January 14, 2009 12:37 AM

Broncos Inbox, Jan. 14

Welcome, the Broncos Inbox is open and it was very close to being the second unanimous week in the Inbox's history - last week was the first. But virtually every question submitted -- and there were plenty - was about the Broncos new coach and where he goes from here.

Q: So now what? With Josh McDaniels calling the plays, have the Broncos scrapped the staple that was the West Coast offense, along with the blocking scheme that was so successful over the years under Shanahan/(Rick) Dennison and (Jeremy) Bates? ... This Bronco offense was built to be utilized with the West Coast offense and it wad ranked second (in the league) and allowed only 12 sacks. The old saying goes "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'' So defense was the problem, but it looks like this hiring by Bowlen will be changing the offense too. I don't know if I like this whole deal. What do you think?

A: Certainly the Broncos defense is what needs the most repairs at both the personnel and schematic level. However, objectively you have to pay attention to what McDaniels did as an offensive coach with New England.

In 2007 the team went 18-0 in the regular season, quarterback Tom Brady won the MVP, they set the league's single-season scoring mark, Brady set the single-season record for touchdown passes (50) and Randy Moss set the single-season record for touchdown receptions (23).

Then in 2008 Brady gets hurts in the opener and the Patriots go with Matt Cassel at quarterback, a player who started no games in his career at USC and had no regular-season starts in his NFL career to that point.

McDaniels couldn't do everything he did with Brady, so they adjusted the offense. Cassel threw for over 3,000 yards while the Patriots also finished sixth in the league in rushing and fifth overall on offense. The Patriots did that having lost running back Laurence Maroney to injury for the season as well.

That shows some versatility in both thinking and approach to deal with what you have and still be productive.

This was going to be a change, 14 years is like a millennium in pro football after all and that's how long Shanahan was in Denver as a head coach. If there wasn't going to be some departure in how they did things on the field and off the field there really wouldn't have been any reason to replace him.

So, yes things will look different at times, the way things were done last year will likely not be the way they are done this year. That's what change is.

Whether or not it's a successful change remains to be seen. But it is change to be sure and it has arrived.

Jemal in Pueblo asked . . .

Q. OK, so the head coach is in place, and I'm interested to see what happens next. What does the remaining timeline look like for Dove Valley? How long to sort out who stays and goes amongst the remaining coaching staff? When will we get an idea on which players may be cut or added, and is the switch to the 3-4 defense a foregone conclusion at this point?

A: The timeline started Tuesday when McDaniels made his first official hire - Mike Nolan will be the defensive coordinator. He is expected to add Dom Capers to the staff in some fashion as well.

And Patriots special teams coach Brad Seely is another who will likely join the staff. Of the Broncos former assistants, team officials have recommended McDaniels keep four - Dennison, quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch and running backs coach Bobby Turner.

Defensive line coach Bill Johnson had been on that list, but he already took a new job in New Orleans.

McDaniels has already met with Dennison and Turner as he decides who will stay and expects to talk to Fisch and Bates as well. Bates is out of town, but has already been given permission to speak to the Raiders.

It won't take long to sort out who stays, because McDaniels wants to have a staff in place soon and the Broncos want the guys who don't stay to have enough time to get jobs, because that eases some of the financial crunch.

The Broncos assistants all have at least one year left on their contracts - Bates had three years remaining - so the Broncos would have to pay all or part of those salaries if those coaches don't get other jobs. So, it's in their best interest, and the right thing to do, to give the guys who aren't staying the most time to find a job.

But McDaniels is trying to fill out the coaching staff first, then that staff will sit down and evaluate the players. Then they will decide what they can play on defense and what they will need to do it.

They are looking to hire coaches versed in the 3-4 so it will likely be their base defense at some point, but the decision when that will happen hasn't been made yet. Nolan has coached other schemes so it's not a requirement, but the attempt to get Capers - one of the best 3-4 minds around - shows it is the intent to play it at some point.

Dennis Smythe wondered . . .

Q: I know you speculated on the topic a little bit before Josh McDaniels was hired as the new coach, but how do you think the Broncos' players, particularly the veterans, will respond to him in his new position? I would be concerned that the veterans don't show him the same respect they would have shown an older, more veteran coach, and I would argue this is a risky hire by Pat Bowlen.

A: Most of those who believe the hire was risky echoed those sentiments, that McDaniels' age was an impediment.

I've had several long discussions about this issue with Mike Shanahan over the years since he was, at one time, the youngest head coach in the league when the Raiders hired him and has had several assistants who weren't as old as some of the players.

And what he always said was it's only an issue "if they believe you can't help them.''

That if you were prepared and knew what you were talking about, players would see that, they would improve and things would be fine. Shanahan said the trouble comes when they don't believe a young coach can help them.

Then they try to push the guy around.

