Turk Takes Six

VERY SURPRISED – Robertson (we have no depth at DT)
SURPRISED – Winborn (thought he was okay)
MILDLY SURPRISED – Engelberger, Koutouvides (for the special teams)
Jackson and Manuel come as no surprise.

Im a bit sad to see winborn go.. i thought he was a bright spot when DJ, Boss, and Webster went down. Seemed to be a good depth guy to have. Not sad to see Engelberger gone at all, likable guy and all, but ugh, hated when he played and especially started.

Not so surprised by D-Rob going.. he didnt take well to the 3-4 with the Jets and was due a 3mil roster bonus.. wish we had that draft pick back

We’ve let go of Josh Shaw and now Dewayne Robertson… Not sure what we’re thinking, but I guess with the switch to 3-4 we’re going to need less DTs and a strong NT. Can Marcus Thomas and Tim Crowder play defensive end or is the thinking that they can fit in at Nose? With Koutouvides out, that leaves Denver with Nate Webster and DJ Williams (?) and possibly Spencer Larsen to operate in the middle. Our off-season pursuits are starting to become a bit clearer.

“Analysts have not hesitated this off-season to point out that head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders have absolutely no loyalty to any players on the current roster.”

This could not be any more true

“Analysts have not hesitated this off-season to point out that head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders have absolutely no loyalty to any players on the current roster.”

The defense was just utter trash, so do what you do with trash… throw it out

I was most surprised to read that winborn was due two and a quarter.. wow thats alot for a ST type guy

anyone have a ballpark idea of how far below the cap we are?

i think around between 35-40 mil. This offseason will be interesting.

Not too surprised by any, Robertson was an under achiever, the rest were ‘nice’ players, but all replaceable..
I am sure they have a really good idea of the systems they are going to run, and what players will, and won’t fit into them..
I would suspect that they are going to try to maximize the draft this year, by acquiring extra picks at some point

thanks merc.. im pretty sure i read we were about 30 mil before the cuts (who knows how true that was though) anyone know, was that anticipating some cuts, or are we closer to 50 mil with the cuts made today?

AKscott, there are so many different opinions of how much, I’ve heard as much as 60 and as little as 9 (prior to these cuts). I’m going to put together what I can and come up with an official BT number.

So for an honest opinion, I would like to see Peppers signed by Denver this offseason. Peppers obviously likes Denver area in general, for I have read a ton of articles of how he is spotted at Nuggets’ games all the time. He to wants to go to a 3-4 system. I think he would be a great OLB, cause he is big and fast. To me, if Denver started Woodyard, Dj, Maluega, and Peppers at LB, we would do good in the 3-4 sytem. For DE’s we could have Doom and Moss, or Crowder and for NT we could trade/sign the best out there, which I hear is the guy from Arizona. This is all in my opinion though, does anyone agree with me?

Go big with the money and get nnamdi asomuagha or dunta robinson at CB!!! or trade up and get two first round picks and get bj raji and rey malauga!!!! players like rey dont come by very often…that dude flies!!!! k that jus wont happen, i’ll admit that but i like both those dudes…why cant we get them both!! Hopefully Raji fails the wonderlic and he falls to the 2nd round! haha Peppers would be nice but I can just see him being injry prone with us…that shit always happens with big free agent guys… either way i like what they are doing so far, no complaints yet…

Joe-

Dumervil may be too small for DE in a 3-4, he’s expected to kick out to OLB. Moss is in the same boat, too small to play DE in a 3-4, he gained weight his rookie season and lost weight prior to this season. He preferred being lighter, here’s where the confusion starts for me; Webster will most likely walk during free agency, this leaves us with Boss Bailey and DJ Williams. Both can play outside, though likely Williams will move back to the middle, who else is left? Woodyard and Larsen… both fit better at middle than outside, Woodyard may even play safety, depending on Mike Nolan’s opinion.

We are in the midst of very stormy weather and I don’t see it letting up for awhile. Joe, I do see Peppers signing in Denver, he’s even commented himself on the possibility. How sweet would Peppers and Haynesworth be? Pick up a linebacker in the draft and safety, we’ll be well on our way to repairing this broken wing known as the Denver defense.

