Reading the Gamble in the Mile High Tea Leaves

There was a signal from the teapot that the water was boiling over, hitting the stove on a snowy day in Denver with a hiss and a stinging fizz on the burner.

The tea came in an open container where it was then placed inside a nice ceramic strainer.  Then, hot water was poured over the dried minced tea leaves.  Most stayed in the filter, some, however, drifted out, fluttering down to the bottom of the cup where they stayed until drink was nearly consumed.

There was some liquid remaining in the bottom, just enough to swirl the once dry leaves.

Some believe if you study the positioning of the tea leaves, at the bottom of a mug, you can see or interpret the future.  

It’s sort of a Harry Potter ends to the means of clairvoyance.

It’s sort of creepy, seemingly somehow, it fits the actions of some recent events.

Last week the Denver Broncos front office made a move that it may or may not regret in trading star quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.  This is all due to a few strained relationships. The following are some tea leaves found at the bottom of the cup, starring into the future and looking for answers in real time.

Jay Cutler vs. Josh McDaniels: A Requiem

The situation in Denver started when Josh McDaniels was trying to get his pupil from last season, in New England, and, subsequently, trade Jay Cutler.  From that point, the young coach severed his relationship with Jay Cutler.

John Elway made statements to the fact that it was “unfortunate” and “sad” that neither Josh nor Jay could take the higher road and work things out.

It was a sad day indeed. It’s like seeing a position on the football roster die a death that was entirely preventable.  It also appears to be taking some of this team’s possibility along with it.

To solidify the dying season, owner Mr. Bowlen endorsed his new coach Josh McDaniels and issued reaffirming statements.  What was not anticipated was the late action by Mr. Bowlen that stated that the Broncos would be trading Jay Cutler.

The sad part is that there wasn’t more patience executed on the Broncos part.  At the very least, they should have waited until the upcoming mandatory mini-camps.  Jay Cutler stated that he would attend any and all mandatory camps.  The Broncos still had time, they could have waited, they chose not to, and that’s the tragedy.

Jay Cutler did disrespect the owner and the organization, however Jay did not start this chain of events.  The Broncos front office has still not owned up to any of their mistakes relating to this situation.  In fact the Broncos front office acted as if it won after the trade of Jay Cutler.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is a sad song in the wake of this loss.

The Player and the Coach

Neither the player nor the coach appeared to be the better from the fallout of this situation.  Jay Cutler looked a little stunned that the Broncos actually chose to trade him.  He was, however, happy and grateful to have landed with his favorite team growing up in Indiana.  He also wanted Mr. Bowlen and the Denver Broncos fans to know he did appreciate the support over the course of his young career.

The greatest difference, in the mug, was the blend that was shown at Friday's press conferences. 

Jay Cutler chose not to address any specifics about the fallout, taking the high road. 

Josh McDaniels, however, clearly assigned blame to Jay Cutler and his agent Bus Cook for the unfortunate turn of events.

It seems all Jay and his agent wanted was a little respect and some assurance that he would be the guy going into training camp.  Moreover, the fairness and the lack of respect, Josh McDaniels failed to show Jay, oozed out of his mouth in every press conference and interview he has had since the fallout began.  Josh McDaniels, the Broncos rookie head coach, has insisted on calling Jay Cutler “the player”, refusing to use his name. 

The tea leaves indicate that this is not only a sign of disrespect, but a sign of overbearing power springing out of a deeper insecurity.  The seed to read here has possibly developed out of a fear of losing control in the middle of a chaotic situation.

Jay Cutler was not endorsed 100% by the leaders in the Broncos front office nor in the locker-room; however, his career will, in all likelihood, outlast many of the other guys he has played with for last few seasons.  If all goes well, he should still be a quarterback for the next ten seasons or more in Chicago.

Before that time frame is up, Josh McDaniels may no longer be a head coach, which is why it is a little baffling to see Mr. Bowlen wait too long to get involved then be all too eager to trade his franchise quarterback.

Neither Josh nor Mr. Bowlen made an effort to see Jay Cutler, entirely expecting him to make it back to the Broncos facility without an apology or clear communication.

The indicator here is that there was clearly not enough patience by Josh or Mr. Bowlen.  Moreover, in wanting to show his power, he may have sent it in the wrong direction.  It’s possible this whole thing could have worked itself out with more pressure from Mr. Bowlen to force both his coach and his quarterback to work it out—that never surfaced.

Moreover when coach McDaniels says he exhausted every possible avenue, don't buy the hype, he didn't.  If he had given Jay the reassurances that he needed, this isn't even an article to be read.  Josh has been incredibly two faced and disrespectful about this whole transition, it is disturbing to see him act as if he knows something better than everyone else.

So for now, the fans have draft picks and an eyesore from this offseason to look at between the coach and the player.

Building On a New Hope

Right now it’s all too easy to be critical of Josh McDaniels with the way he has criticized Jay Cutler and his short fuse when working things out.  Given the past, it’s still important to give credit where credit is due.

Josh has landed some premium veteran talent to shore up the defensive backfield.  He also maintains the New England way which is all about a balanced team.  While he has been hypocritical in his approach, the intent targets a solid team environment. 

Josh McDaniels is also now officially coaching for his coaching future as well as for the future success of the Denver Broncos.  So, it’s fair to say that the young coach took a gamble, a major gamble in the eyes of some.  Should it payoff, he will be around for awhile in the Mile High City, if not he will be yesterdays news sooner than later. 

