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KRIEGER: Broncos wading, not diving like Chiefs, into fountain of youth

By Dave Krieger, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 24, 2008 at 8:17 p.m.

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Getting younger is a marketer's dream, and has been at least since the days of Juan Ponce de Leon.

Pretty much everybody would like to get younger. Except for young people, of course. Sports teams can actually do it, which is just another appealing aspect of their fantasy world.

For example, the Broncos got younger this season. Their average age dropped from 27.38 last year, oldest in the AFC, to 26.83 this year. And that was before 37-year-old Tom Nalen went on injured reserve, so they're even younger now.

Ten rookies made their opening game 53-man roster. Only 12 players on that roster were 30 or older, tied for fewest in the Mike Shanahan era. Twenty-four players have three years of experience or fewer.

Still, they didn't make youth a litmus test. They picked up a couple of veteran wide receivers just in case. They signed a 13th-year center because he was too good to pass up. "I was shocked that he was on the street," Shanahan explained.

Casey Wiegmann was on the street because the Chiefs, who play the Broncos this week, were also getting younger. But they did your basic swan dive into the fountain of youth. If you were old, you might check your voicemail to find you'd been cut, as the 35-year-old Wiegmann did. Whether you were still the best player at your position no longer mattered. Youth was an end in itself.

"Yeah, Casey was still a good player," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said Wednesday. "But we were headed in a different direction."

"We're the last of the Mohicans," veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez said, referring to the veterans remaining on the Kansas City roster. "And who knows how much longer we're going to be here?"

The Chiefs force-fed 15 rookies onto their opening game roster.

"We totally committed to doing this, to rebuilding the whole thing," Edwards said. "And we're starting from ground zero, there's no doubt about that. I mean, you look at our roster, out of 61 players, counting the practice squad, there's 45 of those guys with three years or less experience. So we're pretty young."

Two teams got younger. One is 3-0 out of the gate. The other is 0-3. Ask Edwards and Gonzalez about this divergence and both point immediately to the Broncos' third-year quarterback, Jay Cutler, as the main difference.

Edwards refers to his talent and Gonzalez to his ability to stay on the field, as opposed to the Chiefs' injured young quarterback, Brodie Croyle.

But he's not the only difference. The Chiefs came out of training camp with an average age of 25.57, tied with the Packers for youngest in football. They started last year at 26.87. Because the Broncos were more flexible on the age issue, Wiegmann now starts at center for them instead of the Chiefs.

This is the main distinction between the two approaches. The Chiefs' goal was to get younger. They think this will make them better eventually, but it did not make them better immediately.

The Broncos' goal was to get better. Shanahan just liked a lot of his young players better than older players, and he didn't have as many veteran options because owner Pat Bowlen made a financial decision to quit spending so much money on older free agents.

When I asked Shanahan about this process of getting younger, he named nine young players off the top of his head who forced their way onto the 45-man game-day squad by ability and effort - Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris, Eddie Royal, Peyton Hillis, Spencer Larsen, Jack Williams, Wesley Woodyard, Brett Kern and Tyler Polumbus.

Edwards did not rattle off a list like that. Quite the contrary.

"You can't assume they know anything because a lot of times they don't," he said of his kiddie corps.

Gonzalez was blunt about his reaction to the Chiefs' housecleaning: "Back when they first started getting rid of all our veterans, I was like, 'This isn't what I signed up for. I just redid my contract and now you're getting rid of everybody.'

"Basically, the word was 'rebuilding,' and why would I want to be a part of something like that?"

To avoid alienating his veterans in this way, Shanahan holds fast to the principle that the best players win the jobs, regardless of demographics.

"What I always do, regardless of signing bonus, regardless of being a free agent, high draft choice, we are going to play the best players," Shanahan said. "And we've proved that consistently. Regardless of the signing bonus, regardless of the draft choice, we'll cut somebody. To me that's the only way you keep your credibility with your players - them knowing that the people that perform are the people that are going to play."

Striving to get better, the Broncos got younger. Striving to get younger, the Chiefs got worse. Even the fountain of youth, it turns out, should be taken in moderation.

Comments

  • September 24, 2008

    10:02 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    den2mke writes:

    Anyone who wants to get a good look at what rebuilding usually entails can take a gander at the Chiefs the last year or so. While suggesting Herm's an upper-echelon coach is a bit of a stretch, there are certainly worse candidates in the league--probably 1/2 the coaches currently occupying spots.

    But this is often what happens when aging contenders have to get younger. San Francisco, St. Louis, Miami, Dallas (pre-Parcells), Washington, have all been through the same. Very rarely does it happen that the rebuilding continues to produce competitive clubs.

