Brandon Marshall is becoming a lightning rod for attention, and in all the wrong ways. He demanded a preseason trade and was met with a resounding “no” from new head coach Josh McDaniels, who, already under fire after trading former “franchise” quarterback Jay Cutler, was not about to lose another Pro Bowl. So, naturally, Marshall threw a tantrum that would make any two-year old proud: he batted down passes during practice and punted footballs away from ball boys standing mere feet from him.

Everyone knows what happened next: McDaniels benched him. Eighteen weeks later he benched him again, this time from participating in a meaningful game, one that could have launched the Broncos to the postseason (had they received some help, which they didn’t).

Ignoring Marshall’s antics for the time being, consider what happened after Marshall was benched. The Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, a team they had beaten to a pulp, 44-13, just a few weeks before. But they didn’t just “lose.” They lost their fourth straight and the eighth of their final ten. They were embarrassed at home, 44-24, by a division rival. They had missed the postseason for the second consecutive season.

Imagine if Marshall had played. Kyle Orton threw three interceptions without his favorite target on the field. Seeing the Broncos without Marshall was like watching the 49ers without Terrell Owens or the Vikings without Randy Moss. It was pitiful, really. The offense was outscored 34-14 in the second half just four weeks after outscoring the same Chiefs 30-7 in the final two quarters. Jabar Gaffney put up some impressive numbers — 14 receptions for 213 yards — but Orton never found him in the endzone. Maybe because he’s two inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter than Marshall.

That’s what Marshall brings to the table: size, physicality, and a presence. He has 307 receptions the past three seasons — only Wes Welker has more. His 3,710 receiving yards is matched only by the elites at his position, players like Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, and Roddy White (in that order). He’s been selected to the past two Pro Bowls and proven he can adapt to any kind of quarterback; Jay Cutler was the gunslinger and Kyle Orton was the game manager, but both threw Marshall the rock over 100 times each season they took snaps from the center.

At the end of the day, Marshall is the most intriguing prospect this offseason. As a restricted free agent there are plenty of rumors suggesting the team will trade him for value in this year’s draft. (Perhaps with hopes of drafting the next star wide receiver.) Some of the teams are more likely than others to end up with Marshall when 2010 kicks off, but these are my favorites with my thoughts on each.

Most Likely: Washington Redskins

Daniel Snyder rivals Jerry Jones in his desire to win and his willingness to spend money to do it. He’s not as wise as Jones, but he loves throwing money at players. Besides, someone like Marshall would be perfect for Washington’s (*yawn*) offense. But remember: the guy who has the final say in getting Marshall is none other than ex-Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. He drafted Marshall and might not mind getting him again to kick off his renovation of the ‘Skins.

Certainly a Possibility: Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll is the new sheriff in Seattle, and he’s brought some big guns with him, all of whom were at one point or another in Denver: Alex Gibbs, who turned Terrell Davis into a 2,000 yard rusher, Jeremy Bates, and Jedd Fisch, who Marshall said, “had us prepared week in and week out. He’s a guy who got the best out of me, no matter what.”

Well, Maybe: Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco needs a young wide receiver with loads of talent and Marshall might be the player to deliver. Problems stem from this situation, best described by Carroll County Times writer Aaron Wilson (also of Pro Football Talk):

“As one of the final eight playoff teams, the Ravens would be unable to sign an unrestricted free agent until they lose one of their own unrestricted free agents. Plus, the team can’t sign that player for more money than the free agent it loses.

“The Ravens would be allowed to sign just one player with a salary of $4.925 million or higher. They would be allowed to sign players with a first-year compensation level of $3.2 million that can’t climb any more than 30 percent in the subsequent years.”

In other words, Marshall might be above their price ceiling.

At the End of the Day: Denver Broncos

Whether Broncos fans or Josh McDaniels want Marshall in the locker room days one through six is debatable, but one thing is certain: he is a force to be reckoned on with on Sundays. He’s a 100-reception, 1,000 yard guarantee, and someone the Broncos will find difficult to replace with one player. And, as we all witnessed during the season, Denver can use all the help it can get on offense until McDaniels and staff find their footing.

By now everyone knows Brandon Marshall’s name. The young and prolific wide receiver has gained substantial attention the past two seasons for good reasons: he’s big, athletic, and his numbers have been through the roof.

