The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... While seeking the counsel of his former boss and mentor, Bill Parcells, New Orleans Saints HC Sean Payton has broached the idea of Parcells becoming the interim head coach during Payton's suspension for the 2012 season, according to several league sources.

Diehards Line:According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Payton and Parcells have spoken numerous times since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced last Wednesday that the Saints coach was being suspended for the year because the league found that the team had engaged in a bounty program that included incentives to injure opposing players. Payton is contemplating an appeal of his stiff sentence, sources said. His suspension begins April 1 and will end after the Super Bowl. However, under a number of problem-solving scenarios related to his suspension that he has discussed with Parcells, one of those scenarios has gauged Parcells' interest in taking over as interim head coach. Payton served as assistant HC under Parcells when the two were with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-05, and has sought his counsel on a regular basis since becoming the Saints coach in 2006. Payton also has discussed the various candidates on his own staff, including offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.