Bleacher Report - Articles by Punkus

Week Four Gameplan: Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys

Punkus — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:58:25 -0400

The Denver Broncos are 3-0 going into week four and the question fans around the league are asking is "Are the Broncos for real?"

Broncos fans may feel slighted by this, but we have to admit that this question is a legitimate one. Though a team has no control over who they play, and as a Broncos fan I will take the wins anyway we can get them, I realize that the Broncos, though much improved from last year, have not played anyone yet.

The Broncos barely beat the Bengals on a last minute play that has been dubbed the "immaculate deflection." In week two, Denver claimed victory over a Cleveland team that is shaping up to be worst team in the NFL this year. Then last week the Broncos beat the laughing stock of the NFL over the past decade in the Oakland Raiders.

There is no doubt that the Broncos are much better than the sports pundits and gurus predicted before the season began, but Denver still has much to prove. People want to know if the Broncos are contenders this year or if they are just another middle-of-the-pack team.

Luckily Denver will get a chance to show what they are made of this week as they face off against a team that is widely considered a legitimate contender in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas is 2-1 so far this season, but "America's Team" is far from the powerhouse that Jerry Jones perpetually wishes they would be. The Cowboys took out Tampa Bay in week one putting on a passing clinic against a struggling secondary, but still gave up 150 yards rushing.

In week two, Dallas couldn't stop the pass and the Giants couldn't stop the run. Dallas was handed a loss in this close one to the New York Giants with a last minute field goal. And last week the Cowboys shut the Panthers offense down, and were able to run the ball all day long despite Marion Barber being inactive.

The good news though is that Dallas is coming off a short week after playing Monday night, and the Cowboys have shown that though they are a very formidable opponent, they are a beatable team.

The Cowboys Offense

Dallas both has the tools and has shown the ability to beat you on the ground or through the air.

Quarterback

No. 9 Tony Romo 6'2" 226 lbs

Romo was not a first round pick pedigree quarterback. Romo actually came to the Cowboys after going undrafted out of Eastern Illinois. Romo didn't start right away either, but spent a good few years riding the pine and learning from some veterans (Testeverde and Bledsoe) before breaking out in 2006 and taking the starting job.

Romo has a strong arm and though he has developed a reputation of choking in the playoffs when the game is on the line, he has developed in to a top tier QB in the NFL.

Running backs

No. 24 Marion Barber 6'0" 222 lbs

Barber is a punishing downhill runner with decent speed who is hard to bring down. Barber missed last week with an injured quadriceps, but should be ready to go this week against Denver.

No. 28 Felix Jones 6'0" 218 lbs

Felix "the Cat" has speed galore, but will be out this week with a PCL strain. This is good news for the Broncos as Jones' quickness won't be available for Dallas in the return game.

No. 23 Tashard Choice 5'10" 212 lbs

Dallas' third string back is just as capable running their scheme as their starter. Choice is a little bit smaller, but is that much more elusive. Choice had had to play more than expected with the injuries to his teammates, and Dallas has not missed a beat with him in the game.

Tight Ends

No. 82 Jason Witten 6'5" 263 lbs

Witten is the X-Factor for the Cowboys. Romo's favorite target is a mismatch all over the field. Not only is Witten big and tall, he runs good clean routes and has great hands. Oh, yeah he can block too.

No. 80 Martellus Bennet 6'6" 266 lbs

Bennet is a very good player. In fact I think he could be a top ten tight end in football if he was on another team where he could get more catches. Though Bennet is overshadowed by Witten he is still a great blocker with sure hands. He allows the Cowboys to put a big set on the field to help the run and still have viable receivers on the field.

Wide Receivers

No. 11 Roy Williams 6'3" 215 lbs

Williams has shown flashes of greatness in the NFL, but has yet to step his game up to another level in the past few years. It is to early this year to know how well Williams will do as the number one receiver for Dallas.

That being said Williams has all the physical gifts you look for in a receiver who can take over games. Now it is up to him to make things happen.

No. 84 Patrick Crayton 6'0" 204 lbs

Crayton has quietly become a great number two receiver in this league. He has a good report with Romo and needs to be accounted for.

Offensive Line

Flozell Adams, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, and Mark Colombo

These guys are the reason that Dallas is successful. These guys are maulers who just get the job done. Dallas is number one as a team in rushing behind these guys and they give Romo time in the passing game as well. Because of their success in both the passing and the running games, you can make an argument that this is one of the best O-line's in football.

Denver's Defensive Strategy

This a tough week for Denver's defense because of how good the Cowboys offense is all around. They don't do one thing really good and not others. So taking one aspect of their game away still leaves them with other options where they are still going to be really good.

In the end though I think you need to take away the things they are best at first and make them beat you with the things they still do well, but are not necessarily their bread and butter.

With that in mind, Denver needs to stop the running game and make Dallas beat them through the air. The success of Dallas' running game sets them up to have success with the pass. If Denver can limit their running game and force them to pass more to move the ball against Denver's strong secondary I think Denver can gain the upper hand.

Next Denver needs to remove Jason Witten as a receiving option. Now honestly this guys is so skilled that this is going to be a near impossible task, but Denver still needs to try.

I look for Denver to play a lot of Nickle coverage against Dallas with Wesley Woodyard in the game as the hybrid linebacker/safety to shadow Witten in the passing game, and when Denver mixes it up and Woodyard isn't out there B-Dawk will need to make Romo think twice about hitting Witten.

Denver has also had success each week by getting pressure on the quarterback. Romo is definitely a guy who can be rattled so getting a sack or two on him early would go a long way to help mess with head.

Dumervil has shown he can bring the pain, and will need to find a way to do so this week too. Dumervil does need to watch out for Flozell though, because he will play dirty and leg whip you if you get by him.

The Cowboys Defense

The Cowboys defense, just like their offense is just solidly good all the way around, and they play a patient good football.

In addition to the all around good players they have on this defense, the Cowboys also have some pro-bowl caliber players who are worthy of note.

OLB DeMarcus Ware

Ware led the NFL in sacks last year, but has struggled with a neck injury this season and as a result he has yet to record a sack. Though he will be ready and set to play this week he may not have much success against the Broncos Left Tackle Ryan Clady.

ILB Keith Brooking

Brooking is a vetran who simply as a nose for the football. You watch film on him playing and he is either the guy making the tackle or he is right there around where the tackle is taking place. He is a machine who just loves playing the game.

CB Terence Newman

Newman is an underrated cover corner in the NFL. He plays smart football and is ready and able to pounce on ay mistake a quarterback or receiver may make.

This defense is equally strong against the run and the pass and will be a true test for Denver this week.

Denver's Offensive Strategy

There is a saying that everyone knows, "The best offense is a good defense." And Denver has finally come to realize that statement this year, as their defense has played impeccable well and kept them in games.

But I would also contend, as many other before me have as well, that 'the best defense is a good offense.' By this I mean that a team can increase their chances of winning against a very good offense by keeping their offensive drives alive and winning the time of possession battle.

So if Denver can sustain drives with a good mix of running and short passing to methodically move the ball down the field and eating up the clock than it will limit the opportunities that Dallas' offense has to score points.

Denver showed last week that hey have two capable running backs in Buckhalter and Moreno who can both rush the ball very well inside and outside.

Mix this with Orton, who has yet to throw a pick this year (knocking on wood as I type this with one hand) and has made smart decisions spreading the football around, and you can see that Denver has the ability to move the ball they way they will need to in this game to sustain drives.

I think this week Denver is going to mix things around a bit more offensively too. Now that Marshall has better acclimated himself to the offense I think coach McDaniels is going to keep Marshall on the outside with Gaffney opposite him and put Royal in the slot.

I also look for Denver to test Dallas' inside linebackers and safeties by bringing Scheffler into the mix a little more. Fighting tight ends with tight ends so to speak.

In the end most NFL fans who looked at this game before the season and said that this is a game that Denver should lose. Every year every team in the NFL wins a game they are not supposed to win and they lose a game they are not supposed to lose. If Denver wins this game, than they take one they were not supposed to and if they lose, it was to be expected.

Denver has the chance to make a statement with this game, because it is no cake walk. Dallas is a beatable team, but it will take a lot to accomplish such a task. Like it or not though Broncos' fans this week we find out if Denver is a contender right now, or if they are just a really good team.

This one is to close to call, but I will be a homer and make a prediction of:

Denver wins 23-21.

The story may not change for the Broncos with a win over Dallas, as the Headline will probably focus on the Cowboys loss over a Broncos victory, but it still could answer that one pressing question everyone seems to be asking with a yes, the Broncos are for real.

We will find out Sunday for sure. This should be a really interesting game to watch.

Broncos-Raiders: Week Three Gameplan

Punkus — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:35:02 -0400

The Denver Broncos are undefeated so far this season. After conquering coach McDaniels' home state of Ohio, Denver faces a challenge with greater implications this Sunday as they square off against their division rivals the Oakland Raiders in the Black Hole.

As far as football rivalries go, Broncos vs. Raiders has to up there with the best of them. There is no team that Denver fans love to hate more than the Raiders, and no team that Oakland fans enjoy despising more the Broncos.

Many Broncos and Oakland alike don't care if their team loses every other game they play in a given season, as long as they win these games.

In fact this hate-hate relationship is arguably the most intense rivalry in all of football. The reasons are many and varied, but they have stood the test of time and like the Hatfields and the McCoys; it is a feud that will never find its end.

These two teams know each other very well, and always come to play each other. But both teams face many challenges this week because both squads have changed significantly since they last met.

The Raiders Offense

Quarterback

No. 2 JaMarcus Russell

This is the year that Russell gets to prove whether or not he is a boom or a bust, and I have to say that right now it doesn't look so good for JaMarcus.

Even Raider Nation, who has steadfastly supported their young QB is beginning to believe that Russell, who signed a six year $61 million dollar contract in 2007 as the first overall pick in the draft, is just another overpaid under-performing talent.

This conclusion is not an emotional one at all, but rather one based on reason. Russell's passer rating so far this season is a 46.6 and he has completed less than 36 percent of his passes.

Russell's performance has nothing to do with pressure or coverage either, he simply has no accuracy with the football, often missing his receivers by what might as well be a mile.

JaMarcus needs to get his stuff together and fast if the Raiders are to have a hope that their ragamuffin team has final turned a corner and can once again hang with the rest of the league.

Wide Receivers

During the preseason Russell seemed to be in sync with one receiver in particular, Chaz Schilens (6'4", 225 pounds).

Unfortunately, he suffered a foot injury before the season began and has not been able to be the go-to guy Raider fans thought he was going to be. Schilens will be out again this week against the Broncos.

The Raiders also have decided not to start Javon Walker (6'3" 215 lbs). Walker, who coincidentally signed a six year $55 million dollar contract last year,has not been able to show coach Cable that he can run fast enough to even be on the depth chart for the Raiders.

So the Raiders will once again start a pair of wide receivers who were playing ball in college last year.

No. 18 Louis Murphy, 6'2", 200 pounds

This fourth round pick has been a huge surprise to the Raiders. In two games Murphy has six catches for 118 yards and one touchdown. Murphy who was often overlooked in the shadow of Percy Harvin at Florida has been the only bright spot in the Raiders receiving corp this season.

No. 12 Darrius Heyward-Bey 6'2", 210 pounds

The seventh overall pick of the 2008 draft who signed a five-year, $38 million dollar contract, of which $23.5 millions in guaranteed, has caught just one pass for 18 yards.

Both of these players are big play threats because of their lightning speed. Murphy ran a 4.43 second 40 yard dash at the combine, while DHB ran it the fastest clocking in at 4.29 seconds.

Both of these receivers have the disadvantage of being rookies trying to adapt to a whole new level of play and have been thrown into the fire expected to perform in their first year.

And unfortunately their quarterback's passing accuracy has not really given them the chance to make a lot of plays either.

Running Backs

Now here is the bright spot for the Oakland Raiders. They have some great running backs.

No. 20 Darren McFadden, 6'2", 210 pounds

McFadden was the fourth overall pick of the 2008 draft and signed a six year $60 million dollar contract (are we starting to see a trend here). McFadden who ran a 4.33 second 40 yard draft at the combine is a promising young talent who has shown flashes of brilliance as a running back for the Raiders when he hasn't been hurt.

McFadden has all the skills and is a very versatile back who can hurt a team in many ways and is quite elusive in the open field.

No. 29 Michael Bush, 6'1", 245 pounds

Bush was a steal for the Raiders in the 2007 draft. He was drafted in the fourth round because he had broken his leg. Before his injury, all signs pointed to Bush being a first round draft pick. Now that he is healthy, he is playing up to that first round standard.

Bush is a punishing hard and fast runner who has a motor that won't stop. He fits the Raider ideology of pounding the rock up the gut perfectly and is a dangerous weapon for Oakland.

Both backs will be getting carries for the Raiders this year, and thus far Bush has been performing better out of the two of them running for 4.3 yards per carry over McFadden's 3.6 yards per carry. (In my personal opinion, Bush is the better back)

Offensive Line

The Raiders O-Line is built to run the football, and they are good at it. Anyone who saw their first game of the season against the Chargers saw an O-line that imposed their will on the defense. They were knocking the defense back with bad intentions that paid a unique homage to their head coach.

Unfortunately the Raiders lost one of their starters on the O-line this past week. Second overall pick in the 2004 draft Robert Gallery broke his leg, leaving Paul McQuistan to take his place at Left Guard.

Offensive lineman need to communicate and they develop chemistry with one another. Gallery's absence may be obvious this week if McQuistan fails to communicate well with his teammates.

Tight End

No. 80 Zach Miller, 6'5", 255 pounds

Miller is the biggest receiving threat on the Raiders offense. Miller hauled in six catches for 96 yards against the Chargers and helped the team march down the field on several drives.

The Chiefs knew he was a threat and made sure he was covered all over the field last week. That combined with JaMarcus' accuracy shut Miller out of the game as a receiver.

Denver’s Defensive Strategy

The Denver Broncos have a new identity this year as a team. Last year, the Broncos were an offensive juggernaut and finished the season with the second most prolific offense in football, while having one of the most pathetic defenses in the game.

Denver got a complete overhaul in the off-season though and now boast a very formidable defense and a more high percentage than prolific offense.

The defensive gameplan is against the Raiders this week is twofold.

1) Stop the Run

2) Cover Zach Miller

The Raiders have proven they do one thing well, and that is run the football. They get a great push off the line and move the line of scrimmage and their running backs pound the rock up the middle.

So Denver needs to be run oriented on defense. Stop the run and make JaMarcus "accuracy" Russell with his 36 percent completion percentage beat us through the air.

Denver's secondary is one of the best in the league. Though older and slower than the Raider wide outs, they know how to play the game and should have no problem handling a couple rookie receivers. This frees up the other seven guys to stop the run.

Denver also needs to make sure that Zach Miller does not get to roam freely. Make sure he is covered because he is the most sure handed receiving threat the Raiders have.

Take him out of the equation and the Raiders won't be able to get anything going in the passing game, and their drives should stall like a K-car.

The Raiders Defense

The Raiders defense is no joke. Their front four are all big guys who play equal to their size. Richard Seymour, Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, and Greg Ellis.

Each are capable of disrupting the backfield, racking up sacks, and stuffing running lanes. Each of them has played well thus far this year and need to be taken seriously.

Linebackers Thomas Howard and Kirk Morrison are two very underrated linebackers who wreak havoc all over the field.

And we all know that Nnamdi Asomugha is a shutdown cornerback who is right at the top of the list with Champ Bailey as the best cornerback in football. Chris Johnson has come into his own opposite Nnamdi to make them one of the best tandem of corners in the league.

After Nnamdi and Johnson though, the talent tapers off. Stanford Routt is fast, but is not great in coverage. Kansas City exposed him by exploiting him in coverage last week when he was called to action while Nnamdi was dehydrated late in the game.

Michael Huff has also recently come into his own at safety, and had two picks last week in Kansas City.

The Raiders defense is strong at every level, and poses a real problem to game plan against.

Denver’s Offensive Strategy

Denver's offense played better last week than they did the week before, and I hope to see them continue to play better each week.

The Broncos showed they can run the ball well, and Buckhalter has had the opportunity to show that he can make things happen as a running back in Denver.

Moreno may be out with a groin pull, so that may hamper the running game somewhat, but a healthy dose of Peyton Hillis pounding the football should fill in nicely to this game plan in his absence.

The Raiders can be run on and Denver needs to establish the run early in order to wear down Oakland's pass rushing lineman and keep them honest. If Denver runs right at Seymour or Ellis it will run them down and hamper the energy and mental burst to attack the pass.

Denver has a great Offensive Line which benefited greatly from week one to week two with Kuper being back from injury. It will be a battle up front, but one that is evenly matched.

Nnamdi and Johnson are so good in coverage that the Broncos are going to need to rely on Running backs, tight ends and slot receivers more as passing targets this week.

Hillis or Moreno (if healthy) should see some balls fly their way on screens and check downs. Tony Scheffler should see some more action this week too as he is a mismatch target no matter who is covering him.

Brandon Stokley out of the slot is no secret after his week one heroics. Stokley should easily take advantage of Stanford Routt's poor coverage skills and catch a good many balls this week.

As long as Denver continues to protect the football and doesn’t give the game away with penalties, I think Denver has a very good shot at taking down the Raiders this week in their home Stadium.

I give Denver the edge in this game because of Oakland’s lack of a passing game on offense, and the Broncos improved defense. Though it is usually loud in the Black Hole, the game is set to be blacked out in Oakland so that shouldn't be an issue.

