On Jerry Jones, The Super Bowl Ticket Issue, And Other NFL Notes

On Jerry Jones, The Super Bowl Ticket Issue, And Other NFL Notes: the “what do we do now that the seasons’s really over” edition:

By Dr. Bill Chachkes-Executive Editor-Football Reporters Online

So what are you supposed to do now that the season’s really over? Count the days to the Lockout? (18 after today)…It Didn’t take too long for the seating mess at the taj McJerry (Cowboys stadium) to boil over post super bowl. The Question is ”why “was it so important for Mr. Jerruh Jones to have the attendance record? To put it in one word: MONEY! I guess it’ll be awhile before he gets another SB there again,..like maybe SB 60,..if he is still running the team in 15 years, Jones should be glad that Roger Goodell came to his rescue by offering MOST of those effected a ticket to next years or any game of their choice,..plus three times the face of those bleacher seats..Oh yeah,..Al Davis is 80’something,..Jerry wants that record too, Oldest living active owner….Give the UFL credit for making a smart move by keeping the franchises limited to sustainable cities and the number down to 5 teams until they figure out what happened in Florida. If the NFL has not solved it’s labor issues by August, the UFL might be the only game in town, since they moved upo the start of their season to the first weekend of that month.…Congrats to our pal Jim Fassel, who is now also the Team President of the Las Vegas Locos as well as Head Coach & GM….Congrats to Jay Gruden for getting the DC job in Cincy…Our Heart goes out to poor Demaryius Thomas, he was working out in Atlanta and tore his Achilles Tendon, he could be out up to 8 months….I tore mine in a pick up Basketball game in 1990 and it’s never been the same…Thomas’ Bronco receiving mate Eddie Royal also just had hip surgery, so maybe another wide out is in the Broncos’ cards for the draft…Or will new Head coach John Fox switch the team to the 4-3 defense and draft 2 or 3 “Stud” defenders?....With Oakland on the rise and drafting in the middle of the pack, could they be planning some moves besides giving DE Richard Seymour the Franchise tag?...One good move was for New Head Man Hue Jackson to Hire Ex-Raiders LB Greg Biekert as that unit’s coach. Biekert was a defensive assistant for the raiders last season and spent nine of his eleven season playing as a Raider linebacker….meanwhile that hapless franchise known as the San Deigo(super) Chargers have to deal with losing Darren Sproles, franchising Vince Jackson(which would make him happy because it would still be a raise) the continued mediocre play of Phillip Rivers and dropping the price on some 6000+ seats for the 2011 season….It’s ok if they stink next season, the folks in SD will just go surfing….My Dear late mother used to say if you can say anything nice don’t say anything, but it doesn’t mean you can’t think it…..So can you guess what I’m thinking about those Pats fans who are still whining about not being in the SB this year, and how they would have beaten the Packers(I doubt it) or any other NFC team(yeah,..ok)….Hey at least your coach got the Coach of the year award….someone get me some pepto…That award should have gone to the SB winning Coach Mike McCarthy…So what if Jets QB Mark Sanchez has poor judgement? The Girl is clearly a “serial Star-dater, as evidenced by her retaining a Los Angeles lawyer who’s writing nasty letters to Deadspin’s Editor…Sure “E.K.” we got ya covered…we know what your up to…..I‘ve been hearing some unsavory things about a certain College all-star game…but I think it’s wise to heed mother’s advice on that one, but I will say this,…how can you claim to be a scout and offer player management services at the same time?? I keep hearing about all these “NEW” pro football leagues starting up, but when we dug into one of the “supposed” new start-ups, they hadn’t even rented a facility to run a combine….shame on them for deceiving the poor unsuspecting players…I am hearing some good things coming out of Canada about a new tv network that’s hiring a certain football writer you all know for a segment each week…and last but not least, I found some vintage football cards in my collection, one of which will go to the lucky winner of a contest we did on a collectable’s radio show last week…

Between my trip to the combine and the Draft I have 2 speaking engagements, so I’ll have to brush up on my stand up so when I sit down they’ll be laughing so hard they will forget what I say….see you all next week.

Giants Play Like Turkeys In Thanksgiving Night Loss In Denver

Giants Play Like Turkeys In Thanksgiving Night Loss In Denver
By Jon Wagner-Sr. Writer at Large Football Reporters Online

The New York Giants traveled to Denver feeling appropriately thankful on Thanksgiving.

How could they not, after finally ending a four-game losing streak with an overtime win over Atlanta last week and licking their chops, thinking of feasting on a Denver Broncos team that was on a bad four-game slide of its own?

