Broncos Pre-Training Camp Mailbag

As the Broncos are now under 10 days from reporting to training camp, it feels like a good time to play a little question and answer game to catch up with what is going on in Broncos Country. There have been a few interesting developments as the summer has progressed. Let's see where the Broncos stand as two-a-days (Oops! sorry) as one-a-day walkthroughs are about to start in Dove Valley.

What are the possible ramifications involving Elvis Dumervil's arrest last weekend?
The worst thing to read or hear about this time of the year in the NFL is when a player on your team gets arrested. It usually pops up out of nowhere, and you just hope that the crime or incident is not as bad as it possibly could be. The arrest bug hit Denver when Dumervil was arrested for aggravated assault last Saturday in Miami. Apparently, it was a dispute over a traffic incident. Doom has said that the allegations are not true, and his lawyers are stating that once the facts are laid out, there won't be any charges filed. Regardless, Dumervil has had some run-ins with the law in the past few years, and although he hasn't been jailed or charged with anything recently, this latest arrest could summon him to the league office and a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell. Even if the charges are dropped, there is a chance that Elvis could face some type of suspension from the league office. It is not the type of news that you want to hear as the Broncos are about to start training camp, but there still is a lot that has to be determined regarding this incident. If the charges are dropped, but Goodell feels that he needs to discipline Dumervil with a suspension, you would think you might see a one or two game suspension with the possibility of a reduction based on actions that Dumervil could take to reduce it. In any event, a player of Dumervil's character has to stay out of trouble and any missed time, would be a big blow to the Broncos and their defense. Not a good weekend for Broncos fans overall with this latest   development. At least we have Peyton Manning as our starting quarterback heading into the 2012 season.

The real big issue here is how many NFL players continually get themselves in trouble with the law during the offseason. Just last weekend, Marshawn Lynch and Dez Bryant also were arrested, and the list goes on and on of NFL players who were arrested this offseason, and when stars like Adrian Peterson get arrested it surely is detrimental to the league's image. One of the big issues for players during last year's lockout was the fact that the NFLPA wanted their players to have more of an offseason, and they wanted to have more time away from the facility during the non-playing months. Ultimately, the players won that bargaining chip, and the NFL offseason was drastically cut in half, and the players were given more time off. How the hell can we justify these new offseason provisions when all of these players are getting arrested and involved in off the field situations? If anything this new CBA has taught us it is this: The players need to be at the facility more, they need to be part of a longer, structured offseason, and they need to been "watched" as much as possible. Mike Shanahan used to have minicamps in late June and early July during his tenure as Broncos head coach. Why did he do that? Because Shanny wanted to keep his players closer to the facility and within his watchful eye. The more free time they had, the more Shanny worried that they would get out of shape, lose focus on the upcoming season, and possibly get themselves in trouble. It might have looked like he was a total control freak, but I think he was on to something. The NFL and NFLPA should look into this and maybe give the teams and the coaches more of an opportunity to keep the players occupied and at bay during the offseason.

Do you think the Broncos did the right thing by signing Matt Prater to a long term contract?
I have no problem with the Broncos slapping the franchise tag on Prater this offseason, and the Broncos eventually agreed to a four year contract worth about $13 million. As long as this move doesn't hamper the Broncos moves down the road (Ryan Clady's contract), then this move makes sense to me. Prater has a big leg, so kickoffs have been automatic touchbacks in Denver. Plus, you need a kicker with a big leg in Denver. With the altitude as a factor, having a kicker like Prater can make a huge difference. Although he can be erratic from mid-range, he was so clutch last year, that you have to have confidence  in him making a big kick late in a game this year.

What are your opinions of D.J. Williams apparent multiple drug test failures?
We knew back in March that Williams was going to be suspended six games for failing a performance enhancing drug test, but the story that was leaked out was both disturbing and embarrassing. Apparently, Williams failed a second test for non-human urine, and he tried to avoid failing a third, but fumbled and then kicked some urine sample that was hidden in a bottle. It is another chapter in the off the field adventures of D.J. Williams, and it makes you start to think about his future with this team. He is already suspended for the first six games of the season, and now you have to wonder if the Broncos will try to find a way to move on without him come training camp. It would not surprise me if the Broncos cut ties with him before the season opener. If Denver starts off really fast, then there might even be a way that they rid themselves of Williams once the season gets going. Let's hope the younger linebackers on the roster step up, and maybe they will make the decision for the Broncos front office a lot easier. I always like Williams as a player, but he seemed to play hot and cold. One week he would look fantastic, then there would be some weeks where he would be lost. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in training camp, but it wouldn't make me sad if we finally parted ways with the mercurial linebacker.

As training camp approaches, what is the general consensus of the Broncos chances heading into the season?
It all depends on who you talk to. There have been experts like Cris Carter who think that the Broncos are legitimate Super Bowl contenders now that they have Peyton Manning. There is also a group of "experts" who feel that the Broncos won't even make the playoffs this year. The overall, general feeling about the Broncos nationally seems to be that Denver has the look of a 9-7 type of team. Anyone who is picking them to make playoffs is not giving them more than 10 wins on the year. There are a lot of 9-7 predictions out there as well. It seems that everyone wants to wait and see how Manning looks in training camp and in the preseason. It seems that no one wants to go out on a limb and predict Denver to win 12 or 13 games and make a Super Bowl run. In my opinion, this plays perfectly into the Broncos hands. It is nice that they don't have a lot of bandwagon hype that crippled teams like the Eagles last year. Everyone still keeps touting the Ravens, Patriots, Steelers, and everyone's Super Bowl pick the Texans. The Broncos are getting little hype outside of the Las Vegas sportsbooks, and that is the perfect scenario for Manning and the Broncos as they head towards training camp.