Lately, however, other antics have earned him scorn.

The most recent incident occurred during Wednesday’s practice when Marshall refused to show Josh McDaniels the least bit of respect. Marshall was caught on tape walking through drills while the rest of the team jogged, punting a ball away from a ball boy standing just feet away, and swatting down passes with both hands during receiver drills.

Denver’s wide receiver tried to explain that his actions weren’t his way of trying to get traded; they were just the result of a build up of emotions.

“I think everybody knows there’s a lot of stuff built up there, and me handling it that way wasn’t good,” Marshall told ESPN.

Marshall of course wants to be traded, and he’s doing what he thinks is best for himself. Unfortunately, his selfish acts aren’t drawing him any sympathy from either the media or his teammates. All it’s brought him so far is a preseason suspension, the ultimate slap on the wrist. It’s Josh McDaniels’ way of saying, “If you don’t straighten up soon you’ll really get it!”

The worst part of the situation is it isn’t getting him anywhere. He wants to be traded, but the Broncos are tired of giving in to upset Pro Bowlers. There’s no reason for Denver to trade him; the greatest punishment they can hand down is suspension after suspension, hanging on to his mere $2.2 million contract this season and let it expire afterwards. Let him test his free market value now that childish behavior is his calling card.

His only accomplishment this offseason is causing more detriment to his image, and in no way will that help him. He is neither remorseful nor apologetic, explaining the situation as one “blown out of proportion.”

“Some of it is blown out of proportion,” Marshall said in an interview broadcast on ESPN Thursday night. “It was an error in judgement. There was some frustration, but some of it was blown out of proportion.”

Video can be spliced together in such a way as to not show the whole picture, but explain to us, Brandon, what part of you punting a ball away from a ball boy was blown out of proportion? What part of walking while the rest of the team ran was blown out of proportion? How is video evidence of you swatting away a pass with both hands blowing the situation out of proportion?

Marshall has always been the subject of some criticism. Last season Jay Cutler was ridiculed by some for calling Marshall out after he injured himself while wrestling, evidently slipping on a McDonalds bag. It doesn’t seem fair to attack Cutler now, though. Marshall’s lack of maturity runs deep, his actions painting him as poor man’s T.O.

B.M. Maybe that’s how we should refer to him.

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P.S. If you want more reason to be a Marshall-hater, check out this article by Sports Data Hub’s own Kyle Smith. Then check out this article by the Football Scientist, KC Joyner. He describes Marshall as “overrated.” It’s a very interesting read.

Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall would have fit in nicely in the former Soviet Union with those enormous flags all over him. For fantasy football owners, selecting Marshall as your No. 1 wideout and using a high pick on him is a gamble not worth taking at this point. Let some other owner in your league suffer the potential consequences.

True, Marshall, at 6-foot-4 and more than 220 pounds, is a physical specimen with great talent. It’s also true that he’s produced 206 catches for 2,590 yards and 13 touchdowns over the last two seasons. But his actions are starting to seriously interfere with his potential. His off-the-field antics are well known, with a handful of arrests, but those were unrelated to football. His latest act is not.

Already upset that he hadn’t gotten a new contract or a trade as he requested, Marshall missed the team’s first preseason game because of a trial on a battery charge for which he was acquitted, but was soon angered after learning the Broncos told his teammates to celebrate that fact.

Then last week, Marshall didn’t play in the team’s second preseason game. Why, you ask? He didn’t know the playbook, which makes it kind of difficult to, you know, run the plays. The drama doesn’t end there, unfortunately. On Thursday, Marshall was held out of practice for his childish maneuvers during Wednesday’s practice. He punted a ball after a drill instead of simply handing it to a ball boy, decided to leisurely stroll while the rest of the team was running while warming up, and generally just acted immature.

Maybe Marshall is trying to force a trade, but that type of behavior doesn’t seem like the best way to do it. It’s kind of like when a kid is angry at his mom for making him clean his room, so he holds his breath until his face turns red and nearly passes out. It doesn’t do any good. Nor will this type of act help him get a new contract. Why would Denver want to pay tens of millions to a guy who can’t stop getting arrested and is apparently as mature as a seven-year-old?

Fantasy owners should be asking themselves the same thing (only about drafting him early, not the paying him millions part). This is a guy who at any point this season could be taken off the field, not to mention the fact that he’s running in a brand-new offense with Kyle Orton under center. There are just too many talented receivers available who are far less likely to fly off the handle.

