Are the Nuggets regretting a quick trigger finger for firing George Karl?

Did George Karl deserve to be fired as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets last year?  

Simple question, and depending on who you talk to, a very complex answer.

Truthfully, I was stunned and embarrassed to be a Nuggets fan when they cleaned house after a 57 win season, with the NBA coach of the year and the GM of the year in Masai Ujiri.

I was puzzled by Josh Kronke's press conferences, where it seemed he had zero preparation, he stumbled through answering questions from the media and fans alike.  Josh Kronke tried to explain the inexplicable, which is a tall order indeed, how can you fire the reigning NBA coach of the year and let the GM of the year go in the same off-season?

After 3 games, the Nuggets are 0-3 and are 0-2 at Pepsi Center.  They were 38-3 at the Pepsi Center last year.  Is it fair to draw conclusions after 3 games?  Absolutely not.  But I must say, I am very bored when watching this team play basketball.  I don't think I am the only one, Pepsi Center has been DEAD for each of the two games according to the television broadcast crew and other local media.

How much more do Nuggets fans need to see before we can draw conclusions?  

This is an organization that has made a poor decision at the ownership level.  Josh Kronke wants to commit to a style of play, that not only deemphasizes the strengths of this roster, but shines a spotlight on it's weaknesses.  A style of play that diminishes the advantage of altitude, something George Karl always emphasized was a key component of the Nuggets home court advantage.

This team isn't taking the proverbial, "one step back, to move two steps forward".  This team is nose diving into the lower half of the Western Conference.  I'm not sure this team can even get 35 wins this year.

In a way, I feel a record of 25-57 would provide a symmetrical dose of poetic justice that Josh Kronke richly deserves.

Is George Karl a good coach?  No, he is a GREAT coach.  Unfortunately, Karl was ultimately a victim of his own regular season success with highly imperfect rosters.  

In a 4 year span, Karl coached one Nuggets team to the Western Conference Finals, and then an entirely different Nuggets team to 57 wins.  Is that not impressive?  After Birdman left, not one member of the 08-09 Western Conference Finals Nuggets team was with the 12-13 Nuggets at the conclusion of their 57 win season.  Usually that type of turnover is called "rebuilding", but credit Masai Ujiri for getting maximum value for any assets they had, making difficult decisions to unload contracts like Nene, and getting players that would fit into George Karl's system.  

Masai Ujiri and George Karl made this team a fun, fast pace, entertaining team when after the Carmelo trade, Armageddon was supposed to happen to this franchise.  It happened in Cleveland when LeBron left, it happened in New Orleans when Chris Paul left, it happened in Orlando when Dwight Howard left.

But it didn't happen in Denver, something I do think Nuggets fans took for granted.

The story is not about a team that needs more time to adjust to a new coach, it's not about a new GM waiting for the opportunity to reshape the roster to his liking.  Rather it is about a young owner, who may be bright, but not nearly as bright as he thinks he is.

This is about a young owner who grossly overreacted to the Golden State playoff series and came to the highly questionable conclusion that he needed to embrace a new style of play.  And in doing so, diluted the trade value of every player on the roster by committing to this new style before assembling the talent necessary to make it work.

This miscalculation, has transformed a highly entertaining and competitive team into an unsightly poor watch for many Nuggets fans, as we see Faried or McGee trying to post up doing the "Hakeem shake" ending the possession with a solid brick that had no chance at all of going in.

I should make mention that I have no problem with Brian Shaw.  By all accounts he is well deserving of a head coaching opportunity.  Whatever criticism Brian Shaw takes, in my view, will be misdirected.  There is only one person to blame and that is the person who put Brian Shaw in this position.  Shaw is trying to fit a circle peg into a square hole.  The ownership group wants to slow down and play half court, while the personnel assembled does not match that model of play.

The vast majority of NBA teams are trying to play "faster", it is a trend on the upswing.  Now the Nuggets are trying to slow down, when at a time they were the best in the league at running teams out of the gym.

