Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag monthly during the offseason.
Pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag.
Former Bronco Peyton Hillis was just released by the Giants. While Hillis hasn’t been the same player since his first-year stint with the Browns, Gary Kubiak’s system requires a fullback. Hillis’ reputation took some hits over the years, but I loved his toughness and hands when he was with Denver. Any chance of a reunion?
— David Clements, Las Cruces, N.M.
David – I thought Hillis looked finished in 2012 when he was having a lackluster season with the Kansas City Chiefs. To his credit, he lasted two more years, although he played in just 16 of 32 games and had 99 carries and 362 yards combined.
If he were a bit more spry, he would be close to an ideal fullback in Gary Kubiak’s system. He played fullback at Arkansas blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. So he understands the role. And as you mentioned, David, Hillis is a terrific receiver out of the backfield.
But it seems Hillis, large by tailback standards, is a tad small for NFL fullback, especially given all the injuries he’s had. But signing him would excite the fan base. Few Bronco rookies were more popular than Hillis in 2008.
Plus, I believe the Broncos would become the first team in NFL history to have two players named Peyton.
Mike – GREAT MAILBAG. Why is everyone dwelling on Gary Kubiak’s so-called success as the Ravens offensive coordinator last year (their 10-6 record wasn’t even as good as the Broncos)? Why not dwell on the 2-11 record in his last year as head coach? I understand that he is John Elway’s buddy, but it seems a real leap of faith to translate his record into that next magical step to the Super Bowl.
— Jack Moss, Toms River, N.J.
Jack – Welcome back to Denver, Gary Kubiak. Usually honeymoon periods last until a guy loses his first game but this is a different, far more analytical world we live in.
Your points are valid, though, Jack. I’m sure there are Texans’ fans in Kubiak’s hometown of Houston who aren’t impressed with Elway’s new coaching hire. But I say give Kubiak a Peyton Manning at quarterback instead of Matt Schaub and let’s see how good a coach he becomes.
There was a degree of faith Elway placed in Kubiak, but it doesn’t come without measured reasoning. True, Elway and Kubiak are friends but I remember back in the day when I had friends, we used to argue about all things sports.
The general manager-coach relationship must be harmonious. We have learned since the mutual parting of ways with coach John Fox that the Broncos didn’t have that at critical times. (Although, I’m telling you, I was around Fox nearly every day and Elway a couple times a month, and their relationship was not nearly as bad as is now perceived. No way the Broncos would have gone 13-3, 13-3 and 12-4 if there was unmanageable dissension upstairs.)
When Elway first took control of Broncos football operations in 2011, I got the sense his ultimate desire was to have the West Coast, zone-running scheme for his offense. Ideally, with Kubiak coaching it. Give Elway credit for having four years of patience to see if Fox could get it done.
Fox nearly pulled it off. It was a good ride that fell short and so Fox moves on to Chicago. If you examine Kubiak’s coaching record in Houston, you will see that he first steadily raised a 2-14 expansion franchise to respectability, then took the next step to playoff-caliber.
With a month to go in the 2012 season, the Texans were 11-1 (including a road win against Manning’s Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High) and considered the team to beat in the AFC.
The Texans’ collapse from that point was mystifying because Schaub seemed to get the yips at quarterback, understandable because of a debilitating run of injuries to key players, but also concerning the decline was so precipitous.
No doubt, Kubiak has something to prove with this second chance. But three of the last four Super Bowl winners were second chance coaches.
I know media and fans like to complain about teams hiring “retreads” as head coaches. What is rarely mentioned, however, is that experienced head coaches (i.e. “retreads”) win quite often. For example, both head coaches in the last two Super Bowls were “retreads.” Think fans in Seattle and New England go to bed angry every night about their “retread” head coach?
— Michael Lambert, Newhall, Calif.
Michael – I’d bet Seattle fans went to bed the night of Feb. 1 mad at Pete Carroll for ordering the worst play call in sports history. As I was told, it was Carroll who called for a pass on the second-down play. It was then up to offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to choose the pass play, which was a pick and slant into traffic. So there’s blame to share.
But back to your point, Michael, your view and the view of previous mailbagger Jack proves there are two ways to look at coach Kubiak. The retread has made a comeback in NFL coaching circles.
Fan of New England Patriots here, and really respect Peyton Manning and the Broncos team. At the beginning of last season I felt incensed by Bill Belichick’s refusal to adopt John Elway’s philosophy of going all out (in free agency and draft) and providing his QB — who has a limited time window — with the absolute best weapons and protection he can, right now. Despite the way the season turned out, I’m still not convinced of Belichick’s philosophy as opposed to Elway’s. Your thoughts?