UPDATE: Marshall has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason by head coach Josh McDaniels for his conduct. As if you needed even more reasons to pass on him in your drafts.

Quarterbacks (Teams: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and New York Jets)

All signs are pointing to Kyle Orton being the Denver Broncos week one starter at quarterback. Said Josh McDaniels a little over a week ago, “There are a lot of things that go into playing quarterback. Certainly [Orton] made a lot of mistakes tonight. But I haven’t lost faith in him and neither have our players.” Aside from that “I’ve got his back” quote, the latest on Chris Simms isn’t good. Phil’s son has a high ankle sprain and will reportedly be out 2-4 weeks, long enough to miss the entire preseason. Even if McDaniels was considering Simms as a plan B, the job appears to be Orton’s by default at this point.

Speaking of McDaniels and the Broncos, Denver’s head coach had this to say about facing the Chicago Cutlers Bears: “This game is another step in our process of getting ready for the regular season. If you try to make too much of the game or the opponent in the preseason, I think you are kind of missing the point. The point is it is an opportunity for us to go out there and improve, and that is what we are going to treat it as.”

Meanwhile, Jay Cutler had this to say about the Denver Broncos, Josh McDaniels, and Kyle Orton, per Arnie Stapleton of the Washington Post: “Cutler says in the brief time he spent with McDaniels he could tell the Bill Belichick disciple was an offensive mastermind. Cutler adds that the Broncos are in good hands with McDaniels and quarterback Kyle Orton.” Those words are somewhat kinder than his description of Broncos fans earlier this year: “In Denver we didn’t have many fans at all … Chicago’s like a six and Denver’s like a nine.”

But if you want to hear about a team other than Chicago or Denver, here’s a big bit of news from New York: Mark Sanchez is officially the week one starter. “I feel that the best move for our franchise and our team is to go with Mark as our quarterback,” said Rex Ryan. Ryan went on to say that he thinks “Mark gives us the best opportunity to win.” Sanchez is 6-of-12 for 131 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in two preseason games.

Running Backs (Teams: Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders)

Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron delivered some good news today concerning Fred Jackson, who we feared yesterday could have a more serious injury: “It was a wrist. It was pretty sore but we’re really happy with the outcome. It’s a sprained wrist. It was just too sore to practice today. I don’t know about tomorrow so we’ll see. But it was good news actually.” It’s certainly good news for fantasy players and Bills fans since Jackson won’t miss week one of the regular season, a game he is expected to start.

Gregg Rosenthal delivered this tip for fantasy players: get Darren McFadden. Per Rosenthal, McFadden is poised to be a “beast” for fantasy owners this year and is described as “a rich man’s Reggie Bush.” Take note, fantasy players.

Wide Receivers (Teams: Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos)

Second year wide receiver Devin Thomas of the Washington Redskins is watching his potential role as a starter crumble. According to a report from Jason Reid of the Washington Post, Thomas may be leapfrogged by second-round draft pick Malcolm Kelly for the starting spot and – this one is just speculation — seventh rounder Marco Mitchell. Both players have proven themselves to be playmakers in the Redskins offense while Thomas has disappointed. As last year’s first round draft pick he still holds some sway, especially over Mitchell, but he needs to pick up his game if he doesn’t want to be supplanted on the roster. Stay tuned to this story.

Brandon Marshall, who’d like to be wearing a different jersey at this point, was fully involved in Tuesday’s practice with the Denver Broncos. Whether he plays this weekend against Chicago is still unclear. Said Josh McDaniels, “We’ll find out as we go through the week. When the players are ready to play, they’ll play.” The bigger question at this point is whether Marshall will open the season number one on the depth chart. Eddie Royal has wowed the coaches and drawn a lot of comparisons to New England’s Wes Welker. Don’t be surprised if Royal passes the disgruntled receiver on the depth chart before the regular season debut.

This is part 3 of a four-part series detailing how scheme changes affect fantasy performance.  This excerpt focuses on the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.  Please also check out Part 1 and Part 2.

