Free Fallin'

The Denver Broncos are fading faster than the Rocky Mountain News. And like the historic Denver newspaper, the actions of upper management -- whether directly or indirectly -- have led to their subsequent downfall.

This offseason the Broncos have fired their legendary head coach, upset their franchise quarterback to the point of no return, and signed a handful of highly-paid veterans that are on the wrong side of thirty.

It's absolutely a matter of a opinion, but I wouldn't have fired Mike Shanahan. I know the numbers suggested mediocrity, but would you want to be the guy that dumped a future Hall-of-Famer?

I'm aware that the Broncos were a combined 24-24 over the last three seasons (none of which produced playoff berths), but Shanahan's Broncos have been .500 or better in eight of the last nine years. That consistency rivals the likes of Belichick, Dungy, Holmgren, and Reid. And Mike Shanahan has won more Super Bowls than three of those four.

At the same time, it's hard to ignore (among other things) the Broncos' defensive woes. This unit has been among the worst in the league for two seasons. And considering that Mike Shanahan -- an offensive-minded coach -- is one of the few head coaches to also play the role of GM, he certainly deserves some of the blame on that side of the ball.

The Shanahan firing opened the door for Josh McDaniels, a Bill Belichick product. He's brought with him a new attitude, a different offense, a 3-4 defense, and a blueprint for success. But only time will tell whether or not this was the right hire.

One thing's for sure: McDaniels has been as busy as our new president in his first 50 days on the job. He quickly hired his staff, took a pro-active approach to free agency, and has tried his best to clean up the Jay Cutler saga.

Unfortunately for McDaniels and the Broncos, Cutler's feelings have been hurt and now they're forced to trade the face of their franchise. First it was an option, now it's a must.

I can empathize with both sides of this dispute: McDaniels was interested in Matt Cassel, a player he knows well, that he's groomed. And understandably so, Cutler felt betrayed. Sure, McDaniels shouldn't have covered his tracks with a lie (or two) - but Cutler shouldn't be so bitter. This is a business. But then again, part of me wonders when loyalty went out the window...

As for that shoddy defense I was talking about, the Broncos are changing schemes and shaking up their starting lineup. There's no doubt that change is needed, but I don't see this unit improving a whole lot from last year.

As much as I love speedy defensive end Elvis Dumervil, his size (5'11", 260) could be a detriment in the Broncos new system. A 3-4 demands that ends take on multiple blockers. I don't see how he'll be able to do that. He may be better suited at outside linebacker. Just a thought.

And while the defensive line looks to be a huge question mark for the Broncos, their secondary may be in even worse shape. The good news: three of last year's starters are gone from a unit that ranked near the bottom of every statistical category. The bad news: all three of the new guys are thirty-plus. And the best of the bunch is long-time Eagle Brian Dawkins. Now that's saying something.

Is all hope lost in Denver? Of course not. But if McDaniels can't find a way to turn this messy Cutler situation into something positive, the Broncos may have a tough year ahead of them. Or should I say, years?

The Ultimatum

Donovan McNabb is the greatest signal-caller in Eagles history. Despite many injuries, he's been a part of more wins than any quarterback back in Philadelphia. But we knew that much already. What we don't know is when his stellar career will end.

For now, McNabb wants to be in Philadelphia. And as far as the organization goes, Philadelphia wants the same. In fact, both sides have been working towards a contract extension this offseason. The aging quarterback has asked only one thing of his franchise: that they go after offensive weapons this offseason.

Unfortunately, Andy Reid has only signed one such weapon so far. And considering he -- Leonard Weaver is the name -- plays fullback, I don't know how much of a weapon he'll be. Wide receiver is probably the greatest need on offense, but the free agent pool lacks a top-flight wideout. The same can be said at tight end. And although RBBC (running back by committee) is a proven philosophy, the best free agent backs still want high-paying, full-time gigs. So where does that leave contract negotiations with McNabb, and more importantly, his desire to return? Only time will tell.

Beside the Weaver signing, Stacy Andrews (brother of Eagles right guard Shawn Andrews) is the only addition to the offense. And like Weaver, he won't be lining up at wideout this fall either. On a positive note, the Eagles new right tackle is a contract or two younger and demands much less money than his predecessor, Jon Runyan. And while Stacy Andrews is only months removed from ACL surgery, Runyan is attempting to come back from microfracture surgery on one of his knees. When you combine his age with the fact that microfracture surgery is a hit-or-miss procedure, the Eagles appear to be making the right move.

But Runyan isn't the only tenured Eagle to leave town. Brian Dawkins is gone. Tra Thomas is gone. Correll Buckhalter is gone. L.J. Smith is gone. And that's okay. None of them are superstars. But the idea is to improve. The Eagles don't have to only replace these guys, they need to upgrade.

To their credit, the current regime has had a lot of success over the last decade because they constantly re-evaluate their talent. When a player makes more than their worth, the organization knows when to part ways. It's like any other investment: the longer you hold onto something that's losing value, the less you'll have down the road. I just hope they find some good places to re-invest before next season. For our sake, for Donovan's sake.