Let’s Play Some Football: WR Marshall Atop Denver’s Latest Depth Chart

This news should come as no surprise.

When the Denver Broncos’ official team site released their updated depth chart today, misguided wide receiver Brandon Marshall was listed with the first string.

This is a very significant development in the Marshall saga in Denver, as just as recently as last week, he was practicing on the scout team.

Why should Bronco fans be excited about this?

It likely means that we will get our first taste of Marshall in the third preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

It also means that Marshall has gotten a good enough grasp of the playbook that head coach Josh McDaniels saw fit to place him with the first team.

There is something interesting about the depth chart though.

As it is currently listed, Marshall stands alone in his depth chart position, and the Broncos currently boast 12 offensive starters, a strategy that is likely to give many opposing teams fits.

It is likely that wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, also listed with the first team, is going to be the fourth receiver, and the Broncos’ depth chart will go back to its required 11 players.

This is a very positive movement by the Broncos and Marshall, as it currently stands.  This shows the team has given Marshall a vote of confidence, and that they feel he is ready despite not having taken a single snap with the starters in the preseason.

Denver Broncos Acquire OL Russ Hochstein from Patriots for Late Draft Pick

The Denver Broncos shored up their offensive line on Tuesday when they traded for New England Patriots offensive lineman Russ Hochstein.

In return, the Patriots received a late round draft pick according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The arrival of Hochstein makes three former Patriots acquired by the Broncos in a week’s time, and he also brings some much needed depth to the interior of Denver’s offensive line.

In the team’s second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, the reserve offensive linemen were unable to keep rookie Tom Brandstater upright, as he was sacked four times.

Thus, trading for Hochstein should come as no surprise.

Over the last seven seasons, the versatile lineman has played in 91 games for the Patriots at multiple positions.  He has played guard, center, fullback, and tight end in his time with New England.

With youngsters Seth Olsen and Kory Lichtensteiger waiting in the wings, it would appear as though veteran guard Ben Hamilton’s days in Denver could be numbered. 

No corresponding roster move has been announced, but to make room on the roster, the Broncos will have to cut another player.

Broncos-Bears: Three Keys for Denver in Jay Cutler’s Return To Invesco Field

For the first time since the second biggest trade in franchise history, Jay Cutler will return to Denver as a member of the Chicago Bears to take on the Broncos.

Cutler’s return is so eagerly anticipated, that NBC selected this contest as their prime time game for week three of the NFL pre-season. The former Broncos quarterback is sure to hear the boo birds, and do not doubt if he gets a bit of a beer shower, maybe a hot dog in the head.

But behind all the drama, there is, believe it or not, a football game to be played. Not only is it critical for Jay Cutler to prove to the Broncos and their fans what they are missing, but it is crucial for the Broncos to show their fans that they are going to be able to win football games without their Pro Bowl quarterback.

Here are some keys for the Broncos, who will likely allow most starters to play roughly three quarters in this the third pre-season contest.

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Denver Broncos Claim DB Antwain Spann, Waive WR Travis Shelton

The Denver Broncos brought aboard yet another ex-New England Patriot on Monday when they claimed defensive back Antwain Spann off of waivers from the Buffalo Bills.

To make room on the roster, Denver released wide receiver/kick returner Travis Shelton, an undrafted free agent out of Temple.

Spann was undrafted out of Louisiana Lafayette in 2005 and was signed by the New York Giants. 

He proceeded to spend 2006 through 2008 with the New England Patriots as a special teamer, and recently completed training camp with the Buffalo Bills. 

The six foot, 200 pound Spann has appeared in 19 career games, all with New England, and has recorded 12 total tackles, 11 on special teams.  He has also appeared in three post season contests.

Spann played in a career high 10 games in 2008, and could make the Broncos’ team due to his special teams prowess.

This is a relatively quiet move by the Broncos, and with rosters having to be cut to 75 players after the third pre-season game, many more are sure to come.

