The Broncos needed defensive line depth and think they found some in Vonnie Holliday.
Holliday is capable of starting but if he is then you know your line is hurting. Best case scenario is Holliday providing backup on game days.
The big tackle from North Carolina is not much of a pass rusher anymore but he's always been a fairly productive player (509 career tackles to go with 55.5 sacks).
Don't expect big things from Holliday. Instead, look for more than a Marcus Thomas, Nic Clemons or even Tim Crowder were giving you.
Showing posts with label Broncos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Broncos. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Broncos get positive feedback
The Broncos won a game, a preseason game but it was still a win and it was a shutout and it came over a team that should be competitive in 2009. Beating Arizona is the bright light that new coach Josh McDaniels needed. It was some kind of confidence confirmation for the players too.
Rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater showed he can play. In a preseason game. He's got a long ways to go but he does look coachable and with hard work he could develop. Just hope that starter Kyle Orton and backup Chris Simms don't get hurt at the same time during the regular season.
The defense gets a solid grade in this one.
The season opener is next and the Broncos will have to run the ball better, play the same kind of defense and hope the quarterbacking doesn't doom it's chances of competing well and having a chance to win.
Hold on as it promises to be a rough go in 2009 in year 1 of the McDaniels regime.
Notes
The Broncos running game looks like a weakness unless the line gets healthy and unless Knowshown Moreno has a smash debut.
Rookie Kenny McKinley looks like a real find as a third or fourth receiver. He won't be a star but he could be a productive part of the offense.
I think, but I'm not sure, there was a Jarvis Moss sighting. Will it be enough for him to make the roster, I'm not sure.
Rookie DB David Bruton looks like a contributor to be and the secondary and special teams needs some rambunctious youth.
Rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater showed he can play. In a preseason game. He's got a long ways to go but he does look coachable and with hard work he could develop. Just hope that starter Kyle Orton and backup Chris Simms don't get hurt at the same time during the regular season.
The defense gets a solid grade in this one.
The season opener is next and the Broncos will have to run the ball better, play the same kind of defense and hope the quarterbacking doesn't doom it's chances of competing well and having a chance to win.
Hold on as it promises to be a rough go in 2009 in year 1 of the McDaniels regime.
Notes
The Broncos running game looks like a weakness unless the line gets healthy and unless Knowshown Moreno has a smash debut.
Rookie Kenny McKinley looks like a real find as a third or fourth receiver. He won't be a star but he could be a productive part of the offense.
I think, but I'm not sure, there was a Jarvis Moss sighting. Will it be enough for him to make the roster, I'm not sure.
Rookie DB David Bruton looks like a contributor to be and the secondary and special teams needs some rambunctious youth.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Broncos compete but lacking firepower
Jay Cutler was back in Denver but the return hardly mattered as it was but a preseason game. The former Broncos' quarterback started slow but had a solid evening (15-21, 144 yards, 1 TD) in a 27-17 Bears' win but the reason for the evening was to see how and if the Broncos would progress.
Kyle Orton was accurate (12-16) but hardly special. Rookie Tom Brandstater showed glimpses of potential (8-12, 110 yards) even though he threw an interception. Fellow rookie Kenny McKinley, a wideout from South Carolina and a Steve Spurrier favorite, grabbed four balls for 75 yards. That's the good news. The bad news is the Broncos struggled to run the ball and were penalty plagued.
And a not-so-irrelevant fact is that Denver is now 0-3.
This is not a situation of the team looking at a lot of players and getting ready for the season. This is a team lacking in explosive talent with running back Knowshon Moreno out with an injury and receiver Brandon Marshall struggling with maturity.
Marshall is going to be a cancer if not traded yet his value is at an all-time low.
Moreno needs to get and stay healthy.
Kyle Orton was accurate (12-16) but hardly special. Rookie Tom Brandstater showed glimpses of potential (8-12, 110 yards) even though he threw an interception. Fellow rookie Kenny McKinley, a wideout from South Carolina and a Steve Spurrier favorite, grabbed four balls for 75 yards. That's the good news. The bad news is the Broncos struggled to run the ball and were penalty plagued.
And a not-so-irrelevant fact is that Denver is now 0-3.
This is not a situation of the team looking at a lot of players and getting ready for the season. This is a team lacking in explosive talent with running back Knowshon Moreno out with an injury and receiver Brandon Marshall struggling with maturity.
Marshall is going to be a cancer if not traded yet his value is at an all-time low.
Moreno needs to get and stay healthy.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Martin signed and Cutler talking drivel
Ingle Martin has been signed by the Broncos to play some quarterback, maybe, in the preseason. Forget spending the time researching Martin because the odds are astronomical he sticks with the team. Anyone signed in late August isn't too desirable. Martin, to be fair, and we do want to be fair, could see a lot of pieces come into play (injuries) to get a longer stay in Denver but right now, his appearance will be a lot more about getting some snaps in practice and a game to show the Broncos and other teams he has the goods to get a call later on this season if the need (again, injuries) arise.
Jay Cutler is downplaying his nasty feelings toward coach Josh McDaniels and the Broncos but don't believe a word he's saying -- he's so happy to be out of Denver and away from McDaniels. While Cutler has the talent to be a star for many years his attitude will likely doom him from achieving superstardom. His arrogance will need a come-uppance, which will come with time and experience, before Cutler thrives as a teammate and winner.
Honestly, the Broncos got a solid return in trading Cutler to the Bears but it's still highly questionable what they've done so far with the draft picks.
Jay Cutler is downplaying his nasty feelings toward coach Josh McDaniels and the Broncos but don't believe a word he's saying -- he's so happy to be out of Denver and away from McDaniels. While Cutler has the talent to be a star for many years his attitude will likely doom him from achieving superstardom. His arrogance will need a come-uppance, which will come with time and experience, before Cutler thrives as a teammate and winner.
Honestly, the Broncos got a solid return in trading Cutler to the Bears but it's still highly questionable what they've done so far with the draft picks.
Broncos trade for handyman
Versatile blocker Russ Hochstein is the latest New England-to-Denver import after the Patriots and Broncos, who continue to get better acquainted, agreed to a trade for an undisclosed draft choice as compensation.
This trade, on the surface, only elicits a yawn but if Hochstein is right, as in healthy then obviously Josh McDaniels sees an important role for the man.
Versatility is a Patriots mandate so Hochstein must have it to be desired.
This trade, on the surface, only elicits a yawn but if Hochstein is right, as in healthy then obviously Josh McDaniels sees an important role for the man.
Versatility is a Patriots mandate so Hochstein must have it to be desired.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Orton improvement must show quickly
Kyle Orton must accept the responsibility of being a starting quarterback in Denver. His performance against San Francisco in the Broncos' first exhibition game was rated R. He must get a passing grade the second time around.
As strong as Chris Simms looked in relief he's not a starting quarterback in the National Football League. Orton has to be the guy or the Broncos could struggle to win 4 games. It's Orton and a prayer. The former Purdue slinger can play but only if he's a part of the machine, not the engine.
Orton knows what's expected of him, especially in Denver.
Coach Josh McDaniels knows he must win with Orton or look the part of the fool after the mutually embarrassing and costly Jay Cutler business blowup. This promises to be a rocky ride but the Broncos' quarterback and his head coach will be committed to proving doubters wrong.
As strong as Chris Simms looked in relief he's not a starting quarterback in the National Football League. Orton has to be the guy or the Broncos could struggle to win 4 games. It's Orton and a prayer. The former Purdue slinger can play but only if he's a part of the machine, not the engine.
Orton knows what's expected of him, especially in Denver.
