Fangio or Munchak? It depends on how the Broncos view themselves

DENVER — Do you want experience or more experience? Expertise or more expertise? Old or older? Tough or tougher?

On the surface, it seems the apparent final two candidates for the Denver Broncos head coaching position are very similar. In fact, they both fit John Elway’s checklist almost perfectly. But when you take a deeper look, the two options point to two very different directions for the future of the Broncos.

The impending decision for President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway will say a lot about how he and the rest of the Broncos’ brass view the team.

Let’s start with Fangio, who got the all-important final interview.

If Fangio is hired, the motive behind the move will be very, very obvious—make the defense great again. Print the shirts, if you wish. This hire would suggest that Elway and the Broncos believe the window is still open for their defense, that they aren’t far from contention, that the fastest path to a Super Bowl is to go back to what got them there the last time.

This is a double-down on the investments you’ve already made. The millions and millions on Von Miller, the fifth-overall pick on Bradley Chubb—instead of a quarterback—the few years of Chris Harris Jr. you have left. Bringing in Fangio says that you don’t want to admit that the current formula is wrong, from a personnel standpoint, that the missing piece is a genius calling the defense.

Based on the moves John Elway has made since Super Bowl 50—when he learned having the best defense is better than having the best offense—Fangio would be the hire. Based on John Elway’s insistent win-now mentality, Fangio would be the hire.

Enter Mike Munchak, the Hall-of-Fame offensive lineman turned offensive-line guru.

Hiring Munchak would signal a very different direction for the Broncos. If Fangio is going back, Munchak is moving forward, going through the storm. If Munchak is the guy, in my opinion, it will signal that Elway—even if only in private—is willing to admit the Broncos have a rebuild on their hands. After all, conventional thinking suggests that a rebuild needs to start in the trenches, Munchak’s specialty.

The Hoston Oilers/Tennessee Titans lifer, save for his recent years in Pittsburgh, would signal a new direction for the Broncos. He would bring stability to the team and to the offense as they brave the waters into a new era for the franchise. To me, it screams, “Let’s do this thing the right way and get things ready for when we eventually bring in a young quarterback.”

For many, this is the direction they want the Broncos to go, even if Munchak isn’t the guy they have in mind. It appears to combat the “band-aid” approach Denver has taken in every year since Super Bowl 50. Munchak is a new approach, and pairing him with Kubiak would suggest the Broncos are ready to shift their focus back to the offensive side of the ball, where they have been largely atrocious for the last four, yes four, years.

Hiring Munchak would be a clear signal of a changed John Elway.

Make all of the AARP jokes you want, as John Elway dwindles his list down to two guys who are a combined 118 years old, but don’t ignore the massive differences in the directions each hire would signal.

Stay tuned.