Denver Broncos

Former MLB outfielder and NFL running back Carroll Hardy, who later worked in the Denver Broncos front office, died Sunday from complications due to dementia.

He was 87.

Hardy played for four teams during his MLB career from 1958-1967. He is best known for pinch hitting for Ted Williams during the 1960 season, becoming the only player to ever pinch hit for the Boston Red Sox legend.

In addition to his baseball career, Hardy played one season for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955 after starring as a three-sport athlete at Colorado.

After retiring from baseball, Hardy joined the Denver Broncos front office as an executive and helped put together their famed "Orange Crush" defense.

He once told the Denver Post (h/t the Associated Press): "I'd like to have people remember me for hitting 400 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .305, but I didn't do that. But it's not bad being remembered as the only man to ever pinch hit for Ted Williams."

CU athletic director Rick George said in a statement (h/t Ryan O'Halloran of the Denver Post): "I had the pleasure of meeting and visiting with Carroll several times—what a wonderful man and a true icon in the state. His list of accomplishments in his lifetime and the people he touched are really second-to-none. We have lost a great Buffalo."

Going into the 10th year of his career, Denver Broncos star Von Miller wants to change his leadership style.

The linebacker discussed how he wants to demand more of his teammates during practices and games:

"I have to become more of a leader like Kobe and Jordan was," Miller said. "It's never too late to change."

Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant won a combined 11 NBA titles, but both were known for being hard on their teammates during their playing careers. Jordan described his approach during the docuseries The Last Dance.

"Look, winning has a price. And leadership has a price," Jordan said, via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports.

Miller won a Super Bowl title with the Broncos for the 2015 campaign, but the 31-year-old is clearly looking for more team success after three straight losing seasons and four years of missing the playoffs.      

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ja'Wuan James will opt out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic:

Mike Klis of 9News first reported the news Monday as the lineman joins defensive tackle Kyle Peko as the first Broncos players to sit out for the year.

James signed a four-year, $51 million deal with Denver in 2019, but he played only three games in his first season with the team. Knee problems held him to just 63 snaps, per Pro Football Reference, while his appearances were spread across Week 1, Week 8 and Week 14.

He later explained what went wrong with his knee, via Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic:

"I tore some ligaments in my knee the first game of the season. Was working back to get it healed, came back for that Colts game and ended up reinjuring it. I re-tore all the scar tissue that was healing and then ended up tearing part of my meniscus. They said it wouldn't be that serious but when I was out there, even at practice, trying to come back, my knee was buckling on me. It was just weak because the ligaments weren't strong."

James referred to a "false narrative" surrounding his injury in Monday's announcement, but an extra year off should allow him to fully heal and be 100 percent going into 2021.

The 2014 first-round pick has been effective when on the field, starting all 65 games he has played with Denver and the Miami Dolphins. Injuries have consistently been an issue, however, as he's missed 31 of 96 possible regular-season games since entering the league.

The Broncos will have to play without him once again, which could be even tougher with Elijah Wilkinson on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury. Jake Rodgers and Calvin Anderson could be the next men up at right tackle.

Rookie wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has signed his contract with the Denver Broncos, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

The Broncos selected the Alabama star with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. While offset language has become a sticking point for first-year players, Jeudy's draft position largely set the parameters for his contract.

According to Over the Cap, Jeudy is projected to earn a little under $15.2 million over his first four years with an $8.6 million signing bonus. Here's how his yearly salary cap hits break down:

• 2020: $2,762,356
• 2021: $3,452,945
• 2022: $4,143,534
• 2023: $4,834,123

Drew Lock replaced Joe Flacco midway through the 2019 season, and Flacco's departure cleared the way for Lock to open 2020 as the starting quarterback.

With the exception of the Peyton Manning interlude, the Broncos have largely struggled to find a suitable replacement for John Elway, who retired in 1998 and is now general manager.

Elway has swung and missed with multiple draft picks. Spending a second-round pick on Brock Osweiler and a first-rounder on Paxton Lynch proved disastrous. The Broncos are doing everything they can to ensure the same thing doesn't happen to Lock.

