The Broncos
I don't really have a lot of advice for the Broncos. They are a great team, Shanahan is a great coach, and they only need a couple of small tweaks nefore they start winning Superbowls again.
The Broncos lost Gary Kubiak to the Houston Texans, he will be the Texans new head coach which helps the Texans a lot, but it kinda sucks for Denver.
The Broncos shouldn't have much of a transition period adjusting to a new offensive coordinator. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan hired former Denver assistant Mike Heimerdinger as the team's assistant head coach and promoted offensive line coach Rick Dennison to replace Gary Kubiak as offensive coordinator.
Heimerdinger was Denver's receivers coach from 1995-99 and has been an NFL offensive coordinator the past six seasons. Heimerdinger will probably have a large say in the offense, considering his background. He also is a close friend of Shanahan's, going back to their days as college teammates at Eastern Illinois University.
Dennison has been a Broncos assistant since 1997. He has been offensive line coach since 2001, overseeing one of the best units in the NFL.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK: Starter -- Jake Plummer. Backup -- Bradlee Van Pelt.
Plummer will probably never be able to completely rid himself of the criticism that has followed him in his career. After a very good season, he had four turnovers in the AFC Championship Game and fans started grumbling again. Plummer isn't one of the very elite quarterbacks in the game but he is better than many fans give him credit for. He can make plays on the move and showed many times in 2005 that he can manage a game well.
Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak deserve credit for breaking Plummer of many bad habits that he had in Arizona and resurfaced in 2004. Plummer has now led Denver to three straight 10-win seasons and playoff berths. Kubiak, who was instrumental in Plummer's development the past three years, is off to coach Houston and Plummer might miss him.
Van Pelt has great athletic ability. He isn't a polished passer but the offense usually moves when he is in the game. The Broncos want him to continue to improve and become a reliable backup if Plummer gets hurt.
I never really liked Plummer, but he has gotten results. I still think that we need to find some young rookie and groom him to become the next Elway or Marino. It'll be hard since Denver is always one of the last teams to draft in the first round, but it can be done. Van Pelt has promise, but I think that he'll end up goingthe same route as Gary Kubiak.
RUNNING BACK: Starter -- RB Mike Anderson, FB Kyle Johnson. Backups -- RB Tatum Bell, RB Ron Dayne, FB Cecil Sapp.
Anderson had a solid season, but he isn't guaranteed to be the starter next season. He will be 33 years old in September. In a perfect world the Broncos would like a franchise back who can carry the ball 25 times a game. Those aren't easy to find, however, but the Broncos might look in the draft or free agency.
Bell could be that back but he needs to get a bit more consistent and also do some little things better like receiving and blocking.
Dayne is a free agent but the Broncos want him back. He fits Denver's style very well and could have a big season if given the chance.
Johnson is a solid fullback who catches the ball well.
Sapp is a jack of all trades who is a good special teams player.
I really like Bell. I always have. But I don't think that he can handle the entire load himself. I like the idea of two running backs, one fast as hell and one strong as a bull. It give the offense more options and can help confuse other teams, especially when both backs are on the field. I would like to see a RB who's as much a receiver as a back. You can never have too many weapons...
TIGHT END: Starter -- Stephen Alexander. Backups -- Jeb Putzier, Wesley Duke, Nate Jackson.
Alexander was the starter all season because he is better in the running game than Putzier. Putzier is a very good receiver and if he could become a bit better on running downs he could be one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Duke is a very interesting player. He played college basketball but has natural skills and a great build for the position. He will go to NFL Europe and could be a breakout player in 2006.
If I could say anything, it'd be that Duke comes back from Europe as an explosive player, but that'd just be icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie. Backups -- Charlie Adams, David Terrell, Todd Devoe, Darius Watts.
Smith had a fantastic season. He was consistent all season and made the Pro Bowl.
Lelie started to make some underneath catches at the end of the season, but he might never become more than a dangerous deep threat.
Adams is solid but not spectacular.
The Broncos continue to publicly support Watts, a 2004 second-round pick who fell out of favor and wasn't active for the final three months of the season. Watts needs to improve a lot in the offseason on his consistency and hands, or he might not be with the team next season.
If there is any area in the offense for the Broncos to make some improvements, this is it. We need more than one steady performer here. Smith is good and reliable, but he's 35 and is starting to slow down. Lelie has never been great, and is at best, a back-up.
