SB Nation User Blog: grind_core

Click me for haha's

grind_core — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:54:47 -0000

If #6 has an awesome game, man, HE IS A FOOTBALL GOD. AND HE MAKES HIS WR'S EVEN MORE AWESOME AND ALMOST AS GODLY, EXCEPT NOT QUITE AS MUCH BECAUSE THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE FOOTBALL GOD AND THAT IS QB #6.

If #6 has a crappy game, HE IS STILL A FOOTBALL GOD, BUT MAN, HIS WR'S SUCK, WHERE THE HELL DID WE GET THESE GUYS?

-Bears Nation

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Phew. That was a lot of ha ha-ing..

Team Captains

grind_core — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:51:31 -0000

I've been wondering this as of late, but who are they right now? I'm pretty sure Graham and Champ are, but does anyone know with any certainty whom they are for this season? I have been trying to keep my Madden rosters as accurate as possible, even down to the little details like the "C" on the jerseys. I know it's probably silly, but I've been doing it since I've been playing video games. Thanks in advance!

Mile High Madness in Madden 10. Denver 38, Chicago 17.

grind_core — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:13:41 -0000

Disclaimer: Before anyone flames or trolls me, this is strictly for FUN, so please don't ruin mine!

I'm sure everyone and their uncle is no doubt playing this game out in their respective Madden 10 franchises, and alas, I am no different. I thought it would be fun to post the results of our new team's first ever game at home. It's under the bright lights with a nationally televised audience as the Sunday Night Football game of the week. Both teams played their starters for the majority of the contest. Also, this game was played with rosters as close to 100% accurate as I could get them (or as I am aware of them). I also found some nice sliders that allow for some realistic numbers as well as decent pressure (without nano-ing every down) on the quarterback. I will post my settings below. I'm on PS3, btw. The following players were deactivated for this week's contest:

Denver: Marcus Thomas, Brandon Marshall, Chris Simms

Chicago: Charles Tillman, Dusty Dvoracek

Slider and Game Settings: For a challenging but FUN game.

Quarter Length: 13 minutes

Accelerated Clock: On, 20 second runoff

Game Speed: Slow

Speed Threshold: 35 (IMPORTANT) This will give you noticable realism with the overall speed of the game.

Fight for Fumble: On

Game Style: Hardcore

Human: CPU: Penalties:

Passing: 14 (OVR ALL) Offsides: 90

Accuracy: 25 45 False Start: 90

Blocking: 30 20 Holding: 50

Catching: 35 40 Facemask: 70

DPI: 85
Rushing: 10 (OVR ALL)

Broken Tackles: 50 55 OPI: 85

Run Blocking: 45 70 Kick Return Int: 80

Fumbles: 50 50 Punt Return Int: 80

Pass Defense: 11 (OVR ALL) Clipping: 75

Reaction Time: 35 35 Int. Grounding: 75

Interceptions: 15 15 Running into Kicker: 75

Pass Rushing: 90 55 Running into Punter: 75

Special Teams (Both):

Rush Defense: 14 (OVR ALL) FG Power: 50

Reaction Time: 20 30 FG Accuracy: 45

Block Shedding: 20 40 Punt Power: 50

Tackling: 40 60 Punt Accuracy: 40
Kick Off Power: 45

Welcome folks! Once again it's a packed house here in Denver as the 2009 version of your beloved Broncos take the field at Mile High for the first time in this very new and very exciting season. This game also marks the debut of Head Coach Josh McDaniels, much of his coaching staff and a good portion of the roster in front of the hometown fans. Hopefully the crowd will be supportive and give our boys the love and admiration they need to be successful, all the while giving the opposing teams hell all season long. There are plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball, with Knowshon Moreno, Brian Dawkins and Robert Ayers, among others making their first starts, respectively, with the Broncos.

First Quarter:

Chicago elects to receive, and they do so, with Manning bringing it out to the 27 yard line. Time for the Defense to take the field against former Bronco QB Jay Cutler and company. Cutler makes a few decent passes, one to Rideau and one to Olsen, both resulting in first downs. The Bears continue to drive down the field, but after they get into field goal range the defense finally stiffens up, holding to a Robbie Gould 34 yard field goal. 8 plays, 2:54 minutes on the drive for Chicago. Chicago kicks off, Alphonso Smith returns it to the 35 yard line, an excellent return by our rookie corner back. I'm glad to see him contributing in other areas. This kid will be solid. Orton leads the offense to consecutive first downs, with Moreno and Hillis both ripping off big gains and Orton hitting Stokely in stride on a go route for another 14 yard pick up. So far the offense looks good, especially in the run game. A little trickery on the part of the Broncos, with Moreno lining up at QB in the Wildcat. Wowie wow wow! Watch as Moreno hits Scheffler on a sweet 48 yard dump off:

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/8798027

After a few more plays, it's first and goal from the Chicago 3 yard line. Once again lining up at QB is Knowshon Moreno, as the rook takes the ball in untouched for his very first NFL TD!

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/8798106

At the end of one it's Denver 7, Chicago 3.

Second Quarter:

Chicago goes three and out, with Baker recording a sack on Cutler for an 8 yard loss. Denver gets the ball back and in decent field position. I can't tell you how important it is to have a good return game. We are winning the battle in the trenches, as well as the field position battle at the moment. Orton looks sharp, as he completes passes to 5 different receivers before handing off to Hillis, who rumbles up the gut for a 5 yard score, his first of the day as well as the preseason. (Hillis ends up being an absolute BEAST in this game.) On the next series for the Bears, what I was fearing most came to pass. And that pass was a 73 yard strike from Cutler to Hester, leaving our entire defense in the dust, even Champ. Hester is FAST. No denying that. I'm still really glad they didn't use him in the return game. What a mistake on the part of the Bears. But it's fine with me :)

On the first play of the enusing series for us, the unthinkable happens. Knowshon goes down. My heart skips a beat, and my nerves get tense and my stomach becomes a raging ocean, tormented by thoughts of RB's dancing on the IR list yet again. Buckhalter takes one up the gut for 6 yards, and the info flashes on the screen that I was hoping to see: Knowshon Moreno suffered a High Ankle Sprain, expected to miss 1-2 weeks. PHEW! It could have been much, much worse. Thankfully we have Mr. Hillis and company to keep totin' the rock in Knowshon's absence. And tote the rock he will. We get a few more decent pass plays, but end up having to punt the ball away after Lloyd nearly misses a catch that would have resulted in six because the DB had fallen down. Ok, so Orton isn't the world's most accurate passer. He is playing very well this game other than this slight over throw. On the next drive for the Bears, Cutler takes the team all the way down the field and into the fabled red zone when this happens:

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/8798097

The side we all grew to know and love once again rears it's ugly head as super rookie Darcel McBath (#31) makes the interception just outside of the endzone. Our time with the ball would be short lived because on the very next play Buckhalter is absolutely rocked by Lance Briggs and Nathan Vasher scoops up the loose ball, resulting in our only turnover on the day. Culter tosses one to the FB Mckie for a 6 yard TD.

At the end of the half, it's Denver 21, Chicago 10.

Third Quarter:

We get the ball back, again with good field position and continue to move the chains. Buckhalter chips in with an 11 yard run, and Gaffney and Hillis continue to contribute in the passing game, grabbing catches of 10 and 25 yards, respectively. This drive ends up with a 7 yard TD pass to Daniel Graham. That was a good drive, 11 plays, 74 yards and almost 7 minutes long. On the ensuing kick return, Brian Dawkins lays the wood on Danieal Manning, with the crowd erupting into cheers after the hit. Another 3 and out for Chicago, another 3 and out by us and we are set to punt the ball away.

At the end of three, it's Denver 24, Chicago 17.

