On Thursday, the Broncos’ Pro Bowl headcount jumped to six with the news that Brian Dawkins will be headed to his ninth career Pro Bowl.
The veteran safety was named an alternate in late December, and made the AFC squad in place of Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, who will not participate due to injury.
Dawkins is now tied with John Lynch, another former Bronco, for the second-most Pro Bowl trips all-time among safeties. They trail only Washington/Houston safety Ken Houston’s 10 trips. Another Broncos safety, Steve Atwater, is next in line with eight.
Dawkins will join five teammates — Champ Bailey, Ryan Clady, Elvis Dumervil, Willis McGahee and Von Miller — in Hawaii, marking the most all-star game selections for Denver since the Broncos had seven in 2001.
Tags: Brian Dawkins, Pro Bowl
Faster Pu**ycat….Jack the Bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah…..Hightower…MLB…Alabama!!!!!!!
We need another Al Wilson!!!!!!!
I think certain patterns are flagged. Like, if you said, “that player is having trouble just being with himself.”
There might be a general pattern in there that is flagged.
Mays sucks!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, a stud MLB would be awesome. I miss Wilson.
That was a silly example I came up with, but I know I have had things moderated quite a few times.
There seems to be a certain amount of randomness to it.
Yeah…..you would be surprised with what you can get by with one night and banned for the next!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, catch you next time BFE. Don’t stay up TOO late. haha
DT,MLB,or CB would satisfy me!!!!!
All in all……Defense! Defense! Defense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, I’m hoping or a blue chip MLB and or DT
Alright alex..next time bro!
blue chip MLB???
We gotta draft a top notch MLB…IMO!
Midwestern-er…lol.
Actually, we are all citizens of Broncos Country!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/setazman1/
I have to agree with shatz on Chris Rainey. This kid is a lightning bolt running with the rock. Won’t find one any faster.
Von Miller fined $7,500
By Mike Klis
Rookie and Pro Bowl strongside linebacker Von Miller was fined $7,500 for his unnecessary roughness penalty late in the Broncos 45-10 loss to the New England Patriots in a second-round playoff game last Saturday.
Miller said he never heard the whistle but he clearly threw a block on New England special teamer Ryan Wendell well after quarterback Tom Brady’s third-down quick kick was blown dead with 2:56 remaining. A scuffle ensued but only Miller was penalized. It’s the second time this year Miller has been fined.
Broncos’ focus remains on NFL draft for off-season acquisitions
By Jeff Legwold
With the Broncos’ playing days over this season, they are officially in acquisition mode.
Their scouting staff spent this past week in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the East-West Shrine Game practices and will spend the coming week in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl workouts, where John Elway, general manager Brian Xanders, coach John Fox and assistant coaches will join the personnel staff.
And many have wondered what the Broncos’ plan is for the offseason.
At least when Elway and Xanders speak of the offseason play, it is to maintain the discipline to build a franchise through the draft and to put one successful draft class on top of another and another and another as the years go by.
That is also easier to say than to actually do, which is why so many teams try it at times before diving into free agency, checkbook in hand, in an effort to buy their way out of trouble.
Free agency will continue to be a good thing for the most prominent free agents and a hard-earned victory for players in the history of collective bargaining negotiations. It is not, and the Washington Redskins are always the first examples offered by many in the league, a way to consistently put together a team that can compete for the playoffs.
The proof is consistently in the standings.
From his first day on the job, Elway has stressed the importance of the draft. He stressed it again Monday in an extended question-and-answer session to wrap up the season.
The test will come in the coming months. There will be the lure of the recent playoff spot, one that included the emotional, feel-good, upset win over the Steelers in the wild-card round.
Players and Elway said the win over the Steelers was the loudest — Elway said it was the “most excited” — the stadium had been in their time with the team.
But teams get in trouble over the long haul when they make marketing and emotional decisions instead of football decisions. Football decisions usually dictate how many victories a team accumulates.
And if the Broncos give in to at least a segment of public sentiment that they are close to being a consistent playoff team and dive into free agency at the expense of the draft and the development curve of younger players, that could be a trap.
Most personnel executives around the league believe the Broncos are closer to missing the playoffs than to being a consistent playoff team because of their depth issues across the roster, as well as their uncertainty over what the offensive playbook will look like moving forward and what personnel that plan will require.
For their part, the Broncos have made it clear they enjoyed the playoff run, but also have shown restraint in recent days.
Fox said the team had “a long way to go.”
Elway called the playoff games a youthful team played in the last two weeks “a tremendous building block,” but also added “we’re not where we need to go.”
And Xanders characterized the approach for free agency with, “we plan to be aggressive and smart at the same time.” Xanders also referred to making “value signings.”
