Things Getting Quite Defensive in Denver

Feb. 22, 2009

A camera man making a normal salary, on a normal Christmas day in 2007 with a normal camera caught an unsuspecting eye on what may have been the birth of a great rivalry between bitter AFC west foes.

A young Jay Cutler was seen bickering with an obnoxiously taunting QB in Philip Rivers and a few of his associates.

Waving and jawing aside the hostility filled the entire stadium as if some pot-headed teenagers would hot boxing in their moms car on a Friday night. Rivalry a word of hostility, a word that can disregard sportsmanship and humane courtesy and still remind us of Americas greatest sport...Football.

In a way, Rivers was not the first player to start the controversial rivalry. In a sense Rivers owes that title to a teammate..........

As the offseason has begun several moves by several teams have been set out to better all 32 franchise futures but none louder than the Denver Broncos. Justifiably so speaking of which the eardrum piercing cries for help Denver's Defense yelped often times from the full nelson of opponents offensive units.

Several Defensive starters have been cut merely days apart and to several, whom of which may I add may not be bronco fans were a little surprised by coach MacDaddy's decision to release veteran corner Dre Bly.

But to several Bronco fans it was a sign that there is INDEED a god because the thought of Dre Bly being released to some was just a far cry of a prayer.

Now left with $30+ million in cap space to spare, minus alot of defensive dead weight, a new coach, new coordinator(s), and a spanking new 3-4 system the Denver broncos are about to dawn on the hardest part of the monumental task several GM's quiver at the thought of...constructing a "brand new" competitive team and defense before a city whose patience is as thin as Paris Hilton.

Battling time, the daunting shadow of a nearly sure Hall Of Fame coach, a few Rabid fans who have run several other "young guns" out of town (see: Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, Ashly Lelie).

The next question brewing in the minds of coaches, Pat Bowlen and the rest of the bronco nation looms as heavily as Elway's last super bowl win. They've answered where: Defense, what: Defense, when: Now!, why: Return to respectability, and now the only questions remaining are "how" and "who."

A few steps can be taken to close the gap between an "Is this a joke?" defense and a "Buckle up because here they come defense." Free Agency, the Draft, schematics, and a few others.

The question is how long must one wait to see these necessary steps? How will they do it? Who will help make the transition(s)? As the list of FA in the 2009 market are steady they will figure to grow due to waivers.

An interesting name appears at a key position for the Denver Broncos has grabbed the attention of myself and surely several Bronco Coaches.

Igor Olshansky the 6'6" 315lbs, Ukraine born Defensive lineman who was quoted in one of the first "Bitter Rival sound Bites" between the growing hatred between Broncos and Chargers fans and players, "It's not a coincidence that Denver is able to run the ball.

I mean all the movement and sliding allows them to hold and chop. If they were to run the ball with leads and  smash mouth style of play, then their run would be nowhere near as affective.

Without that they are wussies and they wouldn't be able to do nothing." Strong words from a strong person? Or bitter words of an envious rival after having the ball  shoved down the through the throat and heart of a defense whom in 2006 was one of the leagues best against the rush?

I will let my readers be the judge of that.

After harsh words settled in on the ears of millions bellowing through locker rooms and living rooms causing unkind judgements  and a few years later it seems as though the once outspoken words of a giant have faded away into a mouse's squeal.

Now those same words could be the very coincidental happening to silence the bolden comment for good. Playing in a 3-4  as one of the key cogs on a solid front seven with the likes of Louis Castillo, Jamal Williams, Shawn Merriman, and Shaun Phillips, Olshansky has now become a free agent in front of the very eyes that glared at him watching him make a very controversial statement.

Yet another question arises for the Denver Bronco franchise. Will bygones be bygones or will the bitterness from a few years ago affect the signing of a quality talent in a much needed defensive make over for Denver?

Let all fans hopeful for a bright Bronco future pray that that's not the case. Solid as a defensive end in the 3-4 scheme Olshansky could be a difference make on several teams.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?