FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Denver Broncos - Trying to Turn the Corner

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: There is little doubt in my mind that Jay Cutler wasn't the problem last year. In his first full season as a starting quarterback, Cutler hit 64 percent of his throws and threw just 14 picks, which is pretty good for a first-year starter. He was good under pressure, which is also pretty good for a guy who was pretty much a rookie. Moving forward, Cutler needs to work on what many, many young quarterbacks need to work on: Decision-making. It's not at all uncommon for college quarterbacks or even Brett Favre to sometimes trust the ol' arm too much, which can lead a guy to throw a lot of footballs in traffic. As long as you grow out of it, or you're Brett Favre, it's okay. Happens to everyone. I really like Cutler. He shows pretty much every skill I like to see in an NFL quarterback, and he's the kind of kid who will only get better because of his dedication and drive. Ignore the fact that he hasn't had a winning season as a starting quarterback since high school. Heat Index: 7

Running back: I've learned not to question Mike Shanahan or the Broncos at this position. Yes, Travis Henry is gonzo, but it's never been a big deal for Denver to lose a top back. Undrafted rookie Selvin Young ran through the door that Henry's injury left open last year. He averaged over five yards per carry and also caught 35 passes. He only scored one touchdown, but he topped 100 yards twice and was a solid option for the Broncos while Henry was unreliable. One hitch with Young is that he did seem to wear down late in the season. He totaled just 160 yards over the season's last three games. Second-year man Andre Hall provides depth, but the arm injury to rookie Ryan Torain is a setback. Shanahan likes to use as many runners as he can, and it may be a bit more of a struggle than usual with two relatively inexperienced guys leading the way. Heat Index: 6

Receivers: The suspension to star Brandon Marshall creates quite the murky picture for the first three (or two, if Marshall behaves himself) games. Cutler had quite the rapport with Marshall last year, and it helped lead Marshall to a 102-catch sophomore season. That represented a scant improvement of 82 catches from his rookie season. No question that the kid is really good. However, he's useless to Cutler and the Broncos if he doesn't stop messing around off the field. Beyond Marshall, the Broncos have former Panther Keary Colbert, former Chief Samie Parker, former Seahawk/49er Darrell Jackson, and promising rookie Eddie Royal to provide depth at the position. Without Marshall, however, the Broncos appear to be sorely lacking the primary target that can mean so much to a young signal-caller like Cutler. Hopefully, tight end Tony Scheffler continues developing into that kind of player. Heat Index: 7

Offensive line: Normally a strength for Denver, there was some falloff here last year. Much of that was due to injury, and now the Broncos have to replace mainstay left tackle Matt Lepsis, who retired. Center Tom Nalen is coming back from a torn biceps, and guard Ben Hamilton missed the whole season because of concussion-related issues. Denver drafted Boise State tackle Ryan Clady in the first round, and he's got the first shot at replacing Lepsis. The smallish Broncos front did not do as well against bigger defensive lines than they did in the past, and even though Cutler was good at getting rid of the ball quickly, he was still sacked 27 times. With youngsters littered throughout the offense, and a bunch of new faces at receiver, protecting Cutler is an even bigger priority. This isn't Shanahan's best line, and it will probably show early in the season. Heat Index: 5

Defensive line: This is the unit that needed the most work over the off-season. Perhaps it helped to replace former coordinator Jim Bates with Bob Slowik, but I don't think Bates was the problem. Denver allowed 150 yards rushing or more in seven of 16 games, including four straight after their season-opening win at Buffalo. Young ends Tim Crowder and Elvis Dumervil are good, but the interior is a confuzzled mess. The hope is that a deal for former Jet Dewayne Robertson will solve the issues at tackle, but there are concerns about Robertson's health, and it's not like he lit the world on fire with New York. Heat Index: 6

Linebackers: As long as they're moving D.J. Williams away from the middle, I think you'll see improvement here. Williams is a great tackler, but he's better when you get him in space. He has to improve at getting off blocks before you put him in the middle. The Broncos signed former Lion Boss Bailey, presumably to do things that don't involve showing up on the injured list. In the middle, former Seahawk Niko Koutouvides gets a chance to start. I'm not sure how good he is, as he got stuck behind Lofa Tatupu on the depth chart in Seattle. The depth is solid here, as veterans Jamie Winborn and Nate Webster are still on the team. Unless Koutouvides impresses, Webster may end up starting in the middle. Heat Index: 5

Secondary: For a team that has big names like Champ Bailey and Dre Bly around, the Broncos sure looked terrible defending the pass for much of last season. They took turns getting toasted by Favre in that Monday Night loss to the Packers, and they weren't exactly stellar for the entire year. Part of that problem was the sometimes-invisible defensive front, and part of it was that Bailey and Bly weren't quite as good as advertised. Of the two, it appears Bailey still has a lot left in the tank, but Bly looked slow for a large part of the season. Domonique Foxworth and Karl Paymah will see the field a lot in nickel and dime packages. John Lynch is now gone, leaving Marlon McCree and Hamza Abdullah to man the safety positions. Ouch. Heat Index: 6

Special teams: What to do without Jason Elam? Matt Prater appears to be the Broncos' new kicker. I won't pretend to know anything about him. I just know he's not Jason Elam, who ended four of Denver's seven wins with field goals last year, and also sent the aforementioned Green Bay game into overtime with a late kick. Sam Paulescu is the favorite to take over for Todd Sauerbrun at punter. The kick return spots appear to be in good hands with the likes of Glenn Martinez and Royal on the scene. Heat Index: 5

Coaching: I've never been much of a Shanahan fan. His teams have won exactly one playoff game since John Elway walked out the door, and while I credit Pat Bowlen for showing patience with his coach, I also wonder if he's missed out on a chance to upgrade. The Broncos will continue to have issues as long as their line depth is questionable and the defense struggling. Of course, Shanahan is the one who makes the calls on personnel, so he's accountable for the deficiencies you see on this team. Heat Index: 4

Intangibles: Cutler strikes as a superb leader once he gains more experience, and the Broncos still have the Mile High City stuff. Then again, once-invincible Denver was 5-3 at home last year, including a 38-point loss to San Diego. Maybe that magic isn't what it used to be. Heat Index: 5

Total Heat Index: 56

If Cutler keeps developing, the running game is sound, and they don't miss Marshall a ton, Denver could make some noise this year. Outside of obvious favorite San Diego, the AFC West is wide-open, and a good performance against Kansas City and Oakland should provide Denver with half of what they'll need for a .500 season.

The rest is up to the defense. The tools are in place for a turn-around, but Slowik's scheme was oft-burned in Green Bay, and there's no guarantee it'll be any good this time. It appears Cutler may have to wait one more year for that elusive winning season.