While there are still two teams that have not yet begun their offseason, for everyone else the path being traveled is that of improvement for 2012.
And that big first step is underway this week.
On Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (CST) the Senior Bowl will take place in Mobile, Alabama but the game itself is an anti-climax for the legions of NFL coaches and scouts who have headed to the southern city this week.
There is a virtual who’s who of NFL personnel people and coaches in Mobile to watch the practices of the north and south squads in advance of the game, looking simultaneously for top talent and for diamonds in the rough.
Once upon a time the medical people in Baltimore and Detroit thought a balky knee from playing at Ohio State would make a young Buckeyes linebacker a bad first round risk—his name was Randy Gradishar, the Broncos took him, and the rest is Ring of Fame history in Denver.
Rod Smith was not even invited to the Senior Bowl—Missouri Southern was just a speck on the NFL map, and nobody drafted him at all. The Broncos offered him a free agent contract and now he stands as pro football’s all-time leading free agent wide receiver in career catches, yards, and touchdowns. And he has two Super Bowl rings.
But every team has stories like this—that is what scouting is all about. And, on the negative side, every team has missed on guys as well. Nobody gets them all right.
But after all the scouts have crossed the country time and again by plane and mostly by car, early mornings leading to late nights, looking at practice and video ad infinitum—handling the remote controls of video machines even more than the most addicted television watching couch potato, the serious draft prep for 2012 is upon us.
And as I have written many times, players come from lots of places, and teams have lots of different success stories.
How about the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and the quarterback position? Let’s take a look.
In 1956 the Colts signed Johnny Unitas as a free agent camp quarterback. He had been playing semi-pro football for six bucks a game for the Bloomfield Rams. Johnny U is still regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks who ever played the game, and you can find many veteran scouts who still have him at the very top of the food chain. Unitas virtually invented the two-minute drill all by himself, and called his own plays as well.
The Colts had Unitas until 1972, then they drafted Bert Jones from LSU with the second overall pick in the entire draft in 1973. Jones, whose dad Dub was a great wide receiver for Otto Graham on the championship Cleveland Browns teams, was the Colts signal caller from 1973 through 1981 and led Baltimore to three consecutive division titles, 1975-77. One of the greatest Broncos games ever was a home win against Jones and the Colts that helped determine home field advantage for Denver in that magical first Mile High Super Bowl season of 1977.
Jones sustained some injuries in his career, and after nine years with him as an original second overall draft selection, Baltimore had the very first pick in 1983 and of course drafted John Elway. But their bad luck with Elway was Denver’s good luck and they traded maybe the only real peer Unitas has had to the Broncos a week after the draft.
I have blogged before about the trade for Elway—it is an archive item and I won’t recount it here now, but it was like A Tale of Two Cities, NFL style. Denver up, and Baltimore down.
Not only did the franchise relocate to Indianapolis, but in the next 15 years the Colts had 15 different starting quarterbacks.
It sure helps when you have “The Guy.”
Indianapolis again used the first pick in the draft in selecting Peyton Manning in 1998, and he remains the Colts starter, even though he missed the 2011 campaign due to a neck injury.
We won’t try to predict the future for Manning, the Colts or any other team, but once again Indianapolis has the first pick in the draft this year.
Some work out, some do not.
But from 1956 to the present that franchise had Unitas (free agent), Jones (second pick overall), Elway (first pick, traded away), 15 guys, Manning (first pick in the draft), and now a blank slate.
Woody Hayes once say his only superstition is that it is bad luck when you do not have great players.
A lot of teams this week are in the process of evaluating players with the idea of matching the best of what the Colts did, not the worst, and the whole process is underway in Mobile.
You might take a peek at the Senior Bowl game Saturday afternoon—you might be watching somebody who will be a future Bronco three months from now!
Tags: Jim Saccomano, Senior Bowl
o ya my fault u r correct.
thats ok. its hard to keep up with all the coaching changes.
Broncos should make the move to get JDR but the down side to that is once he makes progress some one will one to take him off of our squad like they did to Allen. That’s the only way the raiders make a liveing is by stealing……
Allen is Doomed in the Black Hole……he deserves it for leaving too soon,he thinks because our Defense shined at times,that he can be a HC,haha!
JDR or DC would make the Broncos a Great DC,they have a lot of experience!
The Raiders signed Allen to hurt us,the same thing they done 2 years ago,when they drafted McClain 7-8 spots earlier than projected,they knew we were gonna draft him,they are pathetic bottom dwelling thieves!!!
