Vance Joseph is most likely to make playoffs in first year as head coach

Every year, a new head coaching hire finds a way to lead their new team into the playoffs. Each of the Denver Broncos new coaches achieved that early success, while John Fox discovering Tim Tebow kind of ways to win games and get into the playoffs and Gary Kubiak doing the same with a broken Peyton Manning and an otherworldly defense.

This time it will be Vance Joseph’s turn. Don Banks of SI, listed out his most likely new head coaching candidates to guide their new teams to the playoffs in 2017 and Joseph was at the top of his list.

1. VANCE JOSEPH, DENVER

A no-brainer, given that this wasn't a losing team that had to replace a failed head coach after the 2016 season. Gary Kubiak left voluntarily for health and quality of life reasons. Joseph, the former Dolphins defensive coordinator, is taking over a team two years removed from a Super Bowl title, and Denver went 9-7 last season, while the other five teams that hired new coaches won a combined 21 games (or roughly four each). The Broncos still have that stellar Von Miller-led defense, and if they can get above average quarterbacking from someone among the youthful contingent of Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian or Chad Kelly, they could easily be right back in the playoff field for the sixth time in seven seasons. That's always the expectation level in Denver.

I cannot argue with any of that. The 2017 NFL Draft and free agency moves were all geared towards improving positions of weakness while the Broncos lost very little in the way of talent in free agency.

This should all equate to a better record in 2017, but we’ll just have to wait and see about that.