Yes, Broncos coach John Fox will allow his offensive coordinator Adam Gase to interview for the head coaching jobs with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers.
And yes, Fox is doing all he can to minimize any potential distraction. The Falcons and 49ers must interview Gase here in Denver. And it must occur either Thursday, Friday or Saturday, when the Bronco players will have off to rest during their playoff bye week.
Once the Broncos return Sunday for light conditioning work and meetings in preparation for the second-round playoff game on Jan. 11, Gase is off limits to others until Denver’s playoff run is finished, or the bye week between the AFC championship game and Super Bowl, should the team make it that far.
“Pretty much it’s a rule if you get the opportunity to go from coordinator to head coach it’s something you give them the right to do,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “It’s not our first rodeo that way. We’ve been through this many times. It will be done in a way that they have to come here and it won’t bother our coaches as far as their prep. All their focus is on what we’re trying to accomplish. Yet, during the bye week it’s an opportune to do those things.”
Gase, 36, will finish this season with the Broncos, but it appears he will have options once its finished. The NFL has a Rooney Rule that requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coach openings. Even so, Gase has to be the man to beat in both San Francisco and Atlanta.
“Of course, he has what it takes,” Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. “Whatever happens, he’ll do what’s best for him and his family. If he does, that would be sad for me, but we’ve still got goals that we want to achieve together. Hopefully if it does happen, he’ll go to one of those jobs with a Super Bowl ring on his finger.”
Gase is arguably the brightest offensive coach in the NFL.In his two years as Denver’s offensive coordinator, the Broncos ranked No. 1 in scoring in 2013 by compiling an NFL-record 606 points (37.88 points per game) mostly by throwing the ball with quarterback Peyton Manning.
This year, the Broncos implemented an older-school running game into their offense, starting with Game 11, and they still finished No. 2 in scoring with 30.1 points per game. Green Bay was No. 1 with 30.4 points.
Gase met with the Broncos’ offensive players and coaches Monday. He was a top candidate for the Cleveland Browns’ head job last year but withdrew from consideration in large part because the Broncos were in the midst of a Super Bowl run.
Which of the two jobs, San Francisco or Atlanta, would be most appealing to Gase? Each has shown a potential red flag in upper management. The 49ers, with owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke, ran off coach Jim Harbaugh, who turned around a franchise that had eight consecutive non-winning seasons into one that went to three consecutive NFC championship games.
In Atlanta, general manager Thomas Dimitroff is staying on amid reports he is having his power in personnel decisions reduced. The Falcons have been receiving counsel from Joe Banner, who was the Browns’ chief executive officer last year before he was fired.
On balance, the 49ers appear to have a far more talented roster. They were besieged by injuries and suspensions this year, playing much of their 8-8 season without linebacker Patrick Willis and pass rusher Aldon Smith.
The Falcons, meanwhile, have been woeful on defense and in their running game the past two years.
The other consideration is the respective quarterbacks. Would Gase believe it’s easier to win the Super Bowl with Atlanta’s Matt Ryan or the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick?
Ryan is limited physically but is closer in style to Manning. Kaepernick’s athleticism is unmatched but his passing accuracy is erratic.
There’s little doubt Ryan and the Falcons more closely resemble the offense Gase coordinated in Denver.
“I know whoever gets him, they’re going to get a coach who is very smart,” running back C.J. Anderson said. “He knows the game very well. He’s determined. He has that ‘(heck with) you’ attitude. Let’s get out there and get it done. He’s the type that puts his hard hat on every day and goes to work.”
It’s possible Gase could interview with the 49ers and/or Falcons during the Broncos’ off days this week, as the Broncos have a first-round bye. After Sunday, Gase cannot interview until the Broncos are finished with the playoffs, or during the bye week between the AFC championship game and Super Bowl.
If Gase leaves, the Broncos might not have to go far to replace him. Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp has extensive experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, having held that position with Oakland, Houston and Seattle.
Would the courtship of Gase be a distraction to the Broncos’ offensive players?
“I don’t think so,” Sanders said, “as long as you guys keep it down.”
Meanwhile, no team has asked the Broncos permission to interview defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. The Oakland Raiders figure to be interested at some point, although they historically wait longer than other teams in filling their head coaching vacancies.
