CFL: Winnipeg Blue Bombers Add Two Recent NFLers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed two recent NFLers, quarterback Darrell Hackney (Denver Broncos) and Jonathan Hefney (Philadelphia Eagles).

Hackney was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2006 after a successful career at Alabama-Birmingham. At UAB he set four school records in passing yards, touchdowns, completions, and total offensive per game. After being cut by the Browns he signed with the Denver Broncos on January 2, 2007.

After battling with Jay Cutler, Preston Parsons, and Patrick Ramsey he made the team. In 2008, he re-joined Denver, but this time on their practice roster before being promoted on November 1 when Ramsey was placed on injured reserve. After the Broncos signed Chris Simms and acquired Kyle Orton in the Cutler trade, Hackney was waived by Denver.

Hefney was a starter at safety and cornerback while at Tennessee and was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. On July 25 he was released by the Bucs. He would later sign with the Philadelphia Eagles and earn a spot on the practice roster. He was cut later in the season.

The Blue Bombers have also signed Jasper Johnson, Chase Ortiz, and Bradley Pierson.

This article also appeared on The CFL Report the unofficial (obviously) home of the CFL, always looking for more writers if you would like to join please contact me either by e-mail or on my bulletin board.

Kyle Orton and Chris Simms Battle to See Who Will Be Broncos Starting QB

The Denver Broncos start the 2009 season coming off arguably the greatest single-season performance for a Denver quarterback in their history, the problem is, they don’t have that QB any more.

Jay Cutler was traded pre-draft day after a month-long complete debacle between the disgruntled QB and his newly appointed head coach, Josh McDaniels.

Cutler’s over 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns were good enough to earn the young QB a Pro Bowl berth for the first time in his career, and it is unlikely either of the two quarterbacks Denver has to reach those numbers in 2009.

But, the Broncos did receive a starting QB in the trade in Orton, something they wanted from the situation.

Orton is a capable starter, with two full seasons under his belt, in 2005 and 2008, and ’08 was his best statistically with over 2,900 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. While those numbers are respectable, they are far from what Cutler was able to do last year, yet Orton should benefit from McDaniels’ new offense.

But before he thinks about starting games in his new orange and blue, Orton must focus on his current QB battle with Chris Simms.

Simms, son of Giants great Phil Simms, was drafted in 2004 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he had his best season in 2005, starting 10 games for the Bucs, with a 6-4 record. Simms passed for just over 2,000 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven picks, a mediocre season at best for an NFL QB.

In 2006, Simms suffered a ruptured spleen that needed surgery and kept him out of the NFL for two years. Last season he came back to the league as a backup with the Tennesee Titans, but for only one game.

In reality, Orton should win this starting position that coach McDaniels has said is up for grabs, relatively easily.

While both QBs are young, and have large gaps of playing time in their careers, Orton is more proven with more starts and has played more recently.

Orton has passed for over 5,300 yards, for 30 TDs and 27 INTs in his career compared to Simms’ 3,000 yards, 12 TDs and 17 INTs. On top of that, Orton’s record as a starter is 22-11, contrasted with Simms’ paltry 7-8 record overall.

In all, neither quarterback will be top-five in 2009, and neither are neccasarily a QB to build a team around, but one will fill the gap for this year.

In all likelihood, the Broncos starter will be Kyle Orton, and he needs to be a leader in the huddle, listen to coaching, and study, study, study the playbook.

In 2009, all rests on the shoulders of Kyle Orton, hopefully he can carry the burden that comes with being a Broncos quarterback and have a productive year. If so, Denver should have a top-10 offense when all is said and done.

Denver Broncos a Playoff Team in ’09?: Coaching Is Capital, Players Are Pivotal

The Denver Broncos come into the 2009 season after experiencing a blizzard of changes in the off-season; seeing their all-time greatest coach in Mike Shanahan fired, their Pro Bowl quarterback traded, and numerous trade and draft-day acquisitions filling the current roster.

While there are many question marks that surround this football team, one thing is for sure, this is the most exciting preseason for the Broncos in a long time.

Josh McDaniels was named the 12th head coach in Denver Broncos history, and is already number one in one category for the Broncos, he’s their youngest coach ever.

Although, McDaniels, 33 years old, is just one of many baby-faced coaches in the NFL in 2009, as Raheem Morris of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who was also a candidate for the Denver job, is the NFL’s youngest at 32 years old. Eric Mangini and Tom Cable are all part of this young coaching trend as well.

