Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Newly aquired Buckhalter named as a client involving a drug deal

Mike Anderson.

Travis Henry.

Correll Buckhalter?

Thursday's headlines include the Denver Broncos newly aquired RB, Correll Buckhalter, as a client in a drug trial today. Buckhalter denies the alleged allegations saying that there is no validity to the statement, and he hasn't been charged. However, if found guilty, Buckhalter would most likely face a suspension for quarter of the season.

Buckhalter, 30, played 8 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to signing his four-year, $10 million dollar deal on the first day of free agency, Febuary 27th and is expected to be the Broncos starting RB this season.

Monday, March 16, 2009

DEVLOPING RUMOR: Cutler's agent, Bus Cook, spotted in Buffalo

The Jay Cutler story and saga lives on. Normally I'd put the squash to rumors like this, but apparently there are several different sources are confirming this.

There could also be a possibility that Cook is there to discuss a deal with a different client of his, but one has to think that it has to be involving Cutler.

More to come as more develops.

Update(8:46 PM EST, 3/16/09) - Profootballtalk.com is confirming this now. Apparently former Buffalo Bill offensive linemen, Ruben Brown, announced during his radio show that Cook was spotted in Buffalo on Monday.

Cook has no clients that are currently signed on the Bills roster, but there are 2 that are technically "on the trading block", those 2 include TE Tony Scheffler, and QB Jay Cutler.

Scheffler seems like the more obvious candidate to be heading to Buffalo, but, you never know.

Stay tuned.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Cutler(s) put Denver home up for sale


The Denver Broncos disgruntled pro bowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, has just shown another sign that he doesn't want to be in Denver.

And no, this is not a re-post. This is an ongoing story that will not stop until Jay Cutler is traded. According to the Denverpost, Jay Cutler's parents home is up on the market. The house is selling for $835,000.


Now as I said before, us spectators may be looking a little too far into this. But after further consideration, yeah, no. There is no outside the box to this situation. What you see is what you get. It is what it is. I'm going to say it's pretty safe to assume that Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler has played his last game as a Denver Bronco, and the Broncos are going to have some extra draft picks on the weekend of April 25th and 26th to help shore up a defense that needs it.


Which brings me to this.

Before all you Denver fans get upset, frustrated, and start a mob headed for Josh McDaniels office. You have to realize what this situation is indirectly doing to the Denver Broncos team.
As much as it seems that he is ruining it, he's not.

If we trade Cutler, and we bring in a guy like, oh, I don't know, let's say... Aaron Curry(the top LB prospect in this years draft out of Wake Forest), or B.J. Raji (the best defensive linemen prospect in this years draft out of Boston College), do you realize the ramifications it would have on the defense?


With Curry, the Broncos would get a young presence in the middle of the defense that would bring a fierce, versatile style of play, along with irreplaceable vocal leadership qualities that you can't find in just any player. Curry can play both OLB in a 3-4, and a 4-3, which is exactly what the Broncos need. Not only would he impact the defense alone, but he'd make others around him better. Most noteably, Broncos LB, D.J. Williams. We'd finally get to see Williams with a supporting cast, we'd finally get to see the developed veteran LB at his best. We saw the potential in his rookie year, when he was playing at his natural LB position at the WILL(Weakside), and playing next to Broncos great, Al Wilson.


Curry brings that back.


And just think of this lineup in a 4-3. Williams - Davis - Curry

And now this lineup, in a 3-4. Dumervil/Moss - Davis - Williams - Curry


That has the potential to be very, very dangerous.

So now let's talk about B.J. Raji. What would he do for the defense? Well, he'd become the Broncos 3-4 NT that they crucially need if they want to have any chance at running the 3-4 scheme. Not to mention, they'd have a great 4-3 DT as well. Raji can do it all. Very athletic, and would create a disruptive presence, that would allow the second level of defenders(The LBs), to come in a make plays.


Either way, the Broncos can't go wrong with either of these two men. But if we had the #1 pick through a Cutler trade, and we'd have the ability to take either, or? I'd take Curry in a heartbeat.


But back to the Cutler situation, I'm going to leave it at this...

I don't think Josh McDaniels signed QB Chris Simms earlier this month, to be a backup QB.

There will be a deeper analysis in a video later this afternoon.

Stay tuned.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Cutler puts Denver home up for sale

The Denver Broncos disgruntled pro bowl quarterback, Jay Cutler, has just shown another sign that he doesn't want to be in Denver.

Literally.

According to the Denverpost, Cutler has put his house in Denver up for sale and has it priced at $2 million dollars. The value when he bought it was $1.34 million.

Now, us spectators may be looking too far into this, but that's what we're here for. Cutler has expressed his disinterest in playing for new head coach, Josh McDaniels. He has shown disgust with the Broncos organization this past week despite talking to them on Tuesday. And he hasn't been in Denver since the day that he was apparently being shopped, it all has to play into the story somehow.

Basically what I'm trying to say here is... Cutler's future(or lack-thereof) in Denver is not looking too bright, and he could be on his way out sooner than expected.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Ohio State's Jenkins on Broncos' radar


With the NFL draft rapidly approaching(6 weeks, yes!), coaches and general managers are spending hours upon hours trying to put together those extra pieces that could make a difference and essentially win the team a championship.

And apparently, Malcolm Jenkins of Ohio State may be one of those pieces for the Broncos.

Per Albert Greer of SportingNews.com, the Broncos are expected to privately workout the All-American cornerback next Friday in Columbus.

Jenkins is a versatile, athletic player, and could definitely be a great fit in Denver with Champ Bailey on the decline of his career. One of the elite prospects in this years draft class, the rated the top cornerback, however many feel that he's better suited at safety and will not make a good cornerback in the NFL.

Regardless, he'd be a franchise player in the secondary to build around, and definitely would be an upgrade over any backup safety, and an upgrade over any other cornerback not named Champ on the Broncos roster right now.

Was L.T. planning on becoming a Bronco?

With the possibility at the beginning of the week of LaDainian Tomlinson being released if a new deal wasn't reached, the possible suitors that expressed interest in him came out Thursday night. According to Adam Schefter, there were 3 teams interested in Tomlinson's services. The New Orleans Saints, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Denver Broncos.

If LaDainian Tomlinson had been released, one has to believe that the Broncos would have been the likely destination if the price was right. Just think about it, not only would he have gone to a team that would desperately would need him and want him. But he'd also stay in the division that he's been in his entire career. Being able to play his ex-team, the San Diego Chargers, twice a year, plus an annual visit to the city of San Diego. On addition to that, he'd be able to compete for a division championship against his former team and he'd thrive off of that given his competitive nature.

Although now that he has re-worked a deal with the Chargers, seeing LaDainian Tomlinson is something that you can only imagine in your head, and there is, well, no possibility that Tomlinson ends up with the Broncos any time in his career now.

It was a nice thought for a little, however.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Cutler and Broncos meet, but not face to face

Just as I mentioned that there has been little to no news in the Bronco world, the meeting that was expected between head coach Josh McDaniels and Jay Cutler, happened. Unfortunately, it was not face to face, but instead through conference calls. And as CBS 4 of Denver put it, issues still remain between them.

