Elway Possible GM?

[nmbroncosfan]

Vic Lombardi brought it up during the sports cast on news 4 CBS Denver tonight. Talking about how Bronco-Mania isn't the same, and that the Broncos season ticket waiting list is growing shorter. The Broncos had to lay off eight office personnel this year. More and More empty seats at the stadium. Bowlen was noticing everything and Bowlen choose business over friendship. With Elway that would cause a lot of excitement and a buzz around Denver. What do you think?

[Scarface]

No!

[hamrob]

I think it could happen...but I don't think John is ready for the GM role. I think with Shanahan gone...there could be role for John where he would get the experience he needs to become GM. But, I'll be surprised if that is Bowlen's Plan A option. But, I agree with Lombardi, it would be exciting.

[SR]

Even with the AFL canceling their 09 season, Elway still has too much on his plate with all of his car dealerships and now motorcycles to take a full time, all encompasing postion like GM of the Denver Broncos. It would put butts in the seats, and that's about it.

[UnderArmour]

I'd love to see Elway as a GM, but it'd be extremely unlikely. Maybe he can fill the opening left by Shanahan as team vice president?

[Requiem / The Dagda]

Gross. John Elway as a GM? Lame.

[G_Money]

I thought the point of firing Shanahan was to get a truly great personnel director in there.

Hard to do if Elway is sitting in his seat.

~G

[NightTrainLayne]

I don't see how that could be expected to be successful.

Everyone wants to say that Shanny lived off of those two super-bowls for the last ten years. . .well what the Hell other qualification does John have than those same two super bowl wins? Arena football owner? Please.

[honz]

Former players generally make bad GMs. There are exceptions, but just because Elway was a great player it doesn't mean he is going to be a good GM.

[NightTrainLayne]

Former players generally make bad GMs. There are exceptions, but just because Elway was a great player it doesn't mean he is going to be a good GM.

Isaiah Thomas anyone? :puke:

[Magnificent Seven]

John Elway hires Mike Shanahan for Crush's head coach job? :beer:

[Magnificent Seven]

I would be damned if John Elway is our newest Broncos' head coach!

[PatricktheDookie]

Terrible idea.

[Simple Jaded]

John Elway said he'd take Matt Ryan over Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.

No thanks.......

[Gamechanger]

Matt Millen would approve of this

[UnderArmour]

Matt Millen would approve of this
Uhh.... What? I hate to inform you but NOBODY is that bad. Sarah Palin could've done a better job as Lion's GM.

[BroncoWave]

Pass. I would hate for him to tarnish his legacy in Denver by bringing the franchise down as the GM. Besides, unless he suddenly sold his share of the Crush, no way this would happen.

[SR]

John Elway said he'd take Matt Ryan over Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.

No thanks.......

Doesn't look like he's too far off. Look who is in the playoffs...

[dogfish]

barf!


i love elway as much as the next guy, but being a hall of fame quarterback isn't worth a nickel when it comes to evaluating talent and writing contracts. . . put a team on the field that can win one of three games with the playoffs on the line instead of collapsing like a folding chair, and that will generate PLENTY of excitement in the fanbase!

[Tned]

Doesn't look like he's too far off. Look who is in the playoffs...

Which of those three QB's was a rookie of the year?

[Magnificent Seven]

John Elway said he'd take Matt Ryan over Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.

No thanks.......

because Cutler said, "I have a stronger arm than Elway. Hands down" ?

[Denver Native (Carol)]

I am not saying it could happen, but you guys are definitely not giving John much credit. Living in Denver, we hear things all of the time about John, and he definitely has business savy. Don't sell him short.

[SR]

because Cutler said, "I have a stronger arm than Elway. Hands down" ?

Dude. Really? Walgreens is having a sale on clues. Aisle four. Next to the gummy bears.

[SR]

Which of those three QB's was a rookie of the year?

None...yet

[BroncoWave]

I am not saying it could happen, but you guys are definitely not giving John much credit. Living in Denver, we hear things all of the time about John, and he definitely has business savy. Don't sell him short.

He could have all the business savvy in the world but this franchise isn't in a position to hire a GM who has absolutely no experience in that role and no track record in evaluating NFL talent.

[honz]

Doesn't look like he's too far off. Look who is in the playoffs...

All 3 of those QBs would be in the playoffs if they had the Falcons running game and defense. Not that the Falcons D is great, but it is better than GB's and Denver's D.

[Simple Jaded]

Doesn't look like he's too far off. Look who is in the playoffs...

Put Ryan on this team and tell me he's in the playoffs.......

[Gamechanger]

Uhh.... What? I hate to inform you but NOBODY is that bad. Sarah Palin could've done a better job as Lion's GM.

i know that, its a reference to another former NFL player who didn't pan out as a GM

[Simple Jaded]

Which of those three QB's was a rookie of the year?

Clady is the RotY.......

[Davii]

Clady is the RotY.......

Not according to the NFL, he's 3rd, and Matt Ryan is ROY.

[Simple Jaded]

Not according to the NFL, he's 3rd, and Matt Ryan is ROY.

I'm aware of that, but thanks.......

[topscribe]

Not according to the NFL, he's 3rd, and Matt Ryan is ROY.

RotY = Rookie Offensive Tackle of the Year. :D

-----

[DenBronx]

if he had some sort of relationship with cutler then id say at least let him start with being a qb's coach. why shoot him way up the success ladder with gm??? because he owned an arena team?

[Magnificent Seven]

Goodbye Shanahan, hello . . . Elway?

When Pat Bowlen fired Dan Reeves as Broncos head coach following the 1992 season, it set the stage for the return of Mike Shanahan to the organization, although it took two years to happen.

When Bowlen fired Shanahan on Tuesday, it set the stage for the return of John Elway to the organization, and it could happen a lot sooner than Shanahan's did.

A couple of caveats:

First, this is based on no inside information, only my observation of the dynamics among these three men over the past several years.

Second, just how much responsibility Bowlen is ready to give Elway I'm not sure. They were partners, along with E. Stanley Kroenke, in ownership of the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, which recently suspended operations.

Elway had all the executive authority, so Bowlen has some experience dealing with him in that role. Elway has given no indication he wants to coach; quite the opposite. He has been preparing to be an NFL executive for some years now.

Two years ago, I asked him why he never exercised his option to buy a minority ownership interest in the team from Bowlen upon his retirement as a player. You'll recall that option caused Bowlen a bit of legal trouble with former Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser.

"To me, where the Broncos were and where I would have fit in, it wasn't the right fit at the time," Elway said then. "I think L.A. was going on around that time and I was talking to some groups out there. The timing wasn't right. I just always thought that at some point in time down the road I'd get another opportunity. And I still think I will."

That last line is suddenly looking prescient. It wasn't too hard to read between the lines of this explanation. With Shanahan in charge of everything football-related in Dove Valley, there was no substantive role for Elway. He could have had a ceremonial role as a minority owner, but he wasn't interested.

As an owner/executive in the AFL, I asked him if he still harbored ambitions of getting back into the NFL.

"Yeah, at some point in time," he said. "I just haven't had an opportunity up to this time. I think (about) that, especially as my kids grow up. I love the arena league, it's been a great experience, so if that doesn't come about, I'm thrilled and happy to be with the arena league. But I'd definitely look at some opportunities if they were to arise."

He probably didn't need the AFL to suspend operations to make the jump, but it doesn't hurt.

When I asked Shanahan two years ago about hiring Elway, he said the Hall-of-Fame quarterback was "too smart" to coach because of the hours and that a general manager or scout's job would also entail more hours than Elway probably wanted to devote to it.

What he didn't say was that Elway was interested in a meaningful executive position and Shanahan held all of those.

This may well have come up in discussions between Bowlen and Shanahan leading up to Shanahan's firing. It wouldn't surprise me if Bowlen offered Shanahan an opportunity to continue coaching under a new general manager and Shanahan, still mindful of the lesson he learned working for Al Davis, turned it down.

Whether Elway would be any good as an NFL executive is another question. He could certainly handle the public front man responsibilities, as he did ably for the Crush and, along with Jon Bon Jovi, the entire AFL.

Former AFL commissioner David Baker praised Elway's work on executive league committees as an owner, for whatever that's worth, and the Crush won an AFL championship in 2005.

Certainly, he would need some good NFL personnel people to support him. But hiring Elway in an executive role would probably eliminate the top tier of general manager candidates, people like New England's Scott Pioli, who are in a position to demand all executive authority.

It's also possible, I suppose, that Bowlen could bring Elway on as an apprentice to an experienced GM as director of football operations or something, although I'm not sure how attractive Elway would find a glorified scout's job.

An important byproduct of bringing him back into the organization would be to encourage more interaction between Elway and Jay Cutler.

There, too, Shanahan has been the impediment. He wanted his own people in Cutler's ear. Given the similarities between Elway's and Cutler's athletic gifts, their collaboration for the benefit of the Broncos seems like a no-brainer.

Mike Shanahan had a great run in Denver. He is as indelible a part of the back-to-back Super Bowl championships as Elway, Terrell Davis or anybody else. But, like Reeves, the man he fought, he demanded total control.

When his time came, it opened the door for the greatest Bronco of all time to rejoin the organization. Don't be surprised if Bowlen takes advantage.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/30/krieger-goodbye-shanahan-hello-elway/

[Davii]

RotY = Rookie Offensive Tackle of the Year. :D

-----

LOL!

I nominate Topscribe for R32SWRY!!!

(Rookie 32nd string wide receiver of they year)

Good thing you weren't 32nd string RB this year Top, we might have needed you!

[broncofaninfla]

Honestly, I wouldn't be suprised at all to see Elway get serious consideration for the GM postion. I'd support it.

[roomemp]

I would support it as well. The headlines will read....."Elway will once again led the Broncos to the Promise land" Welcome home

[Medford Bronco]

I thought the point of firing Shanahan was to get a truly great personnel director in there.

Hard to do if Elway is sitting in his seat.

~G

Pioli is that guy IMO

[broncofaninfla]

I'd be happy with Pioli but I feel there are other candidates out there as well.

[Rex]

No offense to the G.O.A.T., but...puhlease.

[Northman]

I think the only way Elway would of even considered it is if Shanny was still HC. They were close.

[Traveler]

Vic Lombardi brought it up during the sports cast on news 4 CBS Denver tonight. Talking about how Bronco-Mania isn't the same, and that the Broncos season ticket waiting list is growing shorter. The Broncos had to lay off eight office personnel this year. More and More empty seats at the stadium. Bowlen was noticing everything and Bowlen choose business over friendship. With Elway that would cause a lot of excitement and a buzz around Denver. What do you think?

Bad idea all around. Cutler is doing his best to get out from under Elway's shadow.

[Medford Bronco]

John Elway said he'd take Matt Ryan over Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers.

No thanks.......

At this point I would too. Ryan is more mature than Cutler currently and does not shoot his mouth off all of the time. Yes he is on a better team but did a much better job of leading his team this season

Cutler has the same talent as Ryan but needs to grow up or he could squander his NFL career away.

[broncofaninfla]

How about Jim Goodman as GM?

[Nomad]

Former players generally make bad GMs. There are exceptions, but just because Elway was a great player it doesn't mean he is going to be a good GM.

True! What makes people think he can run an NFL team from the front office. Great player, but he hasn't proven anything about coaching in the NFL and then you want him to run a team.

[Den21vsBal19]

How about Jim Goodman as GM?
That crossed my mind as well, although I think I'd prefer he carry on doing the good job that he's doing with the scouting...................

I've got to admit that I always had the feeling that Elway was involved with the Crush as a part of his education onto something else, maybe VP or GM is where he's going :whoknows:

[Bring Elway Back]

Honestly, I wouldn't be suprised at all to see Elway get serious consideration for the GM postion. I'd support it.

Agreed. Elway knows what it takes to win and would be a great choice as a GM. Elways first move would be to hire a head coach though. Didn't Jim Fasel coach him in college and then here for a couple years. I think that would be a great duo, Fassel would be perfect for Cutler!

[broncofaninfla]

Yup, Fassel and Elway go way back and are still tight

[claymore]

Elway Is awesome. But we need to get out of his shadow.

[Superchop 7]

No way in hell is Elway qualified for that position.

You gotta be f-n kidding me to suggest it.

2 out of 3 people walking the face of the earth already think we are stupid for firing Shanny.

We hire Elway, the other 1/3 would be convinced.

Reminds me of Marino.......bad, bad, idea.

[SBboundBRONCOS]

as much as i repect and love elway, i want him nowhere near this team

imagine the media frenzy with jay cutler and id rather have cut that elways anywhere near this team

it could be a disaster

[nmbroncosfan]

Sooner or later you can bet that John Elway will be part of the Broncos organization. Is the time now who knows, but it will happen eventually. JMO

[broncofaninfla]

I disagree with those who say Elway isn't qualified. He has a natural business savy, he is deeply involved with the football operations with the Crush and the AFL for that matter, he loves this orginization and this league and all indiactions are he has been prepping to be a GM. He and Bowlen already have a good working relationship established and it wouldn't suprised if the two haven't discussed this possibility in the past. Plus, John has the drive in him to succeed in anything he puts his mind too, you could easily tell that in his play in he has proven that in his life after football.

[broncofaninfla]

Word out of Cleveland is they are prepared to offer Pioli a HUGE contract and full power, know they are competing against Denver. ESPN

[topscribe]

I disagree with those who say Elway isn't qualified. He has a natural business savy, he is deeply involved with the football operations with the Crush and the AFL for that matter, he loves this orginization and this league and all indiactions are he has been prepping to be a GM. He and Bowlen already have a good working relationship established and it wouldn't suprised if the two haven't discussed this possibility in the past. Plus, John has the drive in him to succeed in anything he puts his mind too, you could easily tell that in his play in he has proven that in his life after football.

If you watched the presser, Shanny said Elway would be great at the job. Of
course, he naturally would, but the difference is that he simply gushed about
it. I had more doubts about the possibility before then than I do now. I'm not
saying I'm all for it. I don't know. But I'm not as doubtful as I was.

-----

[gnomeflinger]

Vic Lombardi brought it up during the sports cast on news 4 CBS Denver tonight. Talking about how Bronco-Mania isn't the same, and that the Broncos season ticket waiting list is growing shorter. The Broncos had to lay off eight office personnel this year. More and More empty seats at the stadium. Bowlen was noticing everything and Bowlen choose business over friendship. With Elway that would cause a lot of excitement and a buzz around Denver. What do you think?

:rofl: :pound:

Um, no.

[broncofaninfla]

Just curious, for the critics against Elway being considered, why?

[gnomeflinger]

Just curious, for the critics against Elway being considered, why?


This is why:



Former players generally make bad GMs. There are exceptions, but just because Elway was a great player it doesn't mean he is going to be a good GM.

[WARHORSE]

Elway can evaluate talent. His father was involved with the Broncos for many, many years. Cant tell me that it didnt rub off since he went on to put together a CRUSH team that won the championship.

He has creds. Will he be the guy?

Dont know.

But I wouldnt be upset about it.

[BroncoWave]

Just curious, for the critics against Elway being considered, why?

He's never done it before, and this franchise is not in a position to have a GM learn on the job.

And besides, the vibe I got from Bowlen's press conference is that he's going to keep Goodman as GM and they, together, will search for a head coach.

[broncofaninfla]

This is why:

That's it?!?? Matt Millen sucked, no doubt about it but that shouldn't discount Elway who is FAR more qualified than Millen ever was.

[BroncoWave]

That's it?!?? Matt Millen sucked, no doubt about it but that shouldn't discount Elway who is FAR more qualified than Millen ever was.

