Saturday, April 28, 2012

Broncos acquire good talent late in draft

by Ryan Ebert

The Broncos looked to have done well in the Draft bringing in players to give depth and versatility to many positions.  Denver may have also gotten a few steals in this year's Draft.

The first player taken on Saturday in the fourth round 101 overall was Arizona State's Omar Bolden.  A cornerback that stands at 5'10" and 202 lbs.  He brings good speed running a 4.5 40 and has great agility.  He also brings value as a kick returner along with his great coverage skills, he brought two kicks for touchdowns in his career at ASU.  He will most likely be replacing Eddie Royal who left in the offseason to the Chargers.  He was rated as high as the second round, but had an injury to his knee that kept him out of 2011 season which hurt his value.  Many are hoping that he can be the successor to Champ Bailey.  He will rejoin quarterback Brock Osweiler in Denver who was also from Arizona State.

At No. 108 in the fourth round in the Draft Denver selected Baylor's center Philip Blake  Blake brings versatility to the offensive line as before he played center he was a guard when his teammate J.D. Walton was playing center.  He also has a little experience at playing right tackle.  Blake was an All-American selection in 2011 and a first-team All-Big 12 choice.  In 2010 he was an honorable mention All-Big 12 choice.  Blake is 6'3" and weighs in at 311 lbs. and benched 22 times at the NFL Combine.


In the fifth round at No. 137 the Broncos picked up defensive end Malik Jackson from Tennessee.  Jackson , a transfer from USC, posted 104 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 pick, 6 deflections, and a fumble recovery in two years with the Volunteers.  He's a player that can play inside and outside on the defensive line, and adds youth to the defensive line.  He stands at 6'5", 270 lbs.  He will join former Volunteers Britton Colquitt and Peyton Manning. In 2010 Jackson earned 2010 AP All-SEC second team honoree, and in 2011 earned All-SEC First-Team by the media and All-SEC Second-Team by the coaches.

The final player drafted by Denver in the sixth round at No. 188 is linebacker Danny Trevathan from Kentucky.  In 2011 Trevathan led the Wildcats in tackles with 143 along with 11.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 interceptions, 9 pass deflections, and 5 forced fumbles in his senior season.  He is a 6'1", 232 lbs. linebacker that was an AP First-Team All-SEC player in 2011.  He will bring depth to the linebacker corps of Denver that has D.J. Williams facing a six-game suspension, and doesn't have much talent behind their starters.  Trevathan will join his former teammate Wesley Woodyard that plays the same position as Williams.

Overall, this draft class for the Broncos filled many needs.  They get a cornerback who can take the responsibility of returning kicks.  A versatile offensive lineman who plays all three inside positions well.  They get a defensive lineman who can play either defensive tackle or defensive end, and can bring pressure on the quarterback.  Then last but not least Denver has a linebacker that could play early and often with D.J. Williams facing his suspension.  John Elway, John Fox, and Brian Xanders did a nice job in their second draft together.





Friday, April 27, 2012

Broncos get some needed talent

by Ryan Ebert

After not having a pick in the first round, the Denver Broncos make three solid picks in the second day of the 2012 NFL Draft.  The team filled a needed position on defense, added security, and depth in the second and third rounds.  The players drafted in the second round were announced by Bronco great Terrell Davis.

The Broncos first pick at thirty-six overall was used to get Derek Wolfe, a 6'5" 300 lbs. defensive tackle from Cincinnati, with the thirty-sixth overall pick.  Wolfe in four seasons with the Bearcats accumulated 162 tackles (89 solo), a forced fumble, and 19.5 sacks with 9.5 of them coming in his senior season in which he was named the Co-Big East Defensive player of the Year.  Fans at first may have been shocked at the selection, but Denver drafted Wolfe because he is reliable and consistent unlike Jerel Worthy who is talented, but inconsistent.

The second player Denver drafted in the second round with the fifty-seventh overall pick was Arizona St. quarterback Brock Osweiler.  The 6'7" quarterback threw for 4,036 yards, 33 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and had a 63.2 completion percentage in his senior season.  He is expected to be the backup to Manning.  Even though Denver has Caleb Hanie and Adam Weber it is believed that Osweiler will be the number two quarterback.  Though there is a history of quarterbacks with such a height of 6'6" and taller that do not have success in the NFL.  The only real successes in the NFL of quarterbacks who stand 6'6" or taller are Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and the Panthers Cam Newton.

