Denver Broncos

Nov 11, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee (23) fumbles the ball as he is hit by Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy (76) during the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 36-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports There weren’t many bright spots for the Carolina Panthers in 2012, but one of them was the emergence of defensive end Greg Hardy.  After two frustrating seasons trying to adapt to the pro game the 24-year old finally broke through to have a highly productive year.  While it may be a sign of things to come some must wonder if it will come in time for Carolina as Hardy expects to enter NFL free agency in 2014. Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short picks send interesting message On paper at least it looks like the Panthers may suddenly have something on the defensive line in 2013.  Not only do Greg Hardy and Charles Johnson come in having collected 23.5 sacks a year ago,  they are joined by two promising young defensive tackles in Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short.  This group is brimming with pass rush potential and could serve as the bedrock to a resurgence for the Carolina defense.  Hardy even went so far as to say the goal for him this coming season is to break the 50-sack mark.  Ambitious for sure and a little out of reach but it shows how much confidence he has going into a contract year surrounded by such talent.  Whether the Panthers can keep that talent together must be on the mind of GM Dave Gettleman.  Looking ahead to 2014, Carolina will have $123.6 million locked up in current players.  That is barely below the current cap.  Even if they got a slight bump next year it isn’t likely going to be enough to keep Hardy provided he puts out another double digit season in sacks. Vikings mulling futures of Jared Allen and Kevin Williams Carolina would have to dump at least a couple of their big contracts to save the needed money, and that is something they want to try and avoid.  The issue facing them is the knowledge that teams will line up rather quickly to get Hardy if he hits the open market.  For example, the Minnesota Vikings continue to undergo a rebuilding process.  Two longtime veterans they must worry about are defensive end Jared Allen and defensive tackle Kevin Williams.  Allen is a free agent next year too and may not be keen on staying if Minnesota continues to falter in or out of the playoffs.  Williams meanwhile turns 33 in August.  That is why they drafted Sharrif Floyd in the first round of the draft back in April.  Should Allen leave, Greg Hardy would make the perfect replacement, giving the Vikings a fresh, young defensive front to continue building around moving forward. Considering they could have over $30 million in salary cap space next year, it is a problem Carolina can’t ignore.

The Denver Broncos are optimistic center J.D. Walton will only be out until mid-October, according to a tweet the team released today. That's a much better timeline than the entire 2013 season originally reported as a possibility by the Denver Post earlier today. Center J.D. Walton underwent an additional procedure on his injured left ankle this week. He is expected to be out until mid-October.— Denver Broncos (@DenverBroncos) June 19, 2013 Note that this new timeline, that would end roughly six weeks into the 2013 season, makes Walton a prime candidate for the team's PUP list. Is that outlook too optimistic? It's hard to say whether Walton would be ready to play immediately following his recovery. He's been out since Week 4 of last year. Still, with this smaller recovery timeframe, it makes us wonder if the Broncos will pursue Dan Koppen (which we think they should), or whether they are prepared to approach Walton's absence with an in-house replacement. Stay tuned. Previously:: Report: J.D. Walton could miss 2013 season

J.D. Walton (50) prepares to snap the football during second quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at Sports Authority Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) We’re now in the thick of the off season. Players and coaches are taking their last chunk of time off to relax, recover, and get the engine revved for the beginning of the 2013 season, which begins in late July with training camp. Unfortunately, for some players, this is also the time when additional medical treatment is needed. That’s the case for Denver Broncos center J.D. Walton, who had another surgical procedure on his left ankle to repair some of the hardware that was inserted into the ankle to repair his dislocation from the September 30 game against the Raiders. This surgery could leave him on the sidelines for the Broncos’ entire season. That would be the worst case scenario. Best case would be Walton returning to practice in late-October, according to Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post. This spells bad news for an offensive line that was already battered and bruised in the off season. Chris Kuper had off season ankle surgery as well. Both Ryan Clady and Orlando Franklin had shoulder surgery after the 2012 season. With Walton down and out, that leaves Manny Ramirez to fill in at starting center. The seven-year veteran played in 15 games (11 starts) for the Broncos last year. There’s also the possibility that the Broncos could sign Dan Koppen again. Koppen came up huge last season, starting 12 games. Peyton Manning needs ole reliable getting him the ball. Ramirez didn’t work with Manning much last season at center. Koppen, 34, remains a free agent, and already has great timing with Manning. It’s the surefire way to go, at least from an outside perspective. Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.

