Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II A Finalist For Defensive Player of the Year

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos have three names that are finalists for big, well-deserved awards. We'll tell you why the Broncos are in line to maybe take home some hardware here this offseason on today's brand-new episode, Locked-on Broncos. You are Locked-on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening in Broncos country? Welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast network where you know it is your team. every day. Thanks to all the everydayers. Thanks to the first listeners out there in Broncos country for tuning in making the show exactly what it is. We appreciate you so much here as we navigate the offseason. And look, for the true fan, there's never an offseason. So make yourself

Starting point is 00:00:49 an everyday or if you haven't done so already. I'm Cody Roark. Broncos credential beat reporter for Mile High Sports joined by Sarah Bedinger, the longtime site expert of their predominantly orange.com. And here's what we got in store for you today. We're going to wrap things up by highlighting what's the latest with Vance Joseph and his latest head coaching interviews that he did have. What's the momentum trending like for him to either stay in Denver or go elsewhere? Also highlight how the Broncos could lose an important part of their front office to the New York. Jets will highlight that, but we're going to kick things off by highlighting the news of the day. The big news, and that is the Broncos have three names as finalists for the AP Associated Press,

Starting point is 00:01:29 end of the year awards, some big honors. the Broncos have some opportunities to take home, not some hardware necessarily, but some well-deserved recognition for what happened in 2024. We'll break that down here on today's episode show. Brock you, my friends over there at GameTime, download the GameTime app, creating account and use code locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase. Sarah, when was the last time the Broncos had a big name player or the matter, like three representatives in line for some of the biggest end of the year awards possible.

Starting point is 00:01:58 I think really the only time we can go back to is when pay. Peyton Manning was on the roster. Yeah, Peyton Manning, probably winning most valuable player, obviously, which he did in Denver. And maybe Vaughn Miller, Cody, I don't remember, I guess in 2015, was Vaughn up for a defensive player of the year? Or was it maybe 2016 as well? I can't remember. We'll have to, maybe one of the listeners can go do that quick research for us because that's a little surprising. Or you check it out right now.

Starting point is 00:02:23 But it feels like that was probably the last time that anybody was really relevant in terms of these types of discussions, including coaching. of the year MVP, offensive player of the year. I mean, heck, when's the last time the Broncos had anybody besides Peyton Manning that was worthy of offensive player of the year? That's kind of a sad trail to go down there. But it's these major awards that come out every year. And we know that like these awards ultimately don't mean anything in the moment. But in terms of legacy, in terms of, you know, Hall of Fame credentials, like these things do matter for some of these guys quite a bit. That's why we're so bummed when you know, guys like Quinn Miners get snubbed

Starting point is 00:03:01 of the Pro Bowl. It's like all these things kind of factor in to that discussion at the end of their careers when they're playing at that trajectory. And so for the Denver Broncos this year after the 2024 season, Pat Sertan obviously is up for defensive player of the year.

Starting point is 00:03:17 And then you've got Sean Payton, the head coach up for Coach of the year, which is awesome to see in just his second year with the team. And then Bo Nicks, Cody, the first round pick, the sixth quarterback off the board, the guy who's too old to have any sort of upside at the NFL level, turns out he's up for NFL offensive rookie of the year as well. So like you mentioned before, maybe not exactly the, it's not like the Broncos are going to have

Starting point is 00:03:44 a clean sweep here in terms of these awards, but to have finalists is huge in and of itself. Yeah, especially in these three categories. And look, I think right now we can all sit here and say the one that the Broncos are probably going to be in a position to win is defensive player of the year. Pat Sertan seems like the odds on favorite right now. There's been a lot of momentum. Obviously, he was the PFWA's defensive player of the year, the pro football riders of America.

Starting point is 00:04:09 There are a lot of different outlets as well that named him as the defensive player of the year for what he was able to do. But he's also got some competition, right? So let's take a look at maybe some of the other candidates here for DP O.Y in terms of the NFL end of the year awards. You've obviously got T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers who got off to a tremendous start this season, but really kind of tailed off really at the end there. You know, there were a stretch of games where he didn't register either, you know, a sack

Starting point is 00:04:34 or a pressure. And I think there was a game. He didn't even have it. I think he had one total tackle in a game there. I know he got banged up a little bit towards the end. I don't see T.J. Watt winning this award. I think the one name that you could probably look at it says, okay, there's probably consideration here is Trey Hendrickson just because he won, he was the NFL's leading

Starting point is 00:04:51 sack producer this season. But in my opinion, the NFL and the voters got a. unless it's a truly dominant season since. And look, 17 and a half sacks. I think that's what he finished with. That's impressive. But it wasn't to the point where Trey Hendrickson was the most dominant defensive player on the field.

