My 2018 Denver Broncos Predictions

My annual Bronco predictions for 2018 will look at grouping of games and my predicted record in those games:

Sep. 9 Seattle Seahawks 
 Sep. 16 Oakland Raiders 
 Sep. 23 at Baltimore Ravens 
 Oct. 1 Kansas City Chiefs 
 Oct. 7 at New York Jets

 3 wins, 2 losses 

The schedule works in the Broncos favor with a relatively easy start to the season. The Broncos are always tough to beat at home so starting with two very winnable games at Mile High helps. If the Broncos aren't 2-0 on Sept 17th it could be a sign of trouble ahead. That Seattle game isn't a gimme, Seattle coach Pete Carroll soundly outcoached John Fox in Super Bowl 48 and is one of the better coaches in the NFL, but the 2018 Seattle team is not the same as those Seahawk SB Champs. They still have Russell Wilson at qb though. Oakland will be last in the division, I predict, so that should be a win. How good will the Broncos be as a road team? The Baltimore and Jets games are winnable. KC I think takes a step back with the talented but inexperienced Mahomes at quarterback. I'll say 3 wins 2 losses with 4 wins 1 loss as a very good possibility. If the Broncos can go 4-1 it could setup a playoff run rather than what I predict below. 

Oct. 14 LA Rams 2:05 pm 
Oct. 18 at Arizona Cardinals 
Oct. 28 at KC Chiefs 
Nov 4 Houston 

 2 wins 2 losses 

 Now the schedule gets tougher. The Rams are Peter King's pick to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC and I think that's a good guess. KC is always a tough road game. At Arizona should be a win, and I say the Broncos beat Houston though the Texans will be a tough matchup if qb Deshaun Watson and jj watt are healthy.

Nov. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers
Dec. 2 at Cincinnati Bengals 
Dec. 9 at San Francisco 49er 
Dec. 15 Cleveland Browns 

2 wins 2 losses. 

3 tough games followed by what should be a gimme against the Browns. I say the Broncos surprise to win one of the first 3.

Dec. 24 at Oakland Raiders 
Dec. 30 Los Angeles Chargers

1 win 1 loss 

As mentioned, Oakland will be terrible so that's a win. The Chargers game can go either way. If the Chargers have the division clinched by now a Broncos win is a definite possibility. But I think the Chargers will still be playing for something this final week and will win. So that's 8 wins 8 losses overall. Better than last year but falling just a game or two short of making the playoffs. I wouldn't characterize an 8-8 record as a successful season. Making the playoffs, even as a wildcard, would be. There's a possibility of a 10-6 record if the team can go 4-1 in their first 5 games, and 2-0 in the last two is in play if the Broncos are in contention for a playoff spot.

Other thoughts:

Case Keenum - I like the Broncos new starting quarterback. But Keenum has to show the accuracy in passing that he didn't display in preseason games where he was frequently off target. Keenum was one of the most accurate passers in the NFL last year, and he looked sharp in training camp, so I expect he'll settle down.

Offensive line - Keenum and the Broncos won't do anything unless the offensive line improves from last season. Preseason results are encouraging here, with right tackle Jared Veldheer a good addition.

Bradley Chubb - Most everyone was happy with the Broncos selection of Bradley Chubb in the first round (including me). Chubb did not wow anyone in the preseason but I think eventually his talent will come through. It might be a rough start, though, against a veteran Seattle team who could take advantage of the rookie's inexperience.

Should the Broncos have taken a qb in the 2018 draft? Much as the draft reviews on Chubb were good, this may have been the year where the Broncos should have taken advantage of their early draft position to get a quarterback. The team only had to move up two spots to take 21 year old Sam Darnold, who is already going to start for the Jets and who Tony Romo called the next great NFL quarterback. Josh Rosen was available to the broncos at pick 5 and he's shown promise in the preseason.

Departure of Talib - I think the Broncos will miss him, and the "no fly zone" secondary won't be as good. Hopefully a better offense will make up for that.

Courtland Sutton - he looks to be the next great Broncos wide receiver based on his performance in camp. He looks better to me than Demaryius Thomas did as a rookie, and Thomas turned out to be one of the best Bronco wide receivers ever.

I'll be there on Sunday for what will be my 50th year owning Bronco season tickets. Go Broncos!

Fantasy Football: 2018 Auction League

I have enjoyed playing Fantasy Football since the mid-90's.  A few years ago I started an online auction league where fantasy teams bid to get ALL of their players through an online auction.

This is a PPR league (Point Per Reception) where each of the 12 teams has a $200 budget to fill their 16 player roster with these starters each week:

Quarterback (QB)     1      

Running Back (RB)     2      

Wide Receiver (WR)     3     

Tight End (TE)     1      

Wildcard One     1    (QB, RB, WR, or TE)

Wildcard Two     1    (RB, WR, or TE - note a team can have a maximum of 2 quarterbacks count for their weekly score, the 2nd wildcard does not include the quarterback position)

With the rest being bench players. The kicker and team defense positions are not part of the league’s scoring.

