Broncos’ Attorney Has Links To Alleged Darrent Williams Killer

For close followers of the Denver Broncos, the name Harvey Steinberg probably sounds familiar. As often as he does business with the team, he should have an office at Dove Valley.

 

For those unfamiliar with the name, Steinberg is a Denver-based defense attorney who’s helped get current and former players off the hook. While Steinberg has always helped Denver players, he also has ties to the gang members connected to Darrent William’s murder.

 

Last season, Steinberg helped Brandon Marshall trim his three-game suspension down to one. He helped former player Travis Henry get marijuana trafficking charges dropped, although he had to plead guilty to trafficking cocaine.

 

He even defended David Kircus and Todd Saubraun for their violent outbursts. But Steinberg also has connections to another name that should sound familiar to Broncos fans: Willie Clark.

 

Willie Clark is currently awaiting trial for the murder of former Broncos’ cornerback Darrent Willams. Williams was shot and killed in his Hummer limousine early on New Year’s Day 2007, as he and others left a Denver night club.

 

Clark, charged as the gunman, was indicted Oct. 8 on 39 counts, including first-degree murder of the football star and 16 counts of attempted murder of others in the limo. The SUV that police believe was used in the drive-by shooting is owned by and registered to Denver-gang leader Brian Hicks.

 

Hicks’ defense attorney is none other than Harvey Steinberg.

 

In April 2007, Brian Hicks was arrested during one of the largest gang and drug busts in the West; 85 people were indicted. Hicks was a top target in the bust, and is the alleged leader of the Elite Eight gang.

 

Willie Clark was arrested during the bust because he worked as an assistant and runner for Hicks. Clark was also arrested for the murder of a witness in a trial against Hicks.

 

Brian Hicks was charged with the attempted murder of Kalonniann Clark in June 2005. Clark was the only witness to the crime. In December 2006, she was shot and killed outside her apartment five days before she was set to testify against Hicks. 

 

Steinberg has since asked that the attempted murder charges against Hicks be dropped since the main witness is now dead.

 

Although Steinberg is simply doing his job trying to keep his clients out of jail, one has to wonder how players feel knowing their attorney also defends the “boss” behind Willie Clark, the alleged killer of Darrent Williams.

DJ Williams: Perfect ILB

AHHHHH! DJ Williams.  The one bright spot at LB for the Broncos for the last few years.  One of the best draft picks of the Mike Shanahan era.  Perfect ILB?

In a word: Yes.

Many of us remember the DJ MLB experiment a couple of seasons ago as a negative, but I don’t see it that way.  I think most of would agree that No. 55 (it’s an old pic, he was No. 52 back in the day) is an aggressive LB, with great speed, vision, tackling ability, intelligence, and of course and awesome burst on the snap.

These reasons are why I think he’ll be a great ILB.

Let me explain.

When DJ played MLB for us, he played under Jim Bates.  While Jim is a great defensive coordinator, his stint here in Denver didn’t go so well.  That’s because Jim runs a read-and-react defense.  A lot of us are familiar with this type of defense, but for those that are not let me give you the basics.

This type of defense requires that all of its players (DL, LBs, SSs, CBs) hold the attack at the snap, read and decipher what the defense is trying to do, and finally react to it and make the stop. 

If you consider the type of defensive players we had then, the only one that could’ve fit the system well was Champ, and that’s mainly because Champ can fit any system.

We did not have the DL, or LBs for this system.  The prove is in, how bad we were at defense that year.  You see in this system there is no blitzing, only the line goes after the QB.  That was a disservice to perhaps our best defensive player. 

DJ’s greatness comes from having in attack mode from the start, and not read and react.  Besides the lack of talent across the defensive line, or the lack of personnel to fit the system, DJ had an amazing season. He recorded 170 tackles, a sack, a pick, three forced fumbles, and four passes defended.

Not bad for a kid who didn’t fit the system. The problem, which a lot of the so called analyst and experts saw, was that most of his plays came after the runner had crossed the line of scrimmage.

They labeled him and “ok MLB” but nothing special. I beg to differ.  A lot of fans have taken this to heart, but i say to you, not so fast, let’s look at this first.

I think DJ can be a spectacular ILB for us.  DJ doesn’t fit the read and react scheme well, not because he’s not smart enough, he’s plenty smart, but because you take away one of the best things about DJ, his burst off the snap.  In a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme that has attacking LBs, DJ’s burst, would be coveted.

See, if we take DJ, and have him in attack mode all the time as an ILB, he will make the plays behind the line that we need him to make.  Another attribute of DJ that makes me believe in his ability to play ILB for us, is his ability to make adjustments on the fly.

If the coach just calls the plays and lets DJ attack the ball, like he has done for us in the past, he adjusts if the play changes.  If you have him read and react, I have notice that he tends to over think things. When he’s just attacking the ball and letting loose DJ is a top three LB in this league.

I write this article because, a lot of the fans that I speak to believe that DJ is best suited for the outside, I disagree, DJ’s talents are many and he can handle the inside.  This is just my opinion, from what I have seen in the games.  So, please let me know what you guys think about this with some comments, thanks.

Denver Nuggets vs WWE: How to Solve the Arena Problem

The WWE is enjoying the free publicity right now. From ESPN, the Associated Press, and even Jim Rome is Burning.

