SBNation.com User Blog: Jon Tollerud

Roster Projections Pre-Training Camp

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:08:24 -0000

Hello friends, it has been almost a year since I have posted anything and thought I would come back with a little debate fodder for you!

Below is a picture of my projected roster minus two spots as well as an explanation of a few things

via fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net

Noteable Omissions:

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: Sorry, I think he will be cut based on our draft. I am willing to eat crow on that one but he doesn't mesh well with everyone else and the style of all other corners.
Lance Ball: Thank God
Manny Ramirez: not a man-ram guy
College Free Agents: one may stick but I only left two slots on the roster open

Noteable Keepers:

Julius Thomas: I think Thomas is more of a favorite than people think. Again, I am willing to be wrong here
Stewart Bradley: I like him as a flex LB someone who is a jack of all trades master of none. God, remember 2008 when all our starting LB's were that way?
Chris Kuper: I think Chris is willing to stay with a pay cut and perhaps be the swing guard.
Knowshon Moreno: a lot of chatter about how KM may be cut, but hes far more talented that Lance Ball, Jerimiah Johnson, Mario Fannin and any other scrap heap back sitting around

So the questions to all of you readers:

WHO ON THIS LIST GETS CUT? (if any)
WHO FILLS THE REMAINING TWO SLOTS? (names)
WHO IS MISSING ON THIS LIST? (specifically)

GO BRONCOS!

Hello friends, it has been almost a year since I have posted anything and thought I would come back with a little debate fodder for you!

Below is a picture of my projected roster minus two spots as well as an explanation of a few things

via fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net

Noteable Omissions:

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: Sorry, I think he will be cut based on our draft. I am willing to eat crow on that one but he doesn't mesh well with everyone else and the style of all other corners.
Lance Ball: Thank God
Manny Ramirez: not a man-ram guy
College Free Agents: one may stick but I only left two slots on the roster open

Noteable Keepers:

Julius Thomas: I think Thomas is more of a favorite than people think. Again, I am willing to be wrong here
Stewart Bradley: I like him as a flex LB someone who is a jack of all trades master of none. God, remember 2008 when all our starting LB's were that way?
Chris Kuper: I think Chris is willing to stay with a pay cut and perhaps be the swing guard.
Knowshon Moreno: a lot of chatter about how KM may be cut, but hes far more talented that Lance Ball, Jerimiah Johnson, Mario Fannin and any other scrap heap back sitting around

So the questions to all of you readers:

WHO ON THIS LIST GETS CUT? (if any)
WHO FILLS THE REMAINING TWO SLOTS? (names)
WHO IS MISSING ON THIS LIST? (specifically)

GO BRONCOS!

For those Bronco Fans Who have served....

Jon Tollerud — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:19:56 -0000

Greetings all,

I want to take this opportunity to remind us all of something very important. Those of our fellow Bronco Fans who have served. MHR has always been a close knit family and regardless of who we are, how much knowledge, or in my case sarcasm, we bring to the table we are still that Family. I wanted to post just a quick thank you to those who have served in the United States Military! As we are a International Blog now I feel that I should also say thank you to those who have served in other countries military as well. It takes great courage to stand up and say I will protect my neighbors' freedom, and for that I say thank you. BBQ's are great and a day off of work is fantastic but lets us remember why we have this day. In the comment section please add your name if you have served!

To those who have served thank you!

To those who have sacrificed all....

Thank you!

Greetings all,

To those who have served thank you!

To those who have sacrificed all....

Thank you!

Alaska, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos

Jon Tollerud — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:19:53 -0000

Those of you who have read this site for a while may know me. For those of you who do not let me give you a little background. I moved to Denver in Summer 1998 and immediately became a Bronco fan! Good time right? Well I'm still a fan but I am also removed. I now live in Alaska. As such I have the pleasure of being removed from the mainstream and have time to think to myself. Going through my think process I have come up with some interesting thoughts. Follow me below if you are interested.

First off, let me say that I have been a Bronco Fan to see Many QB controversies. Brian Griese v. Bubby Brister; Brian Griese v. Gus Ferrotte v. Bubby Brister; Brian Griese v. Jake Plummer; Jake Plummer v. Jay Cutler; Kyle Orton v. Chris Simms; Kyle Orton v. Brady Quinn v. Tim Tebow; Kyle Orton v. Brady Quinn v. Tim Tebow v. Adam Webber! In a nut shell those are the QB battles we have had since Elway retired. Bradlee Van Pelt was never in a controversy but he was on the roster. Second, I have watched exactly three QB put win The Denver Broncos Playoff Games, John Elway, Jake Plummer and Tim Tebow. Now to the Elephant in the Room.

Peyton Manning. Personally, I like Tim Tebow and if he is the QB that we have day one, Sweet he won us a playoff game and deserves the right to fight for the job (nothing is ever handed to you). But we are talking about one of the greatest to EVER play the game in Peyton Manning. Now I know there are feelings that will be hurt here, but if your FO says they will do EVERYTHING to make this team a contender, do you not think that Looking at one of the best ever fit this? If he is healthy, Peyton manning would be on the opposite side of those 44-21 Indy/ Denver Shreddings. I am ok with that. We also don't have to trade Tebow! Yes he was a starter but sitting behind and learning from one of the best will have an effect on you like no other. I would like to address one other thing...

Position Hypocrisy!

We have the unfortunate problem in Denver of "Tebow Fans." They support Tebow and not the Broncos. That's fine to each their own, but it slightly clouds their judgement about this team. I asked my self a few questions to make my decision about Peyton Manning:

-IF Calvin Johnson was available would I be upset the Broncos were going after him? No. Demaryius Thomas has great potential but there is only one megatron.

-IF Adrian Peterson was available would I be upset the Broncos were going after him? No. MgGahee was great but there is only one AD

This list goes on but it made me realize, I like Tebow but Upgrading every position has to be the FO priority! In a business where you play to win and win it all, you have to. You don't simply let you homerism cloud out other players. We all like Nate Irving or want to draft a MLB. IF Jon Beason was somehow available though, I know about 90% of fans woudl say bring him in. QB is different though, especially in Denver. EVERY SINGLE QB has to be the next Elway, has to come out a polished passer and a winner. If they aren't a winner thats fine as long as they are a polished passer.

Another thought. I had this conversation about something totally different the other day but it applies to this as well.

YOU CAN'T TEACH PASSION!

You know what people are passionate about. I am passionate about sports and music. How do you know this? When you meet me that is what I talk about. you have guys like Vince Young who are mighty talented but have no passion. Passion will always be the great equalizer. When people talk about "IT" or "Intagibles" I know what IT is. IT is PASSION! We need guys with a passion for winning, who know what that means. Winning is a mind set not the end result of a game.

That's all I have sorry about my rambling style as always

GO BRONCOS!

Perspectives from the Outside

Jon Tollerud — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:54:58 -0000

Greetings all it has been some time since I wrote a post or even a thoughtful comment. There are reasons for that and I will explain but I also have some expectations for the offseason.

First, the reason I haven't said much of late is I personally am sick and tired of Tebow-mania. I think he's a great guy and has a legitimate shot at being an ELITE Quarterback. I said it and I don't care who pulls this on me. Tebow has a great shot at being not just our franchise QB but an ELITE QB!

The rub however is the vitriol either way. We will hear this offseason about how the Broncos should look for a QB and blah blah blah. Listen, if the Broncos were so bent on replacing Tim Tebow, he would have been pulled in the Patriots game. Period! When the media says something about Tebow, don't pay that much attention. Watch the actions of this Organization not the "inside sources" of some chump piece of garbage hack journalist who spells worse than a dog without spell check! One of the reasons I have not really written or commented is that when it comes to Tim Tebow every Tom Dick and Harry who can edit a player on the Madden video game thinks they know more than this organization does about Tebow's strengths and weaknesses. YOU DON'T

Ok, enough about Tebow cause that issue is going to be all I hear about the next 6 months.

