New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has until April 2 to appeal his year-long suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the Saints bounty scandal. According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, Payton will file that appeal on Friday.
Payton is expected to seek guidance on the amount of time he will have to prepare his appeal, and will attempt to obtain the full reports from NFL security regarding the bounty evidence against him.
Gregg Williams, the former Saints defensive coordinator, has decided not to appeal his indefinite suspension, La Canfora reports.
The appeal likely won't be overturned, in my opinion. Goodell is the one who ruled on the suspension and he's the one who will hear the appeal. It's hard to see how Payton could provide any more evidence that Goodell didn't already have before making the decision on the year-long suspension.
But for a practical matter, the appeal buys Payton more time. He is talking to Bill Parcells about a potential interim head coaching position and, because Payton's suspension won't take effect until after the appeal is heard, this gives him more time to figure out the interim head coach.
There's the issue of the Rooney Rule if the Saints interim head coach comes from outside the organization. According to Pro Football Talk, a league spokesman says the Saints can comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing a minority candidate on their own staff. That seems like a loophole in the Rooney Rule that would allow the Saints to hire Parcells if they wanted to.
For more on the Saints punishment, stay tuned SB Nation's ongoing StoryStream and head over to the Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles.
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