Steve Atwater at the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club

"I'm thrilled to be back in Colorado.  It was an honor to have played here," said Broncos Ring of Famer Steve Atwater to a standing room only crowd at this month's Denver Broncos Quarterback Club meeting.

Atwater opened his remarks with some comments on the current Broncos.  "The two biggest differences from last year will be better coaching and improved quarterback play," Atwater said.  He feels that last year's coaching staff didn't get the most out of Case Keenum.  "The offensive play calling could have been more creative.  Case is good at play action passes but the team hardly used him in that role."

Atwater thinks highly of new head coach Vic Fangio.  "He has great rapport with the team and he loves football.  The players would run through a brick wall for him," Steve said.  "I didn't see the passion from some of the players last year.  We will see it this year."

Atwater questions if Kareem Jackson is the right fit at safety after seeing Jackson primarily at that position in minicamp.  "He's a good player but he's not a big guy.  I don't know if that'll work against the bigger running backs in the AFC West."

And Atwater knows what it's like to be a big safety laying heavy hits on the opposition.  His nickname was the "Smiling Assassin" in his playing days.  "Charlie Waters, my first defensive backs coach with the Broncos, gave me that nickname," Steve said.  Waters, as a former all pro safety, and teammate Dennis Smith were good mentors to him when he first got into the league. "I did everything Charlie said."

Asked about his legendary hit on the Chiefs Christian Okoye Atwater said "It was a clean hit.  Neither of us got hurt.  Bo Jackson was tougher to tackle."

After his talk Atwater graciously met with all the Quarterback Club members in attendance, talking football, signing autographs, and taking pictures.  QB Club members left the meeting excited about the upcoming season!

Future Quarterback Club meetings this Fall will feature a game watch party with Randy Gradishar and more!  See our website for more information.

Chad Brown at the Denver Broncos QB Club

"That INCOMPLETE chant really pisses you off!" said Chad Brown at our Denver Broncos Quarterback Club meeting today when asked what it was like to play the Broncos at Mile High Stadium as a visiting player.  "The altitude gives the Broncos a big advantage, too," Chad added.

Yes, Chad Brown never played for the Broncos in his 15 year NFL career, but now in the media as a college football analyst and sometimes radio host on Denver's 104.3 The Fan, Chad provided unique insight into the current state of the Broncos.  Chad added some comments about his alma mater, the University of Colorado's football team, too.

Chad gave a review of the Broncos offseason.  "Was moving on from Vance Joseph a good move?  Yes.  I feel bad for my former CU teammate, and I think he'll do better if given another chance at a head coaching job.  He learned the hard way the difference between being a coordinator and the head coach.  'I had no idea I'd be talking to the media so much!' Vance told me."

Chad feels Vic Fangio will be an improvement.  "With Fangio's background coaching linebackers expect to see Von Miller and Bradley Chubb used in more creative ways," he said.

Chad says Joe Flacco will be a significant upgrade at quarterback.  Flacco will make less mistakes than Case Keenum did last year.  He likes Drew Lock's potential, but said he liked last year's quarterback class taken in the first round better than this year's qb crop.

The most impactful change in the Broncos this season, Chad said, will be the addition of a top notch offensive line coach (Mike Munchak).  "I think the Garett Bowles experiment at left tackle will last one more year - let's see if Bowles improves under Munchak," Chad said.  He said Seattle, a past NFL team he had been a part time coach for, really improved their offensive line play in the Seahawks Super Bowl years with the coaching of Tom Cable even though their offensive line talent was mediocre.  Munchak can have a similar impact with the Broncos.

On #1 draft choice tight end Noah Fant. Chad said Fant has a big upside but has to learn to be an adequate blocker.  Otherwise the defense will know a pass is coming whenever Fant is in the game.  Chad mentioned Bronco Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe who like Fant was a great receiver and who learned to be an average blocker.  Fant needs to do the same.