Fourth Quarter:

Chicago gives us another good drive, this time resulting in a turnover caused when LK Smith sacked Cutler (the fourth sack on the day for the defense). This time it's Hillis who lines up at QB, making a nice pass to Brandon Lloyd for another Bronco first down. We continue to drive, when finally we break a big time run:

http://www.easports.com/media/play/video/8798082

After a few more quick passes, Hillis gets his second TD on the ground, another 5 yard burst up the middle. Another nice long drive at 12 plays, 75 yards. By now the game is well at hand, with the score being 31-17, good guys. The last series of the game for Chicago results in another LK Smith sack. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Chicago goes for it on 4th and 15 from their one yard line, only to have the ball go careening off of Bennett's hands (or maybe he heard footsteps.....) With 1st and goal from the one, McD decides to throw ol' Lamont Jordan a bone, and he delivers a punishing blow to one of the 3rd string DT's and hammers home the final score of the game making it Denver 38, Chicago 17. Hillis is the player of the game, having an excellent day both running and catching the ball.

Offensive Player Stats:

Orton: 16-28 150 yds TD 83.9 QB Rating Cutler: 10-15 161 yds 2 TD, INT 114.2 QB Rating

Hillis: 16 car 89 yds 2 TD, 7 rec 92 yds Forte: 8 car 31 yds, 4 rec 47 yds

Moreno: 9 car 40 yds TD, 3 rec 11 yds Jones: 5 car 43 yds

Jordan: 4 car 12 yds TD Mckie: 3 rec, 26 yds TD

Graham: 1 rec, 7 yd TD Knox: 5 rec, 67 yds

Scheffler: 1 rec, 48 yds Hester: 2 rec, 80 yds TD

Defensive Player Stats:

Ayers: 4 tackles Urlacher: 7 tackles

Dawkins: 4 tackles, FF Manning: 6 tackles

Baker: 3 tackles, sack Harris: 5 tackles

LK Smith: 2 sacks Briggs: 4 tackles, FF

Bruton: 2 tackles, sack Vasher: tackle, FR

McBath: 3 tackles, INT, FR

Kicking:

Prater: 1-1 44 yd fg, 5 xp, 1 touch back Gould: 1-2 34 yd fg, missed 37 yd fg

Punting:

Kern: 2 punts, 85 yds, 42.5 avg Maynard: 3 punts, 112 yds, 37.3 avg

Kick Returns:

A. Smith: 3 ret, 65 yds, 21.6 avg Manning: 3 ret, 91 yds, 30.3 avg

McKinley: 1 ret, 21 yds

Punt Returns:

A. Smith: 1 ret, 21 yds Manning: 2 ret, 18 yds, 9.0 avg

McKinley: 2 ret, 17 yds, 8.5 avg

Game Summary:

Denver Chicago

396 Total offense 295

188 Rush yards 85

208 Pass yards 210

18 First downs 10

38 Punt return yards 18

86 Kick return yards 173

520 Total yards 486

1 Turnovers 2

6 - 14 3rd down conversions 3 - 11

3 - 4 4th down conversions 1 - 3

0 - 0 2pt conversions 0 - 0

5 - 7 Redzone 2 - 4

5 RDZ TD's 1

0 RDZ FG's 1

3 - 25 Penalties 1 - 15

33:31 Time of possession 18:24

Well that's it from week 3 of the 2009 preseason. Next up we have the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals to finish out the exhibition games, then on to Cincinatti for week one of the regular season. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed playing and posting. All thoughts, comments and critiques are welcomed! GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Denver / N.E. connection and what it brought to mind.

grind_core — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:25:12 -0000

This post is something that I've wanted to do for the longest. I've just had this sitting on my chest, and it's time that I get it out of my system. Maybe I'm crazy, in the minority or just plain dumb. It's just that it occured to me that maybe New England and moreover Belicheck pulled the wool over everyone's eyes these past few years. Would they really have been as successful had they not cheated?

Is Tom Brady one of the best quarterbacks ever?

Or did he have a working knowledge at the line of scrimmage about what was happening on the other side of the ball.

Do other teams do it? Sure. They just don't get caught, apparently. More than likely I don't know what I'm talking about, which would not be the first time, nor will it be the last, I can assure you. I know "you still have to PLAY the game" or like in the case of baseball and steroids "you still have to HIT the ball."

