The Broncos appear to be simply trying to buy their way out of a jam
Jan 18, 2023, 5:16 PM
According to reports, the Panthers are all in on trying to bring Sean Payton to Carolina. The team’s billionaire owner, David Tepper, is apparently willing to sell his soul to the devil in order to land the highest-profile head coach on the market.
Panthers owner David Tepper would give Sean Payton "just about anything he wants" to be the team's coach, one source says. It's not clear, however, how enthusiastic Payton is at this point about the opportunity in Carolina.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 18, 2023
If Tepper pulls it off, perhaps it turns out to be a coup. After all, Payton has had a lot of success, at least in the regular season, during his career as an NFL head coach.
But in a lot of ways, it’ll also reek of desperation. It’ll strike many, perhaps rightfully so, as the Panthers being so unconfident in their ability to fix their problems that they’re simply trying to buy their way out of a mess.
They whiffed badly on Matt Rhule, a college coach who went 11-27 during two-plus seasons in Carolina before being fired during the 2022 season. They have a terrible culture, one that sees stars players wanting out and a revolving door at quarterback. And they just want the easy way out.
So Tepper, like a lot of rich people do, is willing to throw money at it. He’s willing to spend whatever it takes to try to rectify the situation.
Sometimes, that strategy works. After all, cash can get someone out of a lot of jams. But it’s also fraught with peril. There’s a reason that “throwing good money after bad” is a well-known cliche; it happens all the time.
That’s certainly what the Panthers could be doing. And here’s the thing; it’s likely what the Broncos are trying to do as well.
It’s hard to find a good head coach. Denver has learned that the hard way.
Vance Joseph was a disaster. Vic Fangio was no better. And Nathaniel Hackett was perhaps the worst coach in franchise history.
They were hired in 2017, ’19 and ’22, respectively. The trio went a combined 34-62.
As a result, many want the Broncos to go with a known commodity this time around. Hire someone with experience, so the franchise knows what they’re getting.
Thus, the list of nine candidates features seven previous NFL head coaches. Only Ejiro Evero and DeMeco Ryans break the mold.
Why? Because it’s difficult to spot the next great coach. It’s hard to project who will transition from hot-shot assistant to a leader of a franchise.
But that doesn’t mean the Broncos shouldn’t choose that route. The path of least resistance isn’t always the right course.
In 2017, Denver should’ve hired Kyle Shanahan. In ’19, they could’ve gone with Matt LaFleur. Last year, they could’ve selected Kevin O’Connell, Mike McDaniel or Brian Daboll. All were first-time head coaches. All have enjoyed a lot of success with their current teams.
It wasn’t that the Broncos hired a first-time head coach that was the problem. It was that they hired the wrong first-time head coach.
Nonetheless, they don’t seem interested in taking any chances. They don’t appear to trust themselves to pick the right guy.
So, they’re going to throw money at the problem.
First, they tried to lure Jim Harbaugh away from Michigan. But the former 49ers head coach announced earlier this week that he’s staying in the college game.
Now, they appear to have their sights set on Payton. They interviewed the former Saints head coach on Tuesday in Los Angeles and reports are that the Broncos are the leader in the clubhouse to lure Payton away from his current TV gig.
Maybe it’ll turn out to be a good move. Perhaps making Payton the highest-paid coach in NFL history is a stroke of genius. But there are plenty of reasons to believe its not.
Yes, he had a great regular season record in New Orleans, going 152-89 overall and winning seven NFC South titles during his tenure. But he also only advanced to one Super Bowl, despite having a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback for 15 years. That kind of success got Mike McCarthy fired in Green Bay. Yet somehow, it’s getting Payton courted by billionaires?
The Super Bowl win was memorable, as Payton and the Saints beat Peyton Manning and the Colts to bring the only Lombardi Trophy to New Orleans. It’s a game best remembered for the head coach’s gutsy decision to start the second half with an onside kick, a successful move that stole a possession away from the high-powered Indianapolis offense.
But in the years after, Payton had some memorable postseason flops. He fell to Rex Grossman and the Bears in an NFC Championship Game. He lost to a 7-9 Seahawks team. He let Case Keenum beat him in “the Minneapolis Miracle.” He watched Jared Goff knock off the Saints in New Orleans in the NFC title game.
Payton also managed to lose to Alex Smith and Kirk Cousins in the playoffs. That’s a lot of losses in games with the superior quarterback.
The head coach also was suspended for a season due to the BountyGate scandal. And some believe that he bailed on the Saints once things got tough, after Drew Brees retired and salary-cap problems started to hinder the franchise.
And that’s just Payton’s resume. There’s also the fact that no Super Bowl-winning head coach has ever gone on to win another title with another team.
Not Vince Lombardi. Not Hank Stram. Not Tom Flores. Not Bill Parcells. Not Mike Ditka. Not George Seifert. Not Jimmy Johnson. Not Mike Shanahan. Not Mike Holmgren. Not Dick Vermeil. Not Jon Gruden.
But Payton is going to be different? He’s going to break that trend? He’s going to be able to rekindle the magic that he had in the Big Easy with Brees in another city? He’s going to be as driven at 59 years old as he was at 43, with millions in the bank?
That seems unlikely.
Arguably, Dan Quinn has a better resume. So does Jim Caldwell. Each went to a Super Bowl as a head coach. Quinn watched a 28-3 lead disappear to Tom Brady and the Patriots. Caldwell witnessed firsthand a championship evaporate because on an onside kick.
But they aren’t splashy. They aren’t constantly looking for the camera and a microphone.
David Shaw and Raheem Morris are certainly qualified candidates. Neither had off-the-charts success in their previous stops, however.
That leaves Evero and Ryans, both of whom are intriguing candidates. Evero is getting looks everywhere. Ryans is currently leading the best defense in the NFL and is rightfully earning a lot of acclaim.
Either would be a more inspired choice. So would’ve Ben Johnson, who turned Jared Goff into a legit NFL quarterback and created one of the league’s best offenses in Detroit, or Steve Steichen, who helped Jalen Hurts become an MVP candidate in Philadelphia.
They were never on the Broncos radar. Why?
Well, it seems like it’s because it would simply be too difficult to decipher if they’re ready to be a great head coach. It’s too hard to determine if they’re ready to make that leap.
Instead, the Broncos are going to throw money at the problem. The Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group, spearheaded by Greg Penner, is going to use the deepest pockets in the NFL to spend their way out of a jam.
Time will tell how it plays out. But history, as well as common sense, suggests that’s not the best course of action.
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