Starting point is 00:05:09 What Pat Surtan did, I felt like was more impressive. And he could be in line to be the first DB since Stefan Gilmore back in 2019 to win this award. The DBs need more love, man. And look, I may be a little biased because I'm a corner guy. I'm a defensive bag. That's my expertise. That's my specialty.

Starting point is 00:05:26 So for me, but I think everybody widespread agrees that Pat Sertan, even other teams fan bases are saying it should be Pat Sertan, even some AFC West rivals. I'm just saying. So that's where I would kind of go with that. And obviously, Zach Bond, Miles Garrett or other finalists for that, I really think right now Pat Sertan is the clear cut favorite to win that. I would be shocked if he doesn't win it. That would be a major, major surprise here. But I want to get your thoughts here on really what everyone else is going to be talking about here. And that is offensive rookie of the year. and Daniels, Bo Nix. There are some other names in that mix in that category there. Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville, Jaguars, the wide receiver. Jaden Daniels, obviously, as we talked about, Malik neighbors of the New York Giants,

Starting point is 00:06:09 to me, it's really going to be between Bo Nix and Jaden Daniels, if you have to look at it. And where is the argument that you make here, sir, because Bo obviously led all rookies in passing touchdowns, overall touchdowns, passing yards. So for me, it's like, where do you lean here? Jaden Daniels has played. so well this season and has his team in the NFC championship.

Starting point is 00:06:30 But like how do you decide this award? If you're looking at stats, you're looking at production, I'm trying to figure out where that is. Yeah, I don't know exactly where the differentiation happened in terms of is it, is it going all the way back to because a lot of folks, when we were having this debate during the season,

Starting point is 00:06:47 are saying, well, you have to count the two first games of Bo Nix's career in the overall equation, which were bad. And because of that, I think that's where Jaden Daniels got an edge for a lot of people is the slow start from Bo Nix. And we've mentioned it before. He did not throw his first touchdown pass in the NFL until week four, which is pretty staggering considering the fact that he finished just two touchdown passes shy of the all-time rookie record.

Starting point is 00:07:16 Like, let's give Bo Nicks some flowers. Obviously, we know what we don't know definitively, but I think we all know that Jaden Daniels is going to win this. award, right? And so for Bo Nix to be getting recognized like this is pretty impressive. And you mentioned it, Cody, he did lead in a lot of statistical categories. I would say personally, from my vantage point, I felt like Bo Nix did more with less in terms of the guys around him. And I think that he carried a bigger weight of the entirety of the offense on his shoulders. Like, I don't feel like Jaden Daniels necessarily always had to do everything every week. A lot of big time plays were made by Terry McLaurin, who is a much more dynamic receiver than anybody the Denver

Starting point is 00:07:59 Broncos have. And then you could point out the fact that Zach Ertz having him really helped Jaden Daniels over the course of the season, whereas Bo Nix did not have anybody even remotely close to that. And we're talking about Zach Ertz at the age of what, 33, 34 years old at this point, playing as well as he did this year. So I just think that there's a case to be made, but at the same time, we all know what's going to happen here.

Starting point is 00:08:22 And I have a quick note, too, on defensive player of the year, Cody, with Trey Hendrickson. When's the last time anybody was named defensive player of the year when your defensive coordinator was fired at the end of the season? I think that would be, if Trey Hendrickson will win that award, I would be kind of like, well, that kind of spits in the face of what happened with the Bengals just now. You got the defensive player of the year and your D coordinator was just fired. Makes no sense to me. Well, and I would say this too.