Bill Cowher, who was the youngest head coach in the league when I worked in Pittsburgh for his first two seasons said this too. That a young coach has to show the players he has something to offer them and if they follow along good things will happen.

Veteran players responded to McDaniels as an assistant and he coached some high-profile guys who had been around a long time like Rodney Harrison in the secondary and Ty Law to go with Brady and Moss on offense. And he got them all to perform and trust him.

Cassel called him "one of the smartest people he's ever met.''

And basically there's two ways a head coach can command a room when the meets with the players. He can have a physical presence of some sort - fiery like Cowher with a fabled jaw, or the ultimate in professional calm and serenity in Tony Dungy - or he can make people believe he is the smartest, most prepared guy in the room.

That's what Shanahan did and that's what McDaniels will have to do too. And a new coach has an added tool, he is usually allowed to make changes and get rid of players quickly he doesn't believe are buying in.

So sometimes they make a high-profile cut pretty early just to set the tone.

AP Crisafi looked at the coaching search . . .

Q: Why didn't the Broncos even interview Rex Ryan of the Ravens and Jim Schwartz of the Titans? They have the two best defenses in the AFC, Ryan even said publicly he wanted the Denver job . . . Why not at least consider Ryan or Schwartz?

A: They liked Spagnuolo and did plenty of background with him talking to people all around the league about him.

They were given almost universally positive reports on him. The timing was just a bit off, but the time the Giants lost the Broncos had evaluated what they heard from each candidate and decided McDaniels was the target. They interviewed McDaniels a second time and were ready to keep moving ahead.

Spagnuolo would likely want to look at another job or two, including the Jets or even the Raiders possibly. McDaniels canceled a trip to see Rams officials face-to-face and instead did the interview by phone so he could have that second interview with the Broncos.

And by the end of the second interview the Broncos were fairly certain they had their guy.

As far as Schwartz and Ryan. I've known Schwartz a long time and I believe he'll be the Lions next coach.

I interviewed Ryan after the Ravens win over the Dolphins in the Wild Card round and he did say he was interested in being a head coach anywhere, including Denver, and that he could fix defenses quickly.

The Broncos had done some preliminary research on Schwartz and he was likely one of their top candidates when they put their initial list together. However, after their meetings they quickly went another direction and interviewed seven others.

At least one part of the equation could have been that Broncos assistant general manager Brian Xanders was one of the many Falcons' front-office officials the team had sit in on the interviews last year for that head coaching job - it eventually went to Mike Smith.

And Schwartz and Ryan both interviewed with the Falcons so perhaps Xanders had something from those interviews he passed along. Or perhaps the Broncos simply decided they had seven guys they liked better.

As far as what the difference between being a head coach and a coordinator is, most of it is on the organizational side of things. Most coaches, when they become head coaches, still keep themselves involved on the side the ball they came through the assistant ranks on.

Shanahan helped game-plan the offense and worked on matchups each week.

But the head coach can't sit in every position meeting because he has other things to do, so he's a little apart from the players more than an assistant coach would be.

He's also usually the guy who can cut you or get you signed so players react differently too. It's different to be the guy in charge.

You're the one who has to cut players, tell them their benched and make quick decisions on gameday about who's in and who's out. You have to manage the whole game, timeouts, clock management, etc... as well instead of just handling one position.

And you deal with the wants, needs and worries of all 53 players instead on just one small group. Pile far more responsibilities of being in the public eye and there is less time for a head coach to simply watch game video. Which is why picking a staff is so important.

The head coaches, especially the first timers, who try to fulfill all of the old favors - the old when I'm a head coach, I'll take you with me thing - usually end up firing those guys within a year or two to keep from getting fired themselves.

The guys who pick the best guys they can find whether they worked with them or not at any points do the best.

But time management a lot tougher and just getting used to the idea that everything is your responsibility to deal with.

And finally Glenn added the variety this week . . .

Q: Seeing as you are an NFL Hall of Fame voter, I was wondering; Do you see Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed as a first ballot Hall of Famer. If not, what do you feel he had to do to get to that level?

A: Having been in the room I have to honestly say unless you are a multiple Super Bowl winning quarterback, there are no slam dunks to go in on the first year of eligibility. This year is a little different with the likes of Rod Woodson on the ballot for the first time.

Woodson was named to the league's 75th anniversary team at one point in his playing career and that means the voters for that - largely the Hall's Board of Selectors these days - believe he is at that Hall of Fame level.

So it would be a stunner if he didn't go in this year with almost universal support.

As far as Reed safeties have the hardest time getting in, along with centers, so he already has that hurdle. He does have marquee interceptions which is important when they are being looked at.

But again it's difficult for safeties to get in at any point and it's real difficult for them to get in during their first year on the ballot. Interceptions and more championships would get him deeper into the discussion, however.

That's it and thanks . . .

--Jeff Legwold

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