Inside The Denver Broncos’ Roster: The Right Tackles

With this article, we will finally conclude the first half of the Denver Broncos’ 2009 preview which has dissected and analyzed every aspect and every player part of this offense.

The offensive line was simply too deep and had too much to talk about to fit in one article, so if you would like a recap of the entire line thus far, you can find information about the left tackles, left guards, centers, and right guards by following the links.

This article will focus on the second of the Broncos’ two bookend tackles, third year player Ryan Harris.

Harris began the 2008 season as essentially a rookie.  He saw little to no action playing right tackle in his rookie campaign of 2007, and Broncos fans really questioned whether former head coach Mike Shanahan made the right choice by letting veteran tackle Erik Pears leave Denver for the Oakland Raiders.

Lucky for Denver fans, Shanahan is an offensive genius, and as he proved multiple times during his tenure with the Broncos, he was not steering this team into murky waters.

Harris had an All-Pro caliber season for the Broncos in 2008, allowing only 2.5 sacks over the entire year.  Pretty unbelievable considering the Broncos dropped back 620 times all of last season, good for second in the NFL.

What is even more impressive is that the former Notre Dame star helped his Broncos rank 12th in the entire NFL in rushing despite going through a plethora of running backs over the 2008 season thanks to injury.

Harris plans to pair with fellow tackle Ryan Clady on the Broncos’ offensive line for a decade to come.

He joined the Broncos as a third round draft pick in 2007 out of Notre Dame, and was featured on an episode of MTV’s True Life as a high school senior training to become the starting left tackle for the Fighting Irish.  Harris is only the third lineman in Notre Dame’s storied history to start on the offensive line as a true freshman.

In addition to Harris, the Broncos feature veteran Brandon Gorin, a free agent acquisition from the St. Louis Rams.

Gorin has spent time in the NFL with the Rams, Cardinals, Patriots, and Chargers.

He has started 26 games in his career, and could be a very valuable backup for the Broncos if he makes the final roster.

Gorin is joined by third year pro Clint Oldenburg, a former fifth round draft pick out of Colorado State by the New England Patriots.

Many who follow the Broncos closely feel Oldenburg has a good chance of making the final roster if not at least the practice squad because of his experience in the New England offense.

The Broncos also signed the very athletic Stanley Bryant of East Carolina as a rookie free agent in 2009 to compete at right tackle.

The Denver offensive line is an extremely deep unit, and Bronco fans should be very excited about the direction they are heading, especially under the tutelage of longtime offensive line guru Rick Dennison, who has been orchestrating the Broncos’ offensive line for over a decade.

Inside the Denver Broncos’ Roster: The Right Guards

While bookend offensive tackles Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris get much of the publicity (or lack thereof) among the Denver Broncos’ offensive lineman, one man up front has been equally as dominant for an even longer period of time.

That man is fourth-year guard Chris Kuper, a former fifth-round draft choice out of North Dakota.

Kuper has been the starting right guard for the Broncos since Week Seven of the 2007 season, and he has quietly been one of the more consistent  guards in the entire NFL.

Furthermore, the Anchorage, Alaska native has proven to be extremely tough, playing the final two games of the 2008 season with a broken hand. 

The Broncos were extremely fortunate to have nabbed Kuper in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, as he was a two-time All-American with the Fighting Sioux.

Kuper enters his contract season as one of the elite inside linemen in the league, and league observers and analysts may finally be starting to take notice. Recently, Kuper has received numerous Pro Bowl and All-Pro votes from NFL writers.

He has helped the Broncos become an elite offense over the last two years, and at the young age of 26, he only figures to get better with time.

Still, the Broncos know that the offensive line is an area where much depth is needed, so they used a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft on another right guard prospect who could eventually make an impact in this league.

That player was Seth Olsen, an extremely versatile lineman from the University of Iowa who has played every position other than center as an All-American for the Hawkeyes.

The All-Big Ten performer was the leader of an offensive line in Iowa City that helped lead the way for the nation’s top runner, newly acquired New York Jet and Doak Walker Award recipient Shonn Greene.

As an Iowa fan, the drafting of Olsen was exciting for me, as I watched this kid in action for four years.  Kirk Ferentz is well-known for developing offensive linemen and turning them into solid professionals, and Olsen figures to be no different.

Olsen also has a chance to contribute immediately at left guard because, from what I am hearing among trusted Broncos’ opinions, Ben Hamilton could be a surprise veteran cut at training camp. 

