Ted Sundquist AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit

[BroncoWave]

This was a really enjoyable read. He gave some very good answers. I thought his most interesting takes were on the Plummer/Cutler situation and on some things regarding Shanny. I would highly recommend scrolling through this.

http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1q4frb/i_am_ted_sundquist_former_gm_of_the_denver/

[DenBronx]

On no! Don't let dogfish see this, he will blow and o-ring or valve!!!

[BroncoWave]

Some cliffnotes for those who don't want to scroll through the whole thing.

On the reasoning behind picking Cutler and his opinion on how the Cuther/Plummer thing was handled:


Awesome question. We started at 29 and moved to 15 after a 3 way trade between NYJ and ATL. Our goal was that if any of the big 3 QB's started to slide (and we liked one of them) we would take a stab at landing a franchise QB. Remember, I had never picked over 15 in my 16 years in the NFL. We thought the opportunity was too good to pass up. But the agreement was Plummer was our QB, the draft pick would be brought in to groom. Coaches and media got WAY TOO IMPATIENT. Cutler ended up getting a job he hadn't earned yet. I wasn't happy with how that went down.

On Brandon Marshall:


I know there are a lot of fans that would disagree with what I'm going to say, but Brandon Marshall (deep down) is a good guy. He's had documented problems and I by no means agree with some of things that have happened in his private life. But if you know Brandon, he's a good person and was a bit immature at the time he was drafted. That had an effect on where he went. On the field, he's shown what he can do.

On the Portis/Bailey trade:


Great question and thanks for the support of this. My first AMA. I think both teams got what they needed and both players as well. I was a huge Portis fan & he had quickly outgrown his rookie contract. Mike Shanahan was not going to let him renegotiate his rookie deal and Drew Rosenhaus had a history of holdouts. Champ wanted out of Washington and wasn't going to except the franchise tag again. It was a match of convenience. We had a history of finding good RB's in our system, but had struggled securing a shut down DC. Snyder wanted an elite RB.

On his duties as GM:


You're most welcome. 1. In Denver I was responsible for the entire personnel department, but also football operations; turf, trainers, video, equipment, travel, etc... I had to set the salaries for all of the employees, not just the players. I was liaison with the NFL for a number of issues; drug policy, salary cap, etc... Any grievances the players might file, I had to rep the club along with Management Council. GM's build the relationships with the agent community and it's important to keep those growing and to build trust wit the agents. 2. The worst part? Firing people. Either cutting players or letting employees go, that was the worst part for me. Then not having the authority to make sure things got done the proper way, the Bronco way at times. Having to report directly to the Exec VP of Football Ops (who was also the HC). Not a real healthy setup towards the end.

On Trevor Pryce and Plummer:


It wasn't my decision, but I think the way we handled Jake Plummer was not indicative of how we'd done business in the past. Really wasn't happy with that. Then I'd say letting Trevor Pryce go. He had begged to stay in Denver and was more than willing to take a pay cut. The defensive coaches had convinced Mike he couldn't play anymore. All he did was go to Baltimore and get 13 sacks.

On how winning and losing feels:


It never slows down enough to really enjoy the moment. If you're at the top, which we were twice, you're trying to stay there. Once you've tasted a Super Bowl Championship, nothing seems as good. We came dang close in 2005 and lost at home to the Steelers. Devastating and HC never got over it IMO. But I think it's up to the person and how he chooses to deal with everything. However the past week (Fox & Kubiak) has shown the type of stress it can play on you as a person.

On leaving Denver:


As for leaving Denver, the real story has never been told and the story that was released by Dove Valley was never accurate. I wouldn't have chose to leave, but we by and large stopped being who we were...we stopped doing business the Bronco way. I tried to convey that to both the Head Coach, VP President, and Owner....politics. BTW, no help from the media, they're generally afraid of Dove Valley.

On his influence on players:


I'd say it depends on the club. I'd rather have a close relationship with everyone I worked with. But in the case of Denver, Mike was adamant about being the focal point for all things in the locker room and on the roster. I was quoted once on a situation that involved the state of the team and a veteran player. It was taken totally out of context by the player and blown up by the head coach. Not even worth the trouble.
But I would rather have a trust factor that the players could come to me with ANYTHING they had a concern about. GM's job is build a culture and environment that helps everyone reach their maximum potential on and off the field. Only way to do that is to have that trust relationship.

[DenBronx]

I am still upset about us not retaining Trevor Pryce.