    Other than the Broncos, you could probably only argue that Pittsburgh has accomplished similar rebuilding while remaining relatively competitive. Point is, for all Shanahan's 'mistakes' he has continued to field a competitive team. Time to stop the Shanahan-bashing. Who else would you rather have running this club?

  • September 25, 2008

    7:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    hdfresh writes:

    The only problem I ever really had with Shanahan was his conservative play calling. This year seems to be different though.

  • September 25, 2008

    8:52 a.m.

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    El_Braino writes:

    Shanahan hasn't called offensive plays for the past 9 years! Here's what Peter King had to say in his weekly MMQB article this week:

    Mike Shanahan hasn't called the offensive plays in Denver for nine years.

    Admit it: That surprises you. It stunned me when I learned about it Saturday in Denver. He gave it up after the Broncos started 0-4 in 1999. Gary Kubiak held the responsibility the longest, before becoming Houston's coach in 2006. Now it's up to 32-year-old quarterback coach Jeremy Bates, who calls the plays into quarterback Jay Cutler's headset, with Shanahan having the option to overrule him. He rarely does. Shanahan might make a play call or trump Bates' call two or three times a game.

    The game plan is a collaborative effort between offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who is responsible for run plays and protections, and Bates, who draws up the passes. Shanahan makes some suggestions during the week while the game plan is being formulated, but it's mostly a Dennison/Bates production. Dennison and Bates also come up with the "First 18,'' Denver's version of the old Bill Walsh "First 15,'' when the first 18 offensive snaps of the game are set in stone (except if a third-and-inches call, for instance, has to be made).

    Dennison and Bates figure out which run plays and pass plays will work best each week against the defense they're playing, then list them by down-and-distance, print them on a laminated play sheet, and call the plays from that sheet on game day. Bates makes the calls, a heavy responsibility for such a young coach. But it's a natural fit. Bates is the one meeting with Cutler all week and finding out what plays he thinks are the best fit for that week's opponent. It makes sense that the coach communicating with Cutler most one-on-one during the week is the one calling the plays into his helmet during games.

  • September 25, 2008

    9:06 a.m.

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    incognitoboy writes:

    well, of course, hdfresh! conservative play calling happens when the coach knows his players' strengths and weaknesses, and can't justify over-extending the game plan to try and compensate when he knows players won't be able to deliver. mike HATES to lose, remember? what do you think would have happened if he had put plummer in the position of "jake, we're going to send three WRs deep on every play and you need to stay in the pocket and hit one of them from a 3-step drop"? DISASTER! jake was good, don't get me wrong.... but that wasn't jake's strong suit. he was way better outside the pocket than in, and eventually everybody figured that out. it limited what shanahan could call. if you have a RB that's only good around the end and folds like a newspaper when you touch him (bell) why would a defense need to keep extra guys in the box? see what i mean? they know what they're going to see from us....

    versatility and sheer talent go a LONG way towards what a coach who's paying attention (mike) can do with the playbook, 'cuz he has the utmost confidence his guys are capable of pulling it off. we've got a QB with a rocket, WR's and TE's who will make you pay, and a stable of versatile backs to go with a line that can pass block with the best, and are pretty good run blockers as well. we haven't seen this combo for awhile in denver.

    i'm thinking we'll see some things as the season wears on that will make us all grab our collectives heads and scream "NO WAY!!! did you see THAT!! WOW!!!" oh, wait....we already have! i can't wait for more!!!

    GO BRONCOS!!
    [[[[[[[[incognitoboy]]]]]]]]

  • September 25, 2008

    9:32 a.m.

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    elgin99 writes:

    Holy cow, a Krieger story that was not anti Bronco!!!!!!!!!
    I guess when your undefeated you get one each season.

    Make no mistake this is Mike Shanahans offense. Watch him on the headset during games. Mike, Bates and Jedd Fisch work well as a team, however Shanahan gives all the credit to his coordinators because he is a class guy and wants to help forword there careers.

  • September 25, 2008

    1:01 p.m.

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    Cutlers_the_bomb writes:

