Ryan Clady – Denver Broncos BT Profile

Ryan Clady came into the league with some big shoes to fill. With longtime Denver Broncos starting left tackle Matt Lepsis retiring after 2007, the Broncos used their first round draft pick on Clady and saw immediate results: he started from Day One. Clady was voted an All-Pro in 2008 and 2009 and a Pro Bowler in 2009 (snubbed in 2008) before an early offseason knee injury nearly derailed his 2010 season. Clady didn’t miss a game, but his performance suffered, especially in the early weeks. His 2011 season was inconsistent, but he made his second Pro Bowl appearance as an alternate, making him the third tackle in league history to start every game and make at least two Pro Bowls in his first four NFL seasons.

2011 Analysis: Despite making the Pro Bowl, statistically, 2011 was Clady’s worst year as a pro. According to Stats LLC, Clady committed seven holding penalties and yielded nine sacks in 2011. (In comparison, he had all of six holds and 16 sacks allowed in his previous three seasons combined, and only one hold and half a sack allowed in his rookie season). Part of that can definitely be attributed to the switch to quarterback Tim Tebow — Clady and the rest of the Broncos were simply asked to block a lot longer than they ever had been before. The offensive line gelled at times and struggled at others, Clady included, but overall it’s hard to be disappointed in any unit that produces the number one rushing offense in the league.

Contract Status: Signed through 2012; Free Agent 2013

2012 Outlook: It’s a contract year for Clady — he may never return to his record-setting rookie form, but you can still expect the typical upswing in production from a player the year before he is set to hit the market. Another year with the same offensive linemen next to him should also do Clady wonders in 2012.

As always, we invite you, the readers, to participate. Are you disappointed in Clady’s recent performances, or do you still consider him one of the elite players on the Broncos’ roster?

We hope you enjoy these posts as BroncoTalk develops a one-of-a-kind fan-powered Denver Broncos roster on the web.

Quinn sorry for unflattering Tebow remarks

Brady Quinn is apologizing to Tim Tebow for unflattering comments Quinn made about the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in a GQ article.
Read more [NFL Headlines from ESPN]

Broncos hire three members of Richesson’s old staff

The Denver Broncos announced the hiring of three assistant coaches Tuesday — Jason George, Mike Eubanks and Anthony Lomando. All three worked under new Broncos Strength and Conditioning coach Luke Richesson from 2009-11 in Jacksonville and will serve under similar capacities with the Broncos.

Full bios on each coach are available on DenverBroncos.com.

It’s interesting to see Jack Del Rio‘s influence taking hold in Denver. First there was the Richesson hire itself, then the signing of wide receiver Jason Hill, and now these three coaches. Or maybe the influence stems from Richesson himself.

Either way, pretty soon we’ll be calling ourselves the “Jaguars West.” That may not be as flattering as the “Patriots West” moniker we just got rid of, but hey, maybe it’ll come with better results.

Brady Quinn apologizes, claims comments on Tim Tebow were ‘inaccurate’

Quarterbacks Tim Tebow #15 and Brady Quinn #9 of the Denver Broncos take the field during warm ups before playing the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 18, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

In Michael Silver’s GQ article that examined the first months of Tebowmania this morning, Brady Quinn was quoted over several different time periods.

Across those time periods and through different quotes, Quinn: conveys jealousy of Broncos fans’ support of Tebow, questions Tebow’s humility and appropriateness of his public displays of faith, and attributes the Broncos’ success to luck. It was a damning number of quotes toward Tebow, and an even more damning number of quotes for Quinn, who comes off petty, sour, and as a bad teammate and employee.

Now he’s in damage control mode, and released the following statement on Twitter:

The comments attributed to me in a recent magazine article are in NO WAY reflective of my opinion of Tim and the Broncos. Tim deserves a lot of credit for our success and I’m happy for him and what he accomplished. Most importantly, he is a great teammate. That interview was conducted three months ago, and the resulting story was a completely inaccurate portrayal of my comments. I have addressed my disappointment with the writer and have reached out to Tim to clear this up. I apologize to anyone who feels I was trying to take anything away from our Team’s or Tim’s success this season.

We’re sure Quinn’s article comments don’t accurately capture his feelings toward Tebow or the Broncos. We didn’t even hear a whisper of malcontent from Quinn to this point. But an “inaccurate portrayal of (Quinn’s) comments” are still a reflection of Quinn’s comments. Michael Silver may stir the Tebow/Broncos pot, but his words are never baseless.

