How does Saints coach Sean Payton fit with current vacancies? Lets see ...

Will Sean Payton stay as coach of the New Orleans Saints or will another NFL franchise pry him away with two years and more than $16 million remaining on his contract in the Big Easy?

That is the question.

I don't have the answer. I'm not sure if Payton even can read the tea leaves at this point. I do think he wants out of New Orleans if the right situation presents itself. But not only must the situation be right for Payton but it must also be right for Saints owner Tom Benson, who apparently is willing to part ways for the right price.

In other words, Benson wants to be compensated well for his coach, not necessarily fairly, but well. Meaning Mr. Tom wants the world and likely would settle for the moon and stars.

Let the bidding begin.

Six teams currently are looking for head coaches -- New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Indianapolis and San Diego have retained their coaches -- Chuck Pagano and Mike McCoy, respectively. Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell remains in a holding pattern until a GM can be hired.

At this moment, New Orleans is the leader in the clubhouse for Payton only because I think Benson's asking price will be too steep.

I'll automatically remove Cleveland from the bidding process. Payton wouldn't be caught dead coaching the Browns.

So that leaves five legitimate players at the table. Here's the way I see it:

NEW YORK GIANTS

9-to-5: Clearly, the G-Men are at the top of Payton's list. If Payton would go anywhere, it would be the Big Apple and the media capital of the world. Payton toiled there as an assistant from 1999 through 2002 and served as offensive coordinator during the Giants' run to Super Bowl XXXV. An iconic organization with stable and loyal ownership in place and a fair-to-middlin' quarterback on the roster in Eli Manning. Jerry Reese is the GM.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

10-to-1: A lot to like here. Five-time world champions with a rich, rich football history that failed miserably under rookie coach Jim Tomsula in 2015. Brand new stadium. Payton's daughter attends Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. Ownership has retained GM Trent Baalke. Quarterback situation in a state of flux with Blaine Gabbert No. 1 on the depth chart and fading star Colin Kaepernick ending the season on IR.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

50-to-1: No stranger to the City of Brotherly Love, Payton served as quarterbacks coach with the Eagles in 1997-98. Owner Jeffrey Lurie has regained control of his organization after firing embattled GM/coach Chip Kelly with one game remaining in the regular season. A storied franchise in a bustling city with solid ownership, a football operations in flux and a roster that needs to be tweaked. Quarterback Sam Bradford is a free agent.

TENNESSEE TITANS

100-to-1: The Music City has a lot to offer, especially for someone like Payton who loves country music and considers artist/songwriter Kenny Chesney a friend. Nashville is a booming city with a loyal fan NFL base and a thriving economy. GM search ongoing after team fired Ruston Webster on Monday. Talented rookie Marcus Mariota is the quarterback, and the Titans own the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. Some coaches would consider this franchise a potential goldmine.

MIAMI DOLPHINS

100-to-1: I can see Payton in South Beach but not sure he would fit in this business model with executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum and newly-named GM Chris Grier. Good, young quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. Would butt heads twice a year with future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick, future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and the seven-time defending AFC East champion New England Patriots.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

1,000-to-1: No chance. Wild horses couldn't drag Payton to Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Clinic and a perennially bad football team.

Brian Allee-Walsh, a long-time Saints reporter based in New Orleans, can be reached at Sports@sunherald.com.

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "How does Saints coach Sean Payton fit with current vacancies? Lets see ... ."