Nathaniel Hackett is the newest Denver Broncos coach to try to fix same old offensive problem - Denver Broncos Blog- ESPN

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The need to repair one of the league's most consistently clunky offenses was finally so big, so unavoidable, the NFL's most patient coaching search abruptly turned into the offseason's first hire. Sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, the Denver Broncos agreed to a deal with Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to be the team's next head coach.

Broncos general manager George Paton talked to the most verified candidates of any team on the hunt for a new head coach in the first round of interviews — 10 — and then scrapped his second interview schedule when the Broncos finalized a deal with Hackett.

Hackett, 42, known throughout the league for his wit, his experience and — most importantly to the Broncos — his offensive know-how to go with top-shelf work with quarterbacks, has plenty of heavy lifting ahead. He presented himself as the guy for the job, and Paton then finished out a deal before Hackett could interview a second time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Broncos' plan to give Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn a second interview as well as Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, were tossed aside on the way to the dotted line.

Hackett is the third consecutive first-time head coach the Broncos have hired. The other two — Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio — were fired after two and three seasons, respectively. Both were dragged onto the hot seat by an offense that has not averaged more than 23 points per game since 2014 and hasn't averaged more than 21 points per game since 2015.

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During that span, the Broncos have had three seasons, including the most