ESPN.com reported Monday morning that the Broncos had come to terms with linebacker Niko Koutouvides, who spent the last four years with the Seattle Seahawks.
Monday afternoon, the Broncos announced that Koutouvides had signed his contract. The Broncos also announced the signing of Keary Colbert and the re-signing of defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban; both had first been reported in the media Saturday.
The Purdue product, who turns 27 on March 25, primarily handled special-teams duties for the Seahawks throughout the last four years. He started three games during the 2004 campaign — two in the regular season and one in the playoffs.
Over his four years as a Seahawk, Koutouvides had 89 solo tackles, 22 assists and a sack.
Discuss below …
Tags: Free Agency, Niko Koutouvides
Great addition. I like the Broncos approach now on finding hungry players that are ready to prove themselves.
Even though that has been the Broncos’ MO for the last decade, just recently not finding the players that want to grow. These last two additions might be the turning point.
Sounds like a decent player. He’s said to be a, “special teams ace.” That’s an area the Broncos need help at.
i still think we should try and get javon kearse
I just want to hear Madden say his name on SNF !!
It’s about time we had some more Greeks around here! Opa!
Has anyone heard about Marcus Thomas? It just gets better and better….
A+ ! No panic evident in Bronco choices this year !
Marcus Thomas was the passanger in a car that was pulled over and a bag of cocaine was found inside of it, trace amounts. Both Thomas and the driver where arrested because an officer can not truly know who it belonged to. Usuaully in these type of cases the driver is held most responisble. Lets hope that Thomas was actually being smart for once and truly did not know his friend had that in the car.
just saw on espn that warrick dunn was release and the bronco were one of the teams interested in him. Dunn was a great back in his time, “was” being the key word. Hope they don’t pull the trigger on this one, we have more pressing needs and running back is not one of those positions where older is better.Hall and Young did a great job of backing up Henry and are only going to get better.
Re: Marcus Thomas….he was in a car with someone else in FL, and police found cocaine and a gun in the car…for the amount of money the Broncos are paying him, and the fact they drafted him despite his earlier “troubles”, he has a responsibility to stay out of those kinds of situations. Hate to jump to conclusions, but at best it looks like another example of not knowing when to quit hanging out with old trouble-making friends.
what is up with thomas and this cocaine???? Broncofan1088???
I Hope WE pick up BOSS BAILEY and we need a solid return specialist. We need a good number 2 reciever because Stockley belongs and excells in the slot. Colbert is no number 2 by any stretch so we still have work to do.
My 2 cent = Sign Boss Bailey to help defense we need solid linebacker. See if we can get AL Wilson back for cheap on a one year deal.
Draft a good position player/ return specialist. Chris Johnson would be great there are others but this guy adds depth to the rb position
WR – I like Andre Caldwell for us. SEC guys are the best
Keep our eyes on free agency – there might be a good number 2 reciever left.
All I got to say is you must be kidding!!! This is the best this team can do and or get? What a joke!!!
We do not need Warrick Dunn.
This draft is deep at RB.
Shanny – get Boss Bailey.
I think that this Niko guy is going to be a great backup but I still think that a starter free agent is better than a backup. I think with DJ in the middle and Jamie and (assuming we pick him up) Bailey on the outside, we could have a great linebacker corps with good depth thanks to Niko Kout-something and nate webster.
I personally think that Keary Colbert is going to suprise a lot of people and is going to end up as our number 2 guy. Not in numbers but he will be ligning up opposite marshall. BTW, have you guys seen his tape? He is a good blocker too.
We don’t need any running backs. We have Selvin, Travis, and Andre + Mike Bell did a halfway descent job for us. Shanahan, please don’t get anymore running backs! Get a good DT and S in the draft!
Furthermore, the Falcons couldn’t run the ball last year.
Dunn is done.
Marcus Thomas must be a major dumbass to even be in that situation after the Broncos stuck thier necks out for him.
yes we need boss bailey and also need to to sign rodney bailey from arizona then we have a bailey defence
We need offense, we need a homerun hitter at running back again. We need a proven burner at receiver because it is very clear to me that we cannot score in the redzone in a grind it out fashion so we had better be able to shoot from deep if you know what I mean. We have the arm to do it, so what do ya say, lets stretch the field. There are some burners availalble via draft but I am not sure you want to commit pick 12 money to an unproven receiver( ex. Mike Williams, Charles Rodgers). Jay and Brandon just need a lil help. I think we took 2 dliners last draft in the first round they wont be able to help us score in the redzone. There are olineman available via free agency, we are close. GO BRONCOS!!!!!