Starting point is 00:08:46 When we look at, you know, the comparison between Bow, Nicks, Jaden Daniels, Daniels had three less interceptions in totality. And then Bo, Bo had 12 on the year. Jaden had nine. You look, obviously, Bo had two games this season where he had four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Then you had one game from Jaden Daniels this year where he threw for five

Starting point is 00:09:03 touchdowns, but he also had two interceptions in the game. Look, Bo Nicks had a three interception game here. But you look at where that's at, like, this is, these two rookie quarterbacks are both well deserving of this award, right? And I think Jaden Daniels is going to win it. but I think if Bo Nix were to win it, he'd be deserving as well. And look, I think we've got to remind the fan base here once again. Daniels is deserving of it.

Starting point is 00:09:26 You know, don't tear Daniels down to build up Bo Nix. It's not a great look for the fan base and vice versa. I know there's a commander's fans are going to do the same exact thing where they're going to tear down Bo to prop up Jaden. Just don't get into those conversations. Just to just recognize like, hey, the NFL's in good hands with these QBs of the future here. Both deserving, but I think it's really between those two. As glad as I am that Sean Payton is,

Starting point is 00:09:48 up for coach of the year. I don't think he's going to win. I don't think he's going to be close. I think that when you look at the candidates here, I think right now everyone's talking about Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings is the favorite right now. But you look at Dan Campbell. You look at Andy Reid, obviously, and you look just at where things are at the state of the NFL with these guys and the jobs that they did this season. As impressive as what Sean Peyton has done in Denver, I don't think the voters are going to go with him. No, I don't think so either. I think that award is probably going to go to Andy Reed, the best record. I think the chief.

Starting point is 00:10:18 have ever had in terms of this this past season. So I think there's something to be said for that. And yes, we know that, I mean, shoot, they've won so many one score games. And if you flip all the one score games that have the worst record in the league, but does that not speak to Andy Reid's coaching ability, especially in his team doing the details? Cody, to me, he's easily the coach of the year. I know other guys deserve credit like Dan Campbell of the Lions, Dan Quinn, obviously,

Starting point is 00:10:44 the commanders. But I think that it's unfair that this award. should become the who exceeded expectations the most right who was the whose team was expected to be so horrible and yet they were good like that to me is not indicative of you you should win the award every year that should be you so while dan quinn has done a great job turning around that Washington franchise he'd be my number two behind Andy reed because how crazy is it to have his team as focused as they are every week after winning two super bowls to go out and have their best record as a franchise this past season.

Starting point is 00:11:19 I mean, kudos to Andy Reid, and that's the last nice thing I'll say about him on the show for a while. There you go. You get to do it. And obviously, I think everyone in Broncos country is hoping the Chiefs lose this week in the AFC championship game to the Buffalo Bills. But we got a lot to talk about still here on today's episode of show.

Starting point is 00:11:36 The Denver Broncos front office, it's been pivotal for them in improving their roster and changing the direction where the franchise is heading. But now they're in danger of losing one of their top executives to the New York Jets to a general. general manager job. We'll highlight that and more here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos is brought to you of our friends over there at Prize Picks. And it's playoff time. And if you're like me, you want to make the most of these final weeks of football action.

Starting point is 00:11:59 That's where Prize Picks comes in because if you love football and you want a chance to win real money while watching the games, prize picks is the place for you. It's the best way to turn your sports opinions into cash with daily fantasy player projections, especially with the conference championships this weekend. Two really good games to determine who go. to the Super Bowl. With prize picks, you simply pick more or less on player stats, like total passing yards or rushing touchdowns for a shot to win up to 1,000 times your money. You can make your picks in less than 60 seconds and whether you're looking for a flex play to boost your winnings, or you want to cash out quickly, prize picks, they've got you covered.

Starting point is 00:12:36 And with over 10 million members and billions in awarded winnings, it's clear that people are loving prize picks. Make sure you check it out here this week, and especially with the big games going on. Here's a special offer for Locked on NFL listeners. Download the app today and use code locked on NFL to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. That's prize picks run your game. Once again, download the app today. Use code locked on NFL to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup.

