Broncos owner Pat Bowlen talked about the troubled first season of Coach Josh McDaniels and how the team that started 6-0 before finishing 8-8 and failing to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
In a Saturday interview with The Denver Post's Mike Klis, Bowlen addressed many issues involving his team.
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On wide receiver Brandon Marshall and his ongoing problems with McDaniels:
Bowlen wants Marshall to return for a fifth season in 2010, but said: "I think Brandon is going through a maturing process. Personally, I saw change in his personality and approach to things (this past season). He didn't have the same sort of attitude and anxiety that he's had. I personally would like to see him stay. And there's still a good possibility that could happen."On McDaniels' decision to bench Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler for the season finale, a 44-24 loss at home against the Kansas City Chiefs:
"If I learned anything, (it) is these kinds of things are learning experiences, especially for a brand new, 33-year-old coach, who obviously has all the pedigree but has never before had the job And now he's faced with the job. And so I think from my standpoint, he did a very good job handling that."
Bowlen wants his quarterback, Kyle Orton, to return in 2010, but also wants McDaniels to take advantage of drafting a quarterback if one is available:
"I want Kyle back. Orton is a good quarterback. I'd also like to think we might have the opportunity to draft a young quarterback, not necessarily to come in and play right away, but if you have the opportunity to draft somebody, that would be a plus for us."
On McDaniels' run-is with his players and assistants, specifically those that led to the trade of quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears, the benching of Marshall and Scheffler and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's exit to the Miami Dolphins after turning around Denver's defense.
"I wasn't particularly upset or in angst about the way he handled it. He wants to establish his own discipline and his own personality as far as the way he wants to run his club. And I think, as time goes, that will mellow out a little bit. But I think he was trying to make a point or let people know that he wasn't going to be a pushover. And I think a lot of that comes from his age. The fact is he's young, he has to assert that kind of authority. And I agree with him, because he has to gain the respect of the players.
On if he had any frustration missing the playoffs again and finishing .500 despite a 6-0 start:
"I'm certainly not disappointed. We would have liked to have won a couple more games and made it to the playoffs, but we didn't. We were 8-8 essentially for the fourth year in a row, but he's got his stamp on the team. I think at this point going forward, players and staff are going to know what to expect."
Asked about reports that he was out of touch with his team and then told he seemed pretty clear about his team's problems at the end of the interview with Klis, Bowlen noted: "Are you sure? Something must be wrong. No, I'm very comfortable with what I have regarding our team. You might come back to me nine months from now and ask, 'Are you still comfortable?' But I'm not uncomfortable with what I see as far as the Broncos are concerned."
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