UPDATE: This was as much of a non-story as I though it might be. After Jamie Dukes teased a “BOMBSHELL” on his twitter, the entire NFL media was eagerly awaiting a revelation. The story? A PR snafu involving the way teammates were instructed to react to Marshall‘s acquittal. Dukes, yagottabekiddingme. Sure, this is significant given the touchy relationship Marshall and the Broncos have at the moment, but it’s hardly a “BOMBSHELL.” We’ve written a piece on the entire Marshall situation, which expands well beyond this one incident. You can read here.

I think CBS4’s Vic Lombardi says it best in this tweet: “This is the perfect example of someone using Twitter to hyperbolize an otherwise tame story… technology is dangerous in the wrong hands.” Amen, Vic. Amen.

The original way-overblown twitter bombshell speculation after the jump. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable walks off the field after NFL football training camp in Napa, Calif., Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Nothing against the Chargers linebacker, but a different AFC West team may be boasting the most appropriate owner of Shawne Merriman‘s “Light’s Out” nickname: Tom Cable, Head Coach, Oakland Raiders.

The National Football Post reported Monday that Raiders assistant coach Randy Hanson was injured in an altercation between he and another unspecified coach. Meanwhile, NFL Fanhouse did some digging and is now reporting that it was in fact Cable who threw the punch, citing a “well-placed NFL source.”

This might be the most epic thing I’ve ever read. Head Coach punching the assistant? Only in Oakland. This is obviously EXTREMELY unconfirmed, but the only thing I can do as a Broncos fan is wear a big evil grin and repeat to myself, “Please be true, please be true…”

Ryan Clady (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Is the national media really recognizing and praising the Denver Broncos offensive line? Nah, it couldn’t be, not after Ryan Clady was robbed of last year’s Pro Bowl and still has a Madden player rating lower than Jake Long‘s.

Don’t look now, but that’s exactly what ESPN has done, ranking all 32 teams’ offensive lines in both run and pass blocking and placing Clady and company at the top. ESPN ranks Denver tops in pass protection and 3rd in run blocking, behind only the Panthers and Giants. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Marcus Thigpen, seen here running for the Indiana Hoosiers in 2008, joins the Broncos as an undrafted rookie. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos‘ front office has continued to tweak the roster since the team’s exhibition debut Friday, most recently releasing defensive lineman Rulon Davis, Head Coach Josh McDaniels said after practice Monday morning. In the past 48 hours, the team has also signed running back Marcus Thigpen and executed a trade for defensive end Le Kevin Smith. Guard Pat Murray was released to make room on the roster.

Thigpen’s addition comes in the wake of Correll Buckhalter expectied to miss time with an injury. An undrafted rookie out of Indiana, Thigpen is a versatile speedster who, in 2008, was named Indiana’s offensive player of the year, elected a team captain, and tallied 1,719 all-purpose yards (631 rushing, 853 return, 235 receiving). Check out his Hoosiers profile for more.

Davis has my admiration and gratitude, being a former Marine, but as fans we have to separate those intangibles and evaluate them purely based on their football mettle. The additions of Thigpen and Smith aren’t going to send tremors through the NFL, but the Broncos brass evaluated their depth and made the moves.  UPDATE: The Broncos made the moves official Monday. Press release after the jump. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: PFT reports “Fox’s Alex Marvez has the terms: The Broncos acquired reserve defensive end Le Kevin Smith and a 2010 seventh-round pick from the Patriots in exchange for Denver’s 2010 fifth-round selection.”

According to Rotoworld and Adam Schefter the Broncos have now acquired former Patriot DL Le Kevin Smith. Smith has played three seasons and is listed at 6’3 and 308 pounds. Smith has also never started a game. However that is not too entirely strange because of the highly talented players such as Richard Seymour and Ty Warren who start at his position. Here’s wikipedia’s short bio on him:

Smith was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round (206th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was inactive or did not play in all but three games of his rookie season in 2006. He appeared in 13 games in 2007, seeing time as a reserve defensive lineman and on special teams. Smith was active for 15 games in 2007, recording a career-high 14 tackles. He also was a member of the Patriots’ kickoff return unit, which blocked for Ellis Hobbs’ 96-yard return against the Oakland Raiders in Week 15.

This could be a good deal for Denver depending on the cost. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Long-time readers will recognize this as one of the BT staples way-back-when. Well we’re bringing the DL back for the season. Got a Broncos-related link worth sharing? Email broncotalk@gmail.com and let us know!

• Josh McDaniels isn’t a stranger to preseason struggles. [Denver Post]
• At what point is sticking with Kyle Orton just being unfair to Chris Simms?  [DPO]

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Denver Broncos‘s roster was re-infused with Pro Bowl talent Sunday as wide receiver Brandon Marshall and safety Brian Dawkins returned to the practice field. Both players missed over two weeks of practice with their respective injuries, while Marshall also missed time with a court hearing in Atlanta.

Dawkins was dressed in an orange “no-contact” jersey and a cast on his broken right hand. Marshall was in full uniform.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels said he liked what he saw from Marshall. “The tempo, you could see, wasn’t 100 percent, full-speed today,” he said after Sunday’s practice, which was closed to the public. “But he knows what to do when he is in there and (he) made a few nice catches.” McDaniels also said he expects Marshall to play in the team’s second preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, and on the first team.

Great to have these boys back! These guys attended all of the meetings so they shouldn’t miss a beat. Now let’s get through the rest of these scrimmages injury-free.

Kyle Orton audibles, apparently, during Friday nights game against the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

If we learned anything from Mike Shanahan, it should be this, “Always fall forward.” If I learned anything from watching Jay Cutler play versus the Buffalo Bills tonight it was this, it doesn’t really matter who the Denver Broncos quarterback is…

Cutler, if you’re not aware, damn near had three interceptions (while managing one actual interception) against a first and second team Bills defense. No, Terrell Owens was not playing corner back, yes Cutler was confused, throwing it to the hometown Bills blue jerseys all night.

Want some real in this world? Then understand this– nothing is ever as it seems. If I’m Josh McDaniels, the last thing that I’m going to do is give you anything that can let you beat me in the regular season. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

(AP Photo/Marcio Sanchez)

Kyle Orton stunk it up when it counted last night and Chris Simms pushed through for a possible win. Even if it was a meaningless preseason game, nothing is meaningless when it comes to the Broncos quarterback situation. I will give credit where it’s due, Orton did a great job of managing the game on the team’s first offensive drive. As the CBS 4 broadcasters stated last night, the 49ers looked confused and bewildered on their defensive assignments. I am a believer in the McDaniel’s passing system converted for the orange and blue. However, when given the chance to go for jugular… the starting QB didn’t get the job done.

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Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels is seen in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers during their NFL preseason football game in San Francisco, Calif., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

There have been a few moments this offseason that have left this Broncos fan speechless.

The moment we fired Mike Shanahan. The day Pat Bowlen announced Jay Cutler would be traded. During the NFL draft, when we traded a first rounder for second round pick Alphonso Smith, and later when we traded back into the second round for Richard Quinn.

Add last night’s preseason meltdown to the list.

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