Cards, Broncos To Interview Zac Taylor
Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor will interview for the Cardinals and Broncos head coaching positions on Saturday, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears (on Twitter). Taylor, 35, will also interview with the Bengals on Friday, so he may wind up as the latest 30-something assistant to ascend the ranks. 
Taylor moved up to QB coach under Sean McVay in 2018 after Matt LaFleur left for the Titans. The results, for the most part, have been outstanding. The Rams finished out 13-3 and will have an opportunity to rest before their first playoff game on Jan. 12 thanks to their bye.
Outside of the past year with the Rams, Taylor’s resume is not especially flashy. He was the Rams’ assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 and served as the University of Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator in 2016 before moving to sunny Los Angeles. However, young offensively-minded coaches are the in-thing, and Taylor is garnering serious interest.
Bears’ Vic Fangio To Interview With Broncos, Dolphins
Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has two interviews lined up. He’ll meet with both the Broncos and Dolphins on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Broncos and Dolphins submitted interview requests for the Bears DC earlier this week and they were quickly granted, even though the Bears are gearing up for a playoff showdown against the Eagles. Their interest is understandable – Fangio produced a top-10 defense without a Pro Bowler in 2017 and now has the top DVOA unit with three Pro Bowlers. Khalil Mack has certainly boosted the Bears D, but Fangio has a track record of results.
Fangio was largely overlooked in last year’s cycle, but things should be different this time around. Assuming the experience works in his favor, Fangio’s five career stints as an NFL defensive coordinator should make him an attractive candidate for even more teams.
Broncos Expected To Interview Pagano
Two coaches fired after the 2017 season look to have secured additional interviews about possible 2019 top jobs. Jim Caldwell will interview with the Jets, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. Chuck Pagano is now expected to interview with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Caldwell has already met with the Packers and been connected to the Browns’ wide-ranging search as well.
- The Broncos are monitoring Mike McCarthy, but no interview is as of yet scheduled, Klis tweets. McCarthy has been connected to just about every opening thus far. The 13-year Packers coach may sit this cycle out, unless he sees a perfect fit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link).
Dolphins, Packers Request To Interview Steelers’ Mike Munchak
Mike Munchak was part of the 2018 coaching carousel but opted to stay on as the Steelers’ offensive line coach. A demand for meetings with the longtime assistant and former head coach has increased this year.
After the Broncos requested an interview with Munchak, two more teams — the Dolphins and Packers — have joined this pursuit, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter).
Denver has received permission to meet with Munchak, per 9News’ Mike Klis (on Twitter). The five-year Steelers O-line coach will consider the Broncos’ job, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (video link). Munchak, 58, backed out of the Cardinals’ HC search last year.
Munchak served as the Titans’ coach from 2011-13 and has overseen one of the NFL’s best offensive lines in recent years. Pittsburgh’s front helped turn Le’Veon Bell into a star and James Conner into a quickly capable replacement while also aiding Ben Roethlisberger to four straight Pro Bowls and a 2018 5,000-yard season.
Broncos, Dolphins Request Vic Fangio Interview
Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has long been a top-level defensive leader, but a head coaching job has eluded him in 30-plus seasons in the NFL. That may change.
The Broncos and Dolphins have submitted interview requests for the Bears’ DC, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (on Twitter). The Broncos have received such permission, per 9News’ Mike Klis (Twitter link).
Fangio, 60, cannot interview for any HC jobs this week because of the Bears’ first-round game against the Eagles. He has been an essential part of Chicago’s resurgence. Beginning his tenure with the Bears in 2015, Fangio produced a top-10 defense without a Pro Bowler in 2017 and now has the top DVOA unit with three Pro Bowlers (highlighted by trade acquisition Khalil Mack).
He received scant HC interest last year but ended up staying in the Windy City. Fangio’s career included five stops as a DC, also stopping in San Francisco under Jim Harbaugh, and featured a stay in the USFL in the mid-1980s. It will be interesting to see if a team gives the veteran coordinator an opportunity.
