SB Nation - Tom Nalen

Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team Released

John Bena — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:25:36 -0000

The 2009 NFL season marks the 50th anniversary of the Denver Broncos. To commemorate the past while embracing the future, the franchise has allowed its community of fans, an integral part of Broncos Country during the first 50 seasons, the chance to vote for their 50th Anniversary Denver Broncos Team.

From June 6 - Sept. 4, fans had the chance to make their voices heard by casting their votes online at www.DenverBroncos.com. The results are in, and here are the choices:

First-team Offense

QB John Elway

RB Terrell Davis

RB Floyd Little

WR Ed McCaffrey

WR Rod Smith

TE Shannon Sharpe

OT Matt Lepsis

OT Gary Zimmerman

G Keith Bishop

G Mark Schlereth

C Tom Nalen

First-team Defense

DE Simon Fletcher

DE Rich Jackson

DT Trevor Pryce

DT Rubin Carter

LB Karl Mecklenburg

LB Randy Gradishar

LB Tom Jackson

CB Champ Bailey

CB Louis Wright

S Steve Atwater

S Dennis Smith

First-team Specialists

K Jason Elam

P Tom Rouen

Ret Rick Upchurch

The first team will be honored in person during halftime of the team's Legacy Game on Oct. 11 when the New England Patriots visit INVESCO Field at Mile High. In addition, one lucky voter will have the opportunity to join the 50th Anniversary Team during this ceremony. That winner will be announced at a later date.

The voting process was made possible by the Broncos' online marketing partner, Akavit - the principle digital agency behind DenverBroncos.com and BroncosCountry.com. The interactive voting tool featured the Broncos' history and highlights spanning the past 50 seasons through the use of video and additional multimedia. Each player was represented by their respective biography, statistics and photographs.

Along with the first team, the Broncos are also announcing a 50th Anniversary second team.

The second team-offense has Craig Morton lining up at quarterback, with Otis Armstrong and Sammy Winder at running back, Haven Moses and Lionel Taylor at wide receiver, and Riley Odoms at tight end. Rounding out the unit is the offensive line of Ken Lanier and Dave Studdard at offensive tackle, Ben Hamilton and Paul Howard at guard and Billy Bryan at center.

The second-team defense has a line of Rulon Jones and Alfred Williams at defensive end, and Greg Kragen and Paul Smith at defensive tackle. Al Wilson, Bill Romanowski and D.J. Williams are at linebacker. Ray Crockett and Willie Brown are the second-team cornerbacks, while Steve Foley and Goose Gonsoulin round out the defense at safety.

The second-team specialists are Jim Turner at kicker, Mike Horan at punter, and Billy Thompson at returner.

Horse Tracks 8/25/09 - Transactions all across the AFC West; Broncos waive WR Travis Shelton and claim DB Antwain Spann

Douglas A. Lee — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:47:47 -0000

DB - Broncos Claim Spann Off Waivers - Gray Caldwell

DB - Mile High Debut - Patrick Smyth
Fun facts about this week's matchup versus the Bears.

DB - Steps Forward - Mike Rice
Rice offers his even-keeled thoughts on the Broncos and their progress through two preseason games.

DP - Coaching breaks Nalen's silence - Terry Frei
Tom Nalen is thrilled to be coaching the O-Line at Denver South High. Obviously, he wanted to retire with zero fanfare, but hopefully there will be some sort of ceremony at the Big IF for Nalen. How fast can they put him into the Ring?

DP - Turnover margin troubling for Broncos - Lindsay Jones
It's the same story, every year. Hopefully 2009 is when it changes?

DP - Mailbag: Who's the real Kyle Orton? - Mike Klis

DB - The Marathon Hasn’t Even Begun - Jim Saccomano

CSG - Cutler's return brings an edge to Bears-Broncos preseason game - Frank Schwab
Jay Cutler is coming to town this week? Wow, who knew?!?!

DP - Broncos' starters busy with plenty of preseason work
The first teamers have logged plenty of minutes thus far. Meanwhile, Robert Ayers is still catching up in learning his assignments within the defense.

DP - Teammates' praise enough for Wright - Irv Moss
Moss profiles Broncos legend Louis Wright.

CSG - Broncos nose tackle offers life lessons to Liberty football squad - Justin Pederson
Chris Baker visited Liberty High in CO Springs.

AP - Broncos Have Troubles As They Prepare For Cutler - Arnie Stapleton

KDVR - Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears Preview: Jay Cutler Week - Chris Tanaka

ESPN - Broncos in tough spot with Marshall - John Clayton
Although he was impressed by the Broncos' offense on Saturday, Clayton apparently didn't think much of the defense. Oh, and he thinks the Broncos should trade BMarsh.

ESPN - Breaking down the Broncos' game - Bill Williamson
This is rich...Pork Chop says Matt Prater's FG on Saturday "could go a long way in helping him make the team." As the only PK on the team, I'd say Prater's chances were already pretty good...

AFC West News

SDUT - Rivers happy to get long-term deal done - Kevin Acee
Phil Rivers will receive $38.5 million in guarantees as part of a six-year, $92 million deal which extends his contract through 2015. Just remember, folks - guy's started three seasons and won three division titles. Oh, and he led the NFL in passing last year.

SDUT - Chargers' window of opportunity just got clearer - Tim Sullivan

SDUT - Cornerback Cletis Gordon released - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Quotes from Rivers press conference - Kevin Acee

NFL - Chargers lock up Rivers with six-year, $92 million extension

KCS - Haley says nobody has officially made the Chiefs team yet - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs make trade to bolster offensive line - Kent Babb
The Chefs acquired OGs Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe from the Dolphins for an undisclosed 2010 draft choice; to make room, they released OT Brian de la Puente and LB Vince Redd.

SFC - Walker tests his knee - David White

CCT - Raiders notebook: New linebacker long ago gathered the Moss - Steve Corkran
Jokeland brought back LB Napoleon Harris after Kirk Morrison dislocated his elbow. To make room, they released recently-signed CB RIcky Manning, Jr.

NFL Results

NFL - New York Jets 23 at Baltimore Ravens 24
Mark Sanchez tosses one TD and one INT while struggling in his starting debut.

NFL News

NFL - 49ers will go with Hill as starting QB to open season

NFL - Seahawks add Edgerrin James, part ways with T.J. Duckett

NFL - Shawn Andrews says he'll be ready to play opener

NFL - Godfrey has surgery for broken hand; Beason sits out practice

NFL - Vikings' Favre expected to see more playing time vs. Texans

NFL - Bengals, Palmer cautious with ankle injury in preparation for opener

NFL - Rams DE Little hurts knee, but injury not considered serious

Y! - Unemployed Marvin Harrison generating little interest - Jason Cole

ESPN - Plaxico Burress says club security knew he had a gun the night he shot himself in the leg

NFL Opinion

NFP - NFL Notebook: time for Bucs to pick a QB - Matt Bowen
Bowen was impressed by Kyle Orton's performance on Saturday.

NFP - Diner morning news: A look at odds - Mike Lombardi
Lombardi thinks Vegas is a little too down on the Broncos

Y! - Freeman impresses as Bucs start new era - Jason Cole

NFL - Hasselbeck, Romo impress, but Browns' QB situation harder to clear up - Pat Kirwan

NFL - Health, age could prevent storybook ending for Favre - Jason La Canfora

Y! - Steven Jackson not ready for extinction - Charles Robinson

NFP - Tavern talk: almost blue list - Mike Lombardi

FOX - Mailbag: Glazer on Warner, Favre, Romo and more - Jay Glazer

PFW - Harvin adds versatility, excitement to Vikings

FOX - CAMP SIGHTS: Could Peterson catch Emmitt? - Alex Marvez
Seriously? Isn't it at least 5 years too early to even think about this?

NYT - Lab Results, Atlanta Falcons - KC Joyner

CBS - 49ers camp report: Counting on Gore to end running joke - Clark Judge

ESPN - Bengals mired in mediocrity - Elizabeth Merrill

NFP - First-rounders are cashing in - Andrew Brandt
Tell me you can look at the picture of B.J. Raji without laughing...

CBS - Hey governor, right this wrong: Please pardon Plaxico - Mike Freeman

SI - Cris Collinsworth ready for comparisons to John Madden - Richard Deitsch

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

2009 Denver Broncos - Breaking Down the Roster -- Guards/Centers

Jeremy Bolander — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:30:10 -0000

Denver Broncos offensive linemen take 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)

View full size photo »

If you listen very closely you might hear, at a distance, a faint, almost imperceptible sound.

In the wake of resigning C Casey Wiegmann to a two-year, five-and-a-half million-dollar contract, one could be forgiven for suspecting that this sound is the dismay and despair of defensive lines throughout the league who must now contest with what is arguably one of the strongest, most coherent and most productive offensive line units in the NFL. Within that unit, no group works together more closely, or relies on each other as much as the guards and centers.