Stan Kroenke was personally insulted by Vince McMahon for quote: “Impersonating a good business man.” With all of the facts pointing right at Kroenke Sports Entertainment, it is hard to disagree. KSE is clearly to blame with the problem. But the question is how do they solve the problem.

My idea will never get used, but I think it would be the best idea ever.

First off, the WWE is getting all the free publicity from it. So they are making their fair share of money off of it as it is.

Second, sometimes to win, you have to lose.

My idea is to host Monday Night Raw live from a sold out Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado.

When the city of Denver is having trouble with this, I am pretty sure they would not mind the two events going on at the same time.

Re-sell all of the tickets with new updated pricing, cheaper, so you can sell out the Invesco Field at Mile High, seeing as there could be problems due to people being Nuggets fans.

If you put Invesco Field on the map, and host an outdoor episode of Raw, you not only would have the first ever Raw hosted outdoors, it has the potential of having the largest Raw Crowd ever.

Invesco Field hosts 76,000 for football and 50,000 for concerts. If every ticket was sold for 20 bucks you would make a million off of attendance at the very least.

Vince said so far he has sold over “10,000 tickets, ranging from 20-70 bucks.”

With the quick re-do its a new game. Use the publicity, and get a big crowd. For the nose-bleed seats, give them away for free to the rest of the city.

Sometimes in business you have to lose to win. Vince McMahon will end up being the loser of the Pepsi Center, but he could end up the winner in the end through some good business moves.

Coaches Corner: Broncos Staff to Feature Mix of Old, New, and Family

Josh McDaniels seems to have it all, but can’t do it all.

Can he?

Even the most decorated, experienced coaches in professional sports have help: assistants, scouts, a secretary.  Someone to hold the headset cord on the sideline.  Perhaps a designated staffer with the Gatorade bucket, ready to be poured over said coach’s head after the big win.  Or poured over the official after a bad call costs the team the big win.

Whatever the job, NFL head coaches all have their help.  McDaniels, the new man in charge in Denver, is no different.  Hired at age 32, he replaces Mike Shanahan, a quarter century his senior, and for 14 years, the man who on the surface, seemed to do it all.

He didn’t.  He had help.  So does the new guy.

McDaniels arrives from New England with an offense-heavy resume.  His Patriot teams, whether it was with Tom Brady or Matt Cassel under center, racked up the points.  The Broncos racked up points a year ago—as did their opponents.

To get the Bronco defense back to at least somewhat-Orange Crush standards, McDaniels has brought in Mike Nolan as his defensive coordinator.  Nolan comes off an uninspired four-year run as Niners head coach, but he knows defense.  It was his stint as the Ravens defensive coordinator that largely contributed to his getting the Niners job, and Nolan will be implementing a 3-4 scheme. 

This is Nolan’s second tour with Denver; he previously coached special teams and linebackers from 1987-92.  The Broncos went to two Super Bowls during his first go-round, and getting back there will require patience as the team slowly brings in personnel to fit Nolan’s system.  He also gives McDaniels someone with head coaching experience to look to as he begins his own career as the man in charge.

Nolan is joined on his staff by another former Bronco staffer, secondary coach Ed Donatell, who comes over from the University of Washington.  Donatell served under Shanahan in the same capacity during the club’s Super Bowl years. 

The Broncos went on an AFC West hiring spree in the offseason, plucking one coach from each of its divisional foes.  Don Martindale was hired away from Oakland to coach the linebackers, and Wayne Nunnely comes over from San Diego to coach the defensive line. Special teams will be handled by Mike Priefer, who arrives from Kansas City.  McDaniels hopes all three can give his club an edge during the West wars of ’09.

McDaniels is converting the Broncos long standing West Coast offense to his Patriot style of play.  To assist, McDaniels has added Mike McCoy as his offensive coordinator/QB coach.  McCoy served in that capacity the last few years in Carolina,  and helped mold Jake Delhomme into a Pro Bowl QB. 

McCoy comes full circle, as he competed for a spot as John Elway’s backup in 1995.  Kyle Orton takes over at QB amidst much controversy after being acquired for Jay Cutler.  McCoy’s task, should he choose to accept it (and we assume he has): establish a relationship with Orton and teach him the ways of McDaniels’ offense.

It’s not all new in Denver.  McDaniels is well aware of the success of the Broncos running game over the years.  To that end, RB coach Bobby Turner remains from Shanahan’s staff.  Turner will be charged with shaping Knowshon Moreno into the next Bronco franchise back.  The former Georgia star was selected in the first round, ending the Denver tradition of unearthing a star RB in the later rounds.

Whatever name McDaniels calls his offense, it requires the QB to be upright. The offensive line allowed only 12 sacks in ’08.  The Broncos will continue to employ their zone blocking scheme.  Rick Dennison was the line coach.  He stays, enough said.

The head coach won’t be the only bright-eyed, youthful McDaniels on the sidelines.  Ben McDaniels joins his older brother’s staff as an offensive assistant, after a couple years as a graduate assistant with the University of Minnesota.  Both McDaniels boys were sent on the coaching path by their father Thom, one of Ohio’s most celebrated high school coaches.

On the pro level, Bronco fans hope it will be a case of “like father, like son.”

