Sean Payton was once the most highly-coveted name available on the coaching market this offseason, but there was also a moment when it seemed like he wouldn’t land a job anywhere.
Of course, you’ve probably heard by now that the former New Orleans Saints head coach is joining the Denver Broncos.
It’s a huge move for the Broncos, and it cost them quite a bit — a first- and second-round pick, to be exact.
That’s quite a lot to give up for a head coach…especially when he wasn’t your first, or even second(!!!), choice.
According to a report from the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Broncos made a hard push for San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, but were turned down. They then tried to “lure” Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL, but that didn’t work out either.
At that point, they began negotiating a deal for Sean Payton, but before finalizing it, they made one final push for Ryans earlier today.
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Ryans will now join the team where he spent six seasons during his playing days. The linebacker was a two-time Pro Bowler as a member of the Houston Texans, and he’ll now be tasked with turning around one of the league’s worst franchises.
As for Payton, he may not have been the top choice for the Broncos’ front office, but he was the preferred option of quarterback Russell Wilson. Can he help fix Denver’s broken QB?