Another player who will have the chance to compete for a roster spot is Pat Murray, who was signed away from the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad late last season.

Murray is a Division II college prospect out of Truman State, and while he may seem like a longshot to make the final roster, he has a great chance of earning a practice-squad spot.

Chris Kuper appears to be head and shoulders above his peers at the right guard position, but the Broncos do not lack depth.

The Broncos can rely on this unit for years to come.

The Denver Broncos: A Team In Turmoil

After the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan at the end of last year’s football season, the Broncos have been the talk of the NFL. Owner Pat Bowlen decided it was time for a change in Denver when he fired Shanahan.

He hired Brian Xanders as General Manager and former Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels as head coach. The new regime took over and—little did I know— immediately started making changes to the Broncos’ roster.

The first big change started as a doozy. Rumors circulated that the Broncos were trying to trade for Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel even though they already had Jay Cutler on the roster. Oops.

Cutler took this news as a sign of disrespect and demanded a trade. The team eventually obliged, sending Cutler to the Bears. In return, the Broncos received a few draft picks and former Bears’ starting quarterback Kyle Orton.

Now the Broncos are dealing with trade demands from superstar wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall has continued to get into trouble off-the-field as a member of the Broncos and feels a change of scenery is necessary to have a long, successful NFL career.

The question fantasy owners want answered: How does Denver’s tumultuous offseason affect fantasy football this season?

Cutler’s stats probably will decrease a little due to the loss uber-talented wide receivers Marshall and Eddie Royal. But Matt Forte owners should rejoice because opposing defenses will no longer be about to stack the line against the run with the threat of Cutler and the deep ball.

Orton’s outlook really cannot be determined until Marshall’s status is known for sure. If Marshall somehow stays in Denver, Orton could be in for a great season with Royal and Marshall catching passes along with sure-handed rookie Knowshon Moreno coming out of the backfield.

As for Moreno, ranked by The Hazean as the second-best rookie running back this year, his fantasy production depends on Marshall as well. In fact, Marshall is the difference maker in terms of fantasy production for just about all of the offensive players around him, especially Royal.

Fantasy aside, I wonder if Bowlen is kicking himself for firing Mike Shanahan and starting this high-profile chain of reactions?

Thank you for reading the latest post from The Hazean. Please visit our website for more great fantasy content!

 

Nicknaming the Denver Broncos

Since this has been such a wearisome offseason for Broncos fans–one that has begotten so many new faces–it’s high time that, for the sake of fan suasion and relaxation, these new mugs be given nicknames. Who knows? With training cam p so close, maybe these can be printed and disseminated in pamphlet form to improve player-fan camaraderie.

2009 AFC West Preview: Chargers to Win Again

The big question regarding the AFC West is not who will win the division in 2009, but how deep will the San Diego Chargers go in the postseason?

The Chargers have proven they can handle the Indianapolis Colts again and again, but in the playoffs, they struggle against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.

Like the AFC East, selecting the expected champion for the 2009 season is easy. It’s evaluating the other three teams that is so challenging.

The San Diego Chargers will easily win the NFL’s easiest division. The Chargers simply have the talent and they lack competition in their division.

Phillip Rivers is developing into an elite NFL quarterback, showing improvement season by season. His wide receivers are also improving, especially with towering Vincent Jackson emerging as their No. 1 target.

We were down on LaDainian Tomlinson in 2008, as he hobbled through the season and lost carries to Darren Sproles. But maybe LT has one more healthy and inspirational season left in him.

With a healthy Shawne Merriman returning, the Chargers defense will play consistently better than they did in the 2008 campaign.

Okay, someone will have to place second in the AFC West. I reluctantly select the Denver Broncos.

Losing QB Jay Cutler may prove to be a disaster for new head coach Josh McDaniels. If the Broncos maintain an effective running game, the offense should do okay with QB Kyle Orton.

Denver’s defense is simply a disaster, particularly against the rush. So why am I predicting the Broncos to finish second?

I may be wrong, and Kansas City may emerge, if they all of a sudden play fundamentally sound like the Atlanta Falcons turned things around last season. That is a big if.

The Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots in the offseason and we will find out exactly how good of a QB Cassel is. Is Cassel talented, or a product of a system?

Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley are his wide receivers and they are competent. Will Larry Johnson surprise us with a productive season in the backfield, if the passing game works out, and he faces fewer eight-man fronts?

