November 29, 2006 12:01 AM

Folks want to know . . . what now? And why now?

Anthony Barnett leads off a triple-digit cast wondering about the Jay Cutler-for-Jake Plummer switch . . .

On the flip side, Bryan Heath in Strasburg and Ben Boyd in Vail were among the crowd wondering why the move didn't happen sooner . . .

A: The move came now, from the Broncos perspective, because at 17.7 points per game, this is the lowest-scoring team in Mike Shanahan's tenure in Denver. He never has had a team finish a season at less than 19 points a game, and his only team to finish below 20 points a game was the 1999 team, his only losing season.

The Broncos are frustrated with their output -- Shanahan called the offense "average'' Monday, and from him, that's a huge deal. He doesn't like average on that side of the ball very much.

The other is they feel like the lack of a consistent passing game in the intermediate and deep routes is keeping the offense away from what it has done best -- the rollout and bootleg game. Defenses are crashing their ends up the field and have been keeping Plummer in the pocket.

That's why there were some holes, against the Chargers, in the middle of the field in the running game. San Diego took the chance the Broncos wouldn't get enough done out of the pocket to make the Chargers pay for that strategy, and the Broncos didn't so San Diego didn't have to leave the edges open to help out in the middle.

Cutler's arm strength should push the offense down the field some. Also, ironically, though Cutler is a rookie, his arm means the Broncos will likely be a little more aggressive on offense.

That still doesn't mask some of their other troubles at the moment, however, including a run game that hasn't been able to put games away consistently -- they led the Colts and Chargers in the second half and didn't finish. And there is a big difference right now between the 9-2 they could have been with a few more first downs than the 7-4 they are now.

Perhaps they wouldn't have even made a change at quarterback.

Also, other than Javon Walker, the Broncos aren't getting much done down the field. Rookie tight end Tony Scheffler should return to the lineup with Cutler behind center, so that could help if his confidence isn't too shaken from the recent trips to the inactive list.

I will always advocate a rookie quarterback sitting at least a season to learn the position before getting tossed into the situation where every turnover is treated publicly like the end of the world -- just ask Eli Manning.

And Shanahan had wanted to get through this season with Cutler on the bench. But it's clear his frustration with the offense finally overwhelmed his desire to try keep Cutler in the backup role for the entire season.

He has liked Cutler's moxie from the start. So apparently he likes it enough to believe the rookie's confidence won't be shaken by playing down the stretch for a team in the playoff race.

Cutler's a sharp player. Often before the draft, teams put players "on the board,'' which means they make them diagram what will happen on certain plays in an offense as well as the players to show what they would do in given situations.

Cutler excelled at those sessions, and he has learned quickly with the Broncos. But he's still a rookie, and no rookie is immune from the mistakes of inexperience no matter how smart he is or how great his potential.

It's just a fact of NFL life.

As far as the locker room, players believe Plummer played as hard as he could on the field, and many feel like he has taken the fall for the mistakes of many. But they also have to play for, and with, whoever the quarterback is.

So they know they have to be better to help a rookie along, and they like Cutler's potential as well. Players want to make the playoffs, and when they are in danger of not making them, most are willing to go along with something new if they feel it could help.

I'd say many of them believe Cutler's potential means they might get a spark.

And Randy Globerman and Orrin Davis -- a regular -- were among those who asked what would happen to Plummer now . . .

A: Shanahan has made it clear if Plummer were willing to be a backup, he could stay in Denver. That's unlikely given the situation here -- Cutler's age combined with Plummer's demotion and how criticism he has faced over the years.

Plummer would have to adjust his contract as well. He was signed as a starter and paid as such. He is no longer a starter. The team may have about $12 million in charges against the salary cap over the next three years because of previous renegotiations they've done with Plummer.

So, that's a consideration as well. If he's not interested in reworking that, they can't keep him.

Also, the demand for quarterbacks around the league always exceeds the supply. If Plummer wants to keep playing, he could find a situation where, even if he were a backup, he could be more selective to get a situation where the starter is coming off an injury or has been inconsistent, which would be a place he would have a better chance of starting again.

