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Tuesday, September 5
Broncos hope to avoid this repeat

By Adam Schefter
Pro Football Weekly

For the first time in three seasons, the former back-to-back world champion Denver Broncos are not trying to repeat.

The quarterback situation in Denver will resolve itself this season. Brian Griese will be the guy, and the third-year pro will step up for Mike Shanahan.

The key to Denver's success is going to be Terrell Davis' return to full health. If the former NFL MVP is healthy, the Broncos will be very tough to beat. Defensively, Denver will be very solid.

There's not a clearcut leader in the AFC West, but when you put it all together, Denver is more likely to win than anyone -- especially when you consider Shanahan's leadership.

The last thing they want is a repeat of a season in which they lose linebacker John Mobley, running back Terrell Davis, an unusually high 10 games and the respect they had worked so hard to achieve.

The rest of the country might not have experienced it, but the Broncos suffered from a serious Y2K bug in 1999.

"With all the success we had as a football team, we lost a little bit of that edge last year," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said at the outset of this summer's training camp. "When things go badly, it's the natural reaction of coaches, players, the media and fans to ask: 'What's going on here?' "

What went on last season -- injuries, losses, controversy -- is the exact type of thing the Broncos are trying to avoid this season. To help do it, the Broncos have rid their roster of some questionable characters and added more upstanding players.

Defensive backs Dale Carter and Darrius Johnson, and defensive lineman Cyron Brown -- all suspended by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy -- are not on Denver's roster this season. The Broncos instead signed defensive ends Kavika Pittman and Lester Archambeau, defensive backs Jimmy Spencer, Terrell Buckley, Darryl Pounds and Billy Jenkins, and veteran receivers Robert Brooks and Andre Reed.

Some of the players are past their prime, but the Broncos believe they will provide both talent and character. This season the Broncos think they have both all across their roster. And more important, they have a clean slate.

Offense
Quarterbacks: The Broncos billed this summer's QB battle as Brian Griese vs. Gus Frerotte. Though Frerotte played well, Griese played even better.

The Broncos believe that in his third NFL season and his second as a starter, Griese is ready to make the jump from an average to a good quarterback. He still does not have a great arm, but his level of confidence clearly has risen this year. Should Griese falter, Frerotte will be waiting, much as he was in Detroit last season, when he helped the Lions salvage a wild-card spot.
Grade: C+


	The return of a healthy Terrell Davis would be a big boost for the Broncos.

Running backs: The Broncos aren't likely to use an all-Bulldog backfield, with former overlooked and underappreciated University of Georgia tailbacks Davis and Olandis Gary. But separately, each back poses a danger to defenses. Throughout the preseason, Davis looked as if he had nearly overcome last season's reconstructive knee surgery. When Davis did not play, Gary played with brute strength and terrific results.

The tandem gives Shanahan a luxury any coach would love to have: two backs who can exceed 1,000 yards. At fullback, Howard Griffith is headed into his free-agent season and is hoping for a big year.
Grade: A

Wide receivers: Denver wide receivers Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith form one of the more underrated tandems in the game. McCaffrey caught a career-high 71 passes last season, and Smith led the Broncos with 79 receptions. McCaffrey had as fine a training camp as any Bronco. Smith, however, had to temporarily leave camp to attend a disciplinary hearing in New York after pleading guilty to verbal harassment, for which he could face a brief suspension.

Denver's biggest question at receiver has not been with its starters, but with its backups. Last year's third-round draft choice, Travis McGriff, has stepped into the No. 3 role. A crew consisting of veterans Brooks and Reed and rookie Chris Cole also could contribute. The trio of Dwayne Carswell, Desmond Clark and Byron Chamberlain is competing for time at tight end.
Grade: B

Offensive linemen: There's a reason the Broncos' offensive line is expected to be even stronger this season. For the first time in his 17 years as an NFL assistant, Broncos offensive line coach Alex Gibbs should work with the same exact starting unit that he worked with last season. Before this season, Gibbs had been forced to make at least one change in his starting line every year he had been an assistant. Not this year.

Tony Jones will start at left tackle, Mark Schlereth at left guard, Tom Nalen at center, Dan Neil at right guard and Matt Lepsis at right tackle. However, Schlereth did experience knee complications this summer after undergoing his 18th knee surgery, the 13th on his left knee. If he is unable to go, last year's second-round draft choice, Lennie Friedman, is coming off an impressive preseason.
Grade: B+

Defense
Defensive linemen: With Pro Bowl selection Trevor Pryce, veteran Keith Traylor and blossoming Montae Reagor, the Broncos are going to get plenty of push up the middle. The question is: Where is it going to come from on the outside?

The Broncos signed Pittman away from Dallas and Archambeau away from Atlanta in the hopes that they will be an upgrade over Alfred Williams and Neil Smith, each of whom was released. Defensive end Maa Tanuvasa is as quiet as he is steady at one starting position, and backup end Harald Hasselbach can play anywhere along the line.
Grade: B

Linebackers: Were it not for the controversies Bill Romanowski is embroiled in -- allegedly using a racial epithet and being indicted for four felonies related to a prescription drug case -- people would focus on what a fine group of linebackers the Broncos have. Romanowski still is effective at the age of 34, though the off-field distractions he is dealing with will test him.

Last year's No. 1 draft choice, Al Wilson, is a budding star and the young leader of Denver's defense. Mobley, the other outside linebacker, underwent knee surgery again this summer, and it is questionable whether he will return in time for the Broncos' Monday night opener in St. Louis. If Mobley cannot, Glenn Cadrez is capable of filling in, just as he is at any other linebacker position.
Grade: B+

Defensive backs: This was an area the Broncos needed to upgrade, and they feel they have, though the preseason did not always indicate it. New cornerbacks Spencer and Buckley were decent in the preseason, not great. One -- probably Spencer -- will start opposite veteran Ray Crockett, who experienced hamstring problems this summer.

Jenkins, who signed a seven-year contract in the offseason, was erratic as the new strong safety. But Denver expects better play from its defensive backs once the season begins. One thing is certain: With Jenkins, Eric Brown and second-round pick Kenoy Kennedy coming off the bench, the Broncos might have the hardest-hitting trio of safeties in the league.
Grade: B-

Special teams
For years, Jason Elam has been one of the most reliable kickers in the game. During the preseason, Tom Rouen launched one booming punt after another, demonstrating the most hang time he has ever gotten on his punts.

The Broncos are hoping first-round draft choice Deltha O'Neal is as much a stud returner in the NFL as he was in college, where he scored six touchdowns last season despite not playing a single offensive play.
Grade: B+