With the draft now right around the corner, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the greatest draft moments in Denver Broncos history.
Where else would one start besides the acquisition of John Elway. I know, I know, he was acquired by trade, but that’s just the end of the story, not the beginning.
The beginning came in San Diego on Sunday, November 28, 1982, while John was still a senior at Stanford. We were staying at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego for a game against the Chargers, and Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser and general manager Hein Poulus called me into Mr. Kaiser’s suite. I didn’t know the topic, but left very excited.
He wanted to know the public relations value of acquiring John Elway. I said that it would be huge, but that we could never get Elway (boy, was I naïve) because he would be the first pick in the draft, which Baltimore would surely have. Mr. Kaiser informed me that anything can be done, anything could be purchased, any trade could be made, if you were committed to making it happen. Naturally, we all quickly agreed that Elway’s value was beyond enormous in every way possible.
Fast forward to the days before the draft, when every team in the NFL (seemingly) was making a pitch to either Colts’ general manager Ernie Accorsi or to head coach Frank Kush, or to both. But they Colts did not budge in their desire not to trade Elway.
But nobody was calling Bob Irsay, owner of the Colts. It turned out that he was going to call that shot-perhaps that is not the way it should have been, perhaps his GM or coach, or combination of the two, should have had total control of making the best deal for the Colts, but the reality is that as time went by, Bob Irsay was taking a greater and greater interest in making that decision.
Draft day came, and the Colts took Elway, to some degree of laughter and derision, for John had been very clear in his unwillingness to play there. Of course, he had been drafted by and signed with the Yankees, and he certainly was perceived to have a future in baseball (not like in football, but still he was regarded as a fine big league prospect).
Edgar Kaiser made his first call to Bob Irsay, and the first very, very general conversations were had-like a mating date in one of those animal kingdom nature films.
I was in the room when Mr. Kaiser announced to his coaches that he was working on a trade for Elway. Then he left the room and many of the coaches chuckled at him for what they knew about football and what he didn’t. I was a young PR guy then, but I did not feel it was right to chuckle at the owner, in front of or behind his back.
It turned out that they know more about football, but he knew more about business.
A couple of hours later I had cause to mention to Mr. Kaiser that Elway’s name had been mentioned by a staff member in the food room among the press (amazingly, no press member followed up, probably thinking it ridiculous), and the owner then took me into his confidence.
I’ll never forget it. He said, “Jim, we are moving on John Elway. We are halfway there, and we have halfway to go. I’ll let you know when we are there.” He left, and I did not chuckle. I knew serious when it stared me in the eyes.
So the draft continued, and ended, and when I discarded all the prepared biographies of all the players we did NOT take, I hung onto one. That Elway bio was going to take somebody a long time to write and type (no laptops in 1983, folks), and so I took the five page, single spaced legal page bio and placed it in my desk drawer.
Speculation continued like crazy for a week in the press about who would trade for Elway, and everybody in the NFL kept calling Accorsi and Kush.
But only one man kept calling Bob Irsay.
The deal was made one week later and Edgar Kaiser called Dan Reeves on the golf course, and in that phone call the owner told the coach that the deal was not a maybe, but was absolutely completed pending two factors, the approval of Dan Reeves, which came about as quickly as Dan could open his mouth to respond, and the actual signing of John Elway.
The deal was, Elway and his agent Marvin Demoff would fly into Denver that night by private plane and Bronco officials would meet them on the plane. If they could agree on a contract, the trade would be completed. If they could not agree on a contract, the officials would leave the plane, the plane would take off, and there would be no trade.
I was informed late morning that it was done, and of the confidence the team had in reaching a deal. I reached into my desk drawer, pulled out my already complete press release (the GM asked me how long it would take me to put one together, and I informed him that after my initial conversation with the owner, I saved everything from a week earlier, and could be ready in seconds-not a bad moment for me, by the way, personally or professionally).
I sat at my desk and waited when the workday ended.
The call came about 8:30 that the deal was done, and we called the press and told them there would be a 10:30 pm press conference at Broncos headquarters.
It was arguably one of the most significant press conferences in the history of not just the Denver Broncos, but for the entire state of Colorado.
And John Elway was a Bronco.
Tags: Bob Irsay, Broncos History, Dan Reeves, Edgar Kaiser, Ernie Accorsi, Frank Kush, Hein Poulus, John Elway
FTR…I heard that…Elway and the OLD regime.
Shanny is childish now,but he was the Bombdigity when we was winning Superbowls…now that’s childish.IMO
I have to say im excited for this draft the the thought of tebow in denver seems exciting for some reason…based on needs I don’t think its the right pick, but based on his work ethic and McD’s QB coaching skills i think in 2-3 years he might be a pretty good NFL QB…I also am excited to see who denver picks up with their first pick…personally I think if Dez falls we will pick him up…he’s talented and a threat and thats just what we need..and McD was right i think people confuse the few mistakes hes made as character problems…either way on him I think he comes in right away and pays huge divis
If we pick up Tebow, I`ll be ecstatic. I like everything about him. We may get him with one of are 2nd round picks, but I say pick Gerhart if he is available first, then grab Tebow.
