Many a comment in this blog in recent weeks has focused upon the status of assistant head coach Jim Bates.
Tuesday, his status was resolved with the announcement he would not return for the 2008 season.
In a statement, Bates said that he had the chance to remain with the Broncos but opted to stand down after just one season in Denver.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity and very saddened that things did not work out,” he said.
“I had the opportunity to stay. (Head Coach) Mike (Shanahan) has been very fair with me, and the final decision, for the Broncos and for me, was to step aside.”
Discuss below …
Tags: Jim Bates
I think he should have had one more year, we are going through defensive coaches too quick, and this has always been an offensive - first football team, which Shanahan in the process of trying to make a dominant defense has forgotten. But good luck Bates, hope you have better luck where ever you go!
Does anybody know Mr. Ryan from Baltimore’s phone #? If so could you pass it on the the Broncos organization….
Who will fill in?
Too bad it didn’t work out, I think with another off-season his sysem could have really done well in Denver.
I hope you find success in future endeavors (just not against the Broncos of course!!).
This saddens me a bit but I’m glad that he left on his own terms rather than this being an impetuous move by the management (which would drive off future applicants)
Where we go from here…we’ve still got a few personnel gaps, most notably a talented nose tackle. If we can get one, it’ll improve the front 4 no matter what. We need to get a proven DC though, I for one would not be happy with promoting Slowik. Who exactly’s available?
I really don’t know what to think about this. A lot of people are understandably upset with the way the defense performed, and I am one of them. All year long we were told that the defense was getting close, but sometimes one player or two was missing their assignment. The coaching staff thought that this was the result of a new scheme and that with time, we would improve. I am not sure if this was true or not. If the players were missing their assignments, then it is hard to blame Bates for everything. Bringing in a new defensive coordinator won’t help if this was the case. The players consistently messing up should be the real concern.
Regardless, I still have a hunch that Bate’s leaving will be good for our team. I just hope we can land a good replacement. We need someone that takes chances and blitzes more. The good defenses pressure the QB. Without pressure, the best defense will look mediocre. I think this was our problem this year. Part of it ( I hope) is that our d-line was young. Elvis did his job, but he didn’t have much help. Unless our young guys improve, I feel like our results will be the same regardless of the candidate chosen to replace Bates. We need someone that scares opposing QBs. Wouldn’t it be great to get someone like Haynesworth or the Jags defensive tackles. That isn’t going to happen, but it is what we need. A strong, experienced (but not old) DT is what we need to help with the run game and push the pocket. Any thoughts?
I am getting more and more troubled by what appears to be the M.O. of the Broncos organization of late. Generally, we are opting for the quick fix (free agents, coaches) and jettisoning them if things don’t work out immediately - look at our punting situation for another recent example. Where is the stability in the organization other than Shanahan? I don’t think we are going to find long term success by redoing the roster and coaching staff every year. We need more consistency in everything - from the roster to the coaching staff - and give good people the time and opportunity to succeed.
[...] - Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com reports that Jim Bates stepped down after given the opportunity to return. Both Sirius NFL Radio and the [...]
Now we need a new head coach. The game has passed him by. Or at least someone that can call fresh plays. Come on Mr. Bowlen wake up!!
Someone in Denver needs to teach Pat Bowlen and Mike Shanahan the definition of Accountability. From Wikipedia
In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, products, decisions, and policies including the administration, governance and implementation within the scope of the role or employment position and encompassing the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for resulting consequences.
So rather than move coaches and personnel out every year, they both need to understand that they are failing the franchise and its fans with the practices they have used the past few years. Shanahan’s successes can be spelled very simply…..ELWAY. He has done nothing since his departure. One run to the champ game and a loss at home to Pittsburgh! Maybe thats acceptable if your a fan of a run of the mill franchise. Not this one. Its time Bowlen puts Shanahan on notice. Deliver a top team next year or hes done. Im sick of this untouchable status.
I like the core of our team, especially the offense. I truly hope management decides to keep 95% of our team the same. Other than our O-line, our offense looks good. Of course, who knows what is going to happen with Javon. Perhaps our young guys will be enough there, but that is one area that we could improve. Travis or Selvin? I prefer Selvin, but keep Henry around. I really only see one need on offense and that is one more proven lineman.
