D-Rob worries me with his medical condition and those knees. He may be “a 3-4 specialist” but I say what the heck, give the man a shot to play in the Denver system. I like the move and think it may light a fire under the rest of the DTs to get this run D up from 30th ranked, which should SEVERELY help Denver’s record. It can’t get any worse right? As long as the Broncos didn’t end up paying too much for D-Rob, I’m not all that rattled. The Broncos need to improve there…period.

I like Niko in the middle, but we’ll have to see how the guy does when the role is his. There’s no Tatupu ahead of him, just Niko. The key “addition” if you will is the WLB Version of D.J. Williams. Williams was actually improving in the middle but it seems like he’s a guy who thrives outside where athleticism is big and the pressure to fill the gaps and help lead the D isn’t necessarily there as much. The confidence behind the Niko move is probably the most faith-based right now. He’s a different type of player, but he may be the type that suits the MLB position.

Now to the OTHER OTHER LB spot. I think Boss can provide a good compliment to DJ’s speed on the opposite end, and we may see your earlier speed post actually come to fruition in Denver.

With Clady, you look at how “wowed” some of the guys on the team seem to be with the guy after only a few days at camp. The consensus seems to be the guy’s feet, which are rumored to be especially quick. Quick feet helps a zone blocking scheme. Clady’s only a rookie, unlike the rest of the guys on the list, so I can’t knock his presence as much as I can the others on the list. It seems like he has all the tools to be a good OL, or at least Shanahan thinks so. He does have the long arms and the quick feet.

Finally, I know a lot of people are starting to come towards the Colbert camp as he apparently hasn’t gotten “enough notice.” However, I’m a fan of Jackson from the Seattle days and even there he was never THE true number one even though he played the one spot (Colbert has never played the one but seems well suited for those quick slant routes). Personally, I feel Keary has something to prove to me, because after his brilliant rookie season, what makes you as a fan jump at this guy? He CERTAINLY had the tools in college, but injuries and QB changes have hurt this player. Jackson now has a better QB throwing to him (than in San Fran) and he might get a crack at that two position after all instead of having to play the one. I do LOVE the depth Denver brought in at WR to help guys like Stokely (not talked about as much after all the WR depth was brought on). However, I think the Marshall situation actually plays a part in this debate. Ideally I’d like to see Jackson two if Marshall can recover and be the burner we’ve seen him to be. It’s time to mature brother! Colbert has a lot to prove as a player who was great in college but struggled through the most part of his career. Then again, maybe Denver will provide the spark this guy needs to get going again.

I guess if I have to rank my “concerns” now I’d probably go (least to most):
Jackson or Colbert: If Stokely did as well as he did last season having to play the two, I think whoever wins out will do fairly well. PLUS, the depth Denver brought in helps these guys cases and my confidence as well. When you look at these guys you also have to consider names like Parker, Royal, and other battling for a spot. Because of what Denver did this off-season I don’t have too much to worry about there and thus will divert my “worry” to other facets of this team.

Niko: I am confident about DJ’s move back to weak side linebacker. Although, the bouncing back and forth between positions has to be real fun for a player. Niko seems like a smart guy in the middle and as long as he plays the position fundamentally well, he can help open up lanes for the speed of the outside guys. I don’t know if this guy’s the leader at MLB and he’s pretty much an unknown quantity, but I don’t feel all that bad here.

Clady: The guy’s got a lot of good words coming his way and is only a rookie. We’ll see what this big body can do when the competition rolls around. Even if he gets beat out I feel he provides some darn good depth.

Boss: Some concern here because of his apparent “bust-like” status in D-Town, but Boss is on a much better team now AND playing with his brother.

D-Rob: I guess you gotta go with D-Rob last because of all the concerns swirling around him, and his injuries and what not, but I still feel pretty good about the guy helping a bit to ease concerns about the running game D.

If you look at these five players from positional standpoint things seem a little clearer to me.
WR – regardless of who wins the battle between Colbert, Parker and Jackson or Stokely and Royal, our WR corps is much stronger than last year.
LB – we all agree DJ did a yeoman’s job in the middle. Bronco Billy’s post on where his tackles were made really show that he is not only more suited for weak side but will actually thrive in it. Therefore, even if K2 is somewhat less than we hoped for (which I doubt seriously), we will still have an improvement in the middle. With no knock on Webster, in fact I think he did a good job stepping up as a back-up, Boss’s speed will pay immediate dividends. So once again, or LB corps is much stronger than last year.
DT – This is similar to MLB. Even if DRob does not pan out all the way, the addition of Powell and the continued improvement of Thomas make us stronger than last year.
In summary, I see improvement all around.

K2 is the addition I’m least concerned about. Phantom, you’re not sure he’ll be the leader at MLB, but he was a leader for the Seahawks, as evidenced by being a team captain, even though he wasn’t a starter. That tells me all I need to know. I think he’ll thrive in Denver. D.J. is more talented but doesn’t have the personality to be the “holler guy” in the middle, and was playing out of position. With K2 we have a guy who’s at his natural position, who’s tough as nails, who’s obviously a good tackler, since he was their best ST player, and who frees up D.J. to be brilliant on the outside.

I’m also pretty confident in our WR corps, regardless of who starts. In fact, my biggest concern at the moment is Marshall. Jackson looks better on paper, but Shanny must have seen something to like Colbert so much. Just a few years ago we had a bunch of scrubs competing for the number 2 spot. Now we have solid talent.

Robertson hadn’t quite played up to expectations, perhaps because of his knee, even before being moved to nose tackle, but a number four overall who’s been good but not great is still a clear upgrade over anybody we have. His toughness is evident, and he’s coming back to the 4-3 to which he’s more suited. That’s apparently why he chose Denver over Cincy, and was willing to compromise on salary with us but not them. Not only will he be back at his natural position, I think Denver will use him in a way that maximizes his impact. Also, and this is just a hunch, I think eventually Thomas will be moved to the weakside and get more of the two-gap assignments.

That Clady is this far down my list is primarily because he’s a rookie. People are thrilled about his quick feet but we already knew about that. That’s why we drafted him. What we don’t know, quick feet and all, is how well he’ll handle game speed at the next level. High-draft-pick offensive linemen are less likely to go bust than some other positions, but until we’re fairly deep into position battles we won’t know for sure. By the way, HT, you touted Pears when I wasn’t so sure, and Shanahan throwing him against Clady sure makes you look good. It suggests he thinks they’re his two best players at that position.

Boss is the addition I’m least excited about, but not because I don’t think he’ll be an upgrade. I just don’t know how much of one. I’d like to know more about why he was apparently something of a disappointment in Detroit. Was it due to nagging injuries, a system into which he didn’t fit, or simply being in Detroit? I think being with Champ, in fact with Champ right behind him, will help. Perhaps my relative lack of excitement (I love all these acquisitions) is due to this being the least significant of the LB position changes. We are going to be so much better at LB. Last year we had one player in a steep decline and two others playing out of position. This year we’ve upgraded our talent
and have players at their natural positions. If we can add improved d-line play, our linebacking corps might be spectacularly better than it was last year.

Coming back to the o-line, in all my projections I have not been assuming Hamilton will be able to go. It will be a bonus if he does, but with the addition of Clady and the FAs, Nalen’s return (about which I’m more confident), and the further maturation of Pears et al, I think we’re much improved regardless. That, plus a more mature and energetic Cutler, will go a long way toward solving our red-zone ills.

Yeah,

This squad looks to be much improved over the last.

I like pretty much all of the new additions. They may not be star players (though, hopefully, Clady will become one), but they all seem solid, good-character adds to the team. I’m very happy with Shanny’s approach this year in (seemingly) adding character players. Getting rid of the poison from the locker room will help the team chemistry quite a bit.

My biggest concern is Prater (or whoever becomes our kicker). There’s going to be 3 or 4 games won (or lost) by our kicker. It’s the only position where I have no confidence and not a lot of optimism going into the season. However, with our improved offense, I expect to see more TDs in the redzone. But even still, we need a solid kicker. I only hope Prater’s strong leg can become an accurate leg.

FIRST OFF, BIG UP’S TO MHR

My take on the deal is this..I give DRob the benefit seeing as to how he really hasn’t missed any games and did a decent little job the Jets. So im good on his durabilitly. I think this’ll be a big improvement from our run defense a year ago. 30th, was it ? Can you imagin our 2ndary!? Champ and Bly eating up dem balls all day-long cause of defensive pressure?

I’m feeling all of the Bronco’s moves this offseason. As far as Boss and Champs family connection go. You KNOW having two brothers around each other is going to boost em? expecially when we winning. ahhman. Thats whats gonna make Boss better. Having big brah there by his side being compeditive, ride or die type shit. I know I would if I got to play with my brothers. So DRob. Check. Boss. Check. Niko? I don’t know yet cause he’s was under my radar. real talk. My Take.. Im Out.

i’m good with the receiver position, whoever plays. marshall, stokely , and graham/sheff(if he’s healthy), further diminishes the importance of the #2 spot here. we’ll be fine, and the depth is excellent. if everybody is healthy, and jackson/colbert performs at #2, then we should have a very serious pass attack. i think jackson takes it and plays pretty well, colbert makes the team as the top backup, and parker gets cut in favor of royal. i see no reason not to open up the passing game this season with the receivers we have. not a concern

the o-line is a story onto itself, as many previous posts have concluded. c/g appear to be set, but that can easily change due to injury/performance in the preseason and beyond. definitely, the unit to watch. again, though, depth is excellent, but this unit seems to be fluid right now, and will take some time to settle in and jell. clady should start at LT and be good while he gains experience, but he’s not a big concern for me. keep in mind, he is still a rookie, but i love the pick. the rest of the line will have a big say in clady’s performance this season, also. pears can fill in nicely if he’s not ready, but i think he will be the better option right away, and improve greatly as the season progresses. not a concern, but some more o-line shuffling this season may set him back a bit

the ‘backers should be better than last year overall, but i do reserve caution with k2. the importance of the positon to this defense is my concern. he has to be better than average, at the least. also, in my opinion, a backup is simply not a proven starter-ask lamont jordan, for instance. it is a much different deal, especially regarding endurance. it should take him a while to adjust to everything, but he seems to have the physical tools to grow into this position. this year, i don’t know, but if ht likes him, then maybe i am in for a pleasant surprise when i see him play. i’m not too concerned about bailey, or even his backup, at the strong side. again, good depth there if he falters. he should play pretty well, though, and be an upgrade over webster, but not by much. again, overall there should be an improvement, and that is the point, right? a mild concern

d-rob. this positon still concerns me. the price is right, but i don’t believe he can be the dominant player people referring to his draft status seem to hope for. i watch the jets games here on the east coast, and he really didn’t do too well. miscast in the 3-4, didn’t miss games, yes, but it is the level of play over the course of the season i’m not thrilled with(maybe the knees). he is good, but not great. an upgrade over last season, anything is an upgrade over last years’ leftovers from the revolving door we had. if he’s our best dt, we look to be average overall here as a unit this year. he needs to play better than i have seen yet. a concern

if nk2 and d-rob play well, we are good to go. if one of them struggles in pre-season, i’m not too optimistic about a big turnaround on d this season

Denver has done an amazing job this offseason spending shrewdly and staying versatile.

