Inside the Denver Broncos’ Roster: The Fullbacks

For all of those who thought Peyton Hillis was forgotten in our running backs segment, fear not—he essentially has his own briefing as the Broncos’ starting fullback.

Hillis broke onto the scene as a rookie in 2008 when he unexpectedly had to fill in at tailback for the Broncos due to a barrage of injuries. 

The seventh-round pick out of Arkansas did not disappoint.

Broncos fans knew he was something special when he converted on a key 4th-and-1 against the Cleveland Browns late in the game to keep the Broncos alive for their eventual victory.

Hillis scored five rushing touchdowns in a mere four starts and averaged five yards per carry on 68 touches, totaling 343 yards. The 6’2″, 250-pound beast also proved to be very valuable as a receiver, catching 14 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.

In my humble opinion, Hillis is the most versatile player on the Denver Broncos, and I defy anyone to not be impressed by the kid’s YouTube heroics.

Sadly, Hillis’ stellar rookie campaign was cut short by a freak hamstring injury he suffered in a 24-17 victory over the rival Kansas City Chiefs, and many NFL analysts felt the Broncos were a more complete offense—a more dangerous offense—with Hillis behind the quarterback.

Hillis is a rising star in this league, and I fully expect him to be a very valuable weapon on the Broncos’ offense this year thanks to his ability to run, catch, and block with the best of them. He has great size and great speed (runs a reported 4.58 second 40-yard dash) and plays the game with a chip on his shoulder.

As a rookie, Hillis outperformed his two Razorback teammates Darren McFadden (Raiders) and Felix Jones (Cowboys), who were both first-round draft picks.

Behind Hillis on the Broncos’ depth chart is converted linebacker Spencer Larsen, who is also a very versatile player. 

Like Hillis, Larsen does just about everything well, except for the fact that his natural position is middle linebacker instead of fullback. He is a great special teams player, and while he may seem like a teddy bear off the field, he is a ferocious hitter on it. 

With Hillis and Larsen paving the way for the Broncos’ deep crop of running backs, the running game figures to flourish once more for Denver.

 

Projected Starter: Peyton Hillis (Acquired via 2008 NFL Draft)

Projected 2009 Stats:  Car    Yds.    Avg.    TD     Rec.    Yds.     Avg.     TD

                                     80    400      5.0      7       30      300       10.0     3

I fully expect Hillis to get 90 percent of the carries inside the 10-yard line, and quite possibly 80 percent of Denver’s carries from inside the 20. He also figures to have quite a few receptions on play-action fakes and screen plays split out as a wide receiver and as a tight end. 

2008 FB Grade: A

2009 Roster Spots Filled by FB: 1/54 (Larsen will be included as LB)

2009 Roster Spots Filled Total: 8/54

Denver Broncos’ Offseason: Who Is To Blame?

When it comes down to it, the fans and the media hold the head coach responsible for the state of a team’s franchise.  I question whether or not this is a fair practice.

Though a head coach has governance over a myriad of things that influence the production and content of the team on the field, he does not wield the power over every decision that effects the organization.

I believe that you should give credit where credit is due and place blame where it belongs.

In the case of the Denver Broncos’ tumultuous offseason, I believe that the fans and especially the media have placed all of the blame for everything that has gone on squarely on coach McDaniels’s shoulders.

Though coach McDaniels is by no means innocent and was not uninvolved in many of the questionable decisions made this offseason, I believe that the credit for these decisions belongs to Pat Bowlen, not Josh McDaniels.

Pat Bowlen is the Owner, President, and CEO of the Denver Broncos.  He is the guy that signs the checks and the guy who puts the people in place to run the team.

When you talk about a man such as Pat Bowlen, the perhaps overused quote “the buck stops here” comes to mind.  He is the “decider” so to speak, and as such he deserves the credit and/or blame for his decisions.

As much as it pains me to add another article that details the events of the past few months (simply because it has been done to death), I feel it is necessary in order to point out who is responsible for each controversial offseason decision.

So here it goes:

After the Denver Broncos missed the playoffs for their third straight year with a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league, Bowlen decided it was time for a change.

It was Bowlen who made the decision to fire Mike Shanahan.

Whether Bowlen made a rash decision, sought bad council and was ill advised, or he made a calculated decision, which was a long time coming. However you see it, Bowlen was solely responsible for that decision.

Then, if we can believe the media and wish to take Jay Cutler at his word, Cutler had a meeting with Bowlen where he made known his disagreement with the decision to fire Shanahan and his concern about the future of the offense and namely the quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.

Cutler reportedly left this meeting feeling that Bowlen had assured him that the offensive coaching unit would be kept in tact under the new head coach.  Bowlen does not recall this meeting and has made a statement that he may be experiencing some memory loss.

Pat Bowlen later decided to hire Josh McDaniels to be the new Head Coach of the Denver Broncos.

Whether Bowlen made a rash decision, sought bad council and was ill advised, or he made a calculated decision, which was a long time coming.  However you see it, Bowlen was solely responsible for that decision as well.

Josh McDaniels, having the full support of Pat Bowlen and the Denver Broncos’ organization proceeded to clean house and assemble the coaching staff of his own choosing. This included the firing of the aforementioned quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates.

Jay Cutler was reportedly upset about this because he felt that Bowlen had assured him that Bates would be retained. Feeling that Bowlen lied to him and the organization betrayed him, Cutler then reportedly asked the Denver Broncos to trade him.

Somewhere between the selecting of the Denver Broncos’ new coaching staff and the start of free agency, coach McDaniels sat down with Cutler and told him how excited he was to work with him and shared with him what their new offense was going to look like.

During this period, Pat Bowlen also made the decision to fire player personnel managers Jim and Jeff Goodman and to make Brian Xanders the General Manager of the Denver Broncos.

