Another longtime Denver Broncos assistant is headed elsewhere: running backs coach Bobby Turner will join Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins as associate head coach, FOX 31’s Josina Anderson reports.  The move is expected to be finalized today.

With o-line coach Rick Dennison leaving for Houston, it truly is the end of an era in Denver.  Best of luck, all.

Sources: Bobby Turner Has Made Decision to Join Redskins [FOX 31]

• Rick Dennison‘s departure to Houston leaves the door open for Josh McDaniels to make the sweeping offensive changes over which we’ve speculated for weeks.  [ESPN]
• Brandon Marshall actually had more big plays in 2009 than 2008.  The difference in his yards per catch (11.1 from 12.2) is more attributable to the lack of intermediate 10-20 yard throws.  [Denver Post]
• Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour will consider 31 teams as a free agent this offseason — all except the New England Patriots.  [ProFootballTalk]
• The New York Jets‘ season can be broken into three parts: a 3-0 start, a 1-6 slump, and a 6-1 finish they’re currently riding.  The San Diego Chargers will pose their biggest challenge since Week 4 in New Orleans.  [San Diego Union Tribune]
• Tom Cable‘s status as head coach is still uncertain as he has yet to meet with Al Davis.  [San Jose Mercury News]
• Chiefs coach Todd Haley is building his list of core players.  [Kansas City Star]

Calling it “one of those situations that really tugs at you,” longtime Denver Broncos assistant Rick Dennison will leave the Broncos to call plays as the offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans. From the Denver Post —

“I’m a Colorado guy – I wasn’t born here, but I’ve spent a lot of my life here – and it’s been a long time with an organization. It’s really, really hard to not be associated with the Broncos.’’

“That made it hard, but this opportunity, to get a chance to work with (Texans head coach) Gary (Kubiak), I don’t know how many times something like that is going to come around. I thought I better jump at on it if it’s at all possible and it’s possible.’’

Dennison has been with the Broncos as a player and coach for 24 years. Immediately, the Broncos will need to fill his former position as offensive line coach, but the loss of a long-term employee with a rich understanding of Broncos tradition is a lot harder to replace. The Broncos have lost a lot of these types of guys in the past few years — Dennison, Kubiak, Shanahan…. We wish Dennison the best of luck in Houston

Chance to call plays lures Dennison away [All Things Broncos]

20 or so minutes of Floyd Little footage… big thanks to studbucket for putting this together!

Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno compromised the Denver Broncos' 2009 running back by committee (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Never a dull day in the Denver Broncos blogosphere…

Sayre Bedinger comments on MHR that the Broncos’ running for over 100 yards in only nine games in 2009 was “completely unacceptable,” then gives the RBs a grade of C+. I wish all my college professors graded on his scale.

South Stands Denver held a decent interview with The Denver Post‘s Lindsay Jones over the weekend that you need to check out.

Horvil Tiki‘s P.P. Dublinksi believes Brandon Marshall is as good as gone, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (L) and quarterback Tom Brady (R) of the New England Patriots talk about their NFL AFC wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts January 10, 2010. The Ravens won the game 33-14. (REUTERS/Adam Hunger)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments. Last winner after the jump. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

It was a career year for Elvis Dumervil. The fourth-year Denver Broncos defensive end/outside linebacker finished his 2009 campaign with 17 sacks, 49 tackles (42 solo), and four forced fumbles.

On Tuesday, the Associated Press recognized Dumervil’s achievements with a third-place vote for Defensive Player of the Year. Green Bay Packers CB Charles Woodson won the award with 28 out of 50 votes, and New York Jets CB Darrelle Revis finished second with 14. Dumervil tied for third with three.

Dumervil might not have taken away the league’s most coveted prize for a defensive player, but he did net several other marks of significance:

• His 17 sacks led the NFL in 2009, making him the first Broncos sack champion in franchise history.
• That number also placed him first all-time in franchise annals, above Simon Fletcher with 16.
• His 10 sacks on third down tied an NFL record.
• Dumervil was voted as a starter in the 2010 Pro Bowl, a career-first.

Congratulations to Dumervil on a remarkable season made all the more impressive by the transition he underwent.

• Former Broncos coaches are leaching Denver’s current offensive staff.  We reported last night that Mike Shanahan has a job offer for RB coach Bobby Turner; Gary Kubiak has offered OL coach Rick Dennison the position of offensive coordinator in Houston.  [My Fox Houston]
• Dennison’s shoes — ones he’s worn in Denver for 24 years — will be tough to fill. [DPO]
• Changes this offseason will have to focus on the line of scrimmage.  [DPO]
• 2009’s pass-happy regular season morphed into a grind-it-out game over Wild Card Weekend.  [DPO]
• Two of the hottest teams in the AFC — the Jets and Chargers — will face off in San Diego.  [ESPN]
• Speaking of heat — the Chargers’ run defense finds itself on Bill Williamson’s hot seat.  [ESPN]
• The Jets have a few reasons to feel confident heading into the weekend’s tilt.  [Sports Illustrated]
• Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera reportedly refused to interview for head coach openings with both the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills.  [San Diego Union Tribune]
• The Chiefs continue to migrate old Patriots coaches West: Romeo Crennel will join KC’s defensive staff.  [Boston Herald]

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby (R) celebrates with teammate Calais Campbell (L) after Dansby returned a fumble by Green Bay Packer's quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a touchdown in overtime to defeat the Green Bay Packers. (REUTERS/Rick Scuteri

Wild Card Weekend has come and gone, leaving us three entirely forgettable affairs and one that will be talked about for years to come.

Speaking of 3 and 1, that just so happens to be BT’s record from picking the games this weekend. If it wasn’t for Shayne Graham and Carson Palmer imploding like NBC’s idea of Must-See TV, we would have been a proud 4-0.

But, hey, our Team of the Playoffs, the Arizona Cardinals, lives on to fight another day.

Check out the Divisional Round’s schedule below, and be sure to join us in the festivities this weekend.

• Arizona at New Orleans (-7) – Saturday 2:30 p.m. MT
• Baltimore at Indianapolis (-6.5) – Saturday 6:15 p.m. MT
• Dallas at Minnesota (-3) – Sunday 11:00 a.m. MT
• New York Jets at San Diego (-7.5) – Sunday 2:40 p.m. MT

Denver Broncos running backs coach Bobby Turner (Joe Mahoney/Rocky Mountain News)

The days of longtime Denver Broncos running back coach Bobby Turner‘s reign in the Rockies appear to be numbered.

Per Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post, Turner has been offered the job title of “associate head coach” with Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins. That, of course, would involve a promotion, which is why Josh McDaniels relented to the interview after initially denying it.

Now it would seem the only way Turner stays in Denver is if he leverages Shanahan’s deal to a matching or exceeding offer in Denver, if both parties are interested.

It’s eerie how this entire situation played out almost exactly as we speculated — while we were mistaken about the letter of the law and coaching interviews, the spirit of it prevailed: Shanahan came back with a hocus-pocus promotion to pry Turner away.

Turner has job offer in Washington [All Things Broncos]