During an NFL offseason, players get a short period of time to rest their bodies before it’s back to the grind and preparing for the upcoming season.  The Denver Broncos will get back to work tomorrow when the team begins voluntary offseason workouts.

For many players in Denver, the offseason is more than just a time to prepare for the next season, but also a time to get involved in the community.  Below are a few of the things players in Denver have organized to benefit the community this month and beyond:

• Last Tuesday, Broncos veteran defensive linemen Robert Ayers and Kevin Vickerson visited Katie Walsh — who was recovering from a procedure that she underwent the day before – at her hospital room at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children.  You can read about the visit at DenverBroncos.com.

• Third-year wide receiver Eric Decker has teamed up with PopChips to chip into a local Denver charity.  Decker will choose from a suggested charity submitted on PopChips‘ website.  [Info]

• Cornerback Cassius Vaughn will be hosting a Softball Tournament in Windsor on April 28th to benefit the America Cancer Society.  [Info]   Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Porter was part of a Saints secondary that often used a high/low hit mentality. (Image courtesy of NBC Sports)

The NFL has yet to announce if it will discipline players that were involved in the Saints’ bounty program.  It is not known how the league will deal with the players and if some players will receive harsher punishments than others, but several players may be suspended to start the season.

This could affect the Denver Broncos‘ secondary because cornerback Tracy Porter (5-11, 186 lbs.) played in New Orleans over the past four seasons and is expected to start across from Champ Bailey (6-0, 192 lbs.) in Denver’s secondary this season.  If Porter is suspended for several games, the team will have Chris Harris (a 5-10, 190 pound second-year starting nickel cornerback), Tony Carter (5-9, 175 lbs.), Cassius Vaughn (5-11, 195 lbs.), Ramzee Robinson (5-10, 190 lbs.) and Syd’Quan Thompson (5-9, 191 lbs.) and possibly several rookies competing for the team’s No. 2 cornerback position.

In other words, the Broncos need Porter and need to know if he will be missing anytime this season because it could affect their draft plans and roster transactions.  One of the transactions that has already taken place, the release of Andre’ Goodman, could indicate that the team does not believe the NFL will be disciplining Porter.

Mike Florio of PFT speculates that the league may have privately informed the Broncos that Porter will not be suspended, allowing them to part ways with Goodman.  If true, Porter is safe.

Florio also noted that the league should make its decision before the draft, because suspensions could change the Saints’ and Broncos’ immediate team needs.  Stay tuned as we wait for the official word from the NFL.

Pick twenty is classic, pick twenty-one is fresh.

Get all of look of the whole schedule and previously selected players here.

Last three picks

18. Drew Butler, P, Georgia

19. Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

20. Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Today’s GM is Crushsg

With the twenty-first pick of 2012 Interactive Mock Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select…

21. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Broncos offensive guard Chris Kuper, who injured his lower fibula broken in multiple places in January, is hoping to be back on the field practicing again in June.  The team’s organized team workouts begin on Monday and the team will begin practicing in May.

Kuper recently spoke to the Denver Post and told them that he thinks it will be weeks, not months, before he is back in the lineup protecting new quarterback Peyton Manning.

“I think June, 100 percent I’ll be there,” Kuper said.

Kuper was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Broncos and started in eleven games in his second season.  From 2008-2011, Kuper started in at least fifteen games each season — including sixteen games in the 2011 regular season.

Considered one of the leaders on the Broncos’ offensive line, Kuper allowed a team-low 1.5 sacks last season.  One of four offensive guards on Denver’s roster, Kuper hopes to be practicing again with fellow starter Zane Beadles and reserve guards C.J. Davis and Manny Ramirez this summer.

Hopefully Kuper can fully recover in time for training camp come August.  If Kuper’s estimation is correct, he’ll be back on the field within two months.

Update: 4/14/12, 12:31 p.m. (MT):  If you were wondering how in the world Spano got his hands on the Chiefs’ schedule, the answer is simple: He didn’t. 