Listen, I'm not taking anything away from the players. You have to be good at what you do regardless, I get that.

But to me, anything giving a team or player a decided advantage in a dishonest way I consider cheating. I'm just afraid that McD might be a product of that environment, and maybe all those records and stats and numbers (on his resume) are simply inflated because of what transpired.

Who knows how long it went on BEFORE they got caught.

This post doesn't mean anything, I'm not trying to change anyones mind or anything like that. It is something that I must admit, have thought quite a bit about. The strangest part to me is how it was totally a non story by the MSM. You think they would have went to town on it, but it was really an afterthought by the looks of the coverage I remember watching. Even the penalty seemed unjust considering how Goodell has handled some of the players. I didn't really want to post anything about another team here on MHR, since it's our home and all, but the connection is undoubtedly there. I don't really know how to feel about it, I guess the word strange keeps coming to mind. Or maybe I'm just way more analytical than I need to be.

Haters of the world unite!

grind_core — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:01:14 -0000

Or at least that appears to be what is happening. What is it about us that makes 98.5% of the MSM and just about everyone else with an opinion (and we all know what they are like, right?) that isn't a Denver fan rip us every chance they get? We have one of the best owners in sports, have won two Super Bowls, countless divisions and play off games before hand etc. We have been more of a winning team than the opposite, from my recollection. Grant it, I'm only 30 and have been following the Orange and Blue since the SB where we got demoralized by San Franciso. Just what is it about our team that makes it so every two-bit reporter has to bash us? CONSTANTLY. I wish they would get off of our proverbial jock. Last I checked, there are PLENTY of other franchises (not that I condone bashing anyone, since it really isn't a cool thing to do) that haven't had anywhere near the success we have had overall, yet everytime I turn around it's "well, McDaniels better win early and often or else.." or "he doesn't seem to have a clue. he chased off his franchise QB.." blah blah BLAH, ad naseum.

I hope we win this year and beyond, not for us, but for the team itself, and Coach McDaniels and Mr. Bowlen. They are the ones that have had to truly endure the onslaught that has been brought on them. We had to take a chance. What we were doing was no longer working. I want them to win for themselves, first and foremost. To be able to say "we did it. to hell with what everyone said." As a fan, I will be happy for the team no matter what. If we go 16-0 or 0-16, I will still love the team all the same. And you know something else? Even if McD and company produce less than stellar results I am still not going to start calling for heads to roll right away. I say give him at the very least three years before we even consider someone else. Continuity helps bring home championships, and we aren't going to get it if we gut ourselves over and over. Shanahan coached for a long time here, Fisher in Tennessee, and Cowher before him. I'm sure they all endured some sub par years in there. Tony (known in all five burroughs) Sporano and Mike Smith won right away, so IT IS POSSIBLE.

Do you think anyone outside the organizations and the fans gave either the Dolphins or the Falcons, respectively, a snowball's chance in hell to be any good? MSM and every single hater out there, I'M LOOKING AT YOU. But my friends, those last two are fine examples of what you call anomalies (which in itself is ironic, but I'm not going to bother explaining why). Winning usually takes time, and even more so LEARNING how to win takes even longer. All of the aforementioned had a chance to succeed, while it seems like most have written us off before they will ever see what we can do, collectively. Besides, what difference is there really, in going 4-12 and 8-8 or even 9-7 and not making the playoffs? None. Either way, we get the same result. Shanahan had to go. It was time. For better or for worse, this team is not the team of the last 3-5+ years and I for one think that is a good thing. I'll be rooting us on, just like I always have, same as it ever was. On the off chance (apparently) that we do end up being better than advertised, I like my revenge to be served up COLD.

How many times Cutler will say "You know," this season.

grind_core — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:41:21 -0000

I posted this earlier somewheres else, and it made me laugh so I thought I'd repost it here and maybe give you guys a chuckle or two to brighten up your day(s).