Will John Elway and the Broncos look at the body of Quinn’s behavior rather than these snippets from a GQ article? It’s possible, especially since Elway and John Fox have each gotten themselves in public hot water over Tebow comments. But nothing they said were damning to this degree.

Brady Quinn, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in a few weeks, has been in the spotlight far too long to make a mistake like this, and no amount of backtracking on Twitter is going to erase the damage done. Brady Quinn: Bronco no more.

Brady Quinn wanted a billboard too [BroncoTalk]
The Year of Magical Stinking: An Oral History of Tebow Time [GQ]

Dawkins not expected to sign elsewhere - Brian Dawkins (DB) Denver Broncos

Free agent SS Brian Dawkins is expected to either retire or re-sign with the Broncos.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Brady Quinn wanted a billboard too

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) and Denver Broncos quarterback Adam Weber (2) watch as quarterback Brady Quinn leads the offense in the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Something tells me the Denver Broncos won’t be so eager to re-sign free agent quarterback Brady Quinn this March — not after these comments he made to Mike Silver for GQ:

Brady Quinn (backup QB, Denver Broncos): Early in the season, there was a game when Kyle [Orton] got hurt and the coaches were calling for me to go in, but Kyle got up and finished the game out. So I was the second-string guy. Then, a few weeks later, they decided to put Tim in. I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that. Just ’cause they were chanting his name. There was a big calling for him. No, I didn’t have any billboards. That would have been nice.

Is there truth in Brady Quinn’s words? More than likely. Should he have said them? Of course not.

The fact is, Brady Quinn wasn’t the second-string quarterback. The Broncos opted not to have one of those. And just because Quinn was the favorite to go in one week didn’t guarantee anything for the weeks to come.

Quinn comes off sour and like a poor teammate in this quote. What’s worse, he’s questioning his coach and management, doing himself a huge disservice. There’s no way he can return to this locker room now. Just think — Tim Tebow was reportedly fined by Kyle Orton, Quinn, and Adam Weber simply for not publicly speaking against the billboards. Now Quinn is saying he wanted one too.

The bottom line: the Broncos are looking for two quarterbacks. You can bet that Brady Quinn won’t be one of them.

Elway likes Tebow 'working within the system' - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

In an interview with GQ magazine, Broncos VP of Football Operations John Elway said he gets encouraged about Tim Tebow when he sees him "working within the system."
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Buzz: Broncos will add two QBs

Denver Bronocs quarterback Brady Quinn throws a pass as quarterback Tim Tebow watches during NFL football practice in Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012. The Broncos are scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a wild-card playoff game. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

With only Tim Tebow and Adam Weber under contract in 2012, John Fox confirmed Monday what many had already concluded — the Denver Broncos will be signing a couple of quarterbacks this offseason. They’ll want four QB’s under contract when they head into training camp in July.

“Who, what, where, when, what market — it’s still way too early how we get those quarterbacks,” Fox told The Denver Post, seemingly leaving the door open for the Broncos to retain unrestricted free agent Brady Quinn, though the report does not mention him.

As for Tebow, he’s still the presumed starter.

“He’s going to come into our camp as the starting quarterback,” Fox said. “He’s young. He can get better.”

Fox also endorsed Tebow working out with UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. “I think it’s great,” Fox said. “It beats sitting on the couch somewhere.”

The free agent QB market is pretty slim. If I had to guess, I’d look for the Broncos to spend one of their earlier draft picks (Rounds 2-4) on a quarterback and keep Brady Quinn.

John Fox says Broncos likely to sign two QBs to compete with Tebow [Denver Post]

Elway: We'll bring 4 QBs to training camp - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

Broncos VP of Football Operations John Elway confirmed Monday that the team intends to add two new quarterbacks this offseason to compete with Tim Tebow in training camp.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Linsanity, QB mechanics, and a military ball proposal – This Week in Tebow

Tim Tebow transcends the normal NFL quarterback offseason. We at BroncoTalk are still getting near-daily tips about Tebow news items, charity appearances, YouTube videos, or media mentions, with little slowing down. There’s just not enough time in the week to get through all of it without turning this blog into a veritable “TebowTalk,” and we’re not interested in that. With that in mind, we introduce “This Week in Tebow” — a weekly column (usually appearing Sundays) to roundup the previous week of Tebow news. Enjoy!

