Talked to Ted Sundquist

[BroncoAV06]

Had Ted on the show talking college football since he works for The MTN, but I asked him about how important is it for an NFL team to have a soild GM and that division from the coach. Talked about during the Shany days of course Mike signed off on the final move but that he did not have to deal with the day to day stuff on a major basis. They had a solid staff in place and he belives that it is better for a team if teh coach does not have to handle everything.

I find it interesting since it is a topic that is brought up, the Broncos having a weak front office staff. I think that a team needs to have a solid GM and let the coach do his job even if the coach wants all the power.

[gobroncsnv]

Don't think you'll find much opposition to this thread...

[robert ethan]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad. That is about all you can expect. No one is going to bat 1.000 in trades or at the draft. The critics pull out their microscopes to find the deals and draft picks Josh has made which didn't work out well (yet). The instances of his good moves are more numerous and more obvious, but get conveniently ignored. By the same people who predicted total disaster at the QB spot when Cutler was traded. Or total disaster at the receiver positions when Marshall and Scheffler were dealt. In fact the club appears stronger, and certainly more harmonious, at both positions now. Plus the team has a raft of extra draft picks to show for the change.

The biggest single reason the team is where they are at the moment is a completely inept defensive strategy. The team is dead last in the league in defense despite having fairly good talent and depth on that side of the ball. Martindale and/or his position coachs have failed miserably. I'm sure they were the ones Pat Bowlen referred to when he mentioned that if Josh didn't change some of the assistant coachs, he would do it himself.

[BORDERLINE]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad.

please tell....
Orton for Cutler was an even exchange for the most part.
Orton doesn't make many mistakes, Cutler makes alot
But when the game is on the line Cutler can get you a T.D/Interception
Orton can only win the game if he gets a P.I call

The RB position, come on trading Hillis Worst trade besides the Viking trade for Moss this year.

The WR position i'll give you that to an extent...

trading a first to get a second round CB, then trading your starting pass catching T.E to detroit. Sending your second round CB to detroit for there 3rd string T.E...:tsk:

Drafting a 3 offensive players in the first round in your first two drafts when you need to help a bottom dwelling defense.Who turned out like this

1. Knowson: below average running back
2. D.T: Fragile WR. Great Speed but a gust of wind my bring him down
3.Tebow: touchdown machine in the redzone, but not used at all for anything else.

I'll say this MCD believes he could make TEBOW a great Q.B it will be a shame if he doesn't even start for him one game. You draft players in the first round that can help you right away. Not to do make that player into your little project. Only winning teams could do that but they don't even do it there first round picks help them stay winning.

[Northman]

The biggest single reason the team is where they are at the moment is a completely inept defensive strategy.

A strategy that McD installed.



Martindale and/or his position coachs have failed miserably. I'm sure they were the ones Pat Bowlen referred to when he mentioned that if Josh didn't change some of the assistant coachs, he would do it himself.

Do you have link to the Bowlen comments regarding that ultimatum? Also, McD is the one that pissed all over Nolan who had the defense playing much better than this so Wink was McD's replacement guy. If its failed its because McD put him in that position to fail.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

This morning on the ticket, it was being discussed about Coach McD's hiring, and the consensus was (can't remember who the guest was) that Coach McD did not demand running the whole show, but rather it was handed to him.

[topscribe]

please tell....
Orton for Cutler was an even exchange for the most part.
Orton doesn't make many mistakes, Cutler makes alot
But when the game is on the line Cutler can get you a T.D/Interception
Orton can only win the game if he gets a P.I call

The RB position, come on trading Hillis Worst trade besides the Viking trade for Moss this year.

The WR position i'll give you that to an extent...

trading a first to get a second round CB, then trading your starting pass catching T.E to detroit. Sending your second round CB to detroit for there 3rd string T.E...:tsk:

Drafting a 3 offensive players in the first round in your first two drafts when you need to help a bottom dwelling defense.Who turned out like this

1. Knowson: below average running back
2. D.T: Fragile WR. Great Speed but a gust of wind my bring him down
3.Tebow: touchdown machine in the redzone, but not used at all for anything else.

I'll say this MCD believes he could make TEBOW a great Q.B it will be a shame if he doesn't even start for him one game. You draft players in the first round that can help you right away. Not to do make that player into your little project. Only winning teams could do that but they don't even do it there first round picks help them stay winning.

