KRIEGER: A "conversation" with Shanahan

[Popps]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/29/krieger-much-needed-conversation-shanahan/

To answer your first question, no, this is not the conversation I expect Pat Bowlen to have with Mike Shanahan two weeks from now. It's just the one I wish he'd have.

Bowlen: Hi, Mike. Sit down, sit down. How are you?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, Pat, I'm fine. It's good to be back in the office. Building a mansion can really stress you.

Bowlen: Yeah, how's that going? They're calling it the Shanamansion. They're saying you're going to build a city in it. Like 100,000 people or something.

Shanahan: No, no, no, no. You know the media, Pat. Especially now, with this Intra-net thing. It's a small town. Ten thousand people, tops.

Bowlen: Well, good luck with that. Listen, Mike, I wanted to go over some of these expenses from this year because I'm a little confused about them.

Shanahan: Look, I need all those clickers, Pat.

Bowlen: No, not that. I paid a $2 million bonus to sign someone named Niko Koutouvides? Is that right?

Shanahan: Well, I don't remember the exact figure.

Bowlen: Do I need to get Joe Ellis in here?

Shanahan: No, no, no, no. That sounds about right.

Bowlen: Well, what happened to him? Was he even in San Diego for our last game?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, of course, he was. He just wasn't active, that's all. Anytime in the National Football League you have to dress a squad of 45 . . .

Bowlen: Save it, Mike. I'm not the press. I'm your boss. You need to tell me the truth. This is real money, you know. And it's mine. Have you seen what's happened to the price of oil lately? Real estate? If I'm going to spend $2 million on a middle linebacker, I'd like to see him play in the biggest game of the year. Why didn't he?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, Niko wasn't as good as I thought.

Bowlen: Ah. OK, what about this Marlon McCree fellow? I'm paying him $2 million? Where was he?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, he wasn't active, either.

Bowlen: Why the hell not?

Shanahan: Well, he had a high ankle sprain.

Bowlen: When?

Shanahan: Two months ago.

Bowlen: That's why he didn't play?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, he wasn't as good as I thought.

Bowlen: Ah. OK, what about this Marquand Manuel person?

Shanahan: He played!

Bowlen: In the dime, right? Wasn't he supposed to be our starting strong safety? I've got your depth chart here somewhere . . .

Shanahan: Well, to be honest with you, Josh Barrett beat him out.

Bowlen: Our seventh-round pick?

Shanahan: Right.

Bowlen: Ah. What about this Jarvis Moss? Where was he?

Shanahan: Right there with Niko and Marlon.

Bowlen: In sweats? Wasn't he our first-round draft pick? Didn't we give up two other picks to move up four places to get him? Didn't I guarantee him $8 million?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, yes.

Bowlen: So why wasn't he playing?

Shanahan: Bad matchup.

Bowlen: Ah. What about this Tim Crowder guy? Wasn't he our second- round pick? Three-million- dollar contract?

Shanahan: Look, Pat, you should know these things take time. These guys are coming along.

Bowlen. Ah. Let me ask you this, Mike. Do you happen to know who was taken with the pick you traded up from to get Moss? Your original pick?

Shanahan: To be honest with you, I'd have to go back and look.

Bowlen: Reggie Nelson. Do you think he could have beaten out Vernon Fox at free safety this year?

Shanahan: Yeah, probably.

Bowlen: Mike, I'm concerned about how I've been spending my money. Don't get me wrong, I love what you've done with the offense. If we can keep a running back healthy next year, we'll be good. But Mike, all this money wasted on defensive guys you don't play. I mean, c'mon. So let me run this up the flag pole. How does Marty Schottenheimer sound?

Shanahan: To be honest with you . . . what?

Bowlen: I'm thinking about Marty for GM. You've got to admit, he knows defense. Good judge of defensive personnel. Bring him in here, rebuild that defense so your offense can go to town.

Shanahan: Whoa, this was never part of our deal. I've got it in writing.

Bowlen: Mike, be a team player. Don't do something you'll regret. Tell you what. Go supervise the Shanamansion for a few days and think it over.

Shanahan: Man, the timing is terrible. Do you have any idea how much I have sunk in that place?

Bowlen: Do you have any idea how much I have sunk in this one? Think it over, Mike.

Shanahan: To be honest with you, OK.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Bowlen's to busy smoochin' Shanny's butt to get around to worrying about little things like having the worst defense in the NFL.