Casey's return, combined with the returns of LG Ben Hamilton and RG Chris Kuper, would do well to inspire a certain level of despondency in Denver's 2009 opponents, as it was an interior unit which ranked 1st overall in ALY (Adjusted Line Yardage), and 5th overall in ALY solely in the cramped spaces between the right and left guards. When one factors in the added emphasis on pulling guards that is a hallmark of the McDaniels offense (ranked 2nd overall ahead of Denver for guard-to-guard ALY in 2008), and the addition of multiple blue-chip RBs to the stable, the Denver rushing attack should indeed be fearsome.

But the sound that can be heard on the edges of training camps around the league are not the wails and moans of teams who fear having to do battle with such a proven unit. This is the NFL. What the sound portends is the approaching storm. A league full of defensive lines who desire nothing less than to tear apart this line's reputation and cast it down to the perceived depths of incompetence that the rest of the team is rumored to have reached. They will believe, fully, that annihilating Denver at the point of attack will reduce the Broncos to an afterthought that can be easily tossed aside. These defenses have made up their minds to do battle, and they will be focused, louder, more terrible, less relenting. Like Northerlies they will blow in every week, where they must be rebuffed by Denver's varied, complex schemes, swift, repeated blows and confusing attacks which resemble withdrawals.

But even early success against such hordes won't be enviable. The opponents will bristle with hostility at every loss, as if upset by human intelligence, and the attack will be renewed again.

This will be a season of such storms, and the guards and centers are the prow of the ship that Denver must steer steadfastly into them...

Ben Hamilton

#50 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 290

Born: Aug 18, 1977

Age: 32

College: Minnesota

Contract: 2009: $3.34m $4.39 against the cap, 2010: Free Agent

Acquired:Draft #4a (113th overall), 2001

One year removed from a season-long absence due to post-concussion syndrome, Ben Hamilton saw his reputation take a bit of a hit in 2008. Of course, he was still elite, but perhaps the expectation was that, as the longest-tenured member of the Broncos line, he should also be its best member. As it stood, he gave up the most sacks and was flagged for the most penalties, and in a way seemed to be the weak link. Yet, as noted above, the line still managed to clock in as one the finest units in the league, in every measurable statistic.

Maybe he really wasn't that bad?

He certainly has to be looking forward to his contract year, especially in conjunction with his run of good health and the line talent that has been amassed around him. He has been nothing less than a pro's pro, beginning with his first season starting for Denver, where he played both center and guard, covering for an injury to Tom Nalen. He also has been exceptionally durable, and except for the 2007 season (a case where toughness is trumped only by long-term concern and care taken for the unknowns involved in post-concussion symptoms) has yet to miss a start in any game the Broncos have played since he was promoted to the active roster after a stint in NFL Europe.

Of interest is that since the final game of the 2003 regular season, Hamilton has yet to log any more snaps at center. With the accrued depth at center over the last two seasons, there is a developing chance that Hamilton may not be the first name called upon if Wiegmann were to go down with an injury (though it is likely he would be the second name called up.)

Hamilton's leadership on the line, too, should not be overlooked; with a contingent of new, young guards behind him, it is imperative to hang onto the veteran player in order to smooth their transition into the Bronco's complex scheme. Next year, Hamilton's story should be quite interesting in the offseason; but for now, it's steady as she goes.

Casey Wiegmann

#62 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-2

Weight: 285

Born: Jul 20, 1975

Age: 34

College: Iowa

Contract: 2009: $2.5m, 2010: $2.2, 2011: Free Agent

Acquired: Unrestriced Free Agent (Kansas City), 2008

With the restructured contract handled with significant professionalism, Casey Wiegmann looks to continue his streak of 8,046 consecutive offensive snaps (tops among offensive linemen). He is nothing if he is not durable, and as his battle with Kris Jenkins will attest to, he is playing with as much savvy and intensity as could be asked for from a 34-year-old lineman.

When a soul refuses to yield to the weaknesses of the body, it is a source of immense power, and Wiegmann has certainly learned how to tap that, regaining in tenacity what he loses in vigor. But he also benefits greatly from his natural physicality, as a smaller lineman with good girth and strength, which allows him to move fluidly and easily within the confines of his area of work, which goes part and parcel with the demands placed on the center in an offense which features pulling guards (as it is usually the center who must execute the athletic 'trap' part of the block). He was well suited to a pure zone-blocking scheme, but he is eminently suited to the new wrinkles that McDaniels has brought into town for this offense, including being an above-average snapper in the shotgun.

With his experience doing the line calls, and spearheading multiple league-leading rushing and passing offenses (2003, 2006 and 2008) the offense is in completely capable hands with Wiegmann.

Chris Kuper

#73 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 302

Born: Dec 19, 1982

Age: 26

College: North Dakota

Contract: 2009: $1.01m, 2010: Free Agent

Acquired: Draft #5 (161th overall), 2006

Chris Kuper is what I would consider an almost-ideal starting guard for Denver's system. Big and athletic, very strong and terrifically balanced only begin to describe Kuper. He is also versatile, having started his career with Denver on the left side subbing for Chris Myers (who had been subbing for Hamilton in 2007), before moving over to the right side to replace Montrae Holland. In both instances, he made the most of his opportunities, and can be counted on as a player who rises to meet expectations. He also slid over to left tackle during his senior year in college, and showed that in addition to being a sound technician as a guard he could also show the athleticism and awareness to adequately man the pass-protection schemes. He isn't likely to see any snaps at center.

Since coming to Denver he has improved significantly in one particular category: reach blocks. Early in his career he would extend too far when blocking away on reach blocks or when moving to the second level, and while his athleticism and quickness still made him a force against the linebackers, he has since learned to use his long arms (a major asset) to get into his blocks under control, where he can use his strength to redirect. He is also an excellent pulling and trapping guard, who will be perfect for the new offense, and he strengthens any interior unit that he is a part of with his ability to switch off and onto blocks during defensive stunts and blitzes, a combination of intelligence and quickness. He makes his center's job easier by a large margin.

In addition, he is durable and exceptionally tough, maintaining a starting streak by playing with a broken hand last year that looked like a side of ham strapped to his wrist. Depsite the injury there was simply no noticeable dropoff in his play. He is the type of player that refuses to be the weak link.

There can be an expectation that the Denver line will fall a bit short of the elevated level of play last year, due to both the schedule and the idea that teams will be gunning for them. However, I think that Kuper, being in his prime and entering a contract year, has the goods to be even better than last year, and will catch on around the league as one of the premier free agents at guard in 2010. Denver should be in the top two or three teams in the league when running off his flanks. Like with Hamilton, 2010 will be another story, especially during the offseason; but for now, we are exceptionally solid.

Kory Lichtensteiger

#67 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 295

Born: Mar 22, 1985

Age: 24

College: Bowling Green

Contract: Escalators are available in the final year if he plays 35% of the offensive snaps in two of his first three seasons. 2009: $385,000, 2010: $470,000, 2011: $555,000, 2012: Free Agent

Acquired: Draft #4a (108th overall), 2008

Kory Lichtensteiger is a player who is used to being the best: best lineman on his high school team, then district, then division, then college, and most recently the Rimington Award winner in 2008 for the nation's best collegiate center.

After seeing action in every game as a rookie, Kory doesn't look to be slowing down or tailing off anytime soon, having logged special teams contributions in all 16 games of 2008, while lining up as an H-back on numerous goal-line formations, most of which were scoring plays.

Looking forward, the first thing you see is his ideal somatotype for center: squat, stocky, long arms, thick upper body and strong lower body. His quickness makes him highly effective in tight spaces, and his intelligence (awarded the Falcon Medal of Honor, which is given to a player that exemplifies sportsmanship and scholarship) makes him a consistent contributor in terms of properly reading and making line calls. He made a name for himself in college by leading the NCAA's centers in sustained blocks, which is a measure of tenacity, strength and will. He finished first in this category in 2008 by a wide margin.

He did primarily shotgun snapping at BGSU, and it was all quality work, which fits well with the expected offensive scheme. It remains to be seen how prepared he has been for the classic under-center exchange, but as it is a function of hand quickness, it can be expected that he will adapt and perform well in this area, as he shows excellent hand quickness and placement on reach blocks and when locking up the body of the defender.

His versatility is the opposite of Chris Kuper's, being as he is eminently suited for interior blocking. As a guard he registered 184 knockdowns in his first two years at BGSU, mostly on pulls and traps; so again, he seems to be a perfect fit going forward. He is not quite the quick lateral mover that Kuper is, and so it is expected that Kory will not see time subbing on the outside, and also that he will likely have a learning curve in pass protection slightly behind his run blocking.

Lichtensteiger is an excellent prospect to have in the wings who will be ready to contribute as a starter sooner than later.

Matt McChesney

#60 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 310

Born: Nov 06, 1981

Age: 27

College: Colorado

Contract: Undisclosed

Acquired: Free Agent, 2009 (Miami)

Before you say roster fodder, consider his unique brand of versatility. He played DT at Colorado, and logged snaps there for both St. Louis and the Jets before a knee injury landed him on two different versions of IR in two years (due to NFL Europe rules at the time).