Cutler for Orton wasn't an even exchange. The Broncos got 2 1st rounders
plus a 3rd plus Orton for Cutler and a 5th. That's not even.

Name a football player, anywhere, who does not make mistakes. Then get
back to me.

As discussed in another thread, Cutler did not have that reputation of
coming through with the game on the line in Denver. He was known for
throwing interceptions, though.

Knowshon has averaged 4.8 YPC the last three games. Define "average."

You're a bit hasty to judge D.T. He has had some injury problems, but that
does not make him fragile. Unlucky, maybe, but not necessarily fragile. He
needs more than his rookie year with most truly objective people.

And I don't understand your "gust of wind" remark on D.T. It seems to me
he has done a good job breaking tackles when he was given the
opportunity.

One or two yards away from the goal line is a different story than playing
out the game. Tebow has run for some touchdowns. So has Moreno, but
that doesn't make Moreno a good QB.


I'm not crazy about the personnel decisions out of the FO, either, but not
for many of the reasons you provided . . .

-----

[EMB6903]

whoever thinks Knowshon is a below average RB needs to watch football.

Knowshon isnt a break away threat. hes not going to bust out for 50+ gains like most elite RB's but he will move the chains provided a good OLINE and a coach whose committed to running the ball.

a lot of fans dont realize that RB's need their touches to break out.. And Knowshon isnt getting them, whether its health concerns or Mcdaniels being too committed to passing the ball.. Hes yet to have a fair chance to prove himself.

[EMB6903]

This morning on the ticket, it was being discussed about Coach McD's hiring, and the consensus was (can't remember who the guest was) that Coach McD did not demand running the whole show, but rather it was handed to him.

Thats wierd.. because when Mcdaniels was hired first it was reported that he would be the HC and the final decisions would go to the goodmans (the ones who drafted Cutler, Marshall, Dumervil, Scheffler, and Clady) yet 2 weeks later they were fired and Xanders was promoted...

[itsalloverfatman]

Knowshon isn't a breakaway back, but he is a three-down back who can run, catch and block in the passing game.

As for the trades - not every deal is going to work out. Would everyone prefer the Broncos win on the small deals like Hillis/Quinn and fail on the gigantic deals ala Cutler and Marshall?

Personally, I'd prefer we win the big deals and screw up the little ones...

[scott.475]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad. That is about all you can expect. No one is going to bat 1.000 in trades or at the draft. The critics pull out their microscopes to find the deals and draft picks Josh has made which didn't work out well (yet). The instances of his good moves are more numerous and more obvious, but get conveniently ignored. By the same people who predicted total disaster at the QB spot when Cutler was traded. Or total disaster at the receiver positions when Marshall and Scheffler were dealt. In fact the club appears stronger, and certainly more harmonious, at both positions now. Plus the team has a raft of extra draft picks to show for the change.

The biggest single reason the team is where they are at the moment is a completely inept defensive strategy. The team is dead last in the league in defense despite having fairly good talent and depth on that side of the ball. Martindale and/or his position coachs have failed miserably. I'm sure they were the ones Pat Bowlen referred to when he mentioned that if Josh didn't change some of the assistant coachs, he would do it himself.

You're Josh's mom, aren't you? That's okay, I understand thinking your child can do no wrong.

[Ravage!!!]

whoever thinks Knowshon is a below average RB needs to watch football.

Knowshon isnt a break away threat. hes not going to bust out for 50+ gains like most elite RB's but he will move the chains provided a good OLINE and a coach whose committed to running the ball.

a lot of fans dont realize that RB's need their touches to break out.. And Knowshon isnt getting them, whether its health concerns or Mcdaniels being too committed to passing the ball.. Hes yet to have a fair chance to prove himself.

It's "whomever" and SCREW that noise.

I watch a TON of football, and I think he's an average to below average RB in the NFL.

ANY RB in the NFL can "move the chains" if they have an OL that can push the defense backwards. Big deal. If you want to be labeled as something BETTER than the average guy coming out of college, then you BETTER be able to make a game-breaking play and be able to take one 50+ yrds!!

A LOT of fans purely want to name any RB on the Denver roster as something special, or, because they liked them in college aren't willing to admit that they aren't good in the NFL. Having just 1, 100 yrd game..... says a LOT about his abilities. I think even Q had more than that.

[Krugan]

To be fair ravage, he gets crap for touches.

