Look at all the Free Agents making plays for the Broncos

[yetisnowman]

Maybe they thought a Unicorn would make a perfect TE.

However, we do not need to speculate about the plan. They were already cap compressed (that was the genesis of the Dumerville issue) and Decker had such a monster year that the press was talking about how he was playing himself out of Denver during the season unless he took a hometown discount. Everyone knew before the end of the season that they couldn't afford all their FAs and Decker was one of the most expensive by year's end. They didn't need to chase because they knew he was gone.

The contract tells you all you need to know about their relative value.

Now Sanders has been good. And their pro personnel dept and Elway deserve credit for choosing him. But the Broncos offense has not been the same. Its not all Decker, but even terrible basketball teams have a 20 point per game player.

The point is, as Patler has been saying, that not all UFA signings are upgrades. And sometimes street FA signings work out just as well.

Ok that's the point. Got ut. Well I agree. It doesn't always work out this way. The point is it can. And a lot of recent champions have had significant contributions from fa signings. And a lot of us feel TT is so married to the draft/develop/resign/sign an impact free agent every 7 years model that at times it could hold us back.

[Bretsky]

If Aaron Rodgers retires and we're Ron Wolf's fart in the wind I wonder if members in here will look back and question is TT should have shot for the moon once or twice

[denverYooper]

The focus on Elway's FA moves is burying the lead story here. The story where Elway's coaches got him to the big game then he made a regime change anyways. The FA moves are a symptom of that single bold decision to bring in Kubiak and Phillips who in turn brought brought in their respective toys (Daniels, Ware) as usually happens with a regime change.

There is no reason for the Packers to make such moves with the continuity of MM and Capers. They handpicked their pieces over the course of years. The real question we should be asking is would we benefit from a bold regime change like Denver did?

Many on the Fox Broncos staff were headed out the door at that point anyway. JDR had spent the week before their loss to the Colts trying to get the Raiders job. Adam Gase as well was trying to land his own promotion elsewhere. Even John Fox was rumored to be interested in the Bears job before the game. There was a lot of concern that the staff just mailed it in for that loss to the Colts.

Word is that Fox was given the opportunity to stay with certain conditions but did not want to do so. His relationship with Elway had been going south and he wanted to get out

It wasn't really a matter of Elway just making a regime change because he felt that was needed. The staff had wandered and winnowed and had grown tired of working under Elway.

[Patler]

If Aaron Rodgers retires and we're Ron Wolf's fart in the wind I wonder if members in here will look back and question is TT should have shot for the moon once or twice

Funny thing is, Ron Wolf didn't do much in the FA market after the SB win either. I have argued Wolf didn't really accomplish a lot after the SB; so I guess I would argue the same about TT if they don't make another run.

[pbmax]

Many on the Fox Broncos staff were headed out the door at that point anyway. JDR had spent the week before their loss to the Colts trying to get the Raiders job. Adam Gase as well was trying to land his own promotion elsewhere. Even John Fox was rumored to be interested in the Bears job before the game. There was a lot of concern that the staff just mailed it in for that loss to the Colts.

Word is that Fox was given the opportunity to stay with certain conditions but did not want to do so. His relationship with Elway had been going south and he wanted to get out

It wasn't really a matter of Elway just making a regime change because he felt that was needed. The staff had wandered and winnowed and had grown tired of working under Elway.

Gase and Del Rio were up for advancement though, did Fox start hunting for a job before the rumors started that Elway wanted to do something else?

I can see Elway saying that without Gase and Del Rio that he wasn't all in on for Fox the following year.

[denverYooper]

Gase and Del Rio were up for advancement though, did Fox start hunting for a job before the rumors started that Elway wanted to do something else?

I can see Elway saying that without Gase and Del Rio that he wasn't all in on for Fox the following year.

There was a bizarre Glazer report before the Colts playoff game that Fox could become available for one of the open positions if the Broncos lost. That report came out prior to the game, which was strange timing, and came off smelling like Fox (or Elway) leaked something. The main point was that Fox ended up out because he and Elway didn't get along anymore.

Gase ended as Fox's OC in Chicago last year so I don't know how likely it is that he wouldn't have stayed with Fox in Denver. I do think it was a surprise that he didn't get his HC shot a year earlier.

[pbmax]

There was a bizarre Glazer report before the Colts playoff game that Fox could become available for one of the open positions if the Broncos lost. That report came out prior to the game, which was strange timing, and came off smelling like Fox (or Elway) leaked something. The main point was that Fox ended up out because he and Elway didn't get along anymore.

Gase ended as Fox's OC in Chicago last year so I don't know how likely it is that he wouldn't have stayed with Fox in Denver. I do think it was a surprise that he didn't get his HC shot a year earlier.

Gase spent a long time chasing the 49er job and then they put conditions on it he didn't like and apparently felt he couldn't accept.

I do remember that Glazer report that the coach of a successful team might be open to leaving. I just have this vague sense that there was trouble before that. But I do not remember specifics. I do know most people thought Gase was gone after the two years he put together with Manning.