Denver's Super success in 10 big moves

[dragondawg]

The No. 1 goal for the Broncos next season?

Win the Super Bowl. Nothing less will do.

There is a long tradition of football excellence in Denver. Upholding it is franchise owner Pat Bowlen's civic duty.

Here's a 10-point plan to make the Broncos contenders again:

1. Hire Steve Spagnuolo as coach.

The tradition began with the Orange Crush. Restore it.

Firing Mike Shanahan was a waste of everybody's blood- pressure medicine, unless the Broncos can find a replacement who brings a talent Shanny lacked.

Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, knows how to stuff people. Now, wouldn't that be a refreshing change in Denver?

2. Show Albert Haynesworth the money.

To fix this defense, it will cost Bowlen more than a contract for a new coach.

Denver goes off to work with the least intimidating front seven since Snow White's dwarfs. The two big-ticket, big-play free agents who could possibly hit the market this year are Carolina's Julius Peppers and Haynesworth of Tennessee.

Get one.

3. Hire Scott Pioli as general manager.

For a decade, the best organization in sports has been the New England Patriots. Three main reasons are Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Pioli, the team's personnel guru.

While Jim Goodman has undoubtedly improved Denver's IQ on draft day, the Broncos need somebody to stop the expensive free-agent mistakes (see Niko Koutouvides) and desperate trades (see Dewayne Robertson) that Shanahan made.

4. Put Champ Bailey on trade block.

OK, I know what you're thinking. How could trading Denver's best defensive player help?

Listen: Bailey will be 31 years old before the next time he plays an NFL game. Not even a Hall of Fame cornerback can infuse your defense with nastiness. So see if Bailey could bring a haul of draft picks to rebuild a defensive unit with many holes. If no team makes the Broncos an offer they can't refuse, then No. 24 is back in starting lineup next fall.

5. Draft a Southern Cal Trojan.

In a college game in which scoring has gone wild, the only statistic to be trusted is the 9.0 points per game surrendered by USC. When the Broncos pick No. 12 in the first round, if they see Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga or safety Taylor Mays on the board, it's a no-brainer.

6. Get a real tailback.

Enough with the "American Idol" approach to filling the position. Who's carrying the rock this week? Peyton Hillis or Clay Aiken?

Invest a second-round draft choice in a tailback. Anybody remember where Denver picked up Clinton Portis in 2002?

7. Keep Jeremy Bates, Bobby Turner.

Maybe the real masterminds of Denver's explosive offense are Bates, who called the plays, and Turner, the running backs coach who made Terrell Davis famous.

So maybe the lone condition for Spagnuolo or anybody else to get the job as head coach is a solemn promise to retain Bates and Turner.

8. Make John Elway your QB tutor.

Elway can smack a golf ball and cook a mean steak, but that doesn't make him a GM. Besides, locking himself in a dark room to watch endless videotape of 21-year-old defensive tackles is no way for an NFL legend to spend the rest of his life.

But there is a job with the Broncos that cries out for Elway's expertise. As a quarterback, Jay Cutler has it all, except the demeanor for the toughest political job in Colorado. Hire Elway as an executive consultant to Bowlen, whose first task for the Duke would be to tutor Cutler.

9. Don't lose a brick in the wall.

The Broncos' offensive line was the best since tackle Gary Zimmerman left the building. Make sure 35-year-old center Casey Wiegmann, a wise graybeard contemplating retirement, sticks around Dove Valley another year.

10. Roll back ticket prices.

There was one aspect of firing Shanahan that perhaps Bow- len could not possibly fully understand. With new Broncomaniacs standing in the unemployment line every day, it does not sit well to see a coach get paid $20 million to go away.

So give loyal Denver fans a break. Cut ticket prices by 5 percent and see how much karma it will buy the Broncos.

The bottom line.

Shanahan did not invent pro football excellence in Denver.

Red Miller and Dan Reeves did.

As sure as Shanahan inherited Elway as his quarterback, the only coach to win NFL championships in Denver also benefited from the tradition established by Miller and Reeves, who won 60 percent of their regular-season games and produced nine playoff victories, including four trips to the Super Bowl in 16 seasons, from 1977-92.

Let history show the success of Reeves and Miller compares very favorably with the 61 percent winning rate in regular-season tilts, the eight playoff victories and two Super Bowl trips in Shanahan's 14 seasons.

The big difference? Shana- han won the big one. Twice.

He's gone, and Shanny will sweat to get back to the Super Bowl to show the Broncos how wrong they were for firing him.

But if tradition, pride and the stadium we built count for anything, the owner of the Broncos owes us another championship.

And it can be done.

No pressure, Mr. Bowlen.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11364057

[lex]

Why even talk about Pioli at this point? Its not going to happen.

[Drek]

Kiszla might be a bigger moron than anyone posting on this board.

[DBroncos4life]

Did Niko really cost that much? Most of those I agree with but you don't trade the best tackling cover DB in the NFL. How many TDs did he save just because he can tackle people.

[colonelbeef]

Why is everyone so sure Pioli is the reason the Pats have had success? The Patriots have had their fair share of busts as well

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by Drek

Kiszla might be a bigger moron than anyone posting on this board.

That takes some doing, but he's certainly in the discussion.

[Broncoman13]

He almost lost me at trading Champ Bailey. He had a down season which only makes it easier to negotiate a new contract to turn some of his salary into prorated bonuses. CBs play well well into their mid 30s. No reason to get rid of him, he'll be the beneficiary of a defense that forces some early throws... assuming Spags is the choice.

No on Pioli as well. Look at their drafts recently and they have been struggling as well. Mayo was a good pick this year, but Chad Jackson, Merriweather, Maroney, and numerous others in recent years have failed to meet expectations. The Patriots have had some success bringing in FAs but they also spend pretty big as well. Adalius Thomas was paid big bucks and Randy Moss' future is looking bright.

[TheReverend]

I wonder if we could have super duper success in 11 big moves?

[baja]

scratch #8

[baja]

Originally Posted by DBroncos4life

Did Niko really cost that much? Most of those I agree with but you don't trade the best tackling cover DB in the NFL. How many TDs did he save just because he can tackle people.

Depends what you could get for him.

[socalorado]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

I wonder if we could have super duper success in 11 big moves?

SSSUPER!

[Hamrob]

I like everything on his list. As for Pioli...why not go after him? I think we'll hire a GM and a Coach...so why not explore the possibility of getting the best out there? Having said that, I think we hire Spags and he'll have some say about who he'd like to work with. Could be Goodman, could be Heckert...but I'd still speak with Pioli.

As for Champ...he hasn't done anything for 2 straight years and he's 31. The bottom line is he's not earning his salary. So, I think it's very worthwhile exploring what his value happens to be on the market. If we could get a 1 and a 3 for him....we should consider it...IMO!

[WolfpackGuy]

Trading Champ and/or Bly could provide a windfall of draft choices.
You DO NOT need great CB's to win the Super Bowl.

[clint7]

"Enough with the "American Idol" approach to filling the position."

[Aftermath]

good ideas.... agree with all of em well except we wont get pioli

[SpringStein]

When the Broncos pick No. 12 in the first round, if they see Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga or safety Taylor Mays on the board, it's a no-brainer

Overrated.

While Jim Goodman has undoubtedly improved Denver's IQ on draft day, the Broncos need somebody to stop the expensive free-agent mistakes (see Niko Koutouvides) and desperate trades (see Dewayne Robertson) that Shanahan made.

Let's see, we gave up what for Robertson? Nothing did I hear you say?

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by SpringStein

Overrated.



Let's see, we gave up what for Robertson? Nothing did I hear you say?

But it was "desperate"... we obviously traded Cutler for him.

[Drek]

For people who don't know ****. Here's the problems with his list:

1. Hire Steve Spagnuolo as coach.

The tradition began with the Orange Crush. Restore it.

The orange crush was 3-4, Spagnuolo runs a 4-3. Not a real valid comparison. He should've said "bring back the late 90's/early 2000's D where we were in the top 10 every season". But not a horrible idea in itself.

2. Show Albert Haynesworth the money.

To fix this defense, it will cost Bowlen more than a contract for a new coach.

