ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Nathaniel Hackett isn’t the only coach adjusting to a new role. His friend of two decades, new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, is still figuring out what to do and where to go without a specific position group on which to focus.
Unlike Hackett, whose focus during the open-to-media portion of practices is on the quarterbacks — and specifically Russell Wilson — Evero has tried to get a big-picture view of things, while also not micromanaging his position coaches. During the individual periods of the Broncos’ voluntary-veteran minicamp sessions, Evero and senior defensive assistant Dom Capers are often watching and observing … but not undermining the position coaches doing their work.
Capers knows all about this sort of role; he first became a defensive coordinator 30 years ago in Pittsburgh. But for Evero, it’s brand new.
“I was telling someone today — I’m actually a little bored,” Evero said. “I’m used to being with a position group and really grinding with them and stuff. We have such excellent coaches on the defense side. … I just sit back and kind of watch and admire them and see these players getting better and these coaches are really pouring into them.”
And these practices are just as important for the coaches as they are for the players.
“Just like players, I think it’s very important for coaches to practice what they’re going to be doing on gameday,” Evero said. “It’s important for me and that’s what I’m taking these practices as, as examples of getting used to the mic and communicating, and not only getting the calls to the players on the huddle, but also giving them tips, [down and distance] reminders and things like that. So I’m trying to hone my skills in as well.”
A significant part of those skills is in his communication with his players. Early on, Evero seems to be getting his message across.
While inside linebacker Josey Jewell pointed out that he felt Evero and previous defensive guru Vic Fangio are “both great coaches” with different sets of attributes, the fifth-year veteran noted that the interaction with Evero is a bit different.
“I’ve enjoyed ‘E’ a lot,” Jewell said. “I love the energy. I love the meetings with him, picking our brain, we pick his brain. … I’ve enjoyed him. I’ve enjoyed everything he’s about so far.”
And while the nomenclature installed by Evero is different, it’s not a massive change.
“It’s like ‘whip’ to a ‘bull.’ One call used to be ‘whip,’ now it’s a ‘bull’ call,” Jewell said. “So, there’s just small verbiage, whether it be a box check or different stuff like that. Not very tough. Definitely something you have to get adjusted to right away.”
It’s a new adventure for Evero, but there is no one with whom he’d rather take it with than Hackett. The profound friendship the two men share goes back to their days at UC-Davis, and they maintained it even as their professional paths wound to different stops after a shared 2007 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on then-coach Jon Gruden’s staff.
“We have those moments daily. Like, ‘Can you believe that we’re running a team? We’re here working together,’” Evero said. “But I can believe it because he’s so talented and so awesome.”
So is Evero, who has the benefit of having worked under perhaps the three defining defensive minds of 21st-century football: Fangio, Monte Kiffin and Wade Phillips. The knowledge he gleaned from all of them will serve him well as he adjusts to his biggest role yet.
