ENGLEWOOD
Jake Butt Jersey , Colo. (AP) — All Vic Fangio ever wanted to do was teach kids and become a head high school football coach, and he figured he was on his way when his first job out of college was tutoring linebackers at his alma mater, Dunmore High School in Pennsylvania in 1979.Fangio proved too good for preps and quickly moved on to the pros, where he’s spent 34 years as an assistant.That includes 19 seasons as defensive coordinator, most recently for the Chicago Bears, where Khalil Mack lovingly labeled him an “evil genius ” just as Richard Sherman had tagged him a “stone-cold killer” during his year’s sabbatical at Stanford.On Thursday, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway introduced his 60-year-old rookie head coach by calling Fangio “the perfect fit and exactly what we need.”No, he’s not the young hotshot so many fans were pining for but a grizzled gridiron lifer Elway called the right man to modernize the teams’ admittedly antiquated schemes that have resulted in a three-year playoff drought since the franchise’s third Super Bowl win.“I know the game in the NFL is changing, but I believe the things that football is all about is what Vic Fangio’s all about,” said Elway, who bypassed young up-and-coming candidates Brian Flores and Zac Taylor in his search to replace Vance Joseph .“I believe football is still built from the ground up, and I think Vic is built from the ground up,” Elway said. “Now, what do I mean by that? Discipline. Accountability. He holds his team to high standards. Emphasis on teaching technique. Fundamentals. Blocking. Tackling.”Those remain the best building blocks in the NFL, Elway insisted, even in this age of fuzzy-faced coaches copping college concepts like the RPOs and jet-sweeps and running up scores.Acknowledging he saw some of his own father’s stern coaching traits in Fangio, Elway said he admired his new coach’s old-school philosophies about not cutting corners or tolerating tardiness, the little shortcuts that turn into tendencies that lead to a losing culture.“I promise you,” Fangio told Elway, “we will not kill ourselves by inches.”“I’m a fundamentals coach,” Fangio said. “I think the game of the NFL, everybody thinks has changed and it’s a high-scoring league, etc. But fundamentals are still what wins in this league. I’m going to stress those. We’re not going to cut any corners, there will be no death by inches.”That message resonated with his new players.“That death by inches thing was literally our season,” defensive lineman Shelby Harris said. “Little things add up and the little things lose you a game. The death by inches thing is as simple as you can be 6-10 or you can be 10-6.”Fangio is going from tutoring Mack to coaching Von Miller, who teamed with rookie Bradley Chubb to form the league’s top pass-rushing duo in 2018 with a combined 26½ sacks.“We’re going to try to take them both to bigger and better levels,” Fangio said. “I think Von Miller can play even better than he’s played in his career.”Miller was among the more than dozen players who attended Fangio’s introductory news conference and afterward posted a photo on social media of him meeting his new coach with the message, “I heard you loud and clear. Excited to have you lead us, Coach Fangio!”Fangio said he’ll call the defensive plays for Denver — after all, “They hired me because of my work on the defensive side of the ball,” he said.Former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, who stepped down for health reasons two years ago, is expected to run Denver’s offense in 2019 after serving a year as the team’s senior personnel adviser.“If Gary’s interested, then I’m interested,” Fangio said.As for his plan at quarterback, Fangio said, “Right now, Case Keenum is our quarterback.”“I’ve had the good fortune or misfortune — since I’m standing here, good fortune — of seeing him at the best in his career when he played for Minnesota last year, being in our division at the time,” Fangio said. “I know what he’s capable of and we’re going to try to get that out of him.”Denver’s fourth starting quarterback since Peyton Manning retired, Keenum was unimpressive in his first season of a two-year, $36 million deal. If the Broncos move on to a rookie such as Drew Lock or a veteran such as Joe Flacco, they would owe Keenum $7 million but save $11 million.Fangio said he didn’t need to do much prep work for his interview with Elway a day after the Bears’ stunning 16-15 wild-card loss to the Eagles on Sunday night. The loss ended an enchanting season in which Chicago led the league in overall defense and made the playoffs for the first time in eight years.“Once the game was over, I went back to my office after a few hours of mourning and put together something to present to John and his guys,” said Fangio