A God-fearing underdog who rose from the bench in his second year to turn his team’s season around, the New York Knicks‘ Jeremy Lin is currently sitting atop the sports media world. You can’t turn on SportsCenter without a Lin sequence appearing within three minutes, and, at the time of this writing, Lin stories were featured links on the front pages of ESPN, CBS News, and CNN… twice.

“He’s not just the biggest NBA story at the moment though, he’s the biggest story in sports,” Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing writes. “His heritage, his background, the city in which he plays in (sic), and the shock to his success all play a role in Linsanity.”

But how does Linsanity compare to Tebowmania?

Both Lin and Tebow were the biggest stories in sports at the times of their respective success (for Lin, that’s right now). Both have memes of a sort that transcend the sport itself (Lin puns; Tebowing). Both have been parodied on Saturday Night Live. Both are devoutly religious and redirect praise to God and their teammates.

Heck, both players have even been linked to (and denied dating) Kim Kardashian.

If that isn’t Tebowmania 2.0, I don’t know what is.

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The differences are clearly there, and you can debate them if you like (Lin is a true underdog, come-from-nowhere swan story while Tebow was a well-known figure with modest expectations… Lin actually performs well while Tebow won despite playing awful at times). To me, sitting on those differences and not recognizing the great similarities in these two great stories in sports is just being contrarian.

The similarities are eerie and worth noting.

I for one am enjoying Linsanity more than Tebowmania because my love for the Denver Broncos comes first, and the craze that surrounded Tim Tebow dwarfed the success the team as a whole was having. Frankly, I’m thrilled that the sports world is taking a break from Tebowmania so we, as Broncos fans, can get back to the business of building a football team. Let’s talk about Von Miller and Brian Dawkins and draft picks and free agents and keep Tebow offseason coverage in its rightly place.

Such as a once-a-week roundup column.

Here’s to many more months of Jeremy Lin atop the sports world.

Airman Jamie Walden has asked Tebow to be her date to the 2012 military ball in Shreveport, LA, getting a few dozen friends and family members in on the action via a YouTube video that has gone viral. While it may seem we are late to this party, a relative of Jamie’s put this on BroncoTalk’s Facebook page weeks ago — we’ve truly been working on this column ever since.

Lindsay Jones of The Denver Post reports that Tebow is aware of the proposal but hasn’t made a decision known yet. The ball is in April — the same month the Broncos begin their offseason conditioning program.

The 20-year-old Walden is cute, bold, and, as an active member of the military, obviously dignified and respectable. Our vote: Tebow should take Walden up on her proposal.

As for Tebow’s football-related offseason, those workouts have already begun. As BroncoTalk first reported last Tuesday, Tebow is in California working with UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone on mechanics and footwork.

“He just came out here to throw and work on a few things and see if we can just become a little more efficient in what he’s doing,” Mazzone told ESPN Thursday, noting that the sessions would last at least through the weekend. “Throwing motion, footwork, everything I work on with all my quarterbacks.”

Who are Mazzone’s other quarterbacks? Try Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers and Christian Ponder of the Minnesota Vikings. Both were reported to be joining Mazzone’s workouts by the end of last week.

Then, of course, there’s Tebow himself. Tebow already is one of “Mazzone’s quarterbacks.” The player and coach worked together as Tebow headed into the 2010 NFL Draft to famously “fix” this same throwing motion. Ironically, NFL Network even interviewed Rivers at the time to talk about Tebow’s work in that department.

Mazzone and Tebow are not going to reinvent the wheel in one offseason, but, in a game of inches, microseconds off Tebow’s throwing motion could be the difference between a touchdown throw and another wild Tebow scramble. The Broncos are looking for more of the former in 2012, so we’re all for Tebow getting these tedious reps in that change his wind-up.

We’re not looking for Tebow 2.0. Just an arcing motion that’s closer to his shoulder than his waist would make a huge difference.

Tebow for President?
Despite the fact that he’s only 24 and wasn’t born in the United States, a Reuters poll put Tebow atop the list of NFL QB’s for whom the public would vote to become President. Tebow thanked fans for support but said his focus is on the NFL right now… showing he’s clearly been trained in the ways of politics already.

Facebook.com/PrayForPresli

Pray for Presli
Speaking of dates, Tebow had one this weekend — nine-year-old Presli Collins, with whom he raised awareness in NF1 (neurofibromatosis). For more info on Presli’s battle, visit www.facebook.com/PrayforPresli.

