SmilinAssasSin27
01-06-2008, 02:37 PM
As the Broncos Nation turns
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 01/05/2008 01:40:41 AM MST
Christmas lights are coming down. Rush-hour traffic is about to pick up.
Kansas, Dorothy, won the Orange Bowl. The Broncos did not make the NFL playoffs for a second consecutive year.
The world is changing. And it changes faster than Javon Walker can ramble.
To think that in 2005 and 2006, the Broncos played three games against New England, and won all three.
Change can be good for some, not for others.
Already, Dove Valley is spinning. On the first day of the offseason Monday, the Broncos' offense lost Matt Lepsis to retirement and Walker to self-absorption.
And that's the decent side of the ball.
Lepsis was a bummer. Maybe talking to the media this year took all the fun out of it for the left tackle. Here's hoping Tom Nalen doesn't get any ideas. New NFL policy mandated the media finally get to know the Broncos' offensive linemen this year, and look what happened.
Ben Hamilton doesn't make it out of training camp, Nalen is lost following a season-ending injury in Week 5 and now Lepsis is gone for good.
Not exactly how Mike Shanahan planned to break in kid quarterback Jay Cutler. And people wonder why the Broncos struggled in the red zone this year.
"We had a couple weeks there where we'd play awesome and a couple weeks where we just weren't clicking," receiver Brandon Stokley said. "That's what we need more of, is to be consistent. Especially once we get down in the red zone, we have to find a way to score touchdowns."
Not that Walker was much help. One guess how many touchdowns the Broncos got in return for their $10 million receiver this year. If you counted to one, you went too far. Think back to elementary school, when the math teacher said something about how zero divided by $10 million isn't even zero.
"It's not for me," Walker said of the Broncos' offense. "I wouldn't say that until the end of the season, but it's not for me."
There's no way Shanahan can espouse team-before-self to his 2008 locker room if Walker is sitting in it. Walker is gone. Which is not an unfortunate development, given the season-ending evidence Walker is not the same following a second surgery on his right knee.
While Lepsis snuck through the back door, and Walker roared his way out, Bronco Nation awaits whether Jim Bates will slide through the revolving door that seemingly comes with the office of defensive boss.
There are approximately 2.4 million reasons why Bates should stay, plus at least one more — Shanahan likes the guy. As of late Friday afternoon, Bates was busy with his assistant coaches in player-evaluation meetings.
Contract dollars and affection aside, though, there are philosophical differences that may be impossible to reconcile.
Otherwise, don't expect the Broncos to make expensive changes. Detroit may deal receiver Roy Williams, who would be a nice alternative to Walker. But there may not be many all-expense-paid visits to Dove Valley for big-ticket players in the free-agent market.
Quick fixes have a way of leading to lasting problems. The Broncos had a splendid draft in 2006 with Cutler, Marshall, Tony Scheffler and Elvis Dumervil.
"I think our class has got a nice little swagger going," Scheffler said.
The 2007 rookie class, which includes undrafted running back Selvin Young, is also promising. One more good draft class, and who knows?
Rudy Giuliani, the nation's most popular politician in 2001, just got creamed by somebody named Ron Paul, among others, in the presidential season opener.
Good or bad, the world changes.
Cleveland and Tampa Bay were 4-12 last year. Washington was 5-11. Green Bay, Tennessee, Jacksonville and the New York Giants were 8-8. Six of those teams are in the playoffs this year. Cleveland went 10-6.
If Tampa Bay can reach the postseason from 4-12, can't the Broncos get there from 7-9?
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 01/05/2008 01:40:41 AM MST
Christmas lights are coming down. Rush-hour traffic is about to pick up.
Kansas, Dorothy, won the Orange Bowl. The Broncos did not make the NFL playoffs for a second consecutive year.
The world is changing. And it changes faster than Javon Walker can ramble.
To think that in 2005 and 2006, the Broncos played three games against New England, and won all three.
Change can be good for some, not for others.
Already, Dove Valley is spinning. On the first day of the offseason Monday, the Broncos' offense lost Matt Lepsis to retirement and Walker to self-absorption.
And that's the decent side of the ball.
Lepsis was a bummer. Maybe talking to the media this year took all the fun out of it for the left tackle. Here's hoping Tom Nalen doesn't get any ideas. New NFL policy mandated the media finally get to know the Broncos' offensive linemen this year, and look what happened.
Ben Hamilton doesn't make it out of training camp, Nalen is lost following a season-ending injury in Week 5 and now Lepsis is gone for good.
Not exactly how Mike Shanahan planned to break in kid quarterback Jay Cutler. And people wonder why the Broncos struggled in the red zone this year.
"We had a couple weeks there where we'd play awesome and a couple weeks where we just weren't clicking," receiver Brandon Stokley said. "That's what we need more of, is to be consistent. Especially once we get down in the red zone, we have to find a way to score touchdowns."
Not that Walker was much help. One guess how many touchdowns the Broncos got in return for their $10 million receiver this year. If you counted to one, you went too far. Think back to elementary school, when the math teacher said something about how zero divided by $10 million isn't even zero.
"It's not for me," Walker said of the Broncos' offense. "I wouldn't say that until the end of the season, but it's not for me."
There's no way Shanahan can espouse team-before-self to his 2008 locker room if Walker is sitting in it. Walker is gone. Which is not an unfortunate development, given the season-ending evidence Walker is not the same following a second surgery on his right knee.
While Lepsis snuck through the back door, and Walker roared his way out, Bronco Nation awaits whether Jim Bates will slide through the revolving door that seemingly comes with the office of defensive boss.
There are approximately 2.4 million reasons why Bates should stay, plus at least one more — Shanahan likes the guy. As of late Friday afternoon, Bates was busy with his assistant coaches in player-evaluation meetings.
Contract dollars and affection aside, though, there are philosophical differences that may be impossible to reconcile.
Otherwise, don't expect the Broncos to make expensive changes. Detroit may deal receiver Roy Williams, who would be a nice alternative to Walker. But there may not be many all-expense-paid visits to Dove Valley for big-ticket players in the free-agent market.
Quick fixes have a way of leading to lasting problems. The Broncos had a splendid draft in 2006 with Cutler, Marshall, Tony Scheffler and Elvis Dumervil.
"I think our class has got a nice little swagger going," Scheffler said.
The 2007 rookie class, which includes undrafted running back Selvin Young, is also promising. One more good draft class, and who knows?
Rudy Giuliani, the nation's most popular politician in 2001, just got creamed by somebody named Ron Paul, among others, in the presidential season opener.
Good or bad, the world changes.
Cleveland and Tampa Bay were 4-12 last year. Washington was 5-11. Green Bay, Tennessee, Jacksonville and the New York Giants were 8-8. Six of those teams are in the playoffs this year. Cleveland went 10-6.
If Tampa Bay can reach the postseason from 4-12, can't the Broncos get there from 7-9?