Broncos Offseason Mailbag!

It has been awhile since the last time I posted. After the draft ended, there is some downtime in the NFL calendar. It usually goes quiet for a while before OTAs and Mini-Camp. It is a good time to get away from football for a little bit, digest the offseason, and get ready to look ahead to the upcoming year. It is a fun time to get caught up in other things. This year, I was wrapped up in watching my beloved New York Rangers battle all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Believe me there were a few times that I contemplated the creation of a Rangers blog during this amazing run. Unfortunately, the Rangers were eliminated by the Devils in Game 6 last Friday, so their season has ended, and I can focus on my full-time obsession- analyzing the Denver Broncos.  With the Broncos about to resume their second level of OTAs, I figured this would be a good time to catch up and check in with our heroes out in the Rockies. Considering that this has been one of craziest offseasons in Broncos and NFL history, nothing would be better than a little question and answer session to take the pulse of Broncos Country at this point in the offseason...........

Have you adjusted to the fact that Peyton Manning is going to be the Broncos starting QB in 2012?
It is definitely starting to sink in at this point. Seeing Manning in a Broncos uniform last week was certainly an exciting moment. I guess the real moment will be when I get the #18 jersey for the first time, but it definitely has been pretty cool to watch Manning give interviews, represent the Broncos at certain events, and see him conduct practices for the first time. All the reports out of Denver are stating that he looks like the Manning of old, and his health is progressing on schedule. The real test will come when the bullets starting flying for real in September, but at this point the giddiness is still there. This will be a common theme as we head into training camp. Everything will be fine and dandy with Peyton, but we want to see what happens when the regular season gets going. I will put it this way: I just keep thinking about how sick it is going to be when he steps on that field for the opening game at home against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football. It will be a "goose bumps" type of moment. The excitement level for this season will be the highest it has been for the Broncos since 1998, but there are still many questions that need to be answered in regards to his health. Once the regular season starts, and he starts playing like the vintage Peyton Manning, then everything will fall into place.

Have you gotten over the fact that Tim Tebow is gone?
It is so strange that a week after the season ended in the playoffs at New England, Tebow was being called on stage by Brad Paisley at a concert in the Pepsi Center. The crowd went crazy for Tebow, and you would think that there is no way in the world that Tebow would be gone just a few months later. The wounds are starting to heal, and I am definitely starting to get over the fact that he was shipped out of town so quickly, but living in New York makes it is impossible to avoid any Tebow talk. He has been the number one topic in New York when the discussions turn to football, but many Jets fans are negative about the move. I just sit back and laugh and think about how I don't have to defend Tebow anymore, and that circus has left Denver and sits squarely in the Big Apple. One thing that is weird is this: I love watching the Broncos games from the prior season every Spring and Summer as a sort of look-back/preparation for the next season. It is so strange to see how crazy and captivating the Tebow run was, and after all of those moments, he was shipped out of town quicker than a bag of footballs. Anyway, everytime I get a little pissed that Tebow is gone, I think about this fact: Peyton Manning is the Broncos starting quarterback in 2012. That is all I need to know.
How about Brian Xanders being let go as General Manager after the draft?
I wasn't surprised at all by that move. It was pretty obvious that once John Elway took over, he was making all the final decisions. It will be interesting to see how much of a role that Xanders had in the transactions the last few years, but this is clearly Elway's franchise. The relationship between Elway and John Fox seems to have really developed. Xanders was hired by Mike Shanahan and survived when Shanny got fired. Josh McDaniels kept him on, and he was able to keep his job when McD got canned, so when Elway took over, you could see the writing was on the wall. I am actually surprised Xanders wasn't let go last year. Let's just hope that Elway has built a solid group around him, and he continues to build a solid roster for this team over the next few years.

Did you like the Drayton Florence signing?
I did like it because you can't have too many corners in the NFL in this era. He is a veteran player who can provide some depth on the back end, so it made sense for me. I wasn't too surprised or upset that the Broncos let Andre Goodman go. He has some moments last year, but for the most part he was the weak link in the secondary. If you think about it, the Broncos top five corners will be: Champ Bailey, Tracy Porter, Drayton Florence, Chris Harris (Nickel Corner), and probably rookie Omar Bolden. A lot of experts feel that Bolden will be a starter in the league if his knee is completely healthy. You always need corners, and a guy like Florence should help this defense out in some way.

Besides Peyton Manning, what other moves did you like in free agency?
I really liked that Denver added two tight ends in free agency. Jacob Tamme and Joel Dressen seem like really good fits, and they are still relatively young. I like the idea of this group on the field: Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker out wide at the X and Z. Tamme and Dreesen as the two tight ends, and Willis McGahee as the running back. That look could provide some major problems for some teams. The two tight end pickups were major hauls in my opinion and a major upgrade from last season's TE grouping.
Were there any moves that you didn't like or understand?
I was upset that they let Broderick Bunkley go to New Orleans. He was the best run-stuffer on the defensive line last year, and I think it will be hard for the Broncos to replace him. As I have written before, I liked the Derek Wolfe pick in the draft, but I wasn't thrilled about grabbing QB Brock Osweiler in the 2nd round. I just wish the Broncos addressed the linebacker position more aggressively. They resigned Joe Mays, but I really haven't been impressed by him as a starting MLB the last few years. Put it this way: Anytime you have an offseason when you acquire Peyton Manning, you can't be too upset about all the other moves your team made.

What is the overall feeling for team as they head into June?
Excitement and optimism. People have been asking me all offseason about how far Peyton Manning will be able to take the Broncos. Some people think he will make them a Super Bowl contender, and some people feel like they will still struggle even with Manning. Here is what I'm going to say about the whole situation: If Manning is healthy and returns to form, then the Broncos are going to win 10-11 games and make the playoffs. They might not win the AFC West, but they will get into the playoffs. Once the NFL Playoffs begin, it is a crapshoot. All you have to do is make the playoffs and anything can happen, so there is no reason to try to predict how far they will exactly go with Manning. If the sheriff is healthy and ready to go, then the Broncos will be a solid, playoff-caliber team in 2012.