Whether Bowlen made a rash decision, sought bad council and was ill advised, or he made a calculated decision, which was a long time coming. However you see it, Bowlen was solely responsible for those decisions.

About 24 hours after free agency had opened up, the news media was a buzz with reports that there had been an attempt or at the very least ‘talks’ about the Denver Broncos trading away Jay Cutler in some sort of three-way trade in order to acquire Matt Cassel from New England.

Jay Cutler again felt lied to, this time by coach McDaniels and betrayed by the Denver Broncos’ organization and publicly demanded to be traded from the Denver Broncos.

Cutler and his agent Bus Cook met with coach McDaniels and GM Xanders at Dove Valley to try to clear the air and come together on what had transpired and how to move forward.

McDaniels reportedly left the meeting with a positive outlook that things would be resolved, while Cutler reportedly felt like McDaniels had confirmed that Cutler was not wanted in Denver.

After that meeting Cutler ceased to communicate with the Denver Broncos organization in any way, despite many attempts by the organization to reach him through several different communication venues.

When questioned by the media, McDaniels stated that Cutler was Denver’s quarterback, that he was still under contract and the organization expected him to keep his word and honor that contract.

I do not think McDaniels was trying to mislead or lie to the press. As far as he was concerned, Jay was still there quarterback.  McDaniels is not the GM or the owner, he is the head coach and as such did not have the power to make the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

McDaniels expressed a desire to once again reach out to Cutler, to try to talk things out and find a common ground. Cutler would not return McDaniels numerous attempts to contact him.

Bowlen had had about enough of this stalemate conflict and media warfare. He contacted Cutler’s agent Bus Cook and demanded that Cutler return his call. When Bowlen did not hear from Cutler in what he determined to be a reasonable amount of time, Bowlen made the most controversial decision of the offseason.

Pat Bowlen made the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

Let me repeat that, Pat Bowlen (not Josh McDaniels) made the decision to trade Jay Cutler.

Whether Bowlen made a rash decision, sought bad council and was ill advised, or he made a calculated decision, which was a long time coming. However you see it, Bowlen was solely responsible for those decisions.

It was not coach McDaniels’ decision to make, and he should not shoulder the blame for this decision. The decision was Pat Bowlen’s.

I am not saying that McDaniels did not play a part in making Cutler feel like he was unwanted in Denver. McDaniels is definitely guilty of that whether it was his intention or not, but Cutler wanted to break ties with Denver before he ever spoke with McDaniels.

Credit where credit is due: Bowlen was unhappy with how Cutler was acting and was unwilling to be patient and wait to see if Cutler would show up for the mandatory minicamp in early April.  Bowlen made the decision to trade Cutler and move on.

The Denver Broncos have also taken some heat for the players they acquired in the draft and the strategy that they applied in seeking those players out.  However you choose to view these acquisitions, the man responsible for the results of the Denver Broncos’ draft is Josh McDaniels.

McDaniels coordinated with his coaching staff, GM Brian Xanders and the player personnel department, but in the end he decided which players would best fit his team. And if there is heat to be taken for these draft picks, that heat is rightly directed at coach McDaniels.

That brings us to the current controversy that has landed in Dove Valley and captivated the media once again, Brandon Marshall.

Marshall has informed the Broncos organization that he does not trust the Broncos medical staff (because he felt they misdiagnosed his injury last season) and that he requires a new contract (one that reflects his high level of play over the past two years and will compensate him accordingly).

Marshall chose to express his resolve in having his new contract demands taken seriously by choosing not to attend the team’s most recent mandatory minicamp.

Marshall did come to Dove Valley and had a meeting with Pat Bowlen. Marshall was later seen leaving the Broncos complex after loading his car with packed boxes.

Marshall has also inferred through a comment on his web site that in this meeting he requested to be traded from the Denver Broncos and also inferred that Bowlen communicated to him that the Broncos would do their best to accommodate his request.

Now I feel the need to reiterate this point.  Marshall met with the owner Bowlen, the guy who writes the checks, the guy who would approve a contract extension, and not coach McDaniels who coaches the players.

And Marshall has expressed his displeasure with the Broncos medical staff and how much money he makes, not his relationship with coach McDaniels or the direction he is taking the team.

Coach McDaniels has taken a lot of flack from the media and from Denver Broncos fans.  He is not above reproach and he is not beyond scrutiny. McDaniels has made his share of mistakes as a rookie head coach, but he has taken the blame for things that were beyond his control and for the outcomes of decisions he did not make.

As a good employee, he has bore the criticism for Bowlen’s decisions and backed his boss’ moves, which may make him complicit in them but hardly means that he called the shots.

Just so we are straight here:

Bowlen decided to fire Shanahan.

Bowlen decided to hire McDaniels.

Bowlen decided to Trade Cutler.

McDaniels is responsible for the Draft picks.

Bowlen will ultimately decide what to do with Marshall.

 

Bowlen has taken the bull by the horns this offseason and has instituted a lot of change in the Denver Broncos’ organization, and it has really shaken a lot of people up.  More change may be on its way, but it is important to be honest about who has instituted these changes.

Credit where credit is due, and blame where it belongs.

The Patriot Way and The Broncos Draft

At this point in the offseason, it’s no secret that there are a lot of unknowns about the Broncos heading in to the 2009 season. Denver added two first-round players in this year’s draft, but their 2009-2010 team has seen radical changes at quarterback, the defensive secondary, running back, and defensive end. 

While this is dually an exciting and trying time for all Broncos fans, one thing can be surmised: There is a method to the madness, even when it seems that new coach Josh McDaniels has no rhyme nor reason.

With the first Broncos’ first round pick, Josh McDaniels opted for explosive running back Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is an all-around backfield player who can block, pass, and run effectively reminding Broncos fans of the best of Mike Anderson and Terrell Davis. 

