Josh McDaniels Is an Evil Genius

Josh McDaniels spits in the face of conventional wisdom.  He is an evil genius.

It is generally considered a rule to live by the following axiom:  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  The 2009 Denver Broncos have obviously never heard of this saying before. 

I will attempt to explain just what went wrong and went right with this year’s Denver Broncos. 

At the risk of beating a dead horse (no pun intended), we will start with Jay Cutler.  Jay Cutler was drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2006 and is highly regarded as the best quarterback from that draft class that also includes Vince Young, Kellen Clemens, Matt Leinart, Tarvaris Jackson and Brodie Croyle. 

Cutler and Young have the distinction of being the only two quarterbacks from this draft class to be selected to the Pro Bowl.  Vince Young has since lost the starting job in Tennessee to former Giants Super Bowl loser, Kerry Collins. 

Cutler had a great season in 2008.

Cutler threw for 4,526 yards, 25 touchdowns, 18 interceptions and had a passer rating of 86.  He also rushed for 200 yards, and was sacked just 11 times. 

The Broncos finished the season with an 8-8 record and Pat Bowlen immediately fired two time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan, and replaced him with Coach Josh McDaniels, former offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. 

McDaniel’s first order of business? 

Trade the franchise quarterback for what would amount to Kyle Orton, Alphonso Smith and Richard Quinn.  

Strike one. 

Next, McDaniels enters the NFL draft for the first time as a head coach, and proclaims he only has 100 players on his board, despite most teams having as many as 500 players.  Bold strategy; let’s see if it pays off. 

The most immediate concern is, of course, the defense.  The Broncos finished 29th in total defense surrendering an average of 28 points per game.  The Broncos are going to commit to the 3-4 defense in 2009 and need pass rushing specialist on the outside, along with big interior lineman and inside linebackers to stop the rush. 

McDaniels drafted one defensive end in Robert Ayers. 

Ayers is also too small to fit the system, and has zero use in coverage.  Not to mention he was a one-year starter, and the Broncos still don’t have a nose tackle.  Did I mention that Ayers only had three sacks in his senior year?

Did I mention that the Broncos traded next years first round draft pick to get a nickel corner in Alphonso Smith. 

Also McDaniels traded both of his third round draft choices to draft a blocking tight end!

Genius.

Strike two. 

The only prize the Broncos took from the draft was Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, who should finally put a face on the stable of running backs the Broncos use currently. 

McDaniels has to fix the defense through free agency.  The Broncos were giving up 7.7 yards per pass play, and 5.0 yards per rush. 

McDaniels acquires an over-the-hill Brian Dawkins, and signs the 35-(36 in October)-year-old to a five-year deal. 

Then, he signs inside linebacker and Cleveland Browns reject Andra Davis to start at inside linebacker alongside talented D.J. Williams. 

To play nose tackle, he signs Ronald Fields, a guy who couldn’t even start for the 49ers and has only nine career starts. 

To play the defensive end across from Robert Ayers will either be Jarvis Moss (the horror) or Ryan McBean (oh, the horror!) a guy who has played in just one game.  Jarvis Moss will most likely have to transition outside to be a rush linebacker, even though he has no pass-rush ability.  Leaving the only capable player, Elvis Dumervil, to play rush linebacker on the other side. 

Other notable signings included aging defensive backs Andre Goodman, and Renaldo Hill.  No one starting in the Broncos secondary is under the age of 31. 

Strike three, four, five and six. 

McDaniels is breaking the land speed record for ruining a football team.   

Or is he a true evil genius the likes of which this league has never seen? 

Let’s check the scorecard.  The offense has gotten worse, the defense has gotten a lot worse, and nothing has been done on special teams. 

More baffling, still, is how Broncos fans seem convinced that not only is McDaniels doing a good job, but actually believe that the Broncos will be better than they were last year! 

Kyle Orton is not Jay Cutler.  Cutler threw 18 inceptions last year.  This is true, but his interception percentage was only 2.9 percent compared to Orton’s 2.6 percent.  Asking Orton to throw the ball more often and for more yards will undoubtedly lead to more interceptions and an overall lack of production in the offense. 

Orton is a system quarterback.  He is a clock management-type quarterback.  He has no arm.  This does not bode well for a pass-happy Broncos team.

Broncos fans cannot honestly say that they are better off without a guy who threw for 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns last year.  Not to mention losing a coach who knows the division like the back of his hand in Mike Shanahan.  

