Turns out the Broncos didn’t hire a GM first. Very quietly, owner Pat Bowlen gave final personnel say to Jim Goodman, the team’s Vice President of Football Operations. Then he hired a young coach in Josh McDaniels, who also interviewed with the Browns. McDaniels said at his news conference that Goodman would have final say if he and Goodman did not agree on a player.

Give that person any title you want, but the has the responsibility for the draft, college scouting, pro personnel and salary cap clearly has General Manager’s duties. Bowlen said he saw no reason to add anyone else to the front office.

Don’t underestimate the change. For years Mike Shanahan had personnel control in Denver; for Bowlen to change that structure is significant. Too, McDaniels is too young to have that kind of responsibility. Goodman is a guy who worked his way up from small-college head coach to area scout to director of college scouting to vice president of player personnel. He has more experience than McDaniels, and he will have more responsibility.

The quibble people seem to have with the Browns is that Eric Mangini has such influence with the Browns choice of GM, that in effect he will be the guy in Cleveland calling the shots. That remains to be seen. In fact, it might be that the new hire (GM) will have final personnel say.

But … Goodman sounds like a very low-key, no-ego guy who will bend over backward to help McDaniels. He is like George Kokinis in that he’s not a big name. So perhaps that is the key, that no matter the person in the position of title, it’s the personality of the person that makes it successful.

The key will be the same as it’s always been: For the new hire to be able to work with Mangini.