2007 NFL Preview: Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos missed out on the playoffs by a hair last season. That along with two tragic player deaths in the offseason left this franchise disappointed to say the least. Find out what has Jimmy Boyd thinking that the Broncos will be bouncing back strong in his 2007 Denver Broncos preview for Point-Spreads.com. SportsBetting.com has the Denver Bronocs at 20 to 1 odds to win the 2008 Super Bowl.

Sources did not lie when they said that the Denver Broncos would be aggressive this offseason despite boasting one of the league’s more stacked rosters. Denver traded away Jake Plummer and his healthy salary to Tampa Bay (he soon after retired), sent leading rusher Tatum Bell and offensive right tackle George Foster off to Detroit along with a draft pick to get corner back Dre Bly. They also scooped former Titans running back Travis Henry right off the free agent market, grabbed former Patriots tightend Daniel Graham and experienced backup QB Patrick Ramsey. Mike Shanahan had had enough with defensive coordinator Larry Coyer after his unit faltered in the second half of the season. He replaces him with the highly regarded Jim Bates who was out of the league in 2006.

Narrowly missing out on the playoffs with a 9-7 record and then dealing with the tragic deaths of cornerback Darrent Williams and running back Damien Nash left the Broncos in a very disappointed state. The moves made in the offseason, adds more talent to existing talent and should produce a season that brings positive vibes back to the Rocky Mountains.

Mike Shanahan's West Coast offense is the only one of its kind which relies more heavily on a power run game. With the success this scheme has enjoyed and with the addition of Travis Henry, don’t expect the offensive framework to budge. Assistant coach Mike Heimerdinger is a fan of spreading the field, however, with three wideout sets and Cutler’s strong arm could have Shanahan opening up things a little bit more this season.

Get Expert Predictions from NFL Expert Handicapper Jimmy Boyd.

In the first six games of last season, the Broncos’ defense was a brick wall allowing just 7.3 points per game. In the final 10 games this same unit allowed 26.1 points per game. I’m still scratching my head and waiting for someone to explain that to me. Dre Bly comes in and makes this the best secondary in all of football along with perhaps the best defensive player in all of football, Champ Bailey.

The linebackers are still solid even with the release of Al Wilson for cap reasons, but the defensive line is the apparent weak spot. Many believe this unit simply wore down, which cause the rest of the problems on the defensive side of the ball in the second half of the season. 2007 draft choices, defensive ends Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, and defensive tackle Marcus Thomas are expected to strengthen this unit.

The Broncos finished 2006 with the taste of sour grapes in their mouths, but a restocked talent pool and a full season with Jay Cutler should have this team right back in the playoff picture.