The finish line
Part of the complexity in trading for Payton, of course, was how much New Orleans demanded for the right to negotiate a contract with him.
That part came with an inherent wrinkle: The steeper the price extracted by the Saints, the fewer resources Payton would have at his disposal upon taking a job.
“It was complex,” Payton said. “I told Greg and George that they’re making the trade, but the trade impacts me. If this trade is for this, then don’t take it because I don’t want to go if you lose that.”
That, Payton said, came with the understanding that the Broncos had to explore other options in case Denver and New Orleans simply couldn’t agree.
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Paton and Loomis pushed toward the finish line on a trade as Ryans went to Houston for a second interview with the Texans.
“This was the opportunity I was interested in, and I know I was the coach they were interested in,” Payton said.
The Broncos pushed back hard against an NFL Network report that they made a last-ditch effort at hiring Ryans on Tuesday, saying the last contact they had with him or his agent, Jimmy Sexton, came before the NFC title game.
Though Denver had a sense of what was happening with Ryans in Houston — that the Texans announced the completion of a second interview but did not immediately say they had a deal in place hardly went unnoticed at Dove Valley — they were by that time deep into negotiations with the Saints.
“I think that Demeco was probably talking with (Broncos limited partner) Lewis Hamilton or something, because I was on the phone with these guys the whole time,” Payton joked later, referring to Paton and Penner and the notion that the Broncos’ eyes wandered at the last minute.
paved the way for running backs and imposed their will on defenses throughout the season.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is a two-time Super Bowl champion who has a history of shutting down top offenses in the Super Bowl. Just ask Tom Brady. Spagnuolo is known for bringing the heat to knock QBS off rhythm. Considering Hurts has a major dropoff in production when blitzed, expect Spagnuolo to dial it up.
If Hurts has time, Kansas City’s four rookie defensive backs will be in for a long day.
him on the head. Jones then got emotional as he remembered Sanders helping him get through difficult times. The two remain close.
“This is why he will be the best coach, the best recruiter that college football ever seen,” Jones said. “I’m not saying this just because it’s my man. Like … I can go through story after story.
“He’s going to get to the job done (at Colorado).”