Keep some perspective on what Denver’s defense was last season. Remember the day Denver let Justin Fargas have? What about the Broncos’ pass rush on Brett Favre? Denver made the Texans look like the Colts for a day. Don’t forget that Denver got lit up by Tavarias Jackson and let Minnesota score 16 points with 5:21 to go in the season. Etcetera…etcetera…

Worst case scenario is that Niko and D Rob aren’t as good as we hoped. I think D Rob is proven as, at very least, an average-plus player in the 4-3. I don’t think he’ll do any worse than that. As for upside, there’s a decent chance he flourishes this year in a new system and scheme befitting his talents. As far as the Grecian Formula, Niko is more unproven. Worst case scenario for his is that he has a hard time shedding blockers and filling holes. If he really falls apart, Nate Webster is an average-minus player and can play the middle with some level of consistency (he played out of position last year).

Clady hasn’t proven anything at an NFL level, so he has the most work to do. I keep hearing that his phyical tools are some of the best that any of the other players have seen, BUT that he is taking his time adjusting to the complexity of the game and Denver’s scheme. There will be some early season slip-ups for Clady for sure, but by the bye week, I expect him to be playing at a higher level than Lepsis played at any point last year.

Boss Bailey will be fine, on his worst day, he’s average or injured or both. On his best day, he’s a dynamic force who can play on every defensive down. I expect him to fall on the “dynamic” side this season and I think we’ll see his contribution right away this season. It’s no secret that Denver couldn’t cover Tight End’s last season. I’d say that Boss might be the best in the business at doing just that.

As far as the wideouts go, I’m not sold on Samie Parker, but I think Jackson’s signing was a boon for the Broncos. I think he’ll be the Seahawks version of himself, not the 49ers version, mainly because he’s playing in an offense he likes, he’s healthy, and he’s playing for a team that’s somewhat competitive. There’s more in this old post about what I think he equates to in Denver and compares him to the worst buy in football, Javon Walker.

I think that two things will determine the wins and losses this season. One, do the draftees of 2007 contribute at a high level. Denver despearately needs Thomas, Crowder, and especially Moss, to play a lot and make a lot of plays. Ryan Harris isn’t an afterthought, but I haven’t seen enough of him yet. And two, can Denver play at a higher level in the trenches, both offensively and defensively. If the offensive line can stay fairly healthy, get Clady off and running, and get a full season from Nalen and Hamilton, there’s no reason to think that they won’t just be good, but dominant. Now, in all reality, Weigmann is gonna get some PT at one or both Guard spots, but that’s why Denver paid good money for a veratile backup.

In the end, Denver’s offensive and defensive skill position players combined level of talent is one of the highest in the league, and if the big uglies can play at an above average level in 2008, I think Denver will turn LOTS of heads.

The thud of the kickoff rings through the stadium. The ball is in the air and the crowd holds its breath. When it comes down this fall, it’s probably coming to Eddie Royal.

Royal’s blazing 4.3 speed is already the stuff of training camp legend. The 5’8" speedster from West Virginia has an early lock on being a fixture for the return game. But how about his pass catching ability?

"Eddie’s been working with us…" Cutler said, "He looks good – got a lot of speed, gets in and out of his breaks really quick. I was surprised at his hands – I didn’t know he had such great hands… I didn’t see him drop any. Adjusts to the ball well when it’s in the air."

For the fans that see him in the slot as a faster Brandon Stokely, that’s good news. If you ask Coach Shanahan, Eddie Royal, along with Sweet Feet Ryan Clady, has stood out among the rookies.

"Well, we know he can return." Shanahan said. "Punt return, kickoff return. But I’ve been very impressed with his speed, his quickness, his hands, (his) ability to come in in the first four days, learn a position, not make many mistakes. He’s going to help our football team."

Returners who can contribute are rare. Dante Hall’s return skills seemed to diminish as he became part of the offense, and the experiment with Cleveland’s Josh Cribbs is still not over, but Cribbs 6’1" 215 lb frame is made for punishment. At 5’8" and 170 lb, can Eddie Royal handle that load?

Just ask him.