Also, apparently Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was also involved with the conference calls, and this mess has yet to be sorted out. Apparently, also, Bowlen placed 2 calls to Cutler last week, and either call has yet been returned.

This entire situation continues to dig deeper and deeper, and I think that the Broncos could have very well dug a hole so deep that they won't be able to climb out of it to this point.

The Broncos offseason program starts this coming Monday, and Cutler is expected to show up, but to this point, who really knows? This mess has yet to be sorted out, and things seem to be going from bad to worse in Dove Valley.

Stay tuned.

Broncos add Parker

After numerous days of nothing in the Denver Broncos world. There's a little something.

Monday afternoon, the Broncos announced the signing of the 325lb, DT J'Vonne Parker, who played the past 5 seasons with 5 different teams. 3 of which were in 2008 alone. Parker previously played for the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens.

Parker attended Rutgers University, and was an undrafted free agent

Thursday, March 5, 2009

T.O. to Denver?

After the news broke last night that the Cowboys and WR Terrell Owens would be parting ways, I immediately began to think where his next destination could be. I ended up sorting through a number of teams, the Carolina Panthers, the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and even the Oakland Raiders. Then, as I was lying in bed last night. It came to me.

The Denver Broncos.

Let's relive a moment from February of 2006, before Cutler, before McDaniels, before Marshall, before Royal, back when head coach Mike Shanahan was making a run at Owens. He brought him in and by March, the Broncos offered him a 1 year deal. Then Jerry Jones entered the picture, and snatched T.O. away from the Broncos. 3 years later we could be reliving history, only this time, if he visits the Broncos, he may stay put.

So let's look at the Broncos current WR situation. You have one of the most underrated slot receivers in the league in Brandon Stokley, you have a great #2/slot receiver in Eddie Royal, you have a guy that McDaniels brought in from New England in Jabar Gaffney, and then you have Brandon Marshall. Baby T.O., who could be facing a 4-8 game suspension this season depending on what Goodell sees in Marshall's latest mishap. So while Marshall is serving his suspension, where is the #1 receiver to step in his place?

Now let me break out the question...

Who would be a better replacement to Baby T.O. for that 4-8 game span, than T.O. himself? And I know a lot of you may be thinking, well what happens after that 4-8 games? Then what do the Broncos do with Owens? Well. Let me put it this way, Eddie Royal will be used in the slot, and rarely will he be split out wide in McDaniels system. Therefore, regardless of whether Marshall is suspended for a lengthy period of time or not, the Broncos need a #2 receiver that can step in and be a #1 receiver for a few games. Owens brings that.


In fact, Owens brings a lot of things. Outside of his selfishness, and glamor, his love for himself, and his catch phrases, Owens does bring his "A" game every Sunday. He doesn't take plays off, he gives 110% every play. Now whether it's for the good of the team, or just for his reputation is debatable, but the fact of the matter is that he is a football player. And he loves doing what he's doing. He loves competing, and doing his dog gone best(Brian Dawkins reference) to go out and make plays.


If McDaniels brings him in, and convinces him that he will get significant playing time, significant looks from the QB, and is guaranteed at least 75 balls this season, then I could see Owens signing a deal with no hesitation.


In fact, McDaniels theme of the offseason thus far, seems to be the logic that he wants to win RIGHT NOW. No excuses. So what makes you think that he won't go out and make an offer to the 35 year old wideout? After all, he did just sign a 35 year old safety. Keep in mind that the 35 year old wideout, and the 35 year old safety use to be teammates. How good of a relationship that they had as teammates has yet to be seen, but they were teammates none-the-less.


Here's something to think about. When New England traded for Randy Moss in 2007, he was under a lot of scrutiny. A lot of people felt as if he was a cancer to a team. A lot of people thought his game had fell off. A lot of question marks in general surrounded Moss, but that did not stop Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, from taking a shot at the guy.

So now here's a similar situation in place, only replace Moss with Owens. We also have a Bill Belichick disciple leading the Denver Broncos organization. If Bill Belichick was willing to take a chance on a receiver that would bring a lot of baggage, what would prevent a predecessor of Bill Belichick to do the same thing?


And here's another thought, if owner Pat Bowlen was going to allow T.O. to come into Denver after he just single handedly dismantled the Eagles team and created a highly disfunctional family, there in Philly. What makes you think that he won't allow T.O. to come into Denver right now?

Honestly, there are a good number of upset Dallas Cowboy fans, and for good reason. T.O., in Dallas, really didn't cause much stir as far as the locker room. I think the release of Owens was between Jerry Jones, and himself. It was a power trip. It was personal. I think the relationship between Jones and Owens was a bad relationship, and I think that Jerry Jones wasn't having any of that. And even if it was going to cause his team to take a few steps backwards, he didn't want Owens on his roster next year.

So, as cancerous as Owens has been, he's never ruined a franchise in just 1 season. In fact, in 1 season with the Philadelphia Eagles, he helped bring them to a Superbowl. And in 1 season with the Dallas Cowboys, he led the league in receiving touchdowns with 13, and statistically had one of his best seasons as a pro.


Here's my thoughts on things... Sign Owens to a 1 year deal. Let Owens be Owens on the field, and just keep him in line off of it. There are a number of potentially good things that could come out of this. And there are a number of potentially bad things that could come out of this. But sometimes, to get reward, you have to take a risk. If anything, this would be a tremendous stop gap for the Broncos until they can find that true #2 receiver that can bring a lot of positive aspects to the field. The Broncos could find an eventual replacement to Owens in the draft this year, and that receiver could study the playbook, and learn from one of the best WRs of all time(Bad attitude or not, you can't dispute that).

Finally, I'm going to leave you with this thought. For the first 4-8 games of the season, how does a lineup of Owens, and Gaffney split left and right, with Royal in the slot left, and Stokley in the slot right sound? And better yet, for the final 8-12 games of the season, how does a lineup of Marshall and Owens split left and right, with Royal in the slot left, and Stokley in the slot right with an occasional dose of Jabar Gaffey sound?

Think about it, Denver.

And while you're thinking about it, I'll be getting my popcorn ready.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Simms signs with the Broncos


After visiting with the Broncos all day, Simms has agreed on a two year deal with the club. He's expected to backup Jay Cutler, but there is a possibility that the Broncos could bring in another QB to compete for the backup spot.

The 28 year old left handed quarterback was drafted in the third round after attending Texas University. Simms started ten games for the Buccaneers in 2005, in which he threw for over two thousand yards, ten touchdowns, and seven interceptions. This way really the turning point in Simms career.

In 2006 he was the projected starter, and did start the first three games, but struggled after throwing seven interceptions in three games, the same amount that he threw in 2005, in ten games. He also reptured his spleen in the third game of the 2006 season against the Carolina Panthers, and hasn't been the same since.

Arrington re-signs, kind of


Despite reports that were saying that a deal with J.J. Arrington fell through, it hasn't. Arrington has just signed a 4 year, $10 million deal with the Broncos and is expected to be the Broncos kick returner, 3rd down runningback and a change of pace back.

