We all know there are no guarantees in life. But to this point, I like what the Broncos have done during the offseason.
After a season to forget, the Broncos needed a complete overhaul. The first phase of that overhaul is complete, with a new front office/coaching structure in place. Now, the Broncos can focus on the second phase, which is deciding what to do with the roster.
Finally, the third phase of the overhaul relates to performance on the field. Due to the labor uncertainty facing the NFL, we can only hope that process will begin on time when preseason games are scheduled to start in August.
While I can’t say for certain how things will work out for the Broncos, I can say I like the moves they made in the front office and coaching situations. I think they have put in a solid foundation that will, hopefully, maximize the chances for long-term success on the field.
First, I believe John Elway will be a successful front office executive. I am aware that he does not have previous experience in this type of role. But at some point, one has to ask whether or not one seems ready to take on a particular set of responsibilities and whether or not one seems to have the necessary skill set(s) to have a chance to be successful. I believe Elway is both ready and able to get the job done.
We know how it worked when the Broncos had, in effect, one person in charge of making all the football-related operations. That approach clearly showed its numerous shortcomings in the back end of the Mike Shanahan era and the Josh McDaniels era.
I love the fact that during his introductory press conference, Elway talked so much about building a front office team. I love the fact that he said decisions will be made after group discussion and debate. The cynics will call that undefined, unworkable and ultimately, unsuccessful.
I call it a welcome change that has a great chance to succeed because I believe Elway has what it takes to be good at his job.
Second, there is no doubt the Broncos have work to do to improve their roster. Enter general manager Brian Xanders. There is no doubt he will be responsible for the heavy lifting in upgrading the talent on the roster. I don’t envy Xanders. He has a huge job and while he alone won’t be making personnel decisions, he’ll be a big part of the process.
Third, the Broncos ended up with a good head coach. John Fox is exactly the type of coach the Broncos needed for where they are at. They needed someone who had experienced success as an NFL head coach. They got that.
They needed someone who could offer stability and maturity. They got that.
They needed a coach with a defensive background. They got that.
They needed someone who would be both willing and able to talk with the media and share information with the fans. They got that.
Given the candidate pool they had, the Broncos got the right coach at the right time.
The foundation is in place. I like what I see. Now the real work of improving the team begins. And the Broncos have a lot of work to do.
But given where the Broncos were less than a month ago, I feel much better about where they could be in the future.
Thanks for reading,
Mike
Tags: Offseason
Great post Mike,I like the direction the Broncos are going in too.Fox seems to be a perfect fit,and I for one am glad we hired him,but like you say,we need players and hopefully FA will not be lost,and we can get some help there.This draft is one of the most important drafts in Broncos history,and we cannot afford to waste draft picks so Elway,Xman,and Fox will have to pick quality players that can help us right away,if we want to be competetive next season,I enjoy reading your posts,keep’em coming.
More than likely there will be no lockout:
http://www.nesn.com/2011/01/return-of-franchise-tag-indicates-nfl-may-avoid-lockout-in-march.html
Fisher wanted to add his son to coaching staff:
http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2011/1/27/1960637/clayton-jeff-fisher-wanted-to-add-his-son-to-the-titans-coaching-staff
I also feel real good about the direction we are headed in. I’ve said that I feel like we could be the 2006 Saints. No one wanted to come here and coach or play for New Orleans. Those that did come here played key roles in bringing the Saints up to where they are now.
I realize that the Saints situation was different from ours bc they were coming off the Katrina incident. The McDaniels era was sort of like a destruction in itself. The man made destruction of an organization. The Saints also had to draft well and pick up key free agents that wanted to be on the team and play for the city.
Here are the Saints key draft and free agent picks ups enroute to their rise….
Sean Payton, Drew Brees(FA), Reggie Bush(Draft), Jonathan Vilma(FA), Jeremy Shockey(FA), Scott Fajuita(FA), Pierre Thomas(Draft), Marques Colston(Draft), Jabari Greer(FA), Darren Sharper(FA), Malcom Jenkins(Draft), key Offensive and Defensive linemen through Draft and FA, and Greg Williams DC just to name a few.
We have keys guys in place…
John Fox, Tim Tebow, Eddie Royal, Brandon Lloyd, Ryan Clady, young OL, Elvis, Ayers, Champ, Thompson, Vaughn, a DC in Allen who wants to be here, Elway etc.
I’m not saying that we are going to the AFC Championship next year like how the Saints went to the NFC Championship in Paytons 1st year. All I’m saying is that things are falling into place for us the have a story and return to glory like the Saints have done.
I left off Tracy Porter (Draft) for the Saints.
BFE, I’ll be watching your Vols play my Rebels Saturday at the TAD Pad. Heading to Oxford now. I’m sure it will be ugly for my Rebels, put a good time anyway.
Great post Mike it would be great to get all this CBA stuff over with it is in everyones interest to get it done
No pro bowl score prediction? Just kidding.