Defense is a bigger mystery. I like our corners Champ and Bly, but I also like our backups. The linebackers are fine, but I still would like to see DJ Williams moved back outside for good. It is our safeties that worry me and some of our D-line. I like Elvis, and the rest have potential. But, I would love to see most of our money and trades go towards a younger, better pass coverage saftey. Lynch has been great, but his injuries and inability to cover the passing game concerns me.
So, I would love to see our team exactly the same except for adding at these positions:
Safety, to replace Lynch. However, I would rather have one that is better at defensing the pass. Foxworth could be a good candidate since he is already a good corner, but he may need to bulk up slightly.
DT- one premier defensive tackle.
OL- one good offensive lineman.
Finally, we need an electric kick and punt returner and a new special teams coach. PLEASE.
GOOD BYE JIM! We don’t need a coordinator that can’t coach. Great coaches find a way to get the most out of their players. I don’t think anyone in thier right mind would say he even came close to that.
I hope we make better decisions this off season than last. (Won’t be too hard)
95% OF THE ROSTER???? ON A 7-9 TEAM? One that should have been more like 4-12 with some of the lucky wins?? There is one linebacker worth keeping, 2 guys in the secondary(sorry Lynch, great guy, but his day is done. how many superbowl contenders have 36 year olds roaming the field at Safety?)
The defense needs a new scheme, a young innovative coach, new tackles, 2-3 linebackers, and 2 safeties. Thats a lot for one offseason with little cap room. Shanahan should have loaded up and got Patrick Willis last year instead of trading for the oft injured, undersized stringbean Jarvis Moss.
We havent had one dynamic D player drafted in years. Dumervil is solid, but not an everydown guy. He has little idea how to stop run.
I totally disagree with those who want Shanny gone. Yes, it is his job to make changes when things don’t work out. Regardless if Bates was really told to leave or wanted to leave, he’s gone. Shannahan isn’t calling the defensive plays. We have talent, but we need an a different scheme. Hopefully, they’ll get it right this time. Shanny has been a great coach since Elway. Just because the last 2 years were dissappointing doesn’t mean he is washed up. This is the nature of the game today. Look at the Saints, Bears, and other NFL teams. Sometimes you excell and have a great year, and sometimes injuries, changes (schemes and players), and bad luck make your season suck. All is NOT hopeless. I expect to compete for the AFC West next year just like we have been almost every year. Everyone wants to jump on and off bandwagons based on one year. Jumping on Chicago or New Orleans’ wagon after last year seems stupid now doesn’t it. Last year was not awful, we barely missed the playoffs even when we transitioned to a new QB. People forget the growing pains of having a young team. It happens to the best coaches because free agency and money make it impossible to keep teams together.
its like christmas all over again
Rusty,
We lost to the friggin 49′ers at home with nothing to play for last year to get in playoffs!! How quickly we all forget that fiasco. Shanahan should have been put on warning in the lockerroom that day. How the hell do you lose to that team at home with your life on the line??? The Chargers are clearly superior and if healthy will be next year and probably the year after. Raiders will get better. They had us beat 2x this year. thankfully the Chiefs are horrible. If Shanahan was in a tougher media town hed be lit up like he needs to be.
a response to PAULSPITERINYC. I totally agree with getting rid of Lynch as I said previously. The rest of our defensive backs are good. Champ is great, Dre is OK. Ferguson is good too, but he just wasn’t healthy. DJ and Ian Gold were good in years past, and I still think they are good. The difference this year came at middle linebacker. I think we should keep DJ and Ian, but we should move DJ back outside. Webster is OK, but he is a middle linebacker. DJ is not a middle backer, so that experiment needs to forever stop. However, he is still a very capable outside linebacker and so is Ian. Our tackles are young. I think there is potential, but I did say that we needed a premier defensive tackle. The rest is fine. I certainly don’t think changing the whole roster will help. We have talent, but we just need a few pieces and we need to put those players in the correct positions. Mario Williams wasn’t special his rookie year, but look at him now. We definately need to give these young guys a few years. That does’t mean we need to ignore this need at DT, but I disagree about getting rid of so many.
