Fox Sports Jay Glazer just reported moments ago that the Denver Broncos would be interviewing Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for their head coaching position. Frazier was a Defensive Back for the Chicago Bears for five-seasons (1981-85), including their incredible Super Bowl season.

As a coach Frazier was the first ever Head Coach for Trinity College (now Trinity International University) in Illinois, for nine seasons. His first break as a coach in the NFL came under Andy Reid with the Eagles, as a defensive backs coach (1999-2002), this is also when he met Minnesota’s head coach Brad Childress.

He joined the Vikings in 2007, hired as the defensive coordinator when Mike Tomlin accepted the Pittsburgh Steelers head coaching position.

It was reported that the Broncos would interview Frazier this week, however, should the Vikings beat the Eagles that would be impossible. So stay tuned for any updates. Glazer must have known something the rest of us didn’t, Frazier’s available to meet this week.

In other coaching news, the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris‘ interview with the team has been pushed forward– from Wednesday to Monday. Keep it here and we will keep you up to date on everything we know.

Yes, I know, I know, it’s a little early for this.  But after being submerged in the coaching news frenzy I’m ready for a little bit of a reprieve.  Now I’m not the biggest college football fan by any means, but after the two long holiday weekends it’s been hard to ignore all the bowl games.  Which brings me to the topic at hand, who watched the Rose Bowl?  Other than the dismantling of Penn State something made me sit up at attention.  Safety Taylor Mays.  This USC junior is an absolute freak of nature.  He comes in at a large 6′-4″ 240lbs, but here’s the thing, he’s the fastest player on the team.  He has 4.28 speed.  He matched Reggie Bush in the 40 while they were both on the team.  You just don’t see that everyday. USC head coach Pete Carroll put it best “Did you see anyone try to go over the top on us all season?”  So the other question is can he play with all that athleticism?  Then you didn’t see the Rose Bowl my friends.

Tell me that play doesn’t conjure up memories of certain Broncos ring a famer?  He knows it’s time to turn pro being a Junior.  He is expected to be a top 15 pick. This is the same school that developed Troy Polamalu and we all know what he did to us in the 2005 AFC Championship.  Denver needs a franchise safety.  The Mays family is an NFL bloodline, Taylor’s father Stafford played d-line in the pros.  Carroll has even told him it’s time to move on.  I would love to see this guy in a Broncos uniform next season.

Here’s the deal… As much as I cheered for the San Diego Chargers to lose Saturday night’s game against the Indianapolis Colts– they happened to win. That’s a win against the Colts- the team with the N.F.L. M.V.P. Peyton Manning, the team that was supposed to run the table with the A.F.C.… Sorry, that they didn’t jump on the Pittsburgh Steelers when they had the chance, but Chargers will certainly give the Steelers trouble next weekend.

Anyway, the Chargers won! They beat the Colts, yes, those 8-8 Chargers… The ones that barely made it into the playoffs, past the Broncos. Those same Chargers that will waltz into Pittsburgh confused, until- wait the A.F.C. West does have some power. And can compete, and yeah, they will knock you in the jaw..

See that’s the thing, the AFC divisions had things to say all season here and there about the AFC West. Then we go and dismantle their best team. A team who had won nine in a row, then our best representative will face the best that the A.F.C. has to offer. Seriously? If the top four were all teams from the AFC West, would anyone think that they had a chance? Of course they would, would they realistically have a blowout? Hell no. Would some of them stand a chance? Maybe.

I guarantee though, there’s not a New York Giants team that wants to see a Kansas City Chiefs or an Oakland Raiders,  being as that they struggled so much against the Cincinnati Bengals. Just saying, don’t make me bring up the Philadelphia Eagles, because things will get out of hand.

Enjoy the playoffs guys! I’m not sure which wins help the Broncos most, being that we’re basically playing everybody next season anyway. Who does a Broncos fan cheer for?

The big rumor hot off the presses at ESPN is that Jerry Jones is still committing to Wade Phillips for next season, but if they do not have success in the post season the team will bring in Mike Shanahan as the head coach for 2010.  Mike did sound like he could be taking some time off before moving on to another coaching position.  Also, it makes sense for the Cowboys financially if they hire Mike for the 2010 season.

Because his contract had three years remaining, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen owes Shanahan $20 million. Any owner who hires Shanahan could pay him a lower salary than the estimated $7 million a year he’s owed and Bowlen would be obligated to pay the balance of that “offset.”

