New Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon made his first big move in that role, releasing defensive coordinator Vance Joseph from his contract with the organization.
This comes a short while after Arizona informed Joseph that he was out of the running to become the full-time head coach, replacing the recently fired Kliff Kingsbury in that role. It also comes just a couple days after Gannon was announced as the Cardinals’ next head coach.
The interesting dynamic here is that multiple media reports indicate Joseph will now interview for the defensive coordinator openings with both the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles.
According to Broncos insider Mike Klis, Joseph’s interview with Denver will come Friday. Joseph will then interview with Philadelphia as a potential replacement for the aforementioned Gannon.
The 50-year-old Joseph served as Arizona’s defensive coordinator for four seasons under Kingsbury, leading two top-12 units in points allowed. This past season saw Arizona yield the second-most points in the NFL under Joseph.
There’s certainly a lot to look at here. In addition to his experience with Arizona, Vance Joseph served as the Denver Broncos’ head coach in 2017 and 2018. He posted an ugly 11-21 record during that span. But the blockbuster acquisition of head coach Sean Payton has changed the dynamics big time in Mile High. They are looking at an experienced defensive play-caller with Rex Ryan being seen as the favorite.
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Joseph’s previous experience includes a one-year stint as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2016. Prior to that, he was a position coach with the Cincinnati Bengals (2014-15), Houston Texans (2011-13) and San Francisco 49ers (2005-10).
Philadelphia’s interest in Vance Joseph is also interesting in that it seems to suggest head coach Nick Sirianni wants to go with a more blitz-heavy scheme despite the defending NFC Champions recording a league-high 70 sacks this past season.