Live Reports Begin 7/31

Rumors have been swirling for awhile now, so let this be the official announcement that I will be heading out to Denver to take in 3 days of Broncos Training Camp.  I couldn't be more excited, being a Broncos fan that has to do all of this "fan stuff" from afar.  While watching on TV is nice and all, I want to see some of these Training Camp battles with my own eyes.  I arrive in Denver on 7/30 and will take in both workouts on 7/31, 8/1 and 8/2.

First, the important stuff.  If any of you will be taking in Training Camp while I am there, let me know!  I would love to meet some of you, and better yet, many of you have offered up drinks.  Never one to turn down a cold brew I'd be happy to oblige!  I'll have on the latest and greatest MHR T-Shirt on so I'll be easy to spot!

Next, there are a couple of Training Camp stories that are intriguing to me and I'll be keeping my eyes on: (in no particuler order)

1.  O-Line Battle - I want to see Chris Kuper and Eric Pears up close and personal.  I want to see if Tom Nalen is still a factor, and, of course, how Ryan Clady looks in pads going up against NFL defensive talent.

2.  WR Battle - Can Brandon Marshall take contact on his (still recovering) injured arm?  Who is going to step up and win the #2 WR battle.  Just how good of a receiver is Eddie Royal right now?

3.  Intriguing Undrafted Free Agents - I will be watching a couple of these guys very closely, starting with Wesley Woodyard and Tyler Polumbus

4.  The LB Corps - Is Niko Koutouvides the type of leader in the middle the Broncos need?  Can Boss Bailey stay healthy and step up his play?

5.  Quarterback - It is the Denver Broncos, right?  Gotta watch how #6 looks in his first real football work since being diagnosed with Diabetes.

6.  Running Back - If Selvin Young is going to run for 2000 yards it will start in Training Camp.  Specifically I will be watching for his ability to run inside and in short yardage.  I want to see Ryan Torain as well.  Of course, Peyton Hillis is on my watch list as well.

7.  Sense of Urgency - The biggest hing I am looking for is a sense of urgency.  I want to see inspired practices with alot of energy and some bloody noses.  A few shoves and punches would be refreshing as well.  If the Broncos are going to get back to being a tough, hardnosed football team, it needs to start Day 1.  Since camp will be a week old when I get there things should definitely be heating up.

So what have I missed?  Let me know and I will give my thoughts on what I see in those areas as well.  Want me to ask specific questions to specific players?  Let me know.  Make sure they aren't out of line.

Lastly, if you are going to Training Camp at a different time(FirstFan, for instance) let me know.  I'd love to get your impressions as well.  I want to make this a community effort!!! 

Strap it on, MHR, football is back and Your Source for the Denver Broncos is ready!!!

Nalen's health will be a huge question in '08

Under Mike Shanahan, the Denver Broncos have been known for a couple things. A strong running game and a solid, if a bit too quiet, offensive line. A group that has been synonymous with imposing their will, despite their lack of pure beef up front, the Broncos' O-Line was an area of the football team that fans could hang their hat on. Over the past several years, however, injuries and age have started to take their toll. Let's look at two different areas that are an indication of O-Line performance. Are these hardened rules when it comes to evaluating an O-Line? Of course not, but I like to keep it simple and let you guys and gals decide.

First, we'll look at sacks allowed, and where the team ranked from 2003 through 2007 --

Sacks Allowed --

2003 -- 25 Sacks -- #6
2004 -- 15 Sacks -- #3
2005 -- 23 Sacks -- #3

2006 -- 31 Sacks -- #13
2007 -- 32 Sacks -- #16

The space between 2005 and 2006 indicates the entrance of Jay Cutler at quarterback, and there is no doubt the combination of youth, and Cutler's style as more of a pocket passer than Jake Plummer had a negative effect on the O-Line.  Need proof?  Cutler was sacked 13 times in the 5 games he started in 2006.  Plummer had been sacked 18 times in his 11 starts.  On average that is a sack a game more with Cutler.  In 2007, that number got even worse, though in my opinion this was more attributed to injuries and youth on the O-line as much as it was to Cutler's "never say die" attitude in the pocket.

How about the running game?  The Broncos have seen a dip that that area, too, during the past 5 years --

Rushing Yards --

2003 -- 2629 yards - 164.3 ypg - #2
2004 -- 2333 yards - 145.8 ypg - #4
2005 -- 2539 yards - 158.7 ypg - #2

2006 -- 2152 yards - 134.5 ypg - #8
2007 -- 1957 yards - 122.3 ypg - #9

Again, there was a lot of consistentcy until 2006.  There are a lot of reason for that, but for the sake of keeping it simple other teams simply stacked the line of scrimmage and forced, at first Jake Plummer, then the rookie Jay Cutler, to beat them.  The Broncos defense wasn't very good either, thus the Broncos were forced to play from behind.  But anyone who watched the games will also admit something was definitely missing from the Broncos running game.  While functional, it wasn't dominant.  Make no mistake, while Mike Shanahan likes to create shock and awe with the passing game early, he wants to smash it down a team's throat late.  Unable to do that, the Broncos offense has sputtered, especially in the red zone and short yardage.  The O-line, with age and injury, has been part of the cause. 

The winds of change are blowing through Dove Valley, however, and the Broncos are addressing their O-Line.  High draft picks(Clady and Harris) along with solid free agent acquisitions(Holland) have injected youth and talent.  Will it be enough to make a difference in '08?  Let's take a look at who will need to move the pile....

Continue reading this post »