With a little help, of course.

What Should Broncos Fans Expect From B-Dawk?

Brian Dawkins: No. 20 S

Height: 6’0″  

Weight: 210  

Age: 35

Born: Oct. 13, 1973 Jacksonville, Fla.

College: Clemson

Experience: 14th season

High School: William M. Raines HS [Jacksonville, FL]

Over the course of Brian Dawkins’ career (all of which he has spent in Philly until now) he has been given several nicknames. The majority of Philly fans simply refered to him as B-Dawk, but Dawkins has also been called “The Beast,” “Weapon-X,” and “Wolverine.”

Wolverine, the low-key leader of the X-Men, is known for his animal-keen senses that allow him to track his adversaries with great ease, very much like Brian Dawkins hunts down opposing ball carriers and receivers delivering earth shattering train-wreck hits.

Dawkins senses are sharp, too. With 34 interceptions and 21 sacks over the course of his career, B-Dawk is one of four players in the history of the NFL to post at least 32 interceptions and 18 sacks, joining the company of Leroy Butler (38 INTs, 20.5 sacks), Rodney Harrison (34, 30.5) and Ronde Barber (37, 23).

One thing that can always be said about Dawkins is that he comes to play. While a mild-mannered, calm, and confident person off the field, when Dawkins steps out onto the field, he transforms into a beast.  He becomes a loud, pumped up, vocal leader.

“Weapon-X,” a man possessed, who cannot wait to get out there and make receivers pay for trying to go across the middle, to make running backs think twice before deciding to run to his side of the field, and get into a quarterback’s head knowing that he could be coming for him at any point in time.

After making a big play, B-Dawk will often celebrate (as defensive players sometimes do) with a bit of a pose, as he seemingly draws energy from the crowd as they show their appreciation for his fine play. 

Dawkins, being unabashed and unashamed about his faith, will also be heard shouting “Hallelujah!” and pointing his index finger skyward at INVESCO field in thanks and recognition to the Lord for blessing him with the ability to play the great game of football. 

While the Eagles organization may not realize just how great of a player that they let slip through their fingers, the Eagles fans sure do. When the news broke back in February that Dawkins had signed with the Denver Broncos, the fans in Philly were in complete and total disbelief. 

You had people crying on the news they were so distraught. That is the kind of impact that Dawkins is capable of having on a city.

Eagles fans will tell you, Dawkins in no joke.

A seven time Pro Bowler, including an appearance in 2008, Dawkins has proven that he can still play at an elite level.

Despite being a defensive back in his mid-30’s, there has not been a dip in Dawkins production on the field.  In fact, over the past five seasons, he has averaged 70 tackles (58 solo) 2.1 sacks, and 2.6 interceptions.  

Dawkins shows no signs of slowing down either.  If anything his resolve has been strengthened by his change of scenery, and looks forward to the opportunity to prove himself to his new coaches and new teammates.

B-Dawk also has a small chip on his shoulder, and looks to prove wrong those who doubted his ability.     

I expect Coach Nolan to utilize “Weapon-X” in ways that play to his strengths, which should mean big plays in the form of sacks, turnovers, and big hits.

In a denverbroncos.com article, Ronnie Fields had this to say about the defense that Mike Nolan is installing in Denver: “It’s not really the usual 3-4, it’s an attack 3-4, it’s like an offensive mindset. Some people play the 3-4 different; they’re more like ‘sit back and wait.’ But as far as us, we attack.”

With that in mind I expect Nolan to use B-Dawk to Blitz the quarterback, move around, and confuse the offense. Maybe place Dawkins in some robber coverage where he can use his instincts to pick off the ball in a very Ed Reed kind of way.

Dawkins will also be asked to be a teacher and a mentor to the young defensive backs who the Broncos recently acquired, a task he is more than qualified to accomplish. 

If I was Darcell McBath, David Bruton, Josh Barrett, Alphonso Smith, Josh Bell, Jack Williams, D.J. Johnson, or Tony Carter, I would be thrilled to be able to learn from Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins.  I would watch them incessantly, pick their brains, ask for advice, and soak up as much as I could. 

If even a little bit of Champ and B-Dawk rub off on any of these young guys, the future of the Denver Broncos secondary will look pretty bright.    

In the shorter term, though, Dawkins joins a secondary that has been reloaded with experienced players who know how to play in the National Football League.

In Nolan’s attacking style defense, they will have a mandate to create turnovers and limit the ground they give up. As the strong safety, Dawkins ability to read the play and attack the run will play a huge role in making that happen.

Regardless of all the change and scheme and age, I think that Denver can expect B-Dawk to be B-Dawk.  He is going to prepare, play explosively, and create havoc for the opposing team.  “Weapon-X” is going to live up to his name as the X-Factor of the defense.

He brings leadership, experience, poise, intensity, big play ability, and character.  On the field he will play like a beast, giving it his all. Off the field he will conduct himself as an upstanding member of the community.        

Denver can expect big things from B-Dawk in 2009.

Too Many Holes For The Denver Broncos To Fill In One Offseason

The Denver Broncos may have a long, tough season ahead of them. This team had so many holes to fill going into the off-season it resembled Swiss cheese. Then they created another huge hole by trading quarterback Jay Cutler.

