It's been an eventful off-season, but you know that when they lace 'em up, the Denver Broncos will be on top of their game, and BroncosLocker.com is right there with them. This is your daily dose of Bronco-mania, from the field to the locker room to the "man on the street." Get it all right here!
The Broncos have released 29-year old QB Chris Simms. Simms played in 3 games for the Broncos last season and he completed 5 of 17 passes (29.4%) for 23 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT (15.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 3 times for -4 yards (-1.3 ypc) for the Broncos last year. Broncos’ fans should be jumping for joy about the Brady Quinn trade yesterday because it meant that Chris Simms would never play for them again and that is a good thing.
The Broncos have acquired 25-year old QB Brady Quinn from the Browns in exchange for 24-year old FB/RB Peyton Hillis, a 6th round pick in 2011 and a conditional late round pick in 2012. Quinn played in 10 games for the Browns last season in which he completed 136 of 256 passes (53.1%) for 1,339 yards with 8 TD passes and 7 INTs (67.2 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 20 times for 98 yards (4.9 ypc) with 1 TD run. Quinn has now played in 14 games in his NFL career in which he has completed 184 of 353 passes (52.1%) for 1,902 yards with 10 TD passes and 9 INTs (66.8 QB Rating). Quinn has also carried the ball 25 times for 119 yards (4.8 ypc) with 1 TD run. Quinn will likely be the Broncos’ 2nd string QB in 2010 but he might be able to challenge Kyle Orton for the starting job down the road. This was a clear upgrade for the Broncos as Quinn will have much better players to throw to than he had in Cleveland.
24-year old Peyton Hillis was the Broncos’ leading rusher in 2008. He played in 14 games for the Broncos last season in which he carried the ball 13 times for 54 yards (4.2 ypc) with 1 TD run. Hillis also caught 4 passes for 19 yards (4.8 avg) and he also returned 6 kickoffs for 134 yards (22.3 avg). Hillis played in 26 games in his career with the Broncos in which he has carried the ball 81 times for 397 yards (4.9 ypc) with 6 TD runs. He has also caught 18 passes for 198 yards (11.0 avg) with 1 TD grab and he has also returned 10 kickoffs for 199 yards (19.9 avg). Hillis is a tough guy who served the Broncos in a lot of roles but they should have no problem replacing him.
The Broncos have released 31-year old inside linebacker Andra Davis after only 1 season. He played in all 16 games for the Broncos last season in which he made 90 tackles, had 10 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks and he defensed 3 passes. This release comes as an absolute shock as Davis was solid for the Broncos in 2010. They will have a hard time replacing him while he will likely find a new address soon.
The Broncos have released 31-year old DE Kenny Peterson. Peterson played in all 16 games for the Broncos last season and he made 40 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, he forced 1 fumble and he had 1 sack. In his four years with the Broncos, Peterson played in 42 games in which he made 75 tackles, forced 2 fumbles, had 5 sacks and he defensed 3 passes. The Broncos won’t miss Peterson too much as he wasn’t very productive last season.
The Broncos have signed 33-year old, 6’3″, 348 pound nose tackle Jamal Williams to a 3-year deal. Williams played in only 1 game for the Chargers last season and he made 3 tackles including 1 tackle for a loss. He has now played in 148 games in his NFL career in which he has made 394 tackles, forced 4 fumbles, he has defensed 21 passes, he has 13 sacks and he has 1 interception (he returned it for a TD). If Williams can stay healthy in 2010 he will likely be a force against the run in the middle of the defense.
The Broncos have signed 31-year old DE Jarvis Green to a 4-year deal. Green played in 13 games for the Patriots last season and he had 36 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 sack. He has now played in 121 games in his NFL career in which he has made 232 tackles, defensed 5 passes, he has forced 9 fumbles and he has 28 sacks. This was a decent signing for the Broncos who hope that Green will really help out their pass rush this season and beyond.
The Broncos have signed 30-year old defensive tackle Justin Bannan to a 5-year deal. Bannan played in all 16 games for the Ravens last season and he had 35 tackles of which two went for a loss. Bannan has now played in 113 games in his NFL career and he has made 203 tackles, defensed 3 passes, has 5.5 sacks, he has forced 2 fumbles and he has 1 interception. Bannan will help with the Broncos’ run defense in 2010 and beyond.
The Broncos have signed 27-year old cornerback Nathan Jones to a 4-year, $13.6 million dollar contract. Jones played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last season and he had 54 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 sack, 10 passes defensed and 2 interceptions. Jones has now played in 83 games in his NFL career and he has made 155 tackles, defensed 13 passes, forced 3 fumbles, has 6 sacks and he has 3 interceptions. This was a good signing for the Broncos because it adds depth to the secondary.