The Broncos have signed outside linebacker/defensive end Baraka Atkins to a future contract. He will be officially added to Denver’s roster at the conclusion of the 2009 NFL season in February.
A fourth-year defensive end out of the University of Miami, Atkins entered the league as a fourth-round selection of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was with Seattle from 2007-08, totaling 28 tackles and two sacks in 21 games. The 25-year-old was on the 49ers’ active roster in 2009, but did not appear in a game.
As a member of the Hurricanes, Atkins played in 49 games, totaling 45 starts, 175 tackles (84 solo), 18 sacks and nine pass breakups.
– Chris Gentilviso, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Baraka Atkins, Future Contract
You know what I dont understand….. how can we sign 4 players to future contracts(3 lineman and this guy) and not give Doom a contract extension he rightfully deserves. Can someone please explain that?
CompUser, it’s all the same, we are glad to hear your perspective. It’s always refreshing to hear someone’s point of view from the outside looking in, some of us here, I included, guilty, are so involved in all the intricacies of the game that we lose sight of the whole picture. I think McD found himself guilty of that also, by the way.
For business sense the owners have to wait to see if the labor issues with the player’s union are resolved or not, to sign anyone before that is pointless to the owners, nobody is signing anybody right now, it’s not just us.
thanx baylin but it seems like a slap in the face to Doom after he worked so hard but I can understand that were saving money for future players. thanx again baylin
its a sad time to be a bronco fan.over price ticket sale for a loosing team.
im a shamed of the falling apart of the broncos franchise.thier are going to loose a lot of fans.may be the city of denver can trade t5his franchis for a nother one.give the broncos and pat bolen to L.A.then the city will start over fresh and have smart people on the new franchise.
I’m speechless. LOL.
And as you all well know, it takes a heck of a lot to make me speechless. LOL.
milelows, that was probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.
orten and bolen, who are these dudes? LMAO!!!!!!!!
DOOM will get paid thats nothing to worry about but marshall thats a different story
moving the franchise to LA? you call yourself a bronco fan you dont deserve to be a bronco fan sayin some mumbo jumbo like that!….not gonna let it ruin my day lol…as of orton we cant just boot him thats not the answer as of now hes as good as its gonna get so get used to it…McD is gonna get his time to shine cause theres no other option no excuse this time around ill give him 2 to 3 years to take this team into the play offs and make some noise!!! no reason they shouldnt
farwell
Milelows
Good. Let us loose a lot of fans. The ones now suck!
If we end up with a bunch of Lions fans, I will applaud, because lions fans are the True fans. They cheer every year, not boo. They get their beer, and drink it too.
Then at least we’ll get home field advantage again.
Nothing wrong with wearing broncos stuff and people looking down at you as a loser. I wear my broncos shirt anytime it’s clean, and with all the bears fans in Illinois with that Orton-Cutler trade, I get looked down as a loser all day. By that time, I take off my red and blue hat and throw on my orange and blue broncos knit hat and say.. WHAT?
Maybe we can thrown Milelows into the Marshall and/or Scheffler trade…….. Just a thought.
Glad to be able to be back on the blog site. I was suspended for the remainder of the season for violating the COC policy and want to tell everyone, sorry to anyone whom I may have offended. Can I just say one thing though. milelows???????? Why oh why??? Enough said.
The Broncos franchise is in a funk right now, however I will never abandon ship. I am one who doesn’t agree with the direction McDaniels has taken the team this year, however as a fan, I will have to wait and see. I was so pleased at the beginning of the season to see a 6-0 start. I was sorely disappointed in the 2-8 second half of the season. I just hope Josh McDaniels takes a long look in the mirror this off season and realizes pride is important, however foolish pride will destroy this team.
Broncos 4 Life. no matter what!!!! Just hope this franchise is not destroyed because of 1 coaching decision. Year 2 Must be better, make the playoffs, win the division or McDaniels will have to go.
Glad to be able to blog again, thanks for the second chance. Thoughts and best wishes those in Haiti. Remember when you think you have it bad, it can always be worse.
It’s officially a new era in Broncos Football. Coach Turner, Coach Dennison are leaving. Turner to rejoin Shanahan in Washington and Dennison to rejoin Kubiak in Texas. Wow!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YRLfLAELdU
first play in this highlight is why i believe in Moreno potential….thats an escape artist move right there lol
When they won that game against the giants and showed their potential as a team and got out of the losing streak i thought they would be back in track to own in the playoffs…another season filled with potential and great plays flushed…..
To the guy Mellow. Its easy to talk but I doubt you can make the team any better. Think about it… would you rather have Simms, a free agent QB who does not know McD’s sytem or even a rookie to lead us?
