The Mile High Report

Horse Tracks 7/5/09 - RIP Steve McNair

2009-07-05T13:10:05Z

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

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

2009-07-04T13:40:29Z

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

2009-07-03T16:48:55Z

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

21 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?

2009-07-03T13:53:54Z

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

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

2009-07-02T11:51:11Z

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

Horse Tracks 7/1/09 - Piling on BMarsh

2009-07-01T11:36:52Z

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

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

2009-06-30T12:30:12Z

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

2009-06-30T11:27:27Z

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

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

2009-06-29T11:29:52Z

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

Horse Tracks 6/28/09 - Foxworth goes home

2009-06-28T13:30:22Z

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

Horse Tracks 6/27/09 - Clady finally gets some well-deserved love

2009-06-27T13:52:35Z

DB - Taking a Break
With a month of downtime before training camp begins, most of the veterans are headed home or on vacation, while the rookies are off to the league's rookie symposium. Robert Ayers plans on burying himself in the playbook and playing UFC games on PS3 and XBOX360 online, while Kyle Orton, Brandon Stokley and Chris Simms will be keeping their noses to the grindstone.

DP - Broncos' Graham gives back to hometown
Armstrong details Daniel Graham's football camp, which DG runs along with his family. Interestingly, Armstrong says "so much for...negative headlines involving NFL players." Well, apparently you're forgetting DG's own negative headlines, Jim. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad DG is a Bronco and that he gives back, but we can't just paint over the bad stuff.

CBS - Top 50: Lining up again behind those two quarterbacks
Wow, I didn't see this one coming. Pete Prisco gives Ryan Clady his due props, ranking him as the best OT in football and the 16th-best player in the league. How about that, folks? He puts the Champ at #22, which he admits is higher than others might rank him.

CBS - Positional Rankings: Tackle
Prisco briefly ranks the tackles, starting with Clady.

FOX - Positional Power Rankings: QB packages
You guessed it; the Broncos are ranked last. Personally, I can't see how the Niners, Vikings (without Favre), Raiders, Jets, Lions and Bucs can rank higher than Denver.

FOX - 7 Points: Ravens need a receiver now
Ed Thompson makes it sound like the Broncos are paying Dre' Bly to play for the Niners. Well, it's just cap money Ed - not actual money.

DP - Witness claims threat in Darrent Williams case
The man who intercepted Willie Clark's confessional letter claims he was threatened into not showing at court in response to a subpoena.

NFL - Grab your No. 2 pencils -- it's final exam time!
Pat Kirwan has a terrific quiz on the 2008 NFL season. Me, I didn't do so hot - only 16 correct out of 30. That puts me on the bubble. No cheating!! (For me, the hardest section was the first 10).

KCS - Chiefs sign seventh-round pick O'Connell

CCT - Going global, or just plane crazy?
Jokeland had to go as far as Asia to find a corporate sponsor.

NFL - Jaguars will ship WR Northcutt to Lions for S Alexander

NFL - Ex-Brown Jurevicius files lawsuit blaming team, doctors for staph infection

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Green Bay Packers

SI - Green Bay Packers aren't doing NFL owners any favors in CBA - Ross Tucker

NFL - Packers put old you-know-who in past, focus on winning in 2009 - Steve Wyche

NFP - Diner morning news: How Titans, Bears will adjust
Lombardi considers the impact of Al Haynesworth and Jay Cutler on their new squads.

NFP - The differences in rookie contracts
Andrew Brandt compares rookie contracts among the different major sports.

NFP - Michael Vick's waiting game - Jack Bechta

Y! - Krupa swears she's not a monster
Slow news week. Mike Silver details a competition-show spat between teammates Terrell Owens and Joanna Krupa.