 

Simms Injury Update

Reserve quarterback Chris Simms was at the Broncos’ practice facility on crutches, and his left leg injury sustained in the Seattle pre-season game is being classified as a severe left ankle sprain.

 

Broncos-Seahawks: Poor Coaching Does Denver in Against Seattle

SEATTLE, Wash.: The Denver Broncos (0-2) dropped their second pre-season game, losing to the Seattle Seahawks (2-0), as the Josh McDaniels era continues on without a victory. 

The Seahawks beat Denver pretty convincingly with a final score of 27-13.

The Seahawks began the game with an eight-play drive that was capped off by an unbelievable reception in the end zone by rookie third-round pick Deon Butler out of Penn State, who hauled in the 34-yard Matt Hasselbeck toss to make the score 7-0.

The Broncos would answer right back with an impressive drive that lasted 12 plays, and ended with Kyle Orton’s first-ever touchdown pass in a Denver Broncos uniform. 

Orton found wide receiver Brandon Stokley on a fade route in the right corner of the end zone and made a great throw.

This would be the beginning of what turned out to be quite a night for Kyle Orton.  Orton and the Bronco offense drove into Seattle territory following a three and out by the Seahawks, and but the Broncos were forced to settle for a 53-yard field goal by Matt Prater.

Both defenses got stingy after the three scores, and the Broncos forced two punts while the Seahawks forced just one.

A Denver drive that started at the 13 yard line went for 86 yards, and a fourth and goal attempt by the Broncos’ offense proved to be their demise. 

Orton was flushed out of the pocket, tried to throw the ball left-handed, and the play resulted in an interception by Seattle cornerback Ken Lucas. 

Hasselbeck and the Seahawks marched 80 yards down the field, led by a series of screen passes to running back Justin Forsett, and the drive was capped off with a short touchdown throw to big-money wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

The Seahawks took a 14-10 lead and never looked back.

Denver’s inability to retain possession of the ball gave the Seahawks excellent field position nearly every time they had the ball, and they took advantage, scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 27-10 lead.

Backup punter Britton Colquitt hit a 39-yard field goal to cap off the scoring for the game, and the Broncos played an extremely sloppy second half of football.

 

Injury Notes

• Backup QB Chris Simms went down with what appeared to be a leg injury.  The play was called roughing the passer, and a Seahawk defender may have ended Simms’ 2009 season prematurely.  Judging by Simms’ reaction to the play, he could be out for quite some time.
• Reserve defensive lineman Marcus Thomas went down with an injury, but it was unclear as to the nature.  His status should be updated this week.

Game Notes

 

The Bad

• Head coach Josh McDaniels was a disappointment tonight.  After the Broncos scored on two out of three possessions, McDaniels made a “rookie mistake” when he opted to throw the ball three times with a first and goal to go.  Now, I am no coaching legend here, but if I had Peyton Hillis on my roster, he would be the man getting the ball inside the five yard line, no questions asked.  There was also a very questionable touchdown catch by the Seahawks on third-and-goal in the third quarter, and McDaniels opted not to throw the challenge flag.  Upon viewing the replay, it appeared the Seattle tight end did, in fact, drop the pass.  The offense also looked predictable at times.  I often found myself guessing the plays correctly, and the defense appeared to as well.  First downs were often a short pass, followed by a draw out of the gun, then a play-action on third down.  Many drives were constructed this way, and the Broncos looked stale at times in the second and third units.  It was also odd that the first unit was still playing into the third quarter.  Not a very great job by McDaniels tonight, but I am confident he will rebound next week against the Bears.
• LaMont Jordan continues to show me nothing.  He had four carries for nine yards, but an impressive two catches for 25 yards.  His ball-carrying skills are lacking, to say the least.  He goes down on initial contact, and his game-long run of three yards proves that.  He seems like he is trying too hard to protect the ball rather than gain extra yardage.
• Kenny McKinley had a very rough night.  He muffed two returns, and fumbled away another at a critical juncture in the game.  He finished with two receptions for 19 yards, but for a guy who was supposed to have an impact on the return game, this outing did not bode well for him.
• I will cut Tom Brandstater some slack.  The third-string offensive line was horrendous, and Brandstater was constantly under pressure.  He looked like a statue though, was indecisive, and only threw three passes despite seeing over a quarter of work.  He completed one pass for negative yardage, and the other was nothing to write home about. 
• It is hard to judge the defensive backfield fairly without Brian Dawkins roaming around, but it appeared as though the corners and safeties were playing a little soft tonight.  Perhaps this is to be expected in the pre-season, but the defensive backs were, at times, playing 10 yards off their receivers.  Fans would like to see a more aggressive approach from them, especially with the aggressive pass rush.  Water and oil don’t mix, and neither do soft coverage and heavy blitzing.

