(Yes, LetPlummerPlay, that means you. My New Year’s resolution was to no longer feed the trolls, but I’m going to break it now.)

I had hoped to break the news to you guys here, but Mike Klis beat me to it. A high-quality journalist, that fellow. I hadn’t even told my parents the news when he had the story on the Post’s Web site and a classy and heartfelt message on my voice mail. His message wasn’t the only one. Thank you all.

But I’d be remiss without also tipping my hat to those who’ve brought you Broncos news on various sources over the years, with whom I’ve repeatedly jockeyed for locker-room and press-conference position. On the print side, there’s Frank Schwab, Lee Rasizer, Bill Williamson, Ryan Thorburn, Pat Graham, Eddie Pells, Arnie Stapleton, Bill Wilson, Pete Bigelow, Patrick Saunders, Lynn DeBruin, Kamon Simpson and Adam Schefter. Hope some of those transcripts and random facts helped you out, gang. Over on the TV side, there’s FSN photog extraordinaire Charlie Felix — I’ll see you at Slammer’s, pal - Brian Olson, Gary Miller, John Kuhrt, Blake Olson — God bless you, brotha — and countless others. And lurking in the spirit of radio, special thanks to Mike Rice and Andy Lindahl of KOA, and Mark Knudson and James Merilatt for the couple of occasions my voice was allowed to pollute their airwaves. And Stefan Fatsis, I still can’t wait to read your upcoming book about your adventures at training camp.

Then there’s the people in the organization itself, too numerous to name and to thank. But I should give special shout-outs to Kyle Sonneman and Kasey Byers, on whose watch the Web site will continue, Patrick Smyth and Dave Gaylinn, who are the “keepers of the flame” in regards to the media guide, Paul Kirk, whose Seinfeld command probably surpassed my own, Steve Harbula, who hired me in the first place and put up with me for the last five years and eight months, and Jim Saccomano, whose blog you should continue to read, and whose wit, hearty laugh and disseminations about baseball I will miss terribly.

If I missed anyone, I apologize.

At least I know I did everything I possibly could, maybe even more than I should have.

“Back away from the computer, son,” I can recall my dad saying during one vacation when I filed a story from a Starbucks in Florida. In the months and years that followed, I could hear his voice echoing in my mind as I slammed my fingers into the keyboard at 1 in the morning, working on a game-program story at the only time I had to write in peace.

Perhaps my dad was right to offer that advice. But I’ve always worked in fifth gear, perhaps because my internal transmission was busted and I couldn’t downshift. It gets me in trouble sometimes, but I’d like to think the results of that speak for themselves in this Web space.

For now, I’m going to watch college basketball. Life … and sport … goes on.

Thanks for your eyes, your ears, your attention, your suggestions, your unrestrained love of all things Broncos.

Until we meet again, Vaya con Dios … and take care, and thanks for watching — and reading.

BEST SAINT: Not much here, but Isaac T. Lassiter, who played 23 games between 1962 and 1964, attended St. Augustine’s University, located in Raleigh, N.C. Starting right guard Montrae Holland is, of course, a former New Orleans Saint, as was the late quarterback Steve Ramsey, who saw action in relief of Charley Johnson during the John Ralston era of the 1970s.

BEST PATRICK: It’s probably got to be Hape, the tight end of four Broncos seasons (2001-04) who is probably best remembered for scoring the first regular-season touchdown in the history of INVESCO Field at Mile High.

Also, don’t forget …

… DE/LB Patrick Chukwurah (2003-06) …
… WR Patrick Jeffers (1996-97) …
… QB Patrick Ramsey (2007-present) …
… A man who answers to “Pat,” current tight ends coach Pat McPherson …

… and of course, media-relations stalwart and statistical researcher extraordinaire Patrick Smyth, who has provided more than a few statistical nuggets for our collective consumption in the last four years.

BEST GREEN: Some decent candidates here, but in the end, it has to go to the only player with the surname “Green” to earn a Pro Bowl nod, so congratulations to Gaston Green, a man whose best NFL moment was as bright as it was brief, a 1,037-yard campaign in the 12-4 1991 season during which he logged five 100-yard games.

But don’t forget …

… LB Louis Green (2003-present), the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner in 2006 …
… OT Cornell Green (2004-05) …
… TE Paul Green (1989) …
… WR Willie Green (1997-98) …
… OL Reggie Green, a practice-squad player in 1996.

No green beer for me; I worked from home while overcoming a brush of the flu. But happy St. Pat’s to you.

]]> http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2008/03/17/in-honor-of-st-patricks-day/feed/ http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2008/03/17/myers-sent-to-houston-for-sixth-rounder/ http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2008/03/17/myers-sent-to-houston-for-sixth-rounder/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:04:15 +0000 Andrew http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/2008/03/17/myers-sent-to-houston-for-sixth-rounder/

Offensive lineman Chris Myers is on his way to Houston.

After three years in Denver, including one as a starter at guard and center, the Broncos sent Myers to the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round selection in next month’s draft.

A sixth-round pick in 2005 is what the Broncos used to originally procure Myers after a four-year career at the University of Miami in which he played various positions along the Hurricanes’ offensive line.

According to various media reports, Myers, a restricted free agent, met with the Texans last week. Had Houston signed him and the Broncos declined to match the offer, the Broncos would have received a sixth-round pick as compensation.

