Denver Broncos News

Horse Tracks 7-11-09 - Letting NFLN boil my orange-and-blue blood

nycbroncosfan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:17:11 -0700

Mornin' MHR Friends! Now before I get accused of seeing everything through my orange-colored shades, let me just say that I don't expect John Elway to be #1 on everyone's "Greatest QBs Ever" lists. Nor do I think Jay Cutler is a terrible QB because of what happened. But how about we use some common sense here? If you want to put Elway at 7th greatest, you'd better have guys like Otto Graham and Bart Starr up there. Don't put Brett Favre and Peyton Manning (not yet, at least) ahead of him, and of course don't give me that Dan Marino Garbage. Please. As for Cutler, he's got elite skills but he's yet to put it together and win games. All his fault? Of course not. I still think he will win a Super Bowl and could become a great. But don't rank him in the top 5. I know, I'm letting these NFLN clowns get to me. Sorry, I'll take a deep breath and get over it. I'm going to yoga class with my wife.

DB - Switch Hitter
Gray Caldwell profiles Darrell Reid, who is the making the stunning switch from 290-lb. defensive tackle to 260-lb. linebacker. Reid is obviously on quite a diet, and has been talking to Elvis Dumervil about their position changes. Whether it's a crazy idea or a good one, I can't help but wonder how many coaches would look at a DT on film and see a LB.

CSG - Position-by-position training camp preview: Wide receivers
Frank Schwab considers the outlook for the WRs, including how a potential holdout would affect Brandon Marshall's progress in McDaniels' offense.

NFL - Then and Now: Denver Broncos
Jason Feller compares Goose Gonsoulin to Brian Dawkins. Jeez, I'm sure glad this isn't a Gonsoulin/Marlon McCree matchup.

NFL - Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American Football League
There's a series of links here to commemorate the AFL. Of course, there are no Broncos among the HOF list, and I don't believe there's any mention of Floyd Little or Lionel Taylor.

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 10 all-time QBs
Steve Wyche puts The Greatest Ever at #7 in his top-10 list of the QBs in history. Wow. He's got Favre, Marino and Peyton ahead of Elway. Starr, Staubach and Graham don't even make the list. In fact, the only pre-80's guy on the list was Johnny U. Puzzling.

DST - Going old school | The Daily Ticket
Set Schrock thinks the Broncos should bring back their old uni's and logo. Me too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DP - Armstrong: At long last, not so quoteless
According to Armstrong, Rod Smith will be co-hosting NFLTA on The Network at 5pm MST.

SDUT - Chargers free agent player shot in Philly suburb
UFA RB Curtis Brinkley (Syracuse) was shot while in his car. He was able to drive away, and reportedly spoke to his uncle via phone from the hospital. Yikes. Obviously, our thoughts at MHR go out to him.

SDUT - Single-game tickets on sale July 17

NFL - Browns' Stallworth released from jail after serving 24 days of sentence
Wow, that was quick. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

NFL - AFL remembered for its cast of characters
Ken Rappoport looks back at some of the more colorful coaches and players from the AFL.

SI - Michael Vick, Brett Favre drama keep NFL in news during offseason - Ross Tucker

NFP - Williamses’ case remains unresolved - Andrew Brandt

NFP - Diner morning news: Uncle Fred's theory
Lombardi looks at the Lions and Bills.

NFL - As former Viking enters Hall, current Viking paces group of top linemen
Bucky Brooks looks at today's top O-Lineman.

CBS - Positional Rankings: Cornerbacks
Pete Prisco has the Champ ranked as second-best to Asomugha despite his rough '08.

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 5: Quarterbacks
Warren Sapp puts Jay Cutler among the top 5 QBs in the league. Wow. He may be top 10, but please. Manning, Brady, Rivers, Rodgers, Warner, Brees, McNabb and Romo are all clearly better than Cutler (so far).

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Arizona Cardinals

NFLN - NFL Videos: 2009 Coach Feature: Ken Whisenhunt

SI - Green Bay Packer Ryan Grant credits father for NFL rise - Andrew Lawrence

NFP - Can (Derrick) Brooks find a new home? - Matt Bowen

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Wake Forest - Wes Bunting

CBS - Top 32 seniors: Top heavy with the heftier prospects
Rob Rang looks at his top prospects for the '10 Draft.

Microsoft Silverlight update

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:58:00 -0700

Microsoft just updated its Silverlight browser plug-in to version 3.0, which adds some new features, my favorite being its ability to leverage your computer’s graphics chip for smoother video playback. You can download it from their Silverlight website. They have a demo of their streaming video up that is just breathtaking if your connection is good enough. Seriously, check it out.

Silverlight, as you may remember, was the technology NBC chose for their streaming Olympic videos last year. I just watched a sweet Dwyane Wade-to-Kobe Bryant alley-oop on their site, and it looks just like it did last year, which is pretty good. But can you imagine how sweet it will be if they can get the 2012 stream from London looking half as good as that cartoon? That’d be so cool. I will never feel like waiting for one of NBC’s “Live” broadcasts to hit my TV again.

New Hole Punch blog

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:37:00 -0700

Just a heads-up in case you didn’t notice the link to the side: I’ve started a new blog, Hole Punch Etc., for when I feel like posting about stuff that isn’t sports. I figured that would be less annoying than if I just randomly threw stuff on here. So far it only has one post, but I think in the future I will write about a bunch of different topics. It’s pretty open-ended on purpose. Last year I would have written there about the election, I’m sure, and I imagine I’ll put some technology-related stuff on there, but then again I also might just use it to vent about why Transformers 2 was so awful. I’m sure the updates will be sporadic, just like they are here. Anyway, feel free to check it out.

It's coming...MHR's 'Breaking Down the Denver Broncos' 2009

John Bena (aka TheSportsGuru) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:30:09 -0700

Training Camp gets under way (for the rookies at least) in just 3 weeks. That means we are going to get to talk football, real flesh-and-blood NFL Football before you know it. As has been the case the past 2 years, MHR has all the bases covered - from Matthias Askew to Wesley Woodyard - and everyone in between!

Starting Monday, MHR's crack staff will break down the roster day-by-day, position-by-position as we lead right to the doorstep of Training Camp 2009. To get you ready, here is a schedule of what positions to expect, and when to expect them -

July 13 - Tight End

July 14 - Safety

July 15 - Quarterback

July 16 - Cornerback

July 17 - Guard/Center

July 18 - Punter/Kicker

July 20 - Running Back

July 21 - Defensive End

July 22 - Wide Receiver

July 23 -Defensive Tackle

July 24 - Offensive Tackle

July 25 - Linebacker

There are over 40 new faces on the Broncos this season, as well as a new Head Coach and the majority of the coaching staff. Together, during the next couple of weeks, we'll find out who these guys are and what we can expect as we charge towards the 2009 season.

Starting Monday, we come together as a fan base, as Broncos Country, to do what we all do best, cheer the Denver Broncos.

As always, thanks for making the MHR what it is, and GO BRONCOS!

Vote for the Broncos’ all-time team

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:35:00 -0700

I was just gonna write about this on Twitter, but didn’t know if anyone would see it. (Does anyone read that?) The Broncos are letting you pick your 50th anniversary Broncos team on their website, and it’s AWESOME. (Thanks, Lindsay.)

Some of the choices are great. Because I know Elway’s going to win at quarterback, I was tempted to vote for Frank Tripucka (whose No. 18 is one of the team’s three retired jerseys), or maybe Jake Plummer. And now that I know that the all-time team is going to be honored at a Broncos’ game this year, I really, really hope Jay Cutler wins it. But, in the end, I decided I’d rather be part of the 96.2% or whatever who go with Elway.

Some positions are really, really hard, because we’re so loaded. It’s funny that the Broncos spent the first part of the decade looking for the next Steve Atwater, who was just one in a long tradition of great Denver safeties (Dennis Smith, Billy Thompson, Austin Gonsulin). Leaving Smith off was tough, but I literally had to vote for Atwater (they show you some highlights before you see the candidates, and you can guess which Atwater hit made the reel) and Tyrone Braxton has always been a favorite of mine, the undersized, supposedly-slow D-back who was terrific in pass coverage.

We’ve had enough memorable linebackers that I would have gone with a 3-4 lineup, personally, though you don’t get the choice. I thought Simon Fletcher and Rich “Tombstone” Jackson had to be my bookends on the defensive line, but Rulon Jones caught my eye.

On the offensive side of the ball, running back is surprisingly tough even without Howard Griffith or the Human Bowling Ball, but T.D. and Floyd Little (his No. 44 joins 18 & 7, if you’re wondering) are the safe picks. Wide receiver is really, really difficult. I ended up going with Ed McCaffrey opposite Rod Smith but I think that’s going to keep me up nights, especially since I think they’re both gonna win, too. Lionel Taylor was the first pro receiver ever to catch one hundred passes in a season and Haven Moses was huge in bringing us to our first Super Bowl.

Anyway, if you like the Broncos, you have to try it!

The rest of my team: Shannon Sharpe (duh), a line of Gary Zimmerman-Mark Schlereth-Tom Nalen-Keith Bishop-Tony Jones, Louis Wright and Champ Bailey on the corners, with Trevor Pryce and Rubin Carter attacking in front of Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson and Karl Mecklenburg. Jason Elam and Mike Horan are my kicking team, and Rick Upchurch edged the terrific Darrien Gordon as a return man.

DeMarcus Ware is awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:43:00 -0700

Many NFL fans knew that already, of course: Ware led the league with twenty sacks last year for the Dallas Cowboys (okay, that last part isn’t very awesome). And it’s not his eighty-plus tackles or his six forced fumbles that make him cool, either.

No, what makes DeMarcus Ware awesome is his willingness to go into hiding. Just ask ex-Cowboy Greg Ellis, which is what former Cowboys star Michael Irvin did Wednesday.

‘It's a disgrace when DeMarcus Ware comes off the field just so I can get in the game and when the coaches tell him to come on the field, he tries to hide so I can play,’ Ellis said on Irvin's show. ‘And you're telling me we're trying to win the Super Bowl?’

Seriously?

During the interview Wednesday, Irvin asked Ellis to clarify his statement that Ware would take himself out of games.

‘On his own. He would say, 'G, come on.' And I would tell him, 'No, DeMarcus, go ahead, man. You're coming up on your contract year. Don't mess that stuff up.'’

Ware gave a cagey response on the radio yesterday, which you can find in that ESPN article, but he admits that basically, yeah, he did do that. He gave up some of his own precious playing time for Ellis, who was in his eleventh year with the Cowboys.

That may look like a tiny risk, and it is if you ignore small facts like how many NFL players have statistics-based contract incentives (don’t know about Ware specifically on this) or the one that says most NFL owners are willing to be petty and vindictive in all your future contract negotiations. In a small way, at least, Ware was taking a chance with his career that wasn’t going to benefit him any.

Now wait: shouldn’t Ware do what his coaches say all the time? Well, I’m sure the coaches would like that, but I think it’s awesome that he has the leadership chops to just go ahead and pay respect to a long-tenured veteran like this. (It’s not like Ellis was a liability; he chipped in eight sacks of his own on the year.) Life in the NFL is really, really short, even if you’re star. Some organizations don’t value independent thinking in their rank-and-file, but to me a guy like Ware is worth his weight in gold to a team and its defense. If I were running the Cowboys, I’d do what I could to keep him happy for a long, long time.

Tales of Mythology III

broncobear — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:30:09 -0700

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

27 days ago: Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton takes part in drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Myth #3: Mobility and the Quarterback

"He makes plays with his feet!"

That's something that you frequently hear from color announcers on football games when trying to explain the value of a quarterback. They're talking about the guy who can move the pocket, who can gain you yards out of the pocket, who loves the bootleg and the roll out. There's not a thing wrong with that - in Elway Country, there had better not be if you want to avoid being spammed, flamed, tarred and feathered (in no particular order). But the quarterback who really makes plays with his feet isn't necessarily the guy who leaves the pocket.

As always, it's best to define terms. This is not an argument against a QB who can roll out, bootleg, play action and throw across his body and even across the field. That requires a big arm and a natural skill that you will only rarely see; you have to love those guys. John Elway was the king of them; Jay Cutler can do it at times. That kind of skill is a huge boon if it's used right. There is a common debate as to whether the oft-heard idea that a college QB's ability to run with the football is really going to "re-define the QB position."

You will also hear this while listening to endless pre-draft and post-draft discussions: "He makes plays with his feet. That’s what sets him aside from other quarterbacks." How often have you heard this? You used to hear it with Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb. Michael Vick was another one of the supposed ‘new movement’ in quarterbacks (he came closest, before losing control of his life, and might achieve this yet, but he's a surprisingly patient pocket quarterback). Vince Young was a third. There were/are many. The running ability of these quarterbacks was going to redefine the position. What happened?

What happened in nearly every case (the jury remains out on Vick, who may play again) was that the demands of the modern NFL quarterback position are such that the position increasingly redefined these players rather than the other way around. The ability to process information, to make good decisions in a split moment and to make the throws that you need to requires all of the time that a good offensive line can give the quarterback. Over and again, what we saw from these players was that they had to do one of two things. They needed to stay in the pocket, look for their receivers and make the throws or give up on the pass quickly and try to run. If they did try to run, two things would consistently occur:

They would miss receivers and the passing game would suffer.
They would run, and in doing so they gave time to the faster modern NFL CBs and linebackers to converge on them and make tackles for short (or no) average gains.

Over and over, what we have seen is that the footwork that really does make the difference for an NFL quarterback is the ability to move within, not beyond, the pocket. Who is the best in the NFL? People’s opinions differ, but two names are never far from the top – Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Manning’s mechanics may be the best in the NFL. If you carefully watch his footwork, he shuffles his feet in the pocket. No, it’s not ‘happy feet’ – he’s constantly lined up with his targets, shoulder’s squared, arm just right, doing all the tiny things that change a quarterback from good to great. He’s not going to make a lot of plays by running the football. That’s why he has running backs and receivers. He knows that his job is to calmly survey the chaos, dissect the defense and throw a dagger into it. By focusing on those functions, Manning has risen to the top of the quarterback position.

Coming from the lineage that he does, Manning has had the benefit of many years of top coaching, coaching that not all quarterbacks receive (to put it mildly). One of the things that stood out when Broncos HC Josh McDaniels ran his first minicamp was that he gave minute, detailed instructions to both Kyle Orton and Chris Simms on how to take instruction, run the huddle, call the plays, take the snap, and throw the ball. His approach was that no matter which QB took the #1 slot, they would know how to do everything the Broncos Way and the rest of the players in the huddle would be able to count on things being done a certain way and done right. Since then, McDaniels has spent huge amounts of time working with each QB on footwork and mechanics, breaking down even the smallest movements. Orton’s habit of patting the football – called ‘burping the baby’ – will be a thing of the past. Simms’ inconsistency is going to be diminished or eliminated. What kind of a difference could that make?

Another example is coming to us out of Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers had what was, for all purposes, a rookie season last year and he made some rookie mistakes. As he came into minicamps and OTAs this year, his coaches presented him with a list of 10 things that he needed to change in order to become the kind of QB that he clearly has the skill to be. The very first on his list was changing his footwork within the pocket. Keep in mind what kind of QB you are looking at with Rodgers; he put up over 4,000 yards, threw 28 TDs with only 13 INTs and yet his first job in the offseason will be changing his footwork. I thought that summed up the importance of this factor.

The job of an NFL quarterback is to effectively analyze the defense, call the play, receive the ball, and either hand it off or pass it. If a quarterback is noted for running – and I’m thinking of Dante Culpepper, Michael Vick and Vince Young among many others, including Donovan McNabb in his younger days – they tend to think pass, no, run!. But the reality is, that’s not their job and it’s not generally an advantage to the club.

Consider this question answered by Ross Tucker of SI.com. Tucker is a former NFL player:

Could you comment on the issues that a 'mobile' QB creates for an offensive line in pass protection? I have noticed that various athletic and mobile QBs (Daunte Culpepper pre 2005 injury, Mike Vick, Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger) seem to have a high number of sacks, even though they are considered to be very elusive and tough to bring down. Is it all on the offensive line for the high number of sacks?

--No name given, Corunna, Ontario

In my experience offensive linemen typically get excited when they initially work with a mobile quarterback because they feel as if that will help them give up less sacks, i.e., if they get beat, the quarterback may be able to avoid the pass rusher. That excitement, however, quickly gives way to the reality that a lot of times scrambling quarterbacks rack up higher sack numbers because they aren't always where you expect them to be when you are blocking for them and their confidence in their mobility leads them to try to extend plays when sometimes they should just cut their losses.

Ultimately, the most offensive-line friendly quarterbacks are the ones that get their team into the right play or protection at the line of scrimmage, set up in the pocket exactly where the linemen expect them to be, move subtly in the pocket to avoid pressure, get rid of the ball on time, and if all else fails, throws the ball away when nothing is there.

That's a third reason that mobility in the pocket has huge advantages. Do QBs really avoid sacks when they like to run outside the pocket? Tucker would say no, but conventional wisdom would say yes. It's a very good question.

The two best QBs right now are Brady and Peyton Manning, in either order. Both are talented field generals. Neither often ‘makes plays’ with their feet in the common parlance, but both do so constantly, in reality. Watch Manning’s feet carefully some time. He shuffles them within the pocket: his shoulders are always squared, the ball held perfectly, he’s constantly ready to make the throw and he can change directions by shuffling slightly within the pocket. Manning is thinking pass, pass, pass, okay, run. And that’s his job. His ability to make decisions is also otherworldly and no one doubts his leadership. The same is true of Brady. It's not coincidence that those two are the best in the business. Both avoid sacks regularly by staying in the pocket, concentrating on their art and throwing the ball promptly, even if it means throwing it away. By the way, that's one area where Kyle Orton has room to improve.

The reality is that when I was young, back in the 1950s and 60s, I was taught that a QB had 5 seconds in the pocket. If he didn't get rid of the ball within those 5 seconds, bad things would happen. In modern times, that's down to 2.5 seconds. Ben Alamar of the Journal of Quantitative Analyses in Sports puts it this way:

Time in the pocket and the rate at which the quarterback is under pressure are the two most important aspects of a team's performance (both offensively and defensively), yet no record of it is kept."

This is borne out by a simple story regarding Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants. In Week 10 of the 2004 season, Arizona sacked New York's QB Kurt Warner 6 times en route to a 17-14 victory. The New York media predictably piled on the offensive line, shredding them in print. Coughlin, though, went back over the tape with a stopwatch. He found that Warner wasn't getting rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds, nor 3 seconds. On thirty of the thirty-seven pass plays, he held the ball for 3.8 seconds or longer. Coughlin promptly benched him, and Eli Manning got his first start. The media was predictably clueless as to why the change was really taking place, but it's a great illustration of why the importance of a quarterback's mobility outside the pocket is often overstated. 2.5 seconds from snap to throw is all you get (Yes, Elway was, as always, a definite exception).

Watch Brady carefully. He constantly laughs about his own supposedly poor mobility, but that’s totally deceiving. He’s very mobile – within the pocket. His mechanics are tremendous; textbook, in fact. Where his hands are, his shoulders, his feet, how he moves any part of his body - every movement or position is scripted and purposeful. Manning’s may be even better. Those specific mechanics are the product of intense training, constant year-round repetition and careful coaching; they are the stuff that really wins games, week in and week out.