I think we are solid at running back, we still need receiver help, help on both sides of the line, a safety and another LB. Jackson the WR from Cal is probably one of the most explosive players in the draft which would help with the WR (someone who can stretch the field) and a kick return who can take it back. I know we need defensive help, but look at what Hester does for Chicago. Most of the time the Bears have great field position even if he doesn’t touch the ball and we all know what happens when he gets the ball. I am frankly glad we are signing role players and not dumping eight figure signing bonuses on guys who are not household names and have been in the league awhile.
I think that we take a look at RB later in the draft, as it is deep this year and as insurance against henry. Niko is a decent add because we need help with ST. He is comming from a decent ST squad up here in WA. We do need more at LB, Bailey could be a good add, but Landon Johnson would be great. He has posted back to back 100+ tackle seasons in Cinci, and he’s only 26. I suppose I am not the GM though. Going out and getting proven young players….maybe I am in the minority with those kind of thoughts…
Well thats 2 sensless singingns one more to go broncos. U get better at special teams with young guys on the second day of the draft and rookie free agents, who arnt costin you 2.5 million a year, and you get better at special teams by NOT kicking to devin hester multipule times in one game after he’s already torched you.
And please people with this boss bailey mess he cant get it done, he’s a good athlete but with our D-line that has trouble keeping our LB’s from gettin beat up by guards and tackles you wouldnt even notice boss was on the feild cause some 300 pound fat as* would be layin on him every play, and he cant stay healthy, get off blocks, the list goes on. Unless its the wide out from the cardinals, lets not make any other free agent moves and just wait for the draft.
once again, say it with me: TRADE UP FOR DORSEY…. or TRADE FOR DORSEY….which one sounds better
Quality player. Broncos need a good draft.
TRADE UP FOR LONG sounds much better to me. Either one. Or Ellis. I do not want another “triangle” pick in Dorsey. He may not be able to play after he hurts his “tibula” again (college educated person doesn’t know the difference between the tibia and fibula? come one now).
we need defense and a wideout. not an ol like some say picking in first round
Forget Boss Bailey – he used to be fast before his knee problems. I expected him to play safety when the Lions drafted him – but he has never been good against the run.
Colbert might work out playing alongside Marshall. But who will Cutler throw to, if Marshall is injured (or suspended)? Walker would have been an alternative.
I’d like to see a OT as our first pick, however I could well live a DT, given the questionmarks, Thomas raises about his character.
nice add broncos,,we need all the help on special teams,,and Niko makes a gud back-up,,,ya’ll know this is not a waste of money,,young guys always in the shadows of starters hoping to prove themselves..
Marcus Thomas will be a beast nxt season (given he stays out of trouble)…we dont need a stud DT…look at wud the SB champs Giants did to the so-called pro-bowl line Brady had and Farve….they had small linemen,,gud strength,,gud speed.and especially strong determination,.,kept changing,,and look wud they did Brady??(more sacks in that SB than all the previous SBs the Patriots had)…heck,,at most of the time they used three DEs(Strahan, Tuck, Umenyiora) and one DT (interchanging)….and they just never gave up….
Broncos can do the same…3 DEs (Dumerville, Crowder, Moss/Ekuban) and one DT (Thomas interchanging w/ Balmer or Moore/Mckinley)…that would be SUPER!!!!!!!
we just need to a good draft this year!!add more depth,,sign a burner,,get the best linebackers in this draft,get Balmer or Moore..and add depth to the secondary….
GO BRoncos!!!!!!!!!
We need players, STAR players period. Especially on the D-line. If this is the type of players they’re going to go after, its gonna be a very long season. 6-12. FOLDM, I’m right there with you, this is a JOKE!
Well I don’t know a lot about this new guy, and I am not going to pretend to but if he is a good Special Teamer I am down with his signing. Plus if he played hard on kick coverage and blocking he should play hard on D… I like it when we take risks for a player that brings great value to the team.
I would be okay with a guy like Dunn coming in. I think we just need a really good role model vet guy that works hard to set the pace for Selvin, Bell, and Hall. If he is a good value I say pick him up, but if he takes a lot of cap room I am not down with us signing him.
Now about Marcus man you know just as well as I do guilt by association is common. I know how important it is to have loyal friends, but Marcus how loyal are the friends that keep putting you in these types of situations? You need to sit down and think about what is best for you, and if those friends are what is best for you than I don’t want to see you in a Broncos Uni. Now if being a good football player is best for you than that is what you need to concentrate on.
I do think we need to bring in Ellis or Dorsey not only because of their ability and talent but I think Marcus needs someone to push him. He likes to be the best and if he has guys like Ellis or Dorsey next to him he will have to try that much harder.
Hey Mason,
Thanks for putting this on here!
