With free agency and the draft now over, we get to sort through the pots and pans of the offseason. Let the organized team activities (OTAs) begin.
OTAs typically lack excitement and it is hard to take anything of substance from them. But they are an important part of the preparation process for the season. For a Broncos team that has a number of new faces, it is a key time.
So where do the Broncos stand? I think they stand in a pretty good place. Why? Several reasons.
1 – THEY HAVE SOLIDIFIED THE QUARTERBACK POSITION. This is an absolute no-brainer to me but I still have to include it. They signed a sure-fire future Hall of Fame player and, in the process, upgraded the position in a major way. I believe Peyton Manning will be healthy enough to be an incredible addition.
2 – THE BRONCOS MADE MOVES TO SOLIDIFY THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD.
The Broncos signed veterans Tracy Porter and Drayton Florence. They drafted Omar Bolden. They have Cassius Vaughn and Syd’Quan Thompson coming back from injury. Chris Harris, Tony Carter, Coryell Judie, Ramzee Robinson, and Joshua Moore are also on the roster. To top it off, Champ Bailey is still going strong.
While I have no idea how many cornerbacks will make the 53-man roster for the regular season opener, Elway gave a not-so-subtle hint at the importance of the cornerback position before the draft when he said the Broncos struggled last year when teams spread them out.
They seem determined to have plenty of options at that position. I give them a big-time thumbs up for that.
At safety, the Broncos added a key player when they signed free agent Mike Adams. He is talented, experienced and versatile. Those are all really good qualities to have.
3 – THE BRONCOS ADDED KEY PLAYERS IN OTHER KEY SPOTS. Defensive lineman Justin Bannan is one example. Tight ends Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen are other examples. Among the young players, they used some draft picks to attempt to shore up some needs with quality players. Defensive lineman Derek Wolfe fits into this category. So does running back Ronnie Hillman.
I like the Broncos’ mix of veterans and youth. Overall, I like their personnel. No doubt they all have to get it done on the field. But I feel good about the moves they made and how those moves could not only contribute to a better season in 2012 than they had in 2011, but also how those moves could help set them up for long-term success.
4 – THE ELWAY FACTOR IS ESTABLISHED.
I love the fact that Elway is honest and realistic in assessing where the team stands or where a given player stands. At the same time, he remains upbeat and does not slip into degrading players.
Elway and his front office staff have tried to do everything in their power to improve the talent on the roster. They have made it a priority to do more than give lip service to the importance of character. They have seemingly put a premium on how players perform in games and not just how well they work out.
In short, I love Elway’s approach. Over time, I believe it will pay huge dividends.
In the NFL, one never knows how things will turn out in any given year. There is no doubt, however, that I like the Broncos’ starting point for 2012 much more compared to where they were at this time a year ago.
Quite honestly, I have never been a big fan of covering OTAs. This year, I am really looking forward to watching the Broncos start to come together.
Outside of signing Peyton Manning, what move do you like the most this offseason?
Thanks for reading and sharing.
Best,
Mike
“ALL HAIL…THE NECK”.
BFE
Grear post Jim,as always,love reading your posts,keep’em coming,I agree with you 100% of your asessment of the Broncos!
Outside of the Manning signing,I like the Tracy Porter signing,Goody got torched last year,Porter will be much better,imo.
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!
BFE
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/high_schoolers_diploma_withheld_after_he_tebows_on_stage_during_commencement/10848230?linksrc=foxrg_nfl
Sorry guys I couldn’t get back on last night,I TRIED,but just couldn’t get back on,looks like I missed some pretty good blogging.
Turtle,I’m done mourning over the Lakers bro,lol.
Spurs take it in 5!!!
BFE
G_Money: Got your BBBP.
Thanks Mike, I agree, I think the team is coming together from the top on down. Jack Del Rio is also a big acquisition and am looking forward to a great BRONCO future.
I agree with Buck, Mr. Rice.
JDR will prove to be a great acquisition.
I also like the Stokley signing. Even if he doesn’t make the team, he will help get the WR/TE group ready for Manning!!!
Teams are always up beat this time of year, however, what I like about “day one” was the up tempo day the Broncos had yesterday. Most teams would be saying they are ready to get to work, from all reports the Broncos have already gotten to work. That makes it easy to think positive about the up coming season.
