July 31, 2008
By John Fontana
Pigs are flying! Well, pigskins to be more accurate. At Dove Valley, the heart of Denver Broncos Country, preparation for the season is underway and, as always, the talk isn’t just about the playoffs it’s about the Super Bowl. Despite last season’s record (7-9), expectations are high.
This year, Jay Cutler enters his third go-round as starting QB. This is the magic year coach Mike Shanahan marks as the time his quarterbacks bloom. Cutler seems poised to breakout and join the ranks of the NFL’s elite young quarterbacks. He’s also the only other Bronco’s quarterback – besides the legendary John Elway – to be available as a Fathead. Cutler has a new focus brought on by the fact that he must balance football and his diabetes that was uncovered in the off-season. I don’t see it as a distraction; it is the kind of challenge that should keep his head in the game on many different levels.
The Broncos also have no less than five running backs in camp with Shanahan looking for any combination of a star or a platoon to scratch out an average of 5 yards per carry. Given the long list of 1,000-yard carriers in Denver, following the running back derby is always interesting. The starter so far? Selvin Young (140 carries, 729 yards and a 5.2 yard per carry average in 2007), but look for veterans Michael Pittman and Andre Hall or rookies Ryan Torain and Anthony Alridge to impress Shanahan and get game day reps. If wide-out Brandon Marshall manages to dodge trouble with the league office, he should be a potent weapon for Cutler.
The Broncos need to improve the defensive line after a terrible year that saw the team 30th against the run. Help will hopefully come from the return of Ebenezer Ekuban, free agent Dewayne Robertson and two-sophomore defensive ends with something to prove, Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder. And the Bailey brothers, Boss and Champ, will hopefully find a rhythm and spark the defense.
On special teams, Jason Elam will be sorely missed, especially at the end of games – where he was consistent for years.
All in all, it’s a great time of year to be a Broncos fan (but maybe not so good a time to be a pig!).
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