Programming note: NFL Network Top 10 Broncos

[VonDoom]

I haven't seen this advertised anywhere, but as I was looking through my upcoming DVR schedule, I saw that this Friday, 12/15 at 8:00 ET, NFL Network is doing one of their Top 10 shows on the Broncos. These lists are always debatable, but I like the idea of watching an hour of just our team.

http://www.nfl.com/network/schedule

[Shazam!]

Cool

[VonDoom]

Bump for this - it's tomorrow night.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of this. Who do we think the NFL Network will pick as the top ten Broncos of all time? I'd guess something like (in no particular order):

Elway
TD
Sharpe
Mecklenburg
Atwater
Gradishar
Floyd Little
Champ

Then what? Rod Smith? Dennis Smith? Tom Jackson? Peyton Manning??

If non-players are involved, Mr. B is obviously a lock, and Shannahan as well - I suspect this list just focuses on players, though.

[BroncoWave]

I'd absolutely put Manning in the top 10. He accomplished more in 4 years here than almost any other player in their entire career.

[VonDoom]

I'd absolutely put Manning in the top 10. He accomplished more in 4 years here than almost any other player in their entire career.

I'm thinking the same thing, especially since it's another chance for the talking heads to wax poetic about Manning.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Floyd Little should be in the top 2. He’s the man who saved football in Denver

[BroncoJoe]

Floyd Little should be in the top 2. He’s the man who saved football in Denver

You could argue he's #1 based on that fact.

[Freyaka]

Floyd Little should be in the top 2. He’s the man who saved football in Denver

I absolutely agree with you, but I can't see him up there deserving or not.

[Buff]

Bump for this - it's tomorrow night.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of this. Who do we think the NFL Network will pick as the top ten Broncos of all time? I'd guess something like (in no particular order):

Elway
TD
Sharpe
Mecklenburg
Atwater
Gradishar
Floyd Little
Champ

Then what? Rod Smith? Dennis Smith? Tom Jackson? Peyton Manning??

If non-players are involved, Mr. B is obviously a lock, and Shannahan as well - I suspect this list just focuses on players, though.

Part of the reason I have a hard time with these is that we have ~25 players in the Ring of Fame, and a number of them played before I was born or when I was young in the 80s. I honestly have no idea where Floyd Little or Randy Gradishar ought to rank compared to some of our contemporary players.

I look forward to some takes from our more senior members.

[BroncoJoe]

I look forward to some takes from our more senior members.

Welp. That leaves me out.

:couch:

[Buff]

Welp. That leaves me out.

:couch:

Your son is probably old enough now to offer up that perspective I'm looking for.

:couch:

[VonDoom]

Spoiler alert - this is the complete list in order. Fun watch, though they spent a lot of time talking about Tebow for some reason.

10. Von Miller
9. Karl Mecklenburg
8. Randy Gradishar
7. Rod Smith
6. Steve Atwater
5. Peyton Manning
4. Champ Bailey
3. Shannon Sharpe
2. Terrell Davis
1. John Elway

[FanInAZ]

Spoiler alert - this is the complete list in order. Fun watch, though they spent a lot of time talking about Tebow for some reason.

10. Von Miller
9. Karl Mecklenburg
8. Randy Gradishar
7. Rod Smith
6. Steve Atwater
5. Peyton Manning
4. Champ Bailey
3. Shannon Sharpe
2. Terrell Davis
1. John Elway

Only 1 player from the 70s & none from the 60s.

[VonDoom]

Only 1 player from the 70s & none from the 60s.

I’m shocked at no Floyd Little

[Freyaka]

Spoiler alert - this is the complete list in order. Fun watch, though they spent a lot of time talking about Tebow for some reason.

10. Von Miller
9. Karl Mecklenburg
8. Randy Gradishar
7. Rod Smith
6. Steve Atwater
5. Peyton Manning
4. Champ Bailey
3. Shannon Sharpe
2. Terrell Davis
1. John Elway

So basically what I assumed, it was going to be a Superbowl years love fest and most everyone else can just piss off.

[Freyaka]

I’m shocked at no Floyd Little

I'm not...He deserves to be there, but I didn't figure he'd even make the list because he wasn't here during the superbowl era.

[FanInAZ]

I’m shocked at no Floyd Little

Who do you kick off the list to make room for him? Maybe Rod Smith or Steve Atwater?

[VonDoom]

Who do you kick off the list to make room for him? Maybe Rod Smith or Steve Atwater?