[Killericon]

Yeah, let's fire every personnel guy who makes multi-million dollar mistakes in the NFL. Then we'd be left with...Ummmm...Maybe Scott Pioli?

An Extension of this conversation:

Bowlen: By the way, nice job with the offense. I know when you came to me after the AFC Championship game that we'd have to go through a rebuilding phase, but that was pretty quick.

Shanahan: Yeah, the way Harris and Clady have turned out is really quite wonderful. Stokely and Casey Wiegmann turned out to be real bargains.

Bowlen: And am I to understand that Eddie Royal was considered a reach?

Shanahan: Yeah, everyone was screaming for Desean Jackson, but Eddie seemed to fit our system better, so we just snagged him.

Bowlen: And, let me just congratulate you on picking Jay Cutler again. That took real foresight.

Shanahan: I remember people wanting me to take the big jump and get Matt Leinart. What a bunch of idiots.

Bowlen: Well, in 2005 you began a rebuilding process. Since then, we've been .500 while experiencing huge draft success and becoming hugely younger. This core of offensive players should be around for at least another 3 years, which is plenty of time to build a defense. Congratulations. I'm glad I gave you the kind of job security where you can radically rebuild a team without having to pander to the short-term b****ing of the fanbase.

Shanahan: Thanks. These people seem to think that even with huge roster turnover, that everyone can build winning teams in one or two seasons. This year it's "Look at the Falcons and the Dolphins!" 2 years ago, they said "Look at the Jets!" Ugh. I hope we can do the same with the defense soon enough. You'd think I had nothing to do with the 2005 squad, the way they talk about me.

*Both have a hearty chuckle*

[TDmvp]

Bowlen's to busy smoochin' Shanny's butt to get around to worrying about little things like having the worst defense in the NFL.

they are bad , but not the worst ...

[Popps]

Shanahan: Thanks. These people seem to think that even with huge roster turnover, that everyone can build winning teams in one or two seasons. *

It's been over a decade since we've done anything meaningful in the playoffs.
I'm not sure where you get this two years stuff from. Are you talking about Shanahan "blowing up" the roster of a team that made an AFCCG?

In today's NFL, winning teams can be built in one season. We've won one playoff game in a decade. That's the worst stretch since the inception of the franchise.

Spin that pretty.

[KillerBronco#76]

It's been over a decade since we've done anything meaningful in the playoffs.

In today's NFL, winning teams can be built in one season.

Spin that pretty.


Tell that to a fan from (IE: Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Bengals, Bears, Jets, Miami, Minnisota, Dallas, Redskins, Houston, Jacksonville,New Orleans, Arizona, 49'rs, rams, oakland Kansas City and thats just off the top of my head) and see how much sympathy you get it would probably take every thing they had just not to slap you for b****ing about our record since the superbowl.

These past seasons havn't even been hard to watch. Just because the team isn't the best in the league for a few years doesn't mean that you fire you hall of fame head coach, or even complain about it.

What denver is going thru right now is nothing. Were actually putting teams on the field that can at least compete.

I dont understand some of the expectations of some of you guys they are just rediculous. We have been spoiled rotten.

You think 7-9 is a bad record? Imagine going 0-16 when is the last time detroit fielded a competitive team? We have 1-2 years before were competitive again, live with and enjoy the fact we have an amazing young offense and are in position to be dominant once we get some talent and mature on defense...

Then we can go back to being the spoiled high and mighty fans we once were.

By the way excuse me for being literal but we won the super bowl less than a decade ago...

[Rohirrim]

Yeah, it's no big deal getting humiliated at home by the Raiders, or going to a nationally televised playoff game for the division title after choking a three game lead and getting your ass kicked while watching your division rivals slapping 52 points on your sorry ass and laughing on the sidelines while doing so. It's all good. As long as you have no pride.

And now, in order to feel good about ourselves, we're comparing ourselves to Detroit? Peachy.

[TonyR]

Krieger mus be reading the Mane because I suggested this idea in several threads yesterday: Bowlen stripping some power from Mikey Mastermind, and if he doesn't like it it's time to move on. That's what needs to be done! It's a good middle ground position between status quo and outright firing him. Now, I demand a commission from Krieger for my story idea!

