Paige: John Elway’s final desire is to become an owner - They are E-Broncos.  John Elway’s team … again and more so.  But how long will he stay this time, and will Elway end up as minority, or even majority, owner of the Broncos?  Sixteen months ago I wrote: “The savior of the Broncos in 1983 could be the best man to salvage the franchise in 2010. John Elway. Why not hire the most successful, renowned and honored player in Broncos history to a newly created position of executive vice president, football operations? Why not let The Duke of Denver help turn around the team that has been characterized as a ‘laughingstock of the NFL?’”  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Broncos defensive tackle Sealver Siliga making most of his chance - Outside of maybe Utah and the Broncos’ unofficial offseason depth chart, Sealver Siliga is relatively unknown.  Get to know the name.  At the Broncos’ organized team activity (OTA) practice session Wednesday, Siliga was paired with Justin Bannan as the starting defensive tackles.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Mike McCoy says Manning, Broncos offense responded to poor practice - Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said his offense took Wednesday’s subpar practice as a “challenge” and responded well when they returned to the field today. ”We’re installing a system with everybody, and we’re not slowing down. We just keep piling on the players,” McCoy said. “There are going to be days where the offense, we’re going to make some mistakes the defense is going to get the best of us. There are other days where it will work the other way. The offense did a good job today of coming out and responding to the challenge.”  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Notebook: Del Rio, Fox Building ‘Our Defense’ - Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio is understandably excited to once again work with Head Coach John Fox. The two worked on the same staff in Carolina back in 2002, when Del Rio served as defensive coordinator during Fox’s first season as an NFL head coach.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Young Players Learning on the Field - A pair of undrafted wide receivers are drawing some attention from Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy during offseason practices.  Gerell Robinson is one of three rookies on the Denver Broncos from Arizona State University.  Robinson impressed McCoy and staff when they checked out quarterback Brock Osweiler during a pre-draft workout. McCoy said the young guys will continue to get lots of reps in offseason drills, and with a new playbook and a quarterback in Peyton Manning who keeps a rapid pace, Robinson will have an opportunity to earn his keep this summer.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

The Greatest Denver Bronco Team: Offensive Line - In the continuing series looking at the great Broncos at each position, today we’ll be looking at the offensive line. Now this could be done as three separate articles, but I felt looking at the line as a whole was a better plan. Having said that, let’s get to the greats.  Read more from Mile High Report >>>>

Lessons Learned from Denver Broncos’, John Elway’s 2012 Draft Strategy - Trading Tim Tebow and signing Peyton Manning marked the strongest sign yet that Executive VP John Elway is the clear captain of the Denver Broncos ship. With the quarterback situation more in line with his philosophy, the 2012 draft would signify a clear sign of Elway’s vision of the Broncos’ present and future. What did we learn about the way Elway thinks?  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>> 

Finding the Fits: Could Hillman challenge McGahee to be Broncos’ top back in 2012? - Over the next several weeks, NFLDraftScout.com will be reviewing some of the more intriguing picks made during the 2012 NFL draft through a series called ”Finding the Fits.” The goal of the series is to identify one relatively unheralded player per team who appears to be a good schematic fit and therefore more likely to be a surprise contributor early in his pro career.  Read more from CBS Sports >>>>

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The Denver Broncos have seven picks in this month’s NFL Draft.  With penalties now handed out for the Saints’ bounty scandal and compensatory draft picks assigned, here are the Broncos’ 2012 picks as it currently stands:

• Round 1: #25
• Round 2: #57
• Round 3: #87
• Round 4: #108
• Round 4: #120
• Round 5: #137
• Round 6: #188

In case you’re wondering, Cleveland has the most picks at 13.  Conversely, New Orleans and Oakland have only five picks apiece.

I’ll soon provide the Broncos entire 2012 draft rundown on the right side of Denver Horse Force’s homepage.

For the full 2012 NFL Draft order, go here and download the Excel spreadsheet.  (Yay spreadsheets!)

