Broncos looking for more from Moore

by Ryan Ebert

Former UCLA safety Rahim Moore is in his first offseason with OTAs and practices, and this should help him keep his starting job throughout his sophomore season in Denver.  Moore lost his starting job to safety Quinton Carter after five games of poor play.  He was the highest ranked safety coming out in the 2011 NFL Draft, but with the lockout brewing at the time, it did not help him understand the defense.

"I think (last year) was one of the only years I went with no production, and that's not something I looked forward to going into my rookie season," said Moore, who had 31 tackles, a pick, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 2011.  "I wanted to play better, but I think I needed that.  It's driven me now to want to compete and to have a better season and be able to help the team win."

“I missed having OTAs last season,” Moore said. “It was like I was thrown into the fire. I was antsy, but at the same time, I was second-guessing myself sometimes. When the game did slow down for me, it seemed like it didn’t. I thought it did, but it didn’t. A lot of times, I was unsure of what I was doing. I showed some signs of ability, but as the year went on, I wore down my body. This year during the offseason, I worked on getting stronger and getting in better shape.”

Fourteen-year veteran Champ Bailey knows how valuable OTAs are and how tough it is for a rookie to miss out them.

“Coming in last year, all they had was training camp,” Bailey said of the two rookie safeties, Moore and Quinton Carter  “I couldn't imagine how it would've been for anybody else doing that, especially at safety. There's a lot to learn. Now they know what they need to do to be successful, it's just going out and getting the work in."

Moore, because of his poor play was placed behind Quinton Carter on the depth chart this year, but defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio says that safeties Mike Adams, Quinton Carter, and Rahim Moore are fighting for the two starting jobs.

Moore believes the competition will be good for the players and improve their play overall.

“We’re like brothers back there and we help each other out,” he said. “And that’s what it’s all about and that’s what’s going to make our team better. That’s what (Head) Coach (John) Fox wants us to do, to compete.”

In hopes of getting a starting job Moore will look to build on his experience from last year.

“It’s just learning from my old experience so when the opportunity comes, or when that time comes you know how to handle it,” Moore said. “Also my conditioning, my work ethic, I know that I put the work in. I was always told what you do in the offseason is going to show in season. It’s not like last year I didn’t work hard, but I was just new to everything. So this year, like I said, I’m excited and looking forward to helping this team win and being a part of the process.”

Ten-year player Drayton Florence has been mentoring the young players including Rahim Moore, and Moore says how much he has appreciated the help.

“I think God has truly blessed me with a guy like (cornerback) Drayton Florence,” Moore said. “He’s helped me out so much, in ways words can’t explain. He’s shown me some things that I’ve never known, that I thought I knew, but really, it was wrong. He’s helped me out so much. He’s been like a big brother to me."

In OTAs thus far Quinton Carter and Rahim Moore have both been working out as the first-team strong safety.  Whenever one is in the other gets some reps in at second-team free safety.  In 2011 Carter played both safety positions, and Moore only played the free safety position.

"We've been interchanging each day.  Everybody has to know every position back there," Carter said.

Head coach John Fox is positive the play from whoever gets the starting job will be much better from 2010.

“The second time around, their sophomore season, (Moore and Carter) feel way more comfortable,” Coach Fox said. “Again, you have to develop a pro body. This game is twice as long as the college game when you figure in the preseason as well as the playoffs. It takes a while. They are much further along and much more comfortable the second time around.”

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!

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.