Wednesday night at around 6:00 P.M. Mike Shanahan called Broncos General Manager Ted Sundquist into his office and essentially told him "Thanks for your help over the last 16 years, now why don't you hit the road?" Make no mistake, the rubber has now hit the road with this organization and there is only one person that is now directly responsible for the course this franchise will chart from here on out: Shanahan.
The firing comes as a surprise to me, but that Shanahan would blame somebody else for the team's decline into mediocrity, does not. In the last few years, he has fired three defensive coordinators, gave up on a quarterback that took him to the AFC Championship game (they haven't been to the playoffs post Jake Plummer), and now the blood has moved from the coaching staff to the front office.
I respect Shanahan immensely as a coach, two Super Bowl titles and 11 winning records in 13 years, is full proof of his ability. That said, I also respect anyone who has been with any company for 16 years, especially a business as tremendously grueling and incredibly competitive as the NFL. Sundquist moved his way up from scout all the way to GM of the team. Then again, that was in title only.
We all kind of get the impression that Sundquist's position may make for an impressive business card, but in Denver, being a front office decision maker, is a job in title only. You have to assume that with the widespread authority that owner Pat Bowlen has placed in Shanahan, it makes the coach, the person with the final say. So, therefore, the buck will ultimately have to stop with him. Greg Robinson, Larry Coyer, Jim Bates, Plummer, and Sundquist are all convenient and easy to dismiss as scapegoats.
That means there is only one logical thought left to arrive at: there is nobody left to dismiss. Shanahan has put himself on an island with this move.
In a sort of skeptical way, I thought he might as well retain Sundquist. That way, if you have a disappointing 2008 season, that is when you let Sundquist go. By doing it now, a man that has more security than I think anybody realizes, has effectively put himself into a corner. Why do that to yourself and marginalize your potential long term security? . Maybe because he doesn't feel there is a job security issue.
Taking a step back, it is clear that some move had to me made. An organization that has goals as high as the Broncos, finds missing the postseason in consecutive years as more-or- less unacceptable, and rightfully so. They have been as active as any team in trades and are willing to spend on free agents. They have been hit-and-miss in those areas and as a result, find themselves in the predicament they are currently in.
The track record of their drafting in recent years is another reason for their lack of success. So, in fairness, if you make bad trades, sign underwhelming free agents, and draft poorly, it is the fault of the general manager, right? Yes. However, does anyone actually think Sundquist goes to Shanahan and tells him what direction the team is going in? I think it is actually just the opposite.
In the last few seasons, they admitted their mistake on Javon Walker, they restructured Travis Henry's contract, gave $30 million to a tight end that needed to play on the offensive line because they didn't have adequate help at the position. They let Plummer go, they brought in and gave up on Courtney Brown, Sam Adams, and Gerard Warren. They drafted and traded Tatum Bell and George Foster. They released Willie Middlebrooks. They really thought it was a positive idea to draft Maurice Clarett. They signed Simeon Rice and paid him to more or less complain. They had a malcontent punter.
All I am trying to say is that if you think Sundquist pulled the strings on these guys and everything else, then he deserves to go. However, the bottom line remains that Shanahan is the face of the franchise, he drives the organization and its development, and he rightly deserves much praise for his tremendous accomplishments. Although, I also think he must honestly be held responsible if the future does not turn out to be as bright as his past has been.
Hope to see you on Friday.
-"z"
