RMN Broncos Inbox

[Traveler]

October 21, 2008 10:50 PM
Broncos Inbox -- Oct. 22
Welcome, the Broncos Inbox is open and leading off is a look at the big picture . . .

SFC Adam Burton asked . . .

Q: Do you think Coach (Mike) Shanahan has too much power? . . . Where do you think the root of the problem is for the Denver Broncos?

A: That is the big question for some, both in and out of the NFL. When Shanahan took the Broncos job in 1995 one of his big requests, given his experiences in Oakland when he was fired after just 20 games, was that he have control over all of the team's football operations.

And owner Pat Bowlen gave him that power and has let Shanahan maintain that power throughout his tenure. Bowlen's feeling was then, and still is, that he wants Shanahan to run the football side of the organization and Bowlen has said publicly he still believes Shanahan is the best man for that job.

After Shanahan's flirtation with the University of Florida a few years back, Bowlen did insert former general manager Ted Sundquist into the equation and Sundquist did oversee some departments like scouting and cap management, but ultimately Sundquist answered to Shanahan on those fronts as well.

And Sundquist was eventually fired, with Bowlen in on the decision, because several team officials thought the disconnect between Shanahan and Sundquist was growing with each passing season.

Overall, however, trends seem to come and go. When Jimmy Johnson was putting together championship teams in Dallas and coaching them as well, the trend was for many teams to try that arrangement.

However, Johnson and owner Jerry Jones finally disagreed enough that Johnson was out/

Mike Holmgren had it fill power in Seattle, but eventually surrendered his general manager duties when he wasn't quite successful enough doing both. Bill Belichick has it in New England, but Scott Pioli is heavily involved in the roster building.

Jeff Fisher, who is the longest tenured coach in the league in his current job - he was promoted with six games remaining in the 1994 season, does not have total control over the football operations, but the team has changed general managers during his tenure and he doe wield plenty of juice in the decision making.

So basically there is no wrong answer to the power structure of a team if you win enough games to please the owner - as in he sells enough tickets, etc... and the people involved are professional enough to make it work.

They usually dissolve when somebody thinks they're not getting enough credit for success, certainly something that has brought down many a winning team over the years. Seems a slight is the most difficult thing to repair.

It's always interesting when team hierarchies - the front office folks -- that constantly demand unselfishness from the players in the locker room are so often un-done by the need for credit when things go well.

Overall, though, whether anyone thinks Shanahan has too much power is always an intriguing debate, but the one person with the vote that counts - Bowlen - doesn't think so right now.

Also the job is too big for one guy to do really. Shanahan has to consistently rely on his scouting and personnel departments to evaluate players during the season because Shanahan has more than enough to do getting ready for an opponent each week.

He can't scout all the players, negotiate all the contracts and do all the gameplanning. He has to delegate and does.

It's why many people may not know assistant general manager Jim Goodman in the public eye, but he has one of the most prominent voices in the organization because Shanahan's trusts his opinion.

Cont...

[Traveler]

Ernest Hodson in Grand Junction leads a six-pack that spoke for a large throng of folks who weighed in on the defense . . .

Q: I notice the Bronco's use 3-4 defense most of the time when they need a stop of the other team. What a joke that defense is . . . Why can't the Broncos blitz more? I know you can get stung sometimes but it cannot be worse than what is happening now.

And John Werner in Illinois . . .

Q: Two questions about the Broncos defense:

Is there an argument to be made that Denver will never have a good defense until it commits to a scheme, finds the players to run it, and then sticks with it for a few seasons. Last year they bailed on Jim Bates' scheme--which had proven to be effective elsewhere--after only a few games. Then they were stuck trying to run a different scheme with players acquired to run Bates' system. This year, as soon as things started to go wrong, they switched to largely a 3-4, despite being coordinated by someone who has never run a 3-4 and using players who were not brought in to play a 3-4. Case in point, Dewayne Robertson, who was brought in partially because he was miscast in the 3-4 in New York. Is it any wonder that the Broncos are playing terrible defense?

Do you think there's any chance that Josh Barrett will be given a chance before the season is out? The safety play is so dreadful, it seems to me that it couldn't hurt to give a promising rookie more playing time. They're not going anywhere with the safeties they're playing now.

And Clay . . .

Q: Have you seen the off-tackle rush be more successful against any other team?

I know the turnovers were big, but let's not say 'except for those, we would have been right in the game.' That's akin to saying 'if we had stopped the run/scored more TDs/prevented them from scoring so much we would have been right in the game.'

