The off-season changes continued recently for the Broncos when they named Brian Xanders their new general manager.
Xanders played linebacker at Florida State, then spent 14 years with the Atlanta Falcons organization before coming to the Broncos before last season. Now, he and new Head Coach Josh McDaniels have the task of rebuilding the Broncos.
In a recent interview with 850 KOA, Xanders said he and McDaniels will have no trouble working together.
“He’s great with people,” Xanders said. “He’s very passionate and he knows exactly what he wants on a clear, concise basis in terms of systems, position parameters, (and) working together with everybody in college, pro, (and) his coaching staff so it’s really been good.”
The relationship between head coach and general manager is crucial and Xanders said he and McDaniels will work well together.
“We share the same passion and going forward, we’re going to work extremely close together on a positive collaboration of ideas and evaluation. It’ll really help us build a great consensus on selecting a player when we get there.”
The Broncos are almost there. As we write, the scouting combine is going on. Free agency is just around the corner. The draft is two months away. Soon, the roster will be more than speculation. Xanders is ready for the process.
“I’ve been through 15 drafts and it’s really been a great experience to work under a bunch of different people in Atlanta. I added it up and it was (about) six general managers and nine head coaches. You end up getting a broad spectrum of different ways to do it.”
Xanders said he has a clear idea of how he wants to go about building the team.
“We’re going to pick smart, tough, versatile players that play great under pressure, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams,” Xanders shared.
“There are clearly defined roles and parameters for what we want to do offensively, defensively and on special teams. The artwork of it is trying to find and piece together the exact fits for our system.”
One gets the idea that defense will be a point of emphasis.
“Defensively, anybody can watch the games and know we need help there and on special teams,” Xanders admitted.
The Broncos have created about $30 million of salary cap space to make some noise in free agency, which begins Thursday night. Some of the available money will likely to go re-sign center Casey Wiegmann and there is the possibility the Broncos will give wide receiver Brandon Marshall a new contract.
Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has grabbed most of the headlines heading into free agency. I think he is too expensive for the Broncos. And he would be slightly out of position if the Broncos indeed play a significant amount of the 3-4 defense.
I believe the Broncos’ biggest need in free agency is signing a talented and experienced cornerback. Dre Bly is gone. They need someone to play opposite Champ Bailey.
Talk is percolating that the Broncos could go after Ronald Bartell (Rams) and/or Bryant McFadden (Steelers).
I know the Broncos have to shore up the defensive line. I believe they will. But there is no hiding a hole at corner. There are more ways to get pressure on the passer than there are ways to cover wide receivers. The Broncos have to have guys they can put on an island at the cornerback position.
We’ll have more on free agency this weekend. I have enjoyed the posts from those who have shared their thoughts about the roster.
What position is the most important for the Broncos to address in free agency?
Thanks for reading,
Mike
Tags: Brian Xanders, Free Agency, Josh McDaniels, Uncategorized
I agree we are a 10-6 quality team, but I think we can squeak out an 11th. Is it to early to release these?
Cowboys - W
Eagles- L
Redskins - W
Giants - L
Steelers - L
Ravens - W
Bengals - W
Browns - W
Chargers - W/L
Raiders - W/W
Chiefs - W/L
I disagree with being 10-6 right off the bat. Have you seen how hard our schedule is? We are playing the Eagles, Giants, Ravens, and the Super Bowl Champion Steelers. Also, we have a whole new coaching staff with Josh McDaniels. I beleive Josh McDaniels will be a great coach but it is going to take some time for him to get use to being a head coach. Also our defense must improve ALOT! The past two super bowl champs have had great defenses, the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think as a die hard Bronco fan, we should not have high expectations for next year. But hopefully all goes well for the Broncos! Tell me wat you think of my comment.
you guys are ridiculous trying to predict a schedule and talking like these teams are so great, we can be 16 an 0. i dont care how hard it is, we will win next year! if the dolphins can turn it around then we can win a damn superbowl
YAY!! I’m just happy we get play the NFC East..THE toughest division rite now..thats why we need a reckless tackler like Maualuga when Brandon Jacobs and Westbrook come around..:D…lol…not to forget Woodyard, I loved how he didnt flinch against Jamal Lewis, hope he does it against Jacobs too….
its a good change of pace…no go up against the NFC this often..thats what I think
ok,changing pace, there are a lot of teams making room for FA splashes…it appears that the Bucs might keep Jermaine Phillips after all, considering how they created a lot of cap room releasing all those players. (Brooks, June, Galloway, etc)…
RonaldBailey24 - the whole new coaching staff can go both ways but i think e will be better cause were not gunna be the predictable broncos we were last year. i think we need to stick with the 4-3 and play in some 3-4 slowly one offseasons not gunna get our team ready for it. we need a whole new LB/DL core. a few players can convert but face it we need a new D and that will cost way to much 4 1 seasons budget. i think we need to get Scott from the ravens get a Big DT in the first or second round of the draft pick up a big DT in FA and then use the rest of the draft on D and maybe a RB if a good 1 drops to later rounds. if we could pick up Leonard (S) from the ravens that would be great. we also need to think bout a back up QB in FA and TE with Chad and Nate gone. unless we still have Jeb.
My predictions
10-6 (maybe 9-7 L to cowboys or Eagles)
Cowboys - W
Eagles- W
Redskins - W
Giants - L
Steelers - L
Ravens - L
Bengals - W
Browns - W
Chargers - W/L
Raiders - W/W
Chiefs - W/W
kase78matt,
I like your proposed acquisitions, they all make sense and are realistic. Especially getting a guy like Bart Scott.
why we gotta lose to sd f that noise
Lets go get Jay Feely to kick for us. He’s GOOD!!!
Our guy can make a 70 yarder. But he misses two extra points in a row…
Hmmm… G’bye!
i dont know why we should go DT in the first round, does everyone think that one fat boy can make a difference in a D. Well i sure dont, i believe that defences are built around their linebackers. Take our own team for example just 4 years ago with wilson, gold, and D.J. we didnt have some fat guy in the middle the only lineman i remember was trevor pryce and he was outside. So pretty much i think we need to take a LB in the first round and probably trade down in the draft and then look for a safety and after that maybe look into a DT. Right now i believe the defence is most missing the biggest thing all D’s need. heart and character. So lets get some rough and tough boys and come out firing!!! and please please please let Woodyard and Barret start nexy year when they played it seemed our team had that swagger!!!
i also think that maybe some of us r forgetting about spencer larson. I havent heard about him all offseason but all i know is that guy was a stud too he did his job and was good at it. Just a thought
You know, it’s simple math.
Shaun Rogers released + sign with broncos = draft Maualuga or Cushing = great defense + already great offense = Return to Greatness!
BRONCOS AFC WEST CHAMPS 2009!
i agree 1 big DT wont change n e thing but we need a big DT id\f were movin to a 3-4 agreed? I think our LB’s should be picked up in the FA so we have some vetrans finally. and i said we’ll lose once to SD cause SD is a good team i dont wanna underestimate them. i dont think we’ll lose to the others in the west
true that broncos14441,
this is our chance get a true NT in Shaun Rodgers, he’ll be rotated to limit fatigue. I thought the Browns would be the losers when they signed but he was very consistent. I just know he stuffs the middle hard.
kase78matt, I like your proposed acquisitions (esp. Bart Scott if the Ravens decide to part ways with him, very doubtful they’d let him go though), very reasonable and realistically possible.
I’d like to know who the back up QB will be
what do you think of signing Adam Jones and Gibril Wilson?
Gibril great, but Adam Jones its hard to believe what he says..issues?
shawn723,
The reason you NEED a good NT in a 3-4 Defense is to take on double teams and wall off O Linemen allowing the LB’s to blitz. It all starts with the NT. The NT in a 3-4 Defense must cause the offense to game plan against Him every down, and once you have that guy who can do this and has the stamina to play every down, everything will fall into place. With an extra LB on the field they don’t have to be as good as LB’s in a 4-3. Also there is a whole lotta good Lb’s out there and Great NT’s don’t just fall out of tree’s in the NFL these day’s. A 3-4 defense just won’t work without a Great NT. I’m not saying we should draft A NT in the first round.
I’m saying The Broncos should be as “aggressive as they need to be” and sign Albert Haynesworth! Then pick up Terrance Taylor later in The Draft for a back up. That would allow The Broncos to get a LB or a FS in the first round.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
Ok,
The way I see it, for history making 4 Super Bowl appearances B2-B2-B2B, or 4 out of 5 years??…..
To:WHOM IT MAY CONCERN THAT READS OUR InPUT
These 3 KEY drafts, 4KEY FA’s…..Lets just call them the Magnificent 7, must be acquired at all cost!!!!!
FA’s: Defense: 1) J. VILMA MLB (smart experienced playcaller)
2) KEARSE DE (perfect compliment 2Bailey n Moss)
3) G. Wilson S (underrated safety/probowler)
4) Ellison LB (Sam)*Bills
(in order of importancy as well)
Offense : 1) Houshmanzedeh (perfect compliment 2 bmarsh)
2) Duece McCalister (2solid yrs left to groom Torain)
3) Evans -FB (NE) disguise 1-2 punch with Hillis
Following DRAFT’s Must Happen: we must trade up in order to Steal 2 players in 1st Rnd -
#8pick 1) Knowshonn Moreno RB (Rnd 1)Give up next yrs Rd1!
# 12 2) BJ Rajii (Rnd 1)
3) Alphonso Smith CB (Wake Forest) {Rnd 2}
perks 4) Casey TE (Rice-STEAL) 3rd Rnd
5) Nic Harris S
there…..Go Broncos
1ArabianKnight ur kinda strange. we already have a pefect compliment to bmarsh his name is eddie royal. he had a freakish rookie year and hes only gonna get better. we dnt need hous-mazolli on our team let him go some where else..were pretty deep on offense. nd we dnt need to draft a rb in the first round either. u kno how deep the drft is for rb every year. look at last year wit people like matt forte nd steve slaton… only reach in the frst round for a player with chris johnson or definately adrian peterson type ability. knoshon definately not the guy. i also feel like a big fat guy aint necessary to pick up so early in the draft. we could find one of those in free-agency. heres wuh i think broncs should do in free agency.. pick up j. vilma in free agency hes already proven himself. if u cant then draft an lb in the first round. go get mcfadden frm the steelers or c. mcallister and a safety like atari bigby a real head smasher.. and then tryn find a big fat guy to clog up the middle. as far as the draft. 1st round LB (preferably maualuga) 2nd round DT or RB id go DT to be safe a BIG FAT ONE TOO we could get ron brace also frm bc!!! 3rd round S i really like rashad johnson frm alabama buh tht could be a bias opinion seeing that ima tide fan. 4th round RB its a couple running backs that should still be on the board. that could benefit the team pick one up. 5th round TE maybe some help for the big boss man Scheiffler nd Graham. 6th and 7th round idrc. lol
I gotta be honest im hoping bj raji gets drafted in the top 10 bcuh if hes still on the board wen its our time to choose im pretty positive that thts wwho the broncs are grabbin.. buh if hes already off the board we might still have a chance at maualuga. i feel like we need a big time play maker on defense like maualuga to compliment dj williams and hopefully woodyard and larsen. my biggest concern is that if we dnt draft maualuga, hes gonna fall right in to the hands of the san diego chargers nd thtll be ALL BAD!! they already have shaun merriman and shaun phillips. wuh are we gonna do wit our rival team running around wit 3 bell ringers on defense ready to light up anyteam they play. I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!!! lol
Buh im out for now.
LATTTTEEEEERRRRR DDDDUUUUDDDDEEEEEESSSSS!!!!
