With the exception of Drew Brees, The Broncos coach has a poor record when it comes to choosing quarterbacks.
Head coach Sean Payton needs to step up his game now that the Denver Broncos have decided to move past the Russell Wilson era. Payton can’t make a mistake with this quarterback choice since there are a lot of stakes involved. Payton will hardly have a year or two left before people start to doubt his legacy, whether it is through the draft or free agency.
“As the season progressed you could tell Sean Payton and Russell Wilson never gelled. Denver knows they’re going to take a huge cap hit in doing this but it’s more of Payton saying this is not going to be my guy for the foreseeable future.” – Ryan McFadden Broncos Beat Writer
The moment coach Payton entered the Broncos locker room and “laid down the law,” it was obvious that this could go south fast. While there were certainly absurd moments during Wilson’s first year in Denver, it was concerning that Payton used the media to express so many grievances and issue dire warnings to Russ.
Had it not been for Wilson’s massive contract—which ultimately worked against him—he most likely would have been fired as soon as Payton entered the building. With Wilson gone, Payton will have less time than five years to find the next “Drew Brees”-caliber quarterback, therefore the clock is now ticking. Everyone is aware that if he were able to enter a time machine and go back 15 years, he’d snatch up that version of Brees in a second.
Given Payton’s track record selecting quarterbacks in the draft, he’ll most likely decide to enter free agency. That’s how he got Brees, who many believed was done after five seasons with the San Diego Chargers because of a shoulder ailment. The Saints took a chance because Payton believed otherwise, and the rest is history.
Payton’s ability to assess talent that has been somewhat demonstrated is well known. Under Payton’s guidance, Brees reached unprecedented heights, but we had already witnessed his strong play in San Diego. Payton was smart to recognize and take advantage of what was available.
The NFL Draft is quickly approaching.
However, it’s a different story when it comes to selecting quarterbacks. Even though Brees didn’t miss many games when he was in New Orleans, Payton hasn’t had much success with the quarterbacks he has picked in the past.
For two decades, New England faced a similar circumstance with quarterback Tom Brady, who never missed practice sessions, much less regular-season games. Despite the criticism directed towards Bill Belichick for selecting quarterbacks in the second round, he did choose Jimmy Garoppolo (2014). In 2005, Belichick and company also selected Matt Cassel in the seventh round.
when we look back at Payton’s long history with QBs, we see there isn’t much of one when it comes to finding young talent through the draft and developing them. If you want to count undrafted free agents, that’s fine, but even Daniel was there for Payton, and he passed. If the Broncos are going to get on track it’s pretty much assured that it’ll be by a free-agent find under center.
More Names
Names like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, Gardner Minshew and Jameis Winston are in play as free agents. Cousins is 35 and coming off an Achilles injury, Tannehill is 36, Mayfield is likely to stay in Tampa Bay and Payton already coached Winston in New Orleans. Winston is another possible choice, while everyone’s favorite backup, Minshew, is also a possibility.
Though not the most famous group, these quarterbacks are nevertheless very good. But under Payton, are any of those men destined to be the next Drew Brees? To be honest, nobody predicted that Brees would develop into the current version of himself, so it’s not unfeasible. Whichever path Payton chooses, he will have to figure it out fast because in the modern NFL, patience is no longer an option. It’s not like Payton is one of these coaches with multiple rings.