The Denver Broncos look like one of the teams that are likely to move on from their head coach by the end of the 2018 season.
Vance Joseph was given his opportunities to show he could keep the team pointed in the right direction. However, after a rough 2017 and poor first half this year, the odds are swinging towards VP John Elway cutting the cord and starting fresh with somebody else. Elway has shown in the past he’s not afraid to make such decisions. He fired John Fox despite a 12-4 record in 2014. It’s just a matter of finding the right guy to get things turned around.
One name that may be on the list is John Harbaugh. The longtime head coach of the Baltimore Ravens has experienced the biggest dry spell without the playoffs the organization has ever had since the year 2000. The painful 9-7 near miss last year only adds to the frustration. Now with a change looming in the front office at GM, the buzz is growing that Harbaugh may be shown the door. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is hearing just that.
"“The Baltimore Ravens and John Harbaugh are very likely headed to a “mutual parting of the ways” in 2019, sources said, but the former Super Bowl-winning head coach is not in any jeopardy of an in-season firing, contrary to some recent speculation……There will not be another one-year extension forthcoming, I’m told (Harbaugh agreed to such a deal prior to last season to avoid a looming “lame duck” season), and with rising general manager Eric DeCosta set to take over for Ozzie Newsome after the season, and the Ravens facing a possible roster overhaul, there is a strong sense that these sides will be moving on amicably.”"
Broncos could be ready to pounce if Harbaugh does indeed walk
After the issues with Joseph, it’s quite possible that Elway may go back to his original style of hiring head coaches with experience. It worked with Fox and it worked again with Gary Kubiak. Harbaugh is a proven coach with a great track record for motivation and game management. He’s 56-years old so he’s not over the hill by any stretch. Benjamin Allbright, an NFL insider with deep connections in Denver, believes this is a potentially perfect match.
The key will be if Denver can find him a quarterback. Harbaugh was fortunate that the Ravens secured Joe Flacco the first year he arrived so he’s always had a dependable starter under center. That’s something Elway will have to prove he can do. Given his recent string of failures, it’s asking a lot. Maybe some input from Harbaugh could end up being a blessing. Provided the Broncos indeed make that hire.