Champ Baily is selling his house.  So what, people put their houses up for sale all the time.  But, how many 10-time NFL Pro-Bowlers book a ticket to Canton without a Super Bowl ring?  Make no mistake, as good as Champ is, he will never be in a conversation for the greatest DB of all time without a Super Bowl ring.  I think Champ Bailey really enjoys living in Denver but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the Broncos are a long way away from being a serious Super Bowl contender.   And, if you're Champ Bailey, that is a big part of the equation for the team with which he eventually signs.

If Champ thought there was the smallest glimmer of hope the Broncos could make the post-season and contend he would be back in the oracle and blue.  But the Broncos organization is psychologically battered and is considered among all those outside the Denver region as a major rebuilding project.  And, no disrespect to Elway, how could anyone in the Broncos front office tell Champ anything different.  To do so would be to lie to arguably the best player on the team.

I think Champ Bailey deserves a shot at winning a Super Bowl.  I think it's a very long shot he returns to Denver next year given the current state of the franchise.  But, if the Broncos front office wants to convince him he's got a shot with the precious few years he has left as a players here's what they should do:

1) Acquire a physical demon DT or DE.  Without being able to generate a base pass rush Champ's talents are being wasted.  Even the best NFL CBs can't cover every play for 10 seconds... let along the other receivers and TEs on the field.  The McDaniel's regime valued character guys over talent and the Shanahan regime always valued hard-workers.  Both attributes are commendable but, outside of Elvis Dumervil, the Broncos have regularly drafted busts in that position over the past decade.  Notice I didn't say they had to use a 1st  round draft pick here.  I don't see any of the first round DT/DE's having the same impact as Ndamukong Suh did this past year.  Nevertheless the Broncos need to show Champ how a push up the middle will highlight his game and help the Broncos push for the playoffs.

2) Draft a play-maker at LB.  The past few years have been loaded with both draft and solid FA players.  Yet, the Broncos have seemed content to see if DJ Williams can become the player we all hoped he could.  Yet, hope as we may, DJ has failed to do anything more than register tackles 4 yards downfield.  His statistics as a playmaker (forcing fumbles, collecting fumbles, grabbing interceptions, and sometimes sacks) is anemic compared to top players at his position.  The crop of top free agent LBs is dwindling especially now that the Steelers have franchised Lamarr Woodley. Convincing Champ there is someone there capable of filling in the leadership void at this position is the key.  The Broncos need a smart/emotional/inspirational playmaker at LB.  The situation with the CBA will make it more difficult, but the Broncos could certainly look to trade back a ways in the first round to grab their man and a few other picks.

3) Name Tebow the starting QB now.  Hey, it can't hurt!  This cloud weighs heavily on Bronco nation and the uncertainty has to be unsettling to the Broncos lockeroom as well... no matter what the Broncos say.  At least this way you're putting your best foot forward.

4) Commit to running the football.  I buy into the saying, "Defense wins championships".  But, it's rare a defense gets to a championship game without its offense being able to grind out a few critical first downs to win a game somewhere along the way.  As head coach John Fox will be a welcome addition here.  The version of thunder and lightning he used in Carolina was very effective.  It would have looked very good with the Broncos if Peyton Hillis were still in town to team up with Knowshon Moreno.  It still starts up front though and the Broncos interior line has holes larger than the ones in the ozone layer.  So, bring back Lendale White or get a big back in the draft.  The point is to convince Champ he'll get to drink Gatorade late in the 4th quarter when the Broncos new right guard will be pancaking tired opponents into creamed corn.

Cheers to Champ!  One thing's for sure... he'll never look better than he has in blue and orange!

It seems fitting that the 100th meeting between these two teams was meant to be historic.  But, giving up 59 points to Al Davis and the Raiders in Denver was never the way it was supposed to be.  The Broncos looked flat against a Raiders team starting its backup quarterback.  Should we brush it off or is this simply inexcusable?  What do you think Bronco nation?   I've shared my thoughts in FanPost "Sack McDaniels!"

Dear sweet Mary!