I wish them nothing but misery………..F.T.R!!!!!!!!!!!!
As long as Fox is HC we will have a good DC,because Fox knows Defense!
BTW……I hope Peyton Manning lands on a good team and wins a couple more SBs.
He would make a Helluva HC someday!!!
Been up all night writing. Not enough hours in the day. I have a hole in my bathroom floor and it’s 4′ deep. (Changing the sewer layout. Fun / Not!) I been eating more dust lately than food. Remodels – Urghhh!!! (A friend allowed me to pull out cabinets and appliances as they replaced their kitchen. Now I am moving walls and and adding to my existing cabinets. Tomorrow is gas lines and electrical work.
Caught up on the blog!
Sad to see Allen go…especially to the Raiders. I like the idea of bringing in Del Rio.
Bay – my favorite music isn’t country…though I do like country. Glad the noise drowned out Tebow’s crooning – we all know that one thing Tebow can’t so is sing!!!
Pretty funny – all the articles about what Tebow is not doing.
I think Brady will win – Brady will never have Elway’s passion, physical strength, or Elway’s ability to carry a team without talent. Elway would have easily won 5 SB’s if he had Brady’s supporting cast.
God Bless – I’m going to sleep for 3 hours – I’m out.
Congrats to Allen……….while I hate to see him go, especially to the raiders, I understand what a great opportunity this is for him and his family, so I can’t be bitter about it. You can’t really blame a guy when someone is offering you a promotion. It’s just the nature of the business.
So now it’s time to move on……..and as others have mentioned, Del Rio would be a great fit with the broncos……..especially considering he already has a great relationship with coach Fox. I hope they make something happen quickly and start this team moving in the right direction early in the off-season.
I just got up to some terrible news. I wish Allen well, but hate the fact that he had to take the job with the Raiders. Seems he is just jumping into a big black hole, but, to each his own.
Everyone is hyped over the chances of getting DelRio. I don’t know much about him, so I am making no comment either way. All of you say he is good, so I am good with it. If he doesn’t accept the offer to become our DC, then I do have one suggestion. I am not sure that anyone would like this suggestion or not, but we do have one man right under our noses that may be a good candidate for the position. He has to start his coaching career someplace, so why not start it right where he has been playing defense. To me, if there is no one else available then give Dawkins a shot. A one year contract as the DC wouldn’t hurt. Who knows our defense better?
I would like to throw something else out for consideration. If my memory serves me, Manning had vertebrae in his neck fused. People are talking about getting Manning for his last years as a QB to help Tebow. This is not a good idea. Nerve damage in the neck that is or has been corrected by fusing vertebrae together and then playing football is not a good outcome for the player. The next step if injured will most likely be a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. Everybody can say what they want, but if Manning plays with that injury, he is a fool. Football is a wonderful sport, and for these players it is a great income and profession, but risking ones life for it is foolish, and that I what Manning would be doing.
I hope Allen stinks it up in Oakland…nothing personal, but I don’t like anything about the Raiders.
We just need to start making calls and finding qualified candidates as soon as possible before all the good ones are gone.
Woody catching the Allen hire with his usual catchy sense of humor:
Dennis, we hardly knew ye.
The Raiders did a two-fer Tuesday night. They hired a new coach and stole the Broncos’ defensive coordinator. Same guy — Dennis Allen. They are, after all, raiders.
Advice to next Broncos’ defensive coordinator:
Rent.
LMAO!
The job is as permanent as being president of Switzerland — where a new leader is chosen every year; or a crocodile catcher in the Northern Territory of Australia — where nobody applied, for fairly obvious reasons, last year.
Only one Broncos defensive coordinator settled as a longtime local resident. Joe Collier, the Broncos’ first defensive coordinator, still owns a home in Littleton.
Collier held the coordinator’s position for 20 years (and had it even before there was such a title), from 1969-88. He was responsible for the “Orange Crush” defense.
It’s been “Orange Mush” more years than not since.
The defensive coordinator here is a temp.
and the worst, if we get a guy like Del Rio, is that HC positions will open for next year and you know he’ll be in the pecking order……..
We need to try and build a culture where the team and it’s coaches are assembled for the relatively long term……..at least 3-5 years. That way everyone gets to develop and something special might just happen.
This consistent turn over just keeps us in a rut, spinning our wheels.
