Franklin: Broncos should block Kubiak from leaving front office role

If Gary Kubiak still has the desire to coach again in the NFL, it will not be as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.

But, with plenty of interest in Kubiak’s services on the sideline, should the Broncos and general manager John Elway block him from leaving his role as a senior personnel adviser in the front office?

“Yeah, I get that it’s your friend. I get that you value friendships and relationships, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to continue to get better through the draft. And Gary Kubiak helped you tremendously this past year in getting better through the draft,” said 104.3 The Fan’s Orlando Franklin, adding that he would not let Kubiak leave for another job.

Before Denver settled on hiring Vic Fangio as its next head coach, the club had blocked Kubiak from interviewing with other teams for their offensive coordinator openings.

But on Saturday, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala said she couldn’t see the Broncos standing in Kubiak’s way now that things had “ended amicably.”

“If I’m John Elway, I’m not letting him go. I’m telling him, hey, you know what, I need another year from you,” Franklin said. “We’ve got to continue to do what we did this past year. We’ve got to continue to make this magic happen throughout the draft.”

Kubiak, who joined the Broncos front office ahead of the 2017 season, embraced a larger role during this past offseason.

With Kubiak’s aid, Denver had what many consider a strong draft in 2018 with high production from its rookie class last season.

Of the 10 draft picks, six started at least one game for the Broncos. And that doesn’t include Phillip Lindsay, who made eight starts as an undrafted rookie.

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