Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow and  linebacker Von Miller are no strangers to awards and accolades. (Photo courtesy of John Leyba/The Denver Post)

On Saturday night, one day before Super Bowl XLVI, the NFL will salute its best players and plays from the 2011 season with “NFL Honors,” a star-studded football and entertainment event on NBC.  The first show of it’s kind, the  two-hour primetime awards special will air nationally starting at 9 p.m. (ET).

Taking place at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, the show will be hosted by Alec Baldwin. Fourteen awards we be announced, including seven Associated Press awards.

Among the awards that will be announced are the League MVP (AP voted), Coach of the Year (AP), Rookie of the Year (AP), Fantasy Player of the Year (NFL.com) and the Comeback Player of the Year (AP) awards.  There will be four Rookie awards given, with Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller a candidate for two of them.

With Miller a likely Defensive Rookie of the Year nominee, second year quarterback Tim Tebow may also be up for several awards.  The NFL’s Fantastic Finish of the Year and Play of the Year awards are expected to feature Tebow’s much-documented season heroics and accomplishments.

Red Carpet coverage of the event starts at 8 p.m. (ET) on NFL Network.  You can read about all fourteen of the awards at NFL.com/Honors.

Name: Elvis Dumervil Height, Weight: 5’11”, 260 Position: Defensive End Age, Experience: 28, 6 College: Louisville

Elvis Dumervil, nicknamed Doom by adoring fans, will be entering his sixth year with the Denver Broncos in 2012. A fourth round draft pick by Mike Shanahan’s Broncos in 2006, Dumervil was considered a risky pick. While he possessed tremendous pass rush skills in college and always demonstrated the ability to get to the quarterback, he is significantly shorter and lighter than the prototypical sack artist. At under six feet tall, most offensive linemen tower over him by five inches or more. However, in the mold of Dwight Freeney, Dumervil started 13 games his rookie season and compiled 8.5 sacks by being a tenacious pass rusher.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The Denver Broncos have hired a new “capologist” — the team’s salary cap and player contracts negotiator — in former agent and marketing firm director Mike Sullivan. Formally, Sullivan has been hired as the team’s Director of Football Administration, as announced by the team’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway.

Sullivan boasts more than 25 years of experience negotiating NFL player contracts, spending the previous 11 years as managing director of the football division for Octagon Worldwide. In that capacity, he helped grow Octagon into one the top sports representation and marketing firms in the nation.

With the Broncos, Sullivan will direct the club’s negotiating and structuring of all player contracts, the team said in a statement. He will be responsible for managing the Broncos’ football budget and salary cap as well as ensuring the club’s compliance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“With such an extensive background in NFL contract negotiations, Mike brings comprehensive experience and a proven track record of success in that very important area to the Broncos,” Elway said. “His in-depth knowledge of contract structure and the salary cap combined with his strong negotiation skills and far-reaching industry ties will be a great asset to our team.

“Mike also has a great understanding of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and is very familiar with all league operating procedures. We are thrilled to be able to add someone of his caliber to our organization and welcome him to the Denver Broncos.”

The Broncos’ capologist of 17 years Mike Bluem, who worked closely with Ted Sundquist, Jim Goodman, and Brian Xanders, was not retained.

Gerard Warren and Domenik Hixon once played in Denver. (Pictures courtesy of Getty Images)

Denver’s 2011 season ended in the second round of the playoffs, but up to four former Broncos could walk away from Super Bowl XLVI this weekend with some new jewelry (Super Bowl rings).  When the New York Giants face off against the New England Patriots, two former Broncos will likely see some playing time.

Two players on New England’s active roster and two others on the Patriots’ practice squad and injured reserve list used to play in Denver.  Defensive tackle Gerard Warren played in Denver from 2005-2006.  This season, he has played in twelve games with the Patriots, recording twelve tackles, a sack and recovering a fumble.

New England linebacker Niko Koutouvides played in Denver during the 2008 season and has played in eight games this season with the Patriots (starting in one). Koutouvides notched fourteen tackles and recorded a fumble during the regular season.

A former Broncos receiver, Britt Davis was signed to the Patriots practice squad in January.  Drafted by the Broncos in 2008, safety Josh Barrett was claimed off waivers by the Patriots last season.  In November, the Patriots placed Barrett on the injured reserve list after he suffered a calf injury. Starting in four games, Barrett recorded seventeen tackles in New England’s secondary during the regular season.

Drafted by the Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft, receiver Domenik Hixon joined the Giants squad in 2007.  Since then, Hixon has been a rotational receiver and return specialist in New York.  In Week 2 of the 2011 season, Hixon tore his ACL while catching a touchdown pass and was placed on the Giants’ injured reserve list.

Super Bowl 46 will take place on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 (ET) on NBC.