I remember the fortyniners game. We should have won. I agree. But we still had a rookie QB with 4 total starts. We were OK and Shanny made changes after that year. We got a new defensive coordinator that everyone was originally excited about and we got new players like Bly. He did his job. All the experts loved his decisions and so do most of us. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean Shanny didn’t do everything that was expected of him. It doesn’t always work out, but I certainly am not arrogant enought to say that I disagreed with his choices back then. It seemed like the right thing to do. Bates had credentials, but it just didn’t work here. But, he did something. That is what is importnant.
Another stupid move by mikey, he needs to get rid of the yes men and hire more qualified coaches, once hired allow them to do their job as well as give them the players to do so..
Bates was a proven winner till he came to DEN and was micro managed by the mastermind..
We need a Proven GM to hire qualified coaches and players.. the mikey experiment in having total is now 13 years old and we have been backsliding for near a decade.
I really thought he was making progress last year in Hiring Jim Bates. Guess it was just lip service.
There is no doubt in my mind that Bates was a big reason we got 3 out of four choices last year on Defense otherwise the mastermind would have went heavy on offense again.
God forbid that slowic replaces him..
I can hardly wait to hear the EOY press conference about being just a player or two away from being a Superbowl team AGAIN. More BS.
[...] Defensive coach, Jim Bates, left the organization in a peaceful manner saying, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity and very saddened that things did not work out. I had the opportunity to stay…and the final decision, for the Broncos and for me, was to step aside.” (Mason’s Morsels). [...]
I am just not sure we give people like Bates enough time to see if it will work. {Clearly he was forced out - anyone can see that - Shanny loves his scapegoats}. When you sign, plug-in, and cut DL left and right, there is no way you are going to develop continuity and get a scheme established.
I just don’t see that there is a plan to what is going on with the Broncos - these quick fixes are blowing up in our faces. Back to the drawing board again.
Just some thoughts about some replacements, Rex Ryan would be nice but he will probably get a head coaching position. A person I have not seen on any blogs is San Diego LB Coach and Chicago’s ex D-Cord Ron Rivera, I thing he would be a great D-Cord for us plus we would be stealing a coach from san diego so its a win win!!!!
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Don’t let the door hit you in the @$$ on the way out. Bates took a team that had plenty of talent and made it so the rush defense was in the bottom of the barrel for the league. On third and long situations, he would call a Soft Cover-2 and give whoever was playing us 12+ yards over the middle every time. Bates not learning from that mistake was unacceptable. Next up, bye bye Shanny! 3rd and long, let’s run a screen pass and only get 1/3 of the yards that we need!
Broncs need some help (big time) in the coaching circuit.
Ok, I officially do not understand people at all. I don’t know all the people who wanted Bates gone but I don’t get this. All season long I’ve come on to these blogs and all I’ve heard is “Fire Bates”, “Get rid of him” or “Why are we keeping him?, he sucks”. And now that he’s chosen himself not to comeback you all want him to stay or be given a second chance - minus one or two of the previous comments. MAKE UP YOUR MIND PEOPLE!! As bad as our D was this year, I’m shocked beyond belief that most of you are “saddened” by this. I hope that if he’s not coming back we get someone that really knows what they’re doing and can help this team become strong again. I’m really missing the days where we used to win games left & right.
And as far as Shanny, I disagree with all you nay-sayers. I can hear it now that you all want him gone (just like Bates) and if he left, you’d all complain all over again. Seriously, make up your minds. I honestly don’t think any of you anti-Shanahans’ want him gone - you’re just full of yourselves and are so desperate for change you’ll wish for anything. Shanahan is one of the best coaches not just for this team but in the NFL. And if he goes, I want to see him go out on top like Elway did. He deserves it and we’d definitely begin rebuilding stages if and when he leaves. I think most of you have lost your minds - you don’t know what you want. Once I saw that Bates wasn’t coming back I was so sure I’d come on here and see a party of people so happy and relieved but NO I find people who can’t make up their minds; people who aren’t sure if this is what should have happened. There’s nothing that we can do, it wasn’t our decisions to begin with. Bates is gone but Shanahan has to stay - he’s still got something left in him and so does Lynch.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!
