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***2013 Denver Broncos*** (1 Viewer)

moleculo

moleculo

Footballguy
all right - time to stop wallowing in the misery of the Ravens game, and time to start looking forward to next year. At this point, I believe the Broncos will be pre-season Superbowl favorites. I'm setting that expectation right now. The Broncos were a missed jump-ball away from hosting the patriots in a winnable AFC CG in 2012, and there is no reason to expect a regression next year.coaching changes: McCoy is out, Gase is the new OC. Frankly, I wasn't all that thrilled with McCoy. The play-calling consistently left something to be desired...Very predictable, including the Tebow years. The best thing anyone can say about McCoy is that he was flexible and could mold his offense around the players at hand - that's great, but that's not really all that impressive. Gase, on the other hand, seems like a guy that has been groomed to start climbing the coaching tree for a while. He's been in a number of different systems in a number of locations, so he's seen a lot in his short time. Gase was the WR coach that had to deal with Brandon Marshall. Gase got a pro-bowl season out of Brandon Lloyd and started the careers of Decker and Demaryius. Next, he was promoted to QB coach and was there for the Tebow year, and then last year with Manning. I'm only concerned that current trends continue and Gase will be named HC of the Chiefs next year.I am happy to see Del Rio staying. This is the first time since when...2005 (I think?) that the Broncos will have the same DC for two consecutive years.Personnel:Here are Broncos unrestricted free agents: Ryan Clady, Brandon Stokley, Kevin Vickerson, Justin Bannan, Jim Leonhard, Keith Brooking, David Bruton, Dan Koppen, Jason Hunter, Tracy Porter, Ty Warren, and Matthew Willis. Out of this list, Clady should be, obviously, the top priority. If they can't come to a good long-term deal, Broncos will probably franchise him, so I'd expect Clady to be a Bronco in 2013. Brunton is a ST ace - I hope he stays but it wouldn't kill me if someone wants to play him starter money and he wants a chance on a regular defense. Jason Hunter will likely be brought back. Del Rio was raving about him in the pre-season before he was hurt, I doubt there's a huge market for him.Koppen, Brooking, Leonhard Stokley - these guys were crucial role players this year. I'm cool with any of them being re-signed, but they may try elsewhere, or they may retire.Coming back fron IR - JD Walton and Quentin Carter were slated to be starters before they went down. Hopefully these pups can come back wiser and stronger.IMO, the teams needs are the same as they have been for the past 5 years or so. We need help in the middle of the defense - DT, MLB, and S. MLB is probably the most crucial spot. We need a team leader here who can get the D organized, make tackles in the run game, and cover some area in the passing game. This spot has been weak since Al Wilson retired.Offensively - I'd like to see the Broncos improve at RB. Moreno has actually been pretty good, but not as good as a healthy McGahee. Does McGahee have anything left in the tank? Can Hillman be more than a (slow) speed back? Frankly, I'm not sure where the Broncos go here. There are a lot of RB pieces, but no one is the complete package. Everything else on the O is fine, IMO. A full off-season working with a healthy Peyton Manning, after a full season with him...man, this O has a chance to be great next year, cupcake schedule or not.

 
What about getting a DE and sliding Wolfe inside? Any thoughts to moving Champ to safety? Also think a slot WR is important if Stokley leaves.

 
I agree on the need to look for more RB options. I don't think Mcgahee should be counted on for another full season. I don't think they should do more than invest a mid to late round pick there. Someone like Rex Burkhead would be a good fit I think.On defense, I think a lot hinges on what they do with DJ. If they keep him (likely at a reduced salary), I'd think he would be the starting MLB. Nate Irving also looked a little better this year, which may influence their thinking on DJ.I think DT, for the third year in a row, and CB have to be the top priorities in the draft. The option of moving Wolfe inside probably does open up the ability to take the best DL available.

 
'Maddenf said:
What about getting a DE and sliding Wolfe inside? Any thoughts to moving Champ to safety? Also think a slot WR is important if Stokley leaves.
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re: Wolfe on the inside - I hope that's what the plan is. I'd be more than cool with Ayers/Hunter, Wolfe, Vickerson, and Dumervil together on the line, with Bannan and Unrein subbing in. Of course, we'd need a big MLB to make that work.As far as Champ - I'm indifferent to him moving to safety. Despite the TD's given up in the Ravens game, the dude can still play CB at a high level, he just might need help over the top like 90% of the rest of the league's CB's do. That being said, letting champ play center field could have some advantages too...no way would Champ let that Jacoby Jones TD happen. Between Carter and Harris, the CB spots could be filled too. I could be happy with whatever direction the team wants to go here.
 
link

Maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised that the Denver Broncos lost Saturday. So many things connected the Broncos’ stunning playoff loss 16 years ago to the Jacksonville Jaguars with what happened Saturday in Denver. Here they are:

[*]In each game, the Broncos were 13-3 and the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed with home-field advantage, and their opponent was a double-digit underdog at game time according to Las Vegas oddsmakers.

[*]Each game was played on a Saturday, and Denver lost each game by three points.

[*]In each game, the Broncos’ starting quarterback was 36 years old, playing in his 14th season and headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (John Elway, Peyton Manning).

[*]In each game, Denver’s starting center was a Boston College alum (Tom Nalen, Dan Koppen).

[*]In each game, Denver had a goat on defense (Michael Dean Perry, Rahim Moore).

[*]In each Denver starting quarterback (Elway, Manning) was the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a college senior and then the No. 1 pick in the draft by the Irsay-owned Colts.

[*]In each game, the Broncos had finished 8-8 the season before. And their head coach was in his second season with the team (Mike Shanahan, John Fox).

[*]In each game, the Broncos’ starting tailback was a University of Georgia alum (Terrell Davis, Knowshon Moreno).

[*]In each game, the Broncos were trying to get one step closer to playing in the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

[*]In each game, the team that beat Denver advanced to the AFC championship game at New England (pending the result of the Patriots-Texans game Sunday).

...

The good news for the Broncos? After losing to the Jaguars 30-27, they were NFL champions in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
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'Maddenf said:
What about getting a DE and sliding Wolfe inside? Any thoughts to moving Champ to safety? Also think a slot WR is important if Stokley leaves.
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Champ is playing too well at CB to move. CB is a more important position, and a harder one to fill. I love Gase's talk about adding a lot more speed to Denver's no-huddle. Denver doesn't do many personnel substitutions, so you might as well put one grouping on the field and let them run it as fast as they can. It's hard enough for a defense to keep up in normal circumstances, let's see them try it at altitude.
 
I heard rumors that some Ravens' players said Manning's arm strength was WAY down in their last game.I think it will be interesting to see if Peyton can strengthen his body this off-season, or if age just makes things worse.

 
They will not win it all with John Fox. There's no way they get through 3 or 4 straight games against good teams with better coaches, without him costing them. They're good, but not great. Only a great team could overcome a coach like this.And SSOG, don't even bother. TIA.

 
'BRONG said:
They will not win it all with John Fox. There's no way they get through 3 or 4 straight games against good teams with better coaches, without him costing them. They're good, but not great. Only a great team could overcome a coach like this.And SSOG, don't even bother. TIA.
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YNWIAGood teams with better coaches. How many of those are there? And I notice you've still not responded to my breakdown of a coach's job description. What percentage of a coach's job would you say is game management? How did Fox make the SB and the NFCCG if he's so bad? Were his early 2000s Panthers really a better team than these Broncos? Is Fox a worse coach than Gruden or Billick or Fassel or Martz or Lovie? How can Fox keep getting his team to perform so well if he's such a mediocre/bad coach? So many questions. So few answers.
 
'shader said:
I heard rumors that some Ravens' players said Manning's arm strength was WAY down in their last game.I think it will be interesting to see if Peyton can strengthen his body this off-season, or if age just makes things worse.
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Frankly that is one of my biggest concerns. Outside one pass attempt to Thomas I don't think he threw the ball further than 20 yards.
 
I think Del Rio wans to use a Nickel type defense, and if so then I would expect Wolfe to remain at DE in a 3-4/4-3 hybrid type defense (allowing Miller/Doom) to both be on the field. Vickerson/Bannan/Unrein played well but they aren't going to cause teams to account for them either. A DT early (2nd/3rd) round would be nice.Woodyard was a good fit at WLB, but he is a bit of a liability against the run when it comes at him (as is Doom) and as such I think he need a impact player at MLB who can also stay on the field and cover while being a thumper against the run. That has to be our #1 priority in the draft.Champ is staying at CB for at least one more year. I think him and Moore will be our starting safeties in 2014 (unless Quentin Carter comes in a lights it up, which he may start over Adams next year). So CB can be a focus later in the draft (which we've had success with anyway).Gase has said he wants to play faster and I think the offense needs more speed. I would like a RB in 2nd/3rd who can be our every down back with McGahee for power formations, Hillman as a scat back type, and Moreno as a backup. I also think we need to improve our WR depth outside Black & Decker (FA or draft).I want some more depth along the o-line (Clark is awful and Ramirez isn't much better). I would resign Koppen and let him and Walton battle it out at center next year. I would want more depth at guard as its become apparent that Kuper can't stay healthy.Bruton needs to be kept well. He is an impact player on ST and you need those type of players.MLBDTRBWRO-line depthCB

 
'rascal said:
'shader said:
I heard rumors that some Ravens' players said Manning's arm strength was WAY down in their last game.I think it will be interesting to see if Peyton can strengthen his body this off-season, or if age just makes things worse.
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Frankly that is one of my biggest concerns. Outside one pass attempt to Thomas I don't think he threw the ball further than 20 yards.
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I think that was a function of lingering effects of the nerve damage, coupled with the extreme cold. It should be gradually improving. I don't think it will be a concern moving forward.
 
DJ: Gone. Hanie: Gone. Looks like Doom will be gone soon.

I support DJ being done - WW really made DJ expendable, especially at his salary. If Osweiller is as good as Elway is saying, a 3rd QB is no longer necessary so that's cool too.

Not sure how I feel about Doom being out. It all comes down to his contract - he's probably more valuable to another team than he is to the Broncos at this point, so for Doom to maximize his value, he needs to be somewhere else. It's a shame - I loved the edge pressure he and Von could bring. I think this has a lot to do with the emergence of Ayers and Hunter, plus Freeney, Abraham, and I suppose Harrison being available. Fact of the matter is 4-3 DE's who can bring pressure isn't that rare of a commodity these days. Still, it's a shame that the Broncos will lose a player of his caliber without compensation.

After all of that, Broncos should be about $23M under the cap.

Speculations for who they may bring in with all that cap room: Reggie Bush, Revis, Mendenhall, Freeney, Steven Jackson. Look for the Broncos to make a big splash with one or more of these guys.

 
I would like to see a slot WR like Amendola, Welker or Edelman. Agree a powerful RB would be nice (don't want Bush since they have Hillman).

 
'moleculo said:
The Broncos were a missed jump-ball away from hosting the patriots in a winnable AFC CG in 2012, and there is no reason to expect a regression next year.
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There was more then just the jump ball...Miller and Dummervil were complete no showsChamp was exposed repeatedlyThey scored 2 ST TD's and still lost....that hardly ever happensThey bring in an 18 million QB to take a kneee in crunch time.....(they were in "shock")....wtf is that...?And the 18 million dollar QB throws a rookie like INT with the game on the line....coaching staff showed a lack of confidence in Manning several times down the stretch of that game with the play calling, and Manning who we know has the ultimate override authority also showed a lack of confidence in himself by not changing the play (or some say changing the play to a run) in some situations where he could have put the game away with a first down....don't get me wrong....DEN has talent and some good players.....but their BEST players (Manning, Champ, Miller, Dummervil)did not show up when it counted the most...calling them super bowl favorites at this point....not sure...they have a ton of question marks and one of them is getting paid $18 million...
 
'Stinkin Ref said:
'moleculo said:
The Broncos were a missed jump-ball away from hosting the patriots in a winnable AFC CG in 2012, and there is no reason to expect a regression next year.
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There was more then just the jump ball...Miller and Dummervil were complete no showsChamp was exposed repeatedlyThey scored 2 ST TD's and still lost....that hardly ever happensThey bring in an 18 million QB to take a kneee in crunch time.....(they were in "shock")....wtf is that...?And the 18 million dollar QB throws a rookie like INT with the game on the line....coaching staff showed a lack of confidence in Manning several times down the stretch of that game with the play calling, and Manning who we know has the ultimate override authority also showed a lack of confidence in himself by not changing the play (or some say changing the play to a run) in some situations where he could have put the game away with a first down....don't get me wrong....DEN has talent and some good players.....but their BEST players (Manning, Champ, Miller, Dummervil)did not show up when it counted the most...calling them super bowl favorites at this point....not sure...they have a ton of question marks and one of them is getting paid $18 million...
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Right - a lot of things broke poorly and it still took the eventual SB champs double OT to get the win.My assumption is that they will learn from those mistakes and come back stronger.Who in the AFC is in s better position? New England, I suppose, has an argument, but imo that depends on what happens w/ welker.
 
'bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
as an outsider seems like focusing on a RB or a WR is the wrong place, defense.
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Depends on the players. Eric Decker is going to want a big contract in a season or two, and if Denver doesn't think they're going to want to give it to him, it makes sense to start bringing in receivers right now. Plus Stokley is a big part of the offense, and he's the oldest receiver in the league, so it makes sense to have a backup plan in place in the slot. I think Denver would be crazy to pay Vincent Jackson type money at the receiver position with Demaryius's looming payday, but signing Edelman to a Hartline-like deal could make a lot of sense. It never hurts to try now, when it's not a glaring need and if all the receivers price themselves out of the market, Denver can go on without them. RB is the same way. Denver can compete with the guys it has, but McGahee is on the wrong side of 30 and has the second most carries of any back in the league (behind SJax), and Moreno is a career bust who happened to have a handful of good games late in the season. It makes sense for Denver to kick some tires and see if they can get an RB at a price that makes sense for the club. If everyone's asking price is too high, oh well, Denver will survive fine with what they have. Really, Denver's in a pretty good position. They could go into the season with the guys they have and be fine. More than plugging holes, I think the Broncos are going to be looking 2-3 years down the line and trying to prevent future holes. Which isn't to say they won't get some short-term stopgaps, too- they could use a speed rusher to replace Doom, and they need a MLB (although they seem confident someone already on the roster will step up). They could use some help on the interior of both lines, although they'll likely look for that in the draft. Mostly, though, I think Denver's really just going to focus on the long-term health of the team. That's been Elway's modus operandi since taking over- as evidenced by the fact that Denver has shifted from guaranteeing money via signing bonus to increasing yearly salaries and guaranteeing money via roster bonus (which means little to no dead money on the cap if they let someone go), has avoided restructures to clear cap space (a practice which borrows from future seasons' caps to inflate this season's), and spent a second rounder on a developmental QB last year (a move that looks pretty smart given how strong last year's QB class was and how weak this year's is- if Osweiler were coming out this year, he might be the first QB off the board). In other words, Denver's been operating like the Bizarro Redskins. Which suits me just fine.
 
Heard John Clayton on the radio this morning, said he thought Darrelle Revis could end up with Denver. He's of the opinion that John Elway isn't afraid to make a major move (clearly) and that Denver would be interested. This is the first time I've heard any speculation linking him to the Broncos...not sure what to think. I think he's definitely going to command a 1st round pick, even coming off an ACL injury, and he's been a holdout headache in the past, and I want to see a guy come in who'll be a good fit, and not just a "name" player. On the plus side, while I'm sure Champ has a couple of good years left, he looked so terrible in the Ravens game as well as occasionally during the regular season (AJ Green lit him up in the Bengals game, for one) that I think the Broncos need to at least explore the possibility. DT and MLB have become perpetual worries, but if they can't get solid help in those areas, getting a guy like Revis could help cover a lot of other shortcomings.