Denver goes off to work with the least intimidating front seven since Snow White's dwarfs. The two big-ticket, big-play free agents who could possibly hit the market this year are Carolina's Julius Peppers and Haynesworth of Tennessee.

Get one.

Why is #2 "show Albert Haynesworth the money" when he then says to go after Peppers or Haynesworth? Is he really that ****ty of a writer? (magic eight ball says "YES!").

Anyhow, Haynesworth is A. already in discussions to return to Tennessee and B. not a good fit for Spagnuolo's system. He's played DEs inside at DT, pretty good indicator that he doesn't need a DT like Haynesworth. If #1 was "sign Schwartz" then sure, that'd make some sense. But he didn't, he wants the guy who's front four is all about DE play, so why would we drop $10M AAV on a DT?

3. Hire Scott Pioli as general manager.

For a decade, the best organization in sports has been the New England Patriots. Three main reasons are Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Pioli, the team's personnel guru.

While Jim Goodman has undoubtedly improved Denver's IQ on draft day, the Broncos need somebody to stop the expensive free-agent mistakes (see Niko Koutouvides) and desperate trades (see Dewayne Robertson) that Shanahan made.

The start of the really stupid. Pioli will A. want to pick the coaching staff and B. clean house on EVERYONE he didn't pick. We don't keep Goodman, Bates, Dennison, etc. if we bring in Pioli, and we almost definitely don't sign Spagnuolo. We'd probably bring in McDaniels and Mangini or Crennel. Look at the actions taken by one of his mentors, Bill Parcells, when he stepped into Miami. He cleaned house of even good talent and threw out anyone who didn't fit his system. Its how those guys retool franchises, burn it all and start from scratch.

Also, Niko Koutouvides deal is all of about 2-3% of the annual salary cap. Wow that is such an expensive contract. More of Kiszla not letting the facts get in the way of a "good" **** slinging piece.

4. Put Champ Bailey on trade block.

OK, I know what you're thinking. How could trading Denver's best defensive player help?

Listen: Bailey will be 31 years old before the next time he plays an NFL game. Not even a Hall of Fame cornerback can infuse your defense with nastiness. So see if Bailey could bring a haul of draft picks to rebuild a defensive unit with many holes. If no team makes the Broncos an offer they can't refuse, then No. 24 is back in starting lineup next fall.

Bailey also came up under Darrell Green who was an elite CB into his late 30's and above average at 40. There is no reason to think Champ won't do the same, especially if our front seven actually stops the run.

Not to mention that it is Madden level fanboy fantasy to think that someone is going to trade you an ass load of draft picks for a CB who's cap hit is actually about 10% of the salary cap. Oh, and shopping Champ just to bring him back when no one does make a legitimate offer? Great way to have him be a hard ass with negotiations and make us either cut him or eat the impending $15M a year cap hit.

5. Draft a Southern Cal Trojan.

In a college game in which scoring has gone wild, the only statistic to be trusted is the 9.0 points per game surrendered by USC. When the Broncos pick No. 12 in the first round, if they see Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga or safety Taylor Mays on the board, it's a no-brainer.

Last I checked defenses weren't all about two guys and the Pac-10 wasn't the NFL. I'm all for getting Mays or possibly Maualuga, but there are a host of equally good, if not better, options. I'd take Gerald McCoy (if he comes out) over either one of them. Curry no question as well. Terrence Cody too. I'd also take Brandon Spikes over Maualuga without hesitation, and I'd have a hard time taking any MLB at #12 if it looks like I can grab Laurinaitis in round 2 (might just happen).

6. Get a real tailback.

Enough with the "American Idol" approach to filling the position. Who's carrying the rock this week? Peyton Hillis or Clay Aiken?

Invest a second-round draft choice in a tailback. Anybody remember where Denver picked up Clinton Portis in 2002?

Anyone remember where Denver picked Tatum Bell in 2004? Or where Denver picked Terrell Davis? RBs don't need to be a day one thing. If the pieces fit then great, but I personally don't see a deep enough RB class to want to take anyone on day one (1st rounders will be over priced, second rounders won't be as good as even the 3rd round guys from 2008's class). Someone like James Davis out of Clemson, if he can be had with our 3rd then sure, but otherwise we aren't too bad going forward and the 2nd rounder for defense is much more vital.