Arrington, 26, was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft and has been labeled as a disappointment to a lot of fans around the NFL. However, maybe a change of scenary can change the fortune of the talented, yet unproductive runningback.

Arrington is the third runningback to join the team this year. He was expected to sign on the same day that the Broncos signed Correll Buckhalter, but instead he signs on the same day that the Broncos signed Lamont Jordan.

The Broncos are now building up a solid, but not spectacular stable of runningbacks. Reminds you a bit of another man who coached the Denver Broncos, doesn't it?

Peterson re-signs

This afternoon, the Broncos have announced the re-signing of DE/DT Kenny Peterson, who has spent the past three seasons in Denver, racking up just four sacks in that time.

Peterson is expected to bring depth and competition to the DE position for the Broncos who are expected to run a base 3-4 alignment this season. At 6'3, 300lbs, his size is good for a 3-4 DE.

The contract was a 3 year deal, and the finances have been undisclosed to this point.

I'm back

Hey guys, I apologize for not being up to date for the past day and a half. Basically a short version of the story is, I woke up to my computer being completely locked Tuesday morning, so I turned it off, tried to turn it back on, and it wasn't having it.

So I went out and bought a new laptop today, and now I'm here.

So I'm back.

And to basically summarize the latest Bronco news, since my absence:
-The Broncos have announced that they will NOT be trading QB Jay Cutler.
-Coach McDaniels and Jay Cutler will be meeting next week.
-QB Chris Simms, and DE Vonnie Holliday are visiting with the Broncos today.
-Lamont Jordan was visiting last night, and today with the Broncos and has signed a 2 year deal with the team.

And that's that. I'm back up.

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Broncos sign DT Fields; Mock draft postponed until Thursday


The Broncos got their nose tackle.

Or at least one of them.

Monday evening, the Denver Broncos have announced the signing of DT Ronald Fields, who is a former San Francisco 49er, and has previously played under new Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

This signing was expected initially, but after the Broncos scheduled a visit with him on Saturday, and he left without a deal, his signing was in doubt. But they have indeed signed him now and he is a part of the Denver Broncos.


It is uncertain what role he will play in the Broncos defense, he will most likely be the NT and the anchor to the Broncos 3-4 scheme, but that could change come draft day. But as for right now, he's the Broncos guy, and at 28 years old, he could still have a good amount of upside.


And I'd also like to announce that I'm postponing my Denver Broncos mock draft that was scheduled today, until Thursday. Mainly because I want to see where the Denver Broncos stand at the RB position before I make the mock. And, with a Tampa visit in Derrick Ward's near future, I'm making sure where we're going with this.

And that brings me to an update on Ward. Apparently he is going to stay in Denver until Tuesday morning, so a deal could essentially get completed by then. As of right now though, there isn't much publicity on how the visit has gone thus far.

Marshall charges dropped; Goodell to still investigate

The good news that I came home to this morning? The charges filed against Brandon Marshall that were released late last night were dropped, and dismissed by an Atlanta court.

The bad news that I woke up to after my nap? Roger Goodell is still going to investigate the situation, and Marshall could still be facing a suspension, a SERIOUS suspension.

If Marshall is suspended indefinitely, or for the season, we could have very well seen Marshall in his last game as a Denver Bronco. Marshall's contract with the Denver Broncos is completed next season, and with the controversy surrounding him right now, if he ends up being suspended, could ultimately end up with Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders not wanting him to be a part of the Denver Bronco organization.

Earlier last week, I made a case in one of my videos to say that Marshall absolutely needs to be resigned, and we can't take our chances with him hitting the open market. Now that this has happened, there may not be another alternative other than letting him go.

The thing about this, is despite the case being dismissed, Marshall was still involved with a legal problem yesterday. Players just don't become involved with a legal problem without there being some kind of conflict. Obviously something went on with Marshall yesterday, how serious it was or not, is not the fact of the matter. The fact of the matter is that he should have never been put in that situation.

Prime example, Champ Bailey. Now I know, every human being can't be perfect, and I'm not saying that Champ is. But Champ has never been in trouble with the law, and he's never even been involved with the law.

What I'm coming to is, Marshall had to have been put in a situation where he was in danger of getting in trouble, and if he was as mature and grown up as he said he is, then he shouldn't have been in that situation.


And the worst part? Vic Lombardi of CBS 4 in Denver is reporting that it was a conflict with his newly engaged fiance,
Michi Leshase Nogami-Campbell.

If this has any credibility to it, this will be the second woman that Marshall has been in trouble with. So maybe it's not the woman, but rather, Marshall. And if that's the case, then Marshall could be facing a steep suspension. And the #12 pick in the draft could be used on a WR, rather than a defensive player which has been the projection since before the season ended.

Something tells me that Marshall isn't out of the woods with Goodell. Goodell did him a favor last season, and now this could be the last straw.

And what if Marshall's rights are traded to a team, so the Broncos can get some kind of compensation for the talented, star, pro bowl WR? What if he's just flat out released? How much would that upset, already upset QB Jay Cutler who has grown and developed with Marshall throughout his career? This could get ugly(If you thought it couldn't get uglier).

We could have already seen the last of what was going to be a great career here in Denver, maybe two.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Will it ever end?

Minutes after I make a huge played out scenario of what would be a CRAZY draft day.

Brandon Marshall gets arrested for being involved with a fight, according to ESPN.com.

There's really no details besides the fact that he has posted a $300 bail and is out of jail right now. But this has been his 4th time arrested since being in the league, and Roger Goodell isn't going to stand for it.

Marshall could be facing a 4-8 game suspension.

I can't believe this is happening.

More to come as it develops.

A pure random, somewhat logical idea...

So I’m thinking…

I’ve been visiting the Patriots message boards asking what they think of the situation. And apparently McDaniels doesn’t tolerate drama queens, much like Belichick doesn’t. This makes me think.

Matthew Stafford has drawn drastic comparisons to Jay Cutler. Their poise, stance, release, is almost EXACTLY the same. As far as arm strength Cutler has more velocity on the ball, but regardless, Stafford can make all the throws on the field and that’s all you need. They are both smart. But at the same time they were both put down for their poor decision making and trusting their arm too much.

It’s crazy because I was reading Stafford’s biography back in January before all the hooplah started and I was thinking about Cutler the entire time.

Could we see a draft day trade, that includes Jay Cutler to the Lions for the #1 pick in the draft? Then the Broncos would take Stafford, be able to start off with a clean slate, and have McDaniels mold Stafford into the QB that he wants without any rebellion.

And then what to do with the #12 pick? Could it be that we would take Knowshon Moreno and keep Stafford/Moreno united?

If anything, this would create the biggest draft day talk generated since Eli refused to play for the Chargers.

Could you imagine this entire scenario on draft day?

Chris Berman: "So, will the Lions takes Stafford #1 overall, or will Josh McDaniels have a little something up his sleeve. The rumors have been flying. Cutler doesn't want to be a Bronco. McDaniels isn't going to put up with it."