Travel Liaison’s note: In conjunction with DenverBroncos.com’s 2013 game previews, we thought fans might like to get more information about the cities that the Broncos will visit in 2013. Here’s a look at some of the DenverBroncos.com contributors’ favorite things about the first of Denver’s 2013 road trip destinations – New York City. Yes, technically the game will be played in New Jersey, but we’re going to call it NYC for the purposes of this blog. If you have any travel tips or favorites about New York City, feel free to leave them in the comments section below for other readers who might be making the trip to watch the game. Week 2 Game Preview Week 2 Photo Gallery Week: 2 Date: Sept. 15 Opponent: New York Giants Time: 4:25 p.m. EDT Stadium: MetLife Stadium Distance from Denver: 1,774 miles, 26 hours by car. Fun Fact About New York City: There are 6,374.6 miles of streets in New York City. Trivia About New York City: Approximately how many people ride the New York City subway each weekday? The answer will be posted in the comments section later today. Team Media Picks Category Gray Caldwell Team Media Editor Stuart Zaas Digital Media Coord. Chris Hall Team Media Manager Andrew Mason Independent Analyst Eric Bakke Team Photographer Favorite Food/Restaurant: Southern Hospitality Carnegie Deli in Midtown Manhattan Any falafel vendor on the Upper East Side Chip Shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn Katz’s Deli, Lower East Side Favorite Place to Visit: Somewhere with a rooftop bar Central Park The airport on my way out of town Michie Stadium, West Point Central Park or Soho Times Visited MetLife Stadium 0 0 0 0 0

Denver Broncos starting center J.D. Walton could miss the 2013 season following further ankle surgery he underwent this week, the Denver Post's Jeff Legwold reports. #Broncos center J.D. Walton has had an additional surgery on his ankle this week. Is expected to miss season. A tough deal for him.— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) June 19, 2013 He could be back 4-5 months from now, which would put him back in uniform by October/November, Legwold goes on to say. #Broncos officials still have some optimism Walton could still be back, if all goes well in healing, by late October or early November.— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) June 19, 2013 Walton suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 4 of the 2012 season, but was expected to be ready for training camp. In fact, it was only yesterday that DenverBroncos.com reiterated that, reporting Walton planned on being 100 percent. Today's news is a surprising, bizarre turn of events. I expect this will re-spark the Broncos' interest in free agent Dan Koppen, who filled in for Walton admirably as Denver's starting center last year. Manny Ramirez has been playing first-team center in Walton's absence in offseason workouts, but other interesting in-house options include moving Chris Kuper or Philip Blake over to center.