I’ll take Shanny’s way of coaching(earning the players respect) over McD’s way(demanding it) anyday.But hey whatever works,if he can prove to me it works with him at the reigns,I’ll accept it.What choice do we have as fans,except jump ship,and I’ll raise Hell from now till I die before I do that,the Broncos are MY team,even if I have to go down with the ship.
I`m looking forward to seeing our schedule tomorrow. I wonder how many prime time games we are gonna play? Especially on MNF.
Check it:
http://rob-rang.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/13682485/21092865?tag=comBlogEntryListCnt;entry21092865/
ok so obviously center is a huge need right now with us not having 1 on the roster technically and pouncey is obviously a good pick bu we do need a big target at receiver if ortons throwin the ball and 6’2 225 dez bryant would be ideal i know people are scared of his character isues he worked well with his team and he likes mc d he just doesnt like reporters they annoy all of our players what do u expect… id like to see us trade our 45 and next years 2nd to move up and get pouncey at like 20 or so and maybe trade down to 15 and still pick up dez
Interesting. Time will tell.
Schedule Day.
Baylin – I’ll take that as a no.
Shannahan is a great coach. Some of what has made him a great coach is his knowledge, his system, and the players he’s had in his system. Elway, Sharpe, Smith, McCaffery, Davis, Nalen, Wilson, Atwater, Romo the list goes on. I thought maybe Shanny would try and go after some of our guys, but look who we were offering. Marshall, c’mon Shanny wasn’t about to waste his 1st rounder on a guy who some say he was going to release anyway (still hasn’t been proven). Scheffler, the Redskins have a very good TE in Cooley, he has hands and he is a better blocker than Tony. The only player Shanny would’ve made a move for if he was still on our roster would’ve been Cutler. Its hard not to have some hard feelings after you get fired, but Shanny isn’t going after our players because he’s mad at Bowlen or the Broncos. He has no need for the guys we’re offering.
I think I have to agree with Mike Rice on this one: if McClain or Dan Williams isn’t around at #11 we trade down and draft Pouncey. I don’t want Tebow for a couple of reasons: 1) he’s a southpaw, nothing against the lefties of the world, but he have the best RT in the league protecting blide sides. What would happen if Harris would go down or something, Chris Simms…2) He’s changing his throwing motion. This is good for some but your body knows how you’ve been throwing for your whole life. You try and change it now and when you get into pressure situations you’re thinking about your mechanics and not about the what’s going on around you. I think that he should’ve kept his original throwing motion and it would’ve helped in more in the long run I think. 3) The dude tackled his mom LOL! ok, that last one was stupid. I don’t want Tebow, I wouldn’t mind Bryant if he gets his attitude in the ride direction, but I don’t want to take him at #11.
Bring on the pain…schedule day!!! Finally!
Many NFL and Denver Broncos’ fans eagerly await this evening’s 7:00 p.m. EDT unveiling of the 2010 NFL schedule. I posted a mock schedule a few weeks ago of how I think the Broncos’ schedule will look in 2010, but have since tweaked it some after consulting with some NFL scheduling and television gurus on another message board. I have included each week’s details including the uniforms, I predict the Broncos to wear each game. I will update my uniform predictions, once the schedule is released.
Thankfully, we can be put out of our misery this week in finally knowing where the Broncos will play and with which players following the three-day draft. A great week to be a Broncos’ fan. As always, your feedback is most welcomed!
***FINAL & UPDATED DENVER BRONCOS 2010 MOCK SCHEDULE***
Sept. 13, 2010 • WEEK 1 – OAKLAND; 10:30 p.m. EDT, MNF (ESPN) (BLUE/BLUE) (This would be the Broncos’ first Week 1 home game since the 2004 season.)
Sept. 19, 2010 • WEEK 2 – @ Tennessee; 1:00 p.m. EDT (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE or BLUE/WHITE should the Titans elect to wear white jerseys for a late summer home game.)
