Brands: Five Broncos Who Need a Good Spring

April 16th. The day that marks the start of the offseason workouts, and for many Broncos players their first opportunity to meet with quarterback Peyton Manning. However, under the regulations of the new CBA, off season workouts are much more limited in scope than in previous years.

Teams with new head coaches, such as the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins, started their workouts two weeks ago. For the rest of the league, players will be returning to facilities today. For the first two weeks, only strength and conditioning coaches can work with players on the field. Not until after the NFL Draft are coaches allowed to take players through limited football drills.

While the players will be spending less time on the field, there will be plenty of time for personal improvement. The Broncos have shown to be all in by the acquisition of quarterback Peyton Manning, and this means it is time for some of the younger players to step up in order for the Broncos to reach their goal: A Super Bowl win. The trend in the list of players who need a good spring? Most players will be going into their second season in the NFL and can blame their early career struggles on missing the off season due to the lockout last year.

1. Rahim Moore

Entering the 2011 season, the Denver Broncos had high hopes for second round pick Rahim Moore, the free safety from UCLA. Moore went into the season as the starting free safety, but found himself on the scout team by week 14.

Many will remember Moore for his hit on Buffalo Bills wide receiver Donald Jones during the preseason, and the rookie had a solid camp. However, he suffered a concussion after colliding with cornerback Andre Goodman, and though he returned to practice three days later, he never reclaimed the starting job. Some in the Denver media seem to have entirely given up on Moore, but it is too early for that. Nevertheless, the Broncos brought in Mike Adams to play free safety, so Moore has his work cut out for him if he intends to reclaim his position as a starter.

2. Julius Thomas

Julius Thomas was no doubt one of the most impressive players in training camp last season, but the former college basketball player saw his first year hampered by an ankle injury that ruined his rookie season. While some players would have bounced back from a sprained ankle in a week two, Thomas has struggled to make the transition to the NFL after only one season of college football. Thomas recently underwent surgery to repair ligaments in his ankle and this should limit him when the Broncos take the field for offseason workouts starting Monday.

With the acquisition of tight ends Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen, Thomas seems to be buried on the depth chart, together with fellow second year tight end Virgil Green (who is facing a four-game performance enhancing drug suspension, which he is appealing). However, while tight ends were not frequently used in the offense that we have seen over the past few years, Peyton Manning traditionally likes throwing to his tight ends, so if Thomas can continue to work on his technique, there should be plenty of balls to go around to all four tight ends if Denver chooses to keep that many on the roster.

3. Nate Irving

One of the more incredible stories of the 2011 NFL Draft was that of Nate. Irving, the North Carolina State linebacker who was forced to miss the entire 2009 season after being severely injured in a car accident. He came back for the 2010 and recorded 92 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and six pass breakups that season. Joining the Broncos, many expected Irving to be the starting middle linebacker at the end of camp, but he was beaten out by Joe Mays for the position and mostly played on special teams during his first year in the NFL.

With an off season to work on his skills, Irving will again head into training camp with the expectation of becoming the starting middle linebacker. Shawn Zobel described Irving as "an aggressive, downhill defender in the run game with a non-stop motor and feisty attitude that simply can't be coached," which will all be great qualities to have on the field as Denver looks to improve the run defense. Unlike last year, Irving has several months of OTA's to go into training camp prepared for the new defense that Jack Del Rio will run.

4. Orlando Franklin

Orlando Franklin was somewhat of a surprise pick in the second round last year, but the offensive tackle held up well during his first NFL season. He proved to be a great run blocker, playing an important role blocking for Willis McGahee and the rest of the NFL-leading rushing attack that racked up 2,632 yards on the ground.

However, having to protect Tim Tebow's blindside in 2011, Franklin struggled at times, giving up eight sacks and multiple penalties. With Peyton Manning under center, the blindside responsibilities will return to Ryan Clady, who is in a contract year. With his success in the running game, Franklin should spend the majority of the offseason working on his pass blocking in order to become an all-round solid right tackle in the NFL.

5. J.D. Walton & Zane Beadles

Unlike the previous four players, Walton and Beadles were taken one year earlier, in the 2010 NFL Draft. Walton has started every game at center since joining the Broncos, and Beadles only missed two starts during his first season, though he was moved around several times until settling at the left guard spot this season.

Walton was graded by Pro Football Focus as the worst center in the league, allowing four sacks and 23 quarterback pressures this past season. There is no doubt that Walton struggled his rookie year, especially when Beadles settled in at left guard; the two were often faced with double A-gap blitzes and stunts. They improved at the end of their first year, but could not work on technique during the offseason, so some of the struggles continued in their second year as pros.

While I believe both players can be solid offensive linemen, the start of their third year will prove to be critical for their future success. It remains to be seen how long veteran guard Chris Kuper will be out after his horrific injury suffered in the regular season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. Until then, Walton and Beadles will be counted on to solidify the interior of the line to protect Denver's ninety million dollar man.

Bert Jan Brands is a Broncos Zone contributor, follow him on Twitter: @bertjanb.

Nike Reveals Denver Broncos New Uniform in N.Y.C.

The NFL and Nike revealed the new Elite 51 uniform designs for all thirty-two teams today in New York City. Judging from the photos released by Nike and what the players are saying, the changes in the uniforms will be much more noticeable to the players than to the eyes of the fans on Sunday afternoons this fall.

Nike is taking over as the on-field and sideline apparel provider of the NFL, a position which was previously held by Reebok. There were no dramatic changes made to the Denver Broncos' uniform design, with the collar area of the team's jersey being altered and the main jersey color changing from blue to orange.

"The Denver Broncos have chosen to take full innovation in the Nike Elite 51 football uniform," Nike said of the new technology utilized in the uniform. "The Broncos design aesthetic will stay true to years past while updating the color-blocking in the neckline in order to accommodate the Flywire technology to reduce weight and provide a lock-down fit over the pads."

Cornerback Champ Bailey represented the Broncos at the event, displaying his No. 24 jersey. "These new uniforms are going to be nice," Bailey Tweeted a few moments before Denver's uniform was unveiled earlier today.

The team's formerly blue collar is now blue half-way and orange towards the tip and the orange jersey appears to be a slightly different shade of orange from the team's 2011 alternate uniform. While the appearance of the uniform hasn't undergone any big changes, the feel has. The uniform is 30% lighter than the team's 2011 uniform and has a better range of motion, according to Nike.

"My jersey fit like a glove,” defensive end Mitch Unrein told DenverBroncos.com on Tuesday. “There is no extra material on them. It’s just boom, fits perfectly on the pads."

"Designed and engineered from the inside out, the new uniform focuses on creating a system where the base layer, padding, jersey and pant work in concert," said Nike. "A few of the new innovations include increasing sleeve articulation for better range of motion and integrating new four-way stretch fabrication to provide a streamlined shrink-wrap fit."

The new design was created to make players faster by giving them less resistance and helping them to perform to the best of their ability. According to Unrein, the tight-fitting jerseys will also help him try to slip through offensive lines.

"The fit helps you out a lot if you’re a defensive lineman because it has that nice cut around the arms, so those offensive lineman can’t hold on to you as much.”

The team's alternate uniform is expected to be the same design as the main orange uniform design, with blue being the main color. White is expected to be the main color of the away design.

More images of the team's new uniform can be viewed on Broncos Zone's Facebook page. Video of Bailey talking to NFL Network about the new uniform can be viewed on the team's official website.

The new jerseys will be available for pre-order on April 15th and will begin being sold on the first day of the 2012 NFL Draft — Thursday, April 26th.

Quarterback Peyton Manning to sign with Broncos

The Denver Broncos are expected to announce the signing of free agent quarterback Peyton Manning on Tuesday, according to sources close to the team. Though Manning has chosen the Broncos as the team he will play for in 2012, his contract was still being finalized as of Monday evening.


Manning called Denver's Vice President of Football Operations John Elway and John Fox on Monday morning to inform them that he would be playing for the team this season, as was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Broncos are aiming to hold a press conference on Tuesday afternoon announcing the signing of Manning.


Manning, a fourteen-year veteran who was released by the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago, is a four-time League MVP and one-time Super Bowl MVP. With 54,828 career passing yards and 399 career touchdowns, Manning is bringing experience to Denver that his new teammates are excited about.


"Aw man, it's going to be exciting just what he brings to a team, he brings his leadership, just the way he approaches the game," said linebacker Joe Mays, who re-signed with Denver on Sunday. "He has the 'it' factor when it comes to winning games. He had it over his time with the Colts and now he's got a chance to do it here. We're all excited to have him on the team."


Ironically, Manning's rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts was in 1998, the same year that Elway, who was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1983, led the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory in his final season. Now in charge of Denver's front office, Elway is trying to get Denver back to the Super Bowl by bringing in Manning, who passed for nearly 1,000 more yards than Elway in their respective first and final seasons.


With Manning prepared to sign with the team, the Broncos are expected to trade quarterback Tim Tebow, who showed flashes of heroism last season before an embarrassing Divisional playoff loss to the New England Patriots. After the game, Broncos' Owner Pat Bowlen was quoted as saying he wanted Championships, not Division Titles, which ultimately led to the team moving on from Tebow — quite possibly too soon.


The Broncos have one goal in mind and that is to win a Super Bowl. Denver's front office — consisting of Elway, Fox and General Manager Brian Xanders — believe that bringing in Manning gives them the best chance to get back to the Super Bowl and win it. With Manning about to turn 36 and coming off multiple neck surgeries however, the signing is a high risk, high reward scenario.


