Denver Broncos rumors: Zac Taylor not likely as offensive coordinator?

The latest Denver Broncos coaching rumors involve a report that Rams HC Sean McVay will not allow Zac Taylor to leave for promotion to OC.

The Denver Broncos’ search for a head coach appears to be coming to a close, and it doesn’t feel like Zac Taylor — the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams — is going to be ‘the guy’.

With that said, the thought initially was that Taylor was not quite qualified for head coaching jobs anyway and that he might be interviewing for offensive coordinator positions instead.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has sort of squashed that line of thinking, stating in an interview with Orange & Blue 760 that the Rams would likely block Taylor from going after an offensive coordinator position at this time.

The interview in its entirety is a worthwhile listen at this juncture in the head coaching search for Broncos fans, but his nugget about Taylor is what we’re here to discuss.

The thinking has shifted from Gary Kubiak being the presumed offensive coordinator to Taylor jumping on with whatever head coach gets hired. Taylor has connections to the Kubiak family from his days with Texas A&M, so arranging something where he, Gary, and Gary’s son Klint could all be involved made some sense.

According to Rap Sheet’s report, however, Sean McVay would not allow Taylor to accept an offensive coordinator position with another team. It sounds more likely he would promote him in Los Angeles, though nothing is official at this point in time.

Are the Rams allowed to do that? The short answer is yes. If the Broncos were trying to hire Taylor as their offensive coordinator, it wouldn’t be the first time they were seeking a coordinator veiled in a head coaching interview.

Back in 2015, Gary Kubiak actually wanted Vance Joseph as his defensive coordinator in Denver. The Cincinnati Bengals — Joseph’s employer at the time — granted the Broncos permission to interview Joseph for their head coaching job but wouldn’t allow him out of his contract to be Denver’s defensive coordinator.

One year later, Joseph’s contract with Cincinnati expired and he became defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos won the Super Bowl under Wade Phillips’ defensive direction.

With Taylor apparently not an option, the Broncos will have to look elsewhere for an offensive coordinator. Perhaps Kubiak’s name is still in the mix. Perhaps there will be a wildcard option available.

One of the biggest things in a prospective head coach interview is the candidate’s plan to surround himself with strong coordinators. The Broncos need a new (and significantly improved) offensive identity.