I'll admit I've been fairly skeptical of Josh McDaniel's since his arrival in Denver.  And, as a fan, I don't appreciate Pat Bowlen's decision to hire Josh for on-the-job-training.  Josh was given a free pass by Bowlen for his poor handling of the Cutler situation to help Josh establish himself as the autocratic ruler in Broncoland.  In this role Josh has had the lion's share of the say in what happens both on and off the field. Here are some fun facts we need to consider:

• The Broncos are 4-13 in their last 17 games
  
• 1-4 against division opponents in that span and were outscored 104 to 168
• Raiders now own their record franchise total in points again the Broncos
• The Broncos are dead last in the NFL in rushing yards

I'm a lifer.... blue and orange since the time I could suck my thumb and mumble "Go Boncos"!  I'll be the first to admit I've never appreciated enough how good it was watching the Elway led teams of the late 90's.  Yes, amid the great highs there have been great lows.  But, this represents a new low!  I saw no fire from the Broncos players and no sense of what the history of this game was all about.  Even when the Broncos of years past didn't have the best teams there was one thing you could count on.  The Broncos would highlight and circle the game when the Raiders came to Mile Hi Stadium!  As a lifer', I get psyched up to see the Broncos against the Raiders and home games against them always mean a little more to me.  Sadly, it appears that in wiping away all the remnants of Shanahan, Pat Bowlen forget to mention to Josh McDaniels the fastest way out of the Mile Hi city is to lose big to the Raiders at home.

Forget that the Broncos/Raiders used to be one of the greatest rivalries in the game.  Do think about how since the start of the 2005 season the Raiders have a win/loss record of 23-64 (.359 and only .297 if you take out 4 wins that came against Denver).  So watching the Broncos being bullied at home by a team without any true Super Bowl aspirations and a 2nd string quarterback in Campbell is absolutely unacceptable.

59 points!?  Sure the Raiders are getting better but, as obvious as it appears the Broncos are in a 'rebuilding' phase, someone reveal a Josh McDaniel's 'rebuilding' quote because I haven't seen it! The locker room situation has improved but at the expense of talent.  The team is less talented than when Shanahan left.  And if it did have the talent, then shouldn't good coaching be able to get the best from players?  In my book that would translate to wins.  In either case, McDaniels is to blame.

According to the NFL Network only 3 teams in history have ever made the playoffs after starting 2-5.  So put a fork in McDaniels and get someone in here that can beat the Raiders.   Maybe I've just seen too many political adds this campaign season but haven't you had enough?  As a fan, I'm officially calling for Pat Bowlen to fire Josh McDaniels!

I don't know about the rest of Bronco nation but I'm happy about the clean breath of fresh air that's blown through the Dove Valley front office.  It was time for a much needed house cleaning and philosophical change.

So what about the players.  I hope it's safe to finally say we won't allow guys like Mike Leach, Chad Mustard, and Nate Jackson to hold down valuable roster spots anymore. 

So who was the biggest Bronco disappointment for you this season? What player and who is the right NFL free agent or college draft prospect to take his place?

Hello out there my blue and orange brothers and sisters!

With one week left to go in the 2008 regular season I was clinging to blind faith there was hope and, "that's why they play the games."    But orange and blue lightning failed to strike down Rivers and the Chargers!!!  The blundering Bolts somehow managed to salvage their miserable season. 

I hate that sickening feeling at the bottom of my stomach, I'd be lying if the beatings San Diego put on the Broncos doesn’t make me think of every lopsided game in which the Broncos has ever appeared (I'm thinking Broncos/49ths Super Bowl and Peyton Manning playoffs scary).  

There’ll be plenty of dissecting what went wrong in the coming weeks.  So let’s start by discussing how the Broncos make the Super Bowl next year?

OFFENSE:

I, like most others, have seen the Denver offense is in very gifted hands.   It's young and has considerable talent.  At the beginning of the season it seemed like Jay Cutler and the offensive gunslingers were capable of taking the wild AFC West by simply outscore opponents. That's exactly what they set of to do each week.  And, with the emergence of a star in Ryan Clady and dependable wide out in Eddy Royal it looked like with a 4-0 start they would be able to do just that.  But even as the defense struggled mid-season the offense also began to falter. At first it was simple mis-queues like false starts and illegal procedures that cost Denver points in the red zone.  Then there were drop passes and the laughable injury situation at tailback.  Without the threat of a legitimate run game defenses said, "make Jay Cutler beat us!"  He did it a few times but this isn't all on Jay Cutler to produce Ws. 

