Broncos' search turns to Patriots

McDaniels is interviewed for top job

A day after interviewing Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in New York, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen met Sunday with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the Boston area.

Bowlen is searching for a replacement for Mike Shanahan, whom he fired last week after 14 seasons.

McDaniels is a 32-year-old rising star who worked his way up from graduate assistant to offensive coordinator for Bill Belichick.

Spagnuolo, 49, who spurned the Washington Redskins last year, is the architect of the pass rush that stymied Brady in last season's Super Bowl stunner. His credentials also were burnished this season when the Giants earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs despite the retirement of seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan and the loss of fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a knee injury in the preseason.

The Broncos' brain trust of Bowlen, chief operating officer Joe Ellis and personnel chief Jim Goodman will take a breather today before interviewing three more head coaching candidates at team headquarters: Dallas' Jason Garrett, Tampa Bay's Raheem Morris and Denver's Rick Dennison.

It appears Shanahan will sit out the 2009 season and look to land a prime NFL coaching job in 2010, when fellow free agent Bill Cowher might also be rejoining the coaching ranks.

Shanahan told the NFL Network in an interview that aired Sunday that if he does take a year off from coaching, he'll take computer courses and spend some time learning how to send e-mails and text messages.

Cowher, the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach and N.C. State star who lives in Raleigh, doesn't plan to coach in the NFL next year, and will stay with CBS Sports as a studio analyst.

Cowher was recently wooed by the New York Jets, but said Sunday on "The NFL Today" that he's taking it "year to year."

"It's a privilege and an honor to be a head coach in the National Football League," Cowher said. "And I have been flattered about the attention, but the timing right now is not right. I don't plan on coaching next year."

In California, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis had a 90-minute phone conversation with New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride about the team's coaching vacancy.

The two spoke Saturday after Gilbride had expressed interest in the job through his agent, Raiders senior executive John Herrera said Sunday.

Gilbride is the first outside candidate to talk to Davis about the job. Interim coach Tom Cable is also a candidate after running the team for the final 12 games following the firing of Lane Kiffin in September.