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.

With Jim Bates out of the picture, lets take a look at the Broncos new defensive coordinator. Bob Slowik, 53, has been in the league for nine seasons with four different teams. As a defensive assistant, Slowik usually stood quietly behind Bates offering words of encouragement only slightly louder than his normal speaking voice. Many players seem to be happy with their new defensive leader:

Nick Ferguson says, “one can lead without being fiery or overly energetic…You just have to get your point across to your players. Coach Slo can do that. It’s nice that they would promote from within so we don’t have all this disruption with guys having to learn a new defense.”

Domonique Foxworth also expresses his excitement saying, “We were hoping Coach Slowik would take over last year. It would be an easy transition, and guys really like playing for him.” (Denver Post)

Speaking of defense, former Broncos linebacker, Al Wilson, was cleared to play next season. Wilson suffered a neck injury in 2006 before being released by the Broncos. He is a free agent that will likely draw a lot of attention in the market, so don’t expect him back in Denver.

Finally, Champ Bailey made 2nd team all-pro after three straight years of making the 1st team. With a losing record, it’s hard to argue the selection.