 Denver [HC: McDaniels (Patriots), OC: McCoy (Panthers)]

With Josh McDaniels now at the helm, he will attempt to replicate the system he ran while offensive coordinator of the Patriots.  With the additions made to the offense, along with the incumbent starters, the personnel looks very similar to the 2008 version of the New England Patriots.  Kyle Orton is similar to Matt Cassel in terms of reading coverage and spreading the ball around to all the receivers.  What he lacks is the ability to gain yards with his legs and what the Broncos lack is a consistent deep threat like Randy Moss.  Orton’s numbers should fall in between his 2008 production and Cassel’s 2008 production-something along the lines of 3200 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Randy Moss and Wes Welker roles in the Broncos offense will fall upon Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal, respectively.  Royal should be able to match Welker’s numbers across the board.  They’re the same size with the same skill level and have the same responsibilities in terms of where they line up and also in the return game.  Marshall, however, lacks the speed to be the vertical threat that Moss was for New England.  Marshall is a very good receiver but can’t just run by people like Moss can and I see that as leading to a decline in touchdowns when compared to Moss.  While he is still a must-start fantasy WR and will get you over 1000 yards, I don’t see Marshall getting double digit touchdowns after only netting 6 last year.  Because of that, if you are in a PPR league, I would draft Royal ahead of Marshall.  Their yards will be about the same and Marshall may get only 2 or 3 more touchdowns than Royal; but that differential doesn’t make up for the 20-30 more receptions that Royal will get.  Jabar Gaffney will resume his role as the flanker and put up his pedestrian 400 yards while TE Tony Scheffler, who was once a rising fantasy star, will take a back seat in this scheme as the wide receivers are the focal points.  He’s still worth a look in later rounds as is any starting TE on a pass-oriented team because of the many red zone opportunities.

As he did in NE, McDaniels will employ a running-back-by-committee spearheaded by a young back.  Knowshon Moreno will fill the Laurence Maroney-role and should lead the Broncos in carries, albeit it may not be more than 15 a game.  LaMont Jordan comes over from NE as the goal-line back and offers little fantasy value besides that.  One interesting development through training camp and the preseason will be to see who emerges as the 3rd-down back.  As Kevin Faulk proved last year, this is a very valuable role in this type of offense as he posted nearly 1000 total yards and 6 touchdowns.  A PPR scoring system further increases the value so watch closely to see if Correll Buckhalter is able to win this job from a slew of young Bronco running backs.

Seattle [HC: Mora (Seahawks), OC: Knapp (Raiders)]

These two will reprise the same positions they had when they were with the Falcons from 2004-2006.  Knapp is unquestionably a run-first coordinator as in his eight years as offensive coordinator for three franchises, his teams have finished in the top 10 in rushing all eight years.  His zone blocking scheme is a perfect fit for RB Julius Jones who can use his great acceleration skills to burst through a hole.  From looking at lots of mock drafts, I can see that Jones is being undervalued as his average position is somewhere in the 100s.  If Warrick Dunn at 31 was able to run for over 1100 yards, then 28-year-old Julius Jones should get to at least 1000.  The only knock on him is the lack of touchdowns as the goal line back role will fall to T.J. Duckett.  He has had that role throughout his career and remains one of the best at fulfilling it.  He could be had at the end of the draft for a cheap source of touchdowns.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was hurt for most of last year and ineffective when he did play.  That means he will also be undervalued by many fantasy owners but you should not be “that guy” that drafts him four rounds too early thinking you would outsmart everyone.  Besides his health, another thing to monitor during preseason is how he adjusts to the new offense.  He had played in the West Coast Offense his entire career so he’ll have to make some amendments to his game in terms of playcalling, new receiver routes, and audibles.  According to Coach Mora, the Seahawks will use some shotgun this season so we still may get some of the Matt Hasselbeck of old.  But with the age, injuries, and offensive transition, I would be cautious in drafting Hasselbeck.  He’s no longer a fantasy starter so it may be best to grab him in the later rounds as your backup QB.

