NEW ORLEANS -- There are still too many balls in the air to predict what will happen with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton next week.
For Payton to leave New Orleans with two years remaining on his contract, he will have to find a situation he loves. And that team will have to love him enough to pay the Saints whatever it costs to pry him away.
The Miami Dolphins have been often mentioned in speculation, but they come with question marks regarding both the power structure and the quarterback position. Would the Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants or San Diego Chargers be more tempting? Perhaps. But none of those teams has a coaching vacancy at this point.
Meanwhile, the biggest question mark of all remains: Is Payton actually interested in leaving New Orleans in the first place?
This Saints team has been a dreadful disappointment at times, especially on defense. But the roster that Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis have started to rebuild is not exactly a lost cause, either.
Sunday's 38-27 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars was the latest encouraging sign. Once again, Payton seemed energized by the effort his young team put in, both during the game and throughout the short week leading up to it.
"That's the thing that was most inspirational," Payton said. "The thing I said to them, 'If you just were watching the game, you wouldn't know if it was Week 3 or Week 15.' I thought they played with good energy, and they did enough good things to win the game."
As I've mentioned, it would be a stretch to think Payton or the Saints will base major decisions about their future on whatever happens in December of this season. But it can't hurt to see this team fighting and improving, rather than letting the fire burn out.
Quarterback Drew Brees -- whose own future has been the source of much speculation -- acknowledged as much after Sunday's game, when he was asked how much of this month is about campaigning for the future or proving this team is headed in the right direction.
"Yeah, it is that. It's a big level of pride," said Brees, who gave an inspired performance with 412 yards and three touchdowns despite playing with a torn plantar fascia in his right heel.
"Coming off that Monday night game, short week, Christmas, all these guys banged up, coming off a loss, it just says a lot about our team, our guys," Brees said. "People might say we have nothing to play for as far as playoffs and such. But we've got a lot to play for. I think we're continuing to come together, we're continuing to build what I think is gonna be a great team for years to come."
Receiver Brandin Cooks said 2016 is nowhere on his radar yet with another week left in this season -- especially since the future isn't promised to anyone in the NFL.
But the second-year pro, who will be one of the team's greatest building blocks going forward, said he likes the direction things are headed at the moment.
"I feel good about that we just didn't lay down, that we didn't stop working," said Cooks, who followed up his career-best 124 yards last Monday night with another 123 yards this Sunday. "Like Coach said, if you looked at our sideline today, you wouldn't know if it was Week 2 or Week 14."
Cooks, left tackle Terron Armstead, center Max Unger, running back Mark Ingram, receiver Willie Snead, cornerback Delvin Breaux, defensive end Cameron Jordan, safety Kenny Vaccaro, a promising 2015 rookie class -- and, yes, even the 36-year-old Brees -- are among those building blocks who have had solid seasons.
Tenth-year veteran guard Jahri Evans also plans on being in that number going forward, which seems possible based on the way his restructured contract was drawn up when he agreed to a pay cut this past offseason.
"Listen, me and Coach Payton talked this offseason. And I don't think I'm going anywhere. Trust me, I doubt if that happens. I won't be out of a job soon if it does," Evans said.
Evans described last season's roster overhaul as a financial "numbers deal," though that was only part of the equation. The Saints were also intent on improving the character and culture in the locker room and trading valuable commodities to load up on draft picks.
Regardless, Evans survived the purge and plans to keep doing so.
"You know, I love playing for Drew, I think he's the best quarterback in the game. So I plan to be here as long as he's here," Evans said.
Fellow 2006 draft-classmates Marques Colston and Zach Strief could be in jeopardy. There will definitely be changes made somewhere, considering the Saints' tenuous salary-cap situation and the fact that they just suffered through a second straight losing season -- something that has never happened in the Payton-Brees era.
But the rebuilding process has already begun. And Payton won't find many other situations where he has as much power and influence in shaping the roster as he has under Saints owner Tom Benson and would presumably have under Benson's wife, Gayle, in the event she takes over at some point.
When Payton goes to evaluate his options next week, he might just decide that the Saints he knows are still a better option than the devils he doesn't.