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Cugel
02-12-2016, 02:41 PM
It's never too soon to talk about a Dynasty when you win the SB.

So, I hope this will be a topic that we can return to in the months to come.

One thing we all agree on after watching the game: DEFENSE wins championships, and great offense just does not.

As I noted in a different thread, since the 2000 season 12 teams have scored more than 500 points, but only 1 team (2009 Saints) win a SB. Those teams were 1-4 in SBs during that time. The Panthers were #16 all-time in season points scored.

This defense by contrast ranks among the greatest defenses of the SB era. To be considered a GREAT defense you have to win the SB and even dominate in winning it. The 2006 Bears team gave up fewer points than the Broncos, but lost the SB to the Colts. Nobody thinks of them as an "all-time great defense" after they gave up 29 points to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

So, holding an all-time great (top 16 all time) offense to 10 points while scoring 7 yourselves and forcing 4 turnovers - that puts the Broncos in the all-time great category. So, job #1 (after signing Osweiler) is keeping the defense together in FA. There will be many threads on that, so I won't comment here.

But, looking at the all-time great defenses that won championships we note that NONE of them ever won more than 1 SB.

The 1986 Bears had a statistically better defense than the '85 team, but losing DC Buddy Ryan and locker room dissension cost them a repeat title and they lost to the Giants in the NFC divisional playoffs.

The 1991 Giants with Lawrence Taylor won the SB with Joe Pasarchik as their QB (Phil Simms was injured), but they never went back.

The 2001 Ravens still had a great defense, but lost in the divisional round to the Steelers and never returned to the SB until they changed almost their entire team (except Ray Lewis), including the coaches.

The 2003 Bucs finished 7-9 and never got back.

The 2014 Seahawks got back but lost to the Patriots and failed to beat the Panthers in the divisional round this year.

What usually happens is that defensive players all want to get paid. The team loses FAs, the defense that had a special bond, starts to go in different directions.

Thus, for the Broncos to win another championship:

#1 We have to accept that the defense will NEVER be this good again. This was a special year. No team in NFL history has ever won the SB without scoring an offensive TD, but this team could have done it- and would have if CJ Anderson had been a couple of inches shorter on that TD run. The Broncos would have won 20-10 with the offense scoring only FGs.

#2 Osweiler is going to have to develop into a top 10 QB - like Joe Flacco or Eli Manning. Neither of those guys is likely to get to Canton, and both are inconsistent, having some good seasons and bad ones. But, when they are playing well, either is capable of taking a team to a SB - and winning so long as they have a really solid defense.

#3 The Broncos are going to have to re-vamp their OL. They must be able to run the ball effectively, and protect Osweiler. They need to replace Ryan Harris, Tyler Polumbus, Evan Mathis (all over 30) with younger, better players. It's uncertain whether Ryan Clady is coming back, so they need a veteran starting caliber T. They had the solution within their grasp except Elway screwed up and didn't do the Joe Thomas deal. Now they will have to find someone elsewhere.

RBs - Ronnie Hillman and CJ are both FAs. One or both will be gone, and they will have to replace them. Finding RBs fortunately isn't that tough.

But, overall they need to improve their offensive performance, because they will never have a defense as good as this in the next 10 years. Good, yes, like the 2015 Seahawks are good, but THIS good? No.

TXBRONC
02-12-2016, 02:56 PM
It's never too soon to talk about a Dynasty when you win the SB.

So, I hope this will be a topic that we can return to in the months to come.

One thing we all agree on after watching the game: DEFENSE wins championships, and great offense just does not.

As I noted in a different thread, since the 2000 season 12 teams have scored more than 500 points, but only 1 team (2009 Saints) win a SB. Those teams were 1-4 in SBs during that time. The Panthers were #16 all-time in season points scored.

This defense by contrast ranks among the greatest defenses of the SB era. To be considered a GREAT defense you have to win the SB and even dominate in winning it. The 2006 Bears team gave up fewer points than the Broncos, but lost the SB to the Colts. Nobody thinks of them as an "all-time great defense" after they gave up 29 points to Peyton Manning and the Colts.

So, holding an all-time great (top 16 all time) offense to 10 points while scoring 7 yourselves and forcing 4 turnovers - that puts the Broncos in the all-time great category. So, job #1 (after signing Osweiler) is keeping the defense together in FA. There will be many threads on that, so I won't comment here.

But, looking at the all-time great defenses that won championships we note that NONE of them ever won more than 1 SB.

The 1986 Bears had a statistically better defense than the '85 team, but losing DC Buddy Ryan and locker room dissension cost them a repeat title and they lost to the Giants in the NFC divisional playoffs.

The 1991 Giants with Lawrence Taylor won the SB with Joe Pasarchik as their QB (Phil Simms was injured), but they never went back.

The 2001 Ravens still had a great defense, but lost in the divisional round to the Steelers and never returned to the SB until they changed almost their entire team (except Ray Lewis), including the coaches.

The 2003 Bucs finished 7-9 and never got back.

The 2014 Seahawks got back but lost to the Patriots and failed to beat the Panthers in the divisional round this year.

What usually happens is that defensive players all want to get paid. The team loses FAs, the defense that had a special bond, starts to go in different directions.

Thus, for the Broncos to win another championship:

#1 We have to accept that the defense will NEVER be this good again. This was a special year. No team in NFL history has ever won the SB without scoring an offensive TD, but this team could have done it- and would have if CJ Anderson had been a couple of inches shorter on that TD run. The Broncos would have won 20-10 with the offense scoring only FGs.

#2 Osweiler is going to have to develop into a top 10 QB - like Joe Flacco or Eli Manning. Neither of those guys is likely to get to Canton, and both are inconsistent, having some good seasons and bad ones. But, when they are playing well, either is capable of taking a team to a SB - and winning so long as they have a really solid defense.

#3 The Broncos are going to have to re-vamp their OL. They must be able to run the ball effectively, and protect Osweiler. They need to replace Ryan Harris, Tyler Polumbus, Evan Mathis (all over 30) with younger, better players. It's uncertain whether Ryan Clady is coming back, so they need a veteran starting caliber T. They had the solution within their grasp except Elway screwed up and didn't do the Joe Thomas deal. Now they will have to find someone elsewhere.

RBs - Ronnie Hillman and CJ are both FAs. One or both will be gone, and they will have to replace them. Finding RBs fortunately isn't that tough.

But, overall they need to improve their offensive performance, because they will never have a defense as good as this in the next 10 years. Good, yes, like the 2015 Seahawks are good, but THIS good? No.

It was Jeff Hostetler that lead the Giants in 1991. Joe Pasarchik was long gone by then. Heck I don't know if he was still the League by 1991.

Dreadnought
02-12-2016, 03:02 PM
1) Lock up Osweiler - then have him pan out like we hope. Top 15 is good enough, not top 10 IMO
2) Keep as much of the D intact as possible. Start with Von obviously, then the ILB's, hopefully Malik. What does Ware do? Can Shane Ray do the job? Can we afford him?
3) Improve our O-tackle play. Not a very high bar, frankly
4) Get a good KO returner. Caldwell is maybe the least dynamic return guy I've ever seen.
5) Keep CJ, upgrade Hillman. Or Hell, keep him too, if its reasonable. I'm not a huge fan, but he has his moments
6) Cut Vernon Davis

TXBRONC
02-12-2016, 03:08 PM
1) Lock up Osweiler - then have him pan out like we hope. Top 15 is good enough, not top 10 IMO
2) Keep as much of the D intact as possible. Start with Von obviously, then the ILB's, hopefully Malik. What does Ware do? Can Shane Ray do the job? Can we afford him?
3) Improve our O-tackle play. Not a very high bar, frankly
4) Get a good KO returner. Caldwell is maybe the least dynamic return guy I've ever seen.
5) Keep CJ, upgrade Hillman. Or Hell, keep him too, if its reasonable. I'm not a huge fan, but he has his moments
6) Cut Vernon Davis

Yeah this is spot on. The tackle position and running back are two biggest outside of the re-signings that Denver needs to get done.