The Chiefs’ defense was terrible last year, but it has nowhere to go but up. First-round pick Tyson Jackson should help with the pass rush in the new 3-4 scheme.

After going 2-and-14, Kansas City has no where to go but up.

The Oakland Raiders finished the 2008 season on a positive note. However, they still won’t find the end zone often enough.

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s passing game is still among the worst in the league, as he still struggles to read NFL defenses. Rookie Darrius Heywood-Bey more than likely won’t be the answer this season.

Their running game should be respectable with Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas, if they avoid injuries.

Defensively, the Raiders have issues regarding getting to the opposing quarterback, which puts major pressure on their secondary to make plays.

Quote of the Day:
If you haven’t got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
–Bob Hope

Psalm 138:2“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Hey Jay, Champ’s Still Got Your Back

Its no secret Bronco fans were torn over the whole Jay Cutler thing. But what about the players?

Well at least one person on the current Broncos roster still has former Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutlers’ back. It’s Pro Bowl DB Champ Bailey, who is arguably the leader of the Broncos defense.

Well, at least according to what he said in a recent radio interview: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/07/07/champ-bailey-sticks-up-for-cutler/#comments

Champ was very positive on Cutler’s behalf and and went on to say he is definitely a top 10 QB and has the ability to be the best in the game.

Champ even went on to compare him to some of the greatest QBs of all time, while predicting a successful future for Jay with the Bears.

“He reminds me of a Marino, Elway type of guy, and he’s going to be a great winner for them. It’s unfortunate for us that we had to lose a guy like that, but we’ve got to move on.”

In the interview, Champ goes on to say how he was surprised about the trade, and neither Cutler nor the Broncos staff consulted with anyone. He also said he understand it is a business and everyone is expendable.

As a Bronco fan it must be pretty frustrating when the best player on your defense and possibly the whole team actually defends your former “crybaby” QB after leaving the team in such a manner.

It kind of makes you think, was Jay Cutler really the one in the wrong?

To make matters worse for Bronco fans, now Devin Hester is coming to Jay Cutler’s defense. In a recent interview, Hester countered negative remarks by Tony Dungy and Mike Ditka with:

“Can’t judge a book by its cover. If you haven’t sat down and talked to him, how could you say something like that? He’s calm in the huddle. He makes us laugh and he jokes around before the ball is snapped. That’s the kind of quarterback who is relaxed and says, ‘Let’s play ball.’ “

“Just from the OTAs we’ve had, our offense has changed a whole lot,” Hester continued. “I feel like we’re stronger than we have ever been. I feel like we’re going to take the ball up and down the field. That’s the kind of quarterback Jay brings to this team.”

If Cutler really can turn the Bears offense around and continue to be a top 10 QB then he may turn out to be a huge loss for the Broncos, especially if Orton and those draft picks don’t work out.

But on the other hand, consensus says Chicagos WRs and TEs don’t even compare to that of the Denver Broncos. Others will even go as far to say Matt Forte is highly overrated and the only reason he was succesful was due to a lacking pass-game.

And the fact that Chicago receivers were unable to get open down-field forced Orton to fall back to his check-down reciever Matt Forte.

Regarding Chicago’s lack of big name receivers Hester had this to say:

“If we sign a big-time receiver or a free agent receiver who can help our team, I’m glad. But the guys we have here now, we’re pretty set. [The coaches] just want us to make plays. … Jay is the type of quarterback who is going to find a way to get the job done.”

One thing that Bears fans now need to ask themselves is, did Cutler make that offense or did the scheme, WRs, and arguably the best line in the NFL make Jay Cutler?

Inside The Denver Broncos’ Roster: The Centers

Like the majority of the Denver Broncos’ offensive line heading into 2008, the center position was really in question.

Future Broncos’ Ring of Famer and possibly Hall of Fame selection Tom Nalen,  the lone remaining Bronco from the Super Bowl days, had suffered his second consecutive season-ending injury before the year had even started.

Fortunately, Denver had a backup plan.  Late in the 2008 offseason, the team signed veteran Casey Wiegmann to a two year contract.  Wiegmann had played most of his NFL career with the rival Kansas City Chiefs, and had been one of their better players over the course of the decade.

Wiegmann had every intention of backing up Nalen at the outset, but after the injury, he was thrust into the starting role.

To say he relished his role would be an understatement.

