems to be full of talent.
 
I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why Payton has been pushing the Taysom train so much. There are only two explanations:

1. Payton really believes Taysom is our future
2. Payton wants someone to pony up a pick when we tender him.

I also wondered why Brees hasn’t announced a decision. I felt like it would be a no-brainer that he’d come back. Everyone saw how anxious he was on the sideline while he was out. He didn’t look like a guy who’s ready to retire.

Then, after Payton talked about Taysom being the future, Brees even went on some national shows and said he’d be glad to split reps with Taysom as a passing-of-the-torch year if he comes back.

Which means, again, one of two things:

1. Everything being said is true: Taysom is the future and Brees will be the “bridge” while Taysom transitions into more QB reps.

or....what I think is actually going on:

2. Brees is coming back. And not as a bridge or anything else. He (and Payton) realize they need to push the Taysom narrative to get someone to give up a pick.

Whether it’s drafting the QB of the future, someone to help right now, or both, we need more high picks. By delaying his decision, Drew is letting the Taysom hype train build. And Payton is fanning the flames.

We all love Taysom. And I do believe that Payton will transition to a mobile QB tailored offense soon enough. But I can’t see Drew walking away yet. And the only reason I can think of to delay what seems to be an obvious decision is to build more league wide interest in Taysom.
Pretty well thought out post. I really could not poke any holes in your position. There are so many variables that NO one in this forum could ever envision and put together as a singular plan by Payton and co., to move this team into the future, that I would say your view is as good as any other, I have read. And I have read 10’s of such.
 
First of all i am pretty sure Drew is coming back , like 90%. And while TH may get some more reps @QB it's not gonna be a platoon QB system .I do think that TH is very capable of becoming a VERY good starting QB for us and SP would use him kinda like Lamar Jackson and building an offense to fit his skills. I think a 1st rd tender will be put on Hill and if someone hives us a mid to high 1st it's possible that may be used to go after Burrow , not likely but possible
 
One thing you overlooked: it would take a special brand of stupid by a coach to hype a player this much right before they're about to enter contract negotiations with him.

Which to me says the Saints either already have a long term deal in place and are waiting until they can officially ink it at the start of Free Agency, or they are trying to get someone to trade a pick for him.
 
One thing you overlooked: it would take a special brand of stupid by a coach to hype a player this much right before they're about to enter contract negotiations with him.

Which to me says the Saints either already have a long term deal in place and are waiting until they can officially ink it at the start of Free Agency, or they are trying to get someone to trade a pick for him.

Well, I don’t think they’re going to pay him now. I think they’ll tender him and, if they truly are going to make him their QB, they’re going to use his low salary (tender number) to help mitigate the fact we’d be paying Brees’ salary PLUS his dead money from the voided year.
 
Tendering Taysom gives them the most options. 1st round pick or keep him with relatively low salary for a qb on a trial basis slowly substituting for Drew. But the hype makes you think he is tender bait, I agree. If they put a second round tender on Taysom, I think it shows they really want to get a pick and are ready to part ways to allow him to chase his dream somewhere.
 
I think it's more straightforward than a lot of people are thinking.

Here's why Sean is talking Taysom up, IMO:
- Taysom is an RFA and a UFA next year
- Taysom wants to play QB in the NFL and is not going to stick around if he doesn't see at least a chance to win the job
- Sean likes Taysom as a player
- Sean likes Taysom as a person

Beyond that, if some team _does_ bite, the Saints end up with a first round pick, which would be huge given we desperately need to reload with young stars on rookie contracts.

I'm not sure if Sean is throwing bait to try to get that first round pick, but I'm pretty confident that he, at bare minimum, sees it as a really good "worst case scenario" and would be perfectly fine getting a 1st rounder for him.

There's no downside to talking him up. You're building good will with a near-future free agent, and sending the message that he has a shot to play QB. You're potentially earning a 1st round pick for a player that touched the ball about 50 times last season.

And the media is just being the media. There's a very good chance that the story started from nothing and the Taysom hype train has been a huge game of Telephone. We have nothing substantive from Payton or anyone with the Saints.

I do think that Sean probably believes there is some non-zero chance that Taysom develops into a starting QB. But I don't believe for a minute that his Plan A for the future of our QB position is Taysom Hill. That would be stupid, and he's not stupid.
 
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One thing you overlooked: it would take a special brand of stupid by a coach to hype a player this much right before they're about to enter contract negotiations with him.

Which to me says the Saints either already have a long term deal in place and are waiting until they can officially ink it at the start of Free Agency, or they are trying to get someone to trade a pick for him.

nah. It’s win win right now. he is a restricted free agent. So either someone sets a relatively easy contract target or we get a good draft pick. After this year we will have to pay him like a starting QB anyway. But with no track record as a full time starter it will not be elite money. In fact he may not want that next one to be more than 3 years so he has a chance to cash one mega contract in case he does rise to elite status.

Payton knows exactly what he is doing.
 
So, what is Sean Payton thinking, Why would he hype a player he wants to resign? I can think of one very good reason.

Brees is coming back and for how long is an open question, 1,2,3 years? Even 2 is a long time for Taysom to be patient.

So, I think Payton feels he has to convince Tayson the opportunity is real to keep him from pursuing another team.

Consider if Payton had instead downplayed Taysom's potential to be a franchise QB to keep his price tag reasonable. We'd have the JOAT for one more year and then Free Agent Tayson would be gone.

My uninformed guess is that they want to keep Tayson in the fold with a multiyear fair value contract and they can only do that if Taysom believes he is the heir apparent and thinks he is getting paid what he is worth in the marketplace. So hype him as the future, let the market decide his value and sign him for three years.
 
So, what is Sean Payton thinking, Why would he hype a player he wants to resign? I can think of one very good reason.

Brees is coming back and for how long is an open question, 1,2,3 years? Even 2 is a long time for Taysom to be patient.

So, I think Payton feels he has to convince Tayson the opportunity is real to keep him from pursuing another team.

Consider if Payton had instead downplayed Taysom's potential to be a franchise QB to keep his price tag reasonable. We'd have the JOAT for one more year and then Free Agent Tayson would be gone.

My uninformed guess is that they want to keep Tayson in the fold with a multiyear fair value contract and they can only do that if Taysom believes he is the heir apparent and thinks he is getting paid what he is worth in the marketplace. So hype him as the future, let the market decide his value and sign him for three years.

If Brees has next year in him, it’s the last. I feel that is almost guaranteed. So this year you try to get Hill at what the market value sets at For one year. Then you sign him to starter contract for about three years. Good money but not elite for say a three year deal. Then if he pans out as an elite QB, you restructure that into an elite but team friendly contract. At his age it will make sense for him to restructure instead of trying to make it to free agency. Unless he steps in to full time starting role this year, I don’t think anyone is going to try and out bid us next year.
 

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