Projected Bronco Starters As Of Right Now

During this time of year all the fans seem to focus on is who will be signed/traded/drafted next. Sometimes it's good to sit back and assess what you have, and that will better guide you with the direction to go for the draft, and next round of free agency. The offense: Manning at QB, Ball at RB, Clady at LT, Orlando Franklin at LG, Ramirez at Center, Vasquez at RG, Clark at RT, JT at TE, DT at WR, Bubba Caldwell at WR, and Wes Welker in the slot. Once again this offense will put up crazy numbers, but I for one hope that we lean on the running game a bit more this year. The defense: DeMarcus Ware at RE, Vickerson at DT, Knighton at DT, Malik Jackson at LE, Danny Trevathan at Will, Nate Irving at Mike, Von Miller at Sam, Talib at corner, Chris Harris at Corner, Rahim Moore at FS, and TJ Ward at SS. Question marks here are do they keep Chris Harris on the slot and play Kayvon Webster on the outside? Nate Irving has been given chance after chance to show he can handle the responsibilites of the Mike. If not they most certainly will look to the draft, or the next round of free agency which is set for June 1st. I am happy with those lineups and we still have the draft, and the June 1st free agency period. This is a team that is built to win a super bowl.

How To Help Manning? Use a Fullback

Fullback? I think you can hear a lot of Denver fans thinking fullback? We don't need a fullback. In my opinion I think it would seriously boost our running game, and that will take pressure off Manning. Will Manning put up a lot of points this year? Absolutely. Should he try and have another season like he did last year? No. He needs the running game to take pressure off of him. Using a fullback would help Montee Ball out immensely, and I do not think Denver has to look outside their roster to fill this position. I think the answer is Virgil Green. Julius Thomas took the NFL by storm this year and has solidified himself as the starting tight end in Denver. Virgil Green was more of a blocking tight end anyway. WHy not put him in the back field with Manning and Ball? If Manning see's something and wants to throw the ball instead of running it Green could be motioned out of the back field and into another tight end, or even a slot receiver. Any football coach has wants multiple players who can play multiple positions. Virgil Green provides just that with his ability as a tight end, but if John Fox, Adam Gase, and Payton Manning can figure a way to utilize Virgil Green more by putting him at fullback that could only benefit the team. If you think what I am saying is crazy I would point out that the only Denver Bronco teams to win the super had a guy named Howard Griffith leading the way for Terrell Davis, and they were able to take the pressure off of Elway so teams were constantly kept off balance. Denver will need to focus more on the running game next year if they hope to get back to the super bowl, and letting a guy like Virgil Green lead the way for Montee Ball it will make things easier on the entire offense.

After Free Agency What Should Denver Do In The Draft?

After getting major impact players in free agency the Denver Broncos still have the draft to improve as well. After this past year I think it would be fair to rate last years draft as a solid B-. Sylvester Williams was almost a non factor all year until Vickerson went down, and Williams really came in a played solid. Montee Ball had some fumbling problems at the beginning of the year, but he is poised to be the Broncos number 1 back next year. Kayvon Webster showed some flashes of being a solid NFL player, but played like a rookie for much of the playoffs. Quantarus Smith was injured, Tavares King was cut, Vincent Painter was a non factor, and finally Zac Dysert should push Brock Osweiler for the starting spot when Manning retires. So what does Denver this year with the 31st pick? As of today Denver still has a major hole at middle linebacker. With the 31st pick Denver can always "take the best player available" route, but I would like to see them address the needs they still have. To me there are 3 holes that still need to be filled for Denver. The 1st would be drafting another corner who can play in the slot. Chris Harris is moving to the outside to play opposite of Aqib Talib. That leaves Kayvon Webster, who in my opinion is best suited for an outside corner position to try and play the slot. Plus Denver doesn't really have many options at corner. I would look for them to take at least one corner in this draft and if they target anyone I would like to see Jason Verrett from TCU who would immediately be their #3 corner. He does not have the size that every team seems to want in the NFL, but he makes up for it with a absolutely tenacious mentality, speed, and quickness. He is the ideal slot corner. In the 2nd round drafting Chris Boreland out of Wisconsin could be a starter immediately for the Broncos. He has great instincts, and always manages to find his way to the ball. In the 3rd round Denver could address their need for some toughness up front by picking up Gabe Jackson, who is a 330lb guard from Mississippi State. Could he start next year? Maybe. Does he provide some depth and competition for either Orlando Franklin, or Manny Ramirez? Absolutely. For the rest of the draft I think Denver should target the best player available, and keep your eye on them drafting a running back as well.

How Will DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and TJ Ward Upgrade The Broncos?

Going into free agency I think it is fair to say everyone in and around Denver had a pretty good idea about the positions, and type of players Denver needed to bring in. Bottom line is Denver needed to get "tougher". Not that they were not already tough, as you don't get to the super bowl without having some level of toughness. Well John Elway being John Elway went out and gave this team an even tougher mentality. As of today, March 13th, 2014 I still think Denver will make one or two moves, but even if they were to not make any more moves I think as a free agent class this may be the best one Denver has ever had. Yes, I know Manning was the biggest free agent pick up in the franchise's history, but this group of 3 players make up the best collective free agent class I can remember. Lets start off with TJ Ward as I have been singing his praises since this years free agency began. TJ Ward is a player who plays with such intensity that he makes the players around him better. What he gives Denver is that player who will intimidate opposing teams receivers from openly running across the middle of the field. He can come up into the box and help with run support, and is probably the best blitzing safety in the NFL. He immediately makes the Broncos tougher. The next two players came as extremely pleasant surprises. I will touch on Aqib Talib first. I think most people were under the assumption that Denver would bring Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie back and he would be our number 1 corner. I thought Talib would be out of our price range, but was so happy when I read he signed here that it was hard for me to hold in my excitement. He also fits the profile of getting the Broncos "tougher" in that he is a bigger corner, who possess the speed to cover any receiver, but isn't afraid to mix it up with anyone on the field. Since Denver signed him for 6 years they obviously brought him in to take over for Champ Bailey as the corner who will shut down opposing teams best wide receiver. Talib plays with a chip on his shoulder and while he is not exactly old himself he will provide a great example to our young defensive backs. Finally this brings me to DeMarcus Ware, or one of the best pass rushers in this generation of the NFL. He will be playing right defensive end here, and is as good or better than any defensive lineman the Broncos have ever had. With Ware and Miller chasing down opposing QBs guys like Talib, Ward, and Chris Harris will be able to create more turnovers. One thing is certain, and that is Denver will be an all around tougher team in the upcoming

Champ Bailey Released? Bittersweet Goodbye

The Champ has left Denver. He is a person that has lived up to his nickname in more ways than one. It is my opinion that Champ Bailey is the best corner to ever play the game. I know people will continue to day Deion Sanders is the best, but I would disagree simply because Champ is one of the best tackling corners to ever play. Upon hearing the news it felt like I was punched in the gut. After sleeping on it I have softened my position, but only on the condition Denver brings in some more big names on defense. On the business side of things this move makes sense, but when healthy Champ can still play, especially if he moves to safety. Denver is in a position where we can't afford to lose anymore quality players on defense, and in fact we need to bring in 3-5 new players to complete this defense. They are now 28 million under the cap, and maybe Peyton Manning would renegotiate his contract to give us even more cap space to bring in the players we need so he can be assured of winning another Super Bowl.