Elway gives up personnel role, to hire new GM
John Elway announced a major change in the Denver Broncos’ football operations Monday, saying he’ll hire a general manager who will report to him but will have the final say on the draft, free agency and the roster.
Elway, who has been GM since 2011, will remain as president of football operations in 2021, the final year of his contract.
Elway engineered a dramatic turnaround when he returned to the Broncos a decade ago, building a team that reached the playoffs in each of his first five seasons and added a third Lombardi Trophy to go with the two he won in Denver during his Hall of Fame playing career.
Coach Vic Fangio is 12-20, just one game better than the 11-21 mark that got his predecessor, Vance Joseph, fired.
But Fangio is returning in 2021, and Elway said Fangio will have a say in who’s hired as GM, as will team president Joe Ellis.
Elway said the new GM will be “empowered to make all football decisions, working in partnership with Vic.”
■ Bengals: Center Trey Hopkins tore his ACL in Week 17 and will require surgery. Also, owner Mike Brown announced Monday that coach Zac Taylor will be back for his third season.
■ Bills: Buffalo signed wide receivers Kenny Stills and Tanner Gentry to its practice squad, adding valuable experience for the playoffs. Receiver Cole Beasley (knee) remains week to week
■ Browns: Starting defensive end Olivier Vernon ruptured his Achilles tendon during Sunday’s playoff-clinching win over Pittsburgh and is done for the season. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Vernon will have surgery and that Adrian Clayborn will replace Vernon in the starting lineup. Also, Porter Gustin will get more playing time.
■ Buccaneers: An MRI performed on Mike Evans’ injured left knee showed no structural damage, and the receiver’s status for Tampa Bay’s first playoff game in 13 years is day to day. Coach Bruce Arians described the injury as a hyperextension and said there was little swelling in the knee Monday.
■ Eagles: Philadelphia agreed to terms with defensive tackle T.Y. Mcgill on a one-year contract. Financial terms were not announced. Also, Philadelphia restructured the contracts for wideout Alshon Jeffery and defensive tackle Malik Jackson. The expectation is they are moving on from both players.
■ Falcons: Owner Arthur Blank announced quarterback Matt Schaub, 39, is retiring. Schaub did not appear in a game in 2020. Also, Atlanta accelerated its search for a new coach on the first day of the offseason by interviewing Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh also is expected to interview.
■ Giants: Coach Joe Judge voiced his displeasure with the way Philadelphia handled its Week 17 game against Washington. “We will never do that as long as I’m the head coach of the New York Giants,” Judge said during a Monday media call. The Giants lost the NFC East when Washington beat the Eagles on Sunday night.
■ Panthers: Carolina has requested permission to talk to New England’s director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Buffalo assistant general manager Joe Schoen and Cleveland’s vice president of player personnel Kwesi Adofo-mensah. The team is also expected to interview former Giants general manager Jerry Reese.
■ 49ers: Coach Kyle Shanahan said injuries derailed his team’s quest for a return to the Super Bowl. Shanahan told players he’d like to keep as much of the foundation together as possible. “We had a Super Bowl roster … we didn’t have a chance to put all those guys on the field together enough to have a winning season,” left tackle Trent Williams said.