Here are this year's auction results.  One team, Super Bowl Shufflers, only was in the auction room for a few minutes and then had to leave unexpectedly.  So the results are more reflective of a 11 team auction rather than a 12 team (with the Shufflers getting a bunch of $1 players at the end)

If you are interested in playing in this league in 2019 leave a comment below.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN AUCTION LEAGUE 2018

AUCTION - By Value

Pick Player Team Amount

Bell, Le'Veon - PIT Cheers 62 

Brown, Antonio - PIT Giant Steps 60 

Gurley II, Todd - LAR Winter 59  

Johnson, David - ARI Andrew's Luck 55

Kamara, Alvin - NO Bash Boys 54 

Elliott, Ezekiel - DAL The Ghost and the Darkness 53

Hopkins, DeAndre - HOU The Ghost and the Darkness 51 

Barkley, Saquon (R) - NYG Bash Boys 51

Fournette, Leonard - JAX Cheers 49 

Gordon, Melvin - LAC Giant Steps 49 

Beckham Jr., Odell - NYG Andrew's Luck 47 

McCaffrey, Christian - CAR Monday Night Magic 47 

Hunt, Kareem - KC Gridiron Terminator 46

Rodgers, Aaron - GB The Ghost and the Darkness 41 

Jones, Julio - ATL Andrew's Luck 40  

Cook, Dalvin - MIN Cheers 40

Gronkowski, Rob - NE EricAndRob 39

Thomas, Michael - NO Monday Night Magic 39 

Freeman, Devonta - ATL EricAndRob 38

Adams, Davante - GB Monday Night Magic 36 

Allen, Keenan - LAC EricAndRob 36 

Howard, Jordan - CHI Dead Puppies 31 

Mixon, Joe - CIN Giant Steps 30

McCoy, LeSean - BUF Winter 28 

Wilson, Russell - SEA Bash Boys 28

Watson, Deshaun - HOU Gridiron Terminator 27 

Kelce, Travis - KC Gridiron Terminator 27  

Evans, Mike - TB The Fighting Quakers 26  

Green, A.J. - CIN Winter 25  

Hill, Tyreek - KC The Fighting Quakers 25 

McKinnon, Jerick - SF Dead Puppies 24 

Miller, Lamar - HOU Monday Night Magic 23  

Lewis, Dion - TEN Winter 23 

Thielen, Adam - MIN Giant Steps 23 

Brady, Tom - NE Andrew's Luck 23

Hilton, T.Y. - IND Winter 23 

Diggs, Stefon - MIN Bash Boys 22  

Baldwin, Doug - SEA The Fighting Quakers 20  

Roethlisberger, Ben - PIT The Fighting Quakers 20 

Drake, Kenyan - MIA Gridiron Terminator 19 

Rivers, Philip - LAC EricAndRob 19 

Ajayi, Jay - PHI EricAndRob 17

Ertz, Zach - PHI The Fighting Quakers 17 

Cooper, Amari - OAK EricAndRob 17 

Henry, Derrick - TEN Gridiron Terminator 16 

Brees, Drew - NO Giant Steps 16 

Cousins, Kirk - MIN Monday Night Magic 16  

Cooks, Brandin - LAR The Fighting Quakers 16 

Mahomes II, Patrick - KC Gridiron Terminator 15

Stafford, Matthew - DET The Fighting Quakers 15 

Newton, Cam - CAR Dead Puppies 15 

Robinson II, Allen - CHI Dead Puppies 15 

Manning, Eli - NYG The Fighting Quakers 15 

Garoppolo, Jimmy - SF EricAndRob 14  

Freeman, Royce (R) - DEN Bash Boys 14 

Ryan, Matt - ATL Dead Puppies 14 

Rudolph, Kyle - MIN Dead Puppies 14

Smith, Alex - WAS The Ghost and the Darkness 14 

Collins, Alex - BAL Andrew's Luck 13

Smith-Schuster, JuJu - PIT Gridiron Terminator 13 

Fitzgerald, Larry - ARI Cheers 13 

Landry, Jarvis - CLE Gridiron Terminator 13  

Keenum, Case - DEN Cheers 12 

Thomas, Demaryius - DEN Dead Puppies 12 

Luck, Andrew - IND Winter 11 

Tate, Golden - DET Giant Steps 11 

Coleman, Tevin - ATL Dead Puppies 11

Cohen, Tarik - CHI Dead Puppies 11 

Hogan, Chris - NE Dead Puppies 10 

Sanders, Emmanuel - DEN Dead Puppies 9

Gordon, Josh - CLE The Fighting Quakers 9 

Goff, Jared - LAR Andrew's Luck 9  

Engram, Evan - NYG The Fighting Quakers 9 

Dalton, Andy - CIN Dead Puppies 9  

Mariota, Marcus - TEN Winter 7  

Nelson, Jordy - OAK Cheers 7

Carr, Derek - OAK Dead Puppies 7 

Winston, Jameis - TB Monday Night Magic 7  

Ingram, Mark - NO EricAndRob 7 

Graham, Jimmy - GB Dead Puppies 7 

Tannehill, Ryan - MIA Cheers 7 

Edelman, Julian - NE Bash Boys 7 

Booker, Devontae - DEN The Ghost and the Darkness 6 

Prescott, Dak - DAL Winter 6 

Jones Jr., Marvin - DET Dead Puppies 6  

Trubisky, Mitchell - CHI Bash Boys 6 

Njoku, David - CLE Monday Night Magic 6 