Based on what?

[broncofaninfla]

He's never done it before, and this franchise is not in a position to have a GM learn on the job.

And besides, the vibe I got from Bowlen's press conference is that he's going to keep Goodman as GM and they, together, will search for a head coach.

I'm game for Goodman too. Honetsly though, how many former GM's are there floating around that we would really want? Elway LOVES this organization, what a bonus to have somebody who truly has a desire to want a team to suceed. It wouldn't be just about the money for him.

[broncofaninfla]

Based on what?

Millen was a player and a TV analyst. No expereince as a football executive, nor as an owner. He talked a good game and buried a franchise in the process.

[BroncoWave]

I'm game for Goodman too. Honetsly though, how many former GM's are there floating around that we would really want? Elway LOVES this organization, what a bonus to have somebody who truly has a desire to want a team to suceed. It wouldn't be just about the money for him.

I love the Broncos and have a desire to see the team succeed too but that doesn't qualify me to be the GM.

[topscribe]

Just curious, for the critics against Elway being considered, why?

Exactly. :nod:

I can see questioning it. But I am not aware of anybody here who is qualified
to give an "absolutely" or "absolutely not" to the prospect.

As I said, the one most qualified to comment seemed very postive about it.

-----

[BroncoWave]

Millen was a player and a TV analyst. No expereince as a football executive, nor as an owner. He talked a good game and buried a franchise in the process.

Owning an Arena League franchise is much different than running an NFL franchise. I don't even think he made the player personel decisions for the Crush but I could be wrong. Elway has just as much experience as an NFL executive as Millen did.

[gnomeflinger]

That's it?!?? Matt Millen sucked, no doubt about it but that shouldn't discount Elway who is FAR more qualified than Millen ever was.

I am in no way qualified to give an education opinion on why or why not. I can only go by gut feelings. Elway would be good for morale, but he's not ready to be a GM of an NFL Franchise.

[broncofaninfla]

I love the Broncos and have a desire to see the team succeed too but that doesn't qualify me to be the GM.

Elway has been an executive in a pro football league!


Bowlen and Elway were partners, along with E. Stanley Kroenke, in ownership of the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, which recently suspended operations. Elway had all the executive authority, so Bowlen has some experience dealing with him in that role. Elway has given no indication he wants to coach; quite the opposite. He has been preparing to be an NFL executive for some years now.- RMN

[broncofaninfla]

I am in no way qualified to give an education opinion on why or why not. I can only go by gut feelings. Elway would be good for morale, but he's not ready to be a GM of an NFL Franchise.

I respect your opinion but I disagree, Elway has been prepping for a GM role since retiring from the NFL and has a proven working relationship with Bowlen.

[BroncoWave]

Elway has been an executive in a pro football league!


Bowlen and Elway were partners, along with E. Stanley Kroenke, in ownership of the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League, which recently suspended operations. Elway had all the executive authority, so Bowlen has some experience dealing with him in that role. Elway has given no indication he wants to coach; quite the opposite. He has been preparing to be an NFL executive for some years now.- RMN

If he wants to enter the front office in a smaller role that would be cool but I don't want him running football ops from day 1.

But seeing as Bowlen said today that his front office is in place, I don't see any changes being made.

[broncofaninfla]

The reference to Elway in the press conference has me thinking he is either being considered for a GM role or will play the role as an advisor to the team. That shows you right there that which ever capacity they would like him to assume, they have full faith in his abilities as do I.

[Tned]

The reference to Elway in the press conference has me thinking he is either being considered for a GM role or will play the role as an advisor to the team. That shows you right there that which ever capacity they would like him to assume, they have full faith in his abilities as do I.

His name was only brought up due to questions from the media. Bowlen's only real answer is that Elway has a lot on his plate already (paraphrasing).

[Kaylore]

Elway has no experience as a coach, scout or personnel guy. The idea of him being the GM is completely ridiculous and largely product of the legend outgrowing the man. People probably think Elway would be a better owner than Bowlen too.