After an embarrassing 26-6 loss in Denver however, the Giants (6-5) will be most grateful if they can simply remain a legitimate contender in the NFC playoff race by the time the December holidays arrive.

If that happens, Giants’ head coach Tom Coughlin might be thanking any player on his team who could help prevent another performance as dreadful as the one he witnessed at Invesco Field at Mile High on Thursday night.

“We didn’t have any tempo and we didn’t make any plays,” Coughlin said. “We keep talking about winning the physical battle and controlling the line of scrimmage. We thought this would be the night and it wasn’t.

That was the understatement of the evening for Giants fans who probably wished Big Blue could have at least swapped places with one of the NFL teams which played its game earlier in the day. Seeing their team get physically dominated in the trenches the way it did in a Thanksgiving nightcap must have made it tough for Giants supporters to keep down their turkey and all of the trimmings.

The Giants managed just a pair of Lawrence Tynes field goals against a Broncos squad that allowed between 27 and 32 points in each of its previous four games.

New York tight end Kevin Boss (two receptions for 22 yards), who caught two key touchdown passes last week, said “We really wanted this one. We needed this one. We felt like we were starting to play our type of ball again [after last week] and for whatever reason we just came out here and laid an egg. We never got into a rhythm and we were just flat.”

Offensively, that was true right from the start, as the Giants stumbled out of the gate, with their six first-half possessions resulting in five punts and a fumble, going an anemic three-and-out on four occasions.

Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning (24-40, 230 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT), who threw for a career-high 384 yards and three touchdowns only four days prior, was routinely pressured as the Giants’ ineffective offensive line let the floodgates open on its often unprotected quarterback.

Although New York made the final statistics respectable -- the Broncos outgained the Giants 373-267 and finished with just six more first downs (21-15) -- the first half numbers, which set the tone for the rest of the game, told the real story, as the Giants could get very little going offensively and didn’t make enough defensive stops early on, to stay in the game.

Denver (7-4) held a huge advantage (213-38) in total yards (including 149-9 net yards through the air), had twelve first downs to New York’s three, and limited Manning to just six completions in thirteen attempts, for 28 yards in the opening two quarters.

A frustrated Osi Umenyiora was seen scolding his teammates on the sideline during the first as the defensive end seemed to be, like many Giants this season, left without answers as to why his team can often look so good at some points, and during others, as bad as it showed against the Broncos, this season.

After punting on its first possession of the game, Denver drove deep into New York territory on its next two trips, but settled for field goals each time. The first, a 26-yarder from Matt Prater, gave the Broncos a 3-0 lead with 2:28 left in the first quarter. Prater then made it 6-0, Denver, from 32 yards out, with 10:46 remaining in the opening half.

The Broncos would score on their next two possessions though, to take control of the game. A fumble by Giants’ running back Danny Ware was recovered at the New York 38-yard line by safety Brian Dawkins (who used to plague the Giants for years as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles before coming to Denver this season).

The Broncos took advantage quickly, needing just four plays to find the end zone, as Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall (team-high 6 catches for a game-high 86 yards) made a nice leaping, one-hand grab on a pass from quarterback Kyle Orton (18-28, 245 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) for a 28-yard gain. Three plays later, rookie running back Knowshon Moreno (Ware‘s fellow Georgia alum, who racked up a game-high 88 yards on 19 carries), scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge to put the Broncos comfortably ahead, 13-0, with 7:17 left in the half.

A 15-yard facemask penalty on Giants’ cornerback Corey Webster put Denver in field goal range on the Broncos next possession, allowing Prater to connect again, on a 47-yard field goal, 3:28 before halftime, to give Denver 16-0 lead, a margin the Broncos would take into the locker room.

The Giants showed signs of getting back in the game on both sides of the ball in the third quarter. They held Denver scoreless in the period and mounted scoring drives the first two times they touched the ball in the quarter.

But, each of those possessions ended in field goals (third-quarter kicks of 39 and 52 yards from Tynes) rather than touchdowns, something that Coughlin pointed to as the last blown chances for the Giants to come away victorious. “We came away with field goals rather than touchdowns.” he said, “Which could have given us some gas un our tank… and a chance to win.”

The Giants went quietly in the final quarter after Tynes’ second field goal trimmed the Broncos’ lead to 16-6 with 31 second remaining in the third period.

Denver took the ensuing possession 64 yards, finishing a nine-play drive in 5:16 on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Orton to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who caught a pass wide open over the middle and scored untouched, to put the Broncos up 23-6, with 10:15 left in the game.

Prater closed the scoring, finishing his perfect night with his fourth field goal, a 24-yarder, with 5:02 remaining.