WARHORSE
02-12-2016, 03:15 PM
Keep or upgrade the defense. A real ballhawking safety that can play the run as well would help.

Real runningback who can do it all and/or Oline dominance.

Sign McManus.....Money McManus.

Number one: HEALTH.

Draft well.


Take care of our own or let them get paid. IF Malik Jackson leaves for a more lucrative deal, then Elway needs to be in agreement with it and any others who get paid. Malik earned high interest from others through high level play. From the players perspective, Denver is a place you want to go. It always has been if we erase the McDaniels era.

Many players are out for money only, while others desire a good environment to work in as well as for their families. Denver offers that.

We can go on a roll here for real.

Dreadnought
02-12-2016, 03:19 PM
It helps that we have done a superb job at finding excellent ball players everyone else missed. Chris Harris, Trevathan, CJ, Brandon Marshall. Maybe Paradis, too. Keep that kind of work up and we're golden

BroncoJoe
02-12-2016, 03:30 PM
Win lots of games and a few more Super Bowls.

IOW, trust Elway.

Joel
02-12-2016, 04:39 PM
Solidify the offensive line, do our best to replace defensive FAs we can't re-sign and extend a lot of 2017 FAs now so we don't lose a bunch more key guys then.

After that it's just "find a franchise QB," which may or may not be Oz, but if we do the rest we should still remain contenders. Oz didn't implode behind an awful line against two of the top pass rushes this year, and made some big plays late when he needed to, so he shouldn't be a disaster even if he's never elite. Say, Roger Staubach to Danny White, not Elway to Griese (for one thing, Kubiak even managed to get one Pro Bowl season out of HIM, despite the line deteriorating.)

NightTerror218
02-12-2016, 04:41 PM
Draft well and keep defensive nucleus

Ravage!!!
02-12-2016, 04:43 PM
a Top tier QB. There hasn't been a dynasty without one...despite the great defenses that have been around. This team CAN NOT be a repeater without having a VERY GOOD player at the #1 position on the field. Period.

Dreadnought
02-12-2016, 04:48 PM
a Top tier QB. There hasn't been a dynasty without one...despite the great defenses that have been around. This team CAN NOT be a repeater without having a VERY GOOD player at the #1 position on the field. Period.

I still stand by my belief that Terry Bradshaw was never a top tier QB. He was a bad QB who eventually became a pretty good QB - but thats it. That defense OTOH...

Ravage!!!
02-12-2016, 05:04 PM
I still stand by my belief that Terry Bradshaw was never a top tier QB. He was a bad QB who eventually became a pretty good QB - but thats it. That defense OTOH...

40 years ago is what you are holding onto, though.

Look at the QBs in the playoffs just THIS year alone.

Manning
Brady
Rothlesburger
Rodgers
Newton
Wilson
Palmer
Ryan

I agree it's possible to win with a top Defense...but to repeat with a top defense, and not having a top QB, has proved to NOT happen (unless you want to count 40 years ago, and Bradshaw). The best defenses in the NFL history have proved to NEED a QB to go back and repeat. To continue to be contenders, the QB is far far and away the most important player.

underrated29
02-12-2016, 05:33 PM
1) Lock up Osweiler - then have him pan out like we hope. Top 15 is good enough, not top 10 IMO
2) Keep as much of the D intact as possible. Start with Von obviously, then the ILB's, hopefully Malik. What does Ware do? Can Shane Ray do the job? Can we afford him?
3) Improve our O-tackle play. Not a very high bar, frankly
4) Get a good KO returner. Caldwell is maybe the least dynamic return guy I've ever seen.
5) Keep CJ, upgrade Hillman. Or Hell, keep him too, if its reasonable. I'm not a huge fan, but he has his moments
6) Cut Vernon Davis

Great post!