 

The Good

• D.J. Williams was all over the place.  He finished the game with six tackles and a sack, and continually made plays all over the field.  He was burned blitzing on a screen play or two, but for the most part he was impressive.
• Kyle Orton had a good game, save for one throw.  However, that throw should have never happened.  A few plays earlier, Jabar Gaffney dropped a pass in the back of the end zone in which he was wide open, and poor play-calling by Josh McDaniels resulted in no touchdown and a turnover in the red zone for the second consecutive week.  Instead of throwing the ball left handed, Orton should have been handing the ball off to Peyton Hillis inside the two yard line.  Orton started the game on fire.  He marched the Broncos down the field in 12 plays on their first drive for a touchdown, and finished the game 18-for-26 for 182 yards, a touchdown, and a pick.  He consistently found the open receivers, and ran the offense quite well.  Turnovers in the red-zone will not fly for long. though.  I said Orton needed to come out firing tonight, and he did just that.  26 passes in just over two quarters is not common in the pre-season for most starting quarterbacks.
• The starting front seven was very impressive for the second consecutive week.  They allowed 20 yards rushing in the first half, and got to Matt Hasselbeck three times.  Kenny Peterson had two sacks, while D.J. Williams had the other. 
• The first offensive unit was quite impressive despite not having the likes of Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Marshall, and Brandon Lloyd.  Jabar Gaffney had five catches for 55 yards, Eddie Royal had four receptions for 44 yards, Brandon Stokley had three, including a touchdown, and Peyton Hillis was up to his usual tricks.
• Darius Walker ran hard all night long, and led the team with 48 yards rushing on 11 carries.  
• The starting offensive line allowed no sacks for the second consecutive game.  They may be the best unit in the league.

 

The Ugly

Do not be at all surprised if the Broncos make a play for now available Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.  Jackson played well in the Vikes’ recent win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and with the injury to Chris Simms coupled with the poor play of rookie Tom Brandstater, the Broncos could turn to Jackson if the price is right.

The Broncos have yet to win a game under new head coach Josh McDaniels, but the pre-season is what it is:  practice.

Broncos-Seahawks Preview: Keys For Denver in Seattle

Tonight, the Denver Broncos will travel to Seattle to face off against the Seahawks, and this may be the most critical preseason game in Denver history (until Jay Cutler comes to town next week).

Josh McDaniels and Kyle Orton are under heavy scrutiny. No matter what they say or do, their time in Denver will be remembered by what they do together with the Broncos. 

Orton had a terrible first game with the Broncos. His three interceptions in the first half definitely did not set Denver fans at ease from the Cutler trade, even though it was only the first preseason game.

Will McDaniels back off on the passing to take pressure off of Orton?

My guess would be not at all. I fully expect the Broncos to come out firing tonight, especially with the absence of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter due to injury.

 

Here are some keys for the Broncos in tonight’s game.