Sign Boss Bailey, Sign Michael Boley, Sign Antonio Bryant, Sign Eugene Wilson. Boss Bailey and Michael Boley will give us two young linebackers who are good and under the radar. Antonio Bryant is a name, but he is a good deep threat and will take some focus off of Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokely. Eugene Wilson gives us a very athletic safety who can switch to the cornerback position. A player like him especially combined with foxworth will allow us to switch up the defensive matchups.
The broncos should go with a 3-4 defense, sort of the way the chargers is. I think Webster would be a great fit rushing from the outside, allowing him to play like a Sean Merriman. The have 3 bigs upfront. This would make the defense as a whole 100 times better. Too bad they didnt try and get Jonathan Vilma…
Who’s this fool? You guys think he’s going to turn out to be a beast? I admit this is a nice fantasy, but that’s all it is. Most likely this signing will add to the horrible decision making of the front office and we’ll cut him in preseason. Can anyone tell me why we’re not going after any real big name guys… we don’t need players who take 3 more years to be good. With Champ getting old and Lynch going into his last season, if we aquired at least someone decent at DT and S then we weould have a serious shot in the AFC next year. Come on Broncos, get it together.
There might be some potential in this Niko Koutouvides guy and think it is a decent signing. We sure dont need Warrick Dunn so dont pull that trigger. I’m thinking that Colbert is a 4th string WR at best but time will tell. And whats the deal Marcus? Thats the last thing we need to deal with right now!
get javon kearse….are you serious he is an old washed up bum..the eagles gave him 4 seasons to prove him self and he did nothing…dumerville is better ,younger and a harder worker and jarvis moss will be back this year he deserves a chance b4 kearse gets one….
Foregt everyone else. to give the other team bad field position, we need a PUNTER!!! GO get the punter out of Georgia Tech, Brooks. He is GREAT!!!
ok so some of the people on this blog are truly not real broncos Fans. Just like most people I think we should have went after at least a couple of big names but most of these players are getting paid way to much and are not worth it. The Broncos are doing the right thing by adding depth to the roster and signing guys with a good work ethic. They are signing people that have good talent but have to ability and drive to get better. We need these type of good character people in this organization. No one is giving Colbert a chance. Yea he may not be the fastest or the strongest but he never gives up. He gives it his all and plays hard the whold game and now he will actually have a good QB in Cutler that can actually get him the ball. I do not want to compare him to anyone in the past i.e. rod smith, eddie mac but he is the same type of guy as rod and ed. Willing do to anything the team ask of him to help his team win.
As for Niko Koutouvides, he has been a solid LB up in Seattle his whole career. He is a special team ace which is a big need on this team and Shanny and Co would have not paid him 2.5 mil a year if they did not think he could compete for a starting job. He will either back up DJ in the middle or compete for a starting job on the outside. I saw him play a couple of times this year and the guy hits hard and gives it his all. He has been used a MLB but face the facts DJ is our starting MLB. He was 2nd in the league in tackles this season. For his first year in the middle he did a good job.
So for all you hater out there, you need to relax. Shanny and Co are doing the right thing by signing hard working players that can contribute. Guys that do not have attitudes and do not require a huge payday. Just watch both these guys come in and suprise all you haters.
I also read all your comments about Marcus Thomas. You people need to give him a break. What ever happened to Innocent until Proven Guilty. He was being responsible by not drinking and driving. He got into that car making the right decision not knowing there were drugs in the car. The driver or the car has admited since that the drugs were his. Though, I do think marcus needs to sit down and think about the people he is surronding himself with. I also know that in the Court of Public Opinion, you are Guilty until Proven Innocent. Marcus knows he messed up and it will most likely not happen again. My point is that he is still young and will learn from his mistake. Also people need to remember when they were young and did stupid things that got them in trouble. People should not treat him and different just because he is a Pro Athlete.
As a whole you all need to calm down and give people a shot. Do not always think about the negative first but think about the positive. Give people a break, nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Do not judge the Broncos signing until you see how they are going to pan out. Just CHILL!!!
lets bring in dunn….great character guy and he is use to running under the zone blocking scheme while alex gibbs was in ATL…..i wouldnt be surprised if we did get him that he would be the main man for us next year at half back…i know selvin is the man…but a vet…that is still fast and knows how to win…..i say lets do it! \
sucks about thomas….but i hope we keep him..cuz he is good!! and this new guy….i remember this guy always in everybodys face when he played for Seattle…i really dont like this guy…i mean what for….tell me he is better then Gold, and good enough to jump in at middle…cuz i heard DJ is going back to the outside…that exp in middle will help him on the edges!!!
damn how do we keep losing fa’s to the bills and browns of the league!! we need a better image and look for FA’s whats up with us??
