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Published on 02/28/2009 at Sat Feb 28 18:59.
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Ward to Meet Denver Sunday

Posted Sat Feb 28th by

Derrick Ward runs past Akeem Jordan during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game. (Getty Images)
Derrick Ward runs past Akeem Jordan during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game. (Getty Images)

The crown jewel amongst the running backs available in free agency, Derrick Ward, will be in Denver on Sunday.

Ward has received attention from several teams and with the signing of Corell Buckhalter it seemed like the Denver Broncos may have been out of contention in the Ward sweepstakes.

If the Broncos were able to lure Ward, the bruising capabilities out of their backfield would be unparalleled in the NFL.

Both Ward and Buckhalter have spelled two of the better running backs in the NFL for the last couple of seasons. They both carry very similar capabilities to their former team members Brandon Jacobs and Brian Westbrook.

Having seen Ward play for the last several seasons in New York, I am very much a fan. I would love to have him and I think that if Denver was able to sign him the one-two-three punch from the Broncos back game would be simply incredible. Yes, we have young talent, but both Ryan Torain and Peyton Hillis were hurt twice last season. Yes, both Ward and Buckhalter have injury concerns as well. What do you say Nation?

  • http://brocotalk.net (dee)

    I say .. if we do sign him what becomes of Torain and Hillis? Someone is bound to get cut … I guess we can officially start to forget Selvin Young and Andre Hall …. we knew them as well as we knew Olandis Gary

  • http://merlinofchaos.livejournal.com E. Halsey Miles

    Football Outsiders summed it up as: “Broncos collect full set of injury prone running backs”

  • CJ

    I think we should cut young and hall and let pittman go on in free agency and same with tatum and stick with ward jj and buckhalter but if we get rid of cutler! forget denver

  • http://brocotalk.net (dee)

    Someone should really bring this up … and Im going to because it’s pissing me off. Whether you believe McDaniels or you believe Cutler .. . We are fans of the DENVER BRONCOS … I dont care if Cutler is hurt , or if McDaniels lied or w/e. What both of them need to do is do whatever necessary to bring this team back to the top, as Fans that’s what we should expect, not whose feelings got hurt. IF McDaniels delivers a Superbowl to us in the next fews years I guarantee you none of us will care whether Cutler was apart of it or not. If you’re JUST a Cutler fan go cry on his website, I dont want BRONCOTALK to become CUTLER TALK or MCDANIEL BASHING ..

  • http://broncotalk.net Ian Henson

    Dee-

    You won’t see me bashing, I’m a fan, but people are allowed their opinions. I see this thing being nipped in the bud very quick. If the Broncos were to have to trade Cutler, they would be rewarded very heavily.

  • http://brocotalk.net (dee)

    -Ian,

    Exactly I’m glad you are first a foremost a Bronco Fan as I am. And look I would love to keep Cutler but if we can improve our team then we would have to look at that. Case in point Mike Shanahan was fired? If that is possible then anything can happen. That all being said I am very pleased to hear Cutler’s conversation with Gary Miller on the CBS4denver site. Cutler seems to be very mature about this and stated he didnt need to be comforted and just wanted to move forward. I’m sure this will blow over soon.

  • http://brocotalk.net (dee)

    On a side note:

    If Denver was considering trading Cutler to Detroit, this is what I want:

    Calvin Johnson
    1st round pick this year
    2nd round pick this year
    1 round pick in 2010

  • NathanH

    I want nothing unless it’s someone better than Cutler, which I can’t see happening. This will blow over I’m hoping.

    But on to the topic, i hope we land him, he’s another guy to up competition for the spot which can’t hurt. One of these guys has to stay healthy right?

    And Hillis has no shot at being cut imo, at the very least he’s our starting FB.

  • BroncoinVA9986

    i like the possibility of ward….but i wonder about Hillis….I think hillis has the great potential….J.J. Arrington is the one pickup I do not like. I like Buckhalter….but i believe Ward and Hillis would be the two starting options…..we need to bring this Number 2 offense to being number 1

  • OC Bronco

    I’m not quite sure I understand the signing of Buckhalter if we are going after Ward. Obviously Ward is a complete back and would be an unbelievable addition but this confuses me. We have so many backs already why jump on Arrington and Buckhalter in the first place.

  • NathanH

    I think it’s safe to say goodbye to Selvin Young and and probably Pittman. Torian is going to have to impresse in camps or he’ll likely be gone too. If so, the way i see it playing out if we bring in Derrick- Ward gets the starting job, Buckhalter gets the back up spot. Both fit McDaniels systems on paper very well. Hillis, Torian and JJ will have to impress to still time at HB. Hillis will be the starting FB and they’ll find ways to use him. JJ will likely be on special teams, and Torian will be relegated to getting healthy and stronger if he can stay on the team.

  • Roy

    Here it is. We had the opprotunity to land Buckhalter, so we did. Ward was/is a wildcard. If we sign him, great. If Buckhalter doesn’t win the starting job, we trade him. Arrington was brought as a return man and change of pace back, Royal doesn’t need the extra hits on special teams. Young will have the opprotunity to be # 2 or 3. Hillis is safe. He has prooven to be a more than capable fullback, and a great RB if that is where we need him. Torain will also have the chance to make the roster and be a #2 or 3 back.