[SR]

Why didn't you just type "Ask Me Anything" instead of abbreviating it AND spelling it out?

[DenBronx]

Did you click on the thread? That's what Ted put on reddit. He abbreviates it and spells it out initially so everyone understands what it means. The more he post he just puts AMA so guys will feel free to ask questions.


Kinda cool for him to do that. Most GMs are so secretive on what goes on and it just gives some insight to what goes on.

[Joel]

Remember, I had never picked over 15 in my 16 years in the NFL.
Too few people DO remember this when bashing Sundquist AND Shanny (though his comments suggest he lays all faults at Shannys feet.) It means two things: 1) We never got great draft picks after the SB wins, forcing us to trade up for fewer picks or accept weak natural ones, and 2) the principal reason was that we NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON, and seldom even finished at .500, despite consistently weak draft position.

This is why I'd rather be 4-12 than 8-8: 4-12 teams at least have a great OPPORTUNITY (whether or not they maximize it) to improve a lot in the next draft, and usually a similar (if lesser) chance in at least one more; 8-8 teams are mediocre teams with mediocre picks, which makes it hard to improve without making a very uneven trade (which is to say, hard to improve at all.) Franchises easily can and frequently do spin their wheels in that position for a decade or more; that's pretty much what we did before blaming the GM/coach, firing him and imploding under the Boy Genius. Yet without the resulting 4-12 season, no Von Miller.


It never slows down enough to really enjoy the moment. If you're at the top, which we were twice, you're trying to stay there. Once you've tasted a Super Bowl Championship, nothing seems as good.
That's the reality, folks; rest assured Peyton and Elway know and remember it at least as well as Sundquist does. Records and Pro Bowls, wins and playoff appearances; those are all great, but once a front office, team, player or fanbase tastes a championship ANYTHING else is no longer good enough by itself. Every teams goal every season is always the same, and it isn't records or playoff appearances. Everytime you hear a guy say his goal is to make the playoffs, that's an implicit (if unconscious) admission he doesn't think he can win a championship. It's a fair goal for a team that doesn't belong in the playoffs, but that's not us.

Losing Pryce really did suck, and might've made all the difference in the '05 AFCCG (or maybe Plummer just turns the ball over 6 times instead of 4.) After that though it was hard to deny what was looming in the near future and descending on us like a rock slide just a few years later. Hopefully we don't go through something similar after this or the next season, or at least get a SB win out of Manning before he retires; that would soothe a lot of the distress if we DO collapse thereafter.

[zbeg]

Did you click on the thread? That's what Ted put on reddit. He abbreviates it and spells it out initially so everyone understands what it means. The more he post he just puts AMA so guys will feel free to ask questions.


Kinda cool for him to do that. Most GMs are so secretive on what goes on and it just gives some insight to what goes on.

This is one of the best AMAs I've ever seen in the NFL subreddit. Or any reddit, really. A lot of AMAs are so dry and milquetoasty. I really liked how candid he was.

[Hawgdriver]

He comes across as genuine. That's not always the norm.

[zbeg]

He comes across as genuine. That's not always the norm.

If you want a cringeworthy one, go back and find Roger Goodell's AMA. It was...bad.

[BroncoWave]

Why didn't you just type "Ask Me Anything" instead of abbreviating it AND spelling it out?

Because on Reddit they are almost exclusively called AMAs. I figured people on here who also used that site would recognize it more by the AMA title, while others would need to know what it stood for.

[Apollo]

These AMA's are fantastic. You get a good insight into sports figures/others, if they allow themselves to be honest.

[Nomad]

Because on Reddit they are almost exclusively called AMAs. I figured people on here who also used that site would recognize it more by the AMA title, while others would need to know what it stood for.

I would have asked what AMA's were, and haven't heard of Reddit.

[Joel]

I would have asked what AMA's were, and haven't heard of Reddit.
I've heard of Reddit, but not much more than that, and had never heard of AMAs. Without the explanation I'd have been like Huh; I didn't know Sundquist is a doctor.... :tongue:

[Nomad]

I've heard of Reddit, but not much more than that, and had never heard of AMAs. Without the explanation I'd have been like Huh; I didn't know Sundquist is a doctor.... :tongue:

Quit being isolated from the rest of the country!;):lol:

[Joel]

Quit being isolated from the rest of the country!;):lol:
NEVER! My car gets 40 rods/hogshead and that's the way I likes it! It also brings all the boys to the yard. ;) http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=40+rods+per+hogshead+in+mpg