Bowlen brought in John Elway and John Fox last off-season, and Denver's following season was the team's most successful one since the 2005 season. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

On this day (February 18th) sixty-eight years ago, Denver Broncos Majority Owner, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer Pat Bowlen was born. Introduced as the majority owner of the team in1984, Bowlen has positioned the Broncos among the league’s top franchises over the past 28 seasons.

Since he was announced as the team’s owner, Bowlen’s Broncos have won 263 games.  Only two teams, the San Francisco 49ers (272 wins) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (264 wins) have won more games in that same time frame.  Including the post-season, Denver has won 279 games during Bowlen’s tenure with the club.

Under Bowlen, the Broncos have won the AFC West nine times and have earned a playoff birth fourteen times.  Since Bowlen purchased the team, Denver’s’ five Super Bowl appearances represent the second most in the NFL.

The Broncos’ 309-game scoring streak in the regular season is the longest active streak in the NFL (dates back to 1992) and ranks second all time in league annals.  Denver’s success under Bowlen leads many to believe that Bowlen is one of the best owners in all of sports.

Bowlen no longer plays a major role in the Broncos’ decision making (the decisions are now made by Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, Head Coach John Fox, General Manager Brian Xanders and President Joe Ellis), but he still writes the team’s checks and has more power than anyone else in the building.  On his birthday, we proudly give Pat Bowlen a Mile High Salute.  Here’s to many more successful years under Pat!

Name: Marcus Thomas Height, Weight: 6’3″, 316 Position: Defensive Tackle Age, Experience: 26, 6 College: Florida

Marcus Thomas is a defensive tackle who does back flips. He’s also the only remaining player on the Denver Broncos roster from the team’s 2007 draft class, and he’s survived two scheme changes, several position changes, and five defensive coordinators to remain on the team to this point. A healthy mainstay as a rotational player on the defensive line, Thomas is one of two Broncos interior D-linemen in franchise history to play in every game in his first four seasons. He’s gone from alleged off-field troublemaker to being recognized by the NFL for his leadership in community service.

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Good afternoon once again, Broncos fans.  It’s Friday and that means more NFL Draft Talk.  Today marks the second installment of Prospect Perspective – with this week’s focus being dedicated to a position where the Broncos seemingly always need talent:  defensive tackle.

The player in question:  Penn State DT — Devon Still.

Devon Still: The NFL's Next Ferocious DT?

After starting his collegiate career with two injury hampered seasons that limited him to one game, Devon Still finished strong with a healthy 38 game streak to complete his tenure with the Nittany Lions.   Still’s pressure and play allowed him to amass 55 tackles (17 for loss) and 4.5 sacks in his Senior Campaign which solidified his selection as the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year.  Additionally, Still was a Bednarik and Outland Trophy Finalist.

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• “There’s a little Tebow-mania going on here on the UCLA campus,” coach Jim L. Mora said, as Tebow is in town to work out with UCLA’s offensive coordinator. “There’s a few more girls hanging around the football office and the football field that there typically are.” [ESPN]
• Broncos TV ranks the Top 10 plays of the 2011 season. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Jack Del Rio brings stability to Denver’s defense. [CBSSports]
• After two injury-riddled seasons and another out of football entirely, Clinton Portis is ready to return to the NFL. [NFL.com]
• Somewhere out there, a future Broncos draft pick is working out fiercely in preparation for the combine. [Denver Post]
• Franchise tag costs will be lower across the board this offseason. [Denver Post]
• There is quite a bit of talent about to hit the free agent wide receiver market. [Pro Football Focus]
• The quarterback market could see Vince Young being a fit in Denver. [Rotoworld]
• Legwold scouts Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill. [Denver Post]
• The Raiders are facing a large number of free agents as well. [Contra Costa Times]
• First action by their new GM: sign one of his troubled former players. [ESPN]

Name: Julius Thomas Height, Weight: 6’5″, 255 Position: Tight End Age, Experience: 23, 2 College: Portland State

Julius Thomas was a fourth round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2011 who shone in training camp but had a rookie season derailed by injury. A basketball player until his senior year in college, Thomas was a First-team All-Big Sky Conference selection following his 2010 season that saw him tally 29 receptions, 453 yards and two touchdowns. Prior to switching to football that year, Thomas was a basketball star at Portland State. He lettered four times in basketball, leading Portland State to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in school history (2008-09) and finishing as the program’s all-time leader in games played (121), career wins (78) and field goal percentage (.663). Clancy Barone, the Broncos’ tight end coach, transformed Antonio Gates from college basketball player to perennial Pro Bowler in the NFL; the Broncos are hoping he can repeat that success with Thomas.

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• The Broncos signed free agent wide receiver Jason Hill Wednesday. [First and Orange]
• Hill, who had more catches and yards than Eddie Royal last year, was cut from Jacksonville a day after Jack Del Rio was fired. Interesting… [MaxDenver]
• The locals won the red battle at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. [Denver Post]
• The Broncos are prepared to spend over the cap next year. [Denver Post]
• Brodrick Bunkley is the man the Broncos need to keep. [Denver Post]
• But another DT to keep in mind is Penn State’s Devon Still, who Mel Kiper, Jr. has going to the Broncos in his latest mock. [ESPN]
• Maybe ESPN should have just kept Ron Jaworski on Monday Night Football. [Fifth Down]

Name: Dante Rosario Height, Weight: 6’4″, 250 Position: Tight End Age, Experience: 27, 6 College: Oregon

Rosario Dawson, erm, Dante Rosario was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. A John Fox veteran, Rosario was a makes-sense fit for the Broncos as they looked for a veteran tight end in free agency last year. Rosario initially did not make the team out of training camp, but an injury to rookie Julius Thomas and some lucky timing in what ended up being a two-week stint with the Miami Dolphins saw Rosario quickly return to the club on September 22 and stick there the rest of the season. Rosario is responsible for one of the most famous plays in Panthers lore — a game-winning touchdown catch as time expired in 2008 against the San Diego Chargers that gave the Panthers a 26-24 victory. (And any player that upsets the Chargers is a good player in my book.)

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C.J. Davis (left) blocks Sione Fua (right) in August 2011. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

The Denver Broncos have signed guard C.J. Davis.

Davis was a college free agent signed by the Carolina Panthers in 2009, he was placed by injured reserve by the club after suffering an injury at the end of training camp in his rookie season. In 2010 he was signed to the active roster and participated in seven games.

Davis was waived/injury settlement in September not active in the 2011 season. He is a 6’2″ and 308 pounds out of the University of Pittsburgh where he played in 45 games with 43 starts earning first-team All-Big East Conference honors as a senior. Davis is 25 years old.

The Broncos currently have five guards on their squad.

Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater is held up by teammates after kicking the winning field goal during overtime of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011 in Miami. The Broncos won 18-15. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Denver Broncos have 17 unrestricted free agents hitting the market on March 13th, giving them less than a month to work out contract extensions or long-term deals with the players they want to keep. So why haven’t they been busy on that front already?

According to The Denver Post, they’re waiting for their new capologist to officially come under the fold before negotiating with their UFA’s. Mike Sullivan should be in place by the end of the week.

The Broncos are waiting for newly hired Mike Sullivan to start his job later this week as the team’s salary cap and contract specialist before they start negotiating with their free agents. The free-agent market opens March 13 — or about two weeks later than usual.

It’s believed that the Broncos’ highest priorities among its free agents will be kicker Matt Prater, defensive tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Marcus Thomas, and linebacker Wesley Woodyard. Safety Brian Dawkins will also be a top priority if he decides to remain in the NFL another year.

The change of the negotiating guard and the Broncos’ new “bull dog” mentality may slow the process of getting these players under contract at first, so we hope the Broncos and Sullivan will indeed begin negotiations soon. We eagerly await the first bits of news on that front so we can pass them along to you.

• Following-up with yesterday’s news that Tim Tebow will be working with UCLA OC Noel Mazzone, it’s worth noting that the two have teamed up before. [ESPN] [H/T IAOFM]
• Sports Authority wants to add more red to Mile High stadium; locals fight back. [Denver Post]
• Mike Mayock releases his pre-combine Top 5 rankings by position. [NFL.com]
• Q&A with Ryan McBean. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Lessons learned from the Super Bowl champs. [Denver Post]
• Pretty clear the Broncos are the early winners of the 2011 AFC West draft contest. [ESPN]
• Dennis Allen has rounded out his coaching staff in Oakland. [San Jose Mercury News]
• The Chargers are prepared to let free agent WR Vincent Jackson walk. [Skinny Post]
• Jim Irsay is awkwardly trying to rid the Colts of Peyton Manning without ending up taking any blame for it. [Fifth Down]