How I Feel About the Nuggets' Offseason

The Nuggets will not be a good basketball team this year. They were not good last year and lost their best player. However, that does not mean that I hate their front office right now. They have done the best one could hope with the circumstances bestowed upon them. Ty Lawson had to be traded after his second DUI in five months. I thought the Nuggets should have traded him for whatever they could get on draft day after Emmanuel Mudiay dropped because I did not think his stock would go up with teams knowing they would trade him and him having to share minutes with Mudiay. Unfortunately, they could not trade him on draft night, then the second DUI came and the Nuggets traded him for scraps from Houston and a protected 2016 first round pick. The fact that Mudiay is on the Nuggets makes me very excited because he has the potential to become a star for this team. He probably will not be very good this year because he needs to work on his jumper. However, he can get to the hoop and pass with extremely good vision.

The Nuggets also extended Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Wilson received $46.5 million over 4 years while Gallo signed a 2 year $34 million extension, which keeps him on the team until 2018. Both are key players on this team. If Gallo can stay healthy and play like he did last season then he will be worth the money.  Wilson is a good defender who scored 14 points per game last season and pulled down 6 rebounds. He is a good player to have around a locker room with a lot of young players. 

Nikola Jokic was finally signed, he was the 41st pick in the 2014 draft. He stands at 6 foot 10 inches 250 pounds. I think he has all of the tools to become a good big man in the NBA. Him and Nurkic would be a rough duo to bang down low with. Im glad they got a deal done because this is the year to try anything out so they might as well see how good Jokic will be. 

The Nuggets get the option to swap picks with the Knicks in the draft. They don't project to be too good either, which is a very good thing for the Nuggets. They could have a good season, which in this teams context would be being out of the bottom 10, and still receive a top five pick if the Knicks do not play well. They could also play poorly and it would work out because they would have two chances to win the lottery. 

Broncos Game One Review of the Special Teams

The Broncos really need to make some major changes in their special teams coverage. Most of Seattle's points came as a result of bad special teams coverage. Tyler Lockett returned a Connor Barth kick for a touchdown in the second quarter. Part of the issue with Barth doing kickoffs is that they are low so the coverage team doesn't have as much time as they need to get down the field. Seattle finished with 6 returns for 236 yards, which is unacceptable.

The punt coverage was not too bad, but Lockett had one return for 18 yards. If he had more chances, the coverage team could have been exposed further. The Broncos signed Spencer Lanning before the game. He did not play, but Colquitt did absolutely nothing to prove the Broncos wrong. Im really exited to see Lanning because Colquitt has not played well lately and he had an abysmal 39.3 yard average against Seattle Friday night. Hopefully Lanning can play well in order to supplant him on the depth chart. 

The Broncos were not able to return any punts and both Jordan Norwood and Solomon Patton muffed returns. It was raining, but they still need to be able to field punts. They cannot give teams free yards by making mistakes like these. They had some success on kick returns Norwood had two returns for 53 yards so it could be interesting to see if he receives more work returning kicks. Patton had one return for 19 yards and was largely non-noteworthy.

They Broncos did do one thing well and that was making field goals. McManus showed up and made three field goals. He will need to be consistent throughout the preseason in order to have a shot at the final roster. Barth 2-2 and kicked both extra points, which could point to the coaching staff not still not trusting McManus to hit short field goals. 

The special teams unit still has a lot to work to go before it is ready for the regular season. Hopefully they are able to figure things out in practice before they face Houston on Saturday.

Preseason Game One Review of the Defense

The defense played fantastic Friday night against the Seahawks. The starters did not let Seattle's starters move the ball much. They got to the QB often and seemed to always have tight coverage downfield. Von Miller only played a handful of plays, but on the second play of the game he had a strip sack on Russell Wilson. It was a nice glimpse of what to expect from him this season. Seattle was obviously not showing much, but the Broncos were also playing a vanilla defense. Blitzing is going to be a major part of this offense, but in the preseason, that type of play is limited. However, with a limited defensive game plan, they still played very well. At one point early in the second half, Seattle only had 7 total passing yards. They were able to consistently get to the quarterback, generating seven sacks. Malik Jackson had one with an unofficial assist from Shane Ray who forced Russell Wilson into Jackson. Jackson has a ton of potential in this new defense and he demonstrated just underrated he is in many national circles. Shaquil Barrett played like an absolute monster in this game. He had a sack and four tackles with an addition tackle for loss. He might have made the roster based on this game if he is able to play well in the remaining preseason games. Anuike was able to register a sack, hit the QB two more times and made 8 total tackles. He really boosted his prospects to make the final roster, especially since Wolfe is missing the first four games of the year. Speaking of Wolfe, he played well and I really wish he would be available for all 16 games because I believe he is going to be a much better player in the 3-4. Darius Kilgo registered a sack in the game as well as four other tackles and a TFL, which is nice to see from a rookie. He will likely make the roster with his good camp showing combined with his in game stuff. If he continues to improve he could become a part of the regular rotation at nose tackle.