The Broncos biggest holes are in the defensive front seven. Many Broncos fans and draft experts expected the team to focus on these positions in the draft. In the end they used only one pick on the front seven—first round pick Robert Ayers, a defensive end from Tennessee. 

 

There will be as many as four new starters in the front seven and another two that are going to playing new positions in the 3-4 scheme this season.

The secondary has been completely revamped as well. The only hold over from last season in the secondary is corner back Champ Bailey. However, the free agent acquisitions in this part of the defense are proven starters in the league. 

The biggest addition is strong safety Brian Dawkins.

To say the defense has a new look is a huge understatement. With 80% of the starting defense being changed,fan are going to need a roster sheet just to know who these guys are.

 

The offense moved the ball effectively last season, ranking second in the NFL in total offense.  As we all know, they count points not yards in the NFL. The Broncos were not as proficient at scoring those points. 

The argument can be made that, because the Broncos defense was so bad, the offense was constantly in a position to have to go 80-90 yards to get into the end zone.  In fact, the Broncos did have the worst starting field position in the league.

 

General Manager Brian Xanders and head coach Josh Mcdaniels were wise to leave the offensive line and starting receiving corps intact. The running back position is a different story. 

It has been revamped with the addition of first round pick Knowshon Moreno and free agents Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and JJ Arrington.  Peyton Hillis, a starter at half back for part of last year, has been moved back to full back.

Of course, the biggest change on the team is at quarterback. McDaniels and Cutler had a very public falling out, which led to the franchise quarterback being traded to the Chicago Bears for two first round draft picks and quarterback Kyle Orton. 

With the addition of Orton and free agent Chris Simms, McDaniels believes there is no hole at quarterback.  However, neither quarterback has proven to be a consistent, quality starter in the NFL.

Orton was third on the depth chart in Chicago at times in his career. Chicago is not exactly a hot bed of quarterbacking talent; this is why they wanted Cutler. 

In fact, Orton spent some time behind Brian Giese.  Broncos fans will not doubt remember that name from his time spent quarterbacking the team after John Elways retirement.

Simms hasn’t thrown more than two passes since a spleen injury in 2006.  He spent 2007 season on injured reserve.  He threw those two passes last season, and was third on the depth chart for the Tennessee Titans.

The coaching staff has a monumental task to get the completely remade defense to play together.  They also have their work cut out for them when it comes to coaching up the most important position on the field, quarterback.  

Only time will tell if the holes truly have been filled or simply spackled over.

Breaking Down the 2009 Denver Broncos (Part 1)

To many fans of the NFL and the Denver Broncos, it seems like there is a grave loss of a dear friend in the Mile High City this season. Coach Mike Shanahan was replaced immediately following yet another late season collapse by the team he led since 1995.

For the last decade, the threat of competing for a title every season seemed to fall apart for one reason or another. Those threats seemingly no longer exist in their original form.

What the Broncos organization and fan base has is deep remorse over the shortfalls of the last decade. Now in a sort of rebuilding stage from top to bottom, no stone has been left unturned. 

Enter Josh McDaniels, a highly touted head coaching prospect coming into the early 2009 hiring campaign. He came into Dove Valley with the look of a guy who won the lottery—with a fresh haircut and a youthful smile, ready to pick up a check and make a lasting impression. 

Somewhere between his first press conference and the present, something either went awry or almost exactly according to plan. It didn’t take long for Josh McDaniels to start firing and hiring a slew of new talent.

It all seemed so surreal after All-Pro Brian Dawkins was added to the fold. It seemed the Broncos were all about kicking butt in the free agent market and taking names.

It took all of a few moments later for the eventual embarrassment from the Jay Cutler debacle to unfold.

A day later, the full details of a failed attempt to acquire Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots became widely known as Jay Cutler informed a local media outlet of what he had learned. A few weeks later after the dust still had not settled, Jay Cutler was traded to Chicago more or less on a whim.

Moving forward, the Broncos focused intently on the draft and how they would manage games and quarterbacks within the new offensive scheme. While it certainly appears the Denver Broncos are going to be less talented at quarterback, they will be a more physical football team.

The overall team outlook on this team’s season will be saved for last; the following are the breakdowns by position for Denver.

On Offense

Center

The battle at the center position is a typical sort of competition seen on most teams at any position. You have a seasoned veteran who is up against a young, skilled talent with a desire to play in the NFL.

In this case, it’s last year’s free-agent acquisition from the Kansas City Chiefs, Casey Wiegmann, who played for an injured and now retired Tom Nalen all of last season going into his 14th season.

Wiegmann was the starting center for a line that tied the Tennessee Titans for the fewest sacks allowed (12).  There was some talk early on that Casey might not report or instead retire unless the Broncos renegotiated his contract.

Things appear to be somewhat better for Wiegmann as the Broncos have agreed to let him miss the offseason conditioning program. The two sides are also believed to be close to a new deal for the 2009 season.

Realistically, Wiegmann is the guy at center. However, should things not workout in some way or fashion, the Broncos have a young insurance policy to back him up.  

Last year’s fourth round pick Kory Lichtensteiger out of Bowling Green is the biggest of the bunch at 6’ 3” and 295 pounds.  Lichtensteiger may also see some time at the guard position—he did however struggle a bit in the game against the Panthers.

