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We are now about three months into the post-Shanahan era of the Denver Broncos. What have we learned over these first 10+ weeks?
First, we learned that while he said he wanted to take back control of his organization, owner Pat Bowlen really just wants to be the overseer, the supervisor, and that he wants those who work immediately below him to handle the day-to-day, no matter how chaotic things might get. This all seems to be about just wanting to be kept in the loop more than he was with Shanahan in charge.
We’ve learned that new coach Josh McDaniels took excellent notes while watching and listening to Bill Belichick. He’s operated thus far almost exactly like his former boss, at least publicly, which hopefully he will realize is not the right way to do things in Denver. His public comments seem scripted, his access to the local media has been almost non-existent, and his personnel moves have less emotion than a robot convention. We’ll see in September if he sports the “hoodie” look on the sidelines.
McDaniels has shown his youth with the clumsy way he’s handled the whole Jay Cutler mess. But by all accounts, he showed strong leadership abilities during his first team meetings. (You just wish he had come out during his first day on the job and said something like, “No player is untouchable. I’ve got to listen to any prospective deals in order to try to make this team the best it can be…” or something like that. Perhaps then Cutler wouldn’t have gotten his panties in a bunch.)
And we already know that McDaniels has put a lot of pressure on himself to win right away with his stand off-ish stance with the local media. Instead of reaching out to the people that cover the team, he’s put up a wall that will NOT serve him well if his teams struggle in the win column. Heck, last time I checked, the guys at CBS-4 TV who will be hosting “The Josh McDaniels Show” hadn’t even met him yet.
Over the last month or so, we’ve also learned that Jay Cutler is a prima donna, that he needs to grow up and become a leader and not a pouter. He and his agent obviously think Cutler is far, far better than he actually is at this stage in his career. We will find out over the next five weeks if he will continue to be Denver’s quarterback, and if he can learn to act like a grown up and a professional – which would include returning the boss's phone calls.
What we will come to learn about Cutler as he continues to develop as a NFL QB is that while he may reach great heights in the future, the whole notion that he is already a “franchise quarterback” is total nonsense. Those who talk about him being a “once-every-25-years” type of talent haven’t been watching much football. The fact is QB’s like Cutler come along EVERY SINGLE year,
What haven’t we learned yet? How about who Brian Xander is? He remains a virtual unknown, and this does not bode well. GM’s that stay completely in the background have not proven to be the types that build winning organizations. For example, when Dan O’Dowd first took over as General Manager of the Colorado Rockies, he was very high profile, which proved not to be the perfect approach, either. One of the local papers had a full page photo of O’Dowd sitting in the dugout at Coors Field on the cover of their season preview section. It sent the wrong message, making him a focal point instead of the manager and coaches.
Still, O’Dowd was trying to show that he was in charge – that this was his organization and he would lead the way. Was he great right away? No. In fact, he told me later that he was “in over his head” when he got the job. However, he adapted quickly, changed the emphasis from free agents and multiple trades to growing the farm system and developing his own players. His picture is no longer in the newspaper, but his fingerprints are all over the organization. The improvements were obvious when the
That brings us back to Xander. One of my pet peeves with the Denver Broncos – and this goes back to the Dan Reeves era – is the lack of a strong GM in the organization. Thus far, Xander has not shown us anything, good or bad, so we have almost nothing to go on.
Other than the fact that a strong GM would have made a big difference in the way these first three months have unfolded.
Comments
Mark, I agree with you on EVERY point (accept the one about O'Dumb) - The GM (no matter what sport)is the most important hire. That's why, I believe, Mr. Bowlen is a pretty stupid owner. AS you pointed out, he has seen this before and did not learn the lessons from it. He just counts his money.
Just for the sake of argument Mr Knudson, other than Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Ben Roethlisberger, name a quarterback in the NFL that is better than Jay Cutler.
Mr. T, your man crush on Cutler is getting old. That wasn't even the focus of this column, yet you can't get past any honest evaluation of your boy. Wish you could be objective about this for one second!
Okay, here are a half dozen NFL QB's that have produced more and are better players right now than Jay Cutler. This isn't about potential, or arm strength, or any of the things that got Jeff George into the league. This is about quality of performance.
