Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos cornerback De'Vante Bausby was carted off the field in a scary scene during Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Jeff Legwold of ESPN noted he was talking with doctors and trainers as they took off his facemask and stabilized him on a backboard. Bausby was hit with head-to-head contact by teammate Alexander Johnson as they each went to tackle Austin Ekeler.

According to Broncos executive vice president of public and community relations Patrick Smyth, Bausby had movement in all his extremities but was ruled out for the remainder of the game and taken to the hospital.

Denver signed Bausby in April after he played for the Alliance of American Football's San Antonio Commanders before the league folded. He was a member of the Chicago Bears during the 2016 campaign and Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 and entered the 2019 season with 10 games of NFL experience on his resume.

He appeared in each of the Broncos' first four games of the season and tallied 12 total tackles and three passes defended.

Kyle Newman of the Denver Post noted Bausby took over as a starter from Isaac Yiadom during a Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Look for Yiadom to play more while Bausby is sidelined.

The Denver Broncos are off to an 0-4 start, but that doesn't mean one of the best outside linebackers in the NFL will soon be available.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that "Von Miller is not going to be traded, not on the block." He also noted the Broncos could look to make some moves down the line but are not immediately going into sell mode.

This comes after Jason La Canfora reported Broncos general manager John Elway is "seriously mulling big moves in the coming weeks, league sources said, with some rival general managers hopeful that overhaul could include even pass-rushing legend Von Miller."

Denver selected Miller second overall in 2011, and he wasted no time becoming one of the best defensive players in the league. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro who helped lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl title.

He has had double-digit sack totals in every season of his career except 2013, when he played just nine games, and had 14.5 sacks last season. He currently has two sacks through four games this year.

While the Texas A&M product may not be on the move, there are some Broncos who could be traded.

La Canfora listed defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, 29; cornerback Chris Harris, 30; and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, 32, as other veterans who could be moved for much-needed draft picks in what is shaping up to be a rebuild.

Miller, 30, has two seasons of team options remaining on his deal, with each one worth around $18 million.

The hardest thing about writing a column on the sorry state of the Denver Broncos is finding something new to say.

Should we rip John Elway? Been there, done that. Roast Joe Flacco? That got stale circa 2014. Rehash the litany of post-Peyton Manning quarterback catastrophes? Let's give Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler the rest of this article off. 

This year's 0-4 Broncos are not very different from last year's 6-10 Broncos, which were a lot like 2017's 5-11 Broncos, who were a version of 2016's 9-7 Broncos that were left out of the refrigerator overnight, and all of them were just straight-to-video sequels of the 2015 Super Bowl Broncos. 

But instead of dwelling on the past, it's time to figure out what Elway and the Broncos can do to create a brighter future.

The only new development in the wake of Denver's miserable start is that it sounds like the veterans want out.

"I ain't saying nothing. Thirteen more weeks for me," cornerback Chris Harris Jr. said after Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, per Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. 

"Same [bleep], different week," Shelby Harris said in Ryan O'Halloran's Denver Post game autopsy, which also mentions "intense words" between Broncos veterans and youngsters. 

Even before Sunday's loss, there was Von Miller's 13-second press conference, which wasn't exactly a sign of happy locker room leadership in Denver. 

Disgruntled veterans would be a problem for most teams. But they may be the solution for the Broncos, because their disenchantment could finally prompt Elway to clean house.

Denver is the most poorly self-scouted team in the NFL. Well-run organizations aggressively, painfully self-evaluate, making sure they recognize and correct their own flaws before opponents can exploit them. The Broncos have been looking in the mirror for four years and seeing champions, even as the roster around the Miller core got weaker each year.

So while Elway may have sown the seeds for this year's disaster with his preference for conservative head coaches and game-manager quarterbacks, those decisions all earned Miller and company's seal of approval. 

Broncos veterans hailed Case Keenum's arrival last year and stressed the need for leadership from the quarterback position after two years of flailing youngsters. Flacco's arrival was praised via very similar words. New coach Vic Fangio was also a popular choice among veterans, particularly on defense: Derek Wolfe called him "exactly the type of coach this team needs." Miller said things were going to be "10 times better" under Fangio. About a dozen Broncos veterans attended Fangio's press conference in January, like Senate leadership that publicly shows up to support a controversial bill.

Miller, Emmanuel Sanders, Harris and others remain very good players, but they are not a scouting department or a front office. Their belief that the Broncos could still be defense-first, ball-control champions made them Elway's enablers: The worse his decisions were, the more popular in the locker room his choices became.