In an effort to stick on a roster, McChesney went through a position switch to OG, where he has noted that his intensity and aggressiveness, while helpful, have needed to be dialed back, a task which has taken up most of his learning curve since the switch in early 2007, but which has improved enough to get him a look from 2008 Miami Dolphins architect Bill Parcells.

But most of his learning curve was taken up by figuring out how to deal with the loss of his little brother, who died in an accident on the Roaring Fork River. Those kinds of events change people, and McChesney is no different. By going back to his roots (he dreamed of someday playing for the Denver Broncos when he was a kid in the South Stands screaming his lungs out for them) and being close to his family, he hopes to break onto a roster where there is already top talent and very little room for error.

Described as "tough and smart," he seems to fit the general mold of players that McX are looking for, and might make his dream come true in 2009's Training Camp.

Mitch Erickson

#61 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-6

Weight: 290

Born: May 14, 1985

Age: 24

College: South Dakota State

Contract: Reserve/Futures Contract

Acquired: Rookie Free Agent, 2008

After leading SDSU to a Great West title, Mitch Erickson made it to Denver's practice squad where he is working on adding bulk and improving his balance. With the five starters well established and over ten backups vying for spots on the line, he will need to show that he spent 2008 picking up on all the little things.

His flexibility is of the guard-to-tackle variety, where he logged starts in all 44 of his career college games. At his height and weight, he seems better suited to back up LG, or moving out to back up the RT position. In the 2008 training camp he got most of his reps at RT, and is quite similar to former Bronco Eric Pears, in both build and playing style, with some of the same shortcomings.

My gut says that while Mitch probably has the right attitude, and is a tough player, he may a bit too much of the Shanahan mold. I would expect him to have a very difficult time making this roster.

Pat Murray

#72 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 310

Born: Oct 31, 1984

Age: 24

College: Truman State

Contract: 2009: $385,000, 2010: Restricted Free Agent

Acquired:Practice Squad Signee (Seattle), 2008

A better physical specimen in terms of what McX are looking for in a lineman, everything about Pat Murray indicates that he is at best an ideal candidate for the practice squad. His best attribute is his "jack of all trades" versatility, having logged most of his experience at RT in college, yet seeing extensive practice reps at both guard and center while in Green Bay and Seattle.

In general, his playing style and college play isn't ideally suited to the offensive scheme (it is more of a drive-blocking style) but there is no doubt that his versatility makes him a boon in practice and training camp in order to field 2nd- and 3rd-team lines in order to run drills.

But eventually those drills become pregame practices, and somewhere in that transition Murray usually gets lost. With the severity of the numbers crunch coming up for the interior linemen, Murray will need one heck of an opportunity to arise even to scratch back into the practice squad. Could quite likely be the first offensive lineman cut.

Seth Olsen

#70 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 306

Born: Dec 17, 1985

Age: 23

College: Iowa

Contract:

Rookie

Acquired:

Draft #4b (132nd overall), 2009

Seth Olsen is one of those naturally "big" linemen, the kind with the good bone girth as opposed to being just 'weighty', and he is well balanced in that area, having good strength in both his lower and upper body. He excels at using his hands, and his hand technique is the strongest part of his game. Intelligent, tough and resourceful, he was also trained in the art of zone blocking at Iowa, and so has an advantage in that department.

However, his second-level play is an order of magnitude below where it needs to be to compete with the current veteran guards, his most likely position. He will need to work on regaining leverage at the second level instead of leaving his feet to make a block, or extending out of control and thereby lunging past defenders. If he can bring that element of his game in line, his hand play should take care of the rest.

In a way, Olsen is a significant departure from the traditional "Shanahan" offensive lineman, and I see him as very much the product of the new scheme and philosophy ideas that McDaniels holds, so adjusting to Olsen's skill set may take a little while. Olsen is not the quickest player, and does not have the best lateral agility, something which was prized under Shanahan, and Olsen could even be accused of "trudging", something I haven't seen in the starting lineup since George Foster left town.

But he is a smart, tough technician with an aggressive mean streak and the versatility to man both RG and RT, and even has experience at LT and LG. Ideally a right guard, he has the natural physical makeup to be the lead candidate for the first backup G/T combo player (with Kory being the first G/C combo), as he has the natural girth and trained leverage to effectively "sit down" in pass protection, a major boon when having to be inserted in case of injury to a starter.

Olsen has significant improvements to make to be a starter-quality player, but the backup job appears to be his to lose.

Blake Schlueter

#63 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 284

Born: Apr 22, 1986

Age: 23

College: T-C-U

Contract:

Rookie

Acquired:

Draft #7 (225th overall), 2009

Denver's final pick in the 2009 draft, some immediately questioned whether Lichtensteiger had a future in Denver. Don't. Schlueter is an excellent find and a terrific opportunity to insure both the guard and center position, with a tenacious, mean and intelligent player.

He is a good size already to man the center position, but his body type is a bit different from Wiegmann (though similar to Hamilton) so he may need to add some bulk in order to play at Casey's level in the middle, and to anchor effectively in pass blocking.

Where Schlueter really impresses is his potential for special teams. You've seen it before, but here are his pro day numbers:

40 yard dash	4.79
20 yard dash	2.77
10 yard dash	1.64
225lb bench reps	28
vertical jump	35"
broad jump	9'3"
20 yard shuttle	4.28
3 cone drill	7.42

This is an exceptionally athletic, and more importantly, driven young man. He is a wild card that will make it difficult for the coaches to settle on the eventual active roster, but with McDaniels' deep respect for the role of special teams, it seems quite likely that Schlueter will be part of the active gameday 45-man roster, which means he is putting significant pressure on backups like Murray, Erickson and McChesney.

If Schlueter can maintain his drive right through training camp, than just like his pro day, he will be impossible to ignore.

SUMMARY

2009 looks to feature as strong a group of interior lineman as Denver could hope for in an offseason of significant tumult. The starting trio of Kuper, Wiegmann, and Hamilton have the combination of experience, talent and camaraderie that will keep the unit playing at a high level, while backups such as Olsen and Lichtensteiger give the starting offense confidence that the wheels will stay on in the event of injury. Players like McChesney and Schlueter will drive the above group even harder, and the additions of Murray and Erickson should keep the entire unit running smoothly throughout training camp, perhaps earning themselves a future look.

But when the leaves begin to fall, there will likely only be ten total linemen kept, including tackles, and only seven will be expected to be activated for game day. With players like Schlueter too talented to keep off of the special teams roster, and players like Licthensteiger (also a special teamer) too critical to risk leaving off the game day roster in the event of injury, good players like Olsen may find themselves in a tragic numbers crunch, which at best may keep them off the active roster, at worst may put them in danger of having to clear waivers just to make the PS, and even then they won't be completely safe.

One drawback to solid team-building philosophies are the roster limits and their unsympathetic treatment of excellent depth at a position. And with a major free agency period for Hamilton and Kuper coming up in 2010 these roster decisions will end up having far-reaching consequences. They have to be made with utmost care.

The battle from within can be as critical as the battle without, and the coming storm demands proper choices now. Forces amass against this unit, waiting for the smallest weakness to show up.

It has been said that Wind is all winds, Force is all force. The whole of that horde is now coming.

On one side, that legion.

And on the other?

We must be shrewd.

Poll

What are the chances that their could be a surprise cut or trade from the group of Ben, Chris, Casey, Licks Ten Tigers, Seth and Blake?

Zero chance. They are all keepers in some capacity.

137 votes

Mild. I could see one of the rookies not making the cut.

212 votes

Moderate. Licks Ten Tigers is part of the old regime, he may not be the apple of McX's eye.

56 votes

Surprising. There are rumblings that Hamilton doesn't fit the long term plan.

64 votes

Exceptionally surprising. We paid Casey just so we could cut him...

10 votes

479 votes | Poll has closed

Broncos sign Casey Wiegmann to 2-year deal

John Bena — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:47:19 -0000

A little bit of good news for Broncos fans. The Broncos and center Casey Wiegmann have reportedly agreed to a 2-year contract.

Wiegmann, who was actually under contract for 2009, made his first Pro Bowl in 2008 after starting all 16 games for injured Tom Nalen. After considering retirement, Wiegmann decided to come back, but voiced his desire for a new deal.

Wiegmann deserved the deal, and most importantly went about it in all the right ways. Wiegmann was involved in every offseason workout with the team but one, an excused absence for a family function.

That, my friends, is how you handle your business. The Broncos signed Wiegmann for the reasons I stated on MHR Radio last week. It made football sense to bring him back at a bigger number.

Congrats to Wiegmann for getting a well-deserved bump in pay while showing the younger guys how business inshandled in the National Football League!

Tuesday links and notes; more reaction to Houshmandzadeh's departure; taking a quick look at FA centers

Kirkendall — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:17:04 -0000

+ When MRIs become a formality. Oh how we love this. Now that he signed his deal with the Seattle Seahawks, it's being reported that Houshmandzadeh is getting an MRI as a formality. Joe Reedy makes the point that since he's being paid well, that the MRI could be standard to make sure they are getting a healthy wide receiver. Every player typically receives a physical before they are signed just in case guys like Jim Bowden are dealing undisclosed injured players. But an MRI? We're not sure how many instances we've hard of this being a formality.

