The grade is in for Sean Payton’s Broncos coaching staff hires

It is clear Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has friends and they all coach offense.

It’s obvious Payton’s new defensive staff may want to wear name tags around UC Health Training Center.

Out of the seven Broncos offensive coaches, four have direct ties to Payton in New Orleans.

On the defensive side, only one out of five coaches, outside linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite, has previous experience tied directly to Payton.

Meanwhile, assistant head coach (overseeing special teams) Mike Westhoff, head strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple and Sports and Science guru Beau Lowery all can be linked to Payton’s previous stint in New Orleans.

Does this make things uncomfortable at the company dance? Will the offensive guys stand on one wall while the defensive guys stand on the other wondering when a nice slow jam is gonna go down?

Not only is the defense relatively unknown by Payton but two of the three coaching survivors, Marcus Dixon and Christian Parker, also return as defensive coaches (Korey Jones returns as an assistant in the strength and conditioning department.) None of this should be a big surprise. Payton originally wanted to bring in Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator. The Broncos wanted Payton to keep previous defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. It gets pretty fuzzy from there, so it’s easier to say Vance Joseph got the job and just move on.

Does this create a problem? Probably a small one.

On the surface, Joseph will have a tremendous amount of autonomy. This is exactly what he expected to have in his first trip around the Broncos sun as a head coach in 2017. He found out later he had virtually no say or control. It led to massive dysfunction and his eventually firing after two years.

Sean Payton certainly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so the heat will be on Joseph and the staff that was chosen for him. Mike Evans’ radio co-host on 104.3 The Fan and green chili czar Mark Schlereth openly discussed having dinner with now hired inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky before VJ was hired. Wilhoite is a rriend of Sean and Dixon and Parker were in the Hackett administration. VJ better hire an assistant or two that he knows pretty quickly, or it will look suspiciously like it did when he was set up for failure last time in Denver.

Then again, the defense really isn’t the issue.

True, if Joseph and the defense stumbles it will look bad and his time here may be short. He would appear to be on the immediate hot seat as he is trying to build a new relationship with Payton. However, this year is all about fixing Russell Wilson. My guess is VJ will have a bounce-back year as a DC if his troops can stay healthy. I bet he will have the time of his life flying under the radar with a likely top-15 defense at worst. The independence he will be shown looks to be massive and the advantages he has with returning players such as DJ Jones, Patrick Surtain II, Randy Gregory, Baron Browning and Justin Simmons seem to bode well for success.

Special teams should return to normal for the first time in…well….forever. Westhoff is beyond seasoned. He is stunningly eight years older than coaching relic Jerry Rosburg who heroically took on the final two weeks of the season as an interim coach when Nathanial Hackett was sent packing. A measured approach to Special Teams through dogged eyes is just what the doctor ordered.

So, if the defense is pretty good and the special teams is pretty good and everybody basically loves the hiring of Payton and Payton is hiring his homeboys left and right, what exactly is not to like about this coaching staff?

The answer, frankly, is nothing.

This is as good as it could possibly get.

The tricky blend will be on the defense, but Joseph was a head coach. VJ was up for other head coaching jobs. Joseph was a significant candidate for the NFC champs Philadelphia Eagles and their vacant DC position. While we all may sadly miss what could’ve been with Captain Insano-like pressers led by Rex Ryan, reflection tells you the right choice was made.

It’s clear Payton isn’t going to heed his own words about being an anonymous donor in terms of social media or attention. Likely it will be a do as I say—don’t do as I do situation, for what hopefully will be a long tenure running the team. But, hey, no sweat. It’s good to get that out of the way early. We all know what we are getting, and, on the surface, it not only looks pretty good, but it also looks aggressive and fun. Again, the measure of success this year will stare right at Wilson and whether or not he can be fixed. If Payton and his band of merry pranksters can’t figure it out, nobody can.

There will be a frenetic spirit when OTAs roll around after the draft. That fact is unavoidable. You can’t escape the getting-to-know-you vibes that keep you awake all night at your first sleepover. But we do need to exercise patience despite a seemingly endless drought of winning.

It starts now. This week is a great chance to get to know the fellas over shrimp cocktails at St. Elmo’s and right tackles in Lucas Oil Stadium as the combine gets rolling in Indianapolis. I’m sure common bonds will be made, and big plans will be hatched. I’m just not sure which side will ask the other side to dance first.

Sean Payton’s coaching hire grade: A

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