Tag: Greg Penner

Broncos owners sat in team’s draft room over the weekend

“Ever since they’ve arrived, it’s been outstanding,” Broncos GM George Paton said of the team’s ownership group.

When a Rob Walton-led ownership group purchased the Denver Broncos last summer, the NFL draft and the bulk of NFL free agency had already passed. The new owners took over in time for the start of the regular season, but they weren’t around for the offseason roster-building process.

Walton is the team’s controlling owner but his son-in-law, Greg Penner, is a co-owner and chief executive officer who oversees day-to-day ownership duties with his wife, Carrie Walton Penner.

The Penners experienced their first NFL draft this weekend, sitting in the team’s draft room with general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton.

“It was outstanding,” Paton said of Greg and Carrie Penner sitting in on the team’s draft room. “Greg and Carrie were with us the entire way. They were very supportive with the trades. They were on board. We met with them early in the week, and they kind of knew the plan. It’s hard to plan when your first pick is in the third round, but I felt like the plan went as we expected. I think it was really good for them to see their first draft and be a part of it.

“It was funny — I think it was Wednesday — we met with them and kind of told them what to expect for the draft and they were like ‘OK. Well, what do we do? What do we do during the draft?’ I said, ‘We just kind of sit there.’ Long story short, it was outstanding. They were part of the collaboration. When we were trading and were discussing the players, Greg had great questions, and Carrie had great questions. Like free agency — ever since they’ve arrived — it’s been outstanding.”

Penner made it clear last summer that he’s self-aware of what he brings to the team — the CEO won’t interfere with the club’s personnel decisions. The ownership group will provide the resources for Paton and Payton to build a winning roster and train in world-class facilities, and they’ll let the football people handle the football decisions.

So far so good for the team’s new ownership group.

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Greg Penner comments on DeMarcus Ware reaching Hall of Fame

“DeMarcus [Ware] became a Super Bowl champion as a Bronco, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history.”

DeMarcus Ware was named a member of the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class on Thursday evening. Although Ware spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, he finished his career with the Denver Broncos and was a key member of the team’s dominant defense that led the club to a victory in Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

After the Hall of Fame class was announced, Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner released the following statement:

On behalf of the Denver Broncos, we congratulate DeMarcus Ware on his well-deserved election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. DeMarcus became a Super Bowl champion as a Bronco, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history on one of the greatest defenses of all-time.

His leadership, professionalism and many clutch performances are fondly remembered throughout our organization. We join Broncos Country in celebrating DeMarcus as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Ware will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio this summer.

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Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner impressed by Sean Payton’s obsession with details

“If we are maniacal with the details on the field, then we have to be that way in every other element,” Payton said. “Everything matters.”

After firing Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner interviewed eight candidates to replace him and ultimately landed on hiring Sean Payton. Penner couldn’t be happier with the results of the search.

“Last month, I said that we were looking for a strong leader who could build a winning culture,” Payton said Monday. “One with accountability, discipline and also build a really strong identity on offense. I could not be prouder of where we came out and we have the perfect coach in Sean Payton. …

“Sean pours his heart and soul into winning, and players respond to his enthusiasm, creativity and genuine love of the game. In just a few days here in our building last week, he is already bringing that energy and passion into our building and organization.”

Part of what attracted Penner to Payton was the coach’s obsession with details.

“[H]e put a winning football team on the field just about every year for 15 seasons. You don’t do that without incredible passion and intensity. As I called around and talked to others around the league, it kept coming up. It’s the attention to detail.

“I think one of [his] former players told me a story about the size of the towels in the locker room. Sean didn’t think the towels were big enough. That level of attention to detail is what makes for winning organizations. He’s going to bring that energy and passion to every part of our building.”

Payton spoke about having the New Orleans Saints get bigger towels for fans to wave at games, and he mentioned even reviewing what kind of shoes players wear. No detail is too minor for Payton’s consideration.

“If we are maniacal with the details on the field, then we have to be that way in every other element — the training room, the weight room, how we approach ticket sales,” Payton said. “Everything matters. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, it’s only this that’s important.’ Everything matters. How we traveled. How we celebrated in the locker room.

“We brought a $30,000-dollar stereo system — Club Dub. We thought it was important, especially on the road, that everyone could hear our locker room celebrating and say, ‘What is going on in there?’ That is creating culture. With the right people, and with the details — I can go on and on.”

Broncos fans will hope that Payton brings a similar “Club Dub” stereo system to Denver, and they’ll hope it’s used more often than five times following the team’s five-win season in 2022.

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Broncos’ front office denies report of last-second push for DeMeco Ryans

“Once we locked in on Sean [Payton] about five or six days [earlier], our focus was entirely on him and closing that,” Greg Penner said.

After the Denver Broncos agreed to terms on a trade with the New Orleans Saints for coach Sean Payton last week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport dropped an interesting report on the team’s head coach search.

