Thread: Strange Feeling about this offseason and upcoming season...

Am I the only one who feels this way? There just seems to be something amiss about this offseason and I can't figure out what it is.

Let's recap:

1. There was the parting of the ways from Fox and his staff, with Fox and JDR seemingly checking out before the playoff game against the Colts.

2. The hiring of Kubiak and company in what seems to be a yearning for past glory days.

3. The strange Manning retirement/paycut saga.

4. The decision (justifiable) to let 5 starters walk in FA, mitigated by our salary cap restrictions.

5. The somewhat puzzling lack of emphasis on addressing the OL issues. Most notably, their belief the ZBS allows them to be successful with lesser talented offensive linemen. Trading for a second rate Center and signing bargain basement players like Shelly Smith, Ryan Harris, and the like doesn't inspire much confidence. Just goes to show they really don't believe in the players already on the roster (Paradis, Schoefield, Garland) like they stated earlier.

6. Their penchant for drafting players dealing with injuries or having a history of injuries.

7. Two major season ending injuries to players this early in the offseason.


I hate this gut feeling I have and my hope is the team has enough talent to still be successful, but I shake the feeling Denver will be selecting in the top 5-10 of next years draft.

Thoughts?

I was actually thinking it would be more in the 15-20 range myself.

I get what you are saying, but the good news is that it is only May and we have some time to figure things out. The O-line was a worry last season as well, and while losing Clady sucks it might give us a boost in the long run. I remember pretty recently both Baltimore and New England had pretty shoddy Offensive Lines and they were able to re-tool them pretty quickly on their way to the Super Bowl.

I think my biggest concerns right now are Manning being able to operate under center in a slower offense, whether or not our run game will be the beast we need it to be, and if our defense can step up when it counts to allow us to slow the game down when we need to.

As far as Kubiak and co. at least they don't have one foot out the door. I'm still bothered by the fact that Fox and Del Rio were basically auditioning for other teams at the end of the season last year if the rumors are true. Kubiak wants to be here and Wade "Hank Hill" Phillips has no intention of becoming a HC again. I'll take my chances with Manning and what should still be a pretty great offense and a passionate coaching staff. We have plenty of time to rebuild after Manning is gone.

I do understand what you are saying about having a weird feeling, though. I'm still pretty optimistic for a good season but I won't feel comfortable unless we lock down a 1 or 2 seed again if we go into the playoffs. Part of me hopes we have some early adversity then finish strong which could really help out down the stretch. I'd almost be worried with another hot start.

My biggest concern is the OL but this system has proven they can get by with players nobody else wants, by their own admission, I don't think the current state of this OL has caught the FO unprepared. It'll be fine, not ideal, but it fits the system.

If the likes of Smith, Gradkowski and the like bothers you too I'd learn to get used to it.

I have a strange feeling every year. Nothing is guaranteed and you can only hope for the best year in and year out. Unlike the Elway lead SB teams i never felt that confident we would win a title behind Manning so anything we do achieve is just a bonus anyway. But, i have more faith in Kubes than i ever did in Fox if that means anything.

The only feeling I have is anxiousness. I can't wait for football to begin!! Win, lose or tie, I'll watch and enjoy every moment.

Originally Posted by Northman

I have a strange feeling every year. Nothing is guaranteed and you can only hope for the best year in and year out. Unlike the Elway lead SB teams i never felt that confident we would win a title behind Manning so anything we do achieve is just a bonus anyway. But, i have more faith in Kubes than i ever did in Fox if that means anything.

The only time I ever felt confident was going into the Super Bowl against Atlanta. Not having to face Minnesota that year was a huge relief to me. The previous year I just wanted them to keep it close with Green Bay! You just never know. I really do think it is about getting hot at the right time based on the past few seasons.

I mostly see what you're saying. The OL was my biggest concern, which got even bigger with Clady's injury. I will trust that this team knows what they're doing at this point, though. People say they didn't address the OL as much as they'd like, but really, they DID address it, just not in the WAY many of us wanted. I don't think that bringing in low cost veterans is necessarily a knock on Schofield or Garland, as you mention. Elway says he believes in those guys, and I have faith in the boss. But that doesn't mean that injuries and/or ineffectiveness wouldn't come up, and therefore, we need these veteran guys as depth, if nothing else. I suspect we see two rookies (or at least, guys that haven't played in a real game yet) starting by the time week one rolls around (Sambrailo seems like a lock somewhere, maybe even LT at this point, and I think Schofield and/or Garcia start somewhere).

The transition from one coaching staff to another will be rocky, even if the new coaching staff is better (which they should be). It takes a while to get everyone on the same page, and that worries me if we're seriously going to be contenders this year. Has a first year coach on a new team ever won the Super Bowl? But I agree with MasterShake - the biggest thing that bothers me about this offseason was Fox getting ready to catch a plane to Chicago instead of coaching against the Colts. Kubiak should be a breath of fresh air - I just don't know if that translates to success this year.

This is still a very talented team, which many people are forgetting when focusing only on our weaknesses. Our QB should be good at the least, even if he's not what he used to be. I think CJ is going to have a monster season if he stays healthy, and the backups should be fine in this system. Our WR's are top notch. Our TE's aren't great, but they should be good enough in this offense (I expect Green to step it up). So on offense, only the line is a negative, though that could obviously have far reaching effects. On defense, our pass rushers will be let loose, and our CB corps might be the best in the league. The new scheme should allow everyone to be aggressive and put all that talent to use.

I have no idea how this season will play out. But I still have hope, even after Clady. Like Joe, I'm already hungry for the games to begin again.

I'm still super pumped!!

We are the best team in the AFC. I think we rep the SB again this year. I don't see another team in the AFC that will stand in our way.

I have this uneasy feeling that we missed our 3 year window with Manning, and now we are left to deal with the aftermath. We had to let a lot of talent walk out the door so that we could afford another year or two of Manning. We probably would have been better off long term if Manning would have retired and we could allocate that $15 million elsewhere and start to see what we have in Brock starting fresh in a new system.

Instead, it's like we're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole making it work with a 39 year old peyton with a bum arm and no mobility in a system that would benefit from the exact opposite style QB. So it's like every decision we've made subsequently has been less than ideal because we're trying to make it work with this QB who I'm not sure has the skill set to win a super bowl anymore.

No I don't feel anything is amiss. It's May and there is plenty of time to get things worked out. I don't hiring of Kubiak is desire to return to the glory day. The system he brings is one that has proven to be successful in this League.

Originally Posted by Buff

I have this uneasy feeling that we missed our 3 year window with Manning, and now we are left to deal with the aftermath. We had to let a lot of talent walk out the door so that we could afford another year or two of Manning. We probably would have been better off long term if Manning would have retired and we could allocate that $15 million elsewhere and start to see what we have in Brock starting fresh in a new system.

Instead, it's like we're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole making it work with a 39 year old peyton with a bum arm and no mobility in a system that would benefit from the exact opposite style QB. So it's like every decision we've made subsequently has been less than ideal because we're trying to make it work with this QB who I'm not sure has the skill set to win a super bowl anymore.

Hard to argue with you - in fact, I've been trashed by saying I had hoped Manning retired.

I'm still pumped for the season though. It's been a LONG TIME since we got to see the Broncos play.

I haven't even been posting much in Broncos Talk threads because I am so melancholy about the team and it's prospects for this year. I was quiet during free agency and the draft because I don't want to bring everyone down with negativity.

Having said that, like many of you I'll still be just as emotionally invested and excited once the season starts.

Originally Posted by Buff

I have this uneasy feeling that we missed our 3 year window with Manning, and now we are left to deal with the aftermath. We had to let a lot of talent walk out the door so that we could afford another year or two of Manning. We probably would have been better off long term if Manning would have retired and we could allocate that $15 million elsewhere and start to see what we have in Brock starting fresh in a new system.

Instead, it's like we're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole making it work with a 39 year old peyton with a bum arm and no mobility in a system that would benefit from the exact opposite style QB. So it's like every decision we've made subsequently has been less than ideal because we're trying to make it work with this QB who I'm not sure has the skill set to win a super bowl anymore.

Definitely with you here! I'm one of the few who believed/wished Manning would retire so the new regime could get fully immersed into the way Kubiak want to run the offense and defense.

Originally Posted by Traveler

Definitely with you here! I'm one of the few who believed/wished Manning would retire so the new regime could get fully immersed into the way Kubiak want to run the offense and defense.

I was kind of feeling similarly but we're all going to feel like a pack of dumbasses when Peyton and Kubiak make this line look good. I'll reserve my judgement for now and look at this the same way I looked at the possibility of Manning retiring. I want to see some of these young kids get looks. Sambro, Schofield, Garcia, and especially Paradis. I love me some young OL competition.