Starting point is 00:13:01 Price picks run your game. Since Sean Payton became the head coach of the Denver Broncos, we've seen a number of former New Orleans Saints coaches and executives coming to the Mile High City. But the ties of that bind could now be leading some Broncos coaches and executives. elsewhere in the league, starting with maybe a key piece of the front office heading out to New York to work with now. New Jets head coach Aaron Glenn. Cody and I are going to talk about why the Broncos, they might lose Darren Moogie this offseason

Starting point is 00:13:31 in their front office and what kind of impact that would have on the organization. But before we get into the discussion, Broncos country, thank you so much for making us part of your day every single day. For all you first listeners out there, you know that your boys, Cody and Sarah, we got you all off season, every single thing, Denver Broncos, that goes on from the Darren Moji types of news to the NFL draft, to free agency, all of it. We got you covered. And if you're not already, hit subscribe to get us at the top of your podcast feed or

Starting point is 00:14:00 algorithm on YouTube or both. Broncos country, let's talk about this. Darren Moji is and has been an executive in Denver for a long time. He's been in the organization for a long time. He was part of the head coach search when I believe Cody was. when the Broncos were bringing in Sean Payton ultimately, or maybe it was Nathaniel Hackett or both. So the Kevin O'Connell connection between Darren Mojee,

Starting point is 00:14:24 who used to be one of his wide receivers there at San Diego State, ultimately didn't come into play. But at the same time, he's been a key piece, whether it's finding coaches, whether it's finding players for this roster. And now Aaron Glenn might want him as the general manager out there with the New York Jets. Yeah, it's going to be an interesting thing to kind of follow and monitor here. And look, it's a good thing.

Starting point is 00:14:44 if you're if you're getting executives and coaches poached away, I know it's frustrating. Like look at the Detroit Lions, for example. They just lost Aaron Glenn to a head coaching job. They just lost Ben Johnson to a head coaching job. And they're losing some assistance that are going to end up on those staffs in New York and Chicago respectively. And I think for those Lions fans,

Starting point is 00:15:02 they're probably sitting there when they're like, oh no, we're not going to be as good next year because we lost all these guys, all these coaches. And certainly who you bring in and to replace those guys. It's going to be a very important task there for Dan Campbell. But you want more on that. Go check out locked on.

Starting point is 00:15:14 Lions for more information. As it pertains to the Broncos with Darren Moji, he had an initial interview with the New York Jets before they had made a head coaching higher at that point. And now he is, like he's already been part of the process. He's done a second interview with the Jets. And really, I think the job is between him and two other people at this point. Lance Newmark is one name. I know I can't.

Starting point is 00:15:37 I'm losing the name of the Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive. I think it's Trace Smith or something along those lines. I could be getting that wrong. But it really is a three-person race at this point. And there is a real legit chance that Mugi could head to the New York Jets to get his first job as a general manager. And you mentioned how long he's been with the Broncos. He came into Denver in 2012. When Peyton Manick came in, he was just a scouting intern, right?

Starting point is 00:16:02 But he did a good enough job. And obviously, he has a background as a former NFL player. He spent time on some practice squads. You mentioned he played college football at San Diego State. Mugi has always kind of had this knack and like understanding of personnel here. But, you know, he earned himself a job, a full-time job with the Broncos after being an intern in 2012, worked his way up to becoming an area scout. And then he became, you know, a director of player personnel, which happened a few years ago.

Starting point is 00:16:29 And then in 2022, ultimately was promoted by George Payton to be the assistant general manager to him. And Mugi has had a very, very pivotal role behind the scenes in player evaluation. and being a sounding board for George Payton, for Sean Payton, and also for the college and the scouting department there. They've done a terrific job, and Moji is well deserving of a GM gig at this point here. But I think one thing that we have to highlight is that Moji's kind of been this hot name amongst league circles, people that I've spoken to for the last couple of years,

Starting point is 00:17:02 like, hey, NFL team should keep an eye on this guy if they have some GM jobs that are opening up. Mugi might be a name to keep an eye on here in the next couple of years. And here we are two years later. Now he's in line to become a general manager for the first time. I think he'd do tremendous. And I wish him nothing but the best. If he does get that job, my only worry for Muj is like Muzh, do you want to go to the New York Jets and deal with the dysfunctional ownership that you have there?

Starting point is 00:17:27 Like, I think one thing that we've seen, and Muge has been able to see this. You see a clear difference in ownership with how the Broncos are obviously operated and ran versus now like the New York Jets, the dysfunction. and now the fact that, you know, you never know what you're going to get over in that organization. The market is very hostile and volatile at times. So to me, that's one thing I would say that we have to keep an eye on. And if, if in fact, Mugi does leave, I think the Broncos fans, if you want to know who is probably going to be in line to be the assistant general manager, keep an eye on Kelly Klein Van Calligan.

