Note: DHF kinda sorta forgot to post this earlier in the week. Oops.  Blame college basketball for distracting me.  Better late than never.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Now that the Denver Broncos’ latest victory has sunken in, here are a few more thoughts and observations on Sunday’s game against San Diego Chargers before we turn the focus to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos defense is sizzling this season. (personal photo)

Role reversal – Be honest, if someone had told you that ten games into the 2012 season, the most entertaining, dominant dimension of the Denver Broncos would be the team’s defense you probably wouldn’t have believed said soothsayer.  Yet, this Broncos defense is making big plays so regularly it is starting to become exciting to see them get back onto the field.  Peyton Manning throws a touchdown – great, now the defense gets another shot at a turnover.  Broncos stall and punt – no big deal, the defense will either stonewall or take the ball away.  I know the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is having a dominant season at a position that often doesn’t impact the game, but at this point linebacker Von Miller has to at least give voters serious pause in the Defensive Player of the Year selection.

Burden of expectation – Can we appreciate how delightfully odd it is that we have a collective feeling the Denver offense is underperforming?  The Broncos again put 30 points on the scoreboard on Sunday, and yet, did it in a way that seemed underwhelming.  The criticism comes from the fact that the Broncos point production wasn’t so much the product of long, sustained drives, but rather the defense and special teams setting the offense up in excellent positions.  It’s a valid critique, and we’d certainly like to see Manning and Company return to those 80-yard onslaughts soon, but hey, you take the field position your teammates give you, and the resulting points.  With this defense, 30 points should be enough to win most any game.

Weak of the week – Or possibly the past few weeks.  The Broncos’ running game remains the most concerning aspect of the team, despite a cumulative performance that went for more than 100 yards against the Chargers.  For comparison sake, remember several weeks ago the talk was how Denver’s crop of linebackers was going to be a liability for this team.  Even before the return of D.J. Williams, that position group evolved into a dynamic unit.  The point is adjustments get made and schemes get adapted.  The absence of Willis McGahee will have an impact on this unit.  There’s still time for Denver to bring its ground game up to snuff, and if Ronnie Hillman, Lance Ball, and maybe Knowshon Moreno make even measured improvements in yardage and ball security, the offense will be hard for anyone to contain.

Deep division - No, the AFC West is not in itself deep, but there appears to be a giant chasm between the Broncos and everyone else.  Remember, Sunday’s game was an all-in, do or die, backs to the wall, playing for jobs affair for San Diego.  The final score showed the Chargers came up a touchdown short, but San Diego delivered a vintage 2011 Broncos performance – absent for three quarters, manic for one.  With all that motivation the Chargers still appeared unable to compete with Denver…and San Diego is the next best team in the division.  This Sunday, Denver can mathematically eliminate the Chiefs from winning the division, and put Oakland on the brink of the same fate…all before December.

Willis McGahee is out for at least eight weeks. (personal photo)

More McGahee – With the news that Willis McGahee is unavailable for the foreseeable future comes a few issues.  Even more than ground production is McGahee’s blocking ability within the offense.  It is crucial the backs called into service understand their roles in the passing game as protecting Peyton is job one.  That said, this may allow Manning and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to revisit the playbook and develop some new schemes suited to the skill sets of Hillman – and possibly Moreno.  Another tactic could be more two-back sets with tight end Virgil Green (who has lined up lately in the fullback position) or fullback Chris Gronkowski inserted for extra protection which can also be adapted to new passing concepts.  McGahee’s injury is a setback, but one the Broncos can also hopefully turn into an opportunity.

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Tuesday Morning QB: Broncos’ Peyton Manning nears Tom Brady territory - At the one-quarter pole, Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub have been the class of the league. But as the NFL gets ready for Brady-Manning XII, guess who had the top two passer ratings in Week 4 until Jay Cutler went off on Monday night?  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Inside the game: Broncos offense has to be on point in coming weeks - Fifty-year wins are nice, and that’s what the Broncos constructed Sunday in their biggest blowout of the Raiders since 1962. But those 37 points the Broncos rang up on a sunny afternoon at Sports Authority Field at Mile High will just have to be the rule in the coming weeks rather than the remember-when exception.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Denver Broncos eyeing … the New England Patriots - For the record: New England 2-2, three-way tie for first place in AFC East; Denver 2-2, second place in AFC West  Last game: The Patriots scored 45 second-half points in their 52-28 victory at Buffalo.  Streaking: The Broncos and Patriots both won their last game after two previous losses.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Koppen Brings Experience to Line - Dan Koppen, a 10th-year NFL veteran, will step in at center for the injured J.D. Walton. He brings with him experience as the NFL’s all-time winningest offensive lineman.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Green Back, Motivated – With his four-game suspension in the past, tight end Virgil Green will no longer be working out at a local fitness center every day.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Drive for Life XV a Success - Through one community event, thousands of lives were saved on Tuesday.  The 15th annual Drive for Life — a partnership between the Broncos and Bonfils Blood Center — was held at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and dozens of Broncos players, alumni and cheerleaders headed to the stadium to show their support.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

McDaniels downplays Broncos reunion - Current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was named the head coach of the Denver Broncos on Jan. 11, 2009, and served in that post for nearly two seasons, totaling a 11-17 record. He’ll face his former team this Sunday, but says there are no special feelings entering the contest.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

Week 4 Nominees Announced: FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week, Pepsi Max Rookie of the Week, & GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week - The NFL annouced today the Week 4 nominees for the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week, Pepsi Max Rookie of the Week, & GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week .  Read more from NFL Communications >>>>

Denver Broncos’ Joe Mays won’t change his playing style - Being suspended for one game and fined by the NFL for his hit on Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub isn’t going to make Denver Broncos middle linebacker Joe Mays change his style.  Read more from Associated Press >>>>

Pats ready for the same old Manning in Week 5 - You know how it goes. Just a day after Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots have already moved on to their next opponent, the Denver Broncos.  Read more from CSN New England >>>>

Don’t sell Peyton Manning short - This Sunday afternoon, he will lead the Denver Broncos into Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots for the 20th time in his incomparable career, and we can’t help but wonder: Will this be the last time we see Peyton Williams Manning play in New England?  Read more from BostonHerald.com >>>>

Denver Broncos: Protecting Peyton Manning is the Key - It seems as if everyone has been talking about Peyton Manning since he signed with the Denver Broncos; is he back, what about his arm strength, can he stay healthy and so on. None of those questions are an issue since Manning is healthy and his arm is plenty strong enough. What it comes down to is if the Broncos can protect Manning then he is going to pick any defense apart.  Read more from Rant Sports >>>>

Denver Broncos: Rookie Progress Report Through First 4 Games - We are now one quarter of the way through the regular season. Teams are starting to develop and the top players are starting to show why they are superstars.  The Denver Broncos still have some growing to do. Are they the team that demolished the Raiders in Week 4? Or are they the team that struggled to compete in Week 3 against the Texans?  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>>

2012 Denver Broncos-Week 4 Game Balls - What a way to celebrate a Broncos Stompin’ of the Raiders than to hand out a few Game Balls. It’s been a long time coming, four years to be exact, since the Broncos have beaten the rival Oakland Raiders at Mile High. Talk about Owned. 39-6 doesn’t do justice for those last 4, but it’s a good start.  Read more from Mile High Report >>>>

Denver Broncos’ Special Teamer David Bruton Is A Special Player, Indeed - David Bruton is what’s good about football. In a world of sports athletes doing wrong, Bruton’s done right.  He’s tirelessly worked his entire life to be a professional football player, and he’s finally making waves.  Read more from CBS4 >>>>

5 Denver Bronco Facts - 1. Keith Brooking is old and slow. The suspension of Joe Mays forced Keith Brooking into starting at middle linebacker for the Broncos and he is certainly not the Keith Brooking of old. Lost in the inept Raiders offense was a liability that the Patriots will surely be looking for this weekend. Even with the return of Joe Mays this week, Brooking figures to get some action and if Tom Brady is smart he will use his speedy weapons to take advantage of Brooking who is clearly a liability.  Read more from Examiner >>>>

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Denver Broncos LB Joe Mays is back from suspension. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

The Denver Broncos placed starting center J.D. Walton on season-ending injured reserve Monday.  Walton suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle in the second quarter of Denver’s victory against Oakland.