As of late Monday evening, the Broncos were working with Manning's agent, Tom Condon, on a five-year contract — which would protect the Broncos if Manning's neck injuries inhibit his performance — which could be worth up to $100 million, with about half of that coming in guaranteed money.


With Manning now the team's starting quarterback moving forward, the Broncos will become an attractive team to free agents who are still un-signed. Denver is expected to pursue several of Manning's former teammates including tight end Dallas Clark, center Jeff Saturday and wide receiver Brandon Stokley. As of Monday, Saturday is the only player who has a visit scheduled with the Broncos.


After officially signing Manning, the next order of business in Denver will be to assign him a jersey number. Manning wore No. 18 during his fourteen years with the Colts but that number is retired in Denver in honor of the team's first quarterback in franchise history, Frank Tripucka. Manning's college number, 16, is available for the veteran quarterback.


If Peyton wants to wear No. 18 however, Tripucka said "it would be an honor" for the team to un-retire the number for Manning.

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Sources: Manning was impressed with Broncos

Peyton Manning was in Denver this weekend to meet with the Denver Broncos and reportedly came away as impressed with the team as they were by him. (Image courtesy of the Denver Post)

Fourteen-year veteran free agent quarterback Peyton Manning has concluded visits to Denver and Arizona and is expected to choose between the Broncos and Cardinals sometime this week, according to multiple sources.

After visiting with the Broncos on Friday evening and part of Saturday, Manning flew to Arizona and conducted a similar visit with the Cardinals on Sunday. Now expected to fly home to Miami, Manning's will consider his options before choosing his new team.

"The Broncos are currently the favorites to land Manning," CBS4's Vic Lombardi reported on Sunday evening. According to Lombardi, the Broncos chances of landing Manning are around 80% — highly likely, in other words.

Many have speculated that if the Broncos do sign Manning, the team will trade third-year quarterback Tim Tebow. The Broncos however have not commented on the situation and may of plans of retaining Tebow.

The fact that the Broncos are pursuing Manning has not been viewed as a vote of confidence in Tebow though, and some fans are upset about that. It should be noted that Denver's top brass — V.P. of Football Operations John Elway, Head Coach John Fox and General Manager Brian Xanders (EFX) — have one goal in mind, and that is to get Denver back to the Super Bowl and win it.

EFX have a plan and they are executing it, where is the fan loyalty? If the team believes that Manning makes them a Super Bowl contender, so be it.

The Broncos' front office was responsible for being the only team in the NFL last season to send a rookie and free agent acquisition to the Pro Bowl, and turned a previously 4-12 team into a 9-9 playoff team in one locked out off-season. With a full off-season and new acquisitions, the Broncos are looking to build off of their 2011 run.

Some have cited Manning's health as an area of concern, but multiple doctors have reported that Manning's neck is well on the way to being fully recovered and should not cause any reg flags to interested teams. As for Manning's age, Elway won two Super Bowls with the Broncos when he was older than Manning is today.

"But Elway did not have a neck injury," commented John Gavina on our Facebook page on Sunday afternoon. This is true, but the chances of Manning re-injuring his neck are just slightly higher than Tebow's chances of re-injuring his ribs or suffering a concussion this season.

There is always the possibility that Denver would keep Tebow, contrary to all of the reports, and have him learn under Manning, perhaps getting several plays a game in special packages. Or, the Broncos could change Tebow's position — something that he would not abject to if all he cares about is helping the team win games.

Back to being a Super Bowl contender; the Broncos believe that they would become one with Manning. With an improving defense led by rising star outside linebacker Von Miller, the league's top-ranked rushing offense and young, promising receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, Manning's presence would instantly make the Broncos the team to beat in the AFC West, and possibly the entire AFC.

And Manning would bring to Denver more than just his quarterback skills and no huddle offense — which would presumably be unstoppable at high altitude — he would also become the Broncos' top recruiting tool in free agency. Former Indianapolis Colts and soon-to-be free agents Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday would all be more than willing to follow Manning wherever he goes, and the Broncos have enough cap room to sign them all.

Denver's own free agents, including receiver Eddie Royal, would also be more inclined to re-sign if they knew a four-time Super Bowl MVP was going to be the team's starting quarterback this season. Once free agency begins, the Broncos may have already signed the highest sought after player of the off-season.

At the end of the day, the Broncos are in no way disrespecting Tebow or anything that he has accomplished, this is a part of the game and it always has been. If the Broncos' think that Manning would upgrade the quarterback position, they'll make the move — which goes to show that all the team cares about is winning, not jersey sales, popularity or incumbency at any position on the team that can be upgraded.

Manning may visit with the Miami Dolphins before making his decision, but it his likely that he will be choosing between the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos are expecting Manning's decision to come by Friday evening, but it may be delayed through the weekend.

Stay tuned for updates and be sure to follow Broncos Zone on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates.