The Franchise 9: Denver Broncos

 

One feature I want to make for this blog is to feature the best nine players for each franchise.  Why nine?  Because then I get to create a binder with a page for each team, of course!  To make my task a little easier, I've decided to narrow the field to Super Bowl Era players only.  First of all, it eased the selection process because I wanted to keep each team to nine players.  Trying to take a team like the Bears or Packers with all its history and whittle the greatest players to nine is a daunting task.  For some of these teams, it was hard enough to make the cuts that I did.  To double the length of the history and decide between Norm Van Brocklin and Torry Holt was beyond the scope of what I wanted for this project.  Sorry Norm, it's just easier to justify excluding you because of your time period.  Second, it makes it a bit easier to collect the cards I need without having to bust my budget on a lot of vintage.  Third, since half the teams in the NFL don't have history too far beyond the advent of the Super Bowl, it levels the field a little for the newer teams.

As is always the case with any type of ranking, there will be plenty of room for debate.  This is in no way a definitive list.  I have a soft spot in my heart for the guys in the trenches, so some may say that I have included too many offensive linemen.  Interestingly, I have found that most teams have a 5/4 split between offense and defense, or vice-versa.  I didn't intentionally try to even it out, that's just how it turned out.  This is just my opinion, and I tried to base it on both stats and status.  I've learned a little bit of football history in the process as well, and having a bit of history is one of the appeals of collecting to me.  In any case, it gave me another something to do with my cards, and that's why I did it in the first place.

The teams will be presented in no particular order; basically, I have chosen the players already and am in the process of filling in the gaps as I do not currently own a card of every player I have chosen.  I'll present each team as I complete its page.  Players are in order of position, not ranking.  I don't really care to take my nine franchise players and try to rank their greatness.  I'll just leave it as a team.

The Broncos have played in 8 Super Bowls, but they hold the record for most Super Bowl losses, going only 3-5 in those games.  Their first win came in Super Bowl XXII, on the fifth try.  Still, to make it to the Big Game 8 times in 3 different decades--in fact, the 1960s and 2000s are the only decades in the Broncos did not play for a title--speaks to some pretty good teams.  So, who is the best of Mile High?

1. John Elway, QB (1994 Collector's Choice)
#7 ranks #7 in the all-time passing yardage list, but he was #2 when he retired.  His 300 TDs were third when he retired.  Elway also went out in style; after bringing Denver its first Super Bowl win, he went out and got a second the next year, his final game.  And then he came back and engineered a Super Bowl roster as an executive.  John Elway is the Denver Broncos and I don't see that changing any time soon.

2. Terrell Davis, RB (1996 Pro Line II Intense)
One could also make the argument that Terrell Davis won those first two Super Bowls for Denver and that Elway was just a facilitator at that point.  Davis put together a string of four seasons that would rival any backs in league history.  Before injuries effectively ended his career, Davis rushed for 6,466 yards (an average of 1616 per season!) and 56 TDs.  There was also a 2,000 yard season in the mix there, just the fourth ever and one of only seven overall.  He was explosive and powerful enough to ride that 4-year comet of a career into the Hall of Fame.

3. Rod Smith, WR (1999 Collector's Edge Fury)
Smith went from undrafted free agent to 3-time Pro Bowler and 2-World Champ.  He retired with 849 receptions for 11,389 yards and 68 TDs.  Those numbers for yards and TDs are record for undrafted receivers, and he trails only Wes Welker in receptions.   He led the league in receptions in 2001.  Cementing his place in the Broncos' Franchise 9 is the fact that he spent his entire career in Denver. 

4. Tom Nalen, C (1994 Bowman RC)
Another member of the Broncos' Super Bowl run in the 90s.  Like Smith, Nalen was an unheralded prospect, going in the 7th round, who spent his entire career in Denver.  He was named 1st Team All-Pro twice, and acccording to Pro Football Reference, his career is most similar to Willie Roaf, Dermontti Dawson, Ron Yary, Walter Jones, Mick Tingelhoff, Alan Faneca, and Steve Hutchinson.  All but two of those guys are in Canton, and those other two will most likely be enshrined in the next couple of years.  That's some good company.

5. Randy Gradishar, LB (1980 Topps)
Seven Pro Bowl appearances, two All-Pro teams, one Defensive Player of the Year award.  Someday the Veteran's Committee will get Gradishar into the Hall of Fame.  It's amazing to me how little he is even remembered now.  After spending his entire career in Denver, he is a shoo-in to the team's Franchise 9.

6. Karl Mecklenburg, LB (1991 Upper Deck)
Gradishar ended his career in 1983.  That was Mecklenburg's first year.  Like Gradishar, Mecklenburg spent his entire career in Denver, and arguably did even more than his predecessor.  While individual defensive stats are hard to compare because many were not kept in Gradishar's time, they have similar career outcomes, according to Pro Football Reference.  Mecklenburg was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.  Like Gradishar, Mecklenburg doesn't get much mention with the greatest linebackers of the day.  But he probably deserves more respect than he gets.

7. Von Miller, LB (2014 Topps Prime SP-Photo Variation)
Another generation, another great Broncos linebacker.  Miller may not have the longevity as a Bronco yet, but he does have something that Gradishar and Mecklenburg never got--a Super Bowl win.  Not only did Miller win the Super Bowl, he was a one-man wrecking crew in the Big Game against Carolina.  Miller has double-digit sacks in each full season that he has played in his career.  With only seven seasons under his belt, Miller will only climb the list of top Broncos.

8. Champ Bailey, CB (2006 Topps Chrome)
Few corners in history have been able to keep "shut down" status for as long as Bailey did.  During his tenure with Broncos, Bailey picked off 34 passes, returning three for touchdowns, and racked up an incredible 123 passes defensed.  It seems like corners only stay at the top of their games for 3-5 years, but Bailey played at a top level for close to a decade.

9. Steve Atwater, S (1995 Pinnacle)
I was a kid in 1990, watching Monday Night Football between the Chiefs and Broncos.  My dad was a Chiefs fan, so I was cheering for the Chiefs.  I didn't know many players, but I did know Christian Okoye.  On one play, Broncos safety Steve Atwater came flying up to the line of scrimmage and met the world's most powerful running back in a violent collision.  I'll never forget the sight of Okoye flying back, but the sound was even more incredible.  Atwater was apparently mic'd up for the game, and my introduction to the young DB was him screaming, "You tired baby!" at Okoye.  That was how Atwater played the game, and it is the primary reason he was named to the NFL's All 1990s team.  He was a legendary hard hitter and enforcer for the great Broncos teams of the 90s.

Originally, Peyton Manning was going to be on this team, representing 2 teams.  But his time with Denver was too short and his overall impact on the team was lessened by an outstanding defense that I couldn't leave out some of these other long-time Broncos.

What do you think?  Who would you change out if you had to limit this team to the 9 best players of the past 50 years?  Let the discussions begin!