Starting point is 00:17:59 She's the right hand to George Payton. She's obviously got a tremendous scouting background, spent time with the Minnesota Vikings with Peyton when he was there with Rick Spielman. And now she's kind of worked with her up. She's also been part of the NFL's accelerator program. She might be in line for an assistant GM job if Moji leaves. Absolutely. And as of right now, Cody, obviously David Shaw remains in the front office as a senior

Starting point is 00:18:21 personnel executive there on both the college and the pro side of things, kind of working remotely, coming to Denver, every occasion for whatever is needed. And I'm assuming that will be pretty frequent in the off season as they kind of go on this recruiting trail for free agents. as well as have meetings about draft prospects, things like that. But David Shaw has been scouting for this team from afar and working on finding fits for the roster as well. So there's still plenty of folks that are, you know, experienced and good at what they do

Starting point is 00:18:51 in the front office regardless of what happens here with Mugi. But it certainly would be a loss for the front office, but a gain for another franchise. And you know what? I mentioned the ties of that bind. Look, when you have friends in high places in other. NFL clubs. It can help you. How much did it help the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams back in 2021 when Brad Holmes took the job in Detroit to go ahead and then send, okay, we're going to do the Matthew Stafford, Jared Gough, Trade. Here you go. Here's a bunch

Starting point is 00:19:21 of draft picks. We'll take Stafford and you take all the, you know, golf and all these picks. That type of relationship between an organization can be absolutely massive. When you have worked with guys in the past, that the line of communication, is clear. I mean, for George Payton, Darren Moji, just to text away. You want to talk trade for, hey, we got to get rid of this guy on the roster. That kind of stuff is so helpful when it comes to the networking aspect of the NFL. So to have friends in high places and other organizations like that, it is absolutely huge for both sides in terms of team building. So you're saying that Darren Mojee, he takes the job, is going to send Garrett Wilson and, uh, Brees Hall over to

Starting point is 00:20:03 I'm not saying. I'm not saying. I'm not. I like it. Broncos country, obviously, how would you feel about that? Obviously, Moji's been a very important part of what the Broncos have done behind the scenes in terms of their player evaluation, acquiring player personnel, college scouting. He's been a very pivotal piece and would be a tremendous loss here for the Broncos. And I think there are a lot of fans that also have been sending in the question. Do the Broncos get compensatory picks if Moji leaves? That's not the case.

Starting point is 00:20:29 That will not happen. I know Stranger Things have happened in the NFL, but really the NFL's formula for the compensatory picks. regard in terms of getting a promotion in a sense is for minority candidates or minority like if Vance Joseph were to get a head coaching job the Broncos would get compensatory picks because he goes from being a DC to a head coach a huge time promotion there but that would not be the case here for derron Moji at this point here so Broncos country your thoughts on Denver potentially losing one of their top executives to the New York Jets that's something that could be in the works here we'll keep you posted if that obviously does here on lock on Broncos still got a lot to break down here

Starting point is 00:21:06 here on today's episode of the show here. After interviewing with the Raiders and the Jets for their head coaching vacancies, is Vance Joseph Prime to stay in Denver or could he end up elsewhere? We'll take a look at both options here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos podcast is brought to our friends over there at the Game Time app. And I love going to live events, whether it's sports, music, theater, or comedy. One of my favorite memories was attending an ad game this past week with my fiancé. We went and watch the Aves take on the Rangers.

Starting point is 00:21:36 And, of course, it was a comeback win for the Aves. We love that. She's a Rangers fan. She did not love that. But we all had a blast there. And now you can take your family to one of these events nearby to you. Because game time, they've made it even easier to get tickets for your favorite events with their new feature called Game Time Picks. This feature filters out to fluff to show you only the incredible deals on great seats.

Starting point is 00:21:58 So you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets. Find the best seats and the best vantage points inside the game time. app and take the guest work out of buying tickets with game time, download the game time app, create an account and use code locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code. L-O-C-E-D-O-N-N-FL for $20 off.

Starting point is 00:22:20 Download game time today. What time is it? Game time. Today's episode of show is also brought to you by our friends over there at LinkedIn. Jobs and Growing Your Small Business in 2025 comes down to how well you can hire. And let's face it, better hires. start with smarter insights. That's where LinkedIn comes in.

