The Mile High Report

Denver Broncos Free Agent Review: Lance Ball

2012-02-11T01:00:02Z

The Denver Broncos acquired Running Back Lance Ball November 3rd, 2009 when he was signed to the team's Practice Squad. That was where he finished the season. At the beginning of 2010, Denver signed him to a Futures contract, but Lance got cut in Training Camp and ended up on the Practice Squad to start the 2010 NFL season. He was promoted it to the Active Roster on November 10th and appeared in 10 games during the 2010 campaign. He was 3rd on the team in rushing with 158 yards on 41 carries for a 3.9 average. Lance has held on to his roster spot ever since. After completing his 3rd season in the league, Ball is currently an Exclusive Rights Free Agent. Let's take a close up at the young Running Back.

#35 / Running Back / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-9

Weight: 220

Born: Jun 19, 1985 (Age: 26)

College: Maryland

OVERVIEW:

		Rushing						Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	Lng	TD
2011 - Lance Ball	16	96	402	25.1	4.2	34	1	16	148	9.3	9.3	34	1

Ball ranked third on the club with 402 rushing yards in 2011. In Week 8 vs. Detroit, he had Denver’s longest play from scrimmage, a 34-yard run four plays into the game’s opening series. Lance ran a career-high 30 times for 96 yards in the Broncos' Week 10 win over the Chiefs while pacing a Denver rushing attack that racked up 244 yards. Willis McGahee (hamstring) and Knowshon Moreno (knee) left the game early on and Ball was the only back left to carry the workload. The Broncos ran on 22 of their first 23 plays, and passed the ball just eight times in the contest. He got his first NFL Rushing Touchdown during Week 15 against the New England Patriots on a 32-yard burst in the first quarter. That marked the second-longest rush of his career. As a receiver, he caught 16 passes for 148 yards including a 9-yard Touchdown pass from Kyle Orton in the Monday Night season Opener against Oakland, the only Broncos score of the game.

Ball also contributed on Special Teams with one 9-yard Kick Return and 4 Tackles.

Lance made $405,000 in 2011. As a player entering his 4th year, he will earn at least $700,000 in 2012.

Ball is a Journeyman type Running Back who is capable off the bench. After Knowshon Moreno's ACL injury and his recent show of immaturity, Ball should receive a tender to earn the back-up spot to Willis McGahee in Training Camp.

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Poll

Should the Broncos re-sign Lance Ball

Denver Broncos Free Agent Review: Jason Hunter

2012-02-10T22:00:31Z

We continue our look into Denver Broncos free agents with a look at Jason Hunter, a player brought in by Josh McDaniels to solidify the defensive line and linebacking corps. Hunter has been a pleasant surprise, and battled back this past season from a stabbing incident involving a girlfriend. Does Hunter figure into the future plans of the 2012 Denver Broncos??

Jason Hunter

#90 / Defensive- End / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 271

Born: Aug 28, 1983

College: Appalachian State

OVERVIEW:

Jason Hunter was an undrafted player picked up by the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and only saw special teams and limited backup work until he arrived in Detroit where took the place as a rotational defensive end, raking in a career best five sacks. After one season in Detroit he showed up in Denver where he played outside linebacker in the 3-4 system that was currently in place and took the starting job when Elvis Dumervil went down with injury, starting 12 games. He then made the shift to defensive end in 2011, playing in rotation with Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers. Hunter is 28 and has been getting more and more playing time since his time in Detroit and has grown as well in Denver.

2011 SEASON:

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2011 - Jason Hunter	13	1	6	0	0	0	16	4	20

After doing a good job filling in for an injured Elvis Dumervil, Jason played well in the rotation, spending time nearly equally between the right and left side. While he wasn't a starter he was on the field for nearly 33% of all defensive snaps. While he isn't the pure pass rusher Dumervil is, and he isn't the containment giant Robert Ayers is, he balances the two well, spending snaps both rushing the passer as well as against the run. Surprisingly adapt in coverage in his limited time. In addition to his stats listed above he 1 quarterback hit along with 9 hurries. He also had an impressive just 1 missed tackle the whole season on 414 snaps.

In 2011 Hunter earned $715,000 and as a rotational defensive end who has starting experience he would be looking for a contract that earned him around $1,215,000 a year. Looking at the Broncos cap room, despite seeming large, it wouldn't be a huge hit to the cap.

WHAT TO DO?

When looking at where to go looking forward we need to review Hunter as well as options for replacements:

Pro's:

- Is able to play both the right and left side as well as play the run and pass.
- Is a smart player, able to rapidly read a situation and move to the play.
- Has quick reaction against the screen game and play action.
- While some DE's play to out-muscle lineman, Hunter prefers to avoid blockers with his agility rather than overpower offensive lineman.

Con's:

- Lacks elite burst and speed.
- Has a large frame but doesn't have a strong lower body and struggles to beat stronger blockers.
- While he has seen success at defensive end, is a better fit as an 3-4 outside linebacker.
- Doesn't have the upper tier talent, strength or speed.

Depth at Defensive End:

Outside of Ayers and Dumervil, there is a massive drop off in talent with the loss of Hunter. While the Broncos have a number of practice squad player, they don't have a solid rotational defensive end.

Free Agency Defensive End Class:

This is an incredibly deep defensive end class, with a number of young players like Hunter looking to make starter in the free agent market. There are a number of players who would be an upgrade over Hunter, but since we are looking for players who would be replacements rather than downgrades or massive upgrades, we are going to limit the list, here's a few, along with some notes:

- Calias Campbell (Similar to Abraham, wouldn't mind leaving Arizona, but would want starter money)
- Antwan Applewhite (Has ties to Fox and is used to being in a rotation)
- Israel Idonije (Wanted to leave Chicago but since they've hired a new GM he seems to have changed his mind, also would want to make upper starter money)
- Raheem Brock (Would want to remain a starter and would want to make enough money to make he leave Seattle)
- Tony Hargrove (A rotational player from Seattle)

Guys like Mathis, Avril, Abraham, Anderson and Carter either have close ties to their current team or would require a top 5 salary.

Conclusion:

This really depends on what the Broncos want to do, do they want to stick with the combo or Ayers-Dumervil as starters and just re-sign Hunter and/or sign a rotational DE or do they want to go down another path and sign a high priced free agent and replace Ayers. If I'm the Broncos front office I believe Ayers is on a good development path and is a top ranked run stopper and solid as a pass rusher. That means we will stick with picking up a rotational guy. Hunter fits the bill, comes at a reasonable price, and is reliable taking a large number of snaps during the season. I would advise either drafting a mid round DE or picking up Applewhite or Hargrove to add to the rotation because after Hunter there is almost no potential.

Poll

Should the Denver Broncos re-sign Jason Hunter?

Denver Broncos Free Agent Review: Brady Quinn

2012-02-10T18:00:21Z

We continue our look at the list of Denver Broncos free agents with a tougher question than what we had last night. The Broncos have just Tim Tebow under contract next season. Adam Weber was signed to a futures contract, but it is safe to say Denver will bring in at least 1, maybe 2 quarterbacks this off-season. Should Quinn be one of them?

Brady Quinn

#9 / Quarterback / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 235

Born: Oct 27, 1984

College: Notre Dame

OVERVIEW:

Brady Quinn was drafted in the late 1st round back in the 2007 draft, but due to competition in Cleveland, he was never able secure a starting job and was traded to the Broncos in 2010 after a regime change with the Browns. Despite being a 1st round pick, Quinn has only started 12 games and was unable to win the starting job from Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton in 2010 and 2011. Quinn is still only 27 and has yet to really have stability in terms of coaching to allow him to develop into the potential many saw he had in college.

2011 SEASON:

Quinn saw no playing time in the regular season for the past two seasons. But seemed hot and colt during the pre-season.

Brady Quinn had a contract of $700,000 in 2011 and as a backup/competing QB would garner a slightly higher contract around $800,000-$900,000 per year with incentives if he starts a certain number of games. Considering the cap room, this would be a minor hit.

WHAT TO DO?

When looking at where to go looking forward we need to review Quinn as well as options for replacements:

Pro's:

- Has a knowledge of the offense and wouldn't struggle coming into a Spread Option-heavy offense compared to a QB who hasn't run the offense in practice for weeks and has familiarity with offensive players.
- Has a fantastic work ethic, during both the 2010 and 2011 training camps the three QB's would all joke about who could get to camp first and he impressed his teammates with a calming leadership and work ethic.
- Has impressive mobility, which lends itself to being able to fill in for Tebow on short notice.
- There is also the fact he has said he would like to return to the Broncos.

Con's:

- As seems a trend with our current QB's, Quinn has issue with accuracy, especially on deep passes.
- Along with accuracy, Quinn lacks a top end arm to drive the ball deep.
- Despite being in the league for five years, he has only limited playing time and hasn't had the chance to experience a variety of defenses.

Depth at Quarterback:

Considering there are no quarterbacks signed to the Broncos outside of Tebow and Adam Weber to a future contract, there is an immediate need at QB.

Free Agency Quarterback Class:

This is a decent quarterback class, at least in terms of quarterbacks who will actually reach free agency. Of those who would fit the current Broncos offense that would be:

- David Garrard (Who will want to be on a team where he will start)
- Jason Campbell (Same situation as Garrard)
- Josh Johnson (Has said he would like to remain in Tampa Bay and has close ties to Josh Freeman)
- Vince Young (Has mentioned he would either re-sign with the Eagles or go to a team that would give him the chance to start)
- Dennis Dixon
- Charlie Whitehurst

Our of the quarterbacks that would work well in this offense, the fact that Tebow is such a beloved player by the fans eliminates most of these players, but we are left with Dennis Dixon (Who ran the Spread-Option in Oregon) and Charlie Whitehurst (who is done in Seattle, but is a mobile, cheap quarterback with a strong arm). It's hard to realistically though to expect any of these other quarterbacks to come here for one reason or another.

Conclusion:

Looking at this I believe that since the Broncos need to sign a quarterback anyways, bringing back Brady Quinn makes sense, he knows and fits the offense, and is a good locker room presence. His relationship and understanding of this offense make him a valuable player. But he isn't a must resign, with players like Dennis Dixon and Charlie Whitehurst available, there are options who can fill the back-up role as well. Considering all three are young and have good potential, and would come fairly cheap and with such there is little risk to resigning Quinn or picking up a new free agent quarterback.

Poll

Should the Denver Broncos re-sign Brady Quinn?

XFINITY Needs Your Help Finding The Next Social Media Star!

2012-02-10T17:01:00Z

A few weeks ago I wrote about an opportunity to become IXFINITY's next social media star. Now that all the entries are in, we need YOUR help to pick the winner!

XFINITY is looking for the next renowned sports social media star through its Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest. The winning candidate will serve as the new voice of XFINITY in the sports social media space and go behind-the-scenes at some of the biggest sporting events in 2012, sharing exclusive insights and updates with fans.

From February 9-19, you can review qualified entry videos and vote for the contestant you'd like to see advance to the finals of the XFINITY Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest. The five entrants with the most votes will advance to the final round of the contest where they will cover one of five premier sporting events the weekend of March 8-11. Fans can head today to Facebook.com/XFINITY and click on the Ultimate Sports Social Media Job contest tab to vote for your favorite personality (once per day)!

Will you choose the brainiac with the encyclopedia of stats, the former jock who knows the game inside out, or the corporate type who gets the marketing side of the business? You decide. Vote today at Facebook.com/XFINITY!

Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks - 2/10/12

2012-02-10T13:55:02Z

NFL Evolution " DenverBroncos.com
During Super Bowl XLVI, many of you may have seen the NFL’s commercial on the evolution of player safety throughout the history of the game.

Mays Hopes to Follow up Career Year
Following a season that saw him post career highs in tackles, games played and starts, linebacker and unrestricted free agent Joe Mays said he would love to continue his career in Denver.

2011 Season Review: Third Quarter
In the third installment of DenverBroncos.com's four-part series looking back at the 2011 season, the Broncos went a perfect 4-0 during Weeks 10-13.

Goodell's Letter to Fans
On Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sent the following letter to NFL fans.

NFL.com news: Bill named for Broncos' Tebow set to move to Va. Senate
It's unclear how many potential future NFL players have slipped through the cracks in Virginia, never to see their potential realized due to the state's strict laws outlining who can and who cannot play high school football.

Videos

Mel Kiper Jr. Draft Talk - ESPN Video - ESPN
Mel Kiper Jr. discusses how confident he is that Andrew Luck will be picked first in the draft, who could trade up to draft Robert Griffin III and what the Patriots will do with their picks.

Expectations For Luck - ESPN Video - ESPN
Steve Young, Trent Dilfer and Ron Jaworski evaluate Andrew Luck as the projected number 1 overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts.

NFL Hot Read: When to retire? - ESPN Video - ESPN
Former NFL athletes Darren Woodson and Marcellus Wiley tell Trey Wingo their own personal stories about when they knew their NFL careers were over, and what that feeling is like.

Denver Broncos Blogs

Broncos must be concerned with depth at quarterback - The Denver Post
As has been outlined by Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway, the Broncos are "in the market" for quarterbacks to bolster the depth chart.

Woody Paige: Broncos face a brutal schedule in 2012 - The Denver Post
Ringo Starr had it rationally, if not grammatically, right. It don't come easy.

Which Free Agent QBs Should Broncos Look At? - Predominantly Orange - A Denver Broncos Fan Site
As much as you may like Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos need help at quarterback. Brady Quinn is likely on his way out the door (how could he take another year on the Denver pine after his stint with the team?), and Adam Weber, although fun to watch last preseason, isn’t quite ready to fill in as Tebow’s primary backup.

