I'm actually getting to watch some pre-season football this year, so hopefully, I'll have a fairly decent idea of how the season will play out around the league. But, there are some preliminaries to get out of the way before any predictions are forthcoming. The first of examinations concerns the fall of the Denver Broncos.
When Mike Shanahan was fired on New Year's Eve, I was devastated. I know the statistical mantra: 24-24 in 3 seasons, missing the playoffs and "new direction". But that really doesn't explain it. It took me a while to noodle out what really happened, and here is my assessment. Free agency (or Fee Agency, if you will). Shanahan, as GM, got all star struck with players who didn't have the skills he attributed to them and figured he could plug holes with people who's talent was long gone. To me, that seems an almost narcissistic desire to reject and refute the greatest skill that Coach Shanahan actually possessed: the skill to develop new talent. Somewhere along the line, he became convinced that he was John Madden or Al Davis, and could ressurect rejected skills from other teams. Those aren't the same thing, and Mike should have known better.
The most obvious example of this was Travis Henry. The Broncos paid a premium for Henry, even though they knew he had behavioral problems. For that investment, they got jack shit. Henry is now going to a big housing complex with concrete and barbed wire for selling drugs. Saving dope hounds is not the Bronco way. They have always been a team of youth and integrity, putting themselves to a standard of professionalism that does not and never has included redeeming problem children. Maybe Shanahan embraced delusions of being Tony Dungy. Too bad, because he's not.
Javon Walker was another example of wasted money. His time was behind him because of injury. GM Shanahan was trying to buy time to foster new talent, but gave up too much in getting old talent. That list goes on: Sam Adams, Dre' Bly, Ron Dayne ... and the list goes on.
The thing is, he really did put the offense together last year. I still disagree with the dismissal of Jake Plumber in mid year 2007, and the attempted trade. Cutler is good. It turns out, he's very good. But if take players as a franchise, you need to commit (something that McDaniels obviously didn't learn as I will discuss in Part 2). But he got Clady, who will likely be an all-pro this year if the Broncos don't suck too bad. He got Eddie Royal, a receiver who could well fill the legacy of Rod Smith. He acquired Brandon Stokely. And he got Jay Cutler up to speed with the NFL. All the Broncos needed was consistency on the defense and they would have had a team worthy of the legacy of Denver football.
But that would have meant firing Shanahan as GM and keeping him as Coach. I can't see that as realistically having happened, and so it didn't. He wasted money and talent, and so he was out.
This is all old news. But the woe for my beloved Broncos continues ...
The Monday Night booth looks a lot better...
Posted by: Mark | August 24, 2009 at 08:45 PM
I'm a Bear fan who had barely ever heard of Cutler. Something weird went on over there in Denver that's for sure. If Cutler is a dumb jerk, a savvy jerk, or savvy and not such a jerk I don't know. I mean on a certain level he has to be a jerk. He's been a football star all his life and it comes with the territory.
He has gotten himself in potentially the best situation any pro athlete in the world. A really good QB in Chicago will be as a god. It takes a hell of a lot more than that to win Super Bowls and that would be icing on the cake and I doubt it is in the cards for the Bears. There are ghosts of failure in their organization that are very difficult to overcome. The thing is quarterbacking and offense have always been an integral part of that for 60 years.
If it is any consolation there is one thing about Orton that over rides all. He wins. I don't know how and maybe it's luck and his luck will run out but he wins. Forget the SB. Take each game one at a time and hope there are plenty of good ones every year. The SB is waaaaaaaaaaaaay over rated.
Posted by: rapier | August 25, 2009 at 09:48 PM
If my beloved Oakland Raiders win 6 games this year I'll be ecstatic !
Forget Mike Shanahan leaving Denver - I have to wait for Al Davis to die probably before we do well !
Posted by: Eric Coobs | August 30, 2009 at 02:53 PM
I told you. Orton wins.
Posted by: rapier | September 20, 2009 at 05:42 PM