I’ve been a fan since 96′ when I was 5 thanx to my cousin. I wasnt around to witness the ole’ Broncos and I didint pay much attention to them even when they won back to back Superbowls. When I got older I started actually watching their games and did A LOT of research about their past.
One thing I did learn was that in Shanahans first year as the Broncos head coach he also finished the season with an 8-8 record and then became a future hall of fame coach. Do you see what Im trying to get at?
Rookie head coaches dont always figure ‘it’ out in their first year but they do learn from their mistakes. Coahes learning from your mistakes is very valuable as they progress in their career.
I dont know why your dissin McD after just 1 season. This aint Madden where you can get all the players you want on your team.
Im VERY positive McD is guiding this team the right direction. His way is a lot different from Shanahan but you cant say 1 or the other is better because their totally diffrent people. Have you ever heard of the phrase “CHANGE CAN BE GOOD”. We’ll have to see if this change is good but were not going to figure it out in just 1 season.
I say if you want to abadon go right ahead just dont come back after you see this team succed.
Dammmm. I leave the country for 2 weeks and I come back to hear we didn’t make it to the playoffs. What? Did we really lose to KC in Denver? What a year this is turning out to be. I come back and hear Shannahan is coaching the Redskins and Carroll left USC to go to Seattle. What’s up with my teams? And then I come and read about fans abandoning our beloved broncos. I guess they weren’t with us anyways. Now I’m stuck watching the leftovers play for the superbowl. Please tell me it won’t get worse.
USC
count your self lucky u were out of country and didnt have to witness such a pathetic display from our beloved but inconsistent broncos
USC#1, what about if San Diego wins the superbowl, would that make things worse for you? LOL.
Let’s start the day with a new subject: Don’t everyone here find it very odd that we have so many individuals this year having won so many awards and many going to the pro bowl and yet we end up a totally average team in the NFL. There is something seriously troubling with that picture. To be that loaded with individual talent and yet be so average as a team is not a pleasant thought, no matter how you slice it. What it says to me is we have a way above average pool of players and a way below average team. Without those great individual, we would of won only the 4 or 5 games that the media predicted, no doubt in my mind, those great players pulled the team out of mediocrity, which is what the media didn’t count on. To become a team starts with the coach, I have to say, as I have said before, that McD did fail badly in that regard, first year or not.
For starters, I think I just lost brain cells by reading milelows posts. Second, baylin I agree with you. I think McD did fail pretty badly in that regards but I do think that he will make a great coach just give him time. How many coaches come in to a new team as head coach, completely overhaul the team and still win 8 games? Not many. However, we do have great players on our team and for some I think that they need to focus on being a team and not being a person on a team. Dawkins said it best earlier this year when he said something to the tune of “Our defense was great when we were playing as a team, then we started trying to make ourselves look good and we failed” I know that is not a direct quote but pretty close.
As a side note, apparently I got leave at the right time, I just learned that the majority of my unit is getting deployed. They wont even be here for the Super Bowl. Oh well, price you pay for being in the military. i am sure my number will be called soon.
@baylinorcrush: It is nice to see loyalty in the league. Actually means somethings are worth more than money. We all know in today’s world there isn’t too much more important than money (in some people’s eyes).
Every coach in the league has different strengths, weaknesses, and peferences. This guy, Baraka, didn’t play a down last season maybe because he’s not that good, maybe because he was brough in late to the 49ers, whatever. McD and Nolan must have seen something they like in this kid. Sometimes all you need is a chance and some good coaching and he’ll get both of those here. Maybe they’re looking into getting more ST guys like this guy so Larsen doesn’t have to play both ST and FB and thus letting Hillis get more carries. Who knows?
Dumervil is going to get his extension. He makes this defense so versatile since he’s a converted DE to OLB. He alone has the ability to switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 just by simply putting his hand on the ground, and he’s effective at DE we all saw that last season. Don’t let these future contracts get your underpants in a knot. I’m sure Dumervil’s agent and McD and Co. will talk these over.
I’m kind of dissapointed that we have fans on here that want to give up on their team. Yeah things haven’t gone too well for us lately, and we’re having troubles. Even when things are going bad for my team it still gives me something to cling to. I look foward every weekend to watching the Broncos win or lose. Now that the season is over we have a flood of fans that want off the bandwagon or want their accounts deleted. You just can’t quite on your team like that. You’re acting quite “Sarah Palinish”, when things get going tough she just bails on her state.
Besides I’m only one of two Broncos fans at my work so I really enjoy reading all of your comments and thoughts. Everyone here is a Vikings or Steelers fans with some sprinkled in Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders fans. Ohhh ewwww I threw up in my mouth a little when I said Chargers. LOL!!
