Hello Broncos Country! Oh my goodness, how exciting has free agency been?! There have been so many interesting trades, and I think Coach McDaniels and the Broncos organization have been doing an awesome job! McDaniels is really getting down to business and making this offseason count! Free Agency officially started on February 27, and from about the first minute, the Broncos started making big plays.
Let’s start off with a rundown of who we’ve acquired so far. I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes I lose track of all the new signings, because there is just so much news coming from every team! So let’s start from the beginning! Our first acquisition was Brian Dawkins from the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed a 2-year contract. Dawkins is a powerhouse safety and has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times – this is just what our defense needs! The day after signing Dawkins, the Broncos added three more unrestricted free-agents to the roster: Correll Buckhalter, Jabar Gaffney, and Lonie Paxton. Buckhalter is a running back, who also comes from the Philadelphia Eagles. Gaffney is a wide receiver from the New England Patriots, and Paxton is a long snapper, also from the Patriots (so I’m guessing Coach knows a few secrets about these two!!)
Immediately after hearing the announcements of the signings, I simply had to find out a little more about these new players that will be sporting our fabulous orange and blue this fall. And after reading up on them, I am so excited to see what they are going to produce on the field! They are all talented, experienced players of the highest caliber. Buckhalter comes to Denver for his ninth season, having played the first eight with the Eagles. And last season, he played 14 of the 16 games. Gaffney joins Denver in his eighth season, previously playing for New England and the Houston Texans. Gaffney had playing time in all 16 games in 2008, and in 2007, he appeared in every game, assisting the team in reaching the first 16-0 record in NFL history — sounds good to me!! Paxton, also from the Patriots, will join the Broncos for his 10th season. He played 155 games for the Patriots, helping the team win three Super Bowls, six division titles and eight winning seasons out of the nine years he was there. And he has not missed a game in the last five seasons — now that’s a dedicated player!
After signing three offensive players, the Broncos switched their focus to the defensive side of the ball the next day, adding three more players. Andra Davis, linebacker from the Cleveland Browns, will be joining us as he enters his eighth season in the league. Renaldo Hill, safety from the Miami Dolphins, will be in his ninth season as he becomes a Bronco. And Darrell Reid, defensive tackle from Indianapolis, comes to Denver in his fifth year, spending his first four season with the Colts.
But the signings don’t stop there! The next day, the Broncos added two more noteworthy players to the list of acquired free agents: Andre’ Goodman and Ronnie Fields. Goodman is a cornerback who played for the Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions. Fields is a defensive tackle from the San Francisco 49ers who joins the Broncos after spending his first four years with the 49ers. And good news here – he played under Mike Nolan, who is now our defensive coordinator!!
And sending the free agent count into double digits, LaMont Jordan becomes the 10th player to be signed by the Broncos in less than a week! Jordan spent three years with the Raiders, four with Jets and last year in New England, making him another new player who is familiar with McDaniels’ system.
Well that sure is an impressive list! I am very excited about all of our new acquisitions, and I think they will bring a very important aspect to the Broncos that we have been lacking – veteran leadership. The Broncos are a young team that is tremendously talented and exceptionally strong. The young energy on the team is most definitely a huge factor in the future success of the Broncos. But with this energy and passion, a team must also have a nucleus of experience and knowledge. When combined, these two dimensions create a perfect balance –- a balance that, throughout history, has been a characteristic of all teams who have achieved truly monumental success. The players we have attained in free agency thus far are all highly respected in their positions, each bringing to the Broncos their own wisdom and leadership and each helping to create that perfect balance here in Denver. I believe all of these players will play a pivotal role in the 2009 season and will be a great complement to Cutler, Marshall, Royal, and many others who make up the young core of this team. I cannot wait to see all the progress this offseason and watch how all of these players work together to become a powerful and motivated team.
I’m sure there will be much more news to come with the rest of free agency, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! What are all of your thoughts on the next moves we should make???
Have a wonderful day!!
Tags: 2009, Free Agency, Romi Bean, Uncategorized
Hi Romi, Yep it’s pretty amazing to see all the changes happening at Dove Valley,I think when it is all said and done that we will have a very exciting team donning the Orange and Blue in 09!