It took four years for everything to bottom out. The offense now does what it's designed to do: methodically hammer out 17-20 points and hope the defense will do the rest. But the defense can no longer keep up appearances: It still hasn't forced a turnover and was held without a sack through three games, Leonard Fournette gouged the unit for 225 rushing yards last week, and Bradley Chubb's season-ending torn ACL is about to make things even worse.

Elway has given the veterans everything they wanted for years. He should grant them one last favor and set them free.

Harris could fetch a premium from any team that needs cornerback help but is balking at Jalen Ramsey's price tag and baggage. Sanders could start for just about any contender in the league. Veterans like Wolfe might also appeal to contenders who are looking for a short-term boost. Miller's giant contract and face-of-the-franchise status might make him untradeable, but Elway should at least listen to any Khalil Mack-sized offers.

We're not talking about tanking for a decade or anything. After suffering through a near-biblical draft famine from 2012 through 2017, the Broncos finally have some young talent on the roster. Chubb, Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, Josey Jewell, Dalton Risner and Noah Fant are quality building blocks for the immediate future. A veteran fire sale would force the Broncos to start over, but they wouldn't be starting from scratch.

Denver also has a potential quarterback of the future in Drew Lock, who is like a freewheeling designer-knockoff version of Patrick Mahomes. Lock looked like a kitten who wandered into the Westminster Kennel Club in preseason action before he suffered a thumb injury, so he may not be ready to replace Flacco just yet. Just as important, the Broncos may not be ready for a quarterback like Lock.

Elway prefers the sort of offensive scheme his longtime majordomo, Gary Kubiak, successfully orchestrated 10-15 years ago: zone-stretch running, play-action passing, simple under-center formations—the strategic equivalents of a flip phone or a 16-bit gaming console. 

Elway even wanted Kubiak to step down from his front-office consigliere role to be Denver's offensive coordinator this year; Kubiak opted for an advisory role in Minnesota instead (and gee, that's turned out swell so far), so Elway turned to longtime knockaround assistant Rich Scangarello. He got precisely what he hoped for: a copy of a copy of an offense better suited for dreary game-managing veterans than an improvisor like Lock or most other top quarterback prospects. 

The Broncos need fresh ideas and voices, particularly on offense. Fangio—who deserves more than four games to be evaluated as a head coach after 40 years as an assistant—is the perfect coach to pair with some wunderkind, whether it's a Sean McVay clone (the McVay coaching tree is a close cousin to the Kubiak-Mike Shanahan tree, so the whippersnappers shouldn't intimidate Elway too much), a Big 12 guru or anyone else who realizes that handing off on 2nd-and-10 and throwing shallow crosses on 3rd-and-9 are bad ideas.

Fiddling and meddling with the coaching staff is the sort of classic Elway move that got the Broncos into this mess in the first place. But just as appeasing his veterans now means cutting them loose, a proper coaching-staff housecleaning would be a way of turning Elway's impulses into positive changes. 

Elway's greatest asset as a team president has always been that he's John Freakin' Elway. He's NFL royalty. He has clout and job security (aided, in part, by the Broncos' unfortunate ownership situation) that few other executives can match. He could trade Von Miller because he's a bigger name than Von Miller. He can make rock-star coaching candidates offers they could not refuse. He can take the biggest swings and not worry about the consequences of striking out. But he has squandered his powers on has-been quarterbacks and play-it-safe philosophies while trying to re-create an unrepeatable Super Bowl run.

Elway can turn things around, though, by going Full Elway: bold trades, aggressive decisions, taking the organizational equivalent of the down-the-field shots no one else in the NFL would dare to attempt back when he was a quarterback.

But the first step is for Elway to actually want to do those things. Veteran frustration may finally be what it takes for him to take that step and give us something new to talk about in Denver.

                       

 Mike Tanier covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeTanier.

Denver Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb reportedly suffered a torn ACL during Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and will miss the remainder of the season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.  

Chubb, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft, delivered exactly what the Broncos expected in his rookie season. He finished with 60 combined tackles and 12 sacks, the latter of which was second-highest on the team behind Von Miller (14.5 sacks).

Not surprisingly, Chubb made Pro Football Focus' All-Rookie team, joining Marcus Davenport as the two edge defenders.

With Chubb and Miller rushing off the edge, Denver was ninth in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders. Defense in general remained a strength as well, with the Broncos finishing fifth in defensive efficiency.

Denver still missed the playoffs, in large part due to its inconsistent offense.

For most teams, losing Chubb would be a massive blow. In Denver's case, while his absence will have a clear effect on the front seven, Miller's presence undoubtedly softens the impact.

Fifth-round draft pick Justin Hollins is the likeliest replacement for Chubb opposite Miller.  