— DRZ, Boston
DRZ – You’re a Patriot fan sticking up for Elway. I’m a Broncos beat writer saying Belichick won the Super Bowl, therefore The Belichick Way wins.
There are all kinds of ways to analyze, dissect, reason and explain methods of operation. But only the world championship brings confirmation, DRZ. The Super Bowl trumps all.
The biggest difference between the philosophy of Belichick and Elway is Belichick gets to back up his beliefs by coaching it. Elway put the team together the best he knew how, but he couldn’t coach the players and he couldn’t play. Belichick never could play, but he can coach. And he’s the best in the business at it.
The Patriots have had their share of draft busts. They’ve made personnel mistakes. But they pretty much go 12-4 and reach the second round of the playoffs every year because Belichick knows how to coach them up.
You might be right, DRZ. Elway might be a better general manager than Belichick. But he doesn’t coach like Belichick. No one has since Lombardi.
Klis – Not to beat a dead horse but worst call in Super Bowl history or the entire NFL? Yeah, hindsight is 20/20, but there’s no reason for that call — period.
— Will Peters, Colorado Springs
Will – Yes, worst call in the history of the Super Bowl, NFL, four major sports and all of mankind. It wasn’t hindsight, either. EVERYBODY knew before the snap that Seattle was going to hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch, Lynch was going to score and Seattle was going to win.
That’s why the call was the worst of all-time. It was an obvious, no-brainer call that even the most casual of football fan could have made. Carroll and Bevell got too cute and failed miserably.
To me it was the worst decision in sports since Dennis Eckersley threw a two-strike, backdoor slider to Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
Mike – It seems to me that, if the Broncos wish to make the Super Bowl in 2015 and 2016, it will be the defense that gets them there. Wade Phillips is a vast improvement over Jack Del Rio, and I think the 3-4 scheme is better suited for personnel on hand. I don’t see the offense being as productive as previously, especially with Manning’s age. So, I think the defense will play a much more important role. Your thoughts please.
— Mike Koonce, Portland, Ore.
Mike – You might be on to something. Your perspective is convincing, although I first want to see how the current defensive personnel plays within the 3-4 before making any pronouncements of grandeur.
Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware should feast on quarterbacks from the outside linebacker position, but the defensive linemen will have to make adjustments. Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall are outside linebackers by nature who will play inside in the 3-4. And let’s see who the Broncos bring in to play free safety if free agent Rahim Moore signs elsewhere as expected.
But there is hope Phillips will provide the proper direction for a talented group that includes five Pro Bowlers and the Broncos will coalesce into a Super Bowl-caliber defense.
I don’t know the different responsibilities and physical requirements for the two safety positions: “strong” and “free.” Are Omar Bolden and/or Kayvon Webster candidates for Rahim Moore’s job?
— Bob Shafer, Arvada
Bob – A strong safety tends to be a hard hitter who will play closer to the line of scrimmage. There is a bit of crazy in strong safeties. Troy Polamalu and Brian Dawkins were prototype strong safeties.
Free safeties are often compared to center fielders. They play back, roam the field from afar. They typically are rangier than strong safeties.
And no, Bolden and Webster are not candidates to replace Moore. The Broncos tried to convert Bolden from corner to safety in 2013 but gave up on the experiment early last season. Webster is a cornerback.
My top Bronco free-agent signings, in order would be: 1) Demaryius Thomas; 2) Terrance Knighton (the 3-4 needs a big strong nose tackle); 3) Julius Thomas; 4) Brandon Marshall; 5) Orlando Franklin; 6) Rahim Moore; 7) Nate Irving; 8) Quinton Carter; 9) Tony Carter; 10) Virgil Green. Who and how would you rank the Bronco free agents?
— Jim Klump, Las Vegas
Jim – Brandon Marshall and Tony Carter are not unrestricted free agents. Marshall is an exclusive-rights free agent, which basically means his rights exclusively belong to the Broncos. Marshall is in line to draw a $585,000 salary this year. Which puts him on the NFL’s Preseason All Value Team.
Carter is a restricted free agent, at least if the Broncos tender him a contract. That minimum tender is projected to come in around $1.59 million for 2015. The Broncos aren’t paying that much to Carter.