No Gase, Broncos Reunion Coming
Adam Gase might’ve been the most surprising firing of Black Monday, and he likely won’t be out of a job too long. Gase has “heard from the majority of teams with an HC opening” within hours of being let go by the Dolphins, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that Gase will begin taking head coaching interviews this week. While Gase has been linked to numerous jobs, including the Browns’ opening, don’t expect a reunion in Denver. Although he was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator during their peak with Peyton Manning, GM John Elway said at his press conference today Gase isn’t a candidate “at this time”, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Gase got the Dolphins job because of his work with the Broncos, but there have long been rumors of bad blood between him and Elway. Elway reportedly told interested teams he didn’t think Gase was ready to be a head coach years ago, and Gase ran up the score on the Bronocs as revenge last year, kicking an onside kick while up 24 points late in the game. While it won’t be in Denver, at this point it would be a surprise if Gase isn’t a head coach somewhere next season.
Broncos Fire Vance Joseph
Another long expected move was made official this morning, as the Broncos are indeed firing Vance Joseph, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Joseph was almost fired after last season until John Elway had a last minute change of heart, but wasn’t that lucky this time around. He lasted only two years in Denver ultimately, going 5-11 in 2017 before improving only marginally and going 6-10 this year. Players had lobbied for Joseph to keep his job and while he was expected to be fired there were also late reports that he could be kept and paired up with former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak as his OC.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted in a tweet that Joseph will be a “top defensive coordinator candidate” and Joseph is a highly respected defensive mind. He’s been linked to the Bengals’ defensive coordinator opening as he was an assistant coach in Cincinnati for a couple of years and is close with Marvin Lewis. Miami is another possibility if they fire their defensive coordinator which many expect, as Joseph coordinated the Dolphins’ defense successfully before taking the Broncos job.
As for Denver, Elway will be conducting his fourth coaching search in the last six years. Once an organization known for their stability and winning culture, the Broncos have been disarray the last few years ever since the retirement of Peyton Manning. With their Christmas Eve blowout loss to the Raiders two weeks ago, they clinched back to back losing seasons for the first time in 45 years.
It’ll be a very interesting offseason for the Broncos, as they must decide what to do with Case Keenum and whether or not to draft a quarterback high. Schefter noted in a follow up tweet that the team has requested to interview Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores for their head coaching job, and we’ve also heard they were interested in John Harbaugh. In an additional tweet, Schefter writes that the team has also requested to interview former Titans head coach and current Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak for their vacancy.
Broncos Interested In Harbaugh
- We heard earlier today that multiple teams were considering trying to trade for Ravens coach John Harbaugh, and now we have a better idea of which teams. The Dolphins and Broncos are two teams that have expressed interest in trading for Harbaugh, according to Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders (Twitter link). While he notes the Buccaneers haven’t yet been linked, he thinks they “could get into the mix” eventually. The Ravens won the AFC North today, but Harbaugh could still be available, especially if Baltimore goes one and done in the playoffs.
Broncos Roster Cuts Preview
One team that will likely be undergoing a lot of change this offseason is the Broncos. Vance Joseph seems almost certain to be fired at the end of the season, and the shakeup will likely go well beyond the coaching staff. John Elway will have decisions to make about a lot of the roster, including quarterback Case Keenum, and there will be some tough calls. To preview the tumultuous offseason ahead, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic took a look at the roster and projected who is likely to be gone in 2019.
We’ve already known that outside linebacker Shane Ray and safety Su’a Cravens are extremely unlikely to be back in a Broncos uniform next year, and Jhabvala thinks several other big name defenders are in danger as well. She writes that cornerback Bradley Roby and linebacker Brandon Marshall, both starters the last few seasons, are both unlikely to be brought back. Jhabvala notes that the team traded Aqib Talib this past offseason because they were confident Roby was ready for a bigger role, but they’ve since soured on the 2015 first round pick. Among other players Jhabvala lists as being in danger are center Matt Paradis, who she thinks might be priced out of the Broncos’ range, and guard Max Garcia, who had already been demoted before tearing his ACL earlier this year.
Latest On Broncos, Joseph
- While most people have assumed Vance Joseph is a goner in Denver, there is still a “slim possibility” John Elway elects to stick with Joseph for another year, according to Rapoport. While Rapsheet still expects the Broncos to ultimately move on, he notes there is a scenario in which the Broncos fire offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, keep Joseph, and have former head coach Gary Kubiak come down from the front office and assume control of the offense. That would be a very interesting move, but at this point it still seems likely there’s an opening in the Mile High City.