Bronco Rob
01-15-2010, 04:22 AM
Woody's Mailbag: Armchair GMs chime in
Joe from Harwich, Mass., asks Woody about Kyle Orton's future with the Broncos
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Woody, what do you think we will do with our first-round draft pick? We all know Kyle Orton is not our future and we need to get a solid QB. Do you think Josh McDaniels will select up for a QB with our first pick, or do you think he will use it for another position? This is a good draft class for QBs. I think it would be good to keep Orton around to help groom another QB and maybe one more year after that, but he is not the answer. Also, can someone please tell McDaniels he is no longer in New England — please take off the hoodie and become your own person. I live in New England and grew up in Denver — these fans don't even compare to Denver fans. The guy is going to get run out of town if he keeps up his New England ways. P.S. I like the beard, Woody!
-- Joe Sandoval, Harwich, Mass.
Woodhead : Kyle Orton, the KO Kid? I don't think so. Dave Krieger, who recently joined us as a columnist from the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News, and I were both stunned and stumped by Josh McDaniels in his last press conference the day after the season ended.
First, the coach said that Orton played "pretty decently" and then that he was a "nice quarterback" and that he was "a good teammate and smart."
Sounds like the blind dates I had in college. Girls I knew would try to set me up with someone, and the description would be: "She has a great personality and all the girls in the dormitory like her, and she makes her own clothes, and she sings in the church, and she's a good student." Not once did they mention that she was "a knockout woman." Of course, I was no prize, either.
But Orton is not a beautiful quarterback, not a Pro Bowl quarterback, not a top 10 quarterback. He's decent, and a nice guy. He is not the long-term, or even the short-term, solution. He'll get one more year. That's not an endorsement. That's the reality.
Now, here's what McDaniels said straight out: That it has been proven that it doesn't take a great quarterback to win the Super Bowl. I must have spent six hours of research on Orton and Super Bowl quarterbacks after what McDaniels said, and Krieger wrote a column about his own opinion — I recommend everyone read it.
McDaniels was on the New England staff that won three Super Bowls and should have won another. What made them special? Tom Brady. Even though Matt Cassel had a good season in 2008, and is a decent quarterback, the Patriots didn't even get in the playoffs.
If you look at past Super Bowls, you'll see that recent winners include Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning (who may not be, overall, in the elite category. The two decent quarterbacks who won were Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, and they got the ring because of their team's defenses (Baltimore and Tampa Bay).
The Broncos don't have a world-class defense, so they need a world-class quarterback. Think about other QBs who have won Super Bowls: Bart Starr, Brett Favre, John Elway, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach I could go on and on. Rarely does a mediocre quarterback lead a team to a world championship. It starts at quarterback.
I looked back at every Orton start. He has a good record in 49 starts, but in at least 30 of those games, the defense was responsible for the victory and the offense was hanging on for dear life. The Chicago Bears had a great record when they went to the Super Bowl, but Orton wasn't the reason, and he was yanked before the season ended and replaced by Rex Grossman. You can see with both the Bears and the Broncos, the defenses had to hold opponents to under 20 points to have a chance at winning.
As I noted in a column this week, the Broncos scored only 30 touchdowns this year (barely above the slugs of the league) on offense. It's a wonder they won eight games. Orton is just a guy you hope "manages" the game and doesn't make mistakes. But down the stretch he had 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That's not managing or not making mistakes.
During the first four-game losing streak, the Broncos' offense scored three flipping touchdowns. I could continue, but you know what I know. The Broncos, in all probability, will not draft a quarterback in the first round. We know Seattle will take Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen, and Mike Shanahan will take the other.
The Broncos have to get rid of Chris Simms. You can thank me later for suggesting he should start in Washington. If he hadn't played this season, we all would have thought he could still play. He can't.
So Tom Brandstater moves up to No. 2, and we still don't know if he can play in the league. The Broncos may draft a quarterback down the line. They should take a look at a couple of directional quarterbacks -- Dan LeFevour from Central Michigan (remember his name) or Tim Hiller from Western Michigan. They could be available in the third round or lower.
The Broncos have indicated quietly they will offer Orton a long-term contract. That would be a mistake. Give him a one-year deal and see if Brandstater can beat him out, or take one of the "also-ran" QBs and see what happens next year.
The NFL free agent quarterbacks on the market are no better than Orton. What about Michael Vick? No.
I personally would like to see whether the Broncos can get Tim Tebow in the second round, or late in the first. I think he can be something special as a hybrid quarterback/wildcatter/tight end/receiver. I believe he will become a better thrower, and I think he would fit with this system that McDaniels loves -- and most of us loathe.
On the other subject, I have sat two feet away from McDaniels, just the two of us, and I said: "Lose the hoodie. Get your own thing." He paid no attention. He stuck it in my face, your face, and the players' faces. It shouldn't be that big a deal, except we know why he wears it. He's still Belichick's man, not his own man.
Hey Woody! Love the beard ... Now that I'm done kissing up, here's the question: I definitely want Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler back, but it seems like wishful thinking. I'm here in Ohio where the Browns, or clowns, or whatever you wish to call 'em, have exactly two good players: Josh Cribbs and Shaun Rogers, both of whom are unhappy in Cleveland. They also do not have a true No. 1 receiver or tight end. What do you think of a swap? As a life-long Broncos fan, we haven't had a return man since Glyn Milburn and could use the great field position Cribbs brings. Also, with our new 3-4 defense, we need a big tackle and Rogers fits the bill. What do you think? Maybe drop the hint to McDaniels. Thanks, and go Broncos and Nuggets!!!
-- Jim, Akron, Ohio
Jim: The beard is gone. I was afraid I'd end up in ZZTop.
Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler will not be back, despite your wishes, your prayers, your letters to sports writers or to the coach. The only way I would succeed in dropping a hint to McDaniels is to drop an anvil on his head. He has not listened to any of my suggestions -- in person in our talks or in columns I've written.
McDaniels, honestly, thinks he knows more than you or I or anyone else outside the program, as he has indicated publicly. I like your trade suggestion, and if I were the coach, I'd listen to you. Will it happen? I don't think there is a chance.
The Browns definitely want Cribbs back. He is an incredible return man. Mike Holmgren, who will be good for Cleveland (as good as head coach Eric Mangini is bad), already has said he wants Cribbs back. Rogers is unhappy in Cleveland. So is everybody else.
You are very astute, though. The Broncos have to improve that defensive line, and Ronnie Fields, who I liked going in, just doesn't dominate in the middle, and they got very little support out of the ends.
Everybody reading this mailbag knew that a year ago the Broncos needed a major upgrade on the defensive line, but McDaniels knew better than us. He didn't draft anybody. He didn't make a big splash for the two great available free-agent defensive linemen.
Instead, he went for a rather ordinary running back, I believe, and Robert Ayers, whose conversion to linebacker from defensive end didn't turn out so hot. McDaniels tried to defend Ayers in his last press conference, telling us he made progress. He made so much progress he was declared a healthy inactive one week.
In all the games he played I thought Ayers made three plays. (And he's from my school, Tennessee. Which reminds me: Go away, Lane Kiffin. The Vols should hire Troy Calhoun from Air Force. He was on their radar a year ago. But Calhoun would be a major loss for the Zoomies).
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_14185638
Joe from Harwich, Mass., asks Woody about Kyle Orton's future with the Broncos
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Woody, what do you think we will do with our first-round draft pick? We all know Kyle Orton is not our future and we need to get a solid QB. Do you think Josh McDaniels will select up for a QB with our first pick, or do you think he will use it for another position? This is a good draft class for QBs. I think it would be good to keep Orton around to help groom another QB and maybe one more year after that, but he is not the answer. Also, can someone please tell McDaniels he is no longer in New England — please take off the hoodie and become your own person. I live in New England and grew up in Denver — these fans don't even compare to Denver fans. The guy is going to get run out of town if he keeps up his New England ways. P.S. I like the beard, Woody!
-- Joe Sandoval, Harwich, Mass.
Woodhead : Kyle Orton, the KO Kid? I don't think so. Dave Krieger, who recently joined us as a columnist from the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News, and I were both stunned and stumped by Josh McDaniels in his last press conference the day after the season ended.
First, the coach said that Orton played "pretty decently" and then that he was a "nice quarterback" and that he was "a good teammate and smart."
Sounds like the blind dates I had in college. Girls I knew would try to set me up with someone, and the description would be: "She has a great personality and all the girls in the dormitory like her, and she makes her own clothes, and she sings in the church, and she's a good student." Not once did they mention that she was "a knockout woman." Of course, I was no prize, either.
But Orton is not a beautiful quarterback, not a Pro Bowl quarterback, not a top 10 quarterback. He's decent, and a nice guy. He is not the long-term, or even the short-term, solution. He'll get one more year. That's not an endorsement. That's the reality.
Now, here's what McDaniels said straight out: That it has been proven that it doesn't take a great quarterback to win the Super Bowl. I must have spent six hours of research on Orton and Super Bowl quarterbacks after what McDaniels said, and Krieger wrote a column about his own opinion — I recommend everyone read it.
McDaniels was on the New England staff that won three Super Bowls and should have won another. What made them special? Tom Brady. Even though Matt Cassel had a good season in 2008, and is a decent quarterback, the Patriots didn't even get in the playoffs.
If you look at past Super Bowls, you'll see that recent winners include Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning (who may not be, overall, in the elite category. The two decent quarterbacks who won were Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson, and they got the ring because of their team's defenses (Baltimore and Tampa Bay).
