Not exactly how McDaniels envisioned things back in January but it is, as they say, what it is. So after trading Jay Cutler to the Bears for a couple first-rounders and Kyle Orton, and then signing free agent Chris Simms to compete for the job, McDaniels used organized team activities to settle on a starter.
A fresh-faced Bill Belichick protégé, McDaniels had coordinated up the most explosive offense in NFL history: the 2007 New England Patriots. As often happens when coaches relocate, McDaniels wanted to bring in his "his" players to run "his" system. Hours into free agency, the Broncos inked former Pats wideout Jabar Gaffney. And then, after Denver tried to acquire Matt Cassel, incumbent Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutlerdemanded a trade, things got messy, and, ultimately, the Broncos ended up with a couple first-round picks, Kyle Orton and a lot of questions.
I don't know about you, but when one of my bosses urgently needs me, he either calls or yanks me by the earlobe into his office. We're still waiting for Pat Bowlen to have such contact with Jay Cutler, which shocks me. For a quarter-century, Bowlen has been among the dynamic owners in American sports, a primary reason why the Denver Broncos have been an elite NFL franchise.
Jay Cutler is out in Denver. There are no if's, and's, etc., about that. The only debate is where he'll end up, and frankly, it's a pretty intriguing debate.
Word on the street is that the Redskins are, right now, the "leading candidate" to land Cutler in a trade with the Broncos. Of course, they won't be the only team attempting to make a play for the young gunslinger. The Lions, Buccaneers and Jets are also directly in the picture for the Broncos. But the Redskins, despite what many fans will say, are a very nice fit for Cutler. Kind of.
The Broncos went through a decade's worth of running backs last season, and maybe that's why they're overcompensating for it during the first week of free agency. Denver has signed 10 players since last Friday, including running backs Correll Buckhalter, JJ Arrington (even if temporarily), and nowLaMont Jordan. If nothing else, there will be no need to summon Tatum Bell from the Cellphone Hut.
Despite not being a great real football team in 2008, we always knew one thing about the Denver Broncos: They really matter in fantasy football. You're talking about a team who amassed the second most yards in the league. Only two teams passed for more yards, and -- despite the neverending assembly line of running backs -- they managed to average 4.8 yards per carry on the ground.
Heading into 2009, the team will have a different look. For of all, for the first time since I began playing fantasy football, their head coach will not be notorious alleged fantasy-hater, Mike Shanahan.
It happens every offseason. A team hires a new head coach, and he ends up remaking the roster in the image of his former team often with many of the same players. For Josh McDaniels, the guy tapped to replace Mike Shanahan in Denver, it's no different; the former Patriots offensive coordinator wasted little time in recruiting a couple former New England players.
On the first day of free agency, the Broncos signed former Patriots wideout Jabar Gaffney a four-year, $10 million deal ($3 million guaranteed). His role in Denver should be similar to that in New England: a third or fourth wide receiver who creates matchup problems for opposing defenses. Brandon Marshall's still the go-to guy and Eddie Royal proved he's a worthy No. 2 receiver. Gaffney and Brandon Stokely will see the field in multiple-wide receiver sets.
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.
It's a brave new world in Denver, where the Broncos will take the field without Mike Shanahan on the sideline for the first time since 1995. Josh McDaniels, their new coach, was 19 back then, and has one of the shortest resumes of any head coach in NFL history. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it was clear that Shanahan's system was no longer bearing fruit and the team may benefit just from the change of voice on the sideline.
But you can't keep Mort down for long. Today one of his sources (hopefully not the same one who fed him the Shanahan-to-the-Chiefs scoop) spills the beans on Kerry Collins' future: Titans head coach Jeff Fisher wants Collins back as the team's starting quarterback in 2009.
It's been 10 days since the last update on Brandon Marshall, the latest disgruntled Denver Broncos star looking to get dealt. Earlier this month, the organization was allegedly for a trade before they were against. 
Josh McDaniels replaced Mike Shanahan six months ago. He's yet to coach a real live game but he's somehow managed to lose his Pro Bowl quarterback, and depending on how the next few weeks unfold, he could have his hands full with one of the league's best young wide receivers, too. 
It's been more than four months since Pat Bowlen fired close friend Mike Shanahan. The subsequent search to replace the man who gave Denver 14 years and two Super Bowls was, at times, bumpy. It got bumpier after Bowlen settled on 32-year-old Josh McDaniels. 
I don't know about you, but when one of my bosses urgently needs me, he either calls or yanks me by the earlobe into his office. We're still waiting for Pat Bowlen to have such contact with Jay Cutler, which shocks me. For a quarter-century, Bowlen has been among the dynamic owners in American sports, a primary reason why the Denver Broncos have been an elite NFL franchise.
Jay Cutler is out in Denver. There are no if's, and's, etc., about that. The only debate is where he'll end up, and frankly, it's a pretty intriguing debate.
Despite not being a great real football team in 2008, we always knew one thing about the Denver Broncos: They really matter in fantasy football. You're talking about a team who amassed the second most yards in the league. Only two teams passed for more yards, and -- despite the neverending assembly line of running backs -- they managed to average 4.8 yards per carry on the ground. 
It happens every offseason. A team hires a new head coach, and he ends up remaking the roster in the image of his former team often with many of the same players. For Josh McDaniels, the guy tapped to replace Mike Shanahan in Denver, it's no different; the former Patriots offensive coordinator wasted little time in recruiting a couple former New England players. 
Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen might not always get the facts right, but he is persistent. After reporting that the Chiefs were in talks with Mike Shanahan about the head coaching vacancy, Mortensen later backed off the story after NFL Network's Adam Schefter kindly set him straight. 