I was hoping to see more from Todd Davis in this game. He had a good camp and showed promise in the action he saw last season. He only registered one tackle, but it did not look like he was exposed in the passing game, which is a good sign. Corey Nelson showed that he has the ability to be a good backup linebacker. He had a nice tackle for loss during the game and was around the ball on what seemed like every play. It does not look as if Lamin Barrow has improved much heading into his second season. He was not as impressive as the other linebackers in camp and he did not stand out during the game. I do think he will make the roster, but his future outside of a special teamer could be slipping away.

Chris Harris sat out this game and Aqib Talib only played for a little bit so Roby got plenty of action. He was not challenged much, but he did look good in coverage and I believe the Broncos have the best combination of three corners in the league. Curtis Marsh has bounced around the league since being drafted in 2011, but he played well and showed some promise. He played often due to Kayvon Webster missing the game. They will likely only keep five corners and with Harris, Talib, Roby and Webster all likely making the team, there is only one spot and Marsh put himself in a good spot after the game. Fifth-rounder Lorenzo Doss, played well and  being a mid-round pick could elevate him above Marsh when it comes time to make roster decisions. Darian Stewart is replacing Rahim Moore and he had a solid game against Seattle. That is all the Broncos really need him to do in order to have a really good defense. Ross Madison had a very productive game and now has a legitimate chance to make the final roster. He had two pass defensed to go along with three tackles. His ability to cover is important for his chances to make the team.

Normally I would also write about the special teams here, but that will be in a different article considering how awful the showing was.

