The Falcons offense has had a lot of success under Mularkey. (Photo courtesy of Curtis Compton/AJC)

On Tuesday, the Denver Broncos announced Falcons Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey will be interviewed by the Broncos on Friday in Atlanta regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy.

Mularkey, a former Tight End for the Minnesota Vikings, has been coaching in the NFL since 1994 and went 14-18 as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2004-05.  In 2006, Mularkey resigned due to disagreements with the Bills management.  Buffalo hasn’t had a winning season since Mularkey’s first season with the team in 2004 when the team went 9-7.

After his short stint as a head coach, Mularkey become the Miami Dolphins Offensive Coordinator prior to joining Atlanta in 2008.  He’s been credited for the recent success of the Falcons offense and development of quarterback Matt Ryan.

Interim Head Coach Eric Studesville is also expected to be formally interviewed for the job on Monday.

I can see how the team thinks he would be a good fit for Tebow at a cheap price, but isn’t it time the Broncos got a defensive minded head coach?

In this post, I’m going to grade the performances of each of the Denver Broncos‘ 2010 rookies’ seasons.  Grading two aspects, contribution to the team and the ‘whatever is asked of me’ attitude, I’ll get my final grades on each rookies’ season then ask you for yours.

Starting with, 7th round pick (225 overall) Cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson, California.  (Please not that 7th round DE/LB Jammie Kirlew of Indiana isn’t being rating because he was released before making any contributions on defense).  Scouted as a physical yet slow defensive back, Thompson was excited to fall in the draft but make a team due to his intangibles and his toughness.  The Broncos got both of those, plus versatility.  Contributing on special teams (returning a few punts and covering kickoffs) and defense, Thompson finished the season with 18 tackles and 2 interceptions.  He wasn’t given a big role but took advantage of his opportunities.  Final grade: C+

Next we have 6th round pick (183rd overall) Center Eric Olsen, Notre Dame.  The Broncos brought Olsen to add depth to an offensive line that went through a rebuilding period in 2010.  Listed as back-up left guard during the season, Olsen only dressed for one game this season.  While he did provide depth and a practice body, Eric didn’t contribtue to the Broncos offense at all as a rookie.  Final grade: C

Following Olsen comes 5th round pick (137th overall) Cornerback Perrish Cox, Oaklahoma State.  Scouted as a huge sleeper with character concerns entering the draft, the Broncos may have gotten something special in Cox (provided he gets his act together and is allowed to play again).  In training camp, fellow cornerback Champ Bailey praised Cox and half jokingly said his job was in jeopardy.  The joke was reality for corner Andre’ Goodman, who bothered by a quad injury for much of the season, didn’t record one interception in 2010 — a season after leading the team with five in 2009.  Goodman’s absence gave Cox the chance to start nine games as a rookie.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

2011 NFL Draft Order — The Denver Broncos will draft 2nd overall in April’s 2011 NFL Draft following their 4-12 2010 regular season record.

The Carolina Panthers will draft first. The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills will draft third and fourth respectively.

If the Broncos don’t trade down, it’ll be the highest position the Broncos have drafted in franchise history. To say 2010 was an underwhelming season would be an understatement.

To say we would be upset if the Broncos draft anything but a defensive player with that 2nd pick would be an understatement as well.

Quarterback Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos hands the ball off to running back Knowshon Moreno #27 against the San Diego Chargers at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The woeful tackling and inconsistent running game that plagued the Denver Broncos all year long continued to dictate the team’s lack of success in its 2010 season finale. Another thrilling Tim Tebow rally brought the Broncos back to within five points, but the San Diego Chargers defended two Hail Mary end zone passes and held on to win 33-28.

The Broncos (4-12) finish the 2010 season with the most losses in franchise history.

vs. Broncos (4-11) vs. Texans (8-7)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
INVESCO Field at Mile High
2:05 p.m. MT

The Denver Broncos (4-11) on Sunday will host the San Diego Chargers (8-7) at INVESCO Field at Mile High in their season finale. Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m. MT.

Live Blog

The Rules: Keep it clean, no insulting other commenters. Join us beginning 15 minutes before the game for the best in-game commentary in Broncos Country! GO BRONCOS!!

Former Denver Broncos quarterback great John Elway waits on the sidelines before the Broncos play against the Seattle Seahawks in their NFL football game in Denver September 19, 2010. (REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

John Elway‘s oft-rumored return to the Denver Broncos is finally at hand.

Elway won’t be pulling a Brett Favre and returning to the football field — instead, he’ll be working the front office, becoming a top executive for the franchise in which he spent his entire Hall of Fame career.

