At least as far as any of us knows, the Denver Broncos have yet to fill a couple of pretty massive roles on their coaching staff in 2025, and another one that might not seem as big but could also loom large. Namely, the Broncos currently have openings on their staff at linebackers coach, tight ends coach, and offensive passing game coordinator.
After firing linebackers coach Greg Manusky, both Declan Doyle (TEs coach) and John Morton (PGC) left for promotions with NFC North teams. Doyle took the offensive coordinator job with the Chicago Bears under Ben Johnson, and Morton took the offensive coordinator position with the Detroit Lions under Dan Campbell.
Sean Payton's philosophy has always been interesting when it comes to adding coaches to the staff. He says he prefers to be "slow to hire, quick to fire" when it comes to coaching moves. Needless to say, we're all experiencing the "slow to hire" part but it's not out of the realm of possibility that Payton has already made these moves behind the scenes.
With the NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Free Agency rapidly approaching, getting these position coaches lined up and on the same page when it comes to the personnel they will eventually add is extremely important.
Broncos need to make coaching changes before NFL Free Agency
What's fascinating about a couple of the openings the Broncos have on their coaching staff right now is the fact that they have vacancies at two of the more pressing overall needs on the team. The tight end position has already been characterized as a "must have" by head coach Sean Payton and the linebacker position is another area he classified as a need.
The Broncos had a dismal year at tight end this past year in the receiving department. Adam Trautman led the team at that position with 188 yards. Lucas Krull led the team with 19 receptions. It's likely the goal of the team that we'll see someone brought in who will absolutely blow those numbers out of the water in year one.
But who is going to be coaching that unit? Whoever is tabbed to coach the tight ends in Denver could ultimately help determine who is going to be added at that position. As we know, connections in the NFL matter. It's a lot about who you know.
The same can be said of the linebacker coaching vacancy. Linebacker is arguably Denver's top overall need defensively and unlike with the tight end situation, Payton actually fired linebackers coach Greg Manusky, who has a ton of experience. Why did he fire him and what kind of change is he looking to make?
Again, whoever the Broncos hire could end up being a major determining factor when it comes to the NFL free agent market. Those kinds of connections really do matter to players. It might not be the biggest chunk of the pie, but it's going to be one of the slices for sure.
With Sean Payton and George Paton each slated to meet with the media early next week at the NFL Scouting Combine, perhaps we will get some answers on who has been hired to fill these major roles.