Denver Broncos' New Coach, Clancy Barone, Comes From a Likely Source

The Denver Broncos rounded out their core coaching staff this week with the hiring of a tight ends coach to work with the new receivers coach Adam Gase. The new coach is Clancy Barone and he is a former San Diego Chargers assistant. 

Barone has had great success working with tight ends. He has five years of NFL experience and four years coaching this position.

In each of his four years, one of his players has lead their team in receptions, and he has had four Pro Bowl selections and one all-pro team selection.

From 2005-2006, he worked with Alge Crumpler of the Atlanta Falcons. In 2007 and 2008, he coached one of the best TEs in the league—Antonio Gates. Gates totaled 135 catches for 1,688 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The Chargers' and Broncos' tight ends are very similar. The Broncos have a receiving weapon and rising star in Tony Scheffler and a blocker in Daniel Graham. The Chargers have Gates and Brandon Manumaleuna as the blocker.

Look for Barone to develop Scheffler into a Pro Bowl tight end who has good blocking skills as well as improved receiving skills. Scheffler totaled 40 receptions for 645 yards and three touchdowns in '08, and Graham had 32 catches for 389 yards and four TDs.

Nate Jackson is another option that Barone could work in to some double tight end sets. Jackson made some great catches for the Broncos before being placed on IR in 2008.

Aside from the fact that Barone and the other former Charger, now Bronco, coach Wayne Nunnely have reputations as two of the best at their jobs, make no mistake as to what McDaniels and the Broncos' front office are doing here.

The Chargers have had success against the Broncos in the past few years and the Broncos recognize that. Norv Turner's coaching staff was already under scrutiny, and McDaniels was able to lure two of their top assistants to Denver. The Chargers now are without coaches for their defensive line and tight ends.

If you need a good coach, why not steal that good coach from your division rival? It makes perfect sense.

The Broncos' group is dynamic and young. They all have something to prove (except maybe Bobby Turner), and they all want a Super Bowl win as much as the players, ownership, and fans.

This will be a staff that motivates Denver's young roster and will hopefully coach the team to their third NFL title.

For more information and analysis regarding the Denver coaching staff, see Sayre Bedinger's article: "A Mile High Change: An In-Depth Look at Josh McDaniels' Rebuilt Coaching Staff."