McDaniels though has shown that he is “the man” in Denver now, hiring his own coaching staff, which includes ex-49ers’ head coach Mike Nolan to run the Broncos defense, and bringing in numerous players that fit his style.

McDaniels, the new-age “mastermind” of offense, brings his highly effective spread offense to Denver. His revolutionary system is the same one that led the Patriots to NFL records in overall points (589), points per game, and yards per game in the 2007 season.  

It’s also the same system that took Matt Cassel from not good enough to start in the NFL, to having a decent season in ’08, and eventually going to Kansas City in a trade, earning Cassell huge starting QB money.

The looming question for the Broncos offense in 2009 is whether or not McDaniels’ schemes can evolve the game play of Kyle Orton, or Chris Simms, as one will likely be Denver’s starter this season.

Orton, acquired from Chicago as a result of the month-long McJaygate, is currently the favorite to take the starting job. He is a three-year veteran and Simms has missed the last two seasons following spleen surgery, so he is a wild card.

Orton enjoyed his best season statistically in 2008 with 2,900 yards, 18 TDs and 12 INTs, but those stats leave a great deal to be desired for Broncos’ fans as Cutler was a top-five quarterback last year.

Orton is not a great deep-ball passer, as he went 1-11 in passes of 30+ yards in ’08, but McDaniels’ offense revolves around short dink-and-dunk passes, spreading the field and the ball to multiple receivers.

Luckily for Orton, Denver is absolutely stacked at the receiver position, and he would be smart to throw in each’s direction.

Brandon Marshall, the Broncos best receiver, has a rare combination of speed, strength, and size that makes him a tough cover for any cornerback. Though, after being arrested his third time this offseason after a domestic abuse call in Atlanta, Marshall will probably miss the first half of 2009.

Eddie Royal, a second-year phenom from Virginia Tech is a burner, but his speed might not be utilized with Orton’s smallish arm. Royal though could be an awesome slot receiver for the Broncos, especially with McDaniels calling the plays.

Wes Welker, who does not come close to Royal in athleticism, had a great 2007 and 2008 with 223 receptions, for 2,340 yards, and 11 touchdowns under McDaniels. Think what Royal could do with all those looks across the middle and to the sidelines.

Along with those two studs, McDaniels brought in Jabar Gaffney, his old number three option in New England to play the third receiver spot for Denver. Gaffney had 38 catches for nearly 500 yards in ’08, and his numbers should rise in 2009 as he will get starting time with Marshall out.

The Broncos also have Chad Jackson, and ex-Patriot, and they drafted Kenny McKinley in the fifth round.

At tight end, the Broncos have Daniel Graham and Tony Scheffler as one is a great blocker, the other an awesome receiver. Graham is another New Englander turned Denverite, and will hopefully be utilized more than he was under Shanahan.

Scheffler has been rumored in trades, but if he is still on the team in ’09, he should have many catches down the middle of the field.

The most exciting question mark on offense is Knowshon Moreno, who was drafted 12th overall by Denver in the draft, the first running back taken. Moreno could have a huge impact on this Broncos team, and should get a look as the starter.

Denver though was the second-best offense in 2008 so McDaniels should be able to produce big numbers from all those play makers. Defense is where the Broncos truly struggled in 2008, going 30th in points, giving away games in fourth quarters.

Denver switched back and forth between the 4-3 and 3-4 in 2008, choosing to stick with the 4-3 to end the season. In 2009, the Broncos will play in the 3-4 scheme, a big time change from the 4-3 used for the past few decades in Denver.

Mike Nolan is in charge of this rag-tag squad, and has a huge challenge ahead of him to improve the defensive side of the ball.

The Broncos were so bad on D in 2008 that only three starters from last year are guaranteed to start in ’09: Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams, and Elvis Dumervil.

Bailey had his worst professional season of his career, missing seven games with a groin injury, forcing him to also miss the Pro Bowl for the first time ever. Williams missed time as well, five games, but still finished with 68 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Dumervil was arguably Denver’s best defender in 2008 with 5 sacks, but he only recorded 17 tackles, a number that must rise in ’09. Dumervil is looking at a move in position from DE to OLB in the 3-4 scheme, and his numbers might suffer as he weathers that move.