NFL draft hopefuls flock to Denver to build their skills - The Denver Post
Drake Dunsmore took his degree in communications from prestigious Northwestern and started his life in the real world by moving to Denver so he could spend six weeks working with performance coach Loren Landow.

Loren Landow Holds Mock Combine For Denver Athletes - Predominantly Orange - A Denver Broncos Fan Site
If diamonds are only made under pressure then the NFL combine could put Cartier out of business.

Division News

AFC West retirement watch - AFC West Blog - ESPN
In the first week of the NFL offseason, there are some players in the AFC West who are going through this process now.

Vincent Jackson expected to hit open market | ProFootballTalk
The Chargers would have to pay Vincent Jackson a lot of money to use the franchise tag on him — more than $13 million.

NFL.com Blogs " Blog Archive Lombardi: Chargers will try to sign Jackson "
Vincent Jackson represents the biggest name on an impressive list of wide receivers who could become free agents in March. That’s if he reaches free agency.

Raiders add a couple of coaches | ProFootballTalk
The Raiders continue to fill up Dennis Allen’s first coaching staff, with the addition of two new assistant coaches.

NFL.com news: Raiders release Routt one season into five-year contract
Less than one year ago, Al Davis made Stanford Routt one of the cornerstones of the Oakland Raiders defense with a lavish contract that prevented him from reaching free agency. Now, Routt is the first player casualty under the new regime with the Raiders.

Routt adds to deep cornerback market | ProFootballTalk
Halfway decent cornerbacks are usually difficult to find on the free agent market. 2011 could be an exception.

Raiders avoided $5 million guaranteed by cutting Routt now | ProFootballTalk
So why did the Raiders dump cornerback Stanford Routt today? Per a source with knowledge of his contract, Routt's $5 million base salary for 2012 would have become fully guaranteed if he had been on the roster five days after the start of the 2012 waiver period.

Routt's release will put vets on alert in Oakland | National Football Post
No one is 'protected' with new leadership in town.

Will Stanford Routt stay in the AFC West? - AFC West Blog - ESPN
In our first post on the Raiders’ surprising decision to cut cornerback Stanford Routt, we wrote that the free agent could interest the three other teams in the AFC West.

NFL News

NFL.com news: Panthers fan returns Super Bowl playbook to team
Matt Rowell, a yard-sale enthusiast who recently stumbled upon a gem: Carolina's playbook from Super Bowl XXXVIII, won by the Patriots 32-29.

Progress is still slow for African-American sports agents - ESPN
Reparation: The act or process of making amends, according to Webster's. A word rarely heard or used in sports. But recently, the concept came up in a column written in the Miami New Times by Luther Campbell and directed to NFL superagent Drew Rosenhaus.

Time to hit the weight room | National Football Post
Offseason training is crucial for NFL players.

Training Day: Learning the 40 with an Olympian | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The toughest part of the combine and NFL draft readiness isn't necessarily the daily weightlifting routine or getting ready for the Wonderlic Test. Instead, it might be trimming hundredths of a second off one's 40-yard time.

THE FIFTH DOWN - Notebook - Drug Test Talks Continue - NYTimes.com
DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the N.F.L. Player's Association, held his organization's annual news conference Thursday afternoon.

Bill Plaschke on pro athletes' caring about winning - latimes.com
Within hours of creating one its most glorious moments, the pro sports world exposed one of its dirty little secrets.

M.I.A. may owe big money for Super Bowl halftime contract violation | ProFootballTalk
After Sunday night’s finger malfunction during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime, we observed that the contracts for the musical acts "should contain stiff financial penalties for anyone who makes obscene statements or gestures."

Manager: Bengals' Rey Maualuga involved in bar fight - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports
The manager of a downtown bar says Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga was involved in a bar fight over the weekend and injured the manager.

NFL.com news: Giants GM Reese cautions team will undergo changes
The New York Giants have already started preparing to defend their Super Bowl title, just days after winning their second NFL title in five seasons.

More Evidence Big Football Players Face Heart Risks - NYTimes.com
The biggest professional football players in America may be more likely than their fellow players to die of heart disease, even though they appear to generally enjoy a longer-than-average lifespan, according to a U.S. study.

Stanford wideout Owusu medically cleared after college concussions | ProFootballTalk
Stanford wideout/return specialist Chris Owusu entered his senior season with second-day draft grades from NFL scouts, but suffered two concussions in 2011 and did not play in Stanford’s final four games.

Colt McCoy feeling no "residual effects" from Harrison hit | ProFootballTalk
The Browns are expected to bring in competition for Colt McCoy at quarterback this offseason. That competition could be a top pick like Robert Griffin III

Willie Roaf suggests term limits for Hall of Fame voters | ProFootballTalk
Roaf thinks some fresh blood is needed on the 44-member selection committee, and the way to go about doing that is to limit the amount of time that voters can remain on the committee.

The HOF selection committee wagon circling begins | ProFootballTalk
Last year, when Jason Whitlock of FOXSports.com took aim at the Hall of Fame selection process, he was called an "idiot" by Hall of Fame voter Len Pasquarelli.

Free Agency and the Draft

NFL Free Agency 2012: Matt Flynn, Mario Williams Among Marquee Names Hitting The Market - SBNation.com
The season over, NFL teams can start planning for the 2012 season. Free agency begins on March 13. Which free agents will see the biggest demand for their services this spring?

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Top 50 Free Agents
Pete Prisco, who's one of those writers who actually watches games, put together a list of the top 50 free agents that I think is pretty sensible.

Lions facing big decision with Cliff Avril – Audibles
Martin Mayhew traversed his first three offseasons as the Lions’ general manager without using the franchise tag. If he’s going to push that streak to four, it might come at the expense of Cliff Avr

Franchise tag could be coming for Wes Welker | ProFootballTalk
Receiver Wes Welker will become a free agent on March 13, unless the Patriots sign him to a new deal.

Steelers get to work on restructuring contracts to save cap space | ProFootballTalk
With the Steelers entering the offseason some $25 million over the 2012 salary cap, they have a lot of moves to make before the league year begins on March 13.

Steelers clear $11.7 million with Timmons, Woodley restructurings | ProFootballTalk
On Thursday, MDS pointed out that the Steelers have begun chipping away at a $25 million cap bulge by restructuring the contracts of linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons.

Denver Broncos Free Agent Review: Matt Prater

2012-02-10T03:38:17Z

We begin our look at the Denver Broncos that are currently free agents - or will be once free agency opens on March 13. Who are they and should the Broncos look to bring them back? We start with arguably the Broncos biggest weapon last season:

Matt Prater

#5 / Kicker / Denver Broncos

Height: 5-10

Weight: 195

Born: Aug 10, 1984

College: U-C-F

OVERVIEW:

Matt Prater, a kicker out of UCF, was acquired off the Miami Dolphins practice squad. Prater just finished his fifth season in the NFL. The last four have been a full time role all with the Broncos. Prater is known for the very strong leg he possesses showing the ability to hit from 60 yards out and possibly even further due to the high altitude in Denver.

2011 SEASON:

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
2011 - Matt Prater	16	0 - 0	5 - 6	8 - 8	3 - 7	3 - 4	19	25	80.0%	30	30	100.0%	87

Matt Prater made a very strong case for the Pro Bowl this season. His name became well known throughout the league for his late game heroics, hitting game winning or tying kicks in the fourth quarter or overtime. Prater kicked clutch tying/winning field goals in the fourth quarter or overtime this season against Miami, San Diego, Minnesota, and Chicago, including one from 59 yards out at the end of regulation. Matt Prater became only the second kicker in NFL history (Mike Vanderjagt vs Broncos) to tie a game with a 50+ yard field goal and then kick another 50+ yard field goal to win it.

Prater made $1.8 million in 2011, and the Broncos could decide to use the Franchise Tag should negotiations on a long-term deal stall. Prater's past run-in with the law could lead the Broncos to go this route as well. Franchise Tag calculations have changed in 2012, with the League now using the average of the Top-5 players at each position over the past 5 seasons - not just last season. That means the Tag number will be significantly lower in 2012 than it was in 2011. Phil Dawson of the Cleveland Browns was tagged last year and made $3.25 million. If the Broncos tag Prater, he would be looking at a payday in the $2.6 to 2.7 million range.

WHAT TO DO?

In my opinion, Matt Prater is one of the, if not the most, important player for the Broncos to re-sign this season. While Tim Tebow rightfully received much of the praise for the Broncos turnaround, it is hard to ignore Prater's impact on the Broncos AFC West Championship season. Denver had the fortune of watching one of the great kickers of all time - Jason Elam - kick for a majority of his career, and Prater has come in and kept the line of successful kickers going for the Broncos. Matt Prater would be a tough loss, and when push comes to shove will be with the Broncos one way or the other when the 2012 season starts.

Poll

Should the Denver Broncos Re-Sign Matt Prater?

The Denver Broncos 6 Game Win Streaks: Comparing 2009 to 2011

2012-02-09T19:35:26Z

These past few years have yielded a lot of great memories that help me get through a lot of the down times. Two of the great moments in recent memory I have are the two six game winning streaks that took place during 2009 and 2011. Between these two streaks I have more memorable moments than all the time since 1998 combined. With the miraculous Brandon Stokley catch to beat the Bengals, to the overtime win against the Patriots, to the nail-biter against Chicago. These 12 games rank among my favorite since the Super Bowls.

