The Avalanche are in a push to get a top playoff spot, spring training is going full swing, and the Nuggets are, well, the Nuggets of old. That being said, the thing I'm most excited about is NFL free agency which starts tomorrow at 2pm MST. There is a lot of talk about which direction the Broncos should go in and I'm hoping they can sign a big name safety. It's funny how many people are saying that the Broncos need to rebuild and completely revamp their defense. Obviously I wasn't happy about the way the season ended but can anyone really complain about going to the Super Bowl? I'd be more than thrilled to have a repeat of this past season and see what happens in the Super Bowl. If they had played SF instead of Seattle, or even if they hadn't snapped the ball into the end zone on the first play, things may have gone their way. Considering all the injuries they had to deal with, I think they are still in great shape.
Yes they will lose Eric Decker and probably Knowshon Moreno, and yes they lost Champ Bailey (more on that later) but just getting Ryan Clady and Von Miller back will make a huge difference. As I mentioned earlier, I think they need to pick up a few defensive players like a safety (Jairus Byrd or TJ Ward?) an edge rusher (Jared Allen or re-sign Shawn Phillips?) and a decent linebacker. On offense they will need to pick up, or draft, another WR, but I'm sure Bubba Caldwell will be able to do a decent job of making up for Decker's absence. Even into the playoffs last year I was sure they would/should re-sign Moreno but now I'm not so sure. I think his performance (or lack of) in the Super Bowl pretty much sealed his fate. They need someone that can break tackles and bust off a long run. I couldn't believe when I saw this but Moreno's career long run is 36 yards. Yes you read that right, 36 yards. In 846 career carries his longest run from scrimmage is 36 yards? To put that into perspective Montee Ball had 120 carries last year and had a long run of 45 yards. Ronnie Hillman has a long run of 31 yards in 139 carries. Don't get me wrong, Moreno was a beast for Denver last year and they would not have done so well had Moreno not been on the team but I think it's time for a more dynamic running back. I really hope Ball can fill that need. We shall see.
Bottom line, I think Denver does need to fix some holes but c'mon, why is the sky always falling? Yes Denver has a very difficult schedule next year but they will still win at least 11 games. They just need some toughness to help them win a road playoff game in Foxboro since, once again, the Patriots have a weak schedule and will probably get homefield advantage. Maybe I should be more pessimistic but I think they are still in good shape.
Last thing here since I'm starting to ramble, it was tough to hear the news that Champ Bailey was released but I think it was the right decision. There is no way they could pay him $10M when you don't even know if he'll be healthy enough to play half the season. I really loved watching #24 the past 10 years and can't wait until he's on the ring of fame and in the Hall of Fame. Thanks for everything Champ!
