Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos: Team to interview two OC candidates

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:00 p.m. ET

Fansided, Aric Manthey/FanSided via Predominantly Orange

With Vance Joseph now hired as the Denver Broncos HC, the team will now look to hire an OC. Two names have quickly emerged in that search. We’ll break down who they are and who may be the better candidate.

It’s official. The Denver Broncos have a new Head Coach. After a search that lasted 8 days and vetting three candidates, the Broncos have settled on Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph as their Head Coach.

While the members of Broncos Country will debate this decision in the coming days, one complaint that many fans had about a Vance Joseph hiring is, “what is he going to do with the Offense? He’s a defensive guy!”. While Joseph has spent his coaching career on the Defensive side of the ball, I think it’s fair to say that a reason he got the job was the plan he presented to fix the offense. As soon as Joseph’s hiring was announced, two candidates for Offensive Coordinator emerged.

The Broncos are wasting no time in putting together a staff for Vance Joseph. With McCoy and Musgrave interviewing for the job tomorrow, it’s clear that the Broncos have a certain preference in their new Offensive guru. They want an experienced, creative mind handling the offensive side in the ball. I believe that you will get that with either McCoy or Musgrave.

McCoy is the more recognizable face to Broncos Country as he already served as the Broncos OC from 2009-12. His ability to adapt to his players is what helped him stand out and ultimately, land him a HC job with the San Diego Chargers. From Kyle Orton to Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning, McCoy was able to play to his player’s strengths and make the best of what he has to work with. That may be an invaluable commodity to have in a candidate considering the offensive woes the Broncos have had in recent years.

As for Musgrave, he has a lengthy history in the NFL that is worth noting. Before entering the
coaching ranks, Musgrave spent seven years in the league as QB. After he hung up the cleats, he went to be a coach in the NFL for over 15 years. Musgrave’s greatest achievement as a coach may have come as the Offensive Coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

Under Musgrave’s tutelage, Derek Carr established himself as a Franchise QB and legitimate MVP candidate in 2016. He also helped lead the Raiders to their first playoff berth in 14 years. That alone should be enough to warrant consideration for another OC job.

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Who would be the better choice? Well, that’s up to the eye of the beholder. The advantage of having Mike McCoy is he’s a familiar face and a proven commodity. The downside to McCoy is, he could easily emerge as a HC candidate again in a year or two. That could hurt the development of the offense if they have to replace McCoy after a short stint in Denver.

As for Musgrave, his recent success with the Raiders makes him a very tempting candidate. As for a downside to a potential Musgrave hiring, he never had a very successful offense until he went to Oakland.

Either way, I think that both guys would make excellent OC’s for the Denver Broncos and I’m anxious to see how Vance Joseph fills out his staff as the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos.