Broncos to hire Josh McDaniels as head coach

The Denver Broncos have reached agreement to name New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels their new head coach, team sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen on Sunday. McDaniels, 32, replaces Mike Shanahan, who was fired Dec. 30 after 14 years on the job. The team is expected to announce the deal on Monday. – From ESPN

Ultimately, it won’t be Pat Bowlen who decides whether Josh McDaniels, at 32, is ready to become the Broncos’ next head coach. It would be Champ Bailey and Casey Wiegmann. The decisions would come from the hearts, souls and minds of D.J. Williams, Jay Cutler and Ebenezer Ekuban. It’s the Broncos players who would determine whether a kid like McDaniels would be worthy of their respect, and trust, to follow his lead. “If he were going to get the job, I would say without exception the players would be surprised when he walks through the door,” said Kyle Brady, who was a starting tight end for the record-setting New England Patriots’ 2007 offense that was coordinated by McDaniels. “Their first thought will be, ‘Who is this kid?’ Because everybody to some degree judges things by appearances. Even though we all do our best not to. – From Denver Post