Blink and you would have missed Su'a Cravens' time with the Denver Broncos. Acquired via trade from the Washington Football Team in 2018, Cravens survived the changing of the head-coaching guard in Denver — only for a time.
Out went Vance Joseph, in came Vic Fangio. As soon as Fangio took over, he set about the process of instilling his defensive vision in Denver, and suffice to say, some players fit it while others didn't.
One such player who turned out in retrospect to not be a Fangio fit was Cravens. Drafted as a safety by Washington, he was used often as a dime-backer, including by the Broncos.
However, that role wasn't one Fangio apparently envisioned for Cravens in his defense as the defensive back was a casualty in the Broncos' final roster cut-downs in 2019. Perhaps sensing the blood in the water as the Broncos have dropped two games in a row, Cravens took a shot at Fangio on Twitter on Monday, dredging up old drama and, frankly, old news.
"My last year at the Broncos, Vic told me before training camp I had to make the team as a true DB. Not linebacker, not dime linebacker (cuz we don’t run that). I had a good camp, but still got cut. Was told I wasn’t fast enough to play DB in his system.
"He then proceeded to sign 3 different Dime Linebackers to fill the hole he created because he simply did not like me or want me on the team lol my play and practices from OTA & fall camp easily have me on that team. But when a HC decides he don’t like you, you’re as good as gone.
"And this ain’t my opinion lol this ain’t me being bitter. You can ask dudes that are still on that team. They’ll tell you the same thing I’m saying now. Just the culture of the league."
To provide full context to Cravens' blasting of Fangio (as best as I can interpret it), the out-of-the-NFL veteran seemed to be riffing off the news of Jon Gruden's demise as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Cravens dug up an old YahooNews tweet reporting that punter Marquette King was cut by Gruden, not due to his play on the field, but because of his personality.
I guess Cravens took that as the motivation needed to slam Fangio two full years after being cut. The former USC star never was able to catch on with another NFL team, mostly due to his injury history and reputation for histrionics and drama.
This tweetstorm perfectly encapsulates why Fangio, and the NFL, didn't have a use for Cravens. It's a shame, really, because he was a very talented player and his potential was through the roof.
For all that he was blessed with physically, however, Cravens lacked the requisite intangibles and between-the-ears mettle to fully realize his potential. Oh well.
As for Fangio, he's under heavy criticism both inside and outside the Mile High City for the Broncos' current two-game slide. As head coach, the buck stops with Fangio and these two losses back-to-back showcased both active and passive ways in which he played a part in it.
However, with still 12 games left to be played, opportunity knocks for Fangio to turn the ship around. If the Broncos are going to get off the schneid, though, he'll have to undergo a mighty change of heart himself, find a way to light a fire under the seat of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, and get back to scheming his players to their strengths.
Fittingly, the Broncos draw the Raiders this week in Denver in one of the NFL's most storied division rivalries. After splitting with Gruden in 2019, Fangio's Broncos were swept by the Raiders last year.
If Fangio can't figure out how to exploit a reeling Raiders team in turmoil and consumed by controversy, it would be difficult to see the Broncos amounting to anything in 2021. Who knows, maybe it won't be too long before Fangio joins Cravens in the unemployment line.
Dark musings.
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