Many folks think that it's in the West Coast Offense that the quarterback's footwork is paramount. After all, every timing pattern starts and ends with proper footwork, right? The WCO uses, almost exclusively, timing routes, set to the rhythm of the 3- or 5-step drop, right? That's true, as far as it goes. In the modern NFL, however, nearly every team uses some timing patterns. The term West Coast Offense has come to mean so many things as to be almost useless. Screen passes or no? Reverses, bootlegs? Go routes (Bill Walsh generally disdained them)? Run-based WCOs, such as Chicago's? Anathema! How about 2-TE power formations in the WCO? Well, sure, maybe, but....

What is important here is that all systems for QBs have one thing in common. They require the QB to have good footwork in order to be in position to make the necessary throws in a very specific amount of time. You need to perfect the QB's footwork to maximize the timing, the position of his shoulders and the QB's balance. Most plays aren't scripted to be run outside the pocket. Even those that are will require the same things of the QB - the balance, footwork and mechanics to make the throw. Footwork is a key to the game that may be exceeded only by decision-making and leadership. Beyond those two things (both of which are done without reference to the ball), making the throw you decided on will require the quarterbacking trinity of balance, footwork and mechanics.

If your quarterbacks coach is a good one (and books such as Phil Simms' Sunday Morning Quarterback cast doubt on that for many teams) he'll be breaking down the QB's movements and skillset using modern approaches such as slow-motion video that permits overlapping 4 to 8 images to promote the development of a specific motion until it's perfect. He will also know or employ coaches who know exactly what precise positions the quarterback's hips, feet, shoulders, arms, head and hands should be at every split moment of the progression, as well as how to run a huddle, call audibles, and break down any defense. Frankly, those kinds of coaches don't grow on trees. The Broncos are very lucky to have one, even if he's a head coach. Mike McCoy also has a very good reputation here. That's one reason that Jake Delhomme has done as well as he has.

The quarterback position is about learning incredible amounts of specific minutiae that will permit the quarterback to make good decisions and to throw the ball to his receivers. It’s not about how far or fast he can run or whether he’d make a good running back. So when you hear someone rave about the quarterback who makes plays with his feet, you might also ask how well that guy makes decisions and throws the ball. That’s what he’s really getting paid for.

Mobility to avoid sacks can be a positive. It can also lead to fleeing the pocket to avoid a sack just before your guy is open. Mobility to gain 1st downs is a positive, but only if there's no other choice - QBs get hurt running the ball and take unnecessary hits. The ability to be a 'wildcat' QB is good for a 2nd- or 3rd stringer, ala Pat White - but is nearly useless for your #1 guy. Why? You don't want to be paying that kind of coin for a fellow to block and run when he really needs to be mastering the quarterback position. If he really has mastered it over the years, you don't want to be exposing him to injury.

There is a final reason to respect mobility in the pocket even more than mobility out of it - every year, the NFL is going to seem to get a little faster. Every year, each QB is going to get a little slower, over the course of time. Age and repeated poundings do that to you.

It's not that there is a darned thing wrong with being mobile. It can be a very real benefit at certain times. But don't let it mislead you - first and foremost, the job of the QB is to be ready to deliver the ball, to make the decisions that permit him to do so and to throw it with excellent balance and good mechanics of delivery. Those things require footwork - in the pocket - to achieve good results on play after play.

Have you noticed the emphasis on that type of message from the 'new Broncos' coming out through the media? That's a good thing. As much as the conversation regarding which player is the better quarterback or who fits a certain system better, a better question might be "Which quarterbacks in the league get the teaching and coaching to learn the smaller points that will let them maximize the talents that they have (and do the hard work to internalize it)?" When the quarterbacks are getting that coaching, you can bet that footwork - within the pocket - will be at the top of their list.

Every quarterback makes plays with his feet. With some, it shows more than with others.

SB Nation Adds Mobile Commenting and Retweeting Features - Blog Huddle

John Bena (aka TheSportsGuru) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:45:53 -0700

SB Nation Adds Mobile Commenting and Retweeting Features - Blog Huddle

Details on a couple new features available to you here on MHR!!! AWESOME!

Horse Tracks 7/10/09 - Focus on the Dolts

nycbroncosfan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:35:25 -0700

DB - Broncos Trio Meets the Troops
Gray Caldwell details the visit to Peterson AFB by Kyle Orton, Brandon Stokley and Rulon Davis. Their trip was highlighted by a tour of the Cheyenne Mountain command center.

DB - Slide show from visit to Peterson AFB

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Chargers

NFLN - NFL Videos: 2009 Coach feature: Norv Turner

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 10: Chargers

SDUT - Cromartie working hard

SDUT - Mom puts in a good word about her son
Loreane Tomlinson wrote a book titled LT and Me: What Raising a Champion Taught Me About Life

SDUT - Chargers: Must resolve Oceanside airport issues to consider stadium

NYT - 2009 Predictions: Look Out for Rams and Chargers - Mike Tanier

NFL - Judge blocks suspensions of Vikings' Williamses until case is decided

NFL - Redskins' Haynesworth pleads no contest to reckless driving charge

NFL - Veteran RB Alexander working toward possible NFL return

NFL - 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith convicted of drunken driving

NFP - Diner morning news: Random thoughts
Lombardi has some choice words for the cheap-shot slinging Raiders fans who've been emailing him.

SI - Tom Brady's knee, Brett Favre's return top 40 juicy NFL storylines - Don Banks

SI - Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders top football Thrill List - Peter King
These are an excellent set of columns; check them out with the pull-down menu at the bottom! There's one for each sport.

NFL - As more teams split carries, these five backs stand above the rest - Bucky Brooks

CBS - Backup protection: Ten best No. 2 quarterbacks - Clark Judge

NFP - Preseason coaching carousel: AFC
Robert Boland thinks Josh McDaniels was actually helped by the Cutler trade in that expectations have been lowered. Hmm, I can think of a few folks who'll want his head with anything less than winning three Super Bowls in 2009...

NFP - NFP late hits: Vikes need Williamses
Bowen is hearing positives about Jeff Garcia and Michael Bush from Jokeland.

NFP - Getting through the back door
Jack Bechta says there's yet another way of breaking into the sports business.

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: North Carolina - Wes Bunting

NFL - Idaho's Iupti, Texas' Hall top 2010 draft interior OL prospects - Gil Brandt

----------------------RIP Steve McNair----------------------

ESPN - As pallbearers, teammates carry McNair final time

ESPN - Steve McNair was a famous NFL quarterback, but back home in Mississippi -- at Alcorn State -- he was a happening - Wright Thompson

NFL - Building bridge back to that rare, humble athlete from Alcorn State - Thomas George

Y! - Fans can't avoid elephant at McNair's memorial - Jason Cole

NFL - Thousands gather to honor McNair's accomplishments on and off field

Throngs honor McNair

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:57:32 -0700

Steve McNair's family, friends, former teammates and coaches gathered Thursday night along with thousands of fans to remember his accomplishments on and off the field.

Judge blocks suspension of Vikings linemen

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:37:00 -0700

A judge Thursday blocked the NFL's plan to suspend Vikings linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy, a move their attorney said should let them start the season with camp beginning in just three weeks.

Nuggets lose Dahntay Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:06:00 -0700

Former Nuggets shooting guard Dahntay Jones has agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers.

Jones was a starter, sure, but his minutes went down each round in the playoffs, and he only averaged 17.5 minutes per game over the entire postseason. So he was really more like a sixth man, except with Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith playing such huge roles off the bench, he was actually the seventh man in terms of PT. He also wasn’t much of a jump shooter even when teams were leaving him open.

But he also had a sweet dunk on Erick Dampier in Game Three of the Dallas series, and he was part of one of the memorable moments of the Lakers series when he tripped Kobe Bryant. I was much more concerned about the fate of Chris Andersen this offseason than I was with Jones. I tend to criticize filthy-rich sports owners when they cheap out on teams, but if the NBA salary cap is really shrinking before the 2010-2011 season, then losing Jones is a minor sacrifice. J.R. Smith can step up in the lineup, and he’ll have to, because the Nuggets don’t have another guard ready if he’s struggling. Yes, we have Ty Lawson. But rookie point guards are no sure thing. Congratulations to Jones on his deal and significant raise; here’s to hoping the Nuggets won’t miss him too much on the court.

Horse Tracks 7/9/09 - What's in John Elway's golf bag?

nycbroncosfan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:54:14 -0700

CBS - Broncos need to take charge in Marshall flap
Clark Judge thinks Denver should stand firm with BMarsh and show him who's really boss.

DB - Smooth Landing - Zach Eisendrath
New safety David Bruton had a rough time getting to Denver for a pre-draft visit, but surely his tireless effort to do so helped out. Bruton is grateful to have several Notre Dame alums on the roster, is sidling up to Brian Dawkins for some lessons, and hopes to make a difference on special teams for the Broncos.

CSG - Broncos camp preview: the quarterbacks
Frank Schwab reminds us that Kyle Orton was off to quite a start in '08 before an ankle injury derailed his production. No, he doesn't have Jay Cutler's physical skills, not quite. But his numbers through seven games were comparable (yes, it's a small sample).

DB - Images from Past and Present - Broncos TV
Here's a slide show of with images of the nominees for Denver's 50th Anniversary Team. Only problem? It's a mere 2.5 minutes long. I could watch this thing for a week straight, as I'm sure you could too...

KOAA - Broncos visit Peterson Air Force Base
Kyle Orton, Brandon Stokley and Rulon Davis made an appearance at Peterson.

DP - Mailbag: June a boon for Rox
Woody doesn't like Kyle Orton's arm strength.

MH - Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade warns about the risks of waiting
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald has heard of interest out of Denver in CB Patrick Surtain. Thanks to Arrowhead Pride for the link.

GOLF - John Elway's Golf Equipment - The Shop Blog
Here's a peek inside the golf bag of The Greatest Ever. He sure loves his Pings. Gotta love that he only plays #7 balls...

KDVR - Family Memories with Red Miller
A brief feature on the former Broncos coach.

ABH - Cutler's free pass to Stafford leads to violation
Apparently JC wasn't supposed to give Matt Stafford free tickets to the Broncos/Falcons game last year. Georgia self-reported the secondary violation.

WS - Friends off the field but fierce gridiron rivals
Former Broncos CB Lenny Walls is still playing, up in Canadia.

SDUT - Countdown to Camp - Kevin Acee
Acee covers the O-Line today

NFLN - NFL Videos: Raiders offseason QB battle
Jason La Canfora has the latest on JaMarcus Russell working out to keep his job from Jeff Garcia.

KCS - Former Chiefs player charged in fatal accident

NFL - Police: Retired QB McNair murdered by girlfriend, who then killed herself

NFL - Police release video of McNair girlfriend's DUI arrest before murder-suicide

DN - NFL off-season: Changes for the better
Rick Gosselin thinks the Broncos "gave Cutler away to the Bears." You can imagine where that's going...

SI - Andre Smith, Jason Smith, Brian Orakpo are changing positions - Ross Tucker

NFL - QB or not QB? Veteran Curry understands rookie White's predicament
Will Pat White remain at QB in Miami, or will he switch to WR? Ronald Curry has been there, done that with Jokeland.

NYT - Lab Results: The Rise of Joe Flacco - KC Joyner

NFP - Diner morning news: Super Bowl curse
Lombardi lays out a plan for Arizona to avoid the curse of the SB runner-up.

NFP - Wednesday whys: A good deal gone awry - Andrew Brandt

NFP - The pressure is on Romo - Matt Bowen

FOX - Summer two-a-days: AFC East, NFC West - Peter Schrager

CBS - Positional Rankings: Wide Receivers
Prisco puts BMarsh at #6.

NFL - With Rice set for Canton, current receivers take aim at lofty standards
Bucky Brooks ranks his top 5 wide receivers, as does Warren Sapp in the accompanying video.

PFW - Scott primed to upgrade Jets 'D' - Matt Sohn

NFL - Goodell, Mora reach summit of 14,411-foot Mount Rainier in charity climb

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Atlanta Falcons

NFLN - NFL Videos: Atlanta all-access

FOX - Which act will get the nod for Super Bowl XLIV?
Alex Marvez wonders who will perform at halftime of the big game.

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Virginia Tech - Wes Bunting

Police: McNair shot by Kazemi

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:34:12 -0700

Former NFL star Steve McNair was shot dead in his sleep last week by a 20-year-old girlfriend distraught about mounting financial problems and her belief that he was seeing someone else, police said Wednesday.

Kyle Orton: Hope? Fully?

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:09:17 -0700

Kudos to Frank Schwab of the Colorado Springs Gazette for this statistical revelation. Mr. Schwab wrote:

Few people remember how good Orton was over his first seven starts last season. He was efficient and in games three through seven threw for at least 199 yards every outing. The Bears lost by three points at Carolina (the second best team in the NFC last year), lost in overtime to Tampa Bay (the Buccaneers scored 10 points in the final 3:11, including a touchdown with seven seconds left, to tie) and lost on a last-second field goal at Atlanta after a heinous decision to squib kick after Orton completed what should have been the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left. The Bears were 4-3 with three excruciating losses to good teams, and Orton was a big reason for their success. Remember the great start Jay Cutler had last year? Compare Orton and Cutler through seven games. Denver and Chicago had a bye in Week 8:

A lot of people don’t remember Orton performing at that level, including me. One game I recall was his three touchdown game against the Eagles where he duped former safety Brian Dawkins with some clever eye movement. The reason why the first seven games is measured is because Orton injured his ankle after the seventh game. However, Frank Schwab pulled together some interesting statistics that can provide Denver fans hope, hopefully.

Kyle Orton, 2008 through seven games
1,669 yards
10 touchdowns
4 interceptions (5 games without an interception)
143 completions
230 attempts
62.2 completion percentage
7.26 per attempt
4-3 team record

Jay Cutler, 2008 through seven games
1,862 yards
13 touchdowns
7 interceptions (2 games without an interception)
163 completions
254 attempts
64.2 completion percentage
7.33 per attempt
4-3 team record

Cutler and Orton statistically are the same, but statistics can be easily skewed.

Jay Cutler had a superior receivers and offensive line but a terrible defense. Kyle Orton had nearly the opposite. The Bears had a great run defense finishing 5th in the league however they had a atrocious pass defense ranking 30th in the NFL. A better measurement of a defense in my opinion is points allowed during the season and points allowed per game. Chicago was merely average ranking 16th in both categories. The bottom line? Chicago’s defense wasn’t consistent enough as they used to be. Therefore Orton wasn’t carried by the defense as much as critics would think. (I would say Orton was carried by Matt Forte more than anything else.)

All of this is just wishful thinking. Can Orton translate his early success with a better offensive line, receivers, and coaching staff? Hopefully, but it’s just hope. Will the team be better minus one Jay Cutler and plus a Kyle Orton, Robert Ayers, and Alphonso Smith? I really hope so.

Horse Tracks 7/8/09 - Darrell Reid gives back

nycbroncosfan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:46:35 -0700

DB - Jackson Poised to Perform
Despite his limited prior successes as a pro, Chad Jackson believes his pre-existing knowledge of Josh McDaniels' offense will help him excel in 2009.

DB - Following the Blueprint - Zach Eisendrath
UFA linebacker Lee Robinson is looking at Wesley Woodyard's path to the Broncos roster for inspiration. Robinson played OLB at Alcorn State but is working inside for Denver so far.

CSG - Broncos camp preview: the tight ends
Frank Schwab sees a big role for Tony Scheffler in the Denver offense, more production from Daniel Graham with the growth of Ryan's Clady and Harris, and a lot of jumbo-package looks for Richard Quinn.

DB - Training Camp Schedule Released

DP - Broncos to start training camp July 31
LJones points out that McDaniels and Co. are going fan friendly with a public practice at the Big IF and autograph sessions after every practice.

NT - Broncos' Reid brings skills, drills and smiles to youths
LB/DE Darrell Reid recently held a football camp back home in NJ, telling the kids in attendance to work hard in school to earn their way onto the playing field.

KNS - Tennessee football great Al Wilson inspires kids to dream
Al Wilson spoke at a Y in Knoxville, telling the children there to have a plan in life, stay focused, study and make positive choices.

WT - NFL 32 in 32: Denver Broncos
Ryan O'Halloran does some pretty shoddy work, penciling Crowder and Ayres (sic) at the starting end positions, Louis Green (who's been cut) at linebacker, and Josh Bell as a starting corner over Goodman and Pho Smith.

USAT - Broncos couldn't put a sock in 'second-class' days in AFL
Larry Weisman considers how ugly both the Broncos' socks and their play on the field were in the early days.

SDUT - Countdown to Camp - Kevin Acee
Whoops, missed the first several parts of this. Kevin Acee is previewing the Dolts season by looking at sections of their roster; he's halfway through - here are the links.

NFL - NFL gives Giants LB Boley one-game suspension for 2008 battery charge

NFL - Titans opening LP Field to McNair fans on Wednesday, Thursday

NFL - Stallworth details events before DUI crash in recorded police interview

Y! - Teams slow to re-sign '05 draft picks - Jason Cole
Wow, if the '05 guys aren't getting deals, then wait 'til we see how the '06 class plays out, BMarsh.

CBS - Jauron, Phillips among coaches on hot seat
Clark Judge thinks Kubes is on the back burner in Houston. Say it ain't so!

NFP - Diner morning news: the Packers move on - Mike Lombardi

NFP - NFL quick hits: Peppers will pay off - Matt Bowen

CBS - Positional Rankings: Inside Linebackers - Pete Prisco

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 5: Tight ends - Marshall Faulk

SI - Special MMQB: Tuesday Edition - Matt Light

NFP - In praise of Southern football: part 2 - Robert Boland

NFLN - NFL Videos: Big money, big gamble
Marshall Faulk thinks the addition of Jay Cutler makes the Bears a Super Bowl contender.

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Dallas Cowboys

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 10: Dance Moves
In honor of Michael Jackson, NFL Network counts down the top ten on-field dance celebrations. I think White Shoes has gotta be the best one...

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Pittsburgh - Wes Bunting

Joe Sakic retiring

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:31:00 -0700

John reminded me that longtime Colorado Avalanche center and captain Joe Sakic will retire tomorrow.

Like many Coloradans, I started following hockey right around June of 1996, right as Sakic was wrapping up his masterpiece postseason that would earn him the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. Over the next few seasons his reputation soured a bit among some Denver fans as his postseason numbers often didn’t match his lofty standards, which is sort of hilarious considering he led a Colorado team to the state’s first-ever major pro sports championship. Sakic was outstanding again in 2001, when the team won its second Stanley Cup.

I don’t really have any specific Sakic memories, but he’s been a leader and star of the Avs ever since they came to Denver. I want to call him the steady hand to Forsberg’s flash but that’s selling Sakic, who was a spectacular player, way too short. He will be missed.

Birdman to stay in Denver

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:15:00 -0700

Hallelujah. Five years. Saw it on ESPN.com, which cites a Denver Post report. To me, this was the biggest question mark of our offseason, and it’s already taken care of. I’m very pleased to see ownership and management step up like this.

Peyton Hillis Talks Camp

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:11:05 -0700

Video of Peyton Hillis‘ interview with a local Arkansas news network after the jump (the video auto-plays, so heads up).

Broncos to start training camp July 31

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:16:34 -0700

The Broncos on Tuesday unveiled their schedule for the first training camp under new coach Josh McDaniels.

Broncos release Training Camp Schedule, MHR will be there!

John Bena (aka TheSportsGuru) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:45:08 -0700

The Denver Broncos released their Training Camp schedule, with rookies set to report in just 20 days. The first day for full-team workouts is Friday, July 31st, which is also the first practice open to the public.

The full schedule is below. I will be there, though which days is still a bit cloudy. If you are going, talk about it in the comments and don't forget a pencil and paper - not for autographs, of course, but to write down your thoughts on what you see and hear!

The full schedule and more after the jump!

DAILY PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS' 2009 TRAINING CAMP

DATE DAY MORNING PRACTICE AFTERNOON/EVENING PRACTICE

7/31/09 Friday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/1/09 Saturday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/2/09 Sunday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/3/09 Monday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/4/09 Tuesday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/5/09 Wednesday 8:45-10:30 a.m. (Media only) 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/6/09 Thursday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. (Stadium)

8/7/09 Friday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/8/09 Saturday No Practice Scheduled No Practice Scheduled

8/9/09 Sunday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/10/09 Monday 8:45 a.m. (Stadium - Media only) 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/11/09 Tuesday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/12/09 Wednesday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/13/09 Thursday No Practice Scheduled - Team Travels to San Francisco

8/14/09 Friday Denver at San Francisco - 7 p.m. PDT

8/15/09 Saturday No Practice Scheduled No Practice Scheduled

8/16/09 Sunday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/17/09 Monday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/18/09 Tuesday No Practice Scheduled 2:30-4:30 p.m.

8/19/09 Wednesday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

8/20/09 Thursday 8:45-10:30 a.m. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

DENVER BRONCOS 2009 TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE AND MEDIA INFORMATION

Training Camp Location and Dates: The Denver Broncos' 2009 training camp will be held at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre in Englewood, Colo., with practices open to the public for viewing from Friday, July 31, through Thursday, Aug. 20.

Daily Schedule: The complete training camp schedule is listed at the bottom of this advisory. Please note that practice times and dates are subject to change without notice. Days in which the Broncos will hold two practices begin with a morning practice scheduled from approximately 8:45-10:30 a.m. and include an evening practice scheduled from approximately 5:30-7:30 p.m. On days featuring only one session, the club is set to practice from approximately 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Gates for morning, afternoon and evening practices will be open starting one hour before the session begins.

Stadium Practices: The Broncos will practice twice at INVESCO Field at Mile High during their 2009 training camp. On Thursday, Aug. 6, the club will practice at INVESCO Field at Mile High beginning at 6:30 p.m. This session is open to both the public and media, and the entire team will be available to sign autographs for fans after practice.

Denver also is set to practice at its stadium on Monday, Aug. 10, at 8:45 a.m. Please note that this session is open to the media only.

Media Parking: Members of the media covering training camp will park in Lot A, which is located to the west of the Broncos' training facility. The media parking area will be supervised by security. A limited number of parking passes will be available for media organizations to pick up beginning on Monday, July 27, at the media barbeque.

Fan Parking: Parking at the Broncos' facility is located on the west side of the practice fields and is open on a first-come, first-served basis. Because space is limited, please arrive early. The parking area is open one hour before the start of each practice.

Admission: Practices at the team's headquarters are open to the public and admission is free. Please refer to the schedule at the bottom of this advisory for specific dates and times of the practices.

Cell Phone Activity: Cell phone activity of any kind by credentialed members of the press as well as fans is prohibited inside credentialed/ticketed areas during training camp practices. This includes calls, text messaging and live blogging as well as transmissions to social networking sites (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook).

Cell phone activity is allowed inside the Broncos' press room and outside the field areas.

ADA: Admission to the Denver Broncos' 2009 training camp will be ADA accessible.

General Seating: There will be no bleachers at the Broncos' 2009 training camp, but fans will be able to stand and view the practices from selected areas that will be marked clearly on site.

Lawn Chairs: Lawn chairs will not be allowed at training camp.

Bag Policy: Soft-sided bags no larger than 12" x 12" x 12" will be permitted at training camp.

Cameras: Fans are welcome to use still cameras during Broncos' 2009 training camp, but video cameras will not be permitted. Only members of the media will be allowed to bring cameras with professional lenses and tripods to training camp.

Autographs: Players will be designated by position group (WRs, DLs, DBs, etc.) to sign autographs for fans after each practice (both morning and afternoon/evening sessions). All autographs will take place in the south end zone of the artificial turf practice field.

Food and Beverages: Food concessions will not be sold during training camp, but non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at training camp. Food and non-alcoholic beverage items will be permitted in small individual quantities.

Umbrellas: Umbrellas of any size will not be permitted inside the Broncos' training facility. Please bring sufficient wet weather attire if necessary.

Team Store: The Broncos' team store will be temporarily relocated adjacent to the practice fields during training camp. This area will be clearly marked.

Poll

Are you heading to Training Camp 2009??

Horse Tracks 7/7/09 - Let's talk Training Camp!!!!

nycbroncosfan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:54:42 -0700

DB - Who’s Number One?
Mike Rice shares some thoughts on the Broncos' QBs - like everyone, he's interested to see how Orton will fare with a better supporting cast than he had in Chicago.

CSG - Broncos camp preview: a look at the offensive line
Frank Schwab examines Denver's O-Line, reminding us how far under the radar Ryan Clady flew last year.

SN - Broncos camp countdown: After tumultuous offseason, McDaniels will be scrutinized
A balanced and realistic outlook on the '09 Broncos from Teicher, Iyer and Rasizer. They see lots of talent on offense but question marks on the defense, while an unnamed opponent has higher expectations for Denver than most. Said opponent is curious to see Kyle Orton surrounded by actual talent, and calls Alphonso Smith the "best cover corner in the draft."

SN - The new guys: Broncos safety Brian Dawkins
BDawk tells Dennis Dillon how tough it is adjusting to Denver's altitude and what he loves about his new home city.

NFLN - NFL Videos: Monday's Around the League
Jason La Canfora is hearing from Denver that Josh McDaniels is taking charge and has freshened up the attitude by bringing in a nutritionist and giving the players more of a summer break.

DB - NFL Network: Royal Visits Rookie Symposium - Broncos TV
Video from the symposium; it's pretty long, so I couldn't get through it this morning. Eddie is one of the four second-year panelists.

DW - Behind the launch of the Rocky Mountain Independent
The writers formerly of the Rocky now have yet another new project, as INDenver Times didn't quite work out as planned.

SN - 10-Pack: Integration of the African-American QB
Florio examines some defining moments in the emergence of African-American QBs, starting with the Broncos' own Marlin Briscoe.

EH - Eason still basking in Super Bowl victory glow
Stillers DE Nick Eason looks back at his career, including a rough start in Denver.

SFC - Silver and Black legends have eye on young players
The guys who actually made Jokeland good have plenty of advice for the Raiders' current bunch of clowns.

KCS - Hall of Fame names new exhibit after Lamar Hunt

NFP - A look at rookie contracts
Part 1 of a series by Andrew Brandt educating us on rookie deals; first up, the signing bonus.

NYT - Giants’ Lesson From 2008: Can’t Have Enough Pass Rushers - Toni Monkovic
When's the last time the Broncos lived by this philosophy?

NFP - NFL quick hits: the holdup with Winfield - Matt Bowen

FOX - 10 teams with missing parts and how to fill them
Alex Marvez considers whether BMarsh would be a good fit for the Ravens.

CBS - Positional Rankings: Running Backs
Pete Prisco ranks his top 10 running backs.

NYT - If Only the Cowboys Had Better Blocking … - KC Joyner

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Carolina Panthers

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: West Virginia - Wes Bunting

------------------RIP Steve McNair-------------------

NFL - Police confirm woman found dead with McNair bought gun used in homicide

NFL - Details about McNair's relationship with Kazemi emerge after shooting

NFL - Fisher: Celebrate McNair's work on the field, in the community

NFLN - NFL Videos: George remembers McNair
Eddie George talks with Steve Wyche about playing with Steve McNair.

NFP - Diner morning news: 'a man among boys' - Mike Lombardi

SI - Steve McNair's murder proves athlete's image not always reality - Don Banks

ESPN - Former Tennessee Titans QB Steve McNair might be the last QB selected in the first round from a historically black school - Len Pasquarelli

ESPN - Share McNair: Former coordinators reflect

Denver Broncos 2009 Training Camp Schedule

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:44:05 -0700

The Denver Broncos have announced their 2009 training camp schedule. Practices begin Friday, July 31 and continue through Thursday, August 20, with two practices being held at INVESCO Field at Mile High! Check out the schedule below:

DAILY PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS’ 2009 TRAINING CAMP
DATE	DAY	MORNING PRACTICE	LATE PRACTICE
7/31/09	Friday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/1/09	Saturday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/2/09	Sunday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/3/09	Monday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/4/09	Tuesday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/5/09	Wednesday	8:45-10:30 a.m. (Media only)	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/6/09	Thursday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	6:30 p.m. (Stadium)
8/7/09	Friday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/8/09	Saturday	No Practice Scheduled	No Practice Scheduled
8/9/09	Sunday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/10/09	Monday	8:45 a.m. (Stadium – Media only)	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/11/09	Tuesday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/12/09	Wednesday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/13/09	Thursday	No Practice Scheduled – Team Travels to San Francisco
8/14/09	Friday	Denver at San Francisco – 7 p.m. PDT
8/15/09	Saturday	No Practice Scheduled	No Practice Scheduled
8/16/09	Sunday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/17/09	Monday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/18/09	Tuesday	No Practice Scheduled	2:30-4:30 p.m.
8/19/09	Wednesday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.
8/20/09	Thursday	8:45-10:30 a.m.	5:30-7:30 p.m.

BroncoTalk is excited to announce that we will be covering a significant portion of training camp. We’ll have more details in the weeks to follow. The full press release is after the jump.

Training Camp Location and Dates: The Denver Broncos’ 2009 training camp will be held at the Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre in Englewood, Colo., with practices open to the public for viewing from Friday, July 31, through Thursday, Aug. 20.

Broncos rookies will report to training camp on Monday, July 27, and there will be limited media availability each day leading up to when veterans report to camp on Thursday, July 30. Please note that the first practices open to the public for viewing occur on Friday, July 31.

Media Barbeque: The Broncos will hold a media barbeque on Monday, July 27, at their training facility. A select number of players will be available to the press that day (no coaches).

Daily Schedule: The complete training camp schedule is listed at the bottom of this advisory. Please note that practice times and dates are subject to change without notice. Days in which the Broncos will hold two practices begin with a morning practice scheduled from approximately 8:45-10:30 a.m. and include an evening practice scheduled from approximately 5:30-7:30 p.m. On days featuring only one session, the club is set to practice from approximately 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Gates for morning, afternoon and evening practices will be open starting one hour before the session begins.

Stadium Practices: The Broncos will practice twice at INVESCO Field at Mile High during their 2009 training camp. On Thursday, Aug. 6, the club will practice at INVESCO Field at Mile High beginning at 6:30 p.m. This session is open to both the public and media, and the entire team will be available to sign autographs for fans after practice.

Denver also is set to practice at its stadium on Monday, Aug. 10, at 8:45 a.m. Please note that this session is open to the media only.

Media Parking: Members of the media covering training camp will park in Lot A, which is located to the west of the Broncos’ training facility. The media parking area will be supervised by security. A limited number of parking passes will be available for media organizations to pick up beginning on Monday, July 27, at the media barbeque.

Fan Parking: Parking at the Broncos’ facility is located on the west side of the practice fields and is open on a first-come, first-served basis. Because space is limited, please arrive early. The parking area is open one hour before the start of each practice.

Admission: Practices at the team’s headquarters are open to the public and admission is free. Please refer to the schedule at the bottom of this advisory for specific dates and times of the practices.

Media Access to Practice: Media access will be granted by camp credentials, which will be issued by the Broncos’ public relations department. The credentials are valid for the duration of training camp and will include a photo ID. Media members may obtain credentials for training camp in the Broncos’ press room, where a member of the public relations department will be present to assist them. Please note that these credentials will not be valid for games at INVESCO Field at Mile High. On their first visit, media members are encouraged to allow a few extra minutes to get their camp press credential, which will be processed on site upon their arrival. Access is strictly limited to working media only, and the media may not bring guests to practice.

Dress Attire: Members of the media must be dressed professionally and appropriately to be granted access to the Broncos’ training camp.

Media Viewing Locations: Media covering the Broncos’ training camp are permitted to view the practices on the patio area as well as from the sideline and end zone areas surrounding the practice fields. The press cannot be “between fields” if there is any activity on both of those fields.

Cell Phone Activity: Cell phone activity of any kind by credentialed members of the press as well as fans is prohibited inside credentialed/ticketed areas during training camp practices. This includes calls, text messaging and live blogging as well as transmissions to social networking sites (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook).

Cell phone activity is allowed inside the Broncos’ press room and outside the field areas.

Tripods: Still photographers and videographers may only set up their tripods on the sidewalk and patio areas surrounding the practice fields.

Live Shot Locations: The primary designated area for live shots is located in front of the helmet on the outside wall in front of the Broncos’ training facility. The area immediately inside the press gate, off the field and immediately adjacent to the wall will be available for live shots only if the team is completely finished and no one is on the playing field.

Radio Stations: Radio stations looking to broadcast live from training camp must contact John Karpan of the Broncos’ operations department (303-649-0581) to arrange for tent locations. In addition, radio stations must contact Rick Seifert of the Broncos’ communications department (720-258-3999) to arrange for the use of telephone lines.

Broncos players will be available for live interviews for radio stations; However the interview must be pre-arranged with the player directly or through a member of the Broncos’ public relations department.

Editing Trailers for Local TV Stations: Television stations interested in parking an editing trailer at training camp must contact John Karpan of the Broncos’ operations department (303-649-0581).

Josh McDaniels’ Availability: Head Coach Josh McDaniels will be available to the press in a group setting during each day of training camp. Requests for individual interviews with Coach McDaniels must be made through the club’s public relations department in advance of the requested date.

Player Availability: As in previous camps, players will be available to the media for both group and individual interviews coming off the practice field. Please note that the locker room and cafeteria will be closed to the press during training camp—This includes meal service for local press.

ADA: Admission to the Denver Broncos’ 2009 training camp will be ADA accessible.

General Seating: There will be no bleachers at the Broncos’ 2009 training camp, but fans will be able to stand and view the practices from selected areas that will be marked clearly on site.

Lawn Chairs: Lawn chairs will not be allowed at training camp.

Bag Policy: Soft-sided bags no larger than 12” x 12” x 12” will be permitted at training camp.

Cameras: Fans are welcome to use still cameras during Broncos’ 2009 training camp, but video cameras will not be permitted. Only members of the media will be allowed to bring cameras with professional lenses and tripods to training camp.

Autographs: Players will be designated by position group (WRs, DLs, DBs, etc.) to sign autographs for fans after each practice (both morning and afternoon/evening sessions). All autographs will take place in the south end zone of the artificial turf practice field.

Food and Beverages: Food concessions will not be sold during training camp, but non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at training camp. Food and non-alcoholic beverage items will be permitted in small individual quantities.

Umbrellas: Umbrellas of any size will not be permitted inside the Broncos’ training facility. Please bring sufficient wet weather attire if necessary.

Team Store: The Broncos’ team store will be temporarily relocated adjacent to the practice fields during training camp. This area will be clearly marked.

Ex-Bronco Henry seeks light sentence in drug case

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:13:53 -0700

BILLINGS, Mont.—Attorneys for Travis Henry say the former NFL running back deserves a light sentence in his federal cocaine trafficking case because he was "duped" by friends in the drug

McNair, Kazemi had whirlwind romance

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:21:48 -0700

The star quarterback and the waitress met six months ago at a restaurant where she worked and his family often ate. He was married and 16 years older.

Rookie Ayers Making Waves on Defense

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:54:51 -0700

Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Robert Ayers (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The question revolving around the new Denver Broncos 3-4 defense isn’t so much a matter of “who” as it is “where.”

There are plenty of players on the to-be-trimmed-roster that will fill one of the holes on the front seven. Where they will make their mark, however, is still very up in the air.

Case in point: Robert Ayers. Denver sources indicate that the team’s first round draft pick has been impressive, and will almost certainly start on the new 3-4 defense from day one. But where? Word is that Ayers has been taking a decent share of snaps at starting outside linebacker, Pro Football Weekly reports, but is still expected to play some at defensive end.

We hear Ayers, the 18th overall pick in the draft, picked things up quickly during offseason activities and received a good deal of reps with the first-team defense. It’s certain he’ll start at one of the front-seven spots on defense from Day One, but exactly where is something the Broncos still have to figure out. He was mostly lining up at outside linebacker in the team’s 3-4 set, according to observers, but he could be moved to defensive end, and most likely will rush with his hand on the ground on passing downs.

Coming from the Patriots system, there’s no doubt Josh McDaniels would love to use Ayers as a hybrid defensive player and confuse opposing offenses. I can’t wait to get a good look at Ayers during training camp.

Horse Tracks 7/6/09 - Bly bitter about 2008

nycbroncosfan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:26:21 -0700

PFW - Broncos rookie Ayers a quick study
Dan Parr and Co. are hearing good things about Robert Ayers. Thanks to Doc for the link.

FOX - 7 Points: NFC North has interesting QBs, for once
Ed Thompson still thinks the Broncos should trade BMarsh and disagrees that doing so would set a bad precedent. He even compares the situation to T.O. - ouch.

VP - NFL cornerback Bly relishes the same role with new team
Dre' Bly says he was made a scapegoat for last year's defensive woes in Denver, and that the Broncos defense was too predictable and lacked aggression. Sounds about right, Dre'. Of course, it also lacked talent.

SI - Matt Birk guest authors Monday Morning QB for Peter King
Harvard alum Matt Birk uses MMQB to pass along some excellent thoughts on retired players, the dramatization of players missing OTAs, and more.

NFL - Shooting death of former Titans, Ravens QB McNair ruled a homicide

NFL - Ravens fondly remember McNair as leader and friend

NFLN - NFL Videos: NFLTA: Sabol and Fisher on McNair

NFLN - NFL Videos: NFLTA: Top 10 McNair moments

PFW - Adversity allowed McNair to bring out his best

PFW - Notable events in McNair’s college, pro careers

SI - McNair's legacy was about being a true leader - John P. Lopez

NFP - Sunday at the Post
Lombardi senses little patience among the Denver fan base. Say it ain't so, folks!!

TSN - Rehab specialists: Three first-year coaches could engineer quick turnarounds
Dennis Dillon could see Jim Mora, Steve Spagnuolo and Eric Mangini making instant impacts with their new clubs.

Scout - NFL Exclusive: Chris Canty

McNair's death declared homicide

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:29:08 -0700

Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday.

Horse Tracks 7/5/09 - RIP Steve McNair

nycbroncosfan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:10:05 -0700

NG - Kern makes pit stop back home
Brett Kern is profiled by his hometown paper in Western NY. He's apparently quite the golfer, and will be working out in Denver throughout the month in preparation for camp.

ESPN - Who has the best offense in the AFC West?
Pork Chop thinks the Broncos would be better off with Jay Cutler, but he does admit their offense could be successful with Kyle Orton at the helm.

NFP - Random holiday takes
Matt Bowen thinks the Broncos need to stand firm and not give in to BMarsh.

ANC - Former Tide, NFL standout will speak at Boy Scout event
Jeremiah Castille, he of The Fumble, is now a minister.

TT - Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi killed
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was killed in an apparent murder-suicide with a young woman he met at a local restaurant and had been dating for at least a few months.