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It's the first Mock Draft Monday of the season for Stick to Football! Check out who the Broncos take and at which spot (14:40):

Von Miller gave the media a brief but positive statement Thursday.

"[We've] got great teammates, great coaches, excited about the opportunity this week vs. the Jaguars," the Denver Broncos linebacker told reporters. "Got a great game plan in, excited to play."

Miller did not stay to take any questions about Denver's underwhelming 0-3 start.

Miller and the Broncos defense have especially struggled, having yet to record a sack or takeaway. That's surprising given Miller notched 14.5 sacks last season and has 98 career sacks, while second-year linebacker Bradley Chubb set the franchise rookie sack record with 12.0 alongside him.

"I've got to find a way to play better," Miller said after the team's most recent loss, 27-16 to the Green Bay Packers, according to 9News' Mike Klis. "I've got to find a way to get sacks [and] I've got to find a way to do my job."

Expectations were high for the Broncos defense entering the season with the hiring of head coach Vic Fangio, who had been a defensive coordinator in the league since 1995 and most recently led the vaunted Chicago Bears defensive unit for four years.

Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is also in his first season with the Broncos.

On the flip side, Denver's offensive line has allowed quarterback Joe Flacco to be sacked 11 times already. The offense has turned the ball over four times—including three in Week 3 against the Packers.

Earlier this week, Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders said the Broncos are "living in a world of suck." The veteran 32-year-old followed those comments up with more positive ones, a la Miller (h/t Broncos Wire's Jon Heath):

"You look at the Oakland game, I feel like we should have won that. You look at Chicago, we should have won that. I feel like even versus Green Bay, we don't turn the ball over three times, I feel like we should have won that game.

"You can't sit up here and say we're young and we're in a rebuilding stage and all this stuff and say this team can't win because we can win. We've shown we can win, but the thing is we're shooting ourselves in the foot. We're not creating turnovers on defense and we're turning the ball over on offense. We can't do that, that is the recipe for disaster. That's why we're sitting at 0-3."

Denver's next chance to right the ship will be Sunday afternoon when Jacksonville visits Mile High.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is not pleased with his team's 0-3 start or his individual performance in Sunday's 27-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.  

"Times are rough around here," he said, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. "Obviously the past three years—it's been tough. Trying to get it right. We sit at 0-3, living in a world of suck. Football is still fun, but it's not so much fun when you're losing, especially when you prepare as hard as you can, you go out and have four targets, two catches and 10 yards. But there's always next week, so I'm optimistic."

Courtland Sutton (eight), Phillip Lindsay (five) and Royce Freeman (five) all had more targets than Sanders, who thrived in the first two games before he disappeared in Sunday's loss. Sanders posted 86 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1 and 98 receiving yards and another score against the Chicago Bears in Week 2.

He also saw a combined 20 targets in those two games and was clearly frustrated with a lack of involvement against the Packers.

Green Bay's defense deserves credit for limiting Sanders, but Chicago is one of the best defenses in the league, as well. He still saw 13 targets in that game alone, and someone like the SMU product figures to be involved in the game plan regardless of the opponent.

He has three seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards on his resume and led the Broncos with 868 yards through the air last year.

Denver's next game is against the 1-2 Jacksonville Jaguars, so it has an opportunity to get in the win column. However, Sanders could see a heavy dose of cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has made his own headlines due to an altercation with head coach Doug Marrone and trade discussions.

Perhaps they can talk about their respective frustrations during Week 4's matchup.

It won’t give the 0-2 Denver Broncos a win in the standings, but general manager John Elway can at least take solace knowing the NFL understands it missed a critical call during Sunday’s 16-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Elway said league officials told him they were "dead wrong" to flag linebacker Bradley Chubb for roughing the passer on the Bears’ game-winning drive, per Joe Rubino of the Denver Post. The penalty gave Chicago 15 yards and helped set up a situation where Mitchell Trubisky converted a fourth down with a long pass to Allen Robinson before Eddy Pineiro drilled the game-winning field goal as time expired.

Broncos fans are surely frustrated with the call that helped contribute to an 0-2 start, but their team was also the beneficiary of a number of questionable whistles throughout the game.

A roughing the passer on Eddie Goldman and unnecessary roughness on Leonard Floyd stood out, and Bears head coach Matt Nagy was asked about the calls that went against his team.

"Sometimes those [calls] can get into that subjectiveness there of how it is, and when they're landing on guys, they're looking for that little extra oomph," Nagy said on Monday, per Cam Ellis of NBC Sports. "So, it's not an easy job by any means for them to see that. I know it's something that they're going to be looking at because it is difficult when you're a D-lineman, or whoever you are, tackling him."

There was a bigger reason than the Chubb roