Kiszla: Bowlen's key task: defining new Broncos

[nevcraw]

The Broncos are a team without a face.

The lights are on at Dove Valley, but the only man who really seems at home at franchise headquarters these days is owner Pat Bowlen.

Hey, Mr. Bowlen.

Give us our team back.

Never in the 25 years of Bowlen's reign have the Broncos been so devoid of personality.

We don't know the coach.

We don't know the quarterback.

Other than cornerback Champ Bailey, Broncomaniacs don't know whom they can trust to be in uniform tomorrow.

That's why, in a city that draws so much of its identity from a pro football team, the current crisis of personality feels so uncomfortable.

As an NFL franchise, Denver has ceased to be anything special.

It has become easier to define the Broncos for who they are not instead of what this team is now.

Whether the reason is advancing age, unexpected pink slip, controversial trade or personal tragedy, all of these stalwarts of the way the Broncos were have left the building: receiver Rod Smith, coach Mike Shanahan, quarterback Jay Cutler, the late Darrent Williams, center Tom Nalen, linebacker Al Wilson and safety John Lynch.

Guess what? None of them is coming back.

The more things change, the more the Broncos seem to bank on the old bottom line: As quickly as they print tickets to the stadium, loyal fans will line up to buy those seats.

With Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Giants scheduled to come to town in 2009, however, do not be surprised if Invesco Field at Mile High is far from wall-to-wall orange. Cheers for the visiting team could threaten to drown out the home-field advantage should the Broncos struggle.

So maybe we all can begin to better understand why receiver Brandon Marshall did not hesitate to pack up his box and walk out the door of Broncos headquarters in a contract dispute. It's not as if Marshall were thumbing his nose and showing his backside to the Patriots, the Cowboys or any truly buzzworthy team.

Sure, a strong case can be made that Denver should trade Marshall before this diva can poison the locker room. And there's also the well-reasoned argument that a young Pro Bowl receiver deserves a raise from his $2.2 million annual salary.

Ah, if only life and the messy choices that result were so simple.

Here's betting Bowlen doesn't have the spare coin in his cookie jar to pay Marshall. On the other hand, Denver cannot really afford to dump one of its few recognizable players.

So I'm afraid the Broncos and Marshall are stuck with each other, even if it means letting a disgruntled receiver sit at home and pout, in a holdout that could last from the start of training camp through opening kickoff of the regular season.

We want to believe the Broncos are among the elite teams in professional sports. Years have passed since that was the reality, though.

The Nuggets have a definite personality, shaped by Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. Todd Helton has stood the test of time for the Rockies.

The Broncos? They're coached by Josh Hoodiewannabe, with Kyle Whos-hewhatsit at quarterback.

The overt desire to reshape this team as Patriots West might well be based on sound football principles, but it's also a slap in the face to everybody who loves Denver's own fine football tradition.

Bowlen has been a good neighbor and a worthy caretaker of the most beloved sports franchise in Colorado.

After 25 years, this ownership has gone stale.

The Broncos are an organization in need of a change. Let's pray Bowlen is a guy who still has the energy for making tough decisions work.

Denver has become a flyover city in the NFL empire. That doesn't mean there's no hope.

But what are the Broncos now?

A team without a face.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_12656781

[WARHORSE]

Right now, the vision most outsiders view of the Broncos is of rats jumping a sinking ship.




Let em think that.



Let em come along side and try to board.



BAM! Point blank all barrells midship.



Bye bye...........:coffee:

[Requiem / The Dagda]

Knowshon is the face of the franchise baby. :smile:

[Northman]

Right now, the vision most outsiders view of the Broncos is of rats jumping a sinking ship.




Let em think that.



Let em come along side and try to board.



BAM! Point blank all barrells midship.



Bye bye...........:coffee:


Aye Aye Captain!

[Tned]

Knowshon is the face of the franchise baby. :smile:

I hope some day that's the case, but it sure isn't now.

[Requiem / The Dagda]

Really? Well, since the team doesn't have an identity according to Kiszla, I figured I'd give it one. Knowshon and Slowfoot Smith moving this franchise forward!

[nj10]

Well...that wasn't depressing at all :rolleyes:

[BroncoWave]

Knowshon is the face of the franchise baby. :smile:

Damn straight. The NFL isn't ready for this kid!

[WARHORSE]

The NFL isn't ready for this kid!



They arent ready for the BRONCOS.


The new look Broncos is one of us slapping heads into the dirt face first.

One after another.


Lets get it started..........with Cutler in the third preseason game.

[SoCalImport]

Honestly. Does anyone think that the players and coaches aren't eating this stuff up??

Ammunition..that's all these kinds of pieces will end up being.

I love being the underdog.

GO BRONCOS!!

[Tned]

Honestly. Does anyone think that the players and coaches aren't eating this stuff up??

Ammunition..that's all these kinds of pieces will end up being.

I love being the underdog.

GO BRONCOS!!

I don't know. One thing I have found surprising is that Champ has been pretty silent. There usually seems to be Champ quotes popping up most of the offseason, putting things in 'perspective'. I'm not sure what his relative silence indicates.

[Shazam!]

What a crap article.

Let us define some of the Broncos the last 2 seasons shall we?

Lost a 3 game lead in their division which was probably the worst in the NFL.

One of the worst defenses in the league 2 years in a row.

Probably the worst defense in the AFC.

Tops in the League Offense w/yards but mediocre at best in scoring.

Routinely blown out.

Played unmotivated, uninspired, downright sloppy at times.

Sub-.500 home record where they used to dominate.

Catastrophic injuries.

Yep, I'm looking forward to the new Broncos.

[nevcraw]

I'm all for change but not for change's sake..
Shanny being fired was not surprising nor was hiring a Offensive guru type. But the rest of the offseason has been perplexing at best. My biggest questions: How much of it is money related? How long will this upheval take? Can they win without blue chipper QB and possibly a watered down recieving corp? Can they get a DL that can stop the run and get after the QB? Is MCd a bonified head coach?
I am really looking forward to seeing what the team looks like when they play Cinci.

Bowlen had better not rest on the fact that "they" will keep buying tickets.. Because if the the product on the field goes farther backwards, the bronco faithful will be looking for blood..

[Tned]

I'm all for change but not for change's sake..
Shanny being fired was not surprising nor was hiring a Offensive guru type. But the rest of the offseason has been perplexing at best. My biggest questions: How much of it is money related? How long will this upheval take? Can they win without blue chipper QB and possibly a watered down recieving corp? Can they get a DL that can stop the run and get after the QB? Is MCd a bonified head coach?
I am really looking forward to seeing what the team looks like when they play Cinci.

Bowlen had better not rest on the fact that "they" will keep buying tickets.. Because if the the product on the field goes farther backwards, the bronco faithful will be looking for blood..

As I said in the other thread, it is hard to buy that the moves were about money, since Bowlen called McDaniels out for making 'rookie mistakes' this offseason. It's hard to buy into the notion he was pushing for the moves to be made to save money. Add to that, the fact that by firing Shanahan, he is having to pay McDaniels and Shanahan until Shanahan signs a contract where he earns at least as much as his Broncos contract.

[broncofanatic1987]

I think it's pretty evident that Bowlen leaves the identity of the team to the coach. If Kizla wants to know who the new Broncos are, he needs to ask Josh McDaniels.

[UnderArmour]

Honestly. Does anyone think that the players and coaches aren't eating this stuff up??

Ammunition..that's all these kinds of pieces will end up being.

I love being the underdog.

GO BRONCOS!!

Or more accurately, the dark horse.

[BroncoWave]

Honestly. Does anyone think that the players and coaches aren't eating this stuff up??

Ammunition..that's all these kinds of pieces will end up being.

I love being the underdog.

GO BRONCOS!!

Me too. Let everyone say we are going to suck. Will only serve to motivate the team that much more.

[Simple Jaded]

As I said in the other thread, it is hard to buy that the moves were about money, since Bowlen called McDaniels out for making 'rookie mistakes' this offseason. It's hard to buy into the notion he was pushing for the moves to be made to save money. Add to that, the fact that by firing Shanahan, he is having to pay McDaniels and Shanahan until Shanahan signs a contract where he earns at least as much as his Broncos contract.

Nobody wants to believe that these offseason moves were made about money, nobody wants to believe they were about McDaniels' rookie mistakes or his monumental arrogance and stupidity.

Most people want to believe that it must have everything to do with The Patriot Way (what a bunch of bullshit), but chances are that these moves were made because of all of the above.......and THAT is unacceptable.

There are rumblings that Bowlen is having money issues, who isn't? But Bowlen is making matters worse by making the wrong decisions at the worst possible time, he is making Josh McDaniels the Defining Star of the team. Pretty much Mike Shanahan V2.0 without the SuperBowl resume, it took Shanahan 7 years to wake up and acknowledge that it's not about him/his system and that he/his system needed players to succeed.

Obviously Josh McHoodiewanna-be hasn't gotten that memo, but it won't be long before the league catches up with McDaniels, and soon he'll figure out that it most certainly is about the players, who knows how many Kyle Orton's, Jabar Gaffney's and Matt Light's he'll have gone through by then.......

[LRtagger]

The Broncos are an organization in need of a change.

After all that complaining about all the new faces, the guy ends his article with this
:confused:

[nevcraw]

After all that complaining about all the new faces, the guy summarizes ends his article with this
:confused:


aint irony just a kick in the pants?

[Tned]

Nobody wants to believe that these offseason moves were made about money, nobody wants to believe they were about McDaniels' rookie mistakes or his monumental arrogance and stupidity.

Most people want to believe that it must have everything to do with The Patriot Way (what a bunch of bullshit), but chances are that these moves were made because of all of the above.......and THAT is unacceptable.

There are rumblings that Bowlen is having money issues, who isn't? But Bowlen is making matters worse by making the wrong decisions at the worst possible time, he is making Josh McDaniels the Defining Star of the team. Pretty much Mike Shanahan V2.0 without the SuperBowl resume, it took Shanahan 7 years to wake up and acknowledge that it's not about him/his system and that he/his system needed players to succeed.

Obviously Josh McHoodiewanna-be hasn't gotten that memo, but it won't be long before the league catches up with McDaniels, and soon he'll figure out that it most certainly is about the players, who knows how many Kyle Orton's, Jabar Gaffney's and Matt Light's he'll have gone through by then.......

Besides wanting to bash McD and Bowlen, was a point hidden in your rant? Kind of got lost in the hate speak and silly nicknames.

[Simple Jaded]

Besides wanting to bash McD and Bowlen, was a point hidden in your rant? Kind of got lost in the hate speak and silly nicknames.

No point, Tned, other then the fact that money could have everything to do with the moves the Broncos are making, you said you have a hard time buying it but whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, the possibility is real.......very real.

Strange how reality is even harder to absorb when you're easily preoccupied by the words a person uses.......

[Tned]

No point, Tned, other then the fact that money could have everything to do with the moves the Broncos are making, you said you have a hard time buying it but whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, the possibility is real.......very real.

Strange how reality is even harder to absorb when you're easily preoccupied by the words a person uses.......

I'm sorry did YOU just give me advice about reality??? :mindblown:

Money 'could' have everything to do with it, but you have no basis for your claim.

Firing Mike Shanahan and his coaches has cost Bowlen many, many millions and will keep costing him millions until all of them get jobs elsewhere will salaries equal or higher to what the Broncos were paying them.

There is not a single example of a good player being let go as a free agent vs. signing them.

There is NO proof, only wild speculation, that Bowlen forced McDaniels to trade next years first round pick.

The fact is that Bowlen came out afte the draft, criticized some aspects of it, and stated that McDaniels has made rookie mistakes.

I don't have a problem with dealing with facts, whatever they may be, but don't expect me, or anyone else, to buy into the fact-less rhetoric you are spewing.

[CoachChaz]

Show me a rookie in ANY line of work that doesnt make mistakes. The question is...have McDaniels mistakes been costly over the long term. We can all speculate, but only time will tell. Maybe Orton turns into a Pro-Bowl QB in this offense and maybe Cutler turns out to be Jeff George. No one can make those predictions. Until then, I can only assume that McDaniels is doing what is best for the team. I'll assume that because I find it very hard to believe that any head coach would go into his first job and intentionally screw anything up. That's just ridiculous to even concieve.

[Superchop 7]

The face of the Broncos is under a paper sack at the moment.

[MOtorboat]

The face of the Broncos is under a paper sack at the moment.

Actually, it's where it SHOULD have been. With Champ Bailey, and now Brian Dawkins.

[LRtagger]

Actually, it's where it SHOULD have been. With Champ Bailey, and now Brian Dawkins.

ie REAL football players not crybaby "me-me-me I am bigger than the game" children.

[Simple Jaded]

I'm sorry did YOU just give me advice about reality??? :mindblown:

Money 'could' have everything to do with it, but you have no basis for your claim.

Firing Mike Shanahan and his coaches has cost Bowlen many, many millions and will keep costing him millions until all of them get jobs elsewhere will salaries equal or higher to what the Broncos were paying them.

There is not a single example of a good player being let go as a free agent vs. signing them.

There is NO proof, only wild speculation, that Bowlen forced McDaniels to trade next years first round pick.

The fact is that Bowlen came out afte the draft, criticized some aspects of it, and stated that McDaniels has made rookie mistakes.

I don't have a problem with dealing with facts, whatever they may be, but don't expect me, or anyone else, to buy into the fact-less rhetoric you are spewing.

That wasn't meant to be advice, there Tned, just an observation.......so be it.

First of all, when it comes to whatever wild speculation/act-less rhetoric I'm spewing at any given moment, whether or not you or anybody else is buying it is not of any concern of mine, honestly it's just an opinion, so everybody can save the attitude for somebody that doesn't see it as pointless and pretentious internet posturing.

You bring up the fact that Bowlen is paying Shanahan and his former coaches salary when that fact could also be taken as a basis to my claim that money very well could be a factor in these decisions, especially since you don't even bother to make a clear point as what you actually mean by that.......that's curious. I wonder how anybody could dismiss that possibility as wild speculation/fact-less spewing and not your contention (Whatever that is). :mindblown:

To my knowledge Bowlen never elaborated as to what he was referring to when he said McDaniels made "Rookie mistakes", so if Bowlen never elaborated on what he meant by that, you might just be guilty of a little fact-less rhetoric and speculation as well.

But hey, this is a message board, apparently us trolls will have to stick to posting only what we can prove as fact or **** and leave the True Believers to speculate about how Josh McDaniels doesn't need Tom Brady to be the next Bill Belichick.

Btw, this is not advice but a suggestion, when everybody is done lecturing us trolls on speculation and spewing etiquette, be sure to run those rules by the desk of Chris Mortenson, Adam Schefter and the like (Both of whom have talked about Bowlen's possible money issue's). I'm sure they'd be as amused as I am, and at times like these, everybody needs a good laugh.......

[MOtorboat]

First of all, when it comes to whatever wild speculation/act-less rhetoric I'm spewing at any given moment, whether or not you or anybody else is buying it is not of any concern of mine, honestly it's just an opinion, so everybody can save the attitude for somebody that doesn't see it as pointless and pretentious internet posturing.

You can do the same.

But don't be surprised when you're called an idiot for including the ridiculous and childish nicknames when you call someone else an idiot, member or not.

[Denver Native (Carol)]

I just found this article, which I thought was an interesting way of viewing what has gone on with the Broncos - an opinion from a Broncos' fan.

bleacherreport.com/articles/204445-denver-broncos-officially-rebuilding

Regardless of what happens with Brandon Marshall, the Denver Broncos are officially in a rebuilding phase.

The fan base and commentators seem loathe to admit it, but the Denver Broncos are deconstructing in order to reconstruct.

Apparently the fans believed that hiring a new coach meant leaving the team exactly as it was, without any major restructuring or upheavals of any kind.

It was assumed that McDaniels would come in, leave all the offensive pieces in place, and then promptly rebuild the defense through the draft and free agency.

A pretty big assumption considering this was a coach who came in and heavily emphasized a "system" approach. Players will fit the system, not the other way around. This was a known quantity from day one. Not believing that things would change, and change in a big way, was extremely naive.

Denver fans set themselves up; they believed change to be a painless and easy process. It's not. It's painful and messy.

There's a lot of negative commentary out there: McDaniels is destroying the Denver Broncos, he's losing the locker room, he's chasing off star players.

Anyone who has ever managed anything of any kind, knows that one must initially come in hard and strict, and then slowly loosen up over time. Coming in wishy washy is what REALLY loses locker rooms. It's much harder to regain control than it is to have it in the first place and then begin to soften a little.

In reality, it's a brilliant move by both Bowlen and McDaniels.

This is how the cow ate the cabbage. PERIOD. There's only one way to skin a cat. PERIOD.

Those players with weak stomachs and intent of bloodless coups shall walk the plank.

Which is exactly how year one of rebuilding should go. In this way, Josh McDaniels is more like Tom Coughlin than Bill Belichick.

Coughlin was often critized for coming into the NY Giants with an iron fist. But, alas, it worked, and as he loosened up (ever so slightly) in coming years, the Giants improved.

When it comes to the the 2009-2010 Denver Broncos, think of one of those home makeover TV shows. The kind where they come in, and instead of just repainting, patching a hole in the roof, buying some new furniture, and call it good, they instead bulldoze everything down and start rebuilding.

The end product produced from the bulldozer/rebuild approach, is always better than the patch the roof/hang new curtains approach.

For Broncos fans, it'll mean perhaps having to sit through a rough season or two in order to get to a playoff caliber team. It'll also mean getting over it. Broncos fans and Denver area reporters and commentators are going to have to let it go.

Shannahan is gone, Culter is in Chicago, and Brandon Marshall may very well end up being traded away for future draft picks...

What did you expect?

There's a new Sheriff in town, and his name is Josh McDaniels.

Let's face it: Denver had become a very mediocre team. As a Bronocs fan living out of state, I became very bored with the organization. Assuming I'm an average fan, the lack of interest generated from a .500 team cannot be a good thing.

Now, however, the average fan is paying attention again. As they say in Hollywood, the only bad publicity is no publicity. We're watching again. For some of us, rebuilding is exciting. Certainly more exciting than 9-7, 7-9, and 8-8. Yawn.

You better believe many of us fans that had gotten a bit bored of the Broncos will be tuned in to this franchise in 2009.

The shortest tenure of any modern era Denver Broncos coach was Wade Phillips and his two year stint back in 1993 and 1994. He went 9-7 and 7-9. Barring a major personality conflict with the owner, you have to imagine that McDaniels will get at least three years to prove himself.

So settle in to that reality all you "glass is half empty" fans and commentators. Bowlen has made it clear that McDaniels is his man. And McDaniels has made it abundantly clear that he is THE MAN.

The bulldozer has flattened the old house. Brick by brick, the new house is rising up.

It's a new era in the land of orange. Get used to it.

[rcsodak]

Knowshon is the face of the franchise baby. :smile:

Most organizations wait until AFTER a player has performed before they plant their mug on the billboard, proclaiming it as it's "face".

Otherwise, there'd be an awful lot of billboards being laid to waste on a yearly basis....

[rcsodak]

I don't know. One thing I have found surprising is that Champ has been pretty silent. There usually seems to be Champ quotes popping up most of the offseason, putting things in 'perspective'. I'm not sure what his relative silence indicates.

How often do you hear Pats players talking ad hoc?

[rcsodak]

I'm all for change but not for change's sake..
Shanny being fired was not surprising nor was hiring a Offensive guru type. But the rest of the offseason has been perplexing at best. My biggest questions: How much of it is money related? How long will this upheval take? Can they win without blue chipper QB and possibly a watered down recieving corp? Can they get a DL that can stop the run and get after the QB? Is MCd a bonified head coach?
I am really looking forward to seeing what the team looks like when they play Cinci.

Bowlen had better not rest on the fact that "they" will keep buying tickets.. Because if the the product on the field goes farther backwards, the bronco faithful will be looking for blood..

Funny you say that, because for the past 1-2yrs, with the so-called "faithful" calling for Shanny's head, we were told by them that they 'would understand there'd be a few lean years', when it came to wins.

Because remember, "Rome wasn't built in a day". :coffee:

[rcsodak]

I think it's pretty evident that Bowlen leaves the identity of the team to the coach. If Kizla wants to know who the new Broncos are, he needs to ask Josh McDaniels.

Yikes!

If THAT happened, then Kizla would be forced to have to speak factually.....







....right? :shocked:

[Tned]

How often do you hear Pats players talking ad hoc?

I don't know, I haven't followed the Pats.

[rcsodak]

The face of the Broncos is under a paper sack at the moment.

Funny, because you'd have to take off your paper sack to know this.

I just don't see that happening.

[BroncoJoe]

This team had an identity with the city LONG before Elway (although he certainly shaped it) and Shanahan. Kizla hasn't been around very long I guess.

[rcsodak]

This team had an identity with the city LONG before Elway (although he certainly shaped it) and Shanahan. Kizla hasn't been around very long I guess.

Sacrilige!!!!

The McD haters hold him in very high esteem!!!!