Thread: John Elway tried to hire Mike Shanahan; Joe Ellis blocked it!

John Elway tried to hire Mike Shanahan; Joe Ellis blocked it!

How things might have been different if Joe Ellis wasn’t in charge of the Denver Broncos and held grudges.

This story is all over the news now:

@woodypaige: Secret meetings nearly led to far different coaching, QB outcome for Broncos#BroncosCountry #broncoshttp://gazette.com/premium/woody-paige-secret-meetings-nearly-led-to-far-different-coaching/article_f40524e6-0196-11e9-afe0-677db2f9f2bf.html …
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9:47 PM - Dec 16, 2018
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Woody Paige: Secret meetings nearly led to far different coaching, QB outcome for Broncos

The Duke and The Mastermind, who were united as quarterback and coach, colleagues, chess partners and closest friends through nine seasons and five Super Bowls, nearly reunited a year ago
gazette.com

The two would have aggressively pursued Kirk Cousins to reset the franchise and move forward with a Shanahan/Cousins pairing. Instead, Joe Ellis stepped in and blocked the potential hiring from ever happening bringing forth another year with Vance Joseph and Elway having to settle for Case Keenum.

Ellis is apparently more concerned about potential power struggles within the organization than winning and it would appear, Ellis is interfering with and acting as owner of the Broncos - to the franchises detriment. If true, I believe he should step back and let Elway actually do his job.

Shanahan remains the second winningest coach in Broncos history behind John Fox (Thank you, Peyton!) and could have likely done much more with the talent the Broncos have on offense in 2018.

Instead, we get to wait for the next way Ellis will decide the fate of this franchise. He was the man who brought in Josh McDaniels too, you know. And now he could end up being the man who led this franchise to back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1972.

The full story is behind a paywall, but it's all over the radio, and Mark Schlereth confirms that he learned of this from private sources inside the Broncos organization.

Apparently, Elway WANTED to fire VJ at the end of last season, but Joe Ellis didn't feel that he wanted the organization to go in that direction. There could be a lot of reasons, starting with the fact that Joe Ellis was part of the initial decision to fire Shanny in the first place.

If this is true, then Ellis frankly needs to get out of the way. If there's a chance the Broncos could hire Shanahan back again?

Elway and Shanahan agreed to the power sharing relationship. John would of course remain as GM and have complete power over Player-personnel decisions which was Shanny's Achilles Heal when he was coaching here - drafting losers like DE Jarvis Moss and giving up draft picks to move up and get him.

Mike wasn't great in Washington with a dysfunctional ownership who kept insisting that RGIII was the Redskins QB and who kept refusing to invest in Kirk Cousins (who was Shanny's choice). That's why they fired him out of DC.

But, do we want Mike McCarthy? News out of Baltimore now is that Harbaugh is no way getting fired, and if he was there would be a LOT of choices for him, he's not necessarily eager to come to Denver which does not have a starting QB.

We certainly don't want another rookie "star coordinator" with zero head coaching experience in the NFL, and frankly, there's not even such a candidate right now. Most of the "hot coordinators" got hired this past season. We've been down that road. They need to hire a veteran.

Thoughts?

Latest News From Mike Klis: Joe Ellis quickly announces that Mike Shanahan is NOT going to be a "consideration" for a head coaching job in 2019. He's been eliminated from any competition.

Joe Ellis is very obviously the one who needs to be fired if he's still blocking this and he's the one who insisted on keeping Vance Joseph.

Sources: Elway chose Joseph over coaching search after 2017 season
Denver Broncos GM briefly considered Shanahan-Cousins package before giving Joseph another chance with Case Keenum.
Author: Mike Klis
Published: 7:32 AM MST December 17, 2018
Updated: 9:48 AM MST December 17, 2018

KUSA – Confronted with a surprising, last-minute possibility of Mike Shanahan coming back to coach the Denver Broncos, Joe Ellis hours before the team’s 2017 finale against the Kansas City Chiefs, presented John Elway with two options.

Fire current coach Vance Joseph if Elway so desired, but come up with a comprehensive coaching search in which Shanahan would not be a candidate. Been there, done that was Ellis’ feelings on Shanahan, who was fired by owner Pat Bowlen after the 2008 season. Shanahan had just one playoff win in his final 10 seasons when he was dismissed after the team blew a three-game AFC West lead with three to play in 2008.