It will take him some time to get used to what's happened -- he has never faced this situation in his decade in the league -- but as he does, he and his agent will likely map out a plan for the future.

The Broncos could try to trade him, but to get the best deal they would have to convince people they were interested in hanging onto him. Most teams are already working under the premise he would be released, but those who want to be at the front of the line may surrender a mid- to late-round pick to have the first crack at him.

Lon Anderson in Des Moines, Iowa, is still looking at the draft board . . .

Q: If Shanahan really thought the Broncos were one game away from the Super Bowl (which it is apparent now that they were not), how come he didn't trade down and grab (Lawrence) Maroney and Tamba Hali? He still could have traded for Javon Walker, and the two big weaknesses right now (running back and defensive end) would have been addressed. Plus, he would've weakened two of his rivals (New England and Kansas City), and it seems to me that Plummer might not have imploded had he not been looking over his shoulder . . . Should he be taken to task for drafting Cutler or be thanked for looking toward the future since the Broncos weren't going to reach the Super Bowl in 2006 anyway?

A: The Broncos had two primary targets in the first round -- at least they had two primary players they believed they would have a chance to select -- Cutler and Maroney.

They moved to get two first-round picks to be in position to move up and get Cutler if it looked like he would fall out of the top 10. When the Titans took Vince Young at No. 3 and the Jets selected Virginia tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson at No. 4, that pushed Matt Leinart and Cutler down the board.

The only team remaining in the top 10 at that point that most teams felt would take a quarterback was Arizona, and they ended up taking Leinart at No. 10. So the Broncos could then position themselves for the player that is one of the most difficult to find, especially for a team that has been to the playoffs -- a long-term prospect at quarterback.

And in the minds of most teams, that opportunity usually trumps all needs, unless you plan on picking in the top eight the following season as well. Had the Broncos kept the 15th pick, they would have selected Maroney. In fact, they liked Maroney enough they tried to trade back into the first round, after taking Cutler, to get him. But they couldn't get any takers.

Certainly, it's important to remember that had they taken Maroney, he would have been the first back Shanahan had selected in the first round. That alone is a testament to just how much they liked him.

Depending on what they do in free agency -- and defensive end is one of the most expensive positions to do business with in March as the Broncos discovered again last March in their failed attempts to get John Abraham and Andre Carter -- defensive end would be a draft priority. They always take a long look at the available backs as well.

Most teams around the league are shying away from giving running backs big money in free agency because the careers where backs remain at their peak seem to be getting shorter, not longer. So that's always an unpredictable group in free agency.

Russell Dillard also wonders about free agency . . .

Q: . . . What do you think the possibilities are for picking up either Asante Samuel (cornerback from New England) or Nate Clements (cornerback from Buffalo) -- both free agents at the end of the year. Samuel would be a nice pickup. He is a really impressive player that is young, and New England, of course, will not be willing to pay him. I am not sure about what Buffalo would do with Clements. Would Denver be willing to pay that kind of money, for that kind of player, when we are in such dire need of pass rushers? What pass rushers will be free agents at the end of the year?

A: Cornerback is routinely one of the most expensive positions in free agency as well -- one year it even passed quarterback as the highest-paid position, in the average of the top 10 salaries -- and Clements, if he hits the open market, would likely be the most expensive player in that group.

The Bills, to get him signed to a one-year deal before this season, have already agreed not to make him the franchise player in March, so they either have to get him locked up long-term or the bidding will begin.

The Broncos already have one of their biggest contracts, Champ Bailey's, at cornerback, so adding another giant one is a little cost prohibitive against the salary cap, especially when they have some greater needs.

Samuel is a little bit of a victim of the Patriots success, at least in some scouts' eyes, in that some teams believe he wouldn't play as well elsewhere as he does in the New England system. But again, cornerback is a high-demand position, and teams will bid if he hits the market.

In terms of pass rushers who may hit the market, the better ones are:

-- Dwight Freeney, if the Colts take the unlikely step of not re-signing him or at least making him the franchise player and the one-year deal that goes with it. I believe the Falcons' Patrick Kearney is in the same situation.