C’mon man Bring on the Pain in 2010!!!!
orten and bolen, who are these dudes? LMAO!!!!!!!!
answer, they were in “Lord of the Rings”, weren’t they a couple of dwarves???
Don’t be too hard on Denver, I don’t think they were booing the players , they were booing the coach. Poor personal decisions has them and me PO’ed. I was so PO’ed about the Marshall and Sheffler benching hurting all the players on the team I actually found myself subconsiously rooting for the Chiefs in the last game just so McDaniels would suffer the wrath of the fans. I’ve been a Bronco fan for 37 years and NEVER felt like that before. Hope thinks change soon in Broncoland, I don’t think I can take another season like that. Go Broncos!
Could be a great pick-up! Sometimes need the time to develop as well as an inhanced motivation by being out of the game. He is a risk free proposition and if he develops then we have a new player to contribute. I think having players come in is key. The draft is no different, it is a crab shoot and if the right player hooks up with the right scheme, coaches, and support they will develop into productive NFL players. I still think we need to go after a QB or McClain form Alabama, that dude is smart and intense!! GO BRONCOS!!!
brian_schneider I know what you mean. I am the only Broncos fan at my work and I get drilled for it everyday. I have steelers fans but since I am in ND most of the people here are Vikings fans (albeit most of them are bandwagon jumpers) I also work with Bears fans (mind you they all want Orton back and to reverse the trade) and some Raiders fans. It isnt fun especially when I cannot wear my Broncos jersey at work (Air Force frowns upon not showing up in uniform)
By the way as a side note about first year coaches usually not succeeding…Jim Caldwell does not count. 2 reasons. 1 – He worked under Dungy from 2001-2008 and was Assistant Head Coach with the Colts. 2 – He did not change teams.
3 – he has Peyton Manning who is the one REALLY running the offense
Why are so many people abadonning ship after McD’s first year? It’ll get better.
I personally like this pickup. Even if he doesn’t start, it’s always good to have rotational guys and to have guys on ST.
If we end up trading Marshall, I think we should trade it to a team who really needs a WR, that way we get the most value on him. For example, trade him to the Redskins or the Dolphins. That’s just my opinion.
I still think trading him to the Browns for Cribbs might be a good move. Deep down inside I wish he’d straighten out and then we could just keep him on our team.
I don’t think that Cribbs is worth trading Marshall for him straight up. Mabye if we got some draft picks with it.
Oh yeah, forgot to say that.
Many new coaches come in every year, the majority have a tough time as evident this year, but once in a while cinderella stories happen coach wise, McD was definitely not one of them. He was given a lot of weapons, both sides of the ball, he had all the coaching background, all the x and o’s in order, but he found out he is not a head coach material yet, loooong way to go, he couldn’t motivate his troops, even so he could scream at them like on the sideline that one game, he couldn’t mentor them in the nice sort of way that everyone would like to be treated with once in a while, he was so absorbed by the overwhelming responsibilities of his job that he no longer could relate to his players in a human sort of way, he was like a bomb ready to blow off, like he did with his fist pumps in the air after a win, unfortunately, he couldn’t always release it that way, so it blew up in his face.
We have a lot to be excited about this coming year, but in McD’s case, he has a lot to be worried about instead, the honeymoon is over, he had all the excitement coming in last year, everyone could overlook just about everything because he was a rookie, the second year is a different beast all together, no more slack for the new HC, just an absolute necessity to find a way to shape yourself into a coach who can carry his team through a whole season, specially the losing streaks, and keep that team on your side no matter what. McD failed badly in those aspects, I cannot orange color it, and to me how we do next year is directly related on how the coach will perfom with his players, not how many individual talents we assemble in the off-seson. Been there, done that, didn’t work. There is more to it than individual talent in this sport, it’s a team sport and it requires a leader of men to get those individuals to play like one. McD has to somehow find a personality in the summer that will allow him to keep his troops fully on his side for the whole season fighting for the common goal of returning to the playoffs. No small task. Where is that Head Coaching class at?
Cody, thanks for keeping the peace, we’ll keep a warm seat here for you. Stay safe.
Sorry, I misread you, you’re not deployed, your unit is, you’re on leave, no need for us to keep your seat warm.
I agree with who ever said we need to get rid of sims. I’m on the fence about marshall. I know he will be a great WR but not for a coach he doesn’t want to play for or for a coach that doesn’t want him around. I could completely see Shanny trying to get him. Resign and trade. And Milelows is probably just a Raider fan trying to get us all down. Comparing and 8-8 team to the lions is ridiculous. But if McD doesn’t do better the next two years I could see him being ousted.
