Coaching matters in the NFL, probably more than in most sports. The Denver Broncos understood that as they watched Nathaniel Hackett's team completely implode on Christmas Day back in 2022 against the Los Angeles Rams, a low point for the franchise in recent memory.
The Walton-Penner ownership group made the decision, at that point, to fire Hackett and begin a new coaching search. That coaching search ultimately led to the team hiring Sean Payton, one of the best coaches in modern NFL history, after his year away from the game.
But remember, the Broncos couldn't just hire Payton. They had to trade for him. Payton's contractual rights were still held by the Saints at the time, so the Broncos had to send draft compensation to New Orleans to get him. And it wasn't a cheap price of admission. Still, the trade(s) that led Payton to Denver are looking more and more lopsided in favor of the Broncos every single day.
Trades leading Sean Payton to the Broncos are making Denver look like geniuses
Trade #1: The Blockbuster before the Blockbuster
It's important to remember that the Denver Broncos had to make a significant trade during the 2022 season before they were ultimately able to trade for Sean Payton. That trade was the deal that sent pass rusher Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins for a 1st-round pick (among other things). Here are the full details of that trade:
Broncos receive:
- 2023 1st-round pick
- 2024 4th-round pick
- RB Chase Edmonds
Dolphins receive:
- EDGE Bradley Chubb
- 2025 5th-round pick
If it weren't for this trade, would the Broncos have even been able to pull off the trade for Sean Payton? Maybe not. The asking price from the Saints was understandably very high.
Trade #2: The Sean Payton Trade
Broncos receive:
- Head coach Sean Payton
- 2024 3rd-round pick
Saints receive:
- 2023 1st-round pick (from Dolphins)
- 2024 2nd-round pick
This was a tough pill to swallow because the Broncos had already traded their 2022 and 2023 1st-round picks (along with their 2022 and 2023 2nd-round picks) to the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. So on top of Payton dealing with the $90 million in dead cap from the Russell Wilson contract in recent years, he also inherited a situation where the Broncos didn't have a 1st or 2nd-round pick from 2022-23.
And yet somehow, this trade is looking more and more lopsided by the day.
The Dolphins just recently cut Bradley Chubb and are completely resetting as a franchise. The Saints got a couple of nice players out of the deal in Bryan Bresee and Kool-Aid McKinstry, but they're currently picking 8th overall in this year's draft while the Broncos just hosted the AFC Championship Game.
The Broncos not only got Sean Payton out of this trade, but they used the picks they received to trade up for starting cornerback Riley Moss and wide receiver Troy Franklin.
To think the Broncos came away from all of this with Sean Payton, Riley Moss, and Troy Franklin is wild. Payton has completely changed the culture of the franchise while Moss and Franklin could both be second-contract players in the near future.
The Broncos do not get nearly enough credit for just how impressive these trades are in hindisight.