There was a time when Sean Payton was the toast of New Orleans. These days he is probably feeling more like plain toast.

Since winning the Superbowl in 2009 Saints' fans have come to expect a little more than mediocre. Unfortunately, the Black and Gold have not been better than woefully average.

Now comes a report from NOLA.com that Coach Payton is monitoring the Los Angeles Rams vacant coaching position with "sincere interest". In the story penned by NOLA.com and TImes-Picayune reporter Christopher Dabe he quotes sources and an NFL Network story. 

If he really wants out, the Saints aren't likely to hold him hostage, pay him his huge salary and ask him to coach the team when he wants to be elsewhere.

This isn't the first time rumblings of Payton leaving the Saints to head to the west coast have surfaced. Last season there were stories of Payton considering an opening at San Francisco. That speculation ended when the Saints signed him to a reported $45 million 5-year deal.

As our Saints reporter Gus Katengell has often mentioned in his weekly reports, where there is this much smoke, there has got to be at least a little fire. It's not like reporters for CBS Sports, ESPN, and the NFL Network are going to fabricate the same story at the same time.

Should Payton decide to make the move to L.A. there would be a hefty price for the Rams to pay. Perhaps a first and second round draft selection and maybe, even more, would probably be the asking price. In the meantime, Payton is the head man in New Orleans and as long as he has Drew Brees as his quarterback there will always be a chance for the team to succeed.

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