Starting point is 00:22:37 With the strongest hiring data available, LinkedIn helps you identify the right candidates, giving you the confidence to make the best decisions for your business. I've used LinkedIn jobs myself, and I can tell you it is a game changer when it comes to hiring the right fit. And the right fit, it always matters because small businesses, they're wearing lots of hats. So every hire is crucial.

Starting point is 00:22:58 LinkedIn gets that. They understand that. And that's why they connect you with the best candidates using data that you won't find anywhere else. From unique skills and interest to connections that you share, LinkedIn helps you find the right person for the job. In fact, 72% of small businesses say LinkedIn has helped them find high quality candidates. Hire smarter this year and find your next great hire on LinkedIn, post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash locked on NFL. That's LinkedIn.com slash locked on NFL to post your job for free terms and conditions apply.

Starting point is 00:23:25 The fourth quarter acts on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos is here in Broncos country. We're going to break down whether or not Vance Joseph is in line to stay or leave Denver. for a potential head coaching job or a lateral move. We'll break that down here today. Thanks once again, all the everydayers, the first listeners in Broncos country for tuning in and making us part of your day every single day.

Starting point is 00:23:44 However you choose to do so here. Sarah, we've gotten a lot of questions from Broncos fans. They want to ask the question, what's the latest on Vance Joseph? We haven't heard anything. You're starting to see some of these NFL head coaching jobs close up a little bit. And there are some open opportunities right now. But at this point, does it look like Vance is going to get a head coaching

Starting point is 00:24:03 job. He's only had two interviews, and one of the places he interviewed, they now have a head coach in Aaron Glenn. Yeah, I don't know, Cody. I don't know what's going to happen here. Ultimately, the New York Jets move forward with Aaron Glenn. So that leaves the Las Vegas Raiders as seemingly the final potential option for Vance Joseph there in terms of landing a head coaching gig. And the Raiders did just hire John Spitech as their new general manager. Now, SpyTech has, again, ties that bind back to Denver as recently as the 2015 season. The only thing there is that obviously Vance Joseph wasn't hired in Denver until 2017 as the head coach, but I do believe, Cody, if memory serves me correctly, if my timeline

Starting point is 00:24:47 internally is accurate here, I do believe that Gary Kubiak tried to hire Vance Joseph. I can't remember if it was 2015 or 16, but we know the Broncos had interest in Vance before where he became the defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. When he was with Cincinnati, the Broncos were blocked from interviewing him as a defensive assistant there. So I can't remember if it was a lateral move or what it was. Maybe somebody in the comments remembers the history better than I do there. But I just remember that during that time frame, while SpyTech was in Denver, that the Broncos

Starting point is 00:25:20 had interest in bringing Vance Joseph in. So potentially, I mean, maybe that gives him an inroad to being hired by the Raiders, because as of right now, who are the Raiders going to hire? Is Pete Carroll going to be the guy there? I mean, I don't know exactly what's going to happen with the Raiders, but you kind of feel like, okay, until the rumor mill starts swirling more towards Pete Carroll or a bigger name like that, maybe Vance does have a shot there, especially now with John Spitech being hired as the general manager.

Starting point is 00:25:50 Yeah, I just, I don't see Vance going to Vegas. And I think all signs have kind of pinpointed to them, maybe going with an offensive-minded head coach because obviously we knew they were they wanted you like you go and you talk to our you know a good friend over there locked on raiders your boy cue the raiders really really wanted ben johnson to come over because here's the deal like you know you look at situation the raiders don't have their franchise quarterback in place just yet and obviously tom brady mark davis has come out and he said that tom brady's going to have a say and who the raiders pick is their next quarterback so as a coach do you want to go to a situation like that where you don't

Starting point is 00:26:23 really get a pick your guy unless you're a line with ownership and Brady and saying like, yeah, that's the quarterback that we want. That to me, I just, I don't see that being a fruitful situation there for Vance Joseph in that regard. And obviously, Max Crosby has come out and said that he wants to know if the Raiders have a plan to compete here because he wants to win. And rightfully so, dudes a dog.