My prediction: Denver wins, 20-6.

Week Two Gameplan: Broncos vs. Browns

Punkus — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:17:01 -0400

The Denver Broncos are coming off of a game where Broncos nation was sure the team had lost until our depression turned to elation with a little luck and Brandon Stokley being in the right place in the right time.

Denver fans will happily take the win, but are expecting the Broncos to play better than they did last week when they take on the Browns this Sunday at Mile High.

The Browns have been a seemingly cursed franchise over the decades. The Browns won championship after championship in the AFL before the merger but have yet to win one since.

The curse continued for Browns fans when the infamous Art Modell moved the Browns team (players and all) from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1996 only to win the Super Bowl a few years later as the Ravens (2000).

Broncos vs. Browns has some cursed history for the Browns as well. Many will recall the ’86 and ’87 AFC Championship games. The Broncos won both times in dramatic form, first “The Drive” led by Elway in ’86, and then a game that is known by some as “The Fumble” in ’87.

In ’07 the Browns posted a 10-6 record and though they missed the playoffs things were looking up for the Browns once again, but they followed that season up with an uninspired 4-12 record last year.

The Browns have a new head coach in Eric Mangini, a rebuilt defense this year, and though they lost their first game to the playoff bound Minnesota Vikings, the Browns are not the same team they were the past few seasons.

The Browns Offense

The Browns offense has the potential to be dangerous.

Quarterback

No. 10 Brady Quinn

Quinn is a talented young quarterback who can make all the throws and has something to prove. He also has a guy backing him up who made the Pro Bowl just two seasons ago named Derek Anderson.

If Quinn struggles, he could be replaced after this game, so he needs to play well. A guy under with that kind of pressure could fall apart or rise to the pressure.

Wide Receivers

No. 17 Braylon Edwards 6’3” 215 lbs

Braylon Edwards is a physical specimen. His height and size create a mismatch for almost any defensive back. But Edwards is known more for his dropped passes and missed opportunities than he is for his big plays as of late. He is capable of being one of the best receivers in the NFL, but has yet to realize his potential.

No. 16 Josh Cribbs 6’1” 215 lbs

Cribbs is one of the most explosive players in the NFL. He is probably the most gifted return man in the game, and in an effort to get the ball in his hands more, he is now starting at wide receiver for the Browns as well.

Running Back

No. 31 Jamal Lewis 5’11” 245 lbs

In 2003 Lewis ran for 2066 yards in a single season, and was just 39 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He has never come close to that mark again, but still Lewis is a bear of a running back, using a mix of size and power to grind out the tough yards.

Lewis supposedly has a neck injury, but I am sure he will be on the field this Sunday.

Offensive Line

Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Alex Mack, Floyd “Porkchop”Womack, and John St. Clair make up the Browns offensive line.

The left side of the line is young and elite, the right side are wily veterans who know the tricks of the trade, and in the middle is a promising rookie center. Though unproven as a unit, the Browns have one of the better offensive lines in the game.

Denver’s Defensive Strategy

Cleveland has a stud in Josh Cribbs.

Containing Cribbs will be key to wining this game. Denver needs to kick the ball out of the end-zone on every kickoff, and punt the ball out of bounds on every punt to keep the ball out of the hands of the Browns' best playmaker.

After Cribbs is contained, Denver needs to do what it did last week against Cincinnati, and put pressure on the young quarterback Quinn while simultaneously holding the line of scrimmage and stuffing the run.

As big of a potential threat as Edwards and Cribbs pose, they are no match for Denver’s seasoned secondary. So if Denver’s front seven can attack the Browns offense behind the line of scrimmage, the Bronco defense shouldn’t be on the field very long.

Look for Denver to be successful attacking the right side of the Browns offensive line getting pressure on Quinn and forcing him to scramble left against his throwing arm.

Haggan and Davis could see a few more sacks this week as a result of St.Cair’s aging abilities, on the flip side though Dumervil will have his hands full trying to get past perennial pro bowler Joe Thomas.

Though the schemes are no doubt different and the Browns are a different team this year Andra Davis should be ready to stick it to his former team this week.

If Denver can shut down the running game and not let Cribbs make plays on a screen, reverse or wildcat play, than Denver should be in good shape.

The Browns Defense

Coach Mangini brought some defensive talent with him from the Jets when he took over in Cleveland and in doing so he put together a more complete well rounded defense.

It all starts up front with Shaun Rogers who is largely considered one of the best nose tackles in the game. Though some have questioned his work ethic, he is effective at drawing double teams to open up opportunities for his teammates to make plays.

Rogers is flanked by Robaire Smith and Kenyon Coleman, who also do a great job of holding their ground and tying up their opponents.

Behind them is a great group of underrated yet very effective linebackers in K.Wimbley, D.Jackson, E.Barton, and D.Bowens. D’Qwell Jackson is the leader of this defense and is a tackling machine, he will be all over the field reeking havoc on passing and running plays alike.

The Browns also have a very respectable secondary with E.Wright, A.Elam, B.Pool and B.McDonald. Wright can hang with the best of them, and Elam is a hard hitter. Beyond this though, their depth is a little thin.

Denver’s Offensive Strategy

Denver’s offense went nowhere last week against the Bengals. They just couldn’t get anything together. This was not so much due to the Bengals defense as it was due to the failures of Denver’s offense. Dropped passes, penalties, and holding the ball too long put the Broncos in a deficit of yards all too often for the entire game. Denver should be able to correct these errors though, as they were uncharacteristic of the players who made them.

After a lackluster preseason performance Buckhalter played like he did back in Philadelphia and made the most of his opportunities to run the ball when given the chance, and should be expected to do so again against the Browns who gave up over 200 yards rushing last week.

The rookie Moreno on the other hand did not impress, but the Broncos offense was barely on the field last week. Hopefully his lack of playing time in preseason didn’t stunt Knowshon's growth in the NFL and he will take better advantage of the opportunities he receives this week.

Denver’s offensive line did not have a great performance in week one at all. Holding penalties and giving up three sacks is not what anyone expected from this highly touted group.

The loss of Chris Kuper to injury was really felt during the game, I think it messed with the line's chemistry and communication in a bad way. Hopefully Kuper will be back this week to return some stability to the unit, but they all need to play much better, mistake free football.

Orton still needs to settle down and open his eyes. Too many times did I see his feet chopping, which doesn’t allow him to set up and deliver the ball. He needs to finish his drop and set himself in the pocket and use his eyes better to play the defense off his intended target.

Orton also needs to work on his mental clock. He tends to hold the ball too long, and he needs to know that he is out of time and get rid of the ball.

The good news with Orton is that he was smart with the football in Week One. He didn’t turn the ball over trying to force a throw that wasn’t there, unlike what a former Broncos quarterback used to do (He lost the game for his new team by throwing four interceptions).

Denver's wide receiving corps needs to shake off some rust, too. Every single wide receiver on the field dropped a catchable ball last week against the Bengals. That is unacceptable and I expect that it was an aberration that we won’t see repeated this week at home in Mile High.

As long as Denver continues to protect the football and doesn’t give the game away with penalty’s and big plays created by Josh Cribbs, I think Denver has a very good shot at taking down the Browns this week in their home opener.

I give Denver the edge in this game because of Clevland’s lack of explosive offense, and the Broncos improved defense. The Mile High air doesn't hurt either.

My prediction: Denver wins 20-13.

Week One Gameplan: Broncos Vs. Bengals

Punkus — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:38:54 -0400

Even though this week’s game is in a city that is on the complete opposite end of the state and a four hour drive away from his hometown of Canton, Coach McDaniels gets to open up the season in his home state of Ohio.

They are pretty much known more for the television show “WKRP in Cincinnati” than for good football over the years. The only notable player to ever wear a Bengals Uniform was Boomer Esiason who led Cincinnati to two Super Bowl losses to the 49ers in the 80’s.

The Bengals have gotten better over the past few years under the tutelage of Coach Marvin Lewis, yet they remain consistently inconsistent from year to year.

The Bengals followed up their 7-9 2007 record by finishing third in the AFC North in 2008 with a record of 4-11-1. Nonetheless Cincinnati is not a team that you want to look past on your schedule.

They are using the sting of their embarrassing showing last season to fuel their intensity this year. The Bengals are a team of bad intentions who are much better than last year’s record shows and they need to be taken seriously.

The Bengals Offense

The Bengals are loaded at the offensive skilled positions.

Quarterback No. 9 Carson Palmer

He has a great arm and is a seasoned quarterback in the NFL. He can be very dangerous if he has time to throw the football.

Wide Receivers

No. 85 Chad OchoCinco 6’1” 192lbs

No. 85 is very talented. Unfortunately his play has dropped off the past few years. Whether it is double teams, chemistry, age or maybe he is just not that good, Mr. eight–five is known more for his antics on and off the field than for his play on it.

No. 11 Laveranues Coles 5’11” 200lbs

Coles chose to sign with Cinci in the offseason and will fill the position opposite OchoCinco left vacant by T.J. Who’syourmama?’s departure.

Coles has also had an inconsistent career in the NFL as a No. 1 receiver, but now that he is playing second fiddle to “the Chad” (who was once considered elite), he may see the kind of touches that Houshmandzadeh built his career on the past few years.

No. 15 Chris Henry 6’4” 200lbs

Henry has had a troubled career in the NFL. He has shown flashes of great ability but has gotten in his own way by getting in trouble with the law. Bengals fans are hoping he has turned over a new leaf this season.

Henry turned it on in the preseason, racking up 14 catches for 224 yards and four touchdowns in four games. This could mean he is poised to have an amazing year coming out of the slot.

Running Back

No. 32 Cedric Benson

Benson was supposed to be the reincarnation of Ricky Williams (the Ricky before he decided to retire from football at the height of his career so he could go smoke pot full-time).

Unfortunately for Benson, he struggled more than he succeeded thus far in his career. He may be finally putting things together in Cinci, but still, no one is expecting anything spectacular from him.

Denver’s Defensive Strategy

Cincinnati has a potent aerial arsenal at their disposal, with a capable running complement, but the Bengals do not have a very good offensive line. Andre Smith was supposed to help make them better, but a holdout followed by a foot fracture has kept him from making any impact on the Bengals line.

Therefore the key for Denver to be successful against this passing attack will be putting pressure on the quarterback.

All three of Cinci’s receivers are known for their speed, not their route running. So the trick is not to get beat deep. The best way to do this is with pressure. It takes time for receivers to get down the field no matter how fast they are.

Palmer is a pocket passer with limited mobility and is fresh off an elbow injury last year. If Denver can stay in Palmer’s face all day long the Bengals won’t have time to throw the deep ball.

The beautiful thing about the 3-4 defense is that you can bring pressure from anywhere.

I look for the Denver’s front seven all to get involved in creating pressure. D-line, outside, and inside backers should all keep the pressure coming from different places all day long.

Champ, Goodman, Smith, Hill, and Dawkins should be able to keep OchoCinco, Coles, and Henry from getting open down field and snatch up any errant throws that come their way.

Denver’s front seven will also need to keep Cinci honest in the running game, but again Cinci’s weak O-line creates the opportunity for Denver to shut Benson down as well.

The Bengals really don’t get too creative in their running plays and Denver will mostly see them try to pound the ball up the middle more than attempting to finesse run to the outside.

Denver has a chance to come out and make a statement defensively in this first game. Not giving Palmer anytime to set up, make his reads, and throw the ball will go a long way to Denver getting a W this Sunday. (Forcing a couple turnovers wouldn’t hurt either.)

The Bengals Defense

Cincinnati has quietly been putting together a very solid defense under Marvin Lewis. They have yet to become one of the most feared in the league but they have been consistently getting better under his guidance.

The Bengals run a 4-3 defense starting up front with Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, Tank Johnson, and Antwaan Odom. These guys are big and tough will make plays on you if you're not careful. They also drafted rush specialist Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech who could cause some trouble of his own on passing downs.

Dhani Jones, Rey Mauluga, and Keith Rivers make up a young but talented line-backing core for Cincinnati. Mauluga may not start, but should at least see some time. A top prospect who fell to Cinci in the second round, Maualuga is known to be a devastating hitter.

Keith Rivers was a top prospect last year who would have challenged Jerod Mayo for defensive rookie of the year had he not broken his jaw in week seven.

Cinci’s secondary got stronger with the addition of Roy Williams in the offseason. If he can return to the form he once played with in Dallas a few years ago, this move could be huge for the Bengals.

Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph have developed into a pair of very good corners as well. They will keep most offenses honest all over the field, but could be susceptible to the deep ball at times. The Bengals do not have any notable depth to speak of beyond these two starters in the secondary.

Denver’s Offensive Strategy

Denver should just play their game against Cincinnati. McDaniel’s offense should work against anybody, with screen passes to receivers and running backs, and short passes with a healthy portion of run set up by the pass.

Hopefully Knowshon Moreno will be mostly-to-fully ready for the game. He only had a few runs in preseason, but they were enough to show everyone that he will be a force to be reckoned with this year. I don’t believe the Bronco’s depth chart; I think we will see him out there on the field quite often.

Denver also may have their full complement of receivers including perhaps Brandon Marshall.

McDaniels' system is all about game management. If Orton is careful with the football and does not take any chances then the Broncos should be able to systematically move the ball down the field very well.

Denver’s offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and seldom gives up a sack. I saw Orton having happy feat in the pocket too many times in the preseason. Orton needs to learn to trust in his offensive line and be comfortable in the pocket knowing he has time, then just make the smart throw with the football.

If Marshall does indeed take the field then all bets are off. Cincinnati’s biggest weakness is in their secondary, and Marshall should draw a double team. That should leave things open for Royal, Gaffney, and Stokley to get open.

McDaniels needs a win to satiate the critics out there who are already calling for his job, and the Bengals are looking to set the tone for the rest of their season.

As long as Denver protects the football and doesn’t give the game away with penalties and turnovers I think Denver has a very good shot at taking down the Bengals in week one. Both teams will be hungry, and both teams will be looking to make a statement in this first game.

Call me a homer if you want but I give Denver the edge in this game because of Cincinnati’s weak offensive line.

My prediction: Denver wins 23- 17.

2009 Denver Broncos: Team Captains Announced

Punkus — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:03:18 -0400

The title of captain is reserved for a person who is at the head of or is in authority over others. A captain is a person of great power and influence who leads or commands others.

A captain is the chief officer in command in a naval vessel, on an airplane, or on the field of battle.

An Army captain is the leader of a company of troops that usually consists of 130-150 soldiers. This field commander is charged with both the safety of his men and the successful execution of the company’s mission.

A captain is a leader of men, a person of good repute and authority whom others look to for direction.

In the realm of sports, much like the field of battle, a captain is a field commander. A captain provides inspiration to his fellow teammates. He makes sure they know their jobs and are ready to complete them. A captain leads by example both in preparation and performance on the field.

As the Denver Broncos prepare to open up the 2009 season this Sunday in Cincinnati there was one order of business needed to be finalized. The players took care of this yesterday as the voted to name their 2009 team captains.

Casey Wiegmann

A veteran center in his 14th year playing in the NFL coming off a Pro-Bowl season, Casey knows a thing or two about how to play the game of football. He is an invaluable leader on Denver’s offensive line; communicating with the rest of the lineman and making the changes in protection at the line protect the quarterback.

Kyle Orton

A fifth year player in the NFL, this will be the second team that Orton has been voted to captain, having been charged with the duty in Chicago last year as well. The quarterback position lends itself to leadership on the field. The quarterback calls the plays, knows everyone’s job, lines the players up, reads the defense, and makes the necessary adjustments.

Daniel Graham

An eight year veteran tight end, this will be Graham’s second year as a captain for the Denver Broncos. One of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL, Graham leads by example on the field with his play and in the locker room as he promotes a team first attitude.

Champ Bailey

Champ is regarded as the best at what he does. Aside from a Raider named Nnamdi, there is not another corner back in the NFL who even enters the conversation. This is the third year Champ will represent the team as a captain as he leads by example with his play and work ethic both in practice and on game day.

Brian Dawkins

B-Dawk has been playing NFL football for fourteen years. All of them, up until this year, were spent with the Philadelphia Eagles. Dawkins was the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Eagles for the the past decade leading his team on and off the field with passion and intensity. He knows no other way to play the game.

This seven time Pro-Bowler doesn’t know how not to be a leader, it is written in his DNA. B-Dawk was an obvious choice to be a team captain for the Denver Broncos and all gathered in Mile High this year will hear his leadership from the stands as he guides our team to victory.

Mario Haggan

It has taken Haggan seven years in the NFL to finally find his niche. Playing mostly on special teams in Buffalo for most of his career Haggan finally found a home in Denver after being challenged to switch positions from inside to outside linebacker. Haggen knows what it means to work hard and fight for your job and this attitude coupled with his years of experience have impressed his teammates so much that he was appointed a captain on defense.

Wesley Woodyard

Second year inside linebacker Wesley Woodyard was no doubt voted special teams captain for his consistent play, nose for the ball, and leadership abilities on a young Broncos team.

Seven captains in all: Three on offense, three on defense and one on special teams, these men were voted to be captains by their fellow teammates because they recognize these individuals as being leaders among them. They are the people they would go to if they needed help, advice or had a concern. These men serve proudly as stewards of the team both on and off the field and Denver’s success will be directly as a result of their ability to lead their team.

Much like their military counterparts these seven captains will be charged with helping to keep their team safe both on and off the field while making sure that they complete their mission of winning football games. They are a fine group and worthy of their positions as 2009 Denver Broncos team captains.

[ Writers Note: I know Sayre beat me to the punch in posting this article, but I already had it written and I have a little bit of a different angle and style on it I think. Hopefully you enjoy both articles]

NFL Fans: Reality Check Time

Punkus — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:50:29 -0400

As the NFL preseason ends, the excitement that brings football fans back year after year is finally upon us with the regular season set to begin.

If your fervor has not been sullied by uninspired preseason games, your enthusiasm for the coming season is at an all-time high when your team finally takes the field this Sunday (for most teams).

Unfortunately, just by the nature of competition, half of the teams will win this week and the other half will lose (unless you're Donovan McNabb or Andy Reid and are unaware your team can tie a game and therefore fail to try for the win).

It is for this very reason that I feel it is time for us all to take off our respective team colored glasses and face some harsh truths.

Your team is not as good as you think they are.

We are football fans. We believe in our team. We place our hope in their hands every week. We share in the emotion of their successes and failures, so much so that we marry ourselves to our team with words of ownership (we just need to…, etc.).

But to be honest with ourselves, without dashing the hopes that have us chomping at the bit, we need to keep ourselves from buying into the hype, or we will surely be disappointed.

Without calling out teams or players (because we all know who they are):

That rookie your team picked up in the draft is still a rookie and will probably not have that much of an impact for your team this year. Even if he shows flashes of brilliance, he will fail more than he succeeds this year (with few exceptions.)

That older veteran player your team picked up in free agency is old, and probably doesn’t have the gas left in the tank that he did in his heyday. Don’t be surprised if he underperforms—because your team paid him for what he did in his past rather than what he has the ability to do for your team in the future.

Your new rookie head coach is a rookie head coach and will/has made rookie mistakes himself. I don’t care how good he was as a coordinator, he has a lot more on his plate now than he ever had in the past. He is not the savior of your franchise and will not lead you to the Super Bowl this year or the next. The reason your team has a new head coach is because your team wasn’t very good last year, despite what you may think.

The prospect players on your roster are not that good. All the potential in the world won’t make them an impact player in the NFL.

Though patience is required to develop a legitimate player in the NFL, some players will never pan out. Even if they were a very high draft pick, some players are just busts. Your organization is paying them a whole lot for very little in return.

Your offense will not be as dynamic as you think it will. Sure you have some very talented running backs (or receivers), but without any decent receivers (or running backs) your offense is one dimensional and will stall eventually.

Your team will miss the player or coach that they lost to another team this off-season. The dynamic that individual brought to the team, allowing them to be so successfu is gone, and it will show.

No one can predict the future and few things in life are certain, but I think we will all be better off if we temper our expectations with reality.

I do not suggest that you dilute the excitement or fervor for your team. But simply realize the hype for what it is.

As the saying goes..."On any given Sunday..."

Never give up hope, but make sure your expectations are realistic for your team.

Allow yourself to be surprised by players exceeding your expectations, and aptly prepared when they simply meet your realistic expectations.

I hope I didn’t depress anyone with this article—just trying to speak some truth.

Hope for the best, but prepare (yourself) for the worst.

Tony Scheffler: Impressing Denver's Coaches

Punkus — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:24:11 -0400

Player: Tony Scheffler

Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 255 lbs.

Age: 26

College: Western Michigan

Acquired: Draft, Second Round (61st overall), 2006

Pro Year: Fourth

Combine Numbers:

4.54 seconds – 40 yard dash
17 reps of 225 lbs. – Bench press
33½" – Vertical jump
9'7" – Broad jump
6.82 seconds – Three cone drill
4.04 seconds – Short shuttle

Scheffler led the NFL and set a Denver single-season record for the tight end position with a 16.1 yards-per-reception average in 2008. This helped him register a career-high 645 receiving yards (40 rec.), which ranked eighth in the league among tight ends.

Scheffler is known as a receiving tight end in the National Football League. His speed and his sure hands have allowed him to attain a certain level of success thus far in his career, but he will need to become a better blocker if he wants to take his game to the next level, especially in new Head Coach Josh McDaniels's offensive system.

“All of our guys have got to be able to do everything; they cannot just be one-sided players," said Denver Broncos tight ends coach Clancy Barone. “They have got to be tough and smart and Tony certainly is both of those things.”

Barone certainly knows how to evaluate talent and get the best out of his players. He has coached a Pro Bowl tight end each of last four years—the Chargers' Antonio Gates (2007-08) and the Falcons' Alge Crumpler (2005-06).

With such an impressive résumé of experience, it is clear that Barone is one of the best tight end coaches in the business.

And the intriguing part is that he has coveted the ability to work with Tony Scheffler for a while.

“[Tony] is such a talented guy, I knew that way back when he was in college. I was with the Falcons and he was a guy that I wanted to draft. Of course, the Broncos got him first,” Barone said. “He is a guy that I would always keep in touch with when I’d see him after games when I was with the Chargers and we’d kind of talk. [Tony] is such a talent and I’m just happy to have another one like that to coach.”

Coach Barone, who coached Gates and Crumpler to Pro Bowl seasons with their respective teams, believes that Scheffler is a guy who belongs in that same class of players talent-wise.

Barone is not the only coach who recognizes Scheffler’s abilities either.

“He can do a lot of things. Tony is very versatile. He obviously has very good speed and hands in the passing game," said McDaniels

When coaching for New England, McDaniels used to split tight end Ben Watson out as a receiver to create a mismatch on the defense backs. I would imagine, given Scheffler’s abilities, he would use him in a similar capacity here in Denver this season.

McDaniels continued by saying, “[Scheffler] has also shown a good solid toughness in our running game for us here in training camp and that will be important when we are in those two tight end sets and want to try to run the ball. We ask [our tight ends] to do a lot in our offense and Tony showed up and worked hard every day and he is getting better.”

Scheffler’s marked blocking improvement in camp, under coach Barone’s tutelage, has not gone unnoticed.

This will allow McDaniels to use Scheffler in his two-tight end formations, which will allow the Broncos to run the ball with power, and disguise some passing plays with this heavy formation.

Scheffler continues to get better and increase his versatility as a tight end and is just one of many very potent weapons on the Denver Broncos' offense.

Scheffler will need to keep his wits about him and make the most out of the opportunities he gets to make a play this season.

This will be Scheffler’s fourth year in the league and, at 26 years old, if he continues to hone his craft, listen to coach Barone and impress Coach McDaniels, he will certainly take his place among the NFL elite tight ends in the next few years.

***Update*** I found some interesting Statistics in another article about Scheffler that are worth checking out:

http://broncotalk.net/2008/11/respect-tony-scheffler/

They may be irrelivant now, with the offensive overhaul, but interesting nonetheless.

Brandon Stokley: Denver Broncos' Wes Welker?

Punkus — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:33:42 -0400

Many have speculated that Eddie Royal would be the next Wes Welker in Denver, but signs point to a different Bronco taking on that role.

Ever since Josh McDaniels was named the head coach in Denver, fans and pundits alike have dubbed the Broncos "the Patriots West."

Coach McDaniels brought with him the potent offensive system that he ran so successfully in New England when he landed in Denver.

Naturally, this has caused speculation and comparisons, as people ponder who on the Broncos roster will fill the roles that Randy Moss and Wes Welker occupied in New England.

Most have automatically assumed that Brandon Marshall fills Moss's role and Denver's rookie phenom from last year, Eddie Royal, would step right in to the slot position and become the Wes Welker for the "Patriots West" Denver Broncos.

The indications we get from training camp thus far seem to tell a different story, though.

Randy Moss (6'4", 210 lbs.) and Brandon Marshall (6'4", 230 lbs.) share similar physical characteristics in size, height and weight, but what sets them apart is the way they play the game.

Randy Moss is a burner, he uses his speed to beat a corner down field and uses his height and leaping ability to secure the ball when covered tight.

While Marshall shares the same height advantage, he does not have the same speed. This makes Marshall more of a possession receiver than a speed guy.

Marshall makes up for his lack of speed by using his size to his advantage. Marshall is difficult to bring down, and is elusive when he gets the ball in the open field.

You don't see Marshall beating a corner deep for a long gain; you see him get separation and make a catch 12 yards out and then break a tackle and make a move to get those extra yards.

Eddie Royal, on the other hand, has the speed to beat a corner deep, and has the sure hands to make the catch. The only thing Eddie lacks is the height to win the jumpball of an imprecisely thrown pass.

Forgetting about a number system that ranks receivers and simply focusing on who is going to play the role of running the deep ball routes, Eddie Royal will be the Randy Moss in Denver's new offense.

So what role will Brandon Marshall play then? Is Brandon Marshall Denver's Wes Welker?

No.

Though Wes Welker's production has been prolific and he is considered the No. 2 receiver in New England, Welker got his yards operating on the inside, slot or at the No. 3 wide receiver position.

New England, and not Denver, had another receiver (often new Bronco and former Patriot Jabar Gaffney) run routes from the other outside receiver spot.

Once he is healthy, and if he wins his day in court, I see Marshall filling this role where his routes would be more intermediary than deep, which would play to his strengths.

So who would be the Wes Welker slot receiver for the Denver Broncos?

Who, other than the guy who has spent the last two years in Denver's slot, Brandon Stokley?

"Brandon Stokley is one of the toughest slot receivers I've coached against; (he is) everything I thought he was when I came here," McDaniels said, adding that Stokley "just has a knack of how to get open. That's an invaluable skill for a wide receiver, particularly on third down."

McDaniels recognizes Stokley's abilities as a slot receiver and plans to use him in this capacity because it is what Stokley does best.

Stokley has all the tools of the prototypical slot receiver. The only question may be if he can handle the workload.

Over the past two seasons, Wes Welker has tallied an NFL high 223 receptions out of the slot position.

Over that same span, Stokley caught only 89 balls and missed six games due to injury. Add to that the fact that he recently turned 33, and you might doubt whether Stokley has the durability needed to be "Wes Welker" in Denver.

Stokley believes he is up to the task, "I think I can play a lot of plays and take the grind of the season. I worked hard in the offseason and I'm ready to go, man. I'm ready to play football."

Coach McDaniels thinks he can handle it as well, "We'll play Brandon probably more than they did last year just because of the way we are going to be in three-receiver offense as much as we may end up being in it."

Stokley is already proving he can handle the workload this off-season. Having developed a strong chemistry with his new quarterback, Kyle Orton, through OTA's and minicamp, the Orton-to-Stokley connection is one that can be seen often in training camp.

The Denver Broncos' official Twitter has tweeted the following over the past week: “Orton finds Stokley deep down the middle for a long gain” and "Orton-to-Stokley for a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion."

Mike Klis of the Denver Post has observed this connection as well, "During a 7-on-7 pass coverage drill early in the Broncos' practice at training camp, Orton threw a ball 40 yards until it landed perfectly in Brandon Stokley's hands"

"Orton completed so many passes to Brandon Stokley during the controlled scrimmage at Invesco Field at Mile High on Aug. 6 that no one should have trouble learning who will play the Wes Welker role in the Broncos' new offense this year."

In the end, no two receivers are the same, but, in a straight up comparison, Eddie Royal is Denver's Randy Moss (deep threat), Brandon Marshall is the other outside receiver (intermediate possession guy), and Brandon Stokley is Denver's Wes Welker.

Desire: Does Jarvis Moss Have It?

Punkus — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:32:05 -0400

Desire.

You have to want it, and you have to want it badly.

Life does not make it a habit of just handing you something, you have to work for it, you have to want it, especially when it comes to playing football.

Even at the High School level you have to put in the time, go to the weight room, watch the tape, practice until you can do it in your sleep, push yourself beyond your limits to succeed.

Jarvis Moss is no longer sure that he has the desire.

Several team sources have confirmed that Moss left Dove Valley Saturday without practicing and has informed the Denver Broncos that he is contemplating whether he wants to continue playing football.

Coach Josh McDaniels explained that,"[Moss] was excused [from practice] for a very personal reason. I am going to respect that, and I hope everybody else does, too."

Despite being drafted as the 17th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft, Moss never fully realized his potential as a defensive end with the Broncos over the past few seasons.

Hampered by a fractured right fibula in his rookie year, Moss played only sparingly for the Broncos over the past two seasons, amassing career stats of only 19 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

Too small to play Defensive End in the 3-4 defense that is being implemented in Denver this year, Jarvis was moved to outside linebacker to make better use of his 6'6" 265 lb frame.

Jarvis seemed to be excited about this change of position which many NFL scouts and commentators thought he was best suited to play coming out of college.

"It's a brand new start for me," Moss said. "I'm going to continue to work hard, pray, and everything will take care of itself."

Moss had been working out with the Broncos all offseason, and despite being low on the depth chart he seemed to be in fine spirits.

Something must have changed his thinking though, as he is now contemplating retirement.

Maybe he couldn't handle being that low on the depth chart, no longer the big man on campus that he maybe was at Florida, and couldn't handle the pressure that his high draft status put on him.

Maybe he felt like he couldn't keep up physically with the other guys, and that it is only a matter of time.

Perhaps he feels unwanted, as it was reported that Denver tried to trade him for a seventh round pick during the draft.

Maybe he cannot hang with the rest of the team mentally, with the strain of learning a new more complex defensive system.

Whatever his reasoning is, Moss has doubts about whether or not he wants to continue to play football, and you cannot have that.

Moss is paid to play, and it takes a commitment of all that you are. Your body, your time, your energy, everything.

But he doesn't know if he wants to play anymore.

It all comes down to how badly you want it. You need to live it, and if he has his doubts about it then this may be the end of Jarvis Moss' career.

After an action like this, the likelihood that Moss makes the Denver Broncos 53-man roster is remote.

If you didn't have him there already, Broncos fans can officially call Jarvis Moss a bust.

If he is having doubts now, then I think it is safe to say that he no longer wants to play.

He just doesn't have that essential quality.

You need to want it.

You need to have that Desire.

Brett Favre's Retirement Opens Door for Michael Vick

Punkus — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:39:15 -0400

Vikings fans everywhere are disappointed about the announcement that Brett Favre has decided to stay retired.

Even at the age of 40, Favre would bring credibility to any team. Opposing defenses needed to respect Favre's abilities. He made things happen with the football. He was a gunslinger.

Favre held the Vikings hostage with his indecision, and now Minnesota is stuck with another season of having a passing game that doesn't scare anyone. Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson hardly strike fear into the hearts of NFL secondaries.

Minnesota is once again one-dimensional, and has to rely on Adrian Peterson to win their games for them.

Or do they?

The Vikings were ready to take a risk with the aging arm of Brett Favre after the end of the season meltdown he had last year with the Jets. Why wouldn't they be willing to take a shot on another risky player?

Michael Vick is free and clear to sign with any team in the NFL, but few teams are in need of a starting QB.

Minnesota already has a "backup plan" in place with Rosenfels and Jackson, but the Vikings know that neither of these guys has the chops, or they wouldn't have entertained the possibility of Favre's third coming.

The Vikings have also constantly shown that they are willing to ignore a player's off-the-field faults, as was the case with Percy Harvin and Randy Moss.

The addition of Vick just makes sense, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. It is a risk, but it could pay off.

Aside from the PR frenzy it might cause, (which would go away after a few months) the real question with Vick is if he still has what it takes to play football in the NFL. If he can answer positively to that question, then I can't see how this doesn't make sense.

If Minnesota signs Vick, they could have a monopoly in the running game. They would have Michael Vick, a QB with great speed, Peterson, the most dominant running back in the league, and Percy Harvin, a receiver threat who can run the ball.

All the different possibilities that Vick could create are just amazing.

It makes sense, Minnesota. Embrace the madness and go get Michael Vick!

Former Denver Broncos That Are So "Good" Nobody Wants Them

Punkus — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:44:04 -0400

Going into training camp this year, fans of the Denver Broncos find themselves looking at a completely different team than they beheld just one year ago.

Many players who were household names to the Broncos faithful are either with another team or are still looking for work this offseason.

With all the change that has occurred in the Broncos' roster, I find it encouraging that Denver has cut the fat that was holding the team back.

Taking a look at the long list of players no longer in Denver, there seems to be a trend.

Many of them are still unemployed.

The following is a list of 2008 starters that nobody wants. These players are so "good," nobody wants them. After starting last year for Mike Shanahan’s poor excuse for a defense (save Selvin), these guys aren’t even good enough to attend OTA’s with another NFL team.

Defensive Tackle Dewayne Robertson (Cut)

Robertson was supposed to be the answer to Denver’s problem of stuffing the run.

Unfortunately, his nagging knee injury never allowed him to be anything more than a rotational player who was far from the force in the middle that Denver fans were expecting.

His 22 total tackles and 1.5 sacks were just not enough for McDaniels and Co. to keep him around.

And surprise, surprise. Robertson is such a good player, nobody wants him.

Linebacker Boss Bailey (Cut)

Champ Bailey’s brother, Boss, has had an unfortunate career.

When he is on the field, he has played very well. But he has been struck with the injury bug and has not been able to shake it for a number of years now.

It is hard to know how good a player is if he is never actually able to play.

Boss’ nagging injuries have kept him off the field for too long, and his reputation precedes him. Injuries have kept Boss from being able to find employment on another NFL team, despite being a season opening starter in 2008.

Defensive End John Engelberger (Cut)

I never understood why this guy ever became a starter in the NFL. He played for the 49ers when they were terrible, so maybe that was it.

Engleberger never put up great numbers and has always been too small (260 pounds) to be an effective defensive end.

He may have had desire and heart, as he was known to play through injury, but his skills have always been second string at best. It just goes to show how terrible Denver’s defense was last year.

Running Back Selvin Young (Cut)

Mike Shanahan’s offensive system with Bobby Turner’s and Rich Dennison’s coaching allowed him to plug anyone into Denver’s backfield and have success. This was proved time and again.

Selvin Young went undrafted in 2007, but he proved to be a capable back in the zone blocking one-cut system Denver runs.

Young probably could not have started on any other NFL team, yet he started for the Denver Broncos in 2008. But he was one of many who got injured early in the season and never recovered.

His "skills" were not good enough to keep him around Denver in McDaniels' Offense, and he too is looking for a job.

Linebacker Nate Webster (Free Agent)

Despite being a career backup, Nate Webster got a chance to start in Denver after Al Wilson went down with a career-ending back injury.

Webster played fairly well in 2008, cleaning up many tackles missed by the anemic defense, but he also got beat quite often and looked out of control on the field.

He too struggled with injuries and in the end was not worth keeping around.

Linebacker Jamie Winborn (Cut)

Stepping into place after Boss went out with an injury, Winborn started most of the season as the strong side outside linebacker.

In fact, Winborn led the team in tackles for the 2008 season.

Winborn turned 30 and doesn’t fit the 3-4 system Mike Nolan is implementing in Denver, so he was cut, and he has yet to get an offer to play for another NFL team.

The following are more 2008 players who have yet to sign with another team after being released by the Denver Broncos.

Fullback Andrew Pinnock (cut)

Running back P.J. Pope (cut)

Tight end Nate Jackson (cut)

Linebacker Louis Green (cut)

Safety Herana-Daze Jones (cut)

Cornerback Rashad Moulton (cut)

Tight end Chad Mustard (cut)

Running back Alex Haynes (cut)

Running back Cory Boyd (cut)

Wide receiver Cliff Russell (cut)

Defensive tackle John Shaw (cut)

All of these players were so "good" no other NFL team will have them.

Maybe they will get picked up as players get injured during camp or the regular season, but it is mind-boggling that so many guys who played for Denver last year are such dead-weights and have failed to attract interest from any of the other 31 NFL teams.

There were only nine players out of the 27 who were released from last year's roster that have been able to join a team for training camp with a shot at maybe making the team.

Running back Anthony Aldridge (waivers, Washington)

Wide receiver Jayson Foster (cut, Pittsburgh)

Linebacker Niko Koutouvides (cut, Tampa Bay)

Tight end Mike Leach (cut, Arizona)

Safety Marquand Manuel (cut, Detriot)

Safety Marlon McCree (FA, Jacksonville)

Cornerback Karl Paymeh (FA, Minnesota)

Quarterback Patrick Ramsey (FA, Tennessee)

Cornerback Dré Bly (cut, San Francisco)

All of these guys will have a difficult time making their new teams as anything more than a special teams player or a backup. That is just how "good" these players are.

Note the picture I chose for this article. It took Robertson, Engleberger, and Webster to try to tackle Ronnie Brown. You can blame Slowik and his terrible defensive scheme, but it also goes to show the talent these players possess.

McDaniels and Co. wasted no time cleaning house in Denver, and I am glad that they did. It wasn’t as if there was untapped talent among the players that Denver released, but rather, dead weight that needed to be purged.

Everything has changed in Denver this offseason, and the Broncos have shed the players who were substandard, injury-ridden, and didn’t fit the system.

To these players, I say "thank you for your service and good luck," but I am glad to see them replaced with promising talents and players who can step in and win.

Denver is a team with new players and a new identity going into the 2009 season. It is streamlined and ready to surprise a lot of people.

Brandon Marshall Will Be in Camp

Punkus — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:40:22 -0400

It is a topic that has been circulating in the back of every Broncos player's and fan's mind since Brandon Marshall left Dove Valley a month ago with a bunch of boxes after meeting with Pat Bowlen: Will Brandon Marshall remain a Bronco in 2009?

Since Marshall asked to be traded the Denver Broncos have held up a strong front. From the team's standpoint, he is under contract and they have no intention of trading him or re-signing him to a larger contract with all his legal problems looming.

Marshall's attempt to get a larger contract by demanding a trade has not worked on the Broncos, and with training camp just around the corner, you have to wonder how far Marshall is willing to take this.

The Denver Post's Mike Klis reported earlier this week that the Broncos informed Brandon Marshall that as an injured player he will be expected to show up for training camp with the team's rookies on July 27.

Yahoo! Sports' Sean Jensen caught up with Brandon Marshall at the University of Minnesota while he was working out with fellow Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

When asked if he plans to report to training camp on time, Marshall said, "Well, I'm under contract with the Broncos."

This looks like a good sign. Despite Marshall's desire for a new contract and his issues with the Broncos medical staff, he still understands that he needs to honor his contract and report to camp.

When Marshall was asked about his situation possibly being a distraction to his teammates, he responded, “You don’t ever want to be that.”

So we can all hope that Marshall comes into camp and is able to talk with the organization and work things out, while training and working hard to learn the new offensive system Coach McDaniels has instituted in Denver.

Despite being away from Denver, Marshall has still been rehabbing from his injury and working out to try to get better at his craft.

Marshall said, “At the end of the day, I’m going to be playing football, and, if I’m going to be out there, I got to be in the best shape I can be in. All I can do is get up everyday and beat my body up, and that’s the truth.”

Marshall has even been challenging himself by working out with other NFL wide receivers, including Larry Fitzgerald, who many consider to be the NFL's best wide receiver right now.

"The main thing I’m taking back to Orlando with me is that I’m 20 yards behind Fitzgerald. [Working out here] showed me how far behind I am from the best.”

Marshall said he enjoyed sharing insights with receivers like Fitzgerald and the Green Bay Packers’ Greg Jennings.

(Hopefully he learned a little something about how to handle your business from Jennings, who is an elite receiver himself and was able to get a huge contract extension just by playing well, and not by causing a scene or involving the media.)

The highlight of Brandon's week in Minnesota, though, was when he worked out with Jerry Rice. “I had never gotten the chance to meet the G.O.A.T. [Greatest of All Time] before,” Marshall said. “It’s inspiring, to see how old he is, and how he’s still got it.”

If Marshall got some insight from these great players about how to handle his business from here on out, then maybe Marshall will shut up, report to camp, do what he is paid to do, and let the contract take care of itself.

If it weren't for Brandon's off-the-field legal issues, I'm sure he would have a long-term contract already. Hard work pays off, and that is what he needs to do: work hard, keep his nose clean, and the money will come.

I know we haven't heard the last of this situation, but one thing we can rest assured about is that Marshall will not try to holdout. He will report to camp. After all, he is still under contract with the Broncos.

Comparing Offseasons: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos

Punkus — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:32:56 -0400

Typically you can't write an article like this. NFL teams do so many different things in an off-season that trying to find similarities between them is like comparing an i-phone to cave paintings. Not so in this case. Kansas City and Denver, though unique in their personnel and approaches to this off-season, have nonetheless striking similarities which should not go unnoticed, and are worth a little investigation.

Begin Slideshow

Denver Broncos' Offseason: Who Is To Blame?

Punkus — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:16:11 -0400

When it comes down to it, the fans and the media hold the head coach responsible for the state of a team’s franchise. I question whether or not this is a fair practice.

Though a head coach has governance over a myriad of things that influence the production and content of the team on the field, he does not wield the power over every decision that effects the organization.

I believe that you should give credit where credit is due and place blame where it belongs.

In the case of the Denver Broncos’ tumultuous offseason, I believe that the fans and especially the media have placed all of the blame for everything that has gone on squarely on coach McDaniels’s shoulders.

Though coach McDaniels is by no means innocent and was not uninvolved in many of the questionable decisions made this offseason, I believe that the credit for these decisions belongs to Pat Bowlen, not Josh McDaniels.

Pat Bowlen is the Owner, President, and CEO of the Denver Broncos. He is the guy that signs the checks and the guy who puts the people in place to run the team.

When you talk about a man such as Pat Bowlen, the perhaps overused quote “the buck stops here” comes to mind. He is the “decider” so to speak, and as such he deserves the credit and/or blame for his decisions.

As much as it pains me to add another article that details the events of the past few months (simply because it has been done to death), I feel it is necessary in order to point out who is responsible for each controversial offseason decision.

So here it goes:

After the Denver Broncos missed the playoffs for their third straight year with a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league, Bowlen decided it was time for a change.

It was Bowlen who made the decision to fire Mike Shanahan.

Whether Bowlen made a rash decision, sought bad council and was ill advised, or he made a calculated decision, which was a long time coming. However you see it, Bowlen was solely responsible for that decision.

Then, if we can believe the media and wish to take Jay Cutler at his word, Cutler had a meeting with Bowlen where he made known his disagreement with the decision to fire Shanahan and his concern about the future of the offense and namely the quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.

Cutler reportedly left this meeting feeling that Bowlen had assured him that the offensive coaching unit would be kept in tact under the new head coach. Bowlen does not recall this meeting and has made a statement that he may be experiencing some memory loss.

Pat Bowlen later decided to hire Josh McDaniels to be the new Head Coach of the Denver Broncos.

Josh McDaniels, having the full support of Pat Bowlen and the Denver Broncos' organization proceeded to clean house and assemble the coaching staff of his own choosing. This included the firing of the aforementioned quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.

Jay Cutler was reportedly upset about this because he felt that Bowlen had assured him that Bates would be retained. Feeling that Bowlen lied to him and the organization betrayed him, Cutler then reportedly asked the Denver Broncos to trade him.

Somewhere between the selecting of the Denver Broncos' new coaching staff and the start of free agency, coach McDaniels sat down with Cutler and told him how excited he was to work with him and shared with him what their new offense was going to look like.

During this period, Pat Bowlen also made the decision to fire player personnel managers Jim and Jeff Goodman and to make Brian Xanders the General Manager of the Denver Broncos.

About 24 hours after free agency had opened up, the news media was a buzz with reports that there had been an attempt or at the very least ‘talks’ about the Denver Broncos trading away Jay Cutler in some sort of three-way trade in order to acquire Matt Cassel from New England.

Jay Cutler again felt lied to, this time by coach McDaniels and betrayed by the Denver Broncos' organization and publicly demanded to be traded from the Denver Broncos.

Cutler and his agent Bus Cook met with coach McDaniels and GM Xanders at Dove Valley to try to clear the air and come together on what had transpired and how to move forward.

McDaniels reportedly left the meeting with a positive outlook that things would be resolved, while Cutler reportedly felt like McDaniels had confirmed that Cutler was not wanted in Denver.

After that meeting Cutler ceased to communicate with the Denver Broncos organization in any way, despite many attempts by the organization to reach him through several different communication venues.

When questioned by the media, McDaniels stated that Cutler was Denver’s quarterback, that he was still under contract and the organization expected him to keep his word and honor that contract.

I do not think McDaniels was trying to mislead or lie to the press. As far as he was concerned, Jay was still there quarterback. McDaniels is not the GM or the owner, he is the head coach and as such did not have the power to make the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

McDaniels expressed a desire to once again reach out to Cutler, to try to talk things out and find a common ground. Cutler would not return McDaniels numerous attempts to contact him.

Bowlen had had about enough of this stalemate conflict and media warfare. He contacted Cutler’s agent Bus Cook and demanded that Cutler return his call. When Bowlen did not hear from Cutler in what he determined to be a reasonable amount of time, Bowlen made the most controversial decision of the offseason.

Pat Bowlen made the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

Let me repeat that, Pat Bowlen (not Josh McDaniels) made the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

It was not coach McDaniels’ decision to make, and he should not shoulder the blame for this decision. The decision was Pat Bowlen’s.

I am not saying that McDaniels did not play a part in making Cutler feel like he was unwanted in Denver. McDaniels is definitely guilty of that whether it was his intention or not, but Cutler wanted to break ties with Denver before he ever spoke with McDaniels.

Credit where credit is due: Bowlen was unhappy with how Cutler was acting and was unwilling to be patient and wait to see if Cutler would show up for the mandatory minicamp in early April. Bowlen made the decision to trade Cutler and move on.

The Denver Broncos have also taken some heat for the players they acquired in the draft and the strategy that they applied in seeking those players out. However you choose to view these acquisitions, the man responsible for the results of the Denver Broncos' draft is Josh McDaniels.

McDaniels coordinated with his coaching staff, GM Brian Xanders and the player personnel department, but in the end he decided which players would best fit his team. And if there is heat to be taken for these draft picks, that heat is rightly directed at coach McDaniels.

That brings us to the current controversy that has landed in Dove Valley and captivated the media once again, Brandon Marshall.

Marshall has informed the Broncos organization that he does not trust the Broncos medical staff (because he felt they misdiagnosed his injury last season) and that he requires a new contract (one that reflects his high level of play over the past two years and will compensate him accordingly).

Marshall chose to express his resolve in having his new contract demands taken seriously by choosing not to attend the team’s most recent mandatory minicamp.

Marshall did come to Dove Valley and had a meeting with Pat Bowlen. Marshall was later seen leaving the Broncos complex after loading his car with packed boxes.

Marshall has also inferred through a comment on his web site that in this meeting he requested to be traded from the Denver Broncos and also inferred that Bowlen communicated to him that the Broncos would do their best to accommodate his request.

Now I feel the need to reiterate this point. Marshall met with the owner Bowlen, the guy who writes the checks, the guy who would approve a contract extension, and not coach McDaniels who coaches the players.

And Marshall has expressed his displeasure with the Broncos medical staff and how much money he makes, not his relationship with coach McDaniels or the direction he is taking the team.

Coach McDaniels has taken a lot of flack from the media and from Denver Broncos fans. He is not above reproach and he is not beyond scrutiny. McDaniels has made his share of mistakes as a rookie head coach, but he has taken the blame for things that were beyond his control and for the outcomes of decisions he did not make.

As a good employee, he has bore the criticism for Bowlen’s decisions and backed his boss’ moves, which may make him complicit in them but hardly means that he called the shots.

Just so we are straight here:

Bowlen decided to fire Shanahan.

Bowlen decided to hire McDaniels.

Bowlen decided to Trade Cutler.

McDaniels is responsible for the Draft picks.

Bowlen will ultimately decide what to do with Marshall.

Bowlen has taken the bull by the horns this offseason and has instituted a lot of change in the Denver Broncos' organization, and it has really shaken a lot of people up. More change may be on its way, but it is important to be honest about who has instituted these changes.

Credit where credit is due, and blame where it belongs.

Who Will Make the 2009 Denver Broncos' Final Roster?

Punkus — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:16:30 -0400

This past week's cuts started me thinking about what the Denver Broncos active roster will look like and the gauntlet of competition that a football player will have to endure to make an NFL team.

The Broncos released five players Thursday including linebackers Boss Bailey and Louis Green, safety Herana-Dave Jones, running back Kestahn Moore and cornerback Rashod Moulton.

Though none of these cuts may have come as much of a surprise to any Broncos fan, they are nonetheless interesting because they begin to shape the 2009 Roster.

It was necessary to bring the roster size down to 80 because that is the maximum number of players an NFL team is allowed to bring to training camp. more cuts will follow in the coming months as each NFL team continues to whittle down their rosters as the dawn of a new season creeps ever closer.

Cuts can happen at any time during training camp when it becomes apparent to the coaches that a player is simply not able to keep up and compete with the others at his position. There are also some set times where teams will be required to dump players from their rosters.

After the third preseason weekend the rosters are required to drop to 65 players or below and after the fourth and final preseason weekend all NFL teams are required to have an active roster of no more than 53 players as they head into the regular season.

Each team is also allowed to form a practice squad, which may consist of no more than eight players.

That means that there are 19 more broncos on the current roster who will not even make Denver's practice squad.

After that there are eight more players who are on the bubble and will fall just short of making the roster and will have to settle for serving time with the team on the practice squad in hopes of improving their skills for another shot somewhere down the line.

53 of the current 80 players will make the active roster, but even then they will have to compete each week in order to make the 45 man game-day roster, which will no doubt change each week depending on the team's game plan.

All of this does not even mention the competition between the players who make the roster to gain playing time on Sundays, let alone to secure a position as one of the 22 starting Denver Broncos.

With so much turnover in the off-season between coaches and players alike, there are few players who can rest assured that they will be one of those starters. Even a Champ Bailey needs to work and both mentally and physically to adapt to scheme changes and prove his worthiness to his new set of coaches.

With all of this in mind, here are my predictions on where the current 80 players on the roster will end up going into the 2009 season.