What's impressive is that overall reaction around the community of blogs is fairly sided with the Bengals, rather the receiver. Can't place blame | Did it the right way | Not really upset | Blessing in disguise.

James Walker points out that by making a run for Laveranues Coles, that the Bengals have little to no confidence in their younger receivers, which reestablishes the long standing argument. Who the hell are drafting these guys? An alternative point is that the Bengals are positioning themselves to letting Chad Johnson go, either their trade or outright release (the latter will bring Cincinnati into a riot).

C Trent agrees, saying, "now it's time for Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson, Chris Henry and Chad Ocho Cinco to step up." His point is that another 31-year old receiver isn't the biggest need.

Carson Palmer says after Houshmandzadeh's departure, "we'll be OK."

+ The Bengals have yet to address center in free agency, a position that's long been underachieving since Rich Braham's retirement after two games in 2006. Matt Birk is expected to visit the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. Other centers available include:

Jeremy Newbery, Chargers
Melvin Fowler, Bills
Tom Nalen, Broncos
Chris Gray, Seahawks
Al Johnson, Dolphins
Nick Leckey, Rams
Chris Morris, Raiders
Rudy Niswanger, Chiefs
Scott Peters, Cardinals
Duke Preston, Bills

Moving on.

The Miami Dolphins signed former Raiders center, Jack Grove, to a five-year deal worth $30 million. Jason Brown signed a five-year deal worth $37.5 million with $20 million guaranteed. Center Eric Ghiaciuc is testing the market, writes Joe Reedy, however, he could be re-signed. Oh, joy.

Any interest for Vonnie Holliday?

While saying that Laveranues Coles would find a fit with Cincinnati more lucrative, Matt Bowen writes, "He would get to play with quarterback Carson Palmer and line up opposite Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson. Receivers always go where they’re going to get the ball and where they see the best option at the quarterback position."

NFP position rankings in the upcoming draft includes the following running backs.

Knowshon Moreno, Georgia (5-11, 208)
Chris Wells, Ohio State (6-1, 237)
Shonn Greene, Iowa (5-11, 235)
LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh (5-11, 210)
Donald Brown, Connecticut (5-10, 210)
Rashad Jennings, Liberty (6-1, 232)
Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon (5-9, 208)
Andre Brown, N.C. State (6-0 224)
Glen Coffee, Alabama (6-0, 209)
Javon Ringer, Michigan State (5-9, 205)

Both Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks are available in free agency. Who would have thought that the market for those two would be so quiet?

Sources: Tom Nalen To Retire

John Bena — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:27:04 -0000

The final link to the Super Bowl era for the Denver Broncos is reportedly going to hang up his cleats. Tom Nalen, the 218th players selected in the 1994 NFL Draft will reportedly call it quits, with the official announcment due any day.

Nalen, who was originally drafted when Wade Phillips was Head Coach of the Broncos, was the corner-stone of an offensive line that helped the Broncos win two World Championships and lead several offensive categories during his tenure.

With Nalen snapping the ball, the Broncos posted the most rushing yards (29,131) and most individual 100-yard rushing games (93) in the NFL since 1995 while tying for the most individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons (11) in the league during that period. Nalen's 5 Pro Bowls are the most ever for a Broncos lineman.

Nalen's lines also allowed the 3rd fewest sacks since 1995.

Nalen will retire ranked 3rd third all-time among Broncos players with 194 games played. He also ranks second all-time among Broncos players with 188 career games started.

While Nalen has yet to file his paperwork with the League, he has reportedly started the process. Just like Nalen, who rarely spoke in public, no formal annoucement from the future Ring of Famer is expected. Nails wouldn't have it any other way.

Poll

Is Tom Nalen Worth of the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Yes

316 votes

Not Quite

36 votes

352 votes | Poll has closed

The 2008 Broncos - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Steve Nichols — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:00:06 -0000

An MHR University Emergency Edition

If you came into this season with great expectations (13-3), you've been brought back to Earth. It's time for an assesment of the team that doesn't swing too far towards fantasy ("But we really can go deep this year") and doesn't fall to the other extreme ("We suck!"). The truth is that what many of us have been saying has been proven, and it isn't such a bad thing. To wit: This is a team that is in full rebuilding mode, and we are right on schedule. If you want a championship this year (or expected it), I'm terribly sorry. If you got overly excited by the first few games (or depressed by the recent losses), I'm also sorry. But the pronouncements of several Broncos writers (Guru chief amongst them) that Denver is building a team for next year or the year after is dead on accurate. Those fans with patience will be rewarded.

It's time to set aside emotion and to hit the books and the chalk board. This is a team that is stocked with massive potential, but still has a lot of house cleaning to do. We are perfectly positioned for a deep run in '09 or '10. The offense is young and dynamic, but still young. The defense took a backseat to repair work in the reloading season to ensure a future dynasty for the offense. Over the next two years, the defense will benefit from a focus that will bring the team into balance soon, but not this year. And that's ok. There is a lot of bad news for Broncos fans, but only fans who live in the present and want it all right now. For those of you who are ok with a 10-6 season, some respectability, and a very, very bright future, you've come to the right place.

First though, I want to start with a little story...

Read on

Once there was a small restaurant owner who loved his little business and slaved over every minor detail. He barely slept, instead focusing on the love of his life, his precious restaurant.

He hired the best chefs and staff that money could buy. He paid them top dollar, and treated them like family. He bought only the best ingrediants. He personaly stopped by each table to ensure that customers were happy. His business soared, and became wildly successful.

One day, word got out that a food critic was coming to dine. The food critic had a reputation for making or breaking a restaurant. People knew and trusted his work, and the owner knew that no matter how good his business was, the critic's articles were going to determine his future.

One night, the critic came to dine. The owner did a smart thing. Instead of catering to the critic, he went about business the way he always did, providing wonderful food and service to each and every customer. He neither ignored nor smothered the critic. But then something happened. Something seemed to go terribly wrong.

The critic, upon receivng he meal, took one quick bite, got up and left. Oh, the horror! The owner and his staff were terrified! After the customers left for the night, the staff sat around and worried. "What did we do wrong?", they asked themselves.

I'll continue the story later. Suffice it to say that I watched the first half of the Monday Night Football game against NE, and saw what I needed to see. Much like the critic that took only one bite to know what he needed to know, I drove home from my father-in-laws house, and went to bed. Was I disgusted by what I saw? You betcha. But I saw enough in that first half to realize that we are right were the Broncos want to be, even if it isn't where the fans want to be. Allow me to explain.

...the bad and the ugly.

First, my disgust. In "MHR Chalk Talk" I wrote the keys for the week. The most prominant key was the first key for Denver (which was so critical I even put it in bold print). It said, "Limit turnovers". Denver allowed two turnovers almost right away (Andre Hall), and lost the turnover battle 5 to 0. This cost us the game more than anything. And what was my first and most important key for NE? "Gain at least 100 yards on the ground (starting RB Maroney may be out this game). NE hasn't had a 100 yard rusher yet this year." So what did we allow the Patriots to do? According to NFL.Com, "New England ran for 257 yards, its highest total since Dec. 22, 1985."

I'm glad that folks read MHR. I just wish that the NE Patriots wouldn't follow my advice.

First, let's agree on a few issues. As a team, Denver has some good points and some terrible points. Most teams do. For example, Denver cannot stop the run to save their lives. We can argue over whether the fault lies with the defensive line, the linebackers, or scheming. But for our discussion right now, that's not important. Let's just admit the obvious. Denver will not be a run stopping team this year, just like last year. In fact, let's just make a list of each premise that I have right now for the team. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just plain ugly.

This defense cannot stop the run.
This defense cannot stop the pass.
Jay Cutler is the second coming. But he isn't old enough or wise enough yet to put it all together for a full season.
We also have some terrific receivers, but they too are young and will improve with age.
Despite the 3 sacks given in the MNF game, the OL remains one of the best pass blocking OLs in the League. Like 3 and 4 above, youth is an issue.
Young and Hall have potential for great break away runs, and are thus fan favorites. But as discussed last year, both are injury prone, and neither is consistent.
Scheffler is one of the best receiving TEs in the League, but is unable to stay on the field.

The underlining theme is our youth. They demonstrate great ability, but are also prone to gaffes. Jay has a rocket arm, and is great whether in or out of the pocket. He still makes "youth" mistakes, but is heading in the right direction, and doing so faster than can be fairly expected. By next year, Cutler will be leading this team to better pastures.

As good as the OL is, they are very young. Wiegmann is not going to be at center much longer, and his replacement (Lichtensteiger?) will be a key. But the tackle positions are set for at least the next 12 years. We are already good, and only going to get better.

But let's face some facts that many of us will have a hard time with. Selvin Young has quite a following. He bulked up in the reloading season because of accusations that he was too light to absorb much punishment. I won't get into the debate in detail here. What I will point out is that he wasn't in this game. A player, no matter how good, is useless if he can't stay healthy enough to play on the field. Selvin's back-up is Andre Hall. In my book, Hall has the speed to be a great change-up. He is not the kind of back I want to run often. Two fumbles cannot be excused. The bare minimum requirement for any running back is that you don't drop the ball.

I like what I saw from Pittman. Against a NE front seven that finally played up to it's star name potential, Pittman was able to gain respectable yards per carry. Again, it may not be the flashy "big play" look that fans want, but a bruising, power, one cut runner is what Denver needs to gain yards, keep the defense off the field, and wear down opposing defenses. Denver's pass game will be even harder to stop if opposing team's respect the run. I don't think that Hall and Young are either healthy enough or consistent enough to run the ball over the course of the game. This team needs Torain to come in healthy and able. Let us hope that he and Pittman can intimidate opposing defenses with a one-two power punch, allowing a Young or Hall to come in late in games for a few designed long yardage plays.

Outside of Marshall, Cutler loves to get the ball to Scheffler. For this reason, a lot of fans love Scheffler as the premier TE on the team. Except that he isn't. Graham is the number one TE on the team. Unlike Scheffler (who suffers from chonic foot problems and was out for this game), Graham is an everydown TE. He blocks better than any other TE in the League (something that most fans file under "who cares" when it comes to comparing a TE to a "receiving" TE). While he doesn't have the flashy catches that many receiving TEs do, he was the lone catch for a TD last night, had the second longest catch for Denver.

The real elephant in the room is the defense. Let's just admit the obvious. We can make all of the analysis that we want. We can see progress here and there (and I have), we can blame play calling or individuals. The bottom line is that this team has very few star talents on defense (DJ Williams and Bailey are solid, while Doom and Thomas continue to improve).

This team does not have a good pass rush. Even in last night's game (which saw 5 sacks for Denver), the sacks did not occur as a result of simple pass rushing. Denver loaded up the line of scrimmage, and brought massive blitzes. Without the blitzing, Denver does not always get effective pressure. Also, Denver continue to toy around with only rushing 3 linemen.

NE (on the other hand) showed a lot of four man fronts (something that NE likes to do against Denver). They got effective pressure against Denver's Secret Service offensive line, even without massive blitzes. Denver needs to have a capable front four, and they just don't.

Denver's DL was pushed out of the way for running plays, and only got pressure on passes when the rest of the team came forward to blitz. This was despite the injured status of a Patriots starting lineman and a starting RB. In a simple power scheme, NE RBs Morris, Green-Ellis, and Faulk each powered through lanes opened up against the defense, and each (often) required multiple tacklers to bring down.

The LBs were also a disapointment. Boss Bailey? Injured (again). Webster? A sack (on a play he wasn't even blocked), but only 3 tackles.

And scheming also seems to haunt this team. NE kept Denver out of the endzone, and helped their DBs get interceptions by doing something that Denver doesn't do consistently. NE puts both safeties deep and they keep the play in front of them (this is not a cover two system; it is the common usage for safeties on any team). This stopped big plays by Denver, and it allowed the CBs to take chances for turnovers.

The Good

The fearless leader of MHR, Guru, has written that Denver is in the third year of a five year rebuilding plan. One could quibble over particulars, but I won't. The fact is that his premise is correct. Denver is building a powerhouse team, and this year's team is not the end goal. As I wrote earlier, Denver has to be pleased with the plan, even if fans are disgusted with the present.

Some folks may be eager to defend the paradigm that Denver is bound for glory this year. They will correctly point out that Denver is leading the AFC West, and has already beaten the main AFC West Rival that can challenge for a playoff spot. But I think this misses the point. I have mantained from before the season that Denver may have a record close to 10-6, with a reasonable (50/50) shot at the playoffs. A playoff appearence should be a minimal goal for any team in the NFL with a good program, but it is also not "glory". I expect Denver to make the playoffs, and to play in the bye round. I give Denver a very small chance of advancing, with little to no chance of getting to the SB. Some may think this is terrible! But I think that would be very short sighted. While Denver will try to advance as far as possible, the rel goal is '09 or '10. And I think that future is more beautiful than a short term desire for glory this year.

We've looked at the bad and the ugly. Let's examine the good.

The offense is pretty much completed. We have youth in just about every key position. The penalties and turnovers were horrible last night, if you were looking at a veteran team. Denver is still a youth movement, and they look pretty decent even though they haven't hit full stride yet.

Cutler is the franchise QB. Marshall is the franchise WR. Royal is the franchise number two WR. Stokley won't be the slot receiver forever (age and concussions), but he will hold the position until the team decides whether to get a "thrid amigo" or to put more emphasis on depth at TE.

At TE, Graham won't be around forever. Whether or not Scheffler's foot improves, I believe that the TE position will get Denver's attention in the next two or three years, and Denver will ensure the pick is one that Denver fans will fall in love with.

Tho offensive line has the youth and talent to play well now, and yet improve for years to come. Losing Nalen (and soon thereafter Wiegmann) will set the stage for a battle at center, but the guard and center positions will do just fine.

I continue to believe that Denver knows how to scout and use RBs. Torain will be a hero or he won't be. I believe that Young is on the bubble right now and needs to stay healthy. I think Hall may be in the doghouse. Pittmann is not going to be the face of our RB corps, but he will be a solid and neccessary part of the team.

No, the real work for this team is the defense. And the good news (as much as it sounds like spin) is that the team can focus much attention on the defense, perhaps for two or three years (given the youth and talent on theoffensive side of the ball).

Marcus Thomas seems to improve each game. I liked what I saw from Thomas last night (four tackles and two assists), though he still has a long ways to go. DRob is not the answer to this team's woes. He plays well enough, but is far from dominating.

Ekuban plays well, but is getting older. Doom has a future if the rest of the line can be improved.

At LB, the only solid play has come DJ. Bailey has turned out to be a continuing injury risk, and both Webster and K2 have proven themselves enough of a non-factor that several other LBs are being tried out in games.

Champ Bailey is highly paid, and coming up on the end of his contract. He presents an intersting dilemna. Do you pay out the nose, and shut down his side of the field? Do you trade him for some picks or players (or both), and improve several positions at the expense of one? Do you let him go, and pocket the cap room to build up the defense that way? Bly (whether because of being overated or not having any support in the pass rush or from two safeties) is also coming up soon for contract considerations.

Lowry and Manual were the stars for Denver last night (though they could have been easily overlooked). Lowry was second only to DJ in tackles (Lowry with 7 tacks, 5 assists) while Manual was third (5 tacks). Still, something is badly wrong when the safeties are getting the tackles.

Denver can devote the draft, free agency, and any potential trades to the defense. I expect to see a major overhaul of the defense in the next two years. Will we lose consistency? Yes. But I expect the decisions will result in Denver gaining several playmakers (whether by intent or accident). If Denver stumbles onto one good DT, the entire defense will improve somewhat. If Denver stumbles onto just one good LB, the LB corps goes from 1/3 talented to 2/3 talented (and can focus attention on just fixing the last position). One good CB can either mitigate the loss of Bailey some day, or complement him better than Bly. If any of the front seven positions are fixed, the safeties may be allowed to play the natural "goalie" position they are supposed to play, negating the need for a great safety. But even so, a good safety pick-up in such a scenario would serve to prevent big plays like we saw in each of our losses.

The offense is already very good, but young enough to make some bone headed errors. By next year, this will be a "NE Brady led" or "INDY Manning led" level talented offense. What reamins to building a SB team is putting a defense with that offense. Give the team one or two years. The offense will still be around, playing very well and with many years left.

Shanahan has bought himself time to fix the defense, while growing the offense. If your goal is a SB appearance in the next few years, than this year is a bright moment because it is part of the path that Mike has built. If this year is your goal, you might not enjoy the season. But if you can look at the big picture, and see that this year is the journey and not the destination, you can smile. Yes, even after last night's game.

The owner called the newspaper and aked to speak with the critic. When the critic answered, the owner apologized for anything that might have been wrong. He told the critic about the hard work, the love, the effort, the time, and the money he had invested.

The critic just laughed. "You must think I had a bad experience! Not at all! The food was great, the atmosphere was great, the service was great, and I loved it all. Your restaurant is in first place in my book, and my article will reflect that. Your phone call tells me that you interested in continuing improvement. Someday, I think your restaurant will be known far and wide. Just keep doing what you are doing".

"But you only had one bite", said the owner.

"That's true. But this isn't my first restaurant I've looked at either. I've been around the block a few times. I know what a good place looks like, and what doesn't work. There are always things that need work, and there are always positives and negatives. I tried the food and it was great. But I also looked ahead. Your business is expanding, and you are making the right moves to put together a chain of restaurants some day. The food is just a part of the equation. I know what it takes to have a successful restaurant. You are a winning owner, and you are willing to do what it takes to always expand and grow."

I've been watching football for a few years. I've been around the block. I've endured losses, both for the Broncos (whom I love) and teams that I have coached at the academic levels (and it is very personal to have a team win and lose when you are one of the coaches). I've learned a few things during that time.