I was questionable about Smith because of the other 90s guys we knew would be there. I also might have left off Von for now, as you could make a case not to include current players

[FanInAZ]

I was questionable about Smith because of the other 90s guys we knew would be there. I also might have left off Von for now, as you could make a case not to include current players

Dude, have you checked your screen name lately :lol:

Seriously, Von just too dominate for too long of a stretch to not include.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Dude, have you checked your screen name lately :lol:

Seriously, Von just too dominate for too long of a stretch to not include.

Von is the most dominant defensive player we’ve ever had. He belongs on the top five.

[Shazam!]

No Zimmerman surprised me even though he wasn't here for too long.

[VonDoom]

If you’re asking if Von is one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, the answer is yes. I just figured for list purposes they might stay away from current players to show more of the historical guys people might not know

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

If you’re asking if Von is one of the greatest players we’ve ever had, the answer is yes. I just figured for list purposes they might stay away from current players to show more of the historical guys people might not know

Yeah, and the flip side is it loses credibility having no Floyd Little

[dogfish]

Who do you kick off the list to make room for him? Maybe Rod Smith or Steve Atwater?

manning. . . he was a rental, this list should be for long-time broncos. . . manning will always be remembered as a colt first and foremost, as it should be. . . little is our earliest hall of famer, he belongs on this list before peyton. . .

[BroncoWave]

Huh, the "best WR in Broncos history" isn't on there. Interesting.

[BroncoWave]

manning. . . he was a rental, this list should be for long-time broncos. . . manning will always be remembered as a colt first and foremost, as it should be. . . little is our earliest hall of famer, he belongs on this list before peyton. . .

Peyton belongs on the list though. His presence helped us to build a team that got to two super bowls and won one. That matters. You're right that Floyd belongs as well.

[Dreadnought]

manning. . . he was a rental, this list should be for long-time broncos. . . manning will always be remembered as a colt first and foremost, as it should be. . . little is our earliest hall of famer, he belongs on this list before peyton. . .

This, 100%

[Timmy!]

Huh, the "best WR in Broncos history" isn't on there. Interesting.

He's at #7.


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9HIlNhuFgb0/hqdefault.jpg

[topscribe]

I’m shocked at no Floyd Little
Me too, but that so often is the case in discussions such as this. Contemporary rules . . .

[Northman]

Spoiler alert - this is the complete list in order. Fun watch, though they spent a lot of time talking about Tebow for some reason.

10. Von Miller
9. Karl Mecklenburg
8. Randy Gradishar
7. Rod Smith
6. Steve Atwater
5. Peyton Manning
4. Champ Bailey
3. Shannon Sharpe
2. Terrell Davis
1. John Elway

Sounds about right to me.

[Northman]

I also might have left off Von for now, as you could make a case not to include current players

I thought about that until i remembered SB 50, He was the biggest reason we won that game.

[Northman]

manning. . . he was a rental, this list should be for long-time broncos. . . manning will always be remembered as a colt first and foremost, as it should be. . . little is our earliest hall of famer, he belongs on this list before peyton. . .

Good point.

[topscribe]

Who do you kick off the list to make room for him? Maybe Rod Smith or Steve Atwater?
That's if you add Little after the fact. For me, no one would be kicked off for him because he'd already be there.

[aberdien]

My ranking, giving what I can to old players that I know nothing about:

1. John Elway
2. Terrell Davis
3. Von Miller
4. Floyd Little
5. Shannon Sharpe
6. Champ Bailey
7. Rod Smith
8. Peyton Manning
9. Karl Mecklenberg
10. Steve Atwater

[Northman]

Actually the more i think about it the more i have to agree with some others about Little. I was far to young to remember or see Little play but do know about his importance to the team at the time he played. And when i redid this list i was thinking about the players i listed and how important to the team i felt they all were when watching them play. As pointed out, Manning was great for Denver and reinvigorated the offense but he was just a hired gun. I was actually close to putting Plummer on this list, not because i think he is a world beater but because he was sorely needed at the right time and unlike Manning spent most of his career in Denver rather than in Arizona. But, in the end the players listed i felt were bigger impacts to those Bronco teams when they were there. Rod was awesome obviously but i think McCaffery is a bit more underrated of the two simply because Eddie Mac did a lot of the dirty work that goes unnoticed. But i remember the guys in this list as being impact players even when there was much less around them. Again, cant say much on Floyd but he was basically John Elway before John Elway and certainly deserves to be in the list. This would be my list,


1. John Elway
2. Floyd Little
3. Terrell Davis
4. Randy Gradishar
5. Shannon Sharpe
6. Karl Mecklenburg
7. Steve Atwater
8. Von Miller
9. Louis Wright
10. Tom Jackson

[Timmy!]

Plummer spent 6 seasons in Arizona, only 4 in Denver. Just saying.

[BroncoWave]

He's at #7.


