OldManBronco
03-03-2008, 08:17 PM
March 2nd col. from Dave Krieger
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/02/krieger-broncos-offseason-moves-puzzling/
On the third day of the NFL's free agency period, the Broncos rested.
Of course, they mostly rested the first two days, too, so they may not be on the seven-day plan.
So far, we can draw the following conclusions:
* Pat Bowlen meant it when he said cash was an issue. As I understand it, their biggest splash in free agency so far is the guy who hosts The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
* Mike Shanahan meant it when he said the Broncos were more talented than their 7-9 record indicated. If Bill Parcells ("You are what your record says you are") represents the school of NFL realism, perhaps Shanahan represents the school of surrealism.
* Bowlen meant it when he said chemistry, not talent, was the problem last year. Meet your scapegoats for the '07 season: Todd Sauerbrun, Javon Walker and Ian Gold. And please hold the door for them on their way out.
The biggest surprise so far is that the Broncos have shown no urgency to improve their defense after finishing 28th in the NFL in points allowed. Boss Bailey, Champ's younger brother, may or may not have been in town Sunday. Bailey would be an upgrade over Nate Webster at strong- side linebacker, but his Detroit numbers do not suggest a difference-maker.
Other than that, they've re-signed Ebenezer Ekuban and John Lynch, a pair of veterans on the downhill side.
The theory here must be that the defensive deficiencies were mostly Jim Bates' fault. The former assistant head coach/defense is out the door, so, like Sauerbrun, Walker and Gold, he can be loaded up with baggage from '07.
The Broncos point out that they gave up 187 rushing yards per game for the first five weeks of the season, using Bates' scheme. After that, defensive coordinator Bob Slowik gained influence. Over the final 11 weeks, the Broncos surrendered 122 rushing yards per game.
Based on this progress, Shanahan believes essentially the same defense will per- form much better under Slo- wik than it did under Bates.
As a point of comparison, the Packers made exactly the opposite bet, switching from Slowik to Bates as their defensive coordinator between the 2004 and 2005 seasons. As a result of this change, they improved from 23rd in points allowed in '04 to 20th in '05.
You might recall that Bowlen's chief disappointment in last year's team was the chemistry. "The esprit de corps, for lack of a better expression, I don't know where it was," he said in his season postmortem.
The fault for this, apparently, lay with Sauerbrun, Walker and Gold. Sauerbrun was cut before the season ended following an embarrassing drunken episode. Walker and Gold were cut last week.
It may seem a little odd to blame Walker, who had no off-field trouble, more than Travis Henry, who was at the center of a seasonlong soap opera over his trail of progeny across four states and a failed drug test he beat on appeal. Henry's lack of discipline may not be confined to his personal life. Opposing scouts suggest he is injury prone because he seldom reports in top shape.
In fact, it looks like the bottom line here is less character and more the bottom line. Walker declined to renegotiate his contract; Henry accepted a substantial cut.
But the Walker case illustrates the sort of financial mistake that may have dictated this year's frugal posture. The Broncos have been in the habit of acquiring players such as Walker and Dre Bly and immediately giving them huge new deals without making them play a year first.
Two years ago, the Broncos made Walker their No. 1 receiver. Two years later, he is persona non grata - and a $7 million hit on the salary cap. This is the sort of flip-flop that makes you wonder about Broncos management.
Meanwhile, their first run at a replacement is the big splash so far, free agent Keary Colbert, a former second-round draft pick who hasn't caught a touchdown pass in two years.
Another head-scratcher was Shanahan's absence from the NFL scouting combine, which wrapped up last week in Indianapolis. In the year he declared the Broncos would shift their emphasis from free agency to the draft, he elected not to watch the draft class work out in person.
For now, the Broncos have eight picks in the draft, including two of the first 42. If they can turn those top picks into playmakers, they might yet improve their talent level for the coming year. Or, they might trade down and increase the size of their draft haul rather than trade up and decrease it, as they have the last two years.
Mainly, they are counting on improvement from the three defensive linemen they drafted in 2007. The two lines remain the team's weakest links. Tom Nalen's return at center should help on the offensive side, but Ben Hamilton's concussion issues leave the Broncos one helmet-to-helmet hit away from another hole to plug.
A great draft, of course, could solve a lot of these problems. Based on their apparent lack of interest in the free agent market, it looks like they will need one.