Don't let the wins get you too high. Use your head, not your heart.
Don't let the losses get you down. Use your head, not your heart.
Shoot for the moon, but keep your expectations realistic.
Recognize that there is a trend within a season, but also from season to season. Know the difference.
Sustained improvement from season to season is more valuable than within a season.

Given that., now consider this...

We are a better team than last year.
We can expect to be even better next year.
Who came into this season expecting us to beat NE? (We didn't)
Who came into this season expecting us to beat SD? (We did)
Who came into this season expecting the NFC South to be so good? (Note that we have beaten both NFC South teams we have played).

And now, I want to use our own words from an old article I wrote, called The '08 Schedule Overview (Pt. 1).

First, a poll (that covers our first 8 games, including the upcoming MIA game after the bye):

Denver wins how many games in the first half of the season?

2%

7 or 8

2 votes

32%

6

22 votes

46%

5

31 votes

17%

4 or less

12 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

If we beat MIA, Denver is meeting or exceeding the expectations of 64% of MHR members who voted.

Here are some other worthwhile quotes from the article. Keep in mind how optimistic people are, even assuming losses to JAX, SD, and NE. (In fact, we beat SD, and lost to JAX and NE as expected. KC is the only real bump in the road here)...

.500 should do the trick.

I think that if the Broncos can manage 4-4 thru there first half of the season, then they should be set up nicely for a playoff run. However, 4-4 leaves little room for error in the second half…5-3 would really be looking pretty good (and allow for the game off the Broncos like to take now and again).

by UnarmingMermaid

Agreed.

I think we manage better than 4-4, but we still have plenty of room for a good season even with 4. I think we get 5 or 6.

by hoosierteacher

Setting aside (for a moment) how good JAX is or isn't...

...I think that from a scheme perspective they match up with us very well. I’ll cover this in detail in the week preceeding the game, but of all the “toss-up” games this one concerns me the most.

by hoosierteacher

I agree with the 5 win prediction.

One area of help is that SD plays two teams with simular records from last year. That may keep us in striking range for a playoff berth. They are as good as last year (or even a little less, with potential season starting injuries), but we should be moderately improved. Relatively, our schedule should (thus) be slightly easier.

by hoosierteacher

bingo

yes, indeed the first 1/4 of the season has 3 important division games. fortunately, we should be able to scrape by the raiders and chiefs in the early going. i still think the sd game will be trouble, being they are a solid team at this point. we are not. yet. the saints could be trouble if we don’t have our o/d-lines and st’s operating smoothly, but we should be settled in enough to take them at home. jax and ne will be the real tests after that. i don’t like either one of those. tb could also be trouble, but we should eke that one out. the fish? pencil that one in as a w. i’m guessing 5-3, and in the second half of the season we should rip off a bunch of wins. even on the road. the offense will be rolling by then, and we should win some games on that alone. i expect a strong finish against very beatable teams. i’ll say 11-5, a playoff wild-card berth, and a 34-20 beating at indy in the wc round(sorry, i had a nightmare). the big dogs will be in the playoffs, and we just don’t look solid enough in all areas. new coaches, players, injury concerns, and rookies in important spots usually doesn’t make for a playoff run. if we can steal the division, this all changes. but sd has a similar schedule, and i just can’t see them stumbling to 5-6 losses. can i?

by davecheffy

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

My bottom line? We are right were we expected us to be, and we felt good about being here when we predicted it. Now is not the time to be upset! We are in a good position based on our pre-season hopes. Many of us would be happy with 4-4 or 5-3 after the MIA game, according to our pre-season hopes, but when it happens, we express sorrow?

Shake it off Denver fans!

We are right where I thought we would be, and it's a good place.

We lead the division. We are better than last year. We have a shot at a playoff spot to prepare our youngsters for next year. We can reasonably expect to improve next year.

Now get out there and cheer your team on!

Poll

Denver is actually where most MHR fans expected them to be (4 wins) according to an MHR article from the preseason. 4-4 or 5-3 was what most fans expected after the upcoming Miami game, and they felt good about the 2008 team. Are you now thinking...

"Right where we should be"

95 votes

"Not happy"

192 votes

"Very happy"

6 votes

293 votes | Poll has closed

The State of the Denver Broncos

Steve Nichols — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:34:37 -0000

It's time to take an honest self evaluation. There are a lot of good things to take comfort in if you are a Broncos fan. There are also some things that need to be faced that should keep you awake at night. I want to look at both.

Coming from a coach's perspective, folks shouldn't panic over one game. On the other hand, folks shouldn't get too excited over the 3-0 mark we were at before the KC loss. What we have on our hands is a very, very good team that has some terrible flaws. Yes, we beat SD and NO, but the games were close enough to be decided by a two point conversion and missed FGs. We beat Oakland, but that's not much to brag about. We also lost to KC, and that's a concern.

We'll look at what can be adjusted for and what probably can't, and where this puts the team as it continues The Quest.

Read on...

The Negatives

1) Pass rush

More than any other factor, Denver's lack of an effective pass rush is allowing opponents to score against Denver. Thanks to MattR (who has very kindly sent me DVDs so I can break down the games) I have watched and rewatched the front four and front three. There is a lot to examine.

First, the DTs are not effective. If one factor could turn around this team on defense, it would be having one, dominant defensive tackle. The tackles are not demanding the kind of double teaming that allows the DEs to do their jobs. As I've written before, one great DT makes the other DT look great too. Neither of our DTs is threatening the pocket enough.

Second, the DEs are better than what I expected, but still falling short. I noticed in the TB game that the outside rushers often got through, but were always a second or two too late. Dumervil's finger is a part of the problem, but a very small part. He can't use his hand as well when he has to fight off offensive linemen, and his tackilng should be less then desirable. But this is a minor excuse that falls flat. Despite the talents we have at pass rushing DE, the best rushers seem to be the guys who are built to stop the run (such as Ekuban).

Fans love flashy, speedy DEs. I like them too! But when the DTs can't occupy at least three OLmen, the DEs are going to struggle. At times like these, more powerful (albeit slower) DEs like Ekuban are more likely to fight through the trash than the speedsters. Unfortunatley, they will be slow.

Third is play calling. I'm always the first to jump in to defend a coach (go figure). But I can't do it here. On 3 man fronts with one gap linemen, a fourth rusher has to come in from one of the LBs. Denver shows a LB near the line to come in, but that LB ends up (more often than not) falling back into coverage. This creats two problems.

Why is the defense telegraphing the LB? In a one gap 3-4 set-up, the whole point of the fourth rusher is that the offense doesn't know where the LB is coming from.
Having said that, the telegraphed guy doesn't even rush! Worse, nobody else comes in either! You don't get pressure in the NFL with 3 rushers alone.

Some aspects of the pass rush can be fixed. Slowik is a "teaching" coach, and can improve on some shoddy play by the DL. Our best DE (Doom) will heal up and improve. But the thing we may have to face moving forward is that this team continues to lack a full time, durable, effective DT.

2) The Secondary

First, let's cut the corners some slack. Bailey and Bly are terrific corners, Paymah is good enough, and Williams has potential. But without the pass rush we just talked about, these guys can't be expected to cover receivers for more than a few seconds on their own. That said...

Bailey made a comment I found disturbing. He mentioned the importance of keeping plays "in front" of ourselves. This is zone thinking. Bailey is a lock down corner, and Bly is a gambler. Both CB types require an attacking mentality, and a focus on disrupting the reception (through a break up or an INT). Instead, reading Bailey's words and watching game tape I'm shocked at what I'm seeing. Our CBs are playing over the receivers instead of being used aggresively. Why is this? I think I have the answer, and and it is ugly.

Denver wants the LBs focused on the run. For this reason, there isn't a lot of blitzing. Also, Denver uses a SAF in the box, or even zoned mid range to cover for the run. Fearing the big plays, Denver's CBs are being asked to act like safeties, and to keep the plays in front of them. This causes two problems.

Denver is likely to give up short and medium range passes, because the CBs are playing over the top.
Denver also gives up the big plays, because the CBs are playing without deep zone coverage from two safeties.

This approach is too cute for my tastes. I was never a pro level coach, and I'm sure Coach Slowik would wring my neck for being a know it all. But I am having a hard time understanding a defense that gives up everything to fix one problem. Afraid of the run? Focus on the front seven!

This problem can be fixed. Let the secondary focus on the pass like they should. Let the CBs play "on" or "underneath" coverage, and let the SAFs ignore the run so they can play over the top of the receivers. INTs and break ups will start happening, and the SAFs will now be in position when a CB isn't. Even if a run gets through the front seven, there will be two safeties waiting. Then you can fix the front seven, which leads to my next point.

3) Stopping the run

The fear of every defensive coordinator is the inablitly to stop a team from jamming the ball down one's throat with the run. One can over compensate for this fear to the detriment of pass defense, and this (in my opinion) is what is happening. Worse, the run defense is still not getting the job done.

