INDIANAPOLIS — All those years as head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton has never once conducted an NFL Combine press conference.
Kind of a Bill Parcells thing. Bill Belichick, another disciple of the grumpy if ever-entertaining Parcells, the Hall of Fame coach, rarely did Combine interviews either.
The Combine is the unofficial start of the new NFL season and once it’s football, no telling secrets.
But Sean Payton has started a new chapter in his career and the Denver Broncos are a market like no other. There were 22 local media from Denver who made the trip here for the NFL Combine, including three from 9NEWS KUSA-TV. Despite the team’s historic ongoing slump, interest in the Denver Broncos never wanes.
Perhaps Broncos public-relations maven Patrick Smyth pointed this out as a way to sell Payton on the value of talk.
And talk he did. Sean Payton didn’t pontificate as he did earlier this month during his introductory press conference as Broncos head coach. But he did seem to enjoy taking questions as he talked for 24 minutes – nearly twice the allotted time.
> Watch Sean Payton's full press conference below:
And Payton did share some previously unknown information, including why he picked Vance Joseph as his defensive coordinator and not, say, Rex Ryan.
“Rex, Matt (Patricia), Sean Desai, all those guys were outstanding,’’ Payton said about the defensive coordinator candidates he interviewed (along with Kris Richard). “But there were a few things that I felt Vance was going to bring. And not necessarily because he had experience in Denver but really more what he was able to do, believe it or not, in Arizona. That was a tough job for a number of years.”
Payton did admit at one point Vic Fangio was his top choice for defensive coordinator. This was before Payton interviewed for the Broncos job.
“Vic was supposed to be part of the plan but then you guys (Denver media) scared him away,'' Paton said with a smile.
He later added that Fangio is from Scranton, Penn., which is where Payton’s mom and dad are from. Payton’s dad and Fangio both went to Dunmore High and Payton’s cousin taught Fangio math in sixth grade.
“I’ve never lived in Scranton,’’ Payton said. “They filmed “The Office” there I think, which was a good show. Do I think he would have been a great asset for us? Yes. We were planning in this year away if the right scenario came up that we’d work together. I think this one was a little unique because it wasn’t too long ago he was here.
“But certainly I tried. I talked to him. Tried to twist his arm. And I’m excited for his opportunity in Miami. I think he’s a talented coach.”
Payton was also asked if he would still have a defensive coach role for Patricia.
“He and I are going to talk this week. I wouldn’t rule that out, though. If that possibly came to fruition it would be for a few things. I would want to talk to Vance and our defensive coaches, but I know Matt well enough to know how smart he is and what he can contribute. So we’ll see.’’
Davis Webb and Chris Banjo, who were players as recently as last month, are now the Broncos’ quarterbacks and assistant special teams coach, respectively.
“Normally, I would say it takes two years,’’ Payton said. “There’s a transition for players where they want to get away, and then they want to get back in.’’
As for Mike Westhoff, 75, coming out of retirement to help oversee the Broncos’ special teams program while also helping with the overall program as assistant head coach; “He would be someone that would be right up there at the top from a coordinator standpoint,’’ Payton said. “A Hall of Fame-type coordinator. He’s got a unique personality, he’s a great teacher.”
As for his starting QB, Russel Wilson, “We’ll have a chance to meet here periodically in the next month,” said Payton.
Asked about Wilson’s special privileges granted last year including his own personal coaching and training staff that had access inside team headquarters in his own upstairs office, Payton revealed he was watching a program the other day that must have been 9NEWS.
“Someone said it, I forget what I was watching, if they had success last (year) I don’t think the upstairs meeting room matters to anybody. Because I didn’t see any articles from any of you prior to week 1 or week 2 when that was happening. But that’s what happens when you lose. Then everything gets looked at closely including the coaching. Yeah, we’ll have a way of doing business and I think it’ll be what I’m familiar with and what’s best for the players.”
Wilson’s upstairs office has already been cleaned out.
Payton has a fair amount of young coaches with not an incredible amount of experience on offense, while there is far more experience on the defensive and special teams staffs. Payton as head coach and play caller and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi are experienced at the top of the offense but Zach Strief (offensive line), Declan Doyle (tight ends), Keary Colbert (receivers) and Lou Ayeni (running backs) are among those who were “hired up.”
“Parcells wanted to be around younger coaches,’’ Payton said. “He talked about it all the time. I like being around younger coaches. I still consider myself a younger coach but then I sit in the room and listen to these younger coaches that I enjoy. You get energized. And then there’s experience and there’s just a little bit of everything.
“There wasn’t any design. It was just finding the best people. There’s been a vision of what this ingredient can bring to the recipe. I can say that.’’
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