Denver already had Courtland Sutton, who notched 1,112 receiving yards and reached the Pro Bowl in 2019. That didn't stop the team from selecting Jeudy and then adding Penn State wideout K.J. Hamler.

Jeudy finished his college career with 159 receptions for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns in three years with the Crimson Tide. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked him as the best receiver in the 2020 draft class and the fifth overall prospect with a grade of 95 out of 100.

The first round hasn't necessarily been fertile ground for finding elite pass-catchers in recent years. Thirteen receivers were named to the 2020 Pro Bowl, four of which were selected in the first 32 picks.

Still, the Broncos weren't exactly in a position, given their aforementioned quarterback issues, to pass on the opportunity to land somebody who could help form the backbone of their aerial attack.

The Broncos averaged the fifth-fewest passing yards (194.7) and finished 27th in pass offense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), per Football Outsiders. Becoming an elite offensive team in the space of one offseason is unrealistic, but Denver should take a big jump forward in 2020.

Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons said he was willing to sign a multiyear contract extension with the team before Wednesday's deadline. 

Simmons, who received the Broncos' franchise tag in March, discussed the lack of a long-term deal and his expectations under head coach Vic Fangio in 2020.

"If they wanted, they could've gotten it done," he said Friday on the NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "Year 2 in Vic's system. I'm more than confident in my ability."

He later addressed reaction to the comments on Twitter:

Simmons previously signed the one-year franchise tender, so he'll earn $11.4 million for the 2020 campaign and be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

The 26-year-old Boston College product has steadily developed into one of the NFL's best safeties since the Broncos selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.

He's coming off a terrific 2019 season that saw him record 93 total tackles, 15 passes defended and four interceptions across 16 appearances. He earned a Second Team All-Pro selection and received an elite 90.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

"We like smart safeties, guys that can tackle and guys that enjoy playing the game from the cerebral side as safeties, and he does that," Fangio told reporters in February. "He's a good fit for us."

Now the deadline has passed, the sides can't agree on a long-term extension until after the 2020 season. Simmons must either play under the one-year tender or hold out, though there has been no early indication he's considering the latter.

He's slated to start opposite Kareem Jackson at safety for the Broncos, who finished 11th in pass defense last year and have a chance to improve on that mark this season thanks to a talented secondary that added cornerback A.J. Bouye in a March trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Simmons would likely be one of the top free agents on the open market next offseason if the Broncos don't retain him with an extension or the franchise tag for a second straight year.

The Denver Broncos felt they provided safety Justin Simmons with a competitive offer, even if they couldn't sign him to a long-term deal ahead of Wednesday's deadline for multiyear contracts.

According to Mike Klis of 9News, the proposed deal could have made Simmons the fifth- or sixth-highest paid safety in the league. This projection would likely put him between Devin McCourty ($11.5 million per year) and Earl Thomas ($13.75 million) in average annual salary, per Spotrac.

Simmons will instead play the 2020 season on the franchise tag, making $11.441 million.

As Klis noted, only two of the 14 franchise-tagged players (Chris Jones and Derrick Henry) agreed to multiyear deals. The Broncos have had more luck in the past, with each of the last four players on the franchise tag eventually signing long-term deals.

Simmons, who made $4.7 million in his first four years combined, started every game for the Broncos over the past two seasons, playing 100 percent of defensive snaps in that stretch, per Pro Football Reference.

James Palmer of NFL Network noted:

Pro Football Focus rated Simmons as the top safety and No. 4 overall defensive player in 2019, per NFL Research.

Though he still hasn't been selected to a Pro Bowl, he was named a second-team All-Pro last year. The 26-year-old will now try to improve upon that performance in 2020 before hitting free agency in 2021.

Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon is not pleased with his Madden 21 rating.

During an appearance on SportsCenter, Gordon discussed his overall rating of 84—which is tied for 19th among running backs—and called it "wack" (approximately 44 seconds into the video).

He can at least take solace knowing he is the only running back to have a 90 or better in speed (91), stiff arm (90) and juke move (90), underscoring his overall versatility and ability to beat opposing defenses in a number of ways.

Still, he said "I'm hurt" and noted he plans on asking Madden about his overall number.