Some Nuggets fans on Twitter tell me they were "tired of losing in the 1st round of the playoffs and that this system is more designed to be successful in the playoffs".  I agree with the playoff loses, I too was tired of always being bounced in the 1st round.  However, I also knew that this team always exceeded it's talent level in wins.  The regular season DOES matter.  The NBA isn't like the NHL, MLB, or NFL where there are surprise championship winners.  The NBA is top heavy by a wide margin and the playoffs are more predictable in the NBA than any of those other sports.  

Did the Nuggets ever have a roster to win an NBA championship?  I don't think so.  But George Karl sure did max out that talent each year and got the best out of them.  And you know what?  It was sure fun watching those regular season games also, fast pace, exciting basketball, the Taco Bell special being met multiple times a week.  

I am going to miss that.  I did not take those years for granted.  I think when people look back on the George Karl era, they will remember it with good memories.  

Is a slower pace game more effective in the playoffs?  Sure.  But who cares?  If you're playing a better slow game, but only getting 35-41 wins, why does it matter?  If you play a better slow game, but get the 7th or 8th seed, it doesn't matter, the result will be the same, a first round exit.  I would atleast like some entertaining basketball in the other 82 games!

Josh Kronke came to the conclusion that he knew more than George Karl about what it takes to win in the NBA.  Atleast in the playoffs.  Let's see if he's right.

Gold Gang: Round 1, Fight!

I just finished the movie, Wreck it Ralph and the classic video game, Street Fighter, makes an appearance.  In that video game I remember the classic line "Round 1, FIGHT!" right before you would begin the high flying karate style action.

Well, the "Gold Gang" aka "Blue and Yellow" aka The Denver Nuggets will certainly have a fight on their hands to begin round 1 of the 2013 NBA playoffs.

The opponent, the Golden State Warriors.  Yes, the team that can't make up it's mind on whether it wants to be called San Francisco or Oakland.  Just make up your mind already, Golden State.

I think this match up favors the Nuggets.  The Golden State Warriors try to play fast, they can't play a lick of defense, and they have no shot blocking threat to contain Denver's dominance in the paint.  With that being said, they are a dangerous 3 point shooting team and they are one of the best free throw shooting percentage teams in the NBA.  But if the Warriors think they can play a fast pace game, they will fail in this series.  No team plays faster than Denver, and the best shot the Warriors have to win this best of 7 series is to slow the game down and decrease the amount of possessions   It is also critical the Warriors take care of the ball and limit their turnovers.  No team is more effective at turning turnovers to quick fast break points than the Denver Nuggets.

If it is going to be a fight in round 1, give me the Golden State Warriors instead of the Memphis Grizzlies any day, all day.  I don't want any piece of those thugs in Memphis...and that is a compliment.

The main concern for Blue and Yellow?

A star in the making, Stephen Curry.  Probably the best pure shooter in the NBA, this guy can light up a score board quickly.  He has a quick release that makes it almost impossible for any defender to guard him.  However, if anyone can slow down Curry it is the Nuggets defensive anchor, Andre Iguodala.  "Iggnition" will be assigned the most difficult task of slowing down Curry coming off screen after screen after screen.  Oh by the way, Curry just set the NBA single season record for 3 point field goals made.

Health, it hasn't been on the Nuggets side lately.  Faried is most likely going to miss the first two games in Denver, but he should return close to 100% in game 3 when the series turns to San Francisco  I mean Oakland....actually "Golden State"....whatever they want to be called over there.  I wonder if the Warriors will wear those TERRIBLE "t-shirt" style yellow jersey's in this series...I sure hope not, they hurt my eyes.

Does missing Faried hurt?  Yes.  But the Nuggets are deep and should be able to win both games at home in Denver, because they really are the better team, even without Gallo or Manimal.

The most important play in this series?  Ty Lawson.  No doubt.  He has become the "star" everyone says Denver doesn't have.  Ty Lawson looked great coming back from the plantar fascia tear and he is primed for a big series, no one can guard him in this series.

Denver is ready, we have been ready since getting a taste of the Western Conference Finals in 2009.  The Round 1 fight will begin Saturday April 20th 2013 at 3:30 PM in the Mile High City.  Nuggets fans will be waiving thousands of gold towels, "Gold Gang" will be sporting their slick retro style yellow jersey's, Scott Hastings will be wearing his best suit, and the crowd will be loud....very loud.  All the while, the boys by the bay will be gasping for air 3 minutes into the game.