History has been traditionally unkind to NFL road teams traveling on a short week, distances of at least as long as the Giants’ trip to Denver. However, Coughlin didn’t blame the schedule makers. He said his team’s meetings, preparation, and organization during the week were all fine. He simply concluded, “We played very poorly tonight, there was no excuse for it… no short week, none of that stuff... We just did not play well.”

Coughlin came back to losing the battle at the line of scrimmage, particularly losing the battle with the running game on each side of the ball. “That’s where football starts,’ he said. “Stopping the run and running the ball.”

That issue for the Giants was evident by the play calling. Although New York had a slightly higher yards per carry average (3.6 to 3.5), the Broncos, who were in control, were able to rush the ball 40 times (for 138 yards) out of 68 offensive plays. In sharp contrast, the Giants, playing catchup, were forced to abandon their running game earlier than they had originally planned, rushing just 16 times in 56 offensive plays.

The loss was a big missed opportunity for New York, which could have been playing Dallas (8-3, Thanksgiving Day winners over Oakland) for first place in the NFC East at home next week.

Giants’ running back Brandon Jacobs said of his team’s overall effort, “We didn’t want it bad enough.” He remains optimistic though, despite the Giants’ fifth loss in six games, saying, “We’ve got a lot of talent and we know at some point it’s going to pick up. We’ve got to really get our engine going for the next couple of weeks.”

They still may, but as Coughlin alluded to, the Giants must now hope there’s enough gas in the tank for that engine to get them where they’d still like to go.

THAT’S MY TAKE-Week 6

THAT’S MY TAKE

Flying A Mile High-By David Ortega for Football Reporters Online

When NFL Training camps opened back in late July, very few people, if any thought the Broncos would have a 2009 season to savor. With a new regime taking over and many changes taking place this team had more of the look of rebuilding, than contending.

Following what could only have been described as a disastrous and tumultuous beginning with the trading of former franchise quarterback Jay Cutler, the Broncos new Head Coach Josh McDaniels appears to have made a complete one-eighty. After all McDaniels was replacing what some may have considered to be one of the leagues best head coaches and offensive masterminds (Mike Shanahan). Shanahan had led the Broncos to back to back Super Bowl victories with the last coming in 1999, but after a decade of struggling it seemed change was overdue.

When Pat Bowlen made the decision to go in a new direction this past offseason, even with his credentials McDaniels hardly seemed to be the right fit. The young up and coming offensive coordinator was busy making a name for himself in New England as an offensive guru himself.

For the past several seasons one of the Broncos major deficiencies and their biggest Achilles heel last year was the defense. A season ending meltdown (three game losing streak), culminated by a 52-21 loss that ended any postseason hope told Bowlen all he needed to know; new blood was in order.

Enter the young Mr. McDaniels, whose youthful exuberance and charismatic spirit has breathed new life into the franchise and the city. With his arrival came difficult, but needed changes. One of his first and perhaps least publicized (at least didn’t cause much of a stir), yet key decisions that has this team riding a wave of orange was the hiring of Mike Nolan.

A New Improved D…

Nolan brings with him the pedigree of winner as a defensive coordinator. His defenses of the past have built a reputation for being aggressive, bringing pressure, and most critical causing turnovers; all areas that the 2008 Broncos lacked. This season playing a new 3-4 scheme under Nolan the defense has racked up 16 sacks, held their opponents to 43 total points this season, and recorded 11 takeaways.

Of course Nolan is only as good as the talent he coaches and another credit to McDaniels, the key free agent signings made in the offseason. Like a glove Andra Davis (former Brown), Renaldo Hill (former Dolphin), and Darrell Reid (former Colt) have all stepped in to play a big part in the defenses turnaround. Without question the biggest signing was the acquisition of former Eagle’s safety Brian Dawkins. His leadership and infectious sell out attitude has this defense playing at a level like the city hasn’t seen in some time.


Offense is coming around….

Just as the firing of Shanahan was blasted in some circles, McDaniel’s hiring came with its’ own criticism. A franchise that needed a defensive injection instead brought in the next Mike Shanahan. The comparisons were obvious; McDaniels had accomplished great things as the offensive coordinator in New England with Tom Brady and helped a seeming mid-level talent like Cassel blossom. It was McDaniel’s offense that Brady ran in 2007 when he rewrote the record books with 50 touchdown passes.

With the defense suddenly playing inspired ball this season, it has taken McDaniel’s “Patriot’s West” offense a little more time to get simmering. Only last Sunday against the Patriots did the Bronco’s offense start to resemble something of what many that they would see in 2009. In their win over New England the Broncos had 27 first downs, ran up 424 yards of offense, and held the ball for over 36 minutes; characteristic of a McDaniels offense. The next step in their evolution will obviously be more points.

