McDaniels' Decisions: What exactly is he trying to do?

Shanahan Sees The Light
As we all know, when Pat Bowlen severed ties with Mike Shanahan, no one expected Josh McDaniels getting hired in Denver. It came as a shock, and yet some type of excitement started brewing in the back of our heads. Reform was needed. Coach Shanahan neglected the defense towards the end of his tenure in order to surround his franchise QB, Jay Cutler, with the right weapons. So naturally the defense was horrendous and could not make any stops. All the while, Cutler and the rest of the offense were making strides and scoring, and yet, the opposing offense constantly outscored us.
The McDaniels Show
Cutler showed his feelings when The Broncos released Shanahan. He was clearly upset. The fire inevitably grew when newly hired Coach Josh McDaniels threw around an idea about a possible trade. Seemingly, it was obvious McDaniels wanted to bring along Matt Cassell with him to Denver, which like any "franchise QB" would feel the utmost disrespect. Cutler had all the right to be. The Broncos front office added Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Tony Scheffler as targets. Ryan Clady, which was a great pick up, was added for his protection. And yet, the tension between Cutler and McDaniels could not be mended, so a very ugly divorce came way before a honeymoon.
2009-2010 Season
Cutler was traded eventually to Chicago for draft picks and Kyle Orton. Surprised and disappointed like the rest of The Bronco Fans, I chose to look for a reason to think with an upside. So I thought we'd pick up a decent game manager, not a game winner. Which eventually sat ok with me. Mike Nolan was named our defensive coordinator. Now that had me extremely excited because I knew we'd be transitioning to the 3-4 defensive scheme. The problem was, how would we take our players and where would they land in the new defensive look. Brilliantly converting Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers to the OLB position. Signing free agent Brian Dawkins. Complementing Champ Bailey with Andre Goodman. When it came to the draft, it was questionable when The Broncos drafted Knowshon Moreno and traded up for Alphonso Smith. Before the season started, tension began brewing between McDaniels and Brandon Marshall. They eventually mended the situation, temporarily. The Broncos started the season with a surprising 6-0 start, but ended 2-8. To make matters worse, the season ended worse between McDaniels and Marshall, and another beef came up between the coach and Tony Scheffler.
2010 Offseason
The end of the season started with such promise. We acquired Brady Quinn, who is a product of the Charlie Weis system, who in turn is a product of the Bill Belichick system. McDaniels, who is also a product of the Belichick system, also dubbed "Hoodie Jr", had thrown Brady Quinn's name around also during the Cutler Saga because of Charlie Weis. Weis was lobbying McDaniels to pick up Brady Quinn last year, but patience shows great reward as to grabbing Quinn came to almost no cost. This brought some type of anxiety to the upcoming training camp because most fans are sensing serious QB competition between Quinn, Orton, and Brandstater.
The Marshall Era Over
Seeing no end to the feud between Marshall and McDaniels, The Broncos issued a 1st-round tender on Marshall. So any team wanting to sign Marshall needed to give up a 1st round draft choice. Instantly, Marshall visited The Seahawks. The Seahawks were the only team genuinely interested in pursuing Marshall. By the time Marshall signed his tender, The Broncos were free to initiate any negotions for a trade. Surprisingly, Miami came out on top and sent a 2nd round pick in this year's and next year's draft. Of course, seeing Marshall traded was somewhat of a tragedy, but finally a relief. First off, we lost one of the best WRs in the league. For 3 consecutive seasons, Marshall caught over 100 passes. In the loss against The Colts, Marshall broke the record for the most receptions in a single game, which was 21 catches. In turn, Marshall was turning into a major locker room problem. It was time for Marshall to go. A few days prior to the draft, Scheffler was traded in a 3 team deal that landed him in Detroit, Ernie Sims landed in Philadelphia, and The Broncos received a 5th round pick.
The Value of Draft Choices and Draft Prospects
The Marshall trade wasn't bad at all. That does affect the needs and draft board for The Broncos. Instead of aiming for needs on the defense, such as an ILB or possibly a NT, WR Dez Bryant is now the clear favorite. If Dez Bryant were taken at the 11th overall pick, having two early 2nd round picks isn't bad at all. LBs would still be great fixtures for the first pick at the 43rd overall. The likes of Sean Lee, Sean Weatherspoon, or a Jerry Hughes would be available. Going to that 3rd round pick could possibly lead to the likes of a Brandon Spikes. The likeliness of drafting Rob Gronkowski at TE in the 2nd round would be somewhat of a reach because replacing Scheffler early would be a strange option. Using either the 43rd or 45th overall pick on an ILB would definitely be the best choice. Next would be drafting someone like Terrence Cody if he were to be available. Leading into the 3rd round, I wouldn't be surprised if The Broncos were to draft Anthony McCoy of USC to fill in the TE position. There are even rumors that McDaniels and The Broncos brass are looking to take Maurkice Pouncey of Florida at the 11th spot. I still wouldn't see the immediate benefit, although long term issues would be resolved. Seeing how this would fit, it wouldn't be smart because McDaniels needs to win.
Conclusion:
I know what you're thinking, and I won't lie. I do sound like your prototypical fan bitching about what has happened. What I'm actually doing is supporting my Broncos. Yes at first I was shocked, even angry about each situation. In the long run, things do tend to pan out the right way. I'm still shaking my head about the Cutler trade, but his performance this year could've been with us. Picking up Orton was ok, but he'll get his redemption if the Brady Quinn project works out. Sadly, Marshall is gone. He's not a Bronco anymore, so I won't sit here and support him. He's a great wide receiver, but not a Bronco. Having 3 (11th, 43rd, and 45th overall picks) draft choices in this year's draft does have its advantages and I'm excited to see how the front office will use them. So in conclusion, I do think McDaniels does know what he's doing, but don't let that fool you. The outcome can change depending on how he'll do in the draft that is coming this Thursday.