Shot across the bow from Bowlen?

[cutlerfan]

Do you think Bowlen is sending a message to Shanny that if he does not steer the Broncos ship back into the playoffs that he could be next to go?

Or did Shanny have something to do with this?

Sorry to talk this to death.

[montrose]

All indications are this was a move by Shanahan, not Bowlen.

[2KBack]

Couldn't Bowlen just Call up Shanahan and deliver such a message, or perhaps an email?

[cutlerfan]

I assume you're referring to the Sundquist departure?

Montrose is prolly right, if only for the fact Shanny had an immediate comment.

Yes I am. Thanks for the feedback!

[DomCasual]

Couldn't Bowlen just Call up Shanahan and deliver such a message, or perhaps an email?

A card attached to some chocolates is a nice touch.

Who doesn't like chocolates? ???

[Kaylore]

I'll just re-post my four theories on what happened:

Given the way this happened, I have four theories on why this happened. People can take away what they want from it.

Theory 1: Goodman was slated to take over. They had him shadow Sundquist until he learned all the ropes. Then Goodman went to Shanahan and said "I thin I've got this figured out" after which Shanahan said "ok" and let Sundquist go.

Theory 2: When Goodman was tapped as the number 1.5 guy, some of the responsibilities of Sundquist were taken from him and given to Goodman. Goodman scouted Brandon Marshall, Jarvis Moss and Jay Cutler. As the draft approached, Sundquist and Goodman bonked heads over who had right to do what. It might have been an argument over the draft board, player personnel or some other such thing. A power struggle ensued and one of them went to Shanahan to complain after which Shanahan brought the hammer down.

Theory 3: Shanahan is using Sundquist as a scape goat. After the failures of several draft and free agent acquisitions, including the Browncos, trading for Kennedy, and other such busts as well as the poor season, Shanahan tries to pass this off onto the GM. I find this hard to believe because if Shanahan wanted to do that he would have done so at the end of the season.

Theory 4: This came from upstairs. Bowlen decided to get rid of Sundquist, a Shanahan yes-man in large degree, after he blew a bunch of his money on players that didn't perform last year. Goodman is brought in with his own philosophy for the team and personnel to counter balance Shanahan and watch the bottom line.

As I said before, I think it's a combination of 1 and 2.

[silverwing]

Do you think Bowlen is sending a message to Shanny that if he does not steer the Broncos ship back into the playoffs that he could be next to go?

Or did Shanny have something to do with this?

Sorry to talk this to death.

Just go read your Inside Slant.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Shanahan has naked pictures of Bowlen and Al Davis in the throes of passion.

[Bronco Jamus]

I wouldn't say the players from the Browns were busts. We did end up a game from the Super Bowl with them. Of course the AFC Championship game was one lost in the trenches.

[Broncojef]

I wouldn't say the players from the Browns were busts. We did end up a game from the Super Bowl with them. Of course the AFC Championship game was one lost in the trenches.

I don't know I still replay Champ Bailey breaking on one of Roethelisburgers initial passes with wide open space to the endzone when he dropped it. That play may have set the tone and given us a different result. The Browncos weren't a bust. We had zero cap space and Shanny took a gamble on some cheap guys with high upside. For all the other fans that come on here laughing over it we were in the AFC Championship game that year. I think Mike and Pat had a hard talk about recent bad decisions and the result was Shanny stating if he's in charge and coming under fire then give me total control and stop putting Sundquist in the mix.

[HEAV]

Pat Bowlen just gave Shanny all the rope he needs. What Shanny does with that rope is up to Shanny.

[HEAV]

I wouldn't say the players from the Browns were busts. We did end up a game from the Super Bowl with them. Of course the AFC Championship game was one lost in the trenches.


Lepsis got owned by Joey Porter and Shanny didn't adjust (use a TE to help) to the Steelers pass rush.

[Bronco Jamus]

I don't know I still replay Champ Bailey breaking on one of Roethelisburgers initial passes with wide open space to the endzone when he dropped it. That play may have set the tone and given us a different result. The Browncos weren't a bust. We had zero cap space and Shanny took a gamble on some cheap guys with high upside. For all the other fans that come on here laughing over it we were in the AFC Championship game that year. I think Mike and Pat had a hard talk about recent bad decisions and the result was Shanny stating if he's in charge and coming under fire then give me total control and stop putting Sundquist in the mix.

That's possible.

If Champ had gotten that pass I think it would have been lights out as well. We surely would have beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

[Bronco Jamus]

Lepsis got owned by Joey Porter and Shanny didn't adjust (use a TE to help) to the Steelers pass rush.

We couldn't stop them on either side of the ball. And then Plummer was heaving it up for grabs. It was a sad day.

[Vegas_Bronco]

Let's just turn this into the planet and start a bunch more of these 'what if' threads.

Pleeeeeeease don't start this!

[chrisp]

I think people are putting too much significance into this announcement. In reality, given the way the Broncos operate when they get rid of people, he's probably been a dead man walking for sometime...

I mean, Bates was offered the Linebackers job fer chrissakes - they don't like to cut staff loose just like that. Rhodes left of his own accord after Shanny took over his defense.

Shanny is a control freak, but that doesn't mean that guys never have any say in things, it just means that when they're not getting it done they lose their say in things and that's followed some time later by their job. In some cases quite some time later. I've seen Wabbit say elsewhere that he's not surprised by this move, only the timing of it.

Kiszla's hatchet-job article in the DP uses Sundy's comments from last year to indicate he never had any power - truth is last year he probably didn't have any real say in anything last year, but that doesn't mean he never had a say...

I may be being overly optimistic here, but I'm fairly sure that Sundy carries the can for mediochre to awful drafts and FA performance in from around 2001-2003.

I think he's a hardworking, disciplined and throrough guy, but probably too much of a stats-monkey when it comes to assessing personnel. He did a lot of hard work and number-crunching in that area, but lacked the real talent to really make a difference. I wish him well, and I'm sure he'll land on his feet but I'm glad he's not calling the shots at Dove Valley anymore (and hasn't been for a long time, clearly....)

[BroncoBuff]

We couldn't stop them on either side of the ball. And then Plummer was heaving it up for grabs. It was a sad day.
Nobody mentions Nick Ferguson? His fingerprints were all over two 1st half Steeler TDs, including the backbreaker just before half.

[ozomulsion]

Where's Pat Bowlen when we need him? Dude needs to get his arse on here and give us the scoop.