I still remember you back in the old days when you were “Con-D” at the other site (no, not the old MHR version). It’s awesome that you’re here and I’m glad you got around to putting up a post. Great first post!

You’ve hit the nail on the head and gathered the notes to back it up. We’re building a team that plays like a championship team. Character, team-work, drive, work ethic, etc. This will translate into a team that keeps coming after you, a team that never stops, a team that plays every play as if it counts.

For this breath of fresh air of an article! :D

Suffice it to say I’m the guy who would take 53 Rod Smiths over 53 Randy Mosses all day every day.

It seems that the Broncos are learning the lesson.

As I read through Styg’s profiles the issue of character was a recurring theme. It has been proven in sports time and time again that a cohesive team will beat a collection of stars every time. (Olympic basketball) It appears that we have gotten rid of some of the locker room poison and have added people who want to win. Maybe some of the draft choices and all of the CFA’s do not have the pedigree that some of their peers have, but it appears they have heart and are team first players. Thanks for pointing this out so eloquently. This is a freat post.

I support these selections.

I’m extremely grateful for all of the fantastic draft coverage to come out of MHR this weekend, and this piece just keeps adding to the good stuff. Great article!

Under the new MHR 2.0, Darin has become the very first member to get 5 recommends clicked for his post, thus earning him a spot in the recommended box in the right panel!

There was a previous box holder (still in the box), but this was an introduction by SBN and was already present. I believe that Darin’s post (and others) stay there for a determinate amount of time, or until many other recommended posts move him down.

Nice job first timer, and well deserved!

And folks, remember to click on “recommended” at the bottom of posts that really do a nice job. I’ll be doing a University article in a week where I’ll mention some of the neat features on MHR.

...”sneaky speed”? Seriously though: great post, Darin—as many have already noted above.

I think this is the best character guys Shanny has brought in a while. Hopefully this rubs off on the players who were questionable characterwise. I was getting tired of the Gardners of the world. Now I feel this defense has the potential to be a top 15 again. No matter what you think of NE and Belichek he has always had good character guys and that reosnates. Look Randy Moss towed the line for the first timein his career. I am starting to feel better about this team more and more. I just hope all the media keeps piling on the Broncos. It just makes it that much sweeter when the Broncos kick serious booty this year!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the recommends and the comments!

I am new to this blogging thing…and I hope blogging is the right word. I have no idea who Darin H is…but I loved his Blog (if blog is the right word). Please correct me if Blog is not what you guys do. I Love this site. Thanks.

Mike

hoosierteacher,

Thanks,

In the future I might.

The emphasis on character, work ethic and a team first focus seems intended to make the Broncos the antithesis of the raiders. Historicall, Happy Al’s team is the poster child for talented but undisciplined individuals who will not pull together to do the little things that make a team successful.

i agree with this, also. it appears the broncos meant what they said when they stated the biggest problem with this team last year was not talent, but players doing what it takes to win. i saw good effort out of most of them, though, and they think they have eliminated the others this offseason. writers outside of the bronco sites are not very impressed with the draft, but they are looking at talent alone, i am sure. i’d rather be more like the pats and giants than the raiders and cowboys, any day. that is the clearest example i can think of. i am disappointed with the dt and k/p situations, but other than that we seem to have addressed our needs very well. after the initial schock of royal, a cb,... , we ended up picking a player at every level on both sides of the ball. i’m very impressed with the balance of that. 2-3 undrafted free agents should make the team, and we still have roster cuts in the fall, where we HAVE to bring in some veteran dt help, and maybe a kicker. i consider this draft to have an eye on s.d., a very young, very talented team that is not going to go away anytime soon. this is a long-term approach, but i think 1 more draft like this should set us up very well for the long-term to compete with them. this definitely is a philosophy shift that reminds me of the packers-quality competition(and #’s) at every position creating quality starters, and depth. after 2005, we were just trying to get back there for a few years, but after cutler was inserted, this began to change. now, the changes are in full swing, and this should set us up for a long run of success in the near future. we will need some patience here, but the fruits should be plenty

I think the first place you’re going to see it is on special teams. I won’t name names but it seemed to me like many of the recent special teams players were on cruise control, like they made the final cut and that was all that mattered. Most of these Bronco babies probably aren’t going to punch through to start right away. But all seem to have the most important ingredients; heart, work ethic, competitiveness and character. Aren’t those the most necessary qualities of a special teams player?

And then, after they’ve had a chance to grow and learn and get into pro football shape, I believe more and more will work their ways into the starting line-up. And in the mean time they’re going to be pushing the starters to excell. I like this new situation very much.