Not long after the Broncos hired John Fox as the team’s head coach, he announced his belief that the “cupboard wasn’t bare” on the roster as the team set out its plan for the future.
Executive vice president of football operations John Elway has echoed those sentiments on several occasions.
Whether it’s true remains to be seen when the regular season unfolds, but one thing is clear: This regime doesn’t want too many players from the last regime in the cupboard anymore.
Just look at the rundown thus far:
The team dabbled with the idea of bringing Bannan back once free agency opened but was offering just a one-year deal, so he looked elsewhere.
Hill, Gaffney and Buckhalter all received similar four-year deals when they originally signed with the team, and all four contracts, given the players’ age or injury histories, raised some eyebrows around the league.
Some of McDaniels’ draft picks will be fighting for their jobs in the coming weeks, including tight end Richard Quinn, a second-rounder in 2009, and cornerback Perrish Cox, a fifth-rounder in 2010 who is facing sexual assault charges.
Last season’s 4-12 finish was a significant indictment on what the Broncos have done in their personnel matters over the last two years. And there is a very real sense at the Broncos’ complex that many of the team’s biggest impact players on the field — defensive end Elvis Dumervil, guard Chris Kuper, cornerback Champ Bailey, left tackle Ryan Clady and wide receiver Eddie Royal — are still acquisitions made in either the draft or free agency in Mike Shanahan’s tenure as head coach.
Clearly, many of the players brought in over the last two years do not factor in the team’s future.
All the proof you need is to see who has stayed so far and who has been asked to go.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
