Denver Broncos coaching rumors: Zac Taylor an option for HC or OC?
The Denver Broncos need a new head coach, but they could also be looking to pair a guy like Zac Taylor with a more experienced coach as OC.
The Denver Broncos’ head coaching search is well underway. We have a number of the latest rumors, including candidates who have been pegged as potential interviews here.
The Broncos have reportedly requested permission to interview four coaching candidates. Up until Monday evening, those candidates include Vic Fangio of the Chicago Bears, Brian Flores of the New England Patriots, Mike Munchak of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now Zac Taylor of the Los Angeles Rams.
The #Broncos have requested an interview with #Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor, source said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 31, 2018
Taylor is a very intriguing candidate.
He’s mostly been a quarterbacks coach in the NFL since his playing days at Nebraska didn’t amount to much professionally as far as a player. He spent one offseason competing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then went to Canada before taking a graduate assistant position at Texas A&M (where he would have crossed paths with Von Miller).
In 2012, he got an assistant quarterbacks coach job with the Miami Dolphins before being named full-time quarterbacks coach in 2013.
When Bill Lazor was fired in 2015, Taylor assumed offensive coordinator duties. Adam Gase came in the next year and Taylor went to the college ranks where he called plays on offense for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
He was then brought on to Sean McVay’s staff in Los Angeles in 2017 as an assistant wide receivers coach. He was promoted in 2018 to quarterbacks coach on McVay’s staff, working with obviously one of the best offensive minds in the game and absorbing that culture in Los Angeles the past two seasons.
Taylor’s work with Ryan Tannehill and Jared Goff is certainly an impressive notch on his belt. The Broncos are not the only team to request permission to interview him, either. The Cardinals and Bengals have also requested permission to interview Taylor.
It remains unknown whether these interviews are for Taylor to become an offensive coordinator again or if the 35-year-old is being considered for a head coaching job. One would think he is being considered for offensive coordinator work since he hasn’t called plays in the NFL on a full-time basis for a 16-game season, but who knows? Sean McVay has blown us all away, and the NFL is trending to creative offensive minds.
Is Taylor the next guy to out-scheme a great defense?
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In my opinion, he’s an offensive coordinator candidate. The Broncos need a strong voice in the locker room, but they also need a creative offensive mind. No one has specified what position Taylor is interviewing for but it would make sense to see him move up to calling plays and get out of McVay’s shadow, similar to what we saw from Matt LaFleur this past season.