Broncos fire GM

EvilMonkey · 03-12-2008, 08:29 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3290462

Broncos GM Ted Sundquist was just fired. Kinda surprised about the timing of it. Why wait til the middle of the off-season if something was wrong?? Curious to other's thoughts on this and if anything knows more than what this article has.

TimD · 03-12-2008, 08:31 PM

Right before the draft? Kinda weird. You expect this stuff before the off season. Maybe now we can get a D-Rob for picks or Foxworth trade..

Thunder&Lightning · 03-12-2008, 08:33 PM

Dont know much about him but they had to have had a very good reason to make this move since its such a bad time of the year. Middle of FA and almost the draft...

Bengals1690 · 03-12-2008, 08:35 PM

Am i mistaken in thinking that Mike Shanahan makes all the draft picks?

Prowler · 03-12-2008, 08:39 PM

i don't know much about the broncos, but from the outside...they have a qb of the future, always set at rb, great secondary...not their fault that they play the colts every year in the playoffs. they had one down year last year but were 7-9, pretty much won the games they should have, and had two players die before the season. rough year. Millen stays but yet Sundquist goes...

imprint3454 · 03-12-2008, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler

...Millen stays but yet Sundquist goes...

That's what makes the NFL so interesting isn't it?

TimD · 03-12-2008, 08:43 PM

Via Jets Discussion Thread

Quote:

"Apparently, NFL Radio’s Solomon Wilcotts is reporting that the Jets and Broncos are back around the negotiation table, working “feverishly” to try and hammer out a deal for Dewayne Robertson."

Interesting.

eaglesalltheway · 03-12-2008, 08:53 PM

Don't know much about the guy or the team, but I am shocked by the timing.

toonsterwu · 03-12-2008, 08:54 PM

My honest guess is simple - my guess is that Shanny wanted something and managed to get Sundquist fired. Just a guess, nothing to base it on. Sundquist was the final scapegoat there. If Shanny can't turn things around, he might be gone sooner than later. Make or break time. I can see a D.Rob deal happening now - that feels very much like a Shanny move and they do have that extra 4th to play with.

BaLLiN · 03-12-2008, 08:57 PM

Lets hope this doesn't screw them over as far as the draft goes.

BroadwayJoe10 · 03-12-2008, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toonsterwu

My honest guess is simple - my guess is that Shanny wanted something and managed to get Sundquist fired. Just a guess, nothing to base it on. Sundquist was the final scapegoat there. If Shanny can't turn things around, he might be gone sooner than later. Make or break time. I can see a D.Rob deal happening now - that feels very much like a Shanny move and they do have that extra 4th to play with.

That's right, i forgot they had the extra 4th. That seems like a logical reason for him being fired, it'll be interesting to see the broncos' official word on it.

Dam8610 · 03-12-2008, 09:14 PM

Shanahan has been GM before, I'm sure he can do it on a temporary basis for the draft, though I don't want that if I'm a Broncos fan.

Jensen · 03-12-2008, 09:20 PM

His name reminds me of Sunkist.

bored of education · 03-12-2008, 09:35 PM

This could get interesting!

San Diego Chicken · 03-12-2008, 09:36 PM

This Sundquist guy is just the fall guy. Shanahan has complete control over the personnel desisions, has for years. In fact it was probably Shanahan who fired his "GM".

andyjo672 · 03-12-2008, 09:38 PM

For some reason I just get the feeling GMs make less of a difference in football than they do in baseball, especially with regards to talent evaluation and acquisition, so I don't know how big of a deal this is with the time of year thing.

I could be completely wrong though...

jaffe28 · 03-12-2008, 09:42 PM

He's been the GM forever. Shanny makes the final decisions but they've always credited Sundquist as being an integral part of the process. The Broncos are my team and I keep up pretty well. There were no rumblings about this. Something weird had to happen because the timing is ridiculous.

Honestly, I hope this doesn't turn into a trade with the Jets. I'd just as soon keep the extra 4th and Foxworth and pick up another DT in the draft.

03-12-2008, 09:46 PM

Mike Shanahan is basically the GM. This is a token firing in my opinion. It is to show the fans they are making a change since Shanahan cannot be fired or at least wont be.

Dam8610 · 03-12-2008, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyjo672

For some reason I just get the feeling GMs make less of a difference in football than they do in baseball, especially with regards to talent evaluation and acquisition, so I don't know how big of a deal this is with the time of year thing.

I could be completely wrong though...

You're definitely wrong there. The Colts and Patriots wouldn't be half the teams they are today without Bill Polian and Scott Pioli respectively. Polian was the one who made the Manning over Leaf decision, and has put 2-3 (if not more) starters on the field from just about every draft since he came to Indianapolis. Scott Pioli has done just about the same for the Patriots. Without those GMs (or "VP of Personnel" in Pioli's case) finding the late round scheme fits that wind up being gems for their teams, they'd both fluctuate year in and out like most NFL teams.

Dam8610 · 03-12-2008, 10:01 PM

Another great example of this is the Browns turning it around under Phil Savage after years upon years of toiling away in mediocrity. If all the moves he's made this offseason work out, he should be executive of the year.

jaffe28 · 03-12-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20yardline

Mike Shanahan is basically the GM. This is a token firing in my opinion. It is to show the fans they are making a change since Shanahan cannot be fired or at least wont be.

That would only make sense if there was a huge outcry from the fans to fire Shanahan or someone else. There hasn't been. Opinions are split on whether or not the Broncos should be more involved in free agency or if this slow approach is better, but there hasn't been any outpouring of anger that would demand a scapegoat at this point in time. The bloodletting already happened with the firing of the D Coordinator right after the season.

Number 10 · 03-12-2008, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowler

i don't know much about the broncos, but from the outside...they have a qb of the future, always set at rb, great secondary...not their fault that they play the colts every year in the playoffs. they had one down year last year but were 7-9, pretty much won the games they should have, and had two players die before the season. rough year. Millen stays but yet Sundquist goes...

You are forgetting about the 2 most important aspects of football.

Offensive and Defensive lines...both of which suck in Denver which is why they are up and down.

bored of education · 03-12-2008, 10:18 PM

hi njx, where have you been!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T-RICH49 · 03-12-2008, 10:19 PM

hey he's back :)

Diehard · 03-12-2008, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njx9

and no. no broncos fan in their right mind lays most of (or really, even much of) the blame at sundquists's feet. but let's not act like the broncos just suffered some major loss.

Exactly. Shanahan has the final say on pretty much all personnel decisions. Sundquist was completely expendable.

It will be interesting to see who they bring in the fill the GM role. If they promote from within, well, then Shanahan remains totally in the driver's seat. However, if they bring in someone established from outside the organization, then I think the writing will be on the wall for Shanahan. He's not the kind of guy who would accept having his decision-making authority reduced...

Anyway, the timing is just bizarre. If I had to guess, I'd hazard that the powers-that-be got pissed off that no progress had been made on improving the DL...