Though Moreno was a solid pick with plenty upside, McDaniels and the Broncos did not address their obvious need for better pass rushers and defensive ends.  It could have been a “best player available” pick, or McDaneils may have thought the player the coveted would still be there at 18, their second first-round pick.

McDaniels must have though that Moreno would provide the secondary scoring punch needed with the absence of Cutler. This selection has been a cause of great criticism for the fledgling coach.

With their second first-round pick, a much less, but still controversial selection, was made with Robert Ayers out of University of Tennessee.  While he showed explosiveness in pass rushing and has the right size for run stopping, it was only in his last year of college that he was truly effective. 

Many critics would rather have had BJ Raji, Tyson Jackson, Brian Orakpo, or a USC linebacker at this position, though at 18, Raji, Jackson and Orapko had already been taken. Ayers could end up being a Jarvis Moss or an Elvis Dumervil depending on his development.

Another questionable pick in the Broncos’ draft includes Alphonso Smith, a 5′ 9” Corner who looks a lot like Champ Bailey but has a lot of question marks to be taken with next year’s first round pick in lieu of promising but character-flaw-abounded Ray Maualuga or Ron Brace.

The Broncos traded their 2010 first-round pick to Seattle in exchange for the 37th pick, which was used to take Smith.

With their third pick in the second round, Denver drafted blocking tight end Richard Quinn, even though they had both Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham on the roster. Denver also added a promising young quarterback in Tom Brandstater (in the mould of Tom Brady or Matt Cassel), OG Seth Olsen, and two young safeties with potential in Darcel McBath and David Bruton in the later rounds.

All of these selections were very much criticized, and for good reason.  None are a sure thing, but all have tremendous upside and all were chosen according to a doctrine to which many have subscribed in the last decade: The Patriot Way.

The Patriot Way, in fact, dictates a particular draft scenario; draft both the players with the highest upside and the players that will benefit most from hands-on, effective coaching. 

Obviously, the coaching that comes most frequently to mind is that of the designated staff: The Josh McDaniels’, the Mike Nolans, and the Mike McCoys—but just as important, if not more important than the play-callers is the veteran teammates that can teach the true meaning of being a professional.

In this case, the Broncos drafted according to need because they needed everywhere.  But they also drafted according to what the free agents dictated.

The Patriots have done an exceptional job of restocking the talent behind strong veterans. Where there’s a Jerod Meyo there’s also a Teddy Bruschi.  Where there’s a Tom Brady there’s a Drew Bledsoe, and so on.  It’s no question that there was a lot of luck in the picks, but there was also a reason to the madness.

The Broncos are following this trend.  In the offseason they brought in seven running backs, most notably veterans Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan.  Buckhalter has come from years of large injury-plagued YPA seasons behind consummate professional Brian Westbrook of the Eagles, while Jordan has been a journeyman that knows the Patriots system. 

Both can teach Moreno how to be an athlete on and off the field and can bring out the best in the young running back without the Broncos pushing him into a mentor-less Darren McFadden scenario.

Ayers was clearly a need-based pick and it is my personal belief that there were no strong character DE veterans on the market.

McBath and Bruton will clearly benefit from future Hall-of-Famer Brian Dawkins, one of the greatest leaders that the NFL has ever known.  Hopefully one of these promising safeties will fill his shoes effectively and become a franchise anchor for years to come.

Quinn will benefit from the mentoring of former-patriot, leader Daniel Graham so that he can become the other side of the two-pronged tight end attack.  He also has surprising hands and may end up being a better player than Graham.

Brandstater is an obviously intelligent quarterback with a strong arm and good instincts.  Orton, while not the most physically talented quarterback in the league, is celebrated for his intelligence and leadership and can teach this pick who has more talent how to harness it effectively, manage a game, and lead a team in the future.

Wide Receiver Kenny McKinley will benefit from the great Rod Smith, while not on the field, who worked as hard as anyone ever has to become the greatest undrafted WR ever.

Center Blake Schlueter will replace Wiegmann in years to come as Wiegmann is getting older but is still a Pro-Bowler.

All in all, the Broncos were planning for the future as much as any other team in the draft.  They chose players with tremendous upside based on what they could support.  The one guaranteed thing is none of these prospects will be “spoiled” by the rough NFL—if any of them do not turn out, it will be because of their own shortcomings, not those of the team around them.

Denver Broncos Awarded WR C.J. Jones off Waivers

The Broncos made yet another roster move today, announcing that they have been awarded wide receiver C.J. Jones off of waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jones entered the league in 2003 as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns where he spent time on both their active roster and practice squad. Since his brief stint with the Broncos, Jones has also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and most notably the New England Patriots.

This move is intriguing to me for a couple of reasons. 

Jones was signed by Kansas City earlier this offseason thanks to his connection with Chiefs’ executive Scott Pioli, who is also formerly of New England.

When the Broncos were awarded his rights, he became reunited with Josh McDaniels, who was his offensive coordinator in his time with the Patriots. 

Jones has yet to record any significant statistics at the NFL level, but he has an impressive college pedigree going for him.

The kick return extraordinaire was a junior college transfer for the Iowa Hawkeyes and proceeded to become one of the team’s elite playmakers.

In two seasons as a starting wide receiver and return specialist, Jones caught 72 passes for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also returned the opening kickoff of the 2003 Rose Bowl against Carson Palmer and the USC Trojans for a touchdown.

Jones is the cousin of fellow NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin, but he does not figure to be as secure on the Broncos’ roster as his relative is with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Broncos have great depth at wide receiver, and currently have 12 on their roster overall.

The recent signings of Jones and Brandon Lloyd do raise at least a slight bit of curiosity as to whether or not the team has received intriguing offers for disgruntled receiver Brandon Marshall.