What other changes are you expecting/hearing over the next two weeks? I have been the guy continually pushing them to play Jarvis Moss, but with last night's debacle, it's time for Jarvis to be starting. No one can say things could be any worse in the run game, so he might as well use the rest of the season to work on all aspects of his game.

What about Josh Barrett coming to help at safety?

And Steve Justus in Westminster . . .

Q: Any idea why the defense is so awful? The talent level does not appear to be in the bottom three, yet the results are. I would expect a middle of the pack defense based on talent, yet this unit is a bottom feeder. What gives?

And Brian Dell . . .

Q: I can only say; 'Keep your eye on what you hit and hit what you keep your eye on.'
Get back to basics on tackling, hit the man at the hips and he will go down.

And John Barrows . . .

Q: Last week I wrote about how our defense stinks, I think I know why. Our defense was good when we had Al Wilson in the middle. If you look when his injury occurred and basically forced him out is when we saw a decline in the defense. It's the reason why I wanted to the Broncos to go after (Jonathan) Vilma in the last offseason. D.J. Williams is a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, but not in the middle. Watch several games the last couple weeks of teams that had good defenses, they had a very strong middle linebacker. It's like baseball, you always want a strong defense up the middle, and the Broncos don't. And I don't see an improvement until we get a guy that can match Al Wilson's ability, leadership and intensity.

A: I have maintained for some time that at least some of the issue on defense is there isn't the continuity in the team's approach it has had on offense.

They have long-time assistants on offense, have run basically the same scheme for well over a decade and continually pursue players to plug into specific jobs in that scheme.

It's why they are successful at finding running backs late in the draft or among undrafted players. They know what they're looking for and know it when they see it.

That certainly is at work in some of the defensive struggles.

And the 3-4 appears to have been an attempt to cure a run defense that is ailing, because often-times it is a 3-4 in appearance but players have 4-3 responsibilities.

I've also always pointed out that Joe Collier, who knows as much about running the 3-4 as anyone on the planet, has routinely said it can't be played without the right player at nose tackle and that the most difficult player to find is the right player at nose tackle.

That is part of the issue for the Broncos right now. Robertson felt miss-cast playing on the nose in New York and arrived in Denver not wanting to play it for the Broncos. He has said all the right things, but he looks miss-cast at times in the Broncos' look as well. And the Broncos really don't have anyone else with that kind of bulk at the point of attack to play a lot of the time.

That's why they rotate so much in the front three when they do play the scheme. Most teams that play the 3-4 spend a lot of time drafting players to fill it too, including the outside linebacker spots, usually a little bigger, in the 250-, 260-pound range, than the outside linebackers in the a 4-3 scheme, and also a little more suited to getting upfield as well in the pass rush.

Often they are former college defensive ends. Dom Capers, former Panthers and Texans head coach who is now on Belichick's staff in New England always says that is the advantage to playing the 3-4, that you're searching for players in the draft that other teams aren't. So there is less competition.

So, for the Broncos to try and play both a 4-3 and a 3-4 look as their base defenses from time to time with the same personnel doing both is a difficult thing, especially if they don't have the player to consistently put on the nose in the 3-4 look.

On the safeties - and I understand what people are saying - but the bottom line is if you're spending a lot of time talking about tackles the safeties didn't make in the run game, then a defense has a lot bigger problems than at safety.

The safeties should be a bonus in run defense, should be the guys who keep 8-yard runs from being 48-yard runs. But the bulk of the work in run defense needs to get done by the front seven, by winning the line of scrimmage.

John Lynch has been named to nine Pro Bowls - second-most for a safety in league history - but he never led his team in tackles. He was only second on the Buccaneers in tackles in one season - he was usually fourth - and was never higher than fourth with the Broncos.

So one of the most productive safeties in the game wasn't his team's tackle leader. So it's also a bigger issue than safety right now for the Broncos.

The safeties are part of the problem, but they are not the root of the issue. The issue is the Broncos are just not consistently winning the line of scrimmage, not consistently filling the gaps forcing the back to where the help is.

And when they do full a gap, they are not consistently tackling the way they need to be.

The video shows plenty of defenders taking running backs on high. That's a recipe for all but the elite players to miss tackles.

Certainly the Broncos are also going to have to adjust things now as well with cornerback Champ Bailey, who has been the most consistent guy in the defense, out for at least a month.

They aren't going to be able to single him up on a receiver and teams aren't going to avoid that half of the field - the Jaguars and Buccaneers did not attempt a pass at him - because he isn't in the lineup.