Whilst extending his NFL record for consecutive starts among active offensive linemen to 152 games (amassing 7,062 consecutive plays), Wiegmann earned his first career trip to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.

After his stellar 2008 campaign, the 14 year veteran let the Broncos know that if he was not rewarded for his efforts with a new two-year contract worth more money, he would retire prior to training camp.

Unlike diva wide receiver Brandon Marshall, Wiegmann proved to Broncos brass that he was worthy of such an extension. He missed only one session of the team’s offseason activities, voluntary or mandatory.

Wiegmann was honored with a new contract, and heads into the 2009 season as the unquestioned starter and veteran leader of the Bronco offense. 

Right behind him on the depth chart lurks 2008 fourth round pick Kory Lichtensteiger, formerly of Bowling Green.

The knock on Lichtensteiger is that he has short arms. But despite his critics, the second year player fits the theme of “versatility” on Denver’s offensive line.  He can play center and guard equally as well; he even lined up for the Broncos as a third tight end and fullback in goal-line situations last season.

He will be a valuable asset on special teams and could fill in at center, left guard, or right guard if the Broncos need him because of an injury.  He is also said to be the heir apparent to start in place of Ben Hamilton or Wiegmann when one retires.

The reason I mention him as an heir apparent to Hamilton at left guard is because the Broncos drafted another center in 2009 who they really like.

In the seventh round, Denver drafted Blake Schlueter of TCU—a very versatile and athletic lineman.

He proved that by running a sub-4.80 second 40-yard dash at TCU’s pro day, and the Broncos could have more first year plans in mind for him than at the center position.

Much like Lichtensteiger in 2008, Schlueter could be used in goal line situations as a fullback or tight end.  His athleticism and size would make him a nightmare for defenders to take down if he were given the ball inside the five yard-line.

There is also a chance that he could end up being the heir to free agent signee Lonie Paxton, who was the Broncos’ first acquisition of the off-season.

Paxton is a ten year veteran who has played nearly every game over the last decade for the New England Patriots.

He is familiar with coach Josh McDaniels, and is considered one of the NFL’s elite long snappers.

Paxton is a three time Super Bowl champion, and will prove to be a very valuable offseason addition.

I believe the Broncos will keep three centers and a long snapper, as I have projected them to keep only one left guard.  Lichtensteiger could be considered a guard/center hybrid player, allowing the Broncos to use roster spots on other positions.

Center could very well be the position with the most depth on the Broncos’ offensive line for 2009—which is really saying something.

The Case for Kyle Orton Under Center in Denver

Orton is a system QB.

Coming out of Purdue, Kyle Orton played in a system much like the one McDaniels will use him in.

Orton completed 60 percent of his passes for over 3,000 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only five INTs in his year at Purdue. I know it’s college, but this isn’t the type of system the Bears used to help enhance Orton’s abilities.

We watched Pennington have his career year with the Dolphins last year. Sometimes a change of scenery can elevate a QB.

McDaniels helps to mold QB’s.

We’ve watched Tom Brady develop into three-time Super Bowl champion, QB for ESPN’s All-Decade team, and, well, we could go on and on.

Matt Cassel was in Brady’s shadow, coached and molded by McDaniels and watching Brady. Brady went down and Cassel comes into the spotlight and has a tremendous year. He got better and better every game.

I’m not saying McDaniels made both these guys what they were, but he obviously helped make them better.

Let us remember Brady was a sixth round pick and Cassel was a seventh round pick.
McDaniels watched film on all the QBs from the teams that offered trades for Cutler. He picked Orton from the pile.

I’m not saying the list was loaded with Pro Bowl quarterbacks. I just think McDaniels seen something maybe we can’t. He is an NFL coach.

I can easily see him improving Orton.

Talent and time.

The two big differences for Orton in Denver is more time to throw and more talent surrounding him.

In Orton’s two years as the Bears starter, he was sacked 27 times and 30 times. Denver gave up only 12 sacks last year.

Clady, who only gave up a half sack, will be protecting Orton’s backside.

With or without Brandon Marshall, Denver has better talent all around. Eddie Royal is better than any Chicago receiver and was a rookie last year.

Here is a quick list of weapons for Denver:

Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham, Knowshon Moreno, Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson, Peyton Hillis, and rookie Kenny McKinley.

A small note about McKinley is that Steve Spurrier said he was the best receiver he ever coached. That should account for something.

Orton can only get better.

