DMN Blog: One big reason Mike Shanahan wouldn't fit in Dallas

[WoodysGirl]

9:50 AM Wed, Dec 31, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips

Brian "Crash" Davis isn't the only member of the media who believes hiring Mike Shanahan would make sense for the Cowboys.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen mentioned the possibility on this morning's SportsCenter, citing Jerry Jones' relationship with the ex-Broncos coach. Yahoo.com's Jason Cole listed five good reasons Shanahan would be a good fit at Valley Ranch.

One big reason Shanahan isn't the right coach for the Cowboys: An offensive line that averages almost 330 pounds per man.

John Elway wasn't the key to Shanahan's Super Bowl teams. It was the Broncos' dominant rushing attack, which relied on undersized (by NFL standards), quick linemen who excelled in Denver's zone-blocking scheme.

The Broncos got rid of Montrae Holland because he was too big. Once he learned the Cowboys' scheme (and before he needed a protective boot), Holland fit right in with the bunch of maulers at Valley Ranch.

The Cowboys have committed big money to their four behemoths, singing LT Flozell Adams (6-7, 340), C Andre Gurode (6-4, 318), RG Leonard Davis (6-6, 353) and RT Marc Colombo (6-8, 318) to contracts that run through at least 2012. Why hire a coach who wouldn't want those guys?



http://www.***BANNED-URL***/images/ice3/icons/blog.gif Comments (8) Leave comment | http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail entry

 

[wileedog]

Why hire a coach who wouldn't want those guys?

Because they were so bad this year Tony Romo probably has a good case for Assault & Battery on every one of them?

 

[HighTechDave]

9:50 AM Wed, Dec 31, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg News tips

Brian "Crash" Davis isn't the only member of the media who believes hiring Mike Shanahan would make sense for the Cowboys.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen mentioned the possibility on this morning's SportsCenter, citing Jerry Jones' relationship with the ex-Broncos coach. Yahoo.com's Jason Cole listed five good reasons Shanahan would be a good fit at Valley Ranch.

One big reason Shanahan isn't the right coach for the Cowboys: An offensive line that averages almost 330 pounds per man.

John Elway wasn't the key to Shanahan's Super Bowl teams. It was the Broncos' dominant rushing attack, which relied on undersized (by NFL standards), quick linemen who excelled in Denver's zone-blocking scheme.

The Broncos got rid of Montrae Holland because he was too big. Once he learned the Cowboys' scheme (and before he needed a protective boot), Holland fit right in with the bunch of maulers at Valley Ranch.

The Cowboys have committed big money to their four behemoths, singing LT Flozell Adams (6-7, 340), C Andre Gurode (6-4, 318), RG Leonard Davis (6-6, 353) and RT Marc Colombo (6-8, 318) to contracts that run through at least 2012. Why hire a coach who wouldn't want those guys?



http://www.***BANNED-URL***/images/ice3/icons/blog.gif Comments (8) Leave comment | http://www.***BANNED-URL***/blogs/images/email-icon.jpg E-mail entry

Great post.. never thought about that, but does make sense

 

[khiladi]

Any attempts to get Mike Shanahan on this team are flat-out stupid. He hasn't done jack squat since Elway retired. His team collapsed at the end of the year and the defense was horrible. The offensive line doesn't fit his scheme and Shanahan would require a total overhaul of the offensive line. Jerry just resigned Columbo and Flozell Adams, and also got a keeper in Holland, who was released by the very same Broncos and Shanahan.

The most this team needs is a legitimate OC or somebody to actually tutor Garrett while he is on the job. Hopefully, Detroit will force the issue by taking Garrett.

 

[bootsy]

Any attempts to get Mike Shanahan on this team are flat-out stupid. He hasn't done jack squat since Elway retired. His team collapsed at the end of the year and the defense was horrible. The offensive line doesn't fit his scheme and Shanahan would require a total overhaul of the offensive line. Jerry just resigned Columbo and Flozell Adams, and also got a keeper in Holland, who was released by the very same Broncos and Shanahan.