Terell may be something to watch for next season as someone has to step up in the game and he's the most likely candidate. He's a former high draft pick who will get every chance to play.
Adams will probably stay, but Watts will more than likely get cut. I don't expect much from either player.
If Terrell Owens joines the Broncos, and keeps his mouth shut, and if the other Terrell steps up, then we may have an explosive Wide Receiving core that'll be unstoppable when combined with Denver's running game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Matt Lepsis, LG Ben Hamilton, C Tom Nalen, RG Cooper Carlisle, RT George Foster. Backups -- G Taylor Whitley, T Cornell Green, G/C Chris Myers. Returning injured backups -- G Dwayne Carswell, G/T P.J. Alexander.
The Broncos want to re-sign free agents Nalen and Lepsis. If Nalen leaves, Hamilton would move over to center and the Broncos would have to find a new left guard.
Replacing Lepsis would be very difficult. He has had two good seasons since making the transition from right tackle to left tackle.
Green could be the successor if nobody else is found.
The line played well once again. Foster had some struggles but the rest of the unit clicked. There isn't much depth.
Carswell was involved in a car accident during the season and had surgery for major internal injuries, but wants to come back next season.
The only thing that I'd do here is add some depth. Otherwise, make sure that you sign Nalen and Lepsis. That's it.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- SDE Courtney Brown, DT Gerard Warren, DT Michael Myers, WDE Trevor Pryce. Backups -- DE Marco Coleman, DE Ebenezer Ekuban, DT Monsanto Pope, DT Demetrin Veal, DE John Engelberger.
The Broncos' line played much better than most people expected after four linemen were acquired from the Browns last offseason. But Warren had a very good season, Brown stayed healthy, Myers was a constant in the middle and Ekuban was valuable off the bench.
The unit also got a big boost when Pryce came back from a back injury that limited him for most of 2004. Warren is a free agent and the Broncos want him back, but he could get a very nice deal on the open market. Brown has an option bonus that will be due and there's no guarantee he'll be back either. There isn't much young talent waiting in the wings.
Resigning Warren and Brown is the first priority. Drafting fast young back-ups is a close second.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB Ian Gold, MLB Al Wilson, OLB D.J. Williams. Backups -- MLB Keith Burns, MLB Patrick Chukwurah, OLB Louis Green.
The Broncos have one of the best linebacker trios in the NFL. Gold, who started his career in Denver, was a great addition after spending a season in Tampa Bay.
Wilson had a very good season. He is the leader on the defense and he understands the game much better than he did early in his career.
Williams was lost in the mix a little bit. He had a great rookie season but had his playing time cut in 2005 because Gold and Wilson were Denver's linebackers in the nickel defense.
Burns came back after a season in Tampa Bay, like Gold, and he was Denver's best special teams player.
Green is also a very valuable special teamer.
There's nothing here that I can improve upon. These players are all young, fast, talented, smart, and mature. I hope that they'll be here for a very long time.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Champ Bailey, SS Nick Ferguson, FS John Lynch, RCB Darrent Williams. Backups -- CB Domonique Foxworth, CB Karl Paymah, CB Roc Alexander, S Hamza Abdullah, S Sam Brandon, S/CB Curome Cox. Injured returning backups -- S Brandon Browner, CB Jeff Shoate, S Chris Young.
Bailey had a top-notch season, really turning it on after dealing with hamstring and shoulder injuries in the first half of the season. He needs to be more reliable, but has improved over the past few years.
Lynch also had a good season and was being used in many different roles on defense, including sometimes lining up in a three-point stance to blitz the quarterback. Denver may want to invest in a good back-up for Lynch. Lynch is getting up there in age and may retire in the next year or three. It'll be sad to see him go, he really is a huge contributer to the team, the game, and to the people of Denver.
Williams and Foxworth were rookies who had very impressive seasons. Foxworth was picked on in the AFC Championship Game but he should bounce back. Williams was hampered with a groin injury the last month of the season.
Paymah was the third cornerback Denver drafted last April, and he developed slower than Williams and Foxworth. The team still thinks he can be a contributor.
The team has done a good job building depth in the secondary, which was a problem the last couple years.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Starters -- K Jason Elam, P Todd Sauerbrun, LS Mike Leach.
Elam and Sauerbrun could be the best punter-kicker combination in the NFL. Elam had a good season after a tough first half. Sauerbrun was a great addition from the Panthers last offseason. He didn't create any problems and punted very well. He also handled kickoffs.
Leach is a solid long-snapper.
