The NFL is a place where teams are judged on whether or not they can win games, and make a run in the playoffs. There are teams in the NFL who can do this every year and there are teams who have simply just fallen off the radar.

The Denver Broncos was a franchise that began in 1960 as an original American Football League team (AFL). They started off abysmal, losing games in embarrassing fashions getting blown out every game, and overall not being a good organization. The Broncos went 13 seasons until having a winning record, and they are the only original AFL team to have never played in a title game. It took this team until the late 70s to make their mark in the NFL. However this team did end up winning a Superbowl in the 1997 and 1998 seasons with John Elway under center.

Now the Broncos find themselves facing what they did in their losing seasons. They face too many changes, new quarterback, new coaches, new playbooks, it seems like absolutely everything is changing, and not for the better is appears. Not too many things are shaping up to be positive for this team. From the negative attitudes of certain players, to all the skepticism over Jay Cutler leaving to Chicago.

This team appears to be heading in the wrong direction to many people. Most NFL experts and analyst have this team winning less than eight games. One of the only positives of this team is the explosive offense, but as said before, Jay Cutler is gone, and Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver. If Marshall leaves then you can not possibly imagine this team making the playoffs for the next couple of years. He really is that important to the Broncos overall establishment. From the double coverage that frees up others, to the big play making ability.

Just to think that only three season ago this team was one game away from the superbowl. Ha there was even a great chance they would have won the superbowl that year against the Seattle Seahawks. Many things have changed since then. A quarterback has came and left, all defensive positions besides Champ Bailey have changed, the Broncos cant find that next face at running back. The Broncos have been a big box of confusion since that game against the Steelers in the 2005 season.

Coming back to the present, I believe that the Broncos have done some positive things in the off-season free agent period, losing Jay Cutler was not one of them, but the addition of many players will immediately make the Broncos better.

Brian Dawkins will have a couple good seasons in Denver before he retires. Andre Goodman will help the secondary and will not get beat as much as Dre Bly did. Kyle Orton will step in and do what he has to do to win games, remember he has Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, and Tony Scheffler.

This foursome of players have very good hands and have a ability to create plays. If there was a situation where a team could run Quarterback by committee, it would be the Denver Broncos, because the surrounding offensive talent is great. Also picking up Renaldo Hill will add some much needed depth to the Broncos secondary.

The 2009 draft class was great too, not nearly as close as last years but i see some major things from specifically three players from that class. The total list of 2009 draft class includes:

Round 1:

(12) Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia

(18) Robert Ayers DE/LB Tennessee
Round 2: 

(37) Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest
(48) Darcel McBath S Texas Tech

(64) Richard Quinn TE North Carolina
Round 4:

(114) David Bruton FS Notre Dame

(132) Seth Olsen OG Iowa
Round 5:
(141) Kenny McKinley WR South Carolina
Round 6:

(174) Tom Brandstater QB Fresno State
Round 7:
(225) Blake Schleuter C Texas Christian

The three players that impress me from this draft class is Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, and my personal favorite Alphonso Smith. When it comes to picking up the best running back in the draft you have to give the edge of Moreno. He rushed for over 2,700 yards and 30 T.D.’s in two seasons. He also managed to grab 53 balls for 3 scores.

Knowshon Moreno is most know for his ability to make cuts and direction better than anyone in college football. He may not be super fast, but come game day he is most likely and able to shake a defender out of his boots. i can easily see Moreno having 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns in Denver in his rookie season.

Robert Ayers coming from Tennessee, he already played the best of the best, and that included Georgia’s running back Moreno. This guy is a physical beast. He can stand up and play linebacker, and he can bull-rush to the Quarterback to get a sack. He reminds me of Shawn Merriman of the Chargers.

Just because they both are athletic enough to play linebackers but they are defensive ends at heart. Even though Ayers did not have a bunch of sacks and he had limited playing experience in college he still has the ability to become one of, if not the best Denver linebacker next to DJ Williams. Ayers has even been getting a lot of buzz from coaches and players, he is most likely going to start in this Denver defense whether it be with his fingers in the ground or lined up over the tight end playing outside linebacker.

Alphonso Smith out of Wake Forrest is a first rounder in my opinion if he was 5’11 or 6’0. Smith has been called the best cover corner in the draft and some even call him the best overall corner in the draft. This guy can play, he has 21 interceptions in his college career. He is going to be the next great Defensive back in Denver when Bailey leaves.

The Denver Broncos are a team still in the rebulding stage, and do not be surprised if this team is not in playoff talks until the next two years. I believe it will take one more draft class to make this team better for the next ten years. Since the Broncos are already within the top five for youngest team in the NFL they should be set for young talent for some time. If the Broncos do keep Brandon Marshall, then i see no excuses for Kyle Orton to not put of decent numbers.

The state of the Denver Broncos is not entirely good, but at the same time it is not that bad because you get a new face at Quarterback with a better attitude then Jay Cutler, you get a coach who has been around winning players and knows how to win, you get Brian Dawkins who will immediately make Denver’s secondary better. And you get three first round talents in the first two round of the NFL draft.

At the best i see the Broncos with an 9-7 record, at the worst i see the Broncos with an 6-10 record.

PS. Please comment and give me all your insight on what you guys think about where this team is headed and just give me your overall thoughts.
Thanks

 

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