*ESPN crew discusses*


2 minutes later


*Roger Goodell walks up to the podium*


Roger Goodell: "The Detroit Lions are now on the clock"


*ESPN goes to a commercial break, then come back*


Chris Berman: Oh boy, there's still 6 minutes left on the clock, let's see what we have here!"


*Roger Goodell walks up to the podium*


Roger Goodell: "There has been a trade between the Detroit Lions and the Denver Broncos and the Broncos are now on the clock."

*The crowd ERUPTS*


Then the ESPN crew starts talking, rumors are flying around that Cutler was traded. But they don't know for sure yet. But Berman is hinting at it.


*5 minutes later, they show Stafford in the green room on the phone.*

*Goodell walks back up to the podium...*


Chris Berman(in the background): "UH OHH! UH OHH! HERE WE GO!
"

Roger Goodell: "With the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select, Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia"


So they start talking about everything, the trade, the details, what it does for the Broncos, what it does for the Lions, Mel Kiper Jr. breaks it all down with the highlights.
And it would be the biggest story of the offseason, easily.

I just don't want to see anything happen when the season starts and Cutler is upset with being a Bronco.

It could lead us to a horrible season, it could lead us to something disastrous. Cutler could be labeled as a cancer, McDaniels could be fired, Dawkins would retire and we'd never feel the full effects of his leadership, Marshall could get tired of losing, and switching coaches. Everyone could get fed up.

It would be a big mess, and I think EVEN if the situation is "straightened out", there would still be MAJOR trust issues between McDaniels and Cutler and the entire transition may just never work. They may never be on the same page. They may never become friends. And you NEED that in a QB/Coach relationship. It could be horrible.

So in conclusion...

It's not that I want this scenario to happen, I just am afraid to see Cutler as a Bronco from here on out, I think things are ruined beyond repair, personally. And the chance to get Stafford, would allow McDaniels the chance to build the QB of his liking, rather than a QB that is likely to rebel against any philosophy that McDaniels preaches.

And if McDaniels wasn't afraid to trade him yesterday for Cassel, what makes you think that he wouldn't be afraid to trade him on draft day if he doesn't feel comfortable with Cutler's attitude and his relationship with Cutler?

Yesterday could have very well been the beginning of the end of Cutler in Denver.

I’m just thinking about this. It’s just an idea on my part. But if it happens, remember where you heard it from.

And also remember, that stranger things HAVE happened.

By the way, my first Denver Bronco mock draft is tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Cutler calls audible

Wow.

So now apparently the talks that were supposed to happen between Bronco officials and Cutler, are put on hold. And this time it's Jay Cutler's fault.

There's no actual quotes on to what Cutler has said to stall the talks, but I bet it was something along the lines of "Well you know, they don't want me, I have nothing to say to them."

Just because Cutler is stubborn like that. I'm not saying I don't like Cutler, but that's his attitude, and that's something he would say.

This is frustrating, really, really, frustrating. Just clear the air, Jay. Don't add fuel to the fire, the damage is done, but it can certainly be fixed if both sides are willing to repair it.

And apparently McDaniels has his tool belt on, because Adam Schefter has reported about 90 minutes ago that Cutler is NO LONGER on the trading block, and that McDaniels has stated that Cutler is his QB. However, if Cutler keeps up the sheninigans, McDaniels and Xanders might just get fed up and pull the trigger on ANY type of trade offer that they can get for Cutler.

Which scares me. And the rest of the Denver Broncos organization.

Goodman signed in Denver


No, not Jim, not Jeff.

Andre.

The Broncos have brought in yet another piece of the defensive train that expects to take a complete U-turn from last year in 2009 for the Broncos.

According to Adam Schefter, the deal was worth $25 million with $10 million guaranteed, over the course of 5 years. With that kind of money, I'm assuming that he will join Brian Dawkins, former teammate Renaldo Hill, and Champ Bailey to bring the question about the Broncos starting secondary to a conclusion.

Goodman had 39 tackles last season, 19 pass deflections, and nabbed 5 interceptions, which is 1 interception less than the entire Denver Broncos team had last year.

Cutler to meet with the Broncos

It's about time.

According to Vic Lombardi, Coach McDaniels is FINALLY taking time out of his day to talk with Jay Cutler TONIGHT, and is going to try to clear everything up.

All I can say is what a roller coaster weekend, I've been on the edge of my seat all day just waiting for SOMETHING, and we finally got something. I can not wait to see the conclusion to this story. Whether it's good, or it's bad. I just want to know where the Broncos stand as a team, and who they plan on going with from here on out. Whether it's Cutler, or someone else.

Obviously, I want Cutler more than anything right now. But if the Cutler talks don't cut the thick air, and he essentially gets traded, I'm just going to have to deal.

But to summarize this weekend, in a game situation:
- With the Brian Dawkins signing, the Broncos gained 20 yards on 4th and 16 with 38 seconds remaining, to drive into field goal range.

- With the Jay Cutler trade talks, we nearly got sacked on first down with the clock running.

- With this news, Jay Cutler just broke out of the sack, rolled out of the pocket, found an open man in the endzone, so he loaded up, and threw.

- Now we just wait to see where the ball ends up, and pray, while biting our nails.

I'll be back as soon as I hear the conclusion to this discussion.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Top RB Ward to visit Broncos on Sunday

Apparently now, the Broncos are looking to bring in the cream of the crop when it comes to RBs in the free agency pool. Derrick Ward.

Adam Schefter just reported it on NFL Network, and he said that a deal could very well happen, if Denver is willing to pay the price. And that Derrick Ward would be a perfect fit for the Broncos if this does happen.

I've been bashed for stating this, but it's becoming a reality now. Derrick Ward could very well be a Bronco. And he'd be a great Bronco.

I'm convinced: Cutler is fine, and will not be traded

Alright. So things have really blown up over the past couple of hours. Apparently, Cutler was part of a deal that would have sent Matt Cassell to Denver. And apparently, Cutler is furious and demanded a trade, which was declined by team officials. The Broncos were also reported to have offered their first round pick to the Patriots for Cassell.

I'm here to say,

BULLSHIT!

ESPN, stop reporting false rumors and stop being completely idiotic with this subject. It's dead. It's not happening. And I highly doubt that Cutler is as mad as you guys are saying. Schefter hasn't reported anything about a "demanded trade", and Schefter is 3 times more reliable than you idiots.

Look. I realize that the trade talks have caused a stir. It's a good story to report. And the apparent "demand for a trade" has us pissed off at McDaniels. And I agree that the fact that they even thought about trading him is absolutely pathetic and scummy. But the fact of the matter is, Cutler HAS NOT BEEN QUOTED for demanding a trade. Cutler, however, has been quoted for saying this:

"I've heard the rumors," Cutler said. "I know what they're trying to do. Even though I love Denver and I'd love to remain a Bronco, I know how this business works. If they want me to play somewhere else, so be it."

That is just simply ESPN throwing fuel on the fire.

Although, Cutler is stubborn, and by saying "so be it", he could mean, "Alright, you don't want me? Well then you're not going to have me"

But he hasn't said that. And he won't say that.