Brendan Langley Jersey , who is now the sixth-oldest coach in the NFL. “It was easy for me because I didn’t have to make a fancy presentation. I just took the stuff that I use daily and yearly. I didn’t have to work too hard to do that.“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s had a happy ending.”Or, rather, a beginning. John Elway not only got his (hopefully) QB of the future, but was able to add Dalton Risner on Denver’s offensive line." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteMile High Reporta Denver Broncos communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBroncosOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Broncos NewsBroncos 2019 Draft ClassBroncos PodcastsBroncos 2019 ScheduleKey Offseason DatesCommunity RulesFull ArchiveBroncos StoriesScheduleRosterStatsOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:NFL DraftMHR RadioDenver Broncos PodcastsJohn Elway and the Broncos killing the NFL Draft New,54commentsJohn Elway not only got his (hopefully) QB of the future, but was able to add Dalton Risner on Denver’s offensive line. John Elway and the Broncos killing the NFL Draft Day One of the NFL Draft was a mixed bag. Fans of the Denver Broncos loved the pick of tight end Noah Fant, but some were anxious and holding their breath over what would happen in Rounds Two and Three. It was the, “Really like the pick, but ...” I love the pick because of the matchup nightmare Fant poses. I think he could develop into a player in the mold of Shannon Sharpe — too big for defensive backs, too fast for linebackers. After Day Two, Broncos Country is way more giddy. Though right before the first selection in the second round, it seemed as if the pick had been traded. Only to find out John Elway had actually traded up to get the very next pick. To acquire that second-round pick (42nd overall) from the Cincinnati Bengals, the Broncos gave up 2-52, 4-125 and 6-182.With the first second-round pick, Elway filled a huge need with a stud (on and off the field) in Dalton Risner. The Kansas State product brings attitude and nastiness to Denver’s line, plus a work ethic new offensive line coach Mike Munchak will love. Risner is exactly what this line needs and at a position they need even more. Elway told Mike Klis that Risner will play guard to start out, but one of the other great aspects of Risner is his versatility. Next came the unexpected back-to-back second-round pick. Would it be cornerback Greedy Williams? Then we heard it from the lips of former Broncos linebacker Al Wilson: “Drew Lock, quarterback, Missouri.” Holy shit, Denver got him. A player Elway and Denver has been linked to since the Senior Bowl, and whom some thought would be the pick at No. 10, was the target for the trade up. However you feel about Lock, that is incredible value for Elway and the Broncos. Some had Lock ranked higher than Dwayne Haskins, who was taken in the first round. Make no mistake, Elway and Denver are still all-in on Joe Flacco, as I said after the Fant selection. Heck, even the pick of Risner backs that up. What the selection of Lock does is end the talk of Band-Aids and bridge quarterbacks. As Sam Farmsworth noted on Twitter, for the first time since Peyton Manning came to Denver, the Broncos have a plan at QB: try to win now with Flacco while training Lock for the future under the tutelage of a veteran.For those who say this just brings back the quarterback controversy, Elway shot it down quickly.As he told Klis: “No, because it’s not a competition. Joe Flacco is our starter. We know that Drew has a long way to go. But he’s a very talented young guy that wants to be great. It’s a great situation for him.’’ What I love about the Lock pick isn’t just the fact he’ll learn from Flacco or that he was a team captain for Missouri, but the drive he’ll have to prove people wrong and succeed. There really isn’t immediate pressure on him, either. Then there’s Lock’s confidence, and that’s always needed for a quarterback. For multiple reasons, I also love the Risner pick. If you have’t seen the feature on what he does off the field, here it is. On top of that, he’s a Broncos fan. So not only did Risner see his dream come true, he sees it happen with the team he loves. The combo of Risner and Munchack is almost too good to be true.After Day One of the Draft, there was a mixed-bag feeling. Denver fans liked the pick, but they were anxious over what Elway would do on Day Two. It was as if the fanbase was holding its collective breath.Now that we know, that anxiousness has been replaced with excitement, and we can all relax for a bit.Third-round selectionElway continued to have a strong draft with the selection of defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. As our Christopher Hart said, Jones is an explosive penetrator with a great get-off. Very disruptive. He had 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks last year for Ohio State. Hart added that Jones is a great pick!
