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Denver Broncos News: Horse Tracks - 1/25/11



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"Money ain't Nothing." -- Pending Jets Free Agent, Antonio Cromartie.

Broncos name Allen team's defensive coordinator - The Denver Post
Allen is well-versed in the 4-3 alignment, which Fox figures to use as the Broncos clean up a defense that has surrendered at least 400 points in three of the last four seasons. Allen had been with the Saints for five seasons, during which time Gary Gibbs and Gregg Williams have run a 4-3 defense as the team's coordinator.

Analysis: Broncos' Tebow has a lot to learn from NFL quarterbacks with running ability - The Denver Post
And for Tebow, there was something to be taken from the the AFC and NFC championship games. One, a quarterback who can run his way out of trouble is a bonus. Just a bonus, however, not a way of doing business all of the time.

Q&A: Bank on Fox getting the Broncos' offense closer to a 50-50 split run and pass - The Denver Post
Fox is going to shoot for more balance on offense. But after seeing what the Broncos did offensively in 2009 and 2010, that won't be difficult to achieve. In Josh McDaniels' two seasons (28 games) as their coach and play caller, the Broncos were one-dimensional on offense. They ran the ball just 39 percent of the time in 2010 after running it 42.6 percent of the time in 2009.

Broncos' Brandon Lloyd tabbed second-team NFL All-Pro - The Denver Post
Lloyd, who had 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns in the 2010 season, will play Sunday in Honolulu in his first Pro Bowl. His yards this season rank No. 2 in franchise history, behind Smith's 1,602 in 2000.

Lloyd Named All-Pro " DenverBroncos.com
Atlanta’s Roddy White and Indianapolis’ Reggie Wayne earned the wide receiver spots on the first team. Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe and Detroit’s Calvin Johnson joined Lloyd on the second team.

Team Reports | NFL at CBSSports.com
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS [Ed.Note- Sobering.-styg]

Team Reports | NFL at CBSSports.com
Building that symmetry and like thought is a key reason Denver is sending its entire new coaching staff, front office hierarchy and scouting department to the Senior Bowl. It's not only a way to find premier talent but a way for the team to get on the same page in terms of its philosophy and methodologies.

NFL NEWS

Arthur Blank on the money with Super Bowl analysis | Atlanta Falcons
"Yes, I think there will be football in 2011. We continue to work as hard as we can. We had an owner’s meeting here in Atlanta on Tuesday of (last) week. I had a smaller meeting, a dinner with the commissioner on Monday night, with other owners as he arranged small owner meetings as he continues to pull the ownership together.

NFL Playoffs: Championship game ratings NFL's best since 1997 - ESPN
The AFC game was watched by an average of 54.85 million viewers, breaking the record set by San Diego-Cincinnati in 1982 when the population was smaller.

Super Bowl XLV: Maker of Pittsburgh Steelers' Terrible Towel is Green Bay Packers fan - ESPN
McArthur said he's working on a new version of the "Titletown USA" towel, which the Baraboo-based company located about 135 miles southwest of Green Bay produced for the Packers' 1997 Super Bowl appearance. He hoped to have a design and a name approved by the end of the day Monday.

FYI, Cutler critics: Bears QB has torn MCL - The Denver Post
"First of all, a first-grade tear of an MCL is a boo-boo," said the former Broncos guard, who had several MCL sprains and 20 knee surgeries. "If it truly is a second-degree tear, then yeah, that's legit. There's pain. But I know one guy who would have played with it. I know a bunch of guys who could play with it. Philip Rivers would have played with it. Brett Favre would have played with it. Kyle Orton would have played with it.

Cutler drama reveals Jay has made few friends | All Things Broncos
What we saw was a guy who hated to give interviews, who rarely smiled on the sidelines during games, rarely made public appearances and was generally ambivalent about the "other stuff" that comes along with being a franchise quarterback. In nearly two years in Chicago, Cutler has been largely the same guy, though because of the nature of his arrival in Chicago — he was hailed as a franchise savior — fans seemed to love him more at first only to despise him even more now.

Jay Cutler doesn't deserve criticism for injury in Bears' loss - Paul Daugherty - SI.com
The medicine has advanced. The understanding has progressed. Concussions aren't simply a case of a player getting his bell rung. The evidence, hard and anecdotal, is out there. Whether it's a former lineman concussed into dementia, or a former quarterback whose knees are so wrecked he can't escape an easy chair without help from a forklift, it's obvious what recklessness can do to a man's body. Too bad the culture hasn't caught up with the science.

Is it fair to judge Cutler? | National Football Post
I am not going to say that Cutler was the most liked player in the NFL before yesterday—because he’s not. But I did like seeing Brian Urlacher—a player with a lot of respect in the NFL—stand up for his quarterback.

BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Rap Sheet" Blog Archive " Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, on Ochocinco and the Patriots: "Belichick’s smarter than that."
At the end of the North team’s practice at the Senior Bowl, I wandered over to Bengals coach Marvin Lewis to ask one final question. I wanted to know about his mercurial receiver Chad Ochocinco, who had openly flirted with the Patriots in a Twitter message to me.

