Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller responds to questions during a news conference after he was selected as the second overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the NFL football draft, at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, April 28, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

Since being drafted second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller has been a busy man.

Miller spent time in College Station, Texas working out with former college teammates and learning the 4-3 defense and has also worked out with several of his new teammates.  The former Aggie has also already chosen to wear jersey #58, in honor of the late, great Derrick Thomas.

Miller’s Madden NFL 12 rating is among the top six rookie rankings, with a 79 overall rating in the popular video game.  Needless to say, Bronco fans are anxious to see Miller play in a real game, wearing a Broncos uniform.

The next step: sign an NFL contract.

When the lockout is lifted Denver will have to sign their nine drafted rookies to contracts, preferably before the start of Training Camp.  Miller will most likely be the last of Denver’s rookies to sign, settling for much less than Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh received last year.  Suh, the 2010 second overall selection, received a 5-year, $60 million contract that including $40 in guaranteed money.  Miller won’t get anything close to that under the new rookie wage scale.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post speculates that Miller could see a contract in the range of $20 million with as little as $10 million in guaranteed money.  Last year, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, Denver’s first selection (22nd overall), received a $12.155 million dollar deal, with $9.35 million coming in guaranteed money.

The Broncos would like to sign Miller as quickly as possible so he doesn’t miss any vital practice time with the team.  First things first however, the lockout has to be lifted before the team can make any transactions.

We know Dawkins' upper body is in shape, but does he still have the speed to beat out two rookie safeties in Training Camp? (Video screenshot courtesy of Fischer Sports)

Union reps for the league owners and players will vote Wednesday on a new collective bargaining agreement proposal, which could result in the lockout being lifted as soon as Thursday.  If everything goes smoothly, the Denver Broncos may start training camp next week in Dove Valley.

The team is scheduled to begin practicing next Thursday which would give them two weeks to prepare for their 2011 preseason opener in Dallas against the Cowboys and would give the players fewer than two weeks to prepare for camp.  Many Denver players however, have been preparing for months.

Offensive lineman Zane Beadles is a perfect example. “Even though this is clearly not a regular offseason I’m trying to approach it as it is a regular offseason,” said Beadles in March. “This thing could end at anytime and when it does I want to be ready so I am training just like I would always prepare.”

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins, who is currently in Washington D.C. as Denver’s player representative in the labor talks, first organized unofficial team workouts in May, which were attended by approximately two dozen different players on separate occasions.  As many as 18 players attended each workout, including one on Tuesday.

Known as workout warriors, quarterback Brady Quinn and linebacker Joe Mays have been attending many of the team’s workouts along with most of the team’s offensive linemen, including Beadles.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Yeah, these guys are definitely on the list...

There is no point in beating around the bush, the lockout has decimated all the happiness soul, or as td30ismvp put it, my soul has been locked out.

The articles have been… well, non-existent. It became tiresome to let alone read articles about fat-cats bickering about splitting up a multi-billion dollar pie.

So in a hail mary of an attempt, I give you these rankings. I hope this suffices.

10. Season ticket holders are being asked to pay up

I know not every team is doing this, but I find it ridiculous that teams are asking season ticket holders to dig into their pockets before a deal has been made.

9. You’re hot and you’re cold

It seems like twice a day you read a story that states a deal is imminent, only to see hours later that the two sides couldn’t be farther apart. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

A recent article on NFL.com by Elliot Harrison and Jason La Canfora discusses who was the best cornerback of the 2000’s.  Among those mentioned include Denver’s Champ Bailey, Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, Green Bay’s Charles Woodson and New York’s Darrelle Revis.

To me, the choice seems clear.  None of the above mentioned cornerbacks have played as consistent throughout the past ten years as Bailey — Asomugha and Revis didn’t even enter the league until 2003 and 2007 respectively.  Today, Bailey may not make as many big plays as Revis or shut down receivers as well as Asomugha, but there’s no question that he was the best of the 2K era.

La Canfora makes a similar argument.

Bailey is a true shutdown corner with exceptional ball skills and a great mind for the game. He’s made huge plays in huge games. He took away a side of the field for pretty much the life of this study. He has always had that air of greatness. …

Sure, other youngsters like Nnamdi Asomugha came along, but the span of time in which he has dominated the game pales to Bailey’s at this point. For Bailey to be getting contract extensions in the $16-million-per-season range at this stage of his career tells you all you need to know.

From 2000-2010 Bailey deflected 120 passes, recorded 43 interceptions and was voted to 10 Pro Bowls.  Denver is expecting another good year from Champ this season, if there is one.

Fitzgerald tweeted this image on Friday which shows himself, Kyle Orton, Orton's father and Eric Decker following a workout.

We are now 93 days into the NFL lockout that has prohibited players from using team facilities and from talking with coaches due to the ongoing labor dispute between the league owners and players.