SanDiegoBroncoFan,
I like your thinking, that would be badass to get both of them. But what would we trade to get another first round pick? lol

Ian-

Good point with Doom and Moss. But how do you see Boss’s future in Denver? We have already given Robertson the boot because theres always a chance with his knee being injured. Boss is always hurt. Can you think of any reason to why we would keep him? and seeing Woodyard at safety would be pretty cool. I picture him makin some hard hits on some wide recievers. And what do you think about the NT?

Yeah thats the thing, we need all our draft picks, cuz those are huge..especially when we draft well like we did last year (Thank you Goodmans, haha) (what a draft last year was, dang!) ….i was gonna say trade Bly and a couple high rounders but i dont even know if Bly is worth a 6th or 7th round pick anymore! ha…and as for Woodyard playing safety…that would be dirty as hell, even though i wish he could play outside, that dude is athletic and much needed in that run defense…but im sure he could easily excel in any defense position…

and with all of this cap room we are getting from these cuts, would it be possible to get Peppers and Haynesworth?….not to mention Marshall’s contract is up after 2009, so he will get some big bucks..

Ha SDBroncoFan, Bly is not worth anytihng. Have you ever seen the movie Semi-Pro?? He reminds me of Monix in the movie. In other words, I bet if a team would offer Denver a washing machine for him, we would take the deal. Bly just needs to be cut.

hahaha thats why we should go after asomugha or dunta robinson…both are legitimately considered the top CBs in the league now..i mean come on, bailey and asomugha both all pros lining up together…thats just not fair…bailey would get more balls thrown his way and if we are able to pressure the QB, its just a recipe for INTs… regardless, i think if we had doom or jarvis rushin off the outside in the 3-4 they have higher chances of getting to the quarterback and confusing the o-line…wait what month is it? february? wtf.

One common thread here: If you ever played for San Francisco, you’re gone.

Nolan and Winborn have a bit of a history. It wouldn’t surprise me if Engleberger is in a similar boat.

I am glad to see so this purge. With the amount of great talent that has always passed in the offseason, to see shanny always keep “his guys” was frustrating. That said, with all the room being cleared, it would not surprise me in the least to see a play for one of the big name free agents. As mentioned before, there is Peppers (is there any coincidence to his mention of wanting a 3-4 and our transition, coupled with the Nuggets sightings?) and Haynseworth, Asomugha (if available would be a HUGE coup), Bodden, or maybe Foxy again? Don’t forget about Jermaine Phillips, Dansby, Vilma, or the wealth of other talent available out there.

Hell ya Roy, I forgot about Vilma. Lets get him along with Peppers and Haynesworth and draft Maluega….would be awesome…never happen though… lol

I agree SanDiegoBroncoFan55 Asomugha and Bailey would be deadly and Jarvis Moss in the 3-4 but in Xanders meeting i was nervous when they didnt answer the 4-3 or 3-4 question. Everybodys assuming Denvers going 3-4 it makes sense. Denver needs to go 3-4 to help this defense and to bring a change to denver but what if the go 4-3 that would be terrible it would be Shannahans Defense all over again!

Ya i would say either sign Peppers and Asomugha or Peppers and Hayneworth. Either way, I say we draft Maluega. Webster has to go. He is awful. He cant read the offense for shit. He looks lost a lot of the time out there.

We can all dream though…

The one thing I am excited to see is fundamental techniques on the defense. Defenders hitting and WRAPPING UP a player before attempting to drive. If Nolan can teach Maualuga to do that he could be great. Otherwise I am really starting to warm up to the idea of Moreno.

Wow- McD is cleaning house on defense? That’s an understatement. But I think it’s wishful thinking to believe that both Peppers and Haynesworth will both be coming to town. I’ll be surprised if Peppers doesn’t come to the Broncos, but I’m ready for just about anything in free agency.

Let’s just say that the start of free agency all the way through the draft will be full of Broncos news for us to chew on- pretty sure there won’t be any Nikos or Kearys (Colbert) signed this year. Last offseason, Shanny’s FA signings really made me scratch my head.

I’ve been a supporter of Shanahan the whole way, but it’s time to move on. Shanahan to the Cowboys and McD building this team to be a winner. I’m sure he’ll get roasted time and again in this blog but the guy’s definitely making his mark on this team. CAN’T WAIT- GAME ON!!!!!

I like the way these discussions are going. There was no doubt if Shanahan were to stay in Denver Asmoguha would be a Bronco, but that’s not the case anymore… Both Shanahan and Cutler were jockying hard for the man.