Cut List

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

60 Matt McChesney G 6'4" 307 27 3rd Colorado

72 Pat Murray G 6'3" 310 24 1st Truman State

61 Mitch Erickson G 6'6" 290 23 2nd S.Dakota St.

76 Tyler Polumbus T 6'8" 310 23 2nd Colorado

68 Stanley Bryant T 6'5" 282 23 R East Carolina

77 Brandon Gorin T 6'6" 308 30 7th Purdue

87 Jeb Putzier TE 6'4" 256 30 7th Boise State

82 David Grimes WR 5'10" 177 22 R Notre Dame

84 Brandon Lloyd WR 6'0" 194 27 7th Illinois

12 Matthew Willis WR 6'0" 195 24 3rd UCLA

11 Kenny McKinley WR 6'0" 189 22 R S. Carolina

17 Lucas Taylor WR 6'0" 185 22 R Tennessee

42 Ryan Torain RB 6'1" 225 22 2nd Arizona State

99 Mathias Askew DT 6'5" 302 26 2nd Michigan State

57 Mario Haggan LB 6'3" 263 29 7th Mississippi State

51 Lee Robinson LB 6'3" 245 22 R Alcorn State

37 Tony Carter CB 5'9" 177 22 R Florida State

39 Vernon Fox S 5'10" 203 29 8th Fresno State

4 Britton Colquitt P 6'3" 205 24 R Tennessee

Active Roster

Offense

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

62 Casey Wiegmann C 6'2" 285 35 14th Iowa

67 Kory Lichtensteiger C 6'3" 295 23 2nd Bowling Green St.

73 Chris Kuper G 6'4" 302 26 4th North Dakota

50 Ben Hamilton G/C 6'4" 290 31 9th Minnesota

78 Ryan Clady T 6'6" 325 22 2nd Boise State

74 Ryan Harris T 6'5" 300 24 3rd Notre Dame

71 Clint Oldenburg T 6'5" 300 25 2nd Colorado State

89 Daniel Graham TE 6'3" 257 30 8th Colorado

88 Tony Scheffler TE 6'5" 250 26 4th Western Michigan

81 Richard Quinn TE 6'4" 260 22 R North Carolina

15 Brandon Marshall WR 6'4" 230 24 4th Central Florida

19 Eddie Royal WR 5'10" 182 22 2nd Virginia Tech

14 Brandon Stokley WR 5'11" 192 32 11th S. Western-Louisiana

10 Jabar Gaffney WR 6'1" 200 28 8th Florida

16 Chad Jackson WR 6'1" 215 24 4th Florida

8 Kyle Orton QB 6'4" 216 26 5th Purdue

2 Chris Simms QB 6'4" 220 28 7th Texas

3 Tom Bradstater QB 6'5" 222 24 R Fresno State

27 Knowshon Moreno RB 5'11" 205 21 R Georgia

28 Correll Buckhalter RB 6'0" 217 30 9th Nebraska

32 Lamont Jordan RB 5'10" 230 30 9th Maryland

22 Peyton Hillis FB 6'1" 250 23 2nd Arkansas

Active Roster

Defense

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

91 Ronnie Fields DT 6'2" 315 27 5th Mississippi State

79 Marcus Thomas DT 6'3" 305 23 3rd Florida

71 Chris Baker DT 6'2" 326 21 R Hampton

69 J'Vonne Parker DT 6'4" 325 26 5th Rutgers

90 Kenny Peterson DL 6'3" 300 30 7th Ohio State

98 Ryan McBean DE 6'5" 290 24 3rd Oklahoma State

65 Rulon Davis DE 6'5" 281 25 R California

64 Everette Pedescleaux DE 6'6" 305 23 R Northern Iowa

75 Carlton Powell DT 6'3" 300 23 2nd Virginia Tech

92 Elvis Dumerville DE 5'11" 260 25 4th Louisville

96 Tim Crowder DE 6'4" 275 23 3rd Texas

56 Robert Ayers DE/LB 6'3" 272 23 R Tennessee

95 Darrell Reid DL/LB 6'2" 288 26 5th Minnesota

55 D.J. Williams LB 6'1" 240 26 6th Miami (Fla.)

54 Andra Davis LB 6'1" 250 30 8th Florida

59 Wesley Woodyard LB 6'1" 230 22 2nd Kentucky

46 Spencer Larsen FB/LB 6'2" 240 25 2nd Arizona

58 Nick Greisen LB 6'1" 250 29 8th Wisconsin

24 Champ Bailey CB 6'0" 192 30 11th Georgia

21 Andre Goodman CB 5'10" 190 30 8th South Carolina

33 Alphonso Smith CB 5'9" 193 23 R Wake Forest

25 Joshua Bell CB 5"11" 177 24 2nd Baylor

26 Jack Williams CB 5'9" 185 23 2nd Kent State

20 Brian Dawkins S 6'0" 210 35 14th Clemson

23 Renaldo Hill S 5'11" 205 30 9th Michigan State

31 Darcel McBath S 6'0" 198 23 R Texas Tech

36 Josh Barrett S 6'2" 225 24 2nd Arizona State

30 Davis Bruton S 6'2" 219 21 R Notre Dame

Special Teams

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

5 Matt Prater K 5'10" 188 24 3rd Central Florida

1 Brett Kern P 6'3" 205 22 2nd Toledo

66 Lonnie Paxton LS 6'2" 260 31 10th Sacramento State

Practice Squad

# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Age Exp. College

63 Blake Schlueter C 6'3" 284 23 R TCU

35 D.J. Johnson CB 6'2" 200 23 R Jackson State

94 Jarvis Moss DE 6'6" 265 24 3rd Florida

93 Nic Clemons DT 6'6" 300 29 3rd Georgia

70 Seth Olsen G 6'4" 306 23 R Iowa

34 Darius Walker RB 5'11" 205 23 3rd Notre Dame

85 Marquez Branson TE 6'3" 248 22 R Central Arkansas

83 Nate Swift WR 6'2" 195 23 R Nebraska

I am sure that there will be plenty of disagreement on these predictions. I made my picks based on my personal opinions of the player's abilities and the experience these players have had in McDaniels system. The list is open to debate, so let me know what you think.

B-MarshGate?: Discerning the Truth Through the Speculation

Punkus — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:51:43 -0400

The Denver Broncos page here at Bleacher Report has been inundated as of late with a myriad of articles about Brandon Marshall. As news gets slow in the off-season this story has made many writers experience a rubbernecking effect.

It seems that no one can help themselves. Writers here at B/R just can’t look away and as a result editorials have run amok.

Many of these articles were written by hateful rivals who couldn’t pass up the chance to relish in the misfortune of the team they disdain. For them this was a welcome distraction from the issues of their own teams and a chance for some retribution for past attacks.

For others it was an exercise of arrogance. It helped their self-esteem to write an article that would receive a lot of traffic.

Unfortunately, all the reads in the world couldn’t change the fact that they spoke from a place of ignorance about the team, player and situation in question. These “writers” have speculated wildly and have muddied an already complicated situation.

So let me simplify it for everyone by simply stating the facts:

Brandon Marshall was drafted in the fourth round (119^th overall) of the 2006 NFL draft. Brandon has had a productive NFL Career.

Receiving Stats (Regular Season)
Year	Team	G	GS	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	1st	Fum	Fum Lost	YAC	Trgt
2006	Denver Broncos	15	1	20	309	15.5	71	2	14	1	0	110	37
2007	Denver Broncos	16	16	102	1,325	13.0	68	7	70	3	1	505	170
2008	Denver Broncos	15	15	104	1,265	12.2	47	6	65	4	3	419	181
Totals		46	32	226	2,899	12.8	71	15	149	8	4	1,034	388

(Due to this production many consider Marshall to be one of the top ten wide receivers in the NFL.)

Brandon Marshall has only ever had Jay Cutler throwing him the ball in the NFL. Jay Cutler made more pass attempts to Brandon Marshall than any other receiver on his team during his time in Denver.

Brandon Marshall is in the final year of a four-year rookie contract where he is scheduled to make $2.198 million this season. Many NFL players renegotiate and seek contract extensions in the final year of their contracts.

Based on an NFL salary database compiled by USA Today last season; 58 receivers made more than $2.2 million last season. Brandon Marshall walked into Dove Valley headquarters the afternoon of Friday June 13^th for a private meeting with team owner Pat Bowlen.

Marshall walked out a little more than an hour later carrying packed boxes to his car before driving away from the players' parking lot. Marshall has complained about the Broncos’ medical staff, accusing them of not discovering the full extent of his hip problem last year.

Brandon Marshall has not yet participated in any off-season activities with the Denver Broncos in 2009. Marshall has been arrested three times in the span of 12 months, twice for domestic disputes.

Marshall was suspended for three games at the start of the 2008 season. The suspension was knocked down to one game after a Marshall appeal.

A Broncos player has not held out from training camp since receiver Ashley Lelie in 2006. Lelie eventually was traded to San Francisco, a move that helped clear playing time for a rookie named Brandon Marshall

Jay Cutler demanded to be traded this off-season, and was later traded to the Chicago Bears.

Brandon Marshall released the following statement on his personal website:

“To whom it may concern. Life is filled with change, and where I am in my life now change is probably best. It’s hard leaving an organization ran by one of the best owners in all of sports, and someone who’s been there for me through my ups and downs. The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field.”

When questioned about Marshall’s situation in light of the above statement Josh McDaniels responded "We look forward to having Brandon at training camp."

These are the Facts of the Situation, and as such they are undisputed.

In the end this whole situation is about Money and Trust.

Should Marshall get paid? Yes.

Despite Marshall’s legal issues, immaturity, injury and possible suspension he is still one of the best receivers in the game (In my personal opinion) and he warrants a contract that reflects his ability.

Do the Denver Broncos have a right to protect their own interests? Yes.

Along with elite talent, Marshall brings with him a hailstorm of concerns that could be a major liability to the franchise. For all the benefits the Broncos would garner from Marshall’s services they also get a player with a lot of question marks.

He could be suspended for half a season, he might not be able to return to form after injury, or he may struggle to adapt to McDaniels’ new offensive system.

Marshall has also taken issue with the Broncos medical staff, who were either incompetent or were not completely honest with him about his injury. Can this trust be mended with Marshall? I don’t know.

Marshall has requested to be traded. This could be merely a tactic in contract negotiations or it could be a legitimate desire to no longer play in Denver.

If this relationship can be mended with money, I believe that the Broncos should pay the man. I understand that it is a gamble, you are taking the risk that in paying him he may under perform or get himself into further trouble that prevents him from playing, but in my estimation it is worth it to role the dice with Marshall.

The Broncos can help protect themselves from Brandon’s troubles by structuring the contract with clauses that penalize Marshall for his misdeeds off the field while satiating his desire for a larger paycheck.

If Marshall really wants out of Denver though, the Broncos need to get as much as they can for him. If a player doesn’t want to be with your team you have three options: you can keep him and make him play, make him sit, or let him go.

If you keep him he can be a distraction and a cancer a la T.O. If he plays he is playing for himself and not the team a la T.O.

If he sits, the organization is wasting their money on a player that adds no value to the team. If you let him go you may not get equal value for the player in return, but you allow your team to move on.

Cincinnatiis not all the better for keeping Ochocinco instead of cutting him loose. He has underperformed and his value has degraded over the past few years.

The Eagles were better with T.O. than without him, yet everyone in Philly will tell you that letting him go was the right thing to do.

There is a way to manage this situation where all parties come to the table and leave satisfied. As long as the communication lines stay open, Denver can keep Marshall while still protecting themselves and ensuring the balance of power stays with the franchise.

Personally, I don’t buy the desire to be traded. It is just a dance, a posturing for position in the game of contract negotiation. Marshall is trying to gain the upper hand by saying he wants out, when he really just wants to get paid.

The Broncos are not succumbing to the fear of loss Marshall is trying to create. Denver knows they hold all the cards and they are going to play it cool.

The story is not over yet and I’m sure the speculation will not end here.

Jim Johnson: Are The Eagles In Trouble Without Him?

Punkus — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:55:44 -0400

In 1999, shortly after Andy Reid was named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he targeted and hired Jim Johnson as the Eagles' new defensive coordinator. Andy Reid, being an offensive-minded coach and having a great measure of confidence in Jim Johnson's abilities, gave him complete control of the defense.

Johnson wasted no time in whipping the Eagles defense into shape. In 1999, Johnson's unit forced an NFL-best 46 turnovers, including a team-record five interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Over the years, this has proved to be a fairly lucrative partnership, as the Eagles have won five division titles under their tutelage.

Jim Johnson is quite literally a defensive mastermind, widely regarded as one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. Johnson has gained a reputation as being a master architect of blitzes, as he is able to create pressure by disguising blitzes to keep the opposing offenses constantly off-balance.

The Eagles defense, under Johnson, knows only one way to play, and that is to attack.

From 2000-07, Johnson's units tied for first in the NFL with 342 sacks, second in the league in third down efficiency (34.3 percent) and red zone touchdown percentage (43.0 percent), and fourth in fewest points allowed (17.6 per game).

In 2001, Johnson's unit became the fourth team in NFL history to go all 16 games without allowing more than 21 points. Their streak of allowing 21 or fewer in 34 straight games was second longest in NFL history (Minnesota, 1968-71).

Johnson simply knows how to pick offenses apart.

His football acumen places him among the absolute best. In my opinion, no one does it better out of the 4-3. It is due to Johnson's success that I believe the Eagles may be in trouble.

On May 18, 2009, Johnson announced a leave of absence as the Eagles Defensive Coordinator due to the advancement of his cancer. It is not known if or when Johnson will return to the Eagles.

Can the Philadelphia Eagles maintain their defensive success without Johnson? I have my doubts.

Aside from Asante Samuel and maybe Trent Cole, there is not an elite player on their defense. But then again, the Eagles' defensive success has never been entirely due to the individuals playing in it. Rather, it has been due to Johnson's scheme.

Blitzes create holes for linebackers to run through to the backfield to make plays. That is what Johnson was able to mastermind like no other. Can the Eagles still be effective without Jim on the sidelines?

The Eagles defense was rendered ineffective in the 2008 NFC championship game against the Arizona Cardinals. In this game, Jim Johnson was unable to command his defense from the sidelines as his battle with cancer caused him to withdraw from the field and call plays from the booth.

It didn't work out so well, and Reid was coaching the Pro Bowl once again.

The 67-year-old Johnson was diagnosed with melanoma in 2001. The team announced after the 2008 season that the cancer had returned and he had a tumor on his spine. Johnson underwent treatment and coached from a motorized cart during the team's first post-draft mini camp, but his condition has since worsened.

Cancer is a terrible thing and I wish Johnson all the best in his recovery, but I fear that the Eagles will falter in his absence.

Though many of Johnson's disciples have flourished in the NFL (Steve Spagnuolo, Ron Rivera and John Harbaugh), they have only done so with talented players whose abilities have allowed their defenses to succeed over the genius of their defensive schemes.

(Spagnuolo had Strahan in New York, Rivera had Urlacher in Chicago, and Harbaugh inherited Rex Ryan who had Ray Lewis in Baltimore.)

Secondary coach Sean McDermott will handle the Eagles defense in Johnson's absence. McDermott is the latest promising young coach to develop under Johnson's tutelage, but he is no Jim Johnson.

McDermott has only coached under Johnson—any successes he has had can be attributed to Johnson's preparation and blitzing schemes.

Can he lead the Eagles defense to success without Johnson? Who knows? But at the very least there is reason to doubt.

With the additions of Maclin and McCoy coupled with the maturation of Jackson and Celek, the Eagles 2009 offense looks very promising.

Donovan finally has no excuses as he is surrounded with great offensive weapons. But without Johnson to keep the defense elite, the hope that these new additions bring may be dashed if the defense regresses.

The once great defense might just be one of the worst in the league without Jim there to make the adjustments. Johnson's blitzing schemes were able to transform role players into gods. But when oz is no longer behind the curtain, it is just a bunch of flashing lights and a smoke machine.

McDermott has his work cut out for him. There is no Strahan or Urlacher to lead the Eagles D. In fact, they are without their emotional leader in B-Dawk this year as well.

Johnson's shoes are impossible to fill and the Eagles will need more than a band-aid when things start going south. This is a make it or break it year for Reid's Eagles and things just got harder without Johnson.

Jim, I hope you get well soon. The Eagles won't be the same without you.

Five Best Broncos (Current Roster)

Punkus — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:56:41 -0400

There are 88 players currently on the Broncos roster. 45 of these players only joined the Broncos roster this off-season. Between the new additions and the holdover players there are not many who have been tested and proven. There are only a few who represent the core of team with their exceptional play on the field. I have identified five players who, in my opinion, stand above the rest with their exceptional talent and ability to dominate on the field at their respective positions.

Begin Slideshow

NFL Decides Not to Discipline Marshall

Punkus — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:50:41 -0400

NFL league officials have announced that Brandon Marshall is free to play the entire 2009 season.

League spokesman Greg Aiello told the AP that after reviewing the facts of the incident, which occurred March 1, 2009, the league notified Marshall that they decided against taking any disciplinary action.

The incident in question stemmed from an argument with his fiancee Michi Leshase Nogami-Campbell outside of his Atlanta condo. Both Marshall and his fiancee were arrested, but charges of disorderly conduct were dropped the next day for lack of evidence.

Many speculated that Marshall could have been suspended up to eight games this season, due to his history of run-ins with the law. Fortunately for the Broncos, this latest incident was not deemed worthy of such discipline.

The League did not come to this decision lightly. All the facts of the situation were fully investigated with due diligence by the league. Sufficient evidence was not found by the Atlanta Courts or by the NFL to warrant any action though.

Though one thing is for sure, Marshall needs to change all of his circumstances that have lead him to getting to the point where he is on the personal conduct watch list, if he wishes to continue his career in the NFL with Denver. McDaniels doesn't want selfish players who cause distractions. He needs players focused on working hard and winning.

Marshall is not out of the weeds yet either. He still has to stand trial in Atlanta next week for two counts of misdemeanor battery, charges that stem from a March 2008 domestic incident involving his former girlfriend Rasheedah Watley.

Provided that Marshall does not have any further setbacks and he heals well from his recent hip surgery, he will be able to play the full season for the Denver Broncos.

Another Bronco Gets Cut

Punkus — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:48:08 -0400

The Broncos announced that undrafted free agent linebacker Jeff Schweiger was waived on Friday, May 29th.

Schweiger saw time at defensive end for San Jose State as a senior, after spending his first three seasons at USC.

Schweiger, who joined the team on April 28th, spent just a month with the Broncos, but was unable to earn a roster spot.

Schweiger was the second player to be waived this week as J.J. Arrington was let go earlier this week due to nagging injury concerns.

Schweiger and Arrington are just a few, but many will follow in the coming weeks and months as the Broncos have over 80 players on their roster, and they can only keep 53 on the teams active roster and eight practice squad players.

As the team tries to get better we will see more players bite the dust. Players who can't compete or were only added as insurance players will get handed their walking papers. And the Roster will continue to narrow even before training camp begins.

Let Schweiger's departure be a warning to the rest of those players trying to make the team. Bring it or go find a new job.

Denver Broncos Orange Jerseys

Punkus — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:43:08 -0400

There are many NFL teams that have orange among their teams colors. It used to be when you would think about the color orange in the NFL, you would think Denver Broncos. I submit that it should be that way once again.

The Bears, the Bengals, the Browns, the Dolphins, and even the old school Buccaneers have had a measure of orange in their uniforms. These teams along with the Broncos have resigned orange to their secondary color. It really only gets showcased in their change of pace jerseys, worn only one or two games a year.

Gone are the days when orange is immediately associated with the Broncos. What happened to the Orange Crush? What happened to the orange pride?

To find the answer, lets take a look back.

The Broncos original uniforms were brown helmets, brown pants, white and mustard yellow jerseys with vertically striped socks. These uniforms were vilified by the public and the club eventually got rid of these jerseys two years after they debuted in 1960.

They celebrated the occasion by holding a public bonfire to burn the striped socks.

These uniforms will be revisited this year in honor of the AFL's 50th anniversary for the following games: Sunday, Oct. 11 New England Patriots (Boston Patriots) at Denver Broncos, and Monday, Oct. 19 Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers in prime time.

The Broncos changed their team colors to orange, blue, and white in 1962 and unveiled a new logo featuring a bucking horse.

In 1968, the Broncos debuted a design that became known as the "Orange Crush." Their logo was redesigned so that the horse was coming out of a "D." The helmets were changed to blue and thin blue stripes were put onto the sleeves.

Denver undated their logo and uniforms once again in 1997—a design that they continue to use to this day. The current logo is a profile of a horse's head. The biggest change was that the Broncos changed their primary uniform color from Orange to Navy Blue.

The press and fans spoke out against the change from the signature color up until the Broncos won their first ever Super Bowl in the newly designed uniforms that same season.

The issue seemed to die there.

Especially since head coach Mike Shanahan was not a big fan of the orange jerseys. Joe Ellis, current chief operating officer of the Denver Broncos, has been pushing over the past few years for the Broncos to keep the current styling, but go back to orange as their primary uniform color.

Eilis is most likely a proponent of this change because he wants to sell more jerseys. Regardless of his reasoning, I agree with him.

The orange Jerseys were iconic.

They separated the Broncos from the rest of the pack. During the glory days of the late 70's and 80's, they were called the "Orange Crush." They were feared and rightfully so. They even got deep into the playoffs, including several Super bowls dawning their orange colors with pride.

The orange Jerseys can be iconic once again. And what better time than now to make the switch.

The Broncos have a new head coach, a new GM, a new 3-4 defense, just an overall new identity. With all the changes, why not change the Broncos image back to the glorious orange jerseys?

Maybe I'm talking crazy, but I would love to see the orange restored to the Denver Broncos primary jersey color.

What do you think?

McGenius or McDumbass? Josh McDaniels' Controversial Start in Denver

Punkus — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:10:43 -0400

The 2009 offseason has been tumultuous for the Denver Broncos. Josh McDaniels has replaced Mike Shanahan as Head Coach and the litany of moves and decisions that have followed have been met with much criticism by Denver Broncos fans and NFL pundits alike. Everyone is trying to figure out what it is that Coach McDaniels is doing?

We honestly don't know terribly much about Coach McDaniels. His reputation and experience, up until now, in the National Football League are completely tied to the success of the New England Patriots.

Given the track record of other coaches that have emerged out of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, the prospect of McDaniels success is questionable at best. The evidence up to this point seems to support that the magic behind the Patriots' success has been because of Belicheck's knowledge and expertise, not his coordinators.

Add to this the fact that McDaniels has never been a head coach of a football team at any level of competition and is only 32 years old. Then there is enough evidence to cast reasonable doubt on McDaniels ability to be a successful NFL head coach.

But before we make too quick of a judgement about coach McD, lets take a look at his body of work. Being that his NFL career history before this off season has been with the Patriots, doubt can be cast upon his influence and actions being in the shadow of Belichick.

Therefore, I suggest that we focus on what he has done with the Denver Broncos thus far.

There has been a lot of criticism about the decisions that McDaniels has made since taking over the team, but lets take a look at those decisions from a different perspective.

In order to do this we need to take an honest look at what the Denver Broncos did last year. Objectively viewing the team's results on the field and putting aside the fan glasses that we so often choose to view our team through.

Offense

The facts don't lie. The Denver Broncos had the second most prolific offense in 2008. Denver fans love this statistic. But despite gaining more yards than their opponents in 2008 the Broncos were outscored by their opponents by an average margin of 5 points per game.

It is a wonderful thing to move the ball down the field and amass great yardage statistics, but if the team is not getting in the end zone, if they are not scoring points, if they are not winning games than all you have is a bunch of stats with nothing to show for it.

This fact is not lost on Coach McDaniels, he knows that the Broncos offense needs to score more points to be successful in this league.

Having coordinated a team that broke records for scoring touchdowns just two years ago, Coach McDaniels has installed his offensive system in Denver to make his mark on the team and give the team a chance to put more points on the board.

Changing the offensive scheme alone will not produce dividends without quality players to execute them. The Broncos offense was full of great players at every position except one, running back.

Denver went through eight different running backs last year due to injuries. None of these players were anything to write home about either. Many of them were one trick ponies who did not excel at blocking or catching the ball out of the backfield, but were serviceable as one cut running backs.

So McDaniels went out and reloaded their backfield with versatile running backs who can run, block, and catch. K.Moreno, C.Buckhalter, J.J.Arrington, and L.Jordan among others.

Having a solid, reliable running game is important in the NFL. Running the ball helps open up opportunities in the passing game, and can help extend drives. That is something that the Broncos didn't have last year. Which is evident when you look at the Denver Broncos Time of Possession statistics verses their opponents.

The Broncos average time of possession was 28:43, while their opponents averaged 31:16. This minute difference may not sound like a lot, but over the course of 16 games with the up and down season the Broncos had that extra minute could have been the difference between a win and a loss.

The bottom line is that the Broncos didn't have the ball more than they did. You can't score points without possession of it.

Healthy and consistent running backs in McDaniels spread offense will help us to keep the ball and manage the clock. Control the game with ball possession makes any team dangerous because it wears down the defense, making it easier to drive the ball down the field and score points.

Developing a strategy to put the offense in a better position to succeed would be key as well, and that is where the defense comes in.

Defense

It is no secret to anyone, the Broncos defense was terrible last year. Shanahan's inability to fix it over the past few years is most likely why Bowlen decided to give him his walking papers after 14 years of service.

Champ Bailey and D.J. Williams being the only legitimate starters on the defense, the problem is not just scheme, it is skilled players.

McDaniels focused on the secondary in the off season and because one specific defensive statistic stood out above the rest, Turnover Ratio. The Broncos turnover ratio last year was -17.

The secondary was so porous that they had a tough time even stopping the opposing team from scoring on every play. Asking them to try to pick off the ball was simply out of the question.

So the Broncos brought in some players to rebuild the defense with who know how to create turnovers for the defense: B.Dawkins, A.Goodman, R.Hill, A.Smith, D.McBath, D.Bruton. These are guys who have a nose for the ball, creating interceptions and hitting players hard to help force some fumbles.

These players bring experience and new life are a great start in rebuiding the Broncos defense. They already make the defense so much better than they were last year. If they can level the playing field by getting that turnover ratio back to around even it will go a long way to help the Broncos be more successful this season.

Fixing everything that is wrong with the defense is too big of a job to complete in one off season alone, but by focusing on the creating turnovers McDaniels has at least begun to point them in the right direction. The Broncos revamped secondary should at minimum keep them from getting beat through the air too often.

Bringing in defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who has a history of success in this league, to re-scheme the Broncos defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 is another big part of McDaniels plan to restore Denver's defense to being respectable once again.

Improving the offense and defense was only one of the ways that McDaniels knew he needed to improve the Denver Broncos though.

Special Teams

Offense wins games, Defense wins Championships, but Special Teams is what makes it all possible. More than great offensive or defensive schemes or players, special teams is where the game of football can be won or lost.

Football is a game of field position plain and simple. And nothing impacts field position more than special teams.

If you can limit your opponents starting field position on kickoffs and punts with smothering coverage, than they have farther to move the ball down the field increasing the chances that their drive will stall.

Likewise, with good special teams blocking and returning you can shorten the field for your offense, increasing the likelyhood of scoring points through touchdowns or the kicking game.

The Broncos Average Starting Field Position over the past five years has been among the worst in the league. (Espn.com)

Broncos' average starting field position, 2004-08
Year	Average	NFL rank
2008	24.6	30th
2007	24.0	32nd
2006	23.5	31st
2005	25.7	28th
2004	26.8	T-28th

McDaniels has made moves to correct this by acquiring players who are special teams aces.

Darrel Reid, Nick Griesen, David Bruton, J.J.Arrington, Darcel McBath, and Alphonso Smith all bring with them great special teams ability in coverage and returning to help the Broncos start with better field position, which should transition into more scoring with a shorter field to work with.

Special teams can make up for a bad defense, and can put your offense in a position to score. Coach McDaniels made it a priority to focus on this most crucial aspect of the game, and it should hopefully pay dividends in the form of more defensive stops and more scoring.

McDaniels' focus on these key area of the game (time of possession, turnover ratio, and average field position) that the Broncos really struggled with last season should set the team up to have a much better all around game on Sundays.

Being better in these areas could allow the Broncos to steal a win or two in games that they "shouldn't" win on paper.

Whether you agree with any or all of the decisions that Coach McDaniels has made, he is making the team better. It may take some time before the Broncos can once again be leaders in their division, but a new day is dawning for the Denver Broncos and the prospects for the future are bright.

What Should Broncos Fans Expect From B-Dawk?

Punkus — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:19:49 -0400

Brian Dawkins: No. 20 S

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 210

Age: 35

Born: Oct. 13, 1973 Jacksonville, Fla.

College: Clemson

Experience: 14th season

High School: William M. Raines HS [Jacksonville, FL]

Over the course of Brian Dawkins' career (all of which he has spent in Philly until now) he has been given several nicknames. The majority of Philly fans simply refered to him as B-Dawk, but Dawkins has also been called "The Beast," "Weapon-X," and "Wolverine."

Wolverine, the low-key leader of the X-Men, is known for his animal-keen senses that allow him to track his adversaries with great ease, very much like Brian Dawkins hunts down opposing ball carriers and receivers delivering earth shattering train-wreck hits.

Dawkins senses are sharp, too. With 34 interceptions and 21 sacks over the course of his career, B-Dawk is one of four players in the history of the NFL to post at least 32 interceptions and 18 sacks, joining the company of Leroy Butler (38 INTs, 20.5 sacks), Rodney Harrison (34, 30.5) and Ronde Barber (37, 23).

One thing that can always be said about Dawkins is that he comes to play. While a mild-mannered, calm, and confident person off the field, when Dawkins steps out onto the field, he transforms into a beast. He becomes a loud, pumped up, vocal leader.

"Weapon-X," a man possessed, who cannot wait to get out there and make receivers pay for trying to go across the middle, to make running backs think twice before deciding to run to his side of the field, and get into a quarterback’s head knowing that he could be coming for him at any point in time.

After making a big play, B-Dawk will often celebrate (as defensive players sometimes do) with a bit of a pose, as he seemingly draws energy from the crowd as they show their appreciation for his fine play.

Dawkins, being unabashed and unashamed about his faith, will also be heard shouting “Hallelujah!” and pointing his index finger skyward at INVESCO field in thanks and recognition to the Lord for blessing him with the ability to play the great game of football.

While the Eagles organization may not realize just how great of a player that they let slip through their fingers, the Eagles fans sure do. When the news broke back in February that Dawkins had signed with the Denver Broncos, the fans in Philly were in complete and total disbelief.

You had people crying on the news they were so distraught. That is the kind of impact that Dawkins is capable of having on a city.

Eagles fans will tell you, Dawkins in no joke.

A seven time Pro Bowler, including an appearance in 2008, Dawkins has proven that he can still play at an elite level.

Despite being a defensive back in his mid-30’s, there has not been a dip in Dawkins production on the field. In fact, over the past five seasons, he has averaged 70 tackles (58 solo) 2.1 sacks, and 2.6 interceptions.

Dawkins shows no signs of slowing down either. If anything his resolve has been strengthened by his change of scenery, and looks forward to the opportunity to prove himself to his new coaches and new teammates.

B-Dawk also has a small chip on his shoulder, and looks to prove wrong those who doubted his ability.

I expect Coach Nolan to utilize "Weapon-X" in ways that play to his strengths, which should mean big plays in the form of sacks, turnovers, and big hits.

In a denverbroncos.com article, Ronnie Fields had this to say about the defense that Mike Nolan is installing in Denver: “It's not really the usual 3-4, it's an attack 3-4, it's like an offensive mindset. Some people play the 3-4 different; they're more like 'sit back and wait.' But as far as us, we attack.”

With that in mind I expect Nolan to use B-Dawk to Blitz the quarterback, move around, and confuse the offense. Maybe place Dawkins in some robber coverage where he can use his instincts to pick off the ball in a very Ed Reed kind of way.

Dawkins will also be asked to be a teacher and a mentor to the young defensive backs who the Broncos recently acquired, a task he is more than qualified to accomplish.

If I was Darcell McBath, David Bruton, Josh Barrett, Alphonso Smith, Josh Bell, Jack Williams, D.J. Johnson, or Tony Carter, I would be thrilled to be able to learn from Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins. I would watch them incessantly, pick their brains, ask for advice, and soak up as much as I could.

If even a little bit of Champ and B-Dawk rub off on any of these young guys, the future of the Denver Broncos secondary will look pretty bright.

In the shorter term, though, Dawkins joins a secondary that has been reloaded with experienced players who know how to play in the National Football League.

In Nolan’s attacking style defense, they will have a mandate to create turnovers and limit the ground they give up. As the strong safety, Dawkins ability to read the play and attack the run will play a huge role in making that happen.

Regardless of all the change and scheme and age, I think that Denver can expect B-Dawk to be B-Dawk. He is going to prepare, play explosively, and create havoc for the opposing team. "Weapon-X" is going to live up to his name as the X-Factor of the defense.

He brings leadership, experience, poise, intensity, big play ability, and character. On the field he will play like a beast, giving it his all. Off the field he will conduct himself as an upstanding member of the community.

Denver can expect big things from B-Dawk in 2009.

Who Is Running the Show in Denver?

Punkus — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:15:36 -0400

Much has been said about the turnover in the Denver Broncos organization this offseason. Unless you are living under a rock, you know that owner Pat Bowlen made the decisions to fire head coach Mike Shanahan, replace him with Josh McDaniels, fire Jim and Jeff Goodman, promote Brian Xanders to general manager, and trade Jay Cutler.

Or did he?

Earlier this month, I read an article by Woody Paige in the Denver Post entitled: "Bowlen unshaken on vision for Broncos", which can be viewed here. Paige spoke with Bowlen about the recent changes made in the Broncos front office in the off-season.

Among the many quotes from Bowlen in Paige's article, one garnered significant media attention.

"I have short-term memory loss. I know that some of the memories of the Superbowl Championships are fading."

This has led many to speculate as to how much Bowlen is in charge of his own faculties and how much his "memory loss" may have contributed to his decision-making.

Bowlen is the owner, president and chief executive of the Denver Broncos, but when it comes down to it, who is really making the decisions? Is Bowlen his own counsel in his decision-making, or does he have people advising him on such big decisions?

These are important questions to ask when a person starts to forget certain things. And we are not talking about grandma forgetting to take her pills here—there is an NFL franchise at stake.

Woody's article provided insight into these questions as well.

"Bowlen said that while he is involved in every facet of the organization, [Joe] Ellis, [the team's chief operating officer], his confidant, has been given more power in the restructuring since Shanahan was fired. "Joe is handling all the things I'm not particularly interested in, making more major decisions," he said.

"Ellis, who was director of marketing when Bowlen bought the majority ownership of the Broncos in 1984, has served in several executive capacities. He was named COO last year. Ellis, several sources say, was instrumental in getting Bowlen to agree to fire Shanahan, hire McDaniels (Ellis alone met with the new coach for a second interview) and trade Cutler."

This portion of Paige's article did not receive the same media attention as Bowlen's memory loss, yet it holds the answers as to who may be really making the decisions for the Denver Broncos organization.

Ellis has Bowlen's ear, and like Jaffar to the Sultan or Wormtongue to King Theodon, the chief adviser holds sway over the old man and may be the power behind the throne.

Woody pretty much said that: Ellis convinced Bowlen to fire Mike Shanahan, Ellis convinced Bowlen to hire Josh McDaniels, and in the end, Ellis convinced Bowlen to trade Jay Cutler.

Working his way up from director of marketing to chief operating officer over the past fifteen years, Ellis is now the man in power. Ellis is the one who is making the decisions regarding the fate of the Denver Broncos.

Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio noticed this as well, saying:

"One thing that has become abundantly clear in the wake of the termination of Mike Shanahan and the hiring of Josh McDaniels is that COO Joe Ellis (who?) has become one of the most powerful figures in the Broncos organization.

"And so Ellis is the latest in a line of (front office executives) who used a mastery of the intricate rules of the salary cap to position themselves to have significant influence over the football operation while having no accountability for on-field failure because, after all, they’re not football guys." (full article can be viewed here)

Ellis' rise to power has been at the expense of many notable people within the Bronocs organization including: Ted Sundquist, Shanahan, Jim Goodman, Jeff Goodman, Cutler, Andrew Mason (denverbroncos.com media guide).

Whether you agree with the changes that have been made or not, it is important to know who makes the calls and who pulls the strings. As fans who pour their hearts and souls in to their team, we need and deserve to know who is in charge.

And based on my read of what Woody Paige and Mike Florio have reported, Pat Bowlen makes the calls, but it is Joe Ellis pulling the strings.

One Of The NFL's Best Kept Secrets: Genos Derwin Williams, Jr.

Punkus — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:49:07 -0400

Some players gain notoriety for their consistent play on the field, others for their showboating after they make a big play, and some for their off the field "personality" quirks. Some players seek out the spotlight, while others are just coming to work.

Players who work hard and excel at what they do, often get overlooked amongst the attention seekers in the NFL. These players don't seek out recognition, but they are often the backbone of what makes their team successful.

One such player resides on the Denver Broncos. He is not known for being the best at his position in the NFL, nor is he the poster child for the franchise. He just quietly leads his team with poise, and his superb play.

This players name is, Genos Derwin Williams, Jr., but you may know him as:

D.J. Williams #55 LB

Height: 6-1 Weight: 242 Age: 26

Born: 7/20/1982 Sacramento Co. , CA

College: Miami (Fla.)

Experience: 6th season

High School: De La Salle HS [Concord, CA]

D.J was destined for football greatness from the start. As a Junior in high school D.J. was named 1998 Rivals High School Junior of the Year and ESPN RISE National High School Junior Player of the Year.

D.J.'s Senior season at De La Salle he played both Running back and Linebacker. His senior year he rushed for almost 2,000 yards and 42 touchdowns, and amassed 130 tackles (87 solo). Due to his outstanding play as a senior, D.J. was named the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year and was largely regarded as the top defensive player nationally.

Williams elected to play his college football at the University of Miami, where he was part of a National Championship winning team in 2001. D.J. actually played Fullback his first year at Miami, but with a crowded backfield in Miami that included Clinton Ports, Frank Gore, and Willis McGahee D.J. decided to focus on playing the Linebacker position. D.J. worked hard and his abilities and talents showed as he excelled at the college level, and was named as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award both his junior and senior seasons at The U.

D.J. Williams was then selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round (17th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.

D.J. started 14 of 16 games his rookie year. He made an immediate impact on the Broncos and led the team with 114 tackles (82 solo). He also recorded two sacks, had one interception and one forced fumble. D.J. came in third in the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2005, Williams was moved from the weak side linebacker position to strong side linebacker position after the Broncos signed Ian Gold for his second tour of duty with the Broncos after spending a year in Tampa. Williams graciously and quietly made the move, showing his versatility and willingness to do whatever was going to be best for the team.

D.J. helped lead the Broncos to the playoffs, finishing the season with 55 tackles (39 solo) while adding three pass deflections and one forced fumble as the Sam linebacker.

Still playing on the strong side in 2006, D.J. amassed 76 tackles (59 solo), a sack, one forced fumble, two pass deflections despite playing outside of his natural position on the weak side.

Near the end of the '06 season Al Wilson (another great, yet very underrated player) suffered a severe neck injury. Though he was cleared by team doctors to play the very next week and came back to finish the season on the field, he wasn't quite the same. Wilson's condition was reassessed during the off-season and it led to his release from the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos coaching staff also experienced turnover in the off-season as Larry Coyer was replaced as defensive coordinator by Jim Bates. And once again the Broncos coaching staff asked D.J. to switch positions for the 2007 season.

Williams stepped up once again to attempt to fill the void left by Wilson, by moving to the inside and playing the Mike or middle linebacker position. D.J. finished the season 2nd in the NFL with 141 tackles (106 solo) along with one sack and one interception.

The Denver Broncos, unsatisfied with the direction the Defense was headed following Denver's first losing season since 1999, replaced defensive coordinator Jim Bates with Bob Slowik in 2008. And with this change of direction the Broncos decided to move D.J. back to his more natural position, playing the Will or weak side linebacker. D.J. thrived on a lackluster defense and though he only played eleven games, due to injury, he still managed to make 98 tackles (63 solo) along with 2.5 sacks and 2 pass deflections.

D.J. Williams is a great linebacker who has put up great numbers throughout his Career. In his five seasons in the NFL, despite missing 10 games due to injury, D.J. has averaged 96 tackles a year (71 solo).

Williams has not only played at a very high level worthy of respect, but he has stepped up and done whatever the coaches have asked him to do including playing every linebacker position in the 4-3 defense, calling the defensive plays and making the defensive adjustments.

D.J. has done all of this without wining or complaining, without demanding or drawing attention to himself, but through a quiet and sedated leadership by example. D.J.'s fellow teammates respected and recognized his leadership by making a team captain for the 2008 season.

Having fully recovered from the right knee injury (MCL), that sidelined him for five games last year, D.J. is looking forward to the 2009 season where he will once again switch positions as the Broncos move form a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense.

Williams is slotted to start as the weak inside linebacker in the 3-4 and will need to draw on his experiences playing both the middle linebacker position and his weak side linebacker spot while learning a new style of play under his forth defensive coordinator in four years, Mike Nolan.

Look for Williams to quickly adjust to his new position and continue to make an impact for the Broncos in 2009. Coach Nolan is implementing an attack-hybrid style defense which will situationally adapt formation based on what the opposing team's offense is doing and attack them to achieve success. Nolan does not want his defense to simply read and react, he has designed a defense that will attack the run and pass in the backfield.

Since playing in the NFL, D.J. has not garnered national attention or acclaim. You won't find his picture on NFL.com or ESPN's front pages. Williams hasn't gotten in trouble with the law, no dui's or domestic disputes or gun charges.

Williams just plays the game, and does it with an understated style and class. He has a confidence which does not require flashbulbs and spotlights to highlight his accolades, he just wants to play and win.

D.J. is easily one of my favorite players in th NFL because of the way he goes about handling his business, on and off the field. Number 55 is an amazing talent who has time and again shown his team first attitude and displayed his versatility as a player on the field. He has shown himself to be a leader of men, and a person of outstanding character. I can't wait to see him play this year, and continue his quiet dominance in the NFL.

Ryan Clady: Pro Bowl Left Tackle in 2009

Punkus — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:35:40 -0400

Left tackle is regarded as one of the most important positions in the National football league. Come draft time the saying goes that you don't pass up a franchise quarterback, a shutdown corner, or a premium left tackle if there is one left on the board.

The left tackle position is so important that the Miami Dolphins selected Jake Long No. 1 overall in 2007. And in recent years and in years to come quality left tackles will always be top ten picks.

The left tackle protects the (right handed quarterback's) blind side. He needs to be an excellent pass protector, with good feet and quickness to thwart the attempts of the pass rushing specialists who come from the blind side.

Ryan Clady proved last year that he was up to the task last year. Clady only gave up 0.5 a sack on 616 passing attempts. Clady was just a rookie, but he played like a probowler against the likes of John Abraham (16.5), Joey Porter (17.5), Julius Peppers (14.5), and Richard Seymor (8) to name a few.

(#) - number of sacks in 2008

These statistics prove that Clady has already become a dominant force in the league, and is a force to be recognized.

Despite Clady's amazing performance he was snubbed by Probowl voters in 2008. Granted it was his rookie year, and there are many talented LT's in the AFC, and the Probowl is voted on way to early in the year to really find out who the best players are;

But rookie Jake Long was invited as an injury replacement over Clady and that just does not seem right.

I think that as long as Clady continues to perform at the high level he did last year he should be an shoe in Probowl left tackle.

Which Is More Important to a Team's Success: A Great QB or Great WRs?

Punkus — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:37:20 -0400

There is a question I have been thinking about for a while now. A question that I have posed to my friends who are also sports fanatics.

The question simply is this: If you were building a team, which would you rather have 1) An elite quarterback and serviceable receivers or 2) A pair of Elite receivers and a serviceable quarterback?

Now I admit up front that this is a loaded question, to which there is no wrong answer and there are many other factors that play into the success of a team than just these two positions. Nonetheless, what is more important to a team's success Great WRs or a Great QB?

It is the nature of team sports that each individual needs to work in harmony with the others on his team in order to achieve success. One individual cannot do it alone; it takes a team. In no sport is this truer than in football.

A players success is therefore deeply tied to the success of his teammates success. Quality receivers can elevate the play of a decent quarterback, and a quality quarterback can make his receivers look far better than they really are.

Though it is the abilities of both parties that contribute to the teams success, it is the individual's achievements which are recorded and highlighted into statistics. And it is by these statistics that we measure the greatness of a player.

So let's look at some case studies to try to determine which pairing (great QB w/ o.k. WR or great WR's w/ o.k. QB) would be most preferable all things being equal.

There have been a number of amazing quarterbacks who have played in the National Football League who have achieved very high levels of success without a great supporting cast.

The first that comes to my mind is Dan Marino.

Dan Marino set just about every quarterbacking record there was.

Most Attempts, Career: 8,358 (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2007)
Most Completions, Career: 4,967 (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2006)
Most Yards Passing, Career: 61,361 (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2007)
Most Touchdown Passes, Career: 420 (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2007)
Most Yards Passing, Season: 5,084 in 1984
Most Touchdown Passes, Season: 48 (surpassed by Peyton Manning (49) in 2004 and by Tom Brady (50) in 2007)
Most Games, 400 or more Yards Passing, Career: 13
Most Games, 400 or more Yards Passing, Season: 4 in 1984
Most Games, 300 or more Yards Passing, Career: 63
Most Seasons, 3,000 or more Yards Passing: 13 (1984-92, 1994-95, 1997-98) (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2005)
Most Consecutive Seasons, 3,000 or more Yards Passing: 9 (1984-92) (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2001)
Most Games, Four or more Touchdown Passes, Career: 21
Most Games, Four or more Touchdown Passes, Season: 6 in 1984
Most Games, Three or more Touchdown Passes, Career: 62 (surpassed by Brett Favre in 2007)
Lowest Percentage, Passes Intercepted, Rookie Season: 2.03 in 1983 (296-6) [surpassed by Charlie Batch, Detroit, 1.98 in 1998 (303-6)]
Most Seasons Leading League, Attempts: 5 (1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1997)
Most Seasons Leading League, Completions: 6 (1984-86, 1988, 1992, 1997)
Most Seasons, 40 or more Touchdown Passes: 2 (1984, 1986)
100 TD Passes in Fewest Number of Games to Start Career: 44 (9/7/1986 at San Diego)
200 TD passes in Fewest Number of Games to Start Career: 89 (9/17/1989 at New England)
300 TD passes in Fewest Number of Games to Start Career: 157 (9/4/1994 vs. New England)
Highest TD-INT differential: +168

With these laudable statistics one would think he had amazing receivers, capable of great feats who made these achievements possible. But I dare you to name one of Marino's receivers.

Sure, if you were a fan of the Dolphins back in the day you may be able to, but no receiver Marino ever threw to is in the hall of fame (outside of when he appeared in the pro bowl).

Marino was an Elite Quarterback, unmatched in his time with the statistics to back that bold statement up. Yet, with all his "individual" achievements he never won a Super Bowl.

Quality quarterback with just o.k. receivers.

Some other examples are:

When Tom Brady won three Super Bowls with the Patriots. He wasn't throwing to elite wide outs. He was throwing to Deion Branch, Troy Brown, David Patten, David Givens, and Bethel Johnson. None of those guys are even on the team anymore, and all of them have had trouble seeing any kind of playing time with other teams.

Hall of Famer Warren Moon was a journeyman who had success wherever he played. And other than having Cris Carter for two seasons later in his career, never had a receiver to throw to with laudable skills.

Jim Kelly is another quarterback who many consider to be great. The closest thing he had to an elite receiver was Andre Reed at the end of his career.

Peyton Manning is another. Now I may lose some of you here and I realize that, but Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne have never played with anyone but Peyton Manning. I know many if not all of you would acknowledge that both these players are great receivers.

Yet, I feel that one can question whether or not Wayne or Harrison are elite talents in the NFL without Manning. (Highly debatable I know, but i still felt it worth mentioning.)

On the flip side of the coin, there have been a number of amazing receivers who have played in the National Football League who have achieved very high levels of success without a "great" quarterback.

The best example we have for this scenario is Cris Carter.

The dailynorseman.com put it best:

Carter, as a member of the Vikings, had eight consecutive 1,000 yard seasons from 1993 to 2000. Here, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, was the Vikings' leading passer in each of those seasons.

1993 - Jim McMahon
1994 - Warren Moon
1995 - Warren Moon
1996 - Brad Johnson
1997 - Brad Johnson
1998 - Randall Cunningham
1999 - Jeff George
2000 - Daunte Culpepper

In those eight 1,000-yard seasons, the man played with six different primary quarterbacks. There's one Hall of Famer on that list in Warren Moon, a guy that Carter played with towards the tail end of Moon's career. None of the other guys on that list are going to the Hall, and frankly none of them are close.

Not to mention the transitions at QB that were made in those years (the change from Moon to Johnson in 1996, Johnson to Cunningham in 1998, Cunningham to George in 1999).

Great wide receiver who had an amazing career despite a laudable quarterback.

Other examples include:

Hall of Fame Receiver Art monk whose quarterback was Douq Williams.

Hall of Fame Receiver Steve Largent whose quarterbacks were Jim Zorn & David Krieg.

Future Hall of Famer Tim Brown who had Rich Gannon, Jeff George, and Jeff Hostettler throwing to him

Matt Cassel who threw to Randy Moss and We Welker last season.

How about the greatest receiver of all time, Jerry Rice. Again I may lose you here, but the point is worth noting. Jerry Rice had Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing to him. Montana is in the Hall of Fame, and Steve Young is regarded as a great quarterback.

The question I would pose is, would either Montana or Young have had success without having the luxury of throwing to Jerry Rice? Montana didn't have laudable success with the Chiefs after leaving the 49ers. Difficult question to answer, I know.

Still need convincing?

How about Kurt Warner. I think is is pretty fair to say that Kurt Warner is not a quarterback that comes to mind if someone were to ask you to think of a great quarterback. He may not even make the top 50.

So it is fair to characterize Warner as a serviceable, so-so, decent quarterback, but not an elite player.

Yet Warner has had success in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and made an appearance in another with the Cardinals. Both of these teams had something in common. Elite wide receivers.

Warner was throwing to Torry Holt and Issac Bruce with the Rams, and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin with the Cardinals.

Both Holt and Bruce continued to play at a high level of success after playing with Warner, and I find it safe to assume that the same will be true of Fitzgerald and Boldin post Warner.

In both cases Warner perfectly exemplifies a mediocre quarterback paired with fantastic wide receivers.

So we come back to the original question: All things being equal, If you were building a team, which would you rather have 1) An elite quarterback and serviceable receivers or 2) A pair of Elite receivers and a serviceable quarterback?

This conundrum finds its place in the current NFL this year with two teams linked by blockbuster trade this offseason.

The Chicago Bears have an great quarterback in Jay Cutler and barely serviceable receivers, while the Denver Broncos have a pair of great receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal with a serviceable quarterback in Kyle Orton.

I'm interested to find out, which would you choose?

Brandon Marshall: Is No News Good News?

Punkus — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:43:19 -0400

There are some players in the NFL that are just difficult to figure out; players that have amazing talent and yet seem to find ways to jeopardize their potential with injuries and off-field issues. Some of these guys get into messes because they are immature, others because they are thugs, some seek attention, and some people are just unlucky.

The Denver Broncos have a player who perfect exemplifies a player who, for whatever reason, cannot keep his name out of the headlines and himself out of trouble. His name is Brandon Marshall.

When we look at B-Marsh's history in the league, it is one that is plagued with injury and with controversy.

2006

In 2006, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions. This injury only sidelined Brandon for a couple of weeks. He was able to return and play in 15 games during the regular season in his rookie year. Despite his injury and only starting one game, he caught 20 balls for 309 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie season.

2007

In 2007, Marshall again sustained injuries before the start of the 2007 season. He suffered a groin strain that kept him out of Broncos' preseason camps during May and June. Then Brandon also pulled his quad during a mini-camp that left him out for nearly all of training camp.

In March 2007, Marshall was also arrested on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend reported that following a domestic dispute, he prevented a taxi she was in from leaving his house. Charges from the incident were later dismissed after Marshall completed anger management counseling.

Then in October 2007, Marshall was arrested for DUI. Marshall pled down to a reduced charge of driving while ability impaired. He was sentenced to one-year probation and 24 hours of community service.

Marshall had a breakout year in his sophomore season, catching 102 passes for 1,325 yards and seven touchdowns.

2008

In 2008, Marshall again got himself injured. This time he slipped on an empty McDonald's bag while wrestling with family members, and subsequently fell through a television set at his home in Orlando, Florida, cutting his right forearm.

According to Broncos head athletic trainer Steve Antonopulos, Marshall "sustained right forearm lacerations to one artery, one vein, one nerve, two tendons, and three muscles."

He was treated at a local hospital and later released after needing a cast and several stitches. In early April, Marshall had the cast removed from his surgically repaired right forearm and was in a sling until May. He was cleared in late June to practice with the Broncos.

He later revealed that his right hand was numb during the entire 2008 season.

