Biggest Winners and Losers of Sean Payton's Bounty Suspension

There was a consensus around the NFL that the league would come down hard on the New Orleans Saints for their role in a bounty program that spanned the course of three seasons.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL brought down the hammer Wednesday.

The league has suspended Sean Payton for the 2012 season without pay, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely and effective immediately, general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games without pay and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. The team was also stripped of two second-round picks and $500,000. 

With such a harsh punishment being handed down, there are going to be obvious winners and losers. We take a look at some of the biggest of each in the following slides.

Loser: Drew Brees

The Saints franchise-tagged Brees after they failed to get a long-term deal hammered out before free agency kicked in. But now that the Saints have been bulldozed by the league, it will be interesting to see how further negotiations with Brees on a multi-year deal go.

Could the sanctions open up the possibility of Brees playing through next season on the tag and then bolting New Orleans in 2013? 

Even if Brees does sign a deal with the Saints, his 2012 season has been put on thin ice. Without Sean Payton—one of the NFL's better head coaches—New Orleans may be in serious danger of falling off the table next season.

At the very least, Brees will lose an elite offensive mind that has helped pave his road to record-breaking numbers over the last couple of seasons. It's not going to kill a player as talented as Brees, but don't think for a second that this suspension doesn't hurt him next season.    

Winner: NFC South

Game on. 

The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to be silently slapping hands Wednesday.

Taking away one of the game's top offensive coaches from a team that depends on scoring points opens up the division for what should be a wild race in 2012.

While many would have penciled in the Saints as the top team in the NFC South to open next season before these sanctions, you'd have to think that any of the three teams can take a serious run at dethroning New Orleans at the top next season.

Pre-draft, I'll take the Falcons as the early leader to win the South in 2012.

Loser: St. Louis Rams

The Rams must have had a pretty good idea that their new defensive coordinator for 2012 was going to be facing a long suspension, but that fear is now a reality. 

While Payton got a year ban, Williams' suspension should be longer and more severe—which means the Rams need to be looking for a new defensive coordinator for 2012 and beyond. Whether that replacement comes from in-house or elsewhere is yet be seen. 

What looked like a really good hire for St. Louis three months ago has now exploded in their face. For a franchise in rebuilding mode, it's a tough break.

Winner: NFC Contenders

The contingent of happy campers in the NFC South are likely joined by the teams occupying the elite status in the conference, as the Saints—a major player in the NFC over the last four or five years—took a big hit with these sanctions.

While I think the Saints will still compete for the playoffs next season, we've seen teams implode internally over a lot less.

The San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Detroit Lions and other NFC contenders have to be wondering today how big a step back the Saints will take in 2012. A team that could have made another serious run at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl next February is now left to pick up the pieces. 

Loser: NFL

The NFL has taken more steps to improve the safety of the game since Roger Goodell took over as commissioner than at any time in recent league history.

However, the totality of the bounty scandal serves as a black eye to that commitment. While the league came down hard on the Saints—as it should have—the sanctions levied today just go to show how much further the NFL has to go before the safety in the game is at an acceptable level.   

Goodell has been tough on safety issues through his time as the NFL's head man, but that didn't stop the Saints from running a bounty program right under his nose.