You gave us Brady, P. Manning, Brees and Big Ben. I will add Phillip Rivers, who had a far better season - again - than Cutler and should of had the Pro Bowl slot that was given to Cutler. Kurt Warner is obviously better. At this moment, you can not objectively place Cutler ahead of Matt Hasselbeck (who's been to a Super Bowl) Kerry Collins (ditto, plus a well deserved Pro Bowl nod last year) Donovan McNabb, a proven winner, and Eli Manning, also a Super Bowl winner.
I put Cutler in the unproven group with Romo, Carson Palmer, Derek Anderson, Matt Ryan and Marc Bulger. Great talents who have not gotten it done yet. And no, I don't put Matt Cassell in this group yet either...one good year since HS doesn't mean a lot.
I just named six QB's who are better right now than Jay Cutler. You've got to get past this obsession you have with Cutler. He's NOT a franchise QB right now. There is another Jay Cutler coming in this year's draft, and next year's, and the next year's...
It was an honest question designed to spur debate yet your pasty arse has to accuse me of having a man crush on Cutler. Nice debating tactics there ya freaking douche nozzle!
Vitriolic missives aside...
Warner is great but is fortunate to have the best WR combo in football...I'll give you Warner though. Rivers?! Are you mental? His W-L record benefits greatly from a great deefense and a great running game, something Cutler has not had the luxury of since he was named a starter. And there is not more than maybe half dozen GMs who would pick Eli or Collins as being better than Cutler. From a national media, NFL player, and GM perspective, Cutler is the best young quarterback in football who you could do a heckuva lot worse to build your team around. Is Cutler a baby? Yes. Is he Jeff George incarnate? Way too early to make that kind of pronouncement. Is he one of the best QBs in football? Without a doubt, and there are far more people both in and out of football who would agree with me rather than your fanciful evaluation of Cutler barely squeaking into the upper third of NFL quarterbacks. But what do I know, I'm just a humble hockey writer. Then again, what do you know, you're a hater in washed up pinstripes who still thinks he knows football as well as he does baseball.
BTW, this whole Cutler disagreement between you & I has been fun and stoked the fire of creativity...I think a great way to generate traffic around here would be to convene a weekly debate column wherein two Examiners go head-to-head on certain, locally relevant topics. Has promise.
I'm all for debates. I like to use facts, not misguided emotional attachments.
Everyone who doesn't don predominately orange every fall Sunday (and a few of us who do) knows Rivers is a better quarterback than Cutler. His production and performance have been far superior to Crybaby Jay's. Since all the Cutler lovers are quick to point out that Denver had this great offense and sorry D, lets look at a fact or two:
In reality, Denver did not choke everything away in the last three games of last season. They weren't going to win AT Carolina or AT San Diego from the beginning. They lost the AFC West when they could not beat sorry Buffalo at home, correct? Did the defense lose that game? Hmmmm...maybe not. The powerful offense mustered all of 23 points.
Against the Bills, Cutler threw ZERO TD's and a costly pick. Denver was 2 of 6 in the red zone, and got outscored 14-3 in the decisive fourth quarter. You can ABSOLUTELY hang that loss on the magnificent Bronco Offense. They - and their incredibly inconsistent leader - gagged.
Then again, this was an offense that was 16th in the NFL is scoring. 16th! Hardly prolific. Maybe the 'O' was overhyped from the beginning. The defense was awful most of the year, obviously, but the offense - which was supposed to carry the team all along anyway, was only great between the 20's. Far from being championship stuff.
The point of these facts? Cutler is a great talent who is a long way from being a 'franchise' quarterback in terms of actual performance and production. He's all potential - just like malcontent Jeff George was. (I have a friend who played in the NFL back then, and he says that comparision is very accurate.) Culter is very replaceable.
As someone who's been on a professional sports team, I can promise you attitude is everything (just take a glance at the Nuggets). Cutler is giving his teammates (along with management) the finger right now. If he doesn't want to be here, send him packing to Detroit, because if he comes back and does not buy in, he's gonna SUCK and so is the team. I'd rather start over - this will be a full fledged rebuilding year anyway - with Matthew Stafford, every bit the potential "franchise" QB that Crybaby Jay is. Can't get Stafford? Denver can go 6-10 with Simms (or Cutler) this year, and there will be another potential 'franchise' QB in the next draft like there is every single year...and they've all played in just as many NFL play-off games as our crybaby has.