Preseason Game One Review of the Offense

I know it is only preseason, but it is difficult to not be exited about the work that most of the players displayed last night. The offense played well overall and was consistently able to drive down the field. Brock was great and finally proved, at least to me, that he can be a good quarterback in the league. He made plenty of throws and was confident in the pocket, which is something he lacked when he saw action earlier in his career. I only saw one bad pass that he threw last night, which is a major improvement from previous preseasons. He put passes in the perfect spot to lead receivers away from hits, which is a skill he likely honed watching Manning. It also looks as if Trevor Siemian could pass Dysert on the depth chart, after his solid performance. He made some smart throws and looked much better than Dysert who came in flat and did not impress.
CJ Anderson only received three carries and had to come out of the game after injuring his ankle. The injury appeared to be minor, but there was little reason to put him back in the game. On the carry he got injured, Ty Sambrailo missed a key block and was the reason he was stuffed for about a four yard loss, which altered his stats. His first two carries were solid, but it was hard to get a feel for how good he will be this season because of the limited carries. Montee Ball had some good runs mixed in with some bad runs. He finished with 8 carries for 26 yards to go along with 1 reception for 7 yards. He looked like he will be effective in this offense as the one cut and go style fits him very well. Ronnie Hillman showed that last season was not just a fluke and ran with purpose for the entire game. He had 8 carries for 66 yards and was decisive in his running, something that plagued him early in his career. He also added one catch for 11 yards. He showed the coaching staff that he deserves more touches during the regular season. One comparison that I thought he has a chance to live up to is Tatum Bell in 2005. He can come in and spell Anderson, which will allow the coaching staff to get the most out of the run game like they did with Mike Anderson and Bell in 2005. Juwan Thompson failed to find much running room during his time in the game. He finished with 8 carries for 12 yards, but added a reception for 18 yards. Hopefully he is able to improve in the next couple of preseason games because he is now firmly the fourth running back on the depth chart after Hillman's performance Friday night. Jeremy Stewart only had 4 carries for 10 yards and added a catch for 8 yards. He needs to make a splash in the coming games in order to have a chance to make the roster. Kapri Bibbs did not run the ball in this game and it is looking more and more like he does not have much of a chance to make the team.
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders did not play on Friday, which gave Cody Latimer plenty of reps to show why he was drafted in the second round last year. He did not disappoint as he pulled in 4 receptions for 49 yards. He also had a spectacular catch that did not count because of a false start penalty. He demonstrated that he can be an effective third receiver during the season. He showed a lot of growth from the past preseason, which should be expect heading into his second year. The receiver picture behind him just got murkier after this game. Andre Caldwell did not have a catch the entire game, but he would have likely made a big play where he beat his man down the field, but Brock slightly under-threw him.  Bennie Fowler played a good game and showed he can create separation in his routes. He finished with three receptions for 67 yards including a pretty long throw from Siemian. He could be a good candidate to make the roster depending on what he does in the following preseason games. Jordan Norwood also had three catches, but unlike Fowler, he was only able to amass 29 yards. He also muffed a punt in the game, which means he probably needs to perform a little better on the offensive side of the ball if he wants to make the team. I think he has plenty of talent to make the roster, but it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff and front office want to go with three inexperienced players behind Demaryius and Emmanuel. They probably wouldn't want to do that, which is why I think Caldwell makes the roster for another season.
Virgil Green was the only tight end to do much receiving game as he finished with 5 receptions for 45 yards to go along with a touchdown. Green looked like he will replace Julius nicely. Although he is not as talented in the receiving game as Julius, Friday's game revealed that he is still a good receiver in his own right and was able to get open numerous times during the game. He is also a better blocker than Thomas although he did have a couple of missed assignments early in the game. Owen Daniels did not play because he is familiar with the offense, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out when he is on the field at the same time as Green. Dominique Jones received some playing time and looked alright, but he did not do much to stand out to coaches or fans in my opinion.
The line was shaky to start the game when Brock was sacked on the second offensive play for the Broncos. However, they did seem to figure things out as the game progressed on. Ty Sambrailo had a rough game. He missed a handful of assignments and had a false start. Fans were probably hoping to see him play better considering the hype he received in camp. He has the skills necessary to play his position so hopefully his showing last night was not a sign of things to come. We did not hear Max Garcia's names too much and it looked like he was able to run block effectively as well as give Brock time in the pocket. Matt Paradis also looked like he played well, which is good for both Paradis and Garcia considering both of their jobs are still in open competition. Ryan Harris played solid at right tackle and I would be okay entering the season with him starting, which is a good thing considering Schofield did not do much to impress me. He still seems to be making the same mistakes and just might not be good enough to play tackle in the NFL. With Sambrailo starting on the other side, it would be better if the Broncos opted for a veteran presence on the right side. The second team line as a whole seemed to run block well and give some time to the QB, but that was also playing against Seattles backup defensive line.
As a whole, the offense played great even if they did settle for a lot of field goals. Brock gave us fans hope for when Manning decides to call it quits. The running game makes all of the backs better than they would be, which was demonstrated perfectly by Ronnie Hillman last night. Latimer took another step in his game and should get a lot more reps this season than he received during his rookie season. The offensive line looked like it could be serviceable in pass blocking, which was my biggest concern. Maybe Manning will play a drive or two in the second preseason game in order to show off the true ability of this offense.

Stock Watch Post-Preseason Game Number One

Stock Up

1. Brock Osweiler: Brock played the best he has ever played in the league so far. He looked composed under pressure and made plenty of throws. He finished 15-20 for 151 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to Virgil Green. He definitely proved that there is a future after Manning. His touchdown throw to Virgil was in the perfect spot. I cant remember any bad looking passes besides maybe one or two. He made a very precise pass to Latimer in the second quarter when he put the ball behind him so Latimer could avoid a big hit. Brock has really never been able to play with a functioning line so it was great to see what he was able to do when he had time to throw. You could tell that he was focused on making quick reads because he was throwing nearly every pass when he got to the end of his drop. Seattle sat a lot of players on their starting defense, but Brock still demonstrated what he is able to do on the football field. 

2. Trevor Siemian: Zach Dysert came in and played in the beginning of the second half, but he played awful and likely lost his third string job to Trevor Siemian who made some good throws including a nice pass to Bennie Fowler. He finished with 90 yards on 5 of 6 passing. If Siemian keeps up this level of play, it could be tough for the Broncos to hide him on waivers. However, it is never a bad thing to have a backup with decent upside on the roster. 