In June 2008, Marshall was also ticketed for an illegal lane change, then found to be without his license and proof of insurance. The case was eventually dropped as part of a plea bargain.

In September 2008, Marshall had misdemeanor battery charges filed against him by a County in Georgia for an alleged incident in March 2008 in Atlanta. Marshall was booked, then released the next day after posting a $1,000 cash bond.

As a result of Marshall's continued off-field issues, he officially received a three-game suspension from the NFL, which was later reduced to a one-game suspension and a fine.

It seemed that Marshall was getting the picture after sitting down with Commissioner Roger Goodell and that these off-field issues were going to be a thing of the past.

Marshall had an another amazing season, catching 104 balls for 1265 yards and six touchdowns (in only 15 games, due to suspension). Marshall had established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the game, earning himself his first Pro Bowl appearance.

2009

Brandon Marshall was named a starter in the Pro Bowl, and while in Hawaii he proposed to his now fiancé, Michi Nogami-Campbell. Many people saw this as a good sign that their relationship had moved beyond the issues that led Marshall to have altercations with the police.

Then in March of 2009, out of nowhere, Brandon Marshall had hip surgery to repair an aggravated hip that bothered him during the 2008 season. His recovery time is expected to last until training camp in late July.

Also in March, Marshall was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight with his fiancé. Marshall was released on a $300 bond. The charges were dropped the following day. He may still be disciplined by the NFL for repeated violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Brandon Marshall has had an impressive professional career. In just three years, he has caught 226 balls for 2,899 yards and 15 touchdowns, has started in a Pro Bowl, and has established himself as a top-tier receiver in the NFL.

I both take pause at the fact that he seems to get himself injured every year and I admire the way he is able to play through his injuries, still being able to compete at such a high level.

The big question right now with Brandon is, how many games is he going to play in 2009? It is expected that Commissioner Goodell will issue him another suspension, given that he was involved in another situation that led to the police being called. But he has yet to do so.

This could be good news.

Given the fact that the charges for which he was arrested were dropped the following day means that there was not enough evidence for the police themselves to press charges and that nobody else wanted charges to be pressed.

It is my understanding that someone called the police to report a domestic dispute. When this, happens the cops are bringing the parties at that address in no matter what the circumstances are that they find at that scene.

The people in that residence could be laughing and watching TV, but authorities will still bring you in because they cannot take a chance that things were not violent before and a victim is too scared to tell the truth of what happened for fear of repercussions.

Therefore, this recent situation that Brandon was in could have been a huge misunderstanding. Sometimes people fight (verbally) and sometimes people have loud arguments, but that does not necessarily mean that abuse occurred. The fact that no charges were filed tells me that this was probably just a misunderstanding.

Either way, Marshall and/or his fiancé probably have communication issues they need to work out.

All this being said, the commissioner could let this one slide (if he so chooses) without suspension. The fact that he has not addressed this situation publicly yet may mean that it is not going to be addressed at all. Given the circumstances (since there were no charges filed), it may not warrant suspension.

Many speculated that if a suspension was going to occur that Goodell would do it before the draft to give the Broncos a chance to account for his absence in their draft plans. Goodell's silence, even now, could mean Brandon got lucky this time.

I hope that there is no suspension in Marshall's future. Some pundits have speculated that Marshall could be facing up to an eight game suspension. If that were to occur, it would be a devastating blow to the Broncos' offense.

When Brandon's on the field, you need to account for him; you need to recognize his ability. He opens up the field for other players to get open and make plays. Without his presence, it makes things that much more difficult for Denver's offense.

Brandon Marshall is a great football player, but he needs to find a way to keep himself injury-free and keep himself away from situations that could end with him having to talk to the police.

I hope to see Marshall on the field all season long. I hope that the commissioner does not penalize Brandon with a suspension because of a misunderstanding where police found no crime being committed.

I hope Marshall recovers from his hip surgery and comes back to the Broncos even better physically than he was last year. I hope he can develop a chemistry with Kyle Orton so they can hoop up with each other on the field to score some points.

It's up to the commissioner, and ultimately up to Brandon. He has had success as an athlete, but now he needs to take that success with him off the field to his personal life to make him a better person and allow him to continue to do the latter.

MiniCamp: Time to Step it up and Win Your Roster Spot

Punkus — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:05:19 -0400

The Broncos second mini-camp starts Friday and runs through the weekend. Camp provides players the opportunity to show how valuable they are to the team, and some players have more to prove than others.

This camp allows coaches get their first look at the incoming rookies in their own team specific drills. It will allow coaches to compare players abilities as they work out alongside the veteran players who have been competing and learning this new system for the past month.

Everyone is trying to make the team, from established veterans to undrafted free-agent rookies. Everyone needs to up their game.

This is especially true for players who are holdovers from last year who were Mike Shanahan's choices to be on the team, not Coach McDaniels. Players like J.Moss, T. Crowder, and R. Torain need to prove right now that they can contribute or they may soon be looking for work elsewhere.

Selvin Young is the latest player to find he no longer has a home with the orange and blue, and he certainly won't be the last. Young's situation was a different one, with multiple injuries playing a role, but nonetheless his services are no longer required.

So, Who will be next?

Career backups like LB-L.Green, CB-R.Moulton, LB-M.Haggan, S-H.D.Jones and S-V.Fox will have to fight hard to stay with the team, given the influx of rookies and the change in scheme.

And there are many undrafted free agents who will also find it difficult to stay in Denver for very long either.

It is time for all the players to take their destiny in their own hands and use this weekend's mini-camp to make a statement loud and clear that they deserve to wear the Broncos uniform.

This is only the beginning, with a long summer of work ahead, but if the Broncos truly desire to win games, then there is no time to waste. It starts right now.

How Did the Broncos Do in This Year's NFL Draft?

Punkus — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:04:22 -0400

The NFL Draft is now over. Whether you like the outcome or not, there is no going back. Many Broncos fans feel like they are taking crazy pills while others are looking at the silver lining. Opinions will be abounding, but only time will tell.

With the 12th pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia 5'11" 217

All of Broncos Nation was hoping for Denver to come out of the gate and select a player to help fix an anemic defense that was one of the worst in the league last year. Unfortunately fate would make this a difficult feat to accomplish.

T.Jackson (the best five technique defensive lineman in the draft) came of the board early to our divison rivals in Kansas City. Then, as was expected, B.J. Raji (the best defensive tackle in the draft) was drafted by Green Bay.

This left the Broncos in a tough situation. Who do you pick now that Raji and Jackson were no Longer available?

I would have picked M.Jenkins or B. Orakpo. They are quality players who were worthy of being selected with the 12th overall pick, and by my estimation would have filled a position of need. Jenkins could compete for the nickle corner spot or safety of the future. Orakpo, by all indications could be the hybrid DE/OLB that Denver could have used.

The Broncos instead went with the best runningback in the draft, K.Moreno.

This doesn't make sense to me because Denver just invested a lot of contract money (33.5 mill) into C. Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, and L.Jordan. Plus the Broncos also have R.Torain and S.Young on their roster (probably not for long though).

Though Moreno does not necessarily meet an imediate need in Denver, he was worthy of the selection at 12, and could be the next L.T. or Adrian Peterson (knocking on wood while typing)

After hearing Knowshon's press conference, It is clear that he is a very high character guy. He's a "No sir, yes sir" kind of guy. He is looking forward to coming in and competing and he will do whatever he is asked to do. He can block, he can catch, he can run, he can hurdle defensive players, and he is a team first kind of guy.

When McDaniels was announced as Denver's new head coach, I was not happy because I knew he was going to turn the Broncos into the "Patriots West". I have since warmed up to the idea a little bit, but one of the things the Pats always do well is draft high character, team first-guys and I am happy that McDaniels has brought that tradition along with him to the Broncos.

The Denver braintrust must have either not seen Orkpo or Jenkins as one of those players, or they really just valued Moreno (who is one of those guys more).

I agree with taking talent over need, especially if "your guy" isn't there, so I am O.K. with this pick.

ESPN's analysts said that right now Moreno is probably the front runner to win the rookie of the year award in the '09 season.

With the 18th pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Robert (not Ryan) Ayers, DL/LB Tennessee 6'3" 272

This too was a tough pick in the eyes of many Broncos fans.

B. Cushing was gone, but many people would have rather seen Denver pick up R. Maualuga or C. Matthews, but R.Ayers was projected to go in the first round between 10-20, so he was definitely a valuable player worthy of his selection at 18th overall.

But Ayers has also been termed a possible one year wonder, given that he only started for one year in college.

The good news is he is another character guy. Watch his press conference and you find out he is a humble guy who had some issues and has dealt with them and has grown up from those experiences and you can see he has a Hughe upside.

He is willing to do whatever the coaches ask him to do, and he is a player who does have a lot of versatility. Denver will probably try him out at a few positions, as either a hybrid DE/OLB or (as he hinted in his presser) at the five technique defensive end.

Given that he was worthy of the pick, that he grew up in college into a man of high character, and his production in his senior year, I really believe now that this also was a great pick.

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has gone on record saying that three years from now we could look back at this draft and find out that R. Ayers is the best player taken in the entire draft. Now, that is saying something!

Head Coach Josh McDaniels explained during his draft wrap-up press conference that he, GM Brian Xanders and the scouting team had a very narrow group of players that they were targeting during the draft. Roughly 100 players both offense and defense. Again only high character guys were being considered.

McDaniels said that they were looking for players who would come in and compete and would have the ability to impact the team this year. He didn't want to take a player at a position of need just to drop him later. He wanted guys who could contribute.

McDaniels had one player one their draft board who they had rated very highly, and they did not think that he would remain around until Denver picked in round two at 48th overall. Therefore Denver "rolled the dice" as McDaniels stated it and traded Denver's first round pick in 2010 to Seattle for their second round, pick 37th overall.

With the 37th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Alphonso Smith, CB Wake Forest 5'9" 193

I am not sure anybody thought that trading away next years number one pick was a wise decision. I know I don't, and it has nothing to do with the player we got, I just think that McDaniels was wrong. I cannot be sure because it didn't happen this way, but I think they could have gotten A.Smith at 48.

Regardless of whether this decision was a wise one or not Denver got tht 37th overall pick. Many Broncos fans were absolutely certain that the Broncos were going to pick up R.Maualuga, R.Brace, E.Brown, C. Barwin or J. Gilbert. But that didn't happen.

The Broncos picked up Alphonso Smith a 5'9" cornerback.

Smith is a dynamic player he would have easily been a first round pick, maybe even the best corner in the draft if not for his height. He is an absolute ball hawk. He will likely come in and play the Nickle right away from day one, and contribute on a defense that ranked last, yes 32 of 32, in the NFL in takeaways last year.

Make no mistake, A.Smith is a valuable pick and steal for where the Broncos picked him. I have no doubt in my mind that A.Smith will be an excellent player in the NFL for a lot of years. My opinion is that we got an elite player with this pick.

The only reason this pick is suspect is because of what Denver gave up to acquire the pick.

With the 48th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Darcel McBath, S Texas Tech 6'0" 198

I don't really know a lot about this player other than what analysts have said about him. He apparently is a converted corner who has good instincts for the football.

McDaniels looks for him to learn from the Broncos current secondary and add value to the Broncos on special teams. He is apparently a very good kickoff return guy (as is A.Smith).

I was hoping again here that the Broncos would draft J.Gilbert, the next best five technique in the draft after T.Jackson.

I also thought there were a lot of other prime safety prospects that Denver could have gone with, (W.Moore, R. Johnson to name a few) but Denver's draft team apparently really liked this guy and if he can come in and contribute than perhaps it was a good pick. Time will tell.

As the first day of the draft was winding down the Broncos board had one more guy that they had very highly rated on their board, and they felt that they did not want to chance waiting until the second day and hoping that he was still available when they would next be on the clock in the third round at pick number 79 overall.

Therefore McDaniels felt it necessary to trade the Broncos two third round picks 79 & 84 overall to the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers for the final pick in the second round 64th overall and the Steelers fourth round pick 132 overall.

And so it was that...

With the 64th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Richard Quinn, TE North Carolina 6'4" 264

Trading away our two third round selections was completely unnecessary in my opinion. I cannot see Quinn being that hot of a commodity among the other NFL teams that Denver could not have been able to pick him up at 79 overall.

Maybe I am wrong though. He is in fact the second best plocking tight end in the draft. And though he was under utilized at North Carolina in the passing game, he does have good hands.

McDaniels offensive schemes utilizes two and three tight end formations at times. D. Graham, and J. Putzier are good blocking tight ends who have decent hands, but A. Scheffler and A. Bergen are not so good blockers.

So I think McD felt that he needed Quinn in order to do the things he wanted to do offensivly and didn't want to chance missing out on the perfect guy to fill this need.

Again I think it was a rash and unnecessary trade, at a position I think we have adequate depth in, but like it or not we are running McDaniels offense and he felt R. Quinn would allow him to do things that he would be unable to do schematically without him. So he made the call, made the pick, and the rest is history.

On Day Two, Denver continued to ignore the glaring need of picking up D-lineman. I guess the chips just didn't fall out way. The character guys, the type of players that McDaniels wanted just weren't on the board when Denver drafted, and he didn't feel strongly enough about any one of them to make a trade to ensure that he got them(like he did for Alphonso Smith).

So after missing out on Vaughn Martin...

With the 114th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

David Bruton, S Notre Dame 6'2" 219

Again the Broncos choose a very intelligent, high character guy at a position that Denver needs quality depth. Denver's safeties were empty jersey's last year with the exception of J. Barrett.

You have to be a smart to go to Notre Dame, D. Bruton showed he has speed at the combine (for a safety), and he was a team captain in college. He has a great opportunity to learn from B-Dawk and contribute right away on special teams.

I really would have liked to see Denver pick up a defensive lineman here. I think Sammie Lee-Hill would have been a great pick, and is a player that could have contributed in Denver's nose tackle/defensive tackle rotation. Alas, he must not have been on McDaniels narrow list of Players he wanted.

Despite not getting a D-lineman I really like this pick, D.Bruton was one of the guys I really thought Denver should target, so I was very happy with this pick.

With the 132nd overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Seth Olsen, G Iowa 6'5" 306

Now this pick I don't get at all. We had a very good, possibly one of the Best O-Line units in the NFL last year. And we added depth throughout the line during the off-season.

Seth Olsen wasn't even the highest rated guard available at this point in the draft.

I think this shows a bit of a vote of no confidence in Ben Hamilton or Chris Kuper. Hamilton is getting older (31), and depth is not a bad thing, but I thought this was more of a luxury pick than any other pick Denver made in the draft. I could maybe understand it if Olsen played Center at some point in his football career, but he didn't.

With the 141st overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Kenny McKinley, WR South Carolina 6'0" 189

It was understood that one of Denver's draft needs in the later rounds was to add another wide receiver to the roster. McDaniels likes to spread the field with multiple receiver sets, and depth is a good thing if you are consistently putting three or four wide outs on the field at once.

McDaniels said in the press conference that McKinley was a versatile player who has lined up at all the wide receiver positions in the football career. Steve Spurier made the statement that McKinley was the best wide receiver he ever had the pleasure of coaching.

I hope that both these things are true. Wide receivers who have played for Steve Spurrier do not have a great track record of transitioning to the NFL with success.

Again I hope this works out, we did need a wide out, we shall see.

With the 174th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Tom (Brady... I mean)Bradstater, QB Fresno State 6'5" 220

Denver drafts a guy that McDaniels admitted is a long way off, this is a guy who needs a lot of work. McDaniels does like his size and height though.

Bradstater also was not the best prospect available here. Curtis Painter, and Brian Hoyer were still available. But apparently there is something Tom Brady, I mean Bradstater has something that McDaniels really liked as a project kind of guy. I can't quite place my finger on it, but his name reminds me of somebody.... I just can't place it.

I think the fact that they picked a hugh project guy like Bradstater is an enormous vote of confidence in the quarterbacks already on Denver's roster being able to run McDaniels intricate offense. Kyle Orton and Chris Simms will be able to battle this one out in camp. May the best man win.

With the 225th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Blake Schlueter, C TCU 6'2" 290

Blake is a very agile guy, speedy for an O-lineman, and he had a great workout at his pro-day.

McDaniels will require the offensive line to be able to do a lot of pulling for counters, traps and screens, so an agile center is a good pick.

Denver needed a center of the future, and adding depth at this position is definitely a good move. Many have speculated that Kory Lichtensteiger is better suited to play guard, so this pick makes sense in many ways.

Overall I still have trouble understanding why Denver ignored their greatest need by not selecting anyone to help out the defensive line (unless Ayers plays the five technique).

Denver has added some very talented players. But not in areas of immediate need.

I had hoped that Denver would be able to draft guys who would be able to come in and make our defense better right away. Alas, things did not fall in our favor.

I hope there are some undrafted free agents that will be able to compete for a roster spot on defense. Maybe we find another Wesley Woodyard or Spencer Larson.

I had wished that through the draft, Denver would have acquired some difference making players that would get me excited about the upcoming season, filling out the team and making us stronger in areas we needed strengthening.

It is more clear to me now that the Broncos are not one season or one draft away from reclaiming dominance in the division and making a playoff run. It is gonna take some time.

Hopefully the team gets better with the players McDaniels drafted, and hopefully next years draft has a greater quality of depth at the defensive line position with character guys that McDaniels will be willing to draft.

I wish I was more excited and energized coming off of the draft, but who knows we may look back on this draft three years from now and find that Denver Broncos got the two best players in the draft with Moreno and Ayers.

All will be revealed in time. It will certainly be an interesting season.