1. Orton and the Offense must put points on the board—Last week, the first team offense was able to effectively move the ball down the field a couple of times, but three straight drives were ended by interceptions. This type of performance is certainly not expected, but is also not too far fetched given the fact Denver’s players all had to learn a brand new offense. The rust was expected, and the Broncos certainly looked rusty. It is imperative that Orton’s unit scores a touchdown, not just puts points on the board.
2. Peyton Hillis—With Moreno and Buckhalter out of the game with injuries, it is expected that third string back Peyton Hillis will resume much of the running duties. Hillis was solid in the first preseason game, and he could have a big game tonight.
3. Pass Rush—The Broncos’ defense was able to get four sacks last week against the 49ers. They need a repeat performance tonight to prove that this unit is for real. This is also a critical game potentially for Jarvis Moss, who is on the fringe of making the team.

 

This is an important game for the Broncos. I will not classify it as a “must win,” but it is certainly crucial for the first team offense to play well. Not to avoid scrutiny, but to show that progress has been made. 

 

Brandon Marshall Drawing Interest from Jets: Can They Pry Broncos Receiver Away?

Disgruntled Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall has made it known that he wants out of town. With his off-field issues and injury history, is any team willing to take “Baby T.O.” for a one-year test run for a king’s ransom?

This morning, news broke out of New York that the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets were “exploring the wide receiver market” and that Marshall is the biggest name they are targeting.

The Broncos have made it clear that they are not interested in trading away their Pro Bowl receiver and appear ready to make him play out the final year of his rookie contract.

Marshall has demanded a trade from the Broncos because he is not even in the top 50 of highest paid wide receivers, and his roughly $2.2 million haul in 2009 is apparently embarrassing. 

Some fans feel Marshall has good reason to be upset. Only New England’s Wes Welker has caught more passes than Marshall’s 206 over the last two seasons, and last year he made his first career Pro Bowl appearance.

So, on the Madden video game, it would appear Marshall is more than overdue for a contract renewal.

Too bad this is real life. Marshall has also been a bonehead off the gridiron, to say the very least.

He has been arrested more than a dozen times since arriving in Denver, and he has had at least one injury per season since 2006. He has not proven that he can stay out of jail or off the injury list for a full NFL season, so the Broncos refuse to renegotiate his contract until he does such.

Marshall would likely have agreed to play this season out had the Broncos not traded quarterback Jay Cutler, the Pro Bowl quarterback Denver traded to Chicago early in March.

Why would he have been willing to wait if the Broncos still had their former gunslinger?

Well, when Cutler was in Denver, no quarterback threw the football to his receiver more times than Cutler did to Marshall. In fact, it was not even really close.

If you are wondering why Marshall has been among the league leaders in dropped passes over the last couple of years, it is because he has been thrown to roughly 275 times in that time frame.

So now, with Kyle Orton under center, Marshall is sure to get the ball thrown his way fewer times; thus his numbers will take a drop.

The Broncos appear to be happy with their core of receivers (seen pictured) even if Marshall does decide to hold out, which is probably why the former fourth round pick out of UCF is willing to let his play do the talking.

The Broncos hold all of the “cards” in this situation. Marshall has no leverage. He is coming off of a serious hip injury/surgery and has yet to fully grasp the offense that has been implemented by head coach Josh McDaniels.

Also, a quick disclaimer to those who think this Marshall situation is the fault of McDaniels: You could not be more wrong.

In fact, if anyone is to blame here, it is Marshall and Marshall alone. 

Marshall recently reiterated his desire to be traded after the Broncos refused to give him a new contract, despite the fact that Marshall was acquitted of his final legal issue.

He figured that the Broncos were waiting to give him an extension until he got out of trouble with the law, but that is not the case in the least.

Marshall is so far behind in learning the offense that he is practicing with the second unit on offense. While one should not read too much into that situation, it is worth noting heading into the second preseason game.

The Broncos also recently felt obligated to apologize to Marshall when a public relations employee told players not to congratulate Marshall for his acquittal, but to say they are happy the team can finally move on from it.

So why would the New York Jets want this headache on their hands?

For one, outside of Jerricho Cotchery, their wide receiver situation is spotty at best. They lost Laveranues Coles this offseason, and their No. 2 receiver has been a “flavor of the day” all offseason long.

