The Broncos organization is getting ready for the big event. They’ve been cleaning the house over the summer by releasing people such as Todd Sauerbrun, Javon Walker and Travis Henry. They’ve gotten rid of perceived “junk” that had been in storage such as Mike Bell. They also packed away the “good china” in players such as Ian Gold and Jason Elam. Then they brought in the new goods. Ryan Clady and Eddie Royal are already inserted into the starting lineup. Ryan Torain could play a key roll in the running attack depending on how he performs in camp. Other preparations include signing veteran free agents (Darrell Jakson, Dewayne Robertson, Samie Parker, Michael Pittman, etc.) that could make all the difference this season.

Factor in a healthy QB, motivated RB Selvin Young, and Brandon Marshall waiting to put a huge stamp on the NFL, and you have all the makings of a successful party. I mean season.  

If you ask Champ Bailey what concerns him the most about headlines coming out of Dove Valley this week, he would not tell you it’s Brandon Marshall’s freak Big Mac attack. He might not talk about the absence of Rod Smith at the first day of off-season conditioning or the disappointing loss of strong safety Nick Ferguson, to the Texans. He won’t even mention the fact that punt returner Glenn Martinez can’t gain weight despite eating six meals a day either.

What has been weighing on Bailey’s mind is Jason Elam’s departure. Bailey stated that even though the Broncos have lost key players like Javon Walker and Ian Gold, Elam’s departure is the most disappointing of them all.  Bailey said, “he won a lot of games for us last year. We didn’t win a whole lot, but he won about half of them for us.”

Bailey’s right about that. At the start of the season, Elam was a candidate for team MVP. While other players weren’t quite ready to start their jobs in September, Elam kept the Broncos in the playoff hunt early on.

When asked about a replacement kicker for the Broncos, Bailey said he’s concerned. “I’ll tell you what. There had better be a guy that impresses me when these camps start rolling around. Because (if not) it would really, really bother me then.”

There is no doubt that the kicking game matters a great deal in the NFL, and the Broncos will miss Elam’s leg for sure. However, it was time for him to move on, and it looks like former teammates are having a difficult time coming to terms with that.

Other returnees include Ebenezer Ekuban, who missed last season with a torn Achilles tendon. The other big defensive end that has decided to return is John Engelberger. Tight end Nate Jackson will also be suiting up in a Broncos uniform in 2008.

Other free agents that have yet to make a move include clutch kicker Jason Elam (pondering retirement), safety Nick Ferguson, and fullback Cecil Sapp.

The Broncos did exactly what I wanted them to do in releasing Javon Walker. Walker who played well in Denver was injured too often and he didn’t want to play for the Broncos anymore. Why keep him and his big salary around? Denver brought in Keary Colbert to replace Walker. The former Panthers receiver was drafted in 2004 and filled in for an injured Steve Smith catching 5 touchdowns in his rookie season. His performance has dropped with time, and he spent the end of 2007 on the injured reserve list. Colbert will be competing with Brandon Stokley for the #2 spot because Brandon Marshall secured the #1 slot with a solid 2007 season.  

Finally, Ian Gold was released due to his declining performance in recent years.

It looks like the Broncos are being conservative in this year’s free agency market, but don’t expect them to do the same in the draft.