The most this team needs is a legitimate OC or somebody to actually tutor Garrett while he is on the job. Hopefully, Detroit will force the issue by taking Garrett.

Yes because we all know Wade HAS done jack squat for the past 30 years.

 

[LRcowboy Fan]

Okay, so lets keep a guy that is ruining the team, that has never won a playoff game, and that is a push-over who has no control over anyone.

 

[khiladi]

Yes because we all know Wade HAS done jack squat for the past 30 years.

Shanahan has had how many years in Denver, with total control, to implement what he wanted? Wade has never had that much time to implement his own philosophy.

I'll wait another year to make my judgement on Wade. I know when he took over this defense, it imporved dramatically, which is what he was brought in for. The offense is what collapsed, and Wade has little control over it, as attested to by the fact that Garrett was named Assistant Head Coach, along with OC and was hired before Wade even came on board.

But even then, whether Wade sucks or not is irrelevant to the fact that Shanahn is not a good fit here. It would set this team back totally.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The Broncos got rid of Montrae Holland because he was too big. Once he learned the Cowboys' scheme (and before he needed a protective boot), Holland fit right in with the bunch of maulers at Valley Ranch.

Wrong.

They did not get rid of him because he was big, they got rid of him because he was OVER his playing weight by a great deal because he had packed the pounds on during the offseason.

What he fails to mention is that same guy that was too big was the same guy they had signed and played the season prior to that.

Not disputing the other stuff in the article but that part was wrong. If he was too big to work in Shanahan's offense, they would have never signed him to begin with and he would have never started.

 

[DFWJC]

Good point. He has a unique and very different OL philosphy. That alone would make it a tough fit.

However, I once heard he liked that scheme in Denver b/c at that altitude it became a huge advantage (with lgihter, faster guys having more endurance than the giant and often fatter lineman). Not sure if it's true.

 

[bootsy]

Shanahan has had how many years in Denver, with total control, to implement what he wanted? Wade has never had that much time to implement his own philosophy.

I'll wait another year to make my judgement on Wade. I know when he took over this defense, it imporved dramatically, which is what he was brought in for. The offense is what collapsed, and Wade has little control over it, as attested to by the fact that Garrett was named Assistant Head Coach, along with OC and was hired before Wade even came on board.

But even then, whether Wade sucks or not is irrelevant to the fact that Shanahn is not a good fit here. It would set this team back totally.

Wade has had plenty of chances and time to implement his philosophy from Denver to Buffalo to Dallas and has failed and regressed everywhere he has been. True he didn't coach the offense but when you are HEAD COACH you need to make sure that side of the ball is on point. When the offense struggled he let it continue to fail when he should have been more of a leader. He is a nice man but he is a wimpy coach who the players don't respect at all. The practice habits under Wade are terrible and that leads to leading the league in penalties, turning the ball over, bickering and fighting in the lockerroom and to the media. This will not happen with Shanahan.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Yeah I think he would work with that offensive line... That's not a concern.

 

[SibannacRex]

John Elway wasn't the key to Shanahan's Super Bowl teams. It was the Broncos' dominant rushing attack, which relied on undersized (by NFL standards), quick linemen who excelled in Denver's zone-blocking scheme.

This lacks logic. If it wasn't Elway (or T Davis), then why has Shanahan not been successfully since they both retired? If it was the blocking scheme, then why hasn't he been able to win with that great blocking scheme over the past three years?

Fact of the matter is that he won because of Elway, T Davis AND the blocking scheme. This article lacks validity.

 

[WG5516]

Any attempts to get Mike Shanahan on this team are flat-out stupid. He hasn't done jack squat since Elway retired. His team collapsed at the end of the year and the defense was horrible. The offensive line doesn't fit his scheme and Shanahan would require a total overhaul of the offensive line. Jerry just resigned Columbo and Flozell Adams, and also got a keeper in Holland, who was released by the very same Broncos and Shanahan.