Yeah, Mike you have pretty much pointed out most of what many of us have been saying over and over for a few weeks now, in short that we are seemingly headed in the right direction, finally, and I will leave it at that since I have been on record multiple times already about all that .
Interesting anecdote by Woody:
The day after the season ended, Kyle Orton celebrated by leasing a private jet and flying the Broncos’ offensive linemen and Brady Quinn to Las Vegas. Tim Tebow was not invited. Vegas is not his kind of place, anyway. Orton may have been rewarding his line (for what?) or trying to curry favor. Won’t work. Once he is judged, Orton will be found wanting — and be traded.
Great post Mike!
Thanks for the article BFE, it gives us some hope for a 2011 season, hopefully.
I’m excited about our future, the only thing I wish we had done different, was look at a new strength and conditioning coach. If our guys start dropping like flies in training camp this year, I’m calling for Tutens head!!
Wow bay! I can’t believe Orton did that. What a waste of money!
rebelbronco I agree 200%! I’m not impressed with Tuten anymore. Maybe we need a fresh start from him as well. We shall see…..
Doesn’t surprise me about Orton. He was looking and acting like Jay Cutler on the sidelines when Tebow was the starter. Looking away, not interested in what was going on, pouting, etc.
BFE, thanks for the cba link, it sounds as if that Jeff Howe is a player, or a player’s agent or something, haha, he obviously hates the owners, but anyhow I hope there is some truth in what he is reporting obviously.
Man I’m loving Dennis Allen even more…..
“Here’s what I think: I think that the three most important things in playing defense in football are points allowed, take the ball away and red zone defense,” Allen said while cleaning out his office at Saints headquarters, where he coached the defensive line for two years and the secondary for three. “If you can be good in all those areas, then you’re going to win a lot of games.”
The Saints D was one of the best at defending the goal inside the 15 yard line, but they were even better inside the five. Holding teams to 3 points, getting turn overs, and/or getting the ball back on downs.
Yeah that’s from a Krieger article “Denver’s new DC will stop a trend” in the DP.
Stopping a trend meaning lasting more than one year as our DC.
Great post! Everything is in place now and the real work has begun. Let’s get the roster straightened out and get down to winning games. Seems that Fox has put a team of coaches together that really want to get this done and they are all hungry for some wins. I firmly believe that they will make the right decisions at draft and get us the players that want to win and do it for the Broncos.
As for Orton, it does not suprise me one bit. If you really think about it, you should be able to figure out his ulterior motive in his making the trip with the offensive line. He still thinks he is going to compete for the starting job next season, and he is trying to insure that Tebow does not get it. Isn’t he going to be in for a big suprise when reality hits him right between the running lamps!
Good Post Mike!
I am so ready for some Denver football Its crazy!
Do you guys know if Bowlen is considering making orange our permanent home Jerseys I think I signed a Patition a few months back
It would be sweet to have our Orang Crush D Back
Orton is in a much better situation than most, mainly regarding the cba issue, because McD gave him a one year 9 mil contract that has a lot of guaranteed money wether he plays here this year or not, so everything is pretty cool for him and I just think he took the O line out and Brady Quinn just to celebrate his best year ever. I honestly don’t think he is that stupid to think that he has a legitimate shot at starting this year or even being here, so no way he was trying to sway anyone onto anything in my opinion, he showed us long ago how disappointed he was to have been replaced by Tebow and by now I’m sure it’s just water under the bridge for him, he is financially secure and can look at the future without worrying about it, unlike most of us, LOL. He is not a bad guy at all, he just doesn’t like losing his starting job, and that’s the last thing I could blame on anyone, he is a hard blue collar worker who gave us the best he could, that is truly all he did.
I’ll tell ya one think I hope Fox and Elway bring back…. Our Broncos Logo in the Endzones! I’ve been tried of those Orange and Blue Diamonds! That does not represent Mile High at all!
The “Argyle” end zones, LOL.
DenverOranges, I hope so my friend. I love the Old Orange Jerseys. It`s part of our tradition. Bring back the Orange.
You guys should read Woody’s article on his evaluation of the team not far off i would say http://www.denverpost.com/paige/ci_17223372
Orton`s days here are numbered. I like Kyle and I do wish him luck and is successful with his next team. And ya, Orton is not a bad guy we just draft Tebow is all and he is our future QB.
I wasn’t crazy about that article, sure a lot of the stuff he says is de facto, but he is kissing too many old players’ arses saying they should be here for one more year, as if he doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings who is established.
Well, it`s a start. Maybe the owners are finding a solution to what the players are asking. I think the owners should flip the bill for Air travel.
While that maybe true about the older players i think most of the evaluations were pretty good and he is probably right about the older players as we only have six picks so far and can only do so much in free agency so we can’t just get rid if everyone this season
Regarding the CBA:
Mark your calendars: The most anticipated NFLPA press conference in SB history will be Thursday @ 3:15 central time. NFL gets its turn Friday.