Johnson, Kerryon (R) - DET The Fighting Quakers 5 

Woods, Robert - LAR Dead Puppies 5 

Davis, Corey - TEN Gridiron Terminator 5

Wentz, Carson - PHI Winter 4

Olsen, Greg - CAR The Fighting Quakers 4 

Hyde, Carlos - CLE The Fighting Quakers 4 

Mayfield, Baker (R) - CLE Monday Night Magic 4 

Crabtree, Michael - BAL Winter 4

Taylor, Tyrod - CLE Bash Boys 4 

Michel, Sony (R) - NE The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

Jones II, Ronald (R) - TB Bash Boys 4 

Walker, Delanie - TEN The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

Reed, Jordan - WAS The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

Williams, Mike - LAC The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

Burton, Trey - CHI Gridiron Terminator 4 

Jeffery, Alshon - PHI The Fighting Quakers 3 

Bortles, Blake - JAX Monday Night Magic 3

Barber, Peyton - TB Winter 3 

Funchess, Devin - CAR Bash Boys 3 

Cobb, Randall - GB The Ghost and the Darkness 3  

Darnold, Sam (R) - NYJ Andrew's Luck 3 

Parker, DeVante - MIA The Ghost and the Darkness 3  

Carson, Chris - SEA The Fighting Quakers 3 

Agholor, Nelson - PHI Gridiron Terminator 3 

Doyle, Jack - IND EricAndRob 3 

Williams, Jamaal - GB The Fighting Quakers 3

Burkhead, Rex - NE Monday Night Magic 3  

Fuller V, Will - HOU The Ghost and the Darkness 3

Kupp, Cooper - LAR Gridiron Terminator 3  

Penny, Rashaad (R) - SEA Winter 2 

Lynch, Marshawn - OAK Winter 2 

Bradford, Sam - ARI Giant Steps 2

Anderson, Robby - NYJ EricAndRob 2 

Watkins, Sammy - KC Gridiron Terminator 2 

Ekeler, Austin - LAC The Ghost and the Darkness 2  

Flacco, Joe - BAL EricAndRob 2 

Crowell, Isaiah - NYJ The Ghost and the Darkness 2  

Stills, Kenny - MIA Monday Night Magic 2  

Benjamin, Kelvin - BUF Cheers 2 

Anderson, C.J. - CAR Bash Boys 2 

Jones, Aaron - GB Monday Night Magic 2 

Goodwin, Marquise - SF Monday Night Magic 2 

Clement, Corey - PHI Andrew's Luck 2 

Ridley, Calvin (R) - ATL Gridiron Terminator 2 

White, James - NE EricAndRob 2 

Cole, Keelan - JAX Monday Night Magic 2 

Thompson, Chris - WAS Monday Night Magic 2 

Ebron, Eric - IND Andrew's Luck 1 

Rosen, Josh (R) - ARI Andrew's Luck 1 

Allen, Josh (R) - BUF Bash Boys 1 

Chubb, Nick (R) - CLE The Ghost and the Darkness 1 

Powell, Bilal - NYJ Gridiron Terminator 1  

Butt, Jake - DEN Bash Boys 1 

Bryant, Dez - (N/A) The Ghost and the Darkness 1 

Eifert, Tyler - CIN Winter 1

Johnson Jr., Duke - CLE Andrew's Luck 1 

Garcon, Pierre - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Cook, Jared - OAK Bash Boys 1 

Seferian-Jenkins, Austin - JAX Giant Steps 1 

Brate, Cameron - TB Cheers 1  

Gallup, Michael (R) - DAL Andrew's Luck 1 

Mack, Marlon - IND Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Montgomery, Ty - GB Bash Boys 1  

Crowder, Jamison - WAS Cheers 1 

Shepard, Sterling - NYG Winter 1 

Westbrook, Dede - JAX Gridiron Terminator 1 

Hurns, Allen - DAL EricAndRob 1 

Peterson, Adrian - WAS Bash Boys 1 

Moore, D.J. (R) - CAR Giant Steps 1 

Gore, Frank - MIA Cheers 1 

Ivory, Chris - BUF Winter 1  

Godwin, Chris - TB Monday Night Magic 1 

Richardson Jr., Paul - WAS Andrew's Luck 1

Murray, Latavius - MIN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Golladay, Kenny - DET EricAndRob 1 

Ross, John - CIN Giant Steps 1

Jackson, Lamar (R) - BAL Cheers 1 

Lockett, Tyler - SEA Andrew's Luck 1 

Kittle, George - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Williams, Jonathan - NO EricAndRob 1  

Foles, Nick - PHI Giant Steps 1 

Howard, O.J. - TB Cheers 1 

Gesicki, Mike (R) - MIA Andrew's Luck 1 

Meredith, Cameron - NO Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Doctson, Josh - WAS EricAndRob 1 

Martin, Doug - OAK Giant Steps 1 

Blount, LeGarrette - DET Cheers 1 

Sutton, Courtland (R) - DEN Andrew's Luck 1 

Matthews, Rishard - TEN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Watson, Benjamin - NO Giant Steps 1

