Q: With all the buzz about the Buffalo Bills considering hiring Mike Shanahan as their head coach, I'm wondering this: When Shanahan does get a new coaching job, how many of the current Denver assistants will he try to take with him?
A: Robert, on the Bills job in general, given the fact Bills owner Ralph Wilson never paid a head coach more than $1 million a year until he hired Dick Jauron, it would be difficult to believe Wilson would now suddenly jump to the front of the line as far as coaching salaries.
He did recently receive a windfall of $78 million or so with a deal to play some of the team's home games in nearby Toronto, but Wilson has also publicly railed against the wild spending of his ownership brethren over the years. And he's consistently said he cannot spend like some other teams because Buffalo is not a large-market franchise.
So, while the Broncos will cover some of the cost over the next two seasons for Shanahan's next team because Shanahan is still under contract for 2010 and 2011 for about $7 million a year, it will take more than a two-year deal to get Shanahan. The team that signs him is going to have to be ready to pony up big on a five- or six-year deal, not only in the contract, but in the day-to-day operations of the team and player salaries as well.
It would seem the reports of Shanahan's back-channel contact with the Bills are more likely part of an effort to get his name out there, in the mix, possibly to even spur another team into action, rather than any genuine interest in getting the Bills job. The Commanders and Cowboys are the two most prominent teams that folks in the league say have contacted Shanahan in some way.
All of that said, there aren't many holdovers from Shanahan's last staff who are still with the Broncos.
Running backs coach Bobby Turner, offensive line coach Rick Dennison, special-teams assistant Keith Burns and strength and conditioning coach Rich Tuten were retained by Josh McDaniels, but the remainder of the Shanahan assistants were let go.
All have worked with Shanahan for a long time and all could be possibilities to go to Shanahan's new team at some point, if for some reason they wanted to leave Denver or contract situations could be worked out.
If an assistant coach is under contract and his team doesn't want him to leave, he can't go to a new job. An assistant coach under contract couldn't even formally talk to another team without that team getting permission, in writing, from the Broncos.
Many of the other assistant coaches from Shanahan's staff were paid for this season because they were still under contract for at least 2009 and did not work for other teams. Defensive coordinator Bob Slowik, associate head coach Steve Watson, tight ends coach Pat McPherson, defensive line coach Jacob Burney and linebackers coach Jim Ryan were among those who were not hired by an NFL team this year.
Special-teams coach Scott O'Brien went to the Patriots, defensive line coach Bill Johnson went to the Saints and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates went to USC as the Trojans' offensive coordinator.
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