Although two games remain in the Denver Broncos 2021 season, the writing is on the wall: this team isn't going to make the playoffs and head coach Vic Fangio and his three coordinators are highly unlikely to be retained.
Thus, the Broncos are certain to begin the search for a new head coach. Some may wonder how appealing the job will be, given that the Broncos don't have an owner or a quarterback to build around.
The hope is that the Broncos' ownership situation will be settled in early 2022. The team needs to find a QB, something the Broncos have been unable to address since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season.
However, there are plenty of reasons for head-coaching candidates to be interested in the Broncos' job. Like with any team, there are areas that need to be addressed, but there are positives as well that can make the job appealing.
Let's go over five reasons why the Broncos won't be lacking for head coaching candidates.
The Broncos have $49.8 million in projected cap space for 2022, assuming a base cap of $208.2M. That number will drop to an estimated $34.1M once 51 players are under contract (the Broncos have 37 under contract for 2022).
However, that cap space still gives the Broncos plenty of room to work with to acquire a veteran QB if one is available in trade or to sign additional free agents. The team can also either cut or trade players to clear cap space if necessary.
The new head coach will thus enter a situation in which the roster can be improved to fit what he and the coordinators will want. The Broncos won't be forced to cut a lot of players and, thus, undergo a large rebuild.
The Broncos will have a few roster holes to address, but there are players who a new head coach can work with on both sides of the ball.
Justin Simmons, Shelby Harris, and Ronald Darby are a good group of veterans on defense, while Garett Bolles, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick provide a solid trio of veterans on offense.
Add players such as Dre'Mont Jones, Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, and KJ Hamler and the Broncos don't have too many roster needs. While it's possible a player or two could be traded, that still leaves more than enough talent to field a competitive team.
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This relates to the second point because the talent on the roster also includes the 2021 draft class — a class that has made a good impression thus far.
Patrick Surtain II and Javonte Williams both look like keepers. Quinn Meinerz, Baron Browning, Caden Sterns, and Jonathon Copper all have shown promise.
That GM George Paton has shown he has an eye for talent will appeal to a new head coach, who should be able to trust that the general manager will continue to find the right players in the draft that fit what the coach and coordinators want to run.
While the Broncos will be looking for new coordinators, the positional coaches are another story. Many of those coaches are worth retaining if they want to stay with the Broncos.
Mike Munchak, Zach Azzanni, Curtis Modkins, Bill Kollar, Reggie Herring, and John Pagano are among the positional coaches who have done good things for the Broncos.
While it's no guarantee positional coaches will be retained (and some might opt to take jobs elsewhere), a new head coach will have that option. Knowing that there could be such positional coaches worth retaining means less work for the head coach in filling out his staff.
Paton stocked up the draft cupboard for 2022, with 11 total picks, including two in the second round, two in the third, two in the fifth, and two in the seventh, plus a first, fourth, and sixth-rounder.
Having so many picks going into the draft gives the Broncos plenty of options. They have the draft capital to trade for a QB if one is available. If not, Denver can afford to be patient with the draft board and not feel the need to reach for a QB.
Or, if the Broncos believe the 2023 QB draft class is better, they have the picks to load up the roster, then target a signal-caller in 2023. While that scenario could mean missing the playoffs in 2022, if the Broncos find their guy in 2023 and then make the playoffs that year and the next four, it's worth it.
Of course, certain elements need to fall into place to ensure that a new head coach will succeed in Denver, ranging from what the coach himself does, to the coordinators to how well Paton continues to build the roster.
The ownership question is there, too, but the hope is that the trust will find the right people to take over, whether that's a family member of Pat Bowlen or somebody else.
But there's plenty for a head coaching candidate to like about the Broncos. While there will be some work to do, that doesn't mean the job isn't desirable. The Broncos should thus not have issues finding a head coach who wants to be here.
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Bob Morris has been covering the Denver Broncos and NFL for several years. His works have been featured on Scout.com, 247Sports.com, CBSSports.com and BleacherReport.com.