The Denver Post reports that Elway will be hired as the Broncos’ Vice President of Football Operations

“If and when we reach an agreement with John Elway, (owner Pat Bowlen) is very confident that John’s intelligence, his leadership, business savvy, his knowledge of the game, and competitive fire — plus the respect that everyone in this building will have for him — will make us better right away,” said Joe Ellis, the Broncos’ chief operating officer.

The Post notes that this job title — Vice President of Football of Operations — is the same title Mike Shanahan held in addition to that of “head coach.” Indeed, Elway will be an instrumental part of the day-to-day functioning of the Denver Broncos moving forward.

It’s a bold move, with motives going far beyond the PR buzz being generated. After being on the fence about it at first, I’m all for it. Elway has the football experience and savvy the current top guns — Bowlen and Ellis — haven’t been able to demonstrate of late. Now let’s find a real GM and coach and set up this franchise right.

Broncos bringing back Elway not just a PR move [Denver Post]

Another year has come and gone at Dove Valley. 2010 was a year of change in Denver — it’s something Broncos fans have been hearing for years, but just think and marvel on how very different this team is from the group that started the year 364 days ago. New coach. New quarterback (it is assumed), and more changes from top to bottom on the near horizon. It was a chaotic year filled with controversy, hope, disappointment, and tragedy. Here is the conclusion of our list of the Top 10 Stories that defined the Denver Broncos in 2010. View Part One (10-6) here.

Peyton Hillis breaks for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

5. Peyton Hillis traded

Was this earth-shattering news at the time? No. It didn’t even get its own headline here (the acquisition of QB Brady Quinn in the trade did). But we covered Hillis’ disillusionment with Josh McDaniels in the weeks prior to his trade, and openly hoped the running back wouldn’t change teams in 2010. He did, and went on to have a phenomenal season for the Cleveland Browns.

Meanwhile, the Broncos ranked in the bottom five teams in the league in rushing offense all year long. Apologists will claim Hillis “didn’t fit McDaniels’ system,” but we’ve always maintained a coach should fit his scheme to maximize the talent of his players, and not make personnel decisions solely based on how players fit into the scheme. McDaniels’ failure to capitalize on Hillis’ talents in 2009 was only expounded by his failure to recognize them in 2010, and it resulted in him sending Hillis, along with two draft picks, to Cleveland in exchange for a backup quarterback who didn’t take a snap in 2010. If trends extend beyond 2010, it will go down in history as one of the worst Broncos trades of all times. The disappointing truth is that if Hillis had stayed, and if McDaniels had learned how to utilize him, one can’t help but dream of the two-back threat he and Knowshon Moreno could have provided for years for the Broncos. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

I still remember vividly where I was, what I was wearing, and who I was with when I first heard the news that Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams had been shot and killed in the early morning hours of New Years Day, 2007.

It’s a tragic phenomenon shared by thousands, perhaps millions of Broncos fans the world over.

Hours before, the Broncos had lost a season-ending game to the San Francisco 49ers at home, and no matter how you spent the evening of December 31st, the news the next morning was sobering.  For me and many others, it was an indelible shot of perspective. As consumed as I was in the game and the sudden lack of playoffs and a season’s loss, the news about Williams made all of that tragically inconsequential.  A young man, a teammate, and a father had died.

Williams wouldn’t want us to dwell on his loss, but we honor and remember him each New Years Day nonetheless.  For the Broncos and its fans, this holiday will never be the same.  Rest In Peace, sir.

If you’re unfamiliar with Darrent Williams or you’d like to read more, feel free to see our coverage on Darrent Williams.

We hope all of you had a very safe and happy new year. Go Broncos! All Ready!

Another year has come and gone at Dove Valley. 2010 was a year of change in Denver — it’s something Broncos fans have been hearing for years, but just think and marvel on how very different this team is from the group that started the year 364 days ago. New coach. New quarterback (it is assumed), and more changes from top to bottom on the near horizon. It was a chaotic year filled with controversy, hope, disappointment, and tragedy. Here is our list of the Top 10 Stories that defined the Denver Broncos in 2010, Part One: 10-6. (View 1-5).

Denver Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels talks with defensive coordinator Mike Nolan during practice at Broncos Training Camp on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009, at Dove Valley. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

10. Mike Nolan bids Broncos adieu

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan‘s unexpected departure in January left the Broncos with a big hole to fill. No one knows all of the details, but the promise of the Broncos’ hot 6-0 start under Josh McDaniels in 2009 was largely led by Nolan’s stifling defense. It was a shame — a mysterious, devastating shame — Nolan and McDaniels couldn’t find a way to work together and improve in 2010. To make matters worse, Nolan wasn’t alone — running backs coach Bobby Turner, who held that position for 15 years, and offensive line coach Rick Dennison left the Broncos in January to coach elsewhere.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Better late than never, right? Kudos to MHFxx1 of YouTube for the always extensive and entertaining highlights.