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The Broncos’ defense didn’t get much help from the Broncos’ offense last season - Today’s question about the Broncos comes from Gerry Di Carlo in San Diego. Q: What was the Denver defense’s average minutes per game last season?  A: The defense was on the field a lot last season.  Denver led the NFL in rushing with a franchise-record 2,632 yards and tied for the NFL lead in carries (546), yet ranked only 25th in the 32-team league in average time of possession at 28 minutes, 51 seconds per game. Houston was the NFL leader in average time of possession at 32:41.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

UConn defensive tackle could be Broncos’ first-round draft pick - Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes looks like a late first-round pick in the NFL’s April 26-28 draft, which means the Broncos probably are interested in him at No. 25 overall.  Reyes (6-foot-4 and 299 pounds) has the size and power the Broncos are looking for at defensive tackle. He showed impressive strength at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis in February, bench-pressing 225 pounds 36 times.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Ex-mate: Tim Tebow wants to start - Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey, who experienced two seasons of Tebowmania, delivered a warning to New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on Tuesday.  Tim Tebow wants your job.  ”Oh, he’s going to challenge him, absolutely,” Bailey said at the launch of the NFL’s new uniforms in Brooklyn. “Sanchez can’t feel too comfortable in his seat. If he keeps playing well, he doesn’t have to worry about it. But if he doesn’t play well, we all know what’s going to happen next.”  Read more from ESPN >>>>

‘What if’ game relevant in AFC West - The AFC West was the tightest division in the NFL in 2011.  The Broncos, Raiders and Chargers finished 8-8 with Denver prevailing as the division winner via a tiebreaker. Kansas City was a game behind at 7-9. The Chiefs were a blocked field goal attempt against Oakland in Week 16 away from winning the division.   Read more from ESPN >>>>

Polian Says Broncos Immediate Contenders With Manning - Former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian explained to ESPN that he thinks the Denver Broncos will be legitimate contenders this season. In an “inside” piece, Polian says, “I’d bet that the offense will take off in the second half of the season, making the Broncos legitimate championship contenders.”  Read more from Predominantly Orange >>>>

Fan Fuel: 2012 NFL Free Agency Winners - The NFL free agency frenzy has somewhat died down since football’s version of PowerBall started back on March 13th. Some teams attacked free agency with ferocious zeal while others sat on their hands.  Today, we’re going to have a look at the teams I deem to be winners in the free agency process. The following teams have added players that will bring a major improvement to their record and, hopefully, their spot in the standings.  Read more from SportsNet >>>>

2012 NFL Draft: Why the Denver Broncos Are a Perfect Fit for LaMichael James-  The Denver Broncos should draft running back LaMichael James with the 57th pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Not only is he a perfect fit for the team, but he could be the catalyst the offense needs to become the most dangerous unit in the NFL.  James draws comparisons to Darren Sproles due to his lack of height (5’8”) and abundance of speed. His ability to find holes combined with his Dante Hall-like jukes enables him to escape tight spaces before bursting into the open field.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

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Broncos’ draft board will see a lot changes before April 26 arrives -  When it comes to the NFL draft, the Broncos have made their first list. They will be checking it more than twice.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Denver Broncos check out draft prospects at Senior Bowl - In the sea of scouts, coaches, agents, media and personnel executives taking notes Wednesday at the Senior Bowl, John Elway still found a way to get seats on the 50-yard line, 10 rows up from the field.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

John Fox in no rush to find Broncos defensive coordinator - After more than a quarter century in the NFL, Broncos coach John Fox said he’s seen a lot of things.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Season Tough on Injured Players - For all the success and fun the Broncos had on the football field this year, there’s always one side to every team that usually gets lost amongst everything happening on Sundays.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

2012 NFL Draft News: Denver Broncos A Good Fit For Two Senior Bowl Prospects - The Senior Bowl is a great opportunity for established collegiate players to show they can perform in a professional setting, stand out against other motivated amateur talent and prepare themselves for the 2012 NFL Draft process.   Read more from SB Nation >>>>

NFL Mock Draft 2012: Luke Kuechly Goes To Broncos In ProFootballWeekly’s 1st Mock - The Denver Broncos increased the talent level at linebacker in 2011 by drafting Von Miller with the second overall pick of the draft. Might the Broncos want to look to improve at middle linebacker in the 2012 NFL Draft? The team faces the potential loss of Joe Mays through free agency and Nate Irving wasn’t able to do much as a rookie. The Broncos could draft Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, as ProFootballWeekly projects right now.  Read more from SB Nation >>>>

Von Miller Exclusive Interview: Denver LB Checks in from 2012 Pro Bowl - Von Miller just finished his first season with the Denver Broncos and earned a Pro-Bowl trip after just his rookie year after netting 11.5 sacks, 64 tackles and two forced fumbles.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

Senior Bowl 2012 – Who to Watch for: South Team - Day three is over and we have three prospects (and then some) you should be keeping an eye on as the Saturday game approaches.  Read more from Mile High Report >>>>