It means the Broncos may have to back off some to help in coverage and they may find themselves facing more and three and four wide receiver sets as offenses try to spread them out.

Rookie Jack Williams is expected to play in Bailey's left cornerback spot and is sure to get tested the rest of the way, especially with quarterbacks like Brett Favre, Jake Delhomme, Trent Edwards and Philip Rivers still on the schedule.

The Broncos also continue to believe Moss is making progress and will continue to get some playing time as they continue to try and maintain some pop in the pass rush. They got Matt Cassel six times Monday night, but Cassel came into the game as the second-most sacked starting quarterback in the league.

Only the 49ers J.T. O'Sullivan had been sacked more.

The pass rush will now be more important than ever with Champ Bailey out for a month and Boss Bailey out for the remainder of the year and perhaps even some into next season if he has microfracture surgery on his knee.

Cont...

[Traveler]

Chris Boyle in Los Angeles took a rare look at the offense this week . . .

Q: How many down-the-field interceptions does Jay Cutler have to throw before Mike Shanahan reins him in? I know the coach says it's better to have a guy willing to take his shots, you can't teach that sort of gutsiness, etc. but isn't this getting bad? With a defense that cannot stop anyone and only one proven ball-control running back on the roster, the high-percentage short passing game would seem to be the only way to have a chance. What is Shanahan's thought process? Is the backup wide receiver play so poor that the Broncos can't go to four or five wide receivers, spread out the formation and just dink and dunk? Is Shanahan trying to train (quarterbacks coach) Jeremy Bates with trial-and-error as much as he is Jay Cutler? Or is Shanahan still living out the internal drama of failing with Jake Plummer by turning him into a drone, thereby refusing to make that same mistake with Cutler? Based on your interviews and insight, what could possibly explain the acceptance of all these long picks?

A: The biggest reason is Cutler has the arm to get it to that spot on the field. You don't see Chad Pennington with a lot of down the field interceptions because he can't consistently get the ball into those areas of the field.

But your point is certainly one to consider, what is too many? Shanahan doesn't want any, truth be told.

He despises turnovers and his offense has had plenty of them this season, especially over the last four games. Cutler has thrown five interceptions in those four games, a total that includes two against the Patriots and two against Kansas City.

They don't want to rein him in, however. His boldness, the fact his eyes almost never drop from looking downfield to the oncoming rush - something plenty of scouts and offensive coaches look for in a quarterback prospect and don't see very often - are traits they want him to always have.

They did rein Plummer in significantly in his time in Denver, so much so they eventually became frustrated with Plummer's reluctance to throw the ball down the field though Plummer was steadfast in his belief he was doing exactly what the Broncos wanted him to do.

But ultimately it was one of the biggest reasons the Broncos made the change to Cutler in the 2006 season. They thought their drop-back passing game was suffering with Plummer.

Some of it is just basic learning curve. John Elway threw at least 15 interceptions in four of his first six full seasons as a starter, including a career-high 23 in his third year as a starter. Cutler is in his third year as a starter.

Peyton Manning led the league in interceptions as a rookie with 28 and threw 23 in his fourth year as a starter. Manning has always said one of the most important developmental moments in his career was to learn "that a punt wasn't a bad play.''

Cutler is still learning the balance between patience and bravado, because he knows plenty of defenses are going try his patience the rest of the way.

Most teams are going to play him with the idea that he won't consistently take the underneath stuff.

But the easiest way for the Broncos to get defenses out of a scheme where they drop more players deeper into coverage is to run them out of it. To run the ball well enough to draw the safeties up and give Cutler a little more room to work down the field.

But the Broncos have to have the lead to do that and they can't turn the ball over as often as they have been.

It all goes together. But in the end, they want Cutler to be bold at the moment; their thinking is he will find where the balance is, just like most quarterbacks who make the leap to being among the league's better passers.

And finally Dennis Smythe points out . . .

Q: The Broncos were budget aware last offseason with their free agent signings. At this point in the season, I'd argue that almost every veteran free agent the Broncos signed this year has not worked out. Marlon McCree, Marquand Manuel and Calvin Lowry have been sub-par at best at safety, Niko Koutouvides did not earn the starting middle linebacker job, and Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert did not live up to their hype. The only contributors have been Casey Wiegmann, Michael Pittman, and possibly Boss Bailey. Do you think the Broncos will consider signing some higher-profile, more expensive free agents this off season to shore up their talent base, particularly on defense?

A: They say they are committed to building with youth and the draft and two of their last three drafts have made the guts of this team.

