NFL ’09 Off-Season/Pre-Draft: The Denver Broncos

It was the biggest story involving the Broncos since Elway retired and I was remiss in not blogging about it. Now, with new coach Josh McDaniels set with two first-rounders for the next two years as a result and, with a little time to mull over the situation at a mile high, the day has come…to be followed by a more general, division-based off-season/draft talk in the days leading up to the finest day of the non-regular season.


After Shanahan was fired and McDaniels was brought in, I felt like the new coach would be perfect for Jay Cutler, which would be perfect to retake the AFC West. I had no way to realize that, however, that trouble sat some five thousand feet above me. The firing of QB coach Jeremy Bates (now at USC) angered the petulant quarterback and, within days and while down, McDaniels slapped his franchise player across the face.

I’m inevitably a fan of the team over the player, but McDaniels was stupid to think that a Bruce Campbell lookalike in Matt Cassel was worth trading Cutler away. Who to believe in the scenario is impossible to know; the only certainty was the ridiculously immature stance Cutler took in the wake of these trade talks. He’d already made motions toward a traded after Bates left, but now that all he could talk about. The whole thing seemed so ridiculous that I thought it would blow over, especially after the lack of word in the two weeks after the talks began. My ambivalence about Cutler remaining in Denver, however, was waning with each passing day. All of a sudden, with no word for days, Cutler was a Bear and Kyle Orton was a Bronco. Much to my surprise, my most powerful reaction was a shrug of the shoulders. Football is a team-oriented game more than most; if one player, no matter where they line up, doesn’t to the job, the whole team crumbles. Cutler is aloof and, if he doesn’t want to play for the Broncos, where is the guarantee he’ll give everything each game? Good riddance, Jeff George, Jr.

The reality, whomever was to blame, is that the trade was a boon for the Broncos and probably not so great for the Bears. Granted, the team takes a big loss in the switch to Orton. Orton is going from a smashmouth team with no receivers to a spread offense. Cutler, on the other hand, has Devin Hester to throw to. Wow, hot stuff. It’s hard to compare their relative performances with their former teams; Orton should perform a little better and Cutler a little worse. The real story comes in the draft picks. Denver’s holes are almost exclusively defensive so, this year at picks twelve and eighteen, they have a golden opportunity to add two defensive starters in the first round. My guess is two of the following three: Boston College DT BJ Raji, LSU DE Tyson Jackson, and USC LB Brian Cushing.

Next year is when it gets good. Let’s give a best-case scenario of 11-5 for Chicago in 2010 and a worst-case of 5-11 for Denver. Cutler plays phenomenally and Orton sucks it up. Denver has something in the neighborhood of the fifth and twenty-fifth picks in the ’10 draft along with a dire need at QB. In that draft, two quarterbacks are leaps and bounds better than the top two this year in Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy. Denver will easily be able to snag one of these two. Neither one may be Jay Cutler; both may be better. Either one, certainly, will outshine Matt Stafford or…snort…Mark Sanchez.

In spite of the turmoil in Denver, I still find this off-season the most productive in recent years. The 2009 Broncos are a team I barely recognize but, for now, a team I find beautiful. If, in the draft, they can pick up a DT and a middle linebacker, the words of Michael Stipe will finally come true: “I’ve got my spine; I’ve got my orange crush.” More will come clear after the weekend and, until then, go Neckbeard Orton, go Josh McDaniels, and go Broncos!

State of the Broncos Address

It was a hard and shocking fact to learn that, after a decade and a half, the Denver Broncos fired Mike Shanahan. I didn’t say anything about it when the announcement was made (though I haven’t chimed in about anything in a while, but no matter). Now, however, as the new coaching staff shapes up, I've come to grips with it, the depression has eased, and I can finally discuss it.

--First and foremost, I absolutely do not agree with the decision to fire Shanahan. Granted, there’s only been one playoff win in a decade now and no Super Bowls since Elway retired (or was forced to ride off to the cool mountain stream of Coorsland, however you want to look at it). Nonetheless, losing seasons have been kept to a minimum and, especially this year, injuries trumped talent with gusto. No new coach can combat seven running backs on IR. Defensive problems abound and have seemingly gotten worse, so there was justification for change, but I didn’t expect it and I do not like it.

That said, no matter how I feel, acceptance is the name of the game and, based on the decisions owner Pat Bowlin has made since then, I am thrilled at the prospects.

--Head coach Josh McDaniels: No 32 year old has a proven track record with anything (except maybe for fucking up), so hiring McDaniels may wind up a mistake. Still, he was going to get a head coaching job somewhere so, instead of teams like the Raiders and Chiefs conducting the experiment and succeeding, I’m okay with the Broncos hiring him, even if he fails. With his time guiding Tom Brady to record success and turning Matt Cassel, who hadn’t started a game since high school, into a viable commodity, I think he’s worth the risk. If his personnel choices are any indication, this will be a smooth ride.

--DC Mike Nolan: as a head coach, Nolan was an abomination. Such is the risk with hiring coordinators as head coaches, and such could be the fate of McDaniels. Nolan as a defensive coordinator, however, is a much different story. His first NFL job was linebackers coach under Denver’s Dan Reeves regime, played safety at Oregon (hook ‘em Ducks!!), and was defensive coordinator for the ridiculously good Ravens’ defense, from ‘02-’04, and looks sharp in a suit. Most importantly, this strongly signals a change back to the 3-4 alignment, which is far superior to the 4-3, given the right people (which the Broncos don’t really have right now). The Orange Crush will live once more!

--The first of two important position coaches that have been retained: RB coach Bobby Turner, who was one of Shanahan’s original hires, will return in that role, one that last year, in spite of all those injuries continued to make people like fullback Peyton Hillis and former Aurora mall cell phone kiosk manager Tatum Bell look like decent back. It is unclear how much rushing the Broncos are going to do next year with Cutler coming around, Marshall continuing to improve, and the revelation that is Eddie Royal (my big crush last year), but he has proven himself in this role.

--The running game only works in Denver, however, if the offensive line plays as it has for years, which is why the retention of Rick Dennison is so exciting. I was worried about the cheating but, with Dennison on-staff, I know the cut blocks continue. Go cheating! It’s what makes the Broncos the Broncos. When Cutler snaps the ball, the center drops to his knees and elbows a guy in the side of his knee…7-yard gain. March it down the field.

This is all that is certain as of now. My hope is that Jeremy Bates, last years QB coach and friend of Cutler, will be placed in that role. He has clearly helped Cutler improve significantly and Cutler is known to express his discontent. I want to keep him happy and McDaniels will be calling the plays anyway, so I don’t see how his role will change too much. Denver appears to be stealing KC’s special teams coach. This is great if it hurts the Chiefs, and the Broncos’ special teams can’t really get much worse, but I don’t know anything about him except, for one to work with the Chiefs, they must be of somewhat questionable character. Speaking of questionable character, there is currently talk of the abhorable Bill Romanowski being brought in as some kind of nutrition coach. Last I checked, Big Bill’s nutrition comes out of a syringe. I would find this a disturbing, albeit fairly amusing move (though, if Romanowski actually reads this, he might come to my house, tear my leg off, and eat it in front of me so, for the sake of walking, I didn’t mean it Bill; you’re awesome and totally not on steroids). We’ll see…we’ll see. Until then, go Broncos!

Historical Image of the Day

History's greatest Historical Image. Pure triumph for a Friday evening. GO BRONCOS!!!