They also have to think about the development of their young quarterback Mark Sanchez, who could use a big target like Marshall in the passing game.

If the Jets are serious about Marshall, then they had better be prepared to blow the Broncos away with a trade offer, because Denver is not going to give him up for nothing.

It would likely take the Jets giving up not only one of their better players, but a high draft pick as well—something along the lines of wide receiver Cotchery and a first round pick. 

A prize like that leads many including this writer to believe that Brandon Marshall is staying put.

For now.

Jamie Dukes Warns Broncos Fans of “Bombshell Alert;” Brandon Marshall Out?

According to NFL Network’s Jamie Dukes’ Twitter account, the Broncos are in for a big surprise sometime later tonight.

Per Dukes, there is a “BOMBSHELL ALERT COMING OUT OF DENVER.”

Do not worry Bronco fans, this is no tragedy that we have experienced with the likes of Darrent Williams or Damien Nash. Dukes feels this move further proves his pessimistic stance that the Broncos’ management is the worst in football.

“No one died if that’s what you’re worried about, but I just don’t know what they are thinking.”

Since the Broncos traded quarterback Jay Cutler in March, Dukes has been all over the Broncos…and his apparent man-crush for Jay Cutler.

One can only speculate as to the nature of this news, but putting the pieces together, this Broncos fan is bracing for a trade of wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks it is one of three things: A Marshall trade or suspension, or get this: A signing of quarterback Brett Favre.

At this point, it would not be a surprise if any of the three happened. 

Who in the world knows what is going on in Brett Favre’s head. Maybe not even Favre knows that.

Marshall has missed a ton of camp time, and the Broncos have a solid core of receivers with Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabar Gaffney, and Tony Scheffler. 

Still, a trade of Marshall would hurt the Broncos’ offensive unit significantly, as he is in fact a Pro Bowl receiver. His off-field baggage and recent trade request have made him expendable, and next off-season his contract expires.

Maybe the Broncos are smart to get rid of him.

Potential suitors are unknown. It has been speculated that the Bears and Ravens would be the most likely destinations if traded, but who would want to take on this personality?

If this move is made, it will highlight a busy day for the Broncos. Earlier today, they traded a fifth-round pick to the Patriots for defensive end Le Kevin Smith and a seventh-round pick, and they signed rookie running back Marcus Thigpen.

To make room on the roster, they released defensive end Rulon Davis and guard Pat Murray.

Patriots Trade DL Le Kevin Smith to the Broncos for a Draft Pick

The Denver Broncos have struck a deal with the New England Patriots to acquire defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith, the Boston Herald reported Monday. In what will eventually turn out to be a three-player deal, the Patriots will send Smith and a seventh-round pick to Denver in exchange for the Broncos’ 2010 fifth-round pick. 

Smith was a sixth-round pick in 2008 by the Patriots, and, at 6’3″ and over 300 pounds, he provides the Broncos with another big body up front. 

This move is likely a response to J’Vonne Parker going down for the season with an injury, leaving the Broncos a man short on the defensive front.

Breathe Easy Bronco Fans, Knowshon’s Injury Nothing Serious

Denver Bronco fans can now stop holding their breath.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Denver Broncos rookie running back Knowshon Moreno’s injury suffered in last night’s 16-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers is nothing serious. 

Per Florio, a league source indicated that the MRI Moreno received today revealed an MCL sprain.  The grade of the sprain is not known, but smart money says Moreno will likely be held out of next week’s game against the Seahawks if not longer.

Moreno carried the ball three times for 18 yards in his Bronco debut, including a nine yard rush on his first carry in blue and orange.

With uninspiring efforts from Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan, losing Moreno could potentially have been devastating to the Broncos’ offensive hopes in 2009.

The report on PFT indicated that if Moreno’s injury is declared a grade II sprain, he could be held out at the start of the regular season, but again, the grade is not known.

In other injury news, some reports have indicated that Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be back at practice today.

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