The “Tebow Bill”
A bill named after Tebow has passed the Virginia House of Delegates and is now ready to be presented in the state’s senate, NFL.com reports. The “Tebow Bill”, so-named because of Tebow’s high school football career, would allow home-schooled teens to participate in high school sports, just like Tebow did. Having someone as popular as Tebow behind the bill, even in name only, is a powerful ally, and we’d be surprised if we don’t see the bill get passed.

That’s all for this week in This Week in Tebow. Let us know what you think, and be sure to send us all our Tebow-related tips as always to broncotalk@gmail.com.

Broncos’ Owner and CEO Pat Bowlen Turns 68

Bowlen brought in John Elway and John Fox last off-season, and Denver's following season was the team's most successful one since the 2005 season. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

On this day (February 18th) sixty-eight years ago, Denver Broncos Majority Owner, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Pat Bowlen was born. Introduced as the majority owner of the team in1984, Bowlen has positioned the Broncos among the league’s top franchises over the past 28 seasons.

Since he was announced as the team’s owner, Bowlen’s Broncos have won 263 games.  Only two teams, the San Francisco 49ers (272 wins) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (264 wins) have won more games in that same time frame.  Including the post-season, Denver has won 279 games during Bowlen’s tenure with the club.

Under Bowlen, the Broncos have won the AFC West nine times and have earned a playoff birth fourteen times.  Since Bowlen purchased the team, Denver’s’ five Super Bowl appearances represent the second most in the NFL.

The Broncos’ 309-game scoring streak in the regular season is the longest active streak in the NFL (dates back to 1992) and ranks second all time in league annals.  Denver’s success under Bowlen leads many to believe that Bowlen is one of the best owners in all of sports.

Bowlen no longer plays a major role in the Broncos’ decision making (the decisions are now made by Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, Head Coach John Fox, General Manager Brian Xanders and President Joe Ellis), but he still writes the team’s checks and has more power than anyone else in the building.  On his birthday, we proudly give Pat Bowlen a Mile High Salute.  Here’s to many more successful years under Pat!

Marcus Thomas – Denver Broncos BT Profile

Marcus Thomas is a defensive tackle who does back flips. He’s also the only remaining player on the Denver Broncos roster from the team’s 2007 draft class, and he’s survived two scheme changes, several position changes, and five defensive coordinators to remain on the team to this point. A healthy mainstay as a rotational player on the defensive line, Thomas is one of two Broncos interior D-linemen in franchise history to play in every game in his first four seasons. He’s gone from alleged off-field troublemaker to being recognized by the NFL for his leadership in community service.

2011 Analysis: Thomas missed the first four weeks of the regular season with a strained right pectoral muscle he suffered in preseason — those games were the first and only four absences of Thomas’s NFL career. He was starting at DT next to NT Brodrick Bunkley by Week 7, and he remained in that position the rest of the season. Thomas turned in a solid season, and he finished with a career-high 43 tackles.

Contract Status: Unrestricted free agent 2012

2012 Outlook: Free agent Marcus Thomas is not going to come cheaply. It’s his first chance to hit the open market, and unless the Broncos can woo him early, he’s probably going to test it. A young defensive lineman with experience, proven health, and upside is a rare commodity in the NFL, and Thomas fits the bill. He was never a game-changer or playing at a Pro Bowl level, but he was a solid contributor to the Broncos more often than not in his days in Denver. If the Broncos can’t re-sign him they will have to make a heavy investment in his replacement.

As always, we invite you, the readers, to participate. Should the Broncos keep Marcus Thomas around in 2012 or look to upgrade via free agency or, more likely, the early rounds of the 2012 draft?

We hope you enjoy these posts as BroncoTalk develops a one-of-a-kind fan-powered Denver Broncos roster on the web.

Demaryius Thomas a fantasy stud in 2012? - Demaryius Thomas (WR) Denver Broncos

Extrapolated over a full season, Demaryius Thomas' final seven games would have left him as the No. 2 fantasy receiver in 2011.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Julius Thomas – Denver Broncos BT Profile

Julius Thomas was a fourth round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2011 who shone in training camp but had a rookie season derailed by injury. A basketball player until his senior year in college, Thomas was a First-team All-Big Sky Conference selection following his 2010 season that saw him tally 29 receptions, 453 yards and two touchdowns. Prior to switching to football that year, Thomas was a basketball star at Portland State. He lettered four times in basketball, leading Portland State to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in school history (2008-09) and finishing as the program’s all-time leader in games played (121), career wins (78) and field goal percentage (.663). Clancy Barone, the Broncos’ tight end coach, transformed Antonio Gates from college basketball player to perennial Pro Bowler in the NFL; the Broncos are hoping he can repeat that success with Thomas.

