The Broncos will begin the 2015 season tomorrow as training camp opens in Dove Valley. The Broncos come into the season as the four-time defending AFC West champs, and they are looking for their fifth straight playoff appearance. A lot has changed for the Broncos since last year. A new head coach, new players, and a new focus for a team that still has high hopes and expectations. Let's break down the Broncos as they head into training camp.
Where We Left Off: The last time we saw the Broncos officially in action was a very depressing 24-13 loss at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts in Denver during the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The game featured a wounded and injured Peyton Manning, a poor effort from basically the entire team, and an absolute mail-in performance by the coaching staff including John Fox, Jack Del Rio, and Adam Gase. As Manning was walking off the field that day, his future was in certain, and you could sense the Broncos were going to go through a lot of changes as a result of that loss.
What Happened Since?: John Elway and John Fox decided to mutually part ways the day after the season ended, and Elway went back to find an old friend, Gary Kubiak, to come in and become the Broncos new head coach. Kubiak brought in Broncos alums Wade Phillips to run the defense and Rick Dennison to run the offensive side of the ball. Manning went back and forth on retirement for about a month, but he ultimately decided to come back and play in 2015, albeit with a pay cut in the process. Denver lost some big free agents in Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin, Terrence Knighton, and Rahim Moore. The Broncos didn't make any real big splashes in free agency like they did in the previous years, but they signed some low-level guys like Darian Stewart, Vance Walker, Antonio Smith (Pending legal issues), Shelley Smith, Gino Gradkowski, and Ryan Harris. Derek Wolfe got suspended for the first four games of the season due to a PED issue. The Broncos traded up and moved Manny Ramirez to the Lions in the process of drafting pass rusher Shane Ray late in the first round of the NFL Draft. The team has certainly turned over some of their key players from the last two years, and it will be interesting to see how well some of these new and younger players develop in a team that is still designed to win now.
Position Battles at Camp: The big position battles will occur on the offensive line. With Ryan Clady out for the season due to an ACL injury suffered in OTAs, the Broncos will need to see some young guys step in on key spots on the offensive front. Chris Clark will fight for the RT spot with veteran Ryan Harris. Ben Garland and Shelley Smith will battle it out for the LG position, and Matt Paradis and Gino Gradkowski will be in competition for the center position.
Surprise Roster Cuts: Maybe if a guy like Clark gets beat out badly or Harris just doesn't have it, then one of them might get cut. Obviously, if Antonio Smith's legal issues are a problem, then he will get the boot as well. If Omar Bolden doesn't continue to make an impression as a kick returner, then I could see him being the odd man out in a loaded secondary.
Out of Nowhere Players: Wide receiver Jordan Norwood was going to make the team last year as a reserve player and as a returner, but he got injured late in the preseason and was put on injured reserve. Now, he has a chance to return from injury and flash the skills that would have earned him a roster spot last year. Look out for Norwood this camp.
Biggest Questions That Need To Be Answered: The Broncos have a lot of questions heading into training camp. The offensive line will be question mark once camp gets underway. Who will step up and start? How will young guys like Ty Sambraillo, Michael Schofield, and Matt Paradis fit into the scheme of things up front? The health of Peyton Manning and how he transitions into a new offense will be a question, but Manning might not be something Bronco fans should really worry about. The Broncos have a lot more questions this year than in previous years. The last two years the questions were if the Broncos were going to win the Super Bowl or not. This year the questions are certainly different and more challenging.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Broncos Sign Demaryius Thomas to Five-Year Deal
The Broncos and Demaryius Thomas agreed on a new five-year contract worth $70 million with $43.5 guaranteed. The Broncos have now locked up one of their top players. If the deal was not made by 4:00pm EST, then Thomas would have played this year under the Franchise tag at just over $12 million, but the Broncos and Thomas would not have been able to negotiate a new deal under next March. It was a win-win for both sides. The Broncos structured it to be guarantee heavy in the first few years of the deal, and they have some relief after a couple of years, and Thomas gets the long-term deal that he was hoping for. The Broncos had to be able to lock Thomas up long term and they were able to do that. Now, Denver doesn't have to worry about DT holding out and missing the preseason and training camp. He will be there, with a fresh new contract, and the Broncos can focus on turning him loose with Peyton Manning for another season and another shot at the Lombardi Trophy.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
10 Facts About….The 1996 Denver Broncos
I continue with our series with 10 Facts About a particular Broncos team in history. Today's team is the 1996 Denver Broncos. Let's take a look at this squad from back in the mid-1990s…
1) The Broncos were 12-1 at one point in the 1996 season. They finished 13-3 and tied for the best record in the NFL that year with Green Bay.
2) Terrell Davis really jumped on the scene during this year. He was the Broncos leading rusher with 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. His signature game was a performance over the Ravens in a 45-34 Week 8 win. He rushed for 194 yards on 28 carries and added 2 touchdowns.
3) The Broncos leading receiver in all three major categories in 1996 was none other than Shannon Sharpe. The future Hall of Famer posted big numbers with 80 receptions for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rod Smith finished the year with only 16 receptions for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns.