Spano apparently stumbled upon Kansas City’s version of the fake 2012 schedule — that was going around before being debunked by the NFL — and he mistakenly interpreted the rumor as fact.  Disregard the post below, the dates are not correct.

The entire 2012 NFL regular season schedule will be announced on Tuesday, April 17th in a 3-hour special on ESPN at 7:00 (p.m., ET).  Leading up to Tuesday, portions of the Denver Broncos‘ schedule is bound to be leaked.

One member of the media, Mile High Sports Brandon Spano, claims to have gotten his hands on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ schedule.  Per reports, the Broncos will play the Chiefs in October and November this season.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The 2012 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away and the Denver Broncos are preparing their draft boards.  Leading up to the draft, the Broncos will be working out prospects and bringing in players for visits.

Currently, the Broncos have shown interest in six prospects.

• Utah State running back Robert Turbin will visit the team on Monday.

• The Broncos have invited Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy for a visit.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

 Stokley has attended four training camps in Dove Valley. Will he make it five this summer? (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The Denver Broncos will bring in free agent wide receiver Brandon Stokley for a visit, according to NFL Network‘s Jason La Canfora.  Stokley may be passing a physical away from signing with the team, according to La Canfora’s sources.

When Stokley ran routes for Peyton Manning last month and helped the Broncos sway the veteran quarterback, BroncoTalk predicted that the Broncos might be interested in bringing the veteran receiver to training camp this summer.  Bringing in Stokley would reunite the 35-year old receiver with the quarterback he posted career numbers with — 68 catches for  1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns — in 2004 and provide a familiar target for Manning in training camp.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

(Image courtesy of Nike Inc.)

For those of you who live near Denver, the Denver Broncos Team Store will debut the new 2012 Nike jersey’s during an exclusive 24-hour event on April 26th before they become available elsewhere.  And yes, this includes Peyton Manning swag!

On hand will be alumni, cheerleaders and of course the lovable Miles the Mascot.  The event will also hold raffle prizes for additional gear for the Broncos faithful.  If you get hungry, it is all good since Broncos’ partner McDonald’s will be on hand with breakfast foods.

Of course, for those of us out-of-state fans (such as myself), we can pre-order the new gear from the online Denver Broncos Shop starting on April 15th.

Who: Fans, Cheerleaders, Miles the Mascot, Broncos alumni
What: Broncos Team Store 24-hour exclusive Nike jersey sale
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High Broncos Team Store
When: Thursday, April 26 (6 a.m.-6 p.m. / EARLY OPENING)

The addition of Tracy Porter, even for one year, has marked the end of Andre Goodman‘s time with the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos released the 11th-year cornerback Friday, the team announced.

Goodman (5-10, 191) spent three seasons with Denver, starting all but eight regular-season contests during that span while tallying seven interceptions, 35 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries. The journeyman cornerback has also spent his NFL career with the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.

Goodman was due a base salary of $4.62 million in 2012, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

When healthy, Thomas has made some of the best cornerbacks in the NFL look silly. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (6-3, 235 lbs.) had surgery on a finger roughly two weeks ago, which is why he hasn’t been playing catch with Eric Decker and Peyton Manning in Denver.  In an interview with alibi.com‘s Adam Fox last week, Thomas said he’ll return to Denver when he can catch again.

“I was just waiting to get my hand back well,” Thomas said. “I’m going to go back to Denver whenever I can start catching again.”

Realizing that he has already missed opportunities to work with Manning, Thomas noted that he’ll be looking to get on the same page as the veteran quarterback.

“Just trying to get on the same page so we can all go into Training Camp or Mini Camp at least with some idea of how the timing is and what routes we’re going to run and how he (Peyton) is going to throw the ball.”  Thomas also added that his Achilles injury is now fully recovered and no longer bothers him.

The sooner Thomas can get back in Denver and back out on the practice field, the better.  A third year receiver, Thomas has caught 54 passes for 834 yards and six touchdowns in 21 games since the 2010 season.