TT - Titans fans loved Steve McNair's resilience
Steve McNair built his legacy with gritted teeth and a battered body, and Titans fans and teammates loved him for it as they now must deal with his death.

TT - Sorrow is great because McNair was one of us - David Climer

NFL - Former Titans, Ravens QB McNair found dead at 36

NFL - McNair helped bring stability and success to vagabond franchise - Vic Carucci

NFL - Steve McNair, gone far too soon - Jason La Canfora

Y! - Fallen McNair remembered as a warrior - Jason Cole

CBS - Dare McNair too often, you'd lose to an NFL warrior - Pete Prisco

CBS - In McNair they trusted, and QB delivered for Ravens in '06 - Clark Judge

CBS - Tough, sincere McNair was true Titan among NFL players - Mike Freeman

ESPN - Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair remembered as the ultimate NFL competitor - Len Pasquarelli

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Louisiana Tech - Wes Bunting

Steve McNair found shot to death

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:38:12 -0700

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, whose most famous drive was the final one of the 2000 Super Bowl, was found dead Saturday afternoon with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head, in a downtown condominium. Police said a pistol was discovered near the body of a woman also shot dead.

Horse Tracks 7/4/09 - Happy Fourth, Broncos Fans!!!

nycbroncosfan — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:40:29 -0700

DB - Daniel Graham Locks in 50th Anniversary Team Vote - Broncos TV
Watch DG pick his all-time Broncos team. He does a pretty good job. Of course, he's got a lot of insider info, thanks to his dad.

NFL - League's top two cover cornerbacks reside in AFC West
Bucky Brooks ranks Champ behind Nnamdi Asomugha within his ranking of the top-5 cornerbacks in the NFL. Rod Woodson puts Champ at #4, and Jamie Dukes is barely able to restrain himself from taking a shot at Denver.

SI - NFL Rookie Symposium gives players no excuse for misbehavior - Ross Tucker
Eddie Royal took some inspiration and perspective from Cris Carter's appearance at last year's rookie symposium.

CCT - Inman: Al Davis rings up four score
Well, I suppose we should all wish for a very long life for The Crypt Keeper - 20+ more years of Commitment to Losing!!

Y! - New league will consider signing Vick

NFLN - NFL Videos: Coaches USO tour: Day 2

NFP - Diner morning news: Independent thoughts - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Spending & winning are not the same - Andrew Brandt

ESPN - John Clayton examines the future of the Wildcat offense in the NFL

FOX - Schein's Nine: Eagles finally have WRs

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Minnesota Vikings

NFLN - NFL Videos: Vikings All-Access

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top 10 Patriots of all time

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: South Florida - Wes Bunting

Broncos Dreams and Musings July 3, 2009

broncobear — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:48:55 -0700

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

27 days ago: Denver Broncos linebacker Darrell Reid, left, talks with head coach Josh McDaniels before drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

The Denver Broncos and Michael Lombardi

I was meandering through some old materials this weekend when I found a pre-draft set of concerns about the Broncos by Michael Lombardi. I had thought at the time that they were reasonable and a fair consideration, so I kept them around. Here is what he said:

DENVER

Who is going to be the Broncos starting quarterback? Can they repair, restore and revive the relationship between Jay Cutler and the head coach?
With the switch to a 3-4 there are plenty of positions up for grabs, but the essential question is this: Who will rush the passer from the outside?
Denver forced only 13 turnovers last season and clearly lack speed on every level of their defense. Who is going to be their playmaker?
The Broncos struggled to cover anyone, even with Champ Bailey, and finished with just six interceptions for the season. Who can cover?
Can they expect to get another year out of Casey Wiegmann at center? They struggled when they played physical defensive teams

I thought, even then, that these were excellent questions. There was not doubt that pre-draft, the Broncos had reason to give pause to even the most voracious fans. This led to a lot of musing on what happened and dreams of what might be. That being said, let's take them one at a time and see if Denver did anything to work out those concerns.

Question 1: Who will be the Quarterback?

The Broncos made a decision to give up on the more emotionally fraught and fragile situation with Jay Cutler, cut their losses and make a deal that would yield a starter in Orton and kept their backup in Simms. That same deal also netted them (in essence) Knowshon Moreno and Alphonso Smith and 'half' of Richard Quinn, with a caveat involving the trade of a 3rd-round pick for a 5th-rounder (There are different ways to parse this, but this one seems most accurate to me). However, the issue of who starts at QB, although important, is secondary to the issue of whether or not the Broncos got good value in a trade that most industry people agreed that they had to make. While it’s easy for fans to argue (as I have myself) that it would be grand and emotionally satisfying to see them sit Cutler on the bench for a while, that kind of thing can poison a locker room and distract a team already facing huge changes. It isn’t reasonable and it wasn’t going to happen. I have to say that they seemed to do very well with a tough situation.

In addition, the arrival of Tom Brandstater, who will probably suit up as an emergency quarterback and who will begin his apprenticeship under Head Coach Josh McDaniels and the two QBs ahead of him is a very good sign. Brandstater has all of the tools to become a very good backup or even a starter in the NFL. He needs time and work, and should be able to receive both.

Question 2: Who will rush the passer?

This is a great question. It was then and it still is now, prior to training camp. One of the many areas of weakness last year was the inability to get pressure on the QB (or the running back or the receivers, for that matter). Part of that will shake out from the front 3, and other than Ronnie Fields it seems open right now. But the draft yielded one Robert Ayers, lately of Tennessee, who was one of the best young DEs in this year’s options. Will he rush the QB well? This could be one of the questions that determines the outcome of the Broncos season (The production of Knowshon Moreno is the other).

A change in scheme is also letting them move Elvis Dumervil, Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder to the outside and will let them create a wide variety of looks and options. Moss's and Dumervil's weakness against the run made them less effective coming in from the outside - the change in scheme could create a better disguise for what they are going to do. Denver will be moving towards a full time 3-4 defense, but will give a lot of different looks over the course of the season. See here for SlowWhiteGuy’s helpful look into one way to view this change.

We're going to rush the passer with scheme as well as players, as hoosierteacher pointed out with his excellent series on the Ted Blocker.

Question 3: Who will be the playmakers and create turnovers? Do we have enough speed?

To me the first section was and is the biggest question. Who will be the playmakers? You need to look at this question from two angles. If, by this, you mean to create turnovers (And it seemed that was the thrust of the question) there was a quick response by the Broncos. The answer was to redo the entire secondary, with only a scant few holdovers. They are looking to Andre' Goodman and Alphonso Smith as well as Champ to knock down and pick off passes, to Darcel McBath (David Bruton may take longer to mature, but he has the potential to be a lot more than a special teams player) to learn centerfield and look for opportunities, and Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill to prevent the kind of repetitive big plays that hamstrung them in the 2008 season.

I'm not huge on extrapolating stats. The players get injured or have a career year, the scheme changes and with few exceptions, rookies aren't going to get what they did in college. Still - you have to look at the overall stats to see where you were and what needs to change. When you add up last year's turnovers versus our new starters, the new players so far outdid the Broncos measly 13 defensive turnovers that you have to be impressed, and Alphonso Smith was brilliant at creating turnovers in college - fumbles as well as interceptions. The emphasis in training camp has included new drills on how to function if you're the 2nd or 3rd player to a tackle - you generally ignore the man (if he's going down) and hammer on the ball. It wouldn't even matter if he's getting away from Tackler 1 as long as you get the ball loose. Watching film from last year, it was clear that we did that erratically, but not with any consistency. We lost several fumbles to teams that used this practice. Will we be better? I hope so. Are we better prepared via personnel and approach. Assuredly.

If by playmaking you mean 'coming up big with plays to stop drives' you would have to include the massive restructuring of the front 7 as well. Ayers, Doom, Moss, Woodyard, probably Reid and certainly Williams in some degree of rotation, probably with A. Davis at LILB to start, will have to step up. I'd expect Spencer Larsen to be a backup to start and to be moved around from special teams to fullback to inside linebacker, although he may well take the job at linebacker later in the season or in next year's training camp. Fields has been noted by a few writers as the steal of the off-season, and there's reason to believe that since his explosion off the snap was the best on the 49ers D-Line last year. There are too many options for NT and DE to cover here, but that fact in and of itself makes my point. There will be no shortage of folks who can step up. The question of whether they will step up will begin to be answered in training camp.

I did look with interest on the part of this question that involved speed. I'll concede part of the issue - Shanahan drafted for speed for a long time, but we ended up with a smorgasbord of players, styles and abilities due to the revolving door at defensive coordinator and the accompanying revolving personnel door. We became neither fish nor fowl, although we managed foul pretty well.Many of our most recent pickups aren't incredibly fast nor incredibly slow. Bruton looks to be a backup - he's incredibly fast for a safety. McBath is just fast. Smith - there will always be an asterisk in my mind around the players from this year's draft. The timing was flat-out off. He's not a burner, but neither is he slow.

Most importantly, the scheme that we are setting in motion will use more zone coverage to minimize the issues of speed. We drafted fairly well for speed as well - Darcel McBath is in the 4.58 range, Bruton was in the 4.46, A. Smith was 4.51, not a burner but very quick and agile. Ayers only had a 4.9 40 - slow for a linebacker, but good for a defensive end. Jarvis Moss, on the other hand, is a 4.7 40 guy. Overall, I'd still have to say that Lombardi has a point. Scheme will have to help us here or we'll see issues from it, but I'm Ok with that as we stand now..

Question 4: Coverage and Interceptions

This is a great question. My own feeling is that they had answered it in spades at both the cornerback and the safety positions before the draft and filled out the answer sheet in depth during the NFL draft. Champ is healthy, they added Alphonso Smith in the draft and Andre Goodman in free agency. Jack Williams or Josh Bell will have to step up to stay on the team. They also did 'a little' at the safety position, with Brian Dawkins there to anchor the team and Renaldo Hill to start. Behind them are three young players, all distinct and with different skillsets.

Jerry Angelo got my honest appreciation for this comment in a recent National Football Post article by Matt Bowen. It brought out some issues on our safeties.

"...it's obvious that Angelo sees the safety position as a concern heading into this summer, and not just in Chicago.

"It's the poorest-played position in football right now," he said. "It's very hard to find a safety that can tackle high to low," meaning players who can tackle from the free safety spot in the open field. As Angelo said, there's so much emphasis placed on athleticism and ball skills at the position that sound tackling has become a thing of the past. "

This is one area where Angelo and I are in full agreement, and when I read it I suspected that our own Hoosierteacher wouldn't argue much with us either. In fact, I took this chance to ask him about this remark and appreciated his reply so much that I wanted to include it here:

"The big problem with safeties (in my opinion) at many levels of football is the mistaken belief that they are just extensions of the cornerback position. This line of thinking has safeties valued for the ability to race to a passed ball and intercept or disrupt. But this is not the classic role of safeties, and the effect of this type of thinking is what has hurt the position.

Safeties are, above all else, the last line of defense. They must be sure, open field tacklers because they are intended to stop any ball carriers (runners or receivers) that get past the front seven and corners. The ability to tackle, speed, and read plays are the most important ingredients. When one of those skills (almost always "tackling") is sacrificed to get a safety with "good hands" for interceptions", the position suffers. Good hands should be seen as icing on the cake for a safety, not as a requirement."

In addition to the pleasure of a chance to learn from MHRs master of Xs and Os, the other thing I love is that along with Josh Barrett, the Denver Broncos now have three young, hard hitting safeties (Barrett, David Bruton, McBath) that can play on special teams and who love to make tackles. Having lacked a decent backfield general for years, the Broncos suddenly find themselves with a plethora of riches among the veterans and the youngsters. Will they keep all of them, or will Vernon Fox make the team. I'm better that Fox falters in training camp, but I could be wrong.

With Renaldo Hill starting as the season opens and both McBath, the current heir apparent and David Bruton behind him both having great scouting reports as bright players and sure tacklers, the Broncos are finally paying attention to the defense as a unit, rather than to one position (cornerback, for example, or DE) during one draft and a second position (DL) the next. The upgrade of quality, with new FA players brought in at all positions and a lot of great young talent there from the draft and an unparalleled CFA class, is pointing towards a huge change from the past two years and brings a smile to my face.

By the way, this article on safeties and on Rodney Harrison in particular, also by Matt Bowen is a better than average look at the position and the skills it requires.

I've mentioned this, but have you noticed that the Broncos have more talent in the defensive backfield than at any time in modern memory? Think about it. With Champ Bailey and probably Andre' Goodman starting and Alphonso Smith able to bring his zone coverage skills to the table as a nickel back, we finally have a decent crew at cornerback. Even better, Goodman and Hill have played well together in the past so we've got some built-in continuity. There will be changes in scheme and terminology, granted, but these two know and understand each others tendencies. Even better, they are paired with Champ and Brian Dawkins, who brings instant leadership and drive to a secondary that last year was best described as ‘porous'. We are much, much better than we were last year.

Question 5: Can Casey Wiegmann play, and can the Broncos play physical football?

Let's move on to the second issue right away. I know that Lombardi meant this in terms of the offensive line, but it's such a good question that I though we should look at the entire team this way. The Broncos gave up way too much to other teams in terms of physicality last year and prior to that. Shanahan preferred speed to size; there are arguments both ways. I'm of the school that wants both, but will take the speed guys if they (and Wesley Woodyard is my favorite current example of this) like being physical, regardless of size, and enjoy taking on the challenge of a team trying to out-muscle them.

It's not necessarily a situation of preferring one or the other. Lots of players give you both - look at Ryan Clady on offense or Ron Fields on defense, each of whom is very fast /explosive/agile for their position. We have quite a few examples of getting both now - David Bruton ran a 4.46 40 at Combine and had the third highest number of tackles on Notre Dame in 2008. NFLDraftScout.com calls Bruton a playmaker "with the size, speed and athleticism to potentially be a good starter and very good special teams player." (There's video at the link I provided). Then there's the physicality of players like Robert Ayers, Alphonso Smith (who was referred to by Jonathan Hull of fantasyfootballjungle.com as the Steal of the Draft) and Jack Williams, all of whom are fast but not burners, yet incredibly tough players.

It's interesting to me that Buckhalter is still our fastest running back (Yes, even despite his knee surgeries) and that Hillis is just slightly (.02 - .04 seconds) faster than Moreno, yet Moreno's nimbleness has astonished people, while Hillis just runs them over like gophers in the road. Toughness - would anyone out there take Selvin Young and Andre Hall over Moreno and Hillis when it comes to toughness? I'm just asking. Toss in Buckhalter and Jordan and our squad is even stronger. I know - the injuries last year did seriously hurt the Broncos RB squad, but even so... Top to bottom, we just have a much better group at RB. We have a question mark at Torain, but we brought in a couple of young guys to cover us if Torain doesn't get well (don't be surprised if they get him on IR to start the season and to give themselves an option later when there are 2009's injuries to deal with). But toughness? It's a very new year, and for that I'm thankful. This is a tough bunch of guys.

When Parcells won the Super Bowl against the LA Rams in January of 1991, he leaned over to Will McDonough for the Boston Globe who had also been a long time friend, and while waiting for the post game press conference to begin he loudly whispered two words: "Power Football!" During the days following conference, he noted the same thing twice more:

"...I've coached this game for a long time, and I know one thing," said Parcells, two days later. "Power football wins games." He then repeated it, just for emphasis.

Personally, I love speed but I know that Parcells was often right. I believe that speed has to be paired equally with the ability to match up, stand up and finish up. That takes power and strength (and scheme, which we often lacked). Games are usually won in the 4th quarter and we lost too many that way, whether by lack of strength or lack of conditioning. Our free agent acquisitions like Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and Andra Davis are also very mentally tough, as is undrafted college free agent Rulon Davis, for example (Davis also has run his 40's in as little as 4.8, although his combine time was 5.06). Tough wins games. Tough generates the stats that correlate to wins. Given the smaller, lighter DEs that we've found ourselves with (Moss, Doom, etc), turning them into bigger linebackers makes a lot of sense. We also added a little weight, players like Fields, Parker and Askew

Moving back to the first part of the final question - How about Casey Wiegmann and the physicality of the Broncos O line approach? There are two good questions here. Can Wiegmann play another year? He says that he can and the Broncos have responded with a 2 year contract so they obviously believe him. The odds are very good, and yet the Broncos had the sense to hedge their bets. They drafted two good offensive linemen. They have Kory Lichtensteiger as the guard/center apparent, Tyler Polumbus at tackle, new center Blake Schlueter and an assortment of other options. 'Steiger has a reputation for toughness that borders on sheer nastiness and he's down to 295 of rock muscle (from up to 310 lb) and dropped some soft weight. Our new offensive lineman, Seth Olsen, was described by draftcountdown.com as "Very tough...Plays with a nasty demeanor" and plays at about 306 lb. Just our new kind of guy - he was also elected as a member of the Leadership Group in all four of his playing seasons for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wiegmann is light for his position - listed at 285. The guys behind him are a little bigger - 'Steiger at 295, even Schlueter at 290 - but adequate for a zone blocking center (Denver will add other blocking schemes, and actually used to use some other schemes, but we will keep the predominance of the ZB). The question will be whether they can play with technique and leverage - for the ZB, that's the real issue.

As far as being physical, by the end of last year the Broncos were playing much more physically on offense. Their run blocking was a work in progress last year - by the end, they were hammering out holes for people that you either hadn't heard of or didn't want to, but the holes kept coming anyway. The relative size of Seth Olsen gives us a clue as to the direction they will go in – the retention of line coach Rick Dennison says a lot for the zone blocking approach, but they will be adding other blocking schemes as well. They may be looking at bigger guards than they have used in the past. Ryan Clady’s 325 lb. goes a long way towards creating a bigger, tougher line, and the genius of their zone blocking scheme will always put more of a premium on athleticism than just sheer road-grader size. Olsen is big but not huge at 306 yet he's very strong and late rounder Blake Schlueter is smaller yet very athletic (and mean). He's more of the lineman that Denver used in the past, but something about him drew the Xanders/McDaniels team to him. That 'something' was simple - he's incredibly fast, agile and tough as nails, is a master of the knockdown despite his lighter weight (leverage and technique are big tools for him and wields them like sledgehammers) and was a team captain in his junior and senior year.

I'm still not sure about Ben Hamilton. He just didn't seem quite the same guy. Could just have been the year off, maybe something else was going on. I don't see any signs that it was concussion-based, by the way. I do wonder if he's vulnerable to an in-camp challenge by a younger guy. McDaniels has shown one thing - he's not huge on sentimental holdovers.He needs to win.

You could also question this one issue from Lombardi: I'm pretty sure that Casey Wiegmann, among others, out-played, disarmed and diffused Kris Jenkins and a host of other players. It seemed, after looking at the numbers and the tape, as if the Broncos O line was pretty physical themselves. I thought that the physicality questions were better asked of the rest of the team, but maybe that's just me.

Conclusions:

Michael Lombardi asked a lot of good, insightful questions regarding where the tam came from at the end of last year and where it's trying to go. What stands out to me is how well these questions were answered. In looking back at the players that we (often mercifully) let go, the free agents acquired and the way that we handled the draft, the Broncos did a solid job of providing players that answer what I thought were fair, sensible queries.

They ranged from the quarterback to the pass rush, to playmakers at each level of the defense, to the quality of the secondary and defensive backfield and back again to offense. There was one question on Casey Wiegmann and another on the level of physicality on the Bronco, particularly the offensive line. Frankly impressed at how well they’ve answered them to the extent that they can, pre-training camp. I think that every team has a high level of expectation from the fans during the weeks prior to training camp. A certain allure can abound, sometimes realistic, sometimes false. How do you tell which is which?