Several folks have expressed little concern for the defense, stating that the first 3 teams Denver played were offensive power houses. I disagree. Oakland is a basement team, and SD and NO (while very good) where banged up before the games. Still, when a team sacrifices a safety into the box to stop the run, and can't stop that run, the run defense is in serious trouble.

To be effective in a one gap defensive line system, each DLman has to shoot a gap, forcing the OL to clear them. If wildly succesful, the DL penetrates and blows up the run in the backfield. If succesful, the RB has nowhere to go. If moderately succesful, the LBs are untouched by the OL, and make the tackle near scrimmage.

Denver isn't getting these results. I see two reasons.

Again, the DTs just aren't being effective.
Denver's desire for pass rushing DEs doesn't place enough emphasis on having the less sexy (but more powerful) run stopping DEs in place.

We just had a wonderful reloading season, and brought in at least two solid performers (Clady and Royal). What we didn't bring in was a dominant DT (Robertson doesn't look bad, he just doesn't look good).

The LBs actually don't look too bad to me. They are fast, they are swarming, and they are tackling well enough. The problem is that opposing RBs can get enough penetration with the OL and enough momentum that the LBs are getting hit instead of having the time to do the hitting. They aren't getting the protection that they should, and they aren't getting the extra quarter of a second to respond that the DL should buy for them. I entered this season with concerns for the LBs and the DL. But from watching game film, I feel the LBs are alright, and not getting the partnership they need from the DL.

Let me take a moment to stress a few things I've been writing about that have provoked debate at MHR, but where I feel vindicated.

The realoading season was terrific, but we failed to address the heart of the problem on defense - defensive tackles.
Folks love speedy, pass rushing DEs. Some at MHR even wanted one on each end. Guys, we have to have more power on this line, and that means we need more Ekubans to go with the Dumervils.
We must get both of our safeties in deep zones if we are going to stop deep passes. It allows our CBs to do more, and it protects the deep field by more than half (even though only one additional player is brought in to cover it).

4) Jay needs to work on a few of the small things

Jay is a great QB. I would put him in the top 5 right now (and in only his seconf full year). But he is not yet a Peyton Manning, a Tom Brady, or a John Elway. Some will take my remarks as critisicm, but I'm in good company with Guru's latest grades.

Jay has two or three minor faults. Correct these, and Jay goes from great to legendary.

Jay telegraphs his throws by watching his primary target for far too long. Jay will get better, and this will fall to the wayside. But for now, it leads to a loss of down here and there.
Jay can take chances because he is so good. I see him throwing balls off balance that still go right on target. But he needs to trust his check downs too. This means watching the whole field.
Jay needs to spread the ball. The stats can be deceiving. It looks to me like Jay gets the ball to different receivers because different receivers are the primary targets for a specific play, and not because he is spreading the ball on his own. This is one observation I am not fully confident on, and I may be reading the game film wrong.

Jay is one area of the game that I wouldn't do a thing about. Telling him to scale things down will take him out of his element, and cost a little confidence. He'll find the right balance in taking chances as his career goes on. Good coaching will correct the telegraphing issue.

5) The run game

Our YPCs are decent. I disagree with the observation that "If you take away this big run and that big run our run game isn't so great". I disagree because the little runs set up the big runs, and you can't take away something that happened, good or bad.

However, there are some major flaws in the run game.

First, we just aren't running the ball enough. We spent the first three weeks entertaining the fans with a wonderful airshow. That will win a few games, but it won't get you far. I always preach that a balanced offense is a requirement to win games. We didn't close out the SD and NO games because we wouldn't run the ball and control the clock. We just flat out didn't protect comfortable leads. This means we aren't doing a good enough job wearing down defenses over the course of a game either.

We also aren't using much in the power run game dept. Rotating RBs is fine with me. I even endorse such a course. But why aren't we rotating in Pittman (our power guy)? First we don't wear down defenses by running more often, and when we do run we don't use any element of power to help ensure that the defense gets tired.

Here again, what we do pleases the fans (everyone likes big run plays here and there), but isn't sound football (consistently racking up medium yards each running play).

6) Turnover issues

This issue reared it's ugly head in KC, but in a big way. No matter how good a team is, the odds drop dramaticaly if you lose the turnover battle. Think about KC. We were still in the game up until the end, but multiple turnovers over the course of the game kept us from being in the lead. Jay is forcing the ball a lot, but he's good enough to get away with it most of the time. But the guys fumbling the ball have little excuse.

7) Coverage teams on special teams need to improve

We can't give up TDs and yards like we have been. It's a terrible sign that we have to risk Champ Bailey on our coverage teams because the coverage teams can't do it on their own.

The Positives

1) We are 3-1

This means that we have bought ourselves time to fix our problems. We have a good record, we lead our division, and have a winning record against the team most likley to challenge us in our own division. We control our destiny. With the loss to KC, we are still on track for the 10-6 (or better) season that I predicted.

2) The Offensive line is great

Jay finally gets sacked in the fourth game. WIthout Nalen, the OL still looks great. They give Cutler time, and they keep him safe. Rookie Clady looks like he's been playing in the pros for years, and Harris (playing in his full full season) at the other tackle position has been rock solid. Wiegmann has stepped in filled Nalen's shoes without missing a beat. Could the run blocking be better? Sure. But overall the line is doing a superb job, and the run game will pick up over time with the new faces.

3) We have youth and amazing talent all over the offense

Not only is the youth movement on the OL ahead of their time, but we finally have the QB in Cutler that can stop the Elway comparisons. This kid is good on his own.

Marshall is making a household name for himself, and seem to be on the straight and narrow in his personal life (doing an amazing job with kids in the community where he has purchased thanksgiving meals for each family and spends hours being a role model).

Rookie Royal has proved me wrong. I thought he would be perfect as a slot receiver and returner, but he has proven himself to be a terrific threat across from Marshall. This is the receiver that many of us wanted. A speed demon who can stretch the field and prevent Marshall form double coverage.

Graham is older, but the best blocking TE in the League, and is proving several skeptical Broncos fans wrong about his ability to catch the ball. Scheff and Jackson remain credible threats. (Stokley at slot isn't young either, but he's always reliable).

Pittman is a good RB who may not be getting enough playing time (if you buy my points earlier on). I believe Young and Hall could do better if they had enough carries to get in a rhythm.

4) Most of our problems can be fixed

We have the players that we have. I'm not a big fan of making changes mid stream, and am skeptical of making a trade at this point (though it might help). DT is the one position we most need help at.

For better or worse, here's what a former HS coach with no business telling the pros what to do, would tell the pros:

When using three defensive linemen, please send a fourth player in to rush the passer
Don't telegraph who that fourth player is
Give our corners a chance to do what they do best. Play both safeties deep to stop the big plays and allow the CBs a chance to gamble a little
Run the ball more. Wear down the defense. Control the clock. Make Cutler's job even easier than it already is. Just run the ball more!
If the pass rush doesn't work, blitz a little. But at the end of the season, make some changes. Blitzing should be a convienence, not a neccessity. We need a consistent pass rush from the front four. Lack of sacks is ok, but pressure must be consistent.

5) A tough part of the schedule is behind us, and we came out looking good

My thoughts before the season started were that we would win one game against Oakland, with a 50/50 shot of winning the other game. I felt we would lose a game to SD, with a 50/50 shot of winning the other game. I picked New Orleans as a team that matched us well, and could be a problem on our schedule. Well, we beat all three.

I believe I picked us to beat KC in one game, with a better than even chance of winning the other game. Oops. (GIve credit where it is due. KC played a good game, and earned the win).

Frankly, I didn't expect us to be 3-1 at this point. Down the road we face NE without Tom Brady, and a JAX team that is getting decimated by injuries. (TB, CAR, and ATL may be better than once thought though, and BUF and NYJ look better too).

6) Most of our problems on the defense are scheme, not player related

This means that most of the players on the defense will look better with some tweaks. Despite the problems I see on offense, I actually like what I see from the SAFs, the CBs, and the LBs. I think they are put out of position too much because of calls coming in from the sideline. I think this will get addressed.

7) We are a young team

The young guys are playing better than expected for young guys. Where there are issues with play, the guys will only get better. I don't like the calls coming in from Slowik and Bates on the side of the field, but both coaches are good teachers that can improve individual techinique issues. Now if only Shanahan would call a coaches meeting to discuss the playcalling a little...

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

So where are we? We're not as good as our record (winning close games), and we're not as bad as our loss to KC. We as fans get excited by wins, and depressed by losses. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

In my mind, we are doing a lot as a team to please the fans. Everybody loves the pass happy game. Everybody loves to see rushers play on the ends of the defensive line. Everyone prefers speedy running backs over slow but strong power backs. But that's not a formula for winning. Teams that go deep in the playoffs have to be able to run the ball and stop the run. We are doing neither with any consistency.

We are playing better than other teams in the AFC West (except KC in the KC game). We are likely to finish with a winning season, and I think we make the playoffs (as a low seed or wildcard). But we are not a dominant team on both sides of the ball, and we need more balance if we hope to go deep this year. In short, we are good, but one dimensional.

We need better defense to go with our offense, and we need a running game to go with our passing game.

What is the Quest? If it is to make the playoffs, or to be a better team than last year, I think we're in good shape. I also think we are only one or two players away from a SB caliber, dynastic team. Zappa seems to think that this is a 13-3 year, and I think Guru might put us in the third year of a five year plan. I think we're one year removed from a great shot at a SB. We have the core in place, but need a playmaker or two on the defense (DT and perhaps a LB) to take off.

Or maybe Torain will come back and shock the NFL in few weeks. Don't leave La La Land yet. It's still early in the season, and even with close games we are still off to a good record.

Poll

Denver's record at regular season's end:

13-3 or better baby! La La Land rules!

35 votes

11 or 12 wins. We are a terrific team. KC was a bump.

222 votes

9 or 10 wins. We are good, but still need to fix some things.

364 votes

7 or 8 wins. This team is in trouble.

29 votes

7 wins or less. Here comes the big collapse! (this option is also for the trolls out there)

6 votes

656 votes | Poll has closed

MHR Chalk Talk -- Week 4 - Denver Broncos at KC Chiefs (part one)

Steve Nichols — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:00:06 -0000

YOUR SOURCE FOR THE VERY BEST

IN DENVER BRONCO PRE-GAME ANALYSIS

MILEHIGHREPORT.COM

For all your Kansas City Chiefs News, check out Arrowhead Pride

Denver comes into this feeling like they are on top of the world. They are already 3-0, and now face a division opponent that is 0-3. With a win, Denver will have scored at least one win against each AFC West rival. For the playoff race, this means that Denver can do no worse than tie if a tiebreaker comes down to intra-division records.

Denver may also be licking their lips in anticipation for the game. While KC is a difficult venue for the Broncos to play in, injuries and uncertainty plauge the Chiefs. Huard is taking the helm at QB from Thigpen, and LB Edwards is out with an injury. Surtain (CB) is questionable. A 4-0 start would be great for the Broncos, but it would be foolish to assume that the game is already over.

Read on...

This is a game that Denver can really use. Setting aside the the obvious idea that Denver would like to extend the winning streak to 4-0, Denver has an opportunity to try out some tweaks that may benefit them in future games. For example, because the KC pass game is in trouble, Denver should be able to try out different plans to stop KC RB Johnson. At the same time, they don't want to take this game for granted.

The KC Offense

The first thing that a fan watching the game should know about the offense is the state of the KC QB situation. Croyle won't be returning until Oct, and Thigpen has just lost the starting job to Huard. This is the third QB in as many games for KC.

Teams have been keeping up with the Broncos scoring factory by airing out the ball. But KC will have a hard time doing this with a third string QB.

The second thing that fans should know about is where the power lies on the KC offense. KC's two best options are at RB (Johnson) and TE (Gonzales). While Gonzales isn't the threat that he used to be, he is an experienced veteran that can take advantage of a misstep by a LOLB. Johnson has a nice blend of power and quickness, and can cause problems for the Broncos if they can't stop the run.

The KC Defense

Here again, the situation for KC doesn't look good. Many football watchers would agree that KC's top two players on defense are Surtain (CB) and Edwards (MLB). Edwards is out, and Surtain is questionable.

So far, the defense has been the better unit for KC. Can it hold up to the League's number one offensive attack though?

The Denver Offense

Starting his second full season, Cutler has seen the best CB tandems in the League. Without his number 1 WR, he shredded DeAngelo Hall with rookie Eddie Royal, and then Marshall returned for a devestating one two punch.

Not only is Cutler playing like a pro-bowler, but Marshall and Royal have been deadly against opposing secondaries. Denver can throw in slot receiver Stokley, or any of three elite TEs as well. In short, the Denver pass game looks legendary already.

Denver can also rack up YPCs that would make any defensive coordinator cry. So far though, Denver has limited the use of their runners, except on short yardage (and even prefer to pass then).

The real heros of the offense are the front five. While Nalen (OC) moves to injured reserve (and probable retirement), Denver just keeps chugging along. Rookie LT Clady and RT Harris (in his first year after an injury plauged rookie season) have kept Cutler untouched in the first three games (a sack is on the books, but as a statistical anomoly).

The Denver Defense

This is the most confusing element of the game. Denver's vaunted secondary has been terrible. While the offense has been busy racking up the points, the defense has allowed opposing teams to do the same. Why is this?

Denver's pass rush is non-existent. The longer that a WR duels with a CB, the better the chances for the WR. Denver just isn't getting any push with the front four. Denver seems to be worried about blitzing, which would then weaken a suspect run defense. So far, Denver has done ok keeping opponents from running, but at a heavy cost in the passing game.

Keeping a safety in the box also makes it hard for the CBs to take the kind of chances they need to get INTs and to break up passes. CBs are being forced to allow catches, and go for the tackle because they often have only one SAF deep (watch for an upcoming article on this issue from Styg).

In an attempt to disguise "the fourth rusher", Denver tried out a 3-4 formation against the Saints for half of a game. Head Coach Shanahan says the experiment isn't done. (Again, watch for an upcoming article from Styg, who predicted such a move in an e-mail to me).

Adjustments For Each Team

Despite the lack of Denver's pass rush, KC does not want to throw the ball. A third string QB throwing the ball against the likes of Bailey and Bly is suicide, especially when you have Johnson to run the ball against a suspect run defense. Not only that, but running the ball keeps the Denver offense off of the field.

That may sound a little backwards. Most teams might enjoy a shoot out with Denver. Rivers and Brees kept their team in the games until the last minute didn't they? But the state of the KC offense doesn't allow for this kind of gamble. KC is early in a mutli-year rebuilding plan. They just had a good draft, and look to have some high picks early next year. For now, they may have to settle for pounding the ball and hoping for the best.

What else is backwards? I've been advocating that Denver mix up the run and pass more; play a more balanced game. But KC is a different animal. KC shouldn't be able to keep up in a shoot out, and Denver might as well let Jay Cutler continue to develop his skills as an elite passer, while giving more experience to youngsters Marshall and Royal.

Game Planning - KC

KC should pound the ball up the middle. Denver's LBs are quick enough to stuff most runs to the edges. A constant assult on the middle of the Denver defense may not get many yards, but it should wear down Denver enough to pick up yards late in the game. KC should also limit passes to infrequent, short, high percentage passes, probably to the outside to spread the defense for the run game.

This makes sense if Denver is playing 4-3, but even more so in a 3-4 (when pounding the center is the name of the game for an offense).

On defense, KC has few options. If they double cover Marshall and Royal (no NFL level coordinator would even think of it), Denver just trots out slot Stokely, or throws to any of a number of TEs. Cover deep, and Denver plays the short hooks and curls they devestated Oakland with.

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

In part two, we'll take a deeper look at the game, including system match-ups and game planning for Denver.

Broncos Annouce Several Roster Moves; Tom Nalen Placed On I/R

John Bena — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:33:55 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday placed center Tom Nalen on injured reserve with a left knee injury, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

A 15-year veteran, Nalen ranks second in Broncos history in career starts (188) while his 194 career games played in a Denver uniform represent the third-highest total in club annals. He entered the league with the Broncos as a seventh-round selection (218th overall) in the 1994 NFL Draft from Boston College.

Nalen, whose five Pro Bowl selections (1997-2000, '03) are the most by a Broncos offensive lineman in franchise history, was a key member of Denver's back-to-back Super Bowl teams in 1997 and '98. He helped Denver post the most rushing yards (29,131) and individual 100-yard rushing games (93) in the NFL from 1995-2007 in addition to tying for the league lead in individual 1,000-yard rushing seasons (11) during that time.

An honorable mention All-American as a senior at Boston College, Nalen attended Foxboro High School in Foxboro, Mass., and was born on May 13, 1971

The Broncos also announced they signed free-agent safety Vernon Fox and waived safety Hamza Abdullah, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

The club also on Tuesday released wide receiver Travis Wilson from its practice squad.

Fox (5-foot-10, 203 pounds) is in his seventh NFL season and joins the Broncos after spending the previous two years with Washington, which released him on Aug. 25. He also has played for Detroit (2004-05) and San Diego (2002-03) after entering the NFL with the Chargers in 2002 as a college free agent from Fresno State University.

In 86 career games (11 starts), Fox has totaled 90 tackles (69 solo), two interceptions (21 yds.) and eight pass breakups. He also owns 73 tackles on special teams along with one blocked punt for his career.

Last season with Washington, Fox appeared in 14 games (0 starts) and tied for third on the club with 16 special-teams stops while adding two defensive tackles. He started a career-high six games and appeared in all 16 contests for the Redskins in 2006, recording personal bests in defensive tackles (42) and special-teams tackles (26).

Fox saw time in 14 games in each of his two years with the Lions from 2004-05. During his first two professional seasons with the Chargers from 2002-03, he appeared in a total of 28 games (5 starts) and had 45 tackles along with one interception.

A two-time first-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection at Fresno State, Fox attended Cimarron Memorial High School in Las Vegas and was born on Oct. 9, 1979