Month: June 2015

Mike Klis tweeted out some information about the Broncos offensive line as it currently stands.

Gary Kubiak said he has settled on O-Line going into training camp – LT Sambrailo LG Garland C Gradkowski RG Vasquez RT Clark #9News

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) June 10, 2015

However, bear in mind this is not set in stone, as Klis makes clear in this tweet.

OC Rick Dennison on OL arrangement – "Don't read too much into it."

— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) June 10, 2015

Only time will tell if the current starting lineup remains the same to start the season… and more importantly, how those who eventually win the starting jobs fare as a unit.

The other day, Nick shared some thoughts about what might happen between Demaryius Thomas and the Denver Broncos. I shared a few thoughts there, but wanted to further examine the realities the Broncos are faced with in future seasons.

We know that John Elway has talked about how he wants to build a team that will win “now and in the future.” The problem many pundits and fans have is, when they talk about playoff contenders who have notable aging players, they drop the words “in the future,” as if all that matters is getting the aging players a Super Bowl ring at the expense of everything else. Dropping the words “in the future” is a dangerous practice, because that is how you harm your team in future years, and make it not only many years between Super Bowls, but many years between playoff trips.

It’s true that the Broncos have not always delivered their best games in recent playoffs, but the Broncos made the playoffs each year because they had teams that were built well. Everyone wants to win a Super Bowl, but if I were to tell you I could structure a team that could win a Super Bowl this year, but it would come at the cost of failing to make the playoffs in eight of the next 10 seasons, and be one-and-done in the two seasons the team goes to the playoffs, I would think most people would say it’s not worth winning the Super Bowl for that.
Continue reading Remember What Elway Said: Win “Now and in the Future”

Introduction:

The RPO is one of the hardest to defend in football. Primarily because the constraint is added into the play like an option off a bad look. The offense can adjust to the defense even after the defense has already adjusted to the offense. And now with the development of packaged-plays, or more famously known around the coaching circles as RPOs (Run-Pass Options), they can now play with the defense among three axes of direction in one play call. The amount of stretch that an RPO can create on a field is hard for a defense to cover using a traditional coverage. And then offenses have the capability to get the play off in thirteen seconds after the last play has occurred. Not only are defenses struggling with stretches in space, they are also dealing with fatigue, a disastrous element in a game that averages 10 more plays per game than twenty years ago.

As offensive schemes keep attacking the weaknesses of traditional coverages, they are in danger of becoming obsolete. RPO’s stretch zone coverage, provide an outlet against man, take advantage of a light box versus Cover 4, and get the quick bubble vs Cover 3. All defensive coordinators can do is teach their players the fundamentals, install the packages, and hope their players are aware enough to recognize what is happening. It’s a pickle to say the least.

Thankfully or unfortunately, depending on which side of the ball you are on, there are ways to combat the RPO.

Continue reading Defending the RPO: The Scrape-Exchange, Bracket Coverage, and Cut Corners

Pro Football Focus updates the depth chart for teams each offseason. You can find the Broncos’ depth chart here.

I suspect there won’t be too many disagreements over how PFF views each projected starter, although one may disagree over the definition of “elite” versus “high quality.” There are also several players who have been praised by those of us who migrated from IAOFM, who PFF is not as high on.

John Bowlen, one of Pat Bowlen’s sons and a candidate to take over the ownership reigns, was arrested on domestic violence charges.

Per Lindsay Jones on Twitter, Bowlen has been placed on indefinite leave of absence by the Broncos, and would be subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Via the Washington Post:

The team listed its stadium capacity at 85,000 last season, but attendance never topped 81,000 and averaged less than 78,000. The Redskins led the NFL with an average attendance of 88,090 in 2007 but have averaged fewer than 80,000 four seasons in a row.

The Redskins still remained near the top of the league in attendance; the league average last season was 68,776. The Redskins say every home game for the past 47 seasons has been a sellout.

Why am I making a quick mention of this here?  I am because the Redskins are the only team that has a longer sellout streak than the Broncos.  There are, of course, ways that the numbers can be manipulated, as Dan Snyder is demonstrating here.  But I certainly wouldn’t mind if Snyder continues to do Dan Snyder things that causes more Redskins fans to get fed up.

As I wrote the other day, I am cautiously optimistic about Ty Sambrailo’s ability to handle left tackle for the Broncos this season. The other offensive line positions (except for right guard, in which Louis Vasquez is proven), however, are where I find far more legitimate concerns.

The biggest issue with center, left guard, and right tackle is that you have players who are either inexperienced or haven’t stood out elsewhere. There is some hope among the younger players, but it’s going to take time for some of them to get to that point.

Looking at each position, let’s go over where my concerns lie, and how they tie into what I believe to be legitimate concerns from Bronco fans.
Continue reading A Closer Look At the Rest of the O-Line

Last week, the Denver Broncos received some bad news as starting left tackle Ryan Clady was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Ty Sambrailo, the Broncos’ 2015 second-round pick, now finds himself likely starting at left tackle.

Given how much the offensive line struggled last year, it’s understandable that Broncos fans are worried about what will happen this year with Clady out of the lineup. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Continue reading Looking Closer at Ty Sambrailo

Broncos sign first-round pick Shane Ray

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) June 1, 2015

Per the numbers of the rookie wage scale, as the 23rd overall pick the total of Ray’s contract and signing bonus are both known–they should be close to, respectively, $9.12 million and $4.89 million.  Judging by previous 23rd overall picks, Ray should also have the first three years of his base salary fully guaranteed.

The only possible serious point of negotiation is if the Broncos pushed for a clause to void Ray’s guarantees should he run afoul of the NFL’s substance abuse program.  Ray was placed in Phase 1 of the program due to his pre-draft citation for marijuana possession.