Rosters change quickly in the NFL.
The Denver Broncos fired Vance Joseph as head coach following the 2018 season. He has since returned to the team this offseason as a defensive coordinator.
Just four seasons after Joseph’s first stint in Denver, only two defenders remain from that 2018 roster: safety Justin Simmons and linebacker Josey Jewell.
“I’ve watched Justin over the last four years,” Joseph said on June 14. “You don’t leave guys and not watch their careers. It’s the same with Josey and Kareem [Jackson], who I had as a second-year player in Houston. You watch them. To watch Justin’s career evolve while changing the way he’s played over the years — he takes the ball away at a high rate. That’s special to watch.
“‘K-Jack’ is still playing. It’s funny that he was a corner for 10 years, and now he’s playing safety. He was a little fat kid when I had him as a second-year guy in Houston. Now, he’s a grown man. He’s smart, and he’s a great leader for our defense. It’s been fun to watch. Josey is still playing good football. You follow those guys, and you don’t lose track of them.”
Joseph will now reunite with those three defenders — two from his time in Denver and one from Houston — as well as three players on offense. Broncos wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick and left tackle Garett Bolles also played under then-head coach Joseph in 2018.
Denver went 11-21 in two seasons with Joseph before he was fired. Sean Payton is now the head coach with Joseph set to run the defense. The Broncos allowed 21.8 points per game in 2018, the 12th-best average in the NFL that season.
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