Denver interviews Morris; Evero meets with Texans
Denver wrapped up a busy Tuesday on the West Coast by interviewing Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for the franchise’s open head coaching position.
The Broncos met with Morris in Los Angeles after interviewing former New Orleans head coach Sean Payton earlier in the day, league sources confirmed to The Post.
Morris, 46, has head coaching experience a nd ha s been a popular candidate on the int er v iew circuit this winter. He’s spent the pa s t two seasons as the coordinator for Sean Mcvay, who recently decided to return for 2023 as the Rams head coach after speculation that he may not.
Mcvay wasn’t sure he’d have Morris back on his staff in 2022, but referred to it as a good thing and a bad thing in early 2022.
He told the Associated Press he was ecstatic to have the coach still working for him but also, “It’s a reflection of how far we have to go because he’s one of the best coaches in the world, and the fact that he isn’t a head coach is a crime.”
Morris was Tampa Bay’s head coach from 2009-11. He had a 10- 6 season in the middle of those three but was fired with a 17- 31 mark overall. He coached defensive backs in Washington for three subsequent seasons before landing in Atlanta as Dan Quinn’s defensive coordinator from 2015-20. Morris served as interim for the final 11 games when Quinn was fired in 2020, and the Falcons went 4-7 down the stretch.
The Broncos are set to interview Quinn, now Dallas’ defensive coordinator, on Friday after interviewing San Francisco defensive coordinator Demeco Ryans on Thursday, according to league sources.
Morris and the Rams had a rough season one year after winning the Super Bowl, finishing at 5-12. In November, star defensive back Jalen Ramsey didn’t hold back when defending his defensive coordinator.
“The fact that he’s not a head coach somewhere for real is a blessing for us, especially in that defensive room,” he said. “‘ Rah’ is the real (expletive) deal, I ain’t even lyin’ to you. I’m passionate about that (stuff). … ‘ Rah’ is the best, I’m telling you. For real, for real. ‘ Rah’ is really another head coach that we’ve got in the building. … The man knows offense, defense, special teams. Offensive players can go to ‘ Rah’ and say, ‘ Rah, what do you think about this and that and how do we need to attack this?’
“He can tell them flawlessly and not only tell them in his language but tell us in our language.”
EVERO INTERVIEWS WITH HOUSTON>>
The same day the Broncos interviewed Morris, Houston interviewed Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their head coach opening, the team confirmed.
The pair worked together with the Rams for the 2020 and ’ 21 seasons before Evero got a coordinator opportunity in Denver
vero, 42, is in the midst of a busy stretch on the interview circuit. He met in-person with the Broncos for an interview last week and then virtually with Indianapolis. Carolina has also asked to interview him for its head coach opening, leaving Arizona as the only one of the five that has not yet put in a request. The Broncos denied a request from the Atlanta Falcons to interview Evero for a defensive coordinator role, which the franchise can do because that move would be lateral and Evero is under contract in Denver for 2023.
STADIUM SURVEY TO BEGIN>>
The Broncos are surveying fans and partners to gather data on the Empower Field experience as they weigh long term whether to remain in the stadium or eventually build a new one.
In a news release Tuesday, president Damani Leech said the team is partnering with the planning and advisory firm Legends to collect data between now and April.
The Walton- Penner Family Ownership Group in December finalized plans for more than $100 million in upgrades to Empower Field to be completed this offseason.
The longer- term decision on a stadium does not need to be made imminently as the franchise has about 10 years left on its current lease, CEO Greg Penner said in August.