The Broncos don't have a world-class defense, so they need a world-class quarterback. Think about other QBs who have won Super Bowls: Bart Starr, Brett Favre, John Elway, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach I could go on and on. Rarely does a mediocre quarterback lead a team to a world championship. It starts at quarterback.
I looked back at every Orton start. He has a good record in 49 starts, but in at least 30 of those games, the defense was responsible for the victory and the offense was hanging on for dear life. The Chicago Bears had a great record when they went to the Super Bowl, but Orton wasn't the reason, and he was yanked before the season ended and replaced by Rex Grossman. You can see with both the Bears and the Broncos, the defenses had to hold opponents to under 20 points to have a chance at winning.
As I noted in a column this week, the Broncos scored only 30 touchdowns this year (barely above the slugs of the league) on offense. It's a wonder they won eight games. Orton is just a guy you hope "manages" the game and doesn't make mistakes. But down the stretch he had 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. That's not managing or not making mistakes.
During the first four-game losing streak, the Broncos' offense scored three flipping touchdowns. I could continue, but you know what I know. The Broncos, in all probability, will not draft a quarterback in the first round. We know Seattle will take Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen, and Mike Shanahan will take the other.
The Broncos have to get rid of Chris Simms. You can thank me later for suggesting he should start in Washington. If he hadn't played this season, we all would have thought he could still play. He can't.
So Tom Brandstater moves up to No. 2, and we still don't know if he can play in the league. The Broncos may draft a quarterback down the line. They should take a look at a couple of directional quarterbacks -- Dan LeFevour from Central Michigan (remember his name) or Tim Hiller from Western Michigan. They could be available in the third round or lower.
The Broncos have indicated quietly they will offer Orton a long-term contract. That would be a mistake. Give him a one-year deal and see if Brandstater can beat him out, or take one of the "also-ran" QBs and see what happens next year.
The NFL free agent quarterbacks on the market are no better than Orton. What about Michael Vick? No.
I personally would like to see whether the Broncos can get Tim Tebow in the second round, or late in the first. I think he can be something special as a hybrid quarterback/wildcatter/tight end/receiver. I believe he will become a better thrower, and I think he would fit with this system that McDaniels loves -- and most of us loathe.
On the other subject, I have sat two feet away from McDaniels, just the two of us, and I said: "Lose the hoodie. Get your own thing." He paid no attention. He stuck it in my face, your face, and the players' faces. It shouldn't be that big a deal, except we know why he wears it. He's still Belichick's man, not his own man.
Hey Woody! Love the beard ... Now that I'm done kissing up, here's the question: I definitely want Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler back, but it seems like wishful thinking. I'm here in Ohio where the Browns, or clowns, or whatever you wish to call 'em, have exactly two good players: Josh Cribbs and Shaun Rogers, both of whom are unhappy in Cleveland. They also do not have a true No. 1 receiver or tight end. What do you think of a swap? As a life-long Broncos fan, we haven't had a return man since Glyn Milburn and could use the great field position Cribbs brings. Also, with our new 3-4 defense, we need a big tackle and Rogers fits the bill. What do you think? Maybe drop the hint to McDaniels. Thanks, and go Broncos and Nuggets!!!
-- Jim, Akron, Ohio
Jim: The beard is gone. I was afraid I'd end up in ZZTop.
Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler will not be back, despite your wishes, your prayers, your letters to sports writers or to the coach. The only way I would succeed in dropping a hint to McDaniels is to drop an anvil on his head. He has not listened to any of my suggestions -- in person in our talks or in columns I've written.
McDaniels, honestly, thinks he knows more than you or I or anyone else outside the program, as he has indicated publicly. I like your trade suggestion, and if I were the coach, I'd listen to you. Will it happen? I don't think there is a chance.
The Browns definitely want Cribbs back. He is an incredible return man. Mike Holmgren, who will be good for Cleveland (as good as head coach Eric Mangini is bad), already has said he wants Cribbs back. Rogers is unhappy in Cleveland. So is everybody else.
You are very astute, though. The Broncos have to improve that defensive line, and Ronnie Fields, who I liked going in, just doesn't dominate in the middle, and they got very little support out of the ends.
Everybody reading this mailbag knew that a year ago the Broncos needed a major upgrade on the defensive line, but McDaniels knew better than us. He didn't draft anybody. He didn't make a big splash for the two great available free-agent defensive linemen.
Instead, he went for a rather ordinary running back, I believe, and Robert Ayers, whose conversion to linebacker from defensive end didn't turn out so hot. McDaniels tried to defend Ayers in his last press conference, telling us he made progress. He made so much progress he was declared a healthy inactive one week.
In all the games he played I thought Ayers made three plays. (And he's from my school, Tennessee. Which reminds me: Go away, Lane Kiffin. The Vols should hire Troy Calhoun from Air Force. He was on their radar a year ago. But Calhoun would be a major loss for the Zoomies).
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_14185638