Round 1: FIGHT!!

Denver Nuggets will win this series 4-1.

Corey Brewer: Gone next year?

Is Corey Brewer the most underrated player on the Denver Nuggets?

In my opinion, yes.

What does Nuggets management think?

We will find out this off season.

The Denver Nuggets are in a great spot with their roster.  They have a core group of young players that are getting better each year and are growing with each other.  The Nuggets are the 3rd youngest team in the NBA and have a number of players under contract for years to come.  Nuggets management has done a great job of getting their core players contract extensions without overpaying and hurting their salary cap figure.  With the current roster, there are only 5 players that could be elsewhere next year (assuming no trades are done).

Those players are: Andre Igoudala (player option to return), Corey Brewer (free agent), Timofey Mozgov (free agent), Julyan Stone (qualifying offer), and Quincy Miller (free agent).

Of those 5 players, only two are vital pieces to Denver's success, that would be Andre Igoudala and Corey Brewer.  I think Andre Igoudala will pick up his option because he would then make close to $16 million next year (something he probably wouldn't get on the open market).

But will the Nuggets try to bring Corey Brewer back?

I think prior to the Danilo Gallinari injury there was a possibility that Nuggets management would have let Corey Brewer go and stayed away from paying another swing player, something they had an over abundance of with Gallo, Chandler, Igoudala (potentially), Fournier, and I will even sneak Jordan Hamilton's name in there.

Well with Danilo Gallinari most likely out for a large portion or perhaps all of the 2013-2014 season, the reality of Corey Brewer being important for the Nuggets next season is an understatement.  Corey is one of the Nuggets most important bench players.  He provides energy on both sides of the ball, a slasher without the ball on offense, and a turnover provider on defense.  Brewer fits in perfectly with what the Nuggets try to do most, and that is run on offense and try to get as many fast break points as possible.  Brewer has been responsible for a number of wins this season, whether it has been hitting late free throws or grabbing a late offensive rebound, the Nuggets would not have a shot at the 3 seed without him.

Why would Corey want to leave?  He has it made in this Denver Nuggets system right?

Well if Denver doesn't show that they want him back by either not negotiating with him or offering him a deal that is well below his market value, he could easily find a home somewhere else.

Wilson Chandler will be the starting small forward for the Nuggets next year.  That removes an important bench player for the Nuggets' rotation.  Has Evan Fournier shown enough to warrant a bid for an every game player off the bench for either the shooting guard or small forward position?  Maybe, but I trust Corey Brewer more than Evan Fournier at this point.

Plus, the more depth you have the better, you never know who could get injured next year...I won't mention who I am referring to in an effort to not jinx anything.

*crosses fingers and prays to the basketball gods*

With a healthy Danilo Gallinari and an emerging Evan Fournier, I think Nuggets management thought they could perhaps get away with letting Corey Brewer find a new home next year.  However, with Gallinari getting injured, it may be their biggest off season objective to re-sign him.

"C-Brew" might be overlooked on a national level among basketball analysts, however, with Denver Nuggets fans, he is a key ingredient that shouldn't be overlooked.

Denver Nuggets: No Gallo, what now?

On Thursday night, April 4th 2013, all Nuggets fans held their breath as Danilo Gallinari grabbed his left knee and fell to the floor in excruciating pain.  From the moment the first replay was viewed it was apparent he tore his ACL.  All the excitement and joy that had been building for a team with so much promise suddenly left the Pepsi Center silent and the fans watching on TV holding their breath.  It was as quiet as it has ever been this season at the big Pepsi can.

What now?

Is the hope of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in Nuggets Franchise history over?

Chances at winning an NBA title gone?

The Nuggets are already without leading scorer and best player, Ty Lawson, with a plantar fascia tear in his right heel.  Now they are without their second leading scorer.

Can the Nuggets reach the NBA Finals without a healthy Ty Lawson?  No.  He is the engine that makes it all work.

