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The Denver Broncos are beginning to put the Josh McDaniels era behind them, hosting a press conference yesterday with interim head coach Eric Studesville and Joe Ellis, the team’s chief operating officer. The pair talked about bringing honor back to the franchise, implying that the implosion of McDaniels severely tarnished the team. “[Team owner Pat] Bowlen recognizes, I recognize, and everybody in our organization recognizes that we have a lot of work to do to restore the integrity of our organization and the trust that the fans have in our organization,” Ellis says (via The Denver Post). Studesville will have four games to show what he can do as head coach, but not many people really think he’ll be selected as a permanent replacement.
The Associated Press notes that whoever gets the nod as the next head coach probably won’t have as much power as McDaniels and former coach Mike Shanahan had, which included coaching and player acquisition/drafting responsibilities. In a separate article, the Post lists possible general managers, including the men involved with rebuilding the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos need to pick a strong general manager who has more power than the head coach, and once they settle on someone, stick with him, writes ESPN.
Still, some people believe the Broncos have made a mistake. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King says McDaniels deserved to go, but fans “misunderstood” him, and he’ll likely go on to be a good head coach.