Thanks for the recap, Always enjoyable!
KMA
Romi,
Great summary on our acquisitions of FA thus far. These guys are going to be a good fit for us. Coach McDaniels has been very busy trying to assemble a winning team for us. I’ve read that a few of the new players have commented on their interviews with Coach McDaniels and they said that he was very energetic of what is in store for us. I agree, I am too.
Dawkins will be key to our defensive improvements. Buckhalter will put up some good yards on offense. The other new guys will hopefully play their part also. I’d like to see “Honky Tonk” Hillis break out with a huge year in ’09, I know he’s got it in him!!! It would be nice to start out this new era of The Denver Broncos in winning fashion!
I’m really liking Raji. Some of those LB are monsters too. Raji up front would be my pick though.
Go Broncos!!! Go Broncos Cheerleaders!!!
Hey Romi,
Thanks for the wealth of FA info. I am really excited about our acquisitions, I think that Coach McDaniels has been very impressive thus far in the players he has added to our team. Looking forward to the draft too. I am definitely optimistic about the future!
Great blog and Go Broncos!!!
I am interested to hear if anyone thinks going after Terrell Owens or Williams from the Dallas Cowboys would be a good idea for the Broncos or not. As long as they don’t get rid of Cutler, he has a lot of promise and now that his Diabetes is under control I think he will do very well this coming season but we need him in Denver!
Hi Romi
Wow! I learn more from you than the local and national news. Thanks for all the info. I ,too, am looking forward to a new era for the Broncos and am especially looking forward to watching “Honky Tonk” Hillis have great year too. We absolutely need new energy and talent. Go Broncos and keep the info coming!
kitty1022
My thoughts as to acquiring Roy Williams or Terrell Owens.
We definitely stay away from T.O. because he is just trouble and I think that he would be a poison for not only Jay Cutler’s mindset but he would have a very negative effect on our best receiver Brandon Marshall. It would be very interesting how Jay and T.O. would be like on the field. And Roy Williams would be nice to have but he probably will want a contract that exceeds his own worth and also we already have Dawkins to secure our safety spot.
Hi Romi
Thx for the info Romi, Used to think many cheerleaders didn’t keep up with the team they cheered for that much. Definitely like most of the picks so far. Started slow for me but really picked up. Still don’t understand the reason for all the RBs but a lil competition never hurt lol.
While its an interesting time to be a Bronco fan its also a lil scary. Gonna miss our good ol, PA roll outs and one cutruns and all our signature plays but im very interested to see what Josh has up his sleeve. Still early in the year and cant wait to see this team progress. Still not sold on McD but I hope he proves me wrong. Cant wait for the Draft.
I would say pick up Roy L Williams, but we have already picked up 2 safetys. I couldnt hurt i guess but at this rate we really don’t need safeties. Wish we knew about him earlier. Even though he was out all of last year i believe he would be an assett to our team.
ORANGE CRUSH ALL DAY!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
kitty 1022 I agree with dnvabroncomaniac TO is cancer to what ever team he is on and I for one would be pissed if Denver picked him up. It would only be about one year and he would destroy the team. Besides we have what we need at reciever in Marshall and Royal.
I would however like to see Roy Williams. We could have him and Dawkins at free safety and strong safety and our secondary would be bad ass.
I never knew we were trying to get T.O. before he signed w/ dallas… Imagine… We probably wouldn’t have had B-Marsh….
i wonder how long marshall will be suspended though we cant afford for him to miss too many games
Hey Romi,
I’ve just been wondering about all the pick ups we’ve been getting at rb. I understand we had a TON of injuries at rb last season, but it just makes me wonder of McD. doesn’t think the rb’s we have now can get it done, or if he’s adding some to get the ones we have to pick it up and fight for it. What do u think?
Hi Romi,
Wow, I am so impressed by how much you have followed alll that the Broncos have done so far. Very impressive cheerleader! Great job and keep up the awesome work.
T.O will not come to the Broncos, I think maybe T.O will go to the Ravens. They desperatly need a WR and T.O will probably be very happy that they went to the AFC championship game this past season. As for Roy Williams I wouldnt mind seeing him in a Broncos uniform next season. And for the rest of the off season we need to keep signing impact defensive players! Theyre doing a really good job so far so keep it up guys. The Broncos are going to be the team to beat next year, I can tell. A new coach was just what we needed.
We don’t need anymore WRs. TO works his butt off and is never being arested unlike a cirtain WR we have.I could see about 6 teams wanting TO.
Don’t sign either man… T.O. is always a problem wherever he goes and we are not in need of a wide reciever. Roy Williams cannot cover to save his life and would not help our defense in any way. Keep them away.
At the moment there are only three teams who’ve expressed any interest in TO; N.O., Tennesse and the Raiders. Steve Young was interviewed about TO. His comments were rather interesting. Steve said that at the start of his career, “TO was the only player whose work ethic matched Jerry Rice’s and then something happened.”. Steve’s voice then sort of trailed off. What a waste of exceptional talent that somehow turned into a team destroying machine.
I agree, TO is a waste of talent. He has all the talent in the world, but he has the worst attitude and the worst ego ever. He needs to just play football, because hes good at that, actually great, but its all the other crap that gets him into trouble.Apparently on NFL.com there i saw someone who said they would like T.O in Denver. Cutler cant handle him. And we have Eddie, Stokley, Marshall, and Gaffney. We do not need another receiver here in Denver. Actually the way I see it the offensive side of the ball is good now, we got a few more running backs so we should be good.
Pjr1015 – “I agree, TO is a waste of talent.”
sound like another receiver we know and love. Why are the greats always troublemakers, why can BMarsh be like Marvin Harrison and Rod Smith, talented but out of the headlines negatively. Understandable we have spousal disagreements, but u would think he would have laid it to rest even tho his pride didn’t want to just so he wouldn’t get suspended and be unable to help the team.
I’m gonna need more from him and the way i see it, McD doesnt really know what RB will work in his system and with our O-line so he is getting the best out on the market now so that he can pick and choose for the season.
ORANGE CRUSH ALL DAY!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
I am really happy with the free agency now i am waiting to see what we do in the draft. I am hoping that we go after Rey Maualuga. We need a guy that can fly around the field and make big plays and big play Rey is that guy. I met and talked with him at a church conference and he is very humble so if you read this McDaniels, go after “STING REY”.
Relax docwho69. Peyton Hillis will have a role in the Denver Broncos offense in 2009. He will play a role similar to if not more significant than what Heath Evans did for the New England Patriots the past few seasons. Selvin Young will be gone and I bet Ryan Torain begins the year on the PUP List. Hillis will be a part of the Broncos line up as a fullback/H-back in 2009.
I don’t understand why everyone is confused with the rb signings. Earlier in the year we released three rbs. There is also Pittman, Tatum Bell, and Andre Hall that are all currently free agents. That is six rbs that are currently not a bronco that were last year. Now lets do the math. They have only signed three rbs. So we had three more rbs last year than we currently have this year with these new free agents. We can still sign pittman, hall, and bell without having more rbs than last year. I don’t think McD will do that but the point is we have not overdone it with rbs. The three rbs that have been signed are better than the three rbs that were released by the broncos. That is what the goal is right? Make the team better. Replace some of the old players that were released or not resigned with players that will make us better. Besides I don’t think anyone can say to much considering the amount of defense we have picked up. Anyway don’t hate me cause I am smart.
I think that signing Hill, Buckhalter (who cant stay healthy and over the hill Dawkins was a waste. If Denver plan to go the 3-4 Defense they should have used their money on Canty 26 years old at 6’7″ 300+ DE and Olshansky who is also 26 6’6″ 300+ lbs DE who would solidify our DE and then Pickup McFadden CB who is 27 years old to help sure up our CB position. Bailey although great is starting to get up there. I just feel that with the 30th ranked Defense that we should have concentrated on that rather than the likes of Buckhalter, Arrington and another nobody Wr. To top it all off since we had the 2nd rank Offense let’s mess with the one good thing we had, Cutler.
i dont know about u guys, but i feel that Tatum Bell deserves another chance with our organization. I know he isnt always consistent, but he played well when givin the chance. But if we dont sign him i just hope that Ryan Torain can step up and b the starter cause if given the chance, he will be a superstar one day. and peyton hillis is a stud no matter what so whatever he does he will b a mac at that position
o yea an mrbroncofan, ur not as smart as u think u r all 3 of those backs have just as many 1,000 yd. rushing years as tatum bell. 1. none of those threee except mayb lamont jordan have proven anything to me.
Roy Williams can’t cover, he is more like a LB. We don’t need him. T.O. will probably go to the Jags or even possibly the Chiefs, maybe the Titans or Raiders.
It’s crazy to compare him with T.O. because Brandon is nothing like T.O. T.O. is an arrogant, selfish child in an adult body and is a complete cancer to every team he’s ever been with. 3 teams! Marshall is humble, takes responsibility for his mistakes, on and off the field, and he’s a great team player. If he will work hard and learn to manage his lifestyle, he has far more potential than T.O. ever had. Enough said.
I don’t think a suspension is warranted from the commish but he is very strict so it’s hard to say what will happen. I think if it’s not for more than a few games we will be fine.
One player I MIGHT take a chance on is Pacman. I know it’s a gamble but he was the best CB in Dallas, he is a heck of a return man, and the experience in Dallas may be serve as the turning point for him. Look at Randy Moss.
I like the RB’s McD has signed. He knows what type of RB will fit his system, which is not the same running game as Shanahan. And 7 on IR last year is a concern that had to be addressed. I do hope Torain gets a shot but he has been unfortunate with injuries.
I believe Hillis should be number 1 at running back right now, we saw what he could do against what was supposed to be good defenses and he still ran well, if not the number 1 he should still end up with the bulk of the carries, he is prototype Mike Alstott, please give this man the ball, I mean who can tackle him when he gets a head of steam going.
I would like to say that we should have held on to Erik Pears as a security blanket. we could use another center if Tom Nalen is retiring.
Erik Pears is not a center. Our future center is Cory Lichtensteiger (SP).
All the TO talk is crazy, all this guy would do is destroy the team from the inside out, also the notion of getting Roy Williams is non sense he can’t cover anyone anymore, he would be great if we want the def. from last year again
I disagree with alot of you and I’m a huge Bronco fan! You guys have to realize we may not see BMarsh all year! That’s right… all year! He was supposed to get three games last year but went to the commish with his sub story and to everyones surprise the commish lowered it to 1 game. The commish is going to hang him this time! He promised Goodell that he would not get into trouble anymore… well, you see how long that lasted. The commish will not be made a fool, he has made that very clear. I say all that for this… We could actually use T.O. for this year. He is not usually trouble his first year somewhere and we could sign him for 1 year with a bunch of incentives. We could talk about his attitude all day long, but on the field he produces like no other! I believe Jay has the arm that T.O. would want to play for too…
Oh… and asking about Roy williams lets me know you never watched a Cowboy game… that guy is probably one of the slowest defensive back I have ever seen! He has been overated since college… and they took his only way of tackling away so he is crap…
We will not lose Marshall for the whole year if at all, Cutler and TO would have been a good combo 3 years ago but now he would be nothing but an old tired distraction. his numbers now are not in the same conversion as they were in years past. besides the focus should be on the def. only right now
TO:oldsouthstander. I wasn’t saying Pears was a center, what I was getting at was we need T behind Harris and Clady, and I like Cory but I don’t think he’s ready tpo take snaps just yet, he fit in our scheme perfectly with Shanahan, with McD he could easily be released during training, a all to familiar trend.
TO:oldsouthstander. I wasn’t saying Pears was a center, what I was getting at was we need T behind Harris and Clady, and I like Cory but I don’t think he’s ready to take snaps just yet, he fit in our scheme perfectly with Shanahan, with McD he could easily be released during training, a all to familiar trend.
I don’t think Marshall will be suspended at all, if so no longer than 2-3 weeks. Commissioner can compare Pacman and Marshall and you see two different sides, Pacman who doesn’t really care goes to the same environment he got into trouble with previously. And Marshall who made strides to change, Rod Woodson took him under his wing and gave him a lot of advice and it seems to me that he learned his lesson, so if he get suspended, it will be somewhat surprising
So I just heard were shopping Tony Scheffler, Wow! that’s all i can really say to that, he would fit in any scheme, he’s lined up at wideout before, he’s can block pretty well, his only knock is his ability to stay healthy, we need him on the roster, unless were getting 2nd or 3rd round picks there should be further discussions.
