Denver's New Regime

[weddlesbeard]

I know I spend too much time on these forums when I found out about the John Fox news through a franchise :s

But great start, looks like it'll be a great read. As much as I dislike the Broncos and might be secretly rooting against you, I'll be following.

[casella]

[casella]

[casella]

Broncos Get Busy

Julius Thomas is one of several players to sign a long-term deal to stay in Denver.

5 February, 2015 - It has been a busy week for the Denver Broncos. On Monday, GM John Elway surprised everyone when he appointed Kirk Casella as the new head coach. Virtually unknown, Casella worked as the quarterbacks coach at the University of New Hampshire under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. When Chip moved west to take a job at Oregon, Casella moved north to the Canadian Football League where he made a name for himself as an offensive coordinator and head coach.

“When interviewing Coach Casella, I was nothing short of impressed,” said Elway. “His football IQ is off the charts and he has the presence to command control of a professional locker room. During his time in the CFL, Kirk demonstrated great success in his ability to gameplan for opponents and build a sustainable foundation for a winning team. During our interview, he laid out a strategy for our organization which I am confident will make us competitive from day one. In addition to his coaching duties, Kirk will also influence all personnel decisions. I look forward to the success he will bring our team.”

Shortly after the news broke, Casella announced that Marc Trestman, also a former Canadian football coach, will be the team’s new offensive coordinator. That was just the start, as Casella also made it a priority to re-sign several of Denver’s stars with expiring contracts. Here are the newly-negotiated deals:

TE-----Julius Thomas-----6 years-----$40.2M
CB-----Chris Harris Jr.---5 years-----$45M
OLB----Von Miller --------5 years-----$42.5M
S------Rahim Moore------5 years-----$27.5M
OLB---Brandon Marshall--5 years-----$12.5M
DT----Terrance Knighton--3 years-----$18M
LT-----Ryan Clady---------3 years-----$16.5M

*WR Demaryius Thomas was franchise-tagged. He will be paid $12.3M next season.

[casella]

Saturday February 7, 2015


John Fox Returns to Charlotte
Earlier this week, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott was named as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. To take his place in Carolina, former Panthers head coach John Fox makes a return. Despite being pursued for other head coaching jobs, Fox decided to take a defensive coordinator position in Charlotte. When asked why, he mentioned the heart surgery he underwent in 2013 and said he wanted to stay close to his family, which stayed in Carolina.

Two Blockbuster Trades Could Shift NFL Power
Late Friday evening, two marquee quarterbacks were traded. The questions surrounding Peyton Manning have finally been answered, as he and Montee Ball were traded to the Arizona Cardinals for a 1st, 2nd, and 4th round draft pick in this years' draft. It is unclear what the Cardinals plan to do with newly-extended Carson Palmer, but they become a strong championship contender after this move.

In a move nobody saw coming, the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Philadelphia Eagles in turn for Nick Foles and three undisclosed draft picks. Sources say that Seattle's front office could not come to terms on an extension for Russell Wilson, and coach Pete Carroll believes his defense carried the team to its back-to-back titles. On the flip-side, look for Russell Wilson to take the NFL by storm under Chip Kelly's offensive system.

[casella]

Mile High Report: Grading Denver's Draft

The 2015 NFL Draft is in the books. Let's take a look at how our Denver Broncos did.



Round 1, Pick 17: QB Artie McGee, Michigan State - 76 OVR
The Broncos traded the 1st round pick they acquired from Arizona and their own 2nd round pick to move up seven spots and take McGee. At 6'4 230, McGee is an NFL-sized QB that plays from the pocket. Decent arm strength and a pretty deep ball, has the ability to start from day one.


Round 1, Pick 28: LT Fabian Ash, Michigan State - 81 OVR
McGee's left tackle throughout his college career, Fabian Ash has the size and talent to play at the professional level. He was a solid pass protector at MSU, but was special when it came to run-blocking. With a newly-extended Ryan Clady holding the left tackle position, look for Ash to move to right tackle in the pros.


