When the Broncos signed quarterback Peyton Manning, much was made about the on-field contributions expected of the four-time NFL MVP. With the first Sunday of the regular season 164 days away, Manning has already helped the team improve via the free agent market.
In the ten days since Manning agreed to terms on March 20, the Broncos have added seven additional free agents: WR Andre Caldwell, LB Wesley Woodyard, CB Tracy Porter, QB Caleb Hanie, TE Joel Dreessen, TE Jacob Tamme and DE Jason Hunter.
Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway said that he expected other free agents to be excited about the prospects of playing with a proven winner like Manning.
“It always helps because when you have a guy on your team like Peyton Manning, you have a chance to win and players in the NFL know that,” Elway said. “There are a lot of guys out there that are free that want to go somewhere where they can win championships. It is a huge benefit and it already has [helped]. We have seen that as we have seen the reaction of guys on our football team that we have been dealing with, even within the league. It is a huge plus to have a Peyton Manning on your roster.”
Elway’s words proved to be true, as the team agreed to terms with five additional players in the days following Manning’s announcement.
Caldwell was the first post-Manning free agent to join the fold and credited Manning’s presence with making Denver an appealing place to continue his career.
“It was a big factor,” Caldwell said upon choosing Denver. “He’s a veteran quarterback who knows how to win games. He knows how to put players in positions to be their best. He gets the best out of his receivers. That played a big part of it and that’s a big reason why I came.”
Tamme, who spent three seasons catching passes from Manning in Indianapolis, is looking forward to reuniting with his former quarterback. He set career highs in receptions (67), yards (631) and touchdowns (4) the last season that he and Manning played together.
“I’ve certainly enjoyed playing with Peyton,” Tamme said in a conference call. “I think he’s one of the best of all time, if not the best. It’s a lot of fun to play that style of offense to me and to be able to get in there and move fast and do things like that. I’m definitely very excited.”
Hanie, who will backup Manning, said that he is looking forward to learn from the veteran signal caller.
“Just the opportunity to back up Peyton was a huge factor,” he said. “Whatever he says, I’m going to take it in fully and write everything down that I can and just learn from him and learn how to prepare the way he does and try to see things the way he does.”
Dreessen is simply excited about the chance to catch passes from a future Hall of Famer.
“It’s no secret that Peyton Manning makes everybody he plays with better,” Dreessen said. “Obviously for that opportunity, I’m very excited about that, and I’m hoping to get a lot better.”
-Stuart Zaas
Tags: Andre Caldwell, Caleb Hanie, Free Agency, Jacob Tamme, Jason Hunter, Joel Dreessen, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Wesley Woodyard
That one was still too public for me – but it’s gotta fit.
Yea mine knew almost immediately since we live with them. Hers we told about a week ago. Man first time i ran like that in a long time…..
DB yea bringing in the third party isnt what im going to do. Just going to be me and her. Its close to what i plan. Everyones different. My eldest brother proposed at McDonalds my other hid the ring in the Christmas tree. A cousin proposed at a Denver game….Denver lost though….Thats why he says that marriage failed.
He started chasing you? Brutal
No he didnt chase me. He just grabbed his rifle.
You live in Arkansas?
I’m out gents. Enjoy the ride AB.
Even with 13 – every kid is different and each pregnancy was an adventure. I’ve had a blast and absolutely no regrets, except that I wish our miscarriages were live births. I wish we had started having children earlier. I think we fit as many children into the 22 child bearing years that we had, as was possible, and I can’t wait for grandchildren.
Daddy
Night db good night of male bonding
Night Daddybronc thanks for chatting.
A Bronco Blog Reunion needs to happen at some point
Heres a thought I had. Browns take Blackmon at 4 then take Weeden at 22. Thats would be good for the team IMO.
Morning Everyone……….
I’ve been diagnosed with Broncotitis………an uncontrollable itch to watch some broncos football that won’t be cured until august…………UGH! It’s going to be painful to live with this until then! LMAO!!
Hope everyone is well……….it was nice to read into a little more of the lives of my fellow bloggers…………we’ve built quite the little community here and I think that’s something unique to any other team sites. And while we might not all agree on certain things, one thing can never be questioned, and that’s our love of the Denver Broncos! It’s what makes us so passionate one way or another.
Well said at the end Kod. Its nice learning about fellow Denver fans lives some. and like LAX said we gotta have a get together or something. Also thatBroncotitis must be contagious. I have it TOO!!! LMAO
morning AB…………
I was just thinking………are you planning on doing the 3D ultrasound when the time comes? It would def be worth the investment……….it was pretty amazing to see my little Daria at 24 weeks, and we also found out she was a girl at the same time. My wife was anxious to decorate her room.