Also, Adam Schefter was just reported to have said that EVERY team contacted DENVER for the trade. Denver didn't pick up the phone and say "We want to trade Cassell for Cutler". It is what it is, STOP READING MORE INTO IT!

Newly signed safety, Brian Dawkins, was in Denver all morning. He had to be aware of the trade talks. Do you really think he would have signed with the Broncos if he knew that we were shopping away our franchise QB?

I think he'd realize the ramifications to that.

Also, the report about the first round pick. WHY would the Patriots trade TWO PLAYERS for a 2nd round pick to Kansas City if they were offered a 1st for ONE PLAYER?

Completely stupid topic people. Move on.

Brian Dawkins signs; BRONCOS SHOPPING JAY CUTLER?


Ok, as expected. Brian Dawkins has signed with the Denver Broncos. I've wrote about that before, but now something else has emerged.

The Denver Broncos are working actively to trade Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler. What the hell is going on in Josh McDaniels office? Ok. So I'm trying to break it down, and every way that I break it down, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Supposedly we were entertained in a 3 way trade with the Buccaneers and Patriots that would send new aquired Chief QB Matt Cassell to Denver and Cutler to Tampa. But that fell threw, Matt Cassell is a Chief, and apparently the Broncos are still trying to trade Cutler.

And it doesn't stop there. We're also trying to shop one of the top receiving TEs in the league.

It does not. Make. Any. Sense.

I'll be back.

Davis signs; Latest news on Dawkins


Theme of free agency day 1 - Offense
Theme of free agency day 2 - Defense?

With the signing of Darrell Reid, the Broncos have now brought in another defensive player to help bolster that horrific unit of last year.


They have now agreed to terms with ILB Andra Davis, according to Vic Lombardi of CBS 4 out of Denver.
Andra is expected to start at ILB next to DJ Williams in the 3-4 defense, as I mentioned before. And it looks to be a very solid signing.

So that's that.


Now, on to another defensive player. The one everyone seems to care about, Brian Dawkins.


The last thing I heard was about 5 minutes ago on NFL Network, when one of the analysts(I totally forget his name, African-American with freckles), announced that the Broncos are close to a deal with Dawkins and the deal looks like it's going to be done.

Another Dolphin to visit

A day after signing free agent safety Renaldo Hill, the Broncos are looking to bring in another Dolphins veteran.

Andre Goodman.

Goodman is expected to be in Denver Saturday, and then will be on the move to Cleveland on Sunday. So we'll probably know his decision early on in the week.

Broncos snag another

In the early hours of Saturday morning, the Broncos agreed to a deal with former Colts DT Darrell Reid, and his agent. Terms of the deal have been undisclosed.

Reid was an undrafted free agent in 2005, brought on by the Colts, and has been a special teams specialist since then. He is an undersized 3-4 DT, so he will most likely be moving to DE in Nolan's scheme, but still will be nothing more than a backup and good special teams player.

This signing is the sixth made by the Broncos in the past two days. I'm still praying that the seventh made(Lucky number 7), will be safety Brian Dawkins. I'm tracking the story down endlessly and hopefully there's a conclusion within the coming hours.

Dawkins was apparently seen at the Denver Nuggets game last night, and told reporters that he plans on sleeping before signing the deal.

So yes, everyone that has been messaging me, telling me that my story is wrong, I KNOW. I'm just keeping it up there because I don't want to jinx the Broncos. Seriously.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Andra Davis close to deal?

Broncos newly hired GM, Brian Xanders has got to be doing something right. Not only has every free agent to visit the Broncos thus far left with a contract signed, but they're also on the verge of bringing in another very solid player.

And he goes by the name of Andra Davis.

Apparently the Broncos are in serious negotiations with him, and possibly on the verge to signing him.

Davis, 30, will be entering his 7th year in the league this coming season, and really is in the middle of his prime. If signed, he's expected to hold down the inside linebacker spot with D.J. Williams in the 3-4 scheme that Josh McDaniels and Mike Nolan plan on running this season.

Two more hooked... One in question

Earlier this morning. I said that there were two more on the Broncos radar. Well, now I'm saying that there are two more on the Broncos roster.

Adam Schefter just broke the news on NFL Network that the Broncos have signed safety Renaldo Hill, and WR Jabar Gaffney. The two players got a matching deal, 4 years worth $10 million dollars.

Jabar Gaffney is going to get plenty of playing time in McDaniels system(Which he is very familiar with), and Renaldo Hill is a front runner for a starting safety spot.

And finally, a totally new name that popped up in Denver tonight was Texans WR David Anderson, who is a restricted free agent. The Broncos apparently have sent an offer sheet out to him. The Texans have 7 days to match it, and if they don't, the Broncos will get Anderson, and the Texans will get a 7th round draft pick in compensation.

Brian "Bronco" Dawkins


It's official.

The Broncos just won the Superbowl.

No, I'm kidding. Obviously.

But Brian Dawkins will be sporting orange and blue next season.

Mike Florio of Profootballtalk is reporting it on Sportingnews.com, and this is without a doubt the biggest news of the offseason outside of the Haynesworth deal.

I still can't quite fathom it, but I am extremely pumped. The vocal leadership that he will provide and bring to this defense is priceless. I honestly can not wait to see him sporting that new jersey.

I don't have the details on the deal, but I'm going to guess it's something similar to what Lynch got when he ended his career in Denver.

Congratulations Denver. You now have one of the best vocal leaders to ever play the game of football on your team.

Broncos sign long snapper Paxton

Josh McDaniels officially brought in his first ex-Patriot player over to the Broncos this afternoon. And it happens to be Lonie Paxton, who is now the second highest paid long snapper in the league.

Lonie Paxton, the guy who was most known for making snow angels after the 2001 playoff snow game against the Oakland Raiders. That's enough to win me over.

Dawkins on his way to visit Denver

Wow.

Just wow.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network has reported that Brian Dawkins is on his way to Denver right now to talk over a contract.

This news has officially got me completely pumped.

Everyone, just watch



As always, stay tuned.

Buckhalter and Arrington locked up

They have officially signed with the Denver Broncos. Terms of the deal have no yet been announced but they have indeed signed the contract and are expected to be role players in the McDaniels system.

This means that the Broncos still need a starting RB. Every top RB will be available at #12, Raji will be gone, Maualuga is falling, and another possibility, Malcolm Jenkins, could most likely be gone at #12. Look for the Broncos to go after a first round RB, most notably, Knowshon Moreno. But that's for another time.

Buckhalter has been known as a good RB around the league, his inability to stay healthy has hurt him. He's 30 years old, so he has some wear and tear, and he's probably best suited as the backup RB here, AT BEST, in Denver.

J.J. Arrington was the better signing in my opinion. A great returner, a good receiver out of the backfield and a good overall 3rd down back. He could be used as a Kevin Faulk type player in McDaniels system and expect him to be an intrical part of the team this year.

Two more on Broncos radar

Ok, I'm home. For the weekend.

You know what that means?

A ton of Bronco coverage from now until Sunday Night. And it's going to be a busy busy weekend.