[TonyR]

Tell that to a fan from (IE: Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Bengals, Bears, Jets, Miami, Minnisota, Dallas, Redskins, Houston, Jacksonville,New Orleans, Arizona, 49'rs, rams, oakland Kansas City and thats just off the top of my head) and see how much sympathy you get it would probably take every thing they had just not to slap you for b****ing about our record since the superbowl.

I dont understand some of the expectations of some of you guys they are just rediculous. We have been spoiled rotten.


I'm not looking for any sympathy.

And wow, expecting more than 1 playoff win and 1 division title in 10 years is too much?

You go on being content with being better than Detroit. Sheesh, talk about pathetic. I hope you have higher aspiratation for your own life than you do for your football team.

[HEAV]

[QUOTE=killericon;2222216]Shanahan: I remember people wanting me to take the big jump and get Matt Leinart. What a bunch of idiots.
QUOTE]

Ummm ya but Shanny had targeted Leinart. It wasn't till talking with Jeff Fisher and hearing Fisher rave about Cutler, that Shanny changed his tune.

So thanks to Jeff Fisher telling Shanny about Jay.
Thanks to Titans ownership for wanting Vince Young.

[KillerBronco#76]

I guess my problem is im to busy looking into the future of this team to worry about the past. Whats happened has happened but what we do have is a Hall of Fame coach,Super Star Quarterback, 2 pro bowl caliber recievers, and one of the top 3 left tackles in the game. Not to mention the number 2 offense in the league where our average starting age is 26 years old not bad if you ask me. Now lets get some decent talent on defense then sit back and enjoy the show.

Theres nothing i can say that will sway you guys and I've already spent to much time on this board today have fun bitching about the team to eachother...

[baja]

Krieger mus be reading the Mane because I suggested this idea in several threads yesterday: Bowlen stripping some power from Mikey Mastermind, and if he doesn't like it it's time to move on. That's what needs to be done! It's a good middle ground position between status quo and outright firing him. Now, I demand a commission from Krieger for my story idea!

Trust me yesterday was not the first time Shanahan's power has been questioned around here.

[Drek]

Pretty largely worthless article.

The salary cap in the NFL is over $120M. So the combined money payed to Koutouvides, McCree, and Manual amounts to less than 5% of our total player assets in a given season. Moss got a five year deal for that guaranteed $8M, so he's only about 2% or so a season.

If Bowlen can't afford to spend up to the cap and handle the occasional mid-level signing not panning out then he should sell the team. But I don't quite think thats really the case at all. This is Krieger throwing together an article that he thinks will sound compelling in the economic climate, completely ignoring the real financial capacities of an NFL team.

Travis Henry, IHOP, Dale Carter. Those are guys who got paid that Bowlen should take Shanahan to task on. As for the use of draft picks, since the Goodmans have taken a more active role its pretty hard to criticise our draft record.

[fontaine]

No ones's denying Shanahan is a great coach but when it comes to the defense he needs major help. From the GM/DC etc because Mike simply isn't a defensive minded coach.

If you think Slowik is going to provide that help, then, well, good luck with that.

[Kaylore]

It's been over a decade since we've done anything meaningful in the playoffs.

That's a flat out lie. Getting to the AFC Championship game and losing to the eventual super bowl champions is meaningful. Earning a first round bye is meaningful.

[HEAV]

I guess my problem is im to busy looking into the future of this team to worry about the past. Whats happened has happened but what we do have is a Hall of Fame coach,Super Star Quarterback, 2 pro bowl caliber recievers, and one of the top 3 left tackles in the game. Not to mention the number 2 offense in the league where our average starting age is 26 years old not bad if you ask me. Now lets get some decent talent on defense then sit back and enjoy the show.

Theres nothing i can say that will sway you guys and I've already spent to much time on this board today have fun b****ing about the team to eachother...

This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was... what he was doing.` Yoda

[Rock Chalk]

Pretty largely worthless article.

The salary cap in the NFL is over $120M. So the combined money payed to Koutouvides, McCree, and Manual amounts to less than 5% of our total player assets in a given season. Moss got a five year deal for that guaranteed $8M, so he's only about 2% or so a season.

If Bowlen can't afford to spend up to the cap and handle the occasional mid-level signing not panning out then he should sell the team. But I don't quite think thats really the case at all. This is Krieger throwing together an article that he thinks will sound compelling in the economic climate, completely ignoring the real financial capacities of an NFL team.

Travis Henry, IHOP, Dale Carter. Those are guys who got paid that Bowlen should take Shanahan to task on. As for the use of draft picks, since the Goodmans have taken a more active role its pretty hard to criticise our draft record.

Travis Henry got paid but of that group at least he did have some good games for us.

[sirhcyennek81]

I'm sorry...this is a Broncos board isnt it?


:Broncos:

[Garcia Bronco]

Tell that to a fan from (IE: Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Bengals, Bears, Jets, Miami, Minnisota, Dallas, Redskins, Houston, Jacksonville,New Orleans, Arizona, 49'rs, rams, oakland Kansas City and thats just off the top of my head) and see how much sympathy you get it would probably take every thing they had just not to slap you for b****ing about our record since the superbowl.

These past seasons havn't even been hard to watch. Just because the team isn't the best in the league for a few years doesn't mean that you fire you hall of fame head coach, or even complain about it.

What denver is going thru right now is nothing. Were actually putting teams on the field that can at least compete.

I dont understand some of the expectations of some of you guys they are just rediculous. We have been spoiled rotten.

You think 7-9 is a bad record? Imagine going 0-16 when is the last time detroit fielded a competitive team? We have 1-2 years before were competitive again, live with and enjoy the fact we have an amazing young offense and are in position to be dominant once we get some talent and mature on defense...

Then we can go back to being the spoiled high and mighty fans we once were.

By the way excuse me for being literal but we won the super bowl less than a decade ago...

That was pure ownage. Good work

[oubronco]

Yeah, let's fire every personnel guy who makes multi-million dollar mistakes in the NFL. Then we'd be left with...Ummmm...Maybe Scott Pioli?

An Extension of this conversation:

Bowlen: By the way, nice job with the offense. I know when you came to me after the AFC Championship game that we'd have to go through a rebuilding phase, but that was pretty quick.

Shanahan: Yeah, the way Harris and Clady have turned out is really quite wonderful. Stokely and Casey Wiegmann turned out to be real bargains.

Bowlen: And am I to understand that Eddie Royal was considered a reach?

Shanahan: Yeah, everyone was screaming for Desean Jackson, but Eddie seemed to fit our system better, so we just snagged him.

Bowlen: And, let me just congratulate you on picking Jay Cutler again. That took real foresight.

Shanahan: I remember people wanting me to take the big jump and get Matt Leinart. What a bunch of idiots.

Bowlen: Well, in 2005 you began a rebuilding process. Since then, we've been .500 while experiencing huge draft success and becoming hugely younger. This core of offensive players should be around for at least another 3 years, which is plenty of time to build a defense. Congratulations. I'm glad I gave you the kind of job security where you can radically rebuild a team without having to pander to the short-term b****ing of the fanbase.

Shanahan: Thanks. These people seem to think that even with huge roster turnover, that everyone can build winning teams in one or two seasons. This year it's "Look at the Falcons and the Dolphins!" 2 years ago, they said "Look at the Jets!" Ugh. I hope we can do the same with the defense soon enough. You'd think I had nothing to do with the 2005 squad, the way they talk about me.

*Both have a hearty chuckle*

tell this crap to the hard working guy who saves all summer just so he can go to a Broncos game for the first time cause he's been a fan for 20 years and what's he pay to see THE WORST DEFENSE EVER !!!!

[Kaylore]

tell this crap to the hard working guy who saves all summer just so he can go to a Broncos game for the first time cause he's been a fan for 20 years and what's he pay to see THE WORST DEFENSE EVER !!!!

A Waltonism!

[oubronco]

A Waltonism!

a oubroncoism :wiggle:

[Inkana7]

A Waltonism!

That was the worst defense IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION!!

[Beantown Bronco]

Yeah, let's fire every personnel guy who makes multi-million dollar mistakes in the NFL. Then we'd be left with...Ummmm...Maybe Scott Pioli?

Not even him. Bring up the 2007 draft and watch him run. Even the 2006 draft, to a slightly lesser extent (soon, only 2 guys will be left from that one). Tens of millions to guys not on the team anymore.

[TonyR]

Trust me yesterday was not the first time Shanahan's power has been questioned around here.

Yes, I was being silly and self congratulatory.

But if Bowlen doesn't reduce Shanahan's power, even at the risk of him leaving, then there might as well be a sign reading abandon all hope erected at both Dove Valley and Invesco.