    This is Shanahan's offense in exactly one way... He made the playbook (well, in a way, even though that, too, was a Bill Walsh thing, just a few changes, and why not when it works so well?). It's his playbook, and he has had it since he has been coaching John Elway and the rest of them. It's probably the EXACT same as it was then. He is on the headset to see how Bates is thinking in certain situations, not to just override. If you look closely, you hardly ever see him speaking into it anymore, as he probably is thinking that he would have called the same type of play. Every head coach has the headset on, it's just to listen in to his coordinators, to make sure they are on the same page, and only to change a call every now and then. However, he hasn't really overturned any decisions at all, and there is no surprise about Shanahan giving the credit to Bates and them, as he is a classy guy, and he also speaks his mind. He gives you the truth, even if it isn't the whole truth, it is the truth.
    I CAN'T WAIT until the New England game, because Denver should just destroy them, and I'm hoping that Bailey will shut down Randy Moss and Wes Welker, maybe getting a couple of INT's. Also, I'm expecting us to throw ALL DAY against their weak secondary, maybe having Cutler throw for 4 touchdowns or more.
    I want Denver to have the AFC West locked up by the time we play San Diego at San Diego at the end of the year, because that would be just incredibly sweet. Also, Cutler has the ability to be an All-Pro QB, as well Marshall becoming an All-Pro Receiver. If we get to the playoffs, don't be too shocked if we make it to the AFC Championship game, because we have more than enough talent to do it. I'm not saying Super Bowl because there MAY BE a defense capable of stopping us JUST ENOUGH; we are way too potent to be completely shut down.

  • September 25, 2008

    2:23 p.m.

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    Dynamicdave writes:

    Cutlers_the_bomb, I don't know of any D out there who is capable of shutting Denvers offense down. I'm sure a team can slow them down if the D is good enough, but as you said, we are toooo potent. I feel if our D can solidify a little more, we will be in good shape. I'm not even looking that far ahead, though, to the NE game. One game at a time, one game at a time....

  • September 25, 2008

    4:55 p.m.

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    GJrodburner writes:

    I'm all for us taking it to the other team, but to say we are so potent of an offense that no D out there can tough us out or even touch us leaves out the overriding derivitive of injuries. For this moment in the young season, and granted, we'll be a fourth of the way through it by Sundays end in K.C., injuries could force the team to come off of the pedal we now have jammed to the floor board of this souped up, road-blasting, top end behemoth we are all currently enjoying on this early season joy-ride.

    The last time we enjoyed this type of offensive momentum Elway was in his last season, and our first loss of the season didn't occur until that miracle by the gents out in the swamps of 'jersey. I don't find Jay to remind me of Elway per se; IMO I see a lot of Johnny Unitas in number 6. Mobility wise he does move in a pocket way better than 'ol hightops did, although Unitas could and did slide in the pocket extremely well until the N.F.L. title game against the Browns. Still, as the article pointed out, youth is being served...and I hope to see our "potent" offense put up the numbers even in dreadful Arrowhead.

  • September 25, 2008

    7:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Dynamicdave writes:

    GJrodburner, agreed, injuries are a "gimme" in the game of football, however, I never said that Denver can't be touched. I said that our offense is tooo potent to be stopped (completely). We might get "slowed down", but never "shut down". I still stand by that. Injuries can cripple any team (look at the Pats), but barring injury, we have too many weapons. What is even better, is that we will get Torain back in about 4 weeks. Let's hope he comes back in football shape and able to contribute. The KC team is just what our D ordered. Let's walk out of KC with a win and we will be looking great, 1/4 of the way through the season. We will be in the drivers seat. The Broncos just need to stay focused and not look ahead.

  • September 25, 2008

    10:54 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    GJrodburner writes:

    Mr. Torain is exactly what I'm waiting on in order for this offense to really hit it at one time. I want his elbow to be ready for the hits and crushing blows he'll be subjected to once he touches the ball. If what I heard out of camp this summer is true, then Torain is going to be in the same mold as T.D. This would put this team on par to play in any type of weather, against any type of team in said weather, and give us the absolute hammer needed to bust the toes off of an opponent when clock control is needed; during the regular season or in the play-offs.

    As of now, given how much the head coach has hacked me off in the past (not that he cares!!!) I would have to say the jury is still out for him as a judge of talent on the defensive portion of our team. Having said that, for some weird reason I think that this current defense may actually come together and gel into a decent unit. Hopefully that will occur around the same time that Torain comes back into the fold. That would put this team in position to deal with the A.F.C. in late November and all of December when winning takes on even more significance. Especially out in San Diago on December 28! It could be that Shanahan has found the same secret that Pittsburgh has used before: able to win, and to do it by being competitve while infusing youth back into a roster.

  • September 26, 2008

    2:04 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Adamtwo writes:

    Hey folks,
    Did you all forget the article you just read? It is a rebuilding year. Sure we are 3-0, but who have we played? Chargers are about the only play off bound time thus far. Let's not get drunk on our suds, we are only a young team and we will have some games where we will not believe we just got the wind kicked out of us.

    Rebuilding years are fun, but they're more unpredictable. Young players will make more mistakes...the key is to keep them long enough to make them excellent players. We have the makings of that, but let's enjoy the ride, but not forget we may end up crying in our beer sooner or later.

    Here's to the guys no longer with our team, but who gave it they're all while they were here. Broncos are good, but let's wait a couple of years before we start waving the Super Bowl banner.

    don't drink and drive....