Off Season Needs:

QB- Sign an FA back up who wil be serviceable in injury replacement and mentor Tim. Draft a back up also in latter rounds!

RB- I love McGahee and am not sold on Moreno. The other guys are whatever to me. Through FA or Draft we need a Javid Best, Matt Forte, LeSean McCoy player. A home run hitter and serious threat.

TE- I personally believe Daniel Fells was a quiet under-rated signing. I say give Thomas and Green another Offseason but if a good dual threat is available, grab him.

WR- Royal will be offered a fair package for his contributions in Denver and his expected contributions moving forward. If he walks fine, we don't need to overpay him. Thomas and Decker will have an offseason to Gel with Tebow. We need to address this position via Draft and FA, Personally I'd look at possibly bringing in Harvin. I know he is in the last year of his contract and has just established himself as a threat in Minny but I'd give up our #2 pick for Harvin on this team. As it stands there arent many FA's I would look at. Draft a WR or two becasue Willis is not the answer. We need 3 or 4 good WR.

OL- this is a depth issue really which is nice. I like our starting five. Hochstien needs to be replaced as do Clark and Rameirez. Let Harris and Franklin battle it out for starter, but I think Franklin win and Harris becomes our All Purpose back up which is ok by me.

DL- Honestly of who we have I like Doom, Ayers, Hunter, Bunkley, Thomas and maybe Warren. The rest can leave. We signed a guy like harvey to the active roster to be a game day inactive EVERY GAME. not for me that crap needs to stop. If you cant be a contributor get off my roster!

LB- I think Sayre and I disagree here but MLB is possibly the biggest need this offseason. Im ok keeping Mohammed, Miller, Irving, Woodyard and WIlliams but we need a stud and if Irving doesn't look like that guy I say we make a play for a Jon Beason type player via FA or the Draft. I need an Al Wilson.

CB- Champ, Harris, Syd'Quan and Vaughn need to be retained. I'm ok watching Goodman walk. Truth be told I think we move Champ to FS/ Centerfield to teach Rahim. which leaves this a big need too!

SAF- Dawkins is probably retiring and honestly, Good for him. He is all class and a top player at his position for many years. I hope he enjoys his life beyond football. Carter looks good and Moore needs a bit of help. Bruton is good in spot duty but looked like he should be given a chance to compete for starter. If Champ gets moved here no problem. If not we need a smart player in the Deep back to hold us down! We saw what happened when we lost Dawkins brain and passion back there!

I think were set at K and P so fan the flames boy and girls and as always

GO BRONCOS!

Poll

Reloading Season or Rebuild Part 2 for this Offseason?

Reloading, Rebuilding sounds like we are a bad team

7 votes

Rebuild Part 2. Right path, lets keep moving forward

63 votes

70 votes | Poll has closed

Logic

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:50:26 -0000

This is not an Anti-Tebow post. This is not a Pro-Tebow post. This is not a Tebow post. This is a post that asks a few questions about you as a fan and your expectations. I want to know what you expect of your team...

Do you have patience?

Denver has been a team who has competed in the post season fairly regularly prior to 2006. As fans we are spoiled because we want the post season. That however wasn't enough after a while, we wanted Super Bowls and that demand I personally believe helped in the decision to draft Cutler. How many AFC Championships could Jake Plummer get us to before that would be unacceptable? We always want more as people and as fans. Not to be political but that is part of the reason we are in the mess we are in as Americans. We want more, more more. As Bronco fans we have done the same thing. We want more, more ,more. That's alright but lets think about some things here:

We have been devoid of talent for a while.

We have had a few guys who have had talent but we had a roster that was almost completely devoid of talent outside of maybe 6 players since 2005. Our roster has been in complete shambles. Lots of prospects, lots of potential but we have never had a team that could field 22 players of SOLID talent. The Green Bay Packers are starting to do this. Not superstars at every position but solid players who know their role and do it. The Packers built through the draft, Made use of every pick finding guys who fit the scheme. It wasn't a one year thing it was over the course of many years. Which brings me to my next point.

We have to be ready for some bad seasons.

My brother is a packers fan. He is also a level-headed individual who knows what it means to cheer for a team that can not win more than 6 games. They then used those picks to address each and every position on the team. They brought in some free agents, but guys who could assist the team in teaching young players their role on a team. Did they hit gold every time? NO but they went back and rebuilt each time finding guys of value where they could. All this is good but you have to be ready to watch your team get 3-6 wins.

You have to give your young players time.

Ok, a little about Tim Tebow. I don't know if he can succeed in the NFL. He has some work to do and I think he will put the effort in to fix what he is asked to. The thing is, as a coaching staff and a team you have to be willing to invest the time and effort into a guy like Tebow to make it work. We have used the, player A sat behind player B and look how he turned out in multiple fashions. Tebow doesn't need excuses, he needs opportunity. He needs opportunity to learn, fix and practice good solid fundamentals. The question becomes does Denver feel like they want to invest the time? I don't know and we wont know until Tebow is cut, traded or we draft a QB high. I will say this though and this is my only stance on Tebow now,

"If we do not invest any time in Tebow, it shows me that this staff from Bowlen down, does not want to invest time into players and develop them. We want 'NFL ready' players and we are destined to dwell in 7 or less wins like the Lions did for so long."

Matt Millen was a decent player, Horrible Front Office guy. I hope that in five years we aren't saying the same about John Elway. I want to see some investment made in players by our staff or we look to go the way of the Bengals, Raiders, Lions, and Bills of so many seasons.

So the Questions to ask yourself are:

Do You Have Patience?

Do You Accept Denver's Lack of Depth/ Talent?

Are You Prepared to Root Through Losing Seasons?

Are You Willing to Invest Time into Young Players?

Answer in the comments and as always-

GO BRONCOS!

Broncos- A Dark Horse

Jon Tollerud — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:55:54 -0000

I have just posted my latest article up at Alaska Sports Live. When the season starts, I do a bi-weekly column for the website about the NFL called "Red Zone Review." This week I did an NFL Preview. In the preview I give my opinions on the top "powe house" teams and my four dark horses. One of my four Darkhorses for the league this year is Denver. With Elvis Dumervil back, Von Miller joining him and a solid DB Corps we could have a top 15 defense. Balanced attacks from the running game and passing game will keep more defenses honest this year. I am personally thinking we win 9 games this year 4-2 in the division and .500 in our other games which would be a great improvement. With Demaryius Thomas as a 4/5 WR it should be exciting to see. Anyway, here is to a great season ahead.

Feel free to tell me what you think!

http://alaskasportslive.net/?page_id=692

Feel free to tell me what you think!

http://alaskasportslive.net/?page_id=692

The "undrafted stud" Myth

Jon Tollerud — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:19:48 -0000

I have read and re-read posts, comments and snide remarks here on MHR talking about Which UDFA or waiver wire guy everyone thinks will be this years "Rod Smith" or the like. First off I think that is VERY unfair to Mr. Rod Smith in that Mr. Smith worked his tail off for years proving he was worthy of a roster spot. I think to say this every year makes the Amazing-ness of Rod Smith become diminished. Rod was a once in a life time player and a once in a generation situation.