Gordon may not be happy with his rating, but it was fair to expect a drop. After all, he was a Pro Bowler in 2016 and 2018 on the Chargers and tallied a career-best 1,105 rushing yards to go with 12 total touchdowns in 2017.

Yet, he held out at the start of the 2019 campaign and played just 12 games. His 612 rushing yards was the lowest mark of his career since he entered the league as a first-round pick in 2015, and his 3.8 yards per carry was his lowest average since he was a rookie.

He will have a chance to prove that season was an anomaly and his rating is too low when he suits up for the Broncos this year.

Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons signed his franchise tag tender on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Per Over the Cap, Simmons was due to earn $11,441,000 on the tag.

The Broncos' third-round pick of the 2016 NFL draft has been excellent for Denver, starting in his past three seasons.

The 26-year-old registered four interceptions, 15 passes defended and 93 tackles for the Broncos in 2019, playing an integral part of the NFL's 10th-best scoring defense.

Simmons was named to Pro Football Focus' All-Pro team, with PFF's Sam Monson writing:

"The best-graded safety in the NFL this season, Denver’s Justin Simmons has been a stellar performer in all areas. Simmons wasn’t in primary coverage for any touchdowns given up in coverage but had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He also ranked 11th in terms of defensive stops among all safeties, showing his ability to make plays all over the field. Whether he was lined up deep in the secondary or close to the line in the box, Simmons was making plays all year."

On March 13, the Broncos announced Simmons would receive the franchise tag, with president of football operations and general manager John Elway expressing interest in retaining the ex-Boston College star long-term.

"We remain focused on reaching a long-term contract agreement with Justin, and he's a big priority for us," Elway said. "This is a placeholder in that process and our goal is the same—to make sure that Justin is a Bronco for a long time."

The two sides will now have until 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday to try to reach an agreement on a multi-year deal. According to Mike Klis of 9News, the odds of a multi-year "doesn't look good."

Von Miller may be heading into his 10th NFL season, but he still strikes fear into opposing teams. 

"I'd still take him over just about anyone," an NFC executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "If I need one player to get me one sack on a crucial third down, he's the guy."

ESPN polled more than 50 league executives, who ranked Miller as the fourth-best pass rusher in football for the 2020 season.

Miller is the oldest player in the rankings at age 31, though Chandler Jones (second) and Cam Jordan (ninth) are also in their 30s. He is coming off a 2019 season that saw him set a full-season career low in sacks (eight). The only other season Miller failed to reach the 10-sack mark was in 2013, when he was limited to nine games because of injury.

Despite signs that he may be on the decline, Miller still garners respect from opposing offenses. 

"You're still sliding protection to him most of the game," a NFL defensive coach said. "There are only a handful of players who command that attention, and he still does."

Miller ranks behind Khalil Mack, Jones and Nick Bosa on the rankings. Bosa is the youngest player on the list at age 22 and is one of four players (his brother Joey, Myles Garrett and TJ Watt) who are 25 or younger.

Mike Shanahan will take his place in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.  

Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis announced on Tuesday their longtime former head coach will be honored during a ceremony in 2021:

"Mike Shanahan is the greatest coach in Denver Broncos history and among the winningest coaches of all time. He brought an unmatched standard and intensity as head coach, leading this franchise to its first two Super Bowl wins and building the Broncos into perennial contenders. Few coaches have had more of an impact with one organization—as both a head coach and assistant—than Mike Shanahan over the course of his two decades with the Broncos.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Shanahan's Ring of Fame induction is being pushed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Since being established in 1983 by then-owner Pat Bowlen, the Broncos have inducted 33 members of their organization into the Ring of Fame not including Shanahan. 

Shanahan began his NFL coaching career with the Broncos as an assistant for four seasons from 1984-87 on Dan Reeves' staff. He returned to the organization for three seasons as quarterbacks coach (1989-90) and offensive coordinator (1991) after a brief stint as head coach for the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Broncos hired Shanahan as their head coach prior to the 1995 season. He spent 14 seasons in that role, leading the franchise to seven playoff appearances and back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998. 

Shanahan is Denver's all-time leader in games coached (224), regular-season wins (138), playoff wins (eight) and ranks fourth in winning percentage (.616).