Broncos GM George Paton has seen a few members of his 2021 draft class become high-end starters, and the team’s Bradley Chubb trade at this year’s deadline netted a first-round pick. But Paton’s two biggest moves since taking the GM reins — hiring Nathaniel Hackett as head coach and trading for Russell Wilson — have moved him to a relatively hot seat.
Although Paton is staying on in the wake of Hackett joining a short list of HCs fired before the end of their first season (just five since the 1970 merger), new Broncos CEO Greg Penner said (via NFL.com) the next head coach will report directly to him. This effectively minimizes Paton’s power, and it should not be considered out of the question the Broncos will be looking for a new GM if the next head coach insists on it.
Paton, 52, was a sought-after GM candidate for years and was viewed as likely to stay on in Denver prior to Hackett’s ouster. But the Hackett-Wilson pairing ignited a stunningly ineffective offense, leading to Denver falling well short of expectations despite a stout defense. The Broncos rank last in scoring — down from 23rd with Teddy Bridgewater and OC Pat Shurmur at the controls last season — and chose to both bring in a game management assistant and move their QBs coach (Klint Kubiak) to the play-calling role. The next Denver HC will be tasked with repairing Wilson, something Paton believes can happen.
“We saw flashes of Russ this year. Russ even said he didn’t play up to his standard,” Paton said. “He will be the first one to tell you he didn’t play up to his standard, didn’t play up to our standard. He needs to be better.
“I don’t think we made a coaching move based on Russ. That wasn’t what it’s all about. That’s not why we’re getting a new coach, to turn around Russ, it’s about the entire organization. It’s about the entire football team. It’s just not one player. It’s not whether Russ is fixable or not. We do believe he is. We do.”
After making the blockbuster trade for the nine-time Pro Bowl passer, the Broncos gave him significant input in helping design the offense, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Broncos also allowed Wilson’s personal team unfettered access. Attempting for much of this season to play more from the pocket — a scenario some Seahawks staffers envisioned would take place as Wilson (fourth all time in QB rushing yards) aged — the 11th-year QB has produced by far his worst season. The potential Hall of Famer has played through injuries for much of the year and often lined up with a backup-laden offensive line and receiving corps. The Broncos have also been without Javonte Williams since October. But Wilson’s struggles to this degree (29th in QBR — a sharp decline from 10th in a down 2021 season) have been one of the most shocking developments in recent quarterback history.
The Broncos gave Wilson a five-year, $245MM extension in August, tying him to the team through the 2028 season. The team’s offensive freefall will certainly impact its next HC search. Paton, Penner, Rob Walton and minority owner Condoleezza Rice will work toward finding a staff that can coax better play from the current franchise centerpiece.
“The decision to have Russell here was a long-term one,” Penner said. “This season has not been up to his standards or expectations. We saw some glimpses of it in the last few weeks. He knows he can play better, we know he can play better, and we know he will do the right work in the offseason to be ready for next year.
“George and I have had a chance to get to know each other — we talk every day since we purchased the team a number of months ago — and he acknowledged right up front there were a couple of decisions that hadn’t worked out as he had expected. But I understand his thought process. He understands the work that needs to be done in this offseason, and I’m going to rely on him heavily as we go through and make these changes.”
The team offered the interim HC gig to DC Ejiro Evero, who declined, leading to Jerry Rosburg — whom the Broncos pulled out of retirement to address Hackett’s game management issues — taking the gig. But the team wants to interview Evero for the full-time position. While Evero may be in the mix, Mike Klis of 9News notes experience will likely be prioritized. Frank Reich, Dan Quinn, Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton should be considered candidates, per Klis, and SI.com’s Albert Breer heard Harbaugh connections to Denver shortly before Hackett’s firing.
Payton will require trade compensation to land, as the Saints still hold his rights, and will be coveted by every team searching for a new coach. Reich said he hopes to coach again in 2023, while Quinn was a Broncos finalist this year. Paton added experience is a plus but not a requirement.
