Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Ayars

Denver's Backup Plan, If Marshall Decides Not To Play For Denver...Again

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:57:45 -0400

EDITORS!!! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EDIT THIS ARTICLE. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DELETE AND REPOST AGAIN.

Brandon Marshall is back, but is he ready to perform? Is Marshall a coach's comment away from throwing a fit again?

If so, I think the Broncos have a monster backup plan now, that could rear its ugly head in a couple of weeks.

The New England Patriots just let go one of their prized possessions; 5-technique master, perennial pro-bowler, Super bowl Champion, Richard Seymour.

New England pulled a classy move, and sent one of their greatest all time players to the worst organization in the NFL. Seymour is not happy. Below is a quote from Pats veteran and friend, Rodney Harrison:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/09/07/harrison-seymours-not-thrilled-with-deal-to-raiders/

If Seymour decides not to show up at Faiders practice, "Big Al" (Davis) may have yet another problem on his hands.

My solution: Trade Marshall straight up for Seymour.

Seymour would go to a 3-4 defense, where he will be better utilized. He will also go to a much better organization and should be familiar with the "Patriot Way" that has been installed this summer at Dove Valley.

Marshall Gets some new scenery, a new contract, and he will get to try to stick it to the Broncos twice a year...just like Javon Walker does.

The Al Davis/Mike Shanahan factor is gone. There are two disgruntled superstars on the block. Both teams get to air out their drama, before the season starts.

In my opinion, this would work in both teams favors.

Of course, this is only a backup plan. If Marshall decides he needs to play to earn a new contract, then we should keep him and go forward.

Kyle Orton "Picks" Up The New Look Offense In Preseason Opener

Ryan Ayars — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:59:52 -0400

The Broncos had some exciting moments and some down right infuriating moments, in yesterday's Preseason opener in San Fransisco. In their first offensive possession, the Bronx dominated the 49ers, taking the ball all the way down they field. This uber long drive was capped off by a superb pass to the other team in the endzone. Turnovers negated anything good the offense would accomplish in the first half.

The first game was a wash. With this many turnovers, you can't expect McDaniels to call a clean offensive attack. We will have to wait, until next weak to get a realistic view of the starting offense.

Quarterbacks

As a Bronco fan, you hate to see this kind of thing happen to your starting Quarterback. I've been to training camp this year. Orton looked like a gamer! He threw accurate lasers into the back of the endzone (he even threw one at my head!).

In yesterdays game, Orton looked great on the first drive. Completing short passes, that spread out the defense.

I'm pretty sure he'll bounce back next week. If not, then McD will have some decisions to make at QB. For now, let's give him a chance.

Chris Simms looked awesome! I have to say it's weird watching a left handed QB man the offense, but if he plays like that, I'm fine with it.

With Simms at the helm, the Broncos came to within one point of the 49ers with two minutes to go in the game.

It was definitely more exciting to watch Simms play yesterday than Orton, but let's not get ahead of ourselves though. The 2nd string QB ALWAYS looks like a superstar in the preseason. In my humble opinion, it is easier to run a second string offense then it is to run a second string defense, hence the backups usually seem to play better than the starters.

Wide Receivers

Kenny McKinley, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Lloyd led the team in receiving yards.

I really like this McKinley kid! He looks really fast out there and he can also help on Special Teams.

Eddie Royal ran some superb routes and it looked like Nate Clements was giving him about 15 yards for every down. Now that's respect!

Lloyd made some exciting catches and was part of the reason why Simm's was able to attempt a second half comeback.

The Offense looked wide open yesterday and the QBs were able to spread the ball around effectively.

Tight Ends

Who? Did McDaniels play any TEs yesterday? From the looks of the stats sheet, the first team TE squad was primarily used as a blocking unit.

We know that Orton attempted to pass the ball to Daniel Graham in the end zone on the first drive, but until Jeb Putzier's touchdown catch in the second half, the TEs were nonexistent in the passing game.

We did get to see the rookie TE Richard Quinn push around some defensive ends, which is always fun to watch.

I definitely want the TEs to play a bigger role in the passing game in the future.

Backs

Peyton Hillis was the stud of the day, big surprise, as he averaged 4.9 yards a carry and added two passing receptions for 18 yards.

Superstar rookie Knowshon Moreno looked like a freight train in his NFL debut, averaging a whopping six yards a carry. Unfortunately, he had to leave the game early with an undisclosed leg injury. I look forward to this stud playing in Denver for many years.

Lamont Jordan was a steady force in the backfield. He even got into the passing game, with a nine yard comeback route in the first half.

Correll Buckhalter was unimpressive in his debut as a Bronco, but I attribute his paltry one yard per carry average to the play of the offensive line. Buck should show his true colors as the season goes on.

Offensive Line

The Offensive Line was "GODLIKE" in pass protection, not allowing any sacks all game. Orton should do wonders with all the time he will have in the pocket this year. However, the O-line will have to be much stronger in their run blocking. Preseason or not, the Broncos should average over 100 rushing yards a game.

Defensive Line

I liked these guys! The big men up front (Fields, Peterson, Baker, and McBean), filled the gaps effectively and even created a lot of pressure in the pocket. However, the Niners still found enough holes to get over 100 rushing yards on the day. I attribute this to Preseason gitters. The big runs were caused by missed gap assignments and missed tackles. These mistakes should be taken care over by game one.

Linebackers

The Outside line backers (Haggan, Dumervil, and Moss) looked really fast. Elvis Dumervil looked like a freak, breaking into the backfield numerous times. I am really pushing for Jarvis Moss to break into the second team defense. I think he can be a special player in the 3-4.

First round draft choice Rober Ayers was a little disappointing in his NFL debut. This just shows that he needs more practice time, before showing his real potential.

The inside linebackers looked out of place to me. Spencer Larsen showed he is a great force at linebacker and should add a wealth of depth to the linebacker corps. This whole group needs to work on their pass defense skills.

Defensive Backs

These guys showed good recovery speed and tackling skills, but seemed out of place. The defensive front provided enough pressure, that the defensive backs should have been better against the pass, but the Niners tore up their zone defense. However, with more practice, this unit is going to be sweet.

Special Teams

So far, I don't know who I want returning kicks and punts for the Broncos. Alphonso Smith and Kenny McKinley are both tremendous, in my book. Both have super speed and cat-like reflexes. Who ever wins the starting spot, will definitely add a highlight reel or two to this years special teams unit.

The kicking team was fine. With only one rep given to each player, you really can't form an opinion yet.

At the end of the day, I was happy with the performance. The brunt of the mistakes can only be attributed to one player. I think the Broncos are on the right track to greatness this year.

GO BRONCOS!!!

I Don't Think Brandon Marshall Is Going To Come Around

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:13:57 -0400

******UPDATE August 2, 2009******

Even in the wake of Baltimore trade rumors, Brandon Marshal has been a consummate professional, during training camp. Also, he has not engaged the media about his trade request and looks to be warming up to the idea of being a Bronco. Marshal even made a joke at his own expense, writing "Beast Ego" on his practice shirt. I have my fingers crossed

*******************************

So much drama, so little time until the regular season starts. I don't want to bash Brandon Marshall for his past activities and what not, but to be frank, all Marshall needs to do now is to fail a drug test to complete the trifecta to be added to the list of "NFL Stars that could have been."

Marshall has all the talent in the world, but nobody to tell him to be patient and smart. He should take Rod Smith's advice and "talk to him." You can view Rod's comments about the Marsho-drama here.

Training camp started on Monday. Marshall made the mature decision of showing up to camp, then he pulled a Jon Gosselin ("I'm only here for my kids") and told the media he was only there, so he wouldn't get fined.

Marshall had the chance to repair a lot of unneeded damage to his reputation. He could have said "I'm here for my teammates", or "I'm just here to play football and win for the fans of Denver", but he decided to go the diva route and save his pride.

I want to go on the record right now as a Bronco fan and say that "I want Marshall to play for the Broncos this season." I'm pretty sure that a lot of Denver fans share the same opinion. But I don't think it will happen.

The Broncos could sign him to a one-year contract, worthy of a player of Marshall's calibre, but what if he get's suspended for a month? It also doesn't seem like money will change Marshall's opinion of the Broncos organization.

At this point, the Broncos cannot afford a long-term contract on Marshall, because he has not showed that he is willing to become a mature professional.

The Broncos can't trade him and expect to get his true value in return.

Marshall can't expect to be traded to another team and receive a contract he thinks is worth his abilities.

The only mature and logical choice, is for Marshall to suck up his pride and play for the Broncos this season. Not just show up, but to want to win and be a part of the team. If he does this, the Broncos WILL "show him tha money."

Please be patient B-mar, and lay off the twitter account.

Denver Broncos Training Camp: My Day With the Orange and Blue

Ryan Ayars — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:31:44 -0400

Entering the 2009 offseason, most pundits and Broncos haters assume that the Broncos will be as weak as President Obama's health care reform plan this season (oh yes, I went there).

Myself, I am a complete homer. Through my orange-and-blue beer goggles, I can always see a Super Bowl run for the Bronx each year.

Only a true citizen of Bronco Country could be this relentless in the quest for another championship. So, in the words of a true Broncos fan, I've put together a summary of insanely optimistic views about this years team.

Rookie Training Camp Monday July 27, 2009

When I look at this year's draft class, I can't help but see future super stars. Draft day gems, that the rest of the NFL so ignorantly passed up.

Headed by two stout first round choices in Knowshon Moreno and Ryan Ayars...I mean Robert Ayers.

Moreno is set to run all over anyone who stands in his way this season. Running behind the best offensive line in the NFL doesn't hurt his chances of being yet another 1,000 yard back to head Denver's potent rushing attack, either.

Moreno will also be spelled by Correll Buckhalter and fan-favorite Peyton Hillis. I pity the fools who try to stop our running game.

Ayers could be the Broncos new "freak" addition to a defensive front that was less than stellar the last two seasons. He's got skill, a relentless motor, and a freaky physique. Coupled with Elvis Dumervil as the opposite rush end line backer, quarterbacks will be seeing orange and blue blurs in their nightmares.

To cap off the first day of the draft, the Broncos wheeled and dealed in the second round for some future stars that the rest of the NFL considered "reaches."

Alphonso Smith is going to "bring it" in the secondary this year. I see him taking one to two interceptions back for seven points in a limited roll this year. Quarterbacks won't want to throw to Bailey or Goodman, so Smith is going to be tested weekly in the nickel roll. He will also bring the pain to other teams in the rush defense. I'm going to go ahead and nickname him "Mini Champ" right now.

Darcel McBath will play a very limited role this year. Think of the next two years for him as being enrolled in a graduate school for defensive backs. The deans of this most prestigious grad school are Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins. Once McBath graduates from Broncos Academy, he will be a true impact safety.

Richard Quinn is a beast...and what was that? He can catch, too? Sounds a little bit like Daniel Graham, or Ben Watson in the making. It's no surprise that Josh McDaniels went for a "Smash Mouth" tight end so early in the draft.

Tight end is the less talked about "hybrid" position in the NFL. Guys like Mike Ditka, Shannon Sharpe, and Mark Bavaro gave this position its name. You have to be able to block, run, catch, and fight.

Tight ends have to be some of the toughest guys out on the field. Quinn stands to add to this legacy of the long line of tough guys before him.

Kenny McKinley is the only other rookie that will be fighting for a starting job this training camp. This young play-maker from South Carolina is the front runner for the returner job. He may also be able to break into the offense's roster as a fourth to fifth receiving option (as if Denver needs anymore talent on the offense).

These will be the rookies to watch for the next couple of days. I have no doubt in my mind that Josh McDaniels has put together a good group of young players.

GO BRONCOS!!!

(Next I will go over my opinion of the veteran offensive players.

Who Pays $6.50 for a Beer?

Ryan Ayars — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:32:54 -0400

I've had the honor of being able to go to home games in Denver since 2003. Let me say, there is nothing more exciting than seeing the Orange and Blue "open up a can" on visiting teams.

However, I have a bone to pick with Mr. Bowlen and Investco Field's pricing atrocities.

I've never been much for buying food during a football game, but I am a huge fan of sipping on some suds while screaming at the "refs".

Lately, I've had to boycott my favorite drink of choice, because of principles.

The beer at Investco Field used to only cost $4.50 for a 16 oz cup, which was a super deal! This was especially great when the Broncos were winning, courtesy of my second favorite quarterback in Broncos history: Jake "The Snake" Plummer.

The last two to three years the Broncos have been sub-par. 9-7. 8-8. these are not good records.

It's especially demoralizing to see them lose at home when they used to be such a dominant force at the Mile High city.

So, what has Mr. Bowlen done to increase the watching "enjoyment" of his sub-par franchise at home? He raised the price of the most popular beverage of all time: BEER!

