Report: Broncos Request to Interview Cardinals DC Vance Joseph

Could the Denver Broncos rekindle a relationship with former head coach Vance Joseph?

If Rex Ryan was believed to be a left-field potential Denver Broncos hire as Sean Payton's defensive coordinator, then Vance Joseph is living proof that the truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

According to 9NEWS' Mike Klis, the Broncos have requested permission from the Arizona Cardinals to interview Joseph for their defensive coordinator vacancy. 

Per source, Broncos have requested permission to interview Arizona DC Vance Joseph for Denver DC position. Former Broncos HC (2017-18), Joseph is under contract with Ariz but with Jonathan Gannon expected to run D as Arizona’s HC Joseph could be made available. #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) February 16, 2023

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After presiding over a botched two-year tenure as Broncos head coach (2017-18), which yielded only 11 wins against 21 losses, Joseph could be judged purely on this epic failure. Joseph did preside over the rapid decline of a World Championship team which started shortly after Gary Kubiak stepped away from coaching.

Joseph became somewhat of a joke figure in Denver for his constant repeated references to "a great week of practice," which in the final analysis, frequently failed to translate into winning performances on gameday.

Those looking for some logical rationale as to why the Broncos have requested permission to interview Joseph could indeed point toward the Cardinals' No. 12 and 11th-ranked scoring defenses he successfully assembled during his first two seasons in the desert.

Last year, however, the Joseph-led Cardinals defense slumped to second-worst in the entire league, and with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon set to become their new head coach, the ex-Broncos head coach could be forced into making a lateral career move.

Joseph has always been highly regarded as an upper-echelon defensive coordinator by many within the coaching profession, and the 50-year-old has attracted some levels of interest for notable head-coaching jobs along the way in recent times.

Of course, Broncos fans can split hairs over the fairly poor recent track record of Joseph in particular. That being said, what's clearly emerging is that if Payton believes that a coach has merit, the former Super Bowl winner is not going to get overly caught up in historical baggage.

Conclusive proof that Payton is running a bona fide meritocracy arrived via his introductory press conference only last week.

“Evaluate the people and go by what you see. Don’t predispose yourself to any belief or thought,” Payton told reporters. “Just pay attention to what you’re seeing in every area of the building.”

Payton was similarly prepared to dismiss Vic Fangio's recent failures as the head coach in Denver, with the overriding goal being to secure a premier defensive mind, but he ultimately opted to sign with the Miami Dolphins.

Depending on how Joseph interviews, unique circumstances may well facilitate an improbable return to the Mile High City for Joseph. That's bound to prove a much more surreal personal experience than it will be for anybody else.

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