Report: Broncos Cut Bait With DC Ejiro Evero
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After a bout of 'will they/won’t they,' the Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has reportedly opted to let defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero out of his contract. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Evero has been freed to interview for defensive coordinator positions with other teams.
"Sources: The Broncos are allowing defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero out of his contract and he’s expected to interview with the Vikings. He’s considered a strong candidate in Minnesota, along with Brian Flores," Rapoport tweeted.
It would not be shocking to see Evero pair up with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. Evero and O’Connell both coached with the Los Angeles Rams from 2020 to 2021.
After already having blocked the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers to interview Evero (before Payton was hired as head coach in Denver), as well as links to the Rams if their current coordinator Raheem Morris is selected to be a head coach this offseason, 9NEWS' Mike Klis stated that “signs point to Evero as the Vikes DC.”
In just one season in Denver, the Broncos defense hardly skipped a beat after moving on from the 'defensive mastermind' Vic Fangio. Finishing 12th in opponents points per game at 21.1, ninth in defensive EPA/Play at -0.042, and 10th in Football Outsiders’ Defensive DVOA at -5.2%, the Broncos are losing one of the best up-and-coming defensive play-callers in the NFL in Evero.
While Evero is still in contention for the head coaching gigs of the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts, it appears that he will likely be skipped over in this head-coaching cycle and will be calling defenses in a new NFL home in 2023.
Why didn’t Evero choose to rejoin Denver? After refusing the Broncos’ offer to be the interim head coach following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett (reportedly in protest of his 'best friend' being fired), it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Evero asked to be released from his contract. Following a meeting between Payton and Evero on Thursday, the Broncos immediately turned around and requested to interview two new candidates for the defensive coordinator position in Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker coach Brian Flores and Seattle Seahawks' associate head coach/defensive assistant Sean Desai.
Contractually, the Broncos could have kept Evero in Denver if he failed to receive a head-coaching offer this offseason, but if he wanted out due to the situation surrounding Hackett's firing, then Payton did the right thing in letting the defensive coach go and releasing him from his contract.
Will Flores or Desai become the Broncos’ new defensive coordinator under Payton? Or will the Broncos move to interview other candidates?
Stay tuned.
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