Has there ever been a more overrated receiver (fantasy-wise) than Deion Branch?  He’s always getting hurt, never has reached 1000 yards in a season, and doesn’t score many touchdowns.  I would not even draft Branch until he proves he can do at least one of those three.  Nate Burleson is also coming off an injury and will be either a #2 or #3 receiver in a run-dominated offense so I would also wait for him to prove that he’s healthy before inserting him into my starting lineup.  The two receivers worth starting each week are WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and TE John Carlson.  T.J. is like a bigger version of Wes Welker or Eddie Royal-lots of receptions, around 1000 yards, and a low yards-per-reception average.  But T.J. has the size that allows him to be a better red zone option than the other two.  He will make a solid fantasy WR2 with the ability to be a WR1 in PPR leagues.  Since drops don’t result in negative fantasy points, John Carlson is worthy to be a starting TE on your fantasy team.  However, don’t expect to see an increase in production over last year as the offense will limit his opportunities.  He is now the second receiving option in the red zone so he likely won’t match his five touchdowns from last year.  Nevertheless, he will still catch upwards of 50 passes and approach 600 yards which is good enough to be a top-12 fantasy TE.

Tight ends are an interesting bunch of fantasy football players. They’re arguably the hardest to predict, outside of kickers and perhaps defenses, especially when you consider how inconsistent they can play throughout the course of a season.

But as the game has changed and philosophies adjusted with the times, the tight end position has evolved. Tight ends are faster than ever before, and if they can’t catch, they might as well move to the offensive line.

Tony Scheffler is one of these evolved players, a tight end who excels more as a receiver than a blocker. He’s fast, athletic, and he can catch better than some wide receivers, all of which might add up to make him even more valuable this season in Josh McDaniels’ new offense.

McDaniels isn’t known for making use of tight ends. In New England they weren’t often used as receivers, instead blocking for the most part. Because the Broncos have a better blocker in Daniel Graham, a former New Englander, Scheffler’s value is up in the air.

In practice this offseason Scheffler has been limited to playing opposite Graham in two tight end sets. That’s the role he played under Mike Shanahan, which may bode well for him when you consider he’s finished the past two seasons (29 games) with a combined 89 receptions for 1,194 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Of course it’s hard to project for a tight end under a new regime, especially when the coach is known for rarely using them as receivers. Scheffler will no doubt play a role in the offense and should finish with at least 35-40 receptions, but the bigger question is what he’ll average per catch next season. In 2008 he was picking up a stunning 16.1 yards per reception, but the season before he averaged just 11.2 yards. While an offensive coordinator in New England, McDaniels’ tight ends averaged around 11 yards per reception.

On the other hand, in 2006, McDaniels’ first season as the team’s offensive coordinator, tight end Ben Watson finished the season with 49 receptions and averaged 13.1 yards per reception. Who’s to say he won’t use Scheffler in a similar vein?

As for touchdowns, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kyle Orton locked on to Scheffler and Graham in the red zone. Furthermore, if wide receiver Brandon Marshall happens to be traded as requested, Josh McDaniels may have no choice but to use the tight ends, especially Scheffler who is clearly the better receiver.

Interesting to consider is whether McDaniels will use Scheffler outside his usual role as a tight end at times this season. Scheffler draws parallels to Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark in build and athleticism. Seeing him play a hybrid role similar to Clark would be interesting, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the team used him there at different points during the course of the season.

Expect Scheffler to finish 2009 with around 45 receptions for 585 yards and 6 touchdowns. Those numbers could be enough to make Scheffler a top ten tight end and certainly a fantasy starter.

Second place in the AFC West has never been so disappointing.

After one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory, one that ended with the Denver Broncos losing three games down the stretch - any one of which would have guaranteed them the division crown - the franchise fired its coach of the past 14 seasons, Mike Shanahan. Shanny had guided the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories, but the last was nearly a decade ago. Since then the team has won once in the postseason and has missed far too often.

While it’s difficult to imagine someone other than Shanahan pacing the sideline, it will be refreshing to see someone with Josh McDaniels’ background: eight seasons with the New England Patriots, most of which were spent mentoring Tom Brady and Matt Cassel. He’s also brought in a new defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, formerly the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, who is preparing to flip the team’s philosophy on its ear: he’s already announced a switch to a 3-4 defense. On a similar note, the Broncos have also hired Wayne Nunnely away from the Chargers in what can only be described as a masterful coup.

Fans have been itching to see improvement on defense and after last season, they’ll certainly take anything they can get. The new coaching staff will no doubt work towards accomplishing that as a primary goal, but it’s going to take some significant offseason work, too. The Broncos lost a number of starters to injuries last season, and the defensive line hasn’t been solid in years.