My guess is at least 1500 or 1600 times considering he can't get through a 6 minute interview without saying it 57 times. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9WCPxDYBjg

Turnovers and how many games they cost us in '08.

grind_core — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:46:55 -0000

In 2008, the Broncos had a turnover differential of -17. Opponents got 101 points off of Broncos' turnovers.

Say we just break even this year, or maybe even be in the positive. With the same core group of players along with the injection of the cagey vets and outstanding rookies we've added, I'm having a hard time seeing us NOT contending for the division if not a wild card spot. We certainly gave games away. I know on paper our schedule is among the toughest. I am tempering my expectations, but I don't see this as a 4-5 win team. We are far more talented than that. I know our D-line and I guess you could argue our entire front seven leaves a lot to be desired, according to just about everyone else but the faithful. A few thoughts on that. I think DJ moving to his natural position of RILB will let him become the animal that we all know he can be. I think Andra Davis is a significant upgrade over ANYONE we had at the LB spot last season. Ayers should pan out, as he seems to have "it." Our safety spot has gotten a massive overhaul as well. Dawkins? Thanks Philly! I could go on and on about how special I think Knowshon is, but I think we all see that. I would rather him miss a little bit of camp getting his contract right the first time, rather than to see him hold out 2-3 years down the line. Now we have a Coach and coaching staff that want to win, are fired up and it's translating to the players. We are building our squad out of solid, smart, versatile players that know if they put ME before TEAM that they probably will end up playing elsewhere. We are not the 2008 Denver Broncos. Far from it. Let's just keep flying under the radar, I'm good with that. GO DENVER!!!!!!!!

Poll

How do you think we will fare this season?

3-13 and looking forward to '10.

5 votes

6-10 with at least a little hope for the future.

15 votes

9-7 and contending for the playoffs.

75 votes

13-3 baby!!! Division Champs and an NFL turned on its collective ear.

32 votes

127 votes | Poll has closed

Where will we finish Offensively & Defensively and our final record.

grind_core — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:38:08 -0000

I'm thinking that we still have one of the top offenses in the league, player wise. Even without Marshall, assuming he does in fact get his wish to leave granted, we still have a very scary first unit. We also now have a beast RB. We haven't had one for a while, and I think overall it has hurt us more than helped. Now we will have to see if they can put up the same kind of numbers (hopefully with a better redzone %) in a totally new system. It seems to me that Coach is going to play to the strength of his players, which is better than trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. I wasn't sure why Orton wasn't the full time starter for the Bears. He was clearly better than Grossman. He may not have quite the same zip on the ball that Cutler has, but in this offense I don't think that is going to be such a huge factor. I'm predicting a top 12 finish for the offense, and I think our redzone numbers will be much better this time around. Cutler's gunslinging days are over, and hopefully the combination of Moreno and Hillis can give us some added punch-you-in-the-mouth ability at the goal line.

The Defensive side of the ball is where it gets trickier. Based on what I've seen on our roster, I don't think we are that far away from a full transition to a full 3-4 alignment. As a team, we got hammered by the media for not addressing more of our needs on this side of the ball during the draft. I think they are wrong. Moreno is a special player. He seems to have the total package. Not to mention, next year is supposed to be one of the deepest drafts in a decade, so I keep seeing and hearing. If you look up and down our roster we have added a lot of size. I know that doesn't mean everything, but it is definitely going to mean something. Our D basically got shoved around in the second and third levels last year. I think our D-line holds the key. We have upgraded all three units, turning the LB's and Safeties from a weakness to a strength, IMO. We also now have a real field general in Dawkins, and I think that what he will bring to the table will be invaluable. Andra Davis is a huge addition for us in the middle. He has the strength and size to be a dominate force in the middle, and we all know what DJ is capable of. I'm curious to see how the OLB's will do this year. Most of them are transitioning to a new position, and no doubt some will excel and some will decline. I would like to think that Ayers and Doom will step up and become great, based on what I have seen from them already. There is a cast of characters behind them that could have make or break type seasons also. The D-line seems like it has improved. I'm not really sold on Fields, based on his career stats. I know stats aren't everything either, but he seems pretty pedestrian. The truth is, I'm not sold on any of them. Thomas would make a mean DE, and I'd love to see it. We just haven't, yet. I predict we finish in the top 18. I think the team knows it was embarrased last season and it wants some get-back. Especially now that is really is us vs. the world.