• Brian Dawkins, still feeling numbness and weakness on his side, says he’ll either play one more year in Denver or retire. [Denver Post]
• Tim Tebow is making the rounds in Indianapolis. [Denver Post]
• The QB hopes he’s still “the same guy” following Tebowmania. [NFL.com]
• New Jaguars owner laments not picking Tebow a few years ago. [Florida Sun Sentinel]
• Checking in with Eric Decker. [DenverBroncos.com]
• The Chiefs plan on having a QB competition this offseason. [Kansas City Star]
• Tony Dorsett talks about head injuries from his era. [New York Times]
• Dennis Allen is finalizing his coaching staff. [Sports Illustrated]
• Rob Gronkowski‘s ankle injury is still the biggest on-field story of the week. [Denver Post]
• NBC is aiming for the all-time Super Bowl TV ratings record Sunday. [Denver Post]
• Jim Irsay says the Colts haven’t cleared Peyton Manning to play. [Shutdown Corner]

Name: Derrick Harvey Height, Weight: 6’5″, 268 Position: Defensive End Age, Experience: 25, 5 College: Florida

Defensive end Derrick Harvey was a promising prospect coming out of college in 2008. Winner of the BCS National Championship Game’s Defensive MVP Award the year before, Harvey opted not to come out for the 2007 NFL Draft (to the surprise of many) because, having only started playing football in his junior year, he felt he needed more time to develop. His patience paid dividends — Harvey amassed a team-high 8.5 sacks in his senior year despite being the focus of many an offensive line’s gameplan, and solid pre-draft workouts resulted in the Jacksonville Jaguars taking him eighth overall in the 2008 Draft. In Jacksonville, expectations were sky-high (as they should have been), but Harvey fell far short of them. His career-high in sacks came in his rookie year (3.5; he had 29 QB pressures that year), but he was unable to manufacture pressure over his next two seasons as a starter. He lost his starting job in 2010, and the Jaguars cut ties in 2011; most consider him one of the franchise’s largest draft busts. The Broncos signed him to their roster on August 1st.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Peyton Manning medically cleared to resume NFL career, per sources. More coming on ESPN now. #NFL32

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 2, 2012

And thus, assuming Mortenson’s sources are correct, the 2012 NFL Offseason is renamed the Offseason of Peyton. Would you trade for the elder Manning?

For years, legendary quarterback John Elway was the only player representing the Denver Broncos historic franchise in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame.  That all changed when offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, running back Floyd Little and tight end Shannon Sharpewere enshrined during a four-year span.

Shannon Sharpe delivers his induction speech during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremonies at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on August 6, 2011. (Photo courtesy of David Richard/UPI)

The Broncos now have four players in the HOF and that number will grow in the coming years.  Running back Terrell Davis, safety Steve Atwater and linebacker Randy Gradishar are expected to eventually get the nod, preferably sooner rather than later.

Joining Davis, Atwater and Gradishar as eligible (and deserving) HOF candidates over the next two years will be receiver Rod Smith, center Tom Nalen, kicker Jason Elam and safety John Lynch.  There are four players representing the Broncos in Canton, Ohio, and seven more that will all be eligible by the year 2014.

• Davis is the only running back in NFL history who has won a League MVP, Super Bowl MVP, rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season, won back-t0-back Super Bowls, and rushed for 100 yards in seven consecutive playoff games (winning all seven of them).

• Atwater started in fourteen postseason games (including two Super Bowls), was selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls and was the most-feared safety of his time.

• Gradishar, the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year, helped lead the Broncos to Super Bowl XII, was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was a two-time All American.

• Smith went undrafted in 1994 and would go on to have eight 1,000-yard seasons in Denver, leading the NFL in receptions in 2001.  A two-time Super Bowl champion, Smith was selected to three Pro Bowls and was on the receiving end of an eighty-yard touchdown catch in Super Bowl XXIII.

• Nalen helped six different Broncos running backs rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season, and Terrell Davis rushed for over 2,000 yards in 1998.  Taking snaps of Nalen, former Broncos quarterbacks John Elway, Jake Plummer and Brian Griese posted career-highs behind Nalen’s pass protection.  A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Nalen won two Super Bowls.

• Elam is one of just three players who have ever kicked a 63-yard field goal and was selected to three Pro Bowls during his career.  No player in NFL history has scored more points for one team than Elam did with Denver.  Elam won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.

• Lynch earned nine Pro Bowl selections during his career and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Broncos.  Lynch was twice named to the All Pro team and was one of the most feared tacklers of his time.

Tim Tebow appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night and talked about Tebowing, Tebowie, and insane fourth quarter comebacks. Clip below!

• I’ve been torn about who to pick in Super Bowl XLVI. I didn’t have a vested interest. Now I do. Josh McDaniels doesn’t deserve a Super Bowl ring. Thanks for pointing this out Kim. GO GIANTS! [Predominantly Orange]
  
• Tim Tebow cancels appearance with controversial Ohio televangelist. [NFL.com]
• But causes quite a stir with fans at the Super Bowl. [Denver Post]
• Everyone wants to see Denver in the Super Bowl. Mark Kiszla wants to see the Super Bowl in Denver. [Denver Post]
• Growing sentiment that Peyton Manning won’t play again. [Denver Post]
• Doc Bear sets the record straight on Mike Klis’ misinformed altitude article. [It’s All Over Fat Man!]
• Former Broncos DC Don “Wink” Martindale has landed as linebackers coach with the Ravens. [Denver Post]