Al's after-party, part 2 : SFGate: Raiders Silver and Black Blog
There was some talk of Calvin Johnson. But you can take a look at Calvin up at Detroit. How many games did they win this year, Detroit, do you know? Six? Yeah. But up until now, Calvin hadn't done anything for them. He had been eulogized, but he hadn't made a lot of indelible impression on the won and lost. Listen, someone asked the question, it's there. The JaMarcus thing hurt.

Herschel Walker Ponders NFL Comeback -- NFL FanHouse
"If I continue to stay in the shape I'm in now, I know I can play when I'm 50. Right now, if you asked if I can play today, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind I can play football today, that I can help out a team today." He said that as recently February 2010, he ran a 40-yard dash in 4.38 or 4.39.

Carson Palmer trade? Bengals GM says it's not an option - NFL - SI.com
Palmer's request is an indication he doesn't think the team can win the way it currently operates. Brown said they didn't get into specifics of what was bothering Palmer.

Retractable roof will be closed for Super Bowl XLV - NFL - SI.com
The retractable roof at $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium will be closed for the Super Bowl.

Jerry Angelo blasts Jay Cutler critics for 'dirty pool' - Inside the Bears
I was very surprised. I think it's crap,'' an agitated Angelo said. ''I thought they were a union. If that's the way they unionize, they've got bigger issues than the ones they have wit the owners. I'm very disappointed. That to me is dirty pool.

 

NFL DRAFT

Senior Bowl practice notes: Day 1 | National Football Post
The more I watch Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal, the less I feel like this guy has a position in the NFL. He played with his hand on the ground today and didn’t exhibit the kind of get off burst to consistently threaten the edge, doesn’t have great power through contact and doesn’t use his hands well enough to consistently disengage.

Senior Bowl weigh-in results | National Football Post
California DE Cameron Jordan and Mississippi State’s Pernell McPhee also were really impressive looking athletes. They exhibited well-put together frames, great length (McPhee 34 3/8, Jordan 34 4/8) and certainly looked the part. They’re both bigger defensive end prospects that have the ability to consistently stack and shed in the run game. They also have shown the ability to play clean off the edge and rush the passer.

Source: Dane Sanzenbacher added to Senior Bowl roster | National Football Post
Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher has been added to the Senior Bowl roster, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.

Colin Kaepernick, Leonard Hankerson, Jake Locker updates from Senior Bowl practice - NFL - SI.com
Cameron Jordan/DL/California: Jordan flashed brilliance today as well as a variety of skill. He showcased his terrific athleticism and easily moved about the field, quickly getting up the field to rush the passer or displaying speed chasing the action in pursuit.

Day 1 of N.F.L.'s Unofficial Convention: The Senior Bowl - NYTimes.com
Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin: The former Badger ran solid routes and demonstrated the ability drive the defender into a back pedal to create separation before he breaks back to the ball. Kendricks’s receiving skills aren’t in question; watching him handle top-flight linebackers and defensive ends at the line of scrimmage as a blocker will be a test for him this week.

Economic View - When a First Choice May Not Be the Best Choice - NYTimes.com
How confident should a team be that this early pick is better? Suppose we rank all the players at a given position — running back, linebacker, etc. — in the order they were picked in the draft, then compare any two in consecutive order on the list. What do you think is the chance that the player picked higher will turn out to be better — as judged, say, by number of games started in his first five years in the league?

 

ROCKOUT WITH YOUR MOCKOUT LOCKOUT

De Smith attending meetings with NFL "this week" | ProFootballTalk
Smith, we’re told, is meeting with the league this week. It’s unclear how many days this week will be devoted to the sessions. The full roster of attendees also isn’t known.

NFL Confidential: Are broadcasts too good? Roger Goodell admits it's a concern as blackouts loom | jacksonville.com
"We as a league are focused on it, and it's one of our priorities," he said. "Our challenge is to continue to make it exciting for people who come to our facility. And that comes from a lot of different perspectives. You start with fan conduct. We talk about making sure people feel safe and they have a positive experience when they come to our stadiums. You talk about how to entertain them when they come to our stadiums. We have to do more with technology."

Mark Purdy: Labor issue complicates San Francisco 49ers' QB search - San Jose Mercury News
Let's say the lockout creates a situation where teams must hurry to prepare for the season on two weeks' notice in September or October. Whom would you want behind center for opening day? A quarterback who has studied the playbook all summer and is familiar with the team's receivers? Or a quarterback who has just been plopped down onto the roster via trade or free agency or the draft?

NFL players anxious about impending lockout | Philadelphia Daily News | 01/25/2011
As a player, I know our health insurance expires March 3 and will not be renewed. Offensive line coach Juan Castillo already told me that after March 3, neither he nor any of the staff will be able to contact players or they will risk losing their jobs. I have heard rumors of players' pregnant wives asking to be induced into labor early before their health benefits are cut short. It is really an unsettling and unfortunate time.

Jets coach Rex Ryan calls potential NFL lockout ‘scary times’ - NorthJersey.com
The fifth-year player said both sides "need to get their [expletive] together and get it done. ... "You don’t get no information about nothing from the union or the owners. To tell you the truth, they need to get their damn minds together and get this [expletive] done and stop [complaining] about money. Money ain’t nothing."