Not saying I think he is a game breaker back, but im thinking if they gave him the rock more often, he would see more 100 yard games.

Its just not in the system to pound the rock, ohh wait im just stating the obvious there.

Anyway...

[robert ethan]

please tell....
Orton for Cutler was an even exchange for the most part.
Orton doesn't make many mistakes, Cutler makes alot
But when the game is on the line Cutler can get you a T.D/Interception
Orton can only win the game if he gets a P.I call

The RB position, come on trading Hillis Worst trade besides the Viking trade for Moss this year.

The WR position i'll give you that to an extent...

trading a first to get a second round CB, then trading your starting pass catching T.E to detroit. Sending your second round CB to detroit for there 3rd string T.E...:tsk:

Drafting a 3 offensive players in the first round in your first two drafts when you need to help a bottom dwelling defense.Who turned out like this

1. Knowson: below average running back
2. D.T: Fragile WR. Great Speed but a gust of wind my bring him down
3.Tebow: touchdown machine in the redzone, but not used at all for anything else.

I'll say this MCD believes he could make TEBOW a great Q.B it will be a shame if he doesn't even start for him one game. You draft players in the first round that can help you right away. Not to do make that player into your little project. Only winning teams could do that but they don't even do it there first round picks help them stay winning.

...Orton for Cutler was an "even exchange". So two first round draft picks (#18 and #11 overall) mean nothing?

....They got a 5th round pick for Sheffler (who seems to be 3rd string in Det, by the way) which brought Perrish Cox, who beat out Alphonso Smith, who was traded for Dan Gronkowski, who beat out R. Quinn for backup TE (and plays FB, and has caught more passes than Scheffler over the past few weeks).

...Bronco defense was top 10 in the league in 2009. Before they added Bannen, Green, Williams, Nate, Hunter, Mays, Vickerson, etc. Not to mention 2009 rookies like Ayers, Smith, McBath, and Bruton having a year to learn the system. What would lead you to think the defense was the weak spot heading into the 2010 draft?

[EMB6903]

It's "whomever" and SCREW that noise.

I watch a TON of football, and I think he's an average to below average RB in the NFL.

ANY RB in the NFL can "move the chains" if they have an OL that can push the defense backwards. Big deal. If you want to be labeled as something BETTER than the average guy coming out of college, then you BETTER be able to make a game-breaking play and be able to take one 50+ yrds!!

A LOT of fans purely want to name any RB on the Denver roster as something special, or, because they liked them in college aren't willing to admit that they aren't good in the NFL. Having just 1, 100 yrd game..... says a LOT about his abilities. I think even Q had more than that.

gotta love the grammar smack... not "suprising" coming from you... Ill give you something to work for.....

What makes you think hes a below averege back? fumbles?

realy thats the only thing I can hate on Knowshon for aside from the injurys.I guess you could say production but you'd prove to me that you arent really watching the games.

As a previous poster had said earlier.. Knowshon is not going to make many flashy plays.. Ill admit he will rarely beat a DB once in the open field I still think he could be a productive RB.

IMO when healthy he should be used as a 3 down back who carries the ball atleast 20 times a game..

Give Knowshon the ball more then 10 times a game and I think he could easily be a top 10 back in this league.

[broncofaninfla]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad. That is about all you can expect. No one is going to bat 1.000 in trades or at the draft. The critics pull out their microscopes to find the deals and draft picks Josh has made which didn't work out well (yet). The instances of his good moves are more numerous and more obvious, but get conveniently ignored. By the same people who predicted total disaster at the QB spot when Cutler was traded. Or total disaster at the receiver positions when Marshall and Scheffler were dealt. In fact the club appears stronger, and certainly more harmonious, at both positions now. Plus the team has a raft of extra draft picks to show for the change.

The biggest single reason the team is where they are at the moment is a completely inept defensive strategy. The team is dead last in the league in defense despite having fairly good talent and depth on that side of the ball. Martindale and/or his position coachs have failed miserably. I'm sure they were the ones Pat Bowlen referred to when he mentioned that if Josh didn't change some of the assistant coachs, he would do it himself.


No offense but I read your posts somtimes and wonder if we are talking about the same team.

[robert ethan]

No offense but I read your posts somtimes and wonder if we are talking about the same team.

Yeah, sorry, I don't mean to be rude towards supporters of other teams. I just know more about the Broncos, and don't have time to cover them all.