3. Ronnie Hillman: Ronnie showed he can be a really good change of pace back this season. He found the holes really well and burst through them without hesitation. He showed the most out of any back that was on the field today. He could be good for 5 to 10 touches on game day. 

4. Cody Latimer: He finished with 4 catches for 49 yards and also had a spectacular catch that was called back due to a false start. He really showed that he made strides during the offseason and he will likely be a very effective third receiver during the regular season.

5.Virgil Green: He made a very good touchdown catch and played a big role in the rest of the receiving game. While he is not as talented as Julius Thomas, tonight showed that he will be a viable replacement. 

6. Bennie Fowler: Fowler made his case for a roster spot with a handful of catches that netted 67 yards. Caldwell did not show much today so maybe the coaching staff saw something today that could get him on the team. 

7. Shaquil Barrett was a beast today, he was all over the place and made a fantastic sack early in the game. He could have impressed coaches enough to get some more snaps even with McCray comes back. 

8. Shane Ray: He was phenomenal during this game. He forced a fumble and was very disruptive. He still made some minor mistakes, but he looks like he could be a franchise player for years to come. 

Stock Down

1. Zach Dysert: He had an awful showing today. He did not seem comfortable in any way in this offense and apparently he has struggled for a majority of camp. If he does not turn it around in the second preseason game, he could find himself firmly behind Siemian. 

2. Jordan Taylor: I thought he could have been a sleeper to make the team, but the biggest play he had all night was batting the ball out-of-bounds on an onside kick. 

3. Joe Jon Duncan: If he wants a chance to make the final roster, he needs to block much better than he did tonight. At best he is a practice squad player. 

I will have a full review of the game up tomorrow. 

Denver Broncos Pre-season Week One Preview: Defense & Special Teams

The starters on the defensive all around are no surprise. Wolfe, Williams and Jackson will be the starters on the line. I expect Wolfe to see more limited action considering he will miss the first four games. Vance Walker and Antonio Smith will be the players to watch to get a feel of how the first four games might go in Wolfe’s absence. Darius Kilgo and Sione Fua overtook Marvin Austin on the depth chart, which surprised many people, so it will be interesting to see if they will prove themselves to those fans on the field. Kenny Anuike is the sleeper player to watch on the line. He has a chance to make the roster due to Wolfe’s suspension, hopefully he should be able to crack into the 53 man roster. 

We know Von Miller and Demarcus Ware will again be prominent pass rushers in the new 3-4. What we don’t know is how Shane Ray will translate into the NFL. I love him as a player and think he will be very good, but there are no guarantees when it comes to the draft. He will get a lot of playing time considering Miller and Ware will see very little or none at all. He should be able to generate pressure, especially when he goes against backup linemen. Lerentee McCray is a player I love very much. I believe he can be effective as a pass rusher on the edge so the 3-4 will benefit his skill set. Shaquil Barrett is a long-shot to make the roster, and if McCray really stands out in the new defense, he could find himself out of a job. 

Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan are going to be starters on the inside. They both have potential to be all-pro’s if they can stay healthy. I am hesitant to say that we will see a lot of him in this first game considering they are both coming off of injuries, it would be awful if either went down in a meaningless game. I am exited about seeing Todd Davis play in some live action again. I believe he can be an excellent player, especially in spot duty when either Marshall or Trevathan come off the field. Steven Johnson is the other backup. I hope to see him or Lamin Barrow take a step forward this game. 

The defensive backfield is going to be very good this season. Chris Harris and Aqib Talib are both shut-down corners, they likely wont play more than a series. Bradley Roby proved he has the potential to be very good last season. If he can take a step forward, teams should be weary to throw too much against the Broncos. He should get a good amount of playing time in this game as the top corner. Kayvon Webster has the ability to play well at times, but needs to become more consistent in his third year. He should make the team has the dime corner. Tony Carter currently holds down the fifth spot, but there is definitely a chance he may not make the team. Curtis Marsh is listed after him, but I think Taurean Nixon and Lorenzo Doss have a chance to break into the roster if they show up and play well in this game. TJ Ward and Darian Stewart are the starters at safety. Ward will be amazing to watch in the regular season in Wade’s defense, but he does not have much to offer in the preseason considering that there wont be blitzing. It will be nice to see what Stewart has to offer. I thought Rahim Moore was solid player and if Stewart and replicate his play, this defense should be a lot better than last season. Omar Bolden and David Bruton are the backups. Both play significant roles on special teams. We should all know about Bruton’s contributions on that unit, but Bolden is now listed at both kick and punt returner. They could elect to keep another safety and if they do, Josh Bush should be the player to look out for.

