broncos67 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 5 minutes ago, jolly red giant said: I mention this a few days ago and nobody commented - either because it got swallowed in the discussion or people thought it too stupid an idea to comment on. But I am going to put it out again - Is Jim Caldwell a possibility? - previous experience as HC - got to the SB with the Manning Colts - was OC with the Revns when they won the SB with Flacco - and is the only HC of the Lions with a winning record in the last 40 years. The fact that Manning could be part of the new ownership group might help him. The big downside is his age - but he would definitely be a CEO type of HC and the word is that he is interested in getting back into the game. There's zero chance we hire him. I would eat my hat if we did. The Broncos need an exciting hire, or a hire they can sell to a fanbase that isn't coming to games in person. Especially with a new owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) 29 minutes ago, jolly red giant said: I mention this a few days ago and nobody commented - either because it got swallowed in the discussion or people thought it too stupid an idea to comment on. But I am going to put it out again - Is Jim Caldwell a possibility? - previous experience as HC - got to the SB with the Manning Colts - was OC with the Revns when they won the SB with Flacco - and is the only HC of the Lions with a winning record in the last 40 years. The fact that Manning could be part of the new ownership group might help him. The big downside is his age - but he would definitely be a CEO type of HC and the word is that he is interested in getting back into the game. 23 minutes ago, broncos67 said: There's zero chance we hire him. I would eat my hat if we did. The Broncos need an exciting hire, or a hire they can sell to a fanbase that isn't coming to games in person. Especially with a new owner. Caldwell gives off the "rebuilding org that needs stability" type vibe. We were at that stage with Fangio. He's not exciting or flashy, but there's likely a market with a total rebuilder. It's just that doesn't really fit where we're at now. The 2 things that really detract from him - he's never been great at developing a good run game when he's been in charge of the O, and overall, he's a very passive OC (Peyton ran the O when he was in Indy, talking about his DET days). DET ranked 19th, 15th, 15th & 12th in his coaching tenure - and frankly, it was more a reflection of Matthew Stafford leading a ton of comebacks, than Caldwell elevating the O. It's why there's so little enthusiasm when his name gets brought up. Who we hire as HC is likely very much linked to what kind of change we want to make at QB and O philosophy team-wise. Dan Quinn would signal a strong push for Russell Wilson, while the OC hire there would be the key to what type of O change we're making. Nathaniel Hackett would mean WCO that's very A-Rod friendly (and obv sends vibes he's headed our way). Going after a newer O-first mind as HC would also signal a change in whatever direction that hire excels in, and might be the route if young Rd1 rookie was the thought Paton had (although the same could be said for Quinn/aggressive OC or Hackett, just there are obvious links to Wilson & A-Rod with either hire). Quinn's ability to use an attacking style D is probably what separates him from most D-based HC hires. If he can bring in an OC with a similar mentality (and show he's addressed game management), then I'm all for that. Whoever we hire as HC, as long as they can be aggressive in mindset, be strong communicators, and understand the game management part, I'm on board with - if O isn't their calling, then their OC choice is also crucial, but first & foremost being aggressive, bold (and able to communicate to get total team buy-in) matters more. Brandon Staley shows it doesn't have to be an O-first guy (but having the right OC is crucial if you're going there). I'd be thrilled to have a Staley V2. Dan Quinn's only major flag to me from his ATL days was his game management - I'd really want to know he's addressed that, but that's not something we'll know as a fanbase. What encourages me about Quinn is his mindset is bold and aggressive, and that his former players speak so highly on his communication abilities, and how much they love playing in his scheme - attack, attack, attack. That's a mindset I want on both sides of the ball. If we don't go Quinn/Hackett, I get the unease ppl have with candidates with no prior HC experience - but I'm not going to pidgeonhole our choices. If we go with O-minded guy, there, I'd like to see success that's more than just 1 year, preferably 3+ years (because then it shows a likely ability to adapt and change, 1 great idea seldom lasts for more than 2 seasons in the NFL, if that); and I'd want to see a ton of intangibles shine through in the interview/player opinions (Staley's ability to communicate and team-build is just phenomenal, and shines through in interviews). More than just being successful, I'd like to see the same focus on being aggressive - the only way you're competing with Herbert & co / Mahomes & co is not by being safe. Obviously it begins & ends with our QB solution, but adding Wilson / A-Rod only works if we let both cook. That's why an aggressive mindset is most important with whatever HC we go with. Edited January 4, 2022 by Broncofan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBruin Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 7 hours ago, jsthomp2007 said: ORRR...you retain Vic and hire an "Assistant" HC to handle the in game management, which means they'd be the HC. Vic can keep his HC title while he can focus solely on coordinating the defense. Meh. Just get a real head coach and fire Vic. Catering to Vic’s incompetence as a leader just because he’s a good defensive coach makes no sense to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncos67 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Just now, BroncoBruin said: Meh. Just get a real head coach and fire Vic. Catering to Vic’s incompetence as a leader just because he’s a good defensive coach makes no sense to me. I agree. It's not like we're winning anyway. For as good as his defenses are, we're still unable to get over the hump. I would take a top 12 defense with a coach that can put the pieces of the offense together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBruin Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 1 minute ago, broncos67 said: I agree. It's not like we're winning anyway. For as good as his defenses are, we're still unable to get over the hump. I would take a top 12 defense with a coach that can put the pieces of the offense together. And really, the defensive numbers this year are a little misleading because the offense is playing ball control football and not turning it over much, so opposing offenses have had limited opportunities compared to past years. This is by no means a dominant group and they’ve mostly failed to get the timely 4th quarter stop in big games. Overall, Fangio’s work on