John Elway wants youth to be big part of Denver Broncos' future

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Age might be just a number, but it's a number that has the Broncos' attention.

And in the wake of their stunning double-overtime playoff loss to Baltimore, the Broncos begin the offseason trying to identify the line between being a young, homegrown team able to overcome inevitable injuries and a team savvy enough to play its best in the biggest games.

"You're always going to have tough decisions," said John Elway, the Broncos' executive vice president of football operations. "We're always going to be talking about decisions where we're trying to stay young and develop a guy, as opposed to a proven veteran. Coaches like the experience, and we'll always sit down and have those discussions and come to a decision that is the best thing for us.

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_22463511/john-elway-wants-youth-be-big-part-denver

[Denver Native (Carol)]

New Orleans – Read Jeff Legwold’s piece in The Denver Post today about Broncos boss John Elway hoping to insert a more younger players into his lineup.

Perhaps no one player can help Elway accomplish this goal than linebacker Nate Irving. A third-round pick in the 2010 draft, Irving, who doesn’t turn 25 until July, is a far younger alternative than Keith Brooking, who turns 38 in October. Irving is also scheduled to make the third-year minimum $555,000 salary in 2013, making him far cheaper than the $6 million D.J. Williams is supposed to make in the final year of his contract.

So all the numbers tilt in Irving’s favor. Now he has to prove he can play on a regular basis. He’ll get a shot to compete for the starting job during the offseason.

rest - http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2013/01/28/nate-irving-younger-inexpensive-alternative-linebacker/18294/

[Northman]

Nice, im rooting for Irving to prove himself. I liked him at N.C State.

[SR]

Nice, im rooting for Irving to prove himself. I liked him at N.C State.

But I bet Denver still goes MLB at 28

[Dzone]

Can Irving stay healthy for a full season?

[topscribe]

Nice, im rooting for Irving to prove himself. I liked him at N.C State.
The kid was a baller, wasn't he? He has speed, and he's a thumper. I just hope
he's up to the cerebral part of the position.
.

[cmc0605]

I hope I'm wrong, but if a guy wasn't good enough in practice/special teams to earn established playing time in the last two years, then I wouldn't count on him to solidify the position next year (and he was competing with Mays and Brooking...good guys but it's not like he was waiting in the wings for Patrick Willis or Ray Lewis to go away). Sometimes that isn't the case, and players break out of nowhere when given a true opportunity, but I think MLB is still a position that really needs to be addressed without hoping for maybe's and could-bes