ENGLEWOOD Jake Butt Jersey , Colo. (AP) — All Vic Fangio ever wanted to do was teach kids and become a head high school football coach, and he figured he was on his way when his first job out of college was tutoring linebackers at his alma mater, Dunmore High School in Pennsylvania in 1979.Fangio proved too good for preps and quickly moved on to the pros, where he’s spent 34 years as an assistant.That includes 19 seasons as defensive coordinator, most recently for the Chicago Bears, where Khalil Mack lovingly labeled him an “evil genius ” just as Richard Sherman had tagged him a “stone-cold killer” during his year’s sabbatical at Stanford.On Thursday, Denver Broncos general manager John Elway introduced his 60-year-old rookie head coach by calling Fangio “the perfect fit and exactly what we need.”No, he’s not the young hotshot so many fans were pining for but a grizzled gridiron lifer Elway called the right man to modernize the teams’ admittedly antiquated schemes that have resulted in a three-year playoff drought since the franchise’s third Super Bowl win.“I know the game in the NFL is changing, but I believe the things that football is all about is what Vic Fangio’s all about,” said Elway, who bypassed young up-and-coming candidates Brian Flores and Zac Taylor in his search to replace Vance Joseph .“I believe football is still built from the ground up, and I think Vic is built from the ground up,” Elway said. “Now, what do I mean by that? Discipline. Accountability. He holds his team to high standards. Emphasis on teaching technique. Fundamentals. Blocking. Tackling.”Those remain the best building blocks in the NFL, Elway insisted, even in this age of fuzzy-faced coaches copping college concepts like the RPOs and jet-sweeps and running up scores.Acknowledging he saw some of his own father’s stern coaching traits in Fangio, Elway said he admired his new coach’s old-school philosophies about not cutting corners or tolerating tardiness, the little shortcuts that turn into tendencies that lead to a losing culture.“I promise you,” Fangio told Elway, “we will not kill ourselves by inches.”“I’m a fundamentals coach,” Fangio said. “I think the game of the NFL, everybody thinks has changed and it’s a high-scoring league, etc. But fundamentals are still what wins in this league. I’m going to stress those. We’re not going to cut any corners, there will be no death by inches.”That message resonated with his new players.“That death by inches thing was literally our season,” defensive lineman Shelby Harris said. “Little things add up and the little things lose you a game. The death by inches thing is as simple as you can be 6-10 or you can be 10-6.”Fangio is going from tutoring Mack to coaching Von Miller, who teamed with rookie Bradley Chubb to form the league’s top pass-rushing duo in 2018 with a combined 26½ sacks.“We’re going to try to take them both to bigger and better levels,” Fangio said. “I think Von Miller can play even better than he’s played in his career.”Miller was among the more than dozen players who attended Fangio’s introductory news conference and afterward posted a photo on social media of him meeting his new coach with the message, “I heard you loud and clear. Excited to have you lead us, Coach Fangio!”Fangio said he’ll call the defensive plays for Denver — after all, “They hired me because of my work on the defensive side of the ball,” he said.Former Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, who stepped down for health reasons two years ago, is expected to run Denver’s offense in 2019 after serving a year as the team’s senior personnel adviser.“If Gary’s interested, then I’m interested,” Fangio said.As for his plan at quarterback, Fangio said, “Right now, Case Keenum is our quarterback.”“I’ve had the good fortune or misfortune — since I’m standing here, good fortune — of seeing him at the best in his career when he played for Minnesota last year, being in our division at the time,” Fangio said. “I know what he’s capable of and we’re going to try to get that out of him.”Denver’s fourth starting quarterback since Peyton Manning retired, Keenum was unimpressive in his first season of a two-year, $36 million deal. If the Broncos move on to a rookie such as Drew Lock or a veteran such as Joe Flacco, they would owe Keenum $7 million but save $11 million.Fangio said he didn’t need to do much prep work for his interview with Elway a day after the Bears’ stunning 16-15 wild-card loss to the Eagles on Sunday night. The loss ended an enchanting season in which Chicago led the league in overall defense and made the playoffs for the first time in eight years.“Once the game was over, I went back to my office after a few hours of mourning and put together something to present to John and his guys,” said Fangio Brendan Langley Jersey , who is now the sixth-oldest coach in the NFL. “It was easy for me because I didn’t have to make a fancy presentation. I just took the stuff that I use daily and yearly. I didn’t have to work too hard to do that.