Beers are now $6.50 at Investco. Not to mention I believe that the beers are smaller than they used to be.

Don't give me all of this junk about football "being a business" or "it's a recession, everybody has to tighten their belts." The Bronco's brass should be thanking its fan base for showing up through the bad times.

Here's my suggestion. If the Broncos win the Super Bowl or even have a winning season for once, then you can raise prices. If the Broncos have a season like they did last year, then prices should be lowered.

Think of it this way. If I owned a Subway sandwich business and my sandwiches only tasted good 50 percent of the time, would this be considered a successfully business?

Then, even though my good friends were loyal customers and kept coming back, would it be considered "good business" to raise the prices of my sandwiches? NO! So why is this acceptable at Investco?

I want a little more corporate responsibility from the Broncos franchise. They should be taking better care of it's fans rather than price gouging them.

I will not buy a beer with my own money at Investco Field until the prices go down.

Go Broncos!

Ready For War: The Broncos Schedule Uncovered (Game Four)

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:46:46 -0400

(This is a continuation of last week's article on game two at the following link:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/195300-ready-for-war-the-broncos-schedule-uncovered-game-two)

Game Four at Denver, Sunday 10/04

The game at Oakland was more of a preseason match up for the Broncos. The Broncos revamped defense handled the Raiders all four quarters, allowing only six points. The Denver offense controlled the majority of the game, with their commanding rush attack. Any time you beat a rival in their own house, the momentum for your team tends to cross over to the next Sunday.

The Broncos welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Investco Field for game four. At 4-0, the Broncos are on a roll. The Cowboys come in with new faces on a stout defense. They will also be showing flashes of the wildcat offense.

The Cowboys had some key player losses, which may affect their overall performance. The following list was gathered from Yahoo sports at the following link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Amc7fjhYfQvtWPvYeah.dTSD2bYF?slug=teamreports-2009-nfl-dal&prov=sportsxchange&type=team_report

• OG Joe Berger (notes): UFA Dolphins; 3 yrs, terms unknown.

• LB Kevin Burnett (notes): UFA Chargers; $5.5M/2 yrs, $2M SB.

• DE Chris Canty (notes): UFA Giants; $42M/6 yrs, $8.5M SB/$17.25M guaranteed.

• LB Greg Ellis (notes) (released).

• DT Tank Johnson (notes): UFA Bengals; $620,000/1 yr.

• WR Terrell Owens (notes) (released).

• LB Zach Thomas (notes): UFA Chiefs; $2M/1 yr.

• S Roy Williams (released).

Gregg Ellis and Zach Thomas were big producers in the defense. Even though they were not the "super stars" of the defense, their production will be missed. Keith Brooking was signed to replace Thomas, but Ellis provided a pass rush presence that the Cowboys will need from someone else in the linebacker corps.

The loss of Roy Williams, may be a good thing for the Cowboys. He didn't seem to be a good fit for a 3-4 defense.

Chris Canty was a huge loss, but the Cowboys replaced him with Igor Olshanksy, who should be a more than a comparable stand-in.

I'm not a believer in wide receiver Roy Williams and think that he is a hug downgrade from Terrell Owens.

With a lot of new faces on both sides of the ball, it's hard to say what the Cowboys will be like this year.

Here are my predictions of how the game will go:

First Quarter Highlights

On the first possession, starting from their own 35, the Broncos complete a huge 11-play, 13-minute drive, capped off with a five-yard touchdown run by Knowshon Moreno. Six of the first 11 plays are running plays, in which Moreno averages five yards a carry.

With the positive run production, Orton is able to slice and dice the Cowboys defense. Eddie Royal has 2 catches for 20 yards and Brandon Stokley and Tony Scheffler, both out-run their defenders to add two catches as well.

With two minutes left, the Cowboys control the ball through the rest of the quarter.

Second Quarter Highlights

The Cowboys rushing attack is powerful. Marion Barber averages eight yards on his first three carries. The Wild Cat offense appears to be confusing the Denver defense and they are out of position for most of the drive. The Broncos' defense holds up on their own 20-yard line and forces the Cowboys to kick a field goal. Broncos 7 Cowboys 3.

The Broncos again are able to move the ball on the Cowboys' defense. In an effort to stop the run, the Cowboys attack with a series of blitz packages, which the Broncos counter with an array of screen plays. Moreno, Peyton Hillis, and Correll Buckhalter each gain 10 receiving yards out of the backfield.

Eddie Royal catches a 50-yard-deep ball from Orton for a touchdown with one minute left in the half. Broncos 14 Cowboys 3.

Third Quarter Highlights

The Broncos' defense comes out flat, letting the Cowboys offense run-and-gun 80 yards down the field, in an eight minute drive capped off by 15-yard touchdown reception through the middle by Patrick Crayton. Broncos 14 Cowboys 10.

Broncos catch a break with a 50-yard kick return from Eddie Royal. The offense sputters and is forced to kick a 40-yard field goal by Matt Prater. Broncos 17 Cowboys 10.

The Cowboys again are able to run over the Broncos defense. This time, Tashard Choice is the main contributor, with four runs for 40 yards. Romo hits Jason Witten with a cross-the-field post pattern knotting up the game at 17 points a piece.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

With the game tied up, the Broncos go back to a conservative ball-control offensive approach. The Broncos are able to set up a 12-play drive, which gets them to the Cowboys 20-yard line and takes 13 minutes off the clock. The Cowboys defense is able to stop the offense, forcing three incomplete passes in the end zone. The Broncos are forced to kick a field goal with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Broncos 20, Cowboys 17.

The Cowboys get off to a quick start from their own 20-yard line, with two quick passes to Roy Williams and a screen pass to Marion Barber. With one minute left, the Broncos defense is able to sack Romo at the Cowboys 43-yard line, forcing them to use their second time out.

On second and third down, the Cowboys are able to move the ball across the 50-yard line with back-to-back runs by Marion Barber, but the Cowboys are forced to use their final timeout.

On first down, the Broncos first round draft choice, defensive end Robert Ayers, is able to charge of the corner and sack Tony Romo on his blind side. With time expiring, the Cowboys run their special teams unit on to the field to complete a 45-yard field goal attempt. The kick is up.....and it is wide right.

The Broncos win this close game 20-17.

Ready For War: The Broncos Schedule Uncovered (Game Two)

Ryan Ayars — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:27:19 -0400

(This is a continuation of last weeks article on game one at the following link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/190949-ready-for-war-the-broncos-schedule-uncovered-part-one)

Game 2 at Denver, Sunday 9/20

Fresh off of their win in Cincinnati, the Broncos host another team from the Buckeye State—the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns had a meltdown last season, similar to Denver's in which they lost their last six games. Blame it on the offense, blame it on the defense...."Blame it on tha Henny."

Everyone on the Browns team had their hand in the cookie jar, when it came to their end-of-the-year explosion.

The Browns have a new coach in Eric Mangini. Mangini came from the Jets and brought a lot of the Jets' players with him. Mangini signed eight players from the Jets squad. Will the NFL change their name to the Cleveland Brets this year, a la the Denver Browncos of 2006?

The Browns' offense ended the year ranked at 31st overall in the total offensive yards and passing yards categories. The Browns still don't have a starting quarterback, though they have two good choices in Quinn and Anderson. With a look at their draft and free agent acquisitions, the Browns may be moving towards more of a spread offense, which wouldn't be a surprise since Mangini is a Belichick-desciple.

The Browns drafted two wide receivers in the second round and signed three more in free agency (Mike Furrey, Syndric Steptoe, and David Patten). They also added Robert Royal, a receiving tight end and decent blocker. All of these guys put together, form a "team" of receivers, rather than having one superstar.

Each of these players is capable of getting 400 to 500 yards, in the 2,3,4,5 wide receiver position. Furrey had one 1000-yard season in Detroit and Patten was a huge target for Tom Brady during the Super Bowl years. Alongside Braylon Edwards, this receiving corps should be enough to bring their passing offense back into the top 20.

With the addition of new draftee Alex Mack, the Browns are looking for more aggressiveness in the front— they may play Mack at guard or center. Also, an interesting free agent signing was George Foster. Foster never fit in the Broncos' system and looks to have lost his starting job in Detroit as well.

I have always thought that Foster, at 6'5, 338 pounds, would play an excellent guard in the NFL. This may be where they are looking to place Foster. I don't believe he can win a starting job at either of the tackle spots. Foster also will be competing with new free agent signee John St. Clair, who can play guard or tackle.

Jamal Lewis will be back, totting the rock again. He was able to get 1,000 rushing yards last season, but the line needs to do a better job of pushing forward, as he only scored four touchdowns.

The loss of Kellen Winslow should effect the Browns somewhat, but their relationship was so rocky, I think it may make them a better team in the long run. I think this will give other players a chance to step up and contribute, rather than sitting back and letting "tha soulja" take over.

The defense got beat up at inopportune moments last year, which led to their losses and low rankings. The defense ranked 26th overall in yards allowed with their rush defense leading the way ranking 28th in the NFL.

The additions of linebackers Eric Barton and David Bowens, should shore up the left side of the line and help stop the run. The addition of defensive end Kenyon Coleman, will give the Browns a stout run-stopper to man the left corner. Hopefully, the Browns star nose tackle, Shaun Rogers, will come back and play again for the Browns.

If they don't save this situation quickly, they may end up giving him up to another team part way through the summer. Defensive Tackle C.J Mosley has been brought in as insurance, in case this happens.

Overall, I think the Browns have improved enough to have a better season than 4-12. With their new coach Mangini at the helm, I see him turning the club around much like he did for the Jets. However, there are still a lot of questions for this team on both sides of the ball.

Who will be the starting Quarterback? What will happen with Shaun Rogers?

Even though the Broncos had a better record, both teams have so many similarities that it makes them somewhat of an even match up. The Broncos get the edge for playing at home. Eventually the Broncos running game will wear down the Browns defense and the Broncos will prevail.

Broncos 17, Browns 9

Ready For War: The Broncos Schedule Uncovered. (Game One)

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:20:50 -0400

The Broncos have a brutal schedule this year.

Despite playing in one of the least competitive conferences (on paper) this year, the Broncos have some heavy hitters to contend with.

In this article series, I will summarize the strengths, weaknesses, and key additions of each team on the Broncos schedule and how they will match up with Denver. I do not need to rehash their AFC West rivals, which I have already covered in the following articles:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/175108-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-division

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/176840-denver-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-part-2

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/177991-denver-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-part-3

Game 1, Sunday 9/13, at Cincinnati

The Bengals' strengths last year came from their defense. Although not a complete power house, they were able to end the season ranked 12th overall in the NFL for yards allowed.

Look for draft picks Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson to give the defense another boost up the ranks. Key free agent additions Roy Williams and Tank Johnson will add a veteran presence and will make this defense a formidable squad.

Maualuga is an energetic player that tackles like a steam roller. He will definitely bring some intensity to the Bengals' defense.

Michael Johnson is a physical freak. I'm very interested in how he will turn out playing in the NFL. He should bring some speed off the edge and break the focus of quarterbacks for years to come.

The offense was dismal. It was one of the worst offenses in the NFL last year, ranking no higher than 29th in all major offensive categories. Carson Palmer did get injured four games into the season, but in my opinion it was the play of the offensive line that lead to their poor showing.

The offensive line let through 51 sacks last season. For a comparison, the Denver Broncos only allowed 12.

This is most likely why the Bengals drafted Andre Smith, the massive tackle from Alabama, with the sixth overall pick in this year's draft. Hopefully, this guy can accomplish what Levi Jones was not able to do: stop the pass rushers.

The Bengals added Laveranues Coles, the veteran wide receiver from the Jets. He should give them an awesome 1B receiver to go along with Ochocinco at 1A. As long as Palmer comes back healthy, the Bengals shouldn't be ranked as low as they were last year.

Cedric Benson should return healthy and now he has a good complementary running back in the speedy sixth-round choice Bernard Scott. With added depth in the offensive line, these backs should be able to get 1500 yards combined.

The Bengals lost one of their star players, in wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh. He was a big play-maker, but I think the signing of Coles should make up for most of his absence.

I see the Bengals as better than last year, and they should win at least six or seven games this year.

Unfortunately for the residents of Cincinnati, this will not show in their opening season game against the Broncos.

With their offense ranked as low as they were last year, this complements Denver's low ranking defense of last year.

Both team's squads have a long way to go, according to the rankings. If both squads only manage to get marginally better, then they are equally matched on this front.

The Broncos' offense was highly ranked, but, with the loss of Jay Cutler, they definitely have some questions going into the season. The Broncos still have their superb offensive line. With the addition of Knowshon Moreno, they should have no problem running over opposing defenses for the next decade.

The Bengals defense is better this year than last year, but it won't be enough to stop the Orange and Blue's rushing and spread passing attacks.