Blake Schlueter out of TCU might just be the best athlete of this bunch. He ran a 4.7 40-yard dash and showed a 35 inch vertical at his TCU Pro Day and was the Broncos’ seventh round selection at this year’s draft.

Guard

Ben Hamilton has started every game in six out of his eight seasons in the NFL. He bounced back in 2008 after suffering a series of concussions that kept him sidelined in 2007. This is the final year of Hamilton’s current deal; providing he can stay healthy, the Broncos would like to retain his leadership on the field.

Chris Kuper struggled in 2007 to fill Ben Hamilton’s shoes at left guard after Hamilton’s season ended early. Those trials eventually paid off as he was the Broncos’ starting left guard last season. He broke his hand against the Carolina Panthers and was replaced momentarily by Kory Lichtensteiger.

Former CU Buffalo Matt McChesney is in camp, having signed as a free agent from the Miami Dolphins. He is heading into his fourth year in the league and has only played in four games—none as a starter—so this is more than likely a make or break year for McChesney to make a greater contribution.

Mitch Ericson and Pat Murray also hope to make an impression at the position.

Seth Olsen is a new era hopeful after being obtained in the fourth round as the Broncos’ seventh overall pick. His size is impressive at 6’ 4” and 306 pounds. He’s said to have good technical skills and the ability to go toe-to-toe, but is not a great athlete.

This impedes his lateral and second-level movements. As with many rookie offensive linemen, he may be a developmental project for the future as he develops more athletically.

Offensive Tackle

The Broncos, on the whole, are a youth movement.

This position in particular may have the most youth, boasting five of seven tackles being in their rookie or second year in the league. Add third year pro Ryan Harris to the mix and that makes six out of seven with less than three seasons in the NFL. Don’t let that statistic fool you with this group.

In only his second NFL season, Ryan Clady has already become an elder statesman at his position. The left tackle position has to be solid there because that is where the backdoor blitzes and various forms of pressure generally originate against right handed gun slingers.

Clady proved he could handle his own and then some last year as the Broncos number one pick in the 2008 draft, taking over for Matt Lepsis who retired. He finished last season third in the voting for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award behind Atlanta quarterback sensation Matt Ryan and Titan running back Chris Johnson.

If you check his statistics, it’s not a misprint that he surrendered zero sacks last year. Probably the only reason he wasn’t the rookie of the year is because he’s not a quarterback or running back. Clady will be a force with many years to come.

Ryan Harris comes into this season with one season as the starting right tackle under his belt. He has compiled a total of 27 games at the position over two seasons. He should be the starter going into this season at right tackle.

Brandon Gorin comes to Denver as a journeyman offensive tackle who has played for the likes of San Diego, New England, Arizona, and St. Louis. He has compiled 26 starts over six seasons. At 6’ 6” and 308 pounds he could make an impact at the position. He will contend to make the roster while adding valuable experience to the team.

Local sensation and CU Buff standout Tyler Polumbus is the largest tackle in the bunch at 6’ 5” and 310 pounds. He did see action in all of the Broncos’ games last season and has shown promise, primarily on special teams.

Clint Oldenburg is a second year tackle out of Colorado State. He saw action in two games for the Jets during his rookie campaign last season. He’s probably an outside shot to make the team,  but he does have good size at 6’ 5” and 300 pounds.

The Broncos also signed Stanley Bryant who could add depth at the left tackle position.  He is the lightest lineman coming into camp weighing 282 pounds for his 6’ 5” frame and is said to be a good character to have around.

Marcus Gordon was also signed as a free agent out of Kentucky State where he transferred to from Penn State.

Tight End

This position will carry out the Broncos’ current ideology to be a more physical version of a balanced attack. With the advent of the Pittsburgh Steelers physical attack, double tight end sets are becoming vogue once again.

Tight end Tony Scheffler was rumored to be on the trading block early in the offseason.  As the Jay Cutler situation prevailed, Scheffler was said to be considering a holdout. To date, none of those reports have transpired even though he might remain silently on the trading block.

Scheffler is one of five fighting for a roster spot in this position. He probably has the best hands of the bunch and the best transitional skills as well. It’s hard to say the Broncos would retain all five tight ends; however four is not entirely out of the question with a physical run game in the mix.

Daniel Graham is already in his eighth season out of Colorado. He has already played a majority of his career with the New England Patriots and is a near can’t miss in coach McDaniels’ new system.

Graham was primarily used as a blocker in coach Shanahan’s system to help compensate for a less aggressive approach up front. With some of that mindset changing a bit, some of that pressure could be taken off of Graham which could open him up for more receptions.

Former Bronco, Texan, and Seahawk Jeb Putzier found his way back on the Broncos roster after being released by Seattle. He appeared in six games for Seattle and two for Denver but did not have a single reception. His best years in the league came in Denver in 2004-05 when he had 36 and 37 receptions, respectively, that totaled over 1,000 yards during that period.

One of the Broncos’ most controversial picks came in selecting North Carolina’s Richard Quinn in this year’s draft. He was projected to go between the fifth and seventh rounds, which caused a stir.

This is one pick not to be overlooked, however. Quinn is the biggest tight end at 6’ 5” and 260 pounds—a great blocker who has the potential to do something special at the position.

