"You need somebody who's dealt with cr*p" - Colin Cowherd details why Sean Payton is the perfect fit for Broncos
Sean Payton will be the next head coach of the Denver Broncos. This could be exactly what the team needs to solve the issues it's been dealing with in the last few months.
Colin Cowherd spoke about the hiring of Payton on Wednesday morning on his radio show, "The Herd". He said that with everything that needs to be resolved with the Broncos, Payton is the most qualified head coach to take on the role.
"This is not like other jobs. You got players. You got personnel. Generally when you take over a job, it's a weird owner, an incompetent GM, a bad roster, gotta find a quarterback," he said. "Now that they've got like two issues here. Not a lot of cap space for several years. And the Russell Wilson thing. He was so good for a long time and then last year he was awful.
"What do you do? Don't kid yourself. Two things are important to know here. This was a job for a veteran offensive coach, DeMeco Ryans wasn't the right fit. You need somebody who has dealt with c**p. Egos. Roadblocks. Maneuvering, this is not a first-timer's job. And it's not a defensive coach's job... It's an offensive coach who figures out the quarterback position."
Cowherd believes the Broncos are in a unique situation. Payton isn't walking into a team that doesn't have talent, a qualified coach, or even an unqualified general manager. Denver has Russell Wilson, who, up until this season, was one of the best in the league.
He said that taking the job with Denver is not for the faint of heart and requires a lot of experience, which Payton has, especially on the offensive side of the ball. He feels DeMeco Ryans, who was also considered for the job, wouldn't have been a good fit for the team because he doesn't have head coaching experience.
"This is not like other jobs. You've got players and personnel... It was a job for a veteran offensive coach."
— @ColinCowherd on the Broncos landing Sean Payton https://t.co/dIApAcaL16
Colin Cowherd continued by saying that figuring out quarterbacks is something that Sean Payton is capable of. He did so with Drew Brees when he left the Chargers and signed with the Saints. Cowherd then went as far as to say that if Brian Daboll can lead the New York Giants to a playoff win in his first season, then Payton can do so with the Broncos.
"Solving quarterbacks is what Sean Payton has always done. What Sean does is what the Broncos need. So it should work and pretty quickly. He's also replacing a coach that was completely over his skis. So I'll go back to it. If Brian Daboll can get Daniel Jones and that roster into the playoffs and win a playoff game, I think Sean Payton is gonna make Denver better. Quickly. Super Bowls, no idea. Beating Mahomes no idea. Competent. Absolutely."
While he is a competent hire, Cowherd didn't want to speculate how much success the Broncos will have, especially in a division with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
What were the trade details in Broncos deal for Sean Payton?
Since Sean Payton was still under contract when he stepped away from the New Orleans Saints last year, it wasn't a simple process for the Denver Broncos to hire him. Despite working with FOX this past season, he was still under current contract for the 2024 NFL season.
First, the Saints had to approve his interview for a coaching position with another team. Once the Broncos were ready to hire him, the two teams needed to work out a trade agreement.
Broncos agree to deal with Saints to hire Sean Payton as head coach. (via @Rapsheet & @TomPelissero) https://t.co/Rov23S87M7
After the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade last season, the Broncos had little draft capital to work with. However, they sent a first-round draft pick in 2023 and a second-round draft pick in 2024 for the head coach. The Broncos also sent a 2024 third-round pick to New Orleans.
The first-round draft pick that the Broncos dealt was acquired by the Miami Dolphins in the Bradley Chubb deal. The Dolphins had received the pick from the San Francisco 49ers; it's a 29th overall pick that the Saints acquired.