With the Broncos attention fully turned towards the offseason and the Super Bowl still just a week away, it seemed like a good time to get into a final offseason Broncos Postmoderm Mailbag. Here we go.........
Now that the Broncos season officially ended in a Divisional Round defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots, what final grade would you give the Broncos 2011 season?
After defeating the Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game, that anything else that happened would be gravy. Naturally, I didn't really enjoy the 45-10 beatdown that the Patriots handed on the Broncos, but it was going to be a tall order to go up to Foxboro and beat the Pats. With that said, after backing into the playoffs at 8-8, claiming the AFC West Title, and then defeating the 12-4 Steelers as 8-point underdogs, I think you would have to give the Broncos a B for the season. If they had won 10 games, then I think they would have gotten an A-, 9 games would have given them a B+, but finishing 8-8 after losing their last three games gives them a solid B. I went back and checked and all the major publications, preview magazines, and NFL analysts all picked Denver to win no more than 6 games. Throw in the fact that once they made the playoffs, a very small minority actually picked them to upset the Steelers. Given the way that the season started at 1-4, the fact that the Broncos battled back to even get into contention falls on two big reasons: John Fox and the coaching staff and Tim Tebow inserted at quarterback. Anytime you are predicted to finish last in your division, and then you make the playoffs and win a playoff game, then that season is considered a success. The loss to Patriots just proved that the Broncos were indeed just an 8-8 team, and there is a lot of work to do for them to become a major player in the AFC next season.
Where does the playoff win over the Steelers rank in your personal Broncos history?
That game over the Steelers is up there. Obviously, nothing can top Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII, the Drive, the Fumble, and the Drive II against Houston in the '91 Playoffs, but the upset over Pittsburgh falls right below them. The 2005 AFC Divisional Playoff win over New England was special too, but that Denver team was 13-3. This game came out of nowhere because of how poorly Tim Tebow and that Denver offense played the last two games of the regular season against Buffalo and Kansas City. I'll never forget how all week all the analysts talked about how Tebow was going to be benched in the game, and how the Broncos might not score a point against that vaunted Steelers defense. Well, Tebow threw for 316 yards and the game-winning 80 yard touchdown pass in overtime to Demaryius Thomas to pull off the 29-23 shocker. For as long as I live, I will never forget the feeling of watching Tebow hit Thomas in stride, and then watching Thomas take it to the distance as the Mile High crowd just went absolutely ballistic. It is a moment I will bottle up and remember for the rest of my life.
How do you feel about John Elway naming Tim Tebow the Broncos starting quarterback going into training camp next season?
The key words there are training camp. Tebow deserves to be the starter in 2012. He should be the starter in training camp, in preseason, and in the regular season. He brought the Broncos back from a 1-4 start, made the playoffs, won a playoff game, made the franchise relevant again, and reinvigorated a fanbase. Now, John Elway has to run the franchise and he has to make decisions with a clear mind. I understand that Elway is going to look to bring in competition for Tebow. He has too because if Tebow falls flat on his face, there has to be a plan in place. I just wish the Broncos would give Tebow a little more room to develop and a little more of a backing heading into 2012.
Who could the Broncos potentially bring in to compete with Tebow for the starting job?
The free agent list for 2012 is pretty weak. Names like Jason Campbell, Chad Henne and Josh Johnson are out there. None of those guys should be brought in, and none of those guys would put the Broncos over the top. In the draft, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are the top two QBs, but they are going to go in the top five. Denver is picking at 25, and it would take a boatload to trade up for a shot at one of those two guys. I don't think the Broncos should mortgage their draft just to take one of those two guys-especially with the Colts picking number one and so many teams needing a quarterback. The Broncos will most likely pick a QB in the second or third round to come in and compete with Tebow and another veteran. Maybe that veteran is Brady Quinn or maybe that guy is someone else that gets released or let go (Think someone like Matt Hasselback, Charlie Whitehurst, or Kevin Kolb,) but Elway and Fox will probably take a rookie in the first three rounds in April's draft.
If Luck and RG III are out of the question, then what rookie could be selected by Denver?
Here are the names I would be on the lookout for if your a Broncos fan: Brandon Weeden, Nick Foles, Ryan Tannehill, Ryan Lindley, and Kirk Cousins. One or two of those guys are going to skyrocket from a second round pick into the first round. I don't think Denver should draft a QB in the first round, but I couldn't argue if they took one of those guys if they were sitting there in the second round or the third round. It also wouldn't surprise me if Denver also traded back up into the second round to take one of those guys if he fell. To me none of them stand out so far, but Weeden looks like the guy who would be the best choice at that point.