Jerry Jones is committed to a three year plan with Phillips and Garrett as the OC.  But if Garrett lands one of the head coaching positions available in NFL this off-season, Jones may jump early and bring in Shanahan for 2009.  Jones would like Wade to stay on as the defensive coordinator but reports say that would be unlikely.  Wade Phillips has to be thinking to himself “deja vu all over again”.

Shanahan told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King that unless the perfect situation presented itself he would probably sit out the 2009 season.  Along with financial and timing aspects of the situation Jones and Shanahan hold the same affection for QB Tony Romo.  Shanny offered Romo more money as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Illinois than the Cowboys, but the QB still decided to sign in Texas.  Could we be seeing our former head coach in Mile High as the opponent next season?  How odd would it be for Shanny to be on “The Boys” sideline with Garrett commanding the Orange and Blue?  The rumor mill is churning hard.

There’s an age old debate about drafting versus free agency and for the Denver Broncos both have quite bad at both when it comes to the defense. This is the first of a two part series on the defensive players Denver has brought in.

Free Agency
As fans we all have noticed the random signings throughout the season such as Hernan-Daze Jones, Vernon Fox, Josh Shaw, and Calvin Lowry. Also it was noticed that they were less than ineffective. Anyone who has watched Sports Center for the last few days has seen the same highlight of Chargers fullback Jacob Hester plowing through the frightened Vernon Fox for the touchdown. Steve Atwater, hell even Browns safety Sean Jones (who is a free agent to ponder) would have made that tackle. As Broncos fans it is never enough just look at the surface, it is time we delve deeper.

Acquired: Summer 08′

Games Started: 6

Tackles: 40

Contract: 5 years – $17.5 million

Summary: Boss Bailey has a lot of hustle… when he’s on the field. It seems like every other down the medical crew is attending to Boss’s injuries. Bailey is one of the quickest if not the quickest linebackers in the league which is not always a good thing because it causes him to continuously over pursue the play. Denver believed that Bailey could come in and fix the problems they had at the SAM position and Bailey didn’t seem to help.

Grade: D-

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In the spirit of sportmanship and honoring battles lost, I only have one thing to say.

Go Colts!

Leave any playoffs-type comments here. Enjoy the games, everybody.

BroncoTalk is celebrating the new year by looking back at the year that was – 2008. In Parts I and II, we took a look back at the year as a whole. Below you’ll find BT’s most visited posts in 2008. Enjoy.

10. YouTube – Jay Cutler on South Park – A classic from 2007. Someone tell Stan that “some day” is now.

9. Clifford Russell Released from Hospital – From silly to downright scary. Thankfully Russell was released from the hospital after being taken off via stretcher in KC.

8. Travis Henry out in Denver – Henry’s is a chapter I’d just as soon rip out of the great tale of the Denver Broncos. Please?
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In the midst of interviewing five other candidates, John Clayton of ESPN reports that the Denver Broncos are “very high” on University of Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops. The Broncos may have to wait until after Thursday, when Stoops’ Sooners are set to play for the BCS Championship against the Florida Gators. Clayton expects Stoops to respond if he’s interested by next Tuesday or Thursday. More in the video below.

As of Friday, the Denver Broncos will interview five candidates for their Head Coach opening through next week – four coaches from other teams and one in-house candidate. Here’s the skinny:

Steve Spagnuolo

• Current gig: Giants Defensive Coordinator
• Interview: Saturday
• Kyle’s Take: Spagnuolo is my #1 guy, and I’d be thrilled with him as our new Head Coach. He’s obviously got a nose for the defense and has done a terrific job getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Maybe he’d convince the Giants’ d-line coach, Mike Waufle, to come with him as our defensive coordinator. That, my friends, would be a coup.

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BroncoTalk is celebrating the new year by first looking back at the year that was – 2008. In Part II of our series, we look at July through December. View Part I here. Part III, the Top 10 Posts of 2008, will drop tomorrow. Enjoy!

July

A great book about the Broncos drops on my doorstep. Jay Cutler sucks at golf. The greatest wide receiver in franchise history, Rod Smith, retires.

Training camp opens, and on the first day, Chris Kuper breaks his hand. It’s announced that fifth round rookie Carlton Powell will miss the season with a torn Achilles. Montrae Holland introduces land-based whale watching to the Denver community. John Lynch leaves the Broncos after four seasons. Click here to read the rest of this entry »