Sanu, Mohamed - ATL Cheers 1 

Jackson, DeSean - TB Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Kirk, Christian (R) - ARI Giant Steps 1 

McCown, Josh - NYJ Cheers 1  

Bernard, Giovani - CIN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Allison, Geronimo - GB Giant Steps 1

McCarron, AJ - BUF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Ballage, Kalen (R) - MIA Giant Steps 1 

Hines, Nyheim (R) - IND Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Kelley, Rob - WAS Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Breida, Matt - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1  

Celek, Garrett - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Riddick, Theo - DET Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Miller, Anthony (R) - CHI Super Bowl Shufflers 1  

Ginn Jr., Ted - NO Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

AUCTION - In Order Picked

Pick Player Team Amount

1 Gurley II, Todd - LAR Winter 59  

2 Njoku, David - CLE Monday Night Magic 6 

3 Elliott, Ezekiel - DAL The Ghost and the Darkness 53

4 Smith, Alex - WAS The Ghost and the Darkness 14 

 5 Hopkins, DeAndre - HOU The Ghost and the Darkness 51 

6 Drake, Kenyan - MIA Gridiron Terminator 19 

7 Wilson, Russell - SEA Bash Boys 28

8 Cook, Dalvin - MIN Cheers 40

9 Bell, Le'Veon - PIT Cheers 62 

10 Johnson, David - ARI Andrew's Luck 55

11 Brown, Antonio - PIT Giant Steps 60 

12 Kamara, Alvin - NO Bash Boys 54 

13 Jeffery, Alshon - PHI The Fighting Quakers 3 

14 Beckham Jr., Odell - NYG Andrew's Luck 47 

15 McCaffrey, Christian - CAR Monday Night Magic 47 

16 Rodgers, Aaron - GB The Ghost and the Darkness 41 

17 Fournette, Leonard - JAX Cheers 49 

18 Miller, Lamar - HOU Monday Night Magic 23  

19 Barkley, Saquon (R) - NYG Bash Boys 51

20 McCoy, LeSean - BUF Winter 28 

21 Evans, Mike - TB The Fighting Quakers 26  

22 Jones, Julio - ATL Andrew's Luck 40  

23 Hunt, Kareem - KC Gridiron Terminator 46

24 Gordon, Melvin - LAC Giant Steps 49 

25 McKinnon, Jerick - SF Dead Puppies 24 

26 Freeman, Devonta - ATL EricAndRob 38 

27 Gronkowski, Rob - NE EricAndRob 39

28 Rivers, Philip - LAC EricAndRob 19 

29 Adams, Davante - GB Monday Night Magic 36 

30 Lewis, Dion - TEN Winter 23 

31 Mixon, Joe - CIN Giant Steps 30 

32 Thielen, Adam - MIN Giant Steps 23 

33 Thomas, Michael - NO Monday Night Magic 39 

34 Allen, Keenan - LAC EricAndRob 36 

35 Howard, Jordan - CHI Dead Puppies 31 

36 Henry, Derrick - TEN Gridiron Terminator 16 

37 Watson, Deshaun - HOU Gridiron Terminator 27 

38 Freeman, Royce (R) - DEN Bash Boys 14 

39 Mahomes II, Patrick - KC Gridiron Terminator 15 

40 Brady, Tom - NE Andrew's Luck 23

41 Green, A.J. - CIN Winter 25  

42 Kelce, Travis - KC Gridiron Terminator 27  

43 Booker, Devontae - DEN The Ghost and the Darkness 6 

44 Gordon, Josh - CLE The Fighting Quakers 9 

45 Hill, Tyreek - KC The Fighting Quakers 25 

46 Diggs, Stefon - MIN Bash Boys 22  

47 Baldwin, Doug - SEA The Fighting Quakers 20  

48 Hilton, T.Y. - IND Winter 23 

49 Goff, Jared - LAR Andrew's Luck 9  

50 Brees, Drew - NO Giant Steps 16 

51 Cousins, Kirk - MIN Monday Night Magic 16  

52 Ryan, Matt - ATL Dead Puppies 14 

53 Ajayi, Jay - PHI EricAndRob 17

54 Ertz, Zach - PHI The Fighting Quakers 17 

55 Sanders, Emmanuel - DEN Dead Puppies 9

56 Luck, Andrew - IND Winter 11 

57 Wentz, Carson - PHI Winter 4

58 Collins, Alex - BAL Andrew's Luck 13

59 Cooper, Amari - OAK EricAndRob 17 

60 Newton, Cam - CAR Dead Puppies 15 

61 Garoppolo, Jimmy - SF EricAndRob 14 

62 Mariota, Marcus - TEN Winter 7  

63 Bortles, Blake - JAX Monday Night Magic 3

64 Stafford, Matthew - DET The Fighting Quakers 15 

65 Cooks, Brandin - LAR The Fighting Quakers 16 

66 Smith-Schuster, JuJu - PIT Gridiron Terminator 13 

67 Roethlisberger, Ben - PIT The Fighting Quakers 20 

68 Engram, Evan - NYG The Fighting Quakers 9 

69 Nelson, Jordy - OAK Cheers 7

70 Fitzgerald, Larry - ARI Cheers 13 

71 Penny, Rashaad (R) - SEA Winter 2 

72 Carr, Derek - OAK Dead Puppies 7 

73 Prescott, Dak - DAL Winter 6 

74 Trubisky, Mitchell - CHI Bash Boys 6 

75 Keenum, Case - DEN Cheers 12 

76 Barber, Peyton - TB Winter 3 

77 Robinson II, Allen - CHI Dead Puppies 15 

78 Olsen, Greg - CAR The Fighting Quakers 4 

79 Winston, Jameis - TB Monday Night Magic 7  

80 Ingram, Mark - NO EricAndRob 7 