So I went and mashed some numbers last night, thanks in large part to Rodney Adams and a bunch of others. I figured I'd clean up all my comments so people can have a look. http://overthecap.com/ Cap used and cap space are below; with rollover, we have basically 38 million for next year. (10.7 + 27.3) 2013 Broncos $118,789,980 $10,697,5632014 Broncos $110,157,397 $27,347,080 Rodney’s listing 41.5* as a ballpark for all our FA’s. That's 3.5 short. Here's a list of some guys who'd bring cap value: (* Rodney actually lists 46.5, but DRC is already counted and has a contract, so I knock that off) (Name/current $/Cap hit 2013 / 2014 / total saved, both years) Joe Mays $4,000,000 $3,333,332 $4,000,000 = 7.3 million savedMike Adams $1,750,000 $2,000,000 = 2 mil savedJacob Tamme $2,625,000 $1,791,666 3 mil = 4.8 savedJoel Dreessen $2,500,000 $1,666,666 2.5 mil = 4.17 savedQuentin Jammer $1,000,000 $1,500,000 = 1.5 savedLance Ball $1,323,000 $1,323,000 = 1.3 savedChris Kuper $4,500,000 $2,669,664 $4 mil = 7 mil savedVickerson 500k $3 mil = really 3 mil for next yearNote: We require wiggle room to sign players if someone gets injured. So rather than 3.5, I'd prefer getting to 8-10. That would leave us good room this year and next for injury buffers. Also, saving anything is good, as we can roll over, seemingly indefinitely. So it's always about nickle and diming our players (to a point), even if we're not in cap hell.http://www.overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Broncos&Year=2014 To see for yourself. Gelder's Conclusion Cut:Given this list, Mays is gone (7.3), I’d hope to cut Adams (2), next year probably cut one of the two TE’s, (2.5) Ball hopefully goes (1.3), and Kuper restructures (save say 2, if not more), giving about 15 available with 9 required for good space. If all goes according to plan, we roll over another 6-10 million after back to back SB wins, and this is with pretty generous FA signings and no Champ restructure. You also have the option of Knighton and Prater if you like as cuts or restructures. Part of Rodneys post, listing his ballpark salaries Ryan Clady, $10M/yrEric Decker, $7M/yr Wesley Woodyard $6MZane Beadles, $4.5M J.D. Walton, $2MChris Harris, $3M (RFA)Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, $5M (already under contract if we don’t void it)Manny Ramirez, $1MBritton Colquitt, 3.5MRobert Ayers, $2MTony Carter, $1.5M (RFA)Mitch Unrein $1M (RFA)I chose not to keep Mike Adams or Trindon Holliday. $46.5M So now we’re in the ballpark of $157M if we bring back all the guys listed above for the 2014 season.After signing the rest of the rookies, we’ll have around $8M in cap room left this year. Let’s figure on spending $3M more of that throughout the season, which gives us $5M to rollover for next year.Next year’s cap ($122Mish) plus rollover ($5M) gives us a spending limit of $127M. With all of the above additions, we’re roughly $30M over the cap for 2014. Cut Willis McGahee this year, and we will save $4.5M over the next two years. Cutting Mays today will save us $8M over the next two years. Cut Kuper’s salary from $9.5M over the next two years to $5M will save us $4.5M. Cut Champ’s 2014 salary from $10.5M to $7M will save us $3.5M. Cut or trade Jacob Tamme next year will save us $3M. That’s $23.5M in savings after those cuts. So I went and mashed some numbers last night, thanks in large part to Rodney Adams and a bunch of others. I figured I'd clean up all my comments so people can have a look. http://overthecap.com/ Cap used and cap space are below; with rollover, we have basically 38 million for next year. (10.7 + 27.3) 2013 Broncos $118,789,980 $10,697,5632014 Broncos $110,157,397 $27,347,080 Rodney’s listing 41.5* as a ballpark for all our FA’s. That's 3.5 short. Here's a list of some guys who'd bring cap value: (* Rodney

It is a truth in sports, and most especially in football, that the best team, the most talented team, doesn't always win. I say especially in football because, of the four major American sports, only football has a one-and-done playoff system. In the other sports, the 5-to7 games of a playoff series usually means that the better team ultimately wins based on the averages working themselves out. Football sees more upsets than any other sport, as we learned to our sorrow this last January. Football is great because any team has a chance to beat any other on any given day. All you need to win a title is to get hot at the right time and get a couple of bounces (and lets call a spade a spade, or calls) go your way. Conversely, it also means you have the lowest margin for error. If you asked 5 Bronco fans on the street why we lost to the Ravens last year, you would probably get at least three different answers. In truth, there was no one single reason why. It was a combination of things, from perhaps a little rust due to the off week, to the injuries to our backfield, to an unfortunate coaching decision at the end of regulation, to a bonehead play on defense, to the Ravens just having a better day..... the list goes on. What I am going to do is point out what I consider to be the single most important underlying causes for our loss, why I think it they been addressed, and why I think that means the AFC is ours to lose. There is an enigma, a paradox to the Denver Broncos as they are constituted today. What is it, you may ask? It is the coexistence of John Fox and Peyton Manning. Foxball is basically the opposite of what Peyton Manning does. Foxball means getting a lead and protecting it on defense while running the ball to shorten the game on offense. Manning's style has always been high-octane, fast-paced, and heavily predicated on the pass. Thankfully, Fox has proved to be fairly flexible, which is what has allowed this collaboration to have the success that it has to this point. However, Fox's conservative nature has reared its head at times, which has resulted in plenty of garbage time points for our opponents, making a number of games closer than they should have been. This has been discussed a number of times on MHR as something of a concern. The problem with Foxball is that this team was really not built for it. This was an offense built to gain yardage in chunks and score points quickly, not grind it out on the ground. And the running backs we had, while certainly capable ball carriers, didn't have the durability to last the season. We all know and have lamented Moreno's injury-prone history, and McGahee at his age and with the miles on his body has proven that, while still talented, he can't stay healthy for a whole season anymore. What this meant is that our running game was anemic at best when the playoffs rolled around. Here is where we come to what I view as the biggest underlying reason we lost: running the ball. We ran the ball a lot in that game. Usually, that's not a bad thing, because usually it means you are in the lead. However, when you only average three yards per carry while your opponent is averaging 4, you have a problem. Late in the game, we saw Fox go back to his conservative nature and try to run the ball to kill the clock. That's great... when you can move the ball and get first downs running it. We were unable to do that. It is easy to say "hey, we have Peyton Manning, we shouldn't have been running at all. Pass it every play!", but that is ignoring the fact that our coach is John Fox. Fox wants to run the ball, and while he has done an admirable job of letting Manning be Manning, ultimately, Fox decides what the game plan will be. Fox's game plans have the team run the ball late when we have the lead. That is just what he does. Unfortunately, our backs were not up to the challenge. Here's where it gets good. Now I will tell you why the Broncos should win it all this year. For what the Broncos wan