Can the Nuggets reach the NBA Finals without Danilo Gallinari?  Yes.

Wilson Chandler would be a starting small forward for over half the teams in the NBA, but when you have a talent rich squad like the Denver Nuggets, you can be a "starter" coming off the bench.  The Denver Nuggets are the deepest team in the NBA, so they should be able to fill the void of Gallinari seamlessly.

I am not saying the Nuggets are better without Gallinari, that would be ridiculous, but they are still a very good team that has the ability to make up for an important injured starter perhaps better than any other team in the NBA.  Just look at Saturday night's game against the Houston Rockets, a potential playoff opponent, Blue and Yellow put up 132 points.  That's right, without their top two scorers, the Nuggets pounded the Rockets with their highest point total of the season.

The Nuggets will fill the void of Danilo Gallinari with placing Wilson Chandler in the starting rotation and bringing Corey Brewer off the bench to give Chandler a breather.  With the recent emergence of Evan Fournier, it is possible "Frenchy" will play at the 2 spot to give Igoudala a rest in the playoffs, assuming Lawson is back in the starting rotation.  The real question is who will come in to play the power forward position?  That was usually the position Wilson Chandler would come in for, to replace Kenneth Faried, not Gallinari (that was Brewer).  My best guess is Anthony Randolph.  I believe George Karl trusts Anthony Randolph more than Mozgov, and certainly more than Jordan Hamilton coming in at the 3 and moving Wilson to the 4.

But I may be over analyzing the rotation.

We all know the bench gets shorter in the playoffs, and the Nuggets may keep it only 8-9 deep and expect more minutes out of Faried.  Prior to Gallo's injury the Nuggets would easily go 9 deep in a playoff series, something most teams wouldn't do.  Depending on how Fournier finishes the season or how much size George Karl will want off the bench, it is possible the Nuggets are still a 9 deep rotation in the playoffs.

If the Nuggets are able to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies for the 3 seed in the West, they will face either the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets in the first round.  Neither team matches up well with Denver and they know it.  The games would be fast pace, high scoring, and nobody does that better than the Denver Nuggets.  The Memphis Grizzlies pose the biggest challenge for a first round opponent due to their top notch defense.  Nobody does defense better than Memphis, they are ranked #1 in the league in points allowed per game (89.7) and let's face it, Denver is not a team that likes to play the slow pace, under 90 points, beat-em-up style games.  That is why these last 5 games are so important to hold onto that 3 seed.

The Nuggets are two wins shy of 55, that would set an all-time franchise record for wins in the regular season.  They also have tied their franchise record for consecutive wins at home, 20.

This team is special.

The opportunity to do something no Nuggets team has done before is still there for the taking.

Broncos Schedule 2013: Old Friends Turned Enemies, Peyton Going Home, Family Feud.

The sheriff is ready, bring it on.

The Denver Broncos have the easiest schedule in the NFL, according to NFL.com.  The Broncos will be playing teams that were a combined 110-146 (.430 win percentage) in 2013.  This is misleading due to the fact the AFC West was so poor last year.  The Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs were a combined 13-35, double that up and you get 26-70 for division opponents....in 2013.  I think it is safe to say the Chiefs are improved from 2-14 last year with the addition of Andy Reid and Alex Smith.  The Chargers are always a threat, even though their window of opportunity to compete for a championship seems to be closed.  The Raiders.....well yeah....they aren't very good and won't be for a long time.  That is what happens when you trade a first round pick and a second round pick for an aging, "me first guy", never elite Quarterback in Carson Palmer.  I told Raider fans at the time it was a terrible move, I think they may finally agree.

But enough about the division, that is the boring part of the schedule.  This season is filled with old friends turned enemies, all-time great rivalries, returning home, and family feuds.  Let's look at some intriguing match ups:

Let's start where the Broncos left off...