Harbaugh signed a new Michigan contract last year and recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines, but the ex-49ers HC has long lingered on the NFL fringe. The Vikings interviewed Harbaugh last year, and the Colts have now been linked to an attempt to bring him back to Indianapolis. Harbaugh, 59, has a relationship with John Elway, per Breer, dating back to the former’s time as Stanford’s HC. Elway is no longer in a regular role but works as a consultant; he had input in the Broncos’ process to trade for Wilson this year. Harbaugh’s 49ers stay did include some notable quarterback success stories. The fiery HC elevated Alex Smith‘s career in the early 2010s and redesigned his offense to suit the talents of Colin Kaepernick, leading to three straight NFC championship game appearances.
Coaches formerly with the Seahawks could be candidates as well, with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicating options like Quinn and Dolphins QBs coach Darrell Bevell — a longtime Seahawks OC — have been brought up (Twitter links). The Broncos had success when pivoting to retreated head coaches John Fox and Gary Kubiak. While Peyton Manning had plenty to do with that, it appears the team will try to move in this direction after three straight first-timers — Hackett, Vic Fangio, Vance Joseph — could not end the now-seven-season playoff drought.
Where you gonna find a bootlick like Barry Switzer?
Isn’t that what Quinn and Reich are. They are bootlickers? Quinn choked away a good team n Atlanta. Don’t understand how he now becomes a head coach? Especially for a team in offensive need of a coach. Reich isn’t far behind. He is one of those coaches Washington or the Chargers hire hoping change will do him good. NOT
Broncos should hire Peyton manning
To do what?
There must be a few fans that would pay good money to see Peyton wear a horsey costume and parade around as a team mascot.
Lol. The Broncos hired an incompetent coach who made it that far because he’s the son of a well known coach. Now they’re going to attempt quality control on the next coach by having him answer to the CEO, who’s never worked in football at any level and has his job because he’s the owner’s son-in-law. Classic.
Paton made two very big mistakes last offseason (three if you count the trade and contract as separate), but circumventing him for a nepo hire ain’t the path to a healthy organization. Unless this is all code for bringing in someone like Payton and then letting Payton pick his GM.
But, but, but,,,,,,,,we’ve always done it this way. If a powerful man can’t hand out jobs to his friends, relatives, and yes men, how will the world continue to turn?
Not mentioned in the article is how much influence ownership had in the Hackett hire and Wilson trade. Easy to make your GM the scapegoat. It’s similar to the situation in Indy. You have a GM with a history of making smart, well reasoned decisions, along with some head scratching, eye rolling clunkers. How can one guy be this good and this bad at the same time? Ownership interference.
Or maybe ownership was so desperate for Rodgers that they hired the coach they thought would land him, then insisted on going big game hunting when Rodgers didn’t happen.
Exactly
Bravo, read my mind. They hire the GM to run things but then they pull the Jerry Jones card (without having any solid length of NFL acumen or discourse). Beauty.
Heh, I wish I could’ve seen video of discussions with this bunch prior to the press box.
“I don’t think we made a coaching move based on Russ. That wasn’t what it’s all about.”
Sean Payton won’t touch this gig with a ten foot pole. Neither will Harbaugh. Both will have better options over the next handful of years. Russell and his contract will be an albatross hanging around the neck of the organization for the next 2-4 years (whether he’s on the team or not). AFC West will be owned by the Chiefs/Chargers for the next decade. Wilson is a coach killer and isn’t going anywhere. There are no more suckers to trade him to now that he has shown his true colors as an uncoachable narcissist.
In fairness, 1) Hackett was Hackett’s coach killer. The guy was unusually incompetent from week 1. 2) The Broncos now have the richest owner in all of football. If someone has a price, he can meet it.
Have no other option, do they? Think there is some room for a bounceback next season but Wilson of old is done.
When you have fix your $230m QB in under a year and fired the 1st year HC, maybe it’s the GM that’s needs fixing!
Wilson is lucky that the Browns made an even worse trade for Watson. At least he’s not out there on his own.
