Texans vs. Broncos? Why Coach Sean Payton Should Come to Houston
As of now, nobody knows if Sean Payton will coach for the Houston Texans, or for another NFL franchise at all in the coming year.
But we do know Payton should value the Texans' opening over the Denver Broncos' vacancy.
"I get the sense Houston hasn't given up on the idea of Sean Payton," one ESPN analyst wrote in a recent column discussing NFL head coach openings. "And truth be told, if I were Payton I'd think about Houston over Denver if the money and everything else is equal."
And the opinion makes a lot of sense.
Houston simply has a better situation to inherit if you really break it down.
Of course, it all starts with the quarterback position.
With the Broncos, you're immediately married to quarterback Russell Wilson. … The same quarterback Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll opted to move on from in favor of veteran backup Geno Smith and went to the playoffs as a result.
Meanwhile, Denver thought Wilson would result in a franchise revival, and now-fired coach Nathaniel Hackett thought he'd get to replicate the success he had with Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.
With the Texans, Payton could do anything from rolling with a rookie in the NFL Draft, pursuing Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr who will likely be released if he's not traded before February 15, or even trying to finally nail down his attempted union with free-agent legend Tom Brady.
Imagine, Brady in Houston.
But what do the Texans have to offer beyond an open quarterback position?
Another ESPN column evaluated that exact question.
"There are promising young playmakers on both sides of the ball in safety Jalen Pitre, cornerback Derek Stingley and running back Dameon Pierce," ESPN points out. "Offensive tackle is one of the most valuable positions in the NFL and the Texans are set there with Tytus Howard and Laremy Tunsil ... The team's cap space situation is one of the best in the NFL, so Houston can be aggressive in free agency."
Sure, Houston would have to spend a lot of trade capital back to the New Orleans Saints to make the move. But with plenty of capital to spend, the team would still have picks and plenty of money to bring in veteran players Payton would likely have his eye on anyway.
Hey, it could happen. In fact, we think it should happen.
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