NFL free agency officially begins March 12. Here’s a list of the Denver Broncos free agents, according to DenverBroncos.com. DHF will be updating the offseason signings, so check back often.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

CB Tracy Porter is an unrestricted free agent. (personal photo)

• DT Justin Bannan
• LB Keith Brooking
•  S David Bruton
•  T Ryan Clady
•  C Dan Koppen
•  S Jim Leonhard
• CB Tracy Porter
• WR Brandon Stokley
• DT Kevin Vickerson
• WR Matthew Willis

*Unrestricted free agents can speak with and sign with any NFL team.

Restricted Free Agents:

• RB Lance Ball
•  T Chris Clark
•  P Britton Colquitt
• FB Chris Gronkowski

*Denver has the right to match any offer given to restricted free agents.

Exclusive-Rights Free Agents:

• CB Tony Carter
• DT Mitch Unrein

*Exclusive-rights free agents may only sign with the Broncos.

 “Futures” Contracts:

•  G Justin Boren
•  T Paul Cornick
• DT Ben Garland
•  S Blake Gideon
•  S Duke Ihenacho
• RB Jeremiah Johnson
• WR Gerell Robinson
•  G Quentin Saulsberry

*”Futures”players can participate in Broncos’ offseason programs and are also invited to training camp.

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The fan votes are in…

And right now seven Denver Broncos are in line to be 2013 Pro Bowl starters.  Another ten players are within striking distance.

Fan votes count for one-third of Pro Bowl votes, with coaches and players each making up a third.  Broncos players and coaches will vote Thursday.

The 2013 Pro Bowl roster will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 26 on NFL Network.

Leading the fan vote is quarterback Peyton Manning.  Cornerback Champ Bailey and outside linebacker Von Miller are the AFC’s top vote-getters at their respective positions.

Other “fan starters” include outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who trails his teammate.  AFC’s No. 2 defensive end is Elvis Dumervil.  Tackle Ryan Clady and guard Zane Beadles are also in second place at their positions.

Here’s the rest of the list:

3rd Place –

• ST David Bruton
• MLB Keith Brooking
• PR/KR Trindon Holliday
• C Dan Koppen

4th Place –

• P Britton Colquitt
• WR Demaryius Thomas

5th Place –

• S Mike Adams
• FB Chris Gronkowski
• FS Rahim Moore
• K Matt Prater

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Here’s something I didn’t think was possible a month ago: The Denver Broncos have – or will soon have – flexibility at linebacker.

The unit has looked downright terrible at times this season, notably in the Broncos’ losses to the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.  The dismal performances even had me pining for the return of suspended linebacker D.J. Williams, a much-maligned player many thought Denver should have cut ties with before the season.

Denver Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard has earned his starting role. (personal photo)

But after watching the Broncos’ last 90 minutes of football, something changed; there’s been a defensive renaissance – thanks in part to improved play at linebacker, and more specifically, Wesley Woodyard.

At 6-feet and 220 pounds, Woodyard is undersized for an NFL linebacker, but he compensates with instinct and quickness, two attributes often described by football pundits as “uncoachable” traits.  Entering the season, those characteristics were typically limited to special teams where Woodyard has served as team captain since joining the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2008.

Woodyard has a knack for knowing where to be on the field, and that anticipation shined on Sunday night in the Broncos’ walloping of the New Orleans Saints.  Woodyard’s field presence showed on his stat line: 13 tackles, interception, sack, forced fumble, tackle for loss, and two passes defensed.

Woodyard started seven games last season while Williams’ was injured, but this time around, No. 52 is not about to give up his role.

In training camp, the thinking might have been to merely let Woodyard keep Williams’ seat warm until his return, but not anymore.  He’s made a convincing case to remain Denver’s weak side linebacker.  It seems to be an easy decision for defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio to make, and it’s not just because of Woodyard’s impressive tackle-leading stats.

With Joe Mays now on injured reserve, the Broncos are noticeably thin at middle linebacker.  Williams could likely soon share snaps with veteran Keith Brooking, a decent enough run stopper but a liability in pass coverage – which isn’t so much his fault as a product of being an aging human being. Rookie Steven Johnson is currently second on the depth chart, and he has zero tackles in his young NFL career.  Compare that to weak side linebacker – a position now apparently controlled by University of Kentucky football products (and much to my chagrin) – with Woodyard and rookie Danny Trevathan, who continues to see more playing time.