We have a brutal schedule this year. They say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Like Boomer says, "that's why they play the games!" It is very menacing to look at, sure. This is a completely new team we are putting on the field, mostly. I'm sure Coach has added some wrinkles to his playbook. Nobody has film on this guy as a HC, and don't think he doesn't realize it. I'm sure he, more than anyone else, is motivated. If he can get the team to believe in him and what he's trying to do I think he will be the first successfull Belicheck assistant. After all, what did he really do. He came in, wanted to try to make the team better (by listening to trade offers) and Cutler basically threw a temper tantrum over it. I think Coach didn't want Cutler there in the first place, and he knew what he was doing. It's kind of harsh, but it worked. I also think that this trade could end up looking a lot like the Herchel Walker trade from many years ago. I'm sure Cutler will be a good QB for Chicago, but I thought then as I do now that we came out on the better end of that deal. With all that said, I predict we will contend for the AFC West and finish at 9-7. Oakland and KC should improve as well, but I think we are still better overall than both of them. SD will be the team to beat as they are also uber talented all the way around. What do you guys think?

Hey, I'm new here and this is why we are better off without Cutler.

grind_core — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:57:45 -0000

Hello all, this is my first post here and I gotta tell you that this website is just awesome. No more tooling around anywhere else, this site has it all and a big ups to the folks that run it. I've seen a lot of great posts, and I'm here to offer my own spin. Now, on to more pressing issues. I have never been any more interested in an upcoming season than I am for this one. May it be good or bad, it will surely be one for the ages. I like the moves Coach has made with the offense, including getting rid of Cutler. He has a Howitzer for an arm, he can scramble a little bit and he can fit the ball into tight spaces, but unfortunately that's all he has. IMHO, he clearly demonstrated that he just didn't have the wherewithal to be a true leader and be clutch when the team needed him most. Both on the field and off. I know he was upset, as most people would be in that situation, but then, he is a grown man and a VERY well paid professional athelete. Act like it.

Players are subject to trade all the time, he was no exception. Just because his wasn't exactly common doesn't mean it wasn't a possibility. I'm not saying Denver handled the ordeal exactly 100% right either, but Cutler really came out looking like a spoiled brat. He really hasn't done much yet to be as demanding as he was. If it were me, I would have bided my time during the off season and kept my mouth shut. Then when the season started, I would totally do my best to crush all competition using said trade as maybe just a little bit of extra motivation, then maybe tried to take the team (with a re-tooled defense and a new super stud back) to the playoffs (for once, yea ONCE) and then and only then either demanded a new deal or a trade if I still felt slighted. I would have shown that it was MY team, that I was a, no, THE leader and that I CARED. He did ABSOLUTELY nothing of the sort and he basically ran out of town with his tail between his legs. He is not a winner and I'm glad he is gone. He should have let his game do the talking. Maybe that's just me.

If Marshall wants to keep pouting, then send him packing too. These guys SIGN contracts. He is worried that HIS numbers are going to slip and he may not get some uber mega payday down the road so he wants out. Let him go, with proper payment received of course. We can draft another 6'4 WR that might actually care about the team and his team mates and maybe even the game itself and not just themself in an upcoming draft. I have no time for the me first and the gimme gimmes on my team.