The final pick for Denver of the day was San Diego St. running back Ronnie Hillman drafted at sixty-seventh in the Draft.  Hillman, who stands at 5'9" 200 lbs., put up 1,711 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns and a 5.5 average along with 24 receptions for 270 yards, a touchdown and a 11.3 average in his senior season.  He had a 99 yard run against Wyoming last year, and even topped a few of Marshall Faulk's old school records at San Diego St.  NFL Network's Mike Mayock said, "He's a guy that I think provides instant offense for the Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning's going to love him."

The Broncos still have a few more needs to get in the secondary and could get some depth at the linebacker and wide receiver position, but these picks look to be solid.  Derek Wolfe brings youth to the defensive line and will be playing under Ty Warren, Justin Bannan, and Kevin Vickerson who are all 29 years of age and older.  Brock Osweiler has a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the best to ever play the game, and is very intelligent of the game himself.  Ronnie Hillman who could bring that "instant offense" may replace Knowshon Moreno if Moreno doesn't step up his game here soon.  Hillman will also be learning from veteran running back Willis McGahee ,who is in his ninth season and will turn 31 in October.

On the last day the Broncos own the 101st, 108th, 137th, and 188th draft picks in rounds four through seven.  Hoping Denver find a few gems and a future star!



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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Broncos don't get first-round pick

by Ryan Ebert

As the first day of the 2012 NFL Draft finished, Bronco fans may be disappointed in not having selected a player in the first round.  Yet there is a positive side to this.  Denver now owns eight picks instead of seven which can be used to add more pieces to help Manning, or of course strengthen the defensive side of the ball at the many positions Denver needs to gain depth in.

First this evening Denver traded their twenty-fifth pick to New England for the Patriot's thirty-first pick and a fourth-round pick.  Later on, that thirty-first pick along with a fourth-round pick was traded away to Tampa Bay for the thirty-sixth overall pick and a fourth-round selection.  The selections the Broncos now own in the Draft are: 36, 57, 87, 101, 108, 120, 137, and 188.  Six of those selections are between the second and fourth rounds of the Draft.

The players still on Denver's board are: Jerel Worthy, Courtney Upshaw, Stephen Hill, Kendall Reyes, and Janoris Jenkins.  Former Bronco great Terrell Davis will announce the Bronco's selection on Friday.

A few things said by Bronco's Vice President of Football Operations John Elway after the Draft ended:


"Well, we didn't get any better yet, but we will tomorrow,"

"Our board looked the same, and we have the same players at No. 36 than we would have had at No. 31," Denver Broncos Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said following the first round of the draft. "We don't have a new player yet, but we like where we sit. 
We're excited."

Other players in the second round Denver may pick are Lamar Miller, and Robert Turbin. 


Fear not Bronco fans. John Elway, John Fox, and Brian Xanders know what they are doing.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Brian Dawkins rides off into the sunset

by Ryan Ebert

After sixteen outstanding years in the NFL, longtime Eagles and Broncos safety for three years has decided to step away from the game and retire.  He announced this on Twitter on Monday morning:

The Lord has blessed me to play in the NFL for 16 years. I would like to thank the Eagles & the Broncos 4 believing In me. I would like 2 thank all my teammates & Coaches that I have been blessed 2 go to battle with. Along with u, the fans 4 helping make my career 1 that i have enjoyed tremendously. In other words. I am announcing my retirement from the NFL. #BBTB

He prayed, meditated, and spoke to people close to him to help him make his decision and be at peace with it.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Matt Willis staying in Denver

by Ryan Ebert

The Broncos resigned restricted-free agent Matt Willis today according to ESPN's Howard Balzer.  Willis in 2011 caught 18 passes for 267 yards with 1 touchdown.  He is a 6'0" receiver out of UCLA that is in his fourth season, and entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2007 signing with the Ravens.

Stokley back with Manning in Denver

by Ryan Ebert

Veteran wide receiver Brandon Stokley has signed with Denver on a one-year deal. Terms were not disclosed, but it's likely that he signed a veteran minimum contract.


Stokley will turn 36 in June, and is known to be a clutch slot receiver. If he makes the roster the slot position will most likely be where he'll play. Stokley will be a target that Peyton Manning is familiar with, and he can help Denver's young receivers learn the new offense and routes.

