The #Broncos are expected to hire Zach Strief as their new O-line coach, source said. The long-time #Saints offensive lineman standout and favorite of Sean Payton, he quickly ascended in the coaching ranks after serving as assistant OL coach. Now lands in Denver.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 6, 2023
It didn’t take long for Sean Payton to start poaching from his old team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Zach Strief is leaving the New Orleans Saints coaching staff to join Payton with the Denver Broncos as offensive line coach. Strief worked as an assistant line coach with New Orleans in recent years and he played a big part in the development of young players like Cesar Ruiz, Landon Young, Calvin Throckmorton, Lewis Kidd, and Trevor Penning.
Strief spent his entire career as a player with the Saints and briefly worked in radio covering their games before he joined Payton’s staff. He’s quickly climbed the ranks and is widely respected around the league. It’s a major loss for the organization.
Could the Saints replace one of their former offensive linemen with another? Doug Marrone is their full-time offensive line coach, but he and Strief were joined by Jahri Evans last summer as a training camp coaching intern. If Evans enjoyed the experience and wants to continue his coaching career, it would make sense for the Saints to bring him on as an assistant like Strief. It’s something to watch out for in the days ahead — as is the possibility of Payton siphoning more talent out of New Orleans as he settles in with Denver.