Eron Riley is not Rod Smith, Matt Willis is not Rod Smith anyone else who was undrafted and signs with the broncos is not Rod Smith. ROD SMITH IS ROD SMITH. I realize guys look good in training camp and against other 3rd stringers fighting for jobs, but if a guy is passed over 200 times there is probably a good reason for that.

I am not saying any of these players is horrible just asking for a bit more caution when comparing players who are bubble players and have been for 2-3 years to legends and greats.

Thank You and

GO BRONCOS!

I am not saying any of these players is horrible just asking for a bit more caution when comparing players who are bubble players and have been for 2-3 years to legends and greats.

Thank You and

GO BRONCOS!

Dear Mr. Bowlen

Jon Tollerud — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:02:11 -0000

I know you have been one of the best owner in the NFL over the last few years. Always doing the classy thing and keeping a good relationship with your fans. However sir I must voice a complaint.

When you hired Josh McDaniels, I questioned the hire but because this is my team I supported it. Over time I began to see your plan. You felt the need to rebuild your proud franchise. After a year and a half you decided that you had made the wrong choice in pairing our franchise with Josh McDaniels the way you did. Again, a bit confused I supported our team through the turmoil.

After hiring John Fox I was excited for our future. We have a defensive minded head coach who brought in a defensive coordinator who felt that aggressiveness and attitude was what we needed on defense. I am excited for this philosophy being defensive minded myself. We then began the process of evaluation and roster building.

We have a situation to be envied by any team. We have three competent Quarterbacks that can conduct our offense. With people in the organization wanting to rebuild the team the right way I now felt we were on a path to success.

Mr. Bowlen I feel that we have a bright future with our young quarterbacks. I do not know which one but I do feel that some have been dealt a foul blow by someone in your organization.

The thing I am concerned about it that someone in your organization has told those outside of the organization things that may or may not have been said in house. That's unacceptable. There are a lot of people out there who would love to see the Broncos fail. They live for these sound bites and someone close to you has given them just that.

I am not here to defend or berate any of the quarterbacks. I am here to say "Mr. Bowlen, please get your house in order!" I would never tell you how to do your job sir but right now I don't know who is running the organization. In all honesty the fact that nothing has been said by you or your head staff to address this current "situation" speaks volumes.

I ask sir that you speak out in this situation! If it is true your organization does not want Tim Tebow please say so. Also, if you organization is either in a situation of evaluation with the young man or have decided you want Tim on your team that should be said as well.

I think it is unfair to the young man to remain silent and also a bit unfair to your fans to not address the "blood shed" that is happening in the media. This is not the type of press or situation I think any fan of the Broncos wants to be involved in at this point!

Please Sir Speak Out!

Sincerely,

Jon Tollerud

Concerned Fan, Denver Broncos

Jon Tollerud's Expectations this season

Jon Tollerud — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:54:22 -0000

I have listened to everyone's musings on who should start at QB and still don't care. I have also paid attention to the many reports from camp on here and other sites. After much thought and processing I have come up with my expectations for this season. Not my predictions but what I want to see our team do this year.

1. Run the ball effectively.

It's one thing to say we are running 20 times a game and its another to say we are effectively running 20 times a game. I don't care how many carries each back gets or anything like that. I want to see effective running. I want O-Linemen to get in there and just maul and push and push. I want running backs to see their holes and get through them. When tackled, I want the backs to fight push break tackles, whatever to gain the extra inches. I want defenses to PLAN for our running game.

2. Audible when it exploits the defense.

I don't care what the play called is. If the defense stacks the box then quick audible into a pass. If they are in a medium zone audible to a run. Its one thing to see what a defense is lining up for, I know Quarterbacks can do that. It's another to say "hey we could run and gain four yards or we can pass for 15." Simplified? Probably but

3. Whoever the QB is be precise and systematic.

We don't need to throw the ball 600 times in a game to win. That isn't EVER going to work. Tom Brady still has a fair few running plays in his arsenal. When we drop back to throw, whoever is the QB get it there and get it to only our guys!

4. STOP THE RUN!!!

I dont care what scheme we run I just don't want teams running all over us! If all else fails put the rushing numbers up from last years raiders games as a reminder that the run MUST be stopped!

5. Swat the ball DOWN!

I have played very little football in my life, but something tells me if a DB bats the ball to the ground than the receiver has a harder time catching it. tipping it up for a pick or tipping it to a team mate looks great when it works and gets you fired when it doesn't! DB's- if you don't have a clean look at the ball swat it to the ground or out of bounds!

6. Win the turnover battle EVERY Game!

This may seem to contradict my last point but it doesn't. I don't care if each game ends with us in +1 on the battle I am sick and tired of turning over the ball!

7. Control the flow.

Teams such as Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New England and even Green Bay may not win time of possession but they do control the ebb and flow of a game. up or down the thing they do is never lose their cool and abandon the plan! WE NEED TO DO THIS TOO!

8. BE COMPETITIVE!!!

I don't want to see one down face during the game. We need to look at every game as winnable and should play all four quarters. We should never be known and the LeBron James of the NFL! We need to be there in the fourth quarter AS WELL!

That's all my friends and now

GO BRONCOS!!!

Poll

If we effectively run the ball and stop other teams on defense do you STILL care who the QB is?

yes

56 votes

no

78 votes

134 votes | Poll has closed

A Preliminary Depth Chart With Holes!

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:27:27 -0000

After the Jump I will post my preliminary Depth Chart. There are some holes. I also cut some of the people on the roster. This is strictly my opinion and I know I will get beat up for a few of the cuts I made but Whatever I will defend them. I don't know what Free Agents I would put in simply because we do not know what the CBA will do to which Free Agents. Feel free to disagree with my chart but I would like to know who you would add or cut instead! So come on and follow me after the jump!

via a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net

As always GO Broncos!

A Roster Breakdown

Jon Tollerud — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 23:54:24 -0000

So I think some people are ready to call it in on our team. We need to sign 600 College Free Agents, and 400 Free Agents on our team now or we will pick #1 in the draft.

Based on earlier parameters set we should look at keeping about 80 players on the roster for training camp. After the Jump I will provide those on the roster and then you tell me who you cut to sign your FA and CFA's.

So I think some people are ready to call it in on our team. We need to sign 600 College Free Agents, and 400 Free Agents on our team now or we will pick #1 in the draft.

Quarterback-

Currently we have KyleOrton, Tim Tebow, and Brady Quinn. Who do you cut trade and who do you bring in or do we go to 2 QB's on the roster? I think all three are here to start the season.

Runningback-

Lance Ball, Correll Buckhalter, Jerimiah Johnson, Mike McLaughlin, Brandon Minor, Knowshon Moreno and LenDale White are the current guys on the roster. I see three serviceable and we have kept four on the roster before. I see Buck, Moreno and White being Kept through with one other Name thrown into the mix.

Fullback-

Spencer Larsen is the only one on the roster and it seems to be his spot to lose. who do you replace him with or what?

Wide Receiver-

Britt Davis, Eric Decker, Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Lloyd, Eron Riley, Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas and Matthew Willis are currently here and in all honesty I don't see us keeping more than five on the roster come game 1 so for my money we keep Lloyd, Gaff, Royal, Thomas, Decker.

Tight End-

Daniel Coats, Virgil Green, Dan Gronkowski, Richard Quinn, Julius Thomas are the guys on our roster. In my mind I think we keep three. My guys are the two rooks and Quinn. Quinn may be a suck wad when it comes to catching the ball but dude blocks with the best and Coach knows this.

OLine-

Clady, Clark, Franklin, Harris and Taylor line the tackle position. In all honesty I think We will offer Harris a decent contract and if he signs he starts! So in my mind we keep three of these guys Clady, Harris and Franklin.

