Jets Rumors: Vance Joseph Could Be Defensive Coordinator After Adam Gase Hire

Paul KasabianSenior ContributorJanuary 10, 2019

OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 24: Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos looks on from the sidelines against the Oakland Raiders during their NFL football game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 24, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington of ESPN reported on Wednesday that Adam Gase would be the New York Jets' new head coach.

Gase, who just finished a three-year stint leading the Miami Dolphins before being fired, could be bringing in ex-Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph to lead New York's defense.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided the insight:

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
One strong possibility as defensive coordinator for new #Jets coach Adam Gase is Vance Joseph. Joseph is still in the mix with the #Bengals, but he could land in NYJ if Cincy doesn’t work. Gase and Joseph where together in Miami.

Joseph was the defensive coordinator under Gase when the two were in Miami in 2016. The Dolphins went 10-6 and made the playoffs before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. Joseph then took the open Denver Broncos head-coaching gig and led the team to an 11-21 record before being relieved of his duties.

However, as Rapoport noted, Joseph could be heading to Cincinnati as the Bengals' next head coach. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated wrote on Monday that the 46-year-old seemed "well-positioned" for the gig.

Katherine Terrell of ESPN also mentioned Joseph as a possibility:

Katherine Terrell @Kat_Terrell
I still wouldn’t count out Vance Joseph being in play. Don’t know he fits people’s definition of outside hire or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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If that potential opportunity falls through, then Joseph seemingly has a fallback option in New York. Rapoport wasn't the only reporter to connect Joseph and the Jets, as Rich Cimini of ESPN did as well:

Rich Cimini @RichCimini
The expectation is that Adam Gase will bring Dolphins OC Dowell Loggains with him. Vance Joseph, a former Dolphins DC who once played for the Jets, makes sense as DC. #Jets

A Gase-Joseph pairing may not go over so well with Jets fans, especially since the two were just fired at previous head-coaching stops with losing records.

Still, defense wasn't the primary problem for Joseph in Denver.

In 2017, the Broncos defense finished No. 10 in Football Outsiders DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) before moving up to No. 5 this season. Granted, having superstars like Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Chubb help, but Joseph deserves some credit for the defense's success.

He'll have some young talent to work with in New York (e.g. Jamal Adams and Darron Lee), so Jets fans could see some improvement on that end for a team that finished No. 29 in scoring defense.

Ultimately, a potential Gase-Joseph pairing isn't the flashiest coaching tandem, but it's hard to judge how the team will do before the introductory press conferences.