Here's What Drew Brees Once Said About Broncos' New OC
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You can almost smell the aroma of Cajun cooking that's now filling the corridors of Denver Broncos headquarters.
Going back to his long-established New Orleans roots was hardly surprising given the network of successful assistant coaches Sean Payton consistently assembled down in the Big Easy. It has led to Payton appointing his long-time assistant Joe Lombardi to help him develop a more Russell Wilson-friendly offense moving forward.
Lombardi isn't the splashy, high-profile hire many fans had perhaps lusted after, but when you consider that he won't be calling the plays, compatibility with Payton became the priority.
One can safely assume that goal No. 1 will be getting Wilson back into a good headspace as the embattled quarterback sets out on a revenge tour to silence his increasingly vocal critics. Lombardi primarily gained his reputation for the work he did with Drew Brees while they were together at the New Orleans Saints.
If anyone should have a take on what Lombardi brings to Wilson and the Broncos, it's the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback turned sportscaster Drew Brees.
"I knew it was only a matter of time," Brees said back in the day when Lombardi left the Saints for the Detroit Lions. "He is a guy that is extremely intelligent, very innovative. He was a huge part of our game planning throughout the week and on game day."
Those looking to shoot holes in Lombardi's track record might point to his failures outside the Payton shadow. Even if it's all true, it matters little to the Broncos in the grand scheme of things because Lombardi is reuniting with Payton, with whom he has proven success.
You can also throw in how Lombardi worked with and got production out of a trio of star quarterbacks in Brees and Herbert, and while he was in Detroit, Matthew Stafford.
Payton will always have the final say over Lombardi on gameday, but it's setting the table, which has always been the offensive coordinator's core strength. Fans won't doubt that the chain of command will be crystal clear, which is a good thing after the murky coaching hires in Denver in recent years.
There is much work to do in this collaboration, but hitting the ground running should be much easier for Lombardi and Payton when you factor in their extensive history together. Lombardi might have been made the fall guy for the Los Angeles Chargers' spectacular playoff implosion against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but primarily utilized the tremendous skill set of quarterback Justin Herbert quite well.
Lombardi's knowledge of Herbert will, at the very least, offer the Broncos a leg up when they face the Chargers twice next season. His Chargers intelligence wasn't what got him the job in Denver, though.
Payton is surrounding himself with some of his most trusted lieutenants, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, and Lombardi fits exceptionally well with that vision.
The pair's shared philosophies will remain the critical factor in turning around a Broncos offense that simply stank last year.
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