Broncos have set up well to add Balance, Depth for Draft

+Denver Broncos

2013 Record: 13-3

Key player departures: CB Champ Bailey, C Chris Kuper, G Wesley Woodyard, LB Robert Ayers, WR Eric Decker, RB Knowshon Moreno, DE Shaun Phillips, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

Free-agent acquisitions: CB Aqib Talib C, Safety T.J. Ward, DE DeMarcus Ware, WR Emmanuel Sanders, C Will Montgomery C

Positions of need: RB, LB, G

Analysis: Denver is admittedly all-in for a Super Bowl in 2014. John Fox received a new three-year extension, and John Elway was also extended and given more power within the front office. This will be the third year with Peyton Manning at QB and there is no guarantee that there will be a fourth. After setting every major offensive record in 2013, the Broncos entered Super Bowl XLVIII very confident, but Seattle was younger, faster and more prepared, which resulted in a 43-8 drubbing of the aging, one-dimensional Broncos.

Elway won two Super Bowls late in his career in large part because the Broncos were so balanced. The defense has gotten a facelift with the additions of big names like Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware in free agency -- and it could add another piece in the draft, such as Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier -- but the offense seeks that balance the late-90s teams had. Denver has to find a way to run the ball effectively and replace the production of Knowshon Moreno. That will be the responsibility of Montee Ball and likely someone selected in the upcoming draft (+Washington Huskies) Bishop Sankey or +Arizona Wildcats Ka'€™Deem Carey would work). Manning was sacked only 18 times last season -- the lowest among all QBs that played a full season -- and with Kuper retiring, along with the departure of Zane Beadles (+University of Utah Utes), offensive line is going to be a focus in the draft. Keep an eye on guards David Yankey (Stanford) and Xavier Su'€™a-Filo (+UCLA Bruins), as well as center Weston Richburg from +CSU Rams.

Turnovers - Takeaways an Emphasis for AFC Champs, Denver Broncos, one of Their few Weaknesses from 2013 Record Setting Season

Creating more turnovers has been a point of emphasis for the defense this offseason.

Mr. Elway going after TJ Ward, Demarcus Ware, and Aqib Talib was the ultimate indicator on what was the record setting 2013 AFC Champions 'Achilles' or lil' weakness they had. Now they touched upon it as a team in the first +NFL offseason OTA's. +BRONCOS CR3W #1 emphasis every week: TURNOVERS & TAKEAWAY margin

Takeaways Focal Point For Defense

Andrew Mason

+Denver Broncos 

Independent Analyst

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --The perfect partner to an offense as prolific as Denver's is a defense that specializes in big plays: sacks and takeaways. These are better indicators of success than total yardage allowed, since the offense usually allows the defense to play from ahead, and yards can come in clumps when the opponent is down two scores and is in comeback, risk-taking mode.

"When you have a team that's scoring like this offense does, it kind of makes the other teams one-dimensional because they have to try to keep up," said safety T. J. Ward. So you know the passes are going to come. They've got to throw the ball downfield just to try to keep up, and that allows us to make more plays on the back end and get more sacks and turnovers."

It's up to the defense to capitalize on this and force these plays. In the past two years, Denver has finished tied for 16th in takeaways forced each year -- 24 in 2012, 26 in 2013. But their rate of interceptions dropped -- from one every 38.2 pass plays in 2012 (13th in the league) to one every 38.5 pass plays (16th), and their sack ratio plunged from one every 11.8 pass plays (second) to one every 16.0 pass plays (17th).

But one common point of frustration has been the inability to recover fumbles. Only six teams pounced on fewer opposing fumbles than Denver did the last two years (17), and the Broncos were one of just four teams to recover less than 10 opponents' fumbles in each of the last two seasons. They ranked 24th in this category in 2012 and tied for 21st last year.

The suspension of Von Miller and proliferation of defensive injuries affected the 2013 pass rush. But the comparable takeaway rates reveal that a remedy might lie as much in practice as personnel upgrades.

"Just swarm defense -- one guy getting a hat on the ball and the other guy coming in stripping and getting the ball out," said defensive lineman Malik Jackson.

This has already been a point hammered home by the coaches.

"We have been watching our techniques these last few days as far as what we wanted to do last year good and bad. Takeaways is a big part of that," Jackson said. "Coach Del Rio is really big on those, so we’re going to work on that.”

But much of the work will not come until organized team activities begin next month. The meetings during this phase of the offseason are about diagnosing the problem; the on-field sessions will revolve around solving it.

"I think you've got to work at turnovers," Ward said. "You know, it comes -- sometimes turnovers just happen, but in practice, stripping the ball, tackling, getting pressure to the quarterback, making errant throws, things like that"

The Broncos hope Ward's arrival helps lead to more takeaways. The aggressive safety has been a part of seven takeaways in the last two seasons: three forced fumbles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. That doesn't include the plays his presence altered.

The manner in which Ward plays will help. But it's only a starting point.

