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
Where’s BFE??
FTR
Ya ftr fully intended. Thanks again for the tip
FTR….whats up Bro?
Congrats on the new job Bronco Brother!
BFE
I hear ya lbf, that makes sense too. Trust me, I’m not saying I’m right, just a thought. I just hope we can keep JDR for a few years, I think he’s gonna be great for us. I’ve heard an interview with him talking about how valuable the CB position is, and how there might be 3-4 CB’s on the field at once! Crazy to think, and I can only imagine what kind of defensive fronts he’s gonna come up with this year! Not sure which I’m more excited about, our offense or our DEFENSE!!!
Faulk and Sapp (from NFL Network) picked the Broncos to win the AFC West with our DEFENSE!!!
“ALL HAIL THE NECK”.
BFE
BFE:
Thanks. You will have to school me on east coast Bronco support!! If we hook up and say maybe we get to into a small Bar fight please dont let me get ass kicked. Have to go now so peace out everyone!
ALL HAIL THE NECK. See you Friday nite!
Peace out!
FTR
LMAO@FTR……peace out bro!
Long live “THE NECK”!!!!!!!!!
BFE
Well ot we def agree the not for a few years point tho. Time will tell. I too hope JDR sticks around cuz I think he will be top notch. And I hear ya man, our o & d are worth being excited about and it happened so fast that we turned this around like that. And guess who’s behind this quick turn from fans saying blah to hell ya bring on the season? John elway!! Saves us again! I mean really think about the difference in feeling we have about the teams prospects from the year before elway to just 1-1/2 yrs with him. He knows what he’s doin man and that gets me all kinds of happy. I hate it for the few who see a negative in it all. I see a guy who knows how to build a winner. The future looks really bright y’all!!
OT,loved your take on the turtle neck,your 7:18 post bro!!!!
CLASSIC LMAO!!!!
BFE
Anyone know if Wolfeman was at practice today?
Amen LBF,I said from the beginning I would back JE every move he makes,and so far he has made some great decisions,he HAS what it takes to turn us into contenders!!!
Nevermind, Wolfe is out until June due to graduation.. Ughhh
OT,Wolfe can’t practice till sometime in June,he hasn’t graduated yet,stupid rules!!!
FTR,you’ll be in TRB’s neck of the woods bro,I think he lives in MD?
I love me some turtle necks!! Lol
OC,is a trend setter for sure…..”ALL HAIL OC”…LOL.
Stupid, stupid rule. Only in his case of course. other kids, yall be cool. stay in school.
Or however they say it.
Sorry for my 7:55 post,should have asked “THE NECK” for permission to use his name,LMAO!
BFE
I agree lbf, JE has really turned this ship around, and quickly.. The funniest John Elway hate this offseason IMO, was how people said his ego was why he traded TT, not wanting to share the spotlight, only to bring in one of the best all-time QB’s to ever play the game… Lmfao!
I like the one where TT was suppose to tarnish JEs legacy,by breaking his records,lmfao!
LMFAO @ BFE!!!
Yeah, can’t Wolfe take a few night classes or something?? Lol
Can’t believe nobody else caught this: It’s Raheem Moore not Josua,BTW Mike Adams saying Raheem had a great first day,everything so positive,all I want is a run stuffing NT, I play poker every day here in LV I know how loose they are back there up the hill, play very tight,. Go Broncos!!
Had to tell my bronco country, ive won the ca lottery, the game is Daily 3. Ive won it twice in a wk and a half, had 514 on the 11th for 498.00 and hit rt now with 478 for 660.00. I have never won anything before man im so excited WOW, Man ILMSDBF
Going to go get some Bud Light and take a Bong lmao.
lol nice mt2 awesome
Congrats MT2,for winning!
for someone that has a Millertime handle,you have good taste for beer,LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!
Long live”Bud Lite & The Neck”.
BFE
bfe i got me a six pack of corona
u are gonna turn me into an alcoholic
and i am Mexican so it’s cool i can drink that
Ill be drinking A LONG NECK
Howdy guys hope your all having a good night.
Broncobet we have two Moores. Joshua and Rahim. He was correct as Rahim is a S and Joshua a CB.
OT Nice turtle neck comment.
Glad to see Mike Adams says Rahim Moore has stepped up some.
As for the Bailey to S idea. I dont like it. As OT said hes still elite. If theres a drop in his ability make him the nickle.
I love the competition we have at every position. Most intriguing for me is the CB competition as there are a lot who I like. WR is probably my second as I have both CFAs Page and Robinson making the roster or PS at least.
Congrats MT2 for winning.
Congrats FTR on the job.
Today was a long day and headed to bed early otherwise Id blog a bit.
Tomorrow is the big day. Have is all planned and set up.
Goodnight Broncos Country! ILMSDBF!!!!!!
LBF…..
Back strain is a real bad problem that we all experience at one time or another.
The very first thing to do in an instance of back strain is apply ICE, and a LOT of it! If you don’t have Ice use popsicles, frozen tater tots, frozen meat, veggies or anything icy cold in the freezer… a cold shower on the area of pain if nothing else is available.
When your tear a muscle it rips tiny veins that bleed out into your muscle causing swelling and a lot of pain, apply ICE to constrict the blood flow to the broken and torn vessels, then use the heating pad and massages the next day..
ICE at the VERY first sign of muscle tear is the elixir of healing and eliminator of swelling and pain….
As long as we are talking about (back/muscle strain) and not any kind of spinal injury that involves grinding or popping of the bone or anything caused by a hard impact or falling injury, then see a doctor for sure…jomho…
ILMSDB..
PS. I am not a doctor, just a guy who has had a lot of back strains…..
.
I almost forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL HAIL ……….THE NECK!!!!!!
I LOVE ME SOME DENVER BRONCO FANS!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!ILMSDBF!!!!!
A writer for the Denver Post had this to say about OTA’s
Practice notes:
Brock Osweiler’s footwork looked better today. In rookie minicamps he
threw flatfooted, but today he showed some bounce in his step.
Knowshon Moreno had great burst in drills. However, rarely saw him carry
the ball in team drills. Instead, Moreno was off to the side running
sprints by himself.
I liked the way Ronnie Hillman looked in the ball today. Showed good
concentration and caught every pass thrown at him. Lower body looks
strong.
Peyton Manning showed immediate leadership and command of the huddle. It
wasn’t long before he was yelling at his new teammates to “get back to
the same spot” or “get in the same alignment!” His teammates responded
positively to the leadership as his words command a lot of respect.
Adam Weber threw with more zip today than Caleb Hanie.
Too often Hanie was trying to aim throws and his motion was slower and
more deliberate than the other QBs. His passes also tended to float a
little more than Weber, Osweiler, or Manning.
Eric Decker looked energized.
Mark Dell dropped a pass early in practice from Manning and it didn’t go
over well with the veteran QB. Expectations so much different with
Manning leading the way. All his passes were put on the mark, the
catches should be much easier than they were with Tebow spraying all
over the field.
Brandon Stokely of course showed great chemistry with Manning.
Joel Dreesen made some nice plays where he had to stretch out to catch Manning passes.
Demaryius Thomas looked completely focused. Showed good hands, route
adjustment, and sideline awareness. He also got better separation than
Decker did against coverage.
Joe Mays was able to bat a pass away over the middle intended for Dreesen.
Nate Irving almost had an interception on an out route thrown by Caleb Hanie.
Brock Osweiler did a good job of directing traffic on a pass play.
Motioned to Gerell Robinson to cut inside then hit him in stride for a
15-yd gain.
D’Andre Goodwin dropped a beautifully thrown deep pass from Osweiler.
Eric Decker caught a low and away pass from Manning. Had to slide on his backside to gather in the catch.
Manning got in trouble once because of coverage, moved around then found
Demaryius Thomas open. Interesting to note Decker was open as well, but
he went to DT.
Virgil Green had a nice catch and run to show off his athleticism and run after the catch skills.
Caleb Hanie threw a “parking lot” throw. Was way out of bounds, worst throw of the day.
Jeremiah Johnson had a big carry where he bounced outside and turned on
the speed. Showed good quickness, clean cuts, and acceleration.
Mark Dell made a nice high catch in the middle of the field. Took a hit
after the catch. Caleb Hanie hung him out to dry on that one.
Osweiler was late with a throw, ended up getting tipped by Duke Ihenacho.
Broncos had two false starts in a row late in team drills. Manning was
not happy with RT Orlando Franklin, then RG Manny Ramirez.
Champ Bailey was able to tip away a pass from Manning intended for Eric
Decker. Manning double clutched the ball, waiting for Decker to
separate, then tried to fit it in anyway.
Willis McGahee looked very large compared to the other RBs in camp.
Osweiler looked good throwing on the run. Rolled right and hit Mark Dell on the sideline.
Tracy Porter came to play. He was all over the field, knocking away
passes, making (would be) tackles, and stayed with receivers in stride.
Jason Hill made some nice plays today. Had a grab deep where he was able to show off his long speed.
Mario Fannin looked swift again. Coming back from his knee injury it
will be interesting to see if he makes the team. Great size/speed
combination.
this was not my own from another site but it is from cecil lammeys twitter account
i am scouring the web
ah man i actually post something worthwhile and no1 is here to see it
another one from cecil lammey twitter account
skillz has improved his blogging yet nobody cares sad really.
Don’t make me take this thing over
Thanks for the post Skilz. I hadn’t heard a word about todays work.
yw BUCK!!!!
hanie not too impressive today
hope that is good news for adam weber i like him
I wonder what the coachs think when Peyton hollers at the players. I bet they get a chuckle.
love the fact that tracy porter was all over the place
I like Weber also and wondered why they never talk about him.
lol never thought about that buck
if i was a coach i would die laughing inside of course
maybe this is the year they will talk about him
Peyton and Champ on the same team. Wow
liked the fact jj had a nice run as well and over all looked good
and a nate irving sighting that is great
yeah kinda crazy not to like this team
doom miller champ clady willis and manning unreal
just wish the wolverine was here
Pity the receiver that is stupid on or off the field. The neck will be unforgiving.
I wish we could have talked Dawk into coming in as a coach.