Beadles, Byers, Daniels, Hochstein, Kuper, Murphy Olsen and Ramirez are the current Guard competition. I think Beadles and Kuper will stay. Olsen may be a project at back up but we will definitely be bringing in 2 or 3 guys to compete here, I think those three will stay.

Walton is the only center on the roster so I expect a free agent to come in and test Walton though I think Walton will start.

DLine-

Ayers, Beal, Dumervil, Hunter, Veikune are the 5 guys on the roster at End. I fully expect all of them to make the roster but some competition to be brought in.

Leonard, Unrein and Vickerson are the three guys on the active roster with McBean and Thomas listed as possible Free Agents. I think Vickerson stays, Thomas wont get the monsy he thinks he is worth in FA and come back and We will bring in some serious competition here. Garland is on the roster but currently with other duties.

Linebackers-

Irving Kelly Mays and Mohamed are the "Mike Backers" and it looks like a good plan to me. I think Kelley is gone and the other three stay with some competition at camp.

Douglas, Williams and Woodyard are listed as the "Will Backers" which means that some competition will be brought in to fill out the spot. Wood looks good in coverage and DJ is finally where he belongs.

Haggan, Miller and Robinson are the "Sam Backers." To me that seems like we need someone to back up Miller. Haggan is ok but I'd like more!

Cornerback-

Bailey, Cox, Goodman, Jackson, Jones, Thompson and Vaughn are the CB group. I think that Jackson is fodder and I will shoot myself if Nate Jones plays AT ALL! Period! I think we keep 5

Safety-

Bruton is listed as a FS while the rest are listed as just Safety. With Carter, Dawkins, Hill, McBath, McCarthy, Moore and Polk on the roster I think 5 safeties stay. I think Hill may be a casualty with Moore, Dawkins, Carter, Bruton and McBath stay in my opinion.

Kickers/ Punters

I think Prater and Colquit stay! Period!

There you have it. We need to keep in mind we will probably be close to the same limits. 80 at camp 65 in preseason 53 active 7 PS and 45 Gameday!

GO BRONCOS!

Mile High Report and The Fans

Jon Tollerud — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:53:45 -0000

Recently MHR was given access to interview COO Joe Ellis. As a fan blog that is a huge deal. Some people have wondered why and I am posting to give my thoughts.

The Broncos Organization has come to understand that MHR is the absolute voice of the fan. John allows EVERY opinion to be articulated as long as it is done well and thought out.

I remember what a big deal it was a few years ago when MHR received a press pass for training camp. At that time almost NO blogs or fan forums were given that type of access.

MHR has also had players come on MHR radio for interviews, transcripts of interviews given only to the "press" and other such access to the Broncos that five years ago would have been unheard of.

To me that speaks volumes of what this site has evolved into from where it came from. A few of us were here in the beginning when John Started this site looking for a way to express his opinions in the midst of the Cutler/ Plummer debate. Since then it has grown from an area to express opinions to one of the best sites on the web for not only Broncos access but Football knowledge.

Some of our former front page staff have started their own site which, while a great site, does not give the same outlet to the fan as MHR does. Those who are here know they have the right to intelligent debate and thoughtful posts.

Lately we have become an attacking bunch, which can be understood as the Organization sits at possibly its lowest point ever. I challenge us as a fan base to not get caught up in squabbling that would makes us your everyday raiders fan. Instead of name calling and insults (which I can be guilty of just as much as anyone else) we should look for facts and such which support our statements or opinions. Even if it is a gut feeling there has to be a train of logic behind it, so feel free to share. When you disagree use the same idea facts and logic usually help others to at least see your side even if you don't agree.

For those of you who know either myself or McGeorge and have seen some of our conversations, you will know he and I do not always agree. However, McGeorge has at times made me see his point of view without calling me names by simply stating either facts or logic behind his opinions.

I challenge all of us to keep this in mind as it is in fact the site rules. Here are a few ideas to get your fanposts and ideas through the masses.

In the end...

GO BRONCOS!

Orton? Tebow? The Broncos? Who Is your choice?

Jon Tollerud — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:15:02 -0000

The name of this post may sound incredibly silly to some of you but a lot of comments recently made not only on this site but other Bronco Sites have got me thinking about our fan-base. our great Mediator John Bena has always stuck by his mantra "I support the name on the front not the name in the back" and recently I was think how to figure out where my loyalties lie personally. I wanted to share how I figured this out with you in case you may be struggling with it too or don't even realize you are struggling with it...

The Question of Orton...

Today our coach has come out and said Orton is the starter. To me that speaks volumes about loyalty. The Broncos handed Orton a contract last year that enforced this feeling financially. They have now come out and said that it is basically his job to lose. That tells me they have seen Orton for what he is and are impressed to a point with him. Does this mean the competition is closed? No, but it shows that right now Kyle can focus on his game and what he needs to improve in and not his job security and if he will be with the team. Kyle is smart and understand that if another team presents a package to obtain him that the Broncos see as more beneficial than his services they will of course move him but for now at least Orton doesn't need to post for sale signs in his yard and can focus on being a better Quarterback. So The Question becomes "If the coaches feel that Orton is the better QB and Start him do you become made with the FO?" I think as a fan, especially now that John Elway is on twitter we tend to think we know more than we do and that can lead to our mistrust of coaches. I also personally think that if you say "YES" to the question than you didn't really love the TEAM that much to begin with, which brings us to

The Question of Tebow...

Tim has been one of the most polarizing figures in football for about three or four years now. From College to the NFL he has had his supporters and detractors. We don't have much NFL Film on tape for him but all film at every level points to one thing: Tim Tebow will do his best and play his hardest to win! PERIOD! I love having a guy like that on my team. That being said the question has to be asked "If a team approaches Denver with a Herschle Walker/ Ricky Williams type deal (all draft picks this year for Tim) and the Broncos take it, are you going to stop following the team?" I ask that question because I believe that a team should explore all options. Tim may end up being a once in a generation player like Montana or Elway or Manning, but we don't know. If a Team is willing to give up that much to invest in Tim as their Quarterback, I think the Broncos should at least explore the option. AGAIN, I am a team first guy. My mantra has always been , Team first-Cheerleaders second-Players third. Tim is a great asset to have but the chance to completely make over our team because one team wants a guy REAL BAD should never be dismissed easily.

After looking at these two questions myself I came to the realization that Tim/ Kyle/ Brady or McGeorge at the QB position will not change my feelings about my team. I can have opinions on who should play or coach but the end result is I CHOOSE The DENVER BRONCOS First and foremost!

Poll

Who is your pick

Kyle Orton

29 votes

Brady Quinn

2 votes

Tim Tebow

208 votes

McGeorge

26 votes

Denver Broncos

74 votes

339 votes | Poll has closed

The John Fox Effect: Rosters

Jon Tollerud — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:42:51 -0000

So I have been doing a little digging and thinking about John Fox and his coaching history. I have come up with a few roster numbers for the MHR Family. Keep in mind this is just based on his past and does not reflect talent levels in Denver OR even what he will do in Denver. However, as a student of history I know that history does frequently repeat it self, so without further ado...

Quarterbacks: Typically a John Fox team has carried two quarterbacks on the roster. A starter and a backup. The few times he has had 3 QB's on his roster were due to injury. With Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn all brining something to the table, this is a position to watch. My opinion is we cut down to two quarterbacks. The fair move would be to trade Orton to a team who can utilize his style of play.