As far as off seson aquisitions go, I’m sure everyone fired up about the defensive backfield but I’m fired up about Derek Wolfe. A Wolfe is sheeps clothing I say, with his high motor and never give up attitude I think the pressure he will be able to apply inside is the missing link to slowing down the oppositions passing attack. No corner, no matter how good , can cover forever. I trust Elway and Fox on this one as well as the Ronnie Hillman pick. A Darren Sproles type of player? Who wouldn’t want that type of player in their backfield?
Hopefully, the Broncos can stay healthy this off season. Too many players were on injured reserve by week three last year. Hopefully some of those players will come back strong this season and make a difference for the Broncos. There will be heavy competition for a roster at many positions this off season , it will be interesting to see who raises their level of play to be a member of the 53 man squad come the start of the season. Go Broncos!
Don’t know if it’s been posted or not,but DL Malik Jackson signs his Rookie contract!
Bro, hows it going? BFE n Beer! sounds like a sports bar. HaHa!!
Hey strand what up bro?
Gonna go play some poker tonight. Tonoghts my lucky night. I can feel it. LOL
Good luck to you Bronco bro!
BFE
yep bfe you took the words right outta my mouth on that one. tracy porter was my second favorite signing too. adams i’m not sure if he’s all that good. havent seen much of him. but that defensive backfield now its completely different than what we had last year. and thats a good thing. i like the pattern elway has set up too. he is going for hard working ‘lunch pail’ kinda guys and thats a good thing imo. we’ll all see soon enough tho.
man. poker. i suck at poker. good luck to ya strand, hope your better than me!!
gl strand wish there was somewhere around here for me to go
MELO i live in sheridan wyoming but was born in Billings Montana
lived there till i was ten then moved to Tampa Florida/Clearwater
for ten years and another ten inj Houston/Katy Texas
and now i am here for the last year and a half
ya know i’m gald to hear you say mannings going to be fine this season mike. i hate when i see the ‘mannings taking a big chance on his health’ type of stuff. he’s FINE.
WE’RE GOIN WITH PLAN A!!!
Ab if any one talks about you while you are gone i will tear em a new hole ya know
wow skillz that houston to sheridan move had to be one heckuva culture shock man. i love houston, its about 3 hrs from me and i go regularly.
I used to play poker all the time,till whiney babys started crying when they lost their money,once took 3 dollars and wiped out 6 players,lol.
I hate playing with whiney babys,rather not play at all,if I lose I lose,!!NO WHINING!! from me!
haha bfe. theres no whining in poker man!
What’s up y’all. Busy day trying to catch up at work after a day of blogging.. This caught my eye today:
by Andrew Mason, CBSSports.com
FS Rahim Moore’s struggles as a rookie helped necessitate the free-agent pickup of ex-Browns S Mike Adams. But two days into OTAs, Adams has already seen improvement from Moore, who fell down the depth chart after starting the first five games of 2011. “He had a great day [Tuesday],” Adams said. “I told him, ‘Don’t make it easy for me; don’t make it easy for [starting SS] Quinton [Carter].’”
by Andrew Mason, CBSSports.com
Three of the Broncos’ top-five DBs are newcomers: FS Mike Adams and CBs Drayton Florence and Tracy Porter. But the group is adjusting well, and Adams says he’s already communicating well on a nonverbal level with the fellow DBs, particularly veteran Champ Bailey. “He knows, he understands,” Adams said. “Sometimes I give him a nod and it’s like he knows what’s coming.” Adams added Porter also knows what to do when he makes a hand gesture to the ex-Saints CB.
OT,Good to hear RM is doing good,after all he was the top S in last years draft,hopefully with Adams breathing down his neck,he will step it up!!!
hey ot, hows things? ya i am not too sure about mike adams. if anyone knows alot about him i’d sure like to hear it. i’m not at all sure if he’s even good. and remember, rahim moore didnt get an offseason to learn the d because of the lock out. so he could blossom into a stellar fs with more time. he does need alot of work tho. and carter should be a good ss. also, is adams a free safety or strong safety? if ab was here i’d be getting all of that answered real quick, but since he’s not, i may hafta wait. hurry back ab, we need our info man!!
Na lbf i grew up in Montana lol so i was used to it kind of needed the slower pace and a safer place to raise a family plus i have tons of family here which helps sometimes
My wife lucky me is from Iowa lol so she was used to a slow pace as well she hated Houston so i told her to pack her stuff we are going to Wyoming lol still a little bit of a shock for her though
gotta make a run brb
ya skills i’ve always lived in the south. from san antonio to new orleans to shreveport where i’m gonna stay. my parents lived in missouri and i went in the winter and man i hated that cold. and snow? to hell with snow man! and ice. i cant stand a snowy icy mess. i like the long summers cuz i’m a shorts and flip flops kinda guy. yall can keep the fridgid winters, man! they are not for me.
I’m good thanks, you? Mike Adams is very underrated IMO. He’s also very durable, starting all 16 games last year, and appearing in at least 14 games over the last 7 years. He had 3 INT’s, 1 FF last year, and is a very solid tackler. He will be a great mentor to both Carter and Moore, who still I believe will both live up to expectations in due time. I think Adams is also versatile enough to play either FS or SS, but will most likely play FS with Cater starting at SS. We’ll see though, as we have a TON of quality DB’s right now
This is by far the best group of DB’s we’ve had in a LONG time IMO.
cool thanks ot and i’m great. finally up and walking after the back pull. but that all sounds real good. especially the mentor part, because i too think we have potential for the future in moore and carter. especially carter. he will be very good imo. and if they move bailey to safety in a couple of years, watch out!! only bad thing is bailey is older, florence is older, porter is only signed for one year, so we need to get a couple of young, pro bowl cornerbacks we can have for the next ten years. those guys are good now, but in 2 years, it can look completely different back there. hopefully for the better. hopefully elways right on top of that.
ya lbf i am with ya love those summer beach days at clearwater beach or galveston when i was in texas lol
but i make pretty ok money here so ya give and take lol
my oppd is that adams will have at least five ints this year so you can tell i think he will be a solid addition to the group of guys we already have
i think most important adams will be a guy who makes moore a pro bowl safety after he’s done. that would be great and a good move by elway. he knows how to develop a team, it shows already. i like that because its what makes for dynasties. i also think i may be getting way ahead of myself there….
I’m not really big on the idea of moving Champ to Safety.. He’s an elite corner, still playing at an elite level IMO. Yeah, Woodson moved to Safety, but he’s two years older, and isn’t in Champ’s class. I also think that how some of these players take care of themselves, with all the knowledge available to them from supplements/nutrition, to training techniques, etc., I think we need to update our views from the conventional thinking as far as what is possible with today’s athletes IMO.
I understand they can’t play forever, but Champ’s only 33, and in terrific shape, with little wear and tear on him. We have Floraece, Porter, and Harris, to sub in and out, plus Bolden, and who knows about Syd and Vaughn.. I think Champ’s career could be stretched out a few years by our ‘CB by committee’ we go going on this year.
*Florence
Ya ot I do not think he should go to free safety any time in text few years at least. Say when he’s 36. He will still have a cupla free safety years left instead of retiring. That’s my take
I know it’s a popular stance, as I’ve heard it talked about several places, but I question how practical it is. Typically the Safety is responsible for laying the wood, and I’m not sure how that prolongs one’s career. I realize as you loose a step, it makes being a cover corner more difficult, but I wonder if being utilized more in the slot would be a better role for him later in his career. Either way, I think we can squeeze 5 for more very good years out of Champ Bailey.
Nickel corner
ALL HAIL THE NECK! BFE!!!
OC should be paid for his LMSDB and ALL HAIL THE NECK!!
I know I will use it all season! How ya doing tonight Bro?
FTR
BFE:
Job looks like a lock for MD. We could be taking your car out for a run with pulled pork sause on on breath!! LOL
LMSDB
FTR
LBF:
You tried Tiger Balm yet for your back? My sons where asking me.
FTR
The funniest part of “the Neck” posting IMO, was the reference to concealing the Neck with a “turtle neck” shirt.. Pretty ironic, considering a turtle neck covers the Neck, and our resident Turtle is busy exposing it… Coincidence??
lol ot
Ya ot but you put champ at free safety and also think about it, who tackles better than champ? He could be a hybrid nickel cb/free safety. I disagree I think it’s very practical with a good d coordinator. But u very well may Be right.
No ftr I haven’t had a chance to use the tiger balm yet. It is on my grocery list and I go tomorrow. My wife said she couldn’t find it when she was there while I was down. But I’ll find it. I love the idea of a balm that works
OT:
It was all funny and in fun. I lke how everyone has thier own Fav.
FTR
Ya ot that’s what I took away from the turtle neck comment. Was funny as hell!
Speaking of a balm, this is a classic!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IzowSs9mNOM
LBF:
It’s at Wallgreens/CVS. Take a nice long shower and have your wife rup it on a little at at a time then relax!
Good luck with it. Backs are a bitch to get back to normal/or at least some less pain! Wish the best.
FTR