Orton has a 21-12 record as a starting QB and that isn’t bad at all. He is still young. Orton and Cutler are separated by less than a year in age.

Up until this year, Orton has only had mediocre years, but has never been labeled as a bad QB. When he left Chicago in the trade, Urlacher said he was someone the team trusted and could gather around. That is a very important attribute for the QB position.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Orton can do.

Is Jay Cutler a Franchise Quarterback without Mike Shanahan?

In the wake of the dramatic restructuring of the Denver Broncos, the big story has not been the acquisition of a new coach or changes in offensive and defensive philosophy, but the trade of Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.

Many people have been so caught up in the loss of Cutler that they consider the Broncos’ season over before training camp has even begun. What do the numbers really say about Cutler and his success in Denver?

The most impressive thing about Cutler is his arm. No one in football has a stronger arm. Add to that Cutler’s mobility and ability to throw on the run, and he can be a formidable weapon as he has proven in his brief career. Cutler has the ability to make any throw on the field.

Oddly enough, Cutler’s one weakness is that he is much less effective when forced to stay in the pocket.

During his brief tenure in Denver, Cutler was surrounded by great offensive talent at the receiver position and was one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the league. One would expect great numbers from a great quarterback in this situation, and Cutler delivered, but how do his numbers compare to other great quarterbacks in similar situations?

The Broncos were 7-9 in Cutler’s first year and 8-8 in his second, but much of that is blamed on Denver’s defense. 

 

How bad was Denver’s defense?

That’s not as easy to evaluate as one might think. In 2008, the Broncos had a turnover differential of -17. In 2008, Bronco opponents got 101 points off of Broncos’ turnovers.

In 2008, Cutler alone threw 18 interceptions and fumbled five times. This might be forgivable if Cutler was under great pressure all the time, but Cutler was sacked only 11 times all season. Cutler had 20 of the team’s 30 turnovers.

The 448 points given up by the Bronco defense made them the third worst in the NFL, but 101 of the points given up were from turnovers directly attributable to Cutler. Had the Broncos only given up 347 points, they would have been a middle-of-the-road defense. Even a more realistic 400 points would have potentially been good enough to make them a playoff team.

The Bronco defense was still not very good, and had they gotten into the playoffs, it would only have been because the Chargers had an off year. The point is that Cutler added to the defensive woes by giving his opponents extra possessions and short fields to work with.

 

How do Cutler’s stats measure up?

Cutler’s passer rating ranks him 14th in the league and his completion percentage is 16th in the league. Only one passer threw more times than Cutler in 2008, but Drew Brees has a significantly higher QB rating and completion percentage. 

Cutler’s yardage stats are impressive, but they suggest Cutler is only great between the 20s. When you look at Cutler’s completion percentage in the red zone, it drops all the way down to 56.9 percent. By comparison, Brees’ percentage goes up to 71.4 percent in the red zone. In fact, Cutler’s red zone percentage puts him in 11th place in the NFL, again mediocre.

The Broncos were second in yardage per game but only 16th in points scored. When you rate Cutler and the Denver offense by yardage, they were great, but if you go strictly by scoring, the Broncos were a mediocre team. 

 

Cutler’s team or Shanahan’s team?

One of the things people tend to forget when they look at Cutler is just how loaded Denver is on offense. In 2008, Cutler was surrounded by two receivers who were close to 1,000 yards in receptions; Brandon Marshall was well over and Eddie Royal just under, along with one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league. Cutler was also working behind an offensive line that gave up only eight sacks. In a lot of ways, Cutler was in the ideal situation for a young quarterback.

Mike Shanahan had designed his offense for John Elway, and Cutler has very similar skills. Between Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, Cutler was being carefully groomed in the mold of Elway. Cutler’s decision-making in the Shanahan system was minimized.

Shanahan had already been successful with a running system that left only very basic decisions to the running back. For years, he could plug in any running back and boast a decent running game. 

The quarterback spot was being run in a very similar way. Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and Cutler all had similar success over the years. Griese’s third year saw him with 19 touchdowns to only four interceptions and a quarterback rating of 102.9. Plummer’s best years as a pro were in Denver.

Comparing Cutler to his post-Elway predecessors, Cutler has better yardage but many more interceptions than Griese, while he has similar yardage and slightly fewer interceptions than Plummer. Both Plummer and Griese had higher winning percentages than Cutler though. Neither Plummer or Griese would ever be mistaken for a franchise quarterback.