Runningbacks: This is John Fox's bread and butter on offense. He typically carries 4HB and 1 Fullback for a total of 5. Sometimes he has mixed it up with a 3/2 and such but 5 is his standard number with two backs splitting the majority of the carries. Knowshon Moreno looks to be the only guy "safe"so begin the DeAngelo Williams Speculation NOW.

Wide Receiver: Coach plays 4 WR. He usually only signs a 5th or 6th when injuries happen. I count 4 with known talent and a few on the outside for us....

Tight Ends: This will surprise many but fox uses TE's like an outlet and not much else. It seems he values a fair and balanced TE over a specialist. He usually has 2 on his roster so once again, you can figure the cuts.

Offensive Line: Coach Fox shies away from the norm here as he loves 9 Offensive linemen. He tends to keep two backup Tackles and two interior players.

Defensive Line: I found it interesting that typically Coach tends to be heavier on the 4-3 DE than the DT position. He tends to stock his roster with two DT's and 5-6 DE's. Definately shows he cares about the D-Line and having the ability to mix things up.

Linebackers: Most people would go with 8-9 Linebackers but Coach tends to hover around 6-7 because of how he uses his defensive front. That said, he tends to favor guys who are agile outside and those who are solid inside.

Cornerbacks: This one was my toughest to gauge as Coach tends to have 5 CB's but only activate 4 week in and out. I would say he would gravitate towards 4 if he gets to choose and prefer the 5th to be a hybrid CB/S.

Safety: Quite possibly the most important defensive position on Fox's teams he sticks mostly with 5 Safeties.

Just thought you all would like this information. I will not speculate how we set our roster but you all are welcome to do so in the comments below. GO BRONCOS!

B.J. Raji and the power of an impact player

Jon Tollerud — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:45:20 -0000

So I was watching the Packers, Bears game and I was mostly watching the impact B.J. Raji was having in the game. I was surprised at the impact he had commanding not just double but triple teams on some plays! That is the type of player I want us to draft this year! Raji was a top 10 pick and ladies and gentlemen we have a top 10 pick!

Dear John Elway, Brian Xanders, John Fox & Pat Bowlen,

Please pick up a guy who has the impact ability that B.J Raji does!

Thank you,

A Bronco Fan in Alaska!

Dear John Elway, Brian Xanders, John Fox & Pat Bowlen,

Please pick up a guy who has the impact ability that B.J Raji does!

Thank you,

A Bronco Fan in Alaska!

Options for the General Manager and Head Coach of the Denver Broncos

Jon Tollerud — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 02:32:45 -0000

After a lot of time and thought on my part, my opinion is very simple. First off, you must know that I was not a fan of firing Josh McDaniels. That said, it has happened and it is time to move on. I have a few theories on things but I will save my "Conspiracy Theories" for a latter more evidence based post. For now, I want to give my opinion on the Front office and what I think SHOULD happen this off season. Follow me if you dare...

Owner: Pat Bowlen is one of the best owners in sports. It is acknowledged by his peers and those around him. Mr. Bowlen has a reputation for being a fiscally responsible as any owner. The last couple of years this hasn't been true. Mike Shannahan spent a lot of money on free agents, draft picks and coaches that became dead money. Mr. Bowlen decided to cut bait with him and bring in a more fiscally sound team to his front office. He accomplished that and will probably look to continue this. Going forward there are a few things he needs to make happen.

Chief Operating Officer: Currently Joe Ellis occupies this seat. I do not think Joe Ellis has the good of the Broncos at heart and will only do what benefits him more. Joe in my mind wants more power and will not be satisfied where he is. The first step to our off season should be to remove him from his position or relegate him back to the business side of things and keep him out of the football side. So what do I advocate for the C.O.O. position? I think it should be broken up. I think that Joe will be fine for a business side of things as for a football guy, I believe a postion should be created as a Executive of Football Operations. This position would be responsible to Mr. Bowlen in a co-lateral sense as a Executive of Business Operations. So, if we were to keep Joe Ellis I would advocate we move him to the EBO position and bring in John Elway as the EFO. These two would meet with Mr. Bowlen and discuss what goes on with the team. This would alleviate a lot of headaches for Mr. Bowlen as he would have two voices, not one telling him things.

General Manager: This position has been talked about since Mike Shannahan fired Ted Sundquist. We need a strong General Manager. Someone who will work co-laterally with the Head Coach under the EFO. The GM would have control of the Personnel Department to include scouting. Both college and por scouting departments as well as contract negotiations would fall under this job. So who do I want? I liked Ted Sundquist and wouldn't mind bringing him back but understand he may not want to do so. That leaves only one choice in my mind. Bill Callahan. Bill is currently working for the University of Nebraska. He is a football mind and knows what it means to build a winning program. He also knows what it meas to listen to his scouts and help build a quality team. you may not agree but I think Mr. Callahan would be a very good choice.

Head Coach: This one is where I may loose some of you. I want a coach who preaches that all three phases of the game are important. I want a coach who gets the most out of his players every week. I want someone who commands respect, gives respect and fires up his players. So who out there does that? Frank Beamer! Frank is the coach at Virginia Tech. where for years now the Hookies have been a complimentary football team. Frank knows how to recruit as well. Frank also knows what it means to listen to your position coaches and coordinators. He is someone who has direction and uses all opinions around him to make a plan of action.

Position Coaches/ Coordinators: These coaches are also essential to success. Wink is an excellent position coach but not ready to be a coordinator. I do not at this time a have a group of coaches I would want as position coaches but I think that Ben McDaniels should be retained if he wants to stay. I also think that our offensive line coach and Wayne Nunnley, and Eric Studsville should be retained in their position coach roles.

That is all I have, feel free to disagree, but if you do I really would like to see your options instead. Thanks and always

GO BRONCOS!

Poll

Does this option work for you

Yes

21 votes

No

75 votes

96 votes | Poll has closed

A Break for Passionate fans

Jon Tollerud — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 07:47:34 -0000

Weird title right? For those of you who know me and have read my posts and comments over the last almost four years, you will know I TRY my best to remain sarcastic and up beat. However recently with the state of our Denver Broncos I find myself angry at fans more than the team.

The team currently is not that good. For some of you that may be an understatement but there are facets of the game that occasionally pull through and surprise us. When we have won this year it has been decisive. When we lose we either give up or beat ourselves. In my mind at least there are only three games we were not in. Baltimore, Oakland and San Diego. So.....if we take those three games out we have three decisive wins and four middle of the road games we have played in to the end. Why do I bring this up? We have hope my friends. We are a team with some vets and a young core who are learning that it takes sixty minuets of effort drive heart and soul to win a game. This is something to build on. We will definitely need to evaluate our roster come the off season. We will have needs to be addressed at that time and as we have seen our front office will do what they can. I look at the last two years and see fans screaming for Nose Tackles or other positions. What we failed to accept sometimes is there were possibly few prospects worth looking at. We do know that our front office will get the guys they want (e. g. Tim Tebow) and will manipulate the draft to bring them here. Which brings me to us the fans.....

I am not accepting mediocrity in any respect, but damn guys (and gals) we beat up on our team more than we do the other teams. Hell the Panthers are worse than we are but their fans spend more time trash talking other teams than there own players. It's alright if you want to take a more real view of our team thats your call. You can call for your team to cut a player (cough cough Nate Jones) but to say things like "I give up on my team" and such s just straight BULL CRAP! Our team is suffering through something we have not seen in a while, total overhaul. When you look at the other teams around the league who have done what we have in the last two years they haven't had near the success we have had. Chiefs, Raiders, Rams, Panthers, etc. have had not just a horrible season but horrible seasons. We are a proud organization so when we have a losing season it hurts. 1999 6-10 we suffered some serious injuries to our team (Terrell Davis) and we called for change. We then jump right back into the mix when we revamp our roster and a few years after we a re rolling into a championship game vs. the referees....I mean Steelers and then we look to do it AGAIN. of course the total overhaul is masked by a decent record, but it isnt until our coach is fired and we see the mess that was here do we understand how deeply we needed to fix this team. I am not blaming Shannahan, I am say BUCK UP BRONCO FANS!