Bay The “Argyle” end zones are ArUGLY!
i kinda like the “argyle” look in the endzone. seems very old school. as for orton… obviously his days are numbered in denver. we know it, the writers know it, and you better believe orton knows it. now what im interested in knowing is whether or not he even bothered to invite Tebow, regardless of whether or not he would have gone. if he didnt invite him then that is pretty crappy and has “click” written all over it. just because you lost your starting job doesnt mean you get to stop being a team player. but of course i dont know if he did or not. this is just speculation.
oh man i would LOVE to see the orange jerseys come back to denver! i also signed that petition and only buy the “alternate orange” jerseys anyway so i would be ready. the orange is just our identity no matter what color they make the team wear. and a sea of orange in the stands IMO is way more intimidating than a sea of lame blue with dots of white and orange. lol
BRING BACK THE ORANGE!!!
I don’t agree with Woody saying cut Kevin Vickerson. I liked him! Has good speed for a guy his size. He could really make his mark with us next season.
ya caramelloo… i thought vickerson did well also. he played with some fire and a bit of a nasty streak that i think our defense could benifit from. i noticed him out of position sometimes i thought but that could have been a scheme/coaching thing more than anything else. plus in a 4-3 he wouldnt be on the edge anyway. i would at least tender him a contract for a year or 2. like someone else said… we cant afford to just cut EVERYONE this year.
BRING BACK THE ORANGE
Kevin Vickerson played with intensity and was fun to watch. I wonder really how much we were weeing some stand out guys on a bad team though. It will be a tough job for Fox and his staff to see what they really have with some of these guys. They will be watching alot of film I guess.
I am really excite for this upcoming free agent period and draft. That will tell us alot about our new front office staff and coach.
weeing?>>>I meant watching. sorry
Yeah he was out of position at times but the fire he played with is what I loved as well. He seems more like a 4-3 guy instead of a 3-4 guy anyway. We need a ILB with a major attitude. One that just wants to hit and bring heat like a Ray Lewis. Lewis may be old but he continues to bring that intensity each season.
ya, we def need to get tougher in general on Defense. and we must find a fiery leader in the front 7 on defense! repeat MUST!! someone that will kinda bring that mean streak!
Im definitely in a consensus with your post Mike. Although, I think your statement about Elway not having front office experience is a little misleading. I thought he held a similar position with the arena league?
Not trying to be a stats guy or anything, LOL!
Im excited to see we have that solid foundation in the coaching ranks, especially Magazu, Allen and the retainment of Studes!!!
Lets get this CBA show on the road!
DEFENSE in 2011, GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you guys about Vickerson,I would much rather keep him and cut J.Williams,McBean and Fields.
ray,I think that leader in the front 7 would be Greg Jones ILB Mich St.
rebel,don’t be too sure,the Vols play good against good teams and play average against average teams,so your Rebels have a chance!
BTW:hope you have a great time bro!
i thought he was a projected first rounder??? if he drops to the 2nd round i would be ok with that! FO SHO
BRING BACK THE ORANGE!!!
ray if Greg Jones is gone in the 1st,Kelvin Sheppard LB LSU is a great player,and we could get him in the 2nd/3rd round.
Here is a look at him:
http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/profile_display.cfm?prospect_id=2531
Keep Vickerson.
i havent seen any video footage on sheppard. i do most of my scouting at work and they block youtube so i will just have to take your word for it. stats look good tho!
BRING BACK THE ORANGE!!!
I find Woody’s assesment intertesting and on target in most cases. But, I’m not so sure that his assesment of the weaskness of the Broncos D is totally on target. A statemernt made by the Chargers HC to the commentators of the game keeps flashing in front of my eyes. He said that the Bromncos defensive schemes had some basic flaws and that he hoped to exploit those flaws. Sounds to me like a part of the Broncos pathetic defensive efforts weren’t entrirtely due to lack of talent. There are major needs on the defensive side of the ball, but, just maybe, we’re not a awful as it seems.
Thanks to all who have read…and thanks to those of you who have posted, too. It is neat to see the passion even in the offseason.
sndvl…you are correct. Elway did run the Colorado Crush. I was referring to his experience as an NFL executive.
baylinorcrush…please don’t get me started on the Pro Bowl! No prediction for that one! But I will preview the Super Bowl next week.
And if I may weigh in on the argyle end zone designs…I’m fine with it.
Mike
Mike can we get a sit down with Fox, Elway or even Allen and get a take on the Senior Bowl and the type of players our new “Front Office” is going to load our roster with?
Enjoyed the reading, Thanks Mike.
Go Broncos!!!
weareamr…thanks for the note. I’ll check into that and see what might be possible. I can’t guarantee anything but I will see if something might work.
Mike