The most this team needs is a legitimate OC or somebody to actually tutor Garrett while he is on the job. Hopefully, Detroit will force the issue by taking Garrett.

I agree with you. Some of you need to shut up with this Madden style of wanting to change players & coaches at the drop of a dime. It's stupid. We have good coaches on this team, they just need to do their damn jobs.

 

[2much2soon]

Yes, we all know coaches can't come in and run a team with a different philosophy.

For example a 3-4 coach couldn't come in and take a 4-3 team to the playoffs his first year after that team was 5-11 for three straight prior years.

Things like this just don't happen and are completely out of the realm of possibility.

Its not worth trying even if the new coach is the disciplinarian the team desperately needs.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Again, Bill Parcells changed the entire defensive scheme.

It would be extremely foolish to not hire a coach you think could be successful soley because of what the CURRENT roster looks like.

You have to think big picture and long term.

It seems like we need to start doing something about the Offensive Line, so this would be a good time to bring in Mike Shanahan.

Now, if you disagree with his basic philosophies, that is one thing, but just because the current group of players don't fit his scheme, that is questionable.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I understand the notion that he wouldn't fit with what he normally likes in his O-Line but something tells me Mike is the kind of coach who is adaptable and he'd find a way to make a mauling, punishing, offensive line work to his teams advantage as well.

 

[cowboys2233]

This lacks logic. If it wasn't Elway (or T Davis), then why has Shanahan not been successfully since they both retired? If it was the blocking scheme, then why hasn't he been able to win with that great blocking scheme over the past three years?

Fact of the matter is that he won because of Elway, T Davis AND the blocking scheme. This article lacks validity.

Yes, but it was mostly driven by the offensive line. Not just the scheme mind you, but because that crew was one of the most talented the NFL has ever seen. When you've got lightweights like friggin' Olandis Gary and Mike Andersen running for 1500+ yards, you know that offensive line is humming.

Unfortunately, they wasted this line's final good years because they were never able to find an adequate replacement for Elway and their great running back Davis was injured and never able to return to form. This is not necessarily surprising, look how long it has taken us to return to respectibility after losing much of the talent from those great early to mid-nineties teams. It happens.

 

[DoomsDayII]

I know when he took over this defense, it imporved dramatically, which is what he was brought in for.

why did it take a 5-4 start for wade to make adjustments? our defense was getting torched and he did nothing. He let brian stewart run his scared soft scheme and didn't make any adjustments until the season was at a peril. That was his biggest mistake IMO. You give young coaches who are learning a leash...when they struggle, you step in and guide it or take over and wade didn't do that until it was almost too late. He FINALLY had the defense playing well but they didn't show up the last two games of the year when it counted.

i was really for keeping wade for continuity and especially because the defense made such a turn around but shanahan (now i don't know but did he run the zone scheme every place he's been?) is what this team needs...a no nonsense guy. if he has and can run an offense without the zone scheme he would be perfect. wade can either take a demotion to DC (like crennel is offering) or we can go after romeo, mangini, capers....

at least we'd run if shanahan was here. i can't stand this scared approach JG takes to running. we have a huge OL with maulers that weight 330+ lbs and we run shotgun draws or throw screen passes to WRs on short yardage situations. show me some smash mouth football and run behind AG/LD/MC.

 

[LRcowboy Fan]

We have good coaches on this team, they just need to do their damn jobs.

That is the problem. They aren't doing their jobs and they aren't going to start any time soon.

 

[khiladi]

Again, Bill Parcells changed the entire defensive scheme.

It would be extremely foolish to not hire a coach you think could be successful soley because of what the CURRENT roster looks like.

You have to think big picture and long term.

It seems like we need to start doing something about the Offensive Line, so this would be a good time to bring in Mike Shanahan.

Now, if you disagree with his basic philosophies, that is one thing, but just because the current group of players don't fit his scheme, that is questionable.

And we drafted players during the time of Parcells and Wade to fit that 3-4 scheme. With Parcells, we were expecting an overhaul of the roster with the changes in the scheme. Are we going to overhaul the roster again?