On #2 draft choice Dalton Risner: "He has his head screwed on straight.  He really gave me as impressive an interview as I have had with a NFL rookie in the last 10 years.  He will be a force inside and can play multiple positions on the line.  I don't think he has the feet to play left tackle"

In addition to commenting on the Broncos other draft choices and free agents, Chad took questions from the crowd.  I asked him if he would have taken Michigan linebacker Devin Bush at pick #10 in the first round rather than trading back like the Broncos did.  "I would have taken Bush," Chad said.  He went on to say the inside linebacker position is not one of the Broncos strengths.  He does think Su'a Cravens has the talent to be a 3rd down linebacker "he was tremendous at USC" but Cravens has to show more dedication to the game than he did last season.

Chad had high praise for the Broncos strength and conditioning coach Loren Landow. "I was Landow's first pro client," Chad said.  "I wouldn't have played 15 years in the NFL without his guidance."

Overall while Chad thinks the Broncos have improved this offseason with the coaching changes and player moves, he still rates Kansas City and the LA Chargers ahead of the Broncos going into the season.  Frank Clark, the new Chiefs defensive end acquired from the Seahawks is a "tremendous player" Chad said and Clark could be a matchup nightmare for Garett Bowles.

Chad had a few comments about the CU Buffs.  New head coach Mel Tucker "will have the Buffs play far more physical which will fit well in the Pac 12.  Only Stanford and Washington emphasize physical play in that conference," he said.  Chad feels Tucker wants to win games with solid defense and a strong run game.  "The offensive line will be more physical, and the defense will be more attacking."

Chad had high praise for former CU coach Bill McCartney. "Bill is such a great speaker, you can imagine the impact he had on me as a 17 year old kid when he visited me and my parents.  He promised a lot that day (I would play for a national championship, I would play in the NFL, that I would love the CU campus and living in Colorado).  Everything he said came true! Bill truly believed in what he was telling me - it wasn't BS."

Chad also greatly admires his past CU linebackers coach - Brian Cabral.  He told a story that when he was struggling with grades early in his time at CU, Cabral broke into Chad's apartment, stood over Chad's bed, and said, "get to class!"  Cabral emphasized a personal relationship with his players, "he really cared about us."  In Chad's part time coaching (Chad was leaving the next day for a part time coaching gig with the San Francisco 49'ers) Chad said "I want to be like Brian Cabral"

I was very impressed with Chad Brown this day.  While sadly he was never a Denver Bronco, with his wealth of NFL playing experience and part time coaching he is one of the best analysts I have heard speak to our club.

Next up for the Denver Broncos QB Club: Ring of Famer Steve Atwater will speak to us at a lunch meeting in July.  Stay tuned for an announcement!

Louie Wright at the Denver Broncos QB Club

"Whatever a team does good, we'll take it away." - Joe Collier

Louie Wright shared that quote in front of a packed house at the Denver Broncos Quarterback Club meeting on Saturday.  "Collier was an innovative defensive genius," Wright said of his former defensive coordinator.  Patriots coach Bill Belichick was an assistant under Collier for two years.  "I see Belichick using a lot of Joe Collier's strategies with the Patriots," said Louie.

This was one of many interesting stories and insights Wright shared with the long time Bronco fans of the QB Club.  What were some of Wright's most memorable plays?

In the Broncos 30-7 win over the Oakland Raiders in the magical 1977 season Wright intercepted Ken Stabler to make the score 27-7, virtually clinching a victory over the hated Raiders.  "I was out of position on that play," Wright said.  "I play on the left side of the field.  I misread Cliff Branch's route and ended up on the right side.  Stabler didn't see me so I was able to pick off his pass."

Another highlight was Wright's return of a blocked field goal for an overtime TD vs the Chargers in 1985.  "Dennis Smith said in the huddle he thought he could block the field goal so I was ready," Wright relates.  "And that's what happened.  Dennis Smith blocks the field goal and I pick it up expecting to run for a score.  But the refs stop me and say 'Denver called timeout' negating the play.  'Who called timeout???!!!' we asked in the huddle.  Mike Harden quietly said, 'I did - coach Reeves asked me to'  No problem for Dennis Smith as he blocked the kick a second time and I ran it in for a TD - this time it counted!"

Who was the toughest receiver you played against?

"John Jefferson of the Chargers.  He was only with the Chargers a few seasons and then was traded to the Packers in a contract dispute.  But when he was with the Chargers he was extremely tough to cover."

What wide receiver talked the most during a game?

"Charlie Joyner of the Chargers.  It wasn't trash talk, though.  He'd say 'how's the family Louie?' and other personal stuff.  I thought 'shut up - let's just play!'"

In his 12 year Bronco career Wright played for John Ralston two years, Red Miller four years, and Dan Reeves six years.  "Ralston was a good talent evaluator.  Miller was totally different - Red was real intense and that carried over to the players.  The first team meeting Red had with us he said 'we are going to kick the raiders' ass!!  We are not going to take shit from anybody!!'  That got us fired up and that's what football is all about.  Reeves was more of a tactician in the Tom Landry mode - he wanted to out scheme the other team.  All three were good coaches in different ways."

Wright told us how he actually quit football to concentrate on track only while in college at San Jose State.  Then in the offseason there was a coaching change at San Jose State.  One of the new coaches watched Louie workout for the track team and afterwards asked Louie, "You've played football in the past, want to give it another try?"  Fortunately for the Broncos Louie said yes, and his later play for San Jose State made him the Broncos #1 draft choice in the 1975 draft.

Louie told these stories and more to our Broncos QB Club group.  Afterwards he was very gracious in signing autographs and talking to fans one to one.  It was another great meeting for the QB Club!

Broncos QB Musings (Keenum and Flacco)

Joe Flacco will replace Case Keenum as the broncos starting quarterback for the 2019 season.  Is this a good move?  I think so.

When I visited Broncos training camp for my first look at Keenum last season I wrote:

"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."

The problem was once the games started Keenum wasn't accurate.  When I saw Keenum overthrow receivers in preseason games I thought "it must be nerves.  Case was an accurate passer last season with the Vikings and from what I saw at training camp."  But Keenum's accuracy problems continued into the regular season (most notably missing a wide open Demaryius Thomas in the waning seconds of the Kansas City Monday night game which would have given the Broncos a win).

Flacco, on the other hand, has shown to be an accurate passer with a stronger arm than Keenum.  In the Broncos/Ravens 2012 season divisional playoff game Flacco is well known for completing a 70 yard bomb to Jacoby Jones with 38 seconds remaining to send that game into overtime (a game the Ravens won in route to a Super Bowl victory). That Bronco game was one of the coldest I have ever attended, but the frigid temperatures didn't bother Flacco (3 TD passes on the day).  

I also remember a Flacco incompletion that displayed his accuracy.  In the 2015 season opener the Broncos were clinging to a 19-13 lead in the last minute when Flacco threw a bullet to wide receiver Steve Smith into tight coverage in the corner of the north end zone (right below my seats).  Smith dropped the pass.  "Whew!" I remember saying, thinking that Flacco almost pulled off another last minute comeback against the Broncos.  Had Denver lost that game it may have cost them the Super Bowl, as one more loss would have meant the AFC Championship would have been played in New England instead of Denver (the home field advantage was big in giving the Broncos a victory over the Patriots that day)

Flacco is a better quarterback than Keenum, the transaction only cost the Broncos a 4th round draft choice, and the Broncos received some salary cap relief by trading Keenum.  Whether Flacco will be the Broncos quarterback beyond 2019 remains to be seen, but for this season the Flacco for Keenum swap was a good move.

Randy Gradishar at the Bronco QB Club

Old School Football!  That's what Randy Gradishar's talk to the Denver Broncos QB Club this afternoon reminded me of as Randy told stories of his football career.  And what a career it was! Some of Randy's accomplishments:

* 7 time Pro Bowler

* 2 time First Team All Pro

* 3 time Second Team All Pro

* 1978 NFL Defensive Player of The Year

In addition to these amazing statistics, Randy is a member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, and was a leader of the famed Orange Crush defense of the 1970's!  

In front of a standing room only QB Club lunch crowd, Randy related how he grew up in Champion, Ohio.  "My Dad owned the town's grocery store," Randy said.  "I didn't start playing football until 9th grade."

Randy drew the attention of college recruiters with his exploits in high school football.  "Woody Hayes (legendary Ohio State coach) came to my high school to talk to me.  I didn't know who Woody Hayes was!  Woody asked what my father did, and I then took him to my Dad's grocery store.  Woody and Dad ended up talking for 1 1/2 hours - but not about me!  They were both WWII veterans and exchanged war stories," Randy said.  Woody Hayes strategy of winning over Randy's family worked as Randy enrolled at Ohio State.

"Woody had a big influence on me, I grew up under Woody Hayes," Randy said. "Woody stressed the 'pay it forward' motto.  Every Friday the team would get on a bus and do some kind of community service, visiting schools, hospitals, etc."  Randy certainly gave me a different appreciation of Woody Hayes, who I had only known as a hot tempered college coach who once punched a cameraman on the sidelines.

After a stellar four year college career you think Randy would have aspirations to play in the NFL.  Not so.  "I didn't know about the NFL.  I asked a scout, 'how do I get drafted?'"  On draft day I sat in my fraternity house waiting for the phone to ring.  John Ralston called and said the Broncos had selected me as the 14th pick in the first round.  I had to look on a map to see where Denver was!"

Then Randy got a surprise.  When Randy's Dad got the news of the Broncos draft, his Dad said, "I never told you this, but I was born in Pueblo, Colorado."  Randy would later make connections with his relatives in Pueblo during his Bronco career.

I learned the Broncos were very fortunate to have Randy fall to them as the 14th pick in the 1st round.  "Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and the New Orleans Saints all expressed interest in me before the draft and I was sure I'd go to one of those teams.  Then the Lions sent one of their doctors to give me a pre-draft exam.  The doctor reported there was something wrong with my knee, and word spread to the other teams.  That scared them off drafting me in the first round (the four teams above were ahead of the Broncos in the draft order).  There was nothing wrong with my knee," Randy said.

Randy took questions from the crowd.  How was it to play under different Bronco head coaches?

"John Ralston was from the Dale Carnegie 'positive thinking' school. 'Everything is always great' he used to say.  In one game we were down 42-17 in the 4th quarter and Ralston came up to me and defensive coordinator Joe Collier to say 'we got them right where we want them!'"

"Red Miller was more like Woody Hayes.  A disciplinarian who was tough on us at times but he cared."

"Dan Reeves was more of a player's coach than Red.  I didn't have that much interaction with Dan as Joel Collier was in charge of the defense and Dan focused on the offense."

Randy relayed how there was never a great offense on his Bronco teams.  "I played 10 years with 10 different Bronco quarterbacks," he said.

Randy also showed us a highlight reel of some of his greatest plays.  That's what reminded me of old school football in seeing some of Randy's jarring hits. "We used to tackle when I played," Randy quipped.

After his talk Randy signed autographs, took pictures, and traded stories with the longtime members of the QB Club who remembered Randy's playing days.

There were some younger fans in attendance, too!

One feature of our QB Club meetings is a Bronco jersey display.  Today's was one of our best with actual game jerseys from that famed Orange Crush defense, led by Gradishar, of course!

It was a thrill for me to finally meet Randy!  I saw many of his Bronco home games from my seats in the South Stands in the 70's and early 80's.

The Bronco QB Club has given me the opportunity to meet many Bronco legends, like Randy, over the years. You, too, can be part of these Denver Bronco QB Club meetings.  Visit our website for more information.

Baseball or Football for Kyler Murray? Bronco Draft Choice Rick Leach Picked Baseball

Today Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray will decide whether to enter the NFL draft or stick to his baseball contract with the Oakland A's.  Murray is a star in both sports so the decision is not an easy one.

