What's Next?

Now that everyone has filled their pants (football pants, that is) ... what? You say you don't want to do that? OK. Well, this is supposed to be devoted to the Broncos, so let's get to it.
I've been reading the written opinion of many Bronco fans and there seems to be a plethora of opinions and attitudes concerning many aspects of our beloved team. Ian and I will be addressing as many of those as possible as we move toward and into the '08 season.

Within the next month, the Broncos will reduce their roster to eighty going into camp, or so I'm told. That means about eight from the current roster will be released by then. We all do this. We sit down with a list of the players left from last season plus the free agents, trades and draft picks and try to figure out who will make the team. This mania must have gotten worse since the inception of fantasy football. Everyone wants to be a general manager. How about you? Do you see this from a coach's, player's or Madden cyber component point-of-view.

Well, the magic number is 53 arrived at incrementally. Usually we can figure 25 on O, 25 on D and 1 each of punter, placekicker and long snapper (no fishing license required to get one of those). How many at each position will the Broncos keep? How about this:

Offense- OL=9, QB=3, WR=5, TE=3, RB=4 and FB=1; Defense- DL=9, LB=6, CB=5 and S=5. Is that 50? I'm not too good at math. I'm the only statistician in this millennium to have kept stats w/Roman Numerals.

Now comes the fun part; what names will be associated with those numbers. Wouldn't it be great to be at every position practice? Not possible, not even for Super Shanahan. What the position coaches and coordinators say plus film evaluation will be the judge with Shanahan holding the ultimte veto. I hope we all get to see all of the preseason games. They didn't used to be very popular, but now it's like being with no fix outside a methadone clinic. "Let me have some! I don't care if it isn't the real thing! Give it to me!"

Everyone of us has certain rookies we'd like to see make the team and since the Broncos are in a rebuilding ... oops, sorry transition, it can be very interesting especially after going 7-9. The '08 NFL Draft was very deep overall and in certain positions. It will take a couple of years to find out, but I think '08 will turn out better than '06. Having said that, five of the draftees and all the CFAs will be cut now. Just kidding ... relax!

In the future, I will try to predict who will make the team. I think it would be best to wait for training camp, don't you? Or not? Stay tuned.
Sam