While McD did do alot to hurt us in the second half of the season he did d alot to learn from it is the coaches who dont have one single problem their first year that scare me they dont believe they need to change anything at all and generally let the team slip each year a little more. Coaches that go 8-8 and dont make the playoffs are more troubled at their performance as a head coach than the ones who lose most of thueir games because the coach that just went 8-8 knows they should be in the playoffs but the coaching was lacking at 8-8 a good coached games or two and bam playoffs baby! That is how I see it and I believe any head coach worth his mettle would think also.
Baylin, cant you still keep my seat warm anyway? It’s winter in North Dakota!
As far as Doom not getting his contract while players sitting around from other teams are being signed to future contracts is how you build a winning team the guys we got slated for future contracts will take less money now for the guarenteed job through the pre-season and the guarenteed chance to make the squad. Plus we also need to see how the labor agreement pans out if the owners and players cnnot agree to a new labor deal then Doom and Marsh are RFA’s instead of FA’s meaning we reserve the right to tender them anyway we see fit meaning we will tender them at a tier one RFA and require that teams give their first round and I belive it is a third also for a tier one tender on RFA’s to sign either one of them. While I love both of these players to stay if a team or two is stupid enough to give up their first round and third round for one player then I take it and don’t look back futre draft picks are like a good hand of cards in poker without them you are not going to win a thing.
I could see Simms being let go and just having Orton and Brandstater on the active roster. Simms has worked really hard to come back from his spleen injury, but he’s just not what we need, as we all saw last season.
Or maybe we keep Simms and put him behind Brandstater? Everyone wanted Brandstater last season, but McD isn’t going to throw his project into the fire right away. He’ll get his shot, just like Brady and Cassel did. If, and that’s a big IF, Orton should happen to get injured (I hope not) next season, or needs to come out for a series, I could see Brandstater getting in instead of Simms (if we keep him on the roster). I bet we see a lot more of Brandstater in the 2010 preseason too.
So just read that Broncos are headed to London to play the 49ers next season. Sweet!
I’m curious as to what everyone thinks about this:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/15/cutler-meeting-with-offensive-coordinator-candidates/
Good to see that the Broncos signed this Atkins guy, but shouldn’t they be going after players who eat carbs, too?
And it happens to be on halloween day, October 31st, hopefully our bye week is right before or right after, that’s a tough break to have to play that game, well Bowlen says he is excited. We’re going to play in front of hooligans, how weird….
I’d rather have the bye week after that London game.
Just checked last year’s schedules for the Pats and Bucs. Both of them had a bye after their game in London.
These pick-ups are so irrelevant to me at this point, we are getting them because we are going to have an 80 plus man roster again at the end of February, so there is plenty of room for bodies whom to give a shot to, but most of these guys probably won’t even make the team come time of the 53 man roster cut. The important signings will be the free agents and the draftees.
@Music1812: Since the Bears gave up so much to obtain Cutler they and the fans really want it to work out. They probably don’t want what happened here to happen there so they’re going to get his input on a OC, which I bet he really wanted Shanny. LOL! It could also be bad if he lets his “feelings” get in the way of picking the best OC for the job. Some OC may come in and say we’re going to pass, and bootleg, and get you on the move, but not be the right man for the job, or he could be. Since Cutler is such an intricate part of the Bears’ offense I’m not surprised that he’s in the process of helping choose an OC. I’m sure he doesn’t have final say anyway.
The good news about the London game, is we will be considered the visitors, the Niners will be the home team, meaning we will still have 8 home games, while the Niners will only have 7. At least that’s the way I see it.
brian, the best part about the article you are talking about is the last sentence:
But if Cutler truly has sway in who gets the gig, it sounds like the inmates are running the asylum.
Hahahahaha, LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
bay, is it alright I call ya bay, I mean baylinorcrush is so long and I talk to ya all the time and typing baylinorcrush in every comment is tedious and probably leading me to carpal tunnel. So from now on to save time and my wrists I’m not going to type baylinorcrush since baylinorcrush takes to long, I’m just going to type “bay”. Is that alright because I see some others on here not type baylinorcrush probably because it takes too long so with your permission I’ll jus address to as “bay” with sometimes actually typing out baylinorcrush. LOL!!!
Ok as I was going to say, I read some of the comments in that article and couldn’t stop laughing. It really is so funny to read all the fans comments about Cutler.
brian, you are just too worried about hurting my feelings. I appreciate it though. I’ve been called much worse, LOL. Bay, Baylin, Baylinor, it’s all good, buddy, thanks for asking.