HEADLINES

Denver Broncos News & Rumors

Broncos Down To “A Few” HC Finalists

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos could be on the verge of naming their next head coach. Broncos GM George Paton has narrowed his search to just “a few” candidates, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). It’s not clear who the finalists are, but many around the league believe that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is among the frontrunners. 

To date, the Broncos have interviewed at least ten candidates for their head coaching vacancy:

Quinn, 51, has become a consistent presence in this cycle, popping up with six of the seven clubs looking for a head coach. Beyond the Broncos, the Bears, Jaguars, Dolphins, Vikings, and Giants have had him in their sights. Quinn surely has his own shortlist of favorites, one that might exclude the Jaguars since he declined to interview with them during the season. Meanwhile, the Giants job could hold extra appeal for him since he grew up in nearby Orange, NJ.

Latest Details On John Elway, Broncos’ Sale

January 19th, 2022 at 3:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

While nothing is official yet regarding the sale of the Broncos, more details have emerged with respect to John Elway’s role in any new ownership group. He has publicly stated a desire to be involved – albeit in a minor role – with the new owners if at all possible. 

[Related: Broncos To Be Sold]

As noted by Mike Klis of 9News.com, Elway is still very keen on playing a part in the franchise, even after stepping away from the GM role he served in from 2011 to 2020. When asked about the impending auction of the team, he said, “I’m sure there will be a lot of things going on, but I would definitely like to be involved”.

He is making clear, however, that any position he takes on will not be at the forefront of the team. Klis notes that the 61-year-old “doesn’t have the type of financial wherewithal to become the controlling owner” given the Broncos’ estimated value of roughly $4B, but “he may have enough to invest as a limited partner”. That would certainly be Elway’s preference, as he added, “I’m not looking to be the face of the franchise. Whoever puts up that kind of money and whoever is that owner, it’s their franchise… My hope would be to help support the new owner”.

Those comments continue a back-and-forth trend for Elway concerning his ownership interest. Shortly after Pat Bowlen‘s death, he indicated he was not looking for an ownership role. This past September, however, it was reported he was attempting to put together a group to buy the team. In any event, the sale is not expected to be announced until after a new head coach is hired. It remains to be seen, then, if the Broncos legend will have his ownership desire come to fruition.

Seahawks Request DC Interview With Broncos’ Ed Donatell

January 18th, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Vic Fangio being fired after three seasons, the Broncos are likely planning to hire a new defensive coordinator as well. Their current one has generated outside interest, however.

The Seahawks requested an interview with Ed Donatell, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Donatell spent the past three seasons as Fangio’s right-hand man on defense in Denver but has coached in the NFL for decades — including with Pete Carroll. The Seahawks fired veteran DC Ken Norton Jr. less than 24 hours ago.

Donatell and Carroll were both on Bruce Coslet‘s Jets staffs from 1990-93, and Donatell stayed on in 1994 once the Jets promoted Carroll to HC. Donatell served as Jets DBs coach in the early 1990s; this was his first NFL job. Carroll and Donatell also have a history at the college level, each being on the University of Pacific’s staff in 1983. The Seahawks are not planning to move on from Carroll, despite occasional rumblings, and an interesting reunion could take place.

Donatell, 64, coached DBs under Fangio in San Francisco and Chicago from 2011-21 but has now been defensive coordinator with the Packers, Falcons and Broncos. Denver’s defense, despite extensive injury issues and the trade of Von Miller, finished the season in the top 10 in both total defense (eighth) and points allowed (third) — the team’s best marks during the Fangio-Donatell run.

Seahawks To Make Changes To Defensive Coaching Staff

January 18th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

While it appears the Seahawks will be keeping their head coach and general manager, they are making some important changes to the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball. DC Ken Norton Jr. and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis are expected to be let go, according to a report from Bob Condotta and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. 

[Related: Seahawks To Retain HC Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider]

Norton has served as the team’s defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, a stretch that has seen unusually poor results on that side of the ball. Seattle’s league ranking in yards allowed varied from 16th in 2018 to 28th this year during his tenure. In each of the last two seasons, the team has had major problems defensively, giving up an average of 451 yards per game through Week 5 of 2021. However, those campaigns have each featured a notable turnaround, as the Seahawks finished this season 11th in the league in points allowed at 21.5 per game, for example.

Ultimately, though, the overall falloff from the days of the ‘Legion of Boom’ – not mention of course, the team’s 7-10 record – have led to Norton’s dismissal. The reporters named Clint Hurtt, Seattle’s defensive line coach, as a candidate to take over the DC role. The 43-year-old has held that title since 2017, but has also been an assistant head coach since 2018. While he has eight total years of NFL experience as a positional coach, he has never been a coordinator. Another option “on the shortlist” is Ed Donatell, who is currently the Broncos’ DC. The 64-year-old has been the defensive coordinator with two other teams throughout his long NFL career, and has ties to HC Pete Carroll dating back to their time with the Jets in the 1990s.

As for Curtis, the passing game had been a particularly sore spot during his tenure overseeing that part of the defense, which also began in 2018. In 2020, the team gave up franchise-worst 285 yards per game through the air, and, just like the defensive unit as a whole, got off to a rough start in 2021 as well. Through Week 3, that figure was still over 264 yards per game, leading to significant roster changes in the secondary. While things improved beyond that point, the Seahawks obviously felt it wasn’t enough for Norton and Curtis to be brought back.

Clearly, the defense – both on the field and along the sidelines – will be a major point of emphasis during the offseason in Seattle.

 

Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order

January 18th, 2022 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

With the Wild Card round complete, another six positions in the 2022 NFL Draft have been confirmed.

One of the most interesting developments relates to the Philadelphia Eagles. After losing on Sunday, their own first round pick has been locked in at No. 19, having already known they would also own the 15th and 16th selections. What the team does with that much draft capital will be one of the most interesting storylines of the draft.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.

Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
  2. Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
  3. Houston Texans: 4-13
  4. New York Jets: 4-13
  5. New York Giants: 4-13
  6. Carolina Panthers: 5-12
  7. New York Giants(via Bears)
  8. Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
  9. Denver Broncos: 7-10
  10. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
  11. Washington Football Team: 7-10
  12. Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
  13. Cleveland Browns: 8-9
  14. Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
  15. Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
  16. Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
  18. New Orleans Saints: 9-8
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
  21. New England Patriots: 10-7
  22. Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
  23. Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
  24. Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
  25. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
  26. Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
  27. Buffalo Bills: 11-6*
  28. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
  30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4*
  31. Tennessee Titans: 12-5*
  32. Green Bay Packers: 13-4*

* = Remaining playoff teams

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/17/22

January 17th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor transactions around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

Pats’ McDaniels Not Getting Interview Requests?

January 16th, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ely Allen

In an article for NBC Sports, Mike Florio divulged that a source with knowledge of the situation informed him that Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t received requests to be interviewed by any of the eight teams currently looking for a new head coach. This development has surprised the Patriots, but they expect the situation to change soon. 

McDaniels is a long time Patriots’ staffer, first joining the organization in 2001 as a personnel assistant. After a year, McDaniels worked with the team as a defensive assistant for two years before switching to the offensive side of the coaching staff. After one season as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator, developing the Patriots’ offense into the juggernaut that broke several NFL records in the 2007 season. His coaching success led to much speculation that he could be a top candidate for head coaching jobs, but he pulled his name out of the ring before the Patriots even finished their playoff run.

When McDaniels was able to lead a Patriots team quarterbacked by Matt Cassel to an 11-5 record, following a season-ending injury to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season, the Broncos saw fit to name McDaniels as their new head coach for the 2009 NFL season. McDaniels’s tenure in Denver started with a six-game win-streak before losing eight of the next ten games to finish the season 8-8. After a 3-9 start to the 2010 season, and multiple controversies from his handling of difficult players, Denver decided they’d seen enough and fired McDaniels after Week 13. McDaniels spent a year as the offensive coordinator of the Rams, under Steve Spagnuolo, before returning to New England following Spagnuolo’s firing.

McDaniels has stayed in Foxborough ever since. He’s continued to draw head coaching interest here and there, even accepting the head coach position for the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2018 before backing out of his commitment on the same day to stay in New England, prompting his long-time agent, Bob LaMonte, to sever ties with McDaniels.