Moreno will be a HUGE addition to our already potent offense. Superman wears Peyton Hillis underwear, so we by all accounts should have a very powerful running game this year to boot. Every team in the NFL that has an "elite" back is usually a pretty good team. Moreno is a one man wrecking crew. We haven't had that much potency in the backfield since the days of Portis and TD. Coach's system doesn't exactly necessitate a laser rocket armed QB. Brady was awesome, but he is one in a million. Cassel is no Brady. He also produced. Same coach, same system. Orton should do just fine. He lacks the physical tools that Cutler had, but I like his mentality a whole lot more than I like Cutler's. He isn't going to throw into tripple coverage 40 yards down field when we only need 3 for a first. He isn't the QB of the future, but we could be doing worse (see SF or Det or even Min). Next year's draft is supposed to be one of the deepest in a very long time, (one in which I believe we will significantly upgrade our D then) so we will have more help on the way. I think Coach took what he liked and what fit OUR system and ideals from this years draft, knowing what was up for grabs next year.

Remember, Shanny built that atrocious defense, so if anything Coach should get a ton of credit even if it is only marginally better. We won't win the division this year, I don't believe, (not being negative, just realistic) but give us a year or two and a few more good drafts and we will forget all about the Coach's supposed rocky start, and no pun intended. I like all the D pickups we have made thus far. A few cagey vets that actually produce will help balance the abundance of youth we have at most positions. We have beefed up quite a bit from years past. We don't have any big name guys, save Bailey and Dawkins. I guess you could throw DJ in there also. He is pretty badass, after all. If we can get ANY production out of the front 7 (however it shakes out) our D will be a lot better than people think.

I think Ayers will be exactly what we needed at LOLB, and he is big enough to line up at end when we use the 4-3 during the game. He is fast as all hell and as athletic as they come. 6'3, 272 with a mean streak. The stars are aligning for this guy to be an absolute nightmare for opposing coaches. It's also pretty neat that he is a UT alum and is wearing our once stellar MLB's jersey number and I'm talking about none other than Mr. Al Wilson. If he is even half the player Al was he will make us happy he's on our side for a long time to come. I'd like to see Doom as the ROLB, with Davis at LILB and DJ at RILB. Let's not forget about Wesley Woodyard, either, as he showd flashes of brilliance in his limited playing time last season.

That group could in all honesty end up being the strength of the defense this year, and that is pretty imposing considering who is lining up behind them in the defensive backfield. Peterson, Fields and I'm guessing McBean (due to his massive size) should get the nod along the line. I think Pedescleaux (another monster of a man) could be a factor as well. Rotations must and will abound. I'm curious to see how Baker (who I am really excited about) Powell, Reid, Crowder and Moss will be implemented. The latter 3 will probably end up being DE/OLB hybrids and Baker, Powell and Thomas should back up Fields at the nose. I am seeing more help from next year's draft to address more defensive help, and maybe another stud WR.

Powell was the catalyst in the middle of the Virginia Tech defense that finished very respectably (4th or 5th overall) in the entire nation while he attended. Baker was projected to be a 3rd round pick, if not 2nd and is the biggest DT on our roster currently. His off the field issues knocked him out of draft contention. We got him as an absolute steal, if he can keep it cool. Depth charts mean nothing, even saying someone is first, second or third string is pretty much worthless as well, because it's a total team effort and all of our boys will see lots of time because I think our defense is going to need to rely on one another for support. We may not have the big names, but I have the feeling we have some FOOTBALL players now.

Alphonso Smith should be the nickel corner right away, and I think he will challenge Goodman very early for the #2 gig. Hill is an upgrade at safety, even though he isn't exactly stellar. I was kinda hoping we would have gotten Gibril Wilson, but what do you do. Barret still has room to grow but has a knack for the ball and is a super hard hitter, though they may give him a shot at OLB (though I think he is a bit small in a 3-4 scheme). Bruton should be a force on ST for the first few years. Even more than Ayers, I am truly excited about Darcel McBath. He may not get the nod straight away, but he has the speed and range we so desperately have needed at FS (think a mini, healthy Bob Sanders) with Dawkins sliding over to SS to provide better run support. Anyways, I love Denver and I hope they do well, but I am tempering my expectations, as I'm sure most of us are. I hope to have lots of fun going on and on about my favorite football team in the world and making some sweet new friends in the process. So to all you fabulous people, peace and love and I bid you adieu for now! Broncs now and FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!