I think that there are several means. We cannot truly understand how the Broncos are matching players to scheme simple because we do not, cannot know the schemes. But many of us have done substantial work on the statistics and schemes that our current coaches have used in the past. We've done more analysis of last season than any year in my memory (our available tools improve as does the quality of the people we have researching and writing). We can look at who stayed, who went and who was ushered out the door and consider the background and stats on those who replaced them. Taking all known factors into account, I'm impressed at how well we answered the valid and reasonable questions that were put to the Broncos early last spring. With the onset of summer, training camp is nearly in our grasp.

Bring it on!

Horse Tracks 7/3/09 - What is Jamie Dukes' problem?

nycbroncosfan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:53:54 -0700

Twitter - "A 1 gets BM"
Schefter says the Broncos WILL take calls on BMarsh, not that they presently are doing so. He thinks a first-rounder will pry Marshall loose. I don't see anyone paying that, but I'd take it if I'm the Broncos...

ADG - Hillis anticipating role with new staff
An update on Peyton Hillis from one of his hometown papers. Apparently, Hillis had pretty good skills on the diamond as well. He says he's working to avoid more hits next year.

SI - Eagles, Patriots, Falcons produce best NFL offseasons of 2009 - Ross Tucker
This is a fair one. Ross Tucker counts Denver's offseason among the worst; it was a rough one no matter how you look at it. But at least Tucker realizes some good things happened for the Broncos, too. For the Protectors of All Things Negative, this is how it's done.

NFL - Reed edges out Polamalu as league's best safety
Bucky Brooks ranks BDawk among his top-five safeties. So does Rod Woodson in the NFLN clip; he talks about what BDawk will bring to Denver, and of course, Jamie Dukes points out that he can't throw the football. Classic Dukes.

DP - Paige: ESPN: Nugs, not Broncs, best in show
Woody wrote a newspaper article about a magazine article. Why in the world would he do that? Oh, right. It was ESPN the Magazine, and Woody works for ESPN. Got it.

DP - Judge "tired" of stalled Hicks trial
The federal judge who will hear Brian Hicks' cocaine trial is weary of the defendant's stall tactics. (Hicks' truck was used in the murder of D-Will).

CCT - Candid Cam: Al Davis speaks of childhood, how he was a 'tough S.O.B.' in Brooklyn
Ugh. I didn't know The Crypt Keeper was from New York. That really stings.

SDUT - Chargers' camp will be closed to public

NFL - NFL gives Jets LB Pace a four-game suspension for violating drug policy

NFL - Vick's new bankruptcy plan pays creditors more, protects personal items

NFL - Florida judge won't release video of Stallworth crash that killed pedestrian

NLFN - NFL Videos: Who needs to break out?
Woodson and Dukes think Schaub, Cassel, JaMarcus The Hutt and Roy Williams (WR) need to have big years in '09.

CBS - All Over/Under Team: D'Q, Henderson at opposite ends
Pete Prisco counts BDawk as Denver's most overrated player and Ryan Harris as its most under appreciated.

NFP - Five defensive players who may surprise - Matt Bowen

FOX - Where will Wildcat offense go from here? - Alex Marvez

NFL - USO Tour Day 1: The right team
Current and former head coaches are visiting our troops in Iraq. Here's the first blog entry.

NFL - USO Tour Day 2: A time of transition in Iraq

NFLN - NFL Videos: Meeting the troops

NFP - Becoming an agent: part two - Jack Bechta

NFP - Diner morning news: Glazers have a plan - Mike Lombardi

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Chicago Bears

NFLN - NFL Videos: 2009 Coach Feature: Lovie Smith

NFL - Top 10 motivational coaches in NFL history

NFP - In praise of Southern football - Robert Boland

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Cincinnati - Wes Bunting

Paige: ESPN: Nugs, not Broncs, best in show

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:38:54 -0700

According to ESPN The Magazine's seventh annual ranking of franchises in the four major professional sports, the Broncos are the least-popular overall franchise in Denver.

Broncos Taking Calls on Marshall

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:21:21 -0700

This comes as little surprise, and confirms most speculation, but the Denver Broncos are taking calls on wide receiver Brandon Marshall after the disgruntled fourth-year player asked to be traded in June, Adam Schefter reports on his Twitter page. Schefter indicates the Broncos aren’t actively making calls, but are willing to listen to offers.

If the right offer comes along (Schefter speculates a first-round draft pick would do it), the Broncos would likely execute a trade.

Schefter’s always spot-on, especially when it comes to the Broncos. Again, little surprise, but it does confirm most people’s speculation about how the Broncos are handling the BMarsh situation. Still, unless someone makes a significant offer, the Broncos plan to sit on Marshall.

Horse Tracks 7/2/09 - Knowshon is a ham

nycbroncosfan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:51:11 -0700

DB - Hosting Camps to Give Back
Gray Caldwell speaks with three Broncos hosting football camps this summer - Darrell Reid, Daniel Graham and Chad Jackson. DG says he was inspired during his childhood by school visits from Alfred Williams and Shannon Sharpe. Many current Broncos helped out at DG's camp, including several rookies.

DB - Graham Teaches More than Football at Free Camp - Broncos TV
Chris Hall reports from DG's camp.

DB - NFL Network: Hardest Hitters - Steve Atwater
Man, do I ever miss the days of Atwater and Smith. We may never see that again in Denver, but at least we've finally got some serious talent back there now. Dawkins, Hill, McBath, Bruton, Barrett. Sounds a lot better than McCree and Manuel, doesn't it?

DB - NFL Network: Hardest Hitters - John Lynch
Wow, what an amazing bunch of John Lynch hits. He actually knocked out his best friend/brother-in-law in a game once. And then just walked away...

SI - Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings both motivated by money - Don Banks
Don Banks speaks with Meshawn Johnson about being a WR diva; Key has some harsh words for BMarsh.

FOX - Schein: Marshall staying put - Video
Adam Schein tells BMarsh he's got chance of going anywhere. He does offer up some misinformation, as Brandon will NOT be a free agent next year. Well, not one who can get a lot of money; Denver could still stick him with a first-round tender which would garner Marshall less than $3 million in 2010.

NFL - Rookie class of 2009 given lessons by 2008 group at symposium - Vic Carucci
Eddie Royal appeared at the symposium, telling the incoming rookies to spend more time working out and preparing for the season. He also stressed the importance of talking to veterans and seeking their guidance.

DB - NFL Network: Moreno at Rookie Symposium - Part 2
Here is the second part of Knowshon's video diary

NYT - Quick Hands From Nicks, and a Bond Between Sanchez and Stafford
YouTube clip from the "NFL Rookies Got Talent" featuring several top draft choices. Knowshon is up last, but it's worth the wait. Kid is a comedian, for sure. He's also got some singing pipes!

CL - Reaching out
Former Broncos WR Willie Green is among a select few African-Americans to own a golf course, and he is helping introduce the game to children who would otherwise find golf inaccessible.

DP - There's only one No. 7 in Colorado — and it's not Chauncey
Chauncey Billups wore #7 for one year in Denver as a tribute to his idol, The Greatest Ever. Now, he's switching to #1 so there will be only one #7 in Denver. That's just awesome.

NFL - Colorful conclusion to NFL’s rookie symposium - Steve Wyche

CBS - NFL teaching rookies how to not be prey to economic predators - Mike Freeman

PFW - A tale of two running backs
Matt Sohn examines second-year RBs Chris Johnson and Steve Slaton.

NFP - Wednesday whys: Listen up, rookies - Andrew Brandt

NFP - Diner morning news: Ravens without Ryan - Mike Lombardi

NFP - The game is more than gettin' paid - Matt Bowen

CBS - Positional Rankings: Tight Ends - Pete Prisco

FOX - Summer two-a-days: AFC South, NFC North
Peter Schrager digs up one of those silly stats; he cites Jay Cutler's record when the Broncos gave up less than 21 points. Hey, Peter - every NFL QB does well when his defense gives up 20 or fewer points. Please.

NYT - 2009 Forecast: Browns Should Be Much Better - KC Joyner

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: New Orleans Saints

NFLN - NFL Videos: 2009 Coach Feature: Sean Payton

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Penn State - Wes Bunting

There's only one No. 7 in Colorado

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:30:09 -0700

One by one, the kids at Parker Fieldhouse strode to the table where a Chauncey Billups autograph awaited them on Wednesday.

Broncoheads.

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:12:32 -0700

photo by Thad Roan

I’m still coming down from my third annual trip to Bonnaroo festival. A four day music extravaganza in Manchester, Tennessee that included Bruce Springsteen, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Erykah Badu, TV on the Radio, The Mars Volta, Girl Talk, two Phish shows and too many others to name. Coincidentally Phish will be playing a four-show stint at Red Rocks Amphitheatre later this summer. Coincidentally, a group of Broncos traveled to Red Rocks a few weeks back to participate in some alternative conditioning. The concept of the Denver Broncos working out at one of the most heralded concert venues in the United States was too much for me. What a perfect opportunity to write that live music post I’ve been wanting to. The post that Kyle told me was a stretch, but if I could find a way to connect music and the Broncos, to go for it. Thank you strength & conditioning coach Rich Tuten, you have given me inspiration. And an easy in.

I know the Red Rocks work out is a weak link, but these next few weeks are part of the dead zone for football news. I suggest we share stories of the other connections we may have.

I can’t track many loves as far back as fifteen years. Two have held true.
1. My love for the Denver Broncos.
2. My love for live music.

Both provide a rush like no other, producing feelings in me that come from unknown places, releasing an unsafe amount of adrenaline to my brain. Both have grown from my childhood/teenage years, evolving into something completely new. I now follow the Broncos with elevated evaluation and desire to understand the inner workings. I now watch concerts from a safe distance of the pit, realizing that seeing the show is more important to me than being punched in the face and thrown into other bodies. Closer/Further.

My first show (without parental supervision)/Best Opening Band Discovery
Beck*The Roots*Atari Teenage Riot
3/17/1997
J.A.R-Akron, Ohio
Ah Junior High. Of course seeing Beck was amazing, especially when he was still making music that moved. I believe he is an artist from my generation that will be around for a long time. However! The best part of this show was none other than Jimmy Fallon’s house band. That still sounds weird. The Legendary Roots Crew. I was a little white boy from small town Ohio going to see a weird funky white guy from California. Having no prior knowledge of Questlove, Black Thought, Hub, Rahzel (still touring w/them at the time) and the rest of the crew, I was completely floored, my mind was blown, and they changed my perspective on music. I have seen them nine times since, and while these road dogs are taking a break from touring, they continue to be one of the best live acts around. Well worth your $.

Live in NYC or visiting and love The Roots? They have a residency at Highline Ballroom called The Jam. Tickets are only $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Pretty amazing. Tonight they play at midnight. I will be attending, I have a feeling they will be playing a lot of Michael Jackson.

Broncos Comparison: Like a lot of Denver fans around my age, The Drive was the moment that hooked us. Being from Ohio, my parents being Browns fans, dog biscuits and all, this was my rebellion, a rebellion that grew into an obsession.
Two thoughts on my Ma & Pa:
1. They always supported my Broncos/Elway fandom, how hard it must have been for a son to admire that which caused them so much torment. Thanks parents.
2. I’m sure it could have been worse. I could have become a Steelers fan. You’re welcome parents.

Best Show (Consistently)
Radiohead
8/8/2001 & 8/21/2003
Blossom Music Center-Cuyahoga, Falls Ohio
8/9/2008
All Points West-Liberty State Park, New Jersey
I know everyone has different tastes in music, and Radiohead may not come anywhere close to being delicious on your palette. Let me say this though, I would have paid the $100 APW fee for their light show alone. They literally played inside a three dimensional cube of LED’s.
I hate playing favorites, I can never get away from listing 2-3 bands at a time, but Radiohead has been at the top of the conversation since hearing OK Computer back in ’97. Please do yourself a favor, when Radiohead comes back to the states, get your tickets and get them early.

See the light show.
Hear the show & Interview from Production Team.

Broncos Comparison: If it was Elway and The Drive that pulled me in, it was the addition of Terrell Davis that settled me into a groove. Much can be said of his short stint in the NFL, but little can be argued about what he did with that time. Consistently great from his rookie season through his fourth season, Terrell Davis left me scratchy throated Sunday after Sunday. What a great feeling it was to finally have a player to ground the Broncos, literally. While Radiohead is enjoying a much longer career than TD, both will enjoy inductions into their respective HOF’s.

Thee Best Show/The Ultimate
My Morning Jacket
6/13/2008
Bonnaroo-Manchester, Tennessee
A true convergence of every element. The band, the crowd and Mother Nature were in complete unison with each other. Half way through the 4 hour set, the clouds opened up and drenched our sun-dried bodies. It was a complete and utter down pour, accepted by the masses as something spiritual. MMJ seemed as if they were controlling the weather, the swells of rain coming to a crescendo while Kirk Hammit made a guest appearance to solo on One Big Holliday.
Four hours, 35 songs, with a couple interspersed body-moving covers, a thousand soaked to the bone free spirits. Something I will never forget.

Bronco Comparison: While the Ultimate would have to be one of the Superbowls, a more recent game that had equal euphoria and earthly elements was the Broncos/Jets game at the Meadowlands last season. Set up by the talking heads as a game that Denver had no chance of winning. (Didn’t someone say our players shouldn’t even get off the plane?) Freezing rain and wind gusts would have been a lot worse if not for the enjoyment from the misery Gang Green was feeling.

Short List
Show I wish I saw but will sadly never see- The Band or Talking Heads
Most Beautiful Show- Sigur Ros
First Show (with parental supervision)- The Beach Boys
Show I got the most beat up at- Metallica
Show(s) I want to see before I die-
Rolling Stones
Jay-Z
Bob Dylan
Paul McCartney

This year was my third consecutive Bonnaroo, an adventure that has been undeniably wonderful to me; I have vowed to make every year baring a super serious job/family holding me back. I was walking around my campsite early morning of the third day, having retrieved my necessary caffeine, when I saw a dude in a Dharma Initiative jumpsuit. He was selling t-shirts that brought together Phish and Lost. It’s obscure, an idea carved out for a very specific niche of people. It’s also genius because that niche was 100% appreciative to a group of friends who thought to bring together two things they truly love. Ask my friend Jeff, a crazy Browns/Phish/Lost fan, he bought four shirts.

Like the Broncos conditioning at Red Rocks it is truly beautiful.
A convergence of passions.

So how about you guys? Any experiences where worlds collide?

Marshall rants at Denver during '07 arrest

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:41:26 -0700

A statement Brandon Marshall made during his 2007 DUI arrest indicates the Denver Broncos wide receiver may have been interested in a trade long before the Broncos coaching change.

Horse Tracks 7/1/09 - Piling on BMarsh

nycbroncosfan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:36:52 -0700

DB - Not Your Quinn-tessential Rookie
Chris Gentilviso profiles rookie tight end Richard Quinn, who is learning Josh McDaniels' offense with plenty of help from Daniel Graham. McDaniels praises Quinn's ability to catch passes and block in the running and passing games.

DB - A New Transition
Zach Eisendrath profiles rookie WR Kenny McKinley, who Steve Spurrier calls the best wideout he's ever coached. Like Quinn, McKinley has been leaning on someone familiar with Josh McDaniels' offense - fellow Spurrier product Jabar Gaffney.

KMGH - Brandon Marshall To Police: I Hate Denver
BMarsh apparently has expressed his wishes to leave Denver before the recent trade request; the police report obtained from his DUI arrest quotes him saying "I hate Denver. I hope I get traded. I hate this f____ city." BMarsh also apparently asked the arresting officers, "Why aren't you guys out looking for (Darrent) Williams' killer?" Included is a link to a copy of the police report. Keep in mind - he was drunk.

NFP - Five offensive players who may surprise
Matt Bowen thinks Kyle Orton was misplaced in the Chicago offense and expects bigger things out of him in Josh McDaniels' system.

WBIR - Former Vol captain Al Wilson back in Knoxville
AL Wilson is in TN for his football camp and to meet with kids at the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs.

KCS - Young Chiefs lineman Albert is trying to be a leader - Kent Babb

KCS - Construction set to begin on Chiefs training camp site

NFL - Northcutt is a Lion after trade with Jaguars finalized

NFL - Patriots LB Bruschi hasn't decided on playing future beyond '09 season

NFL - Rookies attending symposium have many fresh examples of what not to do - Steve Wyche
This year's NFL rookies don't need skits to show them examples of major screw-ups; they just have to look at the cases of VIck, Burress and Stallworth.

NFP - Diner morning news: Run, Indy, run - Mike Lombardi

CBS - End silly debate, Detroit: Stafford should start right away - Pete Prisco

SI - Ray Lewis among last of dying breed of middle linebackers in NFL - John P. Lopez

NFL - Albert the greatest on this list of NFL's top defensive tackles
Bucky Brooks breaks down his top-5 DTs.

NFP - Two paths to becoming an agent - Jack Bechta

NFP - Madden 10 player ratings: winners and losers - Ray Gustini
Elvis Dumervil took a BIG hit in this year's Madden ratings.

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Illinois - Wes Bunting

Hinder in passing lane at QB camp

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:05:32 -0700

Steamboat Springs star Austin Hinder is getting a lot more exposure than your normal Class 3A quarterback in Colorado.

Brandon Marshall: “I hate this f***ing city”

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:14:02 -0700

Click to Enlarge

Remember Back in 2007 Brandon Marshall was pulled over for suspicion of DUI? Well here’s the police report folks. According to the police report Marshall repeatedly asked for his lawyer over and over and the officer let him know each time that he could not have one yet. According the police report this prompted Marshall to say,

“That’s b******t, that’s a lie. Why aren’t you guys out there looking for William’s killer? I hate Denver, I hate this city, I hate f***ing city.”

Marshall was then escorted to the police headquarters where he blew a .116 BAC, which is over the legal limit.

No one can be positive that this actually happened the way it did but never the less another document has shown up unveiling Marshall’s character for yet another offseason. Remember the 911 tapes last year? Sheesh. Either Brandon Marshall makes a ton of mistakes or he is the most unfortunate man ever. If it’s the latter, Brandon Marshall has more unfortunate events then Lemony Snicket himself. Also drinking and driving is no joke, I and many others out there have lost close friends and family members to it.

This all did happen in the past but makes it a little more clear why Marshall wasn’t hesitant to ask for a trade. This doesn’t mean he’s always hated Denver, I’m sure his angry drunk venting was all just that but those are things you just can’t say. Marshall is just a young man who’s too quick to speak and never really thinks about what he’s doing. Take this incident out of the picture and you have:

Marshall “slipping on a McDonalds bag” a.k.a wrestling with a cousin and slamming into a glass TV stand.
Marshall allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend.
Marshall still going back to her.
Marshall then looking like a fool on ESPN.
Marshall almost giving the Browns a better field advantage with his glove stunt in the 4th quarter.
Marshall fighting with his fiance in public and getting arrested for it.

That’s just a few to name, feel free to list more in the comments. The point is, when will this all end? Will it ever end? Or is Brandon Marshall just a series of incidents after incidents?

The real question now is, even if Marshall isn’t traded this offseason what does his future in Denver look like? Let’s hear it Bronco fans.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

TedBartlett905 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:30:12 -0700

Happy Tuesday to all MHR community members. I've been absent for a few weeks, mostly due to craziness in my day job, but at least partially due to a lack of awe-inspiring topics to write about. This is the worst part of the football year, where nothing is going on.