The Baltimore Ravens, here in Denver.  This match-up has some extra sizzle with the recent events.  On December 16th 2012, the Denver Broncos went into M&T Bank Stadium and absolutely embarrassed the Baltimore Ravens.  They not only won the game 34-17 (not as close as the score indicates), they left the Baltimore Ravens questioning whether they could make the playoffs, let alone win the division.  Joe Flacco was intercepted right before halftime by Chris Harris who returned the INT for a 99 yard touchdown and left Joe Flacco laying face down, embarrassed to get up, wondering if the Ravens organization would even re-sign the 28 year old QB.

Well it was a different story on January 12th, 2013 for the Divisional Playoff game.  We all know the Rahim Moore play by now, the debacle that occurred that day will hopefully resonate with every Broncos player just like the Divisional Playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 4th 1997 (worst loss in Broncos Franchise history).  The Broncos had a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl in 1997 and blew it, but they came back next year with a fire to complete the mission and they did by winning Super Bowl 32.

I am getting off topic...my thoughts are wandering...that Ravens loss always does that to me.

So not only will it be a chance at payback, but an old friend will be coming back to Denver, Elvis Dumervil.  In his 6 productive seasons with the Broncos, "Doom" recorded 63.5 sacks and was a fan favorite.  You can find # 92 jersey's all over Sports Authority Field and the streets of Denver.  That's what happens when you become one of the greatest edge pass rushers in Broncos history.  Elvis wanted to be a Denver Bronco...well kind of...but not really...actually no he didn't.  The Broncos asked Elvis to take a pay cut, because his contract was "out of whack" according to John Elway.  Elway was right, the market showed Elvis wasn't worth 12 million a year, but closer to 8 million.  Elvis was hurt that his boss asked him to take a pay cut, I don't blame him, I would be too.  So after waiting to the last minute, and actually beyond the last minute, Elvis decided he wanted to stay in Denver, but it was too late.  Then "Fax-gate" happened, a huge failure on Elvis and his agent, Marty Magid.  So the Ravens took advantage and wound up signing the free agent.  Elvis, we will see you in Denver, be prepared to be schooled by Ryan Clady.

Mike Shanahan will be returning to Denver as an opposing coach for the first time since being fired on December 30, 2008.  Shanahan spent 14 seasons as the Broncos head coach, winning two Super Bowls and returning the franchise to championship expectations.  Now Mike Shanahan will lead RG3 and the Washington Redskins into battle against the Denver Broncos in 2013.  John Elway texted Mike Shanahan, "put in a good word for us" when Peyton Manning was scheduled to have a meeting with Shanahan and the Redskins...maybe he did.  Shanahan no longer lives in Denver, perhaps he was tired of having such a dump of a house in Cherry Hills...

...or not.  Shanny's house was on the market for 2 years before being sold for a cool 7 million, 10 million less than what he purchased it for, ouch.  But have no fear, Shanahan's Steak House is still alive and kickin' in Denver, maybe Mike will drop by before game time for a 24 oz. Prime Porterhouse for an easy $52.

Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady, it doesn't get any better than that.  Oh wait...it does...

Wes Welker vs Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots.  Add that to an already great rivalry and this game might set ratings records for the most watched regular season game ever.  I would be shocked if this isn't a prime time game.  Broncos vs Patriots is already huge because these two teams will most likely be the two favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl 48.  This game will be played in Foxborough, so it will be a tough match up for the Broncos.  Manning now has Brady's favorite target on his team, I expect Wes Welker to have a monster game against his former team.

Eli vs Peyton in New York.  The two Manning brothers have each said they do not enjoy playing against each other, oh well, everyone else does.  Peyton is 2-0 against his younger brother and that trend should continue in 2013 when the Broncos travel to New York to play the Giants.  Even though Eli Manning has 2 Super Bowl wins compared to Peyton's 1, nobody doubts that Peyton is the better all-time quarterback.  This is most likely the last meeting between the two brothers and Eli's last chance to get a head to head win.

Peyton Manning was supposed to finish his career an Indianapolis Colt.  However, when you have a chance to draft Andrew Luck, the second coming of Peyton Manning, the Colts didn't have a choice but to release Peyton and start over.  What makes this game so interesting is it will be in Indianapolis.  I anticipate the Colts fans to cheer Manning pre-game and to wear their #18 jersey's, but when the game starts it will be a fan base 100% behind Andrew Luck and the Colts.  Don't believe Manning when he says playing in Indianapolis is just another game, this game means more to him then he will let on.  As for Andrew Luck, the kid will be in Peyton's shadow until he wins a Super Bowl.  I am not sure who will be more nervous that game, Manning or Luck?  I expect Peyton to do everything he can to win that game, perhaps a game winning touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme would be the perfect ending.

There is one more game that intrigues me...Gary Kubiak facing the Broncos once again in Houston...no that's not it.  Let's just assume the Jets trade one of their high profile QB's to his home town...in Jacksonville.  Well Jacksonville is on the schedule to play in Denver.  So maybe, just MAYBE...an old face would be coming back to play in Denver...

It should be a great season.

Wilson Chandler: The key to success for the Denver Nuggets.

Wilson Chandler, "ill Will", is a forgotten man.  Or at least he was.

When the Nuggets acquired the versatile Chandler from the New York Knicks in the mega "Melo Trade" on February 22 2011, not many people knew what to expect from the 4 year player.  Chandler was averaging a career high 16.4 points per game in 51 games before being traded.  When he got to Denver his scoring has decreased due to less minutes and more offensive options available.  But that does not tell the story of what "ill Will" means to this Nuggets team.

As of March 19th 2013, Wilson Chandler has only played in 60 games out of a possible 157 for the Denver Nuggets since being traded.  In the shortened 2011-2012 season he only appeared in 8 games for Denver due to playing over in China at the start of the season and then suffering a season ending hip injury.  The Nuggets made some noise in the first round against the Lakers, but were unable to win Game 7 in LA.  Maybe things would have been different if Chandler was healthy, we will never know.

But for a majority of Nuggets fans Chandler was fading into the background.  Questions were raised if he could ever stay healthy for an extended period of time.  Wilson Chandler?  Oh yeah, that one guy we got in the Carmelo trade, is he still hurt?  Are we going to trade him?  Do the Nuggets really need him with their deep roster?

At the beginning of the 2012-2013 season Wilson Chandler was still recovering from the hip surgery he had on May 1st.  With a deep team that featured the ability to replace Chandler with the likes of Danilo Gallanari, Andre Igoudala, Corey Brewer, and even Jordan Hamilton or Evan Fournier, the idea of needing Wilson Chandler to compete became somewhat of an afterthought.

I have heard many people suggest that Wilson Chandler should be traded.  But let's take a look at how good this team can be when he is on the court.  This season the Nuggets are 24-4 when Wilson Chandler plays.  That is a 85.7% winning percentage.  They are 23-18 without him, 56% winning percentage.

I don't think that is a coincidence.  Not that type of disparity.  At that rate, Masai Ujiri and Josh Kronke might trade anyone except Wilson Chandler.

Chandler provides match up nightmares for opposing teams.  He has a perimeter game, mid range and from 3-point distance.  He can drive to the rim off the dribble and has a strong post game.  He also comes in with the second unit, so for a portion of the time he is playing against the opponents reserve players.  Even when Chandler isn't scoring he affects the game with his ability to rebound and hit a perimeter shot (something the Nuggets struggle with).  He is averaging a career high in 3-point shooting percentage (41.3%).  Wilson also allows George Karl the flexibility to rotate him in for Danilo Gallanari or Kenneth Faried if either needs a rest or is struggling, with no loss of production (or in some games an increase in production).

Wilson Chandler has tied his career high twice this season, 35 points, against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls.  Both games were won because of Wilson's play and have contributed to a Nuggets Franchise (NBA) record 13 straight wins.

Wilson Chandler is not just the Nuggets best bench player, when healthy, ill Will could be the Denver Nuggets best player, period.

Wilson Chandler is not forgotten anymore.

Elway making his move for 2013 Executive of the Year.

John Elway didn't win executive of the year in 2012, that award went to Colts GM, Ryan Grigson.  However, John Elway has quickly established himself as one of the top GM's in football.  Elway's first year on the job he landed Von Miller, arguably the best player in the draft.  Year two, simply lured the highest profile free agent in NFL history, living legend Peyton Manning.  Now for year three in Elway's reign, what was expected?  The expectations for the Broncos in free agency for the 2013 season was widely thought to be "steady and nothing flashy".  All Elway did was land the highest profile free agent for the second year in a row, Wes Welker.

Let's take a look into the Broncos signings 6 days in:

Wes Welker (WR)
Louis Vasquez (G)
Terrance Knighton (DT)
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB)
Stewart Bradley (LB)

Elway also re-signed DT starter, Kevin Vickerson and special teams beast, David Bruton.

Stewart Bradley was once a pro bowl LB.  If he can stay healthy it's possible he will be the starting MLB instead of Nate Irving or possibly an upcoming draft pick.  Plus, Elway was able to pick him up dirt cheap, $1.1 million for 1 year.

Terrance Knighton at 335 lbs. will be able to push the pocket and stuff the run effectively with Kevin Vickerson.  He will rotate with Derek Wolfe and is an upgrade from Justin Bannan.

DRC had a rough stint with the Philadelphia Eagles.  But when he was in Arizona he was a Pro Bowl CB.  DRC was a first round pick, 16th overall in 2008.  He is still very young, 26, and with Champ Bailey opposite him, one can only imagine how much better he will get.

Louis Vasquez is probably the Broncos best free agent pick up.  He may not be the most "flashy" signing, that would go to Wes Welker, but Vasquez unlike the other signings received a long term deal, 4 years $23.5 million.  Vasquez is expected to replace RG Chris Kuper, who has struggled with severe injuries recently.  Louis Vasquez was considered the second best Guard by most NFL executives behind Andy Levitre.  It makes it even better that Elway was able to weaken a divisional opponent, the Chargers, with the signing.  Running the ball will be much more effective with Vasquez (335 lbs.) and Franklin (330 lbs.) paving the way on the right side.

Wes Welker is a slot machine.  If you go by production it is easy to suggest Welker is the best slot receiver to ever play the game.  Yes, Broncos fans...even better than the warrior Brandon Stokley.  Welker has 111 receptions or more in 5 of the past 6 seasons.  Welker's career high in receptions is 123 in 2009, oh by the way, that was in only 14 games.  Only once in Broncos history has a WR caught more than 111 passes, that was Rod Smtih in 2001 when he had 113.  Welker's production is even tough to produce in a full season playing Madden 13 on Xbox, it's crazy.  Welker is also durable.  In his 8 year career he has missed a total of 3 games.  Welker will have the ability to work the middle of the field with DT and Decker alongside him, and a solid group of TE's in Tamme, Dressen, and Virgil Green.  Peyton Manning has a shiny new toy to play with and my guess is it's going to be a match made in football heaven.

Oh and by the way, Elway not only wanted Welker to be a Bronco, but he also wanted to weaken the Patriots.  Smart.  He knew Brady wanted Welker back, that was why he restructured his contract.... oops.

As for Elvis Dumerville....well this turned into a mess due to an unbelievable error made by the "Dumerville camp".  Elway is upset....no he is more than upset... he is raging mad.  Elway is a business man, he made a trillion dollars on car dealerships, he doesn't like to lose money....he hates dead money.  That is exactly what releasing Elvis Dumerville did, it put $4.8 million in "dead money" against the 2013 salary cap.  So can Elway fix this?  Does Elway even want to?  I don't know, but I hope so.  It is a good sign that Elvis has new representation, Tom Condon, who also represents Peyton Manning (maybe I am reaching, wishful thinking perhaps).  Anyway, if Elway can clean this up and sign Dumerville back to the Broncos somehow, then just give him the 2013 Executive of the Year right now, we don't need to see what happens in the draft....it's a rap.

John Elway was one of the best Quarterback to ever play the game, my personal favorite.  When he took the Broncos front office job in 2011 I thought he just wanted back in the building to get rid of the nasty stench that was Josh McDaniels.  Maybe John would have a tee time at 9:00, go to lunch at Shannahan's, come in to Dove Valley to talk with Pat Bowlen and Brian Xanders about football operations, head over to Del Frisco's for a steak and a scotch, and head home before 8:00.

