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KRIEGER: Broncos too quick in cutting Hixon

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 30, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Giants kick returner Domenik Hixon said his collision with Kevin Everett made him more tentative returning kicks, but he didn't want to use that as an excuse.

Photo by Bill Kostroun / Associated Press

Giants kick returner Domenik Hixon said his collision with Kevin Everett made him more tentative returning kicks, but he didn't want to use that as an excuse.

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If you want to know why the Broncos retain so few of their draft choices, consider the case of Domenik Hixon, who will be playing for a championship Sunday with the New York Giants.

The Broncos made Hixon a fourth-round pick in 2006. In their season opener in Buffalo, he was their kickoff return man. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Bills tight end Kevin Everett hit him and crumpled to the ground, the victim of a serious spinal cord injury.

The incident left Hixon emotionally devastated.

"You basically just changed somebody's life," he said Tuesday. "People say, 'It's not your fault, it's not your fault,' but just being involved in something so traumatic, that was tough."

His closest friend on the Broncos, fellow wide receiver Brian Clark, tried to help.

"We talked about it throughout a lot of the night. Couldn't really sleep," Hixon said. "Just did a lot of praying about it."

Hixon now believes the incident made him more tentative as a return man.

"At the time, I didn't think so, but now that I look back on tape, I'm hesitant doing stuff. It just wasn't me out there playing," he said.

"For example, the Jacksonville game, it's me and the safety, one on one in the hole. He lowers his shoulder and I lower mine but I didn't deliver the blow. I kind of received it more. And you can't do that. You've got to be the aggressor."

Nine days later, Mike Shanahan called Hixon into his office and cut him.

"He just told me that he wanted to give some other guys an opportunity. That was their reasoning for letting me go," Hixon said.

I asked if he told Shanahan about the difficulty he was having in the wake of Everett's injury.

"No, I didn't, because I don't want to use it as an excuse," Hixon said. "Regardless of what happens, even in your personal life, they feel like you have a job to do. So by no means did I want to use that as an excuse."

The Giants signed him the next day.

Even then, Hixon was not over the trauma of Everett's injury. During the season's fifth week, he had a nightmare in which the roles were reversed - he was making the hit instead of receiving it - but the terrible result was the same.

The Giants stuck with him. In the season's final week, against the Patriots, Hixon rewarded them with a 74-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

When Shanahan did his post-mortem on the Broncos' 7-9 season, I asked if he had any second thoughts about cutting Hixon.

"It's always tough," he said. "We were trying to get him on the practice squad. But we looked at him enough that we felt that Andre Hall was a better look for us than Domenik Hixon. Now, if we knew Andre was going to go down, we probably wouldn't have made that call.

"But just because a guy has a (74)-yard kickoff return, that doesn't mean that the guy's arrived. Let's see if he does it over time. But Domenik Hixon is a guy we looked at, obviously drafted, we liked a lot, and we gambled on the practice squad and we lost. But I still think he's got a ways to go before he arrives."

Hixon is not the only Broncos draft choice that could earn a ring with the NFC champs. Jeff Shoate, a 2004 fifth-round pick, is on the Giants practice squad. Shoate, whom the Broncos cut on Dec. 4, said he could never get a straight answer as to why.

"It was frustrating, especially when you don't have a full understanding of why that change is being made," he said. "They just said they wanted to give some other guys opportunities. For whatever reason, there were a lot of changes going on in Denver this year."

The Broncos now say they want to build through the draft. This requires a certain commitment to your draft picks. When you dump a fourth-round pick such as Hixon after just four weeks - he had missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury - you are giving him precious little opportunity to succeed. And when you fail to take into account the possibility that his play is being affected by a traumatic event, you look like an organization that prefers the quick fix to the long-term building program.

It is true, as Shanahan suggested, that the jury is still out on Hixon as an NFL player. But if you want to know why the Broncos retain so few of their draft picks, his case is a good place to start.

Just before Christmas, Hixon returned to Buffalo with the Giants, met with Everett and saw the remarkable progress he had made since that awful day in September. A week later, he took the Patriots kickoff to the house.

kriegerd@RockyMountainNews.com

Comments

  • January 30, 2008

    8:54 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Oh_Wise_One writes:

    Next year Shanahan needs to live up to the hype or be gone. Nowadays, it's what have you done lately not what you did 10= years ago.