I agree and disagree.

I disagree about the Tackles. We have 3 that will be on our roster most likely next year. Clady,Tysam, Schofield..
We also are likely to retain Harris on a cheap emergency basis.

I think we are fine at T and if we dont trade for Joe T, are likely to draft one very very late. I do however think we bring in:

Center to compete (doubtful theyll start over Paradis)
Guard- I expect Mad max and Schofield to be the initial starters. We need MORE! So I believe we will be looking here a lot.

Joel
02-12-2016, 09:54 PM
Drafting an OT late's a lot like drafting a QB late, for the same reason. Not saying it won't happen, but what's the difference between the final 1st and initial 2nd round pick? Our 1st round pick's only a little better than the 2nd rounder we spent on Sambrailo last year; an early 2nd instead of a late 2nd. The best OTs will be long gone.

In fact, that'll be true at ALL premium positions, because this is the ultimate extreme of Best Player Left: The SB Champs picks. So it may be best to fill a hole teams prioritize less; replace Trevathan, of find the successor to Stewart or Ward, or Vasquez. All the top QBs, OTs, WRs, DEs and CBs will be long gone by #32, because there are always (at least) 2-3 teams who desperately need one, and EVERYONE picks before us. But the 3rd or even 2nd best ILB or safety may still be there.

I say all that, as always, with NO idea who's in this draft or how deep it is at each position. But it'll have to be VERY deep at whatever spot we choose if we expect a first day starter to drop to #32. Going Best Player Available there has "reach" written all over it: At least get someone we can USE to stay on top after FA.

jlarsiii
02-13-2016, 12:53 AM
40 years ago is what you are holding onto, though.

Look at the QBs in the playoffs just THIS year alone.

Manning
Brady
Rothlesburger
Rodgers
Newton
Wilson
Palmer
Ryan

I agree it's possible to win with a top Defense...but to repeat with a top defense, and not having a top QB, has proved to NOT happen (unless you want to count 40 years ago, and Bradshaw). The best defenses in the NFL history have proved to NEED a QB to go back and repeat. To continue to be contenders, the QB is far far and away the most important player.

I can see your point of view. It would certainly help to have a top tier QB running the show. However, it may not be why those great defenses didn't repeat or become dynastic. Each of those defensed lost something/someone after their wins. Sometimes it was players or coaches or both. In each case the offenses of those teams were not able to step up to cover the difference.

An exception can be made for the 86 bears. If not for the cheap shot that knocked out McMahon late in the season they looked like they could have at least challenge to repeat. ESPN did a story on it that was pretty interesting.

Anyway, back to the point. I hope our defense is held together, but in reality we will probably lose a player or two. Therefore, to cover the regression back to the mean on defense we will need the offense to step up and improve on last year. Having a stud QB would help, but there are other areas that they could improve upon that would help overall. If that happens we can at least compete. If not we can probably kiss the idea of defending our title goodbye.

MOtorboat
02-13-2016, 03:11 AM
Win another Super Bowl.

Preferably next season.

tomjonesrocks
02-13-2016, 03:55 AM
It's pretty funny how little respect this team gets. Last Vegas odds I saw has Denver 9th to go to the next Super Bowl, behind the Dallas Cowboys.

Without Manning Dallas is a better team than Denver right now? I don't think so.

MOtorboat
02-13-2016, 04:04 AM
It's pretty funny how little respect this team gets. Last Vegas odds I saw has Denver 9th to go to the next Super Bowl, behind the Dallas Cowboys.

Without Manning Dallas is a better team than Denver right now? I don't think so.

Quarterback. If you were betting and had no rooting interest, you'd rank a team with a question at quarterback pretty low too.