Do you guys think that if Woodyard does make the transition to safety that both him and Barrett could handle it? Or do you guys think that we need to go sign a vet to come help us out? if there are any good ones out there

I like the idea of letting our young guys take reps at safety, but I would not be surprised to see us make a play for Jermaine Phillips, or James Sanders. Sanders is a free agent safety from the Pats, who at 25 has lots of years ahead of him.

Man this is going to be a busy off season. This 2nd wave of cuts didnt have any shockers imo. niko, roberterson, and manuel didnt workout and were not worth their salaries. I thought winborn was a decent back up but im not going to argue with the decision. Jackson and engelberger were lucky to be on the team last year. Im excited to see how much cap room these wash ups and back ups freed up. We will certainly make a pretty big splash in the FAM. I am excited to see the completion of the overhaul on defense and see what kind of talent we are able to bring in. I think with the right balance of FA ‘s and rookies this defense might make a decent turn around. i cant wait for Apr 25th.

Ian

Dj and Boss have both started at MLB in a 4-3 and OLB… i think if boss and Dj can stay healthy they are our inside linebackers in this 3-4 defense… of course the big question for Boss is if he can stay healthy but the guys is an athletic freak and is pretty big to at 6-3 239…and if hes half as football smart ashis brother he should be able to pick up the defense pretty quick!! i too 100% disagree for doom playing as a 3-4 d end… last year when he we had absolutly no other threat as a pass rusher he was mauled by double teams… as a 3-4 it would bring out his weaknesses (size mainly) and darken his strengths (speed rush) and the same is to be said about moss even though i’m not sure if moss has any strengths!! haha! but honestly i thikn if we had a choice to pick up either hayneworth or peppers the choice would have to be hayneworth plug him in at nose tackle… seems to me from past drafts finding the rushing linebacker has a higher success rate then defensive tackle

and another side note i think woodyard at safety would be an epic failure… the guy was so over hyped to chase down the run as a linebacker it would be hard to tell a guy with his reckless style of play to sit back and play the pass first

Am I wrong or was Jamie Winborn the leading tackler on the Broncos last season. I could have swore that he was.

If so Ian, it was by default. All of our solid defensive players were out half the season nursing injuries. As a veteran journeyman, he better make the most tackles when everybody else is on the sideline…not an impressive feat IMO.

i’m good (and not suprised) with the cuts made. i’d be cool with peppers if he comes at a decent price and a decent contract. i hope we stay away from haynesworth. didnt he have another arrest issue in the last couple of months? dont need that.

i’m curious about x’s comment on getting some more picks. where are we going to get them from? it seems like we are cutting people left and right- 11 in the last 2 weeks…. who is left, and is expendable, to trade for picks? or is he hinting that we are going to attempt to trade back for more picks?

i’m with that guy who said that thing about resigning foxworth.

Face it. Anyone on defense not called champ or d.j. is on the cutting or trading block. And both of them are looking iffy. The defensive personnel will be completely different next year. Even the rotation players need refreshing. And with all due respect to jamie winborn i liked what he did but if he’s your leading tackler and defensive mvp then you’re in trouble.

i think there are more changes on the way- i think bly will be asked to restructure big time and if he doesn’t he’ll be traded for a 5th, 4th at best. Free agents i feel will be brought in for the D line and safety position- very few if any rookies make an impact at these positions in their first 2 years, i think we’ll go for quality starters who won’t break the bank- Phillips from the bucs, maybe trade for a NT- very hard to find and i think there will be at least 2 linebackers drafted and a rb in the first 3 rounds- Shonn Greene would be my pick- these 2 positions are the easy transitions to the pro level- guys are asking on here id Webster is coming back- he’s unrestricted FA- Thank god for that and we all know he would be Number 1 on McD’s list of trash to dump!!

Is there a thought that some of these players that are let go may come back at a cheaper ticket . I am sure there is a limit on how much can be spent . The Broncos are able to squeeze the dollar to get the most . It seems that the guys that did the shopping have been dismissed and new hopefully as good people will do the right thing. The market is out there lets see how smart of a shopper the Broncos are.

If we don’t get Raji in the first round then its Knowshown or trade down. To draft Rey Mauluaga with the 12th is useless. Rey isn’t a bad player but he’s not worth the 12th overall pick, USC players are overrated. Just watch Clay Matthews will be better than Brian Cushing and Rey Rey.