Spano’s Rant: A Good Guy Who Should Finish First - Throughout this season, I had an opportunity to meet and build a relationship with one of the finest human beings that I have or will ever talk to. He’s humble, he’s funny and he shows respect to those around him. Football is his love, but kids are his passion. His family is his backbone and his relationship with his religion has no bounds.  Read more from Mile High Sports >>>>

CBS4 To Recap A Wild Broncos Season – From 1-4 to a win in the first round of the playoffs. From John Elway to Von Miller to Tim Tebow. It was certainly a wild season to be a Broncos fan.  Read more from CBS4 >>>>

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Broncos know they’ll be forced to pass vs. Steelers - With their postseason game closing in, the Broncos get the point.  They get that a struggling offense and its young quarterback must find a way to push the ball over the goal line more often than they’ve done much of the past two months.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Broncos’ O-coordinator McCoy: Jaguars’ job won’t distract me - Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said today he’s not letting the opportunity to interview for Jacksonville’s head coaching vacancy distract from preparations for the Broncos’ first playoff game in six years.  Read more from The Denver Post >>>>

Notebook: Situation Familiar to Allen - In the NFL, the mantra is anything can happen any given Sunday.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Steelers Roethlisberger OK, Pouncey questionable - A sprained left ankle won’t keep Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out of Sunday’s AFC wild card game in Denver, but one could sideline starting center Maurkice Pouncey.  Read more from The Associated Press >>>>

Kovacevic: Broncos brace for … Wallace? - Pity the poor security guy who spent his Thursday patrolling the perimeter of the Denver Broncos’ practice field, whispering into his walkie-talkie and peering from behind Secret Service-like sunglasses at anyone suspicious.  Read more from Pittsburgh Tribune-Review >>>>

2012 NFL Draft: Denver Broncos May Draft QB, But Not In 1st Round - The Denver Broncos are playing in the postseason, so they’re likely not all in yet on the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. They’ll need to soon, though, given the numerous places where the Broncos need to show improvement.  Read more from SB Nation >>>>

Terrell Suggs: ‘Once again, God had to save Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos’ - Terrell Suggs doesn’t have a football game this weekend, let alone one against the Denver Broncos, but he was still speaking his mind about the Broncos and their lightning-rod quarterback this week.  Read more from The Washington Post >>>>

Broncos don’t mind being the underdogs - The way Las Vegas sees it, the Denver Broncos have a 1% chance of winning the Super Bowl, the longest odds in the playoff field. According to R.J. Bell of Pregame.com, a $100 bet on Denver to win it all would pay $7,200 if the Broncos were to make good on the wager.  Read more from Los Angeles Times >>>>

Soldier ‘Tebowing’ Mid-Flight To Support Broncos - How does a die-hard Denver Broncos fan show his support for the team?  Read more from KMGH >>>>

Impatience spins the coaching carousel - Three years ago, the NFL found itself in a similar position to where it is today. In the days following black Monday, teams scrambled to hire head coaches to replace the ones they fired.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

How the Denver Broncos Can Win on Sunday - Can the Denver Broncos beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday? Well let’s put it this way, the home team, Denver, is a nine point underdog. Given the fact that a team normally gets three points for playing at home, that’s an eye popping line.  Read more from The XLog >>>> 

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Broncos cornerback Cassius Vaughn has what head coach John Fox is calling a “significant” leg injury.

The Denver Post reports Vaughn broke his fibula during a 36-yard kickoff return in the first quarter of Sunday’s game at San Diego.  The Broncos have not put Vaughn on injured reserve, but with only five regular season games remaining, his return this season is in doubt.  Fox told the media Monday:

“[The injury] is significant enough and we’re still determining the right course.”

Brandon Lloyd's legacy in Denver is a 5th round draft pick in 2012. (personal photo)

The Broncos did not sign another player to the roster after last week’s release of quarterback Kyle Orton.  If Vaughn is placed on IR, the team could add two players to round out the 53-man roster.

Broncos Get 5th Round Draft Pick

I tweeted this yesterday, but here it is again for the non-Twitter crowd out there…

Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd caught his 30th pass of the season for St. Louis, giving the Broncos a 5th round pick in next year’s NFL Draft.  If Lloyd didn’t reach the 30-reception milestone, Denver would have received a 6th round pick.

The Broncos traded the Pro Bowl WR to St. Louis in October.

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The Denver Post: The secret to the Broncos’ success Sunday?  Putting the heat on Philip Rivers.

The Denver Post: DT Brodrick Bunkley is making his presence felt.

The Denver Post: Givin’ some love to Doom & Gloom.

DenverBroncos.com: The Broncos are in San Diego primed and ready to clash with the Chargers.