4) At age 32, Tyrone Braxton led the Broncos with 9 interceptions that year. Steve Atwater and Bill Romanowski both finished second on the team with 3 interceptions each.
5) Alfred Williams, who would eventually become a popular sports talk radio host in Denver, led the team with 13 sacks.
6) The Broncos scored 391 points that year for an average of 24.4 points per game. The offense posted six games in which they scored 30 or more points. The defense was stingy in 1996. They allowed 275 points per game which averaged to only 17.2 points allowed. Denver's defense held opposing offenses to under 20 points in a game 11 times during the season.
7) You have to save the number 7 spot for John Elway. Elway was great in 1996. At the age of 36, Elway finished 287-466 for a completion percentage of 61.6%. He threw for 3,328 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. It is pretty obvious that Elway benefitted from the direction of head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
8) The Broncos finished 8-0 at home in the old Mile High Stadium. Their closest home games were a pair of wins over NFC Central foes. The Broncos defeated the Buccaneers late in Week 3 27-23, and they held off the Bears in Week 11 17-12 with a goal-line stand at the end of the game.
9) The Broncos raced out to a 7-1 start in their first eight games, but their November was a month to remember in 1996. They beat the Raiders in Oakland in Week 10 on Monday Night Football when John Elway hit Rod Smith for the game-winning 49 yard touchdown pass to win 22-21. They followed that up with the thrilling late game win over the Bears at home. The next game will be remembered for the beatdown of the Patriots up in Foxborough. Denver won easily 34-8 in a matchup of the two best teams in the AFC at the time. Shannon Sharpe's famous "Call the President because we are killing the Patriots" line will always be the defining moment of that game. The following week, Denver stole a win over the Vikings in the Metrodome on a late touchdown pass from Elway to Ed McCaffrey on a play that saw the ball get tipped by two Viking defenders near the goaline and land in McCaffrey's hands for the winning score.
10) Sadly, the 1996 Broncos will be remembered for going 13-3 and losing at home in Mile High to the huge underdog Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoffs by a score of 30-27. Denver led the game 12-0, and then the game turned into the Mark Brunell show. The Broncos late rally fell short, and the game was one of the biggest upsets in NFL Playoff history.
1) The Broncos were 12-1 at one point in the 1996 season. They finished 13-3 and tied for the best record in the NFL that year with Green Bay.
2) Terrell Davis really jumped on the scene during this year. He was the Broncos leading rusher with 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns. His signature game was a performance over the Ravens in a 45-34 Week 8 win. He rushed for 194 yards on 28 carries and added 2 touchdowns.
3) The Broncos leading receiver in all three major categories in 1996 was none other than Shannon Sharpe. The future Hall of Famer posted big numbers with 80 receptions for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rod Smith finished the year with only 16 receptions for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns.
4) At age 32, Tyrone Braxton led the Broncos with 9 interceptions that year. Steve Atwater and Bill Romanowski both finished second on the team with 3 interceptions each.
5) Alfred Williams, who would eventually become a popular sports talk radio host in Denver, led the team with 13 sacks.
6) The Broncos scored 391 points that year for an average of 24.4 points per game. The offense posted six games in which they scored 30 or more points. The defense was stingy in 1996. They allowed 275 points per game which averaged to only 17.2 points allowed. Denver's defense held opposing offenses to under 20 points in a game 11 times during the season.
7) You have to save the number 7 spot for John Elway. Elway was great in 1996. At the age of 36, Elway finished 287-466 for a completion percentage of 61.6%. He threw for 3,328 yards and 26 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. It is pretty obvious that Elway benefitted from the direction of head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
8) The Broncos finished 8-0 at home in the old Mile High Stadium. Their closest home games were a pair of wins over NFC Central foes. The Broncos defeated the Buccaneers late in Week 3 27-23, and they held off the Bears in Week 11 17-12 with a goal-line stand at the end of the game.
9) The Broncos raced out to a 7-1 start in their first eight games, but their November was a month to remember in 1996. They beat the Raiders in Oakland in Week 10 on Monday Night Football when John Elway hit Rod Smith for the game-winning 49 yard touchdown pass to win 22-21. They followed that up with the thrilling late game win over the Bears at home. The next game will be remembered for the beatdown of the Patriots up in Foxborough. Denver won easily 34-8 in a matchup of the two best teams in the AFC at the time. Shannon Sharpe's famous "Call the President because we are killing the Patriots" line will always be the defining moment of that game. The following week, Denver stole a win over the Vikings in the Metrodome on a late touchdown pass from Elway to Ed McCaffrey on a play that saw the ball get tipped by two Viking defenders near the goaline and land in McCaffrey's hands for the winning score.
10) Sadly, the 1996 Broncos will be remembered for going 13-3 and losing at home in Mile High to the huge underdog Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Playoffs by a score of 30-27. Denver led the game 12-0, and then the game turned into the Mark Brunell show. The Broncos late rally fell short, and the game was one of the biggest upsets in NFL Playoff history.
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