Darrent Williams looks like he could be a good punt returner for many years.
The Broncos lost Gary Kubiak to the Houston Texans, he will be the Texans new head coach which helps the Texans a lot, but it kinda sucks for Denver.
The Broncos shouldn't have much of a transition period adjusting to a new offensive coordinator. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan hired former Denver assistant Mike Heimerdinger as the team's assistant head coach and promoted offensive line coach Rick Dennison to replace Gary Kubiak as offensive coordinator.
Heimerdinger was Denver's receivers coach from 1995-99 and has been an NFL offensive coordinator the past six seasons. Heimerdinger will probably have a large say in the offense, considering his background. He also is a close friend of Shanahan's, going back to their days as college teammates at Eastern Illinois University.
Dennison has been a Broncos assistant since 1997. He has been offensive line coach since 2001, overseeing one of the best units in the NFL.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACK: Starter -- Jake Plummer. Backup -- Bradlee Van Pelt.
Plummer will probably never be able to completely rid himself of the criticism that has followed him in his career. After a very good season, he had four turnovers in the AFC Championship Game and fans started grumbling again. Plummer isn't one of the very elite quarterbacks in the game but he is better than many fans give him credit for. He can make plays on the move and showed many times in 2005 that he can manage a game well.
Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak deserve credit for breaking Plummer of many bad habits that he had in Arizona and resurfaced in 2004. Plummer has now led Denver to three straight 10-win seasons and playoff berths. Kubiak, who was instrumental in Plummer's development the past three years, is off to coach Houston and Plummer might miss him.
Van Pelt has great athletic ability. He isn't a polished passer but the offense usually moves when he is in the game. The Broncos want him to continue to improve and become a reliable backup if Plummer gets hurt.
I never really liked Plummer, but he has gotten results. I still think that we need to find some young rookie and groom him to become the next Elway or Marino. It'll be hard since Denver is always one of the last teams to draft in the first round, but it can be done. Van Pelt has promise, but I think that he'll end up goingthe same route as Gary Kubiak.
RUNNING BACK: Starter -- RB Mike Anderson, FB Kyle Johnson. Backups -- RB Tatum Bell, RB Ron Dayne, FB Cecil Sapp.
Anderson had a solid season, but he isn't guaranteed to be the starter next season. He will be 33 years old in September. In a perfect world the Broncos would like a franchise back who can carry the ball 25 times a game. Those aren't easy to find, however, but the Broncos might look in the draft or free agency.
Bell could be that back but he needs to get a bit more consistent and also do some little things better like receiving and blocking.
Dayne is a free agent but the Broncos want him back. He fits Denver's style very well and could have a big season if given the chance.
Johnson is a solid fullback who catches the ball well.
Sapp is a jack of all trades who is a good special teams player.
I really like Bell. I always have. But I don't think that he can handle the entire load himself. I like the idea of two running backs, one fast as hell and one strong as a bull. It give the offense more options and can help confuse other teams, especially when both backs are on the field. I would like to see a RB who's as much a receiver as a back. You can never have too many weapons...
TIGHT END: Starter -- Stephen Alexander. Backups -- Jeb Putzier, Wesley Duke, Nate Jackson.
Alexander was the starter all season because he is better in the running game than Putzier. Putzier is a very good receiver and if he could become a bit better on running downs he could be one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
Duke is a very interesting player. He played college basketball but has natural skills and a great build for the position. He will go to NFL Europe and could be a breakout player in 2006.
If I could say anything, it'd be that Duke comes back from Europe as an explosive player, but that'd just be icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie. Backups -- Charlie Adams, David Terrell, Todd Devoe, Darius Watts.
Smith had a fantastic season. He was consistent all season and made the Pro Bowl.
Lelie started to make some underneath catches at the end of the season, but he might never become more than a dangerous deep threat.
Adams is solid but not spectacular.
The Broncos continue to publicly support Watts, a 2004 second-round pick who fell out of favor and wasn't active for the final three months of the season. Watts needs to improve a lot in the offseason on his consistency and hands, or he might not be with the team next season.
If there is any area in the offense for the Broncos to make some improvements, this is it. We need more than one steady performer here. Smith is good and reliable, but he's 35 and is starting to slow down. Lelie has never been great, and is at best, a back-up.
Terell may be something to watch for next season as someone has to step up in the game and he's the most likely candidate. He's a former high draft pick who will get every chance to play.