As you all know, the Broncos have been one of the most active teams on the market over the past 10 hours and it's not stopping anytime soon. This morning, Mike Florio reports that the Broncos have scheduled two more visits with players that include the likes of WR Jabar Gaffney, who played under head coach, Josh McDaniels at New England, and former backup defensive linemen for the 49ers, Ronald Fields.

Apparently there is an offer for Fields, and he is expected to visit in the coming days, so he could be a definite lock. Gaffney on the other hand, has just been scheduled to a visit, so no deal seems imminent at this point.

Arrington, Buckhalter: Part 3

Wow, haha.

My initial report was correct. According to Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com, The Broncos are simply just bringing RBs J.J. Arrington and Correll Buckhalter in for visits after all. Apparently, NO deal has been in place for either player, not yet at least. So we're back to stage one.

Sorry for that miscommunication.

Also, Alex Marvez of FoxSports is expected to change his report from a signing, to a visit. If he hasn't already.

Buckhalter and Arrington already signed?

Interesting.

So I just got a message on my Youtube channel from a fellow subscriber(broncofan599) saying that he got an ESPN text alert telling him that FoxSports is reporting that previously mentioned RBs, J.J. Arrington and Correll Buckhalter have signed multiyear deals with the Broncos.

So I took the initiative and checked it out myself. And I found that Alex Marvez did in fact report that the Broncos have the deals set in place, and later on Friday they are both fully expected to sign the dotted line.

I think you could throw out the Derrick Ward rumors now. It's highly doubtful that the Broncos would bring in these two, and then Derrick Ward on top of that.

So now, pending the two physicals, Josh McDaniels has just made the first two significant moves of his Denver Broncos career.

FS Hill lines up a visit

So the Broncos are making the splash that they were expected to make, being the most active team in the league as of right now as far as bringing in players for visits. According to Adam Schefter of the NFL Network, the Broncos have now also lined up a visit on Friday with former Dolphins safety, Renaldo Hill.

I think it's safe to say, good riddance to Marlon McCree.

RB Arrington, and RB Buckhalter set for visits


John Clayton of ESPN just reported on SportsCenter that the Broncos have made contact with two runningbacks early in the free agency stages.

Apparently the Broncos have set up visits with former Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter, and former Cardinals RB J.J. Arrington.

More information to follow in the coming hours.

Stay tuned.

It's finally underway

So the free agency period has started about exactly one hour ago, and it started off with a bang. There weren't any actual free agents signed to other teams, but retained by their former teams.

Those names include DeAngelo Hall who struck gold, receiving a contract over the course of six years worth $54 million dollars, including $30 million being spread out over the course of the first three years. Another player that signed a new contract with his 2008 team was FB Tony Richardson, who reportedly re-signed with the Jets.

Bronco fans, don't get nervous, don't get scared. The Broncos are fully expected to make an impact and a splash in the free agency within the next 48 hours and I'll be right on top of it. There has been a big rumor leaked around here though, and I'll put it out there right now. The name that has been swirling around as of late is LB Ray Lewis. Apparently the Broncos are interested in him, and Lewis has expressed interest in reuniting with his old defensive coach, Mike Nolan. Now it just comes down to the question if the Broncos are willing to pay what the Ravens, Jets, and Cowboys are willing to pay. If they are, we could see Ray Lewis in orange and blue next season.

One thing is for sure. It's going to be a sleepless first half of the night at my computer, the second half will be spent at work. The hours are about 4 AM EST - 9:30 AM EST. So if the Broncos do make a move within that time, don't expect an update from me immediately. But as soon as I get home I'll be sure to report it.

However, I have my cell phone on full blast, I have all the rumor sites bookmarked, and I'm going to take a wild shot in the dark here and say that I'm going to be a little sidetracked at work this morning.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Broncos interested in Ward

On Wednesday, I posted a video, and a little article about Derrick Ward being interested in playing for the Broncos. Well, according to Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, the feeling between Ward and the Broncos is mutual. Apparently the Broncos have Ward high on their free agency priority list, and are ready to make a heavy run at him.

But there is doubt, and there are questions surrounding Ward.

The doubt in a lot of spectators minds is basically this... Ward is 29 years old, and the Broncos made a mistake in the past, with a high priced free agent RB, in Travis Henry.

Let me shut both of those statements down right now.

Ward is a 29 year old RB with a total of 342 carries up to this point in his career. Adrian Peterson had about 20 more than that, this year alone. And if you look at a football player at 29 years old(Outside of a RB that has been starting his entire career), you're looking at a football player that is in his prime. 29 years old, with little-to-no wear and tear is not a problem. The Broncos could easily get at least 5 years of service out of him. In fact, I've made the bold statement elsewhere that if Ward signs with the Broncos, I'm going to predict him having at least 3 1,500 all purpose yard seasons, and at least one pro bowl appearance.

And as far as Henry, that was Shanahan's mistake. Not only that, but Henry had a past history of run-ins with the law. He was a "buyer beware" free agent prospect in 2007, and the Broncos took a chance on him. It didn't pay off, but if it had, you could bet that the Broncos would have seen the playoffs this year, and Mike Shanahan would still be the coach of the Denver Broncos. However, that's getting off topic. The fact of the matter is, Ward has a clean past. And McDaniels is not Shanahan. Shanahan's mistake should not reflect in any way on McDaniels. Bowlen put the franchise of the Denver Broncos in the hands of McDaniels and Xanders. Therefore, Bowlen should allow, and fully trust any move that McDaniels and Xanders want to make.

The main question surrounding Ward is his price tag, and that's the only question. There is an undoubted amount of talent left in him, and a ton of gas left in the tank. If the Broncos really want this man, they'll have to pay. And the question lies on whether or not they want to pay. What it really comes down to is, is Ward worth the $4 million a year he's asking for? But, if Xanders and McDaniels feel that Ward is the best definite fit for the Broncos at runningback(Which seems apparent), then I fully believe that Bowlen will allow them to access the checkbook, give Ward his money, and watch him perform at a productive level in orange and blue for the next several years.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Derrick Ward to the Broncos?

Oh, oh, oh. My, my, my. Let the speculation of the free agency commence. Derrick Ward was a special guest on NFL Total Access tonight, and, well. I'll let you watch and figure out the rest...

Broncos restructure DJ Williams' deal


With the announcement of the release of Dre Bly, the Broncos actually put themselves in a position where they would actually be losing money in the cut. Well, that is still true, but they've gained some of that back.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post is reporting that DJ Williams agreed to reduce in 2009 salary to $900,000, and transferring the rest to a guaranteed roster bonus of $4.5 million. So the savings of this move is essentially $3.6 million. However, the $3.6 million is only not the actual savings against the cap. Because there is no new CBA deal in place yet, all guaranteed money has to be paid in 2009. So the Broncos are ahead of where they were last night after the Bly transaction, but only by about $400,000.