Brian Dawkins is the biggest offseason pickup for the Broncos, a 15-year veteran that can still play well. His leadership at safety will help Denver’s defensive backfield.

Rookie Alphonso Smith may challenge for the other starting CB spot, and Renaldo Hill is the likely starter at the other safety spot.

Ex-Brown Andra Davis should be another starter at linebacker, but after that, many spots are still up for grabs.

Who will compose the Broncos defensive line? Matthias Askew, Robert Ayers, and Kenny Peterson? Many question marks arise in this area, and the Broncos front seven may still be soft in 2009.

Overall, Denver’s offense should be good, and has a chance to be great. But, according to Randy Moss and Welker, they have just recently fully grasped the highly complex offense, after playing for two years in it.

This will cause problems for Marshall since he will be out, Royal because of his youth, and Orton since he has to learn the offense in only a few months. The Broncos though should still rank in the top-10 in offense in 2009, and will surely be exciting to watch.

The defense on the other hand will probably be a weak spot for the Broncos yet again in 2009. With up to eight new starters and a new scheme for many of them to learn, Denver will likely rank in the bottom-10 in defense this year.

When all is said and done, Denver could win 10 games and may make the playoffs. The AFC West is not particularly strong, and no one can say for sure how effective all this change will be.

Although, the Broncos have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL in ’09, playing the NFC East (Giants, Cowboys, Eagles), and also contenders in the Patriots, Colts, and Super Bowl champion Steelers.

In reality 8-8 would be a solid 2009 campaign, and they will likely hover around that mark this season.

Everything relys on how well McDaniels’ and Nolan’s coaching schemes work in Denver, and how completely the players buy into them.

There are many question marks that surround this team, but it all makes for mile high excitement this offseason, the most exciting in many years for the Broncos.

Another Bronco Gets Cut

The Broncos announced that undrafted free agent linebacker Jeff Schweiger was waived on Friday, May 29th.

Schweiger saw time at defensive end for San Jose State as a senior, after spending his first three seasons at USC.

Schweiger, who joined the team on April 28th, spent just a month with the Broncos, but was unable to earn a roster spot.

Schweiger was the second player to be waived this week as J.J. Arrington was let go earlier this week due to nagging injury concerns.

Schweiger and Arrington are just a few, but many will follow in the coming weeks and months as the Broncos have over 80 players on their roster, and they can only keep 53 on the teams active roster and eight practice squad players. 

As the team tries to get better we will see more players bite the dust.  Players who can’t compete or were only added as insurance players will get handed their walking papers. And the Roster will continue to narrow even before training camp begins.

Let Schweiger’s departure be a warning to the rest of those players trying to make the team.  Bring it or go find a new job.

 

Seattle Seahawks Position Breakdown: Linebackers

The Starters-

Lofa Tatupu, MLB

In 2005, the Seahawks traded two fourth-round picks to move up nine slots to get him. Criticism fell upon the Seahawks’ new GM Tim Ruskell and he was widely bashed for the move. Tatupu was too slow, undersized, could not jump high enough, and was not play-making material.

Four years later, all Tatupu has done is make three Pro Bowls and become the leader of the Seahawks defense. Fellow 2005 draftee LB Leroy Hill aided him in leading the Seahawks to the Superbowl for the first time.

Tatupu can do everything from hard hits to snagging INTs. Just his presence in the middle of the field draws caution for any slot receiver. Even during a mediocre 2008 season when he was hampered by nagging injuries he racked up 94 tackles.

In 2009 a healthy Tatupu will lead a revamped defense and serve as a mentor to first round LB Aaron Curry. Expect another Pro Bowl season from the “slow, and undersized” LB.

 

Leroy Hill, Weakside OLB

With a fresh six-year, $38 million contract in hand, Hill is poised for a breakout season as he takes over Julian Petersons’ old pass rushing duties (Peterson is now with Detroit). In his rookie season with the same role, Hill tallied 7.5 sacks; we should see that number rise in 2009.

Hill has often been overlooked because of the presence of Pro Bowlers Tatupu and Peterson, but now he gets his chance to shine. Hill eclipsed his 2007 production by two tackles, despite missing two more games in 2008.

Hill is not a terrific coverage man and has yet to record an NFL interception. Since his job does not entail covering WRs and TEs, his weakness should be masked. He is a great tackler and knows how to fully wrap up the ball-carrier so he cannot slide away. Once in a while you will see him aim too high and a stiff-arm will leave him eating turf.

