Ladies and Gentlemen.....Your 2011 Denver Broncos

The 2011 season can't come early enough for Broncos fans. The 2010 season was a nightmare, and easily the worst season for the Broncos since 1990. The Broncos season unofficially ended last year on Halloween, after the disgraceful loss in London to the 49ers. It has been a long time since that came, and the Broncos have gone through a new Vice President of Football Operations, a new Head Coach, a General Manager with real authority, and a brand new outlook. Where is this version of the Broncos headed this season? Let's break it down and take a closer look at this year's team.

OFFENSE:

The Tim Tebow Era in Denver is put on hold for now, and Kyle Orton goes from on the trading block to the starting block. Orton is entrenched as the starter after a training camp "competition." This is a make or break year for Orton. He is a free agent next year, and if he plays well and wins games, then he will get paid quite well next year, and it will probably be in Denver. To help out Orton, the Broncos are counting on the running back tandem of Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee. I have always liked Moreno, but he really hasn't fulfilled his potential, especially for a 12th overall pick. Moreno has looked better in this preseason, and you would expect him to take a major step forward this year. McGahee revived his career in Baltimore as red zone and goal line runner. This one-two punch could be very effective. The receiving corps is pretty solid with Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal, and Eric Decker. Demaryius Thomas is out until at least the end of October because of his lingering Achilles injury. You can't expect Lloyd to put up the numbers that he did last year, but that could open it up for bigger years from Royal and Decker. The tight end position could be a wild card with the addition of rookie Julius Thomas. Thomas has looked really good in preseason, and he could add another dimension to this offense. The offensive line is young and underrated. Ryan Clady should be back to his normal self this year, and Chris Kuper is very undervalued. J.D. Walton and Zane Beadles return as starters in their second year, and hopefully each will continue to improve. My one concern on the line is RT Orlando Franklin. I get nervous with rookie offensive lineman, and hopefully he steps right in and does a quality job.

DEFENSE

The 2011 Broncos defense can only go up from last year's awful performance. Here is the key for the Broncos defense: Pressure from the edges. You have to think Denver's defense will automatically get better with the return of Elvis Dumervil and the addition of Von Miller. This could be one of the best pass rushing combinations in the NFL. The Broncos weakness could be inside on their defensive line. Will Robert Ayers make the leap this year? What can we expect from the rotation of Kevin Vickerson, Marcus Thomas, Broderick Bunkley, Jeremy Jarmon, and Ryan McBean? I am going to hold out hope, but Denver still might add more talent after cut down day. Joe Mays is slated to start at Middle Linebacker, and D.J. Williams will miss the first two games due to injury. It will be interesting to see how quick third round pick Nate Irving gets himself in the mix. Champ Bailey can still play at a high level, and he doesn't get the publicity he used to get, but he is still an All-Pro. Andre Goodman played well for the Broncos in 2009, but he was banged up for most of 2010. Cassius Vaughn, Sydquan Thompson, and Perrish Cox could provide some quality depth at CB. Brian Dawkins is back at FS, and rookie Rahim Moore will start at SS. You would expect Dawkins to play somewhat better than he did last year, and it will be fun to see what Moore can do. Overall, this defense has to improve, and there will be some rough spots along the way, but that pass rush will be fun to watch all year long.

Coaching

Josh McDaniels' tenure in Denver always seemed to be followed by a dark cloud. John Fox brings some new spirit, positive energy and enthusiasm back to Denver. One thing about Fox is that he can coach. Sure, there are people in Carolina who think he was overrated, but the overall consensus around the league is that Fox is one helluva coach. Plus, the players love playing for him, which is a change from last year where it was obvious that the Broncos quit on McDaniels. Fox should breathe some new life into this team, and I have no doubt that the Broncos will play hard every week. He will definitely turn this defense around, and he will try to shorten the game and win close games by the scores of 17-10 or 19-13. That's a little different than what Bronco fans are used to, but we will take it.

Final Prediction: Heading into the preseason, I had Denver at 6-10. After watching them in the preseason, I think they are suited to finish with 7 or 8 wins this year. They will be in a lot of games, and they will spoil someone's season late in December, but they are a year away from playoff contention. Still, an 8-8 season with this team is a positive step in the new era of Broncos football.