How do you figure the Browns made a worse trade for Watson than the Broncos for Wilson? The Browns are on the hook for $3M/yr less than the Broncos are for Wilson, they gave a lot less assets to get Watson than the Broncos gave up to get Wilson, and Watson is 6 years younger than Watson. Despite only having played 4 games since being gone for nearly 2 years, Watson has shown glimpses of his previous self whereas Wilson has shown limited glimpses of his previous self and a more greatly-exposed penchant for being about Russell Wilson. You can argue the merits of letting Watson play at all, based on his predicament, and that’s fair, but comparing the two trades, the Browns did MUCH better than the Broncos did, and it’s not close.
watson’s stats are awful. He has more power than the HC due to his contract. And when he flails next year, he’ll demand a new HC. And the biggest one is all those sexual assault charges. he’s the face of being. A scum bag that the browns traded and paid a fortune for.
Your response doesn’t address the particulars of the two trades, which you commented on in your previous post. In addition, you don’t address the points I made in my previous post. Your feelings about Watson come out more clearly in your second post, and indicate your evaluation of the two trades, from a football sense, is not objective but rather, prejudiced by your view of Watson as a person. If that’s the case, stop criticizing the Browns’ organization and instead criticize Watson, but your endless previous statements about Watson’s character make that unnecessary. If you’re going to comment, at least come up a new take, please.
Watson’s stats for the year are 703 yards, 2-3 td-int, 69.3 rating. I’m laughing at that stat line as is every NFL beat writer. And I’m criticizing the Browns for 2 reasons. 1st the sheer volume of picks they gave up and gave them up for a scum bag. Who do you think is going to be fired first the HC, GM on standard deals and a few years into them or Mr. $230m guaranteed? In fact they wrote the contract to where it really doesn’t kick in until next year to help him avoid losing too much this year.
The Browns caved into a pervert and everyone, except die hard Browns fans, are laughing at them.
I’m not saying the Browns made a good deal or did the right thing. But from an objective standpoint, there’s no way the Browns trade is worse than the Broncos trade, as I previously demonstrated. A trade for a quarterback in his prime vs. a quarterback in premature decline. I’d love to read your take on the two trades in two seasons, but I suspect you’ll remain silent at that time on this matter.
Wilson couldn’t handle the McVay/Lafleur offense which Hackett implemented in which Rodgers and Stafford flourished in. What makes the broncos think Wilson is fixable? Lol
Same offense doesn’t mean the coach actually did a competent job of installing or running it. And other QBs succeeding in it doesn’t mean it’s the right scheme for Wilson.
Once the dominoes start tumbling no one is safe.
Basically Russ is the new Nnamdi Asmoguha
A lot of blame to go around.
No 1 person is to blame for such an abysmal season.
Fixing the oline and getting Tim Patrick and Javontae Williams back next season will go a long way to improving the offense. They seem to have found something in Greg Dulcich at TE. The pieces on offense are there.
My choice would be Nick Siriani. He’s done wonders with Herbert and Hurts. Ben Johnson in Detroit has also done wonders with Jared Goff. Theyre definitely young but hard to find fault in what they’ve shown so far.
It is clear that the team is going to have to build around Russel Wilson. If George Paton wants to bring in a first year HC he needs to interview Darrell Bevell or Brian Schottenheimer for interviews or as a consultant. Those two clearly understand what works with Wilson and how to handle his issues. Now we know why Pete Carroll immediately made Carl Smith an associate HC for the Seahawks, every year that he was the QB coach Wilson went to the Pro Bowl.
Or go get Collin Moore I think that is his name of Cowboys
I don’t think that the Broncos are going to find a veteran coach that can run the offense from the top down. Not in this modern era of coaching.
Payton is off limits. He probably just mentioned Fangio to keep the public from even mentioning the Broncos.
The WP Group can’t shy away from interviewing an OC that’s run an offense like the Eagles or somebody who’s very familiar with Russ’s pattern of play. That in tandem with somebody who can culture the team and keep them from strangling each other on the sidelines is their best shot.
To say he thinks Wilson is fixable and then to actually believe it are two very different things. Of course he has to say it—he has no choice.
The term “fixable” can be interpreted in different ways. You fix a lame horse by shooting it.