With a bigger role in the defense, I would not be surprised to see Hill making his first trip to Hawaii.

Aaron Curry, Strongside OLB

Curry completes the Seahawks’ vaunted LB unit. He was heralded by many as the 2009 draft’s top prospect and was overwhelmed with emotion when he found out he was joining the Seattle Seahawks. I have heard nothing but ranting and raving about the former Wake Forest LB.

I am excited to see what he can bring to the table. The only knock on the standout I have been able to find is his rushing abilities. But with Hill manning that responsibility, it is a non-issue.

Curry is extremely quick, posting a 4.52 NFL Combine 40 time. He brings great speed and athleticism to the LB unit, finishing off what may be the best trio in the league.

There are going to be some rookie errors no doubt; he is going to blitz the wrong hole, cover the wrong guy, etc.  But he is a bright kid, who will pick up the NFL in a short amount of time. The quicker he learns, the quicker this unit can claim utter dominance over any other.

 

The Best of the Rest

 

D.D Lewis, OLB

Lewis was a starter on the 2005 Super Bowl team. He is a tremendous asset to possess as a backup. He can play all three LB positions and is a solid fundamental tackler. He has never been much of a pass-rusher (one career sack), but can cover WRs and TEs adequately.

He is the type of LB who is not fooled by play action too often and he is great at reading what the ball carrier is doing and where he is going.

With “the big three” at the starting LB spots, Lewis will serve as a mentor to incoming rookie Aaron Curry. He is a great special teams player and that is what his “starting” role on this team appears to be. Lewis would be the first in line as an injury replacement if any of the vaunted crew goes down.

 

David Hawthorne, MLB

This kid oozes with potential and a lot of Seahawks fans are excited to see what he can do in the future.

With all three of Seattle’s superb LB unit locked up for the next six years (depending on Curry’s contract) it does not appear as if he will ever crack the starting lineup here. His nickname at TCU was “The Heater” for his high-intensity play and knack for devastating hits. Hawthorne has been coached up at all three LB spots and his versatility will be a great asset for the Seahawks.

 

Will Herring, OLB

The former fifth-round pick caps off the Seahawks’ promising backup unit. He is a quality special teams player and has nowhere to go but up in terms of polishing his skills. He is an incredibly smart kid and was inducted into the National Football Foundation Honors Society for outstanding achievement in academics.

Like the rest of the backup LBs, he suffers from having such an outstanding trio in the starting capacity. He played safety the majority of his college career, so it is not surprising he is undersized for a LB (235 lbs).

Unlike the other two backups, Herring has a chance to crack the starting lineup if he would make the conversion back to S.

I would not be surprised to see current starting S Brian Russell released or demoted soon. Herring could be a potential replacement if he finds a way to fit the bill.

 

 

Broncos Coaching Staff Looks Good…on Paper

The moment we heard about Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan getting fired, we knew that whoever Pat Bowlen would be bringing in would be hiring their own staff. And even though Jay Cutler was begging for offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates’ job, deep down inside we knew it wasn’t going to happen.

So in came Josh McDaniels, a 32-year-old (now 33) coach who paid his dues under the tutelage of the great Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick.

McDaniels rise was pretty quick after college, getting a senior graduate assistant gig under Nick Saban at Michigan State University in 1999.

Two years later he joined the Patriots as a personal assistant. In 2002-’03, McDaniels worked as defensive coach, then as a quarterbacks coach in 2004. In 2005, he was unofficially the offensive coordinator when Charlie Weis left before it was made official in 2006.

McDaniels is credited with helping lead the Patriots to their undefeated regular season, and coaching rookie quarterback Matt Cassel to lead the team to an 11-5 record after Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury.

Those two major events got McDaniels the Denver coaching gig.

As with any new hiring, McDaniels brought in his own staff, starting with Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator. Before Mike Nolan was ostracized as the San Francisco 49ers head coach, he was known as a defensive genius.

Most of his coaching career has been on the defensive side coming up in the 1990s with the Broncos, Giants and Redskins. He was defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2000 before joining the Baltimore Ravens in 2001. Nolan is credited for maintaining the Marvin-Lewis-built, hard-hitting, suffocating defense that won them the Super Bowl in 2000.

If Nolan can install those defensive schemes into the Broncos’ defense, that would be a nice change from the last decade or so.

