If Sean Payton is your favorite option to become the next Denver Broncos head coach, there are some positive developments to file away for the time being. Payton interviewed for the Broncos head coaching vacancy in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, it was leaked to some media members that the Broncos seem to be in a very “strong position” to land the former Saints head coach.
According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, Payton likes the Broncos’ “stable ownership” which as we know is the Walton-Penner ownership group, the group that took over the team last August. This is their first head coaching search as NFL owners with team CEO Greg Penner leading the charge, and it seems like Payton and his wealth of experience as an NFL head coach are attractive qualities for a team that wants to compete yesterday.
The Broncos remain in very strong position to be able to get Sean Payton, whatever the interest level by other teams. They have the NFL's wealthiest owners. Payton has told associates that he likes the Broncos' stable ownership and is willing to work with Russell Wilson.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 18, 2023
Denver Broncos in “strong position” to land HC Sean Payton
So what would all of this mean in terms of compensation going back to the Saints? Have the Broncos — or any of these other teams — actually agreed to compensation? Well, the answer is a bit complicated. There are no official trade terms at the moment, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network dropped a nugget of information that the three teams that have or will interview Payton (Texans, Broncos, and Panthers), “are willing to meet the Saints’ asking price, which is a first rounder and likely more. So they are in business, and they are ready to do the deal if they in fact do the deal.”
From NFL Now: Two down, one scheduled interview to go for Sean Payton. pic.twitter.com/z9HswAAcQZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2023
Alright, so what do we know based on Rap Sheet’s report there? Well, we know that the Broncos are willing to make a trade with the Saints, meeting their demands should Sean Payton agree to become the team’s head coach. What do we know, though, about how long the meeting went with the Broncos?
Let’s turn our attention now to Peter Schrager of NFL Network and FOX, where he’s a colleague of Payton’s at the moment.
Sean Payton’s Broncos interview lasted “several hours” yesterday in Los Angeles. Included multiple members of the Broncos ownership group, per source. He will travel to New York to meet with David Tepper re: Panthers job at end of the week.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 18, 2023
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Tuesday that, as he perceives it, “everything is lining up for Denver,” regarding the possibility of hiring Payton.
Sean Payton to Denver?? It is lining up that way…. 👁️👁️ pic.twitter.com/hbNQh3KoCZ
— 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧 (@CameronParkerPO) January 18, 2023
On Wednesday morning, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano also mentioned the Broncos as the top fit for Sean Payton at the moment given their ability to open up the checkbook.
As of right now, there’s really no reason to overreact to any news. We haven’t heard much at all from the Broncos’ side of things. In fact, the team hasn’t even announced that they’ve formally interviewed with anyone. It seems like virtually nothing is getting out of these interviews from the Broncos’ side of things and everything we’re hearing is coming from Sean Payton’s camp or someone else.
The operation is tight at the moment, and lips are sealed. Nothing is really getting out. As much as we may know about how things are looking from Sean Payton’s perspective, we don’t really know much in terms of what the Broncos are actually thinking or which candidates have stood out to them at this point. Think about that.
We have heard virtually nothing about the interviews with Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Ejiro Evero, Jim Caldwell, and Raheem Morris. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything good or bad, it’s just worth noting that we don’t really know where the Broncos stand with this although the perception right now seems to be that Sean Payton is their top guy and Dan Quinn is the fallback option.
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But what is everyone basing that on? It’s hard to know at this point because nothing or virtually nothing has leaked about other candidates and other interviews.