Myers started at center in the season’s final 11 games after Tom Nalen succumbed to injury, but Nalen is expected to return, as is Ben Hamilton, whose left guard slot Myers assumed after concussions consigned the eight-year veteran to the sidelines in the preseason. When Myers moved to center upon Nalen’s injury, Chris Kuper received the call at left guard.

Dealing Myers gives the Broncos a projected nine selections in the upcoming draft, and gets the Broncos back into the sixth-round. Denver sent its pick in that round to the St. Louis Rams last June in exchange for defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy.

The Broncos now have their first-rounder, their second-rounder, two fourth-rounders, two fifth-rounders, the Texans’ sixth-round selection and a pair of seventh-round picks.

Discuss below …

Doug Nienhuis‘ quiet Broncos career ended Monday afternoon when the team released him after a stint that covered nearly 17 months.

In that time, Nienhuis saw neither the field nor the 53-man roster in the regular season. He spent the last half of the 2006 campaign on the practice squad, then incurred a knee injury while allocated to NFL Europa last spring.

Nienhuis did not recover in time for training camp last summer and remained on the reserve/NFL Europa injured list throughout the season that followed.

A busy week opening week of free agency carried over into Saturday as the team fortified its secondary by adding a pair of safeties — Marquand Manuel, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, and Marlon McCree, late of the San Diego Chargers.

Terms on the contracts for both were not disclosed.

McCree, a street free agent, started all 16 games for the San Diego Chargers in 2007.  He logged 65 total tackles — 48 solo — three interceptions and six passes defensed as part of a Chargers defense that held opposing passers to a 70.0 rating last year, the best for any NFL defense in 2007.

 He has been a starter on winners in recent years, spending 2005 with the Carolina Panthers and the last two seasons in San Diego.  During those three seasons, his teams were 34-12 during games in which he played, a statistic skillfully researched by Patrick Smyth of the media-relations department.

McCree’s best statistical season came in 2005, when he notched 87 total tackles. three interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

The eighth-year veteran celebrates his 31st birthday this St. Patrick’s Day.

Manuel, an unrestricted free agent, started all 16 regular-season games for the Seattle Seahawks in 2005, then started throughout their run to Super Bowl XL.  He moved on to Green Bay in 2006, where he again started the full season, before joining the Panthers in 2007, for whom he started twice while playing in all 16 games.

Manuel has 38 starts in 91 career games played, with 215 total tackles, 10 passes defensed, a pair of interceptions and 33 stops on special teams.

The University of Florida product enters his seventh year in the league, with the Broncos being the fifth team for which he has played.

Discuss below, and vaya con Dios.

Less than two hours after announcing the signing of one former Detroit Lion, Denver brought another one-time Lion aboard, signing wide receiver Edell Shepherd to a contract.

Terms were not disclosed.

Shepherd was in Lions camp last year before being waived on Aug. 28. He spent the subsequent season out football.

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NFL.com first reported that the Broncos had agreed to terms with Boss Bailey on Thursday afternoon.

Boss Bailey has traversed one of the more inspirational paths in recent NFL annals. He overcame two torn knee ligaments just to make it into pro football; he tore a left-knee ligament in high school and one in his right knee during his time at the University of Georgia. He also missed the entire 2004 season with torn meniscus in his right knee, but recovered fully.

He amassed 118 tackles in the last two seasons for the Detroit Lions while only missing one game in that time.

The signing makes the Baileys the third set of siblings concurrently on a Broncos roster, following in the footsteps of Eldon and William Danenhauer — together for four games in 1960 — and Doug and Dave Widell, who shared a locker room from 1990-92.

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But I reckon I was too young to remember when Ring of Famer Charley Johnson — with his first name spelled differently — found himself the star of one of these spots in 1979:

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It’d be hard for me to forget, seeing as how I was there.

Sept. 13, 1992, was one of those Florida summer Sundays where not even a liberal dollop of supposedly sweatproof 50 SPF could prevent you from looking like a boiled lobster after just under four hours in the sun, where $20 of water and pink lemonade wasn’t enough to keep hydrated and cool. The high temperature was 89, but in the concrete bowl of Tampa Stadium — which basically became an open-air kiln on days like these — an on-field thermometer registered 109.

The Buccaneers were drilling the Packers, both on the scoreboard and in physical punishment. Days of defensive dominance like these would someday become routine for the Bucs with the acquisitions of John Lynch, Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to guide them. But with a defense featuring Keith McCants, Mark Wheeler, Ray Seals, Darrick Brownlow, Darrell Fullington and Milton Mack, this sort of performance was a tad unusual.

The pressure left Green Bay starter Don Majkowski running for his life until he was finally unable to escape, bowing to injury in the third quarter. Trailing hopelessly, the Packers turned to a second-year quarterback from Southern Mississippi.

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Monday afternoon, the Broncos announced that Koutouvides had signed his contract.  The Broncos also announced the signing of Keary Colbert and the re-signing of defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban; both had first been reported in the media Saturday.

The Purdue product, who turns 27 on March 25, primarily handled special-teams duties for the Seahawks throughout the last four years. He started three games during the 2004 campaign — two in the regular season and one in the playoffs.

Over his four years as a Seahawk, Koutouvides had 89 solo tackles, 22 assists and a sack.

Discuss below …