Darren Sproles expected to join Broncos coaching staff
Darren Sproles is back in the NFL, but the former pass-catching RB is now joining the coaching ranks. During a recent appearance on "Up & Adams with Kay Adams," Sproles revealed that he’s been invited by
“Sean has called me up on it, and I think I’ll take him up on it,” Sproles said (
Sproles had the most productive stretch of his career playing under Payton in New Orleans. The former Chargers fourth-round pick joined the Saints ahead of the 2011 season and proceeded to set career-highs in touches (173), yards from scrimmage (1,313), and touchdowns (nine). While he wouldn’t match those numbers again in his career, he still averaged more than 860 yards per season between 2012 and 2013.
With 553 receptions, Sproles rightfully earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier pass-catching backs. Naturally, the new coach is focused on working with similar players, and he pointed to Broncos practice squad RB
“I see a younger me. I see it in him,” Sproles said about Vaughn. “His quickness, his speed, the way he is in space, I just want to tweak a couple things from him, but I feel like he can have a long career. Especially if he’s there in Denver with Sean, Sean’s going to put him in the right positions.”
Sproles isn’t the only former player that Payton recruited to Denver. Terron Armstead revealed earlier this year that Payton called him shortly after he announced his retirement. While the former Pro Bowl OL has an open invitation to join the coaching staff, he isn’t as interested as Sproles in pivoting to a coaching career.
“I said, Sean, I appreciate you, but no I’m not doing it because his hours is—nah, it’s not for me,” Armstead recently told the media (h/t NOF Network).
NFC South rival unknowingly gifted Falcons with the perfect fix for their WR problem
Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London going down with injuries was the cherry on top of what has been a nightmare season for the Atlanta Falcons.
Particularly with London, he represented almost all of the team's passing game. Not having him for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, at least, is a scary thought for an offense that has struggled enough.
However, in a potential ironic twist, they could help patch the major hole at receiver by signing Brandin Cooks, who was recently released by the Saints, for an immediate revenge game in Week 12.
Falcons need to pounce after the Saints' release of Brandin Cooks
It isn't often that a veteran receiver with six-time 1,000-yard receiver gets released in the middle of the season, but that is the case after New Orleans released Cooks, who was on his second stint with the organization.
Cooks is the reliable target that the Dirty Birds desperately need. Without London, their top receiver is Darnell Mooney, who has 16 receptions for 224 yards and no touchdowns this season.
While Cooks' stats aren't earth-shattering—19 receptions for 165 yards and no touchdowns—he would give Kirk Cousins a target who actually knows how to get open who still can provide the offense with some vertical juice.
The Falcons cannot rely on David Sills V and Casey Washington to be their No. 2 and No. 3 receivers. They have a combined 24 receptions for 265 yards and zero touchdowns in 41 career games and neither of them are viable starting options.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old has 729 receptions for 9,697 yards and 16 touchdowns in his 168-game career that's spanned across 12 NFL seasons.
If another team lands him, the Falcons better hope Cousins' training camp chemistry with Sills and his previous reliance on Mooney pay off. They would be left with Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson if neither of them steps up.
Washington has seen his role diminish after his coaches hyped him up over the offseason, and KhaDarel Hodge has seen less action than he did last year when he was lower in the pecking order.
Unfortunately, this offense is only going to struggle even more down the stretch. Cousins has had a brutal past ten games, and that isn't likely to change as he is thrust into the starting role in the latter half of the season with the NFL's worst receiver corps.
Adding the Oregon State product is the least this front office could do for him. It isn't fair to throw him into this offense and expect him to produce. You also have to think about Cousins' future. If he doesn't perform, he can kiss landing a starting job next year goodbye.
All in all, the Falcons have a massive mess that could be slightly aided by the addition of Cooks.
