The Denver Broncos didn’t have a great season last year and finished with a final score of 7-9, missing the playoffs. What accounts for the Broncos’ lackluster season? Many fans say it was inevitable due to injuries sustained by the likes of Rod Smith, Jarvis Moss and Ebenezer Ekuban. Next season will be the Denver Broncos’ 49th NFL season and head coach Mike Shanahan will return for the 14th time. He has held the job since 1995 and has improved the Broncos in many areas, including offense and high-yardage rushing. Shanahan has also helped the team overcome tough competition like the New England Patriots and a host of other top-rated teams, and led them to the playoffs multiple times since his debut.
What awaits the Broncos in 2008? The team has already lost some big-name talent in the trade, including linebacker Ian Gold and wide receiver Javon Walker. Gold signed with the Miami Dolphins and Walker signed with the Oakland Raiders. The team also lost Jason Elam to the Atlanta Falcons and released running back Travis Henry. What they lost they hope to make up for with some impressive draft signings as well as other team acquisitions. Some of the team’s most exciting draft picks include offensive tackle Ryan Clady from Boise State, wide receiver Eddie Royal from Virginia Tech, cornerback Jack Williams from Kent State and defensive tackle Carlton Powell from Virginia Tech.
How do you like the odds on the Broncos in 2008? If you think the Broncos played pretty well in 2007 but were outmatched by the competition (and more significantly plagued by numerous injuries), then next season could spell good news. Unlike other losing teams that have never had a good season, the Denver Broncos are former NFL Super Bowl champions, having first captured the title in 1997 and 1998. In 2007, the team’s injury list surely it was devastating. The full list of injured players in 2007 included Rod Smith, Ben Hamilton, Javon Walker, Tom Nalen, Jarvis Moss and Ebenezer Ekuban. Commercially speaking, the Broncos are playing well and set a franchise record in their home game against the Green Bay Packers, selling 77,160 tickets.
How does team management feel about the coming year? Head coach Mike Shanahan has expressed relief and excitement regarding the team’s top draft picks in Ryan Clady and Eddie Royal. Shanahan even told the Denver media that these were the two players the team was really hoping to draft. He even clarified that taking the two star players he most wanted with the top two picks in the draft has happened “zero times” in his career.
Shanahan has a lot to be excited about and the team remains loyal to their coach, who led them to Super Bowl glory and has remained their trusted leader for the past 14 years. There’s a reason owner Pat Bowlen has kept Shanahan: The man delivers, a few seasons or so, at the wrong time.