Broncos 21, Bengals 13

The official Team statistics can be found at the following link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/cin/stats;_ylt=AlvquESXk57Rd..8BtMRbD.B2bYF

(The next article should cover the Sunday, 9/20 game versus Cleavland at home)

For Those About to Rock, Bronco Nation Salutes You!

Ryan Ayars — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:03:21 -0400

For me, the best part about going to Investco Field and watching the Broncos play is the loud, testosterone-fueled music that pumps through the jumbo speakers.

A good song adds to the excitement of the game and really gets your blood going. I have put together a list of my top 10 stadium songs that keep me rockin' at Investco.

1. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoeeq-BH4w

This is my all time favorite song. Not only do you get to hear this song after each touchdown, you can also hear it in the parking lot at every tailgate.

2. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N Roses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtXN_EHPwSg

No game is complete without this song. They play this before the other team enters onto the field. Welcome to our house, losers!

3. "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy Ft. Lil' Jon and Twista

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrzGm4rd4pM

Good stuff. Makes you wanna put on a jersey and take some hits—before hitting the snack bar again.

4. "I Put On (For My City)" by Young Jezzy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bHUE41uZlM

This is the player anthem. Perfect song when you're playing for city versus city bragging rights.

5. "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udEDlOZJmCc

Every player on that field is a gladiator. This song tells their story.

6. "Sandstorm" by Darude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSYxT9GM0fQ

This song is full of energy. This will make any crowd member stand up on the third down.

7. "Thunder Kiss 65" by White Zombie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VELvq-faGk

Just a wicked tune. Zombie created a fan in me the minute I heard this on the radio. This song will always be a top 10 favorite for me at the football field.

8. "I'm a Playa" by N9ne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmlaDOCyS8I&feature=related

This was a great rendition of Falco's Amadeus. The first time I heard it was at a preseason game against the Lions. Now I hear it every time I go see the Broncos in action.

9. "Let's get Crazy" by PitBull Ft. Lil' Jon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Lyka8Znes

This song embodies the raw emotion you feel at Investco when the Broncos score a touchdown. Everybody is on their feet!

10. "Tom Sawyer" by Rush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DFsBcVMDA

This song is for blue collar fans and hard nosed players alike. We are all there for one common goal—winning!

This is my top 10 list of stadium songs and I look forward to rockin' out to them this season. Share some of your favorite stadium songs with me!

What To Do with Your Old Jay Cutler Jerseys

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:04:44 -0400

He was the face of the franchise. The next John Elway. Jay Cutler was going to bring the Super Bowl back to Denver. To show their support, many loyal fans rushed to their nearest sports apparel stores and snatched up two, maybe three different Cutler jerseys.

I was one of those fans. I myself don a vintage Eddy Mac jersey, but my beautiful new born daughter's first Broncos' jersey, was a size one Jay Cutler jersey.

Then all of a sudden, he was gone. His jersey is still orange and blue, but not bronco colors.

What do we do now? Thankfully, my daughter has grown out of her jersey and it won't be her last, but I'm sure a large amount of Bronco Nation doesn't have that kind of luxury.

Do you throw that $70 piece of polyester? Do you wear it in protest of the trade? I have put together a couple of suggestions for Cutler fans to get good use of their failed investment.

1. It's summer time and it's hot. No matter how large your jersey is, they are always good for blocking out the sun. I suggest making an umbrella out of your old jersey. Sooner or later, the numbers and last name will wear off from the sun and rain and you will once again have a serviceable jersey to wear proudly around your neighborhood.

2. The last name Cutler can easily be turned in Butler, Mutler, or Sutler, etc. I suggest getting some medical tape and fashioning and new last name for yourself.

3. NFL jerseys are very resilient. I suggest using them as a common house rag. Though he wasn't able to clean up the messes the Broncos made, maybe his jersey can clean up the messes your family makes.

There are of course many uses for an old Cutler jersey. If you come up with anymore, please feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

How Many Quarterbacks Does It Take To Win a Championship for Denver?

Ryan Ayars — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:36:20 -0400

Too many in my opinion.

Since the 1998 Super Bowl and the inevitable retirement of King Elway, the Broncos have been a virtual revolving door at the quarterback position. Here are a few players you might remember that have played for the Broncos during the last 10-11 years:

Bobby Brister, Brian Griese, Chris Miller, Gus Frerotte, Jarious Jackson, Steve Beuerlein, Jake Plummer, Danny Kannel, Bradlee Vanpelt, Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, Tom Brandstater...

Who will be next? The Broncos once again find themselves without a true starter this year. Kyle Orton is the front-runner, but Chris Simms is the dark horse.

I'm a little tired of not having a true starting quarterback who is past his 22nd birthday. I'm a loyal fan, and as a loyal fan I like loyal players. John Elway was our quarterback for 14 plus years. That's what I want—a quarterback for the long hall. I want a guy who's willing to be here for the rest of his career and a coach that is willing to ride out the storm with him.

I was a huge fan of Jake Plummer. He is the second best all time quarterback for the Broncos franchise and the only player to lead the Broncos to the playoffs in the last 10 years. I applauded Mike Shanahan's decision to bring in Plummer, but his choice to draft Jay Cutler three years later would be the end of his illustrious career in Denver.

The average play of Plummer in 2006 was related 100 percent to the drafting of Cutler. Plummer was a quarterback who played with raw emotion. Shanny ruined that.

Knowing what I know now, I would have opted not to move up to draft Jay Cutler. Not only did it mess up the chemistry of the team, but also Shanny missed a huge chance to upgrade the defense, which is now in a dismal state.

Players such as Haloti Ngata, Brodrick Bunkley, Chad Greenway, or Antonio Cromartie would have given Denver a much stronger defense, which was the highlight of the Broncos team from 2003-2005.

Drafting Ngata would have allowed the Broncos to move to a 3-4 scheme much earlier. Defensive linemen Trevor Pryce and Ngata would have made a formidable opponent for any offense...

Oh wait, that's the Ravens starting line. The Broncos would have had a healthy Pryce to use, instead of the semi-healthy playmaker the Ravens received in Pryce. With linebackers Al Wilson and DJ Williams in the middle, we may have seen a much different Broncos team then.

Hopefully, the Broncos can find a starter soon—somebody who the fans can count on for many years to come.

Denver Broncos: 3-4 Defense Or a 4-3 In Disguise??

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:38:12 -0400

There's been a lot of hubbub about the "new" 3-4 defensive scheme that the Broncos will be using this year. At the end of the day, is the 3-4 really that different from the 4-3?

The major difference between the two defensive schemes is the number of down lineman used. In the 4-3 defense, there are four lineman. In the 3-4 defense, there are three down lineman. You are basically just exchanging a down lineman for a linebacker.

Here's the rub; in a lot of cases, and in Denver's case, the down lineman is exchanged for a "hybrid" linebacker, guys like Robert Ayers, Elvis Dumervil, or Jarvis Moss.

These players are essentially 4-3 rush ends, but since they will be adding pass defending duties to their run stop and pass rushing duties, they do the job of both linebackers and defensive ends in a 3-4 defense.

In the 3-4, the down lineman are in charge of plugging the A, B, and C gaps, while the linebackers read the offense and attack the remaining gaps.

In a 4-3 defense, the down lineman are asked to rush the passer as well as stop the run, instead of worrying about gap assignments as much.

Mike Nolan, the Broncos' current defensive coordinator, is said to like to play an "attacking" type of 3-4.

"It's not really the usual 3-4," Ronnie Fields explained on the Denver Broncos' official Web site. "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. It's kind of mixed-up with a 4-3. There are a lot of good things in there for linemen instead of just sitting there and catching the blocker and being passive and waiting."

So tell me this, if you are basically putting out the same personnel, four defensive lineman and three linebackers, and all of the guys are attacking the quarterback, isn't this really the same as a 4-3 scheme?

I mean the down lineman are bigger, but if if the team runs out of an over/under defensive set, the hybrid linebackers, who used to be defensive ends, are now defensive ends again.

What the 3-4 will do is give the defense more options on the field. With Dumervil and Moss at the 3-4 outside linebacker spots, the Broncos could even run a 5-2 scheme and either drop the OLBs into a zone or send them straight at the quarterback.

Likewise, the Broncos could drop everyone into a zone and stop the short pass, or rush the two inside linebackers; there are a ton of packages that they can put together.

With all of this upside and the new looks the 3-4 defense will give the Broncos defense, is this going to change their success?

If the players can't perform in the 4-3, what makes them more suited for the 3-4?

Mike Nolan and the Broncos' defense have a lot of work to do this off season to make themselves a competitive squad.

I for one believe that they will be able to succeed. However, at this point there are so many questions that I wouldn't be surprised if they were only marginally better than last season.

Let's hope this isn't the case.

Five Reasons Why Denver Should Pass on Michael Vick

Ryan Ayars — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:10:36 -0400

Lately, there has been a lot of speculation on Michael Vick. What will he be doing this year? Will he play football? Where will he play football? Should teams take a gamble on him? I have gathered five of the major reasons, in my opinion, why Vick should not be a Bronco...ever.

He is unpredictable

Vick is unpredictable on the field and in his personal life. For me, all of this dog fighting stuff took me by surprise. Throughout his NFL career, Vick managed to stay out of big trouble. Other than a lame drug charge, in which the drugs probably belonged to one of his many "friends," I thought Vick would stay out of trouble his whole career and annoy defensive coordinators, until he was too old to run.

But then all of the problems surfaced. How long was he involved in dog fighting? What else was he doing that we don't know about? Who are these "friends" he's running around with? Vick would really have to change his way of life to gain trust from any organization.

On the Field, Vick is a run-first quarterback with a huge upside, but most coordinators aren't going to want a quarterback on the field that they can't control. The Atlanta coordinators basically let Vick run free. They give him a formation and he does what he thinks is right. This is not efficient and will not win your club championships.

Vick reminds me of a compulsive gambler. They lose 70 percent of the time, but that 30 percent of wins are so sweet, they keep gambling until they are out of money.

Vick Is Not a Good Quarterback

Sure he can run, but what about the passing game? NFL defenses are just to good to let a one-trick pony own them over and over again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Vick has a career quarterback rating of 75.7. That's way below they rating average of starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

What happens when defenses start loading the box? The quarterback has to throw, right? That sounds to me like a fourth down waiting to happen. I would just not feel comfortable letting a quarterback of Vick's caliber lead my team.

He Is a Fumbler

Rushing is his strength, but it isn't a good idea to drop the ball. Vick coughed up the ball 55 times in 74 games. Yes, he only lost 27, but geez. Turnovers negate any good play that you execute. Much like we saw in the Broncos offense of last year, it makes no difference if you run 80 yards down the field, if you fumble at the goal line. A playmaker's job is to take care of the rock. The statistics don't lie: Vick has butter fingers.

He is passed his prime.

At 29 years old, Vick should have dropped his rushing attack for a more comfortable pocket passing attack. John Elway, known for his ability to take off on the run, only had about three rushing attempts per game. If he, a star player, had rushed seven times per game like Vick, he would not have lasted 16 seasons.

Scrambling quarterbacks rely on their athleticism early on in their careers, to save themselves on third down. As a quarterback matures, they get slower and are more prone to injury. At almost 30 years old, Vick's passing game should be efficient enough, so that he doesn't have to run to make plays. If Vick comes back to play football, he won't last very long rushing seven to eight times a game.

PETA, the Boulder Chapter

I'm a dog lover, but PETA takes animal-loving very seriously. Atlanta may have a strong PETA following, but Boulder, Colorado proudly houses the militant wing of PETA. Concerning Vick's legal troubles, I could see the picketing and the call for boycotts quite menacing. Broncos fans don't need politics involved in football. Like church and state, keep the two separate.

Vick is a great athlete, but as far as becoming a Denver Bronco, I really see no reason to take the gamble on him. The Broncos have enough good athletes on their team, that they don't need a specialist player like Vick on their roster. If they wanted a specialist player, they should have kept fan favorite Bradlee Van Pelt.

You Can't Make a Good Offense Sandwich, Without the SPREAD!

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:05:48 -0400

The cat is out of the bag. It's pretty obvious that McDaniels is going to be bringing a new defense and offense to the Denver Broncos. Instead of the 4-3 defensive set, the Broncos will be moving to the 3-4. Forget about the West Coast offense, because the new offensive scheme in Denver is the spread.

Mostly popularized in the NFL by the highly successful New England Patriots and in college by Urban Myer, using the spread option when he was the head coach of at Bowling Green in 2001. The spread offense philosophy is very efficient, if executed correctly. The philosophy behind the spread, is in it's name; spread. The offense's job is to spread the defense and use all of the field, giving your players the ability to work in space after the catch and tacking the linebackers out of the run stuff and pass rush positions. In most cases the Quarterback is in a shotgun formation, but this doesn't always have to be the case.

There isn't really a basic set of plays, since the spread isn't a formation, but a philosophy. The idea behind the spread, is to out number the defense in certain scenarios. For example, if the defense brings the safety into the box, the quarterback should pass the ball deep and take advantage of the one on one coverage. Also, the offense can set up with 3-4 wide receivers to take the linebackers outs of position to stop the run. This makes it easier to run draw plays and screen plays with the halfbacks and fullbacks. In these types of situations, the wide receiver's primary function is to run bloke down field. To be able to efficiently execute the spread offense, the players need to be very versatile. Running, Blocking, and receiving is everyone's job.

So, how will this offense look in Denver? The formations are going to different each game, to attack the weaknesses of the opposing defenses.

The Broncos have all of the personnel needed to be heavy run team, heavy pass team, and a balanced team.

Heavy Passing Attack

This offense will mostly be used against teams that are weak in the backfield and tend to use more 3-4 linebacker formations. The Broncos will be able to put out three, four, or even five receivers. Most of the time, using four wide receivers with a speed back, or half back to line up in the slot, set the play up for the screen pass. In this set, the offense can take advantage of mismatches with linebackers or safeties on speedy receivers. Once the defense starts to fall back and overcompensate for the amount of receivers on the field, the offense can start attacking the middle of the line with draw plays and hit the corners with screen plays. The Players most likely to be used in this situation are the following:

WR1     Brandon Marshall
WR2     Eddie Royal
WR3,Slot Brandon Stokley
WR4       Jabar Gaffney
WR5       Chad Jackson
RB          Knowshonn Moreno
TB          J.J. Arrington
TE        Daniel Graham, Richard Quinn, Tony Sheffler

Heavy Rushing Attack

This offensive scheme will be used again's teams that are weak against the run or tend to use nickel formations and do not bring the safeties into the box as often. The receivers need to block more than receive, but will run deep routes to keep the defense honest. The offense can setup in many formations to get the job done here. two Tight end sets, three tight end sets, two halfbacks and a fullback, etc. The whole idea is to take advantage of the mismatches. Run on the defense when the try to stop the pass and pass on the defense when they load the box. This formations will setup with two wide receivers, two to three tight ends, a fullback, one to two running backs. For this scheme to be executed, the tight ends, fullbacks, and running backs have to be exceptional athletes. They will be asked to pass, catch, run, and block. The players that will be used in the formation are the following:

WR1     Brandon Marshall
WR2     Eddie Royal
TE1        Daniel Graham
TE2        Richard Quinn
TE3        Tony Sheffler
RB          Knowshonn Moreno
RB          Correll Buckhalter
FB          Peyton Hillis

One of the biggest questions in this off season is, how will Kyle Orton operate in the spread offense? Kyle Orton spent four years in a spread offense at Purdue. He's quite acquainted to it's uses. Orton will probably be in a lot of shotgun formations and look to pass, as he is not a strong runner and because the spread option scheme hasn't really been able to catch on in the NFL. The spread offense takes a game manager with patience and accuracy. A lot of analysts say that the spread hinges mostly on the strength of the play calling, rather then the talent of the quarterback. Kyle Orton will need to be very adept in reading the defense to see mismatches on the field and check down to his third and fourth receivers. The idea is to increase time possession and decrease turnovers. This will require a lot of patience. 80 percent of the passing game will be short yardage passes, with slants and screens as the bulk of the receptions. The deep ball is used like an uppercut would be in a boxing match; sparingly, but deadly. I for one, believe that Orton will be a perfect match in this scheme and he will welcome the bounty of new offensive play-makers that Denver has to offer him.

All of the players in the above schemes will come together to form a balanced attack that will strike fear into opposing defenses. This is going to be an exciting year to watch the Denver offense! The Broncos offense has the ability to be in the top five in all categories this year.

Between The Tackles With Peyton Hillis

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:21:57 -0400

The following is a mock interview with Denver Broncos' starting fullback Peyton Hillis. The answers given to these questions are fictitious and purely used for the enjoyment of the author.

Recently, I was giving the chance to sit down and chat with one of my favorite professional football players, Peyton Hillis. Here is what he had to say.

Ryan Ayars: Hello Peyton. Thank you for giving me some time to learn more about you.

Peyton Hillis: It's my pleasure Ryan. Anything for a die hard Bronco fan like yourself.

RA: You're a lot bigger then I thought you were. I would hate to have to try tackle you on the field.

PH: Me too! That's why I do all the running and hitting. (chuckle chuckle)

RA: What was it like blocking for such a potent running game with the Arkansas Razorbacks?

PH: Well Ryan, I was born and raised in Arkansas. Just being given the opportunity to play for the Razorbacks was a dream come true. Guys like Darren McFadden and Felix Jones make your job as a blocker a lot easier. I can contribute a lot of my success to the Arkansas system and the players I had around me.

RA: What are some of the differences in the level of competition in the NFL versus college football?

PH: Well the hits definitely. In college, you get hit hard two out of every five times. In the NFL, you get hit HARD every time you touch the ball. The players are a lot more competitive as well. I mean you're playing against the best of the best every Sunday.

RA: How did losing your head coach and starting quarterback effect you?

PH: Well, anytime you lose important team guys like that, it's going to be a little weird. Coach Mike was the guy who drafted me and saw enough in my play to start me, during my rookie year. Jay was just a good guy to play with. He had a real competitive streak.

RA: Did you expect to be the starting running back last year?

PH: No. I mean I played tailback in college, but I didn't expect to start in the NFL as a tailback. It was fun though.

RA: Did you expect to have as much success as you did in 2008?

PH: No not really, but anytime you get to carry the ball behind an offensive line like we have, your going to be successful. I owe everything to those big guys.

RA: What if you didn't get injured last year? Does Denver go to the playoffs?

PH: I'm not much of a "what if" guy. Let's just hope we get there this year.

RA: What are your Strengths?

PH: I guess I'm pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions. I'm competitive.

RA: What are you weaknesses?

PH: You tell me.

RA: (chuckle chuckle) I think we can move on.

PH: Good idea. (chuckle chuckle)

RA: Do you think you'll be in the mix for the starting running back position?

PH: Anything is possible. Moreno is a pretty good back though. I'll probably see most of my time at fullback, maybe some tight end.

RA: What do you think of your new Head Coach Josh McDaniels?

PH: Great guy. He really knows what he's doing and believes in his system. I've never been around a coach as young as him. He can really relate to the players.

RA: What do you think of the new Broncos offense?

PH: We're going to be good. Better than last year. Kyle is really picking up the game plan well. In the time that I've spent with him so far, I can see he's a real leader. This year will be fun for sure.

RA: Do you see yourself as being a huge part of this year's offensive plan?

PH: Yes I do. I think everyone one will get the chance to play a huge part this year. That's what's so cool about the new system. There's a lot of running and passing. I have pretty good hands coming out of the back field, so I can be in on a lot of screen plays. I'm just really excited to get the season started.

RA: Well thank you again for your time Peyton and I wish you and your team great success this year.

PH: No problem, I appreciate it.

Denver Broncos Primed For a Playoff Run: A Look at The AFC West (Part 3)

Ryan Ayars — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:10:19 -0400

(This is the previous edition (part 2) of the following article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/176840-denver-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-part-2 )

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers ended last year at 8-8, making a comeback at the end of the season to oust the Denver Broncos from the top of the AFC West.

In most cases, Broncos fans can thank or blame the Chargers for all of the Broncos' changes this year. The bottom line is if the Broncos went 11-6 last year, instead of 8-8, Mike Shanahan and Jay Cutler would still be in Denver.

The Chargers underachieved last year, plain and simple. With key injuries to starters Shawne Merriman and LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers were missing their leaders and seemed flat at times. It pains me to say this, but the Chargers should be much better this season. But key offseason losses could possibly derail them again.

The Chargers return with their explosive offense, led by Tomlinson. LT still has a lot of juice left and last year's "poor performance" shouldn't have any negative effects on his running this year. If anything, LT will come into 2009 with a chip on his shoulder.

It's interesting how the league gave him a bad wrap, when he rushed for 1,110 yards and caught 52 passes for 426 yards. I guess if a star player doesn't get 1,800 yards a year, then he's on the downside of his career.

The Chargers have a tough offense to handle with freaky-sized receivers like Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd. Antonio Gates' production was down last year, but anytime an organization can get 700-plus receiving yards from your tight end, they should be happy.

Phillip Rivers is a great quarterback and should be just as good as he was last year or better.

The loss of veteran guard Mike Goff may effect their running game, as he is a strong run blocker. Someone will need to step up on the offensive line to take his place.

Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera comes back for a second season. Rivera, a former linebacker in the '80s for the Chicago Bears, saw success with his aggressive style of defense in a three-year stint as the Bears' defensive coordinator. With Shawne Merriman back in the lineup, the Chargers' pass rush should be rejuvenated.

The Chargers also used this year's first-round choice on a sack specialist in defensive end Larry English, who should add a mean streak to the defensive line. It's possible that Rivera will switch from the 3-4 to a 4-3 defensive scheme, which he used in Chicago.

In a 4-3, English would be a pass rushing specialist used on passing downs while in a 3-4, English would be used as an outside linebacker. Compare his skills to those of Elvis Dumervil, who has led the Denver Broncos in sacks the last three years.

The loss of Igor Olshansky is a big one and may hurt the Chargers' run stuffing abilities. The Chargers added a raw talent in the draft with Vaughn Martin. A physical freak, he can spell Jamal Williams at nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. I'm very interested to see how Martin develops in the NFL.

The Chargers have a decent schedule this year. Assuming they are a better team than they showed last year, they should have a much better record.

They do have some tough away games this year in New York (Giants), Pittsburgh and Tennessee. They also have to play Baltimore, Dallas and Philadelphia this year. I could see the Chargers going 9-7 or 10-6 this year.

The Chargers are definitely going to be a challenge in the AFC West. The Broncos are going to have to be flawless if they want to sweep the Chargers this year. I see them splitting the series, with both teams losing on the road.

Denver Broncos Primed For a Playoff Run: A Look at The AFC West (Part 2)

Ryan Ayars — Sat, 16 May 2009 13:38:18 -0400

(This is part two of the following previous article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/175108-broncos-primed-for-a-playoff-run-a-look-at-the-afc-west-division )

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs went 2-14 last season and did not have a lot of highlights to discuss. In the off season they hired a new coach, Todd Haley, and a new GM, Scott Pioli. On defense, they will attempt to run a 3-4 scheme, which may suit their personnel better than the 4-3.

On offense they had an average rushing attack. The once dominant Larry Johnson, is becoming an injury risk and has missed the majority of the last two seasons.

Rookie speed back Jamaal Charles, showed some promise, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, but he's better as a No. 2 back. Johnson will need to stay healthy, if the Chiefs want to be any better then last year.

Matt Cassel is their newly acquired quarterback from New England. He showed a lot of talent, in his first year as a starter. I still believe he is a question mark though.

Was it the coaching that made him good? Was it the system?

Cassel is an upgrade over previous quarterbacks, Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle, and their offense should be more efficient this season.

However, with the upgrade in quarterback came the huge downgrade in receiving, in the loss of Tony Gonzalez. Gonzalez led the Chiefs in receiving last season with 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Chiefs traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a second round draft pick in 2010. Without Gonzalez, Dwayne Bowe is their only receiving threat. The Chiefs can only hope that someone steps up their game in training camp.

The Chiefs acquired two lineman this off season in Eric Ghiaciuc and Mike Goff. Hopefully, they will be able to add strength to an offensive line that has been lacking, since the loss of Will Shields, Brian Waters, and Casey Wiegmann.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs didn't fair well either. Their overall NFL defensive rank was never lower than 28th in all four areas. They needed to make some huge changes from last year to improve upon this.

In the trade for Matt Cassel, Kansas City acquired veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel. They also acquired another veteran linebacker in Zach Thomas. Coupled with the promising right outside linebacker Derrick Johnson, this should be a much improved linebacker corps.

In making the switch to 3-4 defense, pass rushing specialist Tamba Hali will have a chance to make the transition from defensive end to left outside linebacker. If he is successfully in this transition, he should be pretty dangerous off the edge.

The Chiefs addressed their defensive line in the draft, taking LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson and Purdue defensive end Alex Magee.

Jackson was considered the best five technique defensive end in the draft and Magee was considered a very good fit in the 3-4 end spot as well. The Chiefs will have a big nose tackle in Tank Tyler. With their new additions, their defensive line should be better than last year.

One big problem that the Chiefs face is what to do with 2008 first round draft pick Glenn Dorsey. He is not a good fit for the 3-4 defense, as his strengths focused more on attacking the passer rather than holding blocks.

The Chiefs may be able to get another starter for Dorsey, if they trade him soon. Anquan Boldin anyone??

The Chiefs have a young backfield and they should be better this year, if the line is stopping the run and the linebackers are able to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

All four players in the Chiefs backfield combine for only six years of experience, but show a lot of promise.

I see this Chiefs team as being better than last year, but not by a whole lot. The Chiefs have to play Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Dallas this season, with some tough away games in Baltimore and Philadelphia.

I can see the Chiefs winning 5-6 games this year and being last in the AFC West for the second straight year.

The Broncos should not have any problems sweeping the Chiefs this season.

Denver Broncos Primed for a Playoff Run: A Look at the AFC West (Part One)

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:52:26 -0400

The Denver Broncos may be in a "semi-rebuilding state", but they have as good a chance as any other team in the AFC West to win the division. The Broncos almost won the division last year with a paltry 8-8 record.

No other team has been as active in the free agency as the Denver Broncos, releasing 80 percent of last years defensive starters, signing four new free agent defensive starters and a boat load of undrafted free agents to compete for starting positions.

In this three-part review, I will analyze each of the opposing AFC west teams by using the following criteria: perceived strengths and weaknesses from last season, free agent signing, draft selections, and schedule difficulty.

Oakland Raiders

On offense, the Raiders' rushing attack showcased a talented combination of Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden. The two runners combined for 1352 yards, giving Oakland a team rushing average per game of 124.2, which ranked 10th overall in the NFL.

The Raiders look to continue their rushing success this year, with Darren McFadden poised to build upon his rookie success.

Unfortunately, the Raiders' passing attack was quite dismal, netting an average of 148.1 yards a game and an overall rank of 32 in the NFL. The failure of the passing game was the result of a slow progression of their now third year quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the inability of the offensive line to give him good pass protection.

Russell, showed some improvement during last season, but will be considered a bust, if he doesn't start showing elite talent. Oakland addressed their offensive line needs by signing veteran tackles, Khalif Barnes, Erik pears, and center Samson Satele.

The players should create a better base for their zone blocking scheme and give Russell more time in the pocket.

The passing game will receive a jump start this year, with the addition of newly acquired No. 7 draft choice Darrius Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey was the fastest receiver in the draft and should give Russell a deep threat to spread out opposing defenses.

Considering that the Raiders' top receiver last year was tight end Zach Miller, the Raiders will welcome a blue chip prospect like Heyward-Bey to their lineup. The current No. 1 wide receiver, Javon Walker, has season ending ankle surgery last year, which kept him out of the lineup for half the season.

When healthy, Walker is a premier receiver in the NFL. Look for him to bounce back this year and give the Raiders another top receiving threat.

On defense the Raiders still have a lot of concerns. Contrary to popular opinion, the Broncos run defense wasn't the worst in the AFC West. The Raiders ranked 31 overall in stopping the run, allowing an average of 159.7 rushing yards a game.

The Raiders partially addressed their rushing woes, with the drafting of Safety Mike Mitchell, in the second round. He should replace Michael Huff at Strong safety and add a stronger backfield presence to the running game.

In my opinion, the Raiders should move Huff to the free-safety position and see if he is a better fit there. As a previous first-round choice, the Raiders should try to keep him and get some value out of their pick, much like they did for Robert Gallery.

They Raiders ranked 10th overall in the NFL in passing defense. The drafting of Matt Shaughnessy should add to the pass rush attack. Nnamdi Asomugha is a premier cornerback in the NFL and should be as good as usual.

With the addition of Safety Mike Mitchell the Raiders should considered a stout pass defense threat.

The Raiders have some what of a tough schedule this year. They have away games in Pittsburgh, Dallas, and New York (Giants). The also host Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia. Based on last years standings, these teams could already represent 5-6 losses.

If the Raiders split their wins and losses in their conference games, they are already looking at 8-9 losses on paper. This would be an improvement on last year's 5-11 standing as Raiders look to have as 7-9, or 8-8 season.

A record of 8-8 won the AFC west conference title last year, so the Raiders would just be happy to be contenders. If the Broncos, didn't address their inability to stop the run, they will have a lot of problems with the Raiders. This is also the same for the Raiders run defense.

The Broncos have obviously upgraded with the addition of No. 12 draft choice Knowshon Moreno.

Who Will Start for the Broncos in 2009? (Part Two)

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:05:51 -0400

(This is part two of a two-part article. The first part can be found here.)

In remembering the defenses that the Broncos have put out the last couple of years, I know it's hard to get really excited about the "new changes" to the Defense.

However, as a member of Bronco Nation, I can truthfully say that this year's changes have to get you excited about the upcoming season!

It all starts up front for a defense. Without solid line play, the Broncos have no chance at stopping opposing offenses. On the other hand, a dominant defensive line will send the Broncos to the playoffs this year.

Defensive Tackle

The Broncos have eight defensive tackles on their roster as of now: Matthias Askew, Chris Baker, Nic Clemons, Ronald Fields, J'Vonne Parker, Kenny Peterson, Carlton Powell, and Marcus Thomas.

For a 3-4 defense to be successful, the Broncos need three big bodies on the defensive line, which turns large defensive tackles (310-plus lbs.) into nose tackles and regular-size defensive tackles (290-plus lbs.) into defensive ends.

Weighing in at 315, 325, and 326, respectively, Fields, Parker, and Baker are the only defense tackles that can be viewed as true nose tackles.

Fields is a five-year veteran, and has the best chance at winning the starting nose tackle spot at this time. He has the size and strength to be a stout nose tackle in the NFL, but one has to wonder why San Fransisco let him go so easily.

Parker has ideal size and strength, but has little experience in the NFL. He's a journeyman defensive tackle, and will be a good backup in the nose tackle rotation for Denver.

Baker will be the talk of camp this year. The Broncos signed him out of college as an unrestricted free agent, which will turn out to be a very good value as the season progresses.

Baker was severed from the Penn State football program for accepting money for work he didn't do. Regardless of his past indiscretions, the kid has talent—enough talent that he could be the starting nose tackle when September rolls around.

The nose tackle position is pretty much in the air, because there are so many unknowns trying out this summer.

Out of the other five defensive tackle prospects, Peterson and Thomas should be the starting defensive ends for the 3-4 defense. All of the other tackles are unproven players that have a chance to make the squad.

Again, the defensive end position is up in the air, especially since this would be a position change for these players, and because there are five more defensive end prospects on the roster.

Defensive Ends

Like the defensive tackles, the defensive end prospects are career backups, or rookies with limited playing experience on the line. The defensive end prospects are as follows: Tim Crowder, Rulon Davis, Ryan McBean, and Everette Pedescleaux.

Crowder has the most experience and upside, but at 275 lbs, he lacks the size to be a 3-4 line player. If Crowder comes to training camp at 285, then he would be a great rotation player on the line.

McBean has ideal size for a defensive end in the 3-4, but not a lot of experience. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the table at camp.

The last two prospects were just signed as rookie free agents and have no experience in the NFL. However, they are intriguing players with possible upside.

Pedescleaux is my favorite of the two to start. At 6'6" inches and 305 lbs, he could be a beast on the end. With his height, he can stand to gain 20-30 lbs in a professional training program. This could be our next starting nose tackle!

Davis is a Marine. Enough said. These guys are considered tough at 200 lbs. At 281 lbs, I'd drop my gun and pray this man didn't eat me. Davis is also, 6'5" inches tall, so like Pedescleaux, he could stand to gain 20 lbs.

These two rookies could find themselves starting in the middle of this season.

Defensive End/Linebackers Hybrids

Now this is the exciting part of the off-season! The hybrid players are guys that were originally slotted as pass rushing ends in a 4-3 defensive scheme, but have the ability to play the outside linebacker position in a 3-4 defensive scheme.

Starting a hybrid instead of a linebacker gives a defense a stout pass-rushing end and better run support off of the edges. The problem these players run into is that they don't have the coverage skills it takes to defend against the pass.

The hybrid ends on the Broncos roster are as follows: Robert Ayers, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss, Darrell Reid.

Ayers is a stand out 3-4 lineman from the University of Tennessee. He was the No. 18 overall draft choice in the 2009 draft, and looks to start at outside linebacker for the Broncos this year.

This guy is a gamer. He's quick, strong, and intelligent. He has all of the ability to be a star in this league. Hopefully he pans out.

Dumervil is the Broncos resident sack master. If you need someone to hit the quarterback, he's your man. I envision Dumervil as starting opposite of Ayers at outside linebacker.

As long as his coverage skills improve, Dunmervil should be a Pro Bowler at this position.

Moss could easily fight for a starting position as an outside linebacker. However, to this point in his career, he hasn't shown the talent that got him drafted out of Florida three years ago. This could possibly be scenario that Moss has been waiting for. If Moss comes to camp swinging, there is going to be a heck of a lot of competition for the hybrid spot this summer.

Reid is a special teams stand out. I'm not really sold on him being a starter. He's kind of a tweener at 288 lbs—too big to be an outside linebacker, too small to be a defensive end. It's quite possible that he may crack the 53-man roster, but as of now, I'm not holding my breath.

Linebackers

The Broncos have 11 linebackers coming to camp this summer. They are as follows: Boss Bailey, Andra Davis, Louis Green, Nick Greisen, Mario Haggan, Braxton Kelley, Lee Robinson, Jeff Schweiger, D.J. Williams, Wesley Woodyard, and Spencer Larsen.

A lot of these player's futures will be based on how strong the hybrid players above come out in training camp. If the hybrids don't pan out, there will be four starting spots open for these linebacker prospects to compete for.

If the hybrid players do pan out, then the inside linebacker positions are the only starting jobs available. Davis and Williams will be locks at these positions.

These two players will be a huge force in the middle for this defense. Both are run-stuffers, and both can blitz the quarterback with agility and speed. However, if the right outside linebacker spot is open, then I will expect Williams to play in that spot, since it is his natural position.

The other veteran linebackers—Bailey, Green, Greisen, Haggan, Woodyard, and Larsen—all have the opportunity and ability to start or be considered in the rotation on this defense. At this point, the linebacker position will be figured out in training camp. There are no other clear-cut starters.

Schweiger, Kelley, and Robinson are all rookies; therefore, I have nothing really to go on for these players.

Schweiger is an interesting prospect because of his size. At 6'5" and 276 lbs., he has the physical attributes to be another hybrid linebacker. He may be a diamond in the rough who could see playing time with the Broncos in the future.

Cornerbacks

The Broncos have eight cornerbacks on their roster as of now, but they most likely are only competing for the nickel and backup roles.

They are as follows: Champ Bailey, Joshua Bell, Tony Carter, Andre' Goodman, D.J. Johnson, Rashod Moulton, Alphonso Smith, and Jack Williams.

Bailey and Goodman are the veterans and starting cornerbacks for the Broncos at this time. They should be the starters, barring an incredible camp by Smith, a rookie.

Smith should be the starting nickel back, due to his tremendous play in a college and the fact that they Broncos traded a future No. 1 draft pick for him in this years draft. I'm fairly confident that he will pan out and become a starter for this team. His highlight reels and interviews were excellent.

All of the other prospects do have a chance to be starters, but it just isn't likely. They will most likely end up being depth players, or trying to crack a starting role on special teams.

Safeties

The safety positions are all but taken care of, due to the signing of free agent juggernaut Brian Dawkins and veteran Renaldo Hill. The safety prospects are as follows: Josh Barrett, David Bruton, Brian Dawkins, Vernon Fox, Renaldo Hill, Herana-Daze Jones, Darcel McBath.

I am 100 percent sure that Brian Dawkins will be the starting strong safety. Renaldo Hill is an above-average free safety, and should be the starter this year.

I believe that Barrett has the talent to start in this league and should be a solid backup this year. The Broncos may look at putting him at strong safety as well in the future.

McBath is another safety of the future and may end up at the backup spot to Renaldo Hill at free safety.

Bruton, Jones, and Fox should start on special teams. Bruton could break the starting lineup in the future through his special teams play.

Below are my two starting scenario predictions on defense for the 2009 Denver Broncos:

DLE Marcus Thomas
NT   Chris baker
DRE Kenny Peterson
LOLB Robert Ayers, Jarvis Moss
LILB Andra Davis
RILB DJ Williams
ROLB Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss
CB1 Champ Bailey
CB2 Andre' Goodman
CB3 Alphonso Smith
SS   Brian Dawkins, Josh Barrett
FS   Renaldo Hill, Darcel McBath

DLE Marcus Thomas
NT   Chris baker
DRE Kenny Peterson
LOLB Robert Ayers, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss
LILB Andra Davis, Boss Bailey
RILB Spencer Larsen, Boss Bailey
ROLB D.J. Williams, Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss
CB1 Champ Bailey
CB2 Andre' Goodman
CB3 Alphonso Smith
SS   Brian Dawkins, Josh Barrett
FS   Renaldo Hill, Darcel McBath

Who Will Start for the Broncos in 2009?? (Part One)

Ryan Ayars — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:30:20 -0400

With all of the surprising changes and moves that highlighted this year’s offseason reports, the Broncos’ training camps look to be quite exciting.

There are a bunch of new names on Denver’s roster this year. For some new players, training camp symbolizes the start of a new career. For others. it’s just another long day under the Colorado sun.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the current and possible starters for each position for the 2009 campaign. Part one of this two part series, will focus on the offensive side of the team.

Quarterback

The leader of the pack. The brains behind the brawn. The “Big Cheese” as they would say in Green Bay. The quarterback is the most important position in football. No other player touches the ball as much as the quarterback and who ever has the ball, has the power.

For the Denver Broncos, there are three new faces at quarterback; Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, and rookie Tom Brandstater.

As of now Kyle Orton is the front runner to be this year’s starter. Orton is a good game manager and positive locker room personality. As long as he stays level headed and follows the coach’s plan, he should do just fine as the starter this year.

Chris Simms is definitely a dark horse in this competition. He has an NFL pedigree and played very well in his first years at Tampa Bay. However, Simms suffered a season-ending injury in game three of the 2006 season, in the form of a ruptured spleen. Simms hasn’t been the same since. Could a change in scenery restart his career?

Tom Brandstater was a sixth round pick in this year’s draft. He has a lot of upside and will look to compete for the second string spot in this year’s Bronco offense. However, it’s more likely that he will become the third string quarterback and walk the sidelines with a clipboard this year.

If he doesn’t show any potential, the Broncos will send him to the practice squad and give him another chance to show up next year.

Offensive Line

Offensive line has always been a source of constant production for the Broncos. Their zone blocking scheme has become the scourge of the NFL, with many challengers and champions. Regardless the perception is of this scheme, it works. McDaniels looks to capitalize off of the success of the zone blocking scheme and infuse it into his own spread offense scheme.

There won’t be any changes to the starting five of the offensive line for Denver this year. The changes in the depth chart will likely be in the second and third string spots, which lay out the offensive line of the future. Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann are getting up there in years. This leaves two future starting spots open in the next coming years.

Most likely Wiegmann will retire next year, which would move Ben Hamilton to center and leave the left guard spot open for young players like: Corey Lichtensteiger, Seth Olsen, and Pat Murray. Blake Schlueter will slide into the second string center spot and be groomed to start within a couple of years.

Tight End

The Broncos have three returning players in Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler, and Jeb Putzier, and one rookie in Richard Quinn.

Daniel Graham looks to start again on the strong side. I see Richard Quinn as being a better fit at weak side tight end in two tight end sets for running downs. Tony Scheffler would be the better choice at weak side tight end, or lining up in the slot, in passing downs.

At this point I see this being a 2A/2B situation for Richard Quinn and Tony Scheffler. Both provide a service for what the offense needs in certain game situations. Unfortunately, I think that Jeb Putzier will be relegated strictly to special teams, or cut before the season starts.

Running Back/Fullback

The Broncos start this year’s mini camp with seven tailbacks on their roster. They are as follows: J.J. Arrington, Correll Buckhalter, Peyton Hillis, LaMont Jordan, Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Torain, and Darius Walker.

The starting running back has to be Knowshon Moreno; hands down. If he isn’t the starter, Bronco Nation will HAVE to question McDaniel’s choice to pick Moreno at No. 12 in this year’s draft. That being said, I think he’s good enough to win the starting spot easily and he should solidify the Broncos’ running attack.

Correll Buckhalter should be the second string running back without any problems. Lamont Jordan and Ryan Torain will battle to be used as the third string running back and in short yardage situations.

J.J. Arrington and Darius Walker will challenge each other for the “speed back” position in this offense and be returners on special teams.

Peyton Hillis is the obvious starter at fullback and should be considered the premier line pounder and short yardage back in the Broncos’ running attack.

Depending on how McDaniels’ offense is setup, all of these players could make the squad, because they offer distinct abilities for certain game type situations.

However, I also see the following players on the bubble if McDaniels feels he doesn’t need as many specialists in the back field: Lamont Jordan, Ryan Torain, J.J. Arrington, and Darius Walker. In my opinion, Ryan Torain has a mountain of upside and should make the squad this year and possibly challenge Correll Buckhalter for the second string spot next year.

Wide Receiver

The Broncos have a solid receiver squad returning this year in Brandon Marshal, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Stokley. Hopefully, the league’s silence on Brandon Marshall’s possible suspension means he will be safe for this year. If not, then Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson will have the chance to start along side Eddie Royal for a couple of games.

Brandon Stokley is still a premier slot receiver in the NFL, but has been hampered with injuries as of late. The slot receiver position is Stokley’s to lose at this point, but look for newly acquired rookie Kenny McKinley to put a lot of pressure on the veteran for the starting slot position.

With so many new faces at camp this year, the offensive competition looks to heat up at the tailback position. McDaniels has enough talented personnel to put out the best team he can this year. The Broncos offense should be exciting to watch this year.

Here are my current predictions for the 2009 Denver Broncos starting offense:

Quarter Back       Kyle Orton
Left Tackle           Ryan Clady
Left Guard            Ben Hamilton
Center                  Casey Wiegmann
Right Guard          Chris Kuper
Right Tackle          Ryan Harris
Tight End 1            Daniel Graham
Tight End 2            Richard Quinn
Running Back       Knowshon Moreno
Full Back               Peyton Hillis
Wide Receiver 1    Brandon Marshall
Wide Receiver 2    Eddie Royal
Slot Reciever         Brandon Stokley

A Look at the Upcoming Denver Broncos Season (Part Three)

Ryan Ayars — Sat, 09 May 2009 18:32:02 -0400

(This is the third part of the following article)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/169633-a-look-at-the-upcoming-broncos-2009-season

Special teams is an area where the Broncos have been, well, special in the past.

With such good kickers as Rick Karlis and Jason Elam, you could always count on Denver coming away with three points at the opposing team's 40 yard line. Matt Prater is the kicker of the future and shows great promise. Bret Kern is a solid punter and commands $500,000 to $1 milion less then the much touted Todd Sauerbrun.

If your defense or offense is having a rough day, a good special teams can help your football out of a jam every Sunday.

Kicking

Prater has a very powerful leg, but is having problems with his accuracy as of late. He ended the 2008 season with a 73.5 FG percentage.

Interestingly so, the bulk of Prater's misses came from field-goal tries between 40 to 49 yards, but he was 5-for-6 in FG tries from over 50 yards.

Luck? I think it's more of an experience issue.

Compare kicking field-goals to making a putt on the green at pebble beach. As easy as it should be, it takes an extreme amount of concentration to put that little white ball into that big black hole.

Such is the same for field goal kicking. I think Prater will get even better each year. Focus and maturity comes with age. The Broncos' kicking game will be reliable and Prater will come out with a much better field goal percentage this year. I predict 85 percent or better.

Punting

Kern ended last season with a 46.7 yard average per punt. He was ranked in the NFL among the top five punters.

Kern presents a real value to the Broncos. Being able to push an opposing offense back near 50 yards to start with, gives your defense a lot of breathing room. I look for Kern to keep up the good work and possibly get better each year.

Return Game

The Broncos were ranked 22nd overall in average kick return yards with 21.8 and they ranked 13 in average punt return yards with 9.8.

Eddie Royal is the top return guy for our team and looks to keep his starting position this year. Averaging 26.1 kick return yards and 10 punt return yards, Royal was easily at the top of the individual statistics boards in the NFL.

Hopefully he will continue with his success and add to his rookie year success. JJ Arrington has also been touted as a return specialist and should be able to help boost the Broncos' overall rank for return in the NFL.

A Look at the Upcoming Denver Broncos 2009 Season (Part Two)

Ryan Ayars — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:55:13 -0400

(This is the 2^nd part of the following article)

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/169633-a-look-at-the-upcoming-broncos-2009-season

Defense

The 2008 Denver Broncos Defense was one of the hardest squads to watch, in my time. It was like watching Corey Dillon breaking the single game rushing record (278 yards Bengals vs. Broncos, 2000) 16 times.

This defense couldn’t have stopped the run if William "The Refrigerator" Perry was toting the ball.

It was completely demoralizing as a fan to watch the offense score, only to have the defense give up an easy seven.

Follow the links for last year’s starting team and this year's projected starters.

The Defensive line

I get chills when I look at last years starting four lineman. These players just didn’t work well together at all. Ranking No. 27 overall in rushing yards allowed, this line get’s all of the blame.

John Engelberger was a high-energy guy and a coach’s favorite, but so was Rudy Ruettiger.

He wasn’t big enough to stop the run and wasn’t fast enough to create pressure. Engelberger would have been more suited for a second string role at that point in his career. Engelberger has been released by the Broncos.

Dewayne Robertson was a huge disappointment. I thought that the Broncos really had something there. He was a veteran with injury issues, but I figured he could provide support at the defensive tackle position.

I was wrong. As a backup, I would have been happy with Robertson’s production, but the Broncos shelled out a ton of cash for this guy. He just wasn’t worth the investment. Robertson has been released by the Broncos.

Elvis Dumervil is a passing situation lineman only. He’s a sack master, but struggled against the run and maintaining the corner. He wasn’t big enough to be a 3-4 down lineman, which the Broncos needed.

I look for Dumervil to start in 2009 in the Broncos newly added 3-4 defensive scheme as an outside linebacker. If he can make the switch to linebacker and increase his coverage skills, he will be a huge defensive threat of the corners.

Marcus Thomas was a shining light on the defensive front. In his sophomore season as a Bronco, Thomas tallied 34 total tackles and even caught an interception for 11 yards. As a fourth-round choice the Broncos couldn’t have been happier with his production.

As Thomas grows, he will only get better. Yahoo has Thomas slated at the second-string Nose Tackle position, but I just don’t agree with this move.

Thomas should be a starting end in the 3-4 defense and could also vie for the starting Nose Tackle position, although he may be better suited as a back up to the bigger prospects on the roster at this time.

The Linebackers

With the front four not holding their blocks or creating pressure, the linebacker squad for the Broncos was put in position all season.

D.J. Williams is one of the top defensive players on this team and the AFC, in my opinion. If this squad was as popular as the Baltimore Ravens squad, he would be considered a perennial pro bowler.

Williams could only do so much to help out the defense, and injuries hampered him last season, making his production minimal. I look for Williams to have a career year in this revamped defense. He’s had 100-tackle seasons before and I believe he will return to dominance.

Nate Webster is all heart and half the skills. I love Webster as a back up linebacker, but as a starter, he just lacked the concentration to shut down plays. Flying around the field will only tire you out in the long run—and as we saw last year, isn’t very productive either. Webster has been released by the Broncos.

Boss Bailey, brother of NFL icon Champ Bailey, has all of the upside to become a star, but he just can’t stay healthy enough to contribute on a consistent basis.

Out of five professional season, Bailey has played only two 16-game seasons. Although his production on the field is great, you cannot help your team if you are not playing.

Hopefully the injury bug is gone from Boss’s life, and he can become the player that we all hope he is. Look for Boss Bailey to be an excellent coverage inside linebacker alongside DJ Williams in this year’s 3-4 defense.

The Defensive Backs

Lead by Champ Bailey, this squad had a lot of promise before the season started. Most great defensive backs start with consistent quarterback pressure from the defensive line.

Without a consistent pass rush, defensive backs are left on their own playing catch-up. This is exactly what happened last year. In this unfortunate situation, coupled with injuries, you couldn’t expect this squad to do any better.

Champ Bailey had a bad season last year. Injuries held him to 9 games for the season. Although his production was quite good for those nine games, it was widely speculated that he wasn’t 100% throughout the season.

If the new defense can create significant pressure on the quarterback this year, Champ will be a shutdown corner as usual. At 100 percent health, Champ is the cornerstone of this defense.

Dre' Bly had a lot of hype coming into the Broncos’ organization. With all of the problems going on with the defense, Bly was unable to live up to the high expectations of the Denver brass.

I don’t believe he was as bad a player as the Denver faithful made him to be. I feel he was too aggressive in coverage, which led to some unneeded scores against him. Bly has been released by the Broncos.

Marlon McCree and Hamza Abdullah were considered average IMHO, and didn’t really add anything to last year’s defense. They were later replaced as starters, due to injuries and ineffective play.

Marlon McCree and Hamza Abdullah have been released by the Broncos.

My opinion of this year’s defense

Head Coach Josh Mcdaniels has been very active this offseason, signing a whole new group of free agents to this team. The free agent signings can be viewed here.

The brunt of the signings was allocated to the defensive side of the ball. Only five true starters remain on the depth chart from last year (Champ Bailey, Boss Bailey, Marcus Thomas, Elvis Dumervil, and DJ Williams.)

