Early Impressions
One of the hardest things to do is to evaluate preseason football. Teams keep play calling pretty vanilla. They protect their front line players. There is little, if any, talk of winning the games.
Yet here we are, halfway through the preseason. The Broncos have lost to the Bengals and the Lions, with games against the Steelers and Vikings still to come. I am left with several impressions.
The Journey Begins
The journey that is the 2010 season has begun for the Denver Broncos.
It has started out as an interesting journey, to say the least. Undoubtedly, the Broncos did not expect the trailhead to be frought with adversity.
But so it is.
Three Injury Designations
The Broncos on Wednesday placed Darrell Reid and Jamal Williams on the physically unable to perform list, and placed Ryan Clady on the non-football injury list.
All three players count against the 80-man roster, and all three can resume practicing at any time upon completing a physical.
For Wednesday’s practice report, click here.
Here’s The Beef — Part 1
Our series of offseason interviews continues with new Broncos defensive lineman Justin Bannan (JB), who signed with Denver after playing for the Baltimore Ravens for the past four seasons. Bannan is 6’3″ tall and weighs 310 pounds. He spent his first four years in the league with the Buffalo Bills.
850 KOA had the chance to speak with the former Colorado Buffalo.
850 KOA: You’ve played with Buffalo for four years and Baltmore for four seasons. How great is it to be back home?
JB: You have no idea. I have freedom for once. I’m glad to be back out here away from the East Coast. I couldn’t be happier.
Numbers GameJust got the updated roster, so here’s another session of who’s wearing what.
2010 NFL Draft Picks:
Demaryius Thomas: 88
Tim Tebow: 15
Zane Beadles: 68
J.D. Walton: 50
Eric Decker: 87
Perrish Cox: 32
Eric Olsen: 69
Syd’Quan Thompson: 43
Jammie Kirlew: 53
New Numbers:
J.J. Arrington: 26
Akin Ayodele: 51
Justin Bannan: 99
D’Anthony Batiste: 67
Bruce Hall: 29
Tyler Polumbus: 77
A.J. Trapasso: 2
Jamal Williams: 76
You can check the current roster page on the site — everyone has been assigned a number. The college free agents will be assigned numbers when they arrive for the rookie camp on Friday.
-Gray Caldwell, DenverBroncos.com
Busy at Work on Free Agency
Denver Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Brian Xanders have been organized, fast and effective in addressing the defensive line so far in free agency.
For anyone watching or keeping tabs, no National Football League team has added as many potential – we say potential because everything has to be earned on the field – new starters on its defensive line as the Broncos with the their three new linemen.
Indeed, Denver has signed four players in free agency so far, all on defense. Cornerback/safety/special teams standout Nathan Jones is the only one who does not play the D-line, and he has earned excellent reviews for his versatility and style of play of both defense and on kicking teams.