What Will The 2011 Broncos Look LIke?

It’s the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for the Denver Broncos, as the team and the fans prepare for the 2009 season. 

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team with a deluge of free agents, college free agents, draft picks, released players, and of course “traded players.” 

So while it is impossible to predict exactly what this team will resemble in 2009, the head coach and the owner have left clues as to what the team will look like in 2011 when the effects of their decisions come into fruition.

The first tenet the Broncos of the future will be expected to practice, play, and live by is accountability.

This was made crystal clear by Pat Bowlen when he called Mike Shanahan into his office and handed him his walking papers. While this was hard for the fans and players alike, it got the point across that everyone is accountable and mediocrity will not be tolerated indefinitely. 

Coach Josh McDaniels reaffirmed the message of accountability when he made it known that no player, not even a Pro-Bowl quarterback, was above being traded if it would make the team better. 

Every player, coach, assistant, and towel boy on the previous roster shared a role in the Denver collapse of 2008, and every phase of the organization would be retooled and improved upon without tip-toeing around feelings. McDaniels made these decisions knowing ultimately he will be the one held accountable if the team fails. 

Accountability will also be shouldered by the players when they leave the football field. 

 The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have taken a hard stance on conduct deemed detrimental to the NFL brand, regardless of official charges and courtroom verdicts.  Broncos fans have seen first-hand how distractions and suspensions affect the team’s ability to prepare and practice with their hearts and minds on football.

The second tenet the organization is striving to instill in the Denver Broncos is character. This actually became apparent during the 2008 draft when Shanahan was composing his fifth symphony in the form of drafting Ryan Clady, Eddie Royal, Spencer Larsen, and Peyton Hillis, to name a few. 

It was clear that both Bowlen and Shanahan were tired of being burned by selfish hooligans and project players, and they had a hunch that a stronger locker room might translate to a better product for the fans. Trouble-makers were sent packing and strong character rookies were given a legitimate chance to earn substantial roles on offense, defense, and special teams. 

The trend continued through free agency and the draft this year with new players arriving in Denver with strong convictions and commitments to country, family, and faith.

The third and final tenet the Broncos are counting on for the successful transformation into a championship caliber team is leadership. Attitude reflects leadership, work ethic reflects leadership. Without leadership, a young team with all the talent in the world will struggle to maximize its potential. 

McDaniels injected a heavy dose of leadership into the defense at the start of free agency by signing Brian Dawkins from the Philadelphia Eagles. Dawkins is a great player, but he is an even better leader in the locker room and in the community. 

Dawkins’ value on the field in 2009 and 2010 will pale in comparison to the mark he leaves on the young class of defensive backs that will lead the defense in 2011. He will teach technique, he will teach strategy, he will foster a nasty attitude on the field and he will lead by example. 

For young players seeing a leader on and off the field performing the right way is more valuable than anything a coach can scribble on a grease board or dissect in the film room.

So where does that leave us as a fan base wondering what the future holds for our team? 

It leaves us with more than just a light at the end of a tunnel. It leaves us waiting eagerly in anticipation to watch our team come together as a tight-knit group of players willing to do everything it takes and anything that is asked of them. 

It leaves us knowing we won’t be shamed by the headlines surrounding our players.

It leaves us knowing that while the road to the 2011 season will be bumpy, the team, the organization, and the fans will be proud to be a part of the Denver Broncos.

BroncosZone Latest

• The Denver Broncos Must Face Their New Reality
• Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?
• Hey Denver, Where’s the Love for Josh McDaniels?
• Josh McDaniels Is the Poster Boy for “Too Much, Too Soon”
• Denver Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall: “I Love Being a Bronco”