Starting point is 00:26:44 I just don't see Vance going to Vegas. I don't see that really being in the cards at this point. You know, I don't see it happening in Dallas. He has not had, I think yet, at least as the time we're sitting down and talk about this. The Dallas Cowboys have not submitted a request to interview him, but I want to maybe look at another situation here, Sarah, because we see this happen sometimes around the NFL, and certainly it wouldn't surprise me if this happened in Denver. I think what Vance has done with the defense from the turnaround from last year after week three against the dolphins to what he's been able to do now and

Starting point is 00:27:13 where Denver was at to become one of the top defenses in the NFL this year was impressive. Obviously, they had a little bit of a backslide toward the end of the season here, but could the Broncos maybe allow Vance Joseph to interview for a decorinator job laterally. If that opportunity comes up, there might be some teams out there that may be interested in saying, hey, will you come be the DC? They have to smitter request. The Broncos can choose to accept or block that. Part of me wonders if Sean would allow Vance to do that because in-house,

Starting point is 00:27:40 that candidate to replace him if that were the case, like if Vance did get a head coaching job, the in-house favorite would be Jim Leonard. Yeah, I think that would be just really bad, bad business by Sean Peyton, honestly because you have a chance to get two third round picks if vance does get hired as a head coach somewhere else and i just i don't know how you could just willingly pass that up when your defense is coming off of a top five season overall in terms of points allowed number one in the league in terms of sacks like to let a guy go take a de-coordinator job elsewhere that i don't know that that would even be beneficial to vance i mean i get why people are saying it and i've seen it a lot on my

Starting point is 00:28:20 timeline as well, Cody, because people are asking. Yeah, and I think it's worth talking about and the reason why is so important. It's not only this continuity matter in the NFL, but you have to have these coaches for two years on your staff or in your front office in order to get the benefit of these third round picks. And that's not to say, well, we just need to keep a, you know, a minority assistant coach because we want the third round picks potentially. That's not the case. but like Vance and his unit are coming off a very good year. So like to let him just leave, like I get why a lot of fans want that to happen because of the way the season ended. And I understand that, okay, you know, it's just like the Riley Moss.

Starting point is 00:29:01 Everybody wants to replace Riley Moss. Everybody wants to get rid of Troy Franklin. Everybody wants to get rid of all these other players and coaches because the season didn't end exactly the way they dreamed it up in their heads, even though a lot of folks were saying that we were crazy for saying this team would make the playoffs or saying that we were crazy for thinking that Vance would still do a good job this year as defensive coordinator. But here we all are. I just think, Cody, it's funny how it works. But to me, I would say, if you're Sean Payton, you have to, you have to say, hey, I mean,

Starting point is 00:29:29 if you get a head coaching gig, you got my blessing. Otherwise, you're staying in Denver. Yeah. Yeah. And I agree. Look, and that's the reason I brought it up is because fans have asked you and I on social media, especially after, you know, hey, Ben Codewick of the Broncos special teams unit had a tremendous year and they fired him, right?

Starting point is 00:29:46 And so it's not like, you're not going to fire Vent Show. that would be such terrible optics. And there's no reason to. Like I know there's some fans. They're like, yeah, let him go elsewhere. Like fans, for some reason, there's some fans that still have a grudge or be grudgingly just, you know, smitten towards Van Chos. I don't understand it.

Starting point is 00:30:01 I think Vance done a terrific job. But not only that, if Sean Peyton were to do that and let him go interview for another D.C. job elsewhere, that would not be a great look. And I don't think it would be received well inside the locker room. We talk so much about how the culture is improved. That would definitely be something to maybe fractures a little bit of trust. I don't see that happening. But I think it's definitely something.

Starting point is 00:30:18 we should bring up considering all the times that you and I have been asked this question. Now, some interesting news here as we're sitting here recording, obviously when Ben Johnson took the bear's job, there was a lot of talk, you know, about Darren Rizzy going over there to be the special teams coordinator. According to our friend Mike Cliss, that is not going to happen. The bears are expected to keep their respected special teams coordinator, Richard Hightower.

Starting point is 00:30:40 And so now there's an opportunity that Rizzi continues to stay here. But keep an eye, Chris Banjo potentially as a guy that goes over to join Aaron Glenn and his staff in New York as maybe their special teams coordinator at this point, or even it could be, if Rizzi might even end up there as well. It's something to keep an eye on. But there's a chance that Rizzi could still end up here in Denver. But I, you know,

Starting point is 00:31:00 with Alvin Kamara coming out lately and saying, hey, what did he say exactly? Like, he said something. The only person I want is my head coach. Rimes with, Rizzi's.