Cugel
02-13-2016, 06:54 AM
It was Jeff Hostetler that lead the Giants in 1991. Joe Pasarchik was long gone by then. Heck I don't know if he was still the League by 1991.

YOu're right. I didn't look that up. I just remembered that the Giants won with their backup QB. Thanks for the update. But the point remains does it not?

The Giants had a good defense but limited offense. They won running the ball and playing tough defense against the NFL's #1 offense, the no-huddle up-tempo Buffalo Bills (at a time when that was all new and defenses generally didn't know how to deal with the no-huddle offense).

But, the Giants never went back to the SB until they lost to the Ravens, a decade later.

Cugel
02-13-2016, 07:13 AM
Solidify the offensive line, do our best to replace defensive FAs we can't re-sign and extend a lot of 2017 FAs now so we don't lose a bunch more key guys then.

After that it's just "find a franchise QB," which may or may not be Oz, but if we do the rest we should still remain contenders. Oz didn't implode behind an awful line against two of the top pass rushes this year, and made some big plays late when he needed to, so he shouldn't be a disaster even if he's never elite. Say, Roger Staubach to Danny White, not Elway to Griese (for one thing, Kubiak even managed to get one Pro Bowl season out of HIM, despite the line deteriorating.)

I'd have to agree with this. Frankly, a defending SB champion is NOT a rebuilding team, so the Broncos have to emphasize continuity, holding on to the players and system they have and not going out and trying to fix things that don't need fixing - which would mean that they should keep Osweiler if at all possible. He knows the system, he's a leader in the locker-room. He's not a bad QB even if he's not great. They're going to give him 2 years to develop and see if he can become a really good QB unless he proves sooner that he can't be.

But, you could see how frustrated Kubiak was this season that they couldn't run the ball effectively with any consistency. That's key to his entire team concept. He didn't want to have to rely just on defense to win.

An historic defense is "historic" - i.e. it doesn't happen every year or even every decade and never to the same team twice. So, the Broncos 2015 formula of relying solely on the defense and not having any offense to speak of, will never work again. Not ever.

This defense will never be quite this good again. History tells us that. They will still be good, just as the Seahawks 2015 defense was still quite good, just like the '86 & '87 Bears were quite good, but not good enough to rely to win by themselves.

So, to rebuild the OL is absolutely essential. They are getting Clady back if they want him, but how reliable is he? Will his knee hold up? And what happens if it doesn't? There must be a plan B that is better than some scrub like Ryan Harris or Tyler Polumbus or some raw rookie.

In fact, despite the fact that the staff was happy with Ty Sambrailo until he got injured, he didn't play well at all at LT. Not a surprise for a 2nd round rookie T. But, it's no guarantee that he'll suddenly be great this season either.

Elway neglected the OL for years now. It's been a festering wound. They've basically won without having a good OL. But, that is so rare in the NFL that it's almost unheard of. To repeat they have to fix that. And they have to have decent backups in case any of their starters get hurt.

Because this 2015 OL was so bad they got two starting QBs injured. Peyton got hurt and played progressively worse until he had to be benched in the KC game. Then Osweiler came in and played 7 games and HE got hurt (knee, ribs and separated shoulder). By then Peyton was healthy enough again to start in the playoffs.

But, the 2016 Broncos will not have Peyton Manning waiting in the wings if Brock gets hurt. Most teams cannot win consistently with their backup QB, like the 2014 Cardinals team that looked pretty good until Carson Palmer got hurt. So, they have to have a much better OL to keep their QB healthy.

Cugel
02-13-2016, 07:34 AM
a Top tier QB. There hasn't been a dynasty without one...despite the great defenses that have been around. This team CAN NOT be a repeater without having a VERY GOOD player at the #1 position on the field. Period.

I don't see how they find a better QB than Osweiler. Either he turns out to be a very good QB or he doesn't.