One thing that is very different though is that both Griese and Plummer were better at diversifying the offense. Cutler’s 181 throws to Marshall was unusual for a Shanahan quarterback.

 

The mastermind

Any Broncos fan of the last 12 years will always have a soft spot for Shanahan. Without Shanahan, Elway retires a loser and the Broncos are just a team that wants to win a Super Bowl.

He was brought in because he was an offensive genius, and he proved it with back-to-back Super Bowl wins. The offensive scheme Shanahan created was good enough to work even after other teams in the league had caught on to it and knew how it worked.

Shanahan gained a large part of his reputation early on by working with Elway in the early part of his career. He furthered that reputation in San Francisco when he helped Steve Young turn his career around after Joe Montana was gone. One thing Shanahan does very well is build an offense around a quarterback.

Shanahan’s success with quarterbacks like Griese and Plummer suggest that he can make even a questionable quarterback look very good.

 

Conclusion
<!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–>

<!–[endif]–>When the Cutler trade was announced, Mike Ditka was quoted as saying; 

“People ask me one question: Is he a good quarterback? Well, he has a great arm. He had great receivers up in Denver, they had an offense that threw the football a lot, so it highlighted his strengths. If he’s in an offense that doesn’t highlight his strengths, what’s his strength going to be? It has to be leadership, like Tony said. And he has to prove that.”

Tony Dungy said:

“He is a very talented guy who can throw the ball very well. But quarterbacking is so much about leadership and so much about doing things under pressure. There is going to be a lot of pressure on him.”

“We’ll see about his maturity level. That’s what I would question. And some of the things that happened leading to him leaving Denver … that would concern me as a head coach. He can make all of the throws, but quarterbacking is much more than just making throws.”

These two former coaches both recognize one thing. Cutler has spent all of his three years as a pro in an offense designed for him and with a coach who carefully led him through the game. Lovie Smith is not Mike Shanahan; he won’t alter his offense drastically to suit Cutler.

Cutler won’t be surrounded by the kind of offensive talent he had in Denver. He will be surrounded by the winds that Chicago is known for. He’ll be expected to adapt his play to a more conservative game plan which emphasizes protecting the ball.  

Shanahan’s magic is gone. Will Cutler disappear without it?

 

Denver Broncos Bunk: Dispelling Myths About Josh McDaniels

The Denver Broncos offseason has been painted in the press as everything from minor disaster to major apocalypse.

A lot of the analysis, though, has been based on abysmally poor reporting. Sadly, the local Denver media has exacerbated this by sensationalizing events in a very misleading way.

Here are a few of the myths and an account of how they’ve been misreported.

 

Josh McDaniels alienated Jay Cutler by seeking a trade for Matt Cassel

This is probably the most egregious example of poor reporting during this whole affair.  The funny part about this is that just reading the Rocky Mountain News’ and Denver Post’s own articles from the time of Mike Shanahan’s firing is enough to debunk this myth.

When Shanahan was fired at the end of the 2008-09 season, Jay Cutler told the Rocky Mountain News, “I’m disappointed, I’m shocked, I’m not happy about it, I’m not pleased with it at all.”  Cutler went on to state that he would leave if Denver’s offensive coaches were not retained, particularly Jeremy Bates.

The article also mentioned that after hearing about the firing Cutler consulted Shanahan about the offense.

Not long after that Josh McDaniels was named as head coach, McDaniels was brought in to pull Denver out of some of the ruts it had worked its way into.

The dilemma McDaniels faced is that in keeping Shanahan’s offensive staff, he would be keeping the same staff under which Denver’s offense had become stagnant. When the new head coach began replacing the offensive coaching staff, including Bates, Cutler stayed silent.

Cutler knew that if he tried to leave then he would rightly be perceived as unprofessional and his stock would go down.

Things stayed quiet for over a month until, on Feb. 26, a spokesman for the Patriots organization mentioned that the Broncos had considered a trade for Matt Cassel. The statement from the Patriots made no mention of who initiated the talks. Bill Belichick later issued a statement that the Patriots had shopped Cassel around prior to the trade with Denver, meaning that they probably initiated the call.

Cutler’s initial reaction was a little absurd, but got truly ridiculous when he claimed that he wanted a trade because McDaniels “wasn’t sorry” about considering a trade. 

