• OMG! Dewayne Robertson has a deal in place with the Broncos in case they trade him! [Newsday]
• Holy cow! The same dude reported the same thing last week! [Newsday]
• Wowzah! Everyone picked it up this time! [Yahoo! Sports]
• Haha…. just having a little fun. ;)
• The Broncos like Kayl Paymah‘s growth. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Nate Jackson is hoping for a big year. [DenverBroncos.com]
• NBA: Nuggets take control of their playoff fate. [Yahoo! Sports]

As we get closer to the draft, I would like to run a short series on draft memories of the Broncos, starting with a few videos. First up today is from NFL Network’s show Top 10 Draft Steals. Number seven on the list is the Broncos very own Shannon Sharpe, taken out of little known Savannah State. Can you guess who #3 on the list is?

Jay Cutler responded to criticism he’s received in light of his previous comments about Brandon Marshall. I have to say… I love everything Jay said here. Take a look.

“If I would have known it was going to be such a big story and get picked up by the national media like it did, I probably would have chosen my words a little more carefully.” …

“I think it’s going to be a good thing for me and I think it’s going to be a good thing for Brandon. I wouldn’t have said what I did if I didn’t care about him. I want to see him succeed. I think he’s one of the most talented players in the league, and I’d hate to see him throw that all away.”
Click here to read the rest of this entry »

For the sixth straight year the NFL has set a record for paid attendance league wide.  The Redskins held the top spot for paid attendance once again due in large part to the extra large stadium capacity of FedEx Field which stands at 91,655.  The Cowboys will be blowing these records out of the water if they ever open up their 100,000+ capacity option at their new stadium currently under construction.

Denver held the sixth overall spot with 1,120,996 in paid attendance.

Three other teams topped 600,000 in paid home attendance: the New York Giants (629,391), Kansas City Chiefs (622,541) and New York Jets (616,756). Eleven teams drew more than 1.1 million in paid attendance home and away during the regular season, led by Washington (1,264,890). The others were the Giants (1,187,915), Jets (1,171,564), Miami Dolphins (1,156,762), Chiefs (1,145,938), New England Patriots (1,131,027), Buffalo Bills (1,129,052), Denver Broncos (1,120,996), Philadelphia Eagles (1,120,090), Green Bay Packers (1,112,753) and Carolina Panthers (1,100,147).

You can read about this and all the 2008 Draft compensation picks in this NFL.com article.

ProFootballTalk is reporting that the Oakland Raiders are strongly considering selecting defensive end Vernon Gholston with the 4th overall pick in the draft, in lieu of RB Darren McFadden. This, of course, to the disappointment of Broncos fans everywhere, who will now have to work hard to engineer a suitable nickname for the Raiders’ #1 pick when “McFad” had presented itself so well.

Florio points out that this move could have a ripple effect:

“And if the Raiders pass on McFadden, look for the Cowboys to try to make a move north, possibly by trading their two first-round picks (No. 22 and No. 28 overall) to the Jets at No. 6 or the Patriots at No. 7.”

Of the six prospects invited to the event, McFadden is easily the most likely to endure the annual draft day plunge. If the Raiders follow through with this, and the Chiefs take Sedrick Ellis, the Broncos better address OL on draft day early and often to counter these new in-division pass rush specialists.

Slow news day so far this morning… today the DL is a bit of a mish mash, but you understand.

• The whole John Elway criticizing Jay Cutler thing is getting blown out of proportion too. All Elway said is that he would have done it differently. [Colorado Springs Gazette]
• Did anybody else catch South Park last night? Man, was it good. [You Been Blinded]
• Poor Malcolm Kelly.  Yes, we believe you.  This just has to be a conspiracy.  Wow OK. [Hashmarks]
• Our old friend Quentin Griffin is heading North to make a name for himself in the CFL. Good luck Q! [Yahoo! Sports]
• NHL: Joe Sakic scores a record-breaker in overtime to give the Avs a 1-0 series lead over the Wild in the first round of the playoffs.  [Yahoo! Sports]
• MLB: The Rockies found a little offense and are now enjoying a 3-game winning streak.  [Denver Post]
• NBA: For the Nuggets, the playoffs start now.  [Rocky Mountain News]

John Elway apparently doesn’t approve of Jay Cutler‘s disapproval of Brandon Marshall‘s disap… yeah, we’re confused, and pretty tired of it all, too. Just check out the video below for yourself:

UPDATE – The episode will now air on Friday, April 11.

Jay Cutler‘s recent escapades with the Harlem Globetrotters will be featured on the NFL Network Thursday, according to a Denver Broncos press release. Cutler hosted 125 kids to a day of fun and games last Saturday, April 5, on behalf of his foundation, The Jay Cutler Foundation. His organization aims at helping at-risk youth overcome obstacles, graduate from high school, and continue on in their educational careers.

On his foundation’s web site, Cutler stated that he was excited for the opportunity.

“The Harlem Globetrotters have been positive role models for the youth of the world for more than eight decades. I am thrilled to give kids in the Denver area this unique opportunity to see these spectacular athletes perform a show they will remember for a lifetime.”

Cutler’s story will appear on Total Access on Thursday, April 10, at 5PM MDT.

Two potential first round picks are finding their stock falling fast, and in some cases, falling completely off teams’ draft boards after it was revealed that they experimented with marijuana in their college careers. Michigan WR Mario Manningham and Kansas CB Aqib Talib have been completely removed from draft boards of “multiple NFL teams” because of these character concerns, Pro Football Weekly reports.

Talib admitted to using marijuana during the combine. Many say he didn’t take it as seriously as they would like. Manningham initially lied, but in a letter he sent to NFL teams last week, he apologized, blaming nervousness for his dishonesty.

Team sources around the league insist that Talib just doesn’t get it, and believe more trouble will come in the future. Those with a strict no tolerance policy have removed Manningham off their boards, but more teams believe he is clean now and won’t repeat in the future.

The Broncos have not been afraid to use draft picks on talented but troubled players (see Maurice Clarett, Marcus Thomas). Will they do the same this year? The article speculates that the players have likely slipped one round due to this… cornerback isn’t exactly a need for the Broncos, but would they consider drafting Manningham with their second round pick?

I hope not, but does anything surprise you these days?

In his most recent mailbag, Jeff Legwold of the Rocky Mountain News had a lot to say about the draft and the offensive line. What I particularly found interesting were his comments on the nickel package the Broncos would employ with new additions Boss Bailey and Niko Koutouvides.

“…Bailey and (D.J.) Williams would likely be the two linebackers on the field in the nickel. Bailey, even with some knee troubles in his career, is still the kind of athlete people don’t see very often.

“I think Bailey could be the signing with the biggest impact in how the team plays both against the run as well as in the nickel situation. …

“In all of the drafts in which I’ve looked at players, Bailey is certainly on the short list of most athletic players I’ve ever seen. The guy was clocked under 4.4 in his 40s, at 233 pounds, before the ’03 draft and was the leading tackler on what was the Southeastern Conference’s No. 1 defense that season.

“I saw that team play live twice that season and as the regulars would know in this space, I still consider his blocked field goal against Tennessee – he made the play from the middle of the field simply by jumping up and blocking the kick – just may be one of the five most athletic plays I’ve seen in person.”

Bailey’s athletic ability is unquestioned. Much like big brother Champ, Boss is a freak of nature that would make any football fan drool. Up to this point, that athleticism has yet to translate to the football field at the pro level.

Could he return to his college form and become a Pro Bowler for the Broncos? Wouldn’t we all love to see that.