You can’t blame the fanbase for doubting Josh.  He made such a radical move in trading a franchise quarterback like Jay Cutler.  Unfortunately the Broncos have literally mortgaged the future of the franchise.  The street value of the franchise along with the “street cred," by their recent internal turmoil, has taken a serious hit.

What the Broncos want the fans to know is that they acquired two first-round draft picks and a second rounder for Jay Cutler.

What they didn’t want the fans to know, right away, was that they also are sending Chicago a fifth round pick with Jay Cutler.

Nonetheless, the Denver Broncos are set to make some impact with the NFL draft this offseason.

The QB Situation

In getting Kyle Orton, the Broncos have a young veteran, who can lead as a serviceable stopgap QB.  However, he comes with limitations similar to Brian Griese.  Orton has been highly praised by McDaniels, however, in a guise to lead some to believe the coach is in the right.  

The Broncos have also held two quarterback press conferences today, one with Orton and the other with Chris Simms out in Dove Valley, furthering the chaotic swirl at the Broncos facility.  As if that wasn’t enough, you have a righty versus a southpaw, ask the team how that one will go over.

Certainly, this advances Coach McDaniels agenda on having open competition at every position.  This, however, endorses the idea that the Broncos are in trouble if this draft does not pan out.

To think that they can just replace Jay Cutler is not really what the Broncos are thinking, though some fans might.  Realistically, the Broncos are seeking a stopgap to help until they know they have another franchise quarterback.

Names like Mark Sanchez of USC have surfaced as possible first round suitors for the Broncos.  The only problem is that the Broncos desperately have needs on the defensive side and Sanchez may be gone before the Broncos act at number twelve.  A number of this years forcasted first rounders have also shown signs of deeper character flaws that may surpass their talent.

Additionally, the team has made little attempt to find any other solid veteran help at the quarterback position— such as Jeff Garcia and the like.  Garcia was just signed by the Oakland Raiders, later today, to backup Jamarcus Russell.

One thing remains, the Denver Broncos have a serious quarterback deficit to makeup.  They are now into bailout territory with how far down they now are as a team with no Federal assistance in sight. 

The Draft

The Denver Broncos now have the number twelve and eighteen picks overall in this year's draft, along with a number two, two threes, with ten draft selections in all, as it shapes up.  

Here is the listing of picks for the Broncos, as it currently stands, for the draft later this month: one (#12), one (#18), two, three, three, four, five, six, seven, and seven.  The team may choose to exchange one or both of their top choices and trade down to add some depth to the roster.

The Team

The irony here is that the Broncos front office has always said it’s about the team.  Mr. Bowlen sent season ticket holders a letter indicating as much, saying it’s about team and not any one player. 

The chronicled issue here is that the team at the top failed to meet the team player on the same page through a lack of effort to clear up the matter.  

At most, someone from the front office should have gone to meet Jay somewhere at any cost.  That never occurred.  At the very least, they should have waited for the mandatory camps to come around and wait to work things out then.  That never occurred.

So the Broncos front office has trouble on its hands in setting a double standard in Dove Valley. 

Now, it’s about “the team”, as far as the front office is concerned.  They are the leaders and have clearly indicated to the coaches and the players that they have a much higher standard than the rookie head coach and the owner.

This is a dangerous precedent to set and hard to overcome on any sports team or inside any business organization.  It’s just not a very responsible place to position the franchise for the future.

Think of it this way.  The team, coaches and players alike, know that there is no loyalty on this team or in this organization.  This makes it a less attractive destiny for any of the top free agents.

If Brian Dawkins could speak the truth in love now, he’d be back in "The City of Brotherly Love," having seen the lack of love in Denver.  The burden of greater team leadership has fallen on Dawkins and Champ Bailey.  How they respond will very well prove the character of the team's defense.

The Future Outlook

It’s hard to believe that the Broncos are going to be better without Jay Cutler on the roster.  That is part of the fog in the mirrors around Dove Valley.  This team must connect not only on their draft choices but also on how they handle the quarterback position moving forward.

Late today, with a plethora of running back talent on the roster, there is a rumor going around that the Broncos are interested in Georgia standout Knowshon Moreno. 

This could be a very strong indicator that they are going to place more emphasis on the run game than originally planned when Jay Cutler was on the roster.  Without a doubt, he’s a talent the Broncos could use in the future, but is he the right draft choice with a team so small up front on the defensive side of the ball?

The Broncos also have to solidify the center position on offense, since they have failed to keep Casey Weigmann happy to this point by not renegotiating his contract.  He could still choose to retire.

On the defensive side of the ball, they need a nose tackle the size of Red Rocks to ensure some run stoppage, if they are in the 3-4 defense this year. 

The defensive backfield is relatively solid at this point, though they need depth there.   The linebacker situation is going to be an interesting competition for playing time and roster spots.

So, it does all boil down to how well the Broncos use their draft picks and how they develop the quarterback position.

Most immediately, this team does not appear to be a playoff team.

Keep in mind Champ Bailey is in his 11^th season, and newly signed Brian Dawkins is in his 14^th, meaning their time left in the league is getting shorter, and they both want a ring.

That adds to the complication of rebuilding, when you have two veterans who would be better suited on a real contender. 

If the Broncos don’t contend sooner than later, Josh McDaniels will be shown the door and Mr. Bowlen will not be happy about that result.

At least that is what the tea leaves tell us.