I assure you, we didn’t know that Matt Lepsis was going to tell The Denver Post that he would be retiring when we decided to put him on the cover of the most recently published Gameday magazine, sold at Sunday’s season-ending win over the Minnesota Vikings.
In retrospect, though, it proved to be a prescient choice, and a magazine cover seems a splendid complement to such an occasion, even if such a distinction runs contrary to the offensive line’s collective policy of shirking attention in exchange for public silence and devotion to its handiwork.
His style encapsulated the entire Broncos offensive line for the past dozen years. Strong, stoic and silent — at least to the media, until new league regulations released the padlock that bolted shut the lips of the linemen, a proud tradition that dated back a dozen years. Sure, it flummoxed hacks like myself, since these men deserve applause and recognition for their work in helping create 11 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and I would have only been eager to share their stories.
But silence said so much more, because when Lepsis did speak publicly, it was with authority, intelligence and an underlying emotion that could betray his stoic countenance.
That bore itself out in the mid-evening hours of Christmas Eve, moments after the 23-3 loss to the Chargers when I asked him about the importance of winning the season’s last game.
“It’s going to be real important,” replied Lepsis as he leaned back into his locker, his 6-foot-4, 290-pound frame seeming to spill out of the cramped stall. “A lot of people look at that last game and say, ‘It doesn’t mean anything,’ but I think it definitely means a lot. To end with a win — even if you don’t have a losing record — it’s real important just for going into the offseason, guys getting together and working out and not ending on a losing streak.”
And it’s real important when that is your farewell, as Lepsis says it was.
So as darkness and snow fell upon INVESCO Field at Mile High on the next-to-last day of 2007, a football spun end over end in between a pair of canary-yellow metal poles, ensuring that No. 78 would go out a winner — which is precisely what he is, both in his years at the University of Colorado and his decade of service with the Broncos.
That is an appropriate coda for a man who always let his play and its results speak with far more resonance than words.
Tags: Matt Lepsis, Offensive linemen
hey how bout this
QB-Jay
RB-Young/Hall/any1
FB-D.Graham
TE-Tony/Nate/Mustard
LT-Ryan Harris
LG-Ben Hamilton
C-Tommy
RG-Alan Fanica(FA)
RT-Eric Pears
WR-Brandon Marshall/Stokley
WR-Terry Glenn(trade)/Patrik Craton (FA)/martinez
have no answers for the D…..not my area of knowledge
…and how about this
WR-Marshall-Stokes
QB-Jay
HB-Young-Hall-Sapp
FB- Jameel Cook (Texans already have Leach)
TE-Tony-Graham-Alexander
LT-Harris
LG-Ben
C-Nalen
RG-Kuper
RT-Myers
WR-T.Glenn(Crayton will re-sign and took Terry place)-Pick-Glenn martinez
LE-Dumervil-Engelberger
DT-Thomas-Mckinley
DT-Spencer Jonhson(FA)(or pick)-Mallard
RE-Moss-Crowder
WLB-DJ-Holdman
MLB-Vilma(trade)-Beck
SLB-Winborn(or briggs)-Webster
CB-CB-Paymah
CB-Bly-Butler(trade for fox)
FS-Hamza-Underwood
SS-1st Pick-Nick
forgot to put bernard berrian as WR
newerascouting.com predicts Denver as drafting:
Rnd 1 - James Laurinaitis-Ohio State-LB
Rnd 2 - Dre’ Moore-Maryland-DT
Rnd 4 - Tyrell Johnson-Ark. State-SS
Rnd 5 - Jonathan Zenon-LSU-CB
Rnd 7 - Matt Flynn-LSU-QB
What you think? Fills some needs at certain positions, but what do you think of the players?
I don’t think Laurinitas wil make it past the Patriots. Dre Moore would be a great 2nd rd pick but I think there will be some better DT’s available in a very deep DT draft. Not familiar with Tyrell Johnson or Jaonathan Zenon and I don’t tink Denver needs a QB enough to take use a pick on one. Of course there are quite a few things that could change that will influence Denvers draft-
John Lynch-retire?
Ian Gold-released or traded?
Javon Walker-traded?
Travis Henry-traded?
Combine-who shows up?
Free Agency- DTS-Albert Haynesworth, Corey Williams,
OL_Alen Faneca, Travelle Wharton, Jordan Gross,
S-Ken Hamlin, Deon Grant,
WR-Bernard Berrian, Devery Henderson, Patrick Crayton,
LB-Lance Briggs, Karlos Dansby, Demarrio Williams, Boss Bailey (How cool would it be for the brothers), Jonathan Vilma (trade)
I think Denver has to) pick Kenny Phillups in Rd 1 if he somehow makes it to the 12h pick. He would complete the best secondary in the league. If not they should take the best available DT (Sedrick Elis or Kentwan Balmer)
Rd2 should be used on the best DT avalable or if they take a DT in 1st then they should take a S (Jonathan Hefney or Craig Steltz)
Denver should use at least one pick on a return specialist-WR
Looking forward to a beter offseason than the season!
Congratts Matt! Well done. Still hard to see you go.
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