defense just doesn’t measure up to his failure to improve as a head coach and leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsthomp2007 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Give me Dennis Allen and someone from the McVay tree on the OC side. I'd keep Azzani, Shula, Much, and Kolar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBruin Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 8 minutes ago, jsthomp2007 said: Give me Dennis Allen and someone from the McVay tree on the OC side. I'd keep Azzani, Shula, Much, and Kolar. I think the odds are pretty good we’ll be moving back to the Shanahan WCO again. So I’d expect to see someone like Mike McDaniel, Alex Van Pelt or Klint Kubiak brought in. I’m warming to the idea of Dan Quinn as the CEO/player motivator type with someone else (maybe George Edwards) calling the defense. I like that Quinn has embraced changes to that defensive scheme so it isn’t just the predictable Cover 3 looks anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul-mac Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 My interview list: Dennis Allen Dan Quinn Kellen Moore Nathaniel Hackett Shane Day (Chargers QB coach - more interested in him for OC) Byron Leftwich/Eric Bieniemy (Rooney rule) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, broncos67 said: I agree. It's not like we're winning anyway. For as good as his defenses are, we're still unable to get over the hump. I would take a top 12 defense with a coach that can put the pieces of the offense together. 2 hours ago, BroncoBruin said: And really, the defensive numbers this year are a little misleading because the offense is playing ball control football and not turning it over much, so opposing offenses have had limited opportunities compared to past years. This is by no means a dominant group and they’ve mostly failed to get the timely 4th quarter stop in big games. Overall, Fangio’s work on defense just doesn’t measure up to his failure to improve as a head coach and leader. 2 hours ago, jsthomp2007 said: Give me Dennis Allen and someone from the McVay tree on the OC side. I'd keep Azzani, Shula, Much, and Kolar. 2 hours ago, BroncoBruin said: I think the odds are pretty good we’ll be moving back to the Shanahan WCO again. So I’d expect to see someone like Mike McDaniel, Alex Van Pelt or Klint Kubiak brought in. I’m warming to the idea of Dan Quinn as the CEO/player motivator type with someone else (maybe George Edwards) calling the defense. I like that Quinn has embraced changes to that defensive scheme so it isn’t just the predictable Cover 3 looks anymore. To expand on the Dan Quinn as HC, it can't be understated how different of an approach he brought to DAL. They were a bend-but-don't break, keep-the-ball-in-front-of-you-D. Yes, they added Parsons. But in reality, they changed the approach, to an attacking, force-negative-plays D. Those plays (negative yardage / stuffed runs, pressures that force incompletions, pass break-ups and of course, TO's) - are drive-ending plays. If that sounds familiar, it should - it's what Tampa Bay had to their SB run (yes they were vulnerable at times, but the impact plays more than made up for it). And it's what SEA's Legion of Boom D that Quinn orchestrated was famous for as well. There's actually a metric that quantifies this more than just the eye test - and it confirms what DAL fans have been seeing: It's also no coincidence that 8/10 of the top D's are playoff bound, and MIA-LV were contenders right up to this week. It's also no coincidence that only 1 D is on a playoff contender (LAC). I'm not disparaging Fangio by any means, but the idea that we can't replace Fangio, is a fallacy. Is it easy? Nope. But is it possible? Absolutely. And if we pair Quinn with a progressive Shanahan-tree OC (like Klint Kubiak or McDaniel), then it's a no-brainer. Add in that we can get an inside connection on Russell Wilson, sign me up. The last part - Quinn's players from SEA/ATL all talk about his ability to teach, to communicate, and his focus on being aggressive. That's a winner mentality you want - not the "play it safe / don't lose" mentality we saw far too often with Fangio/Shurmur. I still want to see his game management improve, but unlike Fangio, Quinn's quite self-aware (that's what 28-3 will do lol). I say the above as someone who was pretty lukewarm on the Quinn idea at first, but a deeper dive really has me intrigued, especially if you pair it with Kubiak/McDaniel, and bring Russell Wilson in the fold (I'd obviously love A-Rod, but I think we have to really acknowledge what's happening in GB makes it at least 50-50 that he stays, if not higher, as @paul-mac mentioned, and @CWood21 confirmed seems to be the sentiment in GB). Edited January 4, 2022 by Broncofan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) Since Nagy’s name got brought up: Low bar but Paton passes this test lol. This is as close to Allbright leaking the decision lean as we’ll likely get. Edited January 4, 2022 by Broncofan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncoBruin Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 I dunno, that reads more like his opinion rather than any info. He’s said all week that this is still up in the air. Concerning that it’s even a tough decision at this juncture. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 2 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said: I dunno, that reads more like his opinion rather than any info. He’s said all week that this is still up in the air. Concerning that it’s even a tough decision at this juncture. Fair - but he’s so plugged in. Guess we’ll find out in 6 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncosfan_101 Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 With rumours of Jim Harbaugh potentially coming back to the NFL, what are our thoughts there? I can’t imagine Ellis saddling the new owner with what would surely be a $50+M coaching contract, and if I had to guess, they like Paton enough to keep him as the head honcho in football ops without giving him a massive ego like Harbaugh’s to deal with. But he is a helluva coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncofan Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, broncosfan_101 said: With rumours of Jim Harbaugh potentially coming back to the NFL, what are our thoughts there? I can’t imagine Ellis saddling the new owner with what would surely be a $50+M coaching contract, and if I had to guess, they like Paton enough to keep him as the head honcho in football ops without giving him a massive ego like Harbaugh’s to deal with. But he is a helluva coach. Fwiw Allbright said he didn’t think we were in on Harbaugh. He says LV & Chicago. Edited January 5, 2022 by Broncofan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncosfan_101 Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 The marriage of a Michigan coach and an Ohio State QB in Illinois would be wonderful talk show fodder for weeks. Haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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