I have previously speculated that there is a 99.9 percent chance that Marshall does not get traded, and I stand by that statement unless a team comes in with an offer the Broncos cannot refuse. 

Jones will at the very least provide some intrigue at the receiver position, but his signing almost guarantees that the Broncos are not going to let Marshall control the situation.  By bringing in Lloyd and Jones, Denver has basically said, “You don’t wanna show up?  We will bring in other guys who want to compete, and let you pay us for every day you miss camp.”

Smart move by Josh McDaniels and the Broncos’ front office.

Why Josh McDaniels Needs Paul Ekman

Who the heck is Paul Ekman and why pray-tell does fresh faced Broncos coach Josh McDaniels need him?

Quick. When you think of Josh McDaniels’ facial expressions, what’s the first one to pop into your mind? For me, it’s the “SMIRK”.

The smirk was in full force during the Cutler drama. The press corps would ask him a question during an interview about Jay Cutler and McDaniels would answer earnestly enough, it would seem, but then kind of half smile and give us all the “I know something you don’t know” look and throw everything off kilter. Something didn’t seem right.

It was the glimpse of a facial expression that made us all not want to like the guy. An uneasy feeling in the gut, whether we were consciously aware of it or not. He’s the kind of guy that just rubs you the wrong way…Why is he smirking when the world’s on fire?

Cutler certainly wasn’t innocent in the “body language” department either. The former Broncos quarterback had the face of a sulker through and through. His facial and body expressions exuded the language of a 12 year old boy who was tired of listening to the rules of the house and just wanted his stupid parents to leave him alone.

It was not an endearing trait at all. Much like McDaniels’ facial expressions, it rubbed people the wrong way. Nobody likes a pouter. Especially one making millions of dollars a year.

Just for fun, type “smirk” into a Google images search. Before doing so, think for a moment: which famous American figure is likely to show up more often than any other in that search?

You got it: George W. Bush. The KING of the smirk.

So what’s this have to do with the Denver Broncos and Josh McDaniels?

Paul Ekman is a psychologist who began studying facial expressions (and body language) in the 1960’s. He traveled the world for years on end and studied humans and their various facial expressions diligently. Ekman essentially established that our facial expressions were universal in nature.

Sadness, for example, was expressed the same the world over, whether in the Japanese culture or deep in the Amazon rain forest with a remote tribe. Every emotional expression was universal. Ekman’s work is widely respected in the scientific community; the best selling book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell deals extensively with Ekman, and the popular television show “Lie to Me” is based upon his studies and his life.

Ekman, at one point his career, contacted the Bill Clinton administration with a concern. He told Clinton’s team that their man was sending out some really bad signals with his facial expressions:

“I said, ‘Look, Clinton’s got this way of rolling his eyes along with a certain expression, and what it conveys is “I’m a bad boy.” I don’t think it’s a good thing. I could teach him how not to do that in two to three hours…”

The Clinton team demurred. Why? They didn’t need the negative publicity that would come along with the President being coached by an expert on body language and lying. A few years later the Monica Lewinsky scandal hit…

Ekman, since that experience, has stated that he prefer’s to stay out of the business of public officials. He would have had a hay day with Bush’s smirk though.

And what of McDaniels’ facial clues? How are we to interpret his wry little smile that curls the triangularis lip muscle downward in the corner when it should be sliding up into a smile of sincerity? We know, instinctively that he LOOKS like he’s being insincere. Almost like…he’s laughing…AT US.

Remember the 60 Minutes interview with Obama on the state of the economy, when Steve Kroft confronted the President about his laughter throughout the interview, at one point even inquiring if Barack was “punch drunk?”

Kroft was picking up on facial cues and body language. Facial micro expressions and inappropriate vocalizations. So was the audience.

You’d think that the President of the United States would have coaches, of the Ekman variety, navigating him through the dangerous mine fields of public interaction.

It’s interesting to note that Ronald Reagan rarely had moments of inappropriate body language. He may have said things that were cringe worthy, but his gestures and facial expressions always brought us back to liking him.

Why?

Because he had coaching. Previous to becoming President of the United States, he was an actor. Somewhere along the line, he had trained professionals telling him: “You know, when you say this, you raise your eyebrows like this, and it doesn’t work…”

Some NFL coaches come in and just seem to have that Ronald Reagan quality to them.

Yesterday I was watching ESPN and there is this guy, Rex Ryan, new head coach of the New York Jets, who is immediately likable.

Positive public relation traits abound. The first is his no-B.S. demeanor. This guy doesn’t need a “communications” coach. Is he going to cross some lines? Oh yeah. Will we still like him anyway? Pretty much.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are guys like Bill Billichick and Josh McDaniels.

Interestingly, who was Ryan going after in his recent press conferences? The guy on the negative end of the public relations spectrum, Mr. Bellichick himself. Ryan had reporters giggling and fans chortling. You’d think he’d had acting lessons or something.

Can you imagine Josh McDaniels and Jay Cutler sitting across from one another in one of those early meeetings?

Jay: “I’ll play for you if you keep the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach in place.” *pout*

Josh: “We’ll do everything we can to make that happen.” *smirk*

A recipe for disaster.

And the fans were able to pick up on it. Cutler’s body language told us he felt “entitled”, and that if he didn’t get his way he was going to sulk and whine until he did.

McDaniels told us, clearly, that he had the go-ahead to do what ever the heck he felt like with this team. What we can interpret from his smirk is that Bowlen has given him the reigns, 100 percent.

That’s the Ekman micro expression he is giving us, isn’t it?

“Can you believe this? I’ve been given all this power, all this control, and all of you can just kiss my…”

If McDaniels continues to smirk his way through this season and seasons to come, things may not bode well for him. Winning games can get just about anybody through the gauntlet of the fans and media, it’s true.

