Mike Florio believes yet another big name could follow Sean Payton to Denver Broncos
After months of speculation, Sean Payton has rejoined the NFL in the form of Denver's next coach. The hire alone was seen as a blockbuster move by many analysts, but the team could be primed for one more big move for its staff. On "Pro Football Talk," NFL analyst Mike Florio said that the team could see a reunion with its other former head coach, Vic Fangio.
"There was a report over the weekend from multiple different media outlets that Vic Fangio was becoming the next defensive coordinator of the Dolphins," Florio said. "In the two days, three days since then there's been no announcement."
He said that there would be some early awkwardness to work through:
"He can take a job whenever he wants, wherever he wants, however he wants, he's not limited by anything ... (ESPN's Adam Schefter) had one of the Sunday splash reports late this season: 'Sean Payton and Vic Fangio teaming up.'" Florio said. "It'd be a little awkward to go back to Denver since he was the head coach there."
Florio said that a head coach returning as an assistant is not unheard of, using former Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham as an example:
"These are all interchangeable. 'It's the best situation for me. Where am I likely to be successful? Where am I likely to enjoy my job the most?' And the Broncos have a pretty damn good defense."
Will the Denver Broncos reach the playoffs in 2023?
All-star team brewing in Denver? Sean Payton-Russell Wilson duo turning heads
A full year after Russell Wilson's trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the team picked up Sean Payton, a coach often lauded for his work with Drew Brees. During the season, fans began to clamor for Payton, claiming that the former Saints coach's history has set him up nicely for Wilson.
Couldn’t be more excited about the @SeanPayton hire in Denver! LG!
Wilson's height was one of the biggest questions asked by fans as it became clear the team wasn't going anywhere in 2022. Without an offense that acknowledged this, the quarterback wasn't set up to have throwing lanes he could throw through. However, with the former Saints coach now in tow, fans hope his experience managing Drew Brees' similar height could pay dividends in 2023.
Compensation: Denver’s 2023 first-round pick and next year’s second-round pick for Sean Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third.
Drew Brees is 6-foot. Russell Wilson is 5-11. As such, one would think the throwing lanes present in Payton's offense would work just as well in Denver as in New Orleans. Of course, many argue that the price of admission hamstrings the team's ability to build for the future in 2023 and 2024. The price for Payton alone was a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick, per Adam Schefter.
Will the tide finally turn in Denver's favor after the second blockbuster trade in as many years?