Kiszla: Drew Lock Or Kyler Murray? Unshackled from Gary Kubiak's
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Kiszla: Drew Lock or Kyler Murray? Unshackled from Gary Kubiak’s outdated offense, possibilities endless for Broncos’ quarterback of future. By Mark Kiszla Denver Post Jan. 13, 2019 Now, the Denver Broncos’ quarterback of the future can be anybody. Well, it can be anybody except Case Keenum, now that Gary Kubiak won’t be the offensive coordinator. At long last, the Denver offense can join the NFL revolution. The Broncos can get on with the business of firing back at division rivals Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City and Philip Rivers in Los Angeles. By embracing a modern offensive technology, the Broncos’ next QB can be Missouri’s Drew Lock, who at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds looks like your grandfather’s idea of a field general. Or, if the Broncos want to get wild and crazy, it could be Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, who’s built more like an NBA point guard. Welcome to the future, Broncos. I think you’re going to like it. What went down during the past 72 hours at Dove Valley headquarters seemed a little bizarre, because the team decided against what everyone in Broncos Country had assumed was a foregone conclusion. Newsflash: Kubiak won’t run the offense for new coach Vic Fangio. And that’s a very good thing, unless you enjoyed snoozing on the sofa when a nap-inducing offense averaged 21.5 points per game during the two seasons Kubiak served as Denver’s head coach. While putting the kibosh on Kubiak was a stunning development, maybe the real news is Fangio has been empowered more than Vance Joseph ever was as coach. Although I never was sold on the idea of Kubiak returning as offensive coordinator, it did make sense to me to have him on the field to school young players in the fundamentals and serve as a sounding board for Fangio, a first-time head coach at age 60. During his first day on the job in Denver, however, Fangio told us all: “If I have to lean on (my assistants) more than a few times, then I’m in trouble.” In our best Scooby Doo voices, maybe all of us should have reacted to that warning from Fangio by saying: Rut ro. Fangio is his own guy. He didn’t need Kubiak to tell him how to win football games. The way Denver played to win Super Bowl 50? Well, the Broncos still believe in a strong defense. But their offense will no longer be stuck in the ’90s. Kubiak won’t be getting his band back together, and we no longer have to listen to “All the Small Things” by Blink-182 on a continuous loop. Elway still loves Kubiak like a brother. But Elway loves winning more. The last three seasons, which have seen Denver fail to qualify for a playoff game, much less win one, gnaw at Elway’s gut. What’s more, I can say with certainty the most iconic sports figure in Colorado history not only hears the criticism, it irritates Elway. In fact, the losses and the bashing might irritate Elway so much he’s willing to re-evaluate how the Broncos conduct their football business, from offensive schemes to talent evaluation. How much is Elway willing to change in order to win? He refused to draft Russell Wilson in 2012, because the quarterback was too short. Does this mean Elway would now consider Murray in this year’s draft, or further embrace an offensive revolution by taking a strong look at Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 draft? Only time will tell. But I do know Elway definitely loves Kubiak like a football brother. They arrived in Denver together as rookies way back in 1983, roomed together as Broncos teammates and won Super Bowl 50 together as middle-aged guys who had seen it all in this crazy game. On the football field, however, I’m quite certain Elway is ultimately loyal to only one thing: winning. Maybe that’s why he grinds so hard on coaches. And that’s why Kubiak wasn’t going to install an offense as dull and dated as a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass in training camp, just because he was Elway’s longtime buddy. Kubiak is a man who intensely values and faithfully practices loyalty, a rare and admirable trait in the dog- eat-dog business of football. But he also can be stubborn to a fault and slow to embrace what’s next. And the last thing the Denver offense needed was to be stuck in second gear on the slow Sunday drives favored by Kubiak and sidekick Rick Dennison. Elway not only listened to his new coach, he let Fangio do his thing. If Elway had insisted on Kubiak being the offensive coordinator, the Broncos would have been doomed to repeat the mistakes of their recent past. Now, the Broncos can get on with the business of finding their quarterback of the future. Kickin’ it with Kiz: Phillip Lindsay is da bomb. But were voters drunk on Orange Kool-Aid to name him state’s pro athlete of year? By Mark Kiszla Denver Post Jan. 13, 2019 Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay deserves to be Colorado’s pro athlete of the year, for being an underdog out of high school to being an underdog leaving CU, when he was not even invited to the NFL combine prior to the draft. After being disrespected, Lindsay has come so far, it’s hard to overlook. G.M., Colorado proud Kiz: We all love Lindsay. He’s a remarkable athlete and an inspiring story. But when the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame decided Lindsay was the professional athlete of the year, were the voters drunk on Orange Kool-Aid? Yes, this is a Broncos town. But there are at least three obvious reasons Lindsay was not the top pro athlete in our fine state during the past 12 months: 1) Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who was a bona fide MVP candidate; 2) Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, and 3) the most dominating pro athlete in 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin. Oh, yeah. We forgot to mention Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland. Serious question: As an Olympian, is Shiffrin categorized as a professional athlete? Ron, former Marine Kiz: Here are fun facts to tell friends who might still be living in the 1960s or a cave. Shiffrin earned $738,000 in prize money last season as the world’s No 1 skier. The NFL paid Lindsay $488,000. Oorah! Could you help me understand how letting DJ LeMahieu go makes sense for the Rockies? I’m still unclear on that … unless it frees up money to sign third baseman Nolan Arenado to a long-term contract. Danny, Denver Kiz: LeMahieu is a righteous dude. Slick glove. Smart bat. Awesome teammate. In Colorado, DJ will be missed by many, both great (Rockies skipper Bud Black) and small (me). But it was time for LeMahieu to go. Unless you’re the New York Yankees, and print money, a major-league roster has got to churn. Why pay LaMahieu $12 million a year into his 30s, when the Rockies have young players who can do 80 percent of what DJ did at a fraction of the cost? The majority of the Avalanche’s core is a bunch of 18- to 22-year-old players. Of course, this is taking time for them to grow. Did everyone think they would be championship contenders after one good season? Marc, loves hockey, eh? Kiz: After a recent public spat on the team bench, coach Jared Bednar and MacKinnon have bro-kissed and made up. They’re all good. But the team? Not so much. If the Avs don’t get their act together, they’re going to miss the NHL playoffs. Is it too much to expect meaningful progress from the young core? Joe Sakic still has a way to go before proving he can build anything close to a championship contender. And today’s parting shot is fired in defense of the direction the Broncos are taking under the guidance of general manager John Elway, whose first five years on the job were outstanding. Kiz, I’m honestly confused with what you are saying, like you are scared you will jinx the Broncos if you say something good or get excited. Braxton, Pocatello, Idaho John Elway’s new Broncos coach, Vic Fangio, is a “man of few words, except when you get him mad” By Sean Keeler Denver Post Jan. 13, 2019 Even before this week, a little piece of Vic Fangio’s heart had been wedged into the Rampart Range for decades. Tony Fangio, the older brother of the Broncos’ new coach by five years and the second-oldest of the four sons of Victor and Alice Fangio, moved here in 1978. “I know what it was like when John Elway retired,” Tony, 65, told The Post from his home in Colorado Springs. “And I know what it was like when Peyton Manning retired.” Groovy. But does Vic know? A pause. “I think he knows more about this town,” big brother replied, “than people give him credit for.” Say what you will — and you will — about Vic Fangio, the man does his homework. And the more you do the same on the cat to whom Elway just tossed the keys, the more it becomes clear why Broncos fell hard for the 60-year-old NFL lifer who had never been a head coach until last week. “I’ve never seen a harder-working man than him,” Tony said of his little brother.