Report Links 3 Coaches to Sean Payton's New Broncos Coaching Staff
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Now that the Denver Broncos landed Sean Payton, all eyes have turned to how the head coach will set about building his staff. With Vic Fangio officially out of the mix, we know that Payton has been talking to Ejiro Evero about possibly returning as Broncos defensive coordinator.
Evero is under contract still and could be persuaded to get excited about staying in Denver if it meant working under a prolific head coach like Payton. Then again, it's possible Evero could land one of the few remaining head-coaching jobs around the league. But more likely, the NFL is telling Evero he needs one more year as a coordinator to fully ripen on the head-coaching vine.
But what if Evero rebuffs Payton? It's possible, considering he refused the Broncos' interim head-coaching job after his life-long friend Nathaniel Hackett was fired.
If Evero wants out of Denver, Payton will have no shortage of options to replace him at defensive coordinator. On the offensive side of the ball, there are a couple of coaches that 9NEWS' Mike Klis has already linked to Payton in Denver.
Other coaching assistants in the mix to join Payton's staff in Denver are his former Saints' quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, who was just fired from his position as the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator; former Saints' offensive line and tight ends coach Dan Roushar and former defensive backs coach Kris Richard. Roushar and Richard were recently let go by second-year Saints head coach Dennis Allen.
Lombardi's name cache has dimmed somewhat after he was unceremoniously fired by the Los Angeles Chargers. However, he and Payton have a long, storied history of working together with the New Orleans Saints.
Lombardi served under Payton for 12 of his 16 seasons as Saints head coach. Lombardi worked closely with Drew Brees as his position coach and the go-between for Payton. And remember, it'll be Payton calling the offensive plays in Denver.
Roushar would be an obvious choice for Payton as he sets about rebuilding the Broncos' offensive line. Roushar helped Payton glean excellent O-line results for five years. It wouldn't surprise me to see Payton tap Roushar as offensive coordinator in Denver, if things don't work out with Lombardi.
As for Richard, he's been a rising defensive star in the NFL coaching world for a few years now, making it somewhat of a surprise to see him fired by the Saints. If things don't pan out with Evero, Richard could be tapped as Payton's defensive coordinator. Possibly. Richard has also served as a defensive coordinator in Seattle.
Stay tuned.
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