NFL - 2009 NFL training camp reporting dates

NFL - Top 10 pass combos in NFL history

NFP - 2009 Scouting Series: Northwestern - Wes Bunting

Tales of Mythology II

2009-06-26T17:30:12Z

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

21 days ago: Denver Broncos rookie cornerback Alphonso Smith 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 »

The Myth of the Short Cornerback

When the Broncos drafted Alphonso Smith with their first pick in the second round of the NFL Draft, a huge cry went up among the pundits. Smith? No! He's too short! Shorter cornerbacks are at too big of a disadvantage. The belief was that if a receiver is taller than the coverage guy, all the offense has to do is to have their quarterback throw the ball up out of the cornerback’s reach and they will have reception after reception. This is such a common representation that I started to fire up NFL Rewind and to look for instances when it was true. The more football I watched, the more I realized that it only infrequently happened. Receptions commonly occur when the receiver is in front of the cornerback (and height doesn't matter that that point) or when the quarterback places the ball perfectly out in front as both are running (in whatever direction) but I could count the receptions where the wide receiver snared a pass that was thrown over a shorter corner such that the receiver leaps for it perfectly on just one hand. If it didn't work with just one receiver (looking specifically at taller receivers vs. shorter CBs) or in one game, sure, but in game after game it was a rarity and in most it didn't happen at all. I started to wonder, 'Why?'

This article is not meant to argue that there are no advantages to having a somewhat taller corner. There are, certainly, in some situations, depending on the other skills or lack thereof on the part of the players. However, a trade-off is at play here. Taller corners are often, although not always, slightly less nimble than the smaller corners. In a position where the ability to get around a receiver and to flash in and out of his circle, nimble means more balls defended and less penalties incurred. Of course, the number-one skill of the NFL cornerback - which is the ability to never lose your confidence, according to former Broncos cornerback Charles Dimry (himself over 6 feet) - has nothing to do with size. Quickness, both in foot speed and in hand speed, along with balance, vertical leap, body control, vision, controlled aggression, and courage are all important factors regardless of height.

Is there, however, a good example of a cornerback whose height has permitted him to use his (unusual) quickness to extraordinary example? If you were thinking of Michael Haynes, Hall of Fame cornerback and punt returner, you were right on the money. In a career that included stints with the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders, Haynes managed to garner 46 interceptions during that time and gained 1,159 yards as a punt returner over the course of his career. He was the Patriots' first of three 1st-round picks (5th overall) in the 1976 NFL draft. Haynes was a true rarity, a 6'2" cornerback who was both fast and quick. Obviously - if you have a cornerback who has that kind of height and yet does not sacrifice any speed or quickness, he has a chance to be something truly special. Haynes was. But as I watched more and more games, I realized how much of a rarity he was.

As I watched the plays, still not seeing this link between the taller receiver and the high reception out of the smaller CB's reach, I realized that the answers to why it didn't happen were many, but they were also fairly simple. Obviously, most cornerbacks are quick, fast and nimble. Many of them – most of them, in fact (since it's a job requirement), have excellent leaping skills and excellent hand speed. That turned out to be one thing that really did matter. In one sense, their job is much easier than the wide receiver's. They don’t have to catch the football – Hoosierteacher has pointed out that it’s far more important to consistently bat the pass away than it is to intercept it, although interceptions are certainly appreciated. Passes defensed is a much more important number than interceptions, at the end of the day.

Colinski has been writing on the Magic Inch idea recently. To summarize (I hope), he's referring to the fact that if Smith was a fraction of an inch taller and was thus listed at 5'10", for example, few would have blinked at drafting him. Is that fraction-of-an-inch all important? My belief is that it's not, and there are several reasons that I feel this way. They are the same reasons that the height advantage seemed overplayed when watching film.

The first reason is this – all the cornerback has to do is to deflect the ball. While it's a very good thing to intercept a pass, defending all of them is an even bigger job. The CB can leap, and at the top of that leap just nudge it enough to change its trajectory out of the hands of the receiver. He can do so with a single hand – most of them do - while the receiver, in most cases, needs to be able to grasp the ball with both. Most cornerbacks are very skilled at leaping - new Bronco Alphonso Smith is justifiably famous for his 'hops' ability, and it should stand him in good stead.

