Name: Virgil Green Height, Weight: 6’3″, 252 Position: Tight End Age, Experience: 28, 2 College: Nevada-Reno

Virgil Green was a seventh round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2011. One of two rookie draft pick tight ends for the Broncos, he emerged as the more game-ready player at the position than fourth round pick Julius Thomas, along with a handful of veterans the Broncos brought into training camp. It’s interesting that Green was tabbed an athletic, pass-catching workout wonder following the Combine, but his impact in his first year was really felt in the run game. His physicality paid the Broncos dividends in their rushing offense and on all four phases of special teams.

2011 Analysis: Green had a solid training camp and preseason, elevating himself from the roster bubble and beating out the likes of Richard Quinn and Dan Gronkowski for the third tight end spot. GM Brian Xanders gave Green high praise before the season began — he said he watched the tight ends closely in nine-on-seven drills and game tape and that Green earned that third slot through his run blocking. The decision proved fortuitous come game time — Green’s blocks launched Willis McGahee to a number of long runs in 2011. He had three catches for 24 yards in the regular season.

Contract Status: Signed through 2014; Free agent 2015

2012 Outlook: Is Green the future of the Broncos’ tight end position? He just might be. Some had him tabbed as the draft’s top tight end prospect in 2011 and were surprised he fell to the seventh round (microfracture knee surgery as a freshman may have scared many teams off), and while Green didn’t become a game-changer in his rookie season, he made his impact felt. If he can elevate his route running and receiving skills in the offseason without cutting too much into his run blocking, he could become a real weapon for the Broncos.

As always, we invite you, the readers, to participate. Are you excited about the young Virgil Green, or was he too one-dimensional in his first year for your tastes?

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We hope you enjoy these posts as BroncoTalk develops a one-of-a-kind fan-powered Denver Broncos roster on the web.

Tim Tebow signs an autograph at the Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles, Feb. 13, 2012. Tebow attended to read a book and discuss his passion for literacy. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

This season has already seen Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach Tom Martinez proclaim that he could fix Tim Tebow‘s throwing mechanics in two weeks. Tebow was pressed specifically about this offer by none other than Skip Bayless, and after typical Tebow polite deflection when being offered an all inclusive free trip by Bayless, Tebow has instead reacted two weeks later by meeting with not Brady’s coach Martinez, but Philip Rivers‘ former offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.

Bruce Feldman of CBS has tweeted that Tebow is at UCLA this week after attending a movie premiere Monday evening amongst several charity engagements to work with Mazzone, the brand new Bruins offensive coordinator. Mazzone came dangerously close to having an Elway connection when he was hired in 2010 by Dennis Erickson to coach at Arizona State, where Jack Elway (John’s son) had just quit as a red shirted Freshman seven months earlier.

Mazzone’s biggest claim to fame remains coaching Rivers at North Carolina State to the ACC Player of the Year. One more interesting Mazzone tidbit: he is known for being an offensive spread guru. Mazzone typically works and worked with Tebow prior to the quarterback being drafted by Denver in 2010.

Eric Decker congratulates Demaryius Thomas after catching a touchdown pass December 4, 2011. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Demaryius Thomas was the Denver Broncos‘ first pick in what would turn out be one of their more controversial drafts since 1983. Thomas was viewed by some as the number one wide receiver in the draft; some viewed Dez Bryant as superior. Former Broncos’ head coach Josh McDaniels went with Thomas over Bryant, and some viewed it as the second time in as many drafts that the team passed up a sure thing for someone who was more a gamble (referring to 2008’s draft when the team passed up DeSean Jackson to take Eddie Royal in the second round).

Every Denver fan new and old knows that McDaniels quickly jumped back into the first round in 2010 to draft Tim Tebow three picks after they had drafted Thomas. After 2011’s AFC Wildcard game the duo made McDaniels look like the genius that Denver had handed over the keys to in 2009. Later in the 2010 draft McDaniels and the Broncos again went back to the wide receiver who may be a gamble list and drafted Eric Decker in the third round.