The second option, Ellis told Elway, was to keep Vance Joseph and give him a second season with a better quarterback. Either option did not involve the return of Shanahan, who was the Broncos’ head coach from 1995-2008 and led the franchise to its first two Super Bowl titles in back-to-back seasons of 1997-98 – Elway’s final two seasons as the team’s quarterback.
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This was why Elway told 9NEWS following the Broncos loss to the Chiefs that he “was going to sleep on it.” On Monday morning, January 1 of this year, Elway informed Ellis that he wanted to keep Joseph. Elway then met with Joseph to tell the coach he was giving him another chance.

9NEWS spoke to multiple sources in and outside Broncos headquarters about the confusing events that took place near the end of last season. As the team was suffering through an eight-game losing streak that was the franchise’s worst in 50 years, Ellis, the Broncos’ chief executive officer, and Elway, the team’s general manager, held several discussions about how best to move forward in attempt to return the team to its usual prominence.

As the Broncos carried a 5-10 record into their December 31, 2017 home game against the Chiefs, Ellis and Elway agreed during the week that Joseph should get another chance with an upgrade at the quarterback position.

At the time, the speculation was two prominent quarterbacks would be available in free agency: Washington’s Kirk Cousins and Minnesota’s Case Keenum. Cousins had ties to Shanahan. Two years after Shanahan was dismissed from his Broncos’ job, he became Washington’s head coach from 2010-13.

Shanahan selected Cousins in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. Elway got the idea that Shanahan and Cousins could be a package deal.

Shanahan must have expressed enough interest. On Sunday morning, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter – who was a Broncos beat writer during the Shanahan-Elway heyday – reported Joseph “faces increasingly long odds at being retained and returning for his second season.’’

After the Schefter report, Elway presented the possibility of Shanahan to Ellis, who then asked for a couple hours to consider, according to sources.

Ellis then gave Elway his two options – dismiss Joseph if he so chose but conduct a thorough head coaching search or keep the coach for a second season. However, Ellis let it be known the franchise had moved on from Shanahan, who turned 66 in August and had been out of the coaching business since 2013.

After sleeping on it, Elway decided to keep Joseph and in free agency he wound up signing Keenum to a two-year, $36 million contract that included $25 million fully guaranteed, while Cousins took a three-year, $84 million contract from Minnesota in which all $84 million was fully guaranteed.

Well, this would back up the statement made by UR about Ellis being the one to over rule John on VJ.

I wonder if this is partially why Bowlens brother brought a suit against Ellis?

Joe Ellis has the full control and things didn't go well. They should let him go. I think Bowlens are on Elway's side.

Woody Paige just was interviewed on 104.3 the Fan. He confirmed he talked to 7 different people before reporting this and that 5 of them were in the room. Elway and Shanahan worked out a deal, Joe Ellis nixed it and told Elway that he could fire Joseph. But, he could not hire Shanahan and instead had to choose between firing Joseph and conducting a coaching search or keeping VJ. He chose to keep VJ.

Shanahan still believes that Joe Ellis got him fired originally, that Joe went to Pat Bowlen and told him it just wasn't working out and that they should fire Shanahan. Ellis as Pat's financial advisor supposedly had a strained relationship with Mike as GM and coach.

I don't know any part of that. It would seem like Mike Shanahan might have had a grievance, but no part of him coming back would involve him having any power over Joe Ellis' control over the team, nor would he, Shanahan have any power as GM.

Reporting from Woodie Paige is that Shanahan agreed he would stick to coaching and let Elway be the GM. So I don't know why there would be a problem on Joe Ellis' part, but apparently, his reaction to the whole Elway decision was "we've already been down that road with Mike."

As to the reports that have been denied that Cousins met with Shanahan, what specifically was denied was that any meetings took place in Denver. Supposedly, Cousins considered that he would like to work with Mike, since Mike basically drafted him, discovered him, backed him as the Redskins starting QB in the face of Dan Snyder insisting that RGIII was the starter. They then fired Shanahan because he wanted to play Cousins, not RGIII.

So, supposedly, Cousins would work out a deal to come and play for Shanny in Denver, and that deal would be below what he wound up receiving to go to MN. Certainly Cousins has every reason to deny that story, since it would make his new team feel like they were his second choice, and at a time when the MN fans and media are not thrilled with him or the Vikings disappointing season. So, I don't believe that they never talked, but maybe it wasn't in Denver.

Originally Posted by DenBronx

I wonder if this is partially why Bowlens brother brought a suit against Ellis?