So what does the offense need?  I don't think too much.  But first things first…

Running Back

A tailback is a must.  Now, let me start by saying I think Bobby Turner is as good a running back's coach as you're going to find in the NFL.  The job he's done this year to take guys off the street and get them ready for games is extraordinary.   But man.... the Broncos need a stud tailback!!!!  The team has managed to rush okay in the past several seasons but I think the tread life has finally worn out. 

I liked how Peyton Hillis was toting the rock there for a couple weeks too.  But don't you wish DeAngelo Williams was in a Broncos jersey racking up 4 touchdowns, and a buck-oh-eight against the Chargers this week like he did in the Giants game last week?  No slouch defense there.  When was the last time you remember a Broncos running back helping dismantle a quality opponent?  For me it was December 7th, 2003.  Clinton Portis racked up 218 yards and 5 TDs against an 11-1 Chiefs team. 1..2..3..4..5!  Remember how sweet that win was?  I replayed it on Tivo for a month!  That sizzles!

via www.dcsportspulse.com

But ever since CP took the P-funk show and heavy weight championship belt (held up prominently by CP in the 2003 home game against K.C.) to D.C. the talent level at that position has continued to drop.

The 2009 draft is looking a bit soft for RBs and the thought of drafting another RB with over 10 on the roster doesn’t make me feel very good.  But to improve the position I’m willing to take a healthy back in the late rounds.  But with some salary cap room to spare next year the team should go after a top flight FA RB.  The Broncos should go after unrestricted FA Derrick Ward and Darren Sproles.  Here’s why.  

via photos.signonsandiego.com

via cache.daylife.com

Ward is the quick one-cut runner that fits the Broncos system perfectly.  He’s in the prime of his career and looks fully recovered from the broken leg he suffered last season.  With that said he doesn’t have the credentials to break the piggy bank.  And, unlike Travis Henry he’s a good locker room presence who knows what winning a championship is all about.   The NY Giants don’t want to pay for 2 big contracts and Brandon Jacobs will cost enough the Giants will say goodbye to Ward since Ahmad Bradshaw is waiting in the wings.  Darren Sproles excels as a RB and a return specialist.  He is the type of speed back Shanahan has been seeking for years.  He’s speedy, changes the pace of the game, and demands attention in the play action pass game.  Sproles could be lured away by a big contract and chance to start. Making a solid offer to Sproles hurts the Chargers in the pocket book and would force the Chargers to find a fill in when LT needs a breather.

Offensive Line

The Broncos offensive line saw a vast improvement this past season.  It will be a joy to avoid guessing the starting tackles next season as the Ryan boys will anchor either side of the line.  The interior line could still stand to make some improvement.  I think Casey Wiegmann was the best FA pickup in 2008.  This is especially important since I don’t see Nalen returning next year.  I think the Broncos will be solid here though with Kory Lichtensteiger providing depth.  The biggest OL need for the Broncos in 2009 will be at guard.  The Broncos must address this need and I think best bets are a mid/late round pick in the 2009 draft.

Receivers/TEs

The Broncos also look to have a solid receiving core next year.  With that said the Broncos rarely go without drafting a WR in the late rounds for depth and insurance and I think we’ll see the same thing again this year.  TE, however, is a position where I think the Broncos should try to upgrade again the draft.  Tony Scheffler didn’t look as productive to me this season and remains an injury concern.  And, is it just me, or does anyone else out there think Nate Jackson is Mike Shanahan’s long lost son.  How the Broncos haven’t found a 2nd/3rd team player with more talent on special teams is a major disappointment for me each year.  I’m not sure this is the year for drafting TEs but the Broncos should be thinking about how to upgrade the position and a late round pick is probably the best place to do it.

Quarterback

Jay Cutler is the obvious future but the Broncos DO need a backup that can win a game if he’s out.  Hackney is a good guy… but the ‘no fun league’ demands you have a player that can pass the football.  I like Jeff Garcia.  He’s out of favor with Tampa Bay head coach John Gruden and won’t be back there next year.  He also knows he’s out of chances to start in the NFL but I don’t think he’s ready to hang up the cleats just yet.  The guy’s a gamer and wants to win.  In a pinch the Broncos could have confidence in him to get the job done.

With that said, with another year to play with the same core group of players the Broncos offense will be scary next season. 

This is how the Broncos offense will win the SuperBowl.  I’ll look to share my thought about the defense very soon.