Josh McDaniels' statement Monday that he will handle play-calling duties for the Broncos might further cloud the future of the person who handled that job in 2008.

Jeremy Bates remains under contract with the Broncos and will interview with McDaniels to clarify his future.

In his official capacity this season as passing-game coordinator, Bates became among the closest staff members to quarterback Jay Cutler.

"I think Josh and Jeremy will sit down and talk and he'll decide Jeremy's role, if any, with our team," said Jim Goodman, the Broncos' de facto general manager. "But his experience has been with play-calling, and we respected that when we talked to him and we asked him the question whether he'll call plays, and he said, 'Yes.' You have to respect that. He's done it."

Other holdover assistants the Broncos want to interview with McDaniels are running backs coach Bobby Turner, receivers coach Jedd Fisch and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who met Monday with San Francisco 49ers officials about their coordinator vacancy.

McDaniels to pick staff

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has voiced his preferences for bringing back certain assistants but indicated he won't push the issue with McDaniels.

"I think it would be a mistake for me to say, 'You've got to do this' in that type of situation because then if it doesn't work out, then it's my problem," Bowlen said. "But I think there are some coaches here I'd like to see remain. If the head coach decides he can't do that, then it's going to be his decision."

McDaniels said he'll have "no preconceived notion" on the future of Broncos assistants, of whom he knows only a couple informally.

"That's a decision that will be made here over the next few days," he said.

Even-keeled

McDaniels was careful many times not to go too deep into personnel deficiencies, nor would he make any grand pronouncements about the state of the team.

The Broncos have gone three straight seasons without a playoff appearance.

"I think I'll reserve judgment on that. I want to evaluate everything we can evaluate here," he said.

"But our goal is to win, and as soon as we can do it at a championship level, that's what we're going to try and make happen here. When that is or timetables, I don't want to say.

"But there are good players here and there's a tradition of winning. I'm proud to join it."

No do-overs

After hours of meetings, piles of questions to go with piles of answers and a cross-country trip thrown in as well, Bowlen said he isn't in any hurry to do such an extensive search for a coach any time soon.

Bowlen interviewed seven candidates in a week, making it the biggest search he has conducted for a coach.

"Enjoyable would be stretching it a little bit," Bowlen said. "But it was educational."

He added: "All of the people I interviewed, I can't think of one person who didn't have some right to be here. . . . In the past, it hasn't been that way. These guys out there now have done their homework."

On 'Spygate'

McDaniels was asked about the impact of the Patriots' "Spygate" troubles, in which the team was fined $250,000 and docked a first-round pick, and coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for videotaping New York Jets defensive signals in the 2007 regular-season opener.

"It really didn't affect us, to tell you the truth," McDaniels said. "I don't think it's good to have that kind of attention. . . . Certainly never looking to do anything that's not within the rules established by the National Football League. They determined the punishment on that, it was what it was and we moved on."

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