“It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s had a happy ending.”Or, rather, a beginning. John Elway not only got his (hopefully) QB of the future, but was able to add Dalton Risner on Denver’s offensive line." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteMile High Reporta Denver Broncos communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBroncosOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Broncos NewsBroncos 2019 Draft ClassBroncos PodcastsBroncos 2019 ScheduleKey Offseason DatesCommunity RulesFull ArchiveBroncos StoriesScheduleRosterStatsOdds Shop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:NFL DraftMHR RadioDenver Broncos PodcastsJohn Elway and the Broncos killing the NFL Draft New,54commentsJohn Elway not only got his (hopefully) QB of the future, but was able to add Dalton Risner on Denver’s offensive line. John Elway and the Broncos killing the NFL Draft Day One of the NFL Draft was a mixed bag. Fans of the Denver Broncos loved the pick of tight end Noah Fant, but some were anxious and holding their breath over what would happen in Rounds Two and Three. It was the, “Really like the pick, but ...” I love the pick because of the matchup nightmare Fant poses. I think he could develop into a player in the mold of Shannon Sharpe — too big for defensive backs, too fast for linebackers. After Day Two, Broncos Country is way more giddy. Though right before the first selection in the second round, it seemed as if the pick had been traded. Only to find out John Elway had actually traded up to get the very next pick. To acquire that second-round pick (42nd overall) from the Cincinnati Bengals, the Broncos gave up 2-52, 4-125 and 6-182.With the first second-round pick, Elway filled a huge need with a stud (on and off the field) in Dalton Risner. The Kansas State product brings attitude and nastiness to Denver’s line, plus a work ethic new offensive line coach Mike Munchak will love. Risner is exactly what this line needs and at a position they need even more. Elway told Mike Klis that Risner will play guard to start out, but one of the other great aspects of Risner is his versatility. Next came the unexpected back-to-back second-round pick. Would it be cornerback Greedy Williams? Then we heard it from the lips of former Broncos linebacker Al Wilson: “Drew Lock, quarterback, Missouri.” Holy shit, Denver got him. A player Elway and Denver has been linked to since the Senior Bowl, and whom some thought would be the pick at No. 10, was the target for the trade up. However you feel about Lock, that is incredible value for Elway and the Broncos. Some had Lock ranked higher than Dwayne Haskins, who was taken in the first round. Make no mistake, Elway and Denver are still all-in on Joe Flacco, as I said after the Fant selection. Heck, even the pick of Risner backs that up. What the selection of Lock does is end the talk of Band-Aids and bridge quarterbacks. As Sam Farmsworth noted on Twitter, for the first time since Peyton Manning came to Denver, the Broncos have a plan at QB: try to win now with Flacco while training Lock for the future under the tutelage of a veteran.For those who say this just brings back the quarterback controversy, Elway shot it down quickly.As he told Klis: “No, because it’s not a competition. Joe Flacco is our starter. We know that Drew has a long way to go. But he’s a very talented young guy that wants to be great. It’s a great situation for him.’’ What I love about the Lock pick isn’t just the fact he’ll learn from Flacco or that he was a team captain for Missouri, but the drive he’ll have to prove people wrong and succeed. There really isn’t immediate pressure on him, either. Then there’s Lock’s confidence, and that’s always needed for a quarterback. For multiple reasons, I also love the Risner pick. If you have’t seen the feature on what he does off the field, here it is. On top of that, he’s a Broncos fan. So not only did Risner see his dream come true, he sees it happen with the team he loves. The combo of Risner and Munchack is almost too good to be true.After Day One of the Draft, there was a mixed-bag feeling. Denver fans liked the pick, but they were anxious over what Elway would do on Day Two. It was as if the fanbase was holding its collective breath.Now that we know, that anxiousness has been replaced with excitement, and we can all relax for a bit.Third-round selectionElway continued to have a strong draft with the selection of defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. As our Christopher Hart said, Jones is an explosive penetrator with a great get-off. Very disruptive. He had 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks last year for Ohio State. Hart added that Jones is a great pick!