I can give you a second reason, and you can test it for yourself. Try this sometime – Standing next to a tall wall, leap upwards with one hand and tap a wall at the top of your arc. Notice how high you can reach this way. Now – try to leap up and ‘grab’ just about 6 inches above that mark (the height you'd need to grab a football) with both hands. Rarely will you be able to do so. That’s another reason that the cornerback has a strong advantage. Again, tipping the ball at the top of his jump and tapping the ball is all that’s necessary for a cornerback to make a play.

There’s a third reason, and you can see this during the course of any football game. In order to catch a pass, you usually have to reach up or out and get your hands around the ball, control it and bring it down or at least into your body in order to keep control. Consider this – from the moment before the ball reaches your hands to the moment you control it against your body, the ball is vulnerable, and so are you. Your obligation as a wide receiver is to bring it down – in other words, to bring the ball right into the cornerbacks’ area of interest. While you, the receiver, are bringing the ball down and into your body, the cornerback has his opportunity to knock the ball away. Height no longer matters, because if the cornerback is taller than your waist, you’re working for him.

That's why Alphonso Smith forced 6 fumbles between '07 and '08. This short internet show at the 'fumbles' link starts off by noting that 5'9" corners are generally nickelbacks in the NFL but states specifically that Smith defies that stereotype. It shows his leaping ability, timing and ability to get between the ball and the receiver, with photos to explain why that's true. It should be required watching for MHR members and visitors - agree or not, you'll understand the draft pick much better when you see it.

Is there an exception among receivers? Interestingly, the sole exception who is frequently named by players and coaches alike is former Viking and current New England Patriot Randy Moss. At 6’4", he is about the same size as Brandon Marshall. In different books, both Mike Shanahan and former quarterback Phil Simms mentioned Moss as a very rare 'someone' who lets the quarterback play ‘playground football'. If you put it up, Moss seems to have a unique skill at bringing it down, protecting it and completing the reception. But, according to each of them (Simms and Shanahan) that’s a single exception, and there are a lot of passes thrown every Sunday. I'm sure that there are other such players in degree (and Brandon Marshall also comes to mind), who also have some of this skill, but Moss draws the most attention. It's worth noting that at 6'4", Marshall is a lot taller than any of the NFL corners. It's one of his advantages, but much shorter CBs still stymie him at times. It's really about the skill of the corner, and I haven't heard a soul claim that Smith lacks that.

The fourth reason that the size issue seems to be overstated is that throwing the pass in such a way as to throw over the up-stretched hands of the cornerback but not to overthrow the receiver at playing speed requires an unusual level of skill, even for an NFL quarterback. Is it impossible? No, of course not . But it’s very difficult and much more so to achieve at game speed with any kind of consistency. Watch a few games for yourself on TV or on NFL Rewind and see for yourself. The exception? The fade route in the corner of the end zone, which teams practice diligently. That does work, but it seems to work equally well against taller corners too; I'm honestly not sure that height is a big advantage there. It's mostly physics and geometry - if you can throw the ball over the cornerback and over the head of your receiver and if the receiver is behind the corner he may, if thing are perfect, be able to catch the ball before stepping out of bounds. That can happen to any corner of any height. Is reach a factor? Always - but generally not a conclusive one.

There is just one more reason that you don't see that high reception and it has more to do with safeties than cornerbacks although it can happen with either. Putting that pass in high is often referred to as 'laying the receiver out'. Sure, if all the factors line up and the pass is thrown perfectly, you can, in some situations, throw it over the cornerback, just exactly high enough to permit the WR to leap and catch it perfectly. But if that happens, you'd better pray that there isn't a safety helping out over the top and just begging for such a circumstance to permit him his moment of fame on SportsCenter as he sledgehammers the receiver's kidneys clear through the front of his uniform. Perfectly legal, very desirable, perfectly miserable for the receiver and probable cause for a 'chat' between quarterback and WR regarding why that's a very, very bad idea.

This myth has taken on a life of its own. Some players and coaches and most of the pundits will affirm that you need height to guard height. But in the harsh lights of the game itself, that rarely seems to matter. It might be interesting to keep an eye out for this during the coming preseason and regular season and to make note of examples both for and against.

As far as the question of this 'myth', if it is one, apparently no one has told the 5'8" Darrell Green about it. He's currently sitting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Perhaps we should go there and ask him about it.

Horse Tracks 6/26/09 - Congrats to former Broncos LB Michael Brooks!!

2009-06-26T11:21:10Z

NFL - Rookies must step in immediately for these five teams
Vic Carucci counts Robert Ayers and Knowshon Moreno among the 5 rookies he expects to have the biggest impact in 2009.

CBS - Drew Brees On Fellow NFL QB Kyle Orton - Video
Orton's Purdue predecessor thinks he will find a better situation in Denver and under the tutelage of Josh McDaniels.

NFP - Five defenses facing critical seasons
Matt Bowen likes the talent and leadership the Broncos added on defense, and thinks their linebackers will be better than most expect. Naturally, his biggest question is how the line will do.

TP - Former LSU linebacker Michael Brooks used an injury as motivation to succeed
Another story about former Bronco Michael Brooks, who will be inducted to the Louisiana Sports HOF this weekend.

LSU - Tiger Football Great Brooks to Enter Louisiana Sports HOF
More on Brooks from his alma mater.

DP - Husted: "Walking With Dinosaurs" prompts prehistrionics
Another Bronco-inspired golden retriever has passed; Atwater, who worked at Children's Hospital passed away just weeks after his brother Elway (the drug-sniffing dog in SF).

AP - Suspect in Broncos player's death appears in court

RH - Former area coaches to be inducted into hall of fame
Lionel Taylor's high school coach will be inducted to the National Single Wing Coaches Association Hall of Fame tomorrow.

NFL - These rookies have made a good first impression at offseason camps
Steve Wyche thinks the Broncos' divisional rivals all have impressive rookies.

SDUT - Chargers pull plug on talks with Chula Vista

DP - Coach's alleged shooter a changed person
The AP's look into the background of the alleged killer of Coach Ed Thomas.

NFL - Lions give center Raiola a four-year contract extension through 2013

NFL - Commissioner Goodell preparing to evaluate Vick's suspension from NFL

NFL - Steelers owner Rooney officially becomes U.S. ambassador to Ireland

NFL - Estefans' minority ownership of Dolphins is music to the team's ears

NFL - Deal that would keep Saints in New Orleans through 2025 nearly done

NFP - Diner moring news: Panthers' risky move
Lombardi thinks Carolina's 2009 season will depend largely upon Julius Peppers.

NYT - Lining Up a Win-Win for the Bengals and Benson - KC Joyner

FOX - Rookie revelations before training camp - Alex Marvez

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: New York Jets

NFL - Plenty of pressure rests on Schottenheimer's reconstructed offense - Bucky Brooks

SI - Mario Williams outplays 2006 draftees Reggie Bush, Vince Young - John Lopez
Kubes and Casserly's choice is looking quite a bit better now than then.

NFL - Next year's top receiver prospects feature a variety of skills - Gil Brandt

NFP - 2009 Scouting Series: Texas - Wes Bunting

MHR University - Ted Block part 2, Specific Tactics (by hoosierteacher and tedbartlett905)

2009-06-25T17:30:12Z

(Many, many thanks to Ted Bartlett for putting in the time to put together the diagrams to illustrate an example Ted Block play. He was able to knock out the diagrams in less than a day! My attempts at diagrams take much longer and don't look nearly as good. Please join me in appreciating his hard work).

In the last MHR University, we took a broad look at the Ted Block scheme. The concept (used in San Francisco under new Broncos DC Mike Nolan) is very likely going to be seen in Denver's 3-4 this year. The scheme calls for the LILB to block the way to the QB for the ROLB.

Andra Davis may be the right guy (not very fast, but very physical) to line up at LILB. Spencer Larsen, who has played at LB but has also played run-blocking duties as a FB is another terrific candidate to clear the way to the QB.

