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Broncos HC Sean Payton Offers One Final Critique of Russell Wilson
How many antacid tablets did Sean Payton consume last year as a result of Russell Wilson's penchant for taking sacks?
Sean Payton's incompatibility with former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson doesn't require further explanation. It led to major offseason changes for the Broncos, and Wilson is no longer in Denver.
Wilson has reverted to his corny slogans and predictable training videos, which no longer appeal to Broncos fans. Meanwhile, at the NFL owners meetings last week, when asked what the Broncos offense needs to do to score more points, Payton was once again unafraid to throw Wilson under the bus.
"Well, I think this, No. 1, we can't take as many sacks," Payton said in answer to 9NEWS' Mike Klis last week in Florida. "If you looked at any of the data relative to what it does for your drives—I think that was a big thing that hurt us a year ago. But obviously, you have to be efficient running the ball."
Payton has quickly moved on from Wilson. For his part, Wilson slid out the side door rather meekly. Indeed, most would agree that Broncos GM George Paton did Wilson a massive favor by letting him explore other job opportunities, even at the punitive cost of the team's salary cap.
Payton has rather ruthlessly washed his hands of Wilson, revealing he's cut from a different cloth than the veteran QB. Any notion that Payton should stoically avoid instigating potential beef with Wilson apparently doesn't sit easily with the former Super Bowl-winning coach.
That's par for the course for the often outspoken Payton. After all, he frequently applies a more abrasive touch to his open criticisms when the mood takes him. One need only think back back to last summer and Payton's vicious verbal takedown of former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, which made headlines across the fruited plain.
It's no surprise that Payton would take the opportunity to point out Wilson's responsibility for last season's failures—perhaps revealing how much the incessant sacks bothered the Broncos head coach. Wilson was sacked 45 times during Payton's up-and-down first year in Denver.
It's damning statistical evidence that points to how often Wilson did the exact opposite of what Payton really wanted him to do on a given play. What Payton expects and demands from his quarterback will hopefully lead to a handpicked rookie arriving via the NFL draft later this month.
As the Broncos forge ahead, the acquisition of a signal caller who fits Payton's precision-type passing offense will become the driving factor for the entire draft process. Of course, major complications still exist on that particular front as the Broncos hold the No. 12 pick while Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy's draft stock continues to rise rapidly.
Predicting how the chips might fall on April 25 is virtually impossible right now, but it's a given that only the quarterbacks who fit with Payton's grand plan will be in the frame. It also showcases what a pickle a team creates for itself if it invests blindly in the wrong quarterback.
From now on, Broncos fans can rest assured that everything will be done with exceeding due diligence, especially at quarterback.
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