Denver Broncos

When looking to the Denver Broncos, fantasy owners likely see nothing but profit and production. But the addition of Wes Welker may have a negative impact in the grand scheme.

"The Atlanta game was such an oddball," Peyton Manning began. "I kind of put an asterisk by it when we studied ourselves in the offseason." The situation is burned into the minds of many a Broncos fan. There the Broncos stood, in only the second game of the 2012 season, on Monday Night Football in enemy territory. The Broncos were dumbstruck, down 20-0 in the second quarter. Their prized offseason acquisition, quarterback Peyton Manning, had thrown three first quarter interceptions to put them in this hole. After months of talk about whether Manning would return to full form, many would admit that doubts were starting to creep in. However, as Manning looks back on it, it wasn't the new team, or the lack of physical ability, or even football experience since the injury that kept him from playing well against the Falcons. It was rustiness from having not played on the road. "Looking back on it, where we screwed up is that I didn't play on the road in the preseason at all." "Looking back on it, where we screwed up is that I didn't play on the road in the preseason at all," Manning said. "I played one series against Chicago. It was raining. Half the people left. I didn't play against Arizona at all. I don't know. Home is different than on the road." To that point in his short Broncos career, Manning had played parts of three preseason games and all of one regular season game. At home, he had played over a quarter of football against the Seattle Seahawks and a half of football against the San Francisco 49ers. In the regular season, he led the Broncos to an opening week win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. His only road action was a full month earlier -- Preseason Week One against the Chicago Bears. Manning played one series. In Atlanta, after a year out of football, one rain-soaked series a month earlier just wasn't enough. "I wasn't ready for it. I am not sure the preseason would have gotten me ready, but I should have played. I remember telling Coach Fox, I apologize that I didn't not feel good (sic). We really could have won that game had I not spotted them 21 (sic) points." Perhaps that explains part of the Broncos preseason schedule this year. For many recent years now, Denver has closed out the preseason in Arizona on the road. Yet in 2013, Manning will get a few more opportunities to play on the road, as Denver's Week Four preseason game is a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Substituting Week Four for a home game -- where Manning certainly won't play -- will give Manning a few more snaps in enemy territory. A few more snaps to find his comfort zone on the road. "I did not feel comfortable in that game," Manning admitted. "I made some decisions that just were not good." "At no point at any other time of the season did I have that feeling."

Written by Rich Arleo Edited by Marc Caviglia To help better prepare you for your upcoming 2013 fantasy football drafts we have has decided to take a close look at each team’s depth and predict how each players role will play out during the 2013 NFL season. These fantasy football depth charts will cover every position, however the main focus will be on the running back and wide receiver positions, since fantasy football owners have the toughest time projecting these positions. Keep in mind our NFL Depth Charts are fantasy football specific. ::UPDATED: MAY 23, 2013 Denver Broncos Depth Chart QB1: Peyton Manning | QB2: Brock Osweiler | QB3: Zac Dysert RB1: Montee Ball | RB2: Willis McGahee | RB3: Knowshon Moreno | RB4: Ronnie Hillman | RB5: Lance Ball WR1: Demaryius Thomas | WR2: Wes Welker | WR3: Eric Decker | WR4: Tavarres King TE1: Joel Dreesen | TE2: Jacob Tamme K: Matt Prater 2012 In Review The Denver Broncos brought in Peyton Manning with the hope he could overcome his neck issues and revert back to Hall of Fame form, and that’s exactly what he did. Manning threw for a whopping 4,658 yards, good for sixth best in the league, to go along with 37 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions (105.8 quarterback rating). Manning gained an instant rapport with receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Thomas became a top-flight WR1 with 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns while Decker was also a top 20 receiver with 1,064 yards and 13 touchdowns. Veteran Brandon Stokley also made some plays with 544 yards and five touchdowns. Manning also found his tight ends Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen. Tamme led the duo with 544 yards and two touchdowns while Dreesen scored five times with 356 yards. The run game also flourished with Manning under center. Willis McGahee was on his way to a big year before his season ended with yet another knee injury. After McGahee went down, Knowshon Moreno filled in well as both a receiver and runner. Rookie Ronnie Hillman showed some talent in limited time but he may not be able to cut it as a workhorse back, while Lance Ball fell out of favor and was limited to 42 carries all season. At kicker, Matt Prater had another very solid season and has established himself as one of the beck kickers in the NFL. What to Expect in 2013 Denver will look to build on a great season as much of the group returns…along with one big addition. Wes Welker left the New England Patriots and joins Thomas and Decker to form quite simply the best wide receiver corps in the league and in fantasy football as well. All three should be starting fantasy football receivers; the only issue may be with Decker as he could lose some targets to Welker. Thomas should remain unaffected, but all three will put up very good numbers. Manning owners can expect more of the same as long as the neck issues don’t flare up. He should be drafted as a top 5 fantasy football quarterback in re-draft formats and repeat with about 4,500 yards and 35-plus touchdowns. With Welker basically replacing Stokley, he could be even better. The backfield situation heading into 2013 is not as clear as the passing game. Montee Ball was taken in Round 2 of the NFL Draft and immediately has the most upside out of anyone in the backfield. McGahee and Moreno both are recovering from knee issues and the Broncos could look to pair him with Hillman while letting go of either (or both) of the veterans. Hillman should be able to see consistent carries this year along with Ball. McGahee and Moreno are only worth late-round picks at this point, and either could be jobless before the season starts. Tight ends Tamme and Dreessen return and will likely see a pretty even split of targets for a second straight year. They are tough to trust as anything other than bye week replacements. It’s rather random which back produces each week, so starting either one of them will always be a risk. Prater is one of the best fantasy football ki

Wes Welker Category 2012 Output Over/Under Bronco Mike's bet Targets 174 120 Under Receptions 118 80 Over Yards 1354 1000 Under TD 6 10 Under Drops 15 10 Under Average 11.5 12.0 Under Here's where we have to manage expectations Broncos Country. Wes Welker, slot guy or no, was NE's #1 WR. It is absolutely insane that he was targeted 174 times, and that should tell you not only how vital he was to NE's offense, it should also tell you Tom Brady didn't have a lot of other options. Gronk and Hernandez aside, there wasn't much else especially on the outside. He's not going to have 174 targets, he's probably going to be targeted between 100-110 times. That's plenty. I expect him to surpass 80 receptions, but you shouldn't see him hit 100. Peyton Manning spreads the ball, Welker is not going to be Peyton Manning's blanky like he was to Tom Brady. He's here to move the chains, keep the heat of our outside guys, and give our intermediate passing game (which is already prolific) a boost. Against the Flow: Welker's Impact in 2013 Topher Doll analyzes what Broncos Country should expect from Wes Welker in 2013 The number one area I'm worried about is drops. Welker led the league in drops last season with 15. Demaryius Thomas averaged a drop about every 14 targets. Welker averaged a drop every 11 or 12 targets. It's just enough to add up over the course of the season. This is an area where I think Stokley was better. His hands were Velcro and you could count on him to make the tough catch. Fair or not, Welker has a reputation for drops in big games. Here's hoping his focus helps solve that issue in 2013. (Click to Embiggen) As you can see Welker is not a deep threat, he can beat defenses down the seem, but that isn't his purpose. You'll see a lot of short and quick stuff with him. Slants, outs, ins, hitches/comebacks, and the WR screen should all provide the Broncos with consistent and guaranteed production. Think of his use as an extension to the running game with more explosive capability in YAC. Wes never really seemed like a "Patriot" to me. He has far too much personality and humor to be lumped in with those jokers;) More From Over/Under (click links) Peyton Manning Montee Ball Demaryius Thomas Eric Decker Poll Over/Under 100 receptions Over Under Push 55 votes | Results

Bruce Kluckhohn-US Presswire The departure of Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil was a shock to everyone. Having accumulated 11 sacks last season and even further solidifying himself as a dominant pass rusher in the NFL, the Denver Broncos could not fix the paperwork debacle in time to keep the dominant end. Of course to make matters even worse, the San Diego Chargers, a division rival, have recently signed free-agent Dwight Freeney to a two-year deal. And yet as surprising and unfortunate as the situation appears to be, the Broncos may have upgraded their defensive line even further, nearly to the point where Dumervil may not even be missed. Within days of losing Dumervil to the Baltimore Ravens, the Broncos scooped up ex-Jacksonville Jaguar Terrance Knighton to bring much-needed veteran power to the interior line. Now reunited with his former head coach Jack Del Rio, Knighton is exceptionally fast off the ball and known for his elusive pass rush, which only adds to the aggressive nature of the defense. With a 330-pound frame, Knighton is naturally a run-stuffer who will allow the Broncos to have more rotation ability for guys like Derek Wolfe and Kevin Vickerson. The Broncos have also added Sylvester Williams from North Carolina to add even more versatility and size to the interior. Besides these two acquisitions, the Broncos also scooped up Shaun Phillips from the Chargers. Philips, now in his ninth season, amassed nine sacks last year and will most likely fill the void of outside pass rush. Alongside defensive MVP Von Miller, Philips allows Del Rio to keep his aggressive 4-3 front strategy while still being able to switch players to various roles. With veterans like Philips and Knighton, the Broncos expect to replace the production of Dumervil quickly and continue to be one of the most dominant defensive teams in the league. Gary Fiore is a writer for Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @gmf721 and him to your circle on Google.

Former center and soon to be Ring-of-Famer Tom Nalen talks candidly about his career and what it means to be acknowledged by the Broncos.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports A positive attitude can go a long way in the NFL and after a very disappointing playoff performance by cornerback Rahim Moore, the shaken-up veteran vows to return with a vengeance. Putting the past behind him, Moore strives to return to his prestige condition and more importantly, win back the confidence of both the fans and the organization. “The thing is it’s like life in general: you have to move on. You’re going to have some good days, some bad days. But you can’t just thrive on the good days all the time,” Moore told ESPN. “The fans, that’s what they’re supposed to do, that’s why they’re there for us, they pay all their money, their hard-earned money and they want to see greatness. So, I don’t fault them at all.” Last season during the divisional playoffs, Moore blew his coverage on receiver Jacoby Jones on a play that would lead to an eventual tie by the Baltimore Ravens and of course, eventually an overtime victory for the soon-to-be Super Bowl champions. Heading into the playoffs, the Denver Broncos were granted the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the finishing the season with a 13-3 record that included 11-straight victories. The Broncos were obviously the favorite to win their playoff match against the visiting Ravens. Now, months after the unexpected and devastating collapse, Moore, who has taken heavy criticism and ultimately the blame for the monumental loss, has been held up by fellow teammates and family for guidance to stay focused on getting better, despite the discerning opinions. “It’s a part of life, it’s a part of being a football player,” Moore recounted. “There’s so many good football players out there that there’s going to be some good and some bad [plays]. They lifted me up and it was a great thing, because that’s what Coach Fox preaches is us being a team, and they did a great job … It’s been a great offseason, so we’re on a mission.” Moore is certainly in good company with his Broncos teammates. He is widely respected in the weight room, and the coaching staff truly believes that his greatest potential has not been met. And now with Charles Woodson heading to the Oakland Raiders, Moore will have even less competition come August. Gary Fiore is a writer for Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @gmf721 and at Google.

I violated my own rules when ranking the Browns. They play in a strong division, have not proven they can win close games and have a culture of losing. Most teams with those issues would end up in the bottom five overall, but I had the misfortune of seeing this team play several times last season and I came away impressed even though they lost all of those games. This team doesn't get the credit they deserve defensively, and I am not a huge believer in the Baltimore Ravens heading in 2013, nor do I have much faith in the Pittsburgh Steelers, but until those two top dogs are knocked from their perches consistently, I have to keep ranking them ahead of teams like the Browns. 19. Cleveland Browns (2012 Record: 5-11) Browns 2013 Draft Picks 1.6 Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU 3.6 Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State 6.7 Jamoris Slaughter, SS, Notre Dame 7.11 Armonty Bryant, DE, East Central (OK) 7.21 Garrett Gilkey, OT, Chadron St. The best 5-11 team last year was easily the Browns. Their defense is perfectly suited for the AFC North and they lost quite a few hard fought games last year that could have gone their way had they any offensive weapons. I still think their quarterback situation is going to be a disaster this year and they may want to bring in Tim Tebow just because. Even with as ugly as their quarterback play is, the Browns actually improved their defense significantly over last year and added a few more offensive weapons. This team should win more games, but they are finding themselves in a division that already has three playoff caliber teams and a defending Super Bowl champion. It's going to be rough. Somehow, someway, I think the Browns scrape together enough wins against non-divisional rivals to finish close to a .500 record. The key will be how the players respond to being a good football team, but still the 4th best in their division. It's concerning, because they do not have the same reservations about character as most teams do and low character guys on a losing team is always a recipe for trouble. Previous: 20. Kansas City Chiefs Next: Tune in tomorrow at Noon MST Follow Me on Twitter!Like Me on Facebook! Poll The Cleveland Browns are one of my surprise teams in 2013, but do you think they are ranked too high here? Too High Too Low Just Right 89 votes | Results

