Denver general manager John Elway and Carolina counterpart Dave Gettleman, with a nice assist from ex-GM Marty Hurney, are the architects of Super Bowl 50’s two teams.
Two franchises. Two methods.
After the Broncos were pummeled by Seattle, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII, Elway was determined to remake the franchise’s defense. A year later, he fired John Fox and hired personal friend and former backup Gary Kubiak as the head coach.
Elway, who also won the Peyton Manning free agency derby in 2012, has deftly used free agency to rebuild the Broncos, with retooling the defense the most critical agenda.
“We had the opportunity that (2013) offseason to get better on the defensive side with (linebacker) DeMarcus (Ware) coming available, (safety) T.J. Ward was out there, (cornerback) Aqib (Talib), and then (safety) Darian Stewart this year to be able to add to that side of the ball,” Elway said. “Plus, we’ve drafted on the defensive side of the ball and I think it’s all come together. It’s allowed us, offensively, to try and run the ball a little bit more and take some pressure off the quarterback.”
Trashed by the Seahawks in the NFL title game just two years ago, the Broncos this season led the league in total defense with 283 yards allowed per game with a league-high 23 interceptions.
The Panthers in the meantime already had several pieces in line but took longer to pull it together. Linebacker Thomas Davis and defensive end Charles Johnson were potential cornerstones on defense. Running back Jonathan Stewart was on the roster and tight end Greg Olsen was acquired for a third-round pick in July 2011.
In that same draft, Hurney chose quarterback Cam Newton with the first overall pick. In 2012, Hurney’s final draft with the franchise, he chose linebacker Luke Kuechly with the ninth pick and cornerback Josh Norman in the fifth round.
Newton, who played at Westlake High and Auburn, became the franchise-transforming move. Kuechly, Davis and Norman are among the 10 Panthers who were selected to the Pro Bowl.
However, Hurney was dismissed after the Panthers finished 6-10 and 7-9, in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Gettleman, a no-nonsense personnel man, was hired from the New York Giants in January 2013.
Gettleman quickly had to make some tough decisions, such as releasing wide receiver Steve Smith, a fan favorite, and defensive end Greg Hardy, who had been drafted by Hurney in 2010. Hardy’s domestic-violence case became too much for the franchise to stomach. The team also elected not to re-sign running back DeAngelo Williams after last season.
Because Gettleman had no personal ties to the roster, the Panthers were able to make those difficult decisions more easily. Smith’s release was particularly messy. But while cutting ties with some players, the Panthers stockpiled more talent.
In 2013, the Panthers drafted their starting defensive tackles, Star Lotulelei (first round) and Kawann Short (second round). Short leads the Panthers in sacks (9) and is headed to his first Pro Bowl.
In 2014, the Panthers added wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (first round), defensive end Kony Ealy (second) and right guard Trai Turner (third). Benjamin has been on injured reserve since before this season began, but had a strong rookie season. Turner was also selected to the Pro Bowl.
The Panthers also appear to have picked a winner in starting linebacker Shaq Thompson, the team’s first-round pick in 2015.
In addition to Davis, Newton, Short, Norman, Kuechly, Stewart, Olsen and Turner, center Ryan Kalil, who was drafted by Hurney in 2008, and fullback Mike Tolbert, of Douglasville, who was a free-agent signee in 2012, also made the Pro Bowl team.
“The way we looked at players, the way we scouted, just understanding that the average college player just isn’t fundamentally sound, you have to look at it differently,” Gettleman said. “For example, you take a linebacker. So the scout watches him and he says, ‘Well, he doesn’t know how to use his hands.’ So he knocks his grade down a little bit. Well, did anyone ever teach him? We don’t know.”
And don’t ask Gettleman about analytics.
“Football is about watching film when they’re between the white lines,” Gettleman said. “You’ve got to be patient and you have to watch. And the other part of it is, you have to know what you are looking for.”
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