Standing at 6'0" and 192 lbs. Stokley has played thirteen years in the NFL with five teams. He has won two Super Bowl rings (2000 Ravens and 2007 Colts). Brandon Stokley who lives in the Denver area ran routes for Manning back in March, and helped the Broncos recruit the four time MVP.

Stokley played with Denver previously from 2007-2009 and caught five touchdowns in '07. In the season opener of the 2009 season Stokley made a game-winning play. The catch has been dubbed “one of the most spectacular plays in club history.”

In 2004, playing with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, Stokley hauled in 68 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Offseason workouts will benefit Broncos

by Ryan Ebert

Denver receiver Eric Decker has been working out with new quarterback Peyton Manning.  He sees nothing wrong about Manning's arm strength or accuracy.  Manning for the first time in his fourteen year career is getting acclimated to a new team, and says that these workouts will be "rewarding".

"You don't feel it necessarily right now, but you know that it's going to pay dividends for you in the fall, when there's a third-and-5 and there's a pass pattern that you complete to Eric Decker. And you say, you know, 'We worked on that back in April and May, and that time we put in was worth it because it came on a critical third-down conversion or a touchdown pass,' " Manning said in a video posted Wednesday on the team's official website.
"I've seen that firsthand over the course of my career -- that offseason work makes a big difference come fall," Manning said. "You can't just show up in September and expect to be successful, expect to win games. And so this offseason work is critical. And so I've enjoyed the time, getting to know these receivers, they're kind of getting to know me. It's a marathon, no question about it -- it's not a sprint. And we do have some time, and the more we can do it, the better off we're going to be."

In 2011 Manning missed the 2011 season due to neck surgeries.  In the offseason he was released by Indianapolis.  On March 20 Manning visited Denver,  followed by visits to Arizona, Miami, and Tennessee.

Bannan back with Denver

by Ryan Ebert

Justin Bannan has decided to come back to Denver.  He last played with the Broncos in 2010 when he started all sixteen games and put up thirty-five tackles with a sack and four pass deflections.

In ten seasons Bannan has accumulated 303 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 interception, 10 pass deflections, 4 forced fumbles, and recovered four in 144 career appearances.  He's played for Buffalo (2002-2005), Baltimore (2006-2009), Denver (2010), and St. Louis (2011), and was selected in the fifth round by the Bills.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Denver to add another RB?



by Ryan Ebert

Broncos head coach John Fox wants to add another running back to the roster regardless of Moreno's status. Willis McGahee will be turning 31 in October, and Knowshon Moreno is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in Week 10 against Kansas City. It's possible Moreno will start 2012 on the physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list. Moreno was arrested and charged with DUI, failing to have insurance and careless driving. 


"We certainly talked to him about it," Fox said at the NFL Annual Meeting, according to The Post. "... I don't think anybody knows too many perfect people walking around, but we take it very seriously, and we're going to monitor him going forward."

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Tebow not concerned if he'll be starter again

by Ryan Ebert

Tim Tebow has said that he's "not sure" if he'll ever be a starting QB again, and that he's not concerned with it.


"I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds my future," Tebow said, referring to his strong Christian faith. "That's something that has always given me peace and comfort. That's why I don't have to worry about the future. I can just worry about today and worry about becoming better as a football player and a person."

He compared his situation to back with his time in Florida backing up QB Chris Leak while playing occasional snaps.

"Ultimately, it ended with a lot of success," Tebow said, "us winning a national championship."

He has also said that he has "a great relationship" with Rex Ryan.

"I am truly honored to play for a coach that is that passionate and loves the game that much," Tebow said. "I really think he's a player's coach and you see guys want to go out there and play a little bit better for him. And I think he knows how to get the best out of his players, and I'm excited about playing for him."

Tebow was asked about Antonio Cromartie's comments about Tebow going to New York. Instead of being angry Tebow praised Cromartie's loyalty to Mark Sanchez.

"I think it's great because he had his quarterback's back, and that's what you want ... you want guys that are supporting your quarterback and I think that's great," Tebow said. "And I commend him for doing that."

"And I have a lot of respect for him and I feel like he has respect for me, but he was sticking up for his quarterback and good for him," Tebow said.

Since the trade, Cromartie backed off his comments and called Tebow "a winner."