As offensive coordinator, Mike McCoy was hired away from the Carolina Panthers where he arguably had as much influence on the team’s offensive personality as John Fox.

He was with the Panthers for nine seasons coaching up Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith, helping them make two Super Bowls in that time. McCoy gets credit for molding both Smith and Delhomme, and it appears he’ll be doing a lot of molding with the Broncos roster as well.

McDaniels will most likely do a lot of the play-calling on Sundays with McCoy doing a lot of the coaching.

Former Denver offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, rejoined the team as offensive line coach, running backs coach Bobby Turner, who is probably now a legend, will also be returning and wide receivers coach Adam Gase and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will be new to the staff.

I’ll be looking forward to what kind of product this staff puts on the field.

Forever My Favorite: The 1997-’98 Denver Broncos

I really enjoy these assignments where I get to talk about my favorite subject, me.  It’s an opportunity for me to impart all my opinions on the world, making it a better place.

So now I’ll tell you my favorite football team and why they should be yours, too.

As I stated in a previous article, I became a Denver Broncos fan in January of 1988.  The Broncos had just been destroyed by my other favorite football club, the Washington Redskins, in Super Bowl XXII.  That day, I found a new respect for this team.

A team that lost the game with dignity.  A team that kept its pride and held their collective heads high when they fell short of their goal.  A team that said, “Congratulations, but we’ll be back.”

Well they did come back…twice.

After an early exit in the 1996 NFL playoffs (a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars), the 1997 Broncos were back with a vengeance.  Posting a record of 12-4, the Broncos made the playoffs as a wild card team.

Their opponent in the first round would be the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Things would finish a little differently this time, as the Broncos rolled to a 42-17 victory.

Denver would then dispatch the (AFC West Champion) Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers en route to a matchup with Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers (13-3).

Super Bowl XXXII, ten years after losing that game to the Redskins, they were to challenge for the Lombardi trophy again.

So there they were.  The Denver Broncos, four times defeated in the big dance, now up against the defending Super Bowl Champions (and 11 point favorites).

The Packers had noticeable talent on both sides of the ball.  Brett Favre, the gunslinger, was surrounded by sure-handed targets.  Mark Chmura was a Pro Bowl tight end.  Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks were known for making the big plays downfield. 

And in the background, fullback William Henderson and running back Dorsey Levens had the option of making the catch or running the ball down opponents’ throats.

On defense, Green Bay had a host of terrors.  Among them were safety Eugene Robinson, cornerback LeRoy Butler, defensive tackle Santana Dotson, and defensive end Reggie White (later inducted into the Football Hall of Fame).

Luckily, the Broncos came prepared.  Lead by a defensive backfield consisting of Steve Atwater, Tyron Braxton, and Darrien Gordon, the Broncos were the sixth-ranked defense in the NFL. Up front, Denver had newly acquired defensive end Neil Smith, defensive end Alfred Williams, and a linebacking corps that had John Mobley and Bill Romanowski.

The No. 1 ranked offense in the NFL that year was lead by (future Hall of Famer) John Elway.  Elway had lead the Broncos to three previous Super Bowls. 

All three were losses. 

And to be fair, those Denver teams were John Elway.  This was the first time the QB would have a host of talent around him.

Pro Bowl running back Terrell Davis would have 15 touchdowns and 1,750 yards on the ground that season.  He also would amass 287 yards in the air on 42 passes.

The wide receiver group consisted of such talent as Ed McCaffery and Rod Smith.  They were joined by Pro Bowl tight end Shannon Sharpe.

The offensive line was anchored by two Pro Bowlers as well, Tom Nalen and Gary Zimmerman.

Green Bay jumped out to an early seven point lead in the game, but it would soon be answered by a Terrell Davis TD run.  Then, Denver would go up by 10 before the Packers knotted the score at 17.  In the end, the Broncos would prove to be too much and they’d put the game away, 31-24.

The 37 year old Elway had won his first Super Bowl and Denver was alive with celebration.  Everyone was excited for John Elway, a quarterback who had played his entire career in Denver and failed three previous times to capture the Lombardi trophy. 

Now, he could retire “on top.”

There was just one thing…he didn’t retire.  Elway and the Broncos would return the following year to finish what they started.  It was time to defend that League championship.

The encore was better than the previous performance.  The team was 14-2 in 1998.  They were second in the league in offense and eighth in the league on defense.