First let's get to know each member a little bit better! the_prodigal_fan It is my pleasure to be among the first group of community members to write for the mailbag. For those of you who do not know me, I am a true, dyed-in-the-wool Bronco fanatic. I was born and raised in Colorado, rooting for the Broncos with my family, and I have continued the tradition by imparting wholesome, Bronco-loving values to my children (may they never grow up to be Raider fans). I have also been a fairly active member of MHR since January of 2010, and it has become my favorite spot of the entire interwebs! cheyene kid My complete bio and id at MHR is cheyene kid, which is a nickname my Dad dubbed me with. I loved it when he called me that.. I have been a Broncomaniac for 36 years all the way back to 1977. Was a member of Broncotalk until that morphed away and joined Mile High Report to fill that void. I lived in Denver most of the 80's until an emergency major 12 hr.+ spinal operation to relieve waist down paralysis. Came back to Moline, IL. to heal and recuperate and learn literally how to walk again. Have found 7 men and lady Broncomaniacs that I watch the Broncos with at a sportsbar that I convinced the owner to convert to. Watch at home when I can (9 games last year) and with my Bronco buddies at Wells Fargo Lounge when I can't. the New Bradfather I am 31 on June 20 and have been a Broncos fan since I knew who they were. I do remember watching the 1986 playoff game (actually January 4, 1987) when we beat the Patriots and do recall the Drive so those were good memories. I thought the orange and blue were a cool combination and we always watched the Broncos Sunday afternoons in Utah (thanks to KUTV Channel 2) and this made me a fan more fully. I am a polyglot, which means I know at least 3 languages, am fluent in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish in addition to English. I am a statistician, copy editor, sometimes radio talent, jack of all trades Question 1: What is the Broncos' biggest weakness heading into 2013? the_prodigal_fan It's hard to pick out a glaring weakness in the team, because there really isn't one that stands out in any kind of major way. If pushed to answer, I would have to say middle linebacker is a question mark, but I am also concerned about our kicking game. We were fortunate last season that our offense was prolific enough that we didn't have any games come down to a kick at the gun to win or lose the game. Given Prater's inconsistency last year, I am concerned that we could end up losing an otherwise win-able close game due to a missed kick at the wrong time. cheyene kid The Broncos have a few moderate weaknesses at this point. Will the committee approach to rushing to replace Elvis be effective? I think Ayers, Phillips, Smith and Danny T. will equal and probably beat Elvis output of 10 sacks. The second weakness is how the injured OL will recover and be effective. The team thinks they will all be back by the start of training camp or shortly thereafter, so no major deal. Biggest thing Is they have to learn new plays and zone blocking as Alex Gibbs Is back on staff as a OL consultant. I think they will be okay by the start of the regular season. That leaves the Middle Linebacker (Mike Backer). Nate Irving will have first shot with Richard Johnson and Stewart Bradley also competing. This will be the biggest weakness as only Bradley has had some starting experience. Can any of them step up and be a solid Mike this season? That said, they will only play about a third of the downs per game. If any or all of them can play effectively in any chosen gameday, it will approximate what we had with Keith last year who was brought in as a free agent when Mays went down. So if they struggle in pre-season, I expect the Broncos will bring in another FA. the New Bradfather the Broncos' biggest weakness is middle linebacker, I honestly believe that, it's partially why I wanted Brian Urlacher so much. Von and W