7. Keep Jeremy Bates, Bobby Turner.

Maybe the real masterminds of Denver's explosive offense are Bates, who called the plays, and Turner, the running backs coach who made Terrell Davis famous.

So maybe the lone condition for Spagnuolo or anybody else to get the job as head coach is a solemn promise to retain Bates and Turner.

Funny, not only might Spagnuolo not want to retain them, but Pioli almost definitely won't. So how much more contradiction can be worked into these "10 big moves"?

8. Make John Elway your QB tutor.

Elway can smack a golf ball and cook a mean steak, but that doesn't make him a GM. Besides, locking himself in a dark room to watch endless videotape of 21-year-old defensive tackles is no way for an NFL legend to spend the rest of his life.

But there is a job with the Broncos that cries out for Elway's expertise. As a quarterback, Jay Cutler has it all, except the demeanor for the toughest political job in Colorado. Hire Elway as an executive consultant to Bowlen, whose first task for the Duke would be to tutor Cutler.

A. he's got experience running the Crush. Should he be the head man in a NFL front office now? No, but he'd be a solid addition to the FO who long term could take a more significant position on.

And B. saying that watching video isn't the way an NFL legend should spend the rest of his life but then suggesting he take a glorified QB coach position? Yeah, thats so damn glamorous.

9. Don't lose a brick in the wall.

The Broncos' offensive line was the best since tackle Gary Zimmerman left the building. Make sure 35-year-old center Casey Wiegmann, a wise graybeard contemplating retirement, sticks around Dove Valley another year.

Um, Wiegmann has never played for the money, if he wants to retire our only recourse is to offer more of it. How often does that get the kind of results teams hope for?

We got him on contract for another year, if he wants to come back great, if not its Lichtenstieger's turn.

10. Roll back ticket prices.

There was one aspect of firing Shanahan that perhaps Bow- len could not possibly fully understand. With new Broncomaniacs standing in the unemployment line every day, it does not sit well to see a coach get paid $20 million to go away.

So give loyal Denver fans a break. Cut ticket prices by 5 percent and see how much karma it will buy the Broncos.

Why? So Denver can't sign any FAs and would need to take whatever coach will accept a low ball contract offer? Pat Bowlen isn't one of the more wealthy owners in the NFL and so he's probably not capable of losing 5% of his gate revenue and still even spend to the salary cap. So what will piss fans off more, not saving $5 on a ticket or seeing the Broncos spend only 75% of the NFL cap?

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by dragondawg

1. Hire Steve Spagnuolo as coach. I'm warming to him more every day. I still don't think he's close to the caliber of Shanahan, but he's a good defensive mind, he relates to players well, he motivates them well, they love playing for him and he appears to be a very respectable person. Among a field of alternatives that I do not like, he is the best, so long as he keeps the offensive staff and system intact.

2. Show Albert Haynesworth the money. No. This would command a King's ransom. His character arguably leads us to the conclusion that its more likely that he'll produce alot less after he gets paid. Denver has adopted a new, more disciplined approach in FA. Denver also needs to conserve a great deal of funds to keep the offensive firepower in place when their rookie contracts expire. Considering the financial aspects, Denver would get more value for the dollar going with Jerry or Raji in the draft than Haynesworth.



3. Hire Scott Pioli as general manager. There's no need for a general manager when Goodman is the de facto GM, already. I've already discussed ad nauseum the problems inherent in keeping your personnel staff and then hiring a general manager from the outside.

4. Put Champ Bailey on trade block. My position on this would depend on what compensation would be offered. Champ is about 30 and I don't believe he's the best corner in the game anymore, although he's still in the Top 5. He is still a super talent, though. If Denver could pry two first round picks, I would be in favor of it. If we could pry a first round pick and a second round pick, I would definitely think about it. Below that is a no-no.