So....We don't need to be hating our fellow Bronco fans or even our team (I have seen a lot of this on MHR lately). We have lost many good contributors to this site due to many reasons but one of them said very simply it was due to MHR starting to become a DP Message Board Expansion. Lets debate, lets root for our team....

Have FAITH and as always.......

GO BRONCOS!

MHR University- Extra Credit Options

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:38:31 -0000

Welcome to MHR University, Our resident Professor Steve Nichols aka HoosierTeacher provides you with in-depth analysis of all the formations, running, passing and defense you could ever desire. I bring to you the extra credit options that will put you over the top. Exrta Credit Options were unavailable last year due to the new Coach. The Extra Credit Options look at our team position by position and look at how we move forward with what we have, as well as what will be out there come the draft. After one year under my belt of watching our current coach, I believe that I can safely evaluate college players and tell you how they fit our system. So Before I begin this series (Somewhere around January) I would like to know which position you may want to hear about first. Hit me up in the comment section as well as the poll!

MHR University

Poll

Which Extra Credit Option would you like First?

Quarterbacks

4 votes

Running Backs

1 votes

Wide Receivers

1 votes

Tight Ends

0 votes

Offensive Line

6 votes

Defensive End

2 votes

Nose Tackle

12 votes

Outside Linebacker

0 votes

Inside Linebacker

7 votes

Cornerback

0 votes

Safety

2 votes

Kicker/Punter

1 votes

36 votes | Poll has closed

Jay Cutler, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Marshall, Alphonso Smith and FOOTBALL

Jon Tollerud — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 07:49:59 -0000

Before you glance over my post, this is not about how I want all these guys back and what mistakes we have made. This is about football. Like it or love it there are many parts of professional football. I am not going to sit here and say we would be better with these guys on our team, nor am I going to say we would be worse.

The NFL is a funny business. Contracts and the "business" side of football aside, Players are drafted because of a skill set that is desired by a coach. a "Scrambling QB", "Deep Threat WR", "Ballhawking CB", "Run Stuffing NT" and all those other names we tend to look for. Here is the thing. Some game plans, teams and coaches don't run systems similar to the ones in college that these players played in or against. Alphonso Smith is a "Ballhawking CB" and if you looked at his Defense in wake forest, achieved that status with a pass rush that was good and good safety coverage which allowed him to gamble. Denver did not play that way and he was exposed as "New" to the NFL. one year of film under his belt and a defensive strategy that plays to his strengths and BAM kid looks good again. Peyton Hillis is a "West Coast" Offensive Player. Denver not a west coast offensive team. Jay Cutler was a "Run and Gun QB", Denver is clearly not a run and gun team.

The only thing I wanted to say was that sometimes players have the skills desired but their skills are not 100% in every situation.

Why didn't we make a play for Trevor Pryce? or did we? the dude is playing for a little more than...

Jon Tollerud — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 07:44:00 -0000

Why didn't we make a play for Trevor Pryce? or did we? the dude is playing for a little more than vet minimum so Coach I gotta ask...

WHAT THE *%$#!?!

Who doesn't want to have this guy as a QB?

Jon Tollerud — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:33:32 -0000

Who doesn't want to have this guy as a QB?

Broncos will be one of the teams to set the precedent!

Jon Tollerud — Sun, 23 May 2010 02:35:04 -0000

Our beloved Denver Broncos may be one of the teams that set the precedent for the rookie wage scale. Pat Bowlen is one of the major players when it comes to the owners side of things in the NFL. We could very well see our team set part of the scale for the NFL league wide!

Tim Tebow- Will probably be signed to a contract similar to Joe Flacco and not Matthew Stafford.

Demaryius Thomas- Has the ability to hold our team hostage but at the same time he can set a 1st round precedent in WR.

Syd'Quan Thompson signed a contract very in line with what I think he should be paid based on draft position. I think that Denver has done a good job making him happy and we should see all our picks line up and roll through the door!

Just Because they're gone...

Jon Tollerud — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:10:01 -0000

Ok I am starting to get a little upset with a few posts here and there. Here are the things that boil my blood a bit...

Just because Peyton Hillis was traded doesn't mean he had an attitude problem. He was a guy who didn't fit the system, and is now being given an opportunity in a system he will do well in.

Just because we traded Brandon Marshall doesn't mean he no longer has a skill catching the ball. The kid still has talent and will still be a good receiver in this league. I like Chad Henne so I am glad he gets a target to hit that will help him!

Just because Tony Scheffler was traded doesn't mean he is going to be the next Todd Heap! tony can be a great threat but has a tendency to disappear at times and has a lot to work on when it comes to running routes. Don't mistake potential for production!

Ok I just had to get a few things off my chest!

GO BRONCOS

Food for thought

Jon Tollerud — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:03:27 -0000

There have been some great posts coming up here on MHR which is why I love this place! To be very blunt and straight forward some of it got me thinking! Who fits in our system and who doesn't? Guys like Eddie Royal have been talked about as trade bait. Champ with Age people think DJ doesn't fit the system. Shipping out Doom because he cant guard against the run. I don't agree with every thing posted but it definitely gets me thinking and watching tape. Here are some thoughts!

Eddie Royal does not fit this system?

I am not so sure about that! Eddie was put in a position to succeed his first year as most people focused on Brandon Marshall. Eddie's weaknesses we masked by his ability to be under rated! After one year of film most coaches said "This kid can not handle the press coverage" and bumped him at the line! It takes a while to get used to people bugging you off the snap! Eddie has had a year to learn routes and probably some great coaching on how to beat the press! I think we should have a wait and see approach to Eddie.

Champ Bailey is a risk because of Age?

Welcome to the Denver Broncos Defense my friend. We have signed a veteran squad to help teach our younger players. With the assumption that 8 of our starters on defense will be 30+ at the start of the season most people assume old and decrepit! I have to say I think that while speed is something brains are by far more valued! I would rather have a guy who is in the right position at the right time than a guy who can GET to the place after the fact. I think this is the time to really see what a SMART football team can do!

D.J. Williams does not fit our system on defense?

DJ is a typical Miami Athlete. He plays kind of like I play sports, based on physical ability. In January I rolled my ankle and have had to since learn how to play Basketball, Football, Volleyball etc. from a smart presence rather than a athletic one! It's hard to do and I still struggle at times. However I realized how much I relied on my ability to "get there" rather than the ability to "be there" that is something that may be slowing down DJ too!

Knowshon Moreno is a Bust?

I cant say that. He led rookies in rushing from behind a useless line! Sure he didn't have the home runs speed or game breaking ability his first year, but as the game "slows down" for him I can see KM becoming a BIG threat in the way you would see Derrick Ward! So we get a guy like Toby Gerhart in the draft who can be our Bulldozer and run the two at tandem! I wouldn't mind in the least on that one!

Alphonso Smith is a Bust?

I don't agree here either. While like McGeorge I don't like the fact that we traded a first for him I don't think he is a bust based on one year of play. Yes he was replaced by a CFA Practice squad guy and we brought in someone who was 100 years old to play the position too but that doesn't mean he was a bust. The average rookie struggles his first year. Some of them go one to be great players. The draft is a gamble. Sometimes a highly touted prospect drops (Brady Quinn) and a team JUMPS at the chance to have them only to see them fizzle. Sometimes a guy plays to his draft position (Peyton Manning). This is why evaluation is so important. I think that given time we may see what coach sees in Phonzy!