Today, we'll talk about the other teams the Broncos play this season, including AFC second-place teams and the AFC West, and time permitting, I kind of feel like beating up on some MSM writing. We shall see how far I am able to get, and for now, I am going to get right to it. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. As promised, let's continue the around-the-league offseason evaluations...

a. Indianapolis Colts (2008 Record 12-4, Lost in Wild Card Round of Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Moves - I really liked the selection of Donald Brown, the RB from UConn. Joseph Addai is a nice player when you keep his carries down, but Brown is a workhorse kind of back. I expect that he will ultimately get 2/3 of the carries for the Colts, with Addai getting the other 1/3. Running the ball effectively is crucial for the Colts, because when the defense has to play the run, Peyton Manning just shreds secondaries. He is very good against dedicated pass coverage, but he is great against 8 in the box. I also liked the pick of Austin Collie, a WR from BYU. He has a really good feel for the passing game, and can be a good slot player in the NFL.

Questionable Personnel Moves - I get that the Colts have a minimalist strategy in free agency, but I think that they are going to regret not doing more to replace Marvin Harrison. Reggie Wayne has really been the #1 guy the past few years, but Anthony Gonzalez is below average for a #2, and should be playing in the slot. If any team should have signed Terrell Owens, it's the Colts. Peyton Manning is one QB he couldn't ever throw under the bus, and the Colts have the kind of program he would have a hard time poisoning.

ST&NO Outlook - I have some reason to think that the Colts are going to decline a little bit this season. There has been a lot of turnover on the coaching staff, and I don't see how you could have a lot of faith in Jim Caldwell, given his underwhelming tenure as a head coach at Wake Forest. I also think #2 WR and the right side of the O-Line are going to be weaknesses, and that the defense will continue to be vulnerable to the run. Despite this, the Colts will be in the playoff mix, as usual. They'll be good, but not elite.

b. New England Patriots (2008 Record 11-5, Missed Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Decisions - I really liked their first three second-round picks, Patrick Chung, Ron Brace, and Darius Butler. Chung and Butler have a chance to start as rookies, and Brace should play a lot in the D-Line rotation. I also loved the Fred Taylor signing. I expect him to lead the team in carries this season, and play well. He still has some good football in him. Joey Galloway was also worth a look, and according to PFW, he has looked good so far. It was a pretty nice offseason for the Pats, if you overlook their obviously huge errors in valuing cheaper second-round picks over more expensive first-rounders.

Questionable Personnel Decisions - It's a somewhat small complaint, but they could have done more to improve their highly overrated and underwhelming offensive line. You may not remember it amid the 41-7 shellacking the Broncos took from the Pats last season, but the Broncos sacked Matt Cassell 6 times in the game, by far their best performance of the season.

ST&NO Outlook - I've been saying since Tom Brady got hurt that it's no sure thing that he comes back as good as new. I definitely stand by that, and I could care less what they say about it in Foxboro. Carson Palmer looked great in practice once too, but he has never been the same player since his catastrophic knee injury, and Brady's was comparable. Assuming Brady is healthy, and can play at 90% of his old level (or better), the Patriots are a championship contender once again. If not, they could be a .500 team, because they really got lucky that Matt Cassel played so well last season.

c. San Diego Chargers - (2008 Record 8-8, Lost in Divisional Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Decisions - I somewhat liked the Larry English pick in the first round of the draft. He is another pass rusher, and you can never have too many of them. Picking Dominique Byrd in the 7th round has some potential upside too.

Questionable Personnel Decisions - A lot of their draft picks are really obscure, and they seemed to like them better than most other teams. The right side of the Chargers offensive line isn't very good, and they could have stood to improve quite a bit there. Also, their average IQ is pretty low, according to the screenshot below from the super-reliable ESPN.com. Really, 83 is shockingly low, when you think about it.

ST&NO Outlook - The Chargers are the favorite to win the AFC West, but they won't necessarily get it done. I can't put my finger on what it exactly is, but they have a real underachiever streak. Their talent is also downgraded a bit from last season, and for the second year in a row, they didn't do a lot to improve in the draft. The Chargers will be formidable, but they are flawed, and can be beaten.

d. Kansas City Chiefs - (2008 Record 2-14, Missed Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Decisions - I like Tyson Jackson a lot as a player, and I am not one of these guys who worries too much about draft slot. The Chiefs got a very good player for their defensive line, and that's a smart decision. I also liked the choices of Donald Washington and Ryan Succop, and the acquisition by trade of Mike Vrabel.

Questionable Personnel Decisions - I'm not too big on the Matt Cassel trade. Josh McDaniels obviously thought highly of him, but I just wonder if he can be as effective without all the playmakers around him. I am not saying it was a bad move, but it's no slam dunk as a good one either. I also think Larry Johnson should have been traded, and Tony Gonzalez shouldn't have been.

ST&NO Outlook - If Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson play well on the defensive line, and Tamba Hali can get some pressure this year, the Chiefs have a 7-win ceiling. I expect their defense will still be terrible, though, and that they'll win 4 or 5 games instead.

e. Oakland Raiders - (2008 Record 5-11, Missed Playoffs)

Smart Personnel Decisions - This is the most difficult task of any team review, because even when the Raiders do something semi-smart (like sign a solid backup QB, as a hedge against a JaMarcus Russell regression or stagnation), it's always kind of dumb if you look at it a different way (Jeff Garcia is a well-known me-first guy, who isn't too interested in actually being a backup). I will give them credit for drafting Matt Shaugnessy, who I like as a player, and not just because he went to my alma mater, Norwich Free Academy of Norwich, CT. I think Shaughnessy fits the Raiders' 4-3 scheme very well, and that he will overperform his draft slot.

Questionable Personnel Decisions - The Raiders will regret taking Darrius Heyward-Bey seventh overall. I said before I am not such a draft slot guy, but when you pass up Michael Crabtree (or Percy Harvin, or Jeremy Maclin) for a guy, he'd better be a star - and DHB isn't going to be one. Also, counting on Khalif Barnes at LT is a mistake. He's a below-average starter there, even if he is a marginal upgrade over Kwame Harris.

ST&NO Outlook - The Raiders have some talent, especially at RB, LB, and LCB. If they commit to pounding the ball in the running game, and they get their defense patched up a bit, and playing sounder, this can actually be an 8-8 team. I think Garcia ends up starting by mid-season, which would be disastrous for the Raiders, (hence the reason I think it will happen). In short, I would hate to be a Raiders fan, and have to secretly hope for Al Davis's death and/or retirement.

2. Did you see this nonsense foxsports.com did around the 10 best "franchise players" under 30? Len Pasquarelli made it worse here with the continued omission of Ryan Clady, and the inclusion of Jordan Gross instead. Gross is good, but he isn't one of the 5 best LTs in the game (Clady, Thomas, Roos, W. Jones, Peters), let alone the best. All of those 5 are under 30, except for Walter Jones, too. I am not a Len Pasquarelli fan, so I don't expect any better, but come on!!! You don't have to be a stats producer to be a franchise player.

3. I think that Ed Thompson is kind of stupid, from what I have read of his 7 Points column. NYC originally made this point, but it bears repeating how asinine it is to say that the Broncos are paying Dre' Bly anything this season, since they're not. Many people don't know this, but in the NFL, unlike all the other major sports, there are no guaranteed annual contracts. The Broncos paid Dre' some bonus money in the past, but they'll pay him nothing this season. The dead money is merely an acceleration of the prorated bonus, so anything Dre' does this year is not "literally at Denver's expense." Next time you see this sort of (il)logical construct, you'll be able to spot it for what it is right away. This is not at all like the Tigers paying Gary Sheffield to play well for the Mets.

4. Here's an asinine comment from John Clayton. It seems that the Texans were lucky that their owner Bob McNair was afraid Reggie Bush received extra benefits at USC, and that stroke of luck led them to draft Mario Williams, because, nobody knew he'd be this good, right?

I mean, hell, he might have been declared ineligible by the NCAA to play in the NFL, right? What Clayton means is, he and his brethren all had that one wrong, and Charley Casserly and Gary Kubiak got it right. They all eviscerated the pick at the time, and said it was just Houston being cheap. Right....because paying $30 million in guarantees for a part-time scat-back, who is banged-up a lot, is brilliant. Even after one season, Houston was getting ripped, as if the jury was in.

The Texans drafted the player they thought was the best, and the one who filled their biggest need. It turns out, Williams seems to have actually been the best player, and it's important to remember, it was more good evaluation than good luck.

Have a great week, and I think this Tuesday debut will be the start of a total shift to Tuesday mornings for ST&NO, since I was planning to make that move anyway once the season starts. As always, thanks for reading, and for your contributions in the comments.

Poll

Which is the tougher set of incremental games: San Diego's first-place schedule, or Denver's second-place schedule?

Horse Tracks 6/30/09 - Hoping to reverse Denver's KC Hex

nycbroncosfan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:27:27 -0700

NFLN - NFL Videos: Rookie diary: Knowshon Moreno
Knowshon shares some quick details about his first day at the NFL's rookie symposium.

KCS - Arrowhead Stadium upgrade on track for opener
Hopefully this will change the Broncos' luck in KC...maybe a construction worker will bury a Denver jersey somewhere. A Boston fan buried a Red Sox jersey in the new Yankee Stadium as it was being built (it was unearthed by the Steinbrenner's at great expense), and the Sox have not yet lost to the Yanks this year...

DP - Town pays tribute to slain coach
Anthony Cotton reports from the funeral of Aplington-Parkersburg High School's slain football coach, Ed Thomas.

AP - Thousands gather to remember Iowa high school football coach

Y! - Faith after shock
Josh Peter looks back at a difficult week in Parkersburg, Iowa.

NFL - Latest from the NFL Rookie Symposium
Steve Wyche's notes from the symposium; Jokeland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey says his injured hamstring is about 80% recovered.

NFL - NFLPA head Smith urges rookies to examine life beyond football - Vic Carucci

Y! - Sources: Burress, Vick likely to get stiff penalties
Jason Cole is hearing that Roger Goodell may throw the book at Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick by suspending them indefinitely.

AP - Supreme Court will hear antitrust case over team merchandise

NFL - Another Twitter imposter
Our Miami brethren over at The Phinsider helped catch a Twitter impostor of Dolphins WR Davone Bess. Nice work, guys!

Y! - NFL players among sports' leaders on Twitter
Charles Robinson considers whether it's a good idea for NFL players to be tweeting.

Y! - Hall of Famer Dawson questions Favre's desires - Jason Cole
Chefs legend Len Dawson is puzzled by Brett Favre. Aren't we all?

FOX - Today's NFL rookies face many obstacles - Alex Marvez

ESPN - San Francisco 49ers QB Alex Smith rebuilds his career even as he wrestles with best friend's suicide - Jeffri Chadiha

APF - 13 things to watch in 2009: Part 1 - Dan Pompei
Pompei considers a Stillers repeat, the return of Brady, and the arrival of JC in Chicago.

ESPN - Clayton Mailbag
Clayton deems it possible for the Broncos to score more points in '09, but he's not sold on them giving up fewer scores.

CBS - Positional Rankings: Tackle
Pete Prisco ranks his top-10 defensive tackles.

PFW - Redskins rookie Orakpo adjusts to double duty

NFP - The impact players: NFC West - Matt Bowen

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Washington Redskins

NFP - 2009 Scouting Series: Michigan - Wes Bunting

Town pays tribute to slain coach

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:01:32 -0700

As the funeral procession for Ed Thomas pulled onto Miners Street on Monday afternoon, headed for Oak Hill Cemetery, both sides of the street were lined with people.

Court takes case over licensing of NFL apparel

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:05:59 -0700

WASHINGTON—In taking a case involving the National Football League's exclusive licensing deal for sports merchandise, the Supreme Court could go beyond caps and give leagues more leeway in areas such as team relocation, legal scholars said Monday.

Horse Tracks 6/29/09 - No news is definitely good news.

nycbroncosfan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:29:52 -0700

Happy Monday, MHR Friends! Nothing Broncos-centric today, as we've officially entered the dead of summer. It's actually kind of a relief, isn't it? Hopefully the BMarsh situation will just cool down over the next month, he'll be at camp in a month and everything will be hunky-dory. We can dream, right? I'll use today to catch up on a bunch of PFW stories and ESPN's recap of the decade. There's some interesting stuff there, but I can't help but think - why all this wrap-up-the-decade stuff when it's not even over yet?

NFP - Sunday at the Post
Mike Lombardi says he looks to Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling for writing inspiration. He doubts MIke Brown has much left to offer the Chefs, and he points out that JaMarcus The Hutt disappeared after calling for his teammates to practice after OTAs. Wow, where was that story?!

SI - Trent Green on Michael Vick, Brett Favre, concussions, more NFL
Freshly into retirement, Trent Green steps in for PKing and does a nice job with his Monday column.

NFL - Rookie symposium offers chance to pass knowledge on to NFL youth - Steve Wyche
Eddie Royal was one of the speakers at the rookie symposium; if only the rest of the league displayed his maturity and humility..

NFL - Bills owner not eager to add extra regular-season games in Toronto

NFL - Campbell confident he can prove himself to be right man for the job - Thomas George

Power rankings: Best, worst teams of decade - NFC West - ESPN
Denver ranks 11th on ESPN's power rankings for the decade, although that is clearly on the strength of their regular-season record alone.

ESPN - Best of the best: Top 25 players this decade
Champ ranks #6 here.

ESPN - All-decade offense: Brady leads packed roster

ESPN - All-decade defense: Strahan, Taylor stand out
Champ Bailey is the Broncos' lone representative on ESPN's all-decade team.

ESPN - All-decade special teams: Overlooked stars

ESPN - All-decade moments: Manning-to-Tyree tops list

ESPN - Patriots sweep all-decade team, coach, MVP

ESPN Insider - Derrick Mason and Aaron Smith are among the most underrated NFL players of the decade
Football Outsiders breaks down the 25 most underrated players of the past decade, including Matt Lepsis and Al Wilson.

ESPN Insider - Michael Vick and DeShaun Foster are among the most overrated NFL players of the decade
Football Outsiders ranks the 25 most overrated players of the past decade, which includes the Broncos' punters, Travis Henry and Simeon Rice.

PFW - What can Brown do for Indianapolis?
Dan Waters profiles Colts rookie RB Donald Brown, drafted in the first round out of UConn.

PFW - Holmes working hard to capitalize on heroics
Seth Gruen on the MVP of last year's Super Bowl.

PFW - Bengals' Rivers looking to make bigger impact - Mike Wilkening

PFW - Saints' McCray says he'll win starting job - Dan Parr

Ex-Ram playing indoors, QB for Ice

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:44:23 -0700

Kyle Orton and Justin Holland, two of the nation's most coveted quarterback prospects in the summer of 2000, nearly became in-state college rivals.

Horse Tracks 6/28/09 - Foxworth goes home

nycbroncosfan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:30:22 -0700

BS - New Ravens cornerback Foxworth wise beyond his years
Childs Walker offers a brilliant profile of Domonique Foxworth, the former Broncos CB who's headed back home to Maryland to play for the Ravens. Champ Bailey offers insight on his friend and ex-mate. No way the Broncos would've paid Foxworth the big bucks he got this spring, but his intellect and maturity are an asset to any team.

BS - Domonique Foxworth: a life of purpose

DP - Slain Iowa prep coach left an indelible mark
Kiszla responds to emails.

KCS - Chiefs running back Savage getting help from someone who’s been there

CBS - League asks high court to hear antitrust case over merchandise

NFL - There is no offseason: NFL teams keep busy, even after games are done
Recapping a dramatic and tumultuous offseason. No, not just in Denver - everywhere!

CBS - Positional Rankings: End
Prisco ranks his top-10 defensive ends, starting with Jared Allen.

NFP - 2009 Scouting Series: Boise State - Wes Bunting

Catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:00 -0700

A lot has happened since I last blogged. Here are my thoughts:

1. The Rockies fired longtime manager Clint Hurdle and replaced him with Jim Tracy, who used to manage the Dodgers, who suck, and the Pirates. I don’t know why but I’ve always hated the Dodgers. Anyway, I thought it was a dumb move but the team is 19-7 under Tracy, including an eleven-game winning streak.

Last Saturday my ward went to the Rockies game, which I skipped, and which the Rockies won on Todd Helton’s ninth-inning home run. I don’t know why ESPN always starts a friggin’ video whenever you go to their website. With millions of visitors a month that’s gotta be cost-effective.

Anyway, I don’t know what it all means; the Dodgers have the best record in baseball and are 9.5 games up on us. But we’re already in wild-card contention.

2. The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up Shaq O’Neal in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, who got a 2010 second-rounder, half a mill, Sasha “Slover” Pavlovic and Ben Wallace, because one over-the-hill big man deserves another.

Shaq seems to be a great guy (although if you follow him on Twitter you’ll find his goofy antics get old pretty quickly) and a great teammate, as well as one of the two players with an argument as the best player since Michael Jordan (Timmy D is the other). His reputation as a completely washed-up player is inaccurate: he averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 boards last year. Solid numbers. Just not Shaq numbers. And even with the Heat he was inconsistent in the playoffs. When the Magic ganged up on LeBron in the playoffs, the Cavs missed having someone who could hit an open jumper; Shaq won’t fix that, but he might get open for enough dunks to buy King James just a little more airspace. Can he hold it together for one more title run? The odds are against him, but I’ll be pulling for him.

3. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to an NBA title as the No. 1 guy, so you can’t knock him for not doing that anymore. I think he did it in a down year: the Spurs and Celtics, both formidable opponents for the Lakers, were bitten by injuries to key players, the Magic took out the guy who could match Kobe basket-for-basket, and the Nuggets were still at least a year away.

Bryant probably clinched first-ballot Hall of Fame status in most broadcasters’ minds around the time he turned 19; even I’ll allow now that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. He has four rings, including one as The Guy now, though it’d be at least five if he was a better team player.

The debate now is about Bryant’s legacy in history. I think I’ve seen people put him in the top five guards of all-time. I suppose that might be right. He’s definitely behind Jordan and Magic. (In case anyone’s an idiot, Magic had five rings, three MVPs, and three Finals MVPs to Kobe’s four, one, and one, and Kobe’s already played in and started more regular-season games than Magic.) I think Oscar Robertson and Jerry West belong ahead of him as well. But though there are a ton of guards I would rather have on my team than Bryant (Sam Jones, Reggie Miller, The Glove), it’s hard to say any of them are conclusively better. But I welcome your opinions.

4. Vince Carter got traded tonight to the Magic for a collection of role players. I want to think it’ll work out but Carter, who I had wanted the Nuggets to draft so badly, will probably disappoint. The ESPN frontpage points out that he’s been to eight All-Star Games already…does that mean he’ll be in the Hall someday? I mean, even if he doesn’t go right away people will look back and be like, this guy must’ve been something. If he does make the Hall, that’s kind of depressing.

5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is like the Josh McDaniels of summer movies, though I guess Josh McDaniels hasn’t destroyed my fond memories of the Elway era yet. (Give him time.) Speaking of the Broncos, if you missed it, Brandon Marshall wants to get out of town.

