(Photo: Getty Images)

• For the second consecutive year, the Broncos have raised ticket prices.  Due in part to the fact that the team is planning to invest $30 million for improvements to Sports Authority Field at Mile High this offseason, Denver is raising their reserved-seat ticket prices by an average of 4.2 percent for 2013.

• Meanwhile, second-year cornerback Chris Harris is receiving praise from PFF for his great season:

 Harris became our fifth-highest graded cornerback this season, allowing 472 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions for a 66.5 quarterback rating on throws into his coverage. The 0.91 yards per coverage snap that he surrendered was one of the 10 lowest marks among starting cornerbacks. And to top it off, he was one of the best run-defending cornerbacks. His 16 defensive stops on running plays and 5.2% Run Stop were both the second-best at his position, trailing only Antoine Winfield. Harris’ breakout season should give the Broncos hope that there will be life in their secondary after Bailey retires.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

(Photo: Getty Images)

• Last Sunday, Broncos star linebacker Von Miller missed the Pro Bowl with a shoulder injury.  Fortunately, the injury won’t force Miller to undergo surgery.

• Due to incentives,  cornerback Champ Bailey ($500,000), tight end Jacob Tamme ($125,000), wide receiver Eric Decker and center J.D. Walton ($693,000 each) have all received pay raises.

• Bailey and Miller are scheduled to travel to Afghanistan in March to visit members of the military.  Kudos to Champ and Von for doing that.  To all those that have or currently are serving the U.S. in the military, thank you from all of us at BT!

• Broncos right tackle Orlando Franklin recently went on the SportsNet 590 The Fan’s Prime Time Sports radio program.  Over at IAOFM, they have a transcript of the interview.

• Receiver Demaryius Thomas has been cleared of all allegations involving the Perrish Cox case.  Lawsuits against Thomas have been dismissed.

• The NFL is expected to receive a “bid” from Denver to host a future Super Bowl.

• Here’s a blueprint for a Broncos Super Bowl run next season.

• The Broncos will “continue to search for a role” for defensive tackle Ben Garland.  At age 24, Garland has impressed Denver with his desire and motor.  Here’s hoping that his NFL run is successful

(Photo: Frank Victores, USA TODAY Sports)

• By next season, receiver Brandon Stokley will be 37 years old.  But he wants to come back for another run.

• Here’s video and audio of coach John Fox mic’d up while coaching the AFC in the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl.

• After injuring himself in warmups, Denver mayor Michael Hancock finally paid up for his playoff bet with Baltimore’s mayor.

• Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco wants to be paid more than Denver quarterback Peyton Manning.  Last season, Flacco threw 22 touchdowns and had 14 turnovers; Manning threw 37 touchdowns and also lost 14 turnovers.  Flacco’s team is in the Super Bowl, now he wants to be paid like a SB quarterback.  Winning wouldn’t hurt his argument.

• The NFL Honors show will take place on Saturday — Manning is up for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year awards.

(Getty Images)

A super-sized Tuesday morning edition of Daily Links, for your consideration.

• Alarming news this morning, Denver Broncos starting left tackle Ryan Clady will have to undergo should surgery, according to the Denver Post.  Per the Post, Clady is expected to miss much of Denver’s offseason program but should be back in time for Week 1, 2013.
• On Sunday in Hawaii, quarterback Peyton Manning extended his Pro Bowl records for attempts (196), completions (115), yards (1,551) and touchdowns (15).  Despite Manning tossing the first touchdown pass of the game, the AFC was still thumped by the NFC, 62-35.

• On Monday, Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson was named the NFL Executive of the Year.  Grigson received one more (9) vote than Denver’s John Elway (8), who has helped the Broncos win the AFC West in back-to-back seasons and secured players including Manning and star outside linebacker Von Miller.

• Former Broncos general manager Brian Xanders has found a new home, landing in Detroit as the Lions new senior personnel executive.

• Big Pete pondered on Thursday if Darrelle Revis, who the Jets are considering trading, could land in Denver.  When Pete suggested it (sorry, Pete), it sounded outrageous.  Now, Sports Illustrated‘s Peter King could also see it happening: Click here to read the rest of this entry »

During Sunday’s NFL All-Star Game, NFC center Jeff Saturday was allowed to swap teams and snap to AFC quarterback Peyton Manning one final time, fittingly, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Saturday, of course, spent thirteen years snapping to Manning in Indianapolis before both players left the Colts last offseason.  Back in Hawaii, representing Green Bay and Denver, Saturday and Manning got one last snap.

“After doing it that long with him, we figured it was our last run together, might as well get one more,” said Saturday, who played more center for the NFC after his moment with Manning, in a sideline interview with NBC (via Shutdown Corner). “It was something special I’ll always remember.”

In the game, Manning went 6-of-12 for 43 yards and a touchdown pass.  Early in the fourth quarter, the NFC currently leads 55-21.

(Photo: Perry Knotts/NFL)

On Saturday (February 2, 9 p.m. ET, CBS), Alec Baldwin will host the second annual “NFL Honors” show, a two-hour segment honoring the top performers of the 2012 NFL season.  Several Denver Broncos will be up for awards.

Quarterback Peyton Manning will be in the running for his fifth NFL MVP title, with the award expected to go to Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson.  Outside linebacker Von Miller will be up for Defensive Player of the Year, with Houston’s J.J. Watt expected to take home the award.

The full list of awards that will be announced on Saturday is listed after the jump.   Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments below.

(Photo courtesy of Chris Kirchner/Denver Broncos)

Update (1/23/13, 6:38 a.m. MT):  Te’o has admitting to lying about his girlfriend after discovering the hoax, which he says to have no part of creating.

The bizarre situation involving Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o has been much-talked about since Deadspin broke the story on January 16.  On Tuesday, John Elway chimed in on the situation.

“It’s a little bit mind-boggling to think what did happen, what he did know,” Broncos executive vice president John Elway told USA Today Sports. “He’s going to get asked about it probably 32 times at the Combine. Everyone is going to ask him about it. It’s hard for us to understand — why he wouldn’t know?”

The Broncos, and every other NFL team, will likely grill Te’o to find the truth behind the story.  At the end of the day though, teams will care less about whether Te’o lied or was easily fooled and more about his performance in the National Championship game earlier this month.