With players like Marshall and Royal beginning to hit their stride in the passing game and the rookie Knowshon Moreno anchoring the ground game (when he holds onto the ball), the Bronco's have what appears to be a potent-ed offense. And with a supporting cast of Gaffney, Scheffler, Buckhalter, and Hillis; these guys are only going to make for long days for opposing defensive coordinators. If last Sunday against the Patiriots is any indication of the potential of this unit, their ceiling appears to be a mile high.

A Big Test Lies Ahead……

With everything starting to click in Denver and McDaniel’s team 5-0, there is still much to prove for this highly scrutinized over-achieving ball club. In the first couple of weeks, it was “they haven’t played anyone” and then last week, well they’re always better at home. This may very well be a recurring theme all season long, but one fact that is hard to escape, this coming Monday night is going to be a tough road test no matter how you look at it. In recent history, the Chargers have owned the Broncos and with their team sputtering, this divisional matchup will be critical.

So far the Broncos have yet to be perfect this season, but with a little luck they stand 5-0 and atop the AFC West with a two and a half game lead over the Chargers. Monday night is another test for McDaniels and his boys, but one if passed should not only satisfy the critics, but legitimize this team as the real deal.

That’s my take.

Denver Beats Kansas City At K.C. For First Time Since 2002

It seems the K.C. Chiefs are always in the game, but can't seem to be the team that wins when it's close. They had the Broncos, but failed to adjust and lost 27-11.

Broncos knock around Huard; Holmes rushes for 65 yards in 1st start

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Nobody is happier than Denver to see Kansas City's vaunted Arrowhead Stadium advantage melting away.

With backup Selvin Young rushing for 109 yards and Denver scoring two touchdowns 9 seconds apart, the injury-weakened Broncos beat the Chiefs 27-11 Sunday for their first win in Kansas City since 2002. It's the third home loss this year for the Chiefs, who came into the season with an NFL-best 104-36 home record since 1990.

"The Chiefs have been so good over the years taking advantage of their home field, with their crowd, and finding a way to win," said Denver coach Mike Shanahan. "They have the best home record in the National Football League over the last five or six years and it's nice to come out with a win."

The Broncos (4-5) might also have helped a new quarterback era get started for Kansas City (4-5).

Whip-armed Brodie Croyle replaced shaken-up, turnover-prone Damon Huard in the third quarter and the second-year pro could start next week in Indianapolis. Croyle was expected to be the starter this year, but coach Herm Edwards turned to Huard when Croyle played inconsistently in the preseason.

"I haven't decided anything," Edwards said. "I'll think about it Monday and then we'll talk about what we're going to do at quarterback on Tuesday."

In the decisive series in the third quarter, Dre' Bly intercepted Huard and set up a 20-yard touchdown run by Young, who was subbing for the injured Travis Henry.

On Kansas City's next play from scrimmage, defensive end Elvis Dumervil crashed into Huard and knocked the ball loose. Linebacker Nate Webster, in the right place at the right time, scooped it up and dashed 17 yards for another touchdown. The Broncos led 20-8 en route to just their sixth win in their last 21 games overall.

Huard was slow getting up and stayed on the bench with an ice pack on his neck while Croyle finished the game, going 17-for-30 for 162 yards, with one interception.

"I did some good things," said Croyle. "We moved the ball for the most part."

He declined to speculate whether he now owns the job.

"I try not to read into anything," he said. "I just go out there and do what I do."

Dwayne Bowe had nine catches for 105 yards for the Chiefs, who lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2004 and were without Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson. Priest Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler, had 65 yards on 20 carries in his first start in more than two years.

"I feel great," he said. "I look forward to running that hill tomorrow and doing the things you have to do to build that base and make yourself better."

Holmes also lost 14 yards on a third-and-2 run from the 5. Clearly, the more effective backup running back in this game was Young, who had his first 100-yard effort and first NFL touchdown.

"I want to be a puzzle piece and try to fit with no space in between," Young said. "I want to step up and not be a dropoff at all, no falloff in one of the most important positions on the team. I felt I've put myself in a position to be able to handle it."

The home team had won the last nine games between these old rivals, and it seemed that would continue as the Broncos stumbled around in the first quarter, dropping two interceptions and getting six penalties.

Jason Elam, whose game-ending field goals produced Denver's first three wins, made it 3-0 in the first period with a 44-yarder. Then Dave Rayner, following Derrick Johnson's interception of Jay Cutler's pass, kicked a 38-yard field goal for KC.