With the streaks on my mind I wanted to just do some comparison work between the two to get a look at which had the better offense and defense or faced the tougher opponents. I had a lot of fun doing this research and after finishing I figured I'd share my findings with the people of Mile High Report.

Now before we jump I do want to make a few things clear. This isn't meant as a slight to one streak or another. Now I know some people may take it as I'm trying to put down the 2011 or 2009 streak, that's not my intention. Like comparing any two seasons or segment of games. I'm just laying out a few of the facts about the two streak. I'm not taking anything away from these two streaks, they provided immense entertainment despite being so different. With that being said, let's get to work.

What We Are Looking At:

So while this won't be a game by game breakdown, that would take far more space and time than would be beneficial. So I'll just be looking at the two teams as well as breaking down a few specifics. To start off lets break down these two teams position by position. Now this is based on rewatching the games as well as doing a side by side comparison. I also did a blind poll showing film and stats to people who couldn't name Broncos players. So while hardly perfect, it is fairly solid. So let's do this:

2009 versus 2011:

The first area is obviously the most likely to be hotly debated, the quarterback. Now every is pretty happy to be having Tebow as the QB for this team during that six game win streak and will find it hard to separate their feelings of the 2011 Orton from what he did in 2009. So obviously I couldn't trust myself or other biased Broncos fans so I went straight to the stats and video, took the names and audio away and presented them to a group of educated football fans who aren't familiar with Broncos players. I let them choose all the positions in terms of stats, but I felt that in this position if I excluded film it might leave some things out. Now this group of 47 people almost unanimously voted for one player. I'll let you make the decision:

QB 1	Totals
	Y/A	Rate	Tot Yards	TD's	TD %	TO %
Game 1	5.9	98.1	242.0	2.0	5.9%	0.0%
Game 2	8.6	102.6	112.0	2.0	11.8%	0.0%
Game 3	5.2	61.2	172.0	1.0	3.6%	5.2%
Game 4	7.9	95.4	210.0	1.0	2.5%	0.0%
Game 5	13.5	149.3	215.0	2.0	10.5%	0.0%
Game 6	6.1	70.1	286.0	1.0	2.0%	2.6%
Total			1237.0	9.0
Average	7.9	96.1	206.2	1.5	4.8%	1.1%

QB 2	Totals
	Y/A	Rate	Tot Yards	TD's	TD %	TO %
Game 1	8.7	100.7	246.0	1.0	3.6%	0.0%
Game 2	7.1	83.5	263.0	1.0	2.7%	0.0%
Game 3	6.8	92.1	156.0	1.0	4.3%	0.0%
Game 4	8.4	117.5	243.0	2.0	6.9%	0.0%
Game 5	6.9	96.7	330.0	2.0	4.2%	2.1%
Game 6	7.9	115.4	240.0	2.0	6.9%	0.0%
Total			1478.0	9.0
Average	7.6	101.0	246.3	1.5	4.6%	0.5%

The two QB's are similar, QB 1 has a slightly better yards per attempt and touchdown percentage while QB 2 takes rating, total yards per game and turn over percentage. Just looking at these it's leaning slightly towards QB 2, but we are leaving out one key figure, completion percentage. If we include that we are able to see the balance here. QB 1's completion percentage is... 48% while QB 2 has a completion percentage of 63.3%. So when you factor that in QB 2 is the clear winner. Now just to make it clear, I factored in running yards and touchdowns as well at fumbles so we are including both QB's strengths. It is clear that QB 2 was the better of the two. The quarterbacks, as the completion percentage probably showed, QB 1 is Tim Tebow and QB 2 is Kyle Orton.

Now a huge disclaimer, both QB's played well during this six game win streak, I'm not saying cut Tebow or that Orton is better now or that Tebow will fail forever, I'm merely pointing out Orton played fantastic football during the six game win streak in 2009. Both QB's played outstanding and both played a big role in why the teams won, but for the sake of the this study, when comparing these two streaks, 2009 takes the QB win and the blind film study agrees as well with 43 of the 47 saying that QB 2 was the better of the two.

