With Lindsay, and now Munchak, the Broncos struck gold twice in one year

Even for a city known for its gold rush days in the mid-1800s, Denver sure has provided the Broncos the opportunity to strike it rich over the past year.

First, the Broncos landed prized undrafted college free agent Phillip Lindsay much in part to his family living in the same area.

“The Broncos did not draft Phillip Lindsay, and because Phillip Lindsay is from here and his family lives here, he chose the Broncos over 31 teams,” said “Stokley and Zach” co-host Zach Bye on Tuesday. “He said all 32 teams reached out to him. He chose the Broncos, who he was most pissed at, over the other 31 teams because he could be with family.”

No big deal. Lindsay only went on to have one of the most productive seasons in NFL history for an undrafted running back while earning a Pro Bowl nod.

But “lightning has struck twice,” Bye said, in the form of coveted offensive line coach Mike Munchak choosing the Broncos because of his proximity to his daughter and granddaughter, who live in Denver.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, Munchak said having the opportunity to move closer to his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and his other daughter in Los Angeles was one he could not pass up.

“This was all about family from the beginning. If my daughter lived here, I wouldn’t have taken any head coaching interviews. I’d rather be a line coach here than a head coach anywhere else, other than family,” Munchak said in the article.

And Munchak’s desire to be close to his loved ones only benefits the Broncos, who receive a highly-touted offensive line coach who helped three Pittsburgh Steelers — guard David DeCastro, center Maurkice Pouncey, and tackle Alejandro Villanueva — to Pro Bowl selections in 2018.

Munchak’s offensive lines have finished in the top 10 in fewest sacks allowed 16 times during his coaching career, and in five seasons with the Steelers, the team has ranked second in total yards (391.1 yards per game) and third in scoring (24.7 points per game).

“The combination of his ability to coach the individual with his ability to coach the group — while also being a big part of the overall offense — is very impressive,” said new Broncos head coach Vic Fangio via a release on Monday. “Mike’s experience and stature as a coach in the NFL make this a home run hire for us. We’re very excited to add him to our staff.”

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