Elway07…i totally agree 100%
i was about to post but you said everything I was thiinking..
Bates had to go…Shanny is still a great coach…
[...] Just received notice, that the Denver Broncos DC Jim Bates stepped down and will not return for a second year in [...]
Who knows if Bates really had the chance to stick around another year or not?
Regardless, I am happy to see him go and wish him success wherever he goes. For whatever reason, his system was not working. It didn’t work in the preseason and didn’t seem to improve much during the season, with maybe one or two exceptions. The D could stop the chiefs but that is saying nothing this year. The Raiders and Justin Fargas destroyed the D. I’d be open to another year if some improvement was being shown, but it just doesn’t seem like it was.
Hopefully the next D coordinator will try to make a system for the players rather than impose a system on them. Continuity was also a big issue, some of that was due to Bates trying to install his system. I just hope the Broncos can plug their holes on D and keep those players in place for a few years.
I’ve been behind Bates 100% all season. And so have many others on the board. Just to clear things up.
If Slowik is going to take over now (right now he is de facto the head of defence) we’re likely in for a long season. I always try to give people a chance, but Slowik’s DC stints post Dave Wannstedt have been appalling. The Packers’ 2004 season was one of their worst defensively in their history. Slowik is a great DBs coach, I will give him that but he is a liability as a DC.
Ironic isn’t it that - as it stands - Bates replaced Slowik in GB but Slowik’s replacing Bates here. I know which one I’d rather have.
need DTs asap
with all due respect, good ridance.
the stats say it all for our defence. i am glad to see him go. we have the talent we are stacked as a defence we made good plas this year we weren consistant enough tho. i hope we find a good coach and stick with him for awhile.
Bates wasn’t great but wasn’t on the field either. Our front seven was terrible and put a lot of pressure on our secondary and bates. WE NEED DTs and LBs asap!!!! But thats like telling Vick not to drop the soap, I’m sure shanahan is already trying to figure out who to sign/draft. Hopefully we can get this years Patrick Willis in the draft (if there is one). Sad to see javon so unhappy and ready to leave. Any ideas what caused this mason? I hope we keep travis, I would like to see what he can do healthy with a good o line. Selvin is great in the open field but we need travis to pick up hard yards and for the goaline.
Glad to see Bates is gone, but Slowik is NOT the answer. — If you look at his stats the Bears finished last in there division consistantly with Slowik as DC. I totally agree about giving either Ron Rivera or Rex Ryan a call (the Bears missed Rivera this year you could tell & Ryan’s defense has always been tops the last decade or so). Bottom line is we can do better than Slowik & we could hire these guys right now.
As for Mike Shanahan, you guys saying you want him fired is at the least retarded. Who in the league would replace him? There is no one better, maybe Tony Dungy, but than again if he started to lose you would all claim it was because he had Peyton Manning… Bill Belicheck? Sure, let’s cheat our way to a championship that sounds like a great idea… How about any of the other teams in the playoffs right now? Wade Philips? Yeah you’ve already seen that UGH!… Mike Holmgren? Yeah just in case you don’t remember, beat him in Super Bowl XXXII… Norv Turner maybe? Are you kidding me, watch how bad he loses to Peyton next week than get back to me. Seriously I have a friend that is a Redskins’ fan & he said he would take Mike Shanahan in a second with the Redskins now needing a coach. Get real all you Shanahan haters, he’s still one of the best coaches out there. Someone said in an IPOD world Mike Shanahan is the 90’s mix that keeps playing over & over & over again. I think all Mike needs to do is update a little bit & we’ll be fine.
GO BRONCOS!!! NEXT YEAR BABY!
No need for me to be political like everyone else arround here… I am happy he is gone, because if you cant teach your system within 1 year your system no longer works… It has to be used right to be effective, and well he didnt show anyone (including the players) why they should use his system. I bet Mike offered him to teach Larry’s system and stay on board but he didnt agree with that option.