Let's take a look at the teams as a whole:

Position	2009	2011	Edge
QB	Orton	Tebow	2009
HB	Moreno	McGahee	2011
FB	Larsen	Larsen	2011
TE	Scheffler	Fells	2009
WR1	Marshall	Decker	2009
WR2	Gaffney	Thomas	2011
RT	Harris	Franklin	2009
RG	Kuper	Kuper	2009
C	Wiegmann	Walton	2009
LG	Hochstein	Beadles	2009
LT	Clady	Clady	2009

FS	Dawkins	Dawkins	2009
SS	Hill	Moore	2009
CB1	Bailey	Bailey	Tie
CB2	Goodman	Goodman	Tie
ROLB	Dumervil	Miller	Tie
RILB	Williams	Mays	2009
LILB	Davis	-	-
LOLB	Haggan	Williams	2011
RDE	Peterson	Dumervil	2011
DT/NT	Fields	Bunkley	2011
DT	-	Thomas	-
LDE	McBean	Ayers	2011

K	Prater	Prater	Tie
P	Berger	Colquitt	2011
R	Royal	Cosby	2009

Notes

So looking at this it's clear that the 2009 team was a better team. They had the better player at 12 positions compared to 8 from the 2011 team, 4 were a tie. One area the 2011 team was better at was in the front seven, taking 4 of 6 with 2009 only taking 1. Dawkins, Champ and Goodman are still a solid set of DB's but they were just better in 2009. Renaldo Hill, while never outstanding never played as badly as Moore and Carter did this season. One offense the biggest areas of improvement was at running back, where Moreno was a rookie who had a good season, McGahee just had a better season. Also Larsen was just learning how to play fullback in 2009 and has greatly improved since then. At wide receiver Marshall was easily better than Decker and while Gaffney had a very solid 2009 season, I'm giving the #2 wide receiver spot to DT because how well he did in his limited time, but his injuries could have easily lent itself to making that a tie. While the offensive line improved as the season went on, the 2009 squad was just better overall. As for special teams, 2009 Prater was more accurate but 2011 Prater made better kicks when he needed to so that's a tie. Colquitt was a borderline Pro Bowler and while Berger had a solid season, Colquitt had a better one. Royal's 2009 returning season was impressive and while he saw time returning in 2011, Quan Cosby got almost all the returns over the course of the season, and did solid, though not overly impressive.

But just looking at this position by position isn't showing the whole picture, we have to look at things like points per game, opponent strengths and such. So let's start to break this down. In this next section I'll look at a variety of metrics:

- Opponents record and whether the team made the playoffs
- Opponents SRS, a metric created by Pro Football Reference that takes into account a teams margin of victory, wins, opponents record to create a useful way to measure a teams success. Now there may be those who don't trust it, the team with the higher SRS wins 87% of games so it's a reliable way to measure a teams strengths.
- Each teams score and the margin of victory.
- Lastly there is the total, passing and rushing yards as well as turnovers for both the offense and defense.

Now that we've explained the table let's take a look:

2009
						Points			Offense				Defense
Week			Opp	Record	SRS	Tm	Opp	Margin	TotYd	PassY	RushY	TO	TotYd	PassY	RushY	TO
1	W		Cincinnati Bengals (PO)	10-6	.7	12	7	5	302	227	75		307	221	86	2
2	W		Cleveland Browns	5-11	-8.4	27	6	21	449	263	186	1.0	200	146	54	3
3	W		Oakland Raiders	5-11	-10.3	23	3	20	372	157	215	1.0	137	42	95	3
4	W		Dallas Cowboys (PO)	11-5	7.1	17	10	7	337	221	116	1.0	315	241	74	2
5	W	OT	New England Patriots (PO)	10-6	11.2	20	17	3	424	321	103	2.0	305	209	96	1
6	W		San Diego Chargers (PO)	13-3	6.6	34	23	11	328	227	101		311	238	73	1
Average		0.17		9-7	1.15	22	11	11	369	236	133	0.8	263	183	80	2
2011
						Points			Offense				Defense
Week			Opp	Record	SRS	Tm	Opp	Margin	TotYd	PassY	RushY	TO	TotYd	PassY	RushY	TO
9	W		Oakland Raiders	8-8	-4.1	38	24	14	412	113	299		416	316	100	3
10	W		Kansas City Chiefs	7-9	-8.9	17	10	7	313	69	244		258	124	134
11	W		New York Jets	8-8	5.2	17	13	4	229	104	125	1.0	318	235	83	2
12	W	OT	San Diego Chargers	8-8	1.1	16	13	3	349	141	208		344	159	185
13	W		Minnesota Vikings	3-13	-5.5	35	32	3	336	186	150	2.0	489	360	129	3
14	W	OT	Chicago Bears	8-8	1.4	13	10	3	345	221	124	2.0	245	86	159	1
Average		0.33		7-9	-1.61	23	17	6	331	139	192	0.8	345	213	132	1.5

Notes

We can see that the 2009 team beat better teams, and while you can't choose who you play, the teams that were beaten in 2009 were a more impressive group. The 2009 group had four playoff teams, a higher SRS and a larger margin of victory. While the 2011 team scored about 1 more point per game the defense was far better. Overall the offenses were at a similar level, one more run heavy while the other was more pass heavy. Both had amazing ball security. The difference was the defense, with 2009 being better every area. Overall out of the 13 categories we measured statistically the 2009 team was better in 10.