Coach Josh McDaniels knows he must win with Orton or look the part of the fool after the mutually embarrassing and costly Jay Cutler business blowup. This promises to be a rocky ride but the Broncos' quarterback and his head coach will be committed to proving doubters wrong.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Colorado will always be Broncos first
Colorado is a good baseball state, Denver a good baseball town, by any measuring stick, but football, Mark Kiszla (see Denver Post), is where most Coloradans hearts have been, are and will be for as far as we can see in the future.
The Rockies are a nice story but they have minimal winning tradition while the Broncos have a long history of playoff appearances, Super Bowls and a pair of championships. The Rockies have been in two playoffs, made one World Series, where they, like the Broncos before them, laid an egg.
Brandon Marshall is becoming the Brett Favre of the Rocky Mountain region in that his name is becoming like fingernails on the chalkboard -- much ado not about football. Soap opera. School-age drama. It's only a matter of time before Marshall is wearing another uniform in what has to be the strangest offseason in Broncos' history. Maybe he'd man up for a coach like Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, or Mike Smith. Maybe he'd toe the line for Tony Sparano in Miami with Bill Parcells in management.
Ever confident quarterback Jay Cutler, he formerly of Denver and now a Chicago employee, feels his one Pro Bowl is deserving of assistant general manager privilege in the Windy City, where Cutler should wants a strong say in personnel matters. The Bears found themselves a prima donna who just happens to have some playing ability too. Only time will tell if the increasingly bold quarterback can successfully juggle his desire to coach, have personnel decision-making duties and play the actual game.
Cutler's replacement Kyle Orton is a guy who could manage a quality team to the playoffs. One problem though, the Broncos are no longer a good team. Not even ego maniacal new coach Josh McDaniels will be able to make chicken salad out of an offense lacking an uber-talented quarterback, a big-target, highly-productive wide receiver (Marshall will be jettisoned before the season opener) and a new system, a new culture.
The Broncos' defense might surprisingly be the story of 2010. Players to watch outside of the Hall of Fame cornerback on the roster include Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers and according to coaches and the media, one Ronald Fields. A sleeper could be D.J. Williams. Maybe this coaching staff will find a way to get the most out of the playmaking-lacking linebacker with high-level athleticism.
The Rockies are a nice story but they have minimal winning tradition while the Broncos have a long history of playoff appearances, Super Bowls and a pair of championships. The Rockies have been in two playoffs, made one World Series, where they, like the Broncos before them, laid an egg.
Brandon Marshall is becoming the Brett Favre of the Rocky Mountain region in that his name is becoming like fingernails on the chalkboard -- much ado not about football. Soap opera. School-age drama. It's only a matter of time before Marshall is wearing another uniform in what has to be the strangest offseason in Broncos' history. Maybe he'd man up for a coach like Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, or Mike Smith. Maybe he'd toe the line for Tony Sparano in Miami with Bill Parcells in management.
Ever confident quarterback Jay Cutler, he formerly of Denver and now a Chicago employee, feels his one Pro Bowl is deserving of assistant general manager privilege in the Windy City, where Cutler should wants a strong say in personnel matters. The Bears found themselves a prima donna who just happens to have some playing ability too. Only time will tell if the increasingly bold quarterback can successfully juggle his desire to coach, have personnel decision-making duties and play the actual game.
Cutler's replacement Kyle Orton is a guy who could manage a quality team to the playoffs. One problem though, the Broncos are no longer a good team. Not even ego maniacal new coach Josh McDaniels will be able to make chicken salad out of an offense lacking an uber-talented quarterback, a big-target, highly-productive wide receiver (Marshall will be jettisoned before the season opener) and a new system, a new culture.
The Broncos' defense might surprisingly be the story of 2010. Players to watch outside of the Hall of Fame cornerback on the roster include Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers and according to coaches and the media, one Ronald Fields. A sleeper could be D.J. Williams. Maybe this coaching staff will find a way to get the most out of the playmaking-lacking linebacker with high-level athleticism.
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