Go Broncs in 09
modono,
when i was saying that we dont need a NT as much i was more or less just refering to the draft. Everyone knows what Haynesworth did for that Titan defense and i feel that we should most definatly be going for that guy. But as far as the draft i just feel linebackers find success easier than a NT and taking a chance on this guy could b just another bust. But i do agree with you that we must go after either Haynesworth or now Shaun Rogers.
two ideas from me..
i dont think we absolutely need a top notch NT, although i agree we need a big powerful guy there.. im really hoping we can pick up Vilma and see him and DJ playing side by side again, that way the 3-4 linebacking core can look like this if we grabbed Maualuga (WLB) DJ (MLB) Maualuga (MLB) Vilma (SLB) Woodyard.. and it opens up this possibility which i really like.. (WLB) Woodyard (MLB) DJ (MLB) Vilma (SLB) Cushing (drafted obviously)
Cutlercountry08 very good points…
thanks for backing my point about Maualuga, I posted it earlier that I cant stand to see the CHargers pick him up and let him roam around with Merriman and as you mentioned Phillips, two already outstanding outside rushers, now you add an explosive MLB like Maualuga and we could be devastated by multiple turnovers. Hell No!
lynch4prez,
now thats a solid linebacking core.
We need to get BJ Rajii in the 1 round, look at what Haynesworth has done for the Titans, Bj Rajii can be that game changeing player. Either that or get Haynesworth or Shaun Rogers in FA. Besides Maulaga got hurt at the combine and im not so sure about him now.
The Broncos are believed to be looking for a running back “who can break off a long run in the first half, and protect a lead by moving the sticks in the fourth quarter.” Peyton Hillis is the closest thing to an every-down back on the current roster, but he won’t be breaking off many long runs. Even if he plays the Mike Alstott role, the Broncos will need a Warrick Dunn type to pair with him.
Source: Denver Post
The Broncos will not try to re-sign WR Darrell Jackson before the start of free agency. D-Jax, still relatively young at 30 years old, failed to take advantage of a plum opportunity in Denver and will not be heavily pursued on the open market. He’s now four years removed from his last 16-game, 1,000-yard season.
Source: Rocky Mountain News
Broncos RBs Michael Pittman and Tatum Bell will be allowed to enter the free agent market. Neither player is likely to return to Denver. Pittman, 34, may catch on elsewhere as a backfield jack-of-all-trades, but Bell will have a hard time finding work this offseason.
Source: Rocky Mountain News
Hey broncofans you can get all this info if you go to rotoworld.com, click on player news then put in bronco news.
Hey fellas check out this page:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11786923
What do you think of the players mentioned at the bottom. I love McFadden, But Buchanon (sorry if i spelled that wrong) is pretty sweet too.
broncos20- That would be awsome!
I really hope we can get Vilma, He is a very good MLB and has proven himself. I remember when he came out same year as D.J Williams, he was the only one that put up more numbers than williams and they used to play on same squad so it would be nice if that could happen again. Also we need a MB we all ready have good OLB in D.J, Boss, and up and coming woodyard.
And if we get vilma now, we can focus more on CB, S, and DL during the draft. I would like others in FA, but we must at least secure Vilma….I want Vilma lol
ok what about signing any of the follownf players
chris canty(DE)
igor olshansky(DE)
bryant mcfadden(CB)
leigh bodden(CB)
domonic foxworth( i would love for him to come back in DENVER)
jermaine phillips(S)
sean jones(S)
broncos14441 i dont like half of the players on the broncos list.
the only two i like is mcfadden and clayton is a maybe.
i want eddie royal to start at the opposite side of marshall, plus clayton’s stats dont impress me.
mcfadden in the other could be a good pick up because he is still young and i bet if he starts every game he could have like up 65 tackles and maybe 4 ints.
im not so sure about buchanon. hes an ok player but without kiffin im not sure how he’ll do plus
i would’nt want mcdaniels to sign maurice morris i dont know y.
i dont know why go after clark haggans when there are two better DE(Canty, Olshansky)
12:05.. Lets See wuh happens!!