D.J. Williams, seen here watching practice, returns Nov. 12. (personal photo)

Williams played strong side linebacker early in his Broncos career, but Pro Bowler Von Miller has a stranglehold on that position with Nate Irving as backup.

Another byproduct of Williams’ return is added flexibility for Del Rio.

Let’s assume the Broncos go with Miller, Williams, and Woodyard as the starting strong, middle, and weak side linebackers, respectively. Del Rio has the option of implementing more of a rotation with Brooking, Irving and Trevathan.  Or if Brooking gets the starting nod over Williams, then he comes in later downs.  Maybe the 4-3 base defense gets a wrinkle as the Broncos throw in some occasional 3-4 schemes, or maybe we see Trevathan play more in modified nickel situations just as Woodyard did in previous seasons.

Given Denver’s current trajectory it seems likely this team could once again see the middle-strong offenses that gave the defense fits in the opening weeks (Houston and New England).  The return of Williams, bolstered by the ability to generate even more exotic looks in the box could serve the Broncos well if and when the high profile offenses come calling.

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If you followed DHF’s Quarter Calls during or immediately after Sunday night’s game, you got a recap of the headlines by quarter.  Here are some additional thoughts following another impressive outing by the Denver Broncos.

Broncos CB Chris Harris, a second year undrafted player out of Kansas, has been a huge asset for Denver’s secondary. (personal photo)

Defensive dominance – Quarterback Peyton Manning deservedly gets the lion’s share of credit and attention, but make no mistake, the Broncos defense was the impact unit in this game.  Most anyone who cares about football expected this game to be a high-scoring shootout.  The Broncos scored.  The Saints stalled.  It will be interesting to see how this unit continues to perform.  The replacement pieces of cornerbacks Chris Harris and Tony Carter and linebackers Wesley Woodyard, Keith Brooking, and Danny Trevathan seem to have a good thing going.  What happens when cornerback Tracy Porter and linebacker D.J. Williams become available again in the coming weeks?  It was especially nice to see extended minutes for Trevathan who did an adequate job in pass coverage against Jimmy Graham (even though Graham was noticeably less than 100%).  The Broncos front seven remained strong in the middle and at the point of attack.

Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker improving – It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of Denver’s starting duo.  Ahead of the season the common belief was adding Manning would almost instantly make Thomas and Decker vaunted stars.  It turns out they each still have work to do.  While you can’t complain about their performances on Sunday, there are still shortcomings.  What Manning has done is allowed Thomas and Decker the opportunity to make huge impacts.  Now it’s up to them to take their respective games to another level.  Not there yet, but heading in the right direction…and hopefully making that “Fumbles and Stumbles” nickname I recently gave them a distant memory.

Holliday redemption- Trindon Holliday helped his case dramatically with some solid punt returns.  He has an interesting technique: catch ball, take hop to set feet, start running.  Most dynamic returners explode the moment the ball hits their hands.  Hey…whatever works.  Of note, the Broncos are allowing Holliday opportunities as a returner, but haven’t let him out of the dog house just yet for his turnover in San Diego.  Jim Leonhard got the nod as returner in obvious fair catch situations.

Denver Broncos wide receivers Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas: So much training camp promise…finally coming to fruition? (personal photo)

Running weapons – It took the league’s worst defense, but the Broncos finally got a glimpse of what could be in terms of ground game.  Willis McGahee was his typical, yardage chewing self.  Ronnie Hillman finally started to flash.  Hillman had some impressive sprints, but you can bet running backs coach Eric Studesville will be calling him out in the film room for not running north-south enough.  The rookie put his impressive speed and agility on display, but will have to work on finding lanes upfield rather than toward the sideline.  Several rushes found Hillman sacrifice yardage as he attempted to run laterally around defenders.

Expecting wins – Looking at the Broncos remaining schedule during the bye week, it was tempting to think this team could very well win out.  However, as the New Orleans game came into sight some reality started to set in as the Saints were on an upswing, still had a potent offense, and let’s face it; the NFC looks much, much stronger than the AFC.  After Sunday, the prospect of a serious winning streak once again feels plausible.  It’s still the NFL and that means nothing is a given, but based on the last six quarters of Broncos football it appears Denver should be the favorite in each of its remaining games.

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The Denver Broncos are 60 minutes away from a bye week…

And perhaps a lead in the AFC West.

The Broncos head to San Diego for a Monday night divisional showdown against the Chargers.  It’s Peyton Manning’s second division game as a Bronco, but the Chargers are an old foe.  During his tenure with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning has produced some non-Manning-like numbers when facing the Chargers, going 1-5 in his last six outings – 1-4 against Norv Turner-led teams.

But something has to give, because Manning’s performance on Monday night is about as opposite as you can get with an 11-4 all-time record, including Week 2’s loss in Atlanta.

When the NFL schedule was released in April, we all knew the Broncos faced a brutal introduction to the 2012 season: Four 2011 playoff teams and two nasty AFC West matchups against teams that Denver just edged for the division title a season ago.

Depending on Monday night’s outcome, the Broncos will enter the bye week 2-4 or 3-3 (barring an unlikely tie).  It goes without saying the Broncos – and fans – would prefer the latter.

Can, or will, the San Diego Chargers execute a hurried, hurry-up offense like New England? (Courtesy Keith Allison)

When San Diego has the ball: There are fewer things in life I enjoy more than seeing Philip Rivers have a bad day.  My dislike of Rivers predates his NFL arrival, thanks to what’s forever known as the “worst sports weekend in my life.”  I’ll spare you the details this time around, but you can read why here.)

Luckily, here in Denver, my thoughts on Rivers are right in sync with the masses.

But for me, at least this time around, the focus isn’t so much on Rivers and company, but rather, how the Broncos defense performs, because last week was downright ugly.

Granted, the San Diego Chargers are not the New England Patriots, but given the Broncos’ third-down defense, it doesn’t necessarily matter.  Denver opponents are converting on 46.7% of third-down situations.  That statistic equals two things: 1) Denver’s defense is spending more time on the field, which also means 2) Peyton Manning is spending less time on the field.

Will the Chargers adopt something similar to the Patriots turbo-speed offense used against Denver to perfection?  Honestly, San Diego lacks the personnel and coaching for anything breakneck speed, but in a copycat league, a “little brother” version wouldn’t surprise me…especially provided what that did for the Patriots running game last week.

The confusing thing about the Denver defense is that it went from a lockdown effort against a talented running back in Darren McFadden to a porous outfit against New England’s committee of decent backs.  The Broncos shut down running games in both this season’s wins.  With a talented back like Ryan Mathews, the Chargers will want to get him running downhill early.  San Diego’s passing game is a threat, but could have problems if Denver’s defense is allowed to play pass for the majority of the second half.

One last tidbit: The Denver Post reports Keith Brooking, who turns 37 later this month, is expected to start at middle linebacker in place of Joe Mays.

When Denver has the ball:  It’s a pretty simple concept: Don’t fumble. The turnover-prone Broncos are minus-6 in turnover differential, ranking 29th in the NFL.  It doesn’t matter how well Manning plays – remember he’s gone 15 quarters sans INT – if his offensive teammates can’t hold onto the ball.

Willis McGahee has rushed for 242 yards in his last two games against San Diego. (personal photo)

In back-to-back games, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has coughed up the ball in what were high percentage scoring situations.  Veteran running back Willis McGahee fumbled late in the Broncos Week 5 game at New England, squashing all hopes of a comeback.

Now back to the earlier statement of, “It doesn’t matter how well Manning plays…” because the Broncos success doesn’t depend of if Manning plays well. Manning must play well, and thus far in 2012, he has, aside from that three-interception affair in Atlanta in the Broncos’ last Monday night outing. (It’s also worth noting Manning fumbled in the 3rd quarter against New England.)

As I wrote yesterday, Manning’s struggles against San Diego are well documented: 12 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 4-5 overall record, including two playoff losses.  Manning’s minus-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio against San Diego ties with the Cleveland Browns for worst in his career.

With eyes predictably on Manning, the Broncos offense hits full stride with an efficient running game.  In his last two meetings with San Diego, McGahee has rushed for 125 and 117 yards.  Rookie speedster Ronnie Hillman, who played college football at San Diego State, continues to be infused into the Broncos offense, and in time could bring an added dimension to the ground game.

The Chargers defense, however, is only allowing 74.0 rushing yards per game, good for fifth in the league.

