Broncos head coach candidate: Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Coordinator

Todd Bowles has been a pretty respected defensive coach for years. While his last tenure with the New York Jets didn’t end up like he hoped, the roster he was working with fell apart pretty quickly under Mike Maccagnan and he had no QB play whatsoever. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Bowles’s first NFL shot came in 2000 with the Jets as a secondary coach serving under Al Groh. While there, he notably tutored both Scott Frost and Aaron Glenn, successful coaches in their own right. Afterward, he worked as the secondary/nickels coach in Cleveland from 2001-2003 and was promoted to full-time secondary coach in 2004. What’s notable about that particular stop was he worked with a corner named Raymond Jackson. Jackson now currently works as the VP of Player Development for, you guessed it, the Denver Broncos.

In 2005, he became the secondary coach under Mike Zimmer in Dallas, where he reunited with Aaron Glenn. In two of his three years there, Dallas was top-10 in Defensive DVOA versus the pass. In 2008, he left after taking a job as the assistant head coach/secondary coach for the Miami Dolphins, working with Tony Sparano. There, he coached Renaldo Hill, now the Defensive Coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers under Brandon Staley. He also worked with notables DBs like Vontae Davis and Reshad Jones. In 2011 with Miami, Todd Bowles became the interim head coach, going 2-1.

After Miami, he became the secondary coach of the Eagles under Andy Reid in 2012 and was named the defensive coordinator midway through the season. Bowles finally got his shot as the defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals under Bruce Arians. There, both of his defenses were top-7 in Defensive DVOA, including a 2nd place finish in 2013.

He was hired to be the head coach of the New York Jets in 2015. There, he went 24-40 highlighted by a 10-6 season in his first year. It’s tough to blame that entirely on Bowles, given that his teams had Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty, and Geno Smith as his quarterbacks, but his offensive hires are concerning.

Bowles re-united with Bruce Arians in Tampa with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and hasn’t looked back since. He’s orchestrated one of the best defenses in the NFL in Tampa, anchored by a unit that’s elite versus the run.

Bowles orchestrated several elite defenses in Arizona and in Tampa Bay. Even in New York, his first year featured one of the best defenses in the NFL before it crumbled. The concern obviously lies in his ability as a pure head coach. He’s coached, mentored, and worked with several excellent coaches throughout his time in the NFL. Bowles is well-respected by many and has plenty of connections throughout the league.

Was his record at the Jets reflective of him or what was given to him? Tough question to answer, but Bowles is clearly a successful coach.

Potential Offensive Coordinator hires: Kevin Garver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WRs coach; Kevin Patullo, Philadelphia Eagles Passing Game Coordinator.

Potential Defensive Coordinator hires: Mike Caldwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers LBs coach; Larry Foote, Tampa Bay Buccaneers OLBs coach; Kacy Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL coach