Melvin Ingram returns a punt for a TD

Afternoon, Broncos fans. Today will be the beginning of a segment I call Prospect Perspective. In this series I will highlight potential targets of interest eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft. The first entry will be dedicated to one of college football’s most dynamic defenders over the past several seasons — South Carolina DE/OLB Melvin Ingram.

Melvin Ingram started out his football career in South Carolina as an outside linebacker, before making the switch to defensive end.  Ingram also took a great deal of snaps as a defensive tackle in 2011 — displaying the ability to play all over the field for Steve Spurrier.  After the switch, Ingram posted some of the best numbers in the country and became the stalwart leader of the Gamecock’s defense, emerging as a full-time starter in 2011.  Below is an overview of Ingram’s statistics during his colliegate career.

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The NFL’s 2012 free agency signing period is scheduled to begin on March 14th at 4 (p.m.).  As a primer, we looked at five offensive free agents yesterday that we think the Denver Broncos should consider.  Today, we look at five defensive free agents the Broncos should look to sign.

The Broncos need help on the interior of their line.  In a 4-3 defense, Jones can play outside or inside and would provide quality depth to Denver’s defensive line.  From 2008-2011, Jones recorded 112 tackles, 15.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles as a member of the Titans.  At twenty-five years old, Jones would have potential to play in Denver for years to come.

Connor comes from one of the best linebacking schools in the country and played under John Fox in Carolina for three seasons.  A player somewhat similar to Denver’s Wesley Woodyard, in that he is starter material but has only started a hand-full of games.  Connor recorded 75 tackles last season and forced a fumble.  The Broncos need to upgrade from Joe Mays, and Nate Irving may not be ready to step up next season.  We wouldn’t be surprised if Denver added a middle linebacker in free agency and again through the draft.  Connor is a free agent option. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Stanford Routt was given $20 million guaranteed by the Raiders a year ago. They cut him yesterday. [ESPN]
  
• Joe Mays says he’d love to stay in Denver. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill may be the most interesting QB in the draft for the Broncos. [Denver Post]
  
• Ryan Clady‘s blocking grades dropped considerably in 2011. [ProFootballFocus]
• The Broncos should re-sign Matt Prater. [Mile High Report]
• Jay Cutler‘s reunion with Jeremy Bates should be a big boon for the QB. [Chicago Tribune]
• Justin Tuck gets some more deserved kudos for his Super Bowl performance. [Shutdown Corner]
• Should the first day of the NFL season be a national holiday? [iPetitions]

Name: Eric Decker Height, Weight: 6’3″, 218 Position: Wide Receiver Age, Experience: 24, 3 College: Minnesota

Eric Decker was a top college prospect coming out of Minnesota in 2010, but a season-ending, surgery-requiring foot injury dropped his draft stock to the point where the Denver Broncos were able to snag the wide receiver with their third round draft pick that year. Decker ended up missing mini-camp and OTA’s due to the injury, but he came on strong by training camp and the preseason — in fact, he led all NFL rookies in receiving yards during the 2010 preseason. The early promises of 2010 began to bear fruit for Decker in 2011 as he moved into a starters’ role, and while his statistical pace slowed with the insertion of Tim Tebow at starting quarterback, there are reasons to believe Decker can continue to improve, even to the point of his pre-college injury, first round stock potential.

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The NFL’s 2012 free agency signing period is scheduled to begin on March 14th at 4 (p.m.).  As a primer, we’ll look at five offensive free agents today that we think the Denver Broncos should consider.  Tomorrow, we’ll look at five defensive free agents the Broncos should look to sign.

John Carlson missed the entire 2011 season with a shoulder injury after catching 137 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns from 2008-2010 in Seattle.  If the Seahawks let Carlson walk, the Broncos may be interested in adding depth to their tight end position.  With the team using lots of two-tight sets and tight ends that are asked to block as often as go out for a pass, the Broncos can always use more tight ends — especially when they are an upgrade, at an agreeable price-tag.