Pollard blocked Todd Sauerbrun's punt through the end zone for a safety just a few seconds into the second quarter. Then Elam kicked his 37th career field goal of 50 yards or more when the ball hit the crossbar and tumbled over from exactly 50 yards.

Cutler, whose availability was in question earlier in the week because of a deep bruise on his left leg, was 17-of-29 for 192 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter.

"I felt good the whole game," Cutler said. "The offense put up points when we had to. We've got to keep this level of play up. That's the biggest thing."

Broncos Release LB Al Wilson

Broncos Release Linebacker Al Wilson
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

DENVER -- Broncos linebacker Al Wilson's heart tells him he can still play football. His neck is a different story.

The Broncos released the five-time Pro Bowl player Friday because of a combination of injury and salary cap concerns. Wilson, who injured his neck against Seattle on Dec. 3, was scheduled to make $5.2 million in base salary this season.

A Broncos spokesman declined comment and an e-mail to Denver general manager Ted Sundquist wasn't returned.

Wilson, who was informed by the team Thursday night he'd be cut, had no bitter feelings toward the team.

"My time is up as a Bronco," the eight-year veteran said. "It's time to move forward and try something else. You have to do what's best for your organization, just like a Fortune 500 company. Sometimes you have to let good employees go."

Wilson has been the defensive captain for the last six seasons. He led the team in tackles last season with 113.

However, he was plagued by injuries in the second half of 2006. Wilson hurt his neck running into teammate Gerard Warren on a tackle against the Seahawks and had to be carted off the field as the crowd gave him an ovation and chanted his name.

And while he played the next three weeks, Wilson didn't participate in the season finale against San Francisco due to thumb and back injuries. The loss knocked Denver out of a playoff spot.

"I've had a great time here," Wilson said. "I feel like I've got a few more good years in me, too."

He was nearly dealt to the New York Giants earlier this spring. However, he failed a physical and the Giants backed out of the trade.

"I was looking forward to a new opportunity," Wilson said. "There are 31 other teams out there."

But his neck remains a concern. Wilson won't play again until doctors clear him. Wilson claims doctors say his neck is getting better.

"If I can get medically cleared, hey, I'm going to go out and play," Wilson said. "I feel like I still can play. It's not about the money. I'll only get out there and play if I'm healthy."

Peter Schaffer, Wilson's agent, wouldn't discuss the exact nature of Wilson's neck injury.

Wilson played the following week after he injured his neck against division rival San Diego. Asked if he came back too soon from the injury, he paused as his eyes stared at his folded hands.

"Maybe I should've sat out a week or two," Wilson said. "The competitive nature in me, I wanted to compete."

Wilson had a good parting conversation with Broncos coach Mike Shanahan on Thursday.

"I wish him nothing but the best," Wilson said.

Yet there's still the side of him that wants to prove cutting him was a bad decision.

"You definitely have that in the back of your mind," Wilson said. "You definitely want to prove people wrong. You want to go out and show people you can still compete. If I'm able to get back out there, and the doctors say I can do it, you'll see me out there flying around."

Wilson was the undisputed leader in the locker room and even spoke at the funerals for cornerback Darrent Williams and running Damien Nash. Williams and Nash both died in the offseason at age 24.

The fact Wilson was a no-show at the Broncos' offseason conditioning program in early April was taken as an ominous sign by teammates. Cornerback Domonique Foxworth took the Broncos shopping Wilson around as a wake-up call.

"It tells you everybody is expendable in this business," Foxworth said at the time. "I don't think anybody in this organization will say that we're better off without his personality around. For whatever reasons they felt we'll be better off going in a different direction."

If Wilson's neck injury prevents him from playing again, he said he's at peace with his accomplishments. He has 21.5 career sacks and five interceptions.

"I have no regrets," said Wilson, the Broncos' first-round pick in the 1999 draft out of Tennessee. "I gave them all I had. I can walk away with my head held high."

Schaffer thinks Wilson's tenure in Denver will one day be rewarded.

"I believe he's done enough to have No. 56 on the Ring of Fame someday," Schaffer said of the ring around Invesco Field that honors former players and administrators. "That's immortality right there. He's definitely a player who's earned that right."

But Wilson isn't ready to close the door on his career just yet. Neck willing, he still wants to play.

"It's time for a change," he said of his release. "I'm not sad. I'm not mad. I'm looking forward to the next step."

Broncos Sign Ramsey as Backup QB

Report: Broncos, Ramsey Reach Agreement-see my comment!
By Associated Press

DENVER -- The Denver Broncos agreed to a two-year contract with veteran backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey, according to a published report Thursday.

The Denver Post quoted Ramsey's agent as saying Ramsey, who replaces Jake Plummer as Jay Cutler's backup, agreed to a deal worth between $4 million to $5 million.