An additional bookend was picked up in Marquez Branson out of Central Arkansas. He is probably more of a true H-back adding a developmental guy at the position.

Wide Out

The wide receiver position boasts of having the most roster spots going into camp with a whopping eleven receivers getting a look at the position.

Brandon Marshall has been “the guy” in Denver at wideout, but it is also obvious his on- and off-the-field antics have fallen under review. Marshall may have to miss as many as eight games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy again.

With that in mind, Jay Cutler’s favorite target no longer has his quarterback. Brandon also noted that there was no fallout between the two even though there was obvious discord at the end of the last game blowout in San Diego.

How Marshall is used may well depend on how devoted to the team concept he is, as well as his off-the-field conduct.  If he doesn’t buy into the new system, another blockbuster trade may be in the works.

Last year’s sensation Eddie Royal has already shown he could be the greatest slot receiver in the league this season. What’s just as valuable is Royal’s locker room presence—a true character guy who worked hard from day one and found himself as the starter on the outside.

Realistically, Eddie’s best position on the field is on the inside where he can create automatic mismatches with much slower safeties and linebackers.

Jabar Gaffney was signed away from New England and may have been the final straw or parting shot that lead coach Belichick to foil Matt Cassel’s trade to Denver.

Gaffney is a serviceable receiver who has an astounding 12.0 yards per reception. This is not an overwhelming number, for a journeyman-type of receiver, that is. By comparison, Terrell Owens has averaged 14.8 yards per catch and Brandon Marshall has averaged 12.8 yards per catch.

The Broncos also have depth in the slot with Brandon Stokley who is entering his third year with the team and eleventh in the league. He’s a staple receiver with great hands and a knack for getting open but may be in a dog fight to keep his job.

As Denver continues to search for solid size and speed at the outside receiver position, the team drafted Kenny McKinley out of South Carolina and later signed Travis Shelton (Temple), David Grimes (Notre Dame), Lucas Taylor (Tennessee), and Nate Swift (Nebraska) to complement last year’s acquisitions of Chad Jackson (Florida) and Matt Willis (UCLA) to battle for the remaining roster spots.

 

Running back

Coach McDaniels took the draft by surprise (along with much of the Broncos’ following) when he selected Knowshon Moreno (Georgia) with the twelfth pick in this year’s draft. 

Moreno actually made one of YouTube’s greatest highlight video’s last season as he hurdled a Central Michigan defender 25 yards down field on his way to a big gain. While not officially the starter, he is projected to become the starter sometime soon. 

Unlike many of the other positions, the running back position is fairly well mapped out.    With Moreno the projected starter, Correll Buckhalter would be the second string tailback. J.J. Arrington would be the solid third down back while LaMont Jordan is the short yardage specialist, with the addition of last year’s surprise sensations Peyton Hillis and Spencer Larsen at fullback.

That said, the Broncos are also taking a look at Kestahn Moore (Florida), Ryan Torain, who was injured early in his return to the team last year, and Darius Walker a recent free agent signing from the Houston Texans.

 

Quarterback

This position will no doubt look very different with the absence of Jay Cutler. With coach McDaniels running his new system with marginal quarterback talent, the template is set to be a ball control, physical, running offense with the ability to choose their spots on the field to throw the ball. 

While both Kyle Orton and Chris Simms appear destined to be the upbeat number one and two, forgive the fans if they seem less than excited. The quarterback position, much like coach McDaniels, will have to produce points and victories in order to win the fan base after this tumultuous and overly dramatic offseason.

Kyle Orton may not be the next coming Broncos fans have hoped for, but he may just become the game manager they desperately need with a nod to the offensive scheme. 

In fact, Orton may remind Broncos fans more of Craig Morton or Charlie Johnson than any other quarterback in recent memory.  He’s not the best athlete, but his numbers were very respectable last season and fell only a shade behind Jay Cutler’s statistics.

The mere fact that Chris Simms is still alive and able to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL speaks volumes about his drive to live and to compete. Simms never panned out as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers future starter but could become a serious threat to Orton if things start to go his way.

Denver also picked up a gunslinger in Tom Brandstater out of Fresno State in the sixth round of this years draft.  He’s tall, rangy, and fairly solid as he could be a contender as the future starter at the position. 

He threw for over 2,600 yards each of his last two years in college. He also finished with quarterback ratings over 140 and 129 points respectively for each of those last two seasons.

 

Kicker

Currently Matt Prater is the only kicker listed on the roster. Don’t expect that to hold if Matt shows any further signs of being inconsistent during the mini-camps and pre-season as he struggled late in 2008. 

On the up side, Matt Prater impressed early last season with some of his long field goals, his furthest coming from 56 yards out.

To be continued tomorrow when we review the defense.

Getting to Know New Safety Brian Dawkins

Safety Brian Dawkins was the heart of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense for 13 years before signing with the Denver Broncos. What does the safety bring to the Broncos’ defense and the team as a whole?

Q. After spending the first 13 years of your career with the Eagles, how does it feel to be part of another team?

Q. The Broncos defense struggled last season. How can you help put this defense on the map once again?

Q. You played in a 4-3 scheme in Philadelphia. The Broncos are switching to a 3-4 this season, so how do you feel about playing in that scheme?