Quick arithmatic lesson to demonstrate how good Cutler really is...
Since he assumed the starting role, he is 3rd in the league in passing yards, 6th in yards per attempt, seventh in TD passes. Last year he put up 4500 yards, 25 TD passes, was statistically the second best 4th quarter QB, and made the Pro Bowl...all at the age of 25. Plus he was well liked by his teammates, was until now a model citizen, and was their most valuable player. And yes, I will contend the Broncos lost three in a row down the stretch because their defense folded like a cheap napkin. The Broncos' red zone failings were more a function of Shanahan's horrible play calling than Cutler's play. The O was 16th in scoring and 3rd in yards from scrimmage...the mid level scoring output is the albatross known as Mike Shanahan, not Cutler. For these reasons Cutler is demonstrably superior to every quarterback not named Brady, P. Manning, Roethlisberger, and Brees.
By any measure, Cutler is a stud. There are ten teams frothing at the mouth trying to acquire the guy. If Cutler gets shipped to an AFC oponent he will haunt the Broncos like Shanahan used to haunt the Raiders. McDaniels has succeeded in retarding the rebuilding process here in Denver by at least three years, maybe more. The next twwo seasons are a wash even if the Broncos get Brady Quinn or Jason Campbell in return, or some marginal starter who will man the fort while Matthew Stafford molds into a starter, which is by no means guarenteed. Thanx Josh, ya meathead!
Thompson, Get over the man crush already! He's leaving on a Jet Plane...stop sobbing. It's over!!! Grab your kleenex.
I don't disagree with you about the Broncos front office/coach. No one has handled this well. But Cutler and is a-hole agent have f-ed this up...a lot. You can't argue that point. Cutler is an immature punk.
A stud? Maybe physically. But so was Jeff George. Cutler's mechanics are bad (I know my stuff here. Wait and see what happens the first time he gets any sort of arm injury...he's screwed) and his body language could not be worse. He's a whiner, not a winner, period. Never has been. Never played in a big game in college, never won a big game here. Rip on Jake Plummer all you want for his physical shortcomings, but the guy won football games with a defense that wasn't any better than this one. It's not about the stat sheet, it's about the scoreboard.
How many times did Cutler put the sorry D in a bad spot with his careless INT's? 18 picks and 25 TD's is a very poor ratio. I'm sure the picks were someone else's fault though, right? How about the fumble that wasn't against SD? No blame there, right? 17-20 should actually be 16-21. Those last three games really shouldn't have mattered anyway, but Cutler and the offense choked away the season against Buffalo. A good team would have hung 50 on the sorry Bills in an important game at home. It should never have been close. AFC West title, bad D and all.
You can arrange the yardage stats to look very pretty, and then put the blame on the former coach for the red zone failings, but the bottom line is if you want to pile the credit on the QB for what the offense did well (between the 20's) he has to take the blame for the failings, too. Despite your man crush, he aint perfect.
Jay Cutler is a loser. Good ridance. Next we find out it Xander has a clue (we have no idea right now) and if McDaniel will ever give up on the Hoodie Jr. schtick. It's wearing thin already. Can he coach? We have no idea. But he's put a lot of pressure on himself already, that's for sure.
Finally, if you recall, every time Jeff George was let go, there was always some team(s) "frothing at the mouth" to sign him, too. Whoever banks on Cutler will be badly disappointed...but who cares as long as we get something good in return? WE can draft another Combine Stud in next year's draft, or the next or the next. Guys like Cutler come along every single year. With him or Chris Simms or Matthew Stafford, it won't matter this year anyway. It's a rebuilding year any way you look at it. 5-11 and probably last in the AFC West.
One more quick thing, Mr. T...you need to get out more if you think Cutler is a "model citizen." There are stories from very good sources circulating around town that aren't very favorable. He aint no model citizen, trust me.
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