Denver Broncos assistant head coach Mike Westhoff has seen plenty of trends come and go throughout his career coaching special teams since 1982. Through all the changes the NFL throws at a coach, flexibility has to be part of their core DNA, especially those who make a living teaching the finer points of the third phase.
Westhoff has the wisdom not to judge his special teams players until he sees them in the flesh, so Denver's OTAs provided the veteran coach with many insights. Equally as invigorating for Westhoff has been the somewhat surprising level of talent he and special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica have inherited from the previous regime.
“I’ve seen more things here that I like than I dislike,” Westhoff told Denver Sports' Andrew Mason. “And I’m going to be honest with you: I’m a little bit pleasantly surprised. Because it’s a little better group than I sort of thought I was gonna have.”
Until Denver's former special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes departed the scene late in the 2022 season, the Broncos' third-phase unit was ranked rock at the bottom of the league in all the key statistical categories. Addressing those inefficiencies has led to a complete makeover in the coaching department.
But it also led to the Broncos trade up to land wide receiver Marvin Mims, Jr. in the second round, who figures to help in the return game. Westhoff hasn't been shy about his intentions to explore the explosive rookie's capabilities once he gets past the lingering injury issue that hampered the tail end of OTAs.
“We’re anxious to see Mims,” Westhoff said via Mason. “He’s been a little banged up in these camps, and we want to make sure he’s back healthy.”
How Mims and the others looking to catch on to the roster respond to full-throttle coaching will make all the difference. Westhoff isn't going to pull any punches when it comes to laying down his own clear vision for the unit.
“Some things that I’m going to do my way; I’ve got my system,” Westhoff said via Mason. “I’ve got my drawings. I know how to do this stuff, and I’m going to do that. But at the same time, I saw some guys I was disappointed in, but as I’ve seen them evolve now, I’m more pleased than I am disappointed.”
Westhoff will play both the good cop and bad cop role, so his players can expect the carrot and stick in equal measure. Training camp might reinforce some of the 75-year-old Pennsylvanian's already-formulated judgments about who will comprise his first special teams in Denver.
“Now, exactly who’s going to make the team? I’m not 1000 percent sure,” Westhoff said via Mason. “But I think I’m pretty close. And there will be some good battles, and then things will evolve as time goes on, we get pads.”
More must-reads: