Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag every Tuesday during the 2007 National Football League season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a Broncos- or NFL-related question into the Broncos Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
I’m a Kenard Lang fan. I enjoy his interviews, and he seems to be a good team leader. Being so deep and competitive at defensive end, what needs to happen for him to make the team?
— Tony Ellsworth, Papillion, Neb.
Tony – You picked a good guy to like. Everybody likes Kenard. Funny guys who aren’t afraid to speak their mind tend to become the media’s good friend. Having said that, Kenard entered camp balancing on the 53-man bubble. Three defensive ends are assured of making it: rookies Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder as well as second-year player Elvis Dumervil. If the Broncos keep five ends, that leaves three veterans – John Engelberger, Ebenezer Ekuban and Lang – competing for the other two spots.
Lang may be facing the longest odds because he’s a better pass rusher than run stopper, which is also true of Moss and Dumervil. Engelberger and Ekuban are stronger against the run, so they figure to have the edge.
Don’t give up hope, though, Tony. It’s way too early.
What assistant-coaching changes have the Broncos made this offseason, and what effect will all the new coaches make on this year’s team?
— Brian Davis, Cheyenne
Brian – I had heard news takes its time before getting to Cheyenne. Let me try to catch you up, Brian. The No. 1 new coaching addition is Jim Bates as defensive boss. He had some good years running the Miami defense and one year in Green Bay. He believes in beefy defensive tackles taking up two blockers apiece so his linebackers can roam free for the ballcarrier. He also believes in lining his defensive ends wide off the tackles and letting them go at the quarterbacks.
One of Bates’ first moves was to lure defensive line coach Bill Johnson away from the Atlanta Falcons. Johnson was in demand this offseason – the San Francisco 49ers made a serious pitch for him – so the Broncos got a good one. Bates also brought in Joe Baker, who had previously coached with St. Louis, Green Bay and New Orleans, to coach up his linebackers – no small job with D.J. Williams moving to the middle.
The other major coaching addition was Scott O’Brien as special teams coordinator. The Broncos were, at best, mediocre and, at worst, atrocious in special teams last season. O’Brien’s special teams units have accounted for 31 touchdowns in his 14 NFL seasons.
There was also some reshuffling among the returning coaches with promotions going to Bob Slowik (defensive coordinator), Jeremy Bates (quarterbacks/receivers coach) and Steve Watson (associate head coach). And special teams captain Keith Burns became the special teams assistant coach.
No one knows for sure if the new coaches are better than the Broncos’ former coaches, but they are different. And given the way the Broncos, particularly the defense, fizzled in the second half of last season, different has to be good.
Hey, Mike. I have been a Broncos fan for 25 years (I am 30) and have become uncomfortable with the team’s reluctance to
tinker with its uniforms. Any chance they will wear their third orange jerseys this season?
— Mike, Toronto
Mike – Now that the offseason is behind us, ordinarily I am reluctant to answer mailbag questions that require more than 15 minutes of research. In fact, this question was sent to me last week and I blew it off, even if it did pique my interest.
And then, an epiphany, courtesy of the NFL Network.
It was showing one of its classics, and there were the Broncos, wearing burnt orange tops, blowing an 11-point lead with 7 minutes remaining against the lowly Raiders in a game played in a snowstorm at Invesco Field in 2004.
And I thought: There’s your answer, Mike.
But to make sure, I poked around and, sure enough, my hypothesis was confirmed.
Far as the Broncos know, they have worn the burnt orange jerseys twice in the past five years, both at home – in 2002, when Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 51-yard field goal in overtime to give Indy a 23-20 win, and in 2004, when the Raiders blocked a relatively short Jason Elam field-goal attempt at the gun to win 25-24.
I’m not going to accuse Mike Shanahan of being superstitious, but has anyone ever seen him wearing 13 pieces of jewelry? Much as the Broncos’ marketing department would love to have the team wear the burnt orange jerseys in hopes of boosting merchandise sales, let there be no doubt this organization is about winning, first. And if history suggests the Broncos suffer heartbreaking defeats every time they wear the burnt orange tops, burnt orange has no shot.
Mike – I keep hearing how we are short on receivers and how they may not have a No. 2 if Brandon Marshall can’t stay healthy. Do you think they would ever go after Keyshawn Johnson?
— Steve, St. Paul, Minn.
Steve – First, know that the people here are thinking about all the people in the Twin Cities following the unthinkable collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. The Broncos have three players who were especially shook by the incident – rookie left tackle Ryan Harris, whose mom, dad and two younger siblings live in your city; and offensive linemen Ben Hamilton and Greg Eslinger, who both attended the University of Minnesota. They all know people who were within 10 minutes of the bridge before it crumbled into ruins, but all their friends and family are accounted for.
As for Keyshawn Johnson – no chance. Keyshawn didn’t have much speed in his prime, so he might have trouble getting separation from an inside linebacker now that he’s been out of the game for a few months. The Broncos believe awaiting the return to health of Marshall, Brandon Stokley and Rod Smith are better options.
Last season the Broncos started drives with particularly poor field position. Nothing would be better for Jay Cutler than good field position. Since good punt returns enhance field position, who will return punts this season? Broncos coach Mike Shanahan always seems to neglect punt returns. Help!
— Charles Fazio, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho
Hey, Charles, did you just run into Jake Plummer up there in Coeur D’Alene? Because special teams didn’t do Jake any favors last year. Nor Jay Cutler, come to think of it. Anyway, if you do run into Jake in Coeur D’Alene (his dad Steve lives there and Jake is somewhere in the area), give him my best. We could all use a dose of his devil-may-care spirit now that we’re creeping into the dog days of training camp.
The return jobs will be won during the preseason games, but going in, Domenik Hixon is the top candidate for punts while Quincy Morgan has been taking the first crack at kickoffs. There’s a chance Hixon could do both, although his early camp shoulder injury may mean the Broncos will keep a backup. And Morgan has considerably more experience. David Kircus is another candidate for both return positions.
Mike – I am concerned why the Broncos didn’t draft a safety this year to groom as a replacement for John Lynch or Nick Ferguson, who are getting up there in age. Can you tell me why and what the plan is?
— Michael Cintron, Arvada
Michael – I had the same questions on draft day. Fortunately, I have a press pass so I was able to ask the powers-that-be directly. Here’s why: The Broncos didn’t want to draft a safety in the first or second round, and then have him sit a year behind Lynch and Ferguson. Because no matter how old they are, the Broncos believe Lynch, 35, and Ferguson, 32, can outplay any rookie. Reading between the lines, the Broncos aren’t interested in grooming a kid safety. If they’re going to use a first-round pick on a safety, the kid safety better be ready from the jump.
Another factor – the Broncos do think highly of backup safeties Curome Cox and Hamza Abdullah. Cox is in his fourth season with the team, and Abdullah is a third-year pro. That puts their progress way ahead of Ferguson, who didn’t get his first legitimate shot until his eighth year.
OK, I am happy for . When will Dan Reeves be placed in the Ring of Fame?
— Robert Ross, Monterey, Tenn.
Robert – The Broncos’ Ring of Fame has the same 5-year retirement restriction as the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although owner Pat Bowlen made an understandable exception for John Elway. The Duke went in before the sweat dried from his shoulder pads.
Reeves’ last season as coach with the Atlanta Falcons was in 2003, so he won’t be considered until the summer of 2009. My guess is the Ring of Fame committee will put him in without discussion. Remember, it was Reeves who brought Elway to Denver. And three Super Bowl appearances can’t hurt his case, either.
I’ve made it a point through Rod Smith’s storied career not to bet against the undrafted free agent. So, what would you say the line is on him retaining (or regaining) his starting spot?
— Bob Mancuso, Phoenix
Bob – I’ve shared your thoughts about how foolish Rod Smith has made those who have doubted him. But here’s a mindbender for you: Is it tougher to overcome the odds as an undrafted free agent from a small school when you’re young and healthy? Or when you’re a proven veteran, but 37 years old and coming off a major hip operation that left you on crutches for 10 weeks?
Tough call. The problem with athletic mortality is it doesn’t care about the past. Regarding the here and now, the odds may be against Smith even playing again, much less regaining his starting spot. Then again, I’ve seen him work and if I were to bet, I’d put my money on Smith starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, but getting activated somewhere between week 7 and 10 in the regular season. I’d even bet on him getting three more catches to pass Irving Fryar and move into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list.
Mike Klis is in his third season of covering the Broncos after previously covering the Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. To drop a question into his Broncos Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