Round 2, Pick 17: LG Ray Hunter, Baylor - 74 OVR
Ray Hunter is a behemoth of a man, standing at 6'6 weighing 340. He is a big mauler in every sense of the word and downright vicious in the running game. It looks like Broncos head coach/personnel man Kirk Casella's main goals this draft were quarterback and offensive line.


Round 3, Pick 28: RG Ivan Moore, Pittsburgh - 77 OVR
The third offensive lineman taken in a row by Denver, Moore could step in and be a starter from day one. Moore is an absolute beast, putting up almost record-setting strength numbers at the combine.


Round 4, Pick 17: DT Rommell McNeil, Virginia - 76 OVR
Labeled by many scouts as undersized, McNeil (285 lbs) could compete for a starting job opposite Terrance Knighton. He may not be able to anchor a defensive line, but he could provide a nice interior pass rush which is rare at this level.


Round 4, Pick 28: MLB Trip Denney, Drake - 72 OVR
A four-year starter at Drake, Trip Denney will provide speed and strength to the Broncos linebacker core. He is expected to compete with newly-switched Brandon Marshall for the starting middle linebacker job.


Round 5, Pick 28: MLB Ronnell Mahone, Western Kentucky - 69 OVR
The more unrefined of the two linebackers, Mahone will be a project. He has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, but is still a raw talent and lacks some fundamental skills needed to be a linebacker. Could be a solid starter in a few years' time.


Round 6, Pick 28: CB Dontavia Maggitt, Montana - 66 OVR
Denver surprised us a little by drafting a cornerback here, but coach Casella says Maggitt was the best player left on their board. He certainly didn't hurt his stock at the combine where he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of all defensive backs.


Round 7, Pick 28: CB Dontravious Mims, USC - 70 OVR
Mims was rated as a mid-fifth round pick by some experts and has the potential to surprise the league if given the opportunity. An excellent zone defender with decent man skills, he will fight for playing time at a stacked position.

[casella]

Broncos 2015 Mid-Season Report

Overview
Record: 3-5

QB Artie McGee: 2,826 yards, 22 TD, 15 INT, 71% completion rate
HB C.J. Anderson: 123 att, 470 yards, 3.8 YPC, 11 TD
WR Demaryius Thomas: 61 rec, 689 yards, 9 TD
WR Emmanuel Sanders: 53 rec, 634 yards, 4 TD
WR Cody Latimer: 52 rec, 704 yards, 4 TD
TE Julius Thomas: 51 rec, 522 yards, 4 TD

Total Team Offense: 3,448 yards (4th NFL)
Total Team Defense: 2,956 yards allowed (24th NFL)


The Good
Rookie quarterback Artie McGee is taking the NFL by storm. His 2,826 yards and 22 touchdown passes both lead the league. While he is still making some rookie mistakes (namely staring down receivers), he is giving Broncos fans something to look forward to in the future.


The Bad
Despite running behind one of the league's best offensive lines, RB C.J. Anderson is averaging less than 4 yards per carry and is on pace for less than 1,000 rushing yards this season. Despite his high TD number (11 - 3 more than anyone else in the NFL), he will need to show improvement in order to avoid becoming a free agent next year.


The Ugly
Von Miller and Demarcus Ware made the best pass-rushing tandem in the NFL last year, but so far Denver's pass rush as a whole has been anemic. Through eight weeks, the Broncos defense has combined for seven sacks, the second lowest in the NFL. Some of this can be attributed to Von Miller playing a pure linebacker role where he is rarely asked to rush the quarterback. Rumors have been indicating a potential switch to defensive end.


Other Notes

• OLB Brandon Marshall was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 3rd and 6th round pick in this year's draft.

• The Broncos are still unable to come to terms on a long-term deal with WR Demaryius Thomas, who is reportedly asking for franchise QB-money.