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View Full Version : Broncos show difference a year can make in free agency



Denver Native (Carol)
03-16-2015, 01:13 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- There are times when John Elway can’t say the word “process" without a bit of a smirk, maybe a chuckle.

Because he knows when NFL decision-makers say “process’’ there is a large segment of the football-loving populations that rolls its eyes with a not-again look. Because NFL decision-makers say “process’’ a lot during free agency and the work up to the draft.

And Elway, now in his fifth season as the Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager, has said last season’s spending binge in free agency for the Broncos was “part of the process, what we needed to do,’’ as the team made so many big splashes there wasn't much water left in the pool. The Denver Broncos reeled in Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Emmanuel Sanders on the way to their fourth consecutive AFC West title as all four of those players played in the Pro Bowl.

And Elway said this year’s approach, not quite all of the way at the other end of the spectrum of, say, the Green Bay Packers, who have not yet signed a player from another team in free agency, but close. At least far closer than it was a year ago.

rest - http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/12412/broncos-show-difference-a-year-can-make-in-free-agency

Denver Native (Carol)
03-16-2015, 02:58 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – As the Denver Broncos close out the opening week of free agency there are some things that deserve a second look.

When John Elway took his current job as the Broncos chief football decision-maker in 2011, two of the league’s general managers he tried to touch base with early on were Ted Thompson of the Green Bay Packers and Ozzie Newsome of the Baltimore Ravens. Both operate successful, draft-driven teams that often take a far more patient approach in free agency than virtually all of their peers – the Packers have not signed a player from another team in free agency this offseason. And while some have said last year’s plunge into free agency for the Broncos was Elway’s go-for-it signature, his other four trips into the bidding, including this year, have shown a far more measured approach is his norm.

Tight end Virgil Green now has the chance he has wanted and it likely means a slight turn-back-the-clock move in the offense. Over his first four seasons with the team he had consistently expressed the belief he could be more of a factor in the passing game if the ball came his way. Elway obviously agrees. When the Broncos re-signed Green last week – he is the first player from Elway’s first draft class to re-sign with the team – Elway lauded Green’s attitude, work ethic and potential. Certainly Owen Daniels is going to get the ball in the passing game as well, but Green figures to be far busier than he has been in the passing game to this point with 23 career receptions. That said there is every chance, even as the Broncos do run more this year, the offense looks a lot more like 2012 than '13 or '14. In 2012 two wideouts were 1,000-yard receivers (Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker), the No. 3 wide receiver (Brandon Stokley) had 45 catches as two tight ends – Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme – had 41 and 52 catches respectively. Right now Cody Latimer projects as the team’s No. 3 receiver even if the Broncos take a look at another deep class at the position in the draft with Daniels and Green as the top two tight ends.

The Broncos have said they like Brock Osweiler’s progress as the No. 2 quarterback. They selected him in the second round in the 2012 draft with the idea of getting him ready to take over in the post-Peyton Manning era. But Elway and coach Gary Kubiak, both former quarterbacks in the league, want to keep pushing Osweiler as well as get a read on what they will do after this season when Osweiler will be an unrestricted free agent. So, the fact the Broncos did pursue former Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor last week showed the Broncos were interested in cranking up the heat on Osweiler a bit, too. Kubiak was the Ravens offensive coordinator last season so Taylor would have had a head start in the Broncos’ new offense, but Taylor chose to pass on the offer because he can compete for the starting job in Buffalo.

rest - http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/12432/a-second-look-at-some-of-broncos-first-free-agency-moves