Linebacker Joe Mays takes over Walton’s roster spot.  Mays served a one-game suspension for his helmet-to-hemlet hit of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the team’s Week 3 loss.

The Broncos will likely make another roster move this week to trim.  Second-year tight end Virgil Green is back with the team after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancement policy.  Green can participate in practice and meetings, though he technically is not on the official 53-man roster.  The roster must be set Saturday.

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With the Denver Broncos regular season now under a week away (yay!), the team released its Week 1 depth chart:

(Courtesy Denver Broncos official website)

OFFENSE:

DEFENSE:

SPECIAL TEAMS:

A few quick thoughts:

Biggest surprise: Keith Brooking, hands down.  Look, he made the roster based largely on reputation, practiced sparingly during training camp, and played in one game, yet is listed at second-team ahead of rookie Danny Trevathan at WLB.  Trevathan got plenty of first-team reps during training camp, notably in nickel packages.

Keep an eye on: Caleb Hanie vs. Brock Osweiler as Broncos backup QB.  For now, the veteran Hanie, who some wondered if he’d even make the team, gets the nod, but it wouldn’t shock me if that were to change during the course of the season.

All about Ball: Well…kinda.  I know rookie running back Ronnie Hillman was injured throughout much of training camp, but I still expected him ahead of Lance Ball on the depth chart.  Hillman, however is listed at No. 4 behind first-teamer Willis McGahee, suddenly resurgent Knowshon Moreno, and Ball.  It’s not that I dislike Ball, because that’s simply untrue, but it seems that certain folks in Dove Valley see something in him that I don’t.  In all fairness, those “folks in Dove Valley” know a heckuva lot more about football than I do.

I’m happy to see: Eric Decker off primary punt return duties.  That statement is by no means a knock on his return skills; I’m merely looking at this from a personnel perspective.  Don’t risk it.

*Note: Linebacker D.J. Williams and tight end Virgil Green are not listed on the depth chart due to suspensions.

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Broncos TE Virgil Green, LB D.J. Williams begin suspensions - For the next four weeks, Virgil Green might be the biggest Broncos fan in Denver.  The second-year tight end begins his four-game suspension Saturday but said he plans to remain in Denver, work out with local trainer Loren Landow and watch plenty of football on television.  ”It’s a chance for me to get better, watch a lot of film, watch a lot of football, work out and just come back and help this team out,” Green said.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Adam Weber to join Tampa Bay practice squad - Adam Weber is no longer a Bronco.  The second year quarterback has decided to sign on to the practice squad in Tampa Bay, according to a league source.  Weber was waived by the Broncos on Friday. He had an opportunity to re-sign with the Broncos on the practice squad, but chose the Bucs instead.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Rafael Bush claimed by Saints; Ryan Harris signs with Texans - When a team cuts players that other teams pick up?  “That means you’re getting better,” said John Elway, the Broncos’ executive vice president of football operations.  Read more from the Denver Post >>>>

Notebook: Elway Talks Roster - On Friday, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway addressed a number of the team’s decisions as the roster was trimmed down to 53 players.  Below are his thoughts on a handful of topics.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

‘A Good Mix’ at Linebacker- With the Broncos down to the NFL-mandated 53 players, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway believes the linebacking corps is left with a solid blend of leadership and youth.  Keith Brooking is an example of the former. The 15th-year linebacker is the most experienced player on the defensive side of the ball, and only quarterback Peyton Manning has been in the league for as long  Brooking, an offseason acquisition, injured his hamstring in his second practice as a Bronco, which caused him to miss all of the preseason games. That made it harder for the five-time Pro Bowler to be evaluated, but his intangibles are ultimately what secured his spot.  Read more from Denver Broncos >>>>

Evaluating the Denver Broncos’ Cuts - The Denver Broncos needed to trim their roster by 22 players today to get to the league mandated 53-man roster. As with every season, the Broncos made some surprise moves cutting experienced veterans and moving towards youth by bringing in inexperienced rookies.  Read more from Bleacher Report >>>> 

A.F.C. West Preview: Broncos’ Success Hinges on Manning’s - Player to Watch Don’t overthink this. Peyton Manning.  Game to Watch Denver at New England, Oct. 7. Manning and Tom Brady/Bill Belichick have had some epic meetings. A month into the season, this may be the first real snapshot of how close Manning is to his old self, and how far he will be able to take the Broncos.  Read more from New York Times >>>>

Denver Broncos cut-down analysis - Most significant move: The Broncos kept newly signed veterans, linebacker Keith Brooking and safety Jim Leonhard. They have both been dealing with injuries. Both should fill rotational roles as well as offer leadership. It is a bit surprising Denver cut veteran cornerback Drayton Florence. The Broncos beat several teams to sign Florence this year. In the end, the Broncos liked their young cornerbacks such as Chris Harris, Tony Carter and rookie Omar Bolden. Watch for San Diego to make a full-court press to sign Florence. The team tried to sign the former Charger before Denver signed him and it needs a cornerback.  Read more from ESPN >>>>

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Just ahead of Friday’s 7:00 p.m. MDT deadline, the Denver Broncos made 22 transactions to trim the roster from 75 players to the league-mandated 53.

Veteran CB Drayton Florence is not on the Broncos’ final 53-player roster. (personal photo)

Waived

• DE Jamie Blatnick
• S Rafael Bush
• LB Jerry Franklin
• DB Ben Garland
• T Adam Grant
• S Duke Ihenacho
• TE Cornelius Ingram
• RB Jeremiah Johnson
• LB Mike Mohamed
• WR Greg Orton
• WR Gerell Robinson
• DT Sealver Siliga
• CB Syd’Quan Thompson
• G Wayne Tribue
• QB Adam Weber

The Denver Broncos can start signing players to the eight-man practice squad starting at 10:00 a.m. Saturday.  Only players who are waived are eligible, and of the Broncos waived players, only Bush has exhausted his practice squad eligibility.

Released

• CB Drayton Florence
• T Ryan Harris
• WR Jason Hill
• T 
Tony Hills

Injured Reserve

• DE Jeremy Beal

Reserve-Suspended List

• TE Virgil Green
• LB D.J. Williams

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I typically don’t endorse anything made trendy by those dastardly New England Patriots, because, well, as petty as this is, I hate them, but I’m going on the record right here, right now:

I like the two-tight end receiving threat made famous a season ago.

The emergence of a powerful, play-making tight end is nothing novel – something Broncos fans know well.  (Thank you for that, Shannon Sharpe.)  The Patriots’ two-tight end formation in 2011, however, was a new wrinkle for opposing defenses, yet another “something to worry about” that elevated an already pretty good great offense (it pains me to admit that) to another level.

Joel Dreessen is one of two tight ends the Denver Broncos added this offseason. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Now to be clear, trotting two tight ends onto the field is nothing new.  Generally though, both of them didn’t break down the seams when the ball was snapped.  The Patriots, in a moment of, “Why has no one else thought of this yet?” started thinking of tight ends as mismatch weapons more than extra blockers with decent hands.  The traditional thinking was to populate rosters with tight ends that could block as well as they could run a route.  What was oddly overlooked is that receiving tight ends are a built-in mismatch in a game that relies on mismatches, and when defenders treat you as a downfield threat on every play you don’t need to be a great blocker as the guy you’re blocking probably isn’t expecting you to block him.

Not surprisingly, NFL pundits expect this particular double-tight end set to the take the league by storm in 2012.

And could that upcoming sensation that’s sweeping the nation include Denver?

Possibly.  The truth is we really don’t know, and won’t know until we see the new-look Denver Broncos in action.

What we do know is the arrival of Peyton Manning equals more passing than a season ago.  We also know the Broncos upgraded the position of tight end by replacing Daniel Fells and Dante Rosario with Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme, the latter being a former teammate of Manning’s in Indianapolis.

At the very least, Dreessen and Tamme give offensive coordinator Mike McCoy the flexibility in developing such plays for 2012.  Add to that the defensive dilemma for opponents: Do you put a fast guy on a tight end, likely giving up size, or do you put the big guy on a tight end at the risk of giving up speed?