That's all I got folks thanks for reading and comments!

GO BRONCOS!!!

Poll

Take your pick of QB (Elway is not an option because of the unanimous vote)

Kyle Orton

76 votes

Jake Plummer

121 votes

Jay Cutler

37 votes

234 votes | Poll has closed

Thoughts on this years draft...

Jon Tollerud — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:13:33 -0000

So in doing my usual research on players I have made some interesting thoughts about certain players and positions when it comes to our Broncos. Just figured I would share them as discussion points. For now lets just go with me here. Denver has traded our #11 pick k for the #20 pick and next years 5th round pick. ( i am not saying this will happen but hey who knows!) Below the Jump is a list of players based on position. I will answer all my questions and leave you to answer them for yourself!

1. at #20 you want a WR and you are looking Dez Bryant and Golden Tate in the face, Who do you draft?

I draft Tate based on the fact that the man works hard never gives up and plays at the same level as Bryant. Bryant may have a size advatange but we have kept Brandon Marshall and I could see having him Royal and Tate around for a long time. In my opinion Tate is the better pick.

2. at #20 you are swtaring down Pouncey and Iupatui. Who do you grab?

I would draft Lupatui. Theres something to be said about having a top notch line and working from the outside in you are left with what i would consider one weak link at OC. This coudl be a problem except I think we could get a decent center in later rounds as well. The drop off from Iupatui is bigger than the drop off from Pouncey imo.

3. C.J. Spiller and Jahvid Best are staring you down at #20 who would you draft?

I would go Spiller because he is a good runner from behind a semi weak line! Moreno is great between the tackles but lacks a little lateral speed! Spiller would be a great addition to the backfield for years.

4. If Jared Odrick, Sergio Kindle or Jason Pierre-Paul is there @ #20 do you snag them?

There are so many unexpected thing that happen in the draft that I was wondering what the effect of them dropping would have on our Broncos! I would love to grab one of these guys and at 20 it would be insanely awesome to have one of them there. Personally I would grab Odrick but I wouldnt sniff at the other two either!

5. Bruce Campbell and Anthony Davis are there at 20 who is your pick?

This isnt a knock on Ryan Harris at all but the thought of having one of these guys @ 20 makes me kind of drool. Plus moving them inside wouldnt be a bad idea either any how I would take Campbell as he is a little more agile and more solid a run blocker!

Thats all I have just some food for thought Ladies and Gents!

GO BRONCOS!!!

Are we Bronco Fans?

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:24:27 -0000

First of I would like to start by saying I love this site, I enjoy the comments the opinions and the back and forth we all bring to the table. I have been very busy of late and injured which has kept me from being able to write or post anything as of late but I want to take a step back. We have differing opinions throughout this site on What to do With Brandon Marshall, Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton, Peyton Hillis and many others on the Broncos roster and I respect that. Some things I have noticed recently are that we seem to be shying away from the thing that makes this site great...WE ARE ALL BRONCOS FANS! I have seen our ranks bolstered and replenished time and time again. It is evident we are passionate people but it seems when we have a difference of opinion we treat the opposite opinion as if it were a Chiefs/Raiders/Chargers fan! We are all Bronco Fans here and we do little to help ourselves by belittling our own compatriots.

I am not a staff member and would never expect such an honor but I have been here for almost four years now and one thing I can say is that it doesn't matter what John's (Guru's) opinion is he stats it and then lets us decide for ourselves what ours is. The staff here provide facts as well as their own personal analysis. Jeremy (styg) and I don't necessarily agree on our scouting reports of players, but we both present the facts as well as our opinions and we can remain civil within our discussion.

I am sorry to go for so long on this but we are a family here and whether or not you see the team half ready or half failing you bleed blue and orange and so does the other opinion. There is no right or wrong opinion here and thats what not only makes our membership but our staff so great, the ability to think for ourselves.

Thank you guys for the plethora of information and opinions!

GO BRONCOS!

Thank you guys for the plethora of information and opinions!

GO BRONCOS!

While they are still fresh in my mind...

Jon Tollerud — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:35:53 -0000

There is a lot to say about our Beloved Broncos this season. 8-8 was not in my head i was a 9-7 guy two historically bad games under coach McDaniels lead to this. I don't play the blame game and everyone who receives a pay check from Mr. Bowlen shares a bit of the responsibility. Football is a team effort and no one can slack on their team mates EVER! Some things I would like to point out are as follows!

When a head coach is fired there is always a bit of a learning curve to catch up with the new coach. (New York Jets)

When you change Offensive style, there is a drag period. (Arizona Cardinals)

When you change Defensive Schemes there is a transition period. (New York Giants)

When you have a new Quarterback there is a change in leadership. (Chicago Bears)

When you replace 9 Defensive Starters there is a lag in game. (Detroit Lions)

When you replace your Offensive backfield ENTIRELY tehre is a sort of learning curve. (Washington Redskins)

That's quite a bit of change if you ask me, to go through one of those things is tough to do. Now lets imagine how hard it would be to do all of the above in one season....wait for it....wait for it....oh wait the DENVER BRONCOS did exactly all of the above and with the exception of Arizona and New York Green they fared better! So lets think for a second. Where were your expectations pre-season? Mine were 9-7 we ended 8-8 so I wasn't too disappointed. A break down shows how I came to my conclusion:

@Cincinatti- W

Cleveland-W

@ Oakland-W

Dallas-W

New England- L

@ San Diego- L

@ Baltimore- L

Pittsburgh- L

@ Washington- W

San Diego- W

NY Giants- L

@ Kansas City- W

@ Indianapolis- L

Oakland- W

@ Philadelphia- L

Kansas City- W

That was how my Prediction played out. We then started 6-0 and I elevated my self by two wins because we had won two i thought we should lose but I knew that we had a few in us still that we were bound to lose. We then lost two i expected to lose and the Washington game was due to QB play which was expected after Orton got injured. I traded that for the New England win and then when we lost to San Diego I felt we were right about what I expected. When we won the Giants game I started to look at the play a bit, I noticed sloppiness all around. From Brian Dawkins to Ryan Clady, I saw us get sloppy and wondered why. Why was Denver playing sloppy? We then hung 40 on Kansas City and I felt it was fixed. We held in there with Indianapolis longer than I expected and I had my self with a game in hand (NYG). I thought 10-6 was achievable. Then I saw the sloppiness return in the Oakland game. It was a shame and in my book unacceptable. It was at this time I decided that our team was not ready for post season football and we had some gaping, GAPING holes to fill. Our lines looked bad and our defensive backfield and running backs often looked out of place. It continued into the Philadelphia game and i figured we could still shake off the rust and knock off Kansas City one last time. I was flattened by the loss but after a while realized that Denver had done so much this last off season and had so much change to effect that in fact my expectations were slightly higher than they should have been.

On the overall we have a lot of holes to fill more than we as fans would like. We need a few more years to be 100% competitive and we have to admit that to ourselves!

I hope you guys will remember that coming in to this reloading season and I also hope you will keep it in mind coming into next season when you predict our record.

16-0 til we are not GO BRONCOS!

Poll

Were your expectations "Higher" than they probably should have been?

Yes

43 votes

No

39 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

Brandon Marshall worth the $....

Jon Tollerud — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:18:44 -0000

I had the pleasure on Sunday watching the game with FirstFan up here in Alaska and one question I posed to him and figured I would pose to the community at large is are we feeding Brandon Marshall to keep Marshall?

