The Broncos had the makings of a good offense ... but not anymore
Before the Mike Shanahan firing (and the subsequent hiring of Josh McDaniels) and the whole McJaygate saga and finally the trade of Cutler for Kyle Orton and some draft picks, the Broncos had a pretty darn good offense.
They were second in the league in yards per game last season with 395.8 (behind only New Orleans), but scored just 23.1 points per game (16th in the league) because they were bedeviled by turnovers. Denver was -16 in giveaway/takeaway (tied for last in the league with San Francisco) — mostly because of a poor defense, but also because Cutler threw 18 INTs and they lost 12 fumbles.
It is true that Cutler has a little Brett Favre in him, and he's generally good for about one pick per game. But the guy is entering just his fourth season (when QBs usually hit their prime) and he's already a Pro Bowl talent.
Where am I going with all this you ask?
Well the Broncos already named Orton their starting QB for the '09 season, and it shouldn't come as a surprise that Brandon Marshall's desire to be traded was mentioned in that same article.
Marshall is upset with his contract and what he claimed was a misdiagnosis of a hip injury. But don't discount the loss of Cutler as another driving factor in his push to leave town (even though the two had some beef in the past).
Marshall became a star with Cutler at the helm, as he caught 100 passes each of the past two seasons. Orton simply doesn't have the big-play capability Cutler possesses, and it will be reflected in Denver's offense this season.
If Marshall is granted his wish to be traded, the Broncos offense will mirror that of Jacksonville's — good running back (Jones-Drew/Moreno, Buckhalter), mediocre QB (Garrard/Orton), underwhelming stable of receivers (aging Holt, Northcutt, Williamson/Royal, Gaffney, aging Stokely) — albeit with a better offensive line.
Don't get me wrong, the Broncos made two strong first-round picks with Moreno, pictured above, (a guy who rushed for 2,736 yards and never fumbled in his two seasons as a starter at Georgia) and linebacker Brandon Ayers, who they took with the pick they received from Chicago.
But Denver had the makings of a prolific offense (which it would need to compete with the way its defense plays) derailed because of McDaniels's silly courting of Matt Cassel.
And now this team has five or six wins written all over it before training camp has even begun.
-Chris Mascaro
**UPDATE**: Add Orton's former teammate Brandon Lloyd into the "underwhelming stable of receivers" pile.
(Photo by John Bazemore/Associated Press)
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Comments (3)
This is all very sad.
No worries, Chilkoot. Mad Dog Mascaro is dying to see the Broncos flop and the Bears sizzle, just to rub it in my face because I disagreed with him on Cutler.
:)
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