No. I didnt even know they had 3D ultrasounds lol. We are still talking about if we want to know the gender or not.
Yeah, research it and see if there’s a place that does it in your area……..you get to see what he/she pretty much looks like, including crazy detailed facial features…….it’s pretty mad. It’ll be a while before you can do it……….they recommend 20 weeks minimum for the best results, but that will fly by before you know it.
Yea thats a while shes only 5 weeks pregnant. So we have a long time. But yea ill look into it to see if they do it here.
Well, I wish you both the best, especially in the next 7 weeks or so and hope that everything works out………..once she gets past 12 weeks it should be smooth sailing from there……….except for the hormonal thing……….that won’t go away til after a year or so of giving birth! haha
I thought it never went away? Thought it was a lifetime thing? LMAO Thanks for the wishes Kod. Its going to be interesting times ahead.
What are your thoughts of the AFC West this up-coming season? While it was considered a weak division last season, I think it’ll be a much stronger one this year. The Chiefs got better with Hillis and a healthy Cassell and a solid D………..The Raiders will be better with a full off-seaon for Palmer……….and the chargers will be much better if Rivers can tone down his ints from last season.
However, our team has improved on O from last season too……….I think it’ll take at least 10-11 wins to take the division this year.
Morning folks! Weird to see everyone getting along in here… Thought at first I was in the wrong place..
Tide – the Hard Knocks thing is a head scratcher, but word out here is Woody Johnson is all about exposure and wants the Jets to be the next “America’s team”, ala the Dallas Cowboys… Good luck with that… Lol
KK – I agree the AFC West is improved, but I’m not sure it will take 10-11 wins, as we all have tough schedules and we all play each other twice a year as well.. The draft is crucial IMO, and is where the Raiders will fall even further behind.. Btw, for anyone against signing PM, take a look at what the Raiders gave up to get Palmer… Lol
This is going to be a very tough year. The weakest team we play IMO is the Browns and thats the only real weak team. Chargers Chiefs and Raiders will be very tough this year. The weakest division this year is going the be the AFC South. Ours will be second toughest possibly the toughest in the AFC. All four teams are going to have great teams.
Its going to be interesting this year. Its going to be a tough year.
What it all comes down to is who can score the most and keep the other team from scoring more……LOL
OT what the Raiders gave up for Palmer was even worse than what the Redskins gave up for RG3 even though the Redskins gave up more. I have never thought of Palmer as a great QB. He was headed there before his knee injury.
Agreed – Palmer also doesn’t strike me as a hard worker either.. Typical Raiders move, but I hate to say it, but wih their new GM, those moves might be a thing of the past.. Which is why this draft is so important to separate ourselves from them as much as possible..
Btw, I saw you got the Bowns taking Blackmon and Weeden, I think they go Richardson and Tannehill.. They have Cribs, Little, and Massaquoi, but they really need a RB since Hillis left.. But who knows, maybe they surprise everyone and take two blue chip type players..
lol @ ab…………so what you’re saying is that if we score more points than the other team, we’ll win? lol
I think it’s really gonna boil down to winning those divisional games…….which is always crucial and obviously a no-brainer.
How true that is OT. About the Raiders i mean.
They might take Richardson. I think its more likely than Blackmon but imagine if they did theyd still have a WR QB connection. Part of me thinks they also want to spurn the Rams.
However I dont see Tannehill being there at 22. If the Browns dont take him at 4 I think the Fish take him at 8. Teams reaching on QBs is becoming more and more likely. Plus a lot of experts have Tannehill has a top 10 pick now and are saying that there may be a trade with the Vikings for a team to get him before the Browns have a chance.
Who knows only time will tell. Browns have a lot of control on how the 1st round goes.
@Kod yea for some reason all sports come down to whoever has the most points win. Weird isnt it? LOL
Fair point Alaskan, and with Osweiler now possibly breaking into the first round, it will only help our cause.. And with us now seemingly giving Moreno another chance, which makes sense IMO, I still think we draft another RB.. Who knows though, maybe Xander’s was building up Moreno’s value, but I can’t see him being that crafty… I really hope that I’m right when I say that I think we will be running the ball 25+ times a game, and if so, we’ll need fresh and healthy legs..
I think 4 or 5 QBs make the 1st round. Luck RG3 Tannehill Weeden and/or Osweiler.
OT i hope we do. I am hoping we can get Cyrus Gray in the 3rd round.
Now going to say something about the Chargers. They have missed Darren Sproles so I think they will do what they can to get LaMichael James who has been compared to Sproles a lot. I hope someone else gets him. I like the kid i dont want to see him in the ugly Charger unis
Imagine us putting out a run happy offense, with Manning picking his spots and staying upright… Best case scenario IMO
If the Chargers were smart, they’d use Royal occasionally in the backfield..
OT I really want to see that. I think its whats best like you lol
Less than an hour till the Nike Denver Bronco Unis are unveiled. Bout half an hour actually i think. 11 am ET.
I really hope Royal doesnt tear apart our D. Good thing he doesnt have the best hands. I hope he does well just NOT against Denver of course.
Just heard on NFLN Giants and Broncos have the two toughest schedules this year.
I love Royal and Hillis, but I’m not so sure how effective either will be.. Both have had injury problems, and both seem to be having declining production.. Wish them both well, just not against the Orange and Blue!
Looking forward to the new uni’s as well.. Love the one’s we have now, but really would like to see us use a throw back a few times a year of the early Elway era, with the D on the the helmet!
Robert Turbin scheduled to visit with the 49ers. Looks like he’s just about the same size as Martin, Polk & Ballard.
Robert Turbin RB Utah State
Height: 5-10. Weight: 222.
40 Time: 4.44.
“The 49ers will host Utah State running back Robert Turbin for a pre-draft visit on April 12, a source told The Chronicle.
Turbin, who attended Irvington High School in Fremont, rushed for 2,813 yards, averaged 6.2 yards a carry and scored 41 total touchdowns in his final two college seasons. Turbin is also scheduled to visit the Chiefs, Eagles, Redskins and Jets.
At the NFL combine, Turbin, 5-foot-10 and 222 pounds, did 28 repetitions at 225 pounds on the bench press, matching Boise State’s Doug Martin for the most by a running back. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds, the ninth-fastest time among 28 running backs. His 10-2 broad jump ranked fourth. Turbin suffered two serious injuries in college, a torn capsule at the bottom of his big toe in 2007 and a torn ACL in 2010.
On Wednesday, the 49ers signed former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who will join a backfield that includes Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon. Running back Rock Cartwright is expected to play primarily on special teams”.
Source: SF Chronicle
Just watched a very classy discussion between Skip Bayless and Ryan Clady on ESPN First Take. Of course it was a lot about Tebow. Clady was very classy about it.
OT i cant wait to see them. Is it being televised?
Thats very interesting RBF1 about the Niners and Turbin. I figured theyd be set in the backfield.
The Broncos spoke with Turbin at the NFL combine from what I`ve heard.
Clady has to be happy with Manning under center, as he is now once again a valuable commodity, responsible for the right handed QB’s blind side..
I bet ya the Broncos restructure Cladys contract and give him a big extension since this is the last year of his contract. Gotta lock him up!
Agreed strand! Clady is a beast and I’m sure he was one of the reasons that brought PM to Denver
RG3s agent said no to a private workout with the Colts.
This on RB’s David Wilson & Doug Martin….
April 3, 2012
“The Cleveland Browns will host Virginia Tech running back David Wilson and Boise State running back Doug Martin, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Browns hosting Virginia RB David Wilson today, lg source tells PD. Candidate for No. 22, along with visiting Boise State RB Doug Martin.
The Browns have a pair of first-round picks — No. 4 and No. 22. Some experts project the Browns to take Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the No. 4 pick. Others, though, think the Browns will nab Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, which would leave a void at running back and make Wilson or Martin primary options at No. 22.
Wilson quietly put together one of the best seasons in the country last year. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry en route to 1,709. Martin, meanwhile, had 1,299 yards last season to go with 16 rushing touchdowns”.
Source: SB Nation Cleveland
Broncos are expected to start talks with Clady later this summer for a new contract.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/03/10994191-body-in-icy-lake-is-missing-alaska-barista-police-say
Not football related but I knew this girl. I met here when i played against her HS in football my senior year. She was very sweet and kind funny and smart. RIP Sammy K your gonna be missed by those who knew you.
AB, where can we see the new jerseys?
I havnt found a place yet Millertime.
Ill bet money theres going to be a new blog about the new unis.
AB… I think the Browns will go Richardson at #4 and take Osweiller at #22…
Tannehill will go at 8 to the Phins if no one trades in front of them…
Is that suppose to happen today, about the new Orange jerseys being showed for the first time?
Morning Turtle. How ya doing my Broncos brother?