Starting point is 00:31:11 I'm guessing that was it. Something like that. The players want Darren Rizzi in New Orleans. So we'll see if that's the case. But yeah, I mean, just something to, to keep an eye on the Broncos right now have no answer at special teams coordinator.

Starting point is 00:31:22 So we'll see how things are going with that front. Yeah, I kind of feel like this report from Mike Cliss, our good friend over there, nine news. I feel like it's kind of one of those things that's like, hey, you want to put something out there in writing so that it doesn't seem like you didn't consider anything else sort of deals. We know that kind of stuff. It happens in the NFL all the time.

Starting point is 00:31:40 Like look at the New England Patriots head coaching search, a totally contrived search for a head coach. We knew that it was going to be Mike. able from the get-go and they just had to go through the policies and procedures. And so if you target a guy, why does coaching have to be different, Cody, than free agency? I don't understand it. I mean, I just think it's so foolish of the NFL. It's kind of an embarrassing look.

Starting point is 00:32:03 You have a target as a coach that you want to bring in. Why go through all these theatrics? I mean, I understand you want to get guys interviews and that is helpful for them over time. But at the same time, like, we know the Broncos have a target at special teams coordinator. At least we can kind of see or we can read the Taley. We don't know that for a fact. But you can read between the lines. You can follow the breadcrumbs, all that jazz.

Starting point is 00:32:24 And I just think it's hilarious that this stuff kind of has to be out there from a PR standpoint. Yeah. And there are so many deserving coaches out there. And obviously, I know the NFL's accelerator program has been a big part of trying to get more candidates who may get passed up. Minority candidates, it's an opportunity of minority assistant coaches or executives, a chance to interact with executives. and obviously owners around the NFL, like building those relationships is so important.

Starting point is 00:32:50 And that's really what this business is. The NFL is a business-based relationship. And look, in the coaching world, I'll be very honest with you. It's really about who you know. And right, and a lot of times, guys you've coached with previous year, guys you know well,

Starting point is 00:33:03 there may be an opening that comes up on your staff. And it's like, we already have the guy in mind that I, you know, I want, but you do have to do this as well. You do have to interview players and, and obviously, you know, other coaches. I think it just, it gets money a little bit because there are so many deserving coaches who are minority coaches who get passed up for coordinator jobs or bigger jobs head coaching jobs. And I think that is a little

Starting point is 00:33:24 bit of an issue here in the NFL. And I understand they're trying to do that. I always just hate the notion when people come out and say, well, they're only doing this just to satisfy the Rooney rule. I think it's kind of disrespectful to some of the coaches that obviously put in a lot of work. But it is an obstacle that I would say many NFL teams probably will come out and say like, coaches will say like, you know, this definitely interferes with our ability just to get the guy that we want. But I mean, like I said, it is, it is a who you know club. And maybe that's where the NFL is so focused on changing about familiarity and guys you've had on your staff previously. You could even coach college football with some of these guys. You know, when you're

Starting point is 00:33:58 first getting in or you're as like, look at all the coaching trees. Like, what was it, John Gruden? And I think Andy Reid, they were on Mike Holmgren staff when they were young coaches. And they would compete with one another as to like, who gets to call a play in this time? Like Sean Peyton, when he was, you know, with the cowboys or with the giants as a coach, like, There's different coaches and guys that you know. It's like, why not bring guys that know how you like to do things? I understand that. So it is a very important discussion.

Starting point is 00:34:22 Obviously, that is going to highlight the rest of the National Football League. But we'll see where things are at. I think Vince Joseph will stay in Denver. I think he should stay in Denver. And I think maybe a head coaching job will open up for him next season. But Broncos, country, want to know your thoughts on this as well as we continue to go about here on lockdown Broncos in the off season. We didn't get a chance to preview the tight end position or overview that because of this

Starting point is 00:34:43 news that is a little more pressing. So Monday's episode of show Broncos country, you can expect us to break down the tight-end position and why the Broncos need desperately to get a guy at that position that can change the game for the offense. We'll break it down much more on Monday. We'll see you then.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II A Finalist For Defensive Player of the Year

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.