Denver fans however can rest assured that Bronco players have been working hard preparing for a season, although a shortened one it may be.

Veteran safety Brian Dawkins has organized several unofficial team workouts, which all three of Denver’s quarterbacks have attended (never together, however).  Meanwhile, Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton has been working out in Minnesota with receiver Eric Decker and Arizona Cardinal’s receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Decker has been working with Fitzgerald for much of the offseason and has also thrown with quarterback Kyle Orton prior to their Minnesota-based workouts.  When quarterback Tim Tebow flew in some of his receivers to Jacksonville in late May however, receivers Eddie Royal (hip) and Demaryius Thomas (ankle) missed due to injuries while Decker was not able to make it due to “another commitment”.

After the jump, we have compiled a list of several Bronco players and what they’ve accomplished during the extended offseason. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Among the NFL’s shortened-season contingency plans is an eight-game slate that would see the Denver Broncos not play the Oakland Raiders and face the Kansas City Chiefs twice. [Denver Post]
• Brandon Lloyd is a Top 60 Player in the NFL… and he’s selling steel this offseason. [Pro Football Focus]
• He’s also writing and recording rap demos at a studio in Arizona. [DPO]
• Knowshon Moreno isn’t the only 2009 draft class running back still struggling to prove his worth. [NFL.com]
• Another Denver Post columnist hints at orange jerseys becoming the full-time look in 2012. [DPO]

Miami OT Orlando Franklin

Our review of the Denver Broncos‘ 2011 NFL Draft continues with their third pick, OT Orlando Franklin, taken in the second round.

In my mind, there were a few exceptions to the Broncos’ execution of their Best Player Available philosophy over April’s draft weekend, and this selection is the first one. My guess is Orlando Franklin wasn’t the best player on the Broncos’ draft board when they selected him with the 46th pick. But, at that very moment, he was the best solution to a problem the Broncos had been facing all offseason: Who’s going to play right tackle?

The Broncos could pay to keep free agent Ryan Harris, who had one great season and has been hampered by injuries otherwise, or they could draft a starting-caliber replacement. They chose the latter route.

But is he starting caliber yet? Therein lies the problem. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Role model? Yes. Franchise savior? No, says The Gazette‘s David Ramsey. [Colorado Springs Gazette]
• 600 fans waited to receive autographs for Tim Tebow‘s new autobiography  Saturday. “Through My Eyes” is No. 11 on Amazon.com’s best-sellers list. [Denver Post]
• Tebow/Kyle Orton isn’t the only question the Broncos face in this odd offseason. [DPO]
• An Arizona Republic columnist believes the Arizona Cardinals will pursue Kyle Orton as a backup plan to acquiring Kevin Kolb. [Broncos Gab]
• Peter King gives the latest on the NFL lockout and how secret meetings are a good thing. [Sports Illustrated]
• Champ Bailey was named #48 in the NFL Network’s Top 100 Players, then introduced by the ever-gracious and complimentary Terrell Owens (seriously?). Champ reacts to his nod. [NFL.com]

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd during a portrait session at the NFL Network Studio on May 31, 2011 in Culver City, Ca. (Gary A. Vasquez/NFL)

• The players have spoken:  Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd has been voted the 58th best player in the NFL.  Congrats, Mr. Lloyd!  [NFL Network Video]

• Remember former Broncos back up quarterback Matt Mauck?  Well, he’s coming back.  Not as a player, but as a team dentist.  (Yes, seriously.)  [Aurora Sentinal]

• Redskins always entertaining tight end Chris Cooley recently prank called Bengals’ quarterback Carson Palmer and Broncos Vice President of Football Operations John Elway (among others) saying that Palmer wanted to go to Denver, and that the Broncos wanted him. [SB Nation]

• Meeting Denver second year quarterback Tim Tebow and getting his autograph at his Saturday book signing excited some girls to the extent of screaming in delight.  [The Denver Post]

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The polarizing Tim Tebow. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for GMA)

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow released his  memoir on Tuesday, and “Through My Eyes” has already become the 11th best selling book on Amazon.  (You can purchase it here.)  The book, according to Tebow, is about his college career at Florida, his hard work ethic, his family and his faith.

Tebow’s last Coloradoan-based stop in his book tour will take place on Monday in Colorado Springs at Sam’s Club, which is located at 1850 E. Woodman Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80920.  His tour will conclude with two more stops in Florida (Gainesville and Orlando) on the 9th and 11th respectively.  More details about Tebow’s book and his tour can be found at www.TimTebow.com.

Tebow has been making the rounds, traveling across the country for book signings and interviews, including one for Fox and Friends, the Morning Show and Morning Joe. All three interviews can be viewed after the jump. Click here to read the rest of this entry »