I've always felt like that's the way to sustain things in the salary cap era. But if they miss the playoffs, that new-found resolve will certainly be tested.

But you raise something worth looking at since McCree has been benched - or at least was for the Patriots games - while Koutouvides did not become the starter they expected, they traded Colbert already and Jackson has five catches as he has struggled with a calf injury.

Boss Bailey will miss the remainder of the year with a knee injury. Pittman and Wiegmann are currently starters.

But overall the free agent class has not worked out as they had hoped. That may even deter them even more when they look at the dollars spent and the return they got.

Free agency is expensive and getting more expensive all the time. It's a great market for the front-line players, but it's always something teams feel they need to look at.

Shanahan has always said the toughest thing to gauge in the whole thing is how the player will react once he gets the mega-deal.

The Broncos will always use free agency some - it's in their DNA - but they've said they're committed to the draft and youth. They'll get another chance to prove it next spring.


That's it and thanks.

--Jeff Legwold

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/broncos/archives/2008/10/broncos_inbox_o_2.html

[SR]

My gut tells me this is Shanny's last season as head coach of Broncos.

[Traveler]

My gut tells me this is Shanny's last season as head coach of Broncos.

We will see..

[SR]

I remember when Bob Hartley was the coach of the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup runs. Their GM was a genius. Of course then, there was no salary cap in the NHL. Pierre Lacroix was the GM then. He brought in all of the biggest, most high profile people on the market at or near the trade deadline. He did it with Theo Fleury, Ray Bourque, Rob Blake, etc. Hartley was the coach of the Avs for YEARS. He was fired a couple of seasons after the Avalanche won the '01 Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils in seven games (I will never forget game seven...one of the best, most emotional sports memories in history). It was widely believed that he was fired because the players didn't respect him enough to listen to him anymore. He was fired, and Tony Granato finished the season as the head coach before Joel Quenneville was brought in. Just a thought.

[Traveler]

I remember when Bob Hartley was the coach of the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup runs. Their GM was a genius. Of course then, there was no salary cap in the NHL. Pierre Lacroix was the GM then. He brought in all of the biggest, most high profile people on the market at or near the trade deadline. He did it with Theo Fleury, Ray Bourque, Rob Blake, etc. Hartley was the coach of the Avs for YEARS. He was fired a couple of seasons after the Avalanche won the '01 Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils in seven games (I will never forget game seven...one of the best, most emotional sports memories in history). It was widely believed that he was fired because the players didn't respect him enough to listen to him anymore. He was fired, and Tony Granato finished the season as the head coach before Joel Quenneville was brought in. Just a thought.

So, what you are saying is the we should expect even more years of Broncos mediocrity? ;)

[SR]

So, what you are saying is the we should expect even more years of Broncos mediocrity? ;)

Hopefully not. I was more referring to the personnel moves, not so much the performance of the team. The Avs and Broncos are alike in more ways than one. In 2001, the Avs had THE team. The won the President's trophy (most points), they had the league MVP (Peter Forsberg) the "Rocket" Richard trophy winner (Milan Hejduk), and they had sure fire future hall of famers on their team to include Ray Bourque, Rob Blake, Joe Sakic, and Patrick Roy. They were also loaded with young talent like Chris Drury and Alex Tanguay. But when Forsberg left for the Flyers, Bourque retired, Blake went back to the Kings, Patrick Roy retired, Alex Tanguay and Chris Drury were both traded to the Flames at different times, you kinda aren't left with much. Denver lost Eddie Mac, Romo, Atwater, Elway, TD, and the list goes on. After thinking about it and pondering the similarities, I'm not so much a fan of Shanahan right now.

[BroncoJoe]

Maybe Houston will continue to suck, Kubs will resign/be fired and come back here to take over the Broncos.

[Lonestar]

My gut tells me this is Shanny's last season as head coach of Broncos.

lets hope so.. he is great on offense but personnel and defense well lets jsut say he is no Vince Lombardi

[WARHORSE]

My gut tells me this is Shanny's last season as head coach of Broncos.


lol..........

[SR]

Laugh all you want. I'm not making any predictions, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. How many straight years of mediocrity are you willing to accept? How many years of it is Pat Bowlen willing to accept? We went to the AFCCG THREE years ago, and that one playoff game we won against New England was the one playoff game we've won between when we beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl and today. I'm kinda tired of it.

[shank]

clay, is that you?

[Bronco Yoda]

My gut tells me this is Shanny's last season as head coach of Broncos.

If anything me thinks Cutler and the future possibilities he brings will keep Shanahan here for some time.