Q. The Broncos had problems pressuring the quarterback, and you have been part of a blitzing, aggressive defense that always put pressure on the QB in Philadelphia. Do you feel you will help by blitzing for the Broncos or by staying back in coverage?

Q. You are part of a rebuilt secondary, with Champ Bailey as the only returning starter.  How do you feel about playing with one of the best cover corners in the game?

Q. You were a leader in Philadelphia. Are you looking to take on the same role in Denver?

Q. Some feel that coach Josh McDaniels has made some questionable decisions during the offseason. Including trading Jay Cutler and drafting Knowshon Moreno.  What do you think of the Broncos’ offseason as a whole?

Q. Mike Nolan was hired to run the defense. What do you know about his scheme, and what is your relationship with him?

Q. The Broncos could not stop the run last season. Can you help the run defense by providing run support from the safety spot?

Q. You have 34 career interceptions and 21 career sacks. Do you enjoy rushing the passer or staying back in coverage more?

Between The Tackles With Peyton Hillis

The following is a mock interview with Denver Broncos’ starting fullback Peyton Hillis.  The answers given to these questions are fictitious and purely used for the enjoyment of the author.

Recently, I was giving the chance to sit down and chat with one of my favorite professional football players, Peyton Hillis. Here is what he had to say.

Ryan Ayars: Hello Peyton. Thank you for giving me some time to learn more about you.

Peyton Hillis: It’s my pleasure Ryan. Anything for a die hard Bronco fan like yourself.

RA: You’re a lot bigger then I thought you were. I would hate to have to try tackle you on the field.

PH: Me too! That’s why I do all the running and hitting. (chuckle chuckle)

RA: What was it like blocking for such a potent running game with the Arkansas Razorbacks?

PH: Well Ryan, I was born and raised in Arkansas. Just being given the opportunity to play for the Razorbacks was a dream come true. Guys like Darren McFadden and Felix Jones make your job as a blocker a lot easier. I can contribute a lot of my success to the Arkansas system and the players I had around me.

RA: What are some of the differences in the level of competition in the NFL versus college football?

PH: Well the hits definitely. In college, you get hit hard two out of every five times. In the NFL, you get hit HARD every time you touch the ball. The players are a lot more competitive as well. I mean you’re playing against the best of the best every Sunday.

RA: How did losing your head coach and starting quarterback effect you?

PH: Well, anytime you lose important team guys like that, it’s going to be a little weird.  Coach Mike was the guy who drafted me and saw enough in my play to start me, during my rookie year. Jay was just a good guy to play with. He had a real competitive streak.

RA: Did you expect to be the starting running back last year?

PH: No. I mean I played tailback in college, but I didn’t expect to start in the NFL as a tailback. It was fun though.

RA: Did you expect to have as much success as you did in 2008?

PH: No not really, but anytime you get to carry the ball behind an offensive line like we have, your going to be successful. I owe everything to those big guys.

RA: What if you didn’t get injured last year? Does Denver go to the playoffs?

PH: I’m not much of a “what if” guy. Let’s just hope we get there this year.

RA: What are your Strengths?

PH: I guess I’m pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions. I’m competitive.

RA: What are you weaknesses?

PH: You tell me. 

RA: (chuckle chuckle)  I think we can move on.

PH: Good idea.  (chuckle chuckle)

RA: Do you think you’ll be in the mix for the starting running back position?

PH: Anything is possible. Moreno is a pretty good back though. I’ll probably see most of my time at fullback, maybe some tight end.

RA: What do you think of your new Head Coach Josh McDaniels?

PH: Great guy. He really knows what he’s doing and believes in his system. I’ve never been around a coach as young as him. He can really relate to the players.

RA: What do you think of the new Broncos offense?

PH: We’re going to be good. Better than last year. Kyle is really picking up the game plan well. In the time that I’ve spent with him so far, I can see he’s a real leader. This year will be fun for sure.

RA: Do you see yourself as being a huge part of this year’s offensive plan?

PH: Yes I do. I think everyone one will get the chance to play a huge part this year. That’s what’s so cool about the new system. There’s a lot of running and passing. I have pretty good hands coming out of the back field, so I can be in on a lot of screen plays. I’m just really excited to get the season started.

RA: Well thank you again for your time Peyton and I wish you and your team great success this year.

PH: No problem,  I appreciate it.

Denver Broncos Defense: Good Players, Wrong Scheme? You Be the Judge

Hello, its me again here to talk about the Broncos defense.  I know what your thinking, “here is another yahoo who’s gonna tell us how bad we’re gonna be”.  Well if that’s what you were thinking, then you are wrong.  I am here to say the opposite and I’ll tell you why.

The additions of Brian Dawkins, Reynaldo Hill, Andre’ Goodman, Ronald Fields, Chris Baker, Andra Davis among others really caught my eye.  While most people think we have not done enough to upgrade a horrendous defense, I thought we did. 

See I thought that what the defense needed all along was a scheme change, and I’m not referring to the type of scheme change that happened when we got rid of Coyer and brought in Bates, I mean a switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4.  Contrary to popular believe, we do have the pieces for that kind of defense.

I will proceed to break down each position and point out the leading candidate so far (in my opinion of course, the only one who knows in the end is the coach).

