Getty Former Denver Broncos GM John Elway looks on before the Broncos take on the Detroit Lions.
Former Denver Broncos hall of fame quarterback and general manager John Elway participated in the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe and took some time to give his thoughts on the Broncos trading for head coach Sean Payton.
“I am excited. He’s a perfect fit for where we are right now, where the Broncos are right now. Obviously, he has a lot of skins on the wall. He won a Super Bowl before and won a ton of football games. I don’t think there could have been a better fit. I think he will be great,” Elway told Lionel Bienvenu of Denver7.
Payton defeated Peyton Manning‘s Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl and made the playoffs in nine of his 15 years of coaching the New Orleans Saints.
Elway continued, “It’s going to take some time with a new system, new coaches, even though the spring was very good. The expectations are up there. But they have calmed the expectations compared to last year, which is good. We have to do better with injuries. Hopefully we can stay healthy.”
Last season the Broncos were consistently dealing with injuries and had over 20 different players end the year on injured reserve before the season was even over. If the team could stay healthy with their new staff, there’s a legit chance for this roster to prove how good they really are.
No. 7 Is Optimistic About Wilson’s Play Under Payton
Last season, Russell Wilson had career-low passing numbers with just 16 touchdown passes and completed just 60.5% of his passes, but there’s still some optimism around Broncos Country that Payton will be able to turn things around.
“Sean has a great feel for the QB position. He’s so knowledgeable on the offensive side. I think he knows what Russell will do to the best. Like every good football team, we have to try to run the football and run it successfully. And if we do that, it gives Russell a much better chance to be successful in the passing game,” Elway said.
The former Super Bowl-winning general manager also gave his thoughts on Wilson.
“(Wilson) is such a positive guy. I think he’s excited about it. With what was going on last year, a lot of different things, Sean brings in so much experience. I think Russell is looking forward to that coach to put him in the best position to be successful. It was a tough year for him last year. But he’s positive and tough. He will bounce back, and I think he’s going to have a much better year this year.”
The Broncos have been searching for their franchise quarterback since Manning held up the Lombardi Trophy in 2016. Since then, the Broncos have cycled through 12 different players at the quarterback position with the hopes that Wilson can stop the trend.
History Shows Payton Will Succeed in Year 1
According to NFL Research, Payton is the fifth head coach to be included in a trade for a first-round pick since 1970.
Three of the previous four coaches, per NFL Research, led their new teams to a Super Bowl triumph within three seasons — Don Shula, Bill Belichick, and Jon Gruden.
Shula took over a 3-10-1 team and made them a 10-4 team while Belichick took over an 8-8 Patriots team and led them to a 5-11 record in his first season.
Gruden on the other hand is the only head coach to be traded and win a Super Bowl in his first season with his new team. He took over for Tony Dungy’s 9-7 Buccaneers and turned them into a 12-4 Super Bowl-winning team the following year.
The fourth head coach that was traded was Bill Parcells, who was traded from the Patriots to the Jets, and led New York to a winning record in his first season, but failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Saints hired Payton to be their next head coach after a 3-13 season. New Orleans owned the 31st-ranked scoring offense with Aaron Brooks at quarterback the previous season.
During Payton’s first season, the Saints found their franchise quarterback after they signed free agent Drew Brees to a six-year $60 million deal.
Payton improved the Saints’ offense 26 spots in scoring as they finished fifth and first in yards. The Saints would finish the season with a 10-6 overall record and the division title in the NFC South before losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game.
Evidence shows that if the Broncos are going to contend for a world championship again, everything falls on their new head coach and struggling quarterback.