Josh McDaniels is the best thing to happen to the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers since merging with the NFL. 

A true evil genius.

Mile-High Fiasco: Brandon Marshall Asks for Trade

Again, the Denver Broncos are in the news for one of their best players wanting out of the Mile-High city, as Pro Bowl Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall asked for a trade.

The Broncos have already traded away a Pro Bowl quarterback for the mediocre Kyle Orton, and draft picks thus new head coach Josh McDaniels can’t afford to give into another player’s demands.

Brandon Marshall, despite his off-field troubles, has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL over the last two seasons: posting 206 receptions for 2590 yards and 13 touchdowns. Although the Broncos have solid weapons in Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and Brandon Stokley, Marshall is irreplaceable.

This offseason, receivers such as Braylon Edwards and Anquan Boldin had been shopped around to no avail. The Browns and Cardinals failed to field any substantial offers for their big time wide receivers, so what makes Brandon Marshall and his agent believe the Broncos will get enough in return for them to trade their oft-troubled best player?

Marshall is looking for a big contract extension but Denver isn’t his ideal situation. He has lost his Pro Bowl quarterback and is playing in a new system. Statistically, his stock may be at its highest point; Marshall and his agent know this. The Broncos gave into Cutler’s demands so Marshall will make his attempt to get his way.

Marshall needs the Broncos just as much as McDaniels needs Marshall. McDaniels needs Marshall to be his big go-to receiver, as Randy Moss was in New England and Marshall needs the Broncos offense to perform at a high level, so he can receive his fat paycheck.

There lies a problem if Marshall does not receive a contract extension this season. If the Collective Bargaining Agreement is not renegotiated, the NFL will have an uncapped year in 2010—meaning players would have to have six years of service in order to be eligible for free agency.

Brandon Marshall is well aware of the current CBA situation and does not want to be stuck in Josh McDaniels rebuilding stage without an extension: thus his request for a trade.

The Broncos, who have been stuck in a whirlwind of controversy this offseason, need to handle the situation accordingly.  They cannot give into another players demand for a trade when things aren’t going their way. This could create a domino effect when players such as phenomenon left tackle Ryan Clady or emerging Eddie Royal are unhappy and want new contracts.

Look for Marshall to suit up for the Broncos this season with a chip on his shoulder in efforts to get his payday or his one-way ticket out of Denver.

Hot Topic @ InsidetheGridIron.com

Falling Out: Denver Must Let Go of Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall is just the latest receiver in the National Football League to take good character and throw it out the window.

Randy Moss was called a cancer at Minnesota, an underachiever in Oakland, and has since settled down as a Patriot. Terrell Owens has proven himself incompatible with at least three organizations and is hoping to make the best of his fourth chance, this time in a Bills uniform.

Chad Johnson (I refuse to refer to him by the ignorant name which he wishes to go by) is constantly at odds with his quarterback. Dante Stallworth killed an innocent human being while driving drunk.

And today, Marshall is at the forefront of wide receivers who can’t seem to stay away from drama and controversy. A quote was recently leaked to media from a confrontation between the Broncos wideout and Denver Police in 2007.

Not only did Marshall plead guilty to driving while impaired, he also said something that should leave no doubt that the Broncos should honor his request to be traded.

He told the officers, “I hate Denver. I hope I get traded. I hate this f******* city.”

He also asked police why they weren’t looking for former teammate Darrent Williams’ killer.

Denver’s a pretty big city, Brandon. If every member of the law enforcement community were looking for Williams’ killer, the city would be reduced to a state of anarchy and you may have killed someone by being behind the wheel when you shouldn’t be, just as Stallworth did.

Marshall isn’t the first person to hate the city he lives in. That’s fine. But when you are an athlete, a public figure in many ways, it is your obligation as a professional to hold your tongue.

Brandon Marshall is a public relations nightmare. If you are in the Broncos’ front office, how can you explain to your fans, the residents of Denver and the state of Colorado, that one of your best players hates the city? It’s very much a stab to Denver and that sort of thing could cost you fans.

Marshall is a great receiver, and of that there is no doubt. He would produce a high-value trade, and in return, Josh McDaniels could get a receiver who actually wants to be there and be a member of that team, that family, that city.

The Broncos are rebuilding, and in order to get back to the shape they were in at the end of the John Elway era, they need to start on a clean slate. That means getting rid of everyone who isn’t going to give you 100 percent every single practice, every single down.

Can we honestly say that Brandon Marshall, as good as he is, will leave it all on the field to bring glory to a city he hates?

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