But for the Broncos to see significant improvement it’s going to take more than a few fresh faces on the sideline and a major philisophical switch; it’s going to take dedication from the players and, obviously, some fresh faces on the field. To that end, here are some key areas where the Broncos could use some improvement.

1. Defensive Line - To make a 3-4 defense work, it’s essential to have a lot of bulk on the defensive line since the first line of the defense is smaller. It’s also very imortant to have a dominant nose tackle who draws the attention of two offensive lineman, while still keeping the middle of the field off limits to any hopeful running backs. Unfortunately, the Broncos lack both bulk and talent on the line. Marcus Thomas and Kenny Peterson started for the team in 2008 and neither is particularly big; Thomas is 30 pounds heavier, but he doesn’t have dominant traits. And as for both bookends? It’s not looking good. Denver absolutely must devote attention to the line if it hopes to have success.

2. Linebacker - It would be great to see the Broncos add some depth and get another quality starter at the linebacker position this offseason. As with the defensive line, the Broncos don’t have enough great talent here. D.J. Williams is a great linebacker and Boss Bailey can be dominant, but the team doesn’t have depth to compensate for injuries.

3. Running Back - Yes, it’s true the Broncos dealt with a remarkable number of injuries at the running back position last season, but that’s not the only reason the unit failed so miserably. The team doesn’t have a true every-down back and shuffling between Peyton Hillis and Selvin Young is a temporary fix, at best. Besides, Hillis probably won’t be ready to start week one after his season ending ACL tear.

4. Safety - Marlon McCree will probably be let go in free agency and Josh Barrett isn’t a very solid option at the free safety position. Depth is quite limited after those two, so it makes sense to assume the Broncos will make the safety position a priority this offseason.

A lot of fans I talk to, and more than a few of the media elite, seem to criticize the Broncos hiring an offensive coordinator to replace Mike Shanahan. The argument seems to go something like this: the Broncos don’t need more offense - their defense was the problem last season.

Okay, fair enough; the Broncos defense was awful last season (and the season before), but hiring Josh McDaniels doesn’t mean it won’t get better. Too often we look at who a team hires as a head coach and assume his background will inevitably lead to an offensive- or defensive-oriented team. Not true. It’s his assistants who will make the significant difference on both sides of the ball.

Consider the past seven seasons in Tampa Bay. Jon Gruden was an offensive assistant before he was hired to coach the Oakland Raiders and everyone assumed he knew little about defense. But look at how good the Bucs’ defense was under his watch: it ranked in the top ten in scoring in six of seven seasons. Why? Because Monte Kiffin is a darn good defensive coordinator, and he knew how to coach a successful defense.

Or look at the Philadelphia Eagles. Andy Reid was the Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach before he was hired to head the Eagles. He quickly made Jim Johnson defensive coordinator, and the Eagles have been solid on defense since. His blitz packages are reputable enough to rank him among the best coordinators in the league.

Or if you need more proof the background of a head coach isn’t too important, consider rookie head coach John Harbaugh. He was a special teams coach in Philadelphia for seven seasons before Andy Reid changed his title to defensive backs coach, intending to boost his resume. Has it hurt the Ravens he was a special teams coach? Not at all. Again, he surrounded himself with a bright cast of coordinators: Cam Cameron has done a fine job on offense and Rex Ryan continues to amaze as the defense’s mad genius.

A head coach may call the plays on offense if he wants extra control, but he isn’t the key reason a team has a great offense or great defense. A head coach motivates his team and keeps his players’ mindsets settled. He works with his staff to develop the gameplan, but it isn’t all on his shoulders. One could argue his assistants compose the critical component separating his team from the rest of the NFL.

In Denver, McDaniels has already taken steps to ensure his staff will be ready to turn the Broncos around. He brought in Mike Nolan, the Baltimore Ravens former defensive coordinator, to head the defense and retained Rick Dennison, Denver’s former offensive line coach, as the offensive coordinator. McDaniels, who last coached a guy named Tom Brady, will be working closely with talented quarterback Jay Cutler and has spent the last seven years learning from one of the best to ever coach in the NFL, Bill Belichick.

Don’t worry, Denver fans; McDaniels was a great pick to lead the Broncos. And don’t be surprised if the defense sees immediate improvement as early as 2009. (Just be sure to thank Norv Turner and the other assistants, too.)