What kind of offense will Payton run in Denver?
Q>> What kind of offense does Sean Payton run? West Coast? Run heavy? Do they use zoneblocking schemes?
PARKER>> Hey Ken, great question. Payton doesn’t have one thing that he never moves off of. Really, this is true for most playcallers, but 15 years in New Orleans has given him plenty of opportunity to show he can adjust based on the personnel he’s got at any given time. Even with Drew Brees for all of those seasons except for one, Payton called different styles of games in 2009 when the Saints won the Super Bowl than he did in 2020 when Brees was still putting up excellent numbers but with diminished arm strength.
All of that being said, Payton’s roots are in the traditional West Coast system. He said this during Super Bowl week in the midst of an appearance on the Pat Mcafee Show:
“When I got into the league in 1997, it was under the (Jon) Gruden, Ray Rhodes (types). It was the West Coast, (Mike) Holmgren, Bill Walsh, Joe Montana. All of the cutups were Montana. It was the Bible. I still have all these tapes.”
He also said something illustrative recently about how most coaches run stuff from all different types of systems and a lot of what they refer to as their “system” depends on whether in their playbook they number protections and name routes or name protections and number routes.
I couldn’t locate the exact quote from last month, but here’s a similar one from 2018 to ESPN: “You’re really talking about a Mac vs. a personal computer,” Payton said, adding, “All systems can give you the same type of plays. It’s just, ‘How is it communicated? Are we naming the formation? Are we numbering the protection and then naming the route?’ It varies — and all are effective.”
Q>> Hi Parker, I’m glad to see that the Broncos made a big splash in free agency by shoring up the offensive line. I feel like it’s been a long, long time coming. Maybe we’ll get to see Russell Wilson actually have some more time instead of instantly meeting pass rushers this year. What do you think the front five will look like in Week 1?
PARKER>> Hey Mark, thanks, as always, for writing in.
Indeed, the Broncos did make a big splash in free agency. They agreed to terms with both right tackle Mike Mcglinchey (five years, up to $87.5 million) and guard Ben Powers (four years, up to $52 million) on Monday.
Certainly the Broncos were inconsistent at times in 2022 protecting Wilson, but Denver’s league-leading 63 sacks taken were not all on the offensive line. Mcglinchey and Powers can be a big help to Russ, but he’s also got to make quicker decisions and continue to adjust — not abandon, but adjust — the frequency with which he tries to escape the pocket and extend plays.
It’s still far too early to set about writing the Broncos’ starting quintet in pen, but the two big additions do give a much clearer picture of a potential top group. From left to right: Garett Bolles, Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz and Mcglinchey.
The biggest potential wrinkles from here would be if Denver got an offer it couldn’t refuse on Bolles — doesn’t seem likely given he’s coming off a lower leg fracture — or if Payton and new offensive line coach Zach Strief decide they like Meinerz at center.