  • January 30, 2008

    10:28 a.m.

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    GJrodburner writes:

    Hindsight is going to always be 20/20, with that said, I don't believe Mike "the dope" will ever acquire the skill needed to fix his own faults as a coach. So how in the world is he able to judge talent with such a flawed view of his own draft picks? No explanation by any type of management, in regards to letting an employee go (in the case of Shoate), regardless of the size of the organization, is a defined answer by them that the organization cannot adhere to their own mission statement. They have lost focus, they have no answer to their own internal problems. Instead, this type of organization has looked to "scape-goat" certain employees so that it looks like the organization is pro-active in trying to solve problems, but in reality, they don't know what is going on and can't determine the best coarse of action. Clueless is a perfect working word for Mike "the dope" and his decisions for the last five seasons and this one just past; just another layer of ineptitude on his part in being coach and a vice-president of football operations. It will take another season just like the one gone down to induce the entire Bronco Nation into finally not showing up at the new digs to allow Pat Bowlen to see how much his organization has been misled and managed by Mike "the dope" Shanahan.

  • January 30, 2008

    2:59 p.m.

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    JohnnyBallgame writes:

    I am tired of every one second guessing these moves, everyone in Denver wanted a new return man and Shoate is a great guy but he did not show the Broncs anything special to keep him. Denver needs to add FOOTBALL PLAYERS, not workout junkies and then you will see a big turn around. Denver has done a good job of that in there last 2 drafts and they need to keep that momentum going.

    I will now play the 2008 GM of the Denver Broncos: Trade for big Shaun Rodgers out of DET, trade up and get Ellis (DT out of USC) or Dorsey (DT out of LSU), or trade back and Pickup Connor (LB from PSU) or Phillips (FS out of Miami). My sleepes are James Hardy out of Indiana, and Mendenhall out of Illinios.
    Go Broncos.

  • January 30, 2008

    5:04 p.m.

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    Broncos4Life writes:

    As I read this article I realize that most of the comments here are true. Shanahan has done very little without Elway, Davis and the 98 Super Bowl team. His drafting has been suspect, to say the least, the last couple of years. Other than Elvis Dumervil, Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, have any other of our draft picks made an impact with the Broncos? What are we going to do in this years draft? Do we have any mid round picks? Did we trade away all the mid round picks the last couple of years? The draft is supposed to be the backbone of your team, is'nt it? Draft a 1st round stud and then develop some depth with the rest? Is'nt that what most teams do? Where is our depth? Is anyone accountable in Dove Valley? I'm tired of watching the Broncos fight for 2nd or 3rd place in the division. DO SOMETHING IN THE DRAFT!!!!!!

  • January 30, 2008

    5:17 p.m.

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    RainierBroncsFan writes:

    Wish they hadn't cut Hixon, I liked his potential not only as a returner, but as a receiver, especially given the issues surrounding Javon Walker. Champ made an observation saying as much during training camp last year. That being said, he wasn't getting the job done in his primary role (returner), and there was no indication he would ever get that "edge" back needed to be a returner in the league.

    As for Shoate, he was way down on the depth chart at DB, and they needed the roster spot, what are going to do?

  • January 30, 2008

    5:24 p.m.

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    AKuser writes:

    Shanahan and the Broncos had several years of bad drafts & free agent signings that robbed them of any depth. The poor drafts combined with the many injuries this year caused the mess that was this season. That said the 2006 draft is one of, if not the best draft in franchise history (Cutler, Sheffler, Marshall, Dumervill, Mr. Hixon, & Kuper). Not to mention adding Mike Bell afterwards. Unlike the Cowboys and Niners the Broncos took a dynasty type team and completely turned the roster while remaining competitive (anyone remember Jake playing in the AFC title game). The team is stacked with young talent and Shanahan deserves to see it thru at least next season. It is amazing how many drama queen Bronco fans there are. Try comparing the Broncos to the Nuggets, Rockies, and Avalanche for some perspective.

  • January 30, 2008

    5:28 p.m.