Join Ted and I, as we take a closer look at the Ted Block, including a look at how the different D-Linemen and LBs affect the scheme in a hypothetical play.

As with all play designs in the 3-4, everything starts with the NT.

First, picture the NT lined up head-on with the offensive center. We call this alignment "zero technique". As the play starts, the NT will drive towards the center, then lock up. We'll say the play calls for the NT to rotate into the gap between the center and the left guard. He now tries to move around the center in a semi-circle to the left, but will keep facing him. We now have the OC engaged, and the NT moving into the gap between the center and the left guard.

If the NT is big enough to demand a double team (and remember, in a 3-4 we demand excellence from the NT), the RG should now be concerned, as well as any RBs kept behind to block for the QB.

We (the defense) don't really expect our very large NT to get to the QB. We only want him to be a threat to the QB; enough to pull a double coverage of pass blockers. If he can get through, fine. But it isn't our goal. We want him to tie up two players. In our case, we want him to keep the center away from the blitz lane we are setting up between the OC and the RG.

So now we should have the center facing to the left trying to block out the NT. At worst, if the center is very good and keeping himself squared to the line of scrimmage, the NT is moving to the center's left and drawing in the LG. Either way, a gap is being widened to the right of the center's position.

How do we handle the other threat to our gap; the right guard? Enter the left defensive end. We lined him up at 3 technique (on the right guard's right shoulder), and assigned him to shoot the gap to the right guard's right side. Unlike our "2 gap" NT (who is trying to occupy offensive linemen), our DE is actually trying to get to the QB. Instead of taking the direct route though, he is trying to go between the right guard and the right tackle. His odds aren't great, but he (like the NT) is drawing coverage away from our real lane.

The LOLB gets into the act too. He'll play 5 technique (right tackle's right shoulder). He'll shoot the gap wide around the right tackle, helping to pull even more support from the widening gap between the center and right guard.

If our guys mentioned so far are playing their roles with good, sound techniques, then there should now be a wide gap between the right guard and the center. As a bonus, if our NT is superb, the offensive center has been rotated to face away from the gap. Rather than take the glory of getting a sack or pressuring the QB, we want our NT to be patient and to be a team player. By staying in his assigned role, someone else will get the glory, but the play will work because of him.

Now comes the LILB, the "Ted blocker". Offensive linemen are used to doing two things. Driving into defensive linemen (the aggressive "run block"), or just pushing off defensive players who are trying to get around them (not through them ("pass block"). They are not used to being targets themselves. That's what makes the Ted block a punishing surprise.

If the offense plays two TEs, there is little (or no) RB support to protect the QB. If the center has been rotated, the LILB comes flying at the right side of the center's body, and drives into him. With the center out of the way, you now have the DT, the Ted blocker LILB, and the ROLB all driving on the QB. If the center isn't rotated, he is at least already moving laterally to his left with the DT. The Ted can now drive on any RBs in the way (who are only expecting to block the Ted, not to be hit by him). The entire time, regardless of which scenario pops up, our LILB has been shooting the gap towards the QB unconcerned about anyone in the way.

If there is only one TE, the Ted blocker will drive against the RB assigned to pass block (if there is one). The more guys the offense has held back to pass block, the less passing options they have (which makes things easier for the DBs). But we'll more likely save this play for when our opponents present with two TEs.

To buy time for our blitz to work, we'll assign our CBs to "bump and run", preventing quick passes and making longer routes take that much longer. Our strong safety will take the strong side TE if that TE goes into a route instead of blocking. Our ROLB will cover the weakside TE if needed, starting his assignment in zone.

Our safeties play deep zone, ready for anything. If the right TE goes into a route, our SS covers him. The nice thing about that variation is that, without a TE in blocking, our "distraction" pass rush from the left DE and the LOLB now become as much of a threat as our interior blitz.

What if the play is a run? No problem. We've tied up the gap between the OC and RG (the most common run lane in football), we have a ROLB zoning the weakside who can plug a gap if the play shows run, and the strong side is being tied up by the LOLB and the left DE.

Another factor that makes this play effective is that the 3-4 more often blitzes from the outside, not the inside. The combination of two unexpected issues (an inside blitz, doubled with a linebacker who is going to punish a pass blocker instead of evading him) is potent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently received an e-mail asking if MHR-U could be translated into Mandarin Chinese for fans in Taiwan who are learning about American Football. The process is underway with a translator, and all of us at MHR wish our friends in Taiwan the very best. I would like to thank all of the members of MHR who take part in discussing the articles in the comments section. Your comments and questions are what really makes the articles educational and fun. Thanks to you, the reader, for making MHR such a great place and giving the stories a life of their own. Our international family keeps growing and growing!

Horse Tracks 6/25/09 - Highlights from XXXII always a great start to the day!!!

2009-06-25T11:47:10Z

DB - Broncos Awarded Jones
The Broncos received WR C.J. Jones off waivers from the Chefs, who had signed Jones earlier this spring. Jones is familiar with Josh McDaniels' offense from his time in New England.

DB - Ready for the Big Leagues
Gray Caldwell profiles DT Chris Baker, who the Broncos signed as a UFA despite mid-round projections heading into the draft. Baker appreciates the veterans' help in minicamp and OTAs, and the chance to practice against one of the NFL's top O-Lines.

DP - Iowa coach slain in school shooting
Casey Wiegmann and several other NFL players are grieving the shocking loss of their legendary high school coach, Ed Thomas.

DP - Coach gave all to small town
Kiszla eulogizes Ed Thomas as Parkersburg, Iowa faces another tragedy.

NFLN - NFL Videos: Top Ten Gutsiest Performances: Terrell Davis
Of all days to forget your migraine medication...haha. TD and Co. share their memories of Super Bowl XXXII.

NFL - Top 10 gutsiest performances of all-time
Vote for TD here; I'll admit, he probably doesn't deserve to be #1 here - but I'm voting for him anyway!

SPI - Could Jake Locker be John Elway Jr.?
SACRILEGE!!!!!!!!!!!

ETN - Sports set tone for life of Hall inductees
Former Broncos WR Brian Stablein was inducted to the Metropolitan Erie Chapter Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

CCP - TVCC unveils 2009 Hall of Fame class
Former Bronco Robert Jackson will be inducted to the Trinity Valley Community College HOF.

KCS - Chiefs sign safety Mike Brown, add depth to secondary - Kansas City Star

Y! - Merriman is a man on a mission - Charles Robinson

SDUT - Forged by a force
Kevin Acee profiles Dolts draft choice Larry English.

SDUT - Multimedia: Bolts healthy, hungry as camp nears

NFL - Contract extension could keep WR Jennings in Green Bay through 2012

NFP - Wednesday whys: Jennings was a priority - Andrew Brandt

NFL - Peppers most likely staying with Panthers after signing franchise tender

NFL - Panthers have no intention of trading Peppers - Steve Wyche

NFL - New Giants LB Boley likely to miss start of training camp after hip surgery

NFL - Former high school coach of four NFL players shot, killed in Iowa

NFP - Ed Thomas: More than a football coach - Matt Bowen

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL - With improved offensive line, Jaguars in position to rebound in 2009 - Bucky Brooks

NFP - Diner morning news: Building the lines
Lombardi is puzzled by the big-money extension the Stillers gave OT Max Starks.

NFP - Ripple effect of Jennings' new deal - Matt Bowen

SI - NFL players share views on Ron Jaworski, Tiki Barber, Howie Long - Ross Tucker

CBS - Top 50: Rebounding Palmer leads second-25 elites
Pete Prisco counts BMarsh among his second tier of top-25 NFL players.

FOX - Schein's Nine: Cutler should grin and bear it
Adam Schein thinks JC and the Bears' receivers are good enough to pass their way to the Super Bowl, and expects big things out of Larry Johnson this year. I think he's serious, too...

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Texas A&M - Wes Bunting

"I was extremely saddened to hear the news this morning about the passing of Coach Ed Thomas. He...