 
If they can get Revis for a song because of the injury, I guess I am okay with it. I wouldn't go out of my way though, and I wouldn't get into any long term deal unless it was incentive laden based on future performance and his health.

Personally, since the NFL has neutered defenses, especially corners and db's, I really don't see the point in having "shut down" corners... they just don't exist. B-More decided to ATTACK Champ instead of believing that he was untouchable, and look what happened.

I would rather put $$$$ into the front 7 and put the QB on his ### every time the ball is snapped.

 
'charlatan said:
If they can get Revis for a song because of the injury, I guess I am okay with it. I wouldn't go out of my way though, and I wouldn't get into any long term deal unless it was incentive laden based on future performance and his health.Personally, since the NFL has neutered defenses, especially corners and db's, I really don't see the point in having "shut down" corners... they just don't exist. B-More decided to ATTACK Champ instead of believing that he was untouchable, and look what happened.I would rather put $$$$ into the front 7 and put the QB on his ### every time the ball is snapped.
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ehh...not that i disagree with you, but since the NFL neutered defenses putting the QB on his ### usually costs 15 yards these days.
 
^ true, it's all in the timing :)

Great second day in FA. Welker and DRC! Elway is really going for broke, and doing a helluva job.

 
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we have white smoke!

Welker, a DT, and DRC, all the same day. wow. This team is getting better, quickly. By my reckoning, we have one of the best QB's to ever play the game, the best 3 deep WR corps in the league, and the best 3 deep DB's in the league between Harris, Champ, and DRC. if we can somehow convince Doom to hang around, we will also have one of the best pass-rushes in the league. When the name of the game is throwing the football, this is setting up to be absolutely dominant.

The name of the game is SB in 2013 or bust, fellas. There are a lot of contracts up to be re-done next year, things are gonna get tight after this run. Von and Demaryius will be eligible for a re-do, plus Decker, Walton, Woodyard, possibly Clady Ayers, and Beadles's contracts all expire. 8 core players will be looking for new contracts next year - gonna be tough to keep the band together.

 
'moleculo said:
we have white smoke!

Welker, a DT, and DRC, all the same day. wow. This team is getting better, quickly. By my reckoning, we have one of the best QB's to ever play the game, the best 3 deep WR corps in the league, and the best 3 deep DB's in the league between Harris, Champ, and DRC. if we can somehow convince Doom to hang around, we will also have one of the best pass-rushes in the league. When the name of the game is throwing the football, this is setting up to be absolutely dominant.

The name of the game is SB in 2013 or bust, fellas. There are a lot of contracts up to be re-done next year, things are gonna get tight after this run. Von and Demaryius will be eligible for a re-do, plus Decker, Walton, Woodyard, possibly Clady Ayers, and Beadles's contracts all expire. 8 core players will be looking for new contracts next year - gonna be tough to keep the band together.
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Better prepare now
 
Denver's really been bargain shopping this season. They get DRC on a cheap one-year "show me" contract. They pay good money for Vazques, but this frees them to move on from Kuper, which is essentially going to prove cap-neutral in the long run. Knighton and Big Vick at DT on the cheap. Welker for a song. Other than Welker, all the acquisitions have been on the right side of 30 (and even Welker made them 5 years younger at wr3, as crazy as that is to believe). I love the fact that they're being extremely frugal with their money.

I wonder if Cliff Avril's pathetically small contract has Dumervil rethinking his position. Denver wants him to renegotiate, while he wants to restructure. The difference is that renegotiate means a pay cut, while restructuring is a shell game that keeps Dumervil paid the same, but moves some of his cap hit to future seasons. Denver doesn't need cap space, so they're not going for a restructure- they think Doom is not worth what he is being paid, so they want the paycut. With the market looking soft for pass rushers, maybe Dumervil will be convinced that even if Denver cut him, he wouldn't be making huge money elsewhere, so it's better to stay and take the pay cut. I'm hopeful.

 
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000159997/article/peyton-manning-wants-uncomfortable-atmosphere

Peyton Manning wants 'uncomfortable atmosphere'
By Dan Hanzus

Around the League Writer

Peyton Manning's debut season with the Denver Broncos was perfect in almost every way ... except how it ended.

A stunning 38-35 double overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs still sticks with the team, and Manning called the setback "a motivating factor" as voluntary workouts kicked off Monday.

"I know that (executive vice president of football operations) John Elway wants to sort of set kind of an attitude and an edge around here -- maybe a little bit of an uncomfortable atmosphere -- which I believe in," Manning said.

"Last year was good, but it wasn't great, and we're looking for that great season and to finish off with a championship season. We have so much work that we have to do."

Manning didn't elaborate on how the Broncos plan to make a more uncomfortable scene, but it's clear the team will be hyper-vigilant about letting complacency seep into the building.

Manning turned 37 last month. He's running out of time to capture a second Super Bowl ring, a reality both he and Elway are well aware of.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
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rascal said:
Loving the Sylvester pick!!
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I literally know nothing about the dude because I don't follow college football so much, and with Denver drafting so late, it's really tough to get into the draft. However, Elway seems to be excited and he looks to be the kind of guy that Del Rio loves; I can't really find any down side here.

Apparently Elway and his team have been doing a bunch of mock drafts, going over different scenarios and sly never fell to them. I think they always assumed Minnesota would take him, but when Floyd slipped and Minnesota took him, that left Sylvester available.

There's plenty of decent players left on the board right now, Broncos could still plug some other needs with good players. Right now, I'm hoping they trade up and get another, earlier second round pick, and address a couple of needs. To me, the most glaring is MLB, but DE, RB, and S are important too.

 
Sylvester Williams, DT is going to help the Broncos defense. Solid player that the Broncos needed to help them in run defense. Round 2 take a rush DE. Doesn't have to be everydown DE but someone that can get to the QB is passing situations. I loved Dumervil but he seems to never get there in these situations like he should have.

 
Like moleculo, I don't know that much about Sylvester, but given what everyone is saying, it sounds like a great pick, so I am pleased.

 
Not sure about the Kayvon Webster pick, but like the King, Smith, and Painter picks.

Schefter also reported that we signed Shawn Phillips to a one year deal. I like that as it allows Smith to fully heal/add some weight, and be our pass rush specialists opposite Miller in 2014.

 
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000168217/article/2013-nfl-draft-fallout-denver-broncos

2013 NFL Draft Fallout: Denver Broncos

By Chris Wesseling

Around the League Writer

The 2013 NFL Draft transformed 32 NFL rosters. Around The League will examine the aftershocks in our Draft Fallout series. Next up: The Denver Broncos.

The Big Question: Will Montee Ball spell the end of Willis McGahee's Broncos career?
In Around the League's email chain discussing which rookie running back would have the biggest impact, Marc Sessler suggested Montee Ball would make Willis McGahee expendable in Denver before the start of this season. Gregg Rosenthal seemed to agree, pointing out that McGahee is turning 32 and coming off both a compression fracture and a torn medical collateral ligament.

The Denver Post opined Wednesday that it's "highly unlikely" the Broncos will keep both McGahee and Knowshon Moreno on the roster this season. The team would like Ball and Ronnie Hillman to "ideally" become their one-two punch in 2013, per the Post.

Last year's usage patterns tell us Moreno should be more worried than McGahee. Moreno didn't even dress on game days for the majority of the first three months while McGahee was given an extra-long leash as the bell cow despite fumbling issues.

Throw in head coach John Fox's demonstrated preference for veteran backs, and McGahee's roster spot should be safe as long as his knee cooperates. Fox's teams have drafted DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, DeShaun Foster and Hillman in the first, first, second and third rounds respectively. Not one of them was trusted to be any more than a complementary back as a rookie.

Fox would be going against his own best instincts if he installed Ball as the Week 1 starter.