And for the love of God! Woodyard is not a starter. He provides good depth and special teams but thats about it. Also give Dre’ Bly a break! He was the defensive MVP of Denver this year, given thats not hard on this team, but he played better than everyone else.

Also if Denver stays 4-3 it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world seeing how the Giant’s defense is a 4-3.

Don’t give in to these huge free agents. Haynesworth is not worth the 10 million a year he wants and Peppers isn’t going to go anywhere for cheap. Denver doesn’t need to be like the Redskins and sign huge free agents and draft overrated players. Look where that gets them.

Karlos Dansby and possibly Phillip Buchanon are expected to be tagged today.

Phillip Buchanon gets beat more than a redheaded step child. Dansby is a stud but its hard to say whether he’s just having a contract year boom.

According to Schefter (so its true) Denver has cleared up 22 million in cap space. McDaniels and Xanders are creating room for improvement, lets hope they make the right moves.

East-

I’m tired of taking a chance of drafting defensive people in the draft, hoping that they can start, they take forever to develop and in reality when was the last time we got someone great defensively in the draft? Dumervil? Before that it was Darrent Williams and prior to that D.J. Williams. We need a pass rush and even if we trade up to get the next LT it’s going to be 2011 before we see anything out of him.

I also have a sweet spot in my heart for Dre Bly, he performs very well in Champ’s absence. I do think that a lot of his downfall is a direct result of the line being a second from a sack every play. In that respect, I can deal with rookie corners, linebackers and safeties (I thought Josh Bell played exceptionally well for instance, though Jack Williams only looked impressive in the preseason).
That leaves us with the only free agency as an option for defensive lineman. Whether we go 5-2/3-4 or stay 4-3, I’m thinking that the thought pattern will be get a line through free agency and draft linebackers. Remember that Nolan was the coach the last time Denver had a great linebacking corps (Mecklenburg, Fletcher, Brooks and Croel). He’s done well consistently at evaluating young linebackers.

East –

That’s not including the first round of cuts. But yeah, 22-million is very exciting to have. Correll Buckhalter will not be resigned by the Eagles and I like Derrick Ward (though injuries are a concern), I can only imagine him swapping downs with Ryan Torain and or Peyton Hillis.

I’m still trying to figure out the final cap number, but I think that we’re somewhere near $31 million. With Champ Bailey and D.J. Williams taking up a large chunk of our current salaries.

everybody calm down. getting rid of all these DT’s clearly shows the direction McDaniels is gonna go in the draft. the release of DT’s is eveidence that the D-line, not the LB crew, is gonna be addressed.

Mr East:

thank you for saying that Maualuga is overrated. i dont know why nobody else can see that. he definetly isnt worth the 12th pick. BJ Raji is the guy. if he isnt available then Malcolm Jenkins would be a nice CB turned FS. or Knowshown Moreno. maybe even Tyson Jackson out of LSU. he is the 3-4 DE type.

and why is everyone saying put Woodyard at safety?? he played at safety this year and sucked bad at it. there literally isnt a safety on this team right now can be a starter anywhere else.

Haynesworth isn’t realistic at all. I don’t think he wants to come play NT, he really strikes me as a guy looking for the paycheck and then his production will fall off. He also doesn’t have the ideal size for the 3-4 unless he was willing to play DE.

And for those saying Boss could start at OLB need to read up on the 3-4 a little. I think he’ll still be cut, but if not, he’ll se time and ILB, likely with DJ.

DJ could possibly play the outside because of his speed. I’ve always thought he should of been sent in blitz packages a lot more the past few seasons because it seems like every time he does he sneeks in and puts pressure on. But ideally, he doesn’t have the size and ILB isn’t the same as 4-3 MLB entirely, and I think his strengths play to ILB a lot more that OLB given the new system.

My free agent wish-list:
Canty(good 3-4 DE)
Gabe Watson(if he’s tendered for anything but a 1st or 2nd)
Jonathan Vilma(him and DJ as ILB’s would be nasty, great chemistry too)
Jim Leonhard(showed a lot of promise for Baltimore in post season)

than draft hopefully Maybin/Orakpo/Brown(i really think Raji will go before us) to fill an OLB spot. Leaving us with:

Canty(305)/Watson(325)/Thomas(300)
Rookie/DJ Williams/Jonathan Vilma/Jarvis Moss
Champ/Leonhard/?/Dre(if he resturctures)

I think it’d be a lot better to bring in a few(hopefully all of em) of these guys for cheaper and fill starting spots that need to be re-filled rather than bringing in Peppers and a huge price and maybe getting one other starter.