Those of you who are thinking about a 3-4 defense just throw that idea out the window. In order for that style to work the team needs a DT that’ll be a force to be reckoned with which the Broncos don’t have and are passing up free agent DTs. Instead they are focusing on the WR and LB positions; minor problems. The major problems the Broncos had last year were with the line on both sides of the field. So far the Broncos organization seem to be uninterested in addressing that major issue.
This was a stupid idea. why on earth would you get a linebacker that got 23 tackles last season. Denver’s defense is not going to excel unless they get star players! Nobody succeeds with nobodies now-a-days. We need to go for big name free-agents such as Clark Haggans. Offense is also an issue. I know that Denver has been lucky at finding diamonds in the rough at running back but we can’t just keep doing this. We should have went for Michael Turner. Don’t even get me started about Wide Receivers. I bet we don’t even send Randy Moss and e-mail.
BigVon, take a look at jordy nelson. this is who the broncos should get in about the 4th round. Also they should sign Bailey, putting him and DJ on the outside and then draft keith rivers. this guy is like a demeco ryan from houston.
those of that are saying marcus thomas is a victom of circumstance are as foolish as he is…i dont no about ya’ll but i dont put myself in situations were i could become a “victom of circumstance” and i damn sure wouldnt if i had an oppurtunity to play ball for a couple mill a year. you can do things like ask the people you hang with if they are dirty and if they are or you have any doubt that they might be the RUN!!! jus my nickels worth…but hey to each his own right????
Took the words out of my mouth DRAFT JAMAAL CHARLES, TRADE UP FOR DORSEY.
Run fast and far from dunn
Sign Bryant johnson
Get o line men that are more than 288 pounds.
And a 3-4 would give us more problems than solutions, We dont have a DT to put there, the DE we have now would have to OLB and would probly be good at it, But you need bigger ILB for a 3-4 so what do you do with DJ?? move him to safety……………… Maybe it could work… lets walk on this fantasy orange and blue brick road drop about 10-15 pounds, he already runs a 4.4 hey desperate times need desperate measures (wake up) but then we would need to draft ILBs 2 of em, DE’s DT’s yeah trash that idea, but the ILB out of maryland should be around on the second day. Lets face it
Broncos will go 9-7 this year, theres so many holes to fill but as soon as august rolls around ill be preachin the gospel of jay cutler bringin a super bowl ring but as for now I can be objective, then maybe after that, if we draft good, develop those picks then i think we got a legit chance to make a run
TRADE UP FOR DORSEY
DRAFT JAMAAL CHARLES
hukedonfonikcs, we dont need to be wasting money on big name free agents that cost way too much. We have “stars” on our defense. For example, Champ, Lynch, Dre, DJ, and Dumerville. We just need to find the right role players that can step in and get the job done. In my opinion going conservative in free agency this year is the right thing to do, we just need to have a good draft.
Warrick Dunn ran for over 1,500 yards two seasons ago. This season was a mess because the coach, vick, and all the other BS in ATL.
Continuing on Dunn, he has proven he can stay healthy which would be good because Henry can’t!
Finally, he would be able to REMOVE A LOT OF PRESSURE from Cutler because he can catch out of the back field a la Faulk and LT.
Bring him in!
GO BRONCOS!!!
Looks like D.J.’s the only guy that has secured his position in the LB core. Thomas better be clean or he’s out of football. I think Shanny is doing a lovely job not losing his mind this year in free agency.
OK everyone check this out, since a lot of you are tweakin just shut up, sit down, and read this…
1)We could use Warrick Dunn on 3rd down and for a vetern for Selvin Young and Andre Hall to look up to because seriously Travis Henry is not the best back in the biz.
2) This kid the Broncos added could help improve out Special Teams a lot.
3) D.J. stays inside for all of those who are NON-believers (BIGVON) and think we should get Al Wilson back
4)Considering the fact that D.J. stays inside we need to improve the outside not move him back out. Grab Boss Bailey, Victor Hobson, Brandon Chillar, or Roosevelt Colvin. Those are 4 decent names still in Free Agency.
5) We don’t need to draft a frickin punter. that’s what college free agency is for
Adam Scheffter is reporting that Elam is done in Denver! Are you kidding me! Someone please explain why we would let go of a HOF kicker. Here is what I think about free agency this year.
1) I cant believe were letting go of Elam
2) I cant believe we cut Gold – if they wanted to let him go why not trade him for a draft pick and save the cap penalties.
3) I can see why we cut Walker and I have no problem with that.
4) Colbert? I was disappointed but hopefully he fits in here.
5) Koutouvides is a good player but not great, hopefully he makes a difference.
We need a great draft.
GO BRONCOS
get rid of shanahan!!!!!!!!!!!