The Broncos, according to Rapoport, made a last-second push to try to hire DeMeco Ryans before ultimately turning their attention to completing the Payton trade. Several outlets shot that notion down on the same day Rapoport published it.

During Payton’s introductory press conference on Monday, team owner/CEO Greg Penner was asked directly if Denver tried to hire Ryans immediately before landing Payton.

“That wasn’t the case,” Penner said. “Again, we met with a number of great candidates throughout the process. Once we locked in on Sean about five or six days before we got the trade done with the Saints, our focus was entirely on him and closing that.”

If that’s true, Rapoport’s source(s) gave him incredibly bad info. Payton delivered a zinger in response to the report.

“I think that DeMeco was probably talking with Lewis Hamilton or something because I was on the phone with these guys [Penner and GM George Paton] the whole time,” Payton said. 

Hamilton, of course, is a minority owner who has not had a big role with the team since buying a minority interest in the club last August.

The Broncos were interested in Ryans during their head coach search — he was considered a favorite at one point — but the team denies making a last-second attempt to hire him before landing on Payton.

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Greg Penner comments on Broncos hiring Sean Payton

“He shares our commitment to winning championships,” Broncos owner/CEO Greg Penner said of new coach Sean Payton.

After the Denver Broncos announced Sean Payton as their new head coach on Friday, team owner/CEO Greg Penner released the following statement:

Sean Payton is an outstanding leader and Super Bowl champion with a brilliant offensive mind. He shares our commitment to winning championships for Broncos Country and we’re excited to welcome him as our new head coach.

Sean knows how to build a championship culture with high expectations. He coaches with intensity and attention-to-detail while setting and maintaining high standards. Sean pours his heart and soul into winning with preparation, creativity and a genuine love of the game.

It is rare in any sport to hire a head coach with Sean’s credentials and we appreciate the first-class manner in which the Saints approached this process. We also appreciated the opportunity to meet and learn from the other highly qualified, outstanding coaches we interviewed.

Our goal was to identify a strong leader for the Denver Broncos who is focused on winning, and we found him in Coach Payton.

Payton, 59, signed a five-year contract with the Broncos. He will meet the media at an introductory press conference at the team’s facility on Monday.

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Report: Sean Payton ‘fears a potential power struggle’ with Broncos ownership

The Washington Post’s Mark Maske has the spiciest Sean Payton report yet, says Payton ‘fears a potential power struggle’ with a member of the Broncos ownership group:

The spiciest Sean Payton report so far comes to us from the Washington Post’s Mark Maske, who has an update on Payton’s negotiations with the Denver Broncos. Maske says Payton likes the football setup — coaching Russell Wilson, working with a talented defense — but there’s been a hitch in interviewing with the new Broncos ownership group, and that Payton “fears a potential power struggle” with one of the team’s owners.

Led by Walmart heir Rob Walton but managed day-to-day by his son-in-law Greg Penner and daughter Carrie Penner, the Broncos are owned by a group that includes Ariel Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson, former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and seven-time Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.

So which of those claimants to the throne is muscling Payton out of the job? Whoever his nemesis is, it’s clear he’d rather look for work somewhere he faces less friction and competition from a rogues’ gallery in ownership, much like he enjoyed in New Orleans. It turns out that, maybe, the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else. Sometimes you just need to water it.

Update: Payton rebuffed this report, saying that there is “Zero truth” to Maske’s claim in a rare tweet from his official Twitter account.

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Broncos head coach update: What’s the latest in Denver?

The Broncos’ new ownership group seems to have learned from mistakes made by the club’s former bosses.

Jerry Rosburg was added to the list of names being considered by the Denver Broncos for their open head coach position over the weekend.

Rosburg joins fellow in-house candidate Ejiro Evero, plus Dan Quinn, Raheem Morris, DeMeco Ryans, Jim Caldwell, David Shaw and Sean Payton as one of eight known candidates for the job. (Jim Harbaugh was also in consideration before he opted to remain at Michigan.)

So, what’s the latest on the search that’s being led by team co-owner/CEO Greg Penner?

The next step in the process will be setting up second-round interviews, and the Broncos do not appear to be in a rush to do so.

Ryans will not be available for a potential second-round interview until next week because the San Francisco 49ers have advanced to the NFC title game, but the seven other candidates are available this week.

Denver was believed to be scheduling a second Payton interview for Wednesday, but that potential interview has been pushed back by Payton setting up an in-person interview with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday.

The Broncos made it known on Monday that they have “not zeroed in” on any single candidate, a message that was relayed by KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, among others.

Denver is expected to finalize a second-round interview schedule “in the coming days,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. With Payton yet to interview with the Cardinals and Ryans not available for a second interview this week, this process might drag out a little longer than initially expected.

Last year, the Broncos rushed to finalize a deal with Nathaniel Hackett after he set up a second interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Denver now has a new ownership group, and they will not rush through the hiring process, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.

