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Published on 09/02/2009 at Wed Sep 02 23:21.
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Here’s the Deal Denver: Kenny McKinley

Posted Wed Sep 2nd by

Kenny McKinley gets lifted by Nate Swift after a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Kenny McKinley gets lifted by Nate Swift after a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

If I were to ask you if there was a receiver on the Denver Broncos roster that is in the top five for reception yards in the 2009 NFL Preseason, would you be able to guess who? Yes, of course you would; you read the title of this post silly. This is a Here’s the Deal Denver about our rookie receiver Kenny McKinley!

So here’s the deal, every since way before this whole Brandon Marshall thing happened, I predicted that two rookies would step it up and take over in Denver. Those two were McKinley and UDFA Nate Swift. Now Swift remains a bubble player going into the final 53 man roster, but McKinley is the truth. (Oh and Swift will at least end up on the practice squad, if he isn’t signed by someone else.)

So here’s the deal, Denver fans have every right to question head coach Josh McDaniels‘ decisions leading up to the regular season… There are is two one things that you can’t argue, the man knows wide receivers and the man knows quarterbacks ::runs to hide::. From Wes Welker to Randy Moss, from Jabar Gaffney to Chad Jackson before him, the man does to wide receivers what Mike Shanahan used to do to running backs. And McKinley is McDaniels new masterpiece, so low and behold.

Our man is poised to take over that number two spot by mid-season at least, no I’m not willing to call him the rookie of the year, but I wouldn’t have a problem saying that the kid will easily pull 600+ yards and five to six touchdowns. This is all regardless of whether Marshall is in play as a Broncos wide receiver or not. McKinley figures to be a major problem for potential defensive game plans and if he steps up then the Patriots West will be able to use Royal in the Welker role where he will truely flourish. However, whether it’s Royal or Marshall in that ‘X,’ spot McKinley looks to be the greatest option eventually this season at ‘Y,’. Let’s just hope that he’s getting his reps in with Rod Smith as you read.

No, this doesn’t mean that Denver is putting Brandon Stokley, Gaffney or Jackson to the side, but let’s face it… If anything is evident this is a new regime and they value youth just as much as experience and the healthier the canon fodder, the better. Don’t believe me? Watch how well the, ‘Youth,’ does tonight against the Arizona Cardinals.

What’s up Nation? Do you agree with me or not? I have felt like McKinley was Marshall’s replacement since we drafted him. There’s been little to combat my thoughts every since.

  • Joey

    I think you’re right on. McKinley’s been very impressive so far, and it doesn’t look like it’s luck either. He may not be Rookie of the Year material, but I can see him doing great things on this team. Here’s to the future!

  • DC

    Are you drunk?

  • Tom9798

    DC . . . LOL . . . . but I thought the same thing!

    “This is all regardless of whether Marshall is in play as a Broncos wide receiver or not.”

  • anthony33

    You have to be dumber than a box of rocks if you think the image of that Giants plane was actually at a Denver airport.

    This is getting ridiculous. 104.3 is a joke.

  • http://www.search-this.com mark

    “top five for reception yards in the 2009 NFL Preseason” – That’s like being valedictorian of summer school…

  • Isaiah Kyler

    At least we know if you put the kid up against a bunch of under achievers that he can hold his own.

  • SouthBroncs

    “top five for reception yards in the 2009 NFL Preseason” – That’s like being valedictorian of summer school…”

    I like McKInley- but Mark- that “… valedictorian of summer school” analogy is hilarious.

  • http://broncotalk.net Ian Henson

    lol you guys are getting bitter aren’t you. Though preseason is no literal indication of how a player will play in the regular season (look at Matt Cassel, there was speculation that he was going to get cut in favor of O’Connel last preseason), I feel like there are certain positions that will remain in tact. Like Eddie Royal for example, people weren’t terrified when we played the Raiders without Brandon Marshall last season, because we had seen Royal all preseason.

  • http://www.super-terrific.com Danh

    Great post. We need young receivers. This is the seed that will make this offense successful in the next 3-5 years. We don’t need premier wideouts but it helps to have productive players.

  • http://www.kellyleephipps.com Kelly in Carolina

    I’m all about McKinley and I love #11, so if he makes the team, which at this point he has too because he’s played better than any rookie, I’ll be getting his jersey. I already got Royal’s jersey last year. (Something told me to skip over Marshall and Cutler)…

    I think this guy is going to blossom as one of the great wide receivers in the NFL, I mean his coach even said he was the greatest receiver he had ever coached. And the thing is he is HUMBLE unlike the divas of the league. We need more team players like that. I’d rather have a TEAM full of players working in unison over a disjointed team with a few star player divas any day, cause when the going gets tough, the TEAM pulls together and the team with Divas falls apart as all the pointer fingers come out!

  • http://broncotalk.net Tmoneybagz

    I like McKinley a lot, he is def a promising young player. All eyes on him tonite.

  • roshon2411

    I like McKinley but how many of his catches and yards were with Orton? I think Simms and Brandstater had better chemistry. I could be wrong can’t remember though.

  • OC Bronco

    I think we all like McKinley but let’s not call McD the WR guru like Shanny was to RB’s. Wes Welker was a great pick up but I think people had heard of Moss before and they practically got him for free. Gaffney is no Mike Anderson and Chad Jackson? He is a worse bust than Ashlie Lelie.
    Anyway, I am rooting for McKinley and LOVED what that jackass Spurrier had to say about him before the draft.
    “Valedictorian of Summer School” – Classic

  • BroncoinVA9986

    i heard a vick for marshall rumor…..ONLY a rumor…probably some horsecrap

  • kerry

    yeah i heard Marshall for Ben Roethlisberger and the entire supply of Philly cheese steak sandwiches in Pennsylvania. but its just a rumor………although the steak sandwiches in Penn are delicious so it would be a good trade.

  • kerry

    lets all relax. McKinley for one doesnt have Marshall’s size or ability to break tackles like Marshall can. and Steve Spurrier may have coaches him in COLLEGE, but Steve Spurriers talent evaluation ability for the NFL is worse then that of Mike Klis. and Spurrier sucked as an NFL coach and doesnt really produce NFL greatness when it comes to players. (see Danny Weurffel or whoever the hell you spell it). but McKinley did look good WHEN he had a QB who could get it downfield. McKinley could become good but Marshall’s caliber?? um not so much and certainly WAY TOO early to tell that.

  • BroncoinVA9986

    Mckinley runs a 4.3 40. I think they need to keep marshall for one for his size….Kerry I cant disagree though plus being a clemson tiger fan I am don’t like gamecocks….but Kenny gets a pass in my book

  • Zach

    Rod Smith started out the same way UDFA and look at him…