We will start with the nose tackle.  While some believe that this the most important position in the 3-4 and unless you have an experienced and stud nose tackle you will never succeed in executing this defense, I tend to disagree. 

Not completely of course, I think that both the ILB positions and the nose tackle are the most important positions in this scheme.  When it comes to a nose tackle you need size, strength, quickness, vision and the ability to shed blockers. 

I believe we have that player in camp already.  The Broncos pursued Chris Baker heavily outta collage for a reason, he has the size 6’2″ 326 lbs, the lateral quickness, the vision, the ability to shed, but most importantly he has experience. 

He played the position in college, granted it was only for a year but I have looked at tape from the university of Hampton and I must say I am impressed.  The kid possesses all the tools be a stud nose tackle for years to come.

Many people believe that Ronald Fields was brought in to be the starter, I dissagree.  I believe he was brought in to be the back up and someone who can help Chris along in learning the Mike Nolan system. 

Starter: Chris Baker, back up: Ronald Fields.

Now lets talk DE.  This is a position that we actually have very good prospects in.  I believe that the front runners are, Marcus Thomas and Kenny Peterson.  While some might say Thomas is better suited for NT, Lets think about this for a second. 

To play NT you need to anchor and two gap, same thing for a DE in a 3-4, with the exception that in obvious pass situations, the DE will be asked to actually rush the passer.  This plays to Thonas’ strength. 

While in college Thomas would penetrate the pocket and attack the QB from the inside, this unfortunately has not translated to the NFL yet.  He has all the tools to be a five technique DE in the 3-4.  Marcus can use his quick first step, while the NT draws the double team, to rush the QB.

While Peterson seems to be the incumbent, do not be surprised to see rookie Everette Pedescleaux take over some time during the season.  Everette has the size 6’6″ 305 lbs, strength, toughness and quickness to the ball to be the starter.  He is also great against the run as well as Marcus. 

Starters: Marcus Thomas and Kenny Peterson/Everette Pedescleaux, Back ups: Carlton Powell and Mathias Askew.

Which brings me to the OLB spots.I believe Elvis Dumervil will make the successful switch to a 3-4 outside linebacker and Robert Ayers will also make a successful transition.  They both posses the speed and strength to be pass rushers in this type of scheme. 

Now, Robert did play ,some, standing up at Tennessee so, while the speed of the game and the size of the playbook might overwhelm him to start the season, I think he will be just fine.  The numbers might not be there right away, but they will come. 

Now let’s talk Elvis, he will probably be coming from the blind side of the quaterback.  We all know that elvis has the speed and strength to get to the QB, the question is, can he go out and cover?  The answer, yes.  He can drop back in coverage, but I think a zone suits him best. 

Starters: Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers, Back ups: Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss.

DJ Williams will play one of the ILB positions that is guaranteed barring injury, and the other will be played by Andra Davis, but eventually he will be replaced by Wesley Woodyard, I believe this is why they kept him.  While some of you might wonder if Wesley can handle and shed blocks from guards?

The answer is yes, but not as you might think.  Wesley is extremely quick and fast for his size 6’1″ 240 lbs he will beat blockers with his speed.  You might ask, is that big enough to play ILB in a 3-4? 

Once again the answer is yes, that is the same size as some of the better 3-4 ILB today.  We all know that DJ can play any LB position so he will be great as usual.

Starters: DJ Williams and Andra Davis/Wesley Woodyard, Backups:  Boss Bailey and Wesley Woodyard/Andra Davis/Jeff schweiger.

DBs is where our strength (as of now) is.  Andre’ Goodman will start opposite future HOF Champ Bailey.  These two WILL form a formidable tandem.  Unlike Bly, Goodman ‘s skills have not diminish at all.  Opposite a healthy Champ anyone can look bad, so look for Goodman to give us a very consistent performance week in and week out. 

The X factor here is Smith, he will not, of course, over take Champ, but he might be able to challenge Goodman for playing time.  He reminds MCD (and me) a lot of Asante Samuel, small, speedy corners with great instincts, (even though both slipped in the draft due to size and bad 40s). 

Barring injury I think Goodman will beat out Smith and start opposite Champ.

Starters:  Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman, Back ups:  Alphonso Smith and Jack Williams/Joshua Bell

Now the Gems of our defensive Backfield the safeties.  Brian Dawkins still has juice left in the tank, and now a need to prove it.  Reynaldo Hill is no superstar, but he is consistent and more than productive. 

These two, however, have been brought in to teach.  Seeing how Dawkins is in his mid 30s and Hill is in his early 30s, they brought them in for consistency and mentoring.  Who you might ask?  Josh Barrett and Darcel McBath. 

The coaching staff likes both very much, even though Barrett was drafted by the previous administration, MCD likes him a lot.  He likes his speed, instincts and hitting. 

McBath is here to learn from Dawkins, the young one is fast and hits hard, and Dawkins will teach him how to direct those hits and read the offense. 

David Bruton was selected in the fourth round of the draft, he will be a ST ace and will push Barrett but not beat him out.  Neither Barrett or McBath will see the starters roll, barring injury of course, at least not this year.  They are to sit and learn from two of the best in the business.

Starters:  Brian Dawkins and Reynaldo Hill, Back ups:  Josh Barrett and Darcel McBath.

Well this is the end of my report, hope you all like it. 

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