No. The reason was that Joe Ellis and the Trust rejected Beth Bowlen as owner. Beth is already 40 and could theoretically take control now, but Ellis and the trust keep insisting that she's "not qualified." Bill Bowlen essentially intervened although he sold his interest in the team a few years ago, arguing that the Trust was acting without taking the family's interests to heart and that they should negotiate a termination date when they will turn over power to one of the children.

Well, Ellis immediately released a very hostile statement against Bill Bowlen, essentially telling him to get lost and denying everything he said. The Trust is in a tough spot because they want Brittany Bowlen, but she's 28.

And Pat apparently thought that the child to inherit should be 40 or more. If he put that into the Trust Agreement, the Trust is in a tough spot. It will be hard for Joe Ellis to keep the Trust in control for another 12 years. So, if they don't want Beth, and Pat's son has disqualified himself by getting arrested for drunk driving or whatever it was, the Trust's preference would be to sell the team to an outside party.

That would of course trigger lawsuits from all the Bowlen children, because both Beth and Brittany want control. Neither wants to sell the team. It's a huge mess.

joe ellis can **** off then. sounds like a guy who doesnt have a clue

Adam Schefter is on 104.3 the fan now talking about this

You simply can't ignore the timing of this story coming out, the day after the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs, and now that's it's almost a certainty that VJ gets fired.

Originally Posted by Denver Native (Carol)

Adam Schefter is on 104.3 the fan now talking about this

Carol can you give us cliff notes?

Originally Posted by Cugel

No. The reason was that Joe Ellis and the Trust rejected Beth Bowlen as owner. Beth is already 40 and could theoretically take control now, but Ellis and the trust keep insisting that she's "not qualified." Bill Bowlen essentially intervened although he sold his interest in the team a few years ago, arguing that the Trust was acting without taking the family's interests to heart and that they should negotiate a termination date when they will turn over power to one of the children.

Well, Ellis immediately released a very hostile statement against Bill Bowlen, essentially telling him to get lost and denying everything he said. The Trust is in a tough spot because they want Brittany Bowlen, but she's 28.

And Pat apparently thought that the child to inherit should be 40 or more. If he put that into the Trust Agreement, the Trust is in a tough spot. It will be hard for Joe Ellis to keep the Trust in control for another 12 years. So, if they don't want Beth, and Pat's son has disqualified himself by getting arrested for drunk driving or whatever it was, the Trust's preference would be to sell the team to an outside party.

That would of course trigger lawsuits from all the Bowlen children, because both Beth and Brittany want control. Neither wants to sell the team. It's a huge mess.

Where are you coming up with this 40 years old thing. Outside of you, I have never read this. Have a link?

Originally Posted by Rick

Where are you coming up with this 40 years old thing. Outside of you, I have never read this. Have a link?

That's been reported all over the radio. I haven't looked at the Trust Agreement, if it's even public, so I don't know. But as someone who routinely drafts wills and trusts, it would not be a surprising condition. Many lawyers put such terms into trust agreements to avoid children inheriting a large estate outright at 18 years old, which is what happens if you die without a will leaving children to inherit.

Inheriting control over a multi-billion dollar business is not something you want an 18 year old or even 25 year old to do. There are a lot of conditions as well, which the Trust has published - such as having an advanced business or law degree, experience with the team, etc.

I don't know why they feel Beth Bowlen isn't qualified, but Joe Ellis is adamant that she isn't. And Bill Bowlen is suing over that. Brittany has publicly stated that she's not qualified right now, but she wants to get control at some point.

So, she's not suing because the Trust wants to give it to her, but they'd supposedly have to wait until she's 40 unless they reform the Trust instrument or something. Their 2nd choice is supposedly to sell the team, but that will not be popular with anybody, the fans, the media, the Bowlen family.

Originally Posted by Mike Hawk

You simply can't ignore the timing of this story coming out, the day after the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs, and now that's it's almost a certainty that VJ gets fired.

Apparently Mark Schlereth has known about this for months. So did Woody Paige, but he felt it wasn't the right time to release it, when the Broncos were still in the playoffs. The story has circulated for months to Broncos insiders, media, former players who are still connected to Dove Valley, etc.

But, until Woody interviewed the witnesses, nobody wanted to talk about it for the record, and they all insisted on his not using their names too in order not to have to deal with criticism inside the building for leaking I suppose.

Originally Posted by Rick

Where are you coming up with this 40 years old thing. Outside of you, I have never read this. Have a link?

It’s been in Nicki Jhabvala’s reporting (former Denver Post, now at the Athletic). It’s subscription, don’t shoot the messenger.

https://theathletic.com/702195/2018/...-delay-tactic/