6. And the whole reason for this post: as LT pointed out in the comments, during a trade in tonight’s draft, the Nuggets picked up former Tar Heels point Ty Lawson, ostensibly to back up Chauncey Bu-bu-bu-Billups! (I’ve had the Nuggets’ announcer stuck in my head for about a week now.) I’d link to the Denver Post article about it but Chrome tells me the page might contain malware. Nice. Anyway, we gave up a future first-rounder, which I thought I read might have started as Charlotte’s or something, but that’s fine with me. We also sold our second-round pick which is kind of savvy if you need the cash. Those are usually worthless. Anyway, here’s an AP story about the trade.

POSTSCRIPT: Now that I'm awake, how did Ty Lawson last until No. 18? Or stay available longer than Tyler Hansbrough? Lawson was masterful under the pressure of the NCAAs; the pros are a different ballgame for a point, but at least we know he has the ability and the quickness. Hopefully soon he can take Anthony Carter and J.R. Smith's minutes at the point. That way we're in better shape if J.R. goes through another cold spell. I am super excited about this pick.

Broncos Claim WR C.J. Jones off Waivers

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:45:36 -0700

Patriots receiver C.J. Jones surveys the field as he runs back a kickoff during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Boston Herald/Matt Stone)

C.J. Jones, wide receiver most recently of the Kansas City Chiefs, was awarded to the Denver Broncos Wednesday off waivers. The third-year player out of Iowa and the Canadian Football League rejoins Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels after he worked with McD on the New England Patriots practice squad in 2007.

Jones (5-11, 195) was released by the Patriots in 2008 and spent the rest of the season out of football. The Chiefs signed him in March 2009 and released him on June 19.

A special-teamer in the CFL, Jones returned nine kickoffs for 236 yards (26.2 avg.) and six punts 55 yards (9.2 avg.) in 2005 for the Montreal Alouettes. As a senior at Iowa, Jones set an Orange Bowl record when he returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against USC.

Jones must be resilient; he’s been bouncing in and out of the NFL since 2003 and has yet to tally a regular season reception. He definitely has ‘camp body’ written all over him, but for the time being, welcome to the Broncos! Press release after the jump.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos were awarded wide receiver C.J. Jones off waivers from Kansas City, it was announced Wednesday.

Jones (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) is a third-year wide receiver who has spent time on the active roster with Cleveland (2003) and New England (2008) as well as parts of two seasons on the practice squad with the Browns (2003-04) and Patriots (2007). Jones, who entered the NFL with Cleveland as a college free agent in 2003, was declared inactive for 11 games as a rookie and spent five weeks on the Browns’ practice squad. After spending the 2004 season on the Browns’ practice squad, Jones was allocated to NFL Europa, where he caught 10 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown for Cologne. He was released following Cleveland’s training camp in 2005 before being allocated by Seattle to NFL Europa where he made seven catches for 82 yards with Berlin.

Jones spent the 2006 season out of football after competing in Seattle’s training camp. He spent the entire 2007 season on New England’s practice squad. In 2008, Jones was declared inactive for the first regular-season game for the Patriots before being released and spending the rest of the season out of football. Kansas City signed Jones on March 5, 2009, as an unrestricted free agent but waived him on June 19.

Jones spent the 2005 season playing with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League where he returned nine kickoffs for 236 yards (26.2 avg.) and six punts 55 yards (9.2 avg.).

In college at the University of Iowa, Jones was a two-year starter, totaling 72 catches for 902 yards (12.5 avg.) and 10 touchdowns in 24 games. As a senior, Jones set an Orange Bowl record when he returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown against the University of Southern California.

Prior to playing for the Hawkeyes, Jones was a standout at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan. He amassed 74 catches for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding eight scores on punt returns.

Jones was named one of the top 50 players in the state of Florida as a junior and senior at Santaluces High School in Santaluces, Fla. Clinton Jones was born on Sept. 20, 1980.

Casey Wiegmann on Slain Football Coach

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:41:37 -0700

Denver Broncos center Casey Wiegmann released the following statement Wednesday following the tragic shooting of his high school football coach:

“I was extremely saddened to hear the news this morning about the passing of Coach Ed Thomas. He was a great Christian man. I learned a lot from him, both as a player and a man. Last year, you could see exactly what the football program means to Aplington-Parkersburg in the way the community pulled together to restore the football field after the tornado. That is a reflection of Coach Thomas. I cannot begin to count the number of lives he affected in this community. I know I carry many of the lessons I learned from him with me every day. My family and I pray for Coach Thomas’ family.”

Read more on the story here. Our thoughts and prayers to the Thomas family.

Cutler Would Love Marshall in Chicago

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:54:33 -0700

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

The thought of both Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall wearing a different shade of orange and blue in 2009 is enough to make most Denver Broncos fans cringe. With the recent Marshall trade drama, the scenario isn’t entirely unlikely.

Cutler, now a member of the Chicago Bears, is aware of this. Never one afraid to speak his mind, Cutler spoke highly of Marshall in an interview with the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press Tuesday, sounding hopeful the higher-ups in Chicago would look at bringing in Marshall. Quotes after the jump.

“I talked to ‘B’ a few days ago. Just checking in on him and seeing how he’s doing, because I went through a similar thing that he’s going through.

“I played with Brandon for three years and I think he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL. I think he can be one of the greatest ever to play.

“He’s big and fast, and can do everything you want him to do, on the field and in the meeting room. I don’t know what we’re going to do. That’s up to the guys upstairs. If we make a run at him, we make a run at him.”

While not openly campaigning for #15 to make the commute to Chicago, Cutler made it clear that he wouldn’t mind being reunited with his former favorite target. I’m sure Brandon wouldn’t mind, either.

I’m hoping the Broncos, however, aren’t in the same hurry to appease Marshall that they were in to rid themselves of Cutler. Trading BMarsh simply sends the wrong message, and it’s time for McDaniels and Bowlen to show the players and fans who is running the show. Sorry, Cutler, I think you’ll be left with Devin Hester and company for awhile.

Chicago QB Jay Cutler would be happy to throw to former Denver teammate Brandon Marshall again [Newport News (Va.) Daily Press]
Jay Cutler Talks Up Brandon Marshall During Visit to William Mary [Chicago Tribune]
Cutler Wants to Reunite with Marshall? [ProFootballTalk]

What a win!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:49:00 -0700

Oh, you want me to write about the big game yesterday? Well, I didn’t watch it, unfortunately. But here’s a great recap and some highlights.

ESPN’s NBA Franchise Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:26:00 -0700

The Lakers appear poised to take a 3-1 lead over the Magic, and since I don’t want to pay attention to that, let’s discuss ESPN.com’s ridiculous NBA franchise rankings.

I hate this list probably because I like the concept so much; for some reason NBA history has always appealed to me. Last time I played NBA Live, it was some combination of games among the all-time Celtics, all-time Lakers, and the so-unstoppa-Bulls of the late-90s. (I take turns beating the Lakers with either Boston or Chicago.) Anyway, John Hollinger explains most of his typically numbers-heavy decision-making here, if you’re inclined, but I’d rank the teams more with my gut. Before I get into things I disagree with, let me just say how much I LOVE that he put the New York Knicks at No. 14. I hate how the league sucks up to New York and pretends its team is some kind of marquee franchise.

Anyway, let’s start at the top. Hollinger puts the Lakers as the No. 1 franchise ever, over the Boston Celtics, since the Lakers have more wins and playoff series wins than the Celtics, though the Celtics have three more titles. Hollinger absurdly gives LA 150 points of intangibles for having famous fans, while giving Boston 50 points for having the deepest tradition in the league, which to me seems to be the whole measure of this exercise, but whatever. I also really like how he makes a list of the Lakers' great big men and throws Pau Gasol on it. The real reason Boston should be ahead of L.A.? Because they’re 9-2 against the Lakers in the Finals. It's like putting the Bills ahead of the Cowboys.

The Lakers would be the obvious No. 2, though.

The Spurs go third and the Bulls go fourth; of the Spurs he says, “They may not have the tradition of the Lakers or Celtics, but in the two decades since they drafted David Robinson the Spurs have arguably been the most successful organization in sports.” Too bad the Bulls have six rings in that same timespan to San Antonio’s four. It’s true, of course, that the Bulls were only great when they had Jordan, and the Spurs had George Gervin and all that, but it’s still kinda funny.

The Suns are at No. 5 and the Sixers fall just behind them in No. 6. I don’t like this at all. Screw the Suns. Their point guard already stole two MVPs…isn’t that enough? The Sixers are the one other franchise who get an all-time team on that ol’ PlayStation, by the way. A starting five of Wilt, Barkley, Dr. J, the Answer and Maurice Cheeks? How do the Suns compete with that? (And though everyone always does, let’s not forget Moses Malone, too.) Plus the Sixers have three titles to the Suns’ none. Phoenix’s NBA team has been overrated all decade and, apparently, throughout league history.

The only other listing that really bugs me is the Utah Jazz at No. 7. That’s offensively absurd. I know we’re all supposed to wax poetic about Stockton-to-Malone, but it’s been several years now, and if those guys were so great shouldn’t they have won something? It’s not just that they ran into Jordan and the Bulls; if you have a Hall of Fame point guard and a Hall of Fame big man together for that long you should make more than two Finals anyway. You know, it is weird that Jerry Sloan never got Coach of the Year those two times his team actually lived up to expectations. Outside of that era, have the Jazz ever mattered? Anyway, the Jazz are somehow three spots ahead of the Houston Rockets, who won two titles behind Hakeem Olajuwon, the best big man of the ’90s.

I can’t say much more about the list since ESPN wants me to pay to see the last twenty teams, even though it’s the friggin’ Internet. The Bad Boy Pistons of Jordan Rules fame have a horrible rep in my mind, but No. 13 seems pretty low for Detroit. I’m pleasantly surprised by the Nuggets’ No. 18 spot. And you kind of need to put the Clippers last, though Hollinger places them 29th to Memphis’ 30th.

What do you think?

Magic win Game Three; does it matter?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:02:00 -0700

The Orlando Magic won at home last night, cutting the L.A. Lakers’ NBA Finals lead to two games to one. They put up more than a hundred despite not getting much from Hedo down the stretch, and they have the next two games at home. But this is the same team that was blown out in Game One, blew Game Two, and almost lost their lead last night despite Kobe’s fourth-quarter struggles.

In other words, I don’t think so.

Rooting for the enemy?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:59:00 -0700

Twice today I’ve discussed the upcoming NBA Finals with people, both of whom said they hope the Los Angeles Lakers win the series. Why? Because if the Lakers humiliate the Orlando Magic, then that means the Denver Nuggets were the second-best team in the NBA!

Golly gee, that’s incredible! I forget, what do they call the trophy they give you for being the second-best team? (As a Broncos fan, I’m pretty sure the NFL calls it the “Lamar Hunt Trophy”, actually.)

Why does anyone care about this? The Nuggets are who they are, and what they are is a team not yet good enough to win the NBA championship. I don’t really care for second-place finishes. Seriously, though, I hate the Lakers, and have for years. That doesn’t just change because a Lakers victory might fool the simple-minded into regarding the Nuggets more highly.

* * *

As you’ve probably heard, LeBron James left after getting eliminated by the Magic without speaking to the media, which I guess wasn’t the most grown-up thing ever. I loved his quote the next day, though:

‘It’s hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them,’ James said Sunday after the team returned to Cleveland. ‘I’m a winner. It’s not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them. That doesn’t make sense to me. I’m a competitor.’

What do you suppose he means by “I’m a winner”? Because I assume it’s not the conventional definition.

* * *

Enough about LeBron. The actual winners of that series, according to the scoreboard, were the Orlando Magic, who pulled off an incredible upset. LeBron & Co. were crushing opponents with ease before they slammed into the brick wall of Orlando.

The Lakers, for my money, played extremely well their last five quarters but were largely inconsistent throughout the rest of the postseason. Nonetheless I am terrified that this is their year, especially considering the regular season they put together. But you know what? They haven’t won anything yet, nor can they keep Dwight Howard off the boards. And since I can’t pick teams I hate (would you believe I once prophesied a Bears Super Bowl victory for this very reason?), I’m calling this series for Orlando in six.

Nuggets out but not down

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:42:00 -0700

Well, that sucked. Actually, I’m trying—and mostly succeeding—not to be bitter right now. The Denver Nuggets’ season came to a devastating stop the last few nights as the Los Angeles Lakers simply started trying. But the Nuggets’ playoff run was as inspiring as it was incredible. And man, have things changed.

It started with a matchup: the team, with a No. 2 seed that was the highest of the Carmelo era, was set to face the New Orleans Hornets in the first round. I can remember discussing it over the phone with a friend, distraught that we didn’t get to play the more favorable Utah Jazz or Dallas Mavericks. The Hornets had some great pieces around the league’s best point guard, Chris Paul…or so everyone said. Now I can’t see Paul’s face on TV without laughing to myself about what a terrible playoffs he had. His reputation, to me at least, has taken a huge hit. Know why? Because Chauncey Billups is just that good. And don’t forget our 121-63 win on the road in Game Four.

Going into the playoffs, fan expectations were low. All we needed to get that self-respect back was a series victory and for Carmelo to play well. We got that with the New Orleans series. The rest was gravy.

A No. 2 seed should also get through the second round, though, and of course we did that pretty handily against the Dallas Mavericks. I think we’ll look back at Game Three of that series as the day Carmelo went from NBA All-Star to NBA superstar. Here’s the thing. He was a very well-known and well-regarded player who scored tons of points and made game-winners all the time in the regular season. He’d be playing in the Sunday game in February for years either way. But once he hit that game-winning three against Dallas, he elevated his game and his confidence to a whole new level. He had 31 points that day, and the next four games, he scored 41, 30, 39, and 34. Those last two games were against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers. I was at Game Three of the Lakers series. Carmelo carried himself like he knew he was the best player on the floor. He didn’t end up playing like it the whole series, but the attitude alone is a huge step for Anthony, who has progressed more in the last year than anyone in basketball. A year ago he got a DUI and the team considered trade him. Now he’s an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most dangerous go-to scorers in basketball, especially at the end of games. We’re so lucky the team didn’t get rid of him.

As for the Lakers, well, they ended up beating us handily in the last two games. But as excited as we all were to play L.A., we probably shouldn’t have been. The Lakers won 65 regular season games this year, which is rare. In the 2000s, only four teams have had as many or more wins: the ’99-’00 Lakers (67), the ’06-’07 Mavericks (67), the ’07-’08 Celtics (66), and this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers (66). Those Lakers and Celtics teams both won the title. It would have been an historic upset for us to advance to the Finals this year. And if we’d hung on just a little longer in Game One, we just might have done it.

It’s a tough loss, but this isn’t the 2007 Rockies all over again. The Lakers should be fine next year, and now that they have a few days off, they might let Jeff Van Gundy or Mark Jackson take them out to a nice dinner. Get a room already. Seriously, go ahead. What’s the worst that could happen? Other powerhouse West teams of the last few years, though, like the Spurs, Suns, and Mavs, are all getting worse. This offseason is key. The Nuggets have to re-sign Chris Andersen, who will be an unrestricted free agent. It would be nice if we could pick up a power forward, someone who could rebound consistently, but I’m not sure if we’ll have or spend the money. Maybe, though. I feel like attendance should be up next year; the Birdman’s great, but every single person in this city is in love with Chauncey’s game. He is now the face of pro sports in Denver. Come November, when the Broncos are 0-9 or whatever, people are going to be stoked to have him back.

As for head coach George Karl, he’s been the target of some national media (read: The Sports Guy) criticism through this series, but I doubt the Nuggets will get rid of him. His pregame speech before the game was perhaps the most resigned I’ve ever heard, but he was just following a proud Nuggets tradition. Before Denver faced L.A. in the opening round of the 1987 playoffs, coach Doug Moe said, “We got no shot to beat the Lakers.”

We didn’t have a shot tonight, either, as Denver’s dream playoff run finally came to an end. You don't usually break out of the first round and win your first championship in the same year. Next year, though? Next year I think we just might have ’em.

Nuggets lose Game Five

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:59:00 -0700

I won’t say the series is over, but tonight’s game, a 103-94 victory by the L.A. Lakers over the Denver Nuggets, really hurt.

I’d been nervous all day; I guess as a Broncos fan I don’t remember what deep playoff runs feel like. While Game Four was a game we had to win, it felt coming into tonight that our best shot of taking the series was to win Game Five, too. Surely the Lakers knew this and stepped up with their best effort of the series. It was their one good effort for a few players. It’s annoying how guys like Lamar Odom will get praised for this game.

The start of the fourth quarter is obviously where we lost the game, but the Lakers outplayed the Nuggets for most of the game, even in the tied first half. It was kind of like how some of our games with the Hornets played out: we controlled the tempo, and were clearly dominating, but didn’t have an actual lead yet. Tonight the Lakers did the same to us. They played just hard enough on defense to keep our shooters from developing any kind of rhythm. Why they don’t play like that all the time, I couldn’t tell you, but they clearly went all-out tonight and played well from start to finish. Man, I hate those guys.

The Nuggets’ backs are against the wall. Last time that happened, after Game Three, they responded with a huge home victory. Let’s hope they can unleash the running game at the Pepsi Center Friday night (7 pm Mountain, ESPN).

Magic up 3-1!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:29:00 -0700

Wait a second…if LeBron gets knocked out, will the league try even harder to ensure Kobe makes the Finals?

Nuggets even the Western Conference Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:49:00 -0700

With Carmelo Anthony sick and off to an icy start, the Denver Nuggets shouldn’t have had a chance tonight. But Chauncey Billups (loved that drive in the highlights) and J.R. Smith stepped up and led the team to a 120-101 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers and even the Western Conference Finals at two games apiece.

The entire team played well as the Nuggets outscored the Lakers in every quarter. The Birdman was fantastic, and he, Nene, and K-Mart completely dominated the boards against an overmatched Lakers front line. Dahntay Jones had a sweet breakaway windmill dunk and a wonderful make-it-look-like-an-accident trip of Kobe Bryant. Carmelo came in and did his thing in the fourth quarter, forcing his way to the line when they needed to keep the lead up. And the fans were outstanding; one of the “no means no” chants came through crystal-clear on TV. You know the league’s not happy about that.

Really, the only complaint Nuggets fans can have is about that stretch in the fourth quarter where the clock seemed to move backwards and the Lakers got free throw after free throw. But the next time I looked up J.R. was sinking threes and Denver was cruising to an easy win. Well, that and, as Stuart Scott reports, Bryant scoring the most points ever in the first four games of a conference finals. That part’s rough.

The Lakers, for their part, continued not to go to Pau Gasol that much and still rely on Kobe to do everything. Does anyone else on that team have another gear? And what is up with Phil Jackson? He had one of the most bizarre nights I’ve seen from a coach in a while. First was Kobe and Gasol sitting on the bench for so long in the fourth quarter. Once Kobe came in, he hit a few shots in a row. The Nuggets had a big lead and were in Morey Rule territory with plenty of time left, but you never know what Bryant’s capable of, especially if he’s going to play several more minutes anyway. Jackson also pulled that ridiculous move where he didn’t sub anyone in for Luke Walton once he fouled out. I don’t know what that was about because it looked like a pretty clear foul to me. The real question is why Jackson had Luke on Carmelo in the first place.

Anyway, the Nuggets go back to L.A., where they’ll have to win at least Wednesday (7 Mountain, ESPN) or Sunday to stay alive. How do you like their odds?

Magic up 2-1

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:59:00 -0700

Wow. Wow! The Orlando Magic just took a 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a ten-point win in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals.

I didn’t think Orlando had a prayer in the series, and told a reader I expected the Cavs to win in five. I’m still not sure Orlando will win, especially when the refs are willing to call a foul on Dwight Howard’s last-minute block of LeBron James, perhaps the cleanest block I’ve ever seen (more in a second). At this point I just really want someone to break up the Cavs-Lakers Finals, which is a pretty bad place to be as a fan. I mean, obviously I want the Nuggets to win it all, but if they can’t I just hope someone crashes the league’s party.

The Magic sure do play funny on offense with a lead, though. They kept going for the dagger three instead of a) a good two or b) trying to kill any clock. It was like a football team passing every down with a four-point lead or something. I was afraid they were going to blow it.

And really, I hate complaining about the refs, but I also hate how it feels like the underdog has to do more than just outscore the favorite. About that block: LeBron is pushing the ball up the floor and you know he’s going to pull up for three (the Cavs were down eight). Dwight Howard comes up behind him and blocks the shot. Absolutely clean. I mean almost every block has some kind of body contact, but Howard didn’t touch James at all. Of course, there’s a whistle anyway. So LeBron got three free throws with 36.1 remaining. It wasn’t enough to change the game, but it totally could have been. (Charles Barkley, thankfully, kept saying it was a terrible call, asked if anyone noticed the seeing-eye dog next to the ref, and said that someone needs to review the tapes and give technicals for obvious flopping.)

One more note on the officials: I also hate watch the players complain to the refs, but if some star really does get suspended for picking up a seventh technical and that turns around a conference finals or the NBA Finals, really, whose best interest is that in? This is the lamest running subplot of the playoffs. I really, really hope none of these series come down to that.

More thoughts on Game Three

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:14:00 -0700

• We bought our tickets on StubHub. If you’ve never used it before (I hadn’t), it’s totally legit. You buy your tickets online, and I think they’d mail them to you if there was time, but in our case we picked them up at a conference room in the Oxford Hotel downtown. All in all a pretty painless experience, except to the wallet.

• Niketown sucks. After I picked up David V at the airport, we had some time to kill, and he needed to get a Nuggets shirt. The last time I was there, which was a few years ago, I could have sworn one of the front rooms had a bunch of Nuggets or at least Carmelo stuff in it. There was none to be found anywhere in the store yesterday, even though Melo is the biggest star of the Jordan brand. But what really got me was that on the walls outside of the room where the basketball stuff is, they had a huge picture of LeBron James on one wall, and on the other…a big Kobe Bryant. You’ve got to be kidding me. Couldn’t they have paid some kid six cents to find a good picture of Carmelo?

• I remember reading about playoff games at the old Boston Garden. One characteristic of the place was that it would get really hot. The Pepsi Center wasn’t sweltering last night or anything but it was definitely a few degrees warmer than the first two playoff games I went to. It is later in the year, I guess, though yesterday wasn’t particularly hot. I really only noticed because I was amazed how comfortable it had been the first two games.

• What is was, though, was loud. The amount of artificial noise in the building was staggering. I don’t mean artificial cheering; I just mean things like the beat that goes with a “De-Fense!” chant. It never let up in the second half. I can’t imagine trying to play with that going on, and it wasn’t like it got quiet when the Nuggets had the ball. (Playing with a loud crowd would be friggin’ awesome; it’s all the fake noise that would be annoying.) If anything we overdid it and ended up favoring the more experienced team. Personally if I was, say, J.R. Smith, I would have liked a couple seconds to gather my thoughts when on the bench; the building was just annoyingly loud to the point that it got kind of uncomfortable sitting there.

The only reasonable explanation I can think of is that there were enough Lakers fans there cheering pretty loud in the first half when they’d score, so the Pepsi Center team decided to try to drown them out. I guess that’s cool, but the Nuggets were up most of the time, so I don’t think their fans would have had the edge. Besides, it’s way more fun trying to outcheer some obnoxious jerk than it is screaming when you can barely hear yourself. The tension in the air was pretty bad, though, and the Lakers fans were way more optimistic.

By the way, if you’re a Lakers fan at the Western Conference Finals, you probably should have found time to update that No. 8 Bryant jersey. Just saying. (Then again I thought the guy we passed in an old dark blue No. 4 Billups jersey was the man. Looking back those old uniforms were hideous, though.) I also saw two guys in Wilt Chamberlain jerseys. One was a lanky teenager, which I don’t get at all. The other was in his 20s or 30s and also definitely never saw Wilt play. I saw a Magic jersey, which is cool. Personally if I was a Lakers fan going for a retro look I think I’d lean more towards an Elgin Baylor or a Big Game James; what about you?

So back to the noise. There were a bunch of drummers going at halftime that were crazy loud and not my particular cup of tea anyway. The sound just lingered. Again, I’m down if the Nuggets’ locker room is soundproofed and L.A.’s isn’t, but who knows. I tried calling a friend at halftime and that was a miserable experience; fortunately the Can has these soundproofed rooms off to the side of the corridors you can hang out in.

• I had always wanted to sit in the seats where they give you the big balloons to wave at the free throw shooters, and yesterday, I did it. The Lakers shot free throws really poorly on our end, but Kobe was sinking them, so it was a pretty crappy feeling. Another cool thing was that a guy down the row had the Xerox of the NBA’s official stats for the first half, even though the story the numbers told was frightening. (I know we were up at halftime, but the shooting percentages scared me.)

• It’s funny how the fans react to the players live. After watching a few rounds we all know what the Nuggets do, and no one wants Kenyon Martin to try to do anything. J.R.’s tough to watch when he’s cold. Most guys would lose confidence in their rapid-fire threes, but not Smith. Guess that’s sort of a good thing. It reminds me of when a cornerback says he has to have a short memory, but it’s someone like Terrell Buckley who gets burned all the time and you’re like, maybe you should try to remember a little. When he drove for that shot with like a minute left, I said, “J.R., what are you doing?” and when it went in, the guy next to me screamed, “He’s scoring! He’s scoring!” then admitted he didn’t like the shot, either.

• If anyone’s going to Game Four, they did let us in more than an hour early now, not that there’s anything to do inside.

Nuggets drop Game Three

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Sat, 23 May 2009 22:35:00 -0700

In a devastating blow to their championship dreams, the Denver Nuggets lost Game Three of the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, 103-97. It was an absolutely brutal game to watch down the stretch if you like the Nuggets.

I do. As one of you noticed on my new Twitter page, I did indeed attend the game in person. Here is the requisite view from my seat:

Look familiar? It felt that way, though I was on the opposite end of the court from where I sat in Game Five of the Hornets series, meaning the Nuggets would actually come at us in the second half. Also I was two rows back, if anyone really freaking cares.

I was pretty down after the game, but now I’m not sure how to feel. It seemed like L.A. dictated a slower tempo than we like to play at home, but we still put up 97 points on a night when Carmelo Anthony was in foul trouble and we couldn’t hit a jump shot to save our lives. It’s starting to feel like J.R. Smith’s cold streak is rubbing off on Chauncey Billups, isn’t it? We were only a few made shots away from going up 2-1 in the series. But it’s pretty hard to beat the Lakers, I think, when you give away two of the first three games.

The Nuggets were up most of the second half, but it didn’t feel like they were up, and it definitely didn’t feel like it was going to last the way we were playing. Our perimeter shooting, on fire against Dallas and New Orleans, is now just bad. Our defense is slumping, too. Carmelo had some key steals, but all in all it feels like we’re counting on him to do everything. He’s carrying himself like he knows he’s the best player out there. I can still remember his first foul; I thought it was okay, because he’s good at going into the end of the game with only a few fouls. Except tonight he picked up quite a few and had to sit for too long of a stretch in the second half. That was killer.

I’ll give credit to Kobe. His three-pointer over J.R. Smith with just over a minute left was the nail in the coffin. I’d wanted Carmelo on him but I must have forgotten he had five fouls somehow.

Anyway, I’m done talking about this killer game, at least for now. Check out Twitter for more on the atmosphere at the game, etc., if you’re interested.

Meanwhile, back in the East

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:54:00 -0700

I just caught the last six or so minutes of Game Two of the Orlando Magic-Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals, and I hope you did, too. It was NUTS. Beautiful basketball down the stretch from the Magic, who I seem to recall a certain reader supporting on his long and winding road to becoming a Nuggets fan. Anyway, Orlando Calrissian was hitting shots, and they seemed to know just how to cover LeBron: send absolutely everyone at him when he drives, and hope Mo Williams and The Big Z miss enough jumpers to keep it close. And it worked. Hedo Turkoglu hit a long three-pointer to tie the game at 93 with 48 seconds remaining. On the next possession LeBron appeared to take four steps on a drive and was actually called for it. For a second I thought it was some kind of defensive foul or something (wasn’t listening to the game sound), but no. (After the game Craig Sager asked LeBron if he had not argued the call because of fatigue, and James, to his credit, admitted he had travelled. To be fair he might have only taken three steps, but it looked like a foot was on the ground when he picked up his dribble.) Okay, again, anyway. The Magic are fouled and get the ball on the sideline with thirteen seconds left. I wasn’t super confident they’d get it done, but if they did, they’d be up 2-0 on the heretofore invincible Cavaliers! Hedo gets the ball on the right side, and drives into a crowd before launching an awkward, bending jumper that somehow falls in with a second left. Game over, Magic.

Except for a little fellow known as King James, who caught the ball behind the three point line, jumped, and fired a fadeaway three that rimmed in. And the Cavs salvage the split with a one-point win. Why isn’t anyone asking what makes his unstoppableness so unstoppable?

Lesson learned

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:28:00 -0700

Can’t beat the Lakers? Try becoming the Lakers.

The Denver Nuggets stole a chapter out of L.A.’s playbook tonight, winning in a way only the Lakers usually do: taking the first half off, showing no outward signs of caring, and then, somehow, getting back into it and taking the game at the end.

In sharp contrast to their effort in Game One, the Nuggets played almost flawlessly down the stretch, save perhaps J.R. Smith’s turnover on a pass attempt to Carmelo Anthony. (I guess Anthony had that turnover, too.) Anthony, by the way, just about willed the Nuggets back into the game, scoring more than 30 points for the fifth game in a row, which Scott Van Pelt just told me breaks Alex English’s franchise single-season playoff record. That means the streak started with Game 3 in Dallas, when Carmelo hit that game-winning three pointer. I can almost hear Morpheus: “He’s beginning to believe.”

Chauncey Billups might be missing some of his free throws, but he played great, especially in the fourth quarter. He put it in another gear when the team needed it, driving to the basket, and making his way to the line again and again. He knew just how to attack, and carried the Nuggets when Carmelo began to falter ever so slightly near the end.

They said that Linas Kleiza was scoring something like five points per game in the playoffs; that's way higher than I would have thought, but his threes were big tonight. (And Coach Karl wisely pulled him when he missed a three in the fourth.) Nene and Kenyon Martin were solid, though a few more boards from the Mart are always welcome. I was so relieved/stoked when Nene hit those free throws.

Those words describe how I felt down the stretch, but now? Incredible! I can’t believe my Nuggets just beat the Los Angeles Lakers on the road in the Western Conference Finals in what was starting to feel like a must-win game. They got it, and now they have the homecourt advantage. But this series, which has been great basketball so far, is far from over. Game Three is Saturday night at the Pepsi Center (6:30 pm Mountain, ABC).

Hello from the second quarter

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:10:00 -0700

It’s funny that I would post that link about the refs—and even funnier that Dick Bavetta is on the crew tonight—but if the Nuggets lose, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. Where is the energy? Carmelo’s starting to heat up, but he still had to walk over to Nene to get a five after a made free throw. Wake up, people! We are lucky it’s as close as it is, and somehow now it’s a five-point game, so I’ll get back to watching it.

O-fishy-ating (Get it?)

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:43:00 -0700

Guess who finally hit the big time? That’s right, folks, you can now read something I wrote on somebody else’s blog. Truly a momentous day. No, I didn’t actually write the whole post, but you should really check it out anyway.

It figures

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:25:00 -0700

Without getting into any details, today sucked, and so it’s fitting that the Lakers took down the Nuggets in Game One tonight.

What’s sad, but also reassuring, is that the Nuggets put themselves in position to win the game. They had a big lead in the first quarter, which is almost annoying at this point, because unless you’re playing the Hornets you always lose a lead you build that early. But they also had some good leads in the fourth quarter. If you’re not familiar with this rule, which I think I’ve heard the Sports Guy credit to Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, it’ll totally change the way you watch games. The quote is from Michael Lewis’ awesome profile of Shane Battier:

One statistical rule of thumb in basketball is that a team leading by more points than there are minutes left near the end of the game has an 80 percent chance of winning. If your team is down by more than 6 points halfway through the final quarter, and you’re anxious to beat the traffic, you can leave knowing that there is slightly less than a 20 percent chance you’ll miss a victory; on the other hand, if you miss a victory, it will have been an improbable and therefore sensational one.

So remember when Carmelo Anthony got caught by the sideline and called that timeout, but then right after the break caught a pass from Nene for a dunk? That gave the Nuggets a seven-point lead with 7:28 left, a lead they kept past when the clock ticked under seven minutes remaining. The Nuggets also led by six inside of six minutes and five inside of five. And, oh yeah, Chauncey Billups' three gave us a two-point lead with 1:38 remaining.

So what happened? Well, I refuse to turn this blog into a bunch of whining about the officiating, so I guess I can’t explain it. Also, the Lakers were getting the ball to Kobe Bryant better than the Nuggets were to Chauncey or Carmelo in the closing minutes. (Thankfully, both 7 and 15 played well when given opportunities down the stretch.) Anthony Carter’s inbounds pass that got stolen was absolutely atrocious, too. I think the Nuggets will be a lot better off on offense when J.R. Smith gets back on track, though. While he did hit one big three, he usually provides a bigger lift at the start of the fourth quarter.

My other concern is Denver’s first-half defense on Bryant. Way too many times he was allowed to get the ball down low and simply elevate for an easy shot. I don’t know how to prevent that but the Nuggets have to find a way or this is going to be a very short series.

Drug check

noreply@blogger.com (Mike) — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:37:00 -0700

Did anyone watch SportsCenter tonight? If you did, did you happen to see real-life Jon Barry on a real-life court guarding a life-size digital Kobe Bryant, presumably from NBA Live? Just, uh…just curious.

21.5 more hours…

Running backs taking a look at Broncos

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:40:00 -0800

The Broncos jumped into free agency Thursday night by setting up visits today with a pair of running backs. The team, as yet, hasn't reached agreements with Arizona's J.J. Arrington or Philadelphia's Correll Buckhalter, according to John Rickert, who represents both players.

LEGWOLD: Broncos have plenty of holes to fill on defense, special teams

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:12:00 -0800

At almost every opportunity to throw the Broncos defense of 2008 under any passing Greyhound, first-year Broncos coach Josh McDaniels has instead offered something on the order of: "We want to make the whole team better."

NFL free agency: Weak economic climate not conducive to big deals

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:19:00 -0800

If new Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels is to be believed, the team won't be shy about spending owner Pat Bowlen's money in hopes of building a roster for the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2005.

Broncos free agents brace for change

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:24:00 -0800

The Broncos have informed Ebenezer Ekuban, above, and other teammates who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents they will be allowed to enter the market and won't be re-signed before the league's shopping spree begins Thursday night.

Broncos look for free-agent help in secondary

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0800

The Broncos likely will not only try to land one of the top cornerbacks on the market but will try to buttress its thin reserves at the position with an experienced veteran. The Broncos also are making it known they will be players in the safety market.

Broncos' Torain exercises patience in latest comeback

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:20:00 -0800

Broncos running back Ryan Torain’s biggest challenge in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee: restraint.

DA won't file charges in LenDale White assault case

gathrighta@rockymountainnews.com (Alan Gathright) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:39:00 -0800

No charges will be brought against Denver native and Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White who was accused of striking a man with a belt buckle after a fender-bender in downtown Denver early Valentine's Day morning.

Linebacker Worrell Williams dreams of joining brother D.J. on Broncos

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:47:00 -0800

University of California product Worrell Williams, the younger brother of Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams, heads into the NFL workout season among the top 10 linebackers on many teams' draft boards.

Tech's Crabtree postpones surgery until after pro day

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:54:00 -0800

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is one of the most highly-rated players in this year's NFL draft, said he will not have surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot until after his pro day workout next month.

NFL combine: CSU's Sperry fares well

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 19:07:00 -0800

It was first things first for former Colorado State tight end Kory Sperry on Saturday on his final day at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Among those at his position, the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder ranked first in the 60-yard shuttle, clocking in at 11.57 seconds, as well as the 20-yard shuttle (4.24 seconds).

NFL draft could hold key to Broncos’ defensive renovation efforts

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:04:00 -0800

Josh McDaniels said Friday that they will play at least some 3-4 on defense in the upcoming season. Luckily for the new Broncos coach, this year's NFL draft can offer them help in some trouble spots. It is one of the strongest drafts in recent memory at linebacker, a key to the 3-4.

Broncos report: Scheffler recovering from E. coli

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Tony Scheffler's trip to the Pro Bowl to tag along with teammates Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler might have been memorable for all the wrong reasons. Shortly after returning to Colorado, Scheffler fell ill and was admitted to a hospital.

Boss Bailey on comeback trail for Broncos

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:54:00 -0800

Denver Broncos linebacker Boss Bailey appears to be ahead of schedule in his comeback from microfracture surgery on his left knee in early November.

Broncos plan to move Moss to linebacker

rasizerl@rockymountainnews.com (Lee Rasizer) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:04:00 -0800

Now that the Broncos will use more of a 3-4 defensive alignment, Jarvis Moss, the Broncos' first-round pick in the 2007 draft, has learned he'll be moving to outside linebacker in Mike Nolan's new scheme.

Broncos will use more 3-4 defense in '09, McDaniels confirms

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:24:00 -0800

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels confirmed Friday at the national scouting combine that the Broncos will move toward defensive principles gleaned during his days with the New England Patriots, while leaving flexibility to adapt players' skills to fit the scheme.

Ex-boss questions new Broncos GM Xanders' scouting experience

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:47:00 -0800

Longtime NFL personnel executive Ken Herock hired Brian Xanders in Atlanta in 1994. So Herock speaks from experience when he says the Broncos' new general manager has some significant challenges awaiting him in his new role.

CSU's Sperry: NFL teams interested in knee

legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com (Jeff Legwold) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Colorado State tight end Kory Sperry, one of two former Rams at the combine, said teams have already given plenty of attention to his left knee.

Hosting Camps to Give Back

Daniel Graham hosted his third annual Daniel Graham Foundation Elite and Fundamental Football Camp last weekend. He\'s one of three Broncos to hold free football camps for kids this offseason in an effort to give back.

Jackson Poised to Perform

Chad Jackson is hoping advice from a Bronco legend and the familiarity with the new offensive system will help him make an impact in 2009.

Training Camp Schedule Released

The Broncos first open practice to the public is set for Friday, July 31. Here are the key dates to mark on your calendar.

Smooth Landing

David Bruton had his share of difficulties arriving in Denver. But once his pre-draft flight landed in the Mile High City, the former Notre Dame product began making a smooth transition to life in the NFL.

Broncos Trio Meets the Troops

Rulon Davis, Kyle Orton and Brandon Stokley spent Wednesday touring the Cheyenne Mountain Complex before heading to Peterson Air Force Base to meet the troops, signing autographs and taking pictures.

Switch Hitter

Darrell Reid excelled on special teams in Indianapolis -- as a 290-pound defensive tackle. Not many tackles have done that, and not many tackles have done what Reid intends to do in Denver -- make the switch to linebacker.