Terrell Davis ran for 21 touchdowns and 2,008 yards on 392 carries that year and won the League MVP award.  Davis would lead the team in scoring with 138 points.

He would never return to that glory as an ACL and MCL injury would shorten his career.

McCaffery and Sharpe both caught 64 passes that year.  The team leader was Rod Smith with 1,222 yards on 86 catches.

The challenger in Super Bowl XXXIII was the Atlanta Falcons (also 14-2 in the regular season).  The “Dirty Birds” had grown a following because of a silly celebration dance and a high-powered running back, (Pro Bowler) Jamal Anderson.

They were lead by Head Coach Dan Reeves.  Reeves was the coach in Denver the three times Elway and the Broncos failed to capture the Super Bowl title.

The squad also had a Pro Bowl quarterback (Chris Chandler) and the second ranked defense in the league.  That defense included Pro Bowler Jesse Tuggle, Ray Buchannan, and Eugene Robinson.  Robinson had played for the Green Bay Packers team that lost to Elway and the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII.

There was no denying John Elway in this Super Bowl either.  He received the Super Bowl MVP and the Broncos won 34-19.  The 38 year old Elway retired after 15 years in the league.  He left on his terms, with back-to-back Super Bowl victories. 

A lifetime of “almost” cashed in at the end.

John Elway is the reason I became a Denver Broncos fan.  And after ten years, my loyalty was paid and paid again.  Elway gave me my two favorite teams in football and my greatest football moment.  The 1997-98 Denver Broncos, forever my favorite.  They should be your favorite too.

 

Sources

Retrieved May 29, 2009, from NFL.com.

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/recap/sbxxxiii.

 

Retrieved May 29, 2009, from NFL.com.

http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history/recap/sbxxxii.

10 Questions for Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins (Plus a Little Bonus)

As the new NFL season approaches, teams go through changes every off season. The Denver Broncos have gone through an off season unlike any other.

With so much change in the Mile High City, I decided to choose a set of questions for Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins as they try to retool the Denver defense.

These questions are designed to address some of the past issues that fans still have questions about as well as the future direction of the Broncos from the perspective of two veterans at the top of their game.

Near the end we might have a little fun as well.

Enough pregame lets get on with the interview.

Denver Broncos: Has The Defense Been Reborn?

 

 

Matt Cassel a Denver Bronco in 2010? Why the QB’s Stay in KC Could Be Short

If you follow the trail very closely, the Jay Cutler fiasco in Denver was not the fault of Josh McDaniels.

It was also not the fault of Cutler.

It was not even the fault of Matt Cassel.

If Denver fans want to blame anyone for what went down this offseason, they should look no further than Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard, the man who blew out Tom Brady’s left knee in the 2008 season opener.

If Pollard had not nailed Brady, Cassel would probably never have played, and McDaniels likely would not have even thought about trading Cutler away for him.

Regardless, that is all in the past, and what happened has happened—end of story.

But after all that work and no reward, could McDaniels still end up with his man?

Kyle Orton has a chance to be great in Denver with a full arsenal of weapons and the brick wall that is Denver’s offensive line, but McDaniels may not be able to pass up the opportunity to have his homegrown product on hand.

Cassel has yet to restructure his contract with the Chiefs, and to be quite honest, there are no signs of improvement. 

If Cassel plays well in 2009, Kansas City will have no other option but to franchise tag him next offseason, where his one-year franchise tender will be valued at more than $17 million.

With an uncapped year likely, the Chiefs may not even see this as a problem.

Still, it seems as though the feeling of Cassel reuniting with his mentor McDaniels in Denver is a mutual one. 

This is definitely a move to watch for in 2010. Both Orton and Cassel are set to hit the free agent market, and Denver may be in a bind as to which one to pursue.

On one hand, you have Orton, who has a golden opportunity placed in front of him. He could have a career season and force Denver to give him a hefty extension.

However, if Orton flops, there is no doubt the Broncos will pursue Cassel. Denver fans seem to be bent out of shape about the fact that they traded away their own first-round pick in next year’s draft because they had a chance to get a quarterback.

Well, Denver fans, you may get your wish. The Broncos just might give up the final piece in the Jay Cutler trade for the man they initially had their hearts set on. 

If that situation presented itself, irony would not even come close to being the word that would do it justice.

It appears as though Matt Cassel’s stay in Kansas City will be only for a short while, and he may have his heart set on the Mile-High City.

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