Murray's dilemma brought back memories of the Broncos fifth round draft choice in 1979 - quarterback Rick Leach.  Leach was a baseball and football star at the University of Michigan.  He finished third in the Heisman trophy balloting at the end of his senior season.  Different than Murray, Leach was first drafted by the Broncos, and then by the Detroit Tigers one month later (13th pick of the first round).

The appeal of playing for his home town Tigers was too much for Leach as he relayed in this 2017 interview with Mlive: "At that time, where I could stay in my home state and play if I made the Major Leagues, and where family and friends could see me was appealing," Leach said. "When I looked at the longevity factor, the injury factor and everything, I never regretted one thing about that decision."  Turns out Leach did reach the majors but was mostly a backup in his nine seasons for various teams (he was released by the Tigers after three seasons)

But what if Leach had chosen football instead?  Bronco coach Red Miller was said to have been impressed with Leach in rookie minicamp before the two sport star picked baseball.  Perhaps Leach would have been a worthy successor to the aging Craig Morton as the Broncos starter, Miller wouldn't have made the failed Matt Robinson trade in 1980 in search for a starting quarterback, and Red would have kept his job instead of being replaced by Dan Reeves as Broncos head coach in 1981.

It all worked out in the end for the Broncos, for if Leach had been a successful multiyear starter for the team they may not have traded for John Elway after the 1983 draft.  Still it would have been interesting to see how Leach would have fared with the Broncos.  "I thought I had a skill level that I would have liked to try and see what would have happened," Leach said in his Mlive interview. "But the offense I ran at Michigan and what I would have needed to play in the NFL was significantly different. But I would have loved the opportunity just to kind of prove to myself to see if I could have done it."

Will They Name an Elementary School After Fangio? New Bronco Coach Reaction

In December 1966 I was 10 years old, and an avid fan of the Denver Broncos! The Broncos had just announced Lou Saban as their new head coach.  My friend Greg called a sports talk radio show to talk about the news.  "What school do you go to?" asked the host. "Sabin Elementary" said Greg.  "That's amazing! They've already named an elementary school after him!" replied the host.

Of course Sabin Elementary was not named after Lou Saban, but the host's comment reflected the excitement the city had for the new Broncos head coach at the time.  For two 10 year old kids, and for other die hard Bronco fans, Saban gave us hope that the coaching change would transform the perennial loser Broncos to a winning franchise.  Five years later, "Half A Loaf Lou" was run out of town after a 20 win, 43 loss, 3 tie record.

Over the years I've seen other Bronco head coaches arrive with great anticipation, only to exit in disappointment after a few seasons.  John Ralston was supposed to bring his innovative Stanford offense with him from the college ranks in 1972.  Ralston left in 1976 after a player revolt. Red Miller was a career assistant coach (much like Vic Fangio today).  Red got his first head coaching job with the Broncos in 1977, had an amazing Super Bowl run that year, but a few years later was fired after some unwise personnel decisions (like trading for qb Matt Robinson from the NY Jets).  And more recently Vance Joseph was heralded as a "leader of men" when he was hired as head coach in 2017, only to be let go two years later after 11 wins in 32 games.

Today, like back in 1966, this town is sure to get its hopes up when the Broncos introduce new head coach Vic Fangio to the Bronco faithful.  I like the hire on paper.  Fangio's strong defensive background can only make the Broncos defense even better.  Gary Kubiak's return to the staff is sure to improve the Broncos coaching on the offensive side of the ball.

Somehow, though, I have a feeling Fangio won't meet the fans high expectations this year.  The Broncos have yet to find a long term answer at starting quarterback, and years of draft mistakes have hurt the team's depth.  It'll take more than one season to get a true measure of Fangio and his coaching staff.  I hope the impatient Denver fans give him that.

Vic Fangio photo courtesy of the Denver Post

(update: Gary Kubiak won't be running the Broncos offense, which may turn out well, as Fangio in consultation with John Elway can pick his own man as Bronco offensive coordinator)