So while we await word on second-round interviews being scheduled, fans should not expect the Broncos to instantly hire the first coach who gets a second meeting with Penner and Co. Denver’s front office seems to have learned from mistakes made by the club’s previous management.

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Broncos’ owners are flying Ronnie Hillman’s teammates to late RB’s celebration of life

Broncos owners paid for Ronnie Hillman’s teammates’ travel to the late running back’s celebration of life. Peyton Manning helped coordinate.

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Denver Broncos owners paid for a group of Ronnie Hillman’s teammates to travel to the late running back’s celebration of life in California this week.

Former quarterback Peyton Manning helped coordinate the arrangement, getting a group of players together with the team to fly by private jet from Denver to California, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

In addition to Manning, former wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, tight end Joel Dreessen, kicker Brandon McManus and offensive linemen Ryan Harris and Orlando Franklin also traveled to California with Broncos player development vice president Ray Jackson.

“All of us as Broncos, it means something to us to be Denver Broncos and the fact that the ownership group in one year can understand that and go far beyond out of their way to coordinate to allow us to attend Ronnie’s funeral, there’s no words for our gratitude towards the Walton-Penner family,” Harris told Klis.

Hillman died of a rare kidney cancer in December at age 31. He led the team with 863 rushing yards and seven touchdowns during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015. He played four seasons in Denver.

Hillman’s service will be held at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, California on Thursday morning.

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Sean Payton schedules in-person interview with the Denver Broncos

Sean Payton has scheduled his first in-person interview with the Denver Broncos, who will meet with him as soon as NFL rules allow:

Sean Payton has scheduled his first formal interview for another team’s head coach vacancy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Denver Broncos will meet with the former New Orleans Saints head coach as soon as NFL rules allow them to talk shop — Payton will meet with Broncos brass first thing in the morning on Tuesday, Jan. 17 in Los Angeles.

Payton has previously spoken with Broncos owner Greg Penner remotely as a way of introduction, though league bylaws prevented them from taking the conversation anywhere in depth. Penner is new to the NFL after purchasing Denver’s franchise back in August at the head of a unique ownership group, so that at least allowed them to break the ice with Payton.

And, yes, the Broncos have enough draft picks to acquire Payton after previously trading for franchise quarterback Russell Wilson. Denver owns the San Francisco 49ers’ first round pick in 2023 (through a trade with the Miami Dolphins) as well as back-to-back third rounders (one of which is coming from the Indianapolis Colts), and they have a full slate of picks to work with in 2024 and 2025.

Things wouldn’t have progressed to this stage if they didn’t already have an idea of what the Saints want in return for Payton’s services, so the Broncos are very serious contenders. Of course it all comes down as to whether Payton wants the job, so their efforts may end up being in vain. Stay tuned.

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Russell Wilson is confident Broncos owners will hire the right coach

“We’ve got some amazing people at the forefront of this change,” Russell Wilson said of the ownership group leading a head coach search.

The Denver Broncos hired and fired three different head coaches from 2017-2022, and now they’re set to go through the process again after parting ways with Nathaniel Hackett.

Denver’s new ownership group did not hire Hackett — or the two coaches before him. They did fire Hackett, though, and now they will begin their own search for a head coach for the first time.

The Broncos’ ownership group is led by majority owner Rob Walton. Below him are team co-owner/CEO Greg Penner (Walton’s son-in-law) and Carrie Walton Penner (Greg’s wife, Walton’s daughter). Below them, Denver has three minority owners: Condoleezza Rice, Mellody Hobson and Lewis Hamilton.

Of those final three, Rice has the most football experience, and she will be part of the team’s head coach search committee. Penner will lead the coach search with help from the other owners and general manager George Paton.

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is confident the team’s ownership group will find the right man for the job.

“I think, first of all, we have a great ownership group,” the QB said Sunday. “Obviously, we have some amazing, wise people. Greg and Carrie, Mr. Walton himself, Rob, and obviously Condoleezza’s a brilliant mind, Mellody, Lewis. We’ve got some amazing people at the forefront of this change and this moment here, and it’s got this moment is a critical moment for us all because it’s going to uplift the change and hopefully all of Broncos Country for a long time.

“That’s what we want, we want a lot of winnings. We want some Super Bowls and championships and obviously, this decision affects so many people and so many of us all in a beautiful way. Hopefully, that’s the case. What I do know is they’re going to do their due diligence on some amazing coaches.”

Wilson believes the Broncos are close to getting things turned around. With the right coach and better injury luck, Denver could get back on track quickly.

“We have a great football team,” the QB said. “I think it didn’t show up this year. There’s been a lot of challenges, a lot of injuries. There’s been a lot of tough times. There’s been a lot of changes. I know that ownership and George will do a tremendous job of making sure that we put the best football team out on that field next year and also with a new head coach situation, they’ll find a great head coach.”

So far, Denver has a list of six known head coach candidates. There might be more interviews on the way, but those six coaches — headlined by Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton — seem to be the team’s top candidates.

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