The question I have for "those in the know about the combine" is it normal for the HC to go to the combine?
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/02/krieger-broncos-offseason-moves-puzzling/
On the third day of the NFL's free agency period, the Broncos rested.
Of course, they mostly rested the first two days, too, so they may not be on the seven-day plan.
So far, we can draw the following conclusions:
* Pat Bowlen meant it when he said cash was an issue. As I understand it, their biggest splash in free agency so far is the guy who hosts The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.
* Mike Shanahan meant it when he said the Broncos were more talented than their 7-9 record indicated. If Bill Parcells ("You are what your record says you are") represents the school of NFL realism, perhaps Shanahan represents the school of surrealism.
* Bowlen meant it when he said chemistry, not talent, was the problem last year. Meet your scapegoats for the '07 season: Todd Sauerbrun, Javon Walker and Ian Gold. And please hold the door for them on their way out.
The biggest surprise so far is that the Broncos have shown no urgency to improve their defense after finishing 28th in the NFL in points allowed. Boss Bailey, Champ's younger brother, may or may not have been in town Sunday. Bailey would be an upgrade over Nate Webster at strong- side linebacker, but his Detroit numbers do not suggest a difference-maker.
Other than that, they've re-signed Ebenezer Ekuban and John Lynch, a pair of veterans on the downhill side.
The theory here must be that the defensive deficiencies were mostly Jim Bates' fault. The former assistant head coach/defense is out the door, so, like Sauerbrun, Walker and Gold, he can be loaded up with baggage from '07.
The Broncos point out that they gave up 187 rushing yards per game for the first five weeks of the season, using Bates' scheme. After that, defensive coordinator Bob Slowik gained influence. Over the final 11 weeks, the Broncos surrendered 122 rushing yards per game.
Based on this progress, Shanahan believes essentially the same defense will per- form much better under Slo- wik than it did under Bates.
As a point of comparison, the Packers made exactly the opposite bet, switching from Slowik to Bates as their defensive coordinator between the 2004 and 2005 seasons. As a result of this change, they improved from 23rd in points allowed in '04 to 20th in '05.
You might recall that Bowlen's chief disappointment in last year's team was the chemistry. "The esprit de corps, for lack of a better expression, I don't know where it was," he said in his season postmortem.
The fault for this, apparently, lay with Sauerbrun, Walker and Gold. Sauerbrun was cut before the season ended following an embarrassing drunken episode. Walker and Gold were cut last week.
It may seem a little odd to blame Walker, who had no off-field trouble, more than Travis Henry, who was at the center of a seasonlong soap opera over his trail of progeny across four states and a failed drug test he beat on appeal. Henry's lack of discipline may not be confined to his personal life. Opposing scouts suggest he is injury prone because he seldom reports in top shape.
In fact, it looks like the bottom line here is less character and more the bottom line. Walker declined to renegotiate his contract; Henry accepted a substantial cut.
But the Walker case illustrates the sort of financial mistake that may have dictated this year's frugal posture. The Broncos have been in the habit of acquiring players such as Walker and Dre Bly and immediately giving them huge new deals without making them play a year first.
Two years ago, the Broncos made Walker their No. 1 receiver. Two years later, he is persona non grata - and a $7 million hit on the salary cap. This is the sort of flip-flop that makes you wonder about Broncos management.
Meanwhile, their first run at a replacement is the big splash so far, free agent Keary Colbert, a former second-round draft pick who hasn't caught a touchdown pass in two years.
Another head-scratcher was Shanahan's absence from the NFL scouting combine, which wrapped up last week in Indianapolis. In the year he declared the Broncos would shift their emphasis from free agency to the draft, he elected not to watch the draft class work out in person.
For now, the Broncos have eight picks in the draft, including two of the first 42. If they can turn those top picks into playmakers, they might yet improve their talent level for the coming year. Or, they might trade down and increase the size of their draft haul rather than trade up and decrease it, as they have the last two years.
Mainly, they are counting on improvement from the three defensive linemen they drafted in 2007. The two lines remain the team's weakest links. Tom Nalen's return at center should help on the offensive side, but Ben Hamilton's concussion issues leave the Broncos one helmet-to-helmet hit away from another hole to plug.
A great draft, of course, could solve a lot of these problems. Based on their apparent lack of interest in the free agent market, it looks like they will need one.
The question I have for "those in the know about the combine" is it normal for the HC to go to the combine?