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    Pigskin writes:

    More good points, Krieger. I guess while the rest of your media brethren are eating sandwiches and drinking Kool-Aid in the media room at Dove Valley, you're trying to do your job. It's nice someone is.
    Shamahan still believes he's competing each year for a Super Bowl. He's unable to look at a roster and separate delusion from reality. He's unwilling to rebuild, so he gets to be somebody's patsy more often than not.
    Shoate? Likely a blown draft pick from Day One. With Hixon it's hard to say. But Shammy would much rather stow an aging, washed-up veteran on the roster than stick with a young guy. Even one he drafted.
    He and Dumbquist believe they're smarter than everyone else, so what seems like knee-jerk to the rest of the league is diabolically clever to the Broncos' braintrust. Neither of them, it appears, knows how to build a team without the benefit of many stars already in place. Their draft picks these past 2 years provide a glimmer of hope. It remains to be seen if they can figure out more first-day picks must be spent on the offensive line, though.
    Unfortunately, Bowlen seems to have detached himself from the proceedings and is content to let the Mastermind coast until he feels like hanging it up.

  • January 30, 2008

    10:08 p.m.

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    den2mke writes:

    I wish some of this banter about Shanahan's success in the draft/free agency would subside. While something approaching 100% would be great, the acquisition of talent in the NFL is nothing if not an inexact science. There is no farm system--aside from a few players you can stick on the practice squad--in the NFL and no room to carry players that can't carry their weight.

    Interesting to me to take a look at Shanahan's first-rounders the last 10 years and compare with the teams playing in AFC/NFC Championships. Looks pretty comparable--especially when you consider where the picks came (lower-to-end of the first round). Easy for AJ Smith, et al to look like geniuses in San Diego when they pick in the top 10 for several years in a row.

    John Mobley, Trevor Smith, Al Wilson...Some highly productive players. Not Shanahan's fault Wilson and Mobley sustained career-ending injuries. Wasn't like somebody else wouldn't have picked Lelie where the Broncos did--the consensus was that he was that good. And some of the comments about how this team has rebuilt without taking a total dive are right on. The Broncs got a lot younger and have a solid base to work from. And if some of the younger players--positions on the d-line the Broncs desperately needed--work out Shanahan will end up looking like a genius again. Wouldn't you have traded a second round pick for Javon Walker? Would you do the Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis deal any differently?

    How that all turns out remains to be seen. But if Shanahan's going to take the heat for players like Willie Middlebrooks that didn't work out, he should also get some credit for picks like Marshall, Gold, Scheffler and Dumervil who have proven to be productive players, while anything but sure-fire draft picks. And if Cutler continues on the path he's started, the Broncos will have the capability of winning champtionships--which is Shanahan's self-stated goal.

    All this story does is bring to light Shanahan's propensity to cut-bait rather quickly with players who don't figure into the plan to win championships. And, frankly, there aren't too many of these folks that have left, caught on elsewhere and proven him wrong. I also liked Hixon, but it's very possible it just wasn't the right fit in Denver--something that happens throughout the league, not just here...

  • January 31, 2008

    3:21 a.m.

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    dirkle writes:

    This is a very good, well-researched column that was worth reading.

  • January 31, 2008

    7:10 a.m.

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    Map writes:

    Your opinion on this move might actually be worth something if you had expressed it AT THE TIME IT WAS MADE. You're four months too late!

  • January 31, 2008

    1:28 p.m.

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    LarryB writes:

    Berry, Hayward, Pryce, Dayne, and now Hixon. And now that they need a linebacker, I'll bet they are just looking beyond a now healthy Al Wilson. Denver has a history of sending future stars down the road, all the way back to Willie Brown.

    The football version of the Chicago Cubs.

  • January 31, 2008

    5:17 p.m.

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    BullsFan writes:

    Why is everyone making a big deal about Hixon, Halls return average was better and he was playing hurt while doing it. So, Hixon returned one TD, big deal Andre Hall busted out a 60+ TD run to blow the game open against the Titans, and don't forget Halls performance against the Bears, again he was hurt while doing it. Hall is a baller, Hixons presence would have made no difference. Dumb article just because he's playing in the SB, Eli and Burress as well as the GMan Defense is the reason the Gmen are in the SB.

  • February 1, 2008

    7:25 a.m.

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    mike writes:

    Hey Bullsfan.....right on. You forgot to mention another reason the Giants are in the big game.......COACHING!!!!