  • champ2203

    hey lets sign 8 more running backs. WTF! Better save some of that $ we’re spending so in two years when Cutlers ready to leave(b/c of this garbage) we can offer double what every team in the league is going to offer so we can keep him here.

  • Chris

    Guys, you should be thrilled to just have signed a guy like Dawkins, enjoy his passion because it is unmatched by any safety in the game, as a Philadelphia native and a giant Eagles fan, I applaud your front office for signing Dawkins, and wish him all the best. Thanks for the great years Dawk, wish it could have been longer, but heres to you and the great fans in Denver.

  • CJ

    well dont sound like hel be here next year

  • HottNikks

    I would love to get Ward but it would confuse me with the recent additions of Buckhalter and Arrington…the Broncos don’t necessarily need to be worrying about the offensive side as much as they need to quickly overhaul the defensive side…I would love to see Ray Lewis back there with D.J., Dawkins and Champ

  • CJ

    Well i mean Cutler is pretty pissed off over this whole deal. and Im sure Josh Mcdanials has been feeling like an idiot after reading all this crap on the internet and on the tv that he will kiss some serious ass tomorow

  • T-Money

    Arrington is not a done deal. That’s why we are bringing in Ward.

  • http://broncotalk.net Ian Henson

    We don’t have a lot of backs by the way, we have two- Peyton Hillis and Ryan Torain, that goes for fullbacks and halfbacks. Now we brought in Buckhalter (a very excellent pick-up) and Arrington who will fill-in predominantly on kick-offs. He’s a kick returner and if you remember our Special Teams were piss poor, despite Eddie Royal.

    So Ward, would be a number one, Buckhalter a number two, Hillis/Torain a three/four. Hillis can also play fullback full time and he’s deadly in passing situations. Which opens up a whole lot for McDonalds offense.

  • http://merlinofchaos.livejournal.com E. Halsey Miles

    Currently Hall and Pittman are free agents, though I think we have rights to match any offer sheet Hall gets.

  • Fan From Spain

    I would really like to keep Pittman, love watching him on short yardage conversions. People forget how good he can be.

  • flbronc

    i can only see this if the arrington deals falls through, like espn is reporting it may. i dont think that we need to bring in three running backs (at the price we are bringing them in at). i’d like to see some more movement on defense with some potential starters- not necessarily huge name guys like lewis- but experienced guys that we can play for a year or so and replace them with guys we draft in the meantime.

  • robtink242

    I can see MCD getting Fired mid way through the season when were 2-6.

  • robtink242

    i guess if we get rid of Cutler we pick Vick.

  • Vince_Marine

    I think it would be a very good pick up if we get Ward. Like most on here I don’t know what will happen with Hillis though. I like him and his toughness. I don’t forsee him being put at the fullback position much though. In Josh McDaniels offense a fullback is rarely used. I think he would be a better #2 than Buck. I see a battle for the 3rd down back between Buck and JJ.

  • ChuckD

    I like the move to try and get Ward. You can never have enough running backs (as we saw first hand last year) and it seems like every year a team has a running back go down in training camp or early in the season and guess what team will have some extra to trade for a draft pick next year.

  • T-Money

    Any word yet?

  • Jason

    I personally want to do some ESPN bashing, but I said that already. ESPN’s sources are like movies BASED on a true story – which is to say someone said something.

    If the JJ deal sticks we’re gonna be dropping Torian drring preseason cuts, so he may have a chance but Young and Hall are all but gone.

    Hillis will likely keep a spot as an H Back or Fullback, he’s a chris cooly type player; however the Pats always had a hodge-podge collection of RBs too.

  • Jason

    E. Halsey Miles:

    Hall is an Exclusive FA, meaning if Denver offered him a contract he’d sign it or sit out the season. If Denver does not offer him a contract he is treated as an Unrestricted FA by the other 31 clubs and Denver has, for all intents and purposes, let him go. There is no offer matching until after a players 3rd year. 4th year = UFA

  • http://broncotalk.net Ian Henson

    UPDATED:

    Ward is scheduled in Tampa after Denver, if he doesn’t sign. It was never confirmed that Ward visited Philadelphia, but he did meet with Cincinnati.

  • myerda00

    Guys enough of Cutler and McDaniels. I do not know who is wrong and neither do you. I do not if Cutler is pissed off or not and neither do you. Cutler was not traded and McDaniels did not try to trade Cutler so ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!

    The only media outlet to trust is Adam Schafter PERIOD.

    Arrington and Buckhalter were picked up because Ward priced himself out of Denvers market, plain and simple. Now Ward has not sifned for his money so Denver will talk about a price they can afford.
    Coach Josh and GM Brian have all 2008 RB’s coming off IR, so they are covering for 2009.

    Hey, all you genious’, who’s not to say that each player signed so far does not have a contract that states that they have to make the roster. If they get cut before the season starts then it means no money spent except the signing bonus, if any.

  • http://wardmeetsdenver wellcome#20

    ya tell me bout it every one needs to shut up they don’t know who is right or who is wrong i just hope cutler will be back next year. . . and josh seems like a good coach he already got a few big name players so i would like to see them both back next year a hope they will work it out this team has something good happen to them and they ruin it, GET YOUR SELFS TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • AKscott

    not ward related but we got our other CB it looks like..

    http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/03/01/broncos-give-ex-dolphins-cb-goodman-five-year-deal/

  • BroncosFan24

    are we still going to try and get Ray Lewis?