In this article from Klis, there's also a snippet that the Broncos are trying to extend the contracts of two of their three pro bowl players this year, WR Brandon Marshall, and C Casey Wiegmann. They are both in their last year of their contracts. However, unless a deal is reached for a new CBA by next season, Marshall, if not extended, will be a restricted free agent next year. Which means, that the Broncos will place a tender on him, a team will decide if the tender is worth it, and if they do they'll offer him a contract. The Broncos will be placed in a position to either match the contract, or let him go for an immediate compensation of a draft pick(The draft pick depends on how high the Broncos set the tender).

One thing is for certain and that is the fact that DJ Williams, and Brandon Marshall both to appear in the Broncos long term plans. Which is very comforting for a Bronco fan.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Possible replacements for Bly

First, I'd like to say that I was wrong in saying that Dre Bly's release will save the Broncos money. According to Bill Williamson of ESPN, the Broncos actually lose money in this deal. Approximately $2.6 million. The reason for this is because Bly has $9 million dollars caught up in dead money. Which is $2.6 million more than what his base salary was expected to be in 2009. And that is where the difference is. Regardless, the Broncos still have plenty of room to manuever and make plenty deals this offseason.

Moving forward, I took the time to look at some possible suitors that could replace Bly next season. Obviously the Broncos want to get younger at the position. So that takes recently released cornerback, Chris McAlister out of the equation. So I continued to look through the list of free agent cornerbacks that are scheduled to hit the open market in a week and a half.

And I saw two names that intrigued me.

Ronald Bartell(Bill Williamson actually mentioned him in his article about Bly's cap impact), and Dunta Robinson.

Robinson has an outstanding rookie campaign and has really fell off since then, not being the same player. But is still a very solid and young corner that can get better. Bartell, on the other hand, has been improving every year and could really be the sleeper of this free agency class. While he only nabbed 3 interceptions this past season(Which is more than any Bronco defender did), he had a phenomenal amount of pass deflections, accounting for 19. He is really an up and coming player in this league and I'd be ecstatic if the Broncos ended up bringing him in.

Another possible suitor could be cornerback Lito Sheppard, who could be available via trade this offseason, however I don't see McDaniels trading away his draft picks this year. If anything, he'll strive to aquire more.

But we will see. With this move, and the lack of depth at the cornerback position, one thing is for certain and that is the fact that the Broncos will be in the market for a cornerback in the free agency period. And seeing that it's clear that the Broncos want youth at the postion, I also wouldn't count out the possibility of a midround pick used on a cornerback.

Cornerback Dre Bly ousted


This morning I mentioned the possibility of a third round of cuts on the way, that could include Dre Bly. Well, that third round of cuts is here, and they include Dre Bly. And only Dre Bly. With this move the Broncos will gather together another few million dollars of cap space to spend this offseason. That's the good news. The bad news is that they have just lost, in my eyes, one half of one of the best cornerback tandems in the league(When they have a supporting cast).

Bly was aquired almost exactly two years ago via trade with the Detroit Lions that sent Bly to Denver in return for former first round pick, OT George Foster, RB Tatum Bell(Who resigned with the Broncos this past season after not panning out too well in Detroit), and a 5th round draft pick.


Bly spent the last two seasons as a Bronco, leading the team in interceptions both years with five in 2007, and two in 2008. He also recorded 137 tackles in that two year span.

With this release, and all signs pointing to Karl Paymah being left to hit the open market. The Broncos are left at the cornerback position with Champ Bailey, Jack Williams(Rookie last season), Josh Bell(Undrafted rookie last season), and Rashod Moulton(Second year practice squad player). All of a sudden there is a definite need at the cornerback positon, that definitely needs to be addressed.

Second round of cuts frees up $20 million in cap space for 2009

As announced last night, the Broncos released six "key" veterans to last years team. Initially I thought maybe the Broncos would have saved $7-$8 million total for 2009. But I was wrong. Mike Florio of Profootballtalk.com(http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/02/17/broncos-cap-moves-clear-more-than-20-million-in-cap-space) is reporting that the Broncos are going to save more than $20 million in cap space for 2009.

Now obviously, this is not all base salary, but as far as bonuses off of incentives that were due(Mainly to Dewayne Robertson), the net gain of this move exceeds $20 million. So yes, essentially, the Broncos have saved that much money just off of these cuts.

So if you add that, on top of this, the Broncos now have well over $25 million available to spend this year alone. Keep in mind that this is just the second round of cuts too. We could realistically be expecting at least one more round of cuts, that includes cornerback Dre Bly. According to USA Today, Bly was paid $10.4 million in 2008 alone, with a base salary of $1 million, and the rest being bonuses. I'm not positive on his 2009 cap numbers, but if it's anything that resembles his 2008 numbers, the Broncos could be looking at a spending budget of at least $30 million next month.

Regardless, the Broncos have money to spend, and should be one of the most active teams in the league in two weeks.

Monday, February 16, 2009

McDaniels begins spring cleaning

As I reported earlier this offseason(http://broncoscentral.blogspot.com/2009/01/broncos-to-be-major-players-in-free.html), the Broncos will be making a drastic amount of cuts on the defensive side of the ball. Well that has started. Tonight, the Broncos have let go of six players, three of which were considered three of the better starters on last years horrid defense. This set of cuts include the likes of DT Dewayne Robertson, LB Jamie Winborn, LB Niko Koutouvides, S Marquand Manuel, DE John Engelberger, and TE Nate Jackson.

The biggest surprise to these set of cuts is probably DT Dewayne Robertson. The fact that he is a fairly talented DT in a 4-3 system tells us that McDaniels is certainly going to focus on building a 3-4 defense for the Broncos. Robertson was traded to the Broncos from the New York Jets prior to last years draft for a conditional 2009 draft pick depending on Robertson's playing time. Robertson didn't see the field as much as expected, which gave the Jets the lower half of the deal. Robertson was also due an additional bonus this spring.

Manuel and Koutouvides were two other veterans brought in last season to help improve the defense. Koutouvides was a complete bust, starting a whopping zero games, and amassing a record setting twelve tackles last season. I felt as if Manuel could be a solid backup safety, but I guess me and McDaniels don't see eye to eye. So he was ousted this evening also.

The other three were Bronco veterans. Engelberger was traded to the Broncos in the offseason of 2005 for former Bronco first round pick, CB Willie Middlebrooks. Engelberger saw significant playing time over the past three seasons, but once again, he brought nothing that seemed to impress Josh McDaniels.

Jamie Winborn joined the Broncos in 2007, and really excelled towards the end of the 2007 campaign. However, last season his play really fell off and he couldn't seem to gather any success.

And finally, Nate Jackson, who has been a Bronco since 2003. Was a decent receiving TE who Shanahan was a huge fan of, but never seemed to pan out.

So this set of cuts gives the Broncos some extra room to manuever financially. The rest of the cuts(If there are any), should come by Wednesday so that gives McDaniels and his staff full focus on this weeks scouting combine.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

New practice facility led to no practice facility for Shanahan

According to Woody Paige of the Denver Post, one of the significant reasons that former head coach of the Denver Broncos, Mike Shanahan, was fired earlier this year was because of the fact that he was demanding a new practice facility.

And Bowlen simply said, "no."

Mind you, the practice facility was restored just 5 years ago. And the practice facility is also named after Bowlen's deceased father, Paul.

This disagreement was the elementary stages of the conclusion of one of the greatest friendships ever in the history of sports. As time moved on, Shanahan went from Superbowl winning mastermind, to leading a shipwreck.

It was obvious that there was need for a change, and Bowlen finally opened his eyes to the apparent. He opened his eyes to...
Money spent wastefully.
Unproductive draft picks.
Three years, three defensive coordinators.
Guaranteed playoffs.
But no playoffs.

The straw that broke the camels back, if you will.

And Bowlen wasn't standing for it.

Complete overhaul on the blog; New Youtube account

Well Wednesday is the combine, really the true start of the offseason. It's when everything kicks off, and technically when the dawn of a new season starts. So I felt that I should address this before we get deeper and deeper in the offseason. Things are dead now, and I thought I'd spice things up a bit.

Tonight, I was motivated to take charge in some things that I've been wanting to cover over the past few weeks. I finally got to doing that, and it's like a monkey off of my back. First off, I'd like to thank all the support I've gotten on this blog, and on my Youtube account. I'm really appreaciative of all of that. Thanks guys.

Anyways, about this blog. I completely redid the template, I think it looks a bit more professional now, and now I have a banner that makes it a little more attractive. Attractiveness and professionalism are always good things to have. So that's a plus.

But the big news tonight for me is my transition from the name that made me on Youtube. I've been known as "playa3247", and I didn't feel like that was the name that was going to get me anywhere that I felt like I needed to go. So, I also changed the name of my blog from "How High is a Mile High?", to "Broncos Central", it's a lot shorter and a lot more easy to convey to people as I'm trying to advertise myself. So I followed suit with my video blogging on Youtube, and changed my name to "BroncosCentral", it makes things a lot more easy and organized with the blog and the Youtube channel all linked to one name. I'm also hoping this gives me a boost in respect and a boost in viewers.

Well that's it, it's going to be a tough time in the video making world, knowing that I have to rebuild my reputation on there. But it'll certainly be better for the longterm goals that I'm trying to accomplish.

So tonight I made a farewell playa3247 video, and a hello BroncosCentral video(I'll be making a more official BroncosCentral video in the coming days), and here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMTUn15H-U

Thursday, February 12, 2009

McChesney added, Shaw dropped


Another move has been made this evening as the Broncos announced the signing(to a future contract) of OG Matt McChesney. They have also released DT Josh Shaw. Shaw has been a Bronco since the beginning of last season, and got a minimal amount of playing time, only recording 5 tackles.

McChesney was an undrafted free agent in 2005, signing with the St. Louis Rams and has previously played with the Jets and the Dolphins. He is also a Colorado alumni, and was named to the All-Europa team of 2007 for the Frankfort Galaxy of the NFL Europe.

Xanders promoted, Goodman and Goodman fired


Those busy Broncos are back at it. Move after move after move in the front office, and now the Broncos have finally appointed former Co-GM to take full duties. Meanwhile, they let go of the VP of football operations, Jim Goodman, and the man who shared Xanders job in the past, Jeff Goodman.

This does come to a bit of a shock to me, because mainly, all three of these men, not only played a huge part in the search process for the Broncos new head coach last month, but they also helped put together the past three drafts. The past three drafts that have included players like Jay Cutler, Tony Scheffler, Brandon Marshall, Elvis Dumervil, Ryan Clady, Eddie Royal, and Peyton Hillis. Although, those are only players from two of those three drafts, the other draft included the likes of Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, and Marcus Thomas. Ugh.

But moving forward I feel confident about this move. It puts one man in control of everything regarding the roster, and without conflicting opinions, one man can work better. In this case, three heads are not better than one. But since McDaniels will most likely still play a big part in the roster moves over the course of his Denver Bronco head coaching career, I'll still say that two heads are better than one.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Broncos let go of five

To no surprise, the Broncos have made their first cuts of the offseason and released five players this evening. However, every one of these cuts were to offensive players, which should be shocking to most. Another somewhat "shock" is the release of RB Anthony Alridge who Mike Shanahan has given praise to last training camp, before he suffered a season ending ankle injury(The first of the seven runningbacks to be placed on IR this past season).

Other cuts include, RB Alex Haynes, RB PJ Pope, TE Chad Mustard, and WR Cliff Russell. Outside of Haynes and Alridge, the other three players saw playing time last year. Russell was the kick returner for the Broncos for a few weeks in the beginning of the season before he got hurt for the year, and PJ Pope started coming on towards the end of the year. Mustard was off and on all year, after getting released and resigned consistently by the Broncos all year. But this time he got released, and I think it's safe to say that he's gone for good.

What I see out of these cuts is simply the fact that when Coach McDaniels stated the offenses problems, he was specifically referring to the running game. With 3 of the first 5 cuts being RBs, I have to begin speculating. So, this makes me believe that McDaniels could be targeting a big name RB in free agency, OR, he could be looking at a top flight RB in this years draft.

Either way, the roster is getting trimmed, and the scrubs are trickling down. Personally, I love the moves because he's emptying the trashbin in his office. More specifically, he's throwing away these guys contracts.

An actual real RB in Denver next season? A 2nd round guy starting instead of a UDFA? Dare I say it?

We'll see.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Former Patriot to the Broncos... More to follow?

So Josh McDaniels has made another splash in the coaching department. Now bringing in ex-Patriot linebacker, Roman Phifer. The former first round pick is expected to help coach the linebacker position.

Phifer played with three NFL ball clubs in his NFL career. Starting his career out with the LA Rams, in which he led the team in tackles 3 out of those 8 years. Then he moved on to the Jets for 2 years, and finally finished off his career with his final 4 years in New England, winning 3 Superbowls.

Now I know, for the casual fan this isn't big news. But it made me think. If McDaniels is willing to bring in a former Patriot to become a coach(His first pro coaching gig, mind you), then the majority of the Broncos free agents this year could very well be former Patriots. So I decided to give it a look, and this is what I've come up with.

Well, to start things off. As I previously mentioned in another blog entry, we have approximately $34 million to spend this offseason(As of NOW, before the cuts that WILL eventually happen before free agency which will free up $10-$15 million). And I'd just like to say that it's seriously nice to know that we have room to spend this year. Unlike every other year when we're $3-$4 million under and we have to ask 6 or 7 players to restructure their contracts. With this much room, it almost automatically assures McDaniels that he'll be able to mold the team to his liking. So I fully expect at least 4 or 5 Patriots in a Broncos uniform next year, including:
-Mike Wright

-Lamont Jordon
-Pierre Woods
-Larry Izzo
-Rosevelt Colvin
-James Sanders

Those are probably the guys on McDaniels board right now.


Also there's those ex-Patriot veterans that McDaniels has worked with during the Superbowl years and would bring a leadership role with them...

-Willie McGinest

-Ty Law

-Lawyer Milloy

It's a stretch that we bring in ALL of these players, but I could easily see at least 3 of them sporting orange and blue next year. The next 3 weeks are going to be interesting. And the following 3 weeks after that are going to be even more interesting.

Stay tuned.