But for the moment, a young coach coming in and exuding a personality of smugness and condescension, especially after fans have lost the beloved Mike Shanahan, does not suit Mr. McDaniels well.

It doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. It just means that he’s now got the fans to gain. He lost them pretty darned quickly with his “I’m the big man on campus” attitude and smirky demeanor.

Is there a hint of things to come in his gestures and facial expressions? Can he gain control of his generally negative public perception?

A little bit of coaching, from a P.R. guru, might get this guy on the right track.

As Ekman said about Clinton: “…in two to three hours…” he could have him straightened out.

Perhaps McDaniels will get the hang of it with time. Maybe over a couple of years. For the moment however, he doesn’t have “the touch” with the press or the public.

He’ll have to work hard and dig deep to regain the trust of fans (and maybe even players), who find him insincere. Only time will tell.

Or perhaps, he just needs a good PR coach…

2005 NFL High-School Coach Of The Year Shot and Killed By Former Player

The town of Parkersburg, Iowa has been through a lot in the last 13 months. On May 25 of last year, an EF5 tornado three-quarters of a mile wide, packing winds in excess of 200 MPH, destroyed the community of 1,900.

Just three months later, the well-known Aplington-Parkersburg high school football team was back on the field, led by coach Ed Thomas.

Thomas played an integral part in rebuilding not only the football team, but the entire town after the disaster. His contributions on and off the field made him a star role model, and beloved across the entire state of Iowa.

On Wednesday, Parkersburg’s hometown hero was shot and killed inside the school’s weight room by Mark Becker, a former player of Coach Thomas.

Becker was arrested shortly after, and charged with first-degree murder. It remains unknown what caused the 24-year-old to commit this vicious crime.

Thomas was named the 2005 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year, and compiled a 292-84 record in 34 seasons as the Aplington-Parkersburg head coach. He led the Falcons to 19 state playoff appearances, and two state titles in 1993 and 2001.

He has coached four players who are currently in the NFL: Denver Broncos center Casey Wiegmann, Jacksonville Jaguars center Brad Meester, Detroit Lions defensive end Jared DeVries, and Green Bay Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman.

Thomas was known not only for his coaching ability, but his desire to teach each of his players many life lessons, including the importance of becoming a valued member of the community.

In September of 2008, E:60’s Steve Cyphers did a piece on Ed Thomas and his dedication to rebuilding the high-school’s football team after the May 25 tragedy. Video – Sacred Acre

Ed Thomas will be greatly missed by his wife, kids, grandchildren, former players, and fans from around the state of Iowa.

Inside The Denver Broncos’ Roster: The Running Backs

2008 was a rough season to be a running back for the Denver Broncos.  The opening day starter was Selvin Young, and after his hamstring injury, there seemed to be a domino effect for Broncos’ running backs landing on injured reserve.

Joining Young on the Broncos’ injured reserve list were fellow running backs Michael Pittman, Ryan Torain, Andre Hall, Peyton Hillis, and P.J. Pope.  The Broncos also brought in Tatum Bell and Cory Boyd to play the running back position.

After the barrage of injuries, new Head Coach Josh McDaniels was not about to take any chances this season with a similar result.  His first two free agent signings were running backs Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington, both of whom were key backups for the top two teams in the NFC in 2008.

He then proceeded to sign LaMont Jordan, who spent time in McDaniels’ system with the New England Patriots. 

Nearly a month later, the Broncos drafted Knowshon Moreno with the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and signed undrafted free agent Kestahn Moore of Florida.

After the draft, the Broncos also signed former Houston Texan and St. Louis Ram running back Darius Walker.

With this new crop of running backs, who will make the final cut for the Broncos’ 54-man roster?

Georgia product Knowshon Moreno is a virtual lock to not only make the final roster, but end up as the opening day starter. 

As a redshirt sophomore with the Bulldogs, Moreno rushed for 1,400 yards and finished the season with 16 touchdowns.  He also showed great abilities as a receiver, catching 20 passes for 253 yards.

Moreno is not the fastest back in the world, but he draws very favorable comparisons to Terrell Davis in terms of his quickness and shiftiness. 

Correll Buckhalter has proven over the last eight years to be a great reserve running back, but he has also spent a lot of time on the injured list. 

In five NFL seasons, Buckhalter has rushed for 2,155 yards and 18 touchdowns.  Most importantly, he only has six fumbles on 476 career carries.

Buckhalter is also very valuable as a receiver, and has 85 career receptions for 930 yards and four touchdowns.

LaMont Jordan was selected by the New York Jets in the same 2001 NFL Draft as Correll Buckhalter, and he has proven throughout his career to be a very versatile back as well. 

He has battled through injuries, but in his career, he has carried the ball 872 times for 3,648 yards with 28 touchdowns, including four last season with the Patriots which is a season high since he had nine with Oakland three years ago.

Jordan, like Moreno and Buckhalter, has also proven to be a very reliable receiver when called upon.  The power back has displayed soft hands, catching 158 passes for 1,301 yards and three touchdowns. 

Darius Walker was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame by the Houston Texans in 2007, and had a very solid rookie campaign. 

He rushed for 264 yards on 58 carries and scored a touchdown.

When Walker went undrafted, I was very hopeful that the Broncos would go after him due to his versatility.  He is not the biggest back, but he can run and catch equally as well. 

The only other running back currently listed on Denver’s roster is last year’s fifth round selection out of Arizona State, Ryan Torain.

Torain was compared by former Head Coach Mike Shanahan to former Bronco great Terrell Davis, and one can only imagine the lofty expectations that ensued.

Bronco fans were as eager for Torain’s debut as the starter against the Cleveland Browns as they were for the debut of Jay Cutler back in 2006, and the rookie did not disappoint.

In the first half against the Browns, Torain rushed for 68 yards on 12 carries, and capped off the opening drive with a diving touchdown run.