Like I said, we’re just a breed farm for talent for both players and coaches. They come here to gain experience and knowledge, have a little success and then off they go to bigger and better teams. Coaches don’t want to coach for us..plain and simple, the grass isn’t always greener and I hope for Allen the grass is dead brown..just like the Raiders playing surface. haha
And he would rather go the existing assistant coach promotion than Del Rio:
Our turnover ratio at DC is the primary reason coach John Fox should elevate linebackers coach Richard Smith to defensive coordinator immediately.
Smith already is on staff, and the transition will be quick and easy; he helped develop Von Miller into a Pro Bowler as a rookie; the linebacking corps overall was solid (although not spectacular); Smith fully knows the 4-3 system Fox emphasizes; he has worked with both Fox (also in Carolina) and Allen and will continue to coach aggressively; he has been a defensive coordinator with the Dolphins and the Texans and in the league for 24 seasons.
He was an assistant with the Broncos when they last reached the AFC championship game; he has said Denver ranks high on his list of favorite quality-of-life cities, and Smith, who will be 56 this year, likely won’t be a candidate to become a head coach.
Jack Del Rio, fired as the Jaguars’ coach during the regular season, is the sexy choice — and was Fox’s defensive coordinator with the Panthers before taking over in Jacksonville. But he was considered in Kansas City, and can be expected to get another head coaching job in the NFL or college football soon.
The Broncos certainly don’t need eight coordinators in eight years.
I’m not sold on all that, the guy has a lengthy and impressive resume, what’s to say that if if have a great year on D he is not the one hired by another team for a HC job next year? Nothing, there is no way to know in this league as Dennis Allen proved, I mean the guy was just a secondary coach and after one single year as a DC gets a HC job.
I have a better solution, the only solution.
I would ask Mr. Bowlen to do what’s necessary to retain the coaches we like. I think that’s where most of our problems now lie, it used to be we couldn’t find a good one, now we obviously can but Bowlen has entered a no frugal expense period in his ownership that makes it nearly impossible to retain a good talent at coaching like Allen.
Hence I say hire the most valuable DC you can find, don’t chicken out in taking second best with some idealistic idea that you can retain anyone in the NFL, that’s not the NFL of nowadays, Woody is just talking like the old man he is remembering the good old days in the NFL when people showed loyalty, wait a second I’m up there in age too, could that be that I adapt to the new ways of the NFL better than he? Nah, LOL.
It’s all about money now, and therefore you must use money to get your way. Not a cool thing of course but the reality.
One the upside, Fox found Allen … so I would like to believe He or should I say they can find another allen.
Champ is really bummed out. And I can only imagine. You will get no traction losing guys like this. Nothing can ever seem to go right and if we as fans are frustrated I can only imagine the players.
And for those who want Dom … its bad enough we are getting a new DC … lets not muck things up some more with a scheme change again, 1 year after leaving the other scheme. Not unless Dom can coach a 43.
Allen is gone. He is the past. He is the enemy. Im ready to move forward. Very curious who we are looking at. We can biatch and gripe all day but its already happened. No need for a pity party. Gotta get back on our feet.
Go Broncos.
TRB out -
We were at 22 mil under the cap this past season at season end. Any money questions?
Exactly what I said bay, on the last page in my 840 post … about Jack del rio. So we hire him, we do good, and then next year … seeing as how he has been a HC before … someone else comes and swoops him again. And we are back where we started. I personally think if it was a money factor, Dennis shoulda been retained. We shoulda spent the money because he was a great DC with potential to be a future HC. If it was all about the position then there was nothing we could do. But I believe it was more the money than the position because lets face it … anyone going into Oakland right now would be pretty boned without a first round pick in thier first 2 years and no pick this year until the 5th round or somethign ridiculous like that.
TRB
That’s why who we pick is not as important as what we are willing to spend on them and that’s why I can’t see the Del Rio argument holding water, we basically should be able to retain anyone we want, with money that is. But wait a second, we are not willing to spend it, so yeah let’s go with an obscure guy who we can get for very little compensation and who isn’t good enough to ever be sought by anyone else, like Martindale, LOL.
I personally like the pay the coaches more and the players less concept. Coaches are the foundation to a sound team, why should they make way less than the star players, like Bailey and Doom raking in more yearly than the entire coaching staff, that makes no sense to a business guy like me whatsoever.
And I find it unfair how so many bloggers are willing to throw Allen and McCoy under the bus for trying to better their pay.
I mean I know that’s exactly what you guys would do if you were offered a bigger pay.
I also know how highly the ownership of this franchise is regarded here but the problems we are having with our failure to retain coaches now start at the top.
A good look in the mirror is needed there.
