Coach Suspended: What’s Next for the Saints?

The Saints Nation is reeling and in shock from yesterday's news that New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year. This means the team will lose its second round pick in 2012 and '13 and pay $500,000 as a result of the NFL's bounty investigation.

Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who orchestrated the program, has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely.  Saints general manager Mickey Loomis  faces an eight-game suspension. Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt is also suspended without pay for the first six games of the 2012 season.

"The game doesn't need to be played this way," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on NFL Network. "We think that while it is a strong message, its an important one to send -- that we need to protect our players."

The NFL revealed earlier this month an investigation which found more than 20 defensive players for the Saints participated in a 'bounty' system from 2009 to '11 which rewarded individuals with cash for harming opposing players.

"We are all accountable and responsible for player health and safety and the integrity of the game," Goodell said Wednesday. "We will not tolerate conduct or a culture that undermines those priorities. No one is above the game or the rules that govern it. Respect for the game and the people who participate in it will not be compromised."

The league found that the cash pool reached $50,000 or more during the 2009 playoffs, and players were paid $1,500 for a "knockout" and $1,000 for a "cart-off" with payouts doubling or tripling during the playoffs. Money was provided primarily by players.

All such payments violate league rules for non-contract bonuses.

Williams administered the program, and the NFL says Payton was not a direct participant, yet was aware of the allegations and "failed to stop the bounty program."

The Saints issued a statement Wednesday taking "full responsibility" for the infractions.

"It has always been the goal of the New Orleans Saints to create a model franchise and to impact our league in a positive manner," the statement read. "There is no place for bounties in our league and we reiterate our pledge that this will never happen again."

Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Wednesday he was "speechless" upon learning the extent of the punishment, calling Payton a "great man, coach and mentor." Payton and Loomis took "full responsibility" for the violations in a joint statement issued days after the findings, and later met with Goodell in New York to discuss the issue.

http://deadspin.com/5895249/sean-payton-suspended-one-year-saints-lose-draft-picks-in-bounty-punishment