Denver Broncos: Vaya Con Dios, Amigo

Vaya Con Dios, Amigo

The world of professional football was stunned when Pat Bowlen dismissed Mike Shanahan as head coach of the Denver Broncos. Shanahan had been head coach for the orange and blue for 14 years, the second longest tenured NFL coach after Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.

One question of whether or not the move was appropriate is surfacing all across the country. Coach Shanahan took the Broncos to two Super Bowls, winning both. He also posts one of the greatest winning percentages in head coaching history. 

However, since John Elway retired from the Broncos 10 years ago, the Broncos have only won one playoff game. Shanahan also does not have a lot of great picks when it comes to drafting players.

The team traded up to select defensive end Jarvis Moss in the 2007 NFL draft at the 17th overall spot. Moss will struggle just to keep himself on the team next year, proving to not be worth the sacrifice.

Other first-round misses include tackle George Foster, wide receivers Ashley Lelie, Marcus Nash, and Darius Watts, cornerbacks Deltha O’Neal (who thrived once traded) and Willie Middlebrooks, linebacker Terry Pierce, and defensive lineman Paul Toviessi, not to mention the controversial selection of Maurice Clarett.

For the first time since 1995, Denver is on the search for a new head coach. Likely, Shanahan’s replacement will bring a new staff with him. This is going to be crucial when it comes to the young, emerging stars of the team, like quarterback Jay Cutler, wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, and defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

Cutler has shown he can be the leader necessary to carry this team as one of the best in the industry. Dumervil, who notched 20.5 sacks in his first two years, is poised to join the NFL’s elite defensive ends with proper coaching. Marshall is making his impact on the league and has potential to get only better. Royal emerged out of nowhere this season and is one of the NFL’s hottest young stars.

Ergo, whoever gets the head-coaching job cannot disrupt what has potential to come to fruition. Cutler has built a great bond with quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who is credited with Cutler’s development. If Bates is not retained, his replacement had better be someone undeniably better for him.

The only in-house candidate for the head coaching position is Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line coach Rick Dennison. While he is a long shot to get the head coaching job, he should be retained as well. This past year’s offensive line was one of the best the Broncos had ever had. 

The team had only relinquished a mere twelve sacks on the season (one of those sacks being the controversial forward pass/fumble versus San Diego). This is extremely impressive given that there was a rookie left tackle in Ryan Clady. This was almost a brand new offensive line, seeing that the only one of the five to start last year was right guard Chris Kuper, and that was only after the team lost two starting interior linemen that year. 

Therefore, Dennison must be doing something right.

The person Bowlen selects hopefully will be a defensive minded person, as this offense is thriving right now if left alone. But the team needs work in the defensive backfield and line backing corps. 

Steve Spagnuolo looks to be the best available. Raheem Morris would not be a bad choice either, as he has been a staple in the Tampa defensive backfield.

Your move, Mr. Bowlen.