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Clancy Barone, Broncos part ways; Rick Dennison out as Vance Joseph revamps staff

Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis may exit as well

Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post.
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...

The dominoes are quickly falling.

On his first day on the job, Broncos new head coach Vance Joseph quickly got to work revamping his staff. The team parted ways with offensive line coach Clancy Barone and tight ends coach Brian Pariani and showed the door to offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, according to an NFL source. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis may exit as well as Joseph plans to interview other candidates for his position.

The impetus for the offensive moves: Joseph and general manager want more energy and more creativity on offense.

“I want an offense that is attacking,” Joseph said at his introductory news conference Thursday. “Being a defensive guy my entire career, only 14 seasons, when you play on offense that is attacking, it makes you be careful of your calls. If an offense was conservative, I loved it because I can be the attacker, but if the offense was attacking, with multiple personnel groups and all types of formations, that is what I want them to look like. I want to score points. Points win. Obviously defense wins championships, but you have to score points. I want an offense with swagger and I want an offense thatap up-tempo and has a chance to score a lot of points.”

Per 9News, the Broncos received permission to interview Jeremiah Washburn, who worked in Miami last season alongside Joseph as the Dolphins’ offensive line coach. And all signs point toward Mike McCoy, who interviewed at the Broncos’ facility Thursday, to return as offensive coordinator.

Barone’s exit appeared likely even before the 2016 season ended as the line struggled in nearly every facet and the offense lacked production. The Broncos last season averaged 20.8 points (22nd in the NFL) and only 337.4 yards per game (27th).

Barone joined the Broncos in 2009 as their tight ends coach (2009, 2011-14). He worked with the offensive line in 2010 and returned to the job in 2015, when was hired as head coach.

His first year on Kubiak’s staff, Barone was given a patchwork line that transitioned to a new and continuously changing offense. The starting five hadn’t played together at all until the season opener, but the rotating cast held it together through a string of injuries to help the Broncos win their third title.

The retooled line of 2016 failed to have similar success, especially at the tackle positions. Pro Football Focus rated the Broncos as the 24th-best line in the league, and right tackle Donald Stephenson earned the lowest overall grade of any lineman.

The problems up front created problems all around, as the run game lagged and the passing game was hindered by the poor protection.

“I’ve watched the offense and I’ve watched the quarterbacks and the problem was moving the ball,” Joseph said. “You win at all three phases and you lose the same way. …  We have players. We have two receivers ( and ) that are all-pro players and good offensive lineman. We have two young quarterbacks that are both competitive. It first starts there. Putting the system together that scores more points, thatap important.”

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