Schlereth: Joseph ranking unfair, 2018 ‘real litmus test’ for Broncos HC

Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph didn’t fare well on NFL.com’s latest ranking of coaches around the league.

Joseph, who heads into his second year not only with the Broncos but as a head coach in general, came in at 30th among 32 coaches in the NFL, playing only above first-year head coach Steve Wilks of the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, whose team went 0-16 in 2017.

“That’s where we sit on the coaching front,” Mark Schlereth, host of “Schlereth and Evans,” said on Thursday.

But, Schlereth said, he doesn’t think the criticisms of Joseph are entirely fair considering the situation in which he entered last season.

“… Vance Joseph came into a situation where I don’t think he had a lot of authority,” Schlereth said. “I don’t think he was empowered by John Elway and the organization. I don’t think he had his coaches. He certainly didn’t have a quarterback. And I believe he was forced to create a quarterback battle.”

Therefore, the “real litmus test” for Joseph will be this upcoming season, Schlereth said.

“What he was last year is going to be, obviously, different, but he’s been given more authority, they’ve changed some of the offensive coaches, they’ve changed some of the defensive coaches, and they’ve gotten new,” Schlereth said. “And I think he’s been more involved in this offseason with the picking of the players and the draft and all of those things. “

“So, I think you’re going to get a better test … of what Vance Joseph is.”

Schlereth said he doesn’t agree with grading Joseph as the 30th coach in the NFL, certainly, but at the same time he said he doesn’t think he’s in the top 20 either.

“Time will tell, this season will tell, what he truly is. And we hope that he can elevate himself into the 20s, maybe into the teens, and this team can be a playoff contending team under his guidance,” Schlereth said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.