But, remember that finding a QB in the draft is hard as hell. Some years (like 2006 & 2007 there are NO QBs worth drafting at all)! Who would you want in 2006? Vince Young, Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler? NONE of them! And even Cutler went #11 overall, so a team like the Broncos would have to move up 20 places in the draft just to get a shot.

Last year, nobody but the Bucs & Titans had a chance to draft a QB since Mariota & Winson were the only good prospects.

If you can't find a QB in the first round, then the only choices are develop a late 2nd or later round QB for several years or find one in FA.

Well, FA QBs almost always suck. That's why they are FAs. Ryan Fitzpatrick is about the best example of one working out recently. And he's not exactly young. More likely you wind up with someone like Nick Foles or RG III - proven failures with other teams. URF!

But, to develop a QB who was a late 2nd round pick, you need to be patient and sit him down for several years and let him learn how to play in the NFL - the way the Broncos did with Osweiler. Can you imagine what a disaster it would have been to Osweiler's career if he'd had to come in and start as a 21 year old rookie? There's just no way he would have been ready.

But, unless you have an entrenched starter like Peyton was that can't work. It's a luxury most teams just can't afford - to invest a 2nd round pick in a player who won't even take the field for 3 or 4 years?

That's almost impossible. Coaches need to win NOW or they get fired, so they throw the kid into the fire. No time to develop. And QBs get used up, their confidence gets shattered, they develop bad habits. In short, they get used up and discarded before they can learn how to play in this league. Happens over and over again with high draft picks.

So, even if the Broncos could find a developmental QB, who is going to be their starter if Osweiler goes elsewhere? Some scrub FA? Recipe for a couple of bad years!

BroncoWave
02-13-2016, 08:16 AM
Quarterback. If you were betting and had no rooting interest, you'd rank a team with a question at quarterback pretty low too.

Hey, if the bettors want to keep losing money on Denver, more power to them! :D

TXBRONC
02-13-2016, 10:40 AM
It's pretty funny how little respect this team gets. Last Vegas odds I saw has Denver 9th to go to the next Super Bowl, behind the Dallas Cowboys.

Without Manning Dallas is a better team than Denver right now? I don't think so.

It's all about the quarterback position TJR. Just this past season Denver was not seen one of odds on favorites to get to the Super Bowl.

Ravage!!!
02-13-2016, 03:05 PM
Look at the teams in the playoffs this year, and its pretty easy to see that QBs are what makes a team go. There are always the outliners like Denver was this season, but that is NOT normal...and even the great defenses that won Super Bowls in the past..... didn't follow it up because of that lack of a top QB. The odds are absolutely against us.

ShaneFalco
02-13-2016, 03:07 PM
Eli Manning.

BroncoWave
02-13-2016, 03:07 PM
Look at the teams in the playoffs this year, and its pretty easy to see that QBs are what makes a team go. There are always the outliners like Denver was this season, but that is NOT normal...and even the great defenses that won Super Bowls in the past..... didn't follow it up because of that lack of a top QB. The odds are absolutely against us.

But how many of those defenses were able to keep their entire unit together? I'm guessing none of them. If we somehow were able to keep the whole D together at the expense of Brock, that would be a pretty unprecedented situation.

Ravage!!!
02-13-2016, 03:10 PM
But how many of those defenses were able to keep their entire unit together? I'm guessing none of them. If we somehow were able to keep the whole D together at the expense of Brock, that would be a pretty unprecedented situation.

Would it? The '85 Bears were before Free Agency was in the NFL, and they couldn't repeat. That is still considered the greatest defense in NFL history.

Valar Morghulis
02-13-2016, 03:15 PM
Eli Manning.

What does this post mean?

BroncoWave
02-13-2016, 03:36 PM
What does this post mean?

That a team with shoddy QB play and a great defense was able to win two titles using that formula.

Slick
02-13-2016, 04:44 PM
Look at the teams in the playoffs this year, and its pretty easy to see that QBs are what makes a team go. There are always the outliners like Denver was this season, but that is NOT normal...and even the great defenses that won Super Bowls in the past..... didn't follow it up because of that lack of a top QB. The odds are absolutely against us.