2009-06-25T01:11:04Z

"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."

Denver Broncos center Casey Wiegmann today released the following statement regarding the death of football coach Ed Thomas

Broncos awarded WR C.J. Jones on waivers

2009-06-25T01:05:41Z

More photos »

via cache.boston.com

Browse more photos »

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

Hello, I hear they, the fans, are voting on a 50 year team. Well I cannot believe 50 years has...

2009-06-24T18:50:40Z

Hello,

I hear they, the fans, are voting on a 50 year team. Well I cannot believe 50 years has passed! I am proud I had the chance to be there at the first game. Nobody believed we could win, but we did. The Bronco fans still keep in touch, if not them, their kids or grand kids. Best fans in football!

~Goose Gonsoulin, #23, 1960-66.

I received this email from Goose himself. One of the greatest Broncos of all-time and a member of the AFL Hall of Fame.

Horse Tracks 6/24/09 - BMarsh's best bud comes to his defense

2009-06-24T11:31:29Z

CBS - 'He isn't a bad guy' -- best friend still backs Broncos' Marshall
Pete Prisco talks with BMarsh's best friend, Jags WR Mike Walker. Walker comes to Marshall's defense, saying he would let Brandon date his sister. He also says Marshall's unhappiness not only stems from monetary issues and his hip injury, but also from the trade of Jay Cutler. Obviously Walker is biased, but it is nice to hear BMarsh's side of the story, even if it's from somebody else.

DP - Broncos' Buckhalter happy to be shareholder
Correll Buckhalter is happy both to be a Bronco and to still be playing despite several major injuries earlier in his career. Therefore, he is content being part of a potential rotation rather than being a workhorse back. Josh McDaniels calls CB the Broncos' fastest running back and praises his multidimensional skills.

LTC - Former Niwot, CU star McChesney stoked to have opportunity with Broncos
Interior lineman Matt McChesney is thrilled to be with the Broncos, after rooting them on from the South Stands while growing up. McChesney calls signing with Denver "a no-brainer," a year after the tragic death of his younger brother.

NFP - Diner morning news: Getting back to basics
Lombardi says the Broncos coaching staff needs to be selective in how they allocate practice time. He says the 2008 Dolphins should provide a blueprint for how to turn around the Denver defense, and quickly.

FOX - Summer two-a-days: NFC East, AFC West
Peter Schrager rehashes the Broncos offseason, strangely spending an entire paragraph on J.J. Arrington and another questioning the release of Boss Bailey. At least Schrager reminds folks that the '08 Broncos weren't exactly the strongest football squad around.

NFP - Bears should avoid Marshall
Matt Bowen can think of several reasons why BMarsh wouldn't be a fit for Chicago.

DDN - Jury still out on the Broncos’ rookie class
Daniel Williams goes over the Broncos' top draftees; get out your magnifying glasses...

RTD - Both sides guilty in Cutler spat - Paul Woody
Nice to see someone spread the blame around...

LSWA - Brooks walked the walk in career
Here is a terrific profile on one of the newest inductees to the Louisiana Sports HOF, former Broncos LB Michael Brooks. Michael Strahan calls Brooks the "toughest man (he's) ever been around."

PFW - Chiefs sign 'Mr. Irrelevant' PK Succop

KCS - Chiefs to retire Thomas’ No. 58 jersey on Dec. 6

KCS - Central Bancompany now 'Official Bank of the Chiefs'
Well, if any of you have accounts with Metcalf Bank, you can now get a Chefs credit card!!!! HAHAHAHAHA (PUKE).

NFL - Packers, WR Jennings still in talks about a contract extension
Interesting. The Pack's star fourth-year WR is entering the final year of his contract, is only scheduled to make $535,000 and has chosen to attend all voluntary OTAs despite hoping for a new contract. By the way, Jennings has 24 career touchdowns, 9 more than our guy. Oh, and Jennings was going to be the Broncos' choice (the pick was almost in) before Green Bay called and offered up Javon Walker. Could've had Jennings AND Marshall. Wow. Oops.

