Professor

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Sports

excerpt:

The word repeatedly has been tossed, by Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and team owner Pat Bowlen, onto the pieces left behind from the 2006 season.


It has been the catalyst for the almost unprecedented offseason change, at least in Shanahan's years as coach.


And the word is . . . " 'Unacceptable' because that's what it was," Shanahan said.


And that is how Bowlen and Shanahan described the limp down the stretch last season from a team they believed should have been better. From 7-2 in mid-November, the Broncos finished 9-7, losing five of their last seven games — including a 26-23 overtime loss against the 49ers in the season finale that kept the Broncos home for the postseason.


It's why Shanahan fired more assistant coaches before this season than any time in his tenure.


Why starters such as running back Tatum Bell and George Foster were shipped off in trades.


Why change was almost inevitable. So much so that two of the team's captains in 2006 — quarterback Jake Plummer and linebacker Al Wilson — won't be on the roster this time around.


"I've always said around here nothing is guaranteed," receiver Rod Smith said. "Not for me, not for anyone. Especially if you miss the playoffs, you know? Mike Shanahan and the man upstairs (Bowlen) aren't going to stand for that. You have to expect some change after that. That's the way it is and it's the way it was."

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