As for the unrestricted free agents, my rankings offer no great revelation. Demaryius Thomas would be No. 1, as he was with the Broncos, who slapped him with a $12.822 million franchise tag on Monday. Julius Thomas would be No. 2, as he was with the Broncos prior to the season. He’s a freakish talent.
I would then go Pot Roast No. 3; Orlando Franklin and Moore tied for No. 4; Nate Irving, No. 6; Virgil Green, No. 7 and Quinton Carter No. 8.
Green might be the first guy who re-signs with the Broncos. He and Demaryius Thomas might be the only unrestricted free agents on this list who will re-sign with the Broncos.
The return of a 3-4 defense is exciting, but how do some of our young exciting players like Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan fit in? It seems a shame to waste their talents if they don’t fit the scheme.
— Cody Hemmen, Arvada
Cody – They fit on the inside. Trevathan will be the Will (weakside) inside linebacker and Marshall will be the Sam (strongside) inside linebacker.
They’re a tad undersized compared to prototype 3-4 inside backers, but remember, defenses are in the nickel at least 60 percent of the time, anyway. Trevathan and Marshall can play nickel linebacker for any NFL defense.
A bigger concern for both of those players is their ability to return from severe injury. Trevathan had a left knee issue. Marshall had a right foot problem.
Good morning, Mike! Every year the sports world rolls out the greatest Super Bowl losers. My beloved Broncos are always tops on the lists starting with the 55-10 loss to the 49ers. Has anybody ever looked into why the Broncos are always on the butt end of the worst blowouts in Super Bowl history? Last year’s loss to the Seahawks was tied with the 42-10 loss to the Redskins at No. 2. I believe the loss to the Giants and Cowboys are both in the top 10. It has always left me scratching my head as to why in the five losses they play so bad?
— Josh Johnson, Salt Lake City
Josh – The common denominator I see in the Broncos’ three Super Bowl blowout defeats is those teams were heavily dependent on their star quarterback.
Not that John Elway was the reason the Broncos lost 55-10 and 42-10. Nor was it Peyton Manning’s fault the Broncos were crushed 43-8.
To the contrary, those quarterbacks were so great, they overcame some rather severe deficiencies in the team during the season. Eventually, those flaws become exposed.
It’s either that or a coincidence. But you’re right, no team has spoiled more Super Bowl parties than the Broncos.
How much the Broncos mean to their fans … I was planning to get engaged a few years ago on St. Patrick’s Day and put it off when I didn’t think Peyton Manning was going to the Broncos as I did not want to be high and then hit a low. When I got married the following year, my groomsman’s gift to me was two tickets (plane and hotel) with my new wife to go out to Denver for the opening game vs. Baltimore.
So, the Mrs. asks me this year what I want for my 40th birthday. I told her I only want one thing, to go to Denver to see the Broncos and Peyton Manning. So we booked a flight to go to the Thursday night game vs. San Diego and had a blast and saw a huge win. We had been trying to have children for over a year with no success. We stayed in Denver for that game and I am happy to say that we are expecting our first child in late July. 🙂 Needless to say, the first thing that kid is going to wear is a Peyton Manning Broncos’ jersey.
— Jon Cornbleet, Niles, Ill.
Jon – My guess is Peyton Manning understands he’s big. But there’s no way he can comprehend just how much effect he has on people.
Nice story, Jon. I feel a bit for your wife. My best to her and your little one. The only bummer about your story is you didn’t go through with the engagement on St. Patty’s Day. Did you know Peyton Manning and Ashley Thompson were married on St. Patrick’s Day, 2001 in Memphis, Tenn.?
You’ll have to slip that in the next time you tell your family’s story.
In closing, mailbaggers, let us wish congratulations and Bon Voyage to Bryan Boyle, who has been the editor of The Denver Post’s Broncos Mailbag since 2000, when he drove to Greeley during training camp to pitch the idea. Bryan is running off to Pennsylvania where he will become gear editor for Runner’s World magazine. I once subscribed to that publication after I couldn’t say no to the earnest teenager on my doorstep.
When you sent your letters to the Broncos Mailbag, it was Bryan who read them first, compiled them and sent them along to me. I e-mailed my responses back to Bryan, who then tricked up the ‘Bag with photos and headlines and links before posting.
Bryan will be missed, but the Broncos Mailbag will carry on. Because as the great Irv Brown would say: You make this mailbag, everybody!
Pose a Broncos- or NFL-related question for the Broncos Mailbag. Listen to Mike Klis on “Klis’ Korner” on Monday-Friday at 102.3 FM ESPN.