Three Takeaways
1. The Broncos boasted the league's best run defense in the second half of last season, and it should be even better this year. Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton is a true run-plugging nose tackle, and vice president of football operations John Elway compares first-rounder Sylvester Williams to a better version four-time Pro Bowler Trevor Pryce.

2. Interesting but ultimately meaningless trivia: Fox's teams have drafted three of the last four players to have at least three sacks in a game against Alabama. The latest is fifth-round edge rusher Quanterus Smith from Western Kentucky, who is coming off a late-season anterior cruciate ligament tear.

3. Can seventh-rounder Zac Dysert put pressure on Brock Osweiler for the backup job? The No. 2 spot defaulted to Osweiler last season due to Caleb Hanie's incompetence. Dysert was viewed as an intriguing mid-round prospect in many draftnik circles.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
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Broncos bring back Alex Gibbs as offensive line consultant

...
Gibbs, 72, was considered the brains behind the Broncos' famed zone-blocking, one-cut running game when he served as the team's offensive line coach from 1995-2003.

The Broncos got away from the zone scheme in 2009 when Josh McDaniels brought in more of a power-blocking style. But it appears there will be a little more zone-blocking, one-cut style in the Broncos' offense this season after the team added three people who are steeped in the scheme — Gibbs, quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp and running back Montee Ball.

....

Read more:Broncos bring back Alex Gibbs as offensive line consultant - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_23227637/broncos-bring-back-alex-gibbs-offensive-line-consultant#ixzz2T7q67Vo0
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
Follow us:@Denverpost on Twitter|Denverpost on Facebook
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for those that don't know, Gibbs was the OL coach for Broncos during the SB run and thru 2004, where he, along with Shanahan, developed the zone running scheme. From there he went to Atlanta thru 2006 and the Falcons led the league in rushing over that time. From there he went to Houston and got their running game on track...he left the year before Arian Foster emerged, but the running attack the Texans use is exactly what Gibbs left in place.

The man has had a history of retiring and walking out on his team. He is a firey coach, who IMO doesn't have it in him to go half-way, but doesn't have the stamina left to contribute full time. Hopefully as a consultant w/o actual responsibilities will be the right balance.

What this signals is a stronger re-dedication to the zone blocking scheme, which Ball fits in perfectly with. This is pretty exciting news.

 
Will be interesting to see what Gibbs can add. The o-line should be even better with him and Vazquez.

Broncos are also having Woodson come in for a visit next week to provide safety depth. I like it.

 
Adam Gase might bring some Mike Martz flavor to Denver Broncos offense

The bulk of the Broncos' offense, including the terminology, will remain the same. They have not tossed aside what they did in 2012, at least from the limited parts I've seen on the practice field.

And why would they? They finished fourth in yards per game (397.9) last season and second in scoring (30.1 points per game), so that's plenty of pop.

But I do think they would like to run the ball better, especially to close out games. Denver wants to play a little faster to get a handful more plays in every game. And the Broncos certainly want to protect the passer a little better, especially in the middle of the field from the guards, center and running backs.

Wes Welker's addition changes things. Add a player with five 100-plus catch seasons in the last six years and it will change the distribution.

Scheme-wise, however, we won't really see all the tweaks until the regular season begins.

And with tempo, here's how Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase explained it during Denver OTAs in the past two weeks: "I would say the tempo we're going at right now, it's more predicated on the fact that everybody is on the same page.

"That is really what I was talking about in terms of our speed of the game — it is all going to be predicated off (wide receiver) Eric (Decker), Wes and the tight ends knowing what's going on and being able to keep up with the quarterback. That's really what's going to increase our play."

Gase added: "We're going to go as fast as basically the quarterback needs to go on that particular series. He has the tools to speed it up, slow it down, huddle — every series will probably be a little bit different."

But in terms of play-calling, Gase's lineage is through Mike Martz with offensive concepts going back to Don Coryell and Sid Gillman. Martz, the former Rams head coach, was one of the most aggressive play-callers in the NFL, particularly with his record-setting offense in St. Louis.

Martz was also one of the great closers. His teams went 55-5 in games when it held a fourth-quarter lead. Martz's Rams teams continually slammed the door whenever they carried the lead into the final quarter or got it in the final 15 minutes of play.

One of the most effective features in that offense was the use of the running backs in the passing game beyond a simple dump-off role. Granted, Martz had Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk in the backfield, and Faulk understood pass protection and pass routes perhaps like no other back in the game's modern era.

But Gase figures to involve the Broncos' backs plenty in the passing game.

Also, the shallow cross route was a staple of Martz's teams. His teams consistently got players free with the route as the receiver came across the formation, underneath players dropping into zone coverage or simply getting the rub-off against man coverage as the receiver used another offensive player to get rid of his defender.

Martz ran the plays with speed receivers underneath, and with Kurt Warner's accuracy and timing, the run-after-catch plays were huge.

Given the Broncos have a powerful speed receiver in Demaryius Thomas and now a receiver who has made a living in the middle of the field in Welker, Gase figures to have a healthy dose of these routes in the offense.

Teams have always run those plays, but Martz's teams ran them with remarkable effectiveness. They were often the foundation of the other routes on the play. Martz often ran deep post routes and a deep square behind the crossing receiver so if the safeties came up, the quarterback had the option to go for the big play.

And if Martz ran two crossing routes on the same play — what some coaches call a "mesh" — he would often send a third receiver into the deep middle of the field. If the safeties came up to get a crossing receiver, he had a receiver in the deep middle in a one-on-one situation, also a potential big play.

Again, we won't see what the Broncos have to offer until the games count, but Gase's football roots are in Martz's offense, so the Broncos figure to use some of that strategy.

Read more:Adam Gase might bring some Mike Martz flavor to Denver Broncos offense - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_23379260/broncos-might-add-some-mike-martz-flavor-offense#ixzz2VGSSx44T
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probably one of the more telling pre-season glimpses into the offensive philosophy of the 2013 Broncos. I think this season will be the "tale of two offenses". The first halves will be fast paced, high scoring Martz-esque, and the second halves will be dramatically slowed down, running game, ball control. I've seen two things emphasized this off-season - going faster, and polishing up the 4 minute drill. Broncos will pass the ball to get the lead, run the ball to win. Martz-ball early, Fox-ball late.

This is an offense that added Wes Welker to all-ready efficient passing game featuring two 1000 yard receivers and one of the best QB's of all time. They also drafted a grinder RB, added one of the top guard FA's in the league, and coaxed one of the best OL coaches out of retirement (Alex Gibbs).

Broncos are clearly gearing the defense up to maintain leads. This D was in nickel 65% of the time last year, I think that may increase this year. Look at the player acquisitions - I felt DB was not a position of need - I was happy with Carter, Harris, and Champ. But, they brought in DRC, Jammer, tried to get Woodson, and spend a 3rd round pick on a CB. The only MLB brought in was Stuart Bradley, a man with 0 starts in the past two years. MLB is clearly not seen as a position of need, whereas CB was.

Jammer, BTW, will be playing a sort of tweener role, IMO - half safety, half CB. His job will be to line-up as a S, but stick to the TE. He will be a cover safety, if you will. He will be the Broncos answer to one of Gronkowski/Hernandez.

 
Hah I feel bad for donkey fans thinking that Jammer is the answer to anything defensively. You will be sorely disappointed.

 
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Beerguzzler said:
Hah I feel bad for donkey fans thinking that Jammer is the answer to anything defensively. You will be sorely disappointed.
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the answer to what? he's on a cheap 1-year deal to compete at safety and maybe match up against TEs in subpackages. At this point he's not even a lock for a roster spot, imo. If he beats out Adams for 1 year, great. He's probably not playing CB barring a handful of injuries.

Oh, and as far as the offseason acquisitions have gone: ::Thumbs up icon:: (seriously, what is the deal with: Sorry, but you have posted more images than you are allowed to)

Hope this team comes back hungry after how last season ended.

 
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