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9HIlNhuFgb0/hqdefault.jpg

Either my joke went over your head or yours is going over mine.

[Timmy!]

Either my joke went over your head or yours is going over mine.

I'll let you figure it out.

For somebody who loves to slurp Mcdaniels, I would have figured you'd like his best (almost only good) draft pick.

[aberdien]

I think Dread would have an aneurysm if Jake Plummer was on a top 10 Broncos list.

[Northman]

Plummer spent 6 seasons in Arizona, only 4 in Denver. Just saying.

Did he? Seemed like he was in Denver much longer than that. Lol

[Timmy!]

Did he? Seemed like he was in Denver much longer than that. Lol

Same length as manning. Probably close to the same number of snaps really since they both didn't play half the 4th year.

[Bronco4ever]

Manning absolutely deserves to be on the list. 2 SB's, 1 Championship, numerous (single game, season, and career) records broken, most wins during that 4 year window, ect. The Manning era, while brief, was one of the most significant and successful times in team history. I just don't think you can make an argument that 10 players achieved/accomplished more for this franchise than Peyton did in those 4 seasons.

[Northman]

I just don't think you can make an argument that 10 players achieved/accomplished more for this franchise than Peyton did in those 4 seasons.

For me it takes more than personal stats to be deemed "important" to a franchise. Manning was certainly great but i still see him as s Colt more than a Bronco. Then when you break down the 2 SB's it was actually the defense and Von that enabled us to win a title. All the stats in the world meant nothing when playing the Hawks. I hate picking apart Manning because i do appreciate what he brought to the team but when i look at my list it goes beyond personal stats and records. When Manning came to Denver i expected him to be who he was because he was already established, but the guys on my list were guys who were built from the ground up and impacted Denver far more to me during the time they played. I understand why some people would put Manning there but i just cant personally.

[BroncoWave]

I'll let you figure it out.

For somebody who loves to slurp Mcdaniels, I would have figured you'd like his best (almost only good) draft pick.

I do like DT. I just don't blindly homer fanboy over him.

[ShaneFalco]

Spoiler alert - this is the complete list in order. Fun watch, though they spent a lot of time talking about Tebow for some reason.

10. Von Miller
9. Karl Mecklenburg
8. Randy Gradishar
7. Rod Smith
6. Steve Atwater
5. Peyton Manning
4. Champ Bailey
3. Shannon Sharpe
2. Terrell Davis
1. John Elway

thats because Tebow is #11.

[Nomad]

thats because Tebow is #11.

LoL. I was wondering when you were going to show up. :lol:

[Bronco4ever]

For me it takes more than personal stats to be deemed "important" to a franchise. Manning was certainly great but i still see him as s Colt more than a Bronco.

And see, I really don't care that Peyton played longer for the Colts than us. To me that has no bearing on his time in Denver. If you look at Peyton's body of work in a Broncos uniform, he's absolutely a top 10 player in franchise history. TD had 4 great seasons in Denver and is generally considered to be #2 in Broncos lore. Peyton's 4 years aren't that far behind, although I'd take 2 SB wins over 1. :cool:

[Northman]

And see, I really don't care that Peyton played longer for the Colts than us. To me that has no bearing on his time in Denver. If you look at Peyton's body of work in a Broncos uniform, he's absolutely a top 10 player in franchise history. TD had 4 great seasons in Denver and is generally considered to be #2 in Broncos lore. Peyton's 4 years aren't that far behind, although I'd take 2 SB wins over 1. :cool:

Yes, but TD was also a Bronco and not a Colt so i think that adds to the lore of TD vs Peyton. Like i said, i see why people put Peyton in their own lists but for me personally he is somewhere around between 11-13 ranking for me. Just too may other more important players for me as a fan than Manning at this point.

[BroncoWave]

And see, I really don't care that Peyton played longer for the Colts than us. To me that has no bearing on his time in Denver. If you look at Peyton's body of work in a Broncos uniform, he's absolutely a top 10 player in franchise history. TD had 4 great seasons in Denver and is generally considered to be #2 in Broncos lore. Peyton's 4 years aren't that far behind, although I'd take 2 SB wins over 1. :cool:

100% agree. Who cares that Peyton spent most of his career in Indy? That doesn't change the fact that there is no way there are 10 players who accomplished more for the Broncos than Peyton Manning.

[Northman]

100% agree. Who cares that Peyton spent most of his career in Indy?

Apparently there are some people that care. lmao

[BroncoWave]

Apparently there are some people that care. lmao

Yes, people who are wrong! :D

[Northman]

Yes, people who are wrong! :D

Im never wrong, you just havent gotten with the program yet. :)