The rest are new additions, including the resigning of a few players form last year. Along with the active free agency, the Broncos look to use a completely new defensive formation, opting for the 3-4 defense over the traditional 4-3 defensive scheme.

In my opinion, the additions of Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman, and Andra Davis are significant upgrades to a weak defense last year.

The Broncos also added a large group of untested defensive lineman through draft free agency that all have great upside. The list of draft free agency players can be viewed here.

As we go into training camp, we can only be optimistic for the Denver Defense. They have new players. a new scheme, and a new coach. When looking at last year’s defense, change is a GOOD thing.

I look for the defense to go from 29th, 27th, 26th, and 30th in NFL defensive ranking to 12-15th overall this year. This defense has the possibility of being really great. Time will only tell how this squad will come together in August.

Below, I have added my predictions of the first two starting teams for the defense:

DLE Marcus Thomas Darrell Reid

NT Ronald Fields Chris Baker

DRE Kenny Peterson Robert Ayers

LOLB Elvis Dumervil Jarvis Moss

LILB D.J. Williams Boss Bailey

RILB Andra Davis Spencer Larsen

ROLB Robert Ayers Wesley Woodyard

LCB Champ Bailey Josh Bell

RCB Andre' Goodman Jack Williams

S Brian Dawkins Vernon Fox

FS Renaldo Hill Josh Barrett

(Part 3 of this series will briefly cover the special teams unit)

A Look at the Upcoming Denver Broncos 2009 Season (Part One)

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:01:34 -0400

With a new coach, defense and quarterback the Denver Broncos' 2009 NFL season has all of the makings for and exciting year, or another “SpongeBob” porous defensive line coupled with a red-zone challenged offense.

The purpose of this article is to give my opinion of the current status of the Broncos roster from top to bottom. Part one of this three part series will consist of my summary of the current offense.

Offense

The 2008 Shanny/Cutler lead offense was both exciting and excruciating to watch.

When the offense was completely healthy, the Broncos would execute plays with commanding bravado. Defensive coordinators around the nation would update their resumes and pack their bags before the games, just in case the don’t make it out of the stadium with a job.

However, the offense would then follow up these incredible feats of athleticism with “pop warner-esque” mistakes. Fumbling the football, without even being challenged by a defensive player. How can you forget when Jay Cutler would try to force the ball to Brandon Marshall, when he was covered by eight players. I like to compare 2008’s offense to a Ferrari with mud all over the windshield.

The offense had all of the potential and personnel to get the job done, but they couldn’t see the road. Later in the season the “Ferrari” would blow a tire about seven times in the form of injured running backs.

So what has changed? Have the Broncos brass fixed the issues?

Offensive Line:

There are some upgrades and downgrades to last years offense, but all in all most of the starters from last year have come back for another season.

Leading the way are the Broncos’ front five.

The Offensive Tackle duo of Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris combined for a paltry 3.5 sacks total, making them one of the top tackle tandems in the NFL.

Chris Kuper has returned for his third year as a Bronco and has become and accomplished run/pass blocker. The veterans Wiegmann and Hamilton bring experience to the middle of the line and can create the holes needed for a blue chip running back attempting to make his mark on the league. Mcdaniels will be running a hybrid version of the Broncos’ famous zone blocking scheme.

The front five will be better than last year.

Receivers:

Brandon Marshall was dominant at wide receiver as usual, tallying 104 receptions and 1265 receiving yards.

The most pleasant surprise would be how dominant rookie Eddie Royal was in his debut as a Bronco, catching 94 balls for 980 yards. If that wasn’t enough, the Broncos held on to Brandon Stockley, Tony Scheffler, and Daniel Graham who all combined for 1562 receiving yards. By adding Jabar Gaffney to the mix, Mcdaniels has a wealth of receiving options for his spread offense.

This unit should be dangerous and exciting to watch.

Running Backs:

Though often injured, the running game for the Broncos averaged 116.4 yards a game last year, which will make any quarterback in the NFL smile.

Look for Knowshon Moreno and Peyton Hillis to start this year at HB and FB.

It reminds me of the 2002 Tampa Bay hard nosed rushing attack of Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman, only with more fire power. The additions of Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and J.J. Arrington, will provide much needed depth at these positions.

Combine the talent of the runners with the front five, Denver will look to increase their average rushing yards per game to 125-130. This will be the Broncos bread and butter and will make Kyle Orton look like a Veteran in the pocket.

Quarterback

Quarterback was the big story this year in Denver. Cutler said this, Mcdaniels said that.

Too much drama for a male dominated sport, I think.

Kyle Orton and Chris Simms are now challenging each other for the first string quarterback spot, though Orton appears to be the front runner. What Orton lacks physically compared to Cutler, he makes up with his level headed play and locker room demeanor. Orton may be the game manager that Mcdaniels is looking for, but only time will tell.

Orton will be a great QB in Denver.

My Summary of the Offense

The offense was ranked number two overall in yards last year.

I believe that they will stay in the top five with Mcdaniels’ new system. The Broncos will need to focus on finishing drives and scoring in the red zone.

Turnovers are very costly in the NFL and the Broncos can not afford to average 1.8 turnovers a game.

For the Broncos to succeed this year, the running game will have to be stout and Kyle Orton will be called upon to manage the game and make a minimal amount of mistakes.

The offensive mind of the Broncos’ new head coach will be significantly challenged in his first year, especially since the outcome of the defense is quite unknown at this point. Hopefully, the broncos can pull through this season and go 10-6, but that will be a very hard fought accomplishment, considering the difficulty of this years’ schedule.

If the Broncos experience the same amount of injuries as they did last year, it will be a long season for players and fans here in Denver.

I don’t believe they will be worse then 8-8, but winning more then 10 is very optimistic at this point.

Part 2 of this series will cover the defense

Will Broncos Feel Trade Winds Blowing at NFL Draft?

Ryan Ayars — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:09:44 -0400

I have two trade proposals that I have been thinking about, and others on this board are starting to realize as well. So, I'm going to take the chance to write about them before they become a common thread.

Trade Scenario One

"Ohhh, we've got trouble! Right here in Denver City! That's a capitol 'T' that ends with 'E' that stands for Scheffler!"

According to last year's stats, if Scheff stays healthy he is a top-five TE producer in the NFL. He was Jay Cutler's best friend. He publicly criticized the firing of Mike Shanahan. After Cutler was traded, an "unknown Bronco" publicly criticized this move as well. I speculate that this was also Tony.

Tony also wants to be a receiving threat in the NFL. The Broncos' new offense will hamper his production, the same way it did Daniel Graham in New England.

I believe his days are numbered in Denver—about three days left, to be exact. The trading of Scheffler could change the whole outlook of the Broncos' first day draft.

Here is my speculation:

The Broncos will trade Tony Scheffler and their fourth round choice (114) to the Detroit Lions for their second round choice (33).

The Lions are in need of a hefty TE threat. Scheff will give them, and possibly newly acquired QB Matt Stafford, another receiving threat to go along with the incredible Calvin Johnson.

The Broncos will gain another second round pick. This changes a lot in Denver's draft. With this No. 33 overall pick, the Broncos will shore up their defense in choosing James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State. What an incredible value in the second round!

Laurinaitis is a team captain on a nationally recognized NCAA team, the second best ILB in the draft (No. 1, IMHO), and the second coming of Brian Urlacher!

At the No. 48 spot, the Broncos will pick Patrick Chung, SS/FS, Oregon, who has great size and tenacity. This guy will learn a lot behind Brian Dawkins and could start in place of Renaldo Hill. "No, Ron Brace," you say. Hold on, I'm getting to that.

Trade Scenario Two

Moving into the third round, the Broncos find themselves with two picks—No. 79 and No. 84.

Cleveland has an issue on their hands similar to the McJaygate issue—that was so fun to go through here in Denver. Shaun Rogers (NT) wants out—so much so, the Broncos almost got him in the trade for Jay Cutler.

Due to recent trades, the Browns do not have a third round choice. The Broncos will trade their No. 79 and No. 84 picks to the Browns for Shaun Rogers and their fourth round (104) and sixth round (177) picks.

The Broncos may get away with trading one third rounder and a fourth rounder as well. Rogers would no doubt solidify the nose tackle position and Denver's new defensive line. To me, he is well worth the two third round picks because Denver was probably looking at D-line help in this round.

The Browns won't be playing Denver in the regular season this year, so they don't have to worry about seeing Rogers for another year. Plus, the Broncos add another fourth round pick, to find a QB, NT, K, OG, or C.

With these new trades, Denver's draft may change significantly. Here is what my alternate mock draft looks like.

Round One

12. Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU (possibly B.J. Raji if he falls to No. 12)

I think this is the beast we're looking for in Denver. He would be a perfect 3-4 defensive end and is a good value here.

18. Brian Cushing, OLB, USC

He can play ILB and OLB in the 3-4 and is a Zach Thomas-type guy. He will bring the Denver defense up a notch just by showing up to practice.

Round Two

33. (From Detroit for Tony Scheffler) James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State

48. Patrick Chung, SS/FS, Oregon

Round Three

Denver trades No. 79 and No. 84 for starting NT Shaun Rogers.

Round Four

104. (From Cleveland) Jonathan Luigs, C, Arkansas

He is 6'5", 315 and can play center and guard. He will dominate after a couple of years of NFL training.

114. Sammy Lee Hill, DT, Stillman

He is a big nose tackle prospect. I think he would be a great value at this pick.

Round Five

149. Trevor Canfield, OG, Cincinnati

He measures 6'5", 295 and has room to bulk up. He will add great depth and could start in a couple of years at guard.

Round Six

177. (From Cleveland) Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee

Once a top draft prospect, Foster now may have something to prove. He is a good blocker and receiver.

185. Hunter Cantwell, QB, Louisville

He is a good project player for Mcdoughnut.

Round Seven

225. Patrick Turner, WR, USC

He is 6'5", 220 and a Mike Williams-type guy. He would have huge upside at this pick.

235. Pierre Walters, LB, Eastern Illinois

He has Lance Briggs-esque size. He could be a freak, could be a bust.

Ryan's Final 2009 Mock Draft 1.2 for Denver Broncos fans

Ryan Ayars — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:50:14 -0400

A new era! A new Coach! A new QB! Now Denver will draft a new Defense! Hopefully this draft will yield a playoff team. Denver has some of the greatest fan following in the nation, but lately it's been hard to watch this team play. A #2 offense means nothing, when the defense can't keep teams from scoring. This is the year that Denver finds it's defensive identity. This is the year that Denver goes back to the playoffs. This is my final Mock draft, before Saturday. Let the fun begin!!!!

Begin Slideshow

Ryan's 2009 Denver Broncos Mock Draft 1.1

Ryan Ayars — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:36:08 -0400

For my new draft, I'm going to explore other trade avenues the Broncos could follow. To assess the value of draft picks, I will use Profootballtalk.com's value chart (found here).

I will be using Mel Kiper's latest mock draft from ESPN.com to predict possible draft spots for the first 20 prospects.

My mock draft will be focusing on the possibility of Denver moving up, from the No. 12 or No. 18 picks, to grab a lineman in the top 10 picks.

If Denver tries to trade the No. 12 pick, then they would target picks three through five for Aaron Curry or Michael Crabtree—no QBs!

This is highly unexpected, but still would be fine for Denver due to having two first-round picks.

To fully ensure that the Broncos have the chance to choose between the two, they will need to trade for the No. 3 pick currently being held by Kansas City, which won't happen. But stay with me on this one—the Broncos would then need to trade for the No. 2 choice and either jump on Curry, or try to offer the pick to the top three to five teams.

The No. 2 pick is worth a whopping 2,600 points. After trading their No. 12 pick, this leaves 1,400 points of value for the Broncos to come up with. It would take all of the Bronco's first-day draft picks to compensate for 1,400 points. There is no value in this trade.

According to Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, Denver can only find value in picks 8-11 for top D-line prospects—again, no QBs! The teams holding picks eight through 11 would be looking to move out of the top 10 because they don't foresee a good value for these picks.

The Broncos' 18th pick is worth 900 points and would end up being the choice that the teams with picks eight through 11 would want to move to.

The players Denver would target in these picks would be (in this order) Brian Orakpo, B.J. Raji, Aaron Maybin, and Robert Ayers. Orakpo and Raji are the only players I would feel happy with Denver moving up to get.

To fully ensure that the Broncos have the chance to choose between the two, they will need to trade for the No. 8 pick currently being held by Jacksonville.

After trading the No. 18 pick to the Jags for the No. 8 pick, the Broncos will have to find 500 points to compensate the Jags for the trade. The Broncos would trade their No. 48 and No. 114 round choices and swap their No. 84 pick with the Jags' No. 72 pick. Denver loses their second and fifth round choices, but moves up 12 spots in the third round and 10 spots in the first round.