No offense taken.:welcome:

[rationalfan]

sundquist is probably right, but it's convenient that a person hoping to be a gm is talking about the importance of having a gm in the organization.

[jhildebrand]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad. .

Please expand on this and provide some kind of logical and accurate documentation to support your point.

We'll wait.....:coffee:

[BroncoAV06]

sundquist is probably right, but it's convenient that a person hoping to be a gm is talking about the importance of having a gm in the organization.

I actually found him to be pretty honest, we asked him about the labor issue and he had a great response, (can't remember at the moment, did 6hrs of radio today) then the GM question. You can tell when people are trying to be careful with answers and I thought he was straight with everything.

You look at yes NE, KC, Atl, a few off the top of my head they have/had strong GM's in place and IMO I think it benifits a team to have checks and balances, someone to tell the other to get over it lets work it out if we can.
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums

[Lancane]

Having a true General Manager is always a plus, but experience is the key. We can ill afford to have another G.M. that simply rolls over for a coach to please him, refusing to put his foot down when needed. We need a General Manager that has the power to hire and fire at will, even above the President & CEO of the organization.

And it's not easy to give that power to someone, but it would be the smartest move in this case, especially if the organization wants to try and keep McDaniels. He's a tool, but if he's stripped of his duties all but coaching...then it's at least a start in right direction. I doubt it will happen, he'd be more inclined to resign his position, because then he can not make the moves he feels are right. Either way, it would be good for the organization.

[GEM]

Yeah, sorry, I don't mean to be rude towards supporters of other teams. I just know more about the Broncos, and don't have time to cover them all.

No offense taken.:welcome:

Know more about the Broncos....I seriously wonder if you've watched a single game since McDaniels became coach.

And anytime you hear the excuse don't have time to cover them all....usually means...my opinion isn't based in any logic or fact so therefore I don't have anything to back up what I'm saying, so I'll just throw it out there and say I don't have time to back up what I type.

[BroncoStud]

McDaniels and Xanders have made more good moves than bad. That is about all you can expect. No one is going to bat 1.000 in trades or at the draft. The critics pull out their microscopes to find the deals and draft picks Josh has made which didn't work out well (yet). The instances of his good moves are more numerous and more obvious, but get conveniently ignored. By the same people who predicted total disaster at the QB spot when Cutler was traded. Or total disaster at the receiver positions when Marshall and Scheffler were dealt. In fact the club appears stronger, and certainly more harmonious, at both positions now. Plus the team has a raft of extra draft picks to show for the change.

The biggest single reason the team is where they are at the moment is a completely inept defensive strategy. The team is dead last in the league in defense despite having fairly good talent and depth on that side of the ball. Martindale and/or his position coachs have failed miserably. I'm sure they were the ones Pat Bowlen referred to when he mentioned that if Josh didn't change some of the assistant coachs, he would do it himself.

I would love a hit off of what you're smoking man... The front office moves have been a debacle. You really think Orton/Lloyd/Moreno is better than Cutler/Marshall/Hillis? Hmmm... 8-8 or 3-8 and probably 3-13 or 4-12?

Cutler and his Bears are winning the NFC North. Hillis has led the Browns to a very good season (for their standards) and Marshall has good production despite no QB in Miami...

Of the 3 the Marshall move was the least disasterous because of what he was asking and his off-field issues. If Orton can hit wide open WRs in this system why couldn't Cutler do it, only 10-15 yards deeper? If Orton could run (at all) we would conver so many more 3rd downs and help the defense out, yet Cutler was already a proven-mobile QB.

McDaniels should have left the offense alone and focused almost entirely on the defense and we might just be playing in the postseason as opposed to the 1st pick in the draft.

Total nonsense post on your part. :elefant:

[The Glue Factory]

A strategy that McD installed.

Nevermind the horrible defense that was handed off to him. Your statement sounds like our defense was top 10 rather than bottom 5. Care to revise your statement?

Let's review...
McD instantly let go 9 of the 11 starters prior to any practices and (to my knowledge) none of those starters are playing in the NFL currently (and it's not due to injury either.) Don't tell me Shanny was spectacular on defense. As I recall that was the reason he was fired. 7 different DCs in the past 9 years would make any defense suffer.

Which brings us to these conclusions...
Since we let go much of the defensive starters we're at a net deficit on defense regarding talent which needs to be upgraded, BIG TIME! And THAT can't be completed in just 2 years with the train wreck of a defense that we have. Of the players that remain we've been through more scheme changes than Wiley Coyote's failed plans to catch the roadrunner which means that we've got a bunch of players that don't fit the current scheme very well. I'd like to see us stick with a DC for more than 3 years and see what happens.

[Fan in Exile]

I totally can not take Ted seriously. Does anyone else remember the blog he had where he spent time justifying his picks? It drove you crazy the way he talked about people who were not long for this league.

I'm half tempted to give McD all the power, just because Ted says the opposite.

[Northman]

Nevermind the horrible defense that was handed off to him. Your statement sounds like our defense was top 10 rather than bottom 5. Care to revise your statement?

Uh no. McD brought in the 3-4 defense as that is what he wanted to run. Whether or not our defense was top 10 is irrelevant. Ironically though, the guy he brought in to run the system ended up improving the defense without help on the Dline. But, of course McD ran him out of town also. Care to revise your statement? Did i stutter?


Let's review...
McD instantly let go 9 of the 11 starters prior to any practices and (to my knowledge) none of those starters are playing in the NFL currently (and it's not due to injury either.) Don't tell me Shanny was spectacular on defense. As I recall that was the reason he was fired. 7 different DCs in the past 9 years would make any defense suffer.

This has nothing to with Shanahan genius. That guy was let go and now its all about concentrating on the CURRENT HC and what he is doing with the team. Try to stay with me.


Which brings us to these conclusions...
Since we let go much of the defensive starters we're at a net deficit on defense regarding talent which needs to be upgraded, BIG TIME! And THAT can't be completed in just 2 years with the train wreck of a defense that we have. Of the players that remain we've been through more scheme changes than Wiley Coyote's failed plans to catch the roadrunner which means that we've got a bunch of players that don't fit the current scheme very well. I'd like to see us stick with a DC for more than 3 years and see what happens.

And who's to blame for the DC problems now? Yea, you guessed it genius. McDaniels. As to the players, thank god he got rid of the dead weight. But you dont just build a defense through the draft. There are/were plenty of FA's out there he could easily gone after but didnt want too for his own reasons. But either way, when your defense goes from 29th to around 13th or better for most of the year i would say that DC did his job considering he didnt have ALL those players you say we dont have. Wouldnt you agree? So who's to blame for why that DC isnt here anymore? Yea, thats right. McDaniels.

[BORDERLINE]

Orton/Lloyd/Moreno is better than Cutler/Marshall/Hillis?

Now being at 3-8 Cutler/Hillis/Marshall does look a whole lot better...
You made real good points on orton being able to hit wide open WR
Cutler would have done the same as well

With that said...I supported the Cutler trade for Orton...and what did we really get guys.
Moreno=average back, Ayers=yet to step up, Orton=game mangager

Cutler would be able to win those close games in the 4th quarter But, he can also lose them with the interceptions. His stupid little faces he made after he threw a pick really used to pist me off. Orton will not win a close game most of the time you guys have seen enough games to know this.

that's why I say it was an even exchange.

[The Glue Factory]

This has nothing to with Shanahan genius. That guy was let go and now its all about concentrating on the CURRENT HC and what he is doing with the team. Try to stay with me.

So McD works in an isolated bubble where anything that happened under Shanahan doesn't affect what he does? If only the real world worked that way! My point about Shanahan's defense is that the baseline McD had to start from was the horrible talent he inherited. I agree he hasn't done the best in shoring up the defense since becoming HC in Denver. I also concur that he improved things last year, slightly, but continued the sins of the past by letting Nolan waltz over to Miami. Neither of those points did I state in my post.

My point (apparently you missed it) is that the defense in Denver has not had any chance at all of settling into any kind of rythm because it gets changed almost every year, either because of a new DC (and consequently a new scheme because Rhodes does things differently than Robinson who does things differently than Coyer and you get the pricture) or switching defensive alignments (4-3 to 3-4.)

After so much turmoil in the defense McD probably did the one right thing last year and jettisoned anyone not fit for the NFL or what Nolan wanted to do. Something Shanahan SHOULD have done instead of shopping for the DC flavor of the month. I don't know what happened between Nolan and McD (and it appears that Nolan didn't find McD a person he could work with) but the only thing that will get this defense better at this point is for there to be a single DC (preferably a competent one) allowed to do his job for more than 3 years with the kind of talent that hasn't been seen in the NFL since Shanahan put them on the starting team.