Adams will probably stay, but Watts will more than likely get cut. I don't expect much from either player.
If Terrell Owens joines the Broncos, and keeps his mouth shut, and if the other Terrell steps up, then we may have an explosive Wide Receiving core that'll be unstoppable when combined with Denver's running game.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Matt Lepsis, LG Ben Hamilton, C Tom Nalen, RG Cooper Carlisle, RT George Foster. Backups -- G Taylor Whitley, T Cornell Green, G/C Chris Myers. Returning injured backups -- G Dwayne Carswell, G/T P.J. Alexander.
The Broncos want to re-sign free agents Nalen and Lepsis. If Nalen leaves, Hamilton would move over to center and the Broncos would have to find a new left guard.
Replacing Lepsis would be very difficult. He has had two good seasons since making the transition from right tackle to left tackle.
Green could be the successor if nobody else is found.
The line played well once again. Foster had some struggles but the rest of the unit clicked. There isn't much depth.
Carswell was involved in a car accident during the season and had surgery for major internal injuries, but wants to come back next season.
The only thing that I'd do here is add some depth. Otherwise, make sure that you sign Nalen and Lepsis. That's it.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- SDE Courtney Brown, DT Gerard Warren, DT Michael Myers, WDE Trevor Pryce. Backups -- DE Marco Coleman, DE Ebenezer Ekuban, DT Monsanto Pope, DT Demetrin Veal, DE John Engelberger.
The Broncos' line played much better than most people expected after four linemen were acquired from the Browns last offseason. But Warren had a very good season, Brown stayed healthy, Myers was a constant in the middle and Ekuban was valuable off the bench.
The unit also got a big boost when Pryce came back from a back injury that limited him for most of 2004. Warren is a free agent and the Broncos want him back, but he could get a very nice deal on the open market. Brown has an option bonus that will be due and there's no guarantee he'll be back either. There isn't much young talent waiting in the wings.
Resigning Warren and Brown is the first priority. Drafting fast young back-ups is a close second.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB Ian Gold, MLB Al Wilson, OLB D.J. Williams. Backups -- MLB Keith Burns, MLB Patrick Chukwurah, OLB Louis Green.
The Broncos have one of the best linebacker trios in the NFL. Gold, who started his career in Denver, was a great addition after spending a season in Tampa Bay.
Wilson had a very good season. He is the leader on the defense and he understands the game much better than he did early in his career.
Williams was lost in the mix a little bit. He had a great rookie season but had his playing time cut in 2005 because Gold and Wilson were Denver's linebackers in the nickel defense.
Burns came back after a season in Tampa Bay, like Gold, and he was Denver's best special teams player.
Green is also a very valuable special teamer.
There's nothing here that I can improve upon. These players are all young, fast, talented, smart, and mature. I hope that they'll be here for a very long time.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Champ Bailey, SS Nick Ferguson, FS John Lynch, RCB Darrent Williams. Backups -- CB Domonique Foxworth, CB Karl Paymah, CB Roc Alexander, S Hamza Abdullah, S Sam Brandon, S/CB Curome Cox. Injured returning backups -- S Brandon Browner, CB Jeff Shoate, S Chris Young.
Bailey had a top-notch season, really turning it on after dealing with hamstring and shoulder injuries in the first half of the season. He needs to be more reliable, but has improved over the past few years.
Lynch also had a good season and was being used in many different roles on defense, including sometimes lining up in a three-point stance to blitz the quarterback. Denver may want to invest in a good back-up for Lynch. Lynch is getting up there in age and may retire in the next year or three. It'll be sad to see him go, he really is a huge contributer to the team, the game, and to the people of Denver.
Williams and Foxworth were rookies who had very impressive seasons. Foxworth was picked on in the AFC Championship Game but he should bounce back. Williams was hampered with a groin injury the last month of the season.
Paymah was the third cornerback Denver drafted last April, and he developed slower than Williams and Foxworth. The team still thinks he can be a contributor.
The team has done a good job building depth in the secondary, which was a problem the last couple years.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Starters -- K Jason Elam, P Todd Sauerbrun, LS Mike Leach.
Elam and Sauerbrun could be the best punter-kicker combination in the NFL. Elam had a good season after a tough first half. Sauerbrun was a great addition from the Panthers last offseason. He didn't create any problems and punted very well. He also handled kickoffs.
Leach is a solid long-snapper.
Darrent Williams looks like he could be a good punt returner for many years.
posted by Keko at 13:56
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