Jacob Tamme’s best season was 2010 when he replaced the injured Dallas Clark. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

This is by no means to suggest the Broncos will a) even do this, or b) if so, replicate the Patriots’ success from a season ago.   Again though, it’s a curious option now that Denver has some semblance of an actual passing game in place.  The chief benefactors of Manning’s services will be the wide receivers, namely Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, but the Broncos didn’t bring in Dreessen and Tamme merely to round out a roster.  That said, it would be premature to assume the TE roster moves put the Broncos on the level of New England.  Tamme is by far more of the athletic receiver, perhaps akin to Aaron Hernandez, but Dreessen is no Gronkowski. Then again, 95% of tight ends are no Gronkowski.

Manning’s recovery from sitting out all of 2011 is certainly the biggest headline entering training camp and the preseason, but out of all those little subplots, it’s the role of the tight ends that has my attention.

Wait, what about those young tight ends?

No, I didn’t forget about Virgil Green and Julius Thomas, the tight ends drafted by Denver in 2011.

Green is suspended for the first four regular-season games of 2012, and only played sparingly a season ago.  Thomas missed much of last season because of injury, and is still recovering from offseason surgery.  (Remember, he did not participate in OTAs or minicamp.)

The Broncos obviously want Green and Thomas to improve, but bottom line: It will be a battle for both to see increased playing time.

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It seems kind of absurd that the Broncos now clearly have the best front office in the Denver pro sports realm.  Think about it: a year ago this team had just finished one of the worst seasons in its history, fired its coach, and replaced him with the one head coach who managed an even WORSE 2010 campaign.  Yet here we are in 2012: Denver is coming off a playoff season, and now has one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.

I think it would be premature to say that John Elway is as good of a front office man as he was quarterback, but a Super Bowl in the next 3 years will cement that.  Elway inherited a mess.  The McDaniels’ era sunk Denver.  The team’s young elite were shipped away, replaced with aging role players, and the whole team was forced to play by a script that was too clever by half, and orchestrated by a guy that was too inexperienced as a whole.  Yet here we are with the Broncos in the Super Bowl discussion for the 2012 season.

Compare the record of Elway’s front office to other Denver teams and it’s clear the Broncos are now the personnel management toast of the town.

Big Transactions

Broncos: Denver gets Peyton Manning in a race that featured teams parking a plane at an airport in hopes of cherry-picking a meeting, floating ownership rumors as incentive, and even getting a state’s legislature to pass a pro-Manning resolution.  In the end, Elway and Company won, and did it without a gimmick.

Nuggets: Recent enough, the trade of Carmelo Anthony has to be the defining move of the Nuggets front office.  The team capitulated to its superstar’s demands, sweetened the pot with hometown hero Chauncey Billups, and moved on.  The Nuggets hauled in some strong team talent in return, but in all likelihood, are still awaiting a new star to rise if they want to break the one-and-done playoff cycle.  A desire to pursue a new star is publicly absent.

Rockies: The biggest recent transaction also involves a star leaving the team rather than joining it.  Ubaldo Jimenez was dealt to Indians last year.  It remains to be seen if Jimenez’s amazing first-half run in 2010 was a flash in an otherwise underwhelming career.  Still, the Rockies’ rotation is noticeably more lackluster since the trade with the team turning to an aged Jamie Moyer to backfill an otherwise lackluster stable.

Avalanche: The Avs made the commitment to a youth movement.  Even if a possibly-fading-yet-still-a-good-leadership-guy came available, the Avs have signaled no desire to pursue the over 25 crowd…and they’re watching the playoffs at home once again.

Seeding the Future

Broncos: Denver’s front office hit big with Von Miller in the 2011 draft.  If Miller remains healthy, and productive, he’ll remain among the league’s elite defenders for some time.  Perhaps more importantly, Denver also found starting talent in Orlando Franklin and Quinton Carter in the same draft, and picked up some intriguing contributors in Virgil Green and Julius Thomas.  If that wasn’t enough, there’s a good chance Chris Harris is two seasons or less away from becoming a defensive starter after making the team as an unsigned free agent.

Nuggets: The Nuggets front office has made positive additions through recent drafts.  Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried are high tempo threats who can make games incredibly entertaining.  Despite the patchwork nature of the Nuggets personnel, the team is young, which could lead to a bright future…assuming one of the young guns becomes an all-star at some point.

