ESPN Ranks DEN as #3 Oline in NFL.

[CoMoChief]

What a crock of shit. They had just as bad of problems with protecting the QB as we did, not to mention injury problems. I don't know what KC is ranked, but they aren't in the top 11 and I don't have ESPN Insider to look further ahead.

[ceebz]

KC was 24th if i remember correctly.

ESPN has been blowing the donkeys all off-season. Nothing they say about Dungver surprises me anymore.

[CupidStunt]

They're not that good but it's hardly the most far-fetched thing in the world. That line produces great numbers for some of the crocks of shit at RB they have.

[RustShack]

24th? thats redick, I know were not #1 anymore, but 24? That will be changed by the end of the season.

[Priest4Prez]

yeah we'll be ranked worse

[SoCalBronco]

That's an unreasonable ranking.

The OL has had problems for some time in the redzone and goalline area and it came to a head against SF when their DL ate our OL up in goalline situations. We must have been inside their 5 on about 5 or 6 possessions and came up with FGs basically every time but one (or two). The line needed to get beefier, which Shanny has tried to address. Kuper and Holland should compete for the RG spot this year, that will be an improvement over Carlisle in the run game (although if Holland wins, it will be a step back in the pass pro). Despite the coaches loving him, Kuper still has to prove it in a game and he has not yet started a game for the team.

I feel good about RT. Pears was competent at LT last year, and now will have the easier RT assignment. Meadows is a good backup. LG is very solid with Hamilton (he does tend to get overpowered at times though, too) and Nails is still kicking at least for this year at C. LT is a big concern with Lepsis coming off his ACL.

There are alot of questions......I think they'll be effective in the run game as usual, not sure about pass protection though. #3 is way too high....10-14 is about right.

[DJay23]

ESPN has been blowing the donkeys all off-season. Nothing they say about Dungver surprises me anymore.
Just the off season? Seems they've been blowing them since about 1983. Been cupping their balls at the same time since the mid 90's.

[Mile High Mania]

Why does anyone care about rankings...

[PunkinDrublic]

How can anybody give any respect an Oline that philosophy is to dive at peoples knees? Tom Nalen getting fined last year was a good start and a sign that the new commissioner isn't going to condone their blatantly illegal blocking scheme that they've been getting away with for years. That POS John Madden openly said that it was perfectly okay for Nalen to dive at peoples knees in the donk game against the Steelers where the Steelers defensive player got kicked out for retaliating against Nalens dirty tactics.

[Priest4Prez]

Why does anyone care about rankings...
Rankings don't mean shit

[keg in kc]

Why does anyone care about rankings...In mid-July...

[RustShack]

Flying under the rader can be good sometimes.

[CoMoChief]

Why does anyone care about rankings...

Not so much care, its just something to talk about because camp isn't here yet and it's a very slow time of offseason right now other than the rookie signings or lack there of.

All in all it's just something to talk about, discuss, argue, debate, etc.

[LiL stumppy]

24th? thats redick, I know were not #1 anymore, but 24? That will be changed by the end of the season.

We wont be in the top 25 after the season.

[Priest4Prez]

We wont be in the top 25 after the season.
Because Casey W. will probably retire, and that will drop us a couple of spots.

[BigMeatballDave]

Why does anyone care about rankings...Thats easy to say when ESPN is hanging from your junk...

[htismaqe]

We wont be in the top 25 after the season.

Where was this panic LAST YEAR? You know, the year we were counting on a 275-lb. TE to play tackle. Where one RT was coming off NFLE and hurt and the other, while healthy, had missed more than an entire season's worth of games in the last 24 months.

Where we were counting on JORDAN BLACK.

I guarantee we'll be better this year than last.

Guarantee.

[Priest4Prez]

cant do any worse than in that playoff game

[Ugly Duck]

How can anybody give any respect an Oline whose philosophy is to dive at peoples knees?

I, for one, am very encouraged by this. Oakland had the worst line play in the history of the league last year. The response was to hire Tom Cable & some Donks to teach us knee-diving. Ankle-hunting seems to impress the pundits.... maybe we have a chance if we copy the Donkeys...

[Priest4Prez]

and the chiefs will win the SB. the raiders will have a top 3 draft pick

[Ugly Duck]

GoChiefs is a Rump RangerDood.... GoChiefs is a virgin. At least thats what I heard....

[Priest4Prez]

In the words of the Shermanator's gf from the first American Pie: "He tried to screw a grapefruit once, but that was it" I heard he drew a guy's ass on that grapefruit

[Direckshun]

#3 is too high.

They do belong in the top half of the league, however.

I haven't talked to a lot of Donk fans that have recognized the need for injury. The Donks are hoping Lepsis stays together otherwise they're in trouble at OT, they're hoping Henry can stay healthy otherwise they're RBBC is hampered, they're hoping Sam Adams will be alright and Gerard Warren's toes won't go foul and Rod Smith will return in full form and stay healthy and that Daniel Graham will play 16 games for the first time in his career and that Brandon Stokely will bounce back in full force.

Methinks they're walking a very fine line this season.

[Priest4Prez]

I thought it was funny when the broncos fell apart last season. They started out 7-4 and miss the playoffs. Maybe the same thing will happen this year.

[Direckshun]

Well they're definitely going to get a good start, because 6 of their first 8 games are at home.

But there's a chance they falter late in the season, as they finish their season 6 out of 8 on the road.

[Ugly Duck]

The Donks are hoping Lepsis stays together otherwise they're in trouble at OT

Hmmm... the Donks have pretty much proved that if the opposing defense is hopping around the field trying to keep their knees from being cracked on, the run game does pretty dang good. If the Donks keep diving at opponent's knees, they should do OK even without Lepsis.

[BroncoBuff]

Well ... if it was just the left side of the line ... Nalen, Hamilton, Lepsis ... then yes. It's the correct ranking.

Problem is, RG and RT are open competitions, with two guys having an equal shot at both spots:RG - Cooper Carlisle is a Raider now. 2nd year North Dakota grad Chris Kuper vs. former NO starter and new FA Montrae Holland
RT - Greg Foster is gone (finally) - former hotshot vet Adam Meadows vs. local boy Erik Pears who filled in OK for Lepsis last year
Both spots are 50-50 competitions ... and that means Denver O-Line should be no higher than #14-15 I'd say.

[BroncoBuff]

and the chiefs will win the SB. the raiders will have a top 3 draft pick
Whadd'ya mean "top 3 pick"? Hell, might as well put 'em on the clock now. ROFL


And Direckshun ... Lepsis is way ahead of schedule, might be 100% for start of TC. He had the same type of surgery as Javon Walker (though less severe), a surgery that's really gaining popularity ... they use a CADAVER LIGAMENT instead of the bone-marrow bleed of microfracture.

True story.

[BroncoBuff]

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