And that’s my peace for today, sorry if I offended anyone.
What is the average salary for 1st year coordinators? What is Denver paying DA and MM?
Coaching staff salaries aren’t part of cap figures.
No, but they are part of your bank account, LOL.
I don’t fault Allen for leaving for a HC job. I do question his intelligence for going to the Raiders. It’s like a head coaching abyss in Oakland. Not anywhere I would touch with a ten foot pool as a developing coach with little experience. I also believe in setting yourself up for success. A couple years as a coordinator would have likely done him good in the long run. It may end up as another Hurricane Josh situation, but for them (thankfully).
Yea … if its for the money im always all for it … go for it. Cuz whether we like it or not its a money world. A capitalistic society. All we ever do is trying to provide the best living situations for ourselves and families. you know. Get it while its hot. I can’t fault em. But my feeling is exactly like Champs “Happy for him but the selfish guy in me wants him to stay”. If we were willing to pay the man, wouldn’t be an issue right now. Altho I doubt we would be able to pay more than a HC gig to a coordinator.
TRB
“No, but they are part of your bank account, LOL.”
This makes no sense. We do know broncos were at 98% of their player cash budget in 2011. And still 20 plus below cap so yes, broncos are cheap where player salaries are concerned.
Is Shanahan still on the books? What about mcd?
Just look at these numbers:
Elvis Dumervil at
Defensive End
6 yr/$61,500,000
Champ Bailey at
Cornerback
4 yr/$43,000,000
D.J. Williams at
Linebacker
6 yr/$32,000,000
Chris Kuper at
Guard
6 yr/$28,012,000
Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Fox’s deal runs for four years and will pay him between $3 million and $3.5 million each season.
There is no information as to what assistant coaches make in the NFL but anywhere between 100,000 and half a mil per season seems to be the ball park.
Hence you can see the total disconnect in pay between players and coaches.
I think the coaches should have their own coaching Association, LOL.
Shanny is off and McD could be possibly on the books for one more year, but nothing like the Shanny pay…
Not sure what you meant by that makes no sense.
You said:
Coaching staff salaries aren’t part of cap figures.
I answered:
No, but they are part of your bank account, LOL.
Meaning Bowlen doesn’t care so much about cap figures (he was 22 mil under the cap this season) and he sure does about his bank account.
As usual, assumption is taken for fact on the blog. Money makes the world go round now a days, power does the same just as much or more. Being a head coach in theNFL is the crowning achievement of any football coach. Considering the coaching carousal in Oakland in recent history , you’d have to be nuts to go to such an insecure organization just for the money. It’s a chance to make your own legacy, to put yourself in the HOF. I really doubt the Broncos could have stopped this from happening with money.
That being said, there is some solice in having a defensive head coach in place with this plundering taking place. Hopefully, they will chose wisely again and we will continue to improve on the defensive side of the ball. Heck, maybe they’ll discovery somebody even more talented the DA. After we get over the shock, it might just be another bump in the road. Go Broncos!
Doesn’t all this money come out of the same pocket? Bowlens?
Many assistant coaches on many good teams have been known to turn down HC jobs simply because they said I really like it where I’m at, why not us?
Obviously, Bowlen has sole ownership.
Still not a blog about the Allen departure, that says plenty…
NO ONE LIKES IT! LOL.
That is my point Bay, and I have to agree with your question. What is it about the Broncos that the assistants are only lasting one year and then gone? Is it the money along with the prestige of being a HC, or is it something else that we are not seeing or know about? Is it something going on within the walls at Dove Valley that has not been spoken about in public? Maybe there was some friction there between some of the administration that DA thought that he had to move on after just one year as our DC? Who knows. The bottom line—he is gone, so now we have to move on and find someone to take his place. Like said above, maybe it was for the best for us. Maybe we find someone better suited to work with Fox on our defense building. What they need to do now is start going to the different stockyards around and checking on the beef available for the draft and FA and lets get some!
I can now see where you got confused weatherman, I should of said “Meaning Bowlen cares as much about cap figures (he was 22 mil under the cap this season) as he does his bank account, because in the end it’s the same thing.” Sometimes I think quicker than I can write, not often though, LOL.
Well at least Allen gave us something to talk about the last two days, until the next blockbuster move….
Denver has switched Defenses so many times in the last 4 years converting to a 3-4 would not set them back.
Regardless of what base formation the new DC prefers, the players will all be learning different assignments as no 4-3 Scheme is the same.
