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Brady Quinn Traded to Denver

Pat McManamon — 2010-03-14T17:40:00 00:00

The Cleveland Browns chewed up another quarterback and spit him out on Sunday.

It's no surprise. The Browns have been going through quarterbacks this way since 1999.

Brady Quinn, once feted as the savior and future, was traded to Denver for a bunch of orange cones and a few used mouthpieces. The Browns have turned their quarterback position over to 35-year-old Jake Delhomme, coming off the worst season in his career, and to Seneca Wallace, a career backup.

The two guys who started every game last season are gone. Derek Anderson was released, Quinn -- a much-celebrated first-round draft pick in 2007 -- was traded. Cleveland dealt a 2007 second-round pick and a 2008 first-rounder to Dallas at the 2007 draft for the chance to select Quinn No. 22 overall.

The compensation for Quinn this time around? Peyton Hillis (eight starts and 397 yards in two seasons as a fullback/running back), a sixth-round draft pick in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012.

More: Browns Deal Wimbley to Oakland

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Justice Comes for Darrent Williams

Nancy Gay — 2010-03-11T20:45:00 00:00

by Nancy Gay

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Police Blotter

Hopefully, peace comes now to the family and friends of Darrent Williams. His killer, Willie D. Clark, is no longer alleged, but guilty.

Can we now ask all professional athletes to pause and learn from this? To avoid putting yourselves and your money, status, talent and misguided machismo in these can't-win scenarios? You may think you've earned your way into bottle service in the VIP room at the club, behind the velvet rope or inside the darkened hallway, where your young, entitled nights can be enjoyed freely and recklessly.

You are targets. You are not invincible. You may cause trouble or invite it, simply because of who you are, who you are with or what you think you may be.

Please. Stop and think. Look at what can happen.

More: Williams' Killer Found Guilty, Faces Life in Prison

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NFL Notes: Seattle Weighing Brandon Marshall Conundrum

Chris Harry — 2010-03-10T10:30:00 00:00

by Chris Harry

Filed under: Broncos, Jaguars, Seahawks, NFL Free Agency, NFL Rumors, NFL Notebook

When the Denver Broncos attached a first-round tender to Brandon Marshall (and not the more expensive first- and third-round compensation price), they basically were announcing to the rest of league, "Come and get him!"

Considering the number of Round 1 receivers that have been busts, a first-round draft choice to avoid investments (both organizational and financial) like David Terrell, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Reggie Williams, Michael Clayton and Troy Williamson seems beyond reasonable. Especially for a player with three straight 100-catch seasons -- which is nearly 100 more than the aforementioned dirty half-dozen, all high first-round selections, have combined for the last three years. The front offices of established teams that have a need at receiver and are picking late in the first round (Cincinnati, Dallas or the New York Jets come to mind for a example) should be having the Marshall discussion.

But personnel types and coaching staffs are talking about some statistics that don't appear on the back of Marshall's football card, also. His track record as a malcontent has been well-documented in the media. His track record for arrests on disorderly conduct, drunken driving and domestic violence issues (with two different women, by the way) has been well documented by the authorities.

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Report: Seahawks Close to Signing Brandon Marshall to Offer Sheet

Will Brinson — 2010-03-05T14:50:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Broncos, Seahawks, NFL Rumors, NFL Analysis

Brandon Marshall was given the first-round tender by the Broncos earlier this week, meaning that if another team signs him to an offer sheet and the Broncos don't match, they get a first-round pick in return.

Well, the Seattle Seahawks happen to have to two first-rounders -- one of them, conveniently, being a former Broncos pick -- and Adam Schefter reports that the Seahawks are "strongly considering" signing Marshall to an offer sheet.

This seems like a win-win-win type of deal; Seattle, which just lost Nate Burleson to free agency, adds Marshall to its receiving corp -- and he's an obvious upgrade over Dez Bryant, the consensus No. 1 ranked wideout on the board.

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Brandon Marshall, Broncos Move Closer To Parting Ways

Chris Burke — 2010-03-03T15:35:00 00:00

by Chris Burke

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Free Agency

Denver moved one step closer to saying goodbye to wide receiver Brandon Marshall, hitting the restricted free agent-to-be with a first-round tender Wednesday.

The Broncos' decision means that if Marshall agrees to a free-agent contract with another team this offseason, Denver would be entitled to either match that contract or secure a first-round draft pick in return. The first-round tender also stands in stark contract to the first- and third-round tender option, which would have made acquiring Marshall a more daunting task.

If Marshall remains with Denver, he would make $2.521 million in 2010.

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Broncos Must Send Marshall Packing

Thomas George — 2010-02-27T18:14:00 00:00

by Thomas George

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Analysis

INDIANAPOLIS -- Josh McDaniels has had his eyes focused on the NFL combine here and his ears locked on the news flowing from the courtroom back in Denver on the Darrent Williams murder trial. It is a combine ballet that no other NFL coach has had to perform. It is clearly one that McDaniels would rather have skipped.

But he cannot, especially since his star and troubled receiver, Brandon Marshall, on Friday in that Denver courtroom jolted the proceedings with his admission that he escalated a fight with the men charged with the early New Year's Day 2007 shooting.

McDaniels completed his first year as Broncos coach with an 8-8, non-playoff season that began with 6-0 and 8-4 starts. His debut season was sprinkled with his own clashes with Marshall. He said he and his staff are reviewing everything about the season and will make a decision soon on whether to retain Marshall or seek to trade him.

There is not much of a decision to make.

Marshall has to go.

McDaniels decided early into his Broncos stint that quarterback Jay Cutler had to go. If he could not work with Cutler, how can he possibly decide that he can make it work with and count on Marshall? I don't see it. Few in the NFL do.

Marshall has to go.

More Coverage: Marshall Testifies in Teammate's Death

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Marshall Testifies in Teammate's Death

FanHouse Newswire — 2010-02-27T17:30:00 00:00

by FanHouse Newswire

Filed under: Broncos

DENVER (AP) -- Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall testified in the trial of a man accused of killing teammate Darrent Williams and identified the suspect as the same man he saw outside a club in a confrontation before the shooting.

Marshall was at times emotional when he testified Friday about the shooting on New Year's Day 2007, recalling how he later saw former teammate Javon Walker in a bloodstained shirt at a hospital, clutching a necklace that belonged to Williams.

"JWalk just kept looking at this chain, he wouldn't let no one hold the chain,'' he said. "It was scary; there was blood on that chain."

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Coin Flips Favor Jaguars, Titans and Falcons for NFL Draft Order

Knox Bardeen — 2010-02-26T11:00:00 00:00

by Knox Bardeen

Filed under: 49ers, Chicago Bears, Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Jaguars, Panthers, Steelers, Texans, Titans, NFL Draft

Friday morning coin flips at the scouting combine in Indianapolis determined the fate for six teams, as three draft-order ties had to be broken.

With identical 7-9 records last season, the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars tied for the 10th overall spot in the NFL draft. Friday's coin flip landed in favor of the Jaguars giving them the 10th pick in the draft. The teams will alternate selections in each round after.

The Denver Broncos had a keen interest in the results of this contest as they own the rights to Chicago's first-round selection due to the Jay Cutler trade. That means after Jacksonville picks in the 10th spot, Denver will go next.

The second coin flip determined the drafting order between the Tennessee Titans and the Carolina Panthers, who each finished the season with 8-8 records. However, as with the first flip, a third team will be the actual benefactor of the results as the San Francisco 49ers own the Panthers' pick in the first round.

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Knowshown Moreno Talking to Police After Bar Fight

JJ Cooper — 2010-02-24T18:05:00 00:00

by JJ Cooper

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Police Blotter

Now that the offseason is here, NFL players head home and take some time off. But it's also the time when players are more likely to get in trouble.

Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno isn't in trouble, at least yet, but he is talking to police after a University of Georgia student has filed a police report saying that Moreno punched him at an Athens, Ga., bar last weekend. Moreno, who played his college ball at Georgia, had apparently headed back to the area after the season ended.

The student who claims he was punched suffered a concussion. According to the police report, he wasn't sure that Moreno hit him -- he was drunk and he was knocked out so his memory of the event is pretty foggy. But the students friends told him that Moreno was the one who hit him. A police spokesman is saying that Moreno has said that he was punched first, so the police are sorting through the stories before determining if there are any charges to file.

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Catching Up With Knowshon Moreno

FanHouse TV — 2010-02-07T08:01:00 00:00

by FanHouse TV

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Video, Super Bowl

MIAMI -- Knowshon Moreno is coming off a roller-coaster rookie season as a running back for the Denver Broncos.

FanHouse TV caught up with him to talk about playing for Josh McDaniels, Georgia Bulldog pride and, of course, to get his Super Bowl pick.

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Remembering Miami: Howard Griffith, Super Bowl XXXIII

Chris Harry — 2010-02-05T14:30:00 00:00

by Chris Harry

Filed under: Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Super Bowl

This is part eight in FanHouse's nine-part series examining memorable moments and players from past Super Bowl games played in Miami. Coming next: Colts defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, Super Bowl XLI.

SUPER BOWL XXXIII
Date: Jan. 31, 1999
Site: Pro Player Stadium
Score: Broncos 34, Falcons 19 (MVP: John Elway)

At the University of Illinois, Howard Griffith scored eight -- count 'em, eight -- touchdowns in a game, breaking a record held by Red Grange, the Illini legend who came to be known as the "Galloping Ghost."

Griffith was given a nickname, too, but not until he carved his niche in the pros. Well into his 11-year NFL career, he was known simply as the "Human Plow," and not because he punished would-be tacklers when he had the ball.

Because of what he did without it.

"I wasn't fast enough to be a tailback. I had to adjust my game," said Griffith, a ninth-round draft pick by Indianapolis who bounced around with four teams. "So I became a great blocker."

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Playoffs of the 2000s: Denver vs. Baltimore

R.J. White — 2010-01-27T13:00:00 00:00

by R.J. White

Filed under: Broncos, Ravens, NFL Playoffs

We're back with the third wild-card game from our Playoffs of the 2000s series. This game includes a team that's struggled to get back to the playoffs lately and a team that squeaked into this year's playoffs, won a road game in the first round, and ultimately fell to AFC champion Indianapolis.

We drew our playoff teams from JJ Cooper's NFL Standings for the Decade article that ran a few weeks back on this site. If you focus on recent history, you would probably imagine that San Diego would have came away as the winner in the AFC West, but think again. Denver was good enough in the early part of the decade that they posted eight more wins than the Chargers, despite San Diego's huge run at the end of this season, the last in the 2000s.

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Mike Nolan, Broncos 'Part Ways'

Will Brinson — 2010-01-18T19:00:00 00:00

by Will Brinson

Filed under: Bills, Broncos, Dolphins, NFL Coaching, NFL Rumors, NFL Quarterbacks

Mike Nolan and the Denver Broncos are "parting ways" according to numerous reports circulating both around the internet and on television -- if the verbiage sounds a little strange, it's because Nolan's departure is considered, to put thing in relationship parlance, a "mutual breakup."

Nolan's departure is pretty shocking, though, because the Broncos, despite their horrible second half, made significant strides in 2009 defensively. On the other hand, it's not that surprising, given Josh McDaniels penchant for not getting along with prominent members of the Broncos organization.

"I have great respect for Mike and wish him success in the future," McDaniels said of Nolan, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

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49ers Lose a Home Game, Will Play Broncos in London

Michael David Smith — 2010-01-15T13:01:00 00:00

by Michael David Smith

Filed under: 49ers, Broncos

San Francisco 49ers fans will only get to see seven regular-season home games in 2010, as the 49ers will "host" the Denver Broncos in London in October.

The Broncos announced on the team's web site that they will travel to London for a road game against the 49ers on Sunday, October 31.

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said he's excited to be taking his team to Wembley Stadium:

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Report: Shanahan Agrees to 5-Year Deal With Redskins

Michael David Smith — 2010-01-05T19:42:00 00:00

by Michael David Smith

Filed under: Broncos, Redskins

(UPDATE: The Redskins have announced they will host a press conference to introduce Mike Shanahan on Wednesday at 2 PM ET.)

Mike Shanahan has reportedly agreed to a five-year contract to become the next head coach of the Washington Redskins.

Mike Klis of The Denver Post reports that the Redskins are making plans for Shanahan to sign his contract and announce the hiring Wednesday.

According to the report, Shanahan will make about $7 million a year with the Redskins. That's about what he was making with the Denver Broncos, and under the terms of his contract with the Broncos, he'll still be paid about $3.5 million a year for the next two years from Denver owner Pat Bowlen while also being paid by the Redskins.

The 57-year-old Shanahan has always been Redskins owner Dan Snyder's top choice, with reports linking him to the team long before Jim Zorn was officially fired as head coach this week. Shanahan has a 154-103 record as an NFL head coach, and he won two Super Bowls with the Broncos.

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Home Loss Completes Denver Meltdown

Matt Snyder — 2010-01-03T20:00:00 00:00

by Matt Snyder

Filed under: Broncos, Chiefs, AFC West

After seven weeks, the Denver Broncos were the toast of the NFL. They were watching Week 7 from home, on their bye week, with a 6-0 record. They had a new head coach (Josh McDaniels) and new quarterback (Kyle Orton). Because of the way things were conducted in the offseason, they were seriously maligned at every turn before the season started -- which had to have made their 6-0 start even more satisfying.

Fast-forward to Sunday, and you have pretty much the same thing Denver fans witnessed last season. The Broncos had blown a significant division lead. This time around they actually blew a huge Wild Card lead as well. In their final 10 games, the Broncos won just two. They lost to the 4-12 Redskins, the 5-11 Raiders and the 4-12 Chiefs. The latter two were at home. The Chiefs loss was an embarrassing 44-24 bloodbath Sunday.

Judging from the way many Broncos fans talk about Jay Cutler, they must have thought they were watching him again on Sunday. Orton lit up the stat sheet to the tune of a whopping 431 yards passing (easily a career high, and he'd only previously topped 300 yards twice), but he also threw three interceptions. Two of them were taken all the way back for touchdowns by the Chiefs defense.

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Broncos' Marshall, Scheffler Benched

Chris Burke — 2010-01-01T15:00:00 00:00

by Chris Burke

Filed under: Broncos

Two days after Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall left practice with a slight hamstring injury, Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels announced Marshall would not play in Sunday's game against Kansas City.

"It will be a coaching decision. There's a number of factors that go into that," McDaniels said Friday morning, according to the Denver Post. He then went on to criticize Marshall for not practicing after suffering his injury.

"There's a lot of players that play with things that are more difficult to play with than what he has."

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Brandon Marshall Injured in Practice

Chris Burke — 2009-12-30T17:00:00 00:00

by Chris Burke

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Injuries

Denver can technically still claim a playoff spot with a loss Sunday, but the likely reality is that the Broncos need a Week 17 win at home over the Chiefs to have any shot at the postseason. Wednesday's news that wide receiver Brandon Marshall left practice with a leg injury could make Denver's job a little harder. .

According to CBS4 in Denver, Marshall came up hobbling after running a route early in the Broncos' workout and did not return to the field. The report diagnosed Marshall's ailment as a strained right hamstring. Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post wrote on Twitter that it "looked pretty bad for Brandon."

The Broncos later listed Marshall on their injury report as being limited in practice. NFL.com reported that Marshall is expected to play Sunday, citing a team source.

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Dumervil Proving Doubters Wrong

Thomas George — 2009-12-30T16:30:00 00:00

by Thomas George

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Analysis

Balancing team goals with individual achievement has been tricky for Denver Broncos linebacker/defensive end Elvis Dumervil. Moving from a hand-down end in a 4-3 defense to a stand-up outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense has been tough, too, he says.

So, how has he made it look so easy?

Dumervil leads the league in sacks with 17, which is already his team's single-season record. He needs six against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday to break Michael Strahan's NFL record of 22 1/2 in a season. Doubt Dumervil can do it?

He had six sacks in one game as a University of Louisville senior. His single-game high this season is four in Week 2 versus the Cleveland Browns. For a guy who made 78 sacks in high school, 20 as a college senior and 43 thus far in four pro seasons, Dumervil has proven that doubters make him more dangerous.

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Bizarre NFL Playoff Scenarios: Broncos Can Lose and Get In

Dan Graziano — 2009-12-30T12:48:00 00:00

by Dan Graziano

Filed under: Broncos, NFL Playoffs, NFL Analysis

Nobody this time of year gets tired of talking NFL playoff scenarios, even if they do make you a little dizzy. But as the convolutions and possibilities pile up on each other, people invariably start looking for questions that make it all simpler. Questions like, "Well, what if everybody loses?"

In the case of the remaining seven contenders for the two AFC wild card spots, such a scenario (while not, technically, possible since the Dolphins and Steelers are playing each other) would favor the Denver Broncos -- the lone team among those seven remaining contenders that can lose its game Sunday and still make the playoffs. Here's how it works:

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