As Jim Harbaugh nearly turned into the Brett Favre of coaching before finally accepting the head coach position with the San Francisco 49ers, the one question at the top of Broncos fans minds is still nowhere near close to being answered:

WHO WILL THE BRONCOS HEAD COACH BE IN 2011?

Former offensive line coach Rick Dennison (R) of the Denver Broncos talks with offensive guard Chris Kuper #73 of the Broncos as they face the San Diego Chargers during NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High on November 22, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

So far, we have seen Harbaugh’s hat thrown in and then out of the ring, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey cancel his interview, and then interim coach Eric Studesville and Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell schedule interviews for Sunday.

That’s not exactly what I would call a stellar group to choose from.

Still, there is hope. Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway has made it known that he prefers someone who either has previous head coaching experience in the NFL or is an ‘up and coming’ assistant and/or coordinator.

Fewell served as interim head coach for the Bills last season and Studesville coached the final four games for the Broncos this year.  Neither one really turned heads in their audition periods and both don’t seem likely to get the job in the end.

Thus, I submit two names for Elway’s approval.  One he coincidentally mentioned today that he would talk to and another that I really think Elway SHOULD talk to.

Those names are Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh

Remove another candidate from the Denver Broncos head coaching search.

The Broncos’ interest in Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh has cooled, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post, citing an NFL source. Harbaugh, who is in high-demand this offseason, apparently didn’t reciprocate interest in Denver and is thought to be outside the Broncos’ willing price range anyway.

John Elway, the Broncos’ new football operations boss, did let Harbaugh know earlier in the week that he was interested. But the Stanford coach seemed to show only backburner interest in the Broncos as he met first with the San Francisco 49ers, then the Miami Dolphins and Stanford officials.

Why the lack of interest from Harbaugh though? It strikes us as very odd that a college coach who supposedly wants to get back into the NFL wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to interview with the Denver Broncos. Is it the new man in charge, Elway? Does it have to do with Brian Xanders or Joe Ellis?

It seems more likely to us that the 49ers and Dolphins interviews were solely used as leverage to up his contract in Stanford. Maybe Harbaugh isn’t interested in the NFL at all.

Either way, with Mike Mularkey canceling his Broncos interview, the Broncos’ head coach candidate list is suddenly paper thin. The Broncos will interview Perry Fewell and Eric Studesville this weekend.

Broncos’ interest in Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh has cooled [Denver Post]

As Jon alerted us earlier today, Tim Tebow’s documentary “Everything in Between” had its’ first airing on ESPN tonight.  The short one hour film gave us a behind the scenes look of everything Timothy Tebow, from his post game rounds at last year’s Sugar Bowl up until the moment he was drafted by our beloved Denver Broncos.

I was late getting home tonight after a long commute from the northern half of  Colorado.  (But anytime I get to pass by Mile High it’s a great day)  Just finished my delayed showing via DVR.  I’m really curious what everyone thought.  I’ll be sharing my impressions and welcome all of our readers to do the same in the comments.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Quarterback Andrew Luck and head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Stanford Cardinal celebrate with the trophy on stage after Stanford won 40-12 against the Virginai Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium on January 3, 2011 in Miami, Florida. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has opted to return for his fourth year at the university in lieu of declaring himself eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft, Stanford announced Thursday. Had he entered the draft, consensus is Luck would have been a Top 3 pick, if not the top overall selection.

This means the Denver Broncos, who draft 2nd overall in the draft, can eliminate one prospect from its list of draft candidates. It also increases the already-strong likelihood the team would move forward with someone in-house at quarterback in 2011 — either Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow.

Furthermore, it eliminates Luck from the Carolina Panthers‘ draft board (who draft first), which means they’ll be drafting elsewhere as well.

Bottom line: now one less (defensive) player the Broncos really want might not be available when the Commish announces Denver is on the clock in April.

Mike Mularkey (Getty Images)

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has canceled his interview for the Denver Broncos head coach opening scheduled for Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Per the report, Mularkey has elected to concentrate on the Falcons’ playoff game next week but would still be interested in interviewing if the position is still open after the Falcons’ season ends. More from Schefter–

Mularkey still will go through with his previously scheduled interview Saturday with the Cleveland Browns, but he is doing that because they called first and he feels a certain sense of obligation, according to the source.

Mularkey still wants to be a head coach, and would interview with Denver later if it still had its opening after the Falcons’ season ended, according to the source. But for now, he wants to keep as much of his focus as possible on the Falcons’ upcoming playoff game and doesn’t want to have to prepare for coaching interviews on back-to-back days.

Broncos executive V.P. John Elway made the following statement via Twitter: “I respect the decision that Mike Mularkey has made to not interview with the Broncos at this time. I wish Coach Mularkey and the Atlanta Falcons the best of luck in the playoffs.”

The Broncos are scheduled to interview with Perry Fewell on Sunday and Eric Studesville on Monday.

Source: Mike Mularkey interview off [ESPN]

The documentary that has had all of Broncos Country and Gator Nation in great anticipation will air on ESPN tonight at 5 p.m. (MST). Done by Fiction Films, Tim Tebow: Everything in Between has drawn great reviews and is expected to rank high in TV ratings.

Below is a teaser that has been out since September.

Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, left, shakes hands with Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, right, during an NFL football news conference at the team's headquarters, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, in Englewood, Colo., where Elway was named the team's executive vice president of football operations. (AP Photo/ Ed Andrieski)

If you missed the hour-plus-long press conference newly appointed Denver Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway delivered to a throng of media and reporters Wednesday afternoon, you missed a real doozie. And a franchise-changing event.

The curtains are coming down at Dove Valley. Transparency is clearly the new modus operandi.

“I know what I don’t know,” Elway said. “And I’m going to hire to what I don’t know.”

Here are the quick hits:  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

As Vice President of Football Operations, John Elway will head up the Denver Broncos' head coaching search. (AP Photo/Barry Gutierrez)

With John Elway officially under the fold, the search for the 14th head coach of the Denver Broncos can begin*.

The Broncos have already officially announced interviews for two candidates: Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who will interview in Atlanta on Friday, and current interim Broncos coach Eric Studesville, who will interview next week.  Mularkey will be the first to interview in part because he is only available this week as his Falcons enjoy a first round bye in the playoffs.

In addition to the official interview list, the Broncos are interested in the following candidates, reports The Denver Post’s Woody Paige: Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Former Stanford and NFL player John Elway stands on the sideline as Stanford and Virginia Tech met in the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl NCAA football game in Miami, January 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Hans Deryk)

The Denver Broncos released the following statement this morning, officially announcing the hiring of John Elway as Vice President of Football Operations and the promotion of COO Joe Ellis to Team President. … The management structure is in place, Brian Xanders will return as GM, so now, it’s time to find a coach.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos on Wednesday named two-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway as Executive Vice President of Football Operations and appointed Joe Ellis as President, Broncos Owner and Chief Executive Officer Pat Bowlen announced.

“John Elway’s leadership, competitiveness and passion for the Denver Broncos will position this team for long-term success through his work leading our football operations,” Bowlen said. “John has won championships as both a player and executive, and his experience will be a valuable addition to this franchise. He is the perfect fit for this role, and I am excited to welcome him back to the Denver Broncos.”  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Kyle Orton needs a team that can carry him to the playoffs, not vice versa. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

According to the Denver Post’s Mike Klis, the Broncos are looking to deal quarterback Kyle Orton for a 2nd round draft pick.  There is certainly no shortage of teams in the league that are looking for a solid quarterback, so Orton should draw a lot of interest.

The following teams may pursue him, listed in order of how good of a fit I think Orton would be on that team.

Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings and Orton were made for each other.  The Vikings have a solid rushing attack and plenty of capable receivers.  With Brett Favre scheduled to retire then come back then retire again, the Vikings have no answer at quarterback other than Joe Webb.  A game manager like Kyle could be just what the Vikings need to get back into the playoffs.

Arizona Cardinals. — The retirement of Kurt Warner had a devastating effect on the Cardinals passing attack, which ranked 2nd to worst in the NFL in 2010.  A veteran quarterback like Orton could prove to be a nice addition to the team.

Miami Dolphins — Can you picture a Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall reunion?  Marshall had his best season when Orton was his quarterback and hasn’t developed much chemistry with Chad Henne in Miami. Click here to read the rest of this entry »