Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports
Now all of the pieces are seemingly coming together for the Denver Broncos in an off-season that was extended due to their loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week. The only fallout of the loss was the firing of defensive backs coach Ron Milus, who was promptly replaced by the promotion of Cory Undlin. Now, as four teams get ready to battle for the right to get to the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, the Broncos have hired the final piece to their offensive staff with the hiring of Greg Knapp to be their QB coach.
Knapp has a viable pedigree when working with quarterbacks, most recently Houston Texans‘ Matt Schaub. After another dismal season by the Broncos’ divisional rival, the Oakland Raiders decided to fire Knapp, who was their offensive coordinator.
Knapp should be another good fit in the puzzle that is the Broncos, because of his experience working with NFL Pro Bowl quarterbacks such as Steve Young, Michael Vick, and Jeff Garcia. The biggest surprise you will hear is that Knapp is also a West Coast offense kind of coach, but that is not the style that Head Coach John Fox is looking to transition towards.
Knapp is in Denver to primarily work with Peyton Manning, along with the future of the Broncos, Brock Osweiler, not to call the plays. This is a great move considering Knapp will be able to work with one of the best to ever play, and not have to call the plays in an underachieving Raiders offense that was putrid at times under him.
Fox stated that Knapp is a:
“proven, experienced coach with a very impressive background working with quarterbacks. He’s had success with Pro Bowlers and established players while also being instrumental in the development of younger quarterbacks.”
Knapp brings that experience at a time when an inexperienced Adam Gase takes over the helm at the offensive coordinator position for departed Mike McCoy. This was a two-fold hiring meant to help both Manning and Gase, and might have been the Broncos most solid hire in this off-season. Let’s just hope that these hirings prove to be the valuable pieces John Elway needs to help his Broncos over the top in 2013.
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