81 Graham, Jimmy - GB Dead Puppies 7 

82 Hyde, Carlos - CLE The Fighting Quakers 4 

83 Tannehill, Ryan - MIA Cheers 7 

84 Manning, Eli - NYG The Fighting Quakers 15 

85 Lynch, Marshawn - OAK Winter 2 

86 Dalton, Andy - CIN Dead Puppies 9  

87 Landry, Jarvis - CLE Gridiron Terminator 13  

88 Ebron, Eric - IND Andrew's Luck 1 

89 Thomas, Demaryius - DEN Dead Puppies 12 

90 Tate, Golden - DET Giant Steps 11 

91 Mayfield, Baker (R) - CLE Monday Night Magic 4 

92 Funchess, Devin - CAR Bash Boys 3 

93 Jones Jr., Marvin - DET Dead Puppies 6  

94 Darnold, Sam (R) - NYJ Andrew's Luck 3 

95 Crabtree, Michael - BAL Winter 4

96 Taylor, Tyrod - CLE Bash Boys 4 

97 Johnson, Kerryon (R) - DET The Fighting Quakers 5 

98 Bradford, Sam - ARI Giant Steps 2 

99 Michel, Sony (R) - NE The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

100 Ekeler, Austin - LAC The Ghost and the Darkness 2 

101 Jones II, Ronald (R) - TB Bash Boys 4 

102 Walker, Delanie - TEN The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

103 Reed, Jordan - WAS The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

104 Hogan, Chris - NE Dead Puppies 10 

105 Coleman, Tevin - ATL Dead Puppies 11

106 Watkins, Sammy - KC Gridiron Terminator 2 

107 Woods, Robert - LAR Dead Puppies 5 

108 Edelman, Julian - NE Bash Boys 7 

109 Cohen, Tarik - CHI Dead Puppies 11 

110 Flacco, Joe - BAL EricAndRob 2 

111 Crowell, Isaiah - NYJ The Ghost and the Darkness 2  

112 Rosen, Josh (R) - ARI Andrew's Luck 1 

113 Davis, Corey - TEN Gridiron Terminator 5

 114 Rudolph, Kyle - MIN Dead Puppies 14  

115 Allen, Josh (R) - BUF Bash Boys 1 

116 Cobb, Randall - GB The Ghost and the Darkness 3  

117 Chubb, Nick (R) - CLE The Ghost and the Darkness 1 

118 Parker, DeVante - MIA The Ghost and the Darkness 3  

119 Doyle, Jack - IND EricAndRob 3 

120 Williams, Jamaal - GB The Fighting Quakers 3

121 Powell, Bilal - NYJ Gridiron Terminator 1  

122 Burkhead, Rex - NE Monday Night Magic 3  

123 Williams, Mike - LAC The Ghost and the Darkness 4 

124 Fuller V, Will - HOU The Ghost and the Darkness 3

125 Benjamin, Kelvin - BUF Cheers 2 

126 Butt, Jake - DEN Bash Boys 1 

127 Anderson, Robby - NYJ EricAndRob 2 

128 Bryant, Dez - (N/A) The Ghost and the Darkness 1 

129 Burton, Trey - CHI Gridiron Terminator 4 

130 Eifert, Tyler - CIN Winter 1

131 Carson, Chris - SEA The Fighting Quakers 3 

132 Agholor, Nelson - PHI Gridiron Terminator 3 

133 Anderson, C.J. - CAR Bash Boys 2 

134 Johnson Jr., Duke - CLE Andrew's Luck 1 

135 Garcon, Pierre - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

136 Stills, Kenny - MIA Monday Night Magic 2  

137 Cook, Jared - OAK Bash Boys 1 

138 Seferian-Jenkins, Austin - JAX Giant Steps 1 

139 Brate, Cameron - TB Cheers 1  

140 Kupp, Cooper - LAR Gridiron Terminator 3  

141 Jones, Aaron - GB Monday Night Magic 2 

142 Goodwin, Marquise - SF Monday Night Magic 2 

143 Gallup, Michael (R) - DAL Andrew's Luck 1 

144 Mack, Marlon - IND Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

145 Clement, Corey - PHI Andrew's Luck 2 

146 Montgomery, Ty - GB Bash Boys 1  

147 Ridley, Calvin (R) - ATL Gridiron Terminator 2 

148 Crowder, Jamison - WAS Cheers 1 

149 Shepard, Sterling - NYG Winter 1 

150 Westbrook, Dede - JAX Gridiron Terminator 1 

151 White, James - NE EricAndRob 2 

152 Cole, Keelan - JAX Monday Night Magic 2 

153 Thompson, Chris - WAS Monday Night Magic 2 

154 Hurns, Allen - DAL EricAndRob 1 

155 Peterson, Adrian - WAS Bash Boys 1 

156 Moore, D.J. (R) - CAR Giant Steps 1 

157 Gore, Frank - MIA Cheers 1 

158 Ivory, Chris - BUF Winter 1  

159 Godwin, Chris - TB Monday Night Magic 1 

160 Richardson Jr., Paul - WAS Andrew's Luck 1

161 Murray, Latavius - MIN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

162 Golladay, Kenny - DET EricAndRob 1 

163 Ross, John - CIN Giant Steps 1

164 Jackson, Lamar (R) - BAL Cheers 1 

165 Lockett, Tyler - SEA Andrew's Luck 1 

166 Kittle, George - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

167 Williams, Jonathan - NO EricAndRob 1  

168 Foles, Nick - PHI Giant Steps 1 

169 Howard, O.J. - TB Cheers 1 

170 Gesicki, Mike (R) - MIA Andrew's Luck 1 

171 Meredith, Cameron - NO Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

172 Doctson, Josh - WAS EricAndRob 1 

173 Martin, Doug - OAK Giant Steps 1 

174 Blount, LeGarrette - DET Cheers 1 

175 Sutton, Courtland (R) - DEN Andrew's Luck 1 

176 Matthews, Rishard - TEN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

177 Watson, Benjamin - NO Giant Steps 1

178 Sanu, Mohamed - ATL Cheers 1 

179 Jackson, DeSean - TB Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

180 Kirk, Christian (R) - ARI Giant Steps 1 

181 McCown, Josh - NYJ Cheers 1  

182 Bernard, Giovani - CIN Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

183 Allison, Geronimo - GB Giant Steps 1

184 McCarron, AJ - BUF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

185 Ballage, Kalen (R) - MIA Giant Steps 1 

186 Hines, Nyheim (R) - IND Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

187 Kelley, Rob - WAS Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

188 Breida, Matt - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1  

189 Celek, Garrett - SF Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

190 Riddick, Theo - DET Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

191 Miller, Anthony (R) - CHI Super Bowl Shufflers 1  

192 Ginn Jr., Ted - NO Super Bowl Shufflers 1 

Simon Fletcher at the Denver Broncos QB Club

Some of you may know that I am President of the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club, a long time booster club for the team.  Tonight for our kickoff meeting for the 2018 season we featured Broncos Ring of Famer and all time sacks leader Simon Fletcher as our guest speaker.  As you can see from the picture above Simon is still in great shape!

Simon told us he was drafted by Dan Reeves and the Broncos in 1985,  He was told before the draft that Denver was looking to take him in the second round, but when the Broncos took wide receiver Vance Johnson earlier in the second round he figured he would go to the Steelers or the Redskins, teams that also expressed interest in Simon before the draft.  But Dan Reeves traded for another second round pick and nabbed Simon for the Broncos (pick #54 overall in the 1985 draft)

Simon told of when he first met Dan Reeves after the draft.  "Are you Simon Fletcher?" Reeves asked.  "Where's the rest of you?"  It seems the scouts had told Reeves Simon was 270 pounds, but at the time Simon weighed in a 221 pounds.  "We better fatten  you up," Reeves told him.

Simon told us about his long Bronco career.  "I didn't start until my 3rd year," he said.  In his 11 year Broncos career he never missed a game due to injury,  He was very appreciative of the Bronco fans.  When he arrived in Denver he was a single Dad with a young daughter named Ashley.  "The Denver fans were great in welcoming me and Ashley," he said, "they gave Ashley so many stuffed animals I couldn't count them all."  To this day Simon says he doesn't turn down a request from Bronco fans (we at the QB Club were very appreciative of him driving down from Cheyenne to speak to us tonight)

Simon took questions from the fans:

"Who was your favorite quarterback to sack?"

Whoever was wearing Silver and Black, replied Simon.  That drew quite a cheer from our Raider hating group!

"Who was the best offensive lineman you played against?"

Gary Zimmerman.  Wade Phillips was smart enough to move me to the other side against the Vikings, though, and I had 4 sacks that day (his 4 sacks in one game still is tied for a franchise record)

"What was it like to play for Joe Collier?"

Joe Collier was on the Ring of Fame committee when they selected me, so I am very appreciative of that.  Joe's defenses were as complicated as Dan Reeves' offenses.  He was so thorough - we practiced against all different types of formations.  Joe would put you in position to make plays.  Joe was also no nonsense - you worked hard or you didn't play.

"What do you think of the new NFL tackling rules?"

For what we were paid my entire salary would go towards fines!  A defensive player has to defend himself when the ball carrier lowers his shoulder.

 

Simon told other stories this night, entertaining a packed house at our Quarterback club meeting.  Afterwards he met with each fan individually to sign autographs and take pictures.  It was a great night of interacting with one of the Broncos' all time best players!

Today Simon runs a barbeque business.  He currently lives in Cheyenne and told us of his plans to open his own restaurant in Milliken, Colorado later this year or in the Spring.  

 

 

Our meeting also featured an old time jersey display from our Vice President Tom Jacobsen's collection - featuring star defensive players of the Broncos past.  And one of the original Bronco striped socks, from Tom's collection, was on display too!

The Denver Broncos QB Club will have more meetings this Fall - for more information visit the club's website.  

Visiting Broncos Training Camp August 15, 2018

 

Today I visited Denver Broncos training camp for the first time in three years.  This was the last day preseason practices were open to the public, and it was also special because the Chicago Bears were in town for a joint practice.

 

A long line of cars greeted us as we arrived at 9 am, 1/2 hour before the start of the practice.  No worries, though, as the parking was ample with attendants directing us to where to park.  Very well organized compared to my training camp visits in the past.

 

There were a bunch of Bears fans in attendance - a rare chance to see their favorite team practice in a different city.  Somebody tell these guys to get updated jerseys!

 

 Even though gates opened at 8 am and by the time we got to the field it was 9:15 am, we found there was ample space on the hill overlooking the practice fields.  We were able to get a good spot.

The Broncos and Bears ran a number of drills against each other.  My observations match what I've been hearing in past training camp reports:

• New QB Case Keenum is impressive.  He was very accurate with his passes this day, and showed better touch on his deep ball than I expected.  As long as he doesn't get hurt and the offensive line can protect him, we'll be fine at quarterback.
• New 2nd string QB Chad Kelly had his moments but was inconsistent.  I saw him miss a crossing pattern over the middle to an open receiver that would have been an interception in a real game.  But I like his upside, I think bringing in a veteran as backup qb would be a good move, keeping Kelly on the roster to develop as the 3rd stringer.
• Forget Paxton Lynch.  The sooner the team moves on from Paxton the better.
• Wide receiver Courtland Sutton is for real.  He looks better to me than Demaryius Thomas did as a rookie (at 6' 3" both are big receivers with Courtland showing good hands and speed at today's practice)
• Surprisingly, tight end Jeff Heuerman looked good.  Stay healthy Jeff!
• Other than dropping a wide open swing pass from Keenum, Royce Freeman looks like the best Broncos running back.

Broncos 2018 Draft Thoughts

I like to follow different NFL draft analysts to get a consensus feel for the Broncos draft class. Overall I liked what Elway did in the draft. Some comments:

Bradley Chubb - a steal at pick 5. Before the draft I was concern they'd pick the ohio state cornerback (Ward) - thankfully the Browns did us a favor by taking Ward not Chubb. I didn't like how Vance Joseph immediately said Chubb would be a linebacker and be "in the linebacker room". Chubb is an immense talent - can the current coaching staff use him correctly? (not wanting to see another DeMarcus Walker situation)

Courtland Sutton wr - he's the pick I see the most disagreement about among the draft gurus I follow. Some say "a steal! a first round talent!" another had him 10th on his list of wr's, another had him 20th! I liked the highlights I saw from his college days (good hands, good at winning one to one battles in traffic). Can he get separation from NFL cornerbacks? Is he just a Bennie Fowler type? Elway said afterwards they were after an offensive lineman early in the draft but it didn't work out. I think the Bronco draft would have been overall stronger with a solid offensive lineman here (even if they had to trade up) rather than Sutton. But I'll root for Sutton to be DT's eventual replacement.

Royce Freeman rb - great pick. Some say "he has alot of miles on him" due to heavy usage in his four years at Oregon. I say that proves he's durable.

Yiadom cb - seems ok will be good on special teams at a minimum

Jewell lb - I like when the Broncos pick productive team leader types who played in a big time conference, and who may have slipped in the draft due to athleticism issues. Jewell looks to be that type of player. I was hoping for qb Lualetta in the 4th (a Gary Kubiak type - smart, accurate with average arm strength). When the Broncos took Jewell I thought the Giants could take Lualetta before the Broncos next pick, and that's exactly what happened.

Hamilton wr - looks like a good pick. Another productive ncaa player, team leader type, in a big time conference. The next pick, Fumagalli, fits that mold too.

Jones, Bierria - look to be decent 6th round gambles

David Williams - no rating service I follow had him as a draftable player. Heck, he's just a 7th rounder, if he doesn't work out no big loss.

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I think the sooner the team moves on from Paxton Lynch the better. I hope Chad Kelly beats Lynch out and I wish the Broncos had taken a qb somewhere in the draft as a development type. Overall, though, this draft looks good on paper.

My Top Ten Colorado Sports Moments of 2017

Nolan Arenado's walk off game winning homer for the cycle is #1 on my "Top Ten Colorado Sports Moments of 2017" (photo courtesy of MLB)  Here's this year's list:

10.  Avalanche 4 NY Rangers 2, Opening Night, 10/5/17 - The 2016/17 season was one to forget for the Colorado Avalanche.  "The 22-56-4 record, for 48 points, not only was by far the franchise’s worst in its 21 seasons in Denver, it was the worst in the NHL since the 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers went 14-57-7-4 for 39 points," as reported in the Denver Post.  The surprising win on the road in the season's opener, on the league's biggest stage (Madison Square Garden) signaled that better times were ahead for the Avalanche. While the Avs are still out of a playoff position at year's end (17-16-3 as of 12/28), the team is on the upswing and the opening night win against the NY Rangers was a start to a much better season.

9.  Nuggets 96 Golden State 81, 12/23/17 - I had my top ten list all set then the Nuggets worked their way into my list with a stunning road win against the defending champ Warriors just before Christmas.  The win stopped Golden State's 12 game winning streak.

8.  Avalanche trade Matt Duchene, 11/5/17 - It was no secret Matt Duchene, the #3 pick overall in the 2009 draft, wanted out.  Duchene demanded a trade over a year ago, and Avs GM Joe Sakic received much criticism as Sakic failed to make a deal over the many months of Matt's discontent.  But in the end Sakic got a great haul for Duchene - promising young defenseman Sam Girard, other prospects, and a bunch of draft picks.  After the trade Nathan MacKinnon stepped up his play to become one of the best players in the NHL this season.  Well done, Joe Sakic!

7.  Gary Kubiak resigns as Broncos head coach, 1/2/17 - Just one year after winning the Super Bowl, Gary Kubiak resigns as Broncos head coach.  Any Bronco coaching change is big news, and this one was more of a shocker given the success the Broncos had achieved under Kubiak.

6.  Rockies 2, LA Dodgers 1, home opener, 4/7/17 - The first of four Rockies moments on my list. The Rockies home opener is always a special event on the Denver sports calendar, and this win was extra sweet as home town boy Kyle Freeland wins his first ever start in the majors in front of a sellout crowd at Coors Field.

5.  Broncos 42, Dallas 17, 9/17/17 - The only Bronco game on my top 10 list.  Everything went right for the Broncos this day as they beat America's team (the Dallas Cowboys) in an early season stunner.  The season as a whole was a big disappointment for Denver fans, but at least for one day the Broncos were the talk of pro football with this dominating performance.

4.  DU Pioneers 3, Minnesota-Duluth 2, National Championship Game, 4/8/17 - The DU hockey team wins its 8th National Championship with a narrow, nail-biting 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth.  The Pioneers stellar 2017 and championship gave Denver hockey fans something to cheer about in lieu of the Avalanche' disappointing season.

3.  Rockies 3, Atlanta 0, 8/14/17 - In his first game back after a cancer diagnosis in the spring, Rockies starter Chad Bettis pitches seven shutout innings at Coors Field to defeat the Braves.  Bettis comeback and amazing performance made news beyond baseball, inspiring many whose lives have been affected by this debilitating disease.

2.  Rockies 10, White Sox 0, 7/9/17 - Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland's second appearance on my list, as he takes a no hitter into the 9th inning against the White Sox.  Freeland ends up pitching a one hit gem in what I rate as the best performance by a Rockies starter at Coors Field ever. 

1.  Rockies 7, San Francisco 5, 6/19/17 - In front of a packed Father's Day crowd at Coors Field, Nolan Arenado hits a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 9th to give the Rockies a come from behind win over the Giants.  If that weren't dramatic enough, Arenado's blast also completed the cycle for the Rockies 3rd baseman, only the 8th cycle in Rockies history.  The playoff bound Rockies were the top story in Colorado sports in 2017, and Arenado's performance this day was the highlight of an outstanding season.

DeMarcus Walker at the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club

Broncos second round draft choice DeMarcus Walker spoke to the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club tonight at Blake Street Tavern in downtown Denver.  DeMarcus is a very impressive young man!  Though he hasn't seen much playing time this year, by his comments I got the impression that he will be a force in the Broncos defense in the future.  Here is a summary of some of his comments:

I am thankful to bronco country.  The broncos are a great team to be a part of.  I love being a Denver Bronco.

I had never been outside of florida before coming to Denver.  I love it here.  Denver helped me grow as a person.  It took me awhile to get used to the altitude.  It was initially a struggle.  During my vacation I came here to train so I could get used to the altitude.

I model my game after von miller - he’s the best ever.  He’s teaching me stuff - I’m just waiting my time to be put into games.  Before the preseason game vs San Francisco the defensive linemen went to a local park to relax during our free time.  Von shows up with his personal trainer and asked “want to work out with me?”  Von has an incredible work ethic.  I want to be better than Von.

How does pro football compare to your college career at Florida State?  The speed of the game is the same.  The devil is in the details.  I have to pay attention to the details much more in the pros.

What position do you like to play?  I like playing on the edge where I can use my quickness.

Did the Broncos show interest in you before the draft?  I had no clue the broncos would draft me.  I ran into Bill Kollar (broncos dl coach) at the combine and he asked, “can you play a 4 technique?” I said yes and that was it - he walked away.  

Have you adjusted to the cold?  Nike takes good care of us - they have a double layer glove that is very warm.  But cold is all in your mind - I don’t care how cold it is when I play.

I’m waiting my opportunity.  I’m putting in the work.  Just Von is ahead of me.  

After his talk DeMarcus signed autographs and took pictures with the Bronco QB club members in attendance.  My impression of DeMarcus certainly changed this night.  I think he can be next year's Adam Gotsis - a rookie who didn't play much in his first year who will become an integral part of the Broncos defense in his second year.