It has been speculated by some Broncos faithful that former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan was far more interested in beating the Oakland Raiders than in how the team did during the rest of any given season. It would be an understatement of monstrous proportions to say that there was bad blood between Shanahan and former Raiders owner Al Davis. In Shanahan's first four years as the Broncos head coach, he posted a 7-1 record against the Raiders. After Elway's retirement, he continued to pump the Broncos up to play Oakland and built up a 14-6 record for an overall record of 21-7 versus the Raiders. In his fourteen seasons as Denver's head coach, Shanahan swept the Raiders eight times and was only swept by them once. By way of comparison, the Shanahan Broncos went 14-14-0 versus Kansas City and 17-11 versus the Chargers. The last five meetings between the teams (four under head coach John Fox and one under interim head coach Eric Studesville) have not been quite as dominant, with the Broncos losing the first two meetings of that series and winning the last three. Denver Broncos Schedule Take a deeper look into the 2013 Broncos schedule. On Week 15 of the 2010 season, Eric Studesville and Tim Tebow led the 3-10-0 Denver Broncos into Oakland-Alameda Coliseum to face the 6-7-0 Oakland Raiders. Initially, the teams looked to be evenly matched. Oakland went up 7-0, the Denver tied it at 7-7. The Broncos went ahead 14-7 but the Raiders were able to tie it at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. The teams exchanged field goals to make it 17-17 at the half. The teams exchanged field goals in the third to advance the score to 20-20. The Raiders posted a second field goal in that quarter to take a 23-20 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos surrendered a 73-yard pass and catch play for a touchdown to fall behind 30-20. A field goal cut that deficit to 30-23. A safety made it 32-23 and the Raiders were able to follow up the ensuing free kick with another touchdown drive for the final margin of 39-23. The Broncos -- now coached by John Fox -- and Raiders split their games in 2011. Oakland came into Denver on Week 1 and, after falling behind 3-0, built a 16-3 halftime lead, assisted by a Broncos' fumble, missed field goal and an interception. In the third quarter, Eric Decker returned a punt 90 yard for a touchdown to cut the lead to 16-10. A Denver field goal cut the lead to 16-13 at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter, a Denver fumble led to another Oakland touchdown, making the score 23-13. The Broncos rallied for a touchdown of their own to make the score 23-20, but were unable to prevent Oakland from running the last 3:43 off the clock to secure the victory. Week 9 of the 2011 season saw a very different matchup play itself out in Oakland. The Raiders had built up a 17-10 halftime lead and then broken a 17-17 tie to take a 24-17 lead with 6:38 left in the third quarter. A Matt Prater field goal narrowed the gap to 24-20. The Raiders next possession was ended by an interception and the Broncos capitalized on that with a 60-yard touchdown run by Willis McGahee to take a 27-24 lead. In the fourth quarter, Denver added two more touchdowns -- the first on an 85-yard punt return by Eddie Royal, the second on a 24-yard touchdown run by McGahee -- to take a 38-24 lead. Oakland's final possession was ended by a Champ Bailey interception In 2012, the Broncos swept Oakland for the first time since 2006. The first time came when Denver hosted the Raiders on Week 4. This game was a beat-down, pure and simple. When the dust had settled, the Broncos had outgained Oakland 503-237 and outscored the Raiders 37-6. Denver built a 10-3 lead by the end of the first quarter then saw the Raiders edge closer to 10-6 at the half. The second half opened with an Oakland 3-and-out that was followed by a Broncos' touchdown drive that made the score 17-6. Another 3-and-out was followed by another Broncos' touchdown and a 24

Louis Vasquez speaks to the media following his free agent signing at the teams training facility. (Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE) The Denver Broncos absolutely had to beef up their offensive line in the off season. With J.D Walton, Chris Kuper, Orlando Franklin, and Ryan Clady all having surgery on varying body parts over the last year, the line had to be addressed in free agency. That’s why the team signed former San Diego Chargers guard Louis Vasquez to a four-year deal. “Personality-wise, I think he fits in great with our offense,” offensive coordinator Adam Gase said. “I really like ‘Lou.’ He’s a big dude. He gets his hands on you and can slow you down real quick. I think he’s picking up the offense as quickly as he can and we’re seeing a big improvement from that group.” During OTA’s, Manny Rameriez has played center with the first team at certain times, and Chris Clark has filled in for Clady at left tackle. Vasquez has been in at right guard. Once Kuper is ready to go, the Broncos will look to move him to left guard so that Vasquez can remain next to Franklin. “Getting to work alongside Orlando [Franklin] and as of now, Manny [Ramirez], a former college teammate, it’s been real good and comforting as far as having played next to him before and having that previous chemistry,” Vasquez said. Vasquez has that chemistry with Franklin because he lived with the tackle for a couple of weeks when he first moved to Denver. “I called him because I knew Manny [Ramirez] was married and he has two kids now, so I didn’t want to just [infringe] on that and with Orlando being a young guy still, I called him and I asked him, ‘Hey, do you have any room and if so, do you mind me staying with you?’ That way I can learn my way around Denver and because I’ll be playing next to him predominantly, so it’s always good to get to know who you’re playing next to.” Vasquez went on to say that building chemistry off the field is just as important as constructing it on the field. “They both go hand-in-hand. Once you get both of those down, it’s kind of like you give each other a look and you know what each other is thinking. It’s just one of those deals where you can’t build it overnight.” With plenty of work still ahead, it sounds like Vasquez is getting off on the right foot. That’s important considering the steep learning curve of a Peyton Manning-led offense, and one that’s set to be run at a much faster pace this year. Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.