Schlereth: Broncos new HC needs to establish ‘culture of toughness’

It is important for the next Broncos head coach to come into the organization and honestly assess where the team sits, said Mark Schlereth on Friday. And right now for Denver, it’s in a full rebuild mode.

But while there may be some uncertainty when it comes to roster talent, one thing the “Schlereth and Evan” co-host said the new Broncos head coach could do is to establish an identity, specifically one of toughness.

“You don’t have to be talented. They’re not very talented. But you don’t have to be talented to establish a culture of toughness,” Schlereth said. “You can win games in this league by just out-gritting people. That’s part of what has to happen.”

Schlereth’s co-host, Mike Evans, made a similar argument on Friday as well, saying that while “there’s no magic to just suddenly unlock from this offense,” the Broncos can “develop a culture of toughness and being physical and being tough and not beating yourself …”

“Until the talent catches up, I’d like to see them be able to develop that kind of attitude,” Evans said, saying that among the Broncos head coaching candidates that Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak “fits the bill.”

“I feel very, very confident in saying that’s the right guy for where they are and who they are now,” Evans said.

“Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Mike Pritchard too championed Munchak because of his ability to create a culture of toughness.

“He’s going to be able to help this team run the ball effectively, make things easier for the quarterback, but also instill a toughness, to me, that has been missing since Peyton Manning walked out the door,” Pritchard said.

According to Pritchard, this current group of Broncos players grew up with the personality and leadership presence of Manning in the locker room, and they no longer have anything close to that.

“The next thing that you could do is replace him with a Hall of Famer who’s tough-minded like that too, but at the head coaching position,” Pritchard said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.