First fan noted like many the lack of production from Eddie Royal, while I pointed out that it is a difficult system to learn he countered with Marshall doing alright. My theory is that Marshall has had the game plan adjusted for him to help keep him in Denver at the end of the season. If he can get his type of production out of this system he may want to stay. Eddie has a few more years and we can take the time to teach him the system but we as a team can not afford a one and done with Marshall! Anyway its a theory I put before you to discuss:

Are we adjusting the system for Brandon Marshall to keep him here?

Poll

Did we adjust?

Yes

16 votes

No

13 votes

Interesting theory but probably not

33 votes

There is a measure of truth here!

19 votes

81 votes | Poll has closed

All I want for Christmas is a #2 Receiver and......

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:32:41 -0000

So I usually don't do a lot of post game thoughts or anything like that because i like to look at an entire body of work before I give my opinion, I like to be a little educated. However I have a few thing I woudl like to get off my chest and would love some feedback. here it goes:

One thing I have noticed is a lot of people are calling for McDaniels' head or Orton's head or anyone else they can blame. I don't get into the individual blame game but my observations are this...

Kyle Orton and his receivers are not on the same page... YET!

Orton has Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham and a boat load of otehr options to dump the football too. However it seems to me that the only receiver that he really trusts is Jabbar Gaffney and Brandon Stokely. I am sure that a lot of you would put Brandon Marshall here but I don't think so yet! Brandon is coming along though. this problem can only be cured with time. Jay Cutler took a while to click with his big play receivers here, so did Jake Plummer. Time is all this needs.

Our Offensive Line play is horrible... BUT

the unit has a band-aid on it right now. Ben Hamilton was not in the shape he was last year and we had to fix it fast. Ryan Clady was not able to rely on his LG as much because he hadn't really worked with him a lot. Neither had Casey Weigmann and that made this side of the line weak. Add Ryan Harris' toe injury and having to replace him and we are in a mess of trouble. Depth can be good but Line play is about relying on the guy next to you to hold his man. When you don't sometimes you give up the big play trying to save the big play. Give the group time to meld and maybe practicewith the back up this offseason for a better showing.

The Defense has been exposed...MAYBE

New Orleans was undefeated and all of a sudden they were "Exposed." Guys tend to break down towards the end, this is a game of endurance not sprints. When any part of your team has a bad day you tend to have a poor performance from the whole team. The easy way to fix this is to have the back ups ready to go and a solid string of depth, which was hard to do this year.

now for my wish list to help address these issues:

a true #2 Receiver: Eddie is great but he needs to be a slot guy who can kill you inside with his short game. What we need is a guy who can sit on the outside and just beat you all day. another 6-2; 6-3; 6-4 guy who is as much a threat as Marshall and Royal. a true #2 is what woudl really help our passing game along with the rythmn that Orton and Co. can have. Vincent Jackson may be available (doubtful) and that's the type of guy I mean.

The Offensive line needs a solid LG. I don't know if we have him in Olson or not but I think OL depth is a big big big need. the same can be said for DL except here I am worried about our DE more than NT. I think this could be a position addressed in the draft fairly high and often!

That's all I got ladies and gents, I do think we end 9-7 or 10-6 (philly is the ? game) I have been saying 9-7 would be a good bench mark for this team to reach and i think it holds true!

GO BRONCOS!

The NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement: A New Plan of Action

Jon Tollerud — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:26:14 -0000

The NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement: A New Plan of Action

It's time for a solution to the problem. There are a lot of things going into this but here is my take. I know that it will not be popular and it may incite riots but this is how it needs to be done for both sides to be responsible. Some will say there are many sides but for my arguments sake there are really only two, the NFL (owners included) and the NFLPA. Here are the issues and the resolutions...

The NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement: A New Plan of Action

Profit Margin:

We will have to use made up numbers because the NFL is a very lucrative business and I don't want to trouble myself with how much money they do make. I am a 60/40 guy myself. I have reasons behind it which I will explain but I think that The NFL should keep 60% of the money and the players get 40%. Here is why. The NFL and Ownership should pay into a Player Retirement/ Injury Fund to help players who retire after a certain amount of time (min 5 years) or have career ending injuries. They also need to cover the costs of insurance and stadium up keep as well as management salaries, Staff & Trainer Salaries and other costs. In the end the 60% would be broken up as such:

20%- Retirement/ Injury fund

20%- Stadium Up- Keep/ Team insurance

20%- Team Staff Salaries/ Other Team Expenses

20% - NFL Office Dues by team

20%- Profit

To me that seems like a very easy way to break it down. Anything not spent will go in the bank to help in the areas it was designated ONLY. For example, if a team's income is $100 million for the season (I know that's small) after salaries and they only spend $8 million on staff salaries, then they can not take the 12 they saved and put it somewhere else, they bank it for salaries in the future. Simple and effective.

Salary Cap:

Based on the above model (60/40) the salary cap would be based on 40% of the total NFL Inc0me of the previous year. So In theory the NFL made $3.20 Billion this year, each team would get $100 Million and could only spend $40 Million on salaries. Again the numbers are fake, so don't use them for anything other than the model. After looking at the Way the NFL/Owners have to spend their money this seems fairly reasonable to the players in fact the player end up with a pretty big chunk of change there.

Rookie Contracts:

Big debate here, with Matthew Stafford making $40 Million without throwing a pass this was brought up and here is my solution. Pay Scale based on Round and Position. This frees up teams to spend money on veterans that will help teach the young players and make teams more competitive. One of the reasons Oakland has sucked so bad the last few years is JaMarcus Russell owns 9% of the $130 Million Salary Cap. Here is my scale:

QB: No more than $12 Million guaranteed on a 5 year contract

RB/LB: No more than $8 Million guaranteed on a 5 year contract

WR/DB: No more than $10 Million guaranteed on a 5 year contract

OL/ DL: No more than $6 Million guaranteed on a 5 year contract

The numbers above are for round 1 and 2. For rounds 3 & 4 cut it in half and 5-7 cut it in a quarter. This will help free up the money for vets. Also there should be a standard contract length for example round 1 & 2 5-7 years 3 & 4 do 3-5 years and rounds 5-7 max at a 3 year contract!

Roster Size:

Currently the roster limit is 53 on the active roster and 45 on the game day roster. While I will not advocate changing the game day roster, 53 is a small amount of players to have on your roster. I would advocate a 60 man roster with 10 more practice squad guys. I am sure with the 40% that players get and the rookie cap this is absolutely do able.

Free Agency:

I think this system should be simplified a little bit. You should be a Restricted until your fifth year in the league. This falls in line with the retirement eligibility program. Having to wait until your fifth year in the league assures that teams can spend their cap money a bit more evenly and pay those who are worth their money, this will ensure veterans get a fair shake in Free Agency

Player Salaries:

Fairly simple system, rookie minimum should be 1/3 of a veteran minimum. So if the vet minimum is $1 million than the rookie minimum is $300,000. That's all I have here

Retirement Fund:

The retirement fund is a simple idea of mine. I believe the NFLPA should require their players to put 20% of their salary into a retirement plan. Then I think the NFL should put 20% of the company profits into a "Player's Retirement Fund." Simply put, the players and the NFL contribute kind of like an IRA but not really because the amounts are not matching. However, Players still have the ability to draw from this fund based on years of service in the league. Position and everything else don't matter it is just based on years in the league. They don't qualify until their fifth year in but there is an injury fund set aside in the same fashion for those whos career is ended before the 5 year minimum.

Anyway, those are my CBA ideas and would love your input! Thanks MHR and

GO BRONCOS!