Well that didn't happen, the man is dedicated beyond belief.  Not only that, but he is good, damn good.  He is perhaps the best recruiter in the NFL.  Who has the reputation Elway has?  Who demands more respect than Elway in front offices?  Nobody.

The 2012 Executive of the Year winner Ryan Grigson was a nice story.  Rookie QB making the playoffs after a 2-14 season, coach battling life threatening cancer, young players stepping up in big time situations....I get it, I really do, but Elway was robbed last year.

It won't happen again this year.

2K, Nuggets best big?

Is Kosta Koufus the Denver Nuggets best big man?  I honestly don't know, but I think the question is fair and until recently most Nuggets fans would only laugh at the thought.

Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos started his career with the Utah Jazz, picked 23rd overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.  His first 2 seasons with the Jazz he played sparingly, even spending some time in the D League.  He was traded to Minnesota on July 14th 2010, where he only appeared in 39 games and was then traded to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony 3-team trade on February 22, 2011.  A lot of fans may remember Timofey Mozgov showing up to Pepsi Center with his former Knick buddies; Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari, but nobody cared about this Kosta kid from Minnestoa.  Media speculated that Mozgov was a "huge" piece in the trade negotiations and that the New York Knicks front office was reluctant to let him go, even if that meant canceling the "Melo trade".  Well it turns out, the Nuggets did land a starting center, but he came from Minnesota not New York.

So let's compare the Denver Nuggets centers.  The measurable's are similar, McGee is 7'0 252 lbs., Koufos is 7'0 265 lbs., Mozgov is 7'1 250 lbs and they all have athleticism, however nobody is going to deny JaVale McGee is out of this universe with his athletic ability.  When you see Kosta Koufos and the nice bald spot he is forming on his head, you may think he is close to 30 years old.  However, Kosta is only 24 years old, compare that to 25 years old for McGee and 26 years old for Mozgov.  Kosta is averaging 8.4 points per game in 22 minutes a game.  JaVale is averaging 9.4 in 18 minutes per game.  Mozgov...well we will just skip him for this exercise.  Rebounding, probably the most important stat for a center, especially for a team like the Nuggets.  Kosta is averaging 6.8 rebounds compared to JaVale's 4.7 rebounds per game this season.  Field goal percentage; Kosta is shooting a career high 61.4% while McGee is at a solid 56.9%.  What about protecting the paint?  Kosta is averaging a career high 1.4 blocks per game while JaVale is one of the top shot blockers at 2 blocks per game in just 18 minutes a game.

Stats are great but they are not the whole story.  Kosta Koufos plays with an edge, he doesn't play nice all the time, he isn't out there to make friends.  Kosta will trash talk with anyone, he doesn't care if you are a Hall of Famer or bench warmer, if you cheap shot him, you will hear about it.  Kosta also has an intelligence about the game that should not go overlooked.  His basketball IQ is high and he is a team player, always doing what is best for the team and winning compared to "getting his".  Last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, with less than a minute to go in the game, the Nuggets got a turnover and ran out on the fastbreak.  Kosta received a pass under the basket and could have easily gone up to get a score, but instead Kosta dribbled out of the paint wasting about 5-6 seconds worth of valuable time and passing to a guard.  Kosta in a nut shell.  He cares about the "W" and nothing else.  Career high in rebounds during that game, 16, but when asked about it, he said "all I care about is the win".  Yep, that's Kosta.

JaVale McGee has the biggest upside, there is no doubting that.  McGee can be brilliant at times, potentially an all-star one day.  But there are times when he makes poor decisions and doesn't value each possession.  Mozgov has a great work ethic.  George Karl calls Mozzy a "gym rat", always in the gym working to get better.  No doubt he has the best shooting touch of any of the centers, but he struggles to rebound consistently, gets in foul trouble, and seems to have communication break downs frequently with teammates. Kosta Koufos is the most improved center this year and is the starter for a good reason.  He is solid, doesn't make mistakes, rebounds, and scores efficiently.

Hopefully Nuggets fans will appreciate how important Kosta Koufos is to the success of this team.  I know I do.