A change is a change, and given the state of the Defense, it would be wise to get the Best guy out there, regardless of his formational preference..
There are some defensive minded College Coaches that I think would have a fresh take on adapting to most of the newer Spread offenses that are sneaking into the NFL…
The D-Coordinator for TCU would be a quality hire…
I know one college coach I wish we could look at. Charlie Strong. He was the DC for the Gators in their national title runs, and brought their defense from 46th rank nationally to 6th nationally in pone year. That takes some doing to do that. He would be an excellent defensive mind to have on our staff I believe.
2010-Present Head Coach Louisville
2008-2009 Defensive Coordinator, Linebacker Coach & Associate Head Coach Florida
2005-2007 Co-Defensive Coordinator, Linebacker Coach & Assistant Head Coach Florida
2003-2004 Def. Coordinator & Defensive End Coach Florida
1999-2002 Defensive Coordinator South Carolina
1995-1998 Defensive Line Coach Notre Dame
1994 Assistant Head Coach & Defensive Tackle Coach Florida
1991-1993 Defensive End Coach Florida
1990 Wide Receivers Coach Ole Miss
1988-1989 Outside Linebacker Coach Florida
1986-1987 Wide Receivers Coach Southern Illinois
Gotta dissagree. going back to the 3-4 would change alot. Not just scheme but personel wise. We would have to draft for the 3-4 this year to be better set up. And what happens when the new DC possibly leaves and Fox wants to go back to his 4-3 (assuming he would even consider switching) … its more confusion than is necessary in my book. Exactly what would Ayers play? Doom would be OLB with Von … DJ would be forced back in the middle with Mays who is avg at best. I suppose Ayers could bulk up to be a bigger 3-4 DE. We would need to draft a better 3-4 ILB than mays … get a big NT … get another DE .. not unless we move bunkley to DE … its just more trouble than its worth in my book. TRB
Well, 2011 season we had the QQ, so now in the off season we have the DCQ. Do we hire Del Rio with the high possibility that he’ll be one and done, from outside the Bronco camp or promote from within? I like the promote from within scenario the best. But, will that be the most talented hire?
I’m sticking with my post from yesterday. Let’s raid the Ravens and Texans defensive staffs (Dline and Secondary coaches) to find our new guy.
These assistants worked under Pagano and Wade Phillips who both have great knowledge and schemes that can be brought over. Let’s be real, Dennis Allen’s defensive playbook was probably 90% the same as Greg Williams from his time in New Orleans.
I can’t imagine Charlie Strong leaving the ‘ville. He just found a star QB in Teddy Bridgewater and is loving life in the Big East with WVU heading out. Then again, everyone has their price so who knows.
Ayers would play a hand down DE…
Most of the personal on this squad was brought in with some sort of 3-4, and just last Years acquisitions were made for an impending 4-3..
Some really think that Miller is more suited to play the OLB in 3-4… Dumervil has shown he can excell from an OLB position netting 17 sacks…
Really it wouldn’t take more than learning a new 4-3
Jack Del Rio will be the new DC in a week. They are negotiating now on the contract.
I hate to change so often, and I’m not pushing for a 3-4…
We simply need to hire the best Guy available… I don’t really have a preference, but with the state of turnover on our coaching staff it would really be nice to have some sort of consistency….
I do realize that not every coach has asperations to be at the top of the heap though I think they are the exception rather than the rule. Everybody is different , what is important to one person may not mean as much to another. Not everyone has the confidence or drive to want to be a head coach, but I think many NFL coaches would like the challenge to see how they stack up against the best. That’s what it takes to get to coach in the NFL in the first place, determination to be the best. In my opinion, in the case of the Raiders, you’d really have to want to be a head coach to go to a place with the coaching history they’ve had and the uncertainly of the organization. I’m not saying that anyone here is wrong, what I’m suggesting is that it isn’t cut and dried what Allen’s motives might be. Some are too quick to blame the Broncos for his lose. He may be dreading his decision by the end of next season or we may be dreading it. LOL
It’s not like they were getting raided for our DCs. Mike S. was firing them left and right. Nolan left becuz of McD. HE is also on the short list to come back. Del Rio is the one who will get the job though.
Has there been anything real reported as to who is actually on the list to be the next DC or are all of these names just wish lists and speculation, Del Rio, Nolan etc, etc
I shall not doubt u greatness cuz u always seem to have great information … I believe u are a journalist by trade. Del rio will be welcomed … much like wade phillips … crappy HC … great DC im sure. Altho he did win a superbowl as a coach.
TRB