Prediction

Denver 28, San Diego 23

Here’s to that .500 record entering the bye.  All things considered, that sounds about right.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

Broncos’ Keith Brooking expected to replace Joe Mays as starting MLB - Expect a change in the middle of the Broncos’ defense for their game Monday night against the San Diego Chargers.  Keith Brooking replaced Joe Mays as the Broncos’ No. 1 middle linebacker during the past week of practice.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Broncos at Chargers: Final Preview - In Week 6, the Broncos travel to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego for a divisional clash with the Chargers on Monday Night Football. With a win, Denver can pull even with the opponent atop the AFC West, giving each team a 3-3 record. The Broncos will also look to improve to a 2-0 divisional record with a victory and knock the Chargers down to 2-1. Below is a look at some important aspects to watch for on both sides of the ball, as well as a key to the game for Denver.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Scouting Report: San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos - The San Diego Chargers host the Denver Broncos in a pivotal AFC West clash between two rivals.  A win would give the Bolts a 3-0 record within the division in addition to a two-game lead. A loss would knot the two teams at 3-3 while giving Denver the early tie-breaker. For the first time all year, the Chargers will don their popular powder blue jerseys in front of a nationally televised audience on Monday Night Football.  Read more from San Diego Chargers >>>>

Can Peyton Manning Lead the Broncos to the Playoffs? - Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos have struggled at times this year, but this is still a team primed for a playoff run.  At 2-3, Denver has not looked quite like the elite squad John Elway envisioned when he signed the future Hall of Famer this past offseason. There have been issues with the running game, as well as along the defensive line and in the secondary.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

6 Keys For Denver Broncos To Become An Elite Team - The Denver Broncos have been struggling to become the elite team that they expected to be when they went out and added several free agents including future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning. Expectations are high from the coaching staff, players and fans, but so far the Broncos have recorded a 2-3 record and haven’t looked like an elite team quite yet.  Read more from Rant Sports >>>>

Broncos vs. Chargers: Who To Watch For - The Chargers and Broncos meet on Monday night at the Q. Here’s a trio of Bolts to keep your eye on.  Read more from NBC 7 San Diego >>>>

Chargers Game Preview vs. Broncos: Analysis, prediction, TV info - What matters: This is a battle for first place in the AFC West. If the Chargers win, they will have a two-game lead. San Diego will also own the first four playoff tiebreakers. Both teams finished last season 8-8, and the Broncos won the division because of tiebreakers. If the Broncos win, both teams will be 3-3, but Denver will be in first place because it will own the first tiebreaker, which is record in head-to-head games. It would also put tremendous pressure on San Diego to win in Week 11 in Denver, where it has historically played poorly.  Read more from CBSSports.com >>>>

Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers Preview: 5 Keys To The Game - Despite the difference in record the Broncos, not the Chargers, might actually be the team to beat.  Taking a look at each team’s schedule, you see that the Broncos have had the tougher schedule. The Broncos’ three losses have been to three legitimate Super Bowl contenders (the Falcons, Texans and Patriots) and the Broncos have put up a good fight in each (losing by six to both the Falcons and Texans, ten to the Patriots).  Read more from International Business Times >>>>

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The Oakland Raiders have come into Denver each of the last four years and won.

Sunday’s game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High is Peyton Manning’s first against an AFC West rival.  It’s also the return of ex-defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, now Oakland’s head coach.

Denver’s chance to end the streak of home-field letdowns comes at a somewhat critical time for the Broncos.  While Sunday’s game marks just the fourth of the season, it’s also a chance to avoid entering the second quarter of the schedule very much behind the curve.  New England looms the following week, and San Diego after that.

Gaining a win against a division opponent puts the Broncos at 2-2, allowing the Broncos a much more realistic chance at reaching the bye week at .500.  This isn’t to say Sunday’s game can safely be considered a “should win” for the Broncos.  While Oakland has looked messy at times in the first three weeks, the Raiders are also capable of generating points.  Carson Palmer isn’t going to miss many throws if allowed to dictate his own rhythm, and the Raiders defense has mimicked the Broncos – adjusting during games to limit opportunities.

All that said, the key to Oakland’s success on Sunday will be the same thing that’s made the difference for the Raiders during their past four trips to Denver…an effective running game.

When Oakland has the ball:

When it comes to a stout rushing attack, consider last week’s game against the Houston Texans a test run for the Broncos.  Lead by Arian Foster’s 105 yards, the Texans rushed for 152 yards in a Week 3 victory.