We should try and get Fred Taylor too, ESPN was saying there won’t be much of a market for him. He’s still got a good year left in his tank and allows us to hold of on RB in the draft for this year.

If we take a RB in the first my whole view and optimism of McDaniels will be shattered. Had to get that out, haha. Can’t wait for more cuts though, thank for the article.

I agree with Ian about waiting for Defensive starters to develop. Defensive linemen historically take a long time to develop into impact players. Linebackers and safeties do not. Look at linebackers Willis, Beeson, and Mayo among others. Since there are no safeties worth 1-12, then it will be a linebacker or running back.

I agree with BroncoIreland that Defensive line will definitely be addressed in FA. They’ll be looking for D-linemen who have been trained in the 3-4 and can make an impact right away. D-linemen can then be drafted in early rounds next year and can develop over a few years (I’m thinking of Terrance Cody NT, especially).

Peppers and Haynesworth will command the highest FA prices and are the biggest potential busts. Not worth the risk. I agree with NathanH that there’s no way to convince Haynesworth to play a low stat position like NT.

I’m curious too about the professor’s comments about more picks. Trading down is usually only decided upon on draft day or even at the moment of drafting, if the player they want isn’t available. I’m assuming that they’ll be looking to trade away a big name player or two. I’m still predicting that they’ll try to trade Champ – and will, if the price is right. I concede to several people’s comments that maybe Graham will stay. I also think that they’ll try to trade M Thomas as well. He’s a penetrating 1-gap DT that won’t make the transition to a stout 2-gap DE (they could try for a 1-gap 3-4, but we’ll see).

kerry – I understand that Maualuga may not be the best value at pick 12, but I don’t see many people saying that Tyson Jackson is either. I like Jackson, too, but again, D-linemen don’t have an immediate impact. Especially since he’d be transitioning from the 4-3 to 3-4. Trading down for these guys might be an option, but you risk losing either or both to the Chargers and/or the Jets, who pick shortly after 12. They’re also possible teams for picking a running back, so maybe the Broncos trade down to the mid 20′s and take who’s left out of Moreno, Maualuga, Jacksonl, a CB, or even a safety. I’m not sure. But if they don’t trade, I can still see them taking Moreno or reaching for Maualuga who will have a more immediate impact than Jackson.

I really think Rey’s gonna bust. I really don’t think he has the speed a lot of the priemere young backers like Beason, Willis etc have. The main difference in the NFL is the speed adjustment, and I think his stock will fall if he doesn’t run a strong 40 at the combine and his pro day.

I Love the cuts so far!!! I was a big hater on DRob and John Deer. Was kind of surprised by Win, just for depth. I am hoping that we pick up S Brown cut from the Bears. He has some injury concerns but would come at a decent price. I’m more concerned about what we do in FA due to the fact it will completly alter what we do in the draft. Can’t wait for FA to begin. McD and X have my vote for setting us up for success!

Gm X mentioned they may be accumulating more draft picks in the future or even for this draft … the only player that is young enough to fetch anything I think may be Dumervil … possibly a 2nd or 3rd?

Here’s something I found from FoxSports … hopefully these guys will take one for the team and agree to deferred money down the road in order to help us cap wise…

Cornerback Champ Bailey ($13.67 million) and linebacker D.J. Williams ($11.6 million), defensive co-captains who spent much of last season on the sideline with injuries and are prime candidates for renegotiating their contracts.

man we sure are making a lot of extra cap room…possibly for a big FA? a la Peppers or Asomugha? both of whom im totally down for…the offseason is great cuz we can dream about how good we can be and then the season starts and thats when i start feeling miserable and nervous every sunday, god why do i put myself through this shit haha

oh my god would everybody stop with the Peppers/Asomugha talk!! their teams have already said they will franchise them both. they nobody is even a free agent until Thursday anyway when the market opens. dont expect either Asomugha or Peppers to be available.

NathanH –

Maualuga may be a bust, but I’m not sure that it will be because of speed. Multiple scouting reports () have cited speed as a strength. In fact, he may be too fast because his main listed detraction is that he over-runs plays. He may to try too hard to make fancy mega-hit tackles too often as well.

Watch Youtube videos of his play. He may or may not time fast, but to me, he plays and looks like he’s one of the fastest guys out there. In blitzing, he’s on the QB first, he’s catching up with RB’s from behind, etc.

90% of busts are because of bad attitude and/or injuries. I haven’t seen any indication that either will be an issue.

correction. the deadline to franchise players is Thursday. free agency opens the 27th.

I totally agree with kerry on this. They won’t trade for any of the franchised high dollar players either, since they’d have to give up major draft picks and major dollars. Don’t count on Asomugha, Peppers, Suggs, Haynesworth, etc.

Can somebody please tell me who was the last big money FA to turn a bad D around? I can’t think of one??? Team players is what we need, not MONEY players!

Katch22.:

yeah i can name one. Joey Porter for the Dolphins was a huge contributor for the turnaround in Miami.

goddammit you guys are right i totally forgot about them being franchised…..ghey….then sign dunta robinson…ha

Joey Porter was the reason it was Tuna!

Correction: Joey Porter was NOT the reason for the turnaround it was Tuna!

sign dansby and robinson. draft rey. sign canty. draft a nt. and were set for next year.

Is taking out the trash considered housecleaning? These players were all below average and we need the room. Bigger names are to come.
I am huge proponent of the draft. And not in the top 10 of round 1 where you throw a bunch of smack at a kid who has never played a down but in rounds 2-7 where with numerous picks we can get some value and competition in camp.

GmX- I love that nickname…

My mock draft is:

Whoever the hell they pick in April. This is why I read this blog: I like reading other people’s ideas on free agents and draft picks because I haven’t a clue myself.

The draft is one I’m not even bothering to look at this year, because every time I guess on who they’ll pick, they never listen to me. In regards to free agents- I’m like most of you who think a high dollar free agent isn’t worth the money, especially the money they’re expecting guys like Haynesworth or Peppers to command.

Last question experts (and I don’t mean that sarcastically- you guys are really on your game this offseason): What constitutes a successful free agent? A mainstay on their side of the ball? A leader who takes them to the playoffs? The Super Bowl? Your thoughts….

Dakota Fan-

Peppers is that guy on the defensive side of the ball that will get them to the playoffs. He averages ten sacks a year. I dont know of anyone who even got close to ten sacks on our team. He has the speed, size, and when everyone says that he will be franchised, i dont believe it. They have two days to do it. They first have to resign their OT, or he will get the tag. Peppers will benefit our defense a ton, no doubt about it. Than we can draft BJ or Maluega and our defense will improve. If we get BJ, than I say we go get Vilma. Have Woodyard, Vilma, Dj, and Peppers as LB’s in our 3-4 would be a great linebacking core.

I don’t think Denver is going to go after Peppers due to the fact he is a 4-3DE. Why would they invest so much money into a player who might not convert so well?

Dakota Fan –

That’s a very good question. I would say any free agent would have to fit 2 criteria to be considered a good signing.

1) They have to play at or above the level that is expected by their paycheck (i.e., if you’re paid starter money, you’d better be a starter.).

2) They have to play better than the previous year’s incumbent.

Joe, and everyone else clamoring for Vilma –

I don’t think that his history as a 3-4 ILB will have the Broncos breaking the bank for him. He was traded out of New York, just like D Robertson, because he didn’t do well there in their new system (3-4).

heres a link to an article on the current cap space:
http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/broncos/archives/2009/02/broncos_cap_no.html

Katch22:

because Peppers has already stated he wants to play in the 3-4 defense as an OLB. thats why Denver will go after him IF he isnt franchised. Peppers is a game changer and can instantly make a defense better. that is IF he isnt franchised. which he will be. the Panthers have until midnight on Thursday to franchise a player and ESPN has already said that the negotiations with OT Jordan Gross of the Panthers has been significant. so Gross will sign and Peppers will be franchised.

Well I want to dunk a basketball too but that doesn’t mean I will be able to do it. What I was saying is by switching from a position he has been playing his entire career to a 3-4 might not be as easy as people think. Plus when he DOES get tagged you want Den to trade picks and dish out a ton of cash? Don’t get me wrong I think he is a stud and would like to see him in mile high but at what cost?

Katch22-

You have a point, but what are the other options for Denver to fix this attrocious defense? Peppers is a vet that is not to old. He is 29. He would bring great leadership to our defense and could teach all the lineman such as Moss a couple of things. And he has the talent to make the transition. And that why he will get a chunk of our money to sign him because he knows that if were going to pay him good money, his ass better have a great transition. And plus, the guy is jus straight up athletic. We have to have a big name come in. We got the cap space. We will probably be making more cuts in the near future, so it will just add to it. Mcdaniels and Mike Nolan are cleaning house on defense. Things will be different, and Peppers is a great leader to start it.

And nobody knows exactly whats going on with the OT resigning situation in Carolina. People can always say its close, when it can be everything but close. Maybe they cant get him signed by Thursday and they have to tag him. Anything is possible. And like you said Katch22, you want to dunk a basketball but that doesnt mean you will be able to, and Carolina wants to have him signed by Thursday, but that doesnt mean they will be able to

Joe –

A much better option would be to get Terrell Suggs if you want to talk about players that may or may not be available next week. He’s younger (26), averages similar sack numbers, and has proven that he can play both 4-3 DE and 3-4 OLB. I would break the bank for him over Peppers.

Sure he’s got the occasional attitude problem, but he’d want to come play for his former boss (Nolan).

By attitude problem, I mean that he’s implied that he wants to hurt the opposing players to an unhealthy degree. He’s never shown a lack of “want” or had a drop-off in production like another certain DE from Carolina has had.

Ravens are expected to tag Suggs(by the end of today, and work out something long term with Brown(OG) or Ray Lewis. Leaving Scott as the likely odd man out.

And yea, Peppers would be great in the pass rushing aspect of a 3-4 OLB, but he can’t cover quicker RB’s out of the backfield for **** anymore(his first couple years maybe). He’s a beast and a difference maker on d, no doubt, but 1 guy doesn’t make a defense. If we brought in Peppers(i don’t think he’ll be tagged), it’d likely be for about the same price we could Bart Scott and Chris Canty(possibly even more).

We have to many holes to fill and if you guys read Xanders’ quotes from the Rocky Mountain news this morning really implied he’s not gonna tie the cap down to 1 guy.

Did anyone else catch that article? I’m sure its online but i read it in the paper. If so, did any one think some of his quotes were subtle hints that he knows a portion of this money is going to be part of extending Brandon Marshall.

Right now we’re expected to be in the low to mid 30 million’s in cap space. I’d say they’re putting aside a portion of that and making sure they extend Marshall this offseason. The rest can go to filling out DE/NT/ILB/OLB/FS/SS/CB(if bly’s cut).

If Champ and DJ are willing to restructure, we could really turn around quickly as we’d be able to land possiblly 3-4 starters in FA imo. Than you have the draft as well which could bring in a starter or 2.

We’ll see. I really don’t think Xanders has any interest in going after any of the marquee FA’s.

They announced this afternoon that Suggs is getting the Ravens’ franchise tag, so he’s off the market. Haynesworth makes me nervous- sorry to hate on a fellow lineman, but right now, Peppers seems to make more sense. He’s a better athlete with a lot more speed and better ball pursuit capabilities. Haynesworth is dominant at his position, but I guess it depends on where the coaching staff thinks the needs are.

Thanks for the input on the question I asked earlier today in regards to the free agent market. Here’s how I see it: it looks like we have enough cap room for one high dollar free agent (Peppers). But from there, GmX and McD could make the defense or break it with free agents. Knock on wood, but they can’t do any worse in free agency than we did last year. Can they?

If Dansby, Suggs, and Peppers are off the market (the professor likely won’t trade for them), I’m not sure if there’s a big money FA that looks good for the Broncos, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Except maybe Chris Canty, but I’m curious to see how much teams are willing to pay for him.

I don’t think we should trade away 1st round draft picks for franchised players like Peppers. In my opinion, if we were to trade a 1st round player, I want a young guy who has proved to be dominant at his position. Just because you aren’t franchised doesn’t mean you can’t be traded. Find a STUD NT or DE from a dominant 3-4 defense and throw a second round draft pick at that team for the player and his contract. If that doesn’t work, throw your 1st round pick at him. It’s alot more secure than hoping the rookie makes an impact and isn’t a bust. I’d much rather find an early/mid 20′s player who is an absolute stud at his position than an aging person who needs to “make the switch” to a 3-4. Plus, you won’t completely break the bank, cause you won’t have to pay him top dollar, unless he’s currently making absolute top dollar.

Is there a thought that some of these players that are let go may come back at a cheaper ticket . I am sure there is a limit on how much can be spent . The Broncos are able to squeeze the dollar to get the most .