Overjoyed Bronco fans could not get enough, but sadly it came to an abrupt end as Torain’s season was cut short by a torn ACL suffered midway through the second quarter.

He is rehabbing his injury still today, and is hopeful to be ready by the time training camp rolls around.

It is likely that McDaniels will end up only keeping four running backs on the final roster, so one of the aforementioned players is on the outside looking in.

Projected Starter:  Knowshon Moreno (Acquired via 2009 NFL Draft)

Projected Stats:  Car    Yds    Avg.   TD    Rec.   Yds.   Avg.    TD

                       230    1,104  4.8     8      30     240     8.0     2

Projected Second String:  Correll Buckhalter (Acquired via Free Agency)

Projected Stats:   100    460    4.6     4      25     188     7.5      1

Projected Third String:  LaMont Jordan (Acquired via Free Agency)

Projected Stats:    75    330     4.4     3      20     120     6.0      1

Projected Fourth String:  Ryan Torain (Acquired via 2008 NFL Draft)

Projected Stats:    50    250     5.0     1      10     75       7.5      0

Projected RB Totals:  455    2,144   4.7   16   85    623    7.25    4

 

2008 RB’s Grade:  B

Roster Spots Occupied by RB:  4/54

Total Roster Spots Filled:  7/54

Running Backs Coach:  Bobby Turner

 

Why Brandon Marshall Deserves to Get Paid

Oh I can’t wait to read the angry sanctimonious comments I’m going to get on this one.

Anyhoo, I am throwing my support behind Brandon Marshall on his hold out and trade request from the Broncos. I know a lot of people hate these so called “Prima Donna” athletes who want to stop playing for their team halfway through their contracts, and I usually get tee’d off too when the do it in Baseball, Basketball or Hockey… But not in the NFL. And with B-Marsh there’s even more reason to re-do his contract.

Marshall has established himself as a top receiver in the league averaging103 Rec and 1295 Yds over the past two years. There are SIX franchises in the NFL that have ever had a 100 catch receiver. The Miami Dolphins, the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks and BOTH New York teams. That is 389 seasons of never having ONE 100 catch receiver. San Diego has done it once but it wasn’t a receiver it was LT.

My point in that last paragraph was that it ain’t easy getting 100 catches.

Now that’s all good and everything but that’s not why.

Last season Marshall had one of the most incredible seasons a receiver could ever have. He caught 104 catches including an 18 catch game after his one game suspension at the beginning of the season. What made the season so amazing is that he did it with a major hip injury that the Broncos’ doctors missed.

During last years training camp Marshall talked to doctors about pain in his hip, they MRId him twice and told him nothing was wrong. The organization called him soft for not wanting to practice with the pain, so he practiced. After the Pro Bowl Marshall got a second opinion from an outside doctor and it was found out that he needed surgery.

If you can’t trust your team’s doctors, the organization is calling you “soft”, and you are one of the most underpaid players in the league how much do you really owe the organization?

If you have proven perennial Pro Bowl talent, and your team is putting you at risk you need to get your future taken care of.

The majority of people against B-Marsh will quote his numerous arrests and run ins with the law, I’ve heard some people say he’s been arrested 11 times for beating up women. This stems from a Rocky Mountain News article, which actually says “However, most were for minor incidents, some did not involve Marshall and only one, a March 27, 2007, call resulted in his being arrested”.

I’m not excusing him from being a wife beater if that is what he is, I do believe in innocent until proven guilty. But I do like to set the record straight. He has been arrested on other occasions, but a lot of charges have been dropped and he has done some plea agreements.

Others will say he’s a prima donna, a me-first guy who doesn’t care about the team. I’m not sure how this one came to be. The only incident that might show that is when he was going to celebrate a TD after the election with the black and white glove before Brandon Stokely stopped him.

I had absolutely no problem with his attempted celebration. I LOVE when athletes get involved in politics and activism. I have no idea why some people say they have no business talking about politics, social issues and other such topics. Any person has the right to show or not show who they support politically, Marshall chose to show it.

He even handled his trade request properly, he didn’t get his agent to leak it to the media, as Jay Cutler did, he walked into the owner’s office, discussed it and after Pat Bowlen wished him good luck in the future. Then after he thought Bowlen was granting his trade wish he talked to the media and since has kept pretty quiet as he is keeping away from them team.

I have been a huge Broncos fan ever since I saw my first NFL game, but I cannot support them in this battle and I hope B-Marsh finds greener pastures on some other team.

I’m a Raiders Fan and I Hate the Denver Horses, Pt. 1

I ride with the sliver and black, Oakland California, home of the grand daddy, you square-ass fucks, and in the Bay Area, we ain’t on that punk rock sqaure Denver Horse bullshit, you feel me? Over here it’s Town Bizness.

Even though it’s June, it’s never to early to ride on Denver Horse fans.

Let me begin by saying this is directed towards all Denver fans on Bleacher Report. When it comes to Oakland, Denver fans get no love.

 

Offense

Denver fans sit and here and try to explain why they will be better off without Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, the soon-to-be traded WR.

But you know what? No one gives a fuck. Denver overall is a team for squares, ya’ll logo is a damn orange horse, that’s wack, just like Kyle Orton. Matter fact if I hear Kyle Orton name one more time I think i’m going to puke.

Bring Kyle Orton poodle ass into Oakland, I love the fact that zero, I mean zero Horse fans followed Kyle Orton last season nor the Chicago Bears. The fact that Horse fans didn’t even watch Kyle Orton play every week, but now they act like this guy will have a break out year.

News flash, this isn’t the New England Pats, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, etc aren’t on this team. If and when the Horses lose Brandon Marshall, who will be the No. 1 WR for the Denver Horses? Hmmm…let’s take a look.

Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, and Jabar Gaffney

You guys can’t be serious, without Brandon Marshall all those guys suck, the reason why Eddie Royal and Brandon Stokley are decent is because there able to go against 2nd and 3rd CB’s.

Plus the damn fact that Jay Cutler, a pro bowl QB was throwing the ball, the Broncos threw the football over 600 times last season, all of the WR’s numbers are coming down. Eddie Royal won’t have 90 catches, Stokley won’t have 50.

I still don’t know who you guys are trying to scare with Brandon Lloyd, I’m guessing because he was on the Bears last season? I don’t know, but I guess he will be your No. 1 or 2 WR once Marshall is gone.

Brandon Marshall is the reason why those guys get open. Horse fans are so damn dumb I swear. I hope Brandon Marshall gets traded, he is to good of a player to have to deal with a franchise that is bound to lose in 2009-2010, why else would he DEMAND a trade out of sorry ass Denver. Marshall puts up back to back pro bowl seasons, and yet Denver refuses to give him a 4 year 40 million contract. I really hope he gets to shine on a better team.

Next let’s take a look at the 2009-2010 Denver Horses running backs, drum-roll please, drum-roll please…

Correll Buckhalter, a long time backup who is pure hot garbage, so bad the Eagles dropped him and brought in a rookie to backup Brian Westbrook, I can’t stop laughing, Correll Buckhalter, wow. That’s a game changer…. NOT

Lamont “I haven’t done a damn thing since 2005, and its 2009, I was overrated as a backup to Curtis Martin, I get slower every year was cut from the Raiders because Justin Fargas was better, went to New England but was cut from there, and now my old coach is now the new coach of the Broncos so I think I will play there and suck even worse then I did last season” Jordan

I really don’t know what to say about that, Lamont Jordan on the Denver Horses, that right there is a perfect match up, a sucker playing for a sucker ass team.

And last but not least.

With the 12 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft the Denver Broncos select Brain Orakpo from Texas…

Wait, wait, wait….

You mean to tell me, the damn horses select Knowshon Moreno, what kind of bullshit ass pick is that? Whatever, Horse fans will defend him to the end, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see on Moreno.

Corell, Lamont, and Knowshon…YEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH BUDDY!

Ryan Harris sucks.

 

Defense

Ryan McBean, Ronald Fields, Kenny Peterson, Carlton Powell, Marcus Thomas, Darell Reid…

What do these guys all have in common?

They all suck.

This could be the worst D Line unit in the league, a bunch of no namers who are fixing to get ran on like a ripper on the Vegas strip.

Robert Ayers, I mean you guys can’t be serious, Robert Ayers? We have another Jarvis Moss in the making, go back two years ago, and I promise Denver Horse fans was like, Jarvis Moss is the truth, I’m so glad we drafted Jarvis Moss, I’m going to go get me a Jarvis Moss jersey, I wonder if Jarvis Moss is related to Randy Moss, Jarvis Moss is the next Julius Peppers.

Robert Ayers isn’t the answer, ya’ll passed on Orakpo for Moreno, remember that Horse fans.

What do Elvis Dumervil and Alphonso Smith have in common? THEY ARE THE SAME HEIGHT! Both are 5’9″ with shoes on hahaha…

Speaking on Alphonso Smith, Josh Mcdonald, just had to have Smith, he was a can’t miss player I guess, worth a 2010 first-round draft pick? Well since the Horses won’t be making the playoffs, and won’t be doing better then 8-8, that first round pick next season will be worth a lot. Horse fans are going to be wishing for that pick next season…

Alphonso won’t start, Andre Goodman, Josh Bell, and Jack Williams are better then Alphonso, and those 3 players I just listed sucked.

NEWS FLASH, NEWS FLASH, NEWS FLASH… Champ Bailey is getting old, Champ is slowing down, lacks tackles, interceptions, and will be lucky not to get hurt again this season…

Next on the list… DJ Williams… hold on… I can’t speak bad on DJ, as DJ is from the Bay Area, he’s the best player on your defense and hes from the bay area California? hmm… think about it.

Andra Davis a nice pick up, nothing bad to say about him.

Renaldo… no I’m not talking about a Brazilian soccer player, I’m talking about Renaldo Hill, weak ass Renaldo Hill from Miami, he’s garbage.

Brain Dawkins will bring that much needed fear to the Horses secondary…

To bad he’s 6-8 years pass his prime.

His best years are in Philly, if Dawkins was still the player he used to be, then he would still be in Philly. Honestly, I think Denver is the only team in the NFL that wanted a 36 year old safety, oldest safety in the league?

Matt Prater? 25-for-34? 73 percent last season? How do you say garbage in Spanish?

Brett Kem sucks

 

Coaching Staff

Three mikes

Mike McCoy –  looks like a geek, who’s calling the offense McCoy or McDonald

Mike Nolan – how did he do with the 49ers again? I can see it now, Mcdonald yelling at Mike Nolan asking whats going on with the defense, why can’t we stop anyone only to see Nolan just standing there looking puzzled

Mike Priefer- The Horses hire the Chiefs old Spiecal teams coach, wow.

Dan Martindale – The Horses hire the Raiders old linebacker coach, haha this just gets better and better.

Josh McDonald – the man who drove Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall out of town.

 

Cheerleaders

What do Denver cheerleaders have in common with the mascot?

THEY BOTH LOOK LIKE HORSES!

I don’t think I ever seen a more ugly cheerleading squad, it look like a bunch of crackhead rippers in orange and blue, looks like you got your girls from the 99 cent store, them girls need to put masks on there faces, they so ugly, if Austin Powers and Cher was to have daughters they would look like Denver’s cheerleaders.

 

Horse Fans

Fake, Fake, Fake, they wear there hats with Horses on them, go to the games and eat their cheese sandwiches with the crust cut off, they sip on coffee while sitting in INVESCO field, they were there bright orange t shirts looking like they should be working on the side of the road picking up trash off the ground.

