'08 Preview: No dull days in Denver
They fired their general manager, went into economy mode in free agency and shook up their coaching staff yet again. They lost their longest-tenured player, feared they'd lost arguably their best to a McDonald's bag – of all things – and traded for another high-upside, higher-risk veteran defensive lineman. And this just in: They gave up on the back (Travis Henry) who was supposed to solidify their running game last season.
In other words, it was just another offseason for the Denver Broncos, who are never dull off the field and struggling to be relevant again on it.
After last season's losing record – only the second of the Mike Shanahan era – fallout seemed inevitable. But the way things played out presented some unexpected drama.
2008 TEAM PREVIEWS
AFC EAST: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
AFC NORTH: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
AFC SOUTH: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN
AFC WEST: DEN | KC | OAK | SD
NFC EAST: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
NFC NORTH: CHI | DET | GB | MIN
NFC SOUTH: ATL | CAR | NO | TB
NFC WEST: ARI | SEA | SF | STL
After the assistant coaches from both sides of the ball walked (or were forced) out the door at the close of the season, along with longtime kicker Jason Elam, a host of new faces rushed in, bringing some question marks along with them.
Offense
Mike Heimerdinger, the assistant head coach on offense the last two seasons, bolted for Tennessee because he wanted to call the shots. This reinforces the notion that it's Shanahan who runs the offensive show.
Shanahan will get help from Jeremy Bates, considered an up-and-comer, as well as Rick Dennison, but it will be the head coach's fingerprints all over this side of the ball.
The zone-blocking run game remains the foundation. The big question is whether quarterback Jay Cutler, in his second full season as starter, will be turned loose to take advantage of several intermediate pass-catching threats who can do some damage after the catch – and in the red zone, where the running game has struggled.
Defense
This group was a mess in 2007. Jim Bates didn't have the personnel to fit his scheme, especially in the front seven, resulting in a disastrous showing against the run. Bates, and many of the starters, are now gone.
Bob Slowik takes over as coordinator, and he'll employ an eight-man front to try and bring Denver back to its usual top-10 showing against the run.
Slowik is well respected by the players, who welcome his ability to break down and explain opposing offenses and adjust on the fly. His aggressive mindset should be a boon to the likes of Robertson, sophomore defensive tackle Marcus Thomas and weak-side linebacker D.J. Williams, who thrive while playing in attack mode.
The book on: Brandon Marshall
A rival sizes up the Broncos' talented young wide receiver:
"Height, weight, speed, strength – he's an imposing figure. He can catch the ball, break tackles and run after the catch. He represents a problem. He's as good as Andre Johnson, who's a Pro Bowl player in Houston. He's as good as he wants to be, as far as on the field, with no limitations as far as what he can do. He's the complete package. He's Terrell Owens without the hype, the popcorn and the Sharpies and all that.
"To try and slow him down, I think the best thing to do is get up in his face and hit him before he starts running. But we respect him. When I was talking to my players before we played them, I told them he's the next superstar-in-waiting."
Bottom line
The Broncos are a franchise in transition, trying to fortify their core through a draft that has often failed them while moving away from the high-priced free agents that frequently burn them. There are some building blocks, but the team still has too many question marks along its fronts on both sides of the ball to be considered among the AFC's elite.
SN prediction: 9-7, second in AFC West.
Lee Rasizer covers the Broncos for the Rocky Mountain News and Sporting News.