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen isn't usually mentioned as one of the great owners in the NFL by the mainstream media. He should be. Consider the chart below, excerpted from footballgeography.com, and see how it illustrates just how successful and just how relatively young Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is when compared to the NFL's owner elite. And because Pat Bowlen very much belongs in that prestigious club. With 292 wins as owner of the Denver Broncos, Pat Bowlen is already among the Top 10 owners in wins, all-time.That number puts him sixth in AFL/AFC history as well. Franchise From To Seasons Leader W L T W Pct. League Championships Bears 1921 1983 63 seasons George Halas 463 318 40 0.588 8 (1921, '32-33, '40-41, '43, '46, '63) Raiders 1966 2011 46 seasons Al Davis 413 314 8 0.567 4 (AFL 1967, NFL '76, '80, '83) Titans 1960 2012 53 seasons Bud Adams 406 425 6 0.489 2 (AFL 1960-61) Bills 1960 2012 53 seasons Ralph Wilson 384 440 8 0.466 2 (AFL 1964-65) Chiefs 1960 2006 47 seasons Lamar Hunt 381 332 12 0.534 3 (AFL 1962, '66, Super Bowl '69) Steelers 1933 1987 55 seasons Art Rooney 334 362 19 0.467 4 (1974-75, '78-79) Cardinals 1962 2012 51 seasons Bill Bidwill 328 446 13 0.425 Lions 1961 2012 52 seasons William Clay Ford 328 458 15 0.419 Giants 1965 2005 41 seasons Wellington Mara 297 332 4 0.472 2 (1986, '90) Broncos 1984 2012 29 seasons Pat Bowlen 292 199 1 0.595 2 (1997-98) Now, consider: Bowlen is the only owner in the Top 10 with a tenure of under 30 seasons. In fact, he is the only owner in the Top 10 with less than 40 seasons with his club. Bowlen's win percentage (.595) is the highest in the Top 10. Bowlen is six Broncos wins away from moving into the Top 9. Bowlen will very likely cross the 300-win mark in 2013, which will make him the ninth owner to do so. Based on the tenures of other owners with over 300 wins, Bowlen will be one of the fastest owners to reach 300 wins, if not the fastest. I considered Bowlen underrated, but even I was undervaluing Denver's owner of 29 seasons, not knowing he was among the ten winningest owners all time. Between this, recognition for his philanthropy, and the prospect of winning a third Super Bowl in franchise history, 2013 promises to be a big year for Pat Bowlen. A big year among decades of good ones.

When defensive tackle Terrance Knighton met the press after signing his free agent contact with the Broncos, he mentioned that he was hoping for a new nickname now that he’s entered the next chapter of his career in Denver. He even appealed to Broncos Country fans to help him out. And No. 94 is still looking for help. “No, haven’t got one yet,” Knighton said. “I’m going to keep putting it on Twitter until someone comes up with a good one, and once they come up with a good one, I’ll definitely make it known, and tell the guys what to call me from now on.” Without a good one bestowed on him from the fans, it has been up to his fellow players to give their best suggestions. And without giving and details away, Knighton made it clear that he’d prefer whatever the fans can come up with. “I’ve got so many nicknames, so I just want to get one and get it over with,” Knighton said. “And I’m not going to tell you what they call me.” Pot Roast is the nickname he was given with the Jaguars, where he spent his first four NFL seasons after being selected by the team in the third round of the 2009 draft. “Well, you know the name ‘Pot Roast’ is a name that I got in Jacksonville,” Knighton explained at his introductory press conference. “When I’m making plays and doing stuff I’m supposed to be doing, ‘You got roasted.’” The name was given to him by former Jaguars linebacker Clint Ingram, but hasn’t stuck here in Denver. “I haven’t heard that yet, actually,” Knighton said. “I’d rather have that one go away and get rid of these names they give me in the locker room.” So, Broncos fans – any ideas? Go ahead and leave them in the comments section below.