Mike Tolbert is a powerful runner that would provide a fantastic complement to Willis McGahee in Denver’s backfield.  Last season, quarterback Tim Tebow led the team with six rushing touchdowns (McGahee came in second with four).  The Broncos need a hard-nosed power back that can punch it in from a few yards out.  Over the past four years, that’s exactly what Tolbert has done in San Diego, scoring 21 touchdowns since 2010.  With receiving option Knowshon Moreno possibly headed out of Denver, the Broncos may be in need of a third-down running back this season.  Tolbert fits the bill perfectly.

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• Jim Saccomano with an invigorating dose of perspective and historical context. [DenverBroncos.com]
• In Woody’s mailbag, the wordsmith talks about how many in the NFL — on the record, off the record — believe Tim Tebow will be a great NFL quarterback. [Denver Post]
• Roger Goodell sent this letter to the fans. [DenverBroncos.com]
• The San Diego Chargers are likely to cut former Pro Bowl tackle Marcus McNeill. [ESPN]
• To dance or not to dance? No, we’re not talking about Tebow on DWTS. We’re talking about Rob Gronkowski and Matt Light the night after the Super Bowl loss. [Shutdown Corner]
• Kurt Warner: not ready to put Eli Manning in the Hall of Fame yet. [Sporting News]
• ESPN apologizes for its “Complain about Women” form option. [Mashable]

Name: Demaryius Thomas Height, Weight: 6’3″, 229 Position: Wide Receiver Age, Experience: 24, 3 College: Georgia Tech

Demaryius Thomas was drafted by the Denver Broncos with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Drafted three spots ahead of Tim Tebow, the wide receiver and quarterback began to find a rhythm in 2011 that exploded into Thomas’s breakout game in the first round of the AFC Wild Card playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers. An 80-yard catch-and-run (and a handful of NFL playoffs records) later, Thomas is thought to be a focal point for the offense the Broncos will build around Tebow.

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MaxDenver.com

The Denver Broncos re-signed fullback Austin Sylvester Wednesday, who was a free agent, the club announced.

Sylvester, an undrafted rookie out of Washington in 2011, spent five weeks on the Broncos’ practice squad before joining its active roster for the team’s final two contests. He did not appear in any games.

With Spencer Larsen set to become an unrestricted free agent, the signing makes Sylvester (6-1, 255) the only fullback on the team’s 2012 roster.

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On this date, fifty-seven years ago, Denver Broncos Head Coach John Fox was born.

A Happy Birthday to Broncos HC John Fox! He’s spending the day meeting with coaches/personnel dept. prepping for FA/draft.

— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) February 8, 2012

After the jump, we’ll give a quick review of what Fox accomplished during his first season in Denver:

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Von Miller of the Denver Broncos is presented to the media for the first time with vice president of football operations John Elway at Dove Valley on April 29, 2011 in Englewood, Colorado. Miller, a projected outside linebacker in head coach John Fox's new 4-3 scheme, was selected second overall from Texas A&M. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Editor’s Note: We’re thrilled to welcome Christopher Hart back onto the BT staff as one of our draft experts. Chris will jump in each week with scouting reports of players of interest for the Broncos. To start things off today, Chris looks at what some of the Broncos’ bigger needs are. Enjoy!

It’s great to be back on staff to contributing to the best coverage of Broncos News on the Internet. One of my main focuses over the following months will be to provide information and analysis regarding the Broncos and 2012 NFL Draft. If it has anything to do with the Broncos and the NFL Draft — it will be covered here!

Where Do We Go From Here?

2011 is a year that Denver Broncos fans will remember for years to come. After starting the season with an abysmal 1-4 record under the leadership of Kyle Orton, the Broncos Brass made the dramatic switch to second-year quarterback Tim Tebow who helped spark a rally that ignited the Broncos to their first playoff appearance and division championship since 2005. Sporting the underdog role, the Broncos shocked the football world when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in an overtime thriller on Wildcard Weekend — only to end up being brought back down to Earth after a thrashing by the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Game.

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