That would seem to indicate the draft is on the front burner as is developing their players. And while that may not be the plan some want for the team, it’s one Elway appears committed to.
Alex4serg, Orangetsunami, dad13broncosfan: Got your BBBPs.
Orange, you and Royal are certainly at opposite ends of Willis’s career. He had Willis as our leading WR.
Nice pics weatherman. It is nice to actually see who you have been talking to for months.
You sure know how to take care of mamma weatherman, well done!
I really believe that Fox, Elway and McCoy will work together to revamp the playbook. I don’t think we will see much of the option, maybe a time or two in games to throw off the defense. I think that Tim is going to progress enough to use a full on standard NFL offense. Everyone keeps calling it the Tebow experiment but I think all it was was doing what they could to win with Tim’s limited experience and knowledge on how to read defenses. From now on it will no longer be an experiment it will be developing a QB with huge potential. I know that Elway’s words were not a huge endorsement I knew that when I heard it but I do believe it when he says he hopes that he is the guy. He simply doesn’t know because it will all depend on how well Tim learns. If there is anything that the past has shown is that NO ONE can predict the future or what someone can accomplish. The so called experts have been proven wrong more often than not. So the fans who say that Tim will never become a great QB are silly because how can they really know? On the other hand those that guarantee that he will also have no way of knowing. So there you are, the dilemma rolls on. I believe in Tim and I HOPE he will be what I think he can be and I hope it is for the Bronco’s. One final thought for this Saturday morning. Where does Mr. Bowlen fit in all this? I read a while back that he likes Tim and thinks he can be good. Does he have the ability to over ride the coaches and Mr. Elway if they want to get rid of Tim and he doesn’t? What about the team mates do they get a vote? Just a couple things I have been wondering.
BTW Good morning Bay
Also, LOL it is really nice to go on NFL . com and not see Tebow plastered all over the place. Hopefully this off season they will give it a rest and let him do his thing.
Well, we finally got some snow in NY.. Hope we don’t get too much, I have a busy week next week.. Bay, good point about the Colorado snow being so dry, never really knew thats why the skiing is so good there (along with the hills of course
).. out here the snow is so wet, and is terrible for skiing and lingers around for so long, and is a major inconvenience for such a heavily populated area..
I agree shaz, it’s nice not to see Tebow being exploited on every website you go to… Although, we all know it’ll start all over again soon enough.. Lol
And for the record, I for one like Von getting fined in the Pats game.. Yes, it showed immaturity, but it also showed me that he took it personally that we were getting our a$$ kicked, he obviously hates to loose and I like that.. It also showed a bit of toughness, something this defense has lacked for years.. Not only do I think we have to go heavy on defense in this draft, but I want some big boys with mean streaks.. I don’t want major character flaws, but I do want some kids who play with a mean streak… Dare I say a Suggs’ type player of sorts… I want our D to be feared once again! Orange Crush 2.0 baby!!!
So I see Philbin got the Job … interesting … based on team accomplishments his team is clearly the better one but I attribute it to an offensive mind in Mike McCarthy … not him. He needs something good to come his way after the loss of his son and loss in playoffs. Probably would do him so good to move out of wisconsin to. Heart goes out to him.
As was mentioned … I believe thats the edge Philbin had. Matt Flynn. If Brady Quinn was any good then McCoy mighta stood a chance. But the Dolphins are in need of a QB … new coach usually chooses his QB … and thier stupid antics winning game pushed em out of luck and RG3 position.
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We need CB DT first and formost … the comes RB WR LB
We got young guys with upside in Irving and Thomas and Green QC Moore. They still have potential to get good with a real offseason. No need wasting picks on thier replacemetns before fully seeing things. And this is coming from a guy that wants Vontaze … that guy scares me. Crazy LB.
GO BRONCOS
Remember, today is the East-West Shrine game if you want to find out about some college players who might interest the Broncos.
This is some breakdown of the game’s practices this week on some guys we may keep an eye on, guys at positions we could use:
OG Brandon Brooks (Miami, OH), 6-5/353
The bruising Brooks won’t be highly rated by all teams because of his average lateral agility, but a handful of offensive line coaches will love his size and strength enough to push for him in the mid-to-late third round. We all saw what happens when Kuper goes down and Hochstein is no young puppy (will be 35 this season). We need depth on the O line.
DE Tyrone Crawford (Boise State), 6-4/285
Finding 4-3 swing ends with his length, strength, and hustle is not easy. If the Canadian native proves as athletic as he has looked in practices, a team will take him earlier than most are currently projecting (may be a second or third round). This one is just because we all know how Fox loves DEs.
DT DaJohn Harris (USC), 6-3/308
Few players saw their draft stock rise as far as Harris this season, and his work on the practice field hasn’t stopped that momentum. The fact he lined up at five-technique Thursday and made some plays inside and outside only enhanced his value. This one is easy, we need a valuable DT like yesterday and have needed one like for years, also 2nd to 3rd rounder prospect.
CB Josh Norman (Coastal Carolina), 6-0/203
His three-interception performance Wednesday only accentuated Norman’s solid Monday and Tuesday efforts. With his size and the ball skills he displayed (also catching a few punts), Norman could be the highest-drafted player here this week if he does well at the Combine, both on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf and in team interviews. Watch for this guy if we can’t get a CB in the first, may be available at our spot in the second, may go higher though. A CB is a definite major need!
Above guys were the ones highest rated in this game and as far as lesser rounds, fourth and fifth, there are still some who could interest us:
CB/FS Robert Blanton (Notre Dame), 6-0/197
Lacks great fluidity, but has the size and physicality to move to safety, where he played a bit this week. Considering our situation at both safety and CB this could be worth a look or two.
OG Derek Dennis (Temple), 6-3/315
East defensive linemen simply could not move this likely early-career starter off the line or beat him consistently in pass rush drills. Another Guard.
ILB Najee Goode (West Virginia) 6-0/245
A solid 4-3 Mike candidate who thumps running backs inside and has the agility to work in limited coverage. If we can’t get one earlier. Middle linebacker is in no way a spot we can neglect at this point even so we addressed it heavily in the last draft.
OG Rishaw Johnson (California-PA), 6-4/309
His length is so good (34 1/2″ arms) that he relies on it at times instead of moving his feet, but most of the week the former Ole Miss Runnin’ Rebel looked like the athletic mid-rounder scouts expected to see.
OG Jeremiah Warren (South Florida) 6-3/336
His thick lower body will be some NFL offensive line coach’s dream, and he showed a respectable ability to mirror and redirect defensive tackles in one-on-one pass rush drills.
There are also quite a few WRs to look at but with Fox and our current crop I don’t really see the point, but just for your info here they are:
WR Greg Childs (Arkansas), 6-3/215
Possesses NFL size and good enough hands to take a chance on his returning to 2010 form within the top 150 picks.
WR B.J. Cunningham (Michigan State), 6-2/209
The most polished route-runner and pass-catcher on the East team looks like a solid No. 2 outside starter who will reliably move the chains.
WR A.J. Jenkins (Illinois), 6-0/192
Sometimes Jenkins ran so smoothly this week he appeared to be moving in slow motion. His quickness and toughness over the middle could make him a real bargain on draft Saturday.
Practice impressions courtesy of Chad Reuter.
The game will be televised by the NFLN at 2 pm Eastern time today.
No real good RBs to look at in this game unfortunately except for this guy:
RB Tauren Poole (Tennessee), 5-10/206
Clearly the best back on either side this week due to a nice combination of wiggle and power with the ball in his hands. Scouts will be very interested in how he performs in live action Saturday.
Mccoy needs to learn one philosophy this offseason, high percentage pass plays.
I think though that he has the potential to be a solid HC, but play calling, as suspect as Tebows willingness to let to just wing it in the air.
Thanks shaz & bay. I got that for her in 2007 when things were pretty good. Had 2 businesses going and doing decent, then the bottom fell out and had to close the businesses. I told her not to worry, that was one present not going anywhere. She still has it and it still looks like new.
O.T., my daughter and granddaughter are coming to NY city next Thurs. They have never seen snow, and the wife and I called her kidding her this morning that they were going to have to put skis on the plane for it to land. She didn’t think that was to funny.
Sorry, game is at 2 pm Mtn time
TRB – I agree we need a CB, but I really think short CB’s are not of much help, especially with this new TE style offense… Both Jenkins and Dennard are only 5’10″. Maybe we could luck out with Chase Minifield in the second round?
One thing I didn’t like on that penalty that Miller rec’d. in that game was he was the only one penalized. What I seem to remember is he hit the guy in the back after the whistle, then the guy started the tussle with Miller where he then threw punches at Miller. I know Miller deserved the late hit or hit in the back, depending on how they wanted to go, but I also thought throwing punches was against the rules too.
Well written article on Alex Smith’s leadership during the lockout. I pasted an excerpt because it’s too long to copy in entirety.
I hope this is the type of leader Tim will begin to grow into this year.
The link for the entire article is:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19785519
That’s when Smith took command of the ship, despite not being assured a spot on the boat. He was a free agent relying on Harbaugh’s repeated public assurances that he wanted him to return.
Smith took a leap of faith, organizing the San Jose State sessions and serving as the camp’s head coach, offensive coordinator, CFO, travel agent, rental car agency and security force. Oh, and quarterback.
“Alex was the leader of the whole thing. Without him, I don’t think we would have known as much as we did,” running back Anthony Dixon said. “We just got a chance to get a jump-start, and it’s working out for the best right now.”
Working out for the best? Against the New Orleans Saints last Saturday, Smith became the first quarterback in NFL playoff history to deliver two go-ahead touchdowns over the final three minutes of a game. On the first one, he followed a block from left tackle Joe Staley — a Camp Alex mainstay — for a 28-yard touchdown run. On the second, he threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis, a favorite target during Camp Alex.
“I think what we did at San Jose State, in terms of digging into the terminology, had a big impact,” said rookie offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore. “Even in the playoffs, we’re still doing the same drills, working on the same footwork, as we were then. It was big of Alex to get everybody together. He made it very easy for us.”
Weatherman, by the time that fight broke out I was already well into drowning my sorrows, so don’t remember the specifics, lol. I’m just saying I like that Von felt the need to get physical.. IMO it shows me that he really cares, and I hate to say it, but a lot of guys don’t really care, considering they get paid either way..
I agree O.T. fully. I love the getting physical part too. These guys just have to learn the times that they can or it is going to become really expensive for them as well as the team. I think after they reach so much in fines the team is also fined are’t they?
I guess what I’m trying to say here is that the physical times are/have changed in the NFL and we all have to adapt with them, like them or not. You just can’t clobber anyone like you used to. Heck, you can’t touch them with your helmet or touch their helmet.
Agreed weatherman, times have changed.. But I think if you build the defense through the draft, not only are they faster being younger, but they may still be able to be taught the correct way… Once they’ve learned their style, you can’t teach an old dog a new trick.. Lol
Btw, the Nuggets are in town to play the Knicks tonight.. Not a huge bb fan, but I will certainly enjoy watching the ‘Nugs take it to Mello in his house… Lol
I agree on building the defense. I hope that EFX does that this year and pick up a few offensive weapons too. Should make for an interesting draft.
This leads to another BBBP.
I believe…that EFX is going to suprise us all in this upcoming draft with their selection order.
I was bummed when they traded Melo, but just because Billups went too…
I like Gallinari, Mozgov and Koufos… Chandler was a good player, and I hope that he, JR and Kenyon Martin rejoin the Nuggets after their Chinese contracts expire…
My Godfather is one of the 4 original owners of the San Antonio Spurs… they bought the Dallas Chaparelle’s in 1963 and moved them so SA… I love going to games with him! Great Seats! and in 2008 he had Tim Duncan and Tony Parker stay out at half time and wish me happy birthday under the tunnel by the Silver and Black Club! It was AWESOME!!!
Btw, I read that daddybronc said he’s not into the draft, and he’ll just learn about the players we draft after.. I thought daddy was a good judge of character, etc? We may need that expertise to avoid another Perrish Cox.. Don’t wait until its too late daddybronc, and like the saying goes, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the outcome after!
Yea, his expert analysis of these players might help some of us make better selections. I hope he gets involved in this draft too. I really would like to hear what he would have to say about some of the draftees.
My buddy is a huge Dolphin fan… He says he doens’t like the Philbin hire nearly as much as he would have a Veteran Coach and was really bummed about Fisher joining the Rams…
Then I asked him about Matt Flynn, and the look he gave me was Priceless!!!
Yo BT! That’s cool bro, always good to have a guy like that in the fam!
Yeah, I think the Nuggets got the better of that trade by a mile (high)! Carmelo really isn’t that good, and doesn’t play ANY defense… What’s up with those guys going to China? They can’t come back? Are they still under contract with the Nugs?
OT and SEW,
here is a pretty good comprehensive list of eligible players w/key stats like size and 40 times…
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/TSX/2012_SS
I posted it Yesterday, and will throw it out from time to time for those wanting to watch film of the top 10 players at each position or so… this is a good list
The lockout temporarily nullified the Pro Contracts, and the deals they signed in China were very specific about them not leaving until the end of the season over there…
Those three guys took a chance that the NBA was not going to play at all… other players signed player friendly deals with other international teams, but China paid the best cash, and had the harshest contracts…
JR is a Free Agent when his contract is up in China… and Kenyon may be as well… I think Chandler is still under Contract with the Nuggets…
What do you guys think about Chase Minnifield; CB from Virgina? I think we should take a big ‘ol DT round one, and see if we can land Minnifield in the second.
Thx BT. Chandler is the one out of the 3 that the Nugs should keep IMO, if we could only keep one.. He’s a great defender, does all the little things and is a good teammate..