Rockies: The club’s stars are young (Cargo, Tulo).  The club’s icon is old (Helton).  The club’s headlining additions are also old (Cuddyer, Moyer).  The club’s solution for third base is young (Nelson, Pacheco).  A real mixture of young and pretty old talent here.  While the Rockies youth movement has paid a few exciting dividends in the past several years it appears the front office may be taking a breather…or the pipeline is turning to a trickle.

Avalanche: All youth, all the time.  The addition of Gabriel Landeskog could be the most promising for the Avs.  Fellow youth-stars-in-waiting Ryan O’Reilly and Matt Duchene are also part of the talent crop the Avs’ front office is hoping will bloom…really, really soon.

“Cut That Meat” Spending Factor

Broncos: They had the money, and they spent the money.  Pat Bowlen opened the checkbook for Peyton Manning, and while no other huge names made the Denver payroll during free agency, the Broncos weren’t afraid to go shopping for the luxury yacht on the market.  If there’s any question about what the front office expects from the team in 2012, just look at the accounts payable section of the ledger.  The Broncos want to win…now!

Nuggets: The good news is that the Nuggets are no longer obligated to pay Nene an absorbent amount of money to miss a quarter of the season with injuries.  Also good news is that the Nuggets don’t appear to be drastically overpaying anyone on the roster (assuming Galinari pans out).  The bad news is that no one on the roster warrants the mega salaries pulled in by players who make teams favorites as opposed to also-rans.

Rockies: Not the highest, not the lowest.  The Rockies front office took care of its blossoming stars last year (not including Ubaldo).  The payroll doesn’t scream, “we expect pennants,” but hints that there’s a payday potentially waiting for anyone who breaks through to make one possible.  Still, since Rocktober 2007, the Rockies haven’t showed any inkling of waging up to keep the team in the hunt.

Avalanche: Paydays for future stars are waiting…maybe…so we hope.  The Avs front office has money to spend, but has made a habit of not spending it.  It’s a front office that seems convinced that the only way back to glory is through unwavering piety.  Sure, it’s smart to keep money available for when your young talent becomes amazing all-stars, but with now clear idea on when that may happen the Avs at the moment appear to be doing nothing more than hoping things work out.

So…with all that said…it’s still bizarre, but yet also apparent: the Denver Broncos have to be considered the most stable, well-run pro sports organization in town.  However, this is subject to change if a certain someone has a certain issue with a certain body part located between his head and his shoulders.

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D.J. Williams and teammate Ryan McBean are suing the league over the six-game suspensions. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

As expected, Broncos defensive tackle Ryan McBean and linebacker D.J. Williams have filed suit against the NFL over their recent suspensions, reports The Denver Post.

McBean and Williams were each slapped with six-game suspensions Friday for violating the NFL’s performance enhancement drug policy by providing a non-human specimen during an August urine test.  The sample collector involved was later fired by the NFL, yet the suspensions were okayed.

McBean and Williams claim Harold Henderson, the league’s hearing officer who made that ruling, did not rule fairly or consider all the facts.

Broncos tight end Virgil Green is also suspended four games for violating the league’s performance enhancement drug policy.  Green says he took medicine for ADHD without clearing it with the league.

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Broncos defensive tackle Ryan McBean and linebacker D.J. Williams could file a lawsuit in Colorado as soon as Monday following their suspensions, the New York Times reports.

Ryan McBean and teammate D.J. Williams could file lawsuits as soon as Monday. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Both players, along with Denver tight end Virgil Green, face multi-game suspensions to start the 2012 season for testing positive for banned substances.

McBean and Williams insist their samples were mishandled.  McBean’s agent, Peter Schaffer, told the New York Times:

 “To me, there are so many things that they have done wrong that they have trampled on my client’s rights, so we’re going to do everything possible to make sure he is vindicated.”

The NFL announced Friday McBean and Williams were each suspended for the first six regular season games.  Green, who blames his positive test on ADHD medication, is suspended for four. Green said he took the ADHD drug without the league’s consent, but now has permission from the NFL.

Green tweeted an apology Friday to Broncos fans.

Williams released a scathing statement Friday, which you can read here.

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