How would you go about improving this team?
The Broncos should set their sights on adding top notch defensive players in the draft or in free agency. Build up that defense. At pick 25, select the best defensive player on the board. No matter what position that prospect plays, just pick the best defensive player left. That would be a good start. The Broncos need another corner, a middle linebacker, and some help at defensive tackle. On offense, the Broncos need another running back, a tight end, and some depth at wideout and on the offensive line.
Who are some free agents out there that can help the Broncos immediately?
The Broncos went for the cheap approach last year in free agency. They signed guys like Willis McGahee, Ty Warren, and made a low-level trade for Broderick Bunkely. It worked out pretty well for them except Warren got hurt in training camp and missed the entire year. They stayed away from signing big name guys and they avoided mega deals for major dollars. You would expect the same approach this year, but they might make one big splash in the free agency market. Here are some of the best defensive players in the 2012 Free Agent Class:
Mario Williams, Cortland Finnegan, Calais Campbell, Cliff Avril, Robert Mathis, Brent Grimes, Brandon Carr, Jeremy Mincey, Curtis Lofton, Michael Griffin, Matt Roth, Kory Biermann, Tracy Porter, E.J. Henderson, and Rashean Mathis. Those are the big names and many of those guys could be resigned by their respective teams. The question will be if Denver wants to make a run at one of those big names and throw out some cash at them. Plus, there will be a lot of other players who get cut because of salary issues that come on the market. I would love to see Denver go in and grab a big name defensive guy from that list, but it just might not be the Broncos way to do that anymore.
Speaking of free agents, who are Denver's own free agents next year?
The major names on the Broncos list include: Brady Quinn, Spencer Larsen, Matt Prater, Eddie Royal, Daniel Fells, Broderick Bunkley, Marcus Thomas, Wesley Woodyard, Joe Mays, and Brian Dawkins. Out of that group I would like to see Denver resign Prater, Royal, Fells, Bunkley, and Thomas.
How do you feel about Dennis Allen leaving to become the Raiders Head Coach?
I was surprised that Allen left after only one year as a defensive coordinator in Denver. I really liked Allen, and I thought he did a good job with his defense. I understand that he became a hot commodity in the offseason, and if you are a young coach looking to become a head coach, then you have to strike when the iron is hot. I just wish he didn't go to the Raiders that's all.
How do you feel about Jack Del Rio being named Denver's new defensive coordinator?
I love the hire of Del Rio. It is very important to have a good staff around the head coach, and you definitely need solid coordinators. Del Rio ran a good defense when he was the HC of the Jaguars, and I think he was the best candidate for the job. He will be respected by the players, and he brings instant credibility. Plus, he can help cherry pick other players that he has coached in Jacksonville and around the league. I love the move.
Who are the Broncos opponents for the 2012 season?
We all know that the dates and times are not set for the 2012 season until April, but the opponents are set in stone. Here is the slate for next year:
Home schedule:San Diego
Oakland
Kansas City
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Houston
Away Schedule:
San Diego
Oakland
Kansas City
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Atlanta
Carolina
New England
What do you think of that schedule?
It is certainly tough on paper. New England, Baltimore, and New Orleans were three of the top five teams in the NFL in 2011. Plus, Atlanta, Cincy, Houston, and Pittsburgh all made the playoffs. Carolina is an up and coming team, and the AFC West is so balanced that those games are always going to be tough. The one thing to remember is this: Just because a schedule looks tough at the end of one season, doesn't mean that those games will be as tough the next year. There is a lot of things that will happen before any of those games get played in 2012.
Since you are scheduling buff, do see a lot of primetimes games on the horizon for the Broncos in 2012?
Absolutely. I think Denver will get a least 1 Sunday Night Football game, 2 Monday Night games, and 1 Thursday Night game next year. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, I wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos open up the season at New England on the Thursday Night Season Opener on NBC. I could see them in a Monday Night game against New Orleans, at Baltimore or against Pittsburgh. Also, I could see them getting a NFL Network Thursday Night Game against Carolina (Tebow vs. Cam Newton). The bottom line is that Tim Tebow will bring the Broncos back to primetime next year.
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