Two lessons from the Josh McDaniels firing in Denver: Coaches should coach and not have control of personnel decisions and there is only one Bill Belichick.

McDaniels was given way too much control for a first-time head coach. Just because you learned under Belichick doesn't mean you should have the same power. And Belichick's my-way-or-the-highway approach isn't the right way for every coach.

The Broncos made a major mistake giving McDaniels personnel control. The water was over his head before he even jumped into the pool.

His decisions as a personnel man were his undoing as a coach. Who knows if he can coach? He never had the players.

You can't give away talented players like Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall and others thinking your way is the only way.

That's arrogance.

McDaniels had loads of that. What he didn't have was a grasp on talent evaluation. (See Tim Tebow). The Broncos should have hired a real personnel man above him, not a yes man like Brian Xanders.

The Broncos are doing the right thing dumping McDaniels. They made the wrong decision in hiring him.

McDaniels is still young enough to get another shot. But he has a lot of stink to wipe off after this disaster.

Let's just hope for his sake the next time -- if there is a next time -- somebody will make personnel decisions for him and he doesn't act like Baby Bill again.

 

The Denver Broncos have done some good things this off-season. Adding defensive linemen Jamal Williams, Jarvis Green and Justin Bannon will help their run defense.

So why did they release starting linebacker Andra Davis Thursday?

Davis is good against the run, but he's always struggled when matched in pass coverage. The Broncos need more athletic ability inside, which is why they probably cut Davis loose.

I think it's a strange move. Davis was a productive player for them last season. If you're trying to improve the run defense, why let him go?

Then again, this Broncos regime doesn't do things we expect. After all, they did trade Jay Cutler.

 

 

I really think Knowshon Moreno will be one of the best backs in the NFL. But when you have a defense that allowed the third highest point total in the league the past two years, how can he be the pick for the Denver Broncos?
The Broncos signed a bunch of backs in free agency and Ryan Torain is coming off an ACL injury, but should be ready to go. Moreno really impressed me during the tapes I studied. He is much faster than his 40 time. But they better hope he can keep that defense off the field.
The Broncos will play a lot of high-scoring games. That's for sure.
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The Denver Broncos have been as active as any team so far in free agency.

So what have they landed? Older players, some broken-down players, some situational players and nothing that really excites.

It's clear the Broncos are just trying to bring in bodies, without spending big.

They signed veteran safety Brian Dawkins Saturday to a two-year deal. Isn't that like bringing in John Lynch when he was at the tail end of his career? Lynch struggled in coverage and so does Dawkins.

They also signed deep snapper Lonnie Paxton. Excited about that, Broncos fans? They signed receiver Jabar Gaffney, running backs Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington, safety Renaldo Hill. linebacker Andra Davis and special-teams star Darrell Reid.

Of those players, only Hill, Davis and Dawkins were starters last season. Oh, forgot, so was Paxton -- if you count deep snappers.

The good thing for Denver is they didn't spend a ton of money to get those players. It's evident that new coach Josh McDaniels isn't happy with his roster.

I'm just not sure what he brought in makes it much better.

 

 

 

Monday thoughts

Mike Shanahan got away with one late Sunday.

What was he thinking going for two with 24 seconds left in the game down by 1 to the San Diego Chargers? The Broncos cut the lead to 37-36 and Shanahan put up two fingers.

The Broncos went for two, got it on a pass from Jay Cutler to rookie Eddie Royal and ended up winning the game.

Shanahan will be saluted for his aggressive play.

He should be ripped.

Why put it all one play when you have an overtime to decide things? Lucky for Shanahan it worked. If not, he'd be taking a beating.

The Broncos are now 2-0 because of that play, but it's still not the right move. I've always hated when coaches get saluted for making a call like he did. Yet the national media proclaimed him a hero the past couple of days.

No, Mike. You were stupid. You just got away with it.

 

Quick hits

----Rookie defensive end Chris Long will be a good player in time for the Rams. He plays hard all the time and got his first career sack Sunday against the Giants. I kept my binoculars on him a lot and he plays with a ferocity you want from your players. He will be a handful down the road for opposing tackles.

---Big props to Matt Cassel for handling things Sunday for the Patriots against the Jets. But all I can think about is that we now have another manage-the-game quarterback. Oh, boy.

---I hate to say I told you so -- no, I really don't -- but I warned you that David Garrard is not an elite quarterback. There was a rush to judgment about him after last season and now the star talk has quickly subsided. He has three interceptions already this season, the same number he had in 2007. What has to be even more troubling is that he hasn't been spinning his head the way he did late last season reading the field. Did the Jaguars make a mistake by giving him a $60-million contract extension this spring? It does beg the question: Why didn't they wait until midseason to see if he was a one-hit wonder?

---For a coach who has the biggest playbook in the league, Rams offensive coordinator Al Saunders sure doesn't call a good game. I think he outthinks himself. The Rams don't look in synch on offense.

---Don't even ask about the defense.

----The Giants have the makings of something special on offense. They have so many parts to work with, so many different styles. If they have another big season, isn't it time somebody gives coordinator Kevin Gilbride another shot at a head-coaching job? Gilbride's experience as coach of the Chargers didn't work out, but I think he's mature and would be better the second time around.

---Who says you can't pass the ball and win. We had six passers throw for over 300 yards Sunday. Of those six, only San Diego's Philip Rivers lost. And his team was hosed by a bad call by the referee Ed Hochuli.

---It was so windy in Cincinnati Sunday it made the passing games of Carson Palmer and Kerry Collins make people think Vince Young was actually playing for the Titans. Oh, wait. He's out with an injured knee -- and a damaged psyche.

---The Minnesota Vikings should have signed Byron Leftwich when they had a chance. He was strongly recommended to Brad Childress, but he passed. Leftwich would have been an upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson. That's for sure.

---The Colts have to be thrilled with the emergence of second-year receiver Anthony Gonzalez. He had nine catches for 137 yards against the Vikings. Marvin Harrison had one catch. Is it a matter of time before Gonzalez takes the job?

---Charles Woodson got screwed out of a Pro Bowl appearance last season. So now he's going to do what needs to be done to get there this season, rack up interceptions. He had two, one returned for a touchdown, as the Packers beat the Lions Sunday. Woodson is one of the best cover players in the league, yet seems to get snubbed for some reason. He claims there's a bias against him. It's hard to argue with that. He'll get to Hawaii this season. You wait and see.

---The Chiefs used receiver Marques Hagans at quarterback for five plays. Does somebody want to tell Herm Edwards this isn't college football? Why can't teams just play it conventional? The gimmicks don't work.