FOX: The Broncos hope for the another chapter of Tebow Magic in San Diego.

SanDiego.com: Another game preview…this one from the enemy’s perspective.

ESPN: In the latest edition of the AFC West mailbag, tackling a question about the Broncos quarterback situation in 2012.

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Tebow's play this season will indicate if the Broncos need to think QB in the 2012 NFL Draft. (personal photo)

It’s an oft-overused quip: “I don’t know why dogs chase cars.  Do they really think they can catch them, and what would they do with them if they did?”

I feel like this perfectly describes the situation unfolding throughout Broncos Country right now.  Fans have spent so much time begging for Tim Tebow, debating about Tim Tebow, and hating Tim Tebow that there’s really no real collective clue as to what should happen now that Tim Tebow is starting quarterback.

Assuming head coach John Fox sticks with Tebow for the remainder of the season, what kind of performance does the young quarterback need to provide to make him Denver’s “answer” going forward?  Just how many games do the Tebow-led Broncos need to win for Denver to not go quarterback shopping in the 2012 NFL Draft?

It’s a difficult question to answer.  First, there are circumstances.  The Broncos just traded their most veteran, productive, and overall best receiver.  It’s unclear whether Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas will return to the roster as productive players. Dove Valley is mum regarding how much offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is amending the offense to exploit Tebow’s skill set.  All these things aside, wins are wins.  Either you get them or you don’t, and franchise quarterbacks find ways to get them.

So let’s back-time this thing, to see just what Tim Tebow needs to accomplish to be Denver’s guy come 2012 and beyond.

11 wins - Tebow-mania basically rivals the Arab Spring in terms of viral fervor.  A flawless finish puts the Broncos in the playoffs, likely as the team that no one wants to play.  Regardless of whether the Broncos even win a game in the postseason, 2011 is already touted as a smashing success, Tebow’s jersey once again becomes the top-seller nationwide, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are chased all the way to Los Angeles by the 5 actual Jags fans who haven’t forgotten their team passed on Tebow.  Tebow is a saint.

Courtesy Jeffrey Beall

10 wins – Denver likely still makes the playoffs.  Sunday pregame shows feature at least one Tebow story, conversation, or cheesy breakdown on a swath of astroturf each of the final 5 weeks of the season.  ESPN’s “Sports Science” uses a golden eagle, tugboat, and excavator to describe the efficiency of Tebow’s unorthodox throwing motion.  Josh McDaniels is fired after an abysmal season as offensive coordinator in St. Louis, but is immediately offered a GM position by several teams.  Tebow is a savior.

9 wins – The Denver Broncos finish 10-6 and are either the last team in the playoffs or the first team out.  It doesn’t really matter as Tim Tebow has already become the toast of the NFL.  Seven weeks of Chris Berman saying, “Tommy, there’s somethin’ goin’ on in Denver!” finally give way to a full on, Schaap-tastic cover story.  Tebow ends the season only narrowly trailing Brett Favre in number of times announcer’s have mentioned his, “childlike enthusiasm for the game.”  Tebow is a lock.

8 wins – Seizing a winning season for 2011, Tim Tebow is merely a national phenomenon. Despite missing the playoffs, Tebow is still the hands-down favorite to grace the cover of the next Madden game, prompting Aaron Rodgers to wonder how many Super Bowls in a row he has to win to get on that dang video game cover.   John Fox looks like a miracle worker for making something out of nothing, and John Elway is officially made King of Denver.  Tebow is a super-duperstar.

7 wins – Denver finishes the season at .500.  No one realizes this is exactly the kind of performance that got Mike Shanahan fired once upon a time, because they’re entirely too busy anointing Tebow as the next great Broncos hero.  Merril Hoge issues the “The Apology” in a half hour “Year of the Quarterback” special which is far better than “The Decision,” yet still considerably lamer then the original “Apology” orated by Plato.  The Broncos spend the 2012 draft continuing to bolster the defense, and plucking a receiver here and there.  Tebow is the future.

6 wins – The Denver Broncos finish with the most respectable losing record you can get.  Tebow believers now greatly outnumber dissenters.  Some still scoff at the idea of Tebow as the answer, but are reminded the Broncos record would’ve put them in the playoffs in the NFC West last year.  The Broncos brass “feels they have a good foundation to build on,” and fans actually believe them.  Far from contention in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes the Broncos move far clear of drafting a top quarterback as John Fox has neither the physical or psychological capacity to endure another quarterback controversy for at least 2 years.  Tebow is safe.

5 wins – Denver finishes 6-10.  Fans were admittedly hoping for more than a two game improvement from the previous season, but take solace in the fact that the team appears to be moving forward, albeit slowly.  There’s still considerable uncertainty about Tebow’s ability to be a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL.  Merril Hoge stands by his statements, but offers the addendum of “if Tim Tebow can get the coaching and maturation that he missed during the last offseason, we’ll have a better idea come September.”  The Broncos look long and hard at the draft board, and weigh using their second round pick on a quarterback who will either challenge, or become trade fodder.  Tebow has work to do.

4 wins – A one game improvement over the previous season doesn’t provide much hope.  Some chalk up the failed season to a regime change and cite the lengthy process of rebuilding.  Other Broncos fans crumble into full despair as Denver was too good to get Andrew Luck, but too bad to offer much hope of meaningful competition moving forward.  The Broncos are in the ether.  Every job is up for grabs as team management looks to change personnel through much of the roster.  Tebow is on the edge.

3 wins or fewer – At this point it all comes down to how much of a possibility Andrew Luck is, or how much John Fox and John Elway believe Tebow will never succeed as a quarterback.  Depending on the answer to these two questions, Tebow either gets an offseason and five games to prove himself, or is shipped off…probably to Andy Reid, because he just likes to collect things.

So, Tim Tebow’s magic number…let’s call it 6 wins.  All the character, intangible, and debatable points aside, if  Tim Tebow can prove that he’ll win more than he’ll lose, there will likely be a home for him as a permanent NFL quarterback.  It will certainly be fun to watch.

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Brandon Lloyd gets his wish to star in a pass-oriented offense.

And it’s a Josh McDaniels offense he’s familiar with.

The Broncos have sent the Pro Bow wide receiver to St. Louis for a conditional draft pick.  If Lloyd has 30 catches in his final 11 games of 2011, that pick is a fifth-round selection 2012.  If not, it’s a sixth rounder.  Considering what the Broncos reportedly wanted, that’s a bargain.

It’s also officially “Go Time” for Denver’s young receiving contingent, but as John Elway tweeted this morning, he’s not worried:

“I’m excited about our wide receiver group – This is as healthy as we’ve been at that position since the start of the year. Our young WRs have really emerged and made some plays, and this is a great opportunity for them to continue to step up.”

Brandon Lloyd is headed to St. Louis. (personal photo)

Lloyd told The Denver Post:

“I think it’s a good situation for both sides.  (The Broncos) have an opportunity to take a look at their young guys, see what direction they want to go in. And I get to go into a system where they pass the ball more.”

Demaryius Thomas is expected back in the lineup soon, giving the Broncos added depth at wide receiver.  Depth aside, the Broncos receiving corps is still largely inexperienced, minus Eddie Royal – who was (is?) also on the trading block.

Lloyd said the trade has nothing to do with Denver’s recent switch at quarterback.  In fact, trade discussions started before Tim Tebow was named as Kyle Orton’s replacement, though Lloyd has been a vocal supporter of Orton’s:

“No, the offense changed with coach (John) Fox.  We still had the same quarterback. There just wasn’t as many pass plays being called. Nothing against coach Fox. He’s the coach.”

Despite the Rams’ inability to score this season (last in the league at 9.8 points per game), St. Louis is led by talented young quarterback Sam Bradford.  The second-year player is still adjusting to McDaniels’ style of offense.  The addition of Lloyd’s leadership and knowledge of the system should help in Bradford’s maturation and confidence.  Lloyd added:

“It stinks that I have to leave Denver.  But it feels like a smooth transition. I get along with Xanders. My agent David Dunn gets along with Xanders. That’s why this was so smooth. This wasn’t an angry, disgruntled situation. I loved my time here. If I ever say anything about Denver, the organization, the players, the city, it’s a mistake. It’s been awesome. I’m not angry, I’m not bitter. I’m ready to go play.”

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The Denver Post: Why is the Titans’ LP Field such a challenge for opposing team’s offensive line?  Here’s your answer.

The Denver Post: Tim Tebow playing WR is just the latest of notable NFL pinch-hitting.

DenverBroncos.com: As you know, the team re-signed TE Dante Rosario earlier this week.  Here’s more on his return to Denver.

Football News Now: Broncos face first road test of 2011 season.

Real Aspen: A look at religion, politics, and Denver Broncos football.

NFL Mocks: Thinking ahead to 2012 NFL Draft? These folks are.

Sporting News: An interview with the never shy Shannon Sharpe.

Titans Radio: Not surprise here; the Titans want revenge against Denver.

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