I think we have a good team going in 09. We need Eddie Royal to have a big year. And if we can try to get T.O on our team Jay Culter could pass for 6000 yard because of b. marshall,and b. stokley, j. gaffney, and everybody else to. Honky Ton needs to have good year.Our d is going to be number one i think. we have brian dawkins and andre goodman.
Hi Romi,
Nice blog. Good to hear from you again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Pretty soon the cheerleader works-out are up and going right? Good luck with all of it.
ok, the commissioner would be taking it a step too far if he suspends Marshall for a dispute with his wife-to-be….pretty soon he’ll be making it mandatory for players to attend church every Sunday and go to marriage councils..aha..
hey samoanbronco1,
did you really meet Rey?? Nice to know he has a humble personality.
Whose this Daniels guy? Another Dolphin and Brown??
although I am a big Rey M. fan, I think our best pick would be Brian Orakpo, the guys is the nxt Demarcus Ware. He is huge. And considering how management is shoring up on the MLB position, I think they might target either a DT or that OLB…this guy could be our “Joker” linebacker for years to come…
what do you guys think?
Think about it guys, if we pick up Raji at 12 then we can use him at NT in the 3-4. Cuz you want 3 big D Linemen that demand blocks to free up your rushing LB’s.
We don’t have many big DE’s let alone speed rushing ones if we move Moss and Doom to OLB, so with Raji or possibly his counterpart Ron Brace we can then move the DT’s we have to DE in the 3-4 set for more depth!
I think out Defense could look like this:
3-4
RE: Darrell Reid
NT: Raji
LE: Ronald Fields
ROLB: Doom/Moss
RILB: Williams/Haggan
LILB: Andra Davis/Larsen
LOLB: Bailey/Woodyard
RCB: Goodman
LCB: Bailey
FS: Hill/Barrett
SS: Dawkins
Personally I would like it more if we were able to find a trade partner and trade down from 12 into 17-20 or so and pick up atleast a 4th rounder and then draft Laurinaitis, we could easily then use some more picks if we needed to to trade up earlier in the 2nd round and draft Ron Brace. How would that be guys, any thoughts? Get Laurinaitis and Brace then hopefully a safety as well!? Man the draft is going to be exciting!
to: I like your dept chart, but don’t forget bout Kenny Peterson and Ekuban(who is familiar with the 3-4 scheme). As far as linebackers, we looked stacked with enough of them, I think we get Raji, then look at a cornerback or another DE before picking up another LB, and we seem to have enough RBs, but Ian Johnson could play a significant role for us. Hillis is the only trustworthy start for me.
In an earlier blog I said Rod Woodson. I meant Rod Smith…My bad
we needed a better DT pick up in free angency but that wont matter if we pick raji in da draft
Yeah, get that right. Don’t ever convince a great bronco with and old raider like that again. J/k. I think a few of us actually caught that before you got ragged on.
Hi Romi,
Looks like another great blog. I’m liking what I see in the players we have picked up. We had to do something on defense and I think the players we’ve picked up will definitely bring us some toughness and leadership on defense.
I guess another thing we learned last year was that you can’t have too much depth at running back. I think we have some proven veterans there now with the addition Buckhalter, Arrington, Jordan and hopefully Pittman coming back healthy.
No need to add TO in my opinion (a great talent, but an even bigger distraction). My best guess is someone will probably pick him up – maybe even a division rival of ours.
For the draft I would still like to see us concentrate on defense – the players we’ve added in free agency will help, but I think there is a lot more work to be done there.
Looking forward to watching the draft.
thanks 2champ4pickSIX,
I was thinking about the same thing too, about Green Bay getting Orakpo first its either him or Cushing/Mathews they’d go after.Plus, I think you’ve got a legit 3-4 roster.
I like Raji too but if only weighs as much as Jamaal Williams or Kris Jenkins, in the 350-60s because I noticed he is only 6’2 and 337lbs and had a bench press of 33, hopefully just combine jitters. Can he bulk up for a 3-4? Because he had Ron Brace with him in Boston, they we’re punishing the opposing offenses. SPeaking of which, trading down to get that extra 4th rounder wont be so bad.
Bills agree to one-year deal with T.O. for $6.5 million.
It is really hard to say if Marshall will be suspended or not. I think signing Marvin Harrison for a 1 year deal could end up being a smart move but honestly I don’t know what he has left in the tank.
Hopefully we keep Tony S. and use him. I know Josh is from NE but he is going to do things his own way and not copy Belichick 100%.
Reading posts calling our team the Denver Patriots makes my stomach churn.
My friends,
Marshall won’t be suspended. This is the same woman who has caused every other arrest. He has a psychotic ex-girlfriend, and has called the police on him. The Commish will see that it’s the same woman and all will be forgiven. Maybe a fine for the troubles. Maybe nothing at all. I can’t completely accept McDaniels until I’ve seen what he’s done, but do think that Shanahan needs a rest. But, if this doesn’t work out, then there’s nothing wrong with bringing back Shanahan after his rest. Coaches have a shelf life of ten years. If you look at winning records for the best coaches of all time. After ten years they fall into a .500 pattern. Shanahan no different. But some have come back and been succesful after they’ve rested a few years to do it in another decade. But McDaniels made the right moves with Dawkins, Andra Davis, Correll Buckhalter, Goodman, Arrington if he’s only special teams. I hope that LaMont Jordan coming in to teach other players the scheme is true, because I’m not that sold on him. His numbers aren’t that bad, but he always gets trash stats. He’s not good when the game is on the line. I hope we get Raji, but Cushing is nice too. Buckhalter, I’ve been stoked on him since I’ve watched Westbrook go down in games. This guy is exciting. He is just as productive as Westbrook. Sometimes, I thought he looked better. Ok, maybe not better than Westbrook, but he was better than the injured one. Buckhalter is the best RB at his age. I think it’s 30. He’s fresh though. This could be his year. He could be the next Michael Turner. Dawkins in the locker room……I love how our defense is already a top ten D next year. How Philly let him get away, he still has at least three good years left. More would be legendary. Anyway, this cheerleader is smart. If it’s really a cheerleader. I’d have to hear her say some of this on video to believe it. That’s pretty intense following of the FA by a cheerleader. If it’s true then kudos.
Denwu – “Marshall won’t be suspended. He has a psychotic ex-girlfriend,”
The news said this was his fiancee, not an ex girlfriend. Goodell is very harsh with suspensions so I’ll be pleasantly surprised if he’s not suspended.
Denwu – “But, if this doesn’t work out, then there’s nothing wrong with bringing back Shanahan after his rest.”
This will NEVER EVER EVER EVER happen in a million lifetimes. Are you kidding me?!?! Hey, we all love and respect Mike. But he’s gone. It’s time to MOVE ON ALREADY! He ain’t coming back dude!!!!!!
Denwu – “Ok, maybe not better than Westbrook, but he was better than the injured one.”
Do you realize what a completely asinine statement this is? He’s better than an injured RB? LOL!!! My grandma is better than an injured player. Unbelievable.
Denwu – “Buckhalter is the best RB at his age.”
Not by a long shot my fellow Bronco fan. There is a guy who simply goes by L.T. I think you may have forgotten about.
Denwu – “That’s pretty intense following of the FA by a cheerleader. If it’s true then kudos.”
Of course it’s true!! Do you think Broncos.com thought it would be a great idea to give an expert a blog but then just say it’s a cheerleader for $h!7s and grins? C’mon man!
And she obviously knows a lot more about football than you.
I don’t mean to be harsh but these statements are so far off they had to be rebutted.
Calm down asharpeidea. Step away from the keyboard and take a breather. LOL. Give the guy a break. it’s a blog. You see a lot worse on here sometimes.
seriously asharpeidea, what he is saying about Buckhalter can very well come true, this RB has plenty left in the tank and as good as you think LT is he isn’t wanted by his own team now. LT is damaged goods his shelf life has ran out