Sept. 26, 2010 • WEEK 3 – ST. LOUIS; 4:05 p.m. EDT (FOX) (BLUE/WHITE)
Oct. 3, 2010 • WEEK 4 – INDIANAPOLIS; 4:15 p.m. EDT (CBS) (BLUE/WHITE)
Oct. 10, 2010 • WEEK 5 – @ Kansas City; 1:00 p.m. EDT (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
Oct. 17, 2010 • WEEK 6 – SEATTLE; 4:05 p.m. EDT (FOX) (ORANGE/WHITE)
Oct. 24, 2010 • WEEK 7 – @ Jacksonville; 1:00 p.m. EDT (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
Oct. 31, 2010 • WEEK 8 – San Francisco @ London; 1:00 p.m. EDT (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
Nov. 7, 2010 • WEEK 9 – BYE WEEK
Nov. 14, 2010 • WEEK 10 – NEW YORK JETS; 4:15 p.m. EST (CBS) (BLUE/WHITE)
* Nov. 21, 2010 • WEEK 11 – @ San Diego; 4:15 p.m. EST (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
* Nov. 28, 2010 • WEEK 12 – KANSAS CITY; 4:05 p.m. EST (CBS) (BLUE/WHITE)
* Dec. 5, 2010 • WEEK 13 – HOUSTON; 4:15 p.m. EST (CBS) (BLUE/WHITE)
* Dec. 12, 2010 • WEEK 14 – @ Arizona; 4:05 p.m. EST (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
* Dec. 19, 2010 • WEEK 15 – @ Baltimore; 1:00 p.m. EST (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
* Dec. 26, 2010 • WEEK 16 – SAN DIEGO; 8:20 p.m. EST, SNF (NBC) (ORANGE/WHITE)
* Jan. 2, 2010 • WEEK 17 – @ Oakland; 4:15 p.m. EST (CBS) (WHITE/WHITE)
* Games in Weeks 11-17 are subject to the NFL’s flex scheduling policy.
Wow you really put some thought into that schedule bro..
But Thursday can’t come fast enough…im soooo eager to see what McD pull out the hat because I know for certain something shocking is gonna happen…but hopefully its Rolando McClain,Earl Thomas or Pouncey….im 50-50 on Dez Bryant
rbf1, I go to bed early, but to answer your question, having a mock draft contest, even if just for the first pick would be very difficult to hold, because personally, just like McD will, in order to be smart I would like to make my choice after # 10 has been picked, and that doesn’t leave us anytime to hold a contest. The only way would be to get all the entries in before the start of the draft, but then it’s more of a lottery. I think by now it seems pretty clear the majority of the bloggers have bought onto the if McClain and Williams are not available trade down for Pouncey, or a variation of that theme. Very few are the ones who want Dez, Berry or Thomas, Claussen or Tebow (with the #11), Spiller or anyone else for that matter.
All that being said and for the sake of having fun I guess we could do something of our own mock draft contest but picking the first three picks (just the first pick would offer very little in the way of tie breakers). As we have to have rules and I ‘m asked to do this, let’s do it the following way. Everyone who wishes to enter the draft contest needs to say who we will pick with the first three picks and say at what # each will be picked. It doesn’t matter how we got that pick #, meaning if we trade down the #11 for # 24, it will still be the first pick, same with if we combine # 43 and 45 to move up to #9 (LOL), that would then be our first pick, and so on for second and third pick.
The deadline for entries will be right before the #1 pick is made on Thursday evening. Please be very clear about WHO you pick with our FIRST, SECOND and THIRD and at what # we will pick each player (the pick # will help in case further tie breakers are needed).
With that in mind here are a couple entry examples (repeat; you don’t need to explain if we had to move up or down to get them, just the # the players are picked at):
Example A
11) Berry
43) Spikes
45) Tebow
Example B
21) Pouncey
34) Weatherspoon
43) Blount
And that’s it, that’s all I will keep track of for everyone who enters.
Good luck to everyone.
gogo Berry!
As far as the guys who got their feathers ruffled over me saying maybe Shanahan is giving us the cold shoulder, it was just that, me wondering if I had been wrong for thinking all along Shanny would hold no grudges towards Bowlen, that’s all it was, but if some of you guys are in the need of taking out some frustration you are welcome to take it out on that. Sometimes I post stuff just for the sake of getting a new subject going and I throw a little vinegar in it, and I guess it worked…
I like the mock draft idea it could be fun and by the way there is a new blog up
How can Mike Shanahan be upset with the Denver Broncos’ organization? He was given almost ten years to get us back to a Super Bowl, and his final three seasons were duds following fantastic starts that were marred by some horrible free agent signings, a horrible 2007 draft, and horrendous defenses. It’s not like Shanahan was snowed like he was when fired midseason by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989. I will give Shanahan credit for solid 2006 and 2008 drafts, but the 2006 draft although big on talent, was low on leadership and team-centered individuals.
Thanks baylinor – feedback much appreciated.
BA…..If the article is credible,WOW,it sure would shock the Hell outta me,but we sure could use a franchise QB,and Bradford has more talent than Orton and Quinn put together,but the problem is we need to many players to start trading our picks for a QB,as much as I would like to have him,I don’t see it happening,unless we could trade #11 and next years 2nd round for the overall #1????
Why didn’t we just trade Sheff for Sims and keep our 7th?????We could use another LB,and Sims has great sideline to sideline speed.
Ernie Sims will be a free agent next year and will want a huge payday. There isn’t enough money to go around for Elvis Dumervil, D.J. Williams and then Sims. Plus, Sims is a better fit for a defense that runs a 4-3 set.
Guys the Ernie Sims trade was a three team trade that sent Sims to the Eagles, Sheff and our 7th round pick to the Lions and we got the Eagles 5th round pick. It would have been an interesting pick up if we got seems, but it didn’t happen. Draft is tonight!!!! McDaniels, get Tebow!!