John Lynch already has his first job offer.
Coaching a bunch of 9-year-olds in fall baseball probably isn't what he had in mind, though.
Make no mistake, the nine-time Pro Bowl safety might be done with the Broncos, with his official release likely coming today, but he isn't necessarily finished with the NFL.
"It's not just based on playing time . . . ," Lynch said Thursday, citing a key reason for the dissolution of his four-year Broncos relationship.
"I'll talk to a team, and I think have a pretty good gauge of a situation that will be right. I'll consider my family. I'll consider everything. And if one presents itself that feels good and feels like something where I'd put forth the commitment, then we'll see."
At various points, Lynch thought he was at peace with a potential part-time role. But in the end, after nearly a week of absences from various pass packages during training camp, the 36-year-old couldn't stomach the reduced role.
"It wasn't right and I couldn't make it right," he said in his farewell news conference at Dove Valley.
Lynch admitted he liked the chemistry of this team and believed success was at hand, but, ultimately, he didn't want to prolong a situation in which he's uncomfortable.
Lynch figured he shouldn't prolong the inevitable, given his gut feeling was a change was needed.
"I tried to take an approach, coming into camp this year, where I was just going to enjoy every opportunity to get on the field and every second," said Lynch, who decided to stay in Denver in March despite taking a pay cut.
"It was different in that, for the last 14, 15 years being a starter in this league, the expectations for the organization were that I play at a Pro Bowl level and help carry a team. This year, I think I was treated fairly, but there really were no expectations, so it was a different scenario for me.
"I think I handled it well. I prepared myself at an incredible fitness level and was ready to play but, ultimately, it wasn't the right situation."
Coach Mike Shanahan said Lynch approached him on the penultimate day of minicamp in June and asked where he stood on the depth chart. At the team's annual bowling tournament, Shanahan, after conferring with his staff, told Lynch he would be a starter in the base defense but not in the nickel and dime packages.
But Lynch, after soul-searching, never called Shanahan to tell him he was wavering on coming back and arrived at training camp July 24 ready to resume his likely Hall of Fame career.
Yet, while Lynch did play on run downs early in camp, he rarely got a chance to prove he still could be a full-time player against the pass, where his matchup skills widely are seen as on the decline.
He skipped the team meeting Tuesday night and missed practice Wednesday morning to ponder his future, which led to his decision to leave.
"John shared with me that he'd lost some concentration in base packages and made some mistakes he'd never make just because he was thinking about playing and not playing all the time," Shanahan said. "I understand his thought process and respect it."
One potential landing spot for Lynch is San Diego, his hometown. The Chargers have expressed interest in the past.
"I still have a great passion for the game of football and very much love it in my heart . . . ," Lynch said. "I still feel like I can compete at a Pro Bowl level. But the situation is going to have to be right. I'm not just going to play for any team in any situation."
If it's the end, Lynch will finish with nine Pro Bowl appearances, the second most among safeties, and 191 starts, most among all defensive backs.
He ranks fourth with 1,277 tackles (789 solo) by defensive backs, since 1993.
"You can't replace the type of leadership and experience and things of that nature," defensive coordinator Bob Slowik said.
But the scenario that unfolded this week wasn't totally unexpected.
"We knew somewhere down the road John was going to have to make a decision and see where he fit into the defense this year and there would be a crossroads somewhere down the line depending on how things worked out during the preseason games," Slowik said.
Marlon McCree now has what Lynch wanted. He's playing in Lynch's vacated spot and in the pass packages, alongside strong safety Hamza Abdullah.
"I knew John would never be happy not playing every down," Shanahan said. "That's what makes John John. But some players accept the role if they aren't starters. They can kind of work with the young guys and build up their game.
"Some guys are competitive - they want to be out there every down - and, if not, they'd rather retire or they'd rather go to another team where they do that. John's going to check out his options."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008...lynch-released/
Coaching a bunch of 9-year-olds in fall baseball probably isn't what he had in mind, though.
Make no mistake, the nine-time Pro Bowl safety might be done with the Broncos, with his official release likely coming today, but he isn't necessarily finished with the NFL.
"It's not just based on playing time . . . ," Lynch said Thursday, citing a key reason for the dissolution of his four-year Broncos relationship.
"I'll talk to a team, and I think have a pretty good gauge of a situation that will be right. I'll consider my family. I'll consider everything. And if one presents itself that feels good and feels like something where I'd put forth the commitment, then we'll see."
At various points, Lynch thought he was at peace with a potential part-time role. But in the end, after nearly a week of absences from various pass packages during training camp, the 36-year-old couldn't stomach the reduced role.
"It wasn't right and I couldn't make it right," he said in his farewell news conference at Dove Valley.
Lynch admitted he liked the chemistry of this team and believed success was at hand, but, ultimately, he didn't want to prolong a situation in which he's uncomfortable.
Lynch figured he shouldn't prolong the inevitable, given his gut feeling was a change was needed.
"I tried to take an approach, coming into camp this year, where I was just going to enjoy every opportunity to get on the field and every second," said Lynch, who decided to stay in Denver in March despite taking a pay cut.
"It was different in that, for the last 14, 15 years being a starter in this league, the expectations for the organization were that I play at a Pro Bowl level and help carry a team. This year, I think I was treated fairly, but there really were no expectations, so it was a different scenario for me.
"I think I handled it well. I prepared myself at an incredible fitness level and was ready to play but, ultimately, it wasn't the right situation."
Coach Mike Shanahan said Lynch approached him on the penultimate day of minicamp in June and asked where he stood on the depth chart. At the team's annual bowling tournament, Shanahan, after conferring with his staff, told Lynch he would be a starter in the base defense but not in the nickel and dime packages.
But Lynch, after soul-searching, never called Shanahan to tell him he was wavering on coming back and arrived at training camp July 24 ready to resume his likely Hall of Fame career.
Yet, while Lynch did play on run downs early in camp, he rarely got a chance to prove he still could be a full-time player against the pass, where his matchup skills widely are seen as on the decline.
He skipped the team meeting Tuesday night and missed practice Wednesday morning to ponder his future, which led to his decision to leave.
"John shared with me that he'd lost some concentration in base packages and made some mistakes he'd never make just because he was thinking about playing and not playing all the time," Shanahan said. "I understand his thought process and respect it."
One potential landing spot for Lynch is San Diego, his hometown. The Chargers have expressed interest in the past.
"I still have a great passion for the game of football and very much love it in my heart . . . ," Lynch said. "I still feel like I can compete at a Pro Bowl level. But the situation is going to have to be right. I'm not just going to play for any team in any situation."
If it's the end, Lynch will finish with nine Pro Bowl appearances, the second most among safeties, and 191 starts, most among all defensive backs.
He ranks fourth with 1,277 tackles (789 solo) by defensive backs, since 1993.
"You can't replace the type of leadership and experience and things of that nature," defensive coordinator Bob Slowik said.
But the scenario that unfolded this week wasn't totally unexpected.
"We knew somewhere down the road John was going to have to make a decision and see where he fit into the defense this year and there would be a crossroads somewhere down the line depending on how things worked out during the preseason games," Slowik said.
Marlon McCree now has what Lynch wanted. He's playing in Lynch's vacated spot and in the pass packages, alongside strong safety Hamza Abdullah.
"I knew John would never be happy not playing every down," Shanahan said. "That's what makes John John. But some players accept the role if they aren't starters. They can kind of work with the young guys and build up their game.
"Some guys are competitive - they want to be out there every down - and, if not, they'd rather retire or they'd rather go to another team where they do that. John's going to check out his options."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008...lynch-released/