-- Adalius Thomas, a linebacker in the Ravens' 3-4, but he was a rush end in college at Southern Miss as well as the Alabama state hoops player of the year in high school, so he has explosiveness. At 260 or 270, he might be a little undersized to play end all the time, but certainly players have done it at that size.

-- Charles Grant of the Saints, but he's an up and down guy.

-- Cory Redding. Has played both end and tackle for the Lions.

Those are some of the top guys, when you talk to some general managers, but not all of them will hit the market. And again it's about value within the cap.

If you can do better in the draft, I always believe that's the way to go. Especially after a year when a rookie (Elvis Dumervil) has been among the Broncos sack leaders despite limited snaps.

Bill DiPaolo wonders . . .

Q: Whatever happened to Cedric Cobbs? I know he hurt his ankle a month ago, but why don't they let him in the game at running back? He did so well in the preseason and ran so hard. He reminded me a lot of Reuben Droughns or Olandis Gary. What is his status?

A: That's a tough injury. It was a severe sprain, and it takes guys a while sometimes to get over it completely.

And he is going to have a difficult time, at least for the moment in the ever-changing world at running back, getting past Tatum Bell, Mike Bell and Damien Nash. The Broncos' 38 yards rushing in Kansas City notwithstanding, they seem to like what Mike Bell and Nash have done for the most part.

Shanahan also said Monday his plan was to get Tatum Bell back in the mix more at running back. So Cobbs is in a tight spot to see any more time without an injury or two.

Ken Grabe wonders about the Hall of Fame . . .

Second question is about Terrell Davis. As a voter, how do you see his chances of being inducted? What are his strengths and weaknesses? My take on it is that his induction has two roadblocks: 1) That his career was so short, and 2) the perception that the Denver running scheme is such that they can plug anyone into the position and get production.

A: The list of 17, which includes 15 players that are voted upon as well as two candidates chosen by the seniors committee earlier in the year, is made -- the 15 by vote -- in December, then usually released by the Hall of Fame in January.

As far as Davis, the fact he made it to the list of 25 semifinalists in his first year of eligibility shows he has some support. But your thoughts are right on; the length of his career will be the chief obstacle.

That said, having discussed his candidacy with the voters, it's clear Davis' postseason performance should carry plenty of weight as well.

He had seven postseason 100-yard rushing games, and the fact the Broncos won all seven of those games are huge pluses. Also, he is a rare player to have won the league's MVP and a Super Bowl MVP in his career.

Put that with his 2,008-yard season, and there is plenty to work with. Still, some voters are going to say he simply didn't play long enough.

And while some have argued Gale Sayers didn't play very long either because -- like Davis -- of injury, Sayers was a transcendent running back in his time as well as also being the dominant kick returner of his era.

As I've said before, it may take some time, but my hope is Davis will be a finalist at some point, so he gets heavy consideration at the final meeting where the votes are taken. The committee debates the finalists face to face the day before the Super Bowl.

And finally, Alan Beshany turns back the clock . . .

Q: Have you ever noticed that the NFL’s winningest coach, Don Shula, never used a headset or reading material? He paid attention to the game on the field and knew his playbook. Shanahan needs to learn that. The play calling, not Jake the Snake, is the problem, and the defense needs to learn how to tackle.

A: You should have no concern. Shanahan certainly knows the playbook, and the card he holds is just a reference device.

Headsets and all that are the by-product of situational football, which is what the league has become. Every down-and-distance almost brings a new group of personnel on offense and defense.

It wasn't that way for much of Shula's coaching career, or at least it wasn't done nearly as much as it is now.

Also, the use of the headsets on offense is primarily to call the plays for the quarterback. Quarterbacks used to handle that job themselves, so there was no reason for a head coach to need to talk to somebody in the booth about the down and distance as soon as the ball was placed or to relay the play call into the quarterback.

They coached during the week and left much of Sunday to the quarterback. That isn’t the way any longer. Too many exotic defenses played in too many situations.

No more. Peyton Manning comes the closest to calling his own plays these days, but Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore can still call in a grouping of plays for Manning to choose from or at least what formation they want to work out of.

That’s it, and thanks.

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