"I think getting in that habit of just working the ball in practice, and interceptions -- like I said, they (opposing defenses) are going to come with pressure on the quarterback and good coverage," he said. "Fumbles and things like that, you've got to work at during practice."

Peyton, Broncos Fueled by Super Bowl loss and Ready to Improve from the Experience

Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning still hold on to heartache of Super Bowl XLVIII debacle

Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning walks off the field after Seattle Seahawks' Malcolm Smith recovered a fumble during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By +The Associated Press 
ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — +Denver Broncos fans may want to move on from Denver's Super Bowl debacle. Not Peyton Manning. He's holding on to the heartache to stoke his competitive fire.

In his first public comments since the highest-scoring team in NFL history was destroyed by the +Seattle Seahawks from the opening snap two months ago, Manning said the Broncos' 43-8 loss will serve as motivation in 2014.

"I don't really have a word for it. Obviously it was disappointing and we'll use that to fuel us this offseason and hopefully it'll make us better," Manning said Wednesday prior to giving the keynote address at the Boy Scouts of America Sports Breakfast in Denver.

"I know the front office has addressed some offseason needs in free agency and of course the draft's coming up and now it's up to the players to put in the hard work in the weight room, the film room and on the practice field to try to be a better team this year and that all starts Monday."

The Broncos gather this week for the official start of offseason workouts with a roster that looks a lot different from the one that lost by five TDs to the Seahawks.

Gone are Champ Bailey, Eric Decker, Wesley Woodyard, Zane Beadles, Knowshon Moreno and Chris Kuper, whose departures cleared cap space for the additions of DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders.

"Eli told me he was excited about DeMarcus leaving his division; he can no longer hit him. And I'm glad he's on my team," Manning said of the former Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher who headlined John Elway's offseason makeover.

Manning gave his blessing to the promotion of second-year running back, former +Wisconsin Badgers' Heisman candidate, Montee Ball, to primary ball carrier.

"There's no question with the loss of Knowshon, who was just nothing short of awesome this past year, and was a great teammate ... Montee's going to have more responsibilities and I think he's going to answer that challenge," Manning said.

Although Sanders joined Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Bubba Caldwell and +Wes Welker at Manning's annual passing camp at Duke last week, which the five-time MVP QB called a "good kick-start to the offseason," the official start of offseason workouts is Monday.

Although Manning and the Broncos will view their loss to Seattle as a scar, much like they did their defeat to Baltimore in the playoffs a year earlier, Manning agreed the gathering will allow the Broncos to begin looking ahead.

"Yeah, you have to move forward. You have to kind of re-establish your identity of the 2014 team," Manning said. "The 2013 team was a good season in a lot of ways. There's no question it did not end the way we wanted it to. But we have to try to find a way to build off that, and try to take it a step further, try to finish."

The Broncos are heavily favored by oddsmakers to become the first team since the +Buffalo Bills in 1993 to return to the Super Bowl the year after losing the big game, but the 38-year-old QB who set NFL records by throwing for 55 TDs and 5,447 yards last year knows the challenge facing Denver.

Only two teams have lost a Super Bowl and bounced back to win the next one: the 1971 +Dallas Cowboys and the 1972 +Miami Dolphins.

"Absolutely I am," Manning said when asked if he's hungrier than ever. "That's what I want to do (win the title). That's what the Denver Broncos want to do. I am glad to be part of a team that wants that. I need to do my part. That's what I think about every day I go to work, doing my job to help the Denver Broncos get better."

Saban exchange with Gase, Peyton, but was not 'We all met..."

Nick Saban: I never said we all met

ALEX SCARBOROUGH via +ESPN

Nick Saban visited with +Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning at the Alabama football offices early last week. Saban also spent time with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase -- on the same day and in the same location.

But don't connect the dots any further than that, Saban insists.

"I never said we sat down together," Saban said in an interview with +The Denver Post on Friday night.

The  coach made headlines Thursday when he told reporters of the visit with Manning and Gase.

The meeting, as Saban described it, was a mutually beneficial experience in which Manning sought out ways to improve his game, Gase was able to talk shop, and Saban and his staff were able to learn a thing or two about the no-huddle offense.

But had the visit of Manning and Gase occurred simultaneously, it might constitute a violation of the NFL collective-bargaining agreement that forbids players from having meetings with coaches before teams begin their offseason workout programs.

+Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach, Saban, had vague language Thursday -- "The two of them were just making some visits" -- seemed to indicate it was a collaborative effort, prompting an NFL review of the matter. Saban's collective use of the word "them" seemed to tie the coach and coordinator together.

Whether it is a punishable violation by the NFL is still to be determined, the league has said.

As Saban told reporters Thursday night: "Since they're a no-huddle team, we had a lot of questions for them, in terms of what gives them problems and what defensive teams do that gives them problems. That was kind of a mutual, hopefully beneficial.
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Peyton, Gase, Saban share each other's mastery in Tuscaloosa
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