I agree, Shanahan would have a new job the next day. how many rings did elway have before shanahan? All fans question their teams play calls and the coach is either a hero or a goat. Take our first play of the year, QB option on the one, it went four 40 yards(or so) but if it was a safety or fumble he would have never heard the end of it. I always question his playcalls but thats shanahan. Fine line between brillant and idiotic
If bringing in another DC next year doesn’t work out, then that should be it Shanahan. How many more years of bad personel moves, bad coaching hires and bad play calling do Bronco fans have to sit through before something is done. I’m tired of hearing “I fully expect us to compete for the Super Bowl next year. We’re only 1 or 2 players away”. There is not one other organization in football that would put up with a coach only winning one playoff game in 10 years. Even Jeff Fisher, who has rebuilt the titans twice in 10 years and still has 5 playoff wins in that time, was on the hot seat in Tennessee up until last year.
Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out.
I am the happiest man in Colorado.
You have to admit you can only blame the players for so long before the responsiblity falls on the coach, blaming the players for missed assignments week in week out seems far fetched to me. I have been a Bronco fan since the age of 4, now going on 41 and I have never seen a Bronco defense look so lost on the field. I got the impression by listening to the players interviews this year that they were being kind and professional to Mr. Bates, but did not really believe in him. When you have talented players like the Broncos defense does and they are running in ever direction you eventually have to put blame on the coach. We need a motivator. How about Marty Shottenheimer? (not head coach material, but cordinator,yes) Plus he is hungry for a ring!
What about Brian Billick as a defensive coordinator? Does anyone remember that 2001 Baltimore Ravens defense?
Was letting Bates go the answer? I don`t know but consider this; this team has had no swagger for 3 years, and lacks the killer instinct on offense, defense and ST to succeed. Play calling was totally lame and predictable (even an armchair like me knew what was coming 90% of the time) keeping our defense on the field way too much. This team is young and they have talented players, they will get better. I hate to say this but I think it`s time for Coach Mike to move on. A team is a reflection of it`s coach. Enough said.
Brian Billick is a offensive coordinator. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings when they went 15-1, under Denny “the crazy man” Green. The fans in Baltimore always wondered why he could not reproduce that offensive magic for them.
You can’t have a defense that bad and not expect change. You can’t change all the players, so if they can’t grasp the system ( which they obviously can’t ) you have to change the coach. As for firing Shanahan, not a good idea. Everything has to come together right to win the super bowl. I have not been to too many season ending games that meant nothing since coach has been here. Believe me almost every team not named Patriots or Colts would love to say that!
There has never been a better time to go back to the 3-4 than right now.
Thanks God.
NO WAY!!! I had to come here in order to believe it was true!! ( you know how yahoo is..) He stepped down at the right time. And don’t forget that we lost key defenders because of him!! Gerard Warren was 1 victim and if he would have stayed longer, others would have been targets for his “scheme” to succeed.
I just think it was a case of the “scheme” not matching up with the players on defense that the Broncos had. Bates’ whole defensive scheme is reliant on the front four filling the gaps against the run and putting pressure on the QB on passing downs. The Broncos’ defense this year was very inconsistent, to say the least, in both of those areas. Also, Bronco fans, don’t forget that the defense lost their heart and soul when Al Wilson was released. That guy meant more to the Bronco defense than I think anyone realized. So, while we need a new defensive coordinator now, we also need someone who can step up and be the leader and “sparkplug” for the defense. I only wish we could clone Al Wilson and Steve Atwater and stick them in the lineup!!!
Hey Mason, will there be a video up or something showing Bates resigning?
I love the Shanahan diehards!!! Hey, anyone remember a guy named Kubiak?? ANother one who made the genius look smart. And then kicked his butt all over Houston a few weeks ago. ANyone here ever stop to think that Shanahan is crappy in the lockeroom?? Hes got no motivating skills and some players need that. WHo can replace him?? Of course its not easy to replace his success, but you cant stick by your coach forever and watch the game pass you by. He has too much power, and that needs to change. Dont be too loyal people. State the facts and look at the last 8 years. Not much to gloat about for us. We have a crappy D, yet he lets Pryce and Hayward walk off the line and they turn solid performances. We do have money though for a blocking tight end, just what we need to stop the run. CMon people, dont take 2 disappointing seasons in a row!
too bad on jim bates but this incontinuity of defensive coaches is scandaleux! too win we need continuity. i am glad shanahan is still here.