2011 Analysis: Thomas’s 2011 campaign was mired by a high ankle injury he suffered in Week 2. He would end up playing in very limited action in three more contests during the season, but he never got right. He had one reception for five yards in Week 2.

Contract Status: Signed through 2014

2012 Outlook: The Broncos are still high on Thomas and hope that, with an offseason of health and hard work, he can become a fixture for them at the tight end position.

As always, we invite you, the readers, to participate. How excited are you by the prospect of this basketball-player-turned-tight-end prospect?

We hope you enjoy these posts as BroncoTalk develops a one-of-a-kind fan-powered Denver Broncos roster on the web.

Broncos sign former Jaguars wide receiver Hill

The Denver Broncos have signed free agent wide receiver Jason Hill.
Read more [NFL Headlines from ESPN]

Tebow working to shorten his throwing motion - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tim Tebow is working on shortening his throwing motion and delivery with UCLA OC Noel Mazzone.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Tebow working to shorten his throwing motion - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tim Tebow is working on shortening his throwing motion and delivery with UCLA OC Noel Mazzone.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Denver Post confirms Dawkins is a free agent - Brian Dawkins (DB) Denver Broncos

The Denver Post confirms that SS Brian Dawkins' contract has expired and he is a free agent.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Elway: Tebow will be starter entering camp - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

Broncos VP of Football Operations John Elway reiterated Wednesday that Tim Tebow will be a starter entering training camp.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Tebow working on mechanics with UCLA OC

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been in Los Angeles working on his throwing mechanics with new UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
Read more [ESPN Headline Feed]

Tebow working on mechanics with UCLA OC

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been in Los Angeles working on his throwing mechanics with new UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
Read more [NFL Headlines from ESPN]

Tebow working on mechanics in Los Angeles - Tim Tebow (QB) Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow is spending time working on his throwing mechanics with UCLA OC Noel Mazzone this offseason.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Broncos sign WR Jason Hill - Jason Hill (WR) Denver Broncos

Broncos signed WR Jason Hill, formerly of the Jaguars.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Elway wants to sign Prater long term - Matt Prater (K) Denver Broncos

Broncos VP of Football Operations John Elway said Wednesday that his preference is to keep free agent K Matt Prater with a long-term deal rather than the franchise tag.
Read more [Rotoworld NFL Fantasy Football News]

Dante Rosario – Denver Broncos BT Profile

Rosario Dawson, erm, Dante Rosario was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. A John Fox veteran, Rosario was a makes-sense fit for the Broncos as they looked for a veteran tight end in free agency last year. Rosario initially did not make the team out of training camp, but an injury to rookie Julius Thomas and some lucky timing in what ended up being a two-week stint with the Miami Dolphins saw Rosario quickly return to the club on September 22 and stick there the rest of the season. Rosario is responsible for one of the most famous plays in Panthers lore — a game-winning touchdown catch as time expired in 2008 against the San Diego Chargers that gave the Panthers a 26-24 victory. (And any player that upsets the Chargers is a good player in my book.)

2011 Analysis: Rosario was a rotational tight end and caught seven passes for 117 yards for the Broncos in 2011. His 16.7 yard reception average was impressive; in fact, it was the 2nd best mark on the team across all positions. Initially released out of training camp following the emergence of rookies Thomas and Virgil Green, Rosario ended up mostly holding off Thomas and playing in all 14 of the Broncos’ remaining games after he was re-signed before Week 3.

Contract Status: Unrestricted free agent 2012

2012 Outlook: As of this writing, Dante Rosario is one of the Broncos’ 17 unrestricted free agents, and he isn’t even the only veteran tight end with that status (Daniel Fellsis in the same boat). With the Broncos having spent draft picks on Thomas and Green, and Fells being the starter last year, Rosario may find himself the odd man out (again).

As always, we invite you, the readers, to participate. Is Dante Rosario a good fit as a rotational player, or should the Broncos rely on Thomas and Green improving and find veteran help elsewhere?

We hope you enjoy these posts as BroncoTalk develops a one-of-a-kind fan-powered Denver Broncos roster on the web.