"Patrick thinks it's the right place for him," Sexton said.

Sexton did not return messages left by The Associated Press. Team officials declined comment.

The 28-year-old Ramsey, a first-round draft pick by Washington in 2002, was cut by the New York Jets earlier this week. Ramsey started 24 games for the Redskins, but threw only one pass for the Jets last season, his only year in New York.

Ramsey has 34 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions and a career passer rating of 74.9.


So remember last summer when the JETS signed Ramsey and Head coach Eric"the Mangenuis" Mangini insistet that there was an open competition at QB?? They were So eanmored with 2nd round draft pick Kellen Clemens and Ramsey that they let Brooks Bollinger go bye bye. So now Ramsey is gone as well. I'm just wondering why he thinks he's not capable of being a starter in this leauge anymore? Did something happen before he left Washington? or did it happen in NY last year?

Browns Ink Jamal Lewis and Other FA News

Browns Corral Running Back Jamal Lewis plus other Free Agent Moves-See my Notes Below
By The Associated Press


Jamal Lewis will have to find another team for his personal patsy. The former 2,000-yard rusher joined the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday night, agreeing to a one-year deal with the club he set an NFL single-game rushing record against.

In 2003, Lewis torched the Browns for 295 yards on the ground. He rushed for 2,066 yards, the second-highest total in league history, that year, and was the league's offensive player of the year.

The free agent was released last week in a salary-cap move by Baltimore, which elected not to pay its career rushing leader a $5 million roster bonus. He'll now try to boost the Browns, who were last in the league in rushing in 2006.

"We are pleased to add Jamal Lewis to our team," Browns general manager Phil Savage said in a statement. "He is a proven NFL back who brings a toughness and demeanor to the game that his teammates and our fans will appreciate."

With the 27-year-old Lewis on board, the Browns must decide what to do with incumbent Reuben Droughns. They owe Droughns a $1.75 million roster bonus later this month.

Slowed by injuries, Droughns rushed for just 758 yards last season after gaining 1,232 yards in 2005 -- the first Cleveland back to eclipse 1,000 yards since 1985.

Coach Romeo Crennel recently said he isn't dissatisfied with Droughns. Of course, he didn't have Lewis on the team then.

"He has shown us that he does have the ability, that he can be a productive runner for us," Crennel said. "I expect him to get back to that form that he had. That 1,200-yard form. That's what I'm looking for."

Denver was looking for a tight end to boost its offense, and got the best available in Daniel Graham. He agreed to a five-year, $30 million deal that includes $15 million in guaranteed money.

New England drafted Graham 21st overall in 2002. He caught 120 passes for 1,393 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Patriots, but recently was primarily a blocker.

The 6-foot-3, 257-pound Graham grew up in Denver and attended the University of Colorado. His father, Tom Graham, played linebacker for the Broncos from 1972 to 1974.

He joins newly signed running back Travis Henry plus two players the Broncos obtained in trades: cornerback Dre' Bly and defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson. Bly is balking at playing for Denver.

Outside linebacker Joey Porter passed his physical and signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Dolphins. Porter, a three-time Pro Bowler, spent his first eight seasons with the Steelers, who released him last week in a salary-cap move. He ranks fourth in Steelers history with 60 sacks, including seven last year.

Porter joins a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed and included defensive player of the year Jason Taylor.

"It's great that we were able to acquire a player of Joey's caliber," Taylor said. "He has been an impact player in this league for many years, and when you add someone who has the ability to make plays like he does, it will help not just the defense, but the entire team."


First: Phil Savage has to be one happy camper! He's got the Rusher he's always wanted ever since"the Big 295" a few years back, and he's in line to Grab Russell In the Draft if he slips past Al Davis and The Raiders.

Next: If the Broncos aren't Gearing up for a 4-5 year playoff run, your not paying attention! Even if Dre Doesn't want to play in the Snow of Denver, they already are a better team, and they can trade him somewhere he wants to go and get 2 DB's in the Draft, even though this is a weak draft overall, the FA market isn't that thick either...

Last: Hey that AFC East can't be called the AFC "Least" anymore!! All 4 teams are making improvements, and it may come down to who adds the best depth in the draft and who has the least injuries going into the regular season.

John Elway - Ex-Denver Broncos QB and NFL Hall Of Famer's Life After Football

This is an inspirational story, but I must add that I think John's realization of just how fortunate he is would come if he were more aware of the presence of the Lord.