JS - Jennings, Packers agree on new deal
According to a source, Jennings already has a new contract which will make him the second-highest paid WR in the league per season. I know, Jennings and Marshall have very different situations; I just see a lot of irony here.

Y! - Cornerback Fernando Bryant to retire

NFL - Steelers sign franchise-tagged OT Starks to four-year contract

SI - Nick Collins, Green Bay Packers S, should shut up about contract - Peter King
One of PK's readers actually thinks the MSM has been too kind to the Broncos this offseason. I kid you not. King actually wants to let them play out the season before grilling them.

NFL - Jets coach Ryan acknowledges his toughest foe: dyslexia

FOX - Jets to wear corporate patch on practice jerseys
It's not just the Broncos...

NFP - Pros & cons of an 18-game season - Jack Bechta

NFL - Bills' playoff hopes ultimately will ride on rebuilt defensive line - Bucky Brooks

NFL - Dungy we know today was softened by the Steel Curtain - Jennifer Allen

NFL - Group that includes three Cowboys players signs heavy metal record deal

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

Horse Tracks 6/23/09 - They're dreaming of BMarsh in Chi-town

2009-06-23T11:41:37Z

DB - BTV Exclusive: Running Red Rocks - Broncos TV
20 Broncos players went to Red Rocks last week for a grueling workout. Chris Hall reports and offers footage and interviews. Newest Bronco WR Brandon Lloyd even made the trip, just after being signed.

DB - A Change of Scenery
Here is Gray Caldwell's accompanying article.

NFP - The Impact Players: AFC West
Matt Bowen thinks much of the Broncos' pass rush in 2009 will depend upon Robert Ayers. Interestingly, Bowen says he expects Kyle Orton to run Josh McDaniels' offense just fine.

DP - Moss: Atwater a big hitter even in retirement
Irv Moss checks in with the Smiling Assassin. Atwater covers all the bases, including his hit on the Nigerian Nightmare, the Super Bowl victories, leaving Denver for the Jets (puke), and Denver defenders getting snubbed by the HOF.

DDN - Broncos are broke
Gil Whiteley speculates that potential financial problems for Pat Bowlen could be another issue keeping BMarsh from getting paid.

SI - Brandon Marshall, Plaxico Burress further diva stereotype for WRs
Don Banks looks at the NFL's wide receivers and wonders, "What's with these guys?!"

MDH - Marshall would be fine in Bears' uniform
Someone at the Morris Daily Herald wants BMarsh to come and feel the Illinoise.

NNDP - Chicago QB Jay Cutler would be happy to throw to former Denver teammate Brandon Marshall again

SB - Hometown Report: One-sport prep athletes miss out
Lonie Paxton was back in Sacramento to accept a donation for his charity.

NFP - Real Fake People: Al Davis
Ray Gustini offers a HILARIOUS post written as if he were (shudder) Al Davis. Must read, folks.

NFL - (DT La'Roi) Glover retires after 13 seasons, six trips to the Pro Bowl

FOX - Goodell facing groundbreaking NFL rulings
Alex Marvez loves Oakland's acquisition of Greg Ellis. Meanwhile, the Chefs have lost a lot of collective weight in Todd Haley's new workout program.

NFL - Stay-cation: No time for summer break for these guys
Vic Carucci counts the Denver front office among those who are not exactly experiencing a summer lull.

Y! - Cowboys face bittersweet start in $1.1B palace
Mike Silver shares a lot of emails from the DP message boarders about Brandon Marshall, apparently.

NFP - Diner morning news: Childress & the Vikings - Mike Lombardi

NFP - No handouts in Detroit - Matt Bowen

NFP - Opening the books - Andrew Brandt

CBS - Diamonds in the rough: D rookies on faster track
Rob Rang counts Alphonso Smith among the rookie defenders he's got the highest expectations for.

ESPN - With a healthy Carson Palmer and a focused Chad Ochocinco, the Cincinnati Bengals could surprise
Anyone want to read Clayton's mailbag?

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Houston Texans

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Iowa State