Sean Payton's vision for the Denver Broncos has been deliberate and refreshing

Part 1.75: Hired veteran defensive mind to keep unit respectable

The next step was to ensure the defense was in good hands, so he hired Vance Joseph, a veteran mind to make that happen. There were rumors that Payton wanted to hire Vic Fangio, but those rumors never came true. Yes, the Broncos defense was pretty awful at times in 2023, but the personnel just wasn't that great.

Joseph has been around for a while, and there are many NFL teams who aren't in as good of hands on defense as the Broncos are.

Part 2: Tried to make a push with Russell Wilson, knew a divorce was coming

Payton, Wilson, and the 2023 Broncos tried, and at times showed some promise, but the equation just was not adding up. To me, from the beginning, Sean Payton knew this would not be sustainable and did what he could to maximize Russell Wilson. I am not sure when Payton knew with 100% certainty when he wanted to cut ties with Russell Wilson, but you have to figure at the latest, it was when the Broncos moved Wilson to the bench and Jarrett Stidham to the QB1 role.

At the end of the day, Sean Payton knew this was a short-term marriage.

Part 2.5: Cut QB with intention of bringing in a better-fit rookie in NFL Draft

At this point, Payton and the Broncos likely turned their attention to the offseason and to the 2024 NFL Draft to find a better fit at QB. One has to wonder just how long the Broncos were targeting Bo Nix, but mostly everything we have heard after the NFL Draft seems to indicate that they had Nix in mind.

But more broadly, moving on from Wilson signaled that a new QB would be in town. When Wilson was cut, no one truly knew what would happen. Even former free agent Kirk Cousins was predicted to sign with Denver by some. Cutting Russell Wilson signaled the end of that brief era and the intention of bringing in a better fit, someone that Sean Payton coveted.