Elway drives for another comeback
By John Barr and Ben Houser
Special to ESPN.com

DENVER -- John Elway arrives at work wearing casual business attire, wrap-around sunglasses and a wireless earpiece for his cell phone. He carries a coffee in a cardboard-to-go cup. Looking every bit the manager, and with that familiar gait, the Broncos icon navigates the hallways of the administrative offices of the Colorado Crush, where he's been CEO and part owner of the Arena League team since 2002.

Elway is still in charge, still calling the shots, but the setting is so far removed from where he left us it's hard to miss the stark differences. Arguably the greatest quarterback the NFL has seen, and the most famous sports figure Denver has known, he settles into his office in the bowels of a dog track on the mile high city's industrial north side.

The image is jarring if for no other reason than the way Elway left the NFL stage eight years ago, the last time a Super Bowl was played in Miami. He walked off the field that night the game's MVP, a winner of back-to-back titles, the crowning achievement of a Hall of Fame career. When Elway retired in May 1999, he was the ultimate symbol of a player who left the game on top.

"I think it is always so hard. You bump up to that retirement line and it is dramatic to take that added step 'cause you don't know what is on the other side," Elway says, reflecting on his decision to retire after 16 seasons. "Once you get through football and retire and look back and you are proud of what you did, then all of the sudden real life starts."

In the years following his retirement, real life robbed Elway of two people he held most dear and pushed his marriage of 18 years past the breaking point. Real life losses forced the architect of the NFL record 47 fourth-quarter comebacks to question who he was and whether he had the strength to pick himself up and overcome one more time.

"Athletes are human," Elway says. "So many times we get put on a pedestal. We are still humans that go through emotional times and have tough times happen to us."

In the months after he retired, Elway struggled to fill the competitive void. He turned down TV analyst jobs, preferring instead to coach his son Jack's youth football team. He whittled his way to a one handicap on the golf course. His business dealings had earned him far in excess of anything he made as a premiere NFL quarterback -- the sale of seven car dealerships to Auto Nation in 1997 netted him, at the time, $82.5 million in stock and cash. Elway was rich and, by all accounts, successful. But he wasn't complete. He still needed something to scratch his famously competitive itch. It was just the kind of quandary that led Elway to lean on his father Jack.

"The older I got, he really became a great friend," Elway says of his father. "He was a confidant early and really kind of the guy that I bounced things off."
Jack Elway had been his son's mentor since John's high school days in the San Fernando Valley, when the two would break down John's performance on the field.

"Guys would go to Shakey's pizza parlor and I would go home and talk to my Dad about the football game before I went to Shakey's, 'cause I wanted his opinion to find out how he thought I played and where I could get better," Elway says.

Their relationship continued in college, when Jack was head coach at San Jose State and John played at Stanford. It grew closer in the NFL. John, who refused to play for the then-Baltimore Colts after they drafted him No. 1 overall in 1983, eventually signed with Denver. Jack missed his son by a year at Stanford. He was head coach for five years after John left for the NFL. But the two would reunite in Denver in 1993 when Jack was hired to work in the Broncos' pro scouting office.

"He was a guy that was always there," Elway says. "I mean, his support was unshakable no matter what I did, or how I played, he was always there."

Jack Elway would have delivered the speech to induct his son into the Hall of Fame, but on Easter in 2001, at his home in Palm Springs, Calif., he died of a massive heart attack. He was 69.

"It was a huge, huge shock and it was something that even still it is very difficult to lose him because there were times before I lost him that I thought about what would happen if I lost him," Elway says.

"It was devastating for all of us," says Kathy Hatch, Elway's long-time executive assistant.

Hatch, who met Elway more than 12 years ago through a prayer group she attended with his wife Janet, recalls how much Elway counted on his father for advice.

"John had gone though so much with his dad and his dad was such a mentor for him and just taught him not only about football but about life and how to handle himself," Hatch says. The lessons passed from father to son would be tested far more in the months that followed.

Growing up, Elway always had a strong bond with both of his sisters, but it was his fraternal twin sister, Jana, with whom he'd always shared a special connection.

"We never had an argument, and she was always a great support system and really just another one like my dad, she was just always there for me," Elway says.

In August 2002, just 15 months after losing his father, Elway's sister Jana died of lung cancer. She never smoked. She was 42.

"To see somebody like that & such a great person to be taken away, at that point in time you got to think there is a reason," Elway says.

Michael Young, Elway's close friend and teammate in the late 80s, said Elway struggled to cope with his sister's death.

"Outside, John's always tough enough to put on a good front, but he was just ripped apart inside," Young says. "We talked a lot, and you know it's funny, I remember just going, 'I wouldn't want to be John Elway right now.' I mean, how many people would say you wouldn't want to be John Elway? But at that point in time I said I wouldn't trade places with him for anything."

As Elway tried to move past personal tragedies his marriage of 18 years was crumbling. John and Janet Elway had met at Stanford and become college sweethearts. They'd been toasted for years as Denver's first couple and raised four kids together. In June of 2002, just two months before Elway's sister Jana died, Janet moved out of the couple's home, taking the couple's four children with her.

The Elways reconciled, but in January 2003 John moved out for good and said the couple was divorcing. The events played out in public in the mile-high fish bowl that has been Elway's existence ever since he arrived in Denver.

"I lost Dad, and a year and half later I lost my twin sister Jana … and then a year later there was divorce and it was a boom, boom, boom," Elway says. "I don't know if you ever hit rock bottom. …Really, the pain just doesn't go away."

Elway's resiliency on the football field is most often attributed to his fourth-quarter heroics. But his friends point to another, perhaps more telling statistic. He was sacked 516 times, the most in NFL history. Even at his lowest point, Elway knew how to pick himself up.

"You can either say that you are unlucky and the world is picking on you or you can pick yourself up and say you know what, I have an opportunity to be the best that I can," Elway says.

In many ways, Elway's re-entry into football in June of 2002, as one-third owner of the Colorado Crush, helped rescue him. There was the on-the-field success, an Arena Bowl Championship in June 2005, but for Elway there was also the added comfort of something familiar to finally fill the competitive void. (ESPN recently acquired a minority stake in the AFL, along with TV and multimedia rights.)

"I still get the highs and lows of winning and losing," he says. "The Arena Football League has gotten me as close to that level of the NFL as anything has."

Those who work closely with Elway in the Crush front office see an executive as driven and competitive as he was during his playing days.

"He loves grinding over numbers and he loves to negotiate and he loves to win the game of business," says Young, the team's Executive Vice President.

Elway still owns a Toyota dealership in California and remains busy as a pitchman. He has his own signature line of furniture, co-owns one Denver-area steakhouse and is about to open another in downtown Denver.

"In Colorado and nationally I kid him and tell him the only thing bigger in Colorado is Pikes Peak," says Tim Schmidt, who co-owns the steakhouses with Elway.

Elway is described by his employees as a blunt communicator -- demanding but fair.

"He thinks about things in finance terms and he is aggressive. Failing isn't something that happens," says Tom Moxcey, general manager of Elway's Denver restaurant.

Jeff Sperbeck, Elway's business manager since the early 1990s, says his client has remarkable staying power, particularly at an age when most superstars begin to fade.

"John is not only coveted because of his success and his stature but because of his pedigree," Sperbeck says.

Sperbeck says Elway's corporate partners are often surprised by his business acumen. With an economics degree from Stanford, Elway has stumbled only occasionally in the corporate world -- closing a chain of upscale Laundromats, failing to land an NFL team for Los Angeles and bidding low to buy NHL and NBA teams in Denver. His investment in the troubled online retailer MVP.com remains one of his most highly-publicized setbacks.

Elway's friends say he's emerged from his personal struggles an even better businessman but for Elway there are more important areas for growth. He realizes now that he needs to focus on being a bigger part of his children's lives. With his two oldest daughters, 21-year-old Jesse and 19-year-old Jordan already in college, Elway says he can't get enough time with his 17-year-old son Jack, a standout athlete at Cherry Creek High School, and his 15-year-old daughter Juliana.

"I think there is some guilt there and now all of the sudden your kids are in a broken family," Elway says, reflecting on his divorce.

Elway acknowledges he was often less than engaged as a father during his playing days. Even when in the same room with his children, he says, he frequently "zoned out" on a football game.

"Now I am begging for their time rather then them begging for my time," Elway says.

Determined to help his children lead as normal a life as possible, Elway still lives a short distance from his ex-wife and has been much more involved as a parent. He's a fixture at Cherry Creek athletic events, where Jack is a varsity quarterback.

"I don't want him to live in the shadow and expectations," Elway says.

"He is a junior in high school and in a couple years he is going to be gone, and my youngest daughter is a sophomore and in three years she is going to be gone, so I am really looking at trying to cherish the time I have with them before I don't get to see them every day."

Elway is 46 -- eight years removed from the moment that defined him as a player -- the quarterback who could always come from behind, still working on the most important comeback of his life.

When asked if he's finally found happiness after the years of dealing with personal loss, Elway, never one to be completely satisfied, volunteered he's "a lot further along."

"Being an NFL quarterback helps you become stronger," Elway says. "Even though those punches in the gut they hurt…eventually you are going to battle through it and things are going to be OK."

John Barr is a reporter and Ben Houser is a producer for ESPN's "Outside the Lines."