PHOENIX — It was the 7 a.m. hour and new Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was already making his rounds at the spacious Super Bowl 57 Radio Row on the bottom floor of the Phoenix Convention Center.
He had spent the week conducting four to five assistant coaching interviews via Zoom before finishing up his network responsibilities this weekend. Even after attending a Wheels Up function on Thursday along with his new quarterback Russell Wilson and his old favorite quarterback Joe Montana, Payton was in a chipper mood Friday morning.
He will arrive Monday in Denver, pretty much for good, and the coaching staff will start to become known on Tuesday or so.
“Here’s the thing I learned back in ’06: Slow to hire,’’ Payton said. “The mistakes I’ve learned over time is when you’re in a hurry – you’ve got to get your guy. That’s not the right thing. Slow to hire, fast to fire.”
More than half of Nathaniel Hackett’s staff from the Broncos’ 2022 season has already moved on, and more changes will be coming.
“I said this earlier, I think it’s important,’’ Payton said. “When you have a 5-12 season, there’s dirt on a lot of people’s hands. Obviously, the attention goes to the head coach and the quarterback. But the key is making the correct changes and turning this thing around.”
Payton has a way of setting up what he’s about to say in a manner that causes listeners to edge up to the front of their seat.
“I said this earlier, I think it’s important … ‘’ Yes, yes?
“Let’s talk about it because it’s interesting … “ All ears, coach.
“Here’s my best DeMarcus Ware story ... “ Tell me, tell me.
“Here’s the thing I learned back in ’06 … ‘’ Go on.
“Yeah, he’s a great story teller,’’ said Broncos’ running back Latavius Murray, who played for Payton in New Orleans during the 2018-19 seasons, when the Saints went 13-3 and 12-4. “You talk about a guy that has seen a lot of football, a lot of experience so his stories are great. I can still hear him talk and tell stories about the game all day.
“You appreciate his mind, being around him, so the Broncos got a great one," Murray said. "I know I enjoyed my time, and I think the fan base is going to take a real liking to Coach Payton.’’
Payton said his time with Bill Parcells helped him appreciate how to command a situation and a room.
“I think my first team meeting back in 2006 wasn’t as effective as maybe 2010 or ’15 or coming up here this spring,’’ he said. “But you improve, just like we all do in our fields, and it comes from experience. I think the Irish in me is a good storyteller. I think it comes from my mom. We enjoy conversation. I use my hands a little bit once in a while. I do think a good teacher is someone who communicates well. And is crystal clear and can come up with good analogies and create great examples.’’
Payton’s assistant coaching interview process is much more thorough than when he put his first staff together for the Saints in 2006. One reason is the Rooney Rule that extends past two head coach minority candidates, but also two minority interviews for each of the offensive, defensive and special teams coordinator positions and one for quarterback coach.
Payton did confirm his former Saints’ offensive lineman Zach Strief would be the Broncos’ new offensive line coach. Strief was coming out of Northwestern, where head coach Randy Walker was previously the assistant coach Payton’s boss at Miami of Ohio. Walker strongly endorsed Strief to Payton.
“Strief was on the backboard as a free agent,’’ Payton recalled. “I said I want to get this guy into a draftable position. We moved him over to the seventh round. So there began the legend of Zach Strief.
“And for those who don’t really know him, he for years was the Jumbo guy who reported (on short-yardage/goal line) all the time," Payton said. He did that so much there were jerseys that said,“64 reporting.” He became a starter at right tackle, played a long time.
“But here’s a unique thing (yes, coach, yes?): He retires, we lose our play-by-play announcer. Not color, our play-by-play announcer. So Strief says, I want to do that. So he studies how to become a play-by-play announcer. Does a great job at that. And then we eventually hire him as an assistant line coach.
“But man he’s special. Cincinnati, Ohio. Northwestern. I love him because I know him well as a player and coach," Payton said. "It’s not announced yet, but he is going to be coming with us. I feel like it’s only right because I found him.”
Wait until you hear what Payton said about whether the Broncos will be using the West Coast offense, as they did during the Mike Shanahan 14-year run from 1995-2008, and again from the time Gary Kubiak took charge in 2015, and in the seven years since.
“Let’s talk about it because it’s interesting,’’ Payton said.
Here we go.
“You guys probably all have iPhones, I’ve got a ‘droid,’’ Payton said, starting with an analogy. “When I hear West Coast, I think of terminology. When I hear the digit system that I’ve been a part of – in college, for instance – I think of terminology. When I think of the offense we had with Parcells … there’s about three or four strains of communication. And then at that point it stops. Then it’s about within the design. The design can go a much of different directions.
“But yeah my background coming into this league under Ray Rhodes and Jon Gruden that was West Coast terminology. And then when I was with Parcells, I adopted some things I really liked how they call the plays. But ultimately you name the routes and number the protections, or you number the routes and name the protections. If you wanted it simple: ‘Droid versus iPhone.’’’
Does that mean he will run the ball to set up the play-action rollout pass for Russell Wilson?
“Yeah, then you call it the Mountain Top Offense, or whatever,’’ Payton said.
Oh, that DeMarcus Ware story in light of the pass-rushing great was elected Thursday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
“I was there when he got drafted, and he was phenomenal,’’ said Payton, the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator in 2005 when Ware was the team’s first-round draft choice. “Congratulations. Here’s my best DeMarcus ware story."
Yes, yes?
“I’m with the Saints now playing them on a Saturday night game, and DeMarcus is injured all week,’’ Payton said. “Nonparticipant, doubtful. So you do your protection plan, third down later in the week and that involves how we’re going to double a certain defensive end. We’re going to chip, nudge, bump.
“And it sure looked like Ware wasn’t playing. So we shifted the protection elsewhere. And here it is pregame, and here comes Ware out of the tunnel. I was like, You’ve got to be kidding me.
Sean Payton introduced as Broncos head coach
“Three sacks (actually 2.0 with three quarterback hits), one sack fumble. And it was the year we won the Super Bowl in 2009. And from that day on, we’re going to assume a guy like him is always going to play. And so (a few) weeks later, we’re playing the Colts in the Super Bowl and they don’t know if (Dwight) Freeney was going to play or not. And I’m telling ya, Freeney is playing!
“Yeah, I got to know DeMarcus well, and as great a player as he is, he’s just as good a guy. He’s got really a warm smile, and when you see him he still looks like he can play. I’m fired up for him.”
One last story. It goes back to his introductory press conference Monday in the team auditorium at Broncos’ headquarters.
“What I do remember the other day, though, is kind of talking about where we’re going, what we’re going to do, and I could periph out of my eye Condoleezza Rice,’’ Payton said. “And I’m thinking, this lady has seen the best speakers in the world. It was important for me when I glimpsed at her and she was smiling. I was thinking. I was getting the amen from her.”
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