Enter Darren McFadden, playing the role of thorn-in-the-side…

McFadden has made a habit of dashing for green and leaving behind scores of Broncos defenders.  McFadden has averaged 144.7 yards in his last three games against the Broncos, with his “worst” performance being only 119 yards.  McFadden’s penchant for making mincemeat out of the Broncos D is especially worrisome with the current gaping lack of depth of linebacker.

Joe Mays is suspended for Sunday’s game.  D.J. Williams is serving at least a six-game suspension, putting even more pressure on second-year stud Von Miller.  The problem for Denver is there’s only one Von Miller (and his calling card is getting to quarterbacks), putting additional pressure on Keith Brooking, who will presumably “replace” Mays, and usual specialty package players Wesley Woodyard and Danny Trevathan.

Even with early-down option Mays in last week’s game, the Broncos linebacker corps struggled against the Texans’ balanced, prolific offense.

When Denver has the ball: 

Texans DE J.J. Watt terrorized the Broncos last weekend, outmuscling overmatched guard Manny Ramirez.  The impact was enough to sputter Denver’s ground game, but more importantly, forced Manning out of his comfort zone and into premature throws – a lethal concoction for a timing and precision offense.

The lesson here is perhaps two-fold:

1) Protect the quarterback: Manning is getting hurried, knocked down, and sacked, and each time, Broncos fans hold their collective breath to see if he’s okay.  Thankfully, he has been…so far…and here’s hoping it stays that way.  Since the Broncos offensive line is what it is until Chris Kuper returns (possibly next week), protect Manning by establishing an effective ground game with veteran Willis McGahee and rookie-speedster-I-want-to-see-more-of Ronnie Hillman.  This also “saves” Manning’s arm from having to throw 55 times a game.

2) Keep the defense at bay through whatever means necessary: To me, this smells of hurry-up offense, something we’ve only seen implemented by the Broncos in bits and pieces.  The Raiders defense is statistically the weakest unit the Broncos have faced this season, so if executed to typical Manning perfection, a no-huddle offense could be the key to swinging the needle in the team’s favor.

Prediction

Denver 31, Oakland 21

Four games, and four DHF projected Broncos wins…

With upcoming road games in New England and San Diego, Sunday’s game is the first must-win for the Broncos this season.

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Lose to Raiders? Don’t even think about it, Peyton - The Pro Football Hall of Fame aches with anticipation for the arrival of Peyton Manning. Indianapolis pines for him, now that No. 18 is gone. But Denver won’t truly fall in love with Manning until the legendary quarterback stands up in the stadium off Federal Boulevard and declares: This is my house.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

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Broncos’ Von Miller, Keith Brooking must excel with Joe Mays suspended - The Broncos will take on a Raiders offense Sunday that has vexed their run defense for much of the past three seasons without middle linebacker Joe Mays.  The Broncos were officially informed Thursday that Mays did not win his appeal of a one-game suspension and a $50,000 fine.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Allen Returns to Denver - The Broncos’ defense faces a unique challenge in this weekend’s division opener against Oakland.  The collective team speed of the Raiders, the talent of running back Darren McFadden, the hostility between the two teams – none of those things are new to the Oakland-Denver rivalry. The added wrinkle this year is Raiders Head Coach Dennis Allen, who was Denver’s defensive coordinator at this time last year.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Trevathan Ready to Step In -  The first defensive snaps of rookie linebacker Danny Trevathan’s career could come this weekend.  With starting middle linebacker Joe Mays serving a one-game suspension and linebacker Nate Irving listed as questionable with a concussion, Trevathan might be asked to step in.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

NFL Preview: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos - After opening against three stout defenses, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos seem to have a more favorable matchup in Week 4.  The Broncos’ defense, however, might be short-handed, and that could lead to problems against an Oakland Raiders offense that appears to be finding its stride.  The Broncos try to avoid losing their third in a row Sunday in an AFC West showdown with a Raiders team seeking its fifth straight victory in Denver.  Read more from CBSSports.com >>>>

Denver Broncos: Stat Projections for Starters vs Oakland Raiders - After two consecutive losses, the Denver Broncos are looking a lot like the Denver Broncos of 2011, and not much like the hype that surrounded them going into 2012.  In Week 4, the Broncos host the Oakland Raiders at Sports Authority Field at Mile High and look to bring their record back to an even standing.  Read more Bleacher Report >>>>

Source: John Fox appeals fine – Denver Broncos coach John Fox filed an appeal Friday with the NFL office contesting his $30,000 fine for inappropriate behavior toward the replacement officiating crew, according to a league source.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

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