Here is what i think we need to address.
Needs:
DL- Bigger Right End and a Great Tackle
- We need to move Dumervil to the Left side of the defense to go against the smaller less athletic RT). Against larger LT he seems to disappear.
2 ILB- Let Woodyard and Moss battle it out. He is athletic enough and has adequate size.
FS/SS- This is by far one of our biggest weakness that everyone has forgotten about.
RB- We need a well rounded/ speed running back
I think that Hillis is a great power back to wear a Defense down and then we play the speed back
Another Positive about Hillis are his hands and the flexibility he can provide the offense by lining up wide.
K- I like Prater for the distance he has but unless he develops great mid-range accuracy he wont cut it in the NFL.
Return Specialist other than Eddie Royal( hes to valuable to the offense when everyone is doubling B. Marshall)
Positive:
-I dont think we need any help on the Offense other than the RB and maybe look to become younger at Center
-CB because I think Josh Bell is developing into a solid no 2 and Jack Williams as the nickle. (this might be a need next year, but now we have more immanent issues)
FA:
1. Pick up a good/temporary DT (unless we can get a Great DT at a decent price but i dont see one in the FA)- I don’t think Haynseworth will be suitable (hes too expensive and would cost too much for a team that is rebuilding)
2. Pick up a return specialist
Draft Scenario:
Scenario 1:
One thing about the draft. if a quality starting LB/DE aren’t available. We should trade out of the #12 pick for may be a latter rd 1 and a 2 this year, or a 1 next year and a 2 this year. I don’t think the Malauga/Raji/ or Curry will be available. I really think Cushing or Laurinaitis (who are both projected as a later rd 1- I like Cushing more- seems to be more hard working and has flown under the radar) will be a great pickup in the mid to late rd 1. Also this year’s LB class is extremely deep.
Scenario 2: Trade out of the 1st round and try to get an early 2nd rd and accumulate draft pick for this year and next. This is because I don’t see anyone who is will fill a great need other than the 2 mentioned above (Cushing or Laurinaitis), and maybe try to pick up LBs in the early 2nd. We have to see how the LBs rank close to the draft.
Scenario 3:
Trade up for Raji! Let not forget that the 3-4 hinges on a stellar nose tackle. I don’t see an other superior nose tackle in the draft. We would probably lose our 2nd round and 3rd round this year. This is why i don’t think this is a good idea.
Let me know what you think?
Thanks,
Issa
I thought that Hainseworth (sp) should be the one free agent that the Broncos must sign. But, he’s played all 16 games only once since 2003. He is the most dominant DT in all of pro football, but, if he’s there only part time, it’s a major waste of money. We need someone who can be counted on ever play every game. It will be interesting.
Well no suprise but Haynesworth is now a Redskin, and Fred taylor is now a Patriot. and The Broncos Haven’t made a move yet. Skin’s just released Springs. I could’nt sleep last night, I just need to see some change.
TIME OF POSSESSION ! ! !
GO BRONCOS ! ! !
Broncos sign RB Correll Buckhalter 6-0/222 9th yr. out of Philadelphia and RB J.J. Arrington 5-9/218 5th yr out of Arizona
got dawkins thats sweet and renaldo hill and jabar gaffney and new englands long snaper too thats sweet get some more keep em coming
i didnt hear anything about Buckhalter or Arrington but if so thats good were deeper at that postion..
Brian Dawkins = A+.. not only his playing ability, but i think whats really going to be great about him is his vocal leadership.. we needed a big rah rah guy
Renaldo Hill = B+.. dont quote me on this but wasnt he drafted as a CB then moved, he’ll be a good roamer and make plays on the ball
Jabar Gaffney = B+.. #4 reciever but his returning ability is an instant upgrade combining with Royal
after seeing haynesworths contract and knowing peppers is going to want something close to that i am happy we didnt get albert and hope we dont try pick up peppers.. i love what we’ve done so far in F.A. keep it up
gotta trade for peppers so we wont even try i hope we get some middle linebacker