What is normal however, is teams with the great defenses beating the teams with great offenses.

Valar Morghulis
02-13-2016, 05:15 PM
That a team with shoddy QB play and a great defense was able to win two titles using that formula.

Oh, well I think I disagree.

Cugel
02-14-2016, 01:48 PM
Would it? The '85 Bears were before Free Agency was in the NFL, and they couldn't repeat. That is still considered the greatest defense in NFL history.

Well, according to Richard Dent, it was Mike Ditka's fault for bringing in QB Doug Flutie. Of course he's a defensive guy so he wouldn't blame the defense. But Flutie's performance in their playoff loss was better than Manning's in the SB so I don't know that's much of an excuse :


Richard Dent blames Mike Ditka (http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/8578026/richard-dent-blames-mike-ditka-chicago-bears-not-repeating-1986)
Nov 1, 2012

ESPNChicago.com

Mike Ditka refused to engage in a war of words with Hall of Fame defensive Richard Dent, who said Wednesday that Ditka was the reason the 1985 Chicago Bears didn't repeat as Super Bowl champions.

After winning Super Bowl XX to cap a 15-1 season with one of the greatest defenses of all time, the Bears looked poised to challenge for another one in '86. But a controversial hit by Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin ended Jim McMahon's season in Week 12 with the Bears at 10-2.

The Bears finished the regular season 14-2, but after having Mike Tomczak and Steve Fuller back up McMahon during the regular season, Ditka turned to Doug Flutie in the playoffs. Flutie went 11 of 31 for 134 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a playoff loss to the Washington Redskins.

"More than anything, Mike didn't manage that quarterback position," Dent said on WSCR-670 (AM). "Bringing Doug Flutie in and thinking that he's gonna come in and be on a team for three weeks and start him in a playoff game? Hell, I mean you're trying to change the name on the Super Bowl trophy to Mike Ditka (from) Vince Lombardi when you do something like that.

"We had won with Tomczak and Fuller. That's all we needed to do is stay with that plan. Then you bring a guy off the street."

Ditka said the accusation from Dent was nothing new.

"He's done it many times," Ditka told ESPNChicago.com's Melissa Isaacson. "I have no idea (why he's doing it again now).

"I think lot of times you gotta consider the source. I never get too upset about it. It doesn't bother me. I don't know what it is, I really don't. It's been 28 years ago that we won it and I could care less."

Later on "The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show" on ESPN 1000, Ditka reminisced about that team, the last Bears team to win a Super Bowl. The roster featured several of Hall of Famers, including Walter Payton, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary and Dent.

"I thought we did a lot of good things," Ditka said. "We probably screwed up some things we could have done better. But I don't know if that was one of them.

"People are entitled to believe what they want to believe."

Ditka defended his decision to start Flutie.

"Could we have won more? Of course, we could have, but we didn't," he said. " I thought the move to get Flutie -- I don't care what the results were -- was a great move. Doug Flutie was a winner. He was a winner his whole career. He was a tough guy, he played good. ... At the moment we made those decisions, we thought they were the right decisions."

Dent thought that Bears team could have won multiple Super Bowls.

"And we came back three years in a row and had home-field advantage," Dent said. "Our coach couldn't figure out the right quarterback to play. The disappointing part to me is that we only got one out of it. We should have been the first team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row. It was there for the taking, but we didn't manage that one position right."


I believe one of the biggest reasons was they lost DC Buddy Ryan.

But, that was a different era - BEFORE the salary cap. Teams in the 80's could spend whatever they wanted. The 49ers particularly would stockpile players - like QBs Joe Montana and Steve Young.

Nowadays it's a lot easier to sign away other team's FAs. And it's easier to pay 1 QB than 11 defensive players - who after a SB all think they were a part of the reason the team won, and all want to get paid big $.