What Else Should the Broncos Do?

[madaslives911]

this offseason, the Broncos have done a couple of things to improve the team's competitiveness. For the defense aspect, they have done the following:
- hire Johnson as defensive line coach
- hire Bates as assistant head coach for defense
- promoted defensive backs coach Bob Slowik to defensive coordinator after firing Larry Coyer.

I think the Broncos defense would be a dominant one next season. What i'd also like to see is an improvement on their offense and among the things i have in my wishlist are as follows:

1. Make Mike Bell their main starter - he could be the next Touchdown King!

2. Get Turner the Burner

3. Fire Shanahan - coz i didn't like what he did to The Snake.

Would be interesting if other fans can share their thoughts here.

[Crimking]

If they are able to het M. Turner He would be the full time starter and goal line back.

M. Bell is a good back and has a knack for the endzone but still has room for improvement.

I wouldnt mind getting a another RB weather it be trade or FA, Like Dominick Williams or Najah Davenport, they could fit in well with this team.

Theres no way Denver needs to fire Shanahan, this would do the team no good and they would most likely decline.

On defense I think they need to draft a young safety because Lynch and Fergesoun are getting old and we are thin there.

Adding a good pass rushing D-linemen would aslo be a good addition.

[Yellowbird]

A Pass Rushing D lineman is the biggest priority.

Turner, Davenport, Williams, McGahee, Benson...I'd take any one of them.

Shanny stays. He (sadly) did what he had to do with Jake. As much as I hated the move I think it was the right decision.

I agree we could use some younger saftey help.

Probably some added depth on day 2 of the draft for the O-line.

Find a better strength and conditioning coach. Our defense always starts strong and fades in the last few games of the season. It'd be nice to see consistency during the stretch run.

Give me a 6 figure job carrying Shanny's bags around.

[The_Captain]

1. Make Mike Bell their main starter - he could be the next Touchdown King!

Definitely think Mike Bell has all the potential to be the next Broncos TD king, BUT Shanahan needs to commit to him as the starter, which is something he seems reluctant to do. I'm growing weary of Tatum Bell's proneness to injury and it's time to turn over the reigns to someone else.

2. Get Turner the Burner

Turner, Davenport, Williams, McGahee, Benson...I'd take any one of them.

I definitely agree with both you here. I would prefer to see Turner, but not at the expensive price tag he'll likely cost. We already know there are a couple of other teams interested in him, so if Denver wants him, they'll have to act fast. I also think Benson or Williams would be a great fit for the Broncos. Benson's price tag will come after his performance in Super Bowl XLI.

3. Fire Shanahan - coz i didn't like what he did to The Snake.

What happened to Jake the Snake was inevitable, especially after they drafted Cutler with the 11th pick. Jake had every opportunity to accept the challenge and go out there and produce, and while he was exceptional for a couple of games, his inability to move the offense and limit his mistakes cost him his job. I certainly don't blame Shanahan who really gave Jake's career a shot in the arm by making him the Broncos QB.

While Shanahan has made some questionable personnel decisions (Maurice Clarett) he's been one of the best coaches in Broncos history. I think there's going to come a time though, very soon, where he's going to have to take this team back to the promised land for his job to be safe. They have had a horrible playoff run, only making it to the AFC Championship once since the 1997 season.

[Timbathia]

I think the Broncos defense would be a dominant one next season. What i'd also like to see is an improvement on their offense

I actually think most of our early draft picks will all be on the defense. While the defense is more solid than the offense right now, the offense has youth and potential, something the defense lacks. Safety, d-line and corners will be on the shopping list. We can probably get through next season on def without any help from the rookies we pick, but the season after we may need some young def guys to step up.

The offense does need a bit of help, but I think we will address RB through free agency. There are more useful backs around at the moment than teams for them to play on, so hopefully Shanny will choose to chase after the correct one.

The rest of the skill player son offense shoud improve every game, hopefully enough to make a serious playoff run.

O-line actually worries me the most. I dont think it is as good as previous seasons and the depth is not there. It really is what the franchise has been built on in recent history, and its decline means we need to be somewhat reinvented.

[JeRmZ]

1. Make Mike Bell their main starter - he could be the next Touchdown King!

I don't know about Bell being the feature back in Denver - yes he is good, but he lacks the explosiveness Denver is used to having in the backfield. Three things come to mind here ...

1. Go after a big name back looking to move around ala McGahee. The others that may be available are too iffy. J lew, Crissy Brown, Dillon and supposedly Ricky Williams

2. AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ... Marshawn Lynch out of Cal State. The kid reminds me of LT, BIG TIME, and has some impressive stats to go along with it. Only problem is he's projected to go around 15 which means Denver has to make some deals to get from 21 to 15, which I don't see happening. leading me to ....

3. Taking our Defensive needs in 1 and waiting to find a diamond in the rough RB in the latter rounds. Defensively I don't agree with everyone that we need a pass rushing DE. Dumerville showed he's has that and as he matures will be a great DE. We need A) a run stuffing/pass rushing DE and landing Quentin Moses would work out or B) some serious Safety help and landing Reggie Nelson would be pretty nice in my opinion!

2. Get Turner the Burner

This will NEVER happen, reportedly the Jet's already have a strong interest in him and may be willing to give up a 1st rounder for him. And no way San Diego let's him go to a division rival cheaper than that. And no way Denver gives San Diego any more fire power in the draft.

3. Fire Shanahan - coz i didn't like what he did to The Snake.

We didn't draft a QB in the 1st round for no reason, Jake knew this was coming if he didn't perform this season and if he had performed this year it would have been next year for sure he would have been riding the pine. Cutler is the future and in a year or so everyone will be saying Jake who? Shannahan is a great coach and has done wonders for this team, besides who do you replace him with?

[madaslives911]

3. Fire Shanahan - coz i didn't like what he did to The Snake.

We didn't draft a QB in the 1st round for no reason, Jake knew this was coming if he didn't perform this season and if he had performed this year it would have been next year for sure he would have been riding the pine. Cutler is the future and in a year or so everyone will be saying Jake who? Shannahan is a great coach and has done wonders for this team, besides who do you replace him with?

Bill Parcells? (just kidding!)

here's an update on Plummer's case:

Plummer's Wishes to be Respected, but Team Comes First
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
January 25, 2007

MOBILE, Ala. - The Broncos want to keep Jake Plummer on the roster.
But they are appreciative enough of the veteran quarterback's 40-18 record as a Broncos starter to try to get him what he wants elsewhere for the 2007 season.

Just as long as the Broncos get what they want as well.

"We've got a number of angles we can take," general manager Ted Sundquist said Wednesday at the Senior Bowl. "Certainly, we'd like to have him back. He's been a mainstay for us on the offensive side for four years, took us to the AFC Championship Game (of the 2005 season). And veteran quarterbacks like that, with playoff experience that have a familiarity with the team that we've got right now and the offensive system, they're not out there right now.

"But a lot of that decision hinges on what he wants to do, on where he sees himself at this point in his career.

"Does he see himself as a starting quarterback? Does he see himself as a veteran backup? He's going to have to make that decision."

The Broncos will spend the coming weeks working on Plummer's future. Plummer, who will enter his 11th NFL season in 2007, is looking at a backup role with the Broncos because the offense has been handed over to Jay Cutler.

But the market for veteran quarterbacks is expected to be thin during the offseason, so that makes trying to keep Plummer an attractive possibility for the Broncos. It also means the list of suitors for a trade would be longer.

Plummer made it clear before the end of the season he believes he still can be a starter and told several teammates in the days leading to the regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers that he is "playing my last game as a Bronco."

"Certainly, I think it's something we'll have to sit down and talk about," said Plummer's agent, David Dunn. "I'm sure we'll map things out in the coming days and go from there. Jake took some time at the end of the season, but he will be ready to get into that pretty soon, I think."

Dunn said he will sit down with Plummer in Mobile because his client will be there Friday. Plummer, E.J. Junior and Hines Ward will be inducted into the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame during a ceremony that night.

Sundquist said the Broncos have had some preliminary discussions with Dunn and had a discussion with Plummer about his future just before the end of the season.

"So if Jake still believes he is a starter, I think coach (Mike) Shanahan and the organization, myself included, would be flexible and open of a request like that," Sundquist said. "I don't think we'd fight him. But we would want to explore all our options as well because the worst thing we could do is to cut him outright before June 1, take the hit, without any kind of compensation."

And that is the issue. Because of Plummer's original contract with the Broncos and subsequent renegotiations - three years remain on the deal - if the team cut the veteran before June 1, it would take a salary-cap hit of $8,556,000 for the 2007 season.

If the Broncos cut Plummer after June 1, the cap hit would be over two years - $2,852,000 in 2007 and $5,704,000 in 2008.

Because Plummer's salary-cap figure for 2007 is $8,605,000, to cut him after June 1 would give the Broncos $5,704,000 in cap room this year that currently isn't on the books.

The Broncos can get that savings earlier than June 1 if they formally designate in writing Plummer will be a June 1 cut before then.

When the new collective-bargaining agreement was reached in March, it allowed teams to designate two players each year as "June 1" cuts, allowing teams to use the cap savings sooner during the offseason.

If Plummer tells the Broncos he does not want to be their backup, they would prefer to trade him than release him.

The Broncos would take the full salary-cap hit of $8,556,000 if they trade Plummer, but anything they receive in return - most likely a draft pick - has to be worth more to the team than the cap savings it would get this year with a June 1 release.

In the event Plummer stays with Denver, the Broncos would look to redo the final three years of the contract.

"But we've looked at a lot of different scenarios with Jake, as well as our entire roster," Sundquist said. "We feel like we have a good idea about what can be done. We just have to see where Jake is on that and go from there."

Possible suitors

With the quarterback market expected to be thin and the draft a little light, the Broncos could have plenty of suitors for Jake Plummer. Some possibilities.

• Houston Texans: Coach Gary Kubiak is looking for a veteran because David Carr's play regressed and Kubiak likes Plummer as a player. Plummer always has said he enjoyed playing for Kubiak, a former Broncos offensive coordinator.

• Miami Dolphins: Until Daunte Culpepper shows he has recovered from knee surgeries, most in the NFL consider the Dolphins in the market for a quarterback.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Simms is coming off a spleen injury, and coach Jon Gruden has said "there's a good chance there's another guy in town that'll be competing there."

• Cleveland Browns: Coach Romeo Crennel is taking some serious heat to upgrade the offense.

[The_Captain]

Plummer is certainly still capable of being a starting QB somewhere in the league. He won't want to be a backup for the Broncos so it'll be interesting to see what the Broncos do in the next 12 weeks with Plummer.

[madaslives911]

i remember reading about an article that Jake doesn't wanna be a back-up to Cutler.

so, will they cut him or trade him?

[The_Captain]

i remember reading about an article that Jake doesn't wanna be a back-up to Cutler.

so, will they cut him or trade him?

I doubt the Broncos will just flat cut Plummer. Obviously a lot has to do with how much of a cap hit the Broncos will/would take based on his existing contract (details of which I don't have) if the did release him.

With a lot of teams needing a solid starter (HOU just to name one), I think they trade him to and get something of value from him.