The Denver Broncos on Saturday made several transactions to reduce their roster to the 53-man limit, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

The club waived 17 players while placing running back Anthony Alridge (left foot) and fullback Cecil Sapp (left quadriceps) on its reserve/injured list. Denver also moved tight end Brett Pierce (left ankle) to its waived/injured list.

Beginning Sunday, the Broncos can establish a practice squad of up to eight players.

The following 17 players were waived by the Broncos on Saturday:

Player                                     NFL Exp.               College                           

G P.J. Alexander                            6                      Syracuse

S Josh Barrett                               R                     Arizona State

LB Jordan Beck                             4                      Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo

DE Larry Birdine                            2                      Oklahoma

DE Paul Carrington                       3                      Central Florida

CB Wale Dada                              1                      Washington State

G Mitch Erickson                           R                     South Dakota State

G Dylan Gandy                              4                      Texas Tech

QB Darrell Hackney                      2                      Alabama-Birmingham

DT Steven Harris                           2                      Florida

WR Glenn Martinez                       3                      Saginaw Valley State

WR Marquay McDaniel                 1                      Hampton

TE Chad Mustard                          5                      North Dakota

P Sam Paulescu                           2                      Oregon State

CB Tyrone Poole                          13                     Fort Valley State

WR Clifford Russell                      6                      Utah

S Vickiel Vaughn                            2                      Arkansas

For the Official List, CLICK HERE!

Player                                     NFL Exp.               College                           

G P.J. Alexander                            6                      Syracuse

S Josh Barrett                               R                     Arizona State

LB Jordan Beck                             4                      Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo

DE Larry Birdine                            2                      Oklahoma

DE Paul Carrington                       3                      Central Florida

CB Wale Dada                              1                      Washington State

G Mitch Erickson                           R                     South Dakota State

G Dylan Gandy                              4                      Texas Tech

QB Darrell Hackney                      2                      Alabama-Birmingham

DT Steven Harris                           2                      Florida

WR Glenn Martinez                       3                      Saginaw Valley State

WR Marquay McDaniel                 1                      Hampton

TE Chad Mustard                          5                      North Dakota

P Sam Paulescu                           2                      Oregon State

CB Tyrone Poole                          13                     Fort Valley State

WR Clifford Russell                      6                      Utah

S Vickiel Vaughn                            2                      Arkansas

A Mix of Good and Bad

The thing about our 'backers going forward, is that Bob Slowik, our new defensive head-honcho, will have to make a few choices.

He will have to choose between versatility, provided by some players to our nickle coverages, and  comprehension, players with a grasp of the playbook.  He will have to choose between a guy who makes his tackles, but who hesitates, and a guy who never hesitates, but always misses his tackles.  He will be choosing between tangible size and intangible heart.

In the end, he will be choosing between the future, and now.  If he chooses now, we might get off to a hot start with our linebacking corp.  They will be fast and powerful, but with time, they will be exposed.  If he chooses the future we may fail to gain purchase in the early goings of the season, sacrificing early momentum for the hope that eventually sound technique and consistency will win out, but by then it may be too late.

Or, he may choose to balance both ideas on the edge of a razor, which could cut either way, or neither.  Or, if handled incorrectly, as our defense has been for the past several years, it could cut both ways.

Lets look at the players poised on this thinnest of edges amongst the Broncos' hopeful, and see what case they have made for their future.

My early vote for our starting MLB, Niko has had his ups and downs.  The NPLB analysis points out that he can help this team if he is on the field, especially when it comes to stopping the run.  He shows tremendous instincts when he gets into the garbage around the line, and sometimes you are left to wonder just HOW he managed to slice through and get his hands on the tackler.  The other solid trait that he brings is his tackling.  Whether he is a hard hitter is still up in the air, and for my money, a starting MLB better be able to lay some wood when he gets the chance.  But in every other respect his tackling is exactly what you should hold a MLB too.  It is sure and consistent, and it is a breath of fresh air to see the SAM take out a FB with Niko right behind him.  It gives me a confidence that I haven't felt since Al manned the middle. 

But Niko had his share of mistakes so far in the preseason, including misreading his gaps, and worst of all, playing tentatively.  You see it on the (very few) blitzes that get called, where he looks slow and uncertain, two things he isn't, judging by his physical displays on special teams.  You also see it when he is reading playaction.  He has a knack for staying at home and not overcommitting, and he definitely reads 90% or better of his plays very well, but sometimes his patience borders hesitation, and you are left to watch him choosing a proper angle for pursuit rather than seeing a tackle for a loss.

He seems to be getting his guys into a good position, and though DJ has more familiarity with Webster, he and Niko are getting the plays in and the guys lined up.  When Niko was in with the starters I saw only a handful of instances where players seemed unsure on their assignments, and those were nickle formations, where Niko isn't normally in.  Niko has seen only 3 reps in the nickle so far this preseason, and he was able to hold his own, though he was brought on a blitz one of those times, and showed his tentative side, unable to effectively penetrate to the QB after hesitating near the line.  In goalline situations he led the second team LBs to an above average overall performance against Green Bay, and if he had lined his guys up a yard closer to the LOS, Rodgers wouldn't have gotten through on his sneak.  That Niko laid back a little is a telling sign that he needed more room within which to read the play, something that only experience can change.

Above all, however, Niko is fundamentally a sound player, still adjusting to the speed with which he must read, register and react to the offense.  He executes so consistently that there is no drop off whether he is in with the starters or second teamers, and he is the only LB, including DJ not to receive the lowest grade on at least one play.  In the end he grades out as one of the top backers because he never follows a bad play with another bad play, or a worse one.  I can't say when he will pick up all the nuances and be able to change games, but I can say that he won't hurt this team if he is on the field.  Is that good enough Broncos fans?

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Boss Bailey is a big addition at Linebacker

My, how quickly things can change.  Two years ago, the linebacker position for the Denver Broncos was considered a strength.  With team-leader Al Wilson manning the middle, D.J. Williams on the strong side and Ian Gold returning to play Will, the Broncos seemed set for the foreseeable future.  All that changed on December 3, 2006 when Al Wilson was injured on a punt return.  As I watched Wilson get carried off the field it seemed the morale on the field and the energy in the stands went with it. 

The Broncos, who only 2 weeks before were 7-2, lost their 3rd straight game and a season that seemed to have so much promise continued to unravel.  Wilson would try to play the next week, but the damage was done.  After being held out of the season-ending loss to the San Francisco 49'ers Wilson never wore a Broncos uniform, or any uniform for that matter, again.  The Broncos lost their identity that night, an identity that has followed the team since the days of Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson and Karl Mecklenberg.

The Broncos head into 2008 looking to rebuild that legacy, to rediscover the identity that has been so important throughout Orange and Blue history.  Questions abound heading into camp, however, with two new starters in Boss Bailey at SAM and Niko Koutouvides at MIKE.  The remaining holdover, D.J. Williams, moves back to the WILL, his third move in 5 years.  How will this group come together?  What kind of depth is behind them?  Can Broncos' linebackers regain the glory of the past? 

Let's break them down. 

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