Category: Uncategorized

It’s funny how things are at Thin Air. A few weeks ago, several of you were suggesting the idea of trading for somebody like Vernon Davis.

Given today’s revelation, you’d think John Elway was reading this site or something.

Let’s do temper our expectations a bit. Davis isn’t the game breaker he used to be. It’s not likely we’re going to see him rack up 100 yards every game or cause matchup problems for every defense.

But he can fill a key role in giving the Broncos a tight end who can easily rotate in and out with the others on the roster.
Continue reading Gut Reaction: Vernon Davis Is Now A Bronco

Here's the actual deal: SF is trading Vernon Davis and a 2016 7th-round pick to Denver for a 6th in 2016 and a 6th in 2017, per sources.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 2, 2015

Assuming Davis remains on the Broncos’ roster for the remainder of the season, Denver will pay him 9/17ths of his 2015 base salary, or approximately $2.5 million.  With the Broncos having approximately $7.3 million in current 2015 cap space, this is an acquisition they could easily afford.

Giving up two 6ths for a 7th and Davis is a great deal. Remember that the Broncos have one of the most stacked rosters in the NFL, and in 2016 it’s likely that some of those late draft picks might not make the team.  That likelihood increases when you remember that the Broncos should get three compensatory picks to further pad their 2016 pick total.  As it stands right now, the Broncos’ 2016 draft slate consists of the following: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd or 4th (compensatory), 4th (compensatory), 5th (from BAL), 5th, 6th (compensatory), 7th (from SF), 7th (from HOU), and 7th.

Also, Davis is in the last year of his contract. With Virgil Green under contract for a long while and Jeff Heuerman expected to come off IR, it would seem unlikely that the Broncos would retain him.  And if they don’t, he’ll factor into the Broncos’ 2017 compensatory pick formula, giving them an excellent chance to get that 2017 6th back, if not improve on it.

John Elway has confirmed the transaction.

We've agreed to trade for two-time Pro Bowl TE Vernon Davis from SF. He'll be a valuable addition to our team w/his experience & leadership.

— John Elway (@johnelway) November 2, 2015

Ty Sambrailo is not going to make it back… Kubiak said.. Go on IR.. Have surgery..

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) November 2, 2015

Unfortunate news for the 2015 second-round pick.

ETA: Lindsay Jones explains more.

Sambrailo practiced last week, coaches + docs wanted to see how shoulder responded. It went poorly — injury won't heal, must be fixed.

— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) November 2, 2015

It remains to be seen if the Broncos trade for another offensive lineman, but the door could be open for that now. The only question to ask is whether such a trade would hurt some of the continuity the Broncos seem to have established on the line.

Not sure who is available in free agency at this point.

Thought everyone would be interested in this story from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about Darius Wiliams, the son of late Broncos CB Darrent Williams.

Darius is playing cornerback for Fort Worth Arlington Heights High School and hopes to reach the NFL.

All season long, the one subject everyone wants to talk about regarding the Denver Broncos, more than any other subject, has been Peyton Manning.

Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, Peyton is declining and has been for some time. Yes, he’s made poor decisions and his throws aren’t consistently where they need to be. And this is likely going to be his last season.

But after last night’s 29-10 Denver Broncos victory over the Green Bay Packers, it’s time to ask ourselves if we are worrying too much about Peyton.
Continue reading Yes, The Broncos Can Win With Subpar Peyton

Chicken Parm tastes so good-I like it especially with Cheese

— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) November 2, 2015

No further comment necessary.

NFL owners are businessmen. Because they are businessmen, they concern themselves with the bottom line, sometimes to a fault. No businessman is a saint nor should anyone expect them to be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t traits a businessmen can possess that make him a good one.

When it comes to NFL owners, Pat Bowlen is not without his faults. He is not without his mistakes. Overall, though, he’s acted exactly like you expect an NFL owner should act. Let’s review the characteristics of a good NFL owner and how they applied to Bowlen.
Continue reading Pat Bowlen Was Exactly What You Wanted In An NFL Owner

Via ESPN:

Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland.  After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.

Grantland distinguished itself with quality writing, smart ideas, original thinking and fun.  We are grateful to those who made it so.  Bill Simmons was passionately committed to the site and proved to be an outstanding editor with a real eye for talent.  Thanks to all the other writers, editors and staff who worked very hard to create content with an identifiable sensibility and consistent intelligence and quality. We also extend our thanks to Chris Connelly who stepped in to help us maintain the site these past five months as he returns to his prior role.

Despite this change, the legacy of smart long-form sports story-telling and innovative short form video content will continue, finding a home on many of our other ESPN platforms.

As the Cowboys continue to enable Greg Hardy’s behavior, Todd Archer and Adam Schefter bring news of troubling behavior from one of Hardy’s teammates:

In a best-case scenario, [RB Joseph] Randle only will be fined. But more likely he will be suspended, quite possibly for multiple games, for a February incident in Wichita, Kansas, where Randle was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana after police received a call for domestic violence with a weapon after an incident with Randle and the mother of his son.

According to the police report, the mother of Randle’s son said Randle broke a car window in an argument and threatened her with a gun with their son nearby. In April the charges were dropped, but while legally clear, Randle faced sanctions from the NFL.

It remains to be seen just exactly what Randle’s punishment will be, but if the NFL is going to have a policy against domestic violence with teeth, it should come down hard on Randle.  The reason why can be summed up with the name of one NFL player: Jovan Belcher.

That, of course, was a domestic argument that ended in the worst way possible: as a murder/suicide.  The key ingredient in why that was able to happen was due to the presence of a gun in such a volatile situation.  Thankfully, in the case of Randle no one was hurt.  But had there been one emotional misstep on his part, it could have turned out much worse due to the deadly potential that a gun possesses.

Any domestic argument that involves a gun should be deemed violent, even if no physical harm is done.  The Joseph Randle case should be a key determinant to see whether the NFL finally has a satisfactory policy against domestic violence, one that will actively discourage another Jovan Belcher-type situation from happening again.