On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos added defensive linemen Jared Crick from the Houston Texans on a two-year, $4 million deal. Crick, a fourth-round pick of the Texans under then-head coach Gary Kubiak, pointed to the coaching staff as the primary reason for joining the Broncos.
“It was a huge part of it. Just being with ‘Kubes’ [Head Coach Gary Kubiak] for two years, [Defensive Coordinator] Coach Wade [Phillips] for two years and [Defensive Line Coach Bill] Kollar for three years,” Crick said. “To come back and play for them again, it was a huge part of the decision.”
Coach Kubiak hasn’t been shy about signing players that he has previously coached. Last year the Broncos brought in Gino Gradkowski, Ryan Harris, James Casey and Darian Stewart, just to name a few, all of whom Kubiak had coached previously. This signing, however, may be different.
The past four years, the Broncos have had the luxury of having two Hall of Fame quarterbacks as part of the organization — John Elway and Peyton Manning. While Elway, the general manager, has no doubt had a major influence on free agent signings since Manning joined in 2012, Manning has been the reason the Broncos have been a top destination for free agents.
When Manning retired last month, it left a big hole at the quarterback position, but potentially an even bigger loss in making Denver a prime location for free agents. The Crick signing, even though it isn’t a major move, could be pointing to the coaching staff as the primary group to pick up this loss.
“It was pretty much between here and Houston. At the end of the day, I just didn’t think I could go wrong coming back and playing for Coach ‘Kubes,’ Coach Wade and Coach Kollar,” said Crick.
All three coaches, whom Crick mentioned multiple times in his press conference, had a great season last year. Kubiak not only lead his team to a Super Bowl victory, but also managed a very difficult quarterback situation throughout the year. Phillips put together an all-time defense and Kollar coached one of the most dominant defensive lines in football.
The lesser known of the three coaches, Kollar, received specific high praise from Crick.
“He brings the best out of you. Every year that I played under Coach Kollar, I got better and improved as a football player,” said Crick.
Along with sustained winning, comments like this will continue to add to the prestige of the coaching staff.
After winning the Super Bowl, it would only be natural for Kubiak and his staff to gain prestige in the league. Just as it is a major draw for free agents to play with a Hall Of Fame quarterback, having an experienced, winning coaching staff is also a major advantage.
Although the Crick signing may not be a huge in terms of quality of play, it may point to the coaching staff catapulting itself to one of the elite staffs in the league. If this is the case, Elway will have a lot of help in making Denver a top destination for players for many years to come.