McDaniels’s handling and development of rookie quarterback Mac Jones has led to some speculation that one of the two teams that have both 1) a head coaching vacancy and 2) a young quarterback might show immediate interest in the 45-year old coordinator. Can Bill Polian overlook his lack of a good relationship with McDaniels and advise that the Bears bring him in to mentor Justin Fields? Will McDaniels decide that he can handle working for Trent Baalke and agree to take Trevor Lawrence under his wing? Keep track of McDaniels and other candidates in our 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Broncos To Be Sold

January 16th, 2022 at 9:27am CST by Rory Parks

In July, when the lawsuit filed by two of Pat Bowlen‘s daughters challenging the validity of the Pat Bowlen Trust was dismissed, the sale of the Broncos became a real possibility. Since then, most of the reporting on the matter has indicated that the club would indeed be sold out of the Bowlen family, and we recently heard that the transaction could be completed by this spring.

So when team attorney Dan Reilly recently said that the trustees of the Pat Bowlen Trust would be moving forward with the “ownership transition process” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk), it was simply a confirmation of the prevailing belief that the Broncos would soon be sold. Team president Joe Ellis also said that he would soon turn his attention to “transitioning ownership.”

Those comments were made in the wake of a court order regarding the right of first refusal agreement that Bowlen had entered into with Edgar Kaiser when the former purchased the team from the latter in 1984. As Mike Klis of 9News.com tweets, a Denver court has determined that the agreement is no longer valid or enforceable in any respect, and that it has terminated in its entirety. As such, the last real obstacle to a sale has been removed.

As expected, franchise icons Peyton Manning and John Elway will be involved in the process, as part of separate bidding groups (Twitter link via Troy Renck of Denver 7). Manning is said to be eyeing both a minority ownership stake as well as a role in the management of the team, and Elway — who served as the club’s GM from 2011-20 before being transitioned to a different role upon the hiring of George Paton last year — is reportedly interested in staying with the franchise in some capacity, whether as a part owner or something else.

However, Renck is clear that this will not be a popularity contest. The top bid must be accepted regardless of who makes it, and it has been reported that the sale will net around $4B or so. Per Ellis, the formal announcement regarding ownership will come shortly after the team announces its next head coach. The impending sale is not expected to be a deterrent for any HC candidate.

Coaching Searches Starting To Come Into Focus

January 15th, 2022 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

As the playoffs begin, some teams are narrowing in on their preferred targets. Some teams don’t need to worry about the playoffs because their candidate isn’t participating, while others may just be waiting until their candidate’s season is over.

Jason La Canfora, of CBS Sports, reported that former Dolphins’ head coach Brian Flores is considered the favorite to get the Texans’ open head coaching position. He suggests that firing David Culley may have been a reaction to Flores’s surprising availability. Both firings came as a shock to NFL media, so it’s not outrageous to assume that the Texans saw Flores get cut loose and decided to make a bold move of their own.

Flores and Texans’ general manager Nick Caserio worked together as scouts in the Patriots’ system. Flores won eight of his final nine games in Miami this year, showing a promising potential. Not to mention that Flores was a factor in Deshaun Watson waiving his no-trade clause for the Dolphins earlier this year, before that deal fell through. The Texans have other candidates, but Flores has interviewed with the Bears and will continue to be a target for other teams, so Houston will likely want to secure their target sooner, rather than later.

Tom Pelissero, of NFL Network, reported that Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is looking like the favorite to replace Vic Fangio in Denver. This situation is a little more fraught. The connections aren’t quite clear. Obviously Quinn’s resume speaks for itself as he made it to the Super Bowl with Atlanta and has helped develop an impressive, young Cowboys’ defense, but the Broncos just fired a defensive-minded coach in Fangio and it’s a bit surprising to see them double-down on that philosophy.

There’s also the issue that, unlike Flores, Quinn isn’t currently available. He hasn’t even interviewed with any teams. Even when he does, it seems those teams may be in competition with his current employer. La Canfora put out a report that Dallas holds Quinn in such high regard that they might be willing to move on from current head coach Mike McCarthy in order to secure Quinn as his successor.

There’s plenty of moves to be had and plenty of time for it all to play out. Be sure to follow all our updates on the 2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Load More Posts