Dan Quinn, Darrell Bevell combination becomes intriguing option for Broncos

NFC Divisional Playoffs - Dallas Cowboys v San Francisco 49ers
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As the Broncos commence the second round of interviews for their vacant head-coaching position, the loss by Dallas on Sunday makes Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn immediately available to be interviewed again (and again, if needed), and ultimately hired.

Quinn has become an intriguing option for the Broncos. It’s believed he’d target Darrell Bevell as his offensive coordinator. And it was Bevell who served as Seattle’s offensive coordinator during the best years of quarterback Russell Wilson‘s career with the Seahawks.

Bevell spent seven seasons in Seattle, 2011 through 2017. The team went to a pair of Super Bowls, winning one, with Bevell and Wilson working together. Bevell also served as offensive coordinator in Minnesota from 2006 through 2010, in Detroit from 2019 through 2020, and in Jacksonville for Urban Meyer’s ill-fated lone season of 2021.

In 2022, Bevell served as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the Dolphins.

Of course, it’s possible that Wilson — who reportedly wants Sean Payton to coach the team — isn’t interested in a reunion with Bevell. But maybe he should be. With Quinn, a former Seahawks defensive coordinator bringing a Seattle-style approach to the defense, Bevell could take Wilson back to the future.

Which could make Bevell the best person to become Russell’s Denver density.

21 responses to “Dan Quinn, Darrell Bevell combination becomes intriguing option for Broncos

  1. Thats funny – reunite them with Washed Up Russ.

    bring back Cam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas too,

  2. Lets not forget Wilson got Bevel canned for not being aggressive and letting Russ cook, don’t think Bevel with touch anything involving Russ. Besides, entitled Russ…de facto GM… has already made up his mind that it has to be Sean, even though it is going to cost draft picks with a team that needs to improve talent in several areas with few picks to cheaply do it means going with much cheaper not very good vets. Any other coach Russ will work on getting canned.

  3. No denying Bevell and Russ had great success together.

    But I’d be asking why Russ can’t succeed in the Shanahan/McVay offense, which seems to fit his skillset extremely well.

  4. Didn’t Bevel take himself out of consideration for other jobs? Wilson also had good years under Brian Schottenheimer. Geno Smith had a better year under Shane Waldron than Russell Wilson which makes one wonder if Russ is done.

  5. Why does what Russell Wilson want matter? He gave up that leverage by stealing all that mony from the Broncos last year.

  6. Dan Quinn showed very little against San Fran. I’d say his performance this year was worse than last year as a coach.

  7. Only fly in this ointment is that Quinn isn’t a good head coach. For the kind of talent he had in Atlanta he didn’t win as much as he should have, there was the Super Bowl meltdown, a rapid decline afterwards and the team completely quit on him in his final season and were 0-5 when he finally got canned. He’d be a good DC but not the main guy.

  8. [Why does what Russell Wilson want matter?]
    Wilson signed a five-year, $242.6 million extension with the Broncos – $161 million is guaranteed.
    A new coach may not want to get stuck with him…
    He might not be salvageable if he’s not happy with the offense that will come in…

  9. So the Broncos want to relive the SB interception to Butler… Called (allegedly) by Bevell and thrown by Russ? Sounds like a wonderful idea.

  10. Dan Quinn‘s record as a head coach was 43 and 42 with a 506 winning percentage. He had two winning seasons in six years at Atlanta. And now he is the answer to all Denvers problems. Doubt it. He’ll be fired from Denver in three seasons.

  11. They need to hire a washed up D coordinator to go with Quinn, Bevell and Wilson so there are 4 retreads to drive the bus further off the road.

  12. Wasn’t Bevell canned for the offense slowing down. It was the run game that made that team go. Russel had his best years when he was making very little and they had a stacked roster. It change after the QB starting taking up 20% of the cap. Hurts will be the next victim like this.

  13. Such a weird scenario, a celebrity QB with an enormous contract inherited by new owners. They owe him money but he wasn’t their choice.

    I expect the owners would love to win now, but Walmart wasn’t built in a day, so I doubt they’ll see the team that way either. My guess is, they’ll focus on building an overall roster, getting through the draft-pick drought, and establishing a solid culture. And if they somehow find a way to get a washed-up-looking Wilson to compete with the currently far-superior Mahomes and Herbert, it’s a short-term bonus.

    Honestly, they’re probably just shaking their heads in disgust that the prior regime spent all this capital on Wilson instead of Rodgers.

  14. Better than Payton. Character is important and if they sign Payton, the BountyGate story will rise up and never go away. The Broncs already have enough problems. Better to go with Quinn.

  15. Wasn’t Bevell canned for the offense slowing down
    =========

    Bevell had really good success there. After 8 years, it had run its course.

    And he was never able to overcome that Super Bowl pass call.

  16. I do think Bevell should be dinged a bit for not coaching up Wilson and Lockette on the SB pass at the goal line. Wilson throws it too far out front and maybe a bit high, and Lockette does not box out with his body, and that’s all coaching. On the other hand, that was ten years ago, and good coaches learn from their failures.

  17. The 2nd SB that Wilson threw interception was his fault not Bevell
    ===========

    With a Title on the line, they called a play that had pass going to a their gunner on special teams….

  18. Of all the possible places for Payton the most attractive is Dallas. Aside from an overpaid Elliot, they have a win now roster which can be bolstered in the draft. Carolina, Denver, and Arizona are all a few years away. The problem is Jerry Jones. He’ll never relinquish control the way he did for Jimmy Johnson and until then the Cowboys will continue to be his multi-billion dollar fantasy football team.

  19. We need to promote Bevell to OC and send the play calling duties on offense with him. Mike McDaniel is too new to the HC role to be able to run the offense too. He has plenty to do overseeing the entire team. Maybe in a couple of years he can take on the offense, but not now.

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