The 2019 Broncos are a tough nut to crack

I almost hate to link any real season preview from ESPN, but I did anyway because it is interesting at least to talk about and / or laugh at.

What is this Denver Broncos team going to look like?

We honestly have no clue...just a bunch of guesses.

Sifting through the training camp / preseason moves, discussion, and quotes I can tell you this team is being retooled into something better. There are just too many moves, too many question marks, and too much insight from our new head coach for me to think anything other than that he’s trying to make a very nice chicken salad and doesn’t quite have the right ingredients if you catch my drift.

I do believe in this team. I do believe there is untapped talent on it as well (that was a big theme we wrote about the past two years covering the Broncos). But whether it was the inept coaching or past ineptness from the front office in drafting, holes are there and need to be filled.

I’m excited to see this team at least be competitive this year. I don’t feel like they were last year at all. 8 wins? 9 wins? 10 wins? Maybe a playoff appearance. Sure...I’ll take any of that because at least the team will be headed in the right direction.

Your Denver Broncos News

Broncos roster additions could make immediate impact
There were a slew of new faces at Broncos practice on Monday, and they could make an impact as early as Week 1.

Player Q&A: Shelby Harris on his path to the Broncos and more
The Broncos' nose tackle discusses his optimism for the season, his path in the NFL and why he's such a big fan of NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Denver Broncos 2019 season preview - Can Joe Flacco fix the offense?
The Broncos are coming off back-to-back double-digit loss seasons, but think they finally have the post-Peyton Manning answer at quarterback in Joe Flacco.

Lesser NFL teams’ news and notes of interest

Rams, Goff agree to terms on 4-year, $134M extension - NFL.com
The Los Angeles Rams have locked down Jared Goff. The team has agreed to terms with the quarterback on a four-year contract extension, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network's Michael Silver reported.

Ezekiel Elliott returns to Dallas with deal 'very close' - NFL.com
After spending the past month in Cabo San Lucas, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is flying back to the Dallas area in case his extension gets done, Ian Rapoport reports. Zeke Watch might soon be over.

Khalil Mack: 'So. (Bleeping). Ready.' for season to start - NFL.com
Week 1 is here and Chicago Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack is eager for the regular season to start. Mack sat out the entire preseason and is ready to take the field.

2018 Rate of Adjusted Pressure | Football Outsiders
Welcome to the 2018 Rate of Adjusted Pressure Numbers! And yes, just in time for the 2019 upcoming season which is upon us. For those who missed the origins and methodology behind RAP, see this link. Reminder, all data comes from Football Outsiders' game charting data (collected first by FO staff and volunteers, then in conjunction with ESPN Stats & Info, and since 2015 by Sports Info Solutions).

Scramble for the Ball: 2019 Awards and Stat Predictions | Football Outsiders
Hello, and welcome to the final preseason Scramble for the Ball before the 2019 NFL season kicks off on Thursday night. The bloated preseason rosters have all now been pruned, some more savagely than others, and the final pieces of reshuffling -- or, uh, extreme landscape reengineering in the case of Bill O'Brien -- are almost complete.

Andrew Luck retirement: Life, future outside football | SI.com
He stunned the NFL when he announced his retirement at age 29, just weeks before the start of the regular season. Everyone knows Andrew Luck was one of the sport’s most cerebral stars. But conversations with those who know him from endeavors off the field—authors, academics, architects—paint a fuller picture of a man who is, and always was, fascinated by many things outside the sport that made him famous.

Patriots re-sign Demaryius Thomas, place N'Keal Harry on IR | SI.com
Thomas spent his offseason rehabbing last year’s torn Achilles.

NFL 100: Sports Illustrated's history of league, pro football | SI.com
Anniversaries are always a good time for list-making, and as the NFL kicks off its 100th season, The MMQB and SI dive into the colorful, convoluted history of the league that now dominates the sports landscape. Over the last century, professional football has evolved from a slap-dash enterprise in a handful of mid-sized American towns—Decatur, Rock Island, Green Bay—to the multibillion-dollar juggernaut that rules fall Sundays, boasts the most watched television programming in the country, and serves as an obsession for millions of Americans.