Vance Joseph's Successor Could Already be on Broncos Coaching Staff
Broncos Country wasn't too happy when the Denver Broncos announced they were looking at Vance Joseph to fill the defensive coordinator position under new head coach Sean Payton. Fans became even more unhappy when it was announced that Joseph was hired.
Joseph failed as the head coach in Denver (2017-18), and fans harbored a lot of bad blood. However, his time as defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals and his defenses with the Broncos were not terrible. Overall, his defenses were more than capable units.
Diving Into Joseph's DC Resume
When looking at DVOA and the total rankings, Joseph's defenses were in the top 12 in four of his six years. His worst year was 2022 when his Cardinals defense was beaten down with injuries, where almost every starter missed at least a few games. The 2022 Cardinals ranked 24th last year, and the coaching staff was overhauled entirely.
The other year Joseph's defense wasn't in the top 12 was his first in Arizona, where the Cardinals ranked 20th after being 12th the year before. However, he turned the run defense around to rank sixth in Year 1 after ranking 29th the season prior.
Joseph's time in Denver saw him boast the 11th and sixth-best defense in DVOA. Then in 2020 and 2021, Joseph's Cardinals ranked 10th and then sixth. Before injuries derailed things in Arizona, he improved the unit from the previous year.
The Fly in the Joseph Ointment
The biggest concern with Joseph's defense is how the pass and rush DVOA are always so unbalanced. Joseph only boasted a pass DVOA and rush DVOA in the top half of the NFL in two seasons. Those were the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, where his units ranked ninth vs. the pass and 14th vs. the rush in 2020, and improved to fifth vs. the pass and sixth vs. the rush in 2021.
The issue arises with Joseph's struggles in finding balance within his defense and the lack of consistency with his units. This makes me wonder: Is Joseph a placeholder for a different coach on the Broncos' staff?
Broncos Buzzing Over Secondary Coach
For the second year in a row, secondary coach Christian Parker was retained by the incoming head coach. First hired under ex-Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, Parker is widely viewed as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks and is poised for a defensive coordinator position before long.
Joseph was even asked about Parker last week during mandatory minicamp.
“He’s sharp, man. He’s sharp. He’s a star," Joseph said of Parker. "He is a great partner to work with... He’s smart, he works his butt off, and his players love playing for him. He’s a star."
We know Payton also thinks highly of the young Parker, as he was one of just two position coaches that were held over from the Nathaniel Hackett regime last season (along with D-line coach Marcus Dixon). There were some rumblings that Parker could have gotten a look at the defensive coordinator position in Denver this year if other pursuits hadn't panned out.
Parker's Players Close Ranks
Even Parker's secondary players praise him. Over the last couple of years, Parker has been floated as a sleeper defensive coordinator candidate. If the Broncos' secondary continues to sustain its high level of play of the past few seasons, that buzz will only increase.
Parker has received nothing but positive feedback as a coach, even before he joined the Broncos. His time with the Green Bay Packers saw him garner a lot of complimentary buzz.
Coaches and players love how Parker teaches techniques and gets through to players. He carries respect from those around him, which is another reason why he's on the fast track to becoming a defensive coordinator.
While it seems unlikely that Joseph will get fired during the season, if the defense struggles, a change could be made. In such an event, it would not be surprising to see Parker become the guy the Broncos look to as a possible successor.
Is Joseph a Placeholder for Parker?
It doesn't seem likely. Payton chose Joseph, and the new Broncos head coach doesn't seem like the type to hire a coordinator only to promote someone and change things up with the defense yet again. However, hiring a guy while keeping someone else who you view as an up-and-comer to be a potential replacement could be the case with Parker.
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