by Sam Robinson

In the first week of free agency, the Broncos gave priority to a unit that had spent a year as a secondary entity.

Other needs were addressed, but the linebacking corps was obviously first on the list, as two linebackers were signed within days of each other with hopes of restoring what had been a dominating unit during the middle part of this decade.

By signing Niko Koutouvides and Boss Bailey, Denver immediately upgraded from a season ago.

Gone is Jim Bates' horrendous 2007 blueprint and with that, a few of the players who had to digest his porous system, are no longer in Denver as well.

Ian Gold, who was a valued member of those run-stuffing units of the past, saw his production slip considerably in '07, as tight ends absolutely killed the Broncos, while strong-side linebacker Nate Webster found himself out of position. Webster was too slow to play outside.

But these acquisitions may have done the most for the leader of the defense, D.J. Williams, who gets his wish to return to the weak-side position where he starred as a rookie in 2004. Williams is a natural weak-side talent, having played there at Miami and although he was second in the league in tackles last year at middle linebacker, he often found himself out of position and struggled to grasp the scheme.

This move allows him to shift back to the side where he can simply create havoc for running backs, as he'll be generally free from the tight end and able to do what he does best: tackle ball carriers. His numbers last year (170 tackles, 121 solo) suggest a move wasn't necessary, but Williams readily admits the weak side is where he belongs.

The 2004 version of Williams finished second in the defensive rookie of the year voting and topped a team in tackles that had MLB Al Wilson at his peak.

His time at strong-side backer in 2005 and 2006 saw his numbers drop considerably, which is common, as that position has a tougher time getting to ball carriers with the tight end and fullback gearing on him on running plays. It's an unheralded position, but having Bailey, a natural strong-side backer, there will only increase its productivity.

But with these signings, the Broncos are attempting to return to what they were before the disastrous 2007 season occurred: An undersized trio that can cover the field with any offense in the game.

The addition of Bailey was obvious. Was there any way he could be dissuaded from joining up with Champ? He will fill a glaring need at strong-side linebacker.

He will matchup very well with any tight end, as he has clocked under 4.4 seconds in a 40-yard dash. That is lightning for a strong-side backer. Bailey has had some knee problems, which is a concern, however, so it's likely his top-end speed may be a bit off. But, this signing is ideal for a unit that has thrived on attacking with speed.

Denver has always been a team that placed a great deal of importance on its linebackers. Think back to the 1997's Super Bowl trio of Bill Romanowski, Allen Aldridge and John Mobley or the early 2000s corps with Romanowski, Mobley and Wilson. But the zenith of the Broncos' linebacking prowess came three years ago when that unit propelled a season that was on the verge of being lost.

Flash back to 2005 when Denver's linebackers were the fastest in the league and among the Top 5. That trio of Al Wilson in the middle, Williams on the strong side and Gold on the weak side, was the main reason of the defense's success that season, as they were responsible for the majority of the tackles. Gold and Wilson would blitz constantly, with the front four tying up blockers.

The main reason that defense was so successful was the speed of that unit. Even Wilson was remarkably quick for his position. In allowing just more than 85 yards per game, Denver's run defense was simply stifling and ranked No. 2 in the league. The linebackers' stellar play was one of the main reasons for Denver's 13-3 season and division title.

This also carried over into 2006, as the linebackers were the chief reason for the defense notching a nearly unattainable mark. In 52 possessions to start that season, the defense allowed just one touchdown, becoming the first team since the 1934 Lions to do that.

Last season, this all changed. The speed playbook was tossed and the LBs were expected to learn an entirely new scheme that relied on little blitzing and aggressiveness. Instead of seeing Gold and Williams flying all over the field, one-year defensive coordinator Jim Bates attempted to install a defense that based a premium on run-stuffing defensive tackles backed by a seven-man box and vanilla blitz packages.

This was shredded by every opponent at the beginning of the season and was scrapped after the team's bye week and by the time the team shifted back into its old system, it was too late to ask players to have two philosophies ingrained in them.

Now, the old ways look to return. Bob Slowik, who has been the defensive backs coach since 2004, is the new defensive coordinator. Slowik is very familiar with the scheme that allowed Williams' unit to control the outcome and the signings of two linebackers gives it the feeling of significance it did not have last season.

Instead of being role players, the linebacking trio is set to become playmakers again.

Tomorrow: A breakdown on special-teamer turned starter Niko Koutouvides and how this experiment may or may not work out.

by Sam Robinson

In an offseason geared toward fixing a defense that regressed significantly, one offensive position is unaccounted for: the No. 2 wide receiver slot.

Denver added four players (MLB Niko Koutouvides, SLB Boss Bailey, DT Dewayne Robertson and S Marlon McCree) who will likely go into training camp as starters on defense. These were solid acquisitions, but not headliners like the ones in recent years. This same pattern carried over to the receiver additions.

The team passed on pursuing top free agents like Randy Moss or Bernard Berrian due to its suddenly thrifty spending ways this offseason. Instead of signing talent with baggage like Travis Henry or Javon Walker, Denver went with young players who have less than stellar credentials or price tags.

Keary Colbert, Darrell Jackson and Samie Parker were signed to see who can play DJ Jazzy Jeff to Brandon Marshall's Fresh Prince in 2008.

Walker's ego could not handle such a role, so he whined his way out of Denver, but coach Mike Shanahan brought in three guys who he hopes are relatively ego free. In the case of Colbert or Parker, neither has enough credentials to arrive at Dove Valley with an ego.

Walker had been the team's No. 1 receiver in 2006, but after his injury in September of last year, Marshall, who may be the most talented receiver in Broncos history, emerged. So, Brandon Stokley was forced to man the No. 2 slot and the offense regressed. Stokley thrives in the slot and with him having to play outside, he could not get the same separation he could in the middle.

Without one of these guys stepping up, Marshall will be double-covered nearly every down, as he had the most passes thrown his way of any receiver in the NFL last year.

The team wants Colbert to assume this role, but he does not have the pedigree that Jackson does. Of course, Colbert has the bigger contract and was a first-week-of-free-agency signing, so he will get the first chance. But, with Marshall likely out until at least August, these two will see plenty of reps with the starting unit.

Here is a quick take on each candidate to start alongside Marshall, starting with the man who should be given the first opportunity.

Darrell Jackson, 29, free agent from SF. 5-foot-11, 206 pounds
Best season: 2004 - 87 catches, 1199 yards, seven TDs
Last season: 46 catches, 497 yards, three TDs

This is a perfect addition to the Broncos' receiving corps. Jackson is a proven receiver who has excelled for many seasons despite being just 29. The reason he was not a high-profile acquisition is because he spent last season in San Francisco, which harbored one of the worst passing attacks in the NFL. I will give him a free pass on his sub-par campaign for the simple reason that he was on a putrid offense.

He either had an injured Alex Smith, an old and ineffective Trent Dilfer or a perennial third-stringer in Shaun Hill throwing to him. On top of that, there was hardly an offensive line in place to protect them, as all three were hurt at various points in the season.

Terrell Owens would flounder in that environment and probably would have forced his way out of it. Jackson started 14 games last year and caught just 46 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns (two in the last two games). This was way down from his career years with Seattle, but in that offense, most receivers would experience down years.

Denver hopes it's getting the Jackson from Seattle, who feasted on NFC corners for three 1,000-yard seasons and 47 touchdowns in his seven years. This includes his 10-TD season just two years ago.

That offense had one of the NFC's best QBs, Matt Hasselbeck, throwing to him and a tremendous running game. He was asked to be the No. 1 target in Seattle, but he will not be asked to do that in Denver. Instead, providing his knees are over 80 percent, Jackson will be asked to beat single coverage consistently and take pressure off the 24-year-old phenom starting on the other side.

This is an ideal role for a shifty receiver who knows how to run routes. Jackson, unlike Colbert, has experience and statistics that should earn him first crack at this job. Unfortunately, money may play a role in this, with Colbert's contract surpassing Jackson's. This is strange because Jackson was Seattle's all-time richest receiver before the team overspent for Nate Burleson in 2006. Colbert (who signed a three-year, $7.2 million contract), on the other hand, is teetering on bust status.

Keary Colbert, 25, free agent from Carolina. 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
Best season: 2004 - 47 catches, 754 yards, five TDs
Last season: 32 catches, 332 yards, 0 TDs

A very enigmatic signing to say the least. Colbert's rookie year ('04) established rookie records in Carolina and he was a capable fill-in for the injured Steve Smith. He thrived in single coverage during Mushin Muhammad's 16-TD season and looked to build on those numbers the next year.

Unfortunately, he did not and failed as the No. 2 receiver in 2005, catching only 25 passes and just two touchdowns. Those two were his last scores, as Colbert has not seen the end zone since in two injury-plagued campaigns.

Colbert has nowhere near the credentials Jackson does and if I had to put money on it, I would bet Denver will regret this signing. The only thing Colbert has going for him is age. Yes, he is just 25, but he has no real numbers to automatically be thrust into a starting lineup of a potential 10-win team.

This is the team's latest change-of-scenery experiment. This is the same team that signed super-busts David Terrell and Roshaun Woods and usually believes it has a knack for turning around careers of former high draft picks. See Gerard Warren or Courtney Brown for recent examples.

Jackson is faster, quicker and more productive than his younger counterpart and could be a steal for the price. Colbert will have to establish himself quickly in camp, because with Marshall on the sidelines, the microscope will be on the 25-year old USC alum to make good on his second chance.

Honestly, Colbert does not really fit in anywhere if Jackson is healthy. Stokley is signed for two more years and the team's second-round pick, Eddie Royal, will fill the other slot position. But, if he can prove it was just a bad fit in Carolina and establish himself early, he will be handed the position come September.

I won't even go into the Parker signing, because that makes no sense, especially after Royal's drafting. Parker is a great athlete...on the track, but had numerous drops in his Kansas City tenure. My guess is that once Royal makes the team, Parker will be cut.

The Jackson and Parker signings were made within a week of each other, which definitely sends a message that Marshall's freakish elbow injury concerns the team. Signing two veterans and drafting a receiver so high are clear indications that Marshall may not be healthy in time to start the season. In that case, the receiving corps will fall into disarray because each of these receivers has starting experience, but is in no way a No. 1 target.

This will be a low-profile position battle that only Denver fans will know about, but aside from the usual running back roulette game, this is the battle I will be interested to see come mini and training camp.

The Broncos’ offense depends on getting production from one of these two and will not be a top-tier unit if it doesn’t.

by Sam Robinson

With the draft in the rear-view mirror and mini-camp over two months away, football's dead period is fully upon us. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on the draft and a brief rundown of how some of the key picks will impact the team in 2008.

2008 Draft: Good, not great

First Round: Ryan Clady, LT Boise State – For once, the Broncos stayed put and selected their chief need area (offensive tackle) with the No. 1 pick. Ryan Clady's quickness is the main reason Denver selected him and his frame (6-foot-6, 309 pounds) is ideal for a Bronco tackle. He was not a reach like George Foster was in 2003, but will need to use the summer to get stronger, because he is still more of a finesse tackle than a mauler.

This will work, but the Broncos drafted with the idea of catching the Chargers and Clady simply is not ready to handle the likes of Shaun Merriman or the vastly underrated Shaun Phillips yet. But Clady was the correct pick, as Jay Cutler will never be an elite quarterback without a quality left tackle. While Virginia guard Brandon Albert may have had more of an upside, Denver needed a proven left tackle who wouldn’t need to adjust to a new position.

Likely role in '08: Slightly above average starter who fits in with an agile line.
Worst-case scenario: Cannot grasp the system and loses confidence midway through the season.

Second Round: Eddie Royal, WR Virginia Tech – This pick was a bit strange to me. With five receivers with starting experience on the roster, this selection was too high. Mike Shanahan said the primary purpose of this was to get a quality kick returner, but the second round is not the round to do that in. The team has been anemic with returns since the late Darrent Williams fielded punts, but drafting a 5-foot-9 receiver in the second round to return kicks is ill-advised.

With Samie Parker and Darrell Jackson recently inked, this selection will surely make one of them the latest member of Bronco veteran receivers who were cut in training camp this decade. Other members of said list: Andre Reed, Rob Moore, Robert Brooks and Jerry Rice, who wasn't technically cut, but probably was told to retire or be released.

My guess would be Parker, who is a poor route runner with equally bad hands, will be someone else's fourth receiver when the season begins. But, with just one safety off the board, the second round was an ideal time to get a player who could start this year. Instead, Denver waited until round seven to address its biggest defensive need.

Royal could be dangerous in the slot along with Brandon Stokley, but it just was not a need pick and a team that finished 7-9 a season ago cannot afford to make luxury picks in the first two rounds.

Likely role in '08: Kick/punt returner/fourth receiver who brings life to an area that, with the exception of Williams in 2005-06, has been lifeless for the entire decade.
Worst-case scenario: Develops fumbling problem in camp, forcing him into Shanahan's doghouse, which is nearly impossible to escape from. Just ask Tatum Bell or Deltha O'Neal.

Fourth Round: Kory Licthtensteiger, C Bowling Green –This is a good pick, as Tom Nalen could be in his final season with the Broncos and Lichtensteiger has ideal size (6-foot-2, 298 pounds) and the same mean streak to take over when that happens.

Likely role in '08: Little playing time, but learns from Nalen and Casey Weigmann.
Worst-case scenario: He's Greg Eslinger, who I also thought was perfect for the system, but he never played a down in Denver.

Fifth Round: Ryan Torain, RB Arizona State – Shanahan also drafted his latest running back project in Torain. At 222 pounds, Torain runs a 4.71 in the 40-yard dash and providing his foot is fully healed by training camp, could push for a starting job.

This sort of thing only works in Denver where Shanahan lacks any sort of patience with his tailbacks. It's actually surprising that his leading rusher from last season, undrafted free agent Selvin Young, is still on the team, as the previous four rushing leaders (Clinton Portis, Rueben Droughns, Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell) were each gone in the following offseason.

His 2006 pet project, Mike Bell, spent the majority of 2007 as a fullback on the practice squad, so it’s nearly impossible to analyze this unit. While Denver may provide a nice place for unknown running backs to flourish, job security is nonexistent. So, predicting Torain's impact in 2008 is nearly useless now, because this running back corps is the most unstable in the NFL.

On the other hand, this could be Shanahan's contingency plan if any drugs are found near Travis Henry this year. Getting a back with similar qualities for under $1 million a year is a savvy move for a situation that could present itself again.

Likely role in '08: Third-string tailback. Sees significant time toward the end of the season when Henry gets hurt or is suspended.
Worst-case scenario: Foot doesn't heal and he's unable to make the team.

Sixth Round: Spencer Larsen, MLB Arizona – Larsen has a very good opportunity in front of him. The Broncos signed longtime backup and special teamer Niko Koutouvides to play middle linebacker. Behind him, there is no one who will see time in the middle, so barring injury, Larsen will make the team and see time.

However, he is not an ideal starter with his 4.94 40 time and if he does see a lot of playing time this year, it will mean that the Koutouvides experiment was a failure.

Likely role in '08: Backup to Koutouvides and special teams regular.
Worst-case scenario: Speed is exposed in camp and never sees regular-season action.

Seventh Round: Josh Barrett, S Arizona State – Finally, in round seven, the team addressed its glaring need at safety. John Lynch has not been effective in coverage in four years and is virtually a fourth linebacker on the field. So, something had to be done to get some speed into this position. With that said, the team took a slight gamble on drafting his potential replacement.

Barrett battled injuries his senior year at Arizona State, but could be the playmaking safety the team has coveted since Kenoy Kennedy left in 2005. He is built like Steve Atwater (6-foot-1, 223 pounds), but brings an element to the position the ring-of-fame safety never had: fantastic speed. Barrett has been clocked at 4.34 in the 40, which is lightning for a safety.

Barrett will have a chance to make the team in camp, but must prove he can stay healthy for the team to place any faith in him and groom him to be Lynch's successor. But in the seventh round, he was a steal.

He joins a crowded position with incumbents Lynch and Hamza Abdullah, and newcomers Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel. But none possess his package of size and speed and that makes Barrett the most intriguing pick of the draft.

Likely role in '08: Backs up Lynch and McCree and plays on special teams.
Worst-case scenario: Cannot live up to his combine numbers and gets lost in the shuffle.

Overall, the team got a potential franchise left tackle and a center that will likely be starting at an interior line position in 2009. It also took chances on an Arizona State safety and running back that could turn out to be steals.

But the Broncos failed to draft a safety that could make an impact this season or a guard that could compete for a position on a shaky offensive line. Denver also left its kicking duties up to undrafted players, which is not all that rare, but when your kicker was there for 15 years, you want a top prospect that has big-game experience.

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