Neither Decker nor Thomas started in Week one of 2010’s season, both fought injuries since being drafted Thomas finished the season with 22 receptions for 283 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. While Decker had six receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in seven games. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

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• Kicker Matt Prater is the most likely candidate for the Broncos‘ franchise tag. [Denver Post]
• Tag values will be down across the board in 2012. [NFL.com]
• Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy is getting the most Broncos love in mock drafts around the web. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Broncos can’t judge their drafts by first rounds alone. [Denver Post]
• Todd McShay and Mel Kiper, Jr. look at the 2012 QB class (autoplay video). [ESPN]
• 32 teams, 32 questions: Prisco wonders whether Tim Tebow will mold to the Broncos or the other way around. [CBSSports]
• How does Linsanity compare to Tebowmania? [Awful Announcing]

Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee (23) throws a block on Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Larry Foote (50) as Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (15) looks to pass in the second quarter of an NFL wild card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

The Denver Broncos ended their 2011 season with $27.88 million in cap room, the 2nd largest number in the league, according to a ProFootballTalk report. Translation: they spent less on their payroll than 30 teams in the NFL last year.

That being said, they ended the season of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. The Steelers had the league’s largest payroll, with remaining cap space of only $506,000.

That’s a difference of $27.374 million.

That’s coaching and execution. Props to head coach John Fox, Fox’s staff, and every player for rising above financial expectations.

Also worth noting: the Broncos can (and should) elect to rollover that leftover $27.88 million into their 2012 cap limit with the new CBA, giving them a lot of flexibility this offseason.

Name: Daniel Fells Height, Weight: 6’4″, 252 Position: Tight End Age, Experience: 28, 5 College: UC-Davis

Daniel Fells signed a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos following a breakout season with the St. Louis Rams in 2010. As one of rookie Sam Bradford‘s favorite targets that year in a predominant backup role, Fells tallied a career-high 41 receptions while proving to be one of the team’s better run-blockers. In 2011 with the Broncos, Fells got his first chance at true starter status; he didn’t match his 2010 numbers, but he did what he was asked: deliver some crushing blocks in the running game and make some big catches in the passing game.

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1997 was a special year for yours truly. I didn’t know it at the time, but the Denver Broncos and John Elway were on their way to winning their first of two Super Bowls. And of just-as-large significance to me, I heard “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters for the first time.

They immediately became my favorite band, and have unapologetically remained in that status ever since.

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• Thanks to a new CBA provision that allows teams to carry over cap space year-to-year, the Denver Broncos could really open Pat Bowlen‘s checkbook, if they want to. [ProFootballTalk]
• Andrew Mason checks in with a look at the Broncos’ offseason priorities. [Sporting News]
• Speed on defense is a priority. [Denver Post]
• Eddie Royal talks about the big steps the Broncos took in ’11 and will in ’12. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Ten Worst Moves of 2011: Fox “screws” Tebow makes #8. [It’s All Over Fat Man!]
• Could the NFL be on its way out of dominance sooner than most expect? [Fifth Down]
• Super Bowl LXXXVIII? NFL should switch to numbers, says Mike Klis. [All Things Broncos]
• Randy Moss wants to make an NFL comeback. [Shutdown Corner]
• Beautiful piece by Doug Farrar; our condolences to him. /calls Mom. [Shutdown Corner]

Here it goes, yet another futile attempt to predict and prejudge the finest the NCAA has to offer. Who will the Broncos pick at 25? Find out after the jump.

Round 1

• 1.    Indianapolis Colts
  Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

I’ll make no excuses. I’m an ardent Robert Griffin III fan. I would slate the Baylor Bear here, but he needs a strong combine to usurp Luck. If Griffin doesn’t have a Vernon Davis-eque combine, the Colts will undoubtedly select the “NFL-ready” Andrew Luck.

• 2.   St. Louis Rams
  Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Regardless of who is taken at number one, there will be a trade here. However, I won’t predict trades until the post-combine edition. In the mean time, the Rams are going with Sam Bradford  as their future.

Priority number one should be protecting his well being. Despite missing six games his sophomore season, Bradford has been sacked 70 times in his first two years in the league. To put that in perspective, Matt Ryan was sacked only 36 times his first two seasons.

• 3.   Minnesota Vikings
  Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Jared Allen had a monstrous season where he almost broke the sack record. It all seemed in vain though, because the Viking secondary ranked 31st in passing touchdowns allowed at 28.1 points a game. Opposing quarterbacks also averaged a 107.6 passer rating, a league low defensively.

The Vikings can get the pressure, now they just need a corner who can actually cover. Morris Caliborne is a much better option than paying Chris Cook while he’s still in jail.

• 4.   Cleveland Browns Click here to read the rest of this entry »