Now Denver would have the following draft picks:

No. 8, No. 12, No. 72, No. 79, No. 149, No. 185, and No. 225.

Round One

No. 8 Orakpo or Raji.

I believe that Raji is the most-needed pick here, but both would contribute as starters their rookie season.

No. 12 Tyson Jackson—DE, LSU

I'm sticking with this pick from my previous draft. He will be an awesome DE in the 3-4.

Round Three

72. Jasper Brinkley—ILB, South Carolina

My pick didn't change. Freaky run stuffer. Jasper is by far the coolest name for a defensive player.

79. Terrance Taylor—DT, Michigan

My pick didn't change. Can hold his ground and stuff the gaps. Will work well as a defensive end in the second rotation with Marcus Thomas.

Round Five

149. Rhett Bomar—QB, Sam Houston State

Joe Flacco-type QB. Played in the spread offense his entire career. 6'2", 225 lbs. is average size. Played at OU, but got kicked off the team for off-field issues. Will have something to prove in the NFL.

Round Six

185. Vaughn Martin—DT, Western Ontario

Freaky size. He would be a big NT prospect behind Raji and Fields.

Round Seven

225. Arian Foster—RB, Tennessee

Once was a top draft prospect; now he may have something to prove. Good blocker and receiver.

235. Pierre Walters—LB, Eastern Illinois

Lance Briggs-esque size. Could be a freak. Could be a bust.

All in all, this could happen—and Denver would have blue-chip talent on their D-line.

Denver Broncos: Draft Day Trade? Pull The Trigger, McManager!!!

Ryan Ayars — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:58:45 -0400

(This draft scenario was actually a stem from my other mock draft called "Ryan's 2009 Mock Draft for Denver Fans, which can be found at the following link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/157747-ryans-2009-mock-draft-for-denver-fans)

Mike Shanahan had a knack for effective draft day trades. Now McProdigy has a chance to start off his career on the right foot.

I want this draft day trade to happen!

The Broncos have the No. 12 and No. 18 picks in this year's draft. The word of the day for this team will be D-E-F-E-N-S-E. At picks No. 12 and No. 18, the Broncos can acquire a defensive end, hybrid DE, or OLB to go into their new 3-4 defense.

In almost every mock draft I've seen, the Broncos have picked Tyson Jackson—the defensive end out of LSU—and a USC linebacker. I believe the Broncos can get the same value while gaining an extra third round draft choice.

James Laurinaitis is arguably one of the best ILB prospects in this draft. However, he has fallen to the late first round. From what I've read, it looks like he will be taken somewhere between picks 25 to 30.

I propose that the Broncos management take advantage of this fall and snag another pick. The Broncos should trade their No. 18 pick to a team picking in the 25 to 30 range for their first round choice and extra third and fourth round choice. Profootbaltalk.com's trade chart has the following values for these picks:

1st Rd

2nd Rd

3rd Rd

4th Rd

5th Rd

6th Rd

7th Rd

25	720	57	330	89	145	121	52	153	30.2	185	17.4	217	4.6
26	700	58	320	90	140	122	50	154	29.8	186	17	218	4.2
27	680	59	310	91	136	123	49	155	29.4	187	16.6	219	3.8
28	660	60	300	92	132	124	48	156	29	188	16.2	220	3.4
29	640	61	292	93	128	125	47	157	28.6	189	15.8	221	3
30	620	62	284	94	124	126	46	158	28.2	190	15.4	222	2.6
31	600	63	276	95	120	127	45	159	27.8	191	15	223	2.3
32	590	64	270	96	116	128	44	160	27.4	192	14.6	224	2

The No. 18 pick is said to be worth 900 points. The difference between the picks from 25 to 30 picks is around 300 points. A third and fourth round choice should make up for this deficit and make both parties happy.

Then the Broncos will choose James Laurinaitis and have for depth picks in the third and fourth rounds. These can be used for running backs, a quarterback, or more defensive choices. Let's look at the possible new choices in the third and fourth rounds.

Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech, 6'5", 205

Great pocket passer. System QB. Has experience in a pass happy offense.

Shonn Greene, RB, Iowa, 5'10", 235

Travis Henry-like size and strength. Automatic 1,000 yard rusher in the Broncos system

Sen Derrick Marks, DT, Auburn, 6'1", 294

Would be a DE in Denver's 3-4 defense. Great athlete! Good value.

Vance Walker, DT, Georgia, 6'2", 295

Would be a DE in Denver's 3-4 defense. Great athlete! Good value.

Brandon Williams, Hybrid DE, Texas Tech, 6'5", 246

Would be an OLB in Denver's 3-4 defense. Pass rusher specialist.

Asher Allen, CB, Georgia, 5'10", 190

Aggressive speedster. Reminds me of Darrent Williams.

Michael Hamlin, S, Clemson, 6'3", 205

Good size with ability for growth. Plays well in the box.

These are all possibilities with more picks, and the Broncos still come out with a blue chip defensive end in Tyson Jackson and a ballhawk in James Laurinaitis.

I think it could happen. I also think that this trade may be able to go down, by trading Tony Sheffler. Sheffler should yield a lower third round choice, but no extra fourth rounder. Of course, there would be no first round choice in play.

Denver Broncos: Ryan's 2009 Mock Draft

Ryan Ayars — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:34:33 -0400

This is the draft that I want to happen for Denver this year.

Round 1

12. Tyson Jackson DE LSU

I think this is the beast we're looking for in Denver. He would be a perfect 3-4 defensive end and is a good value here.

18. Rey Maualuga ILB USC

Ray Lewis, Junior Seau. Incredible comparisons. I love Polynesian football players! They are warriors! Mario Fatafehi, Ma'a Tanuvasa were some of my favorites. Troy Palamalu is another. I like this guy and I think he would bring fire to a fizzling Bronco defense.

Round 2

48. Jarron Gilbert DT/DE San Jose State

This pick would be great for our 3-4 defense. At 6-foot-5 285, he still has room to grow. Long wing span, which will make him a good end force.

Round 3

79. Jasper Brinkley ILB South Carolina

Freaky run stuffer. Jasper is by far the coolest name for a defensive player.

84. Terrance Taylor DT Michigan

Can hold his ground and stuff the gaps. Will work well as a defensive end in the second rotation with Marcus Thomas.

Round 4

114. Sammy Lee Hill DT Stillman

Big nose tackle prospect. I think he would be great value at this pick.

Round 5

149. Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly

Freaky size. He would be a big red-zone option.

Round 6

185. Hunter Cantwell QB Louisville

Good project player for Mcdoughnut.

Round 7

225. Arian Foster RB Tennessee

Once was a top draft prospect, now he may have something to prove. Good blocker and receiver.

235. Pierre Walters LB Eastern Illinois

Lance Briggs esque size. Could be a freak. Could be a bust.

Broncos History Of Draft Day Hits and Misses

Ryan Ayars — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:35:36 -0400

Draft day. Some say it separates the GM men from the boys. As far as The Denver Broncos history is concerned, it has proven to be the marker of mediocrity and Superbowl greatness.

Rather then analyzing the stats of every player, multiplying their draft number times pi, and then referring to the current BCS schedule, I'm going to use Superbowl Rosters to quantify whether the team was worthy and how the draft played into their success.

Let me begin by analyzing the 1977 Superbowl Roster. All remaining Superbowl seasons will be covered in future articles.

The Infamous 1977 Year

Craig Morton and the "Orange Crush" defense. It put Denver on the map. It also showed the nation how good the "Donkeys" are at choking in the big game.

Of the starters in that game the following were all drafted by the Broncos in the '69-'76 draft years: Barney Chavous, Billy Thompson*,Claudie Minor, Louis Wright*, Lyle Alzado, Otis Armstrong, Paul Howard, Randy Gradishar*,Riley Odoms, Rubin Carter, Steve Foley*, Tom Glassic, Rick Upchurch, Tom Jackson*.

Of these draftees, The five players with (*) following their names have been honored in The Ring of Fame. The 1973 and '75 draft classes were quite possibly the best in Broncos history. Below I compiled a list of the draft years breakdown:

1973 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player         Position         School
1     9     Otis Armstrong         RB            Purdue
2     36     Barney Chavous     DE            South Carolina State
3     54     Paul Howard         G             Brigham Young
4     88     Tom Jackson           LB             Louisville

1975 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player        Position       School
1     17          Louis Wright     DB       San Jose State
4     95        Rick Upchurch   WR     Minnesota
5     107        Stan Rogers      T         Maryland
5     121        Rubin Carter     NT       Miami (Fla.)
8     199        Steve Foley      DB       Tulane

For a team to draft almost all of their starters is incredible. Especially in the 90s and on, when FA's gets quite expensive. Something to realize with these drafts, is that only three were considered "high" draft picks. Which shows that with good scouting and luck, a team can make out like bandits in the draft.

The memorable 1987 Superbowl XXI (not that we want to remember)

The Orange Crush Defense was back! The potent Offense lead by QB John Elway and the 3 amigos (Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Natiel) was smoking hot. The broncos had just come off of one of the greatest offensive feats in NFL history "The Drive". In an overtime AFC championship game VS the Cleavand Browns John Elway engineered a 98-yard drive to tie the game on Jan. 11, 1987. They won 23-20. Who could stop them now??? The Donkeys went on to Choke big time VS the NY Giants 39-20. I can see Mark Bavarro crossing his heart in the end zone right now.

Regardless, this team was a great team and the past drafts made a huge impact on their prosperity. The following is the starting roster for Superbowl XXI : Vance Johnson*,Dave Studdard, Keith Bishop*,Billy Bryan*, Mark Cooper*, Ken Lanier*, Clarence Kay*, Steve Watson, John Elway, Sammy Winder*, Gerald Willhite*, Andre Townsend*, Greg Kragen, Rulon Jones *, Jim Ryan, Karl Mecklenburg*, Ricky Hunley, Tom Jackson *, Louis Wright*, Mike Harden*, Steve Foley*, Dennis Smith *. The players with (*) following their names were drafted from 1973-1987. A lot of the Broncos Veteran Defense was present at their 1st Superbowl appearance in 1977, so once again the '73 and '75 drafts were paramount in the Broncos ascension to greatness.

The draft didn't prove to be a treasure trove that the early 70's drafts proved to be, but perhaps the greatest draft in Bronco history was 1983. Not only did this draft produce 3 starters in Super bowl XXI, it was also the draft that the Broncos traded for a disgruntled young QB from Stanford. Dan Marino......NOT. John Elway was originally drafted by the Colts, but didn't want to play there stating that he believed the team could not allow him to be successful and threatened to play baseball. Possible Cy Young? We'll never know, because he decided to be a HOF Q for the Denver Broncos. The Colts traded him to the Denver Broncos for QB Mark Hermann, rights to OL Chris Hinton and a first-round pick (OG Ron Solt) in the 1984 NFL Draft on May 2, 1983. Hinton was a major part of this deal, making the '83 draft the most famous in Broncos History. This draft also has 2 major draft steals in Gary Kubiak, and Karl Mecklenburg.

1983 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player     Position     School
1     4     Chris Hinton     G     Northwestern
2     31     Mark Cooper     T     Miami (Fla.)
3     60     Clint Sampson     WR     San Diego State
5     116     Weedy Harris     --     Houston
5     125     Bruce Baldwin     --     Harding
6     143     Victor Heflin     DB     Delaware State
7     172     Myron Dupree     DB     North Carolina Central
8     197     Gary Kubiak     QB     Texas A&M
9     228     Brian Hawkins     --     San Jose State
10     254     Walt Bowyer     DE     Arizona State
11     283     Don Bailey     C     Miami (Fla.)
12     310     Karl Mecklenburg     LB     Minnesota

Other note worthy draft steals that lead to the '87 Superbowl squad are the following:

1980 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player     Position     School
2     42     Rulon Jones     DE     Utah State
5     131     Mike Harden     DB     Michigan
6     157     Keith Bishop     G     Baylor

1982 - Denver Broncos
Rd Sel # Player Position School
5 131 Sammy Winder RB Southern Mississippi

1984 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player     Position     School
2     46     Andre Townsend     DE     Mississippi
7     186     Clarence Kay     TE     Georgia

1985 - Denver Broncos
Rd     Sel #     Player     Position     School
2     31     Vance Johnson     WR     Arizona
2     54     Simon Fletcher     LB     Houston

1986 - Denver Broncos
Rd Sel # Player Position School
6 161 Mark Jackson WR Purdue

1987 - Denver Broncos
Rd Sel # Player Position School
12 334 Tyrone Braxton DB North Dakota State

Who would have thought that Tyrone "Chick" Braxton would have been as great as he was?? These drafts would prove to be essential to the next 2 Superbowl's as well. These debacles will be covered in my next additions.