5. Draft a Southern Cal Trojan. This is the kind of intellectual laziness that I expected from someone in the press. There's nothing inherently special about a USC Trojan as it relates to the NFL. Their first rounders recently, actually, have been very spotty, especially the more highly touted ones. There have been bright spots, such as their linemen and Keith Rivers, but certainly nothing on the whole to accord them some kind of status as sure-fire NFL talent producers. They're not Miami of 6,7 years ago. The talent doesn't translate to the NFL. They're great on Saturdays, though.

This is not to say that there aren't NFL studs on their team. The writer does mention Maualuga and Mays. Mays has great upside. I'm a little wary of Maulauga. I think Spikes is a better MLB. We'll see.




6. Get a real tailback. I agree with this COMPLETELY. I want 12 used on Moreno or Wells. We're one stud back away from a 450 point per season offense. If not, address it no later than Round 2 as the writer suggests.



7. Keep Jeremy Bates, Bobby Turner. Agreed. I'd take it further, keep Dennison. He's the unsung position coach, but he's also the position coach who did the best job this season. In many ways, his work with Harris is even more impressive than what he did with Clady considering that it appeared at several points that Harris did not belong in the NFL, period.

8. Make John Elway your QB tutor. No thanks. John Elway is a legend, but we already have a QB coach. You can't go from retired for 10 years to NFL QB coach. There's alot involved in coaching. In watching tape, in techniques, etc. We have a fine QB coach who has a great rapport with our QB.


9. Don't lose a brick in the wall. Ofcourse. This goes without saying. Casey did a tremendous job. He's still a transitional center, however and another interior lineman should be drafted so that we can prepare for a long term center, either the pick or Lichtensteiger.

10. Roll back ticket prices. I have no opinion on this. I am not a business man. I have not looked at the Broncos books. I don't know what's customary in these situations or what the economic climate for the team is like. I am just not competent to have an opinion on it.

My thoughts above in blue.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

My thoughts above in blue.

You've been doing the blue thing lately. Are you "too good" for my red?

[WolfpackGuy]

This draft should ONLY be about rebuilding the defense. I disagree with drafting a RB high because the talent is in house and losing 7 RB's in a season is an aberration. Maybe they can make a play with the Lions to trade the 12th down to their 20th (via Dallas) for their 2nd and 3rd rounders (or for their 2nd and swap spots in the 3rd) to land some DL, MLB, and S help. There are a lot of holes on that side of the ball.

[BroncoMan4ever]

a few things i am not for. we aren't going to get Pioli. we didn't give up anything for Robertson and he was our best DT this year. With our defense rebuilding we need good Corners to at least slow down the opposing offense. Maualuga is overrated(go after Spikes instead)

[BroncoMan4ever]

Originally Posted by WolfpackGuy

This draft should ONLY be about rebuilding the defense. I disagree with drafting a RB high because the talent is in house and losing 7 RB's in a season is an aberration. Maybe they can make a play with the Lions to trade the 12th down to their 20th (via Dallas) for their 2nd and 3rd rounders (or for their 2nd and swap spots in the 3rd) to land some DL, MLB, and S help. There are a lot of holes on that side of the ball.

have you watched the Broncos running game for the past few years? i am not even talking about losing 8 RB to injury this season, but we have not been dominant running the ball in years.
we can generate yards due to the system we run, but yards don't mean a damn thing if we can't put the ball in the end zone.

our YPC this year are inflated for 2 reasons, they came off of longer runs where the defense was playing the pass, and they came after a series of 1 and 2 yard or no gain runs and then a long run because the defense was playing the pass. we have no consistency in our running game, and for Jay to take the next step in becoming an elite QB he needs help in the form of a stud RB, and we don't have one in house.

[WolfpackGuy]

What I was saying was that I just don't agree they should draft a RB high. Moreno would be nice, Wells will be a bust, but there are more glaring needs on defense. Outside of TD and Mike Anderson, I can't really think of any Denver backs that have gotten it done in short yardage/goalline situations. That's more a function of having lighter lineman whose speed/agility is negated in close quarters. I agree, the consistency hasn't been there, but how can there be any when you have a different RB every week?

[baja]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

You've been doing the blue thing lately. Are you "too good" for my red?

A guy calls himself Reverend and works with the devil's color

There's a red flag.