Omar Bolden currently holds down the starting job at both punt and kick returner as of now. It is surprising that Jordan Norwood is sitting at fourth for both positions because he was on track to make the final roster last season mostly due to his work on special teams. It will be interesting to see if he gets some work on special teams during the game. Solomon Patton holds down the second spot and if he can separate himself and prove he is better than Bolden, then he has a good chance on making the final roster. I would like to see McManus get some work kicking field goals to see if he has improved. I have also heard Barth’s leg is a little stronger than it was last season on kickoffs. Hopefully this rings true and he is able to consistently put kickoffs in the end-zone. 

Denver Broncos Pre-season Week One Preview: Offense

The Broncos will take the field for the first time this season on Friday against the Seattle Seahawks. We can't expect coaching staff to show much of the new offense, but they will have to run some plays, which will give the fans a sense for what new offense will look like. They are playing Seattle, but I am not positive, which players Seattle will be playing, but if their stars do play, it will not be for more than a series. Demaryius Thomas and Peyton Manning are not playing for the Broncos, presumably because their is no reason for these two stars to get injured considering the money that has been invested in the two. 

Brock Osweiler will be able to get in some quality time with the starters with Manning sitting the game out. I believe he can have a successful career in this offense, but do not be disappointed if he has another rough showing when the starters leave and he is left with the backups to “block” for him. However, if he struggles with little pressure, then that can be cause to worry. I am glad he will have a chance to show what he can do with a competent line blocking for him. I believe he is better built for this offense than he was in the previous years. He has tons of arm talent and I'm exited to see what he can do on some play-action plays with Latimer going deep. 

The backfield is a little crowded right now, but after this game fans should have a good grasp on how effective it will be this season. CJ Anderson will run hard in the few carries he will like receive in the first game. Anderson showed just how much potential he has after his play last season. He will prove to people that is was not just a fluke. Montee Ball will hopefully show some promise in this game after a disappointing season in 2014. Hopefully he can show that last season was a result of injuries and not an omen of things to come this season. I think his best use on this team is playing a prominent backup role to Anderson. He is still a talented back, there is a reason he was a second round prospect. Hillman showed some positive results last season and has had a good training camp so far. I believe he can be effective back as the third back this season because he has separate skill set than both Anderson and Ball, but he needs to shine during this game in order to convince Kubiak to give him more touches. Anderson, Ball, Hillman and Thompson are the favorites to make the roster, but if either Kapri Bibbs or Jeremy Stewart shine during the game, Hillman would likely be cut considering Thompson has the potential to play fullback.

There are many spots in open competition on the offensive line. Max Garcia makes the start at left guard. He overtook Ben Garland in training camp, but he still needs to prove himself in game situations. Another surprise when the first official depth chart dropped was that Matt Paradis took over the starting center. Gino Gradkowski had the job heading into training camp and it was not assumed he would keep the job easily. Paradis was a practice squad player so hopefully his ascension proves to be because of actual improvement and not an indictment on Gradkowski. However, it likely says something about both of them. Ryan Harris will be starting at right tackle. He has the ability to be a solid player in the new scheme. Schofield will be his backup. I was hoping he would take a big step this season and be able to start on this line. Hopefully he will show something on the field that he was not able to demonstrate in training camp.

Jordan Taylor is one player I am keeping my eye on throughout the game. He has had a good camp and if he continues his success into Friday, he could find his way onto the 53 man roster. Emmanuel Sanders likely wont play more than a series, but it will be nice to see how he works with Brock. Cody Latimer will likely get a good chunk of playing time. He has a ton of talent and hopefully offseason work has improved his on field ability. I’m exited to see him get some time with the starters even though Manning wont be throwing to him. I believe he will make that step and he will show it this game. Caldwell is a big question on the Broncos too. He has been on the roster for while now, but he has not been productive for about two years. I think he needs to be released this season if the Broncos keep five receivers. He does not provide much to the team in terms of production and on the mentor side Demaryius and Emmanuel can handle that. Jordan Norwood, Nathan Palmer and Jordan Taylor all have a chance of overtaking him on the depth chart. I would like to see if Palmer makes his name on offense since he seems to be losing the returning battle.