They think Denver is better then what they really are, Denver fans aren’t loyal, look how fast they turned on Jay Cutler, Mike Shanahan, and Brandon Marshall.

Denver fans are cry babies

Denver fans get they ass beat when they come to Oakland wearing there white Broncos jerseys.

Denver fans get barbecued Ribs thrown at them.

Denver fans get socked in the mouth for even talking in Oakland.

Denver fans are scared of the Black hole.

Denver fans hate on Oakland because they know we are the better franchise with the better history.

Denver fans know the Raiders have gotten much better this season then they where last season when Oakland beat them, I mean blew them out 31-10 in mile high.

Denver fans know JaMarcus Russell is the truth, and have seen first hand what JaMarcus can do, if not go back to Ashley Lelie week 12. 31-10.

Denver has the worst fans in the AFC WEST, maybe NFL besides Lions.

Denver hasn’t done anything since John Elway was around, the last time John Elway was on a videogame was Sega Genesis 1998.

Denver fans dress up in horse gear,  enough said.

Denver fans scream and rooted for Jay Cutler last season, now they hate him and call him a baby.

Denver fans think Robert Ayers is the next big thing, when really he is the next Jarvis Moss.

Denver fans wear paper bags over there heads.

Denver fans are like ugly girls, only old free agents want to be with them.

Denver fans believe Lamont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter are the answer. Knowshon Moreno is the future face of the franchise, lol.

How many Denver fans does it take to screw a lightbulb?  WAIT A SECOND THERE ARE NO DENVER FANS!! (expect B/R ones)

Denver fans think there team will go 9-7 lol

Denver fans will grow there beard out like Kyle Orton lol

Denver fans think Alphonso Smith is just as good as Antiono Winfield lol

Denver fans will boo 2,489 times by the 6th game  of the season

Denver fans hate Oakland, they say Oakland is full of thugs, drugs, pimps, players, macs, rappers, purple weed, land where they get hyphy, swing there whips, get stupid, act a nut, go dummy, on one, will stomp your car out… and Denver fans are right.

Denver fans are L7

Denver fans look like sayre lol

Denver fans considerd themsleve high class, haha

Denver fans are soft

Denver fans are wack

Denver fans don’t want to see the Black Hole in a fight. They will get stomped.

 

City of Denver

Northern California, smash on the whole state of Colorado, end of subject, ya’ll get all your game from us, we got the most style, best fans, die hard Raider Nation, Sliver and Black, best colors in the NFL, best staduim yeah i said it, I dont care if it old, grimey, and dirty it’s the black hole, you beezy.

Denver aint shit, edgewater weak, Englewood weak, Aurora weak, Glendale weak, Arvada weak, Wheat ridge weak, Lake Wood, Lake Side, Westminster, all of that is wack.

This is California cutty

Yay Area

Town Bizness

Get on BART wearing that Orange Horse shit and get scraped

Come in the parking lot wearing that Orange Horse shit and get scraped

Sit in the black hole in that Orange Horse shit and get scraped.

Orange in a sea of black…

I’ll go straight to Invesco Field, in all Raiders gear from head to toe, with a Raiders hat, a Kirk Morrison jersey, a Raiders starter jacket, Black jeans, Raiders shoes, Raiders flag, waving that shit from left to right ready to who ride on the Horses like we did last season 31-10 week 12.

Horse fans won’t say a word.

2009-2010 Week 3 live and direct from East Oakland California, its super bad for the Denver Horses I promise ya’ll.

Pt. 2 coming soon…

Brandon Marshall Involved in Bears-Bills-Broncos Three-Way Trade?

It’s no secret that Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver. Since Jay Cutler’s trade to the Windy City, Marshall has slowly been packing his bags and getting ready to ship out. You can’t blame him. Would you want Kyle Orton as your QB?

While the Bears are actively seeking a WR to play alongside Devin Hester, they continue to deny any interest in Marshall. They seem very interested in Plaxico Burress, who might not even play a down of the 2009 NFL season. 

Something fishy is going on here. 

Yes, Marshall would be a risk because he has found himself in cuffs just about as many times as your average hip-hop artist, but fortunately for him, nothing he has ever done runs the risk of a yearlong suspension.

Burress, on the other hand, shot himself in the leg with his own gun and could be doing some jail time. Not sure why any team is looking at him right now. Even after the jail time, he would be suspended by the Roger “The Enforcer” Goodell.

The popular belief would be that as long as he hasn’t been sentenced, then Goodell can’t suspend him. This is the only reason Burress is trying to push back his trial. Still, it’s not going to eliminate the inevitable. 

Maybe Burress just wants to get it pushed back long enough to play a couple more seasons and sit on that. Who knows? The way he is going about resolving his impending trial would certainly suggest that.

Anyway, back to the rumor. The Bears need a WR. They don’t have the ammo to get Marshall. The Broncos would most certainly want a WR in return, one that has been productive. They would also need at least a second round draft choice.

So how would this work? Well, the Bills are currently loaded at the WR position. They could afford to throw a second round pick and a productive receiver like Josh Reed to the Broncos in return for a position of need. In this case it would be a DT. 

Buffalo would want nothing but the best from Chicago, and that would come in the form of Tommie Harris. Chicago could do this because they have invested heavily in DTs in recent years. It would seem like Denver would be getting the shaft, but they are totally rebuilding their squad and really have no plans of a championship this year.

Loading up with solid veterans and multiple draft picks sounds like a smart way to build your team for Denver, while Chicago and Buffalo believe that they just need a few minor tweaks and pieces to the puzzle to get to the playoffs and beyond.

The trade at first glance looks lopsided, but when you look at what each team is trying to do, it really makes a whole lot of sense.

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