Last Thoughts:

Now I know some may take this the wrong way, but in my own opinion, as well as those that took place in my study, the 2009 six game win streak was more impressive and that team was a better team. Remember that the 2009 team could have made the playoffs as well, but since the 2009 AFC field was tougher and the Chargers easily won the division, it made it impossible to make it.

Now I hope that you who read this take this the way I intended, a comparison of the two streaks, but also a celebration of both streaks and teams. During both streaks the two QB's played the best football they played that season. Both didn't make mistakes, moved the ball and lead their teams. Both teams fielded great defenses and great special teams. These are two great teams, both streaks have many great memories and I'm grateful to have been able to witness both, I mean two six game win streak in three years isn't something to ignore for a team that has struggle as much as we have.

Denver Broncos 2012 Free Agency Primer

2012-02-09T16:24:56Z

Now that the Super Bowl is over, fans from across the NFL can begin to focus on 2012. Over the next month, the Broncos - and 31 other teams - will continue to create their plans for the Reloading Season, and prepare for both the NFL Draft and the start of Free Agency.

Over the next several days we will be focusing on the list of Broncos players that have expired contracts and what the prospects might be for them to return to Denver or move on. Then, we'll look at free agents around the NFL and discuss who the Broncos should be targeting and where some of the holes in the roster can be filled before the 2012 NFL Draft.

Below are some important dates to keep in mind:

Feb. 20 - Teams can begin applying franchise and transition tags to players

Feb. 22-28 - NFL Combine (live coverage on NFL Network and NFL.com)

March 5 - Deadline for teams to apply franchise and transition tags

March 13 - Free agency begins at 4 p.m.

The Broncos have a lot of work to do over the next few months if they are going to build upon their 2011 AFC West Championship. That work starts NOW!

There are different levels of NFL Free Agents:

Restricted Free Agent(RFA): A player whose contract has expired and has fewer than four tenured years in the league. He may sign an "Offer Sheet" with any other team, but his original team has seven days to match any offer he receives. If the original team does not match the offer, compensation will be awarded in the form of draft picks from the signing team. The round and quantity of picks are determined by the "Qualifying Offer" made by the player's original team. If a RFA is tendered a minimum qualifying offer the compensation is the equivalent of the round in which that player was originally selected. If that player was originally a rookie free agent, no compensation is awarded.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT (UFA): A player whose contract has expired and has four or more tenured years in the league. He may sign with any other team with no restrictions. If a team loses more UFAs than it signs, they will be awarded "Compensatory Draft Picks" from the league. The value of the pick is determined by the difference of the contracts signed by the players lost and those acquired. If a team has signed an equal number or more UFAs than it has lost, no "Compensatory Picks" will be awarded.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT (ERFA): A player whose contract has expired and has three or fewer tenured years in the league. His original team must make a contract offer by the league imposed deadline or the player becomes an unrestricted free agent. No compensation is awarded for losing EFAs.

There are, of course, the 'TAGS' available to the Broncos to use, if they desire. The Broncos have rarely used the tag, though this season it could have benefits if the team decides to apply it to someone on the UFA list. One of the lesser-known changes in the new CBA agreed to last summer was a change in the way Franchise Tags are calculated. In years past, you simply took the average of the Top-5 salaries at a players position. Now, that average is spread over 5 years - meaning you would take the average of the Top-5 salaries from 2007 through 2011. For quarterbacks alone, that could mean a decrease of around $2.5 million in salary.

This could come into play for, say, Matt Prater, while the Broncos attempt to negotiate a long term deal with him.

Here is a list of current Broncos free agents:

ERFA	RFA	UFA
RB Lance Ball	WR Matt Willis	QB Brady Quinn
OT Chris Clark	DT Ryan McBean	FB Spencer Larsen
P Britton Colquitt		WR Eddie Royal
		TE Daniel Fells
		TE Dante Rosario
		OL Russ Hochstein
		OL Manny Ramirez
		DE Derrick Harvey
		DE Jason Hunter
		DT Brodrick Bunkley
		DT Marcus Thomas
		LB Mario Haggan
		LB Joe Mays
		LB Wesley Woodyard
		CB Jonathon Wilhite
		S Brian Dawkins
		K Matt Prater