Clearly the real reason for Cutler’s wanting out of Denver was the Shanahan firing and his fear of having to work in a new offense. McDaniels acted professionally by not kowtowing to a pampered player who wanted to control the offense. It’s doubtful that McDaniels ever seriously considered a trade for Cassel.

 

The Broncos gave up a franchise quarterback for a mediocre quarterback

First of all Cutler, by his actions, had shown he was clearly not mature enough to entrust with leading a football team. His first reaction in learning of Mike Shanahan’s firing was to try a power play, and when that failed he pouted until he forced a trade.

While Cutler has a world class arm that could compare with Elway or Favre, he has an attitude toward the game that compares more with Jeff George. A big part of Denver’s decline was Cutler’s poor decision making and predictability. 

Defenses could count on Cutler forcing the ball into Brandon Marshall in key situations.  The result was a slew of interceptions at key moments in key games.

Kyle Orton started as a rookie in 2005 after the Bears starting QB and backup QB had both been injured. Despite playing behind a weak offensive line and having poor receivers, Orton performed in that emergency role for 15 games until the starter was able to return. 

In 2008 Orton won the starting job and performed well again, despite being surrounded by a weak offensive team. In fact, Orton performed under such poor conditions and attained stats comparable to Cutler’s—even though Cutler was surrounded by much better talent.

At best, neither quarterback is a proven commodity. Orton is a better game manager and more disciplined player, while Cutler has a stronger arm but is prone to gambling.

 

The Broncos needed to replace their defensive line

The reason for this myth is the misconception that because Denver’s defense was poor in 2008-2009 and it’s line performed so poorly that all of Denver’s defensive linemen had to be replaced. Denver’s defense was poor, and its line did play badly, but the reason for that is under-reported mainly because most sports-writers only look at stats.

Denver’s defensive guru throughout the glory years of the 70’s and 80’s was a coach named Joe Collier. Collier was the architect of the “Orange Crush Defense” and easily the greatest defensive coach in Denver history. Collier is also regarded as the first man to ever use the 3-4 defense in the pros while an assistant coach with the Bills in 1964.

From Collier, Shanahan learned the notion of using defensive linemen as blockers to keep offensive linemen off of your linebackers. In Shanahan’s system, the defensive lineman’s first job was to keep the offensive linemen on the line and only rush after they determined it was a pass play. 

Where Collier still used penetration to get that control of the line Shanahan’s approach was more passive. Only the ends were expected to rush in Shanahan’s defense, making them easy to block. 

Because of the way Shanahan used his defensive linemen, there were rarely more than two pass rushers on any pass play unless they were blitzing. This resulted in poor stats for the defensive linemen. That was part of the system.

Added to all that was Shanahan’s poor management skill when it came to working with defensive coordinators—they had four defensive coordinators in eight years with two of them (Rhodes and Slowik) lasting less than a season each.

Denver’s defense was constantly changing schemes and players often were simply confused by it all.

 

McDaniels screwed up the draft

A lot of this myth comes from the perception that the defensive line had to be replaced. McDaniels smartly realized that focusing on the line would prevent him from making more urgent upgrades to the team. 

McDaniels used the draft to give the Broncos more athleticism in the defensive backfield and to get a player that could be an offensive focus along with acquiring a potential outside linebacker to rush the passer in the 3-4.

 

McDaniels alienated Brandon Marshall

Frankly this one puzzles me. Marshall claims that his beef is because the Bronco medical staff gave him poor advice last season. This doesn’t even have anything to do with McDaniels if we are to believe Marshall.

The reason blame is attributed to McDaniels is that no one actually believes Marshall’s stated complaint. 

The obvious situation here is that Brandon Marshall is in a contract year, coming off of hip surgery and might possibly be suspended for his plethora of legal problems.  McDaniels’ detractors are so desperate that they somehow gloss over all of this to sympathize with Marshall

 

Prediction

McDaniels has very smartly kept the best parts of the Shanahan era Broncos while letting a lot of questionable pieces go. The likelihood is that the 2009-2010 Broncos will be at least as good as last year’s version.

The trade of Cutler will prove to be a good one as Orton will be a better fit in McDaniels system and will be fairly efficient. The Broncos’ offense will be more diverse than in 2008-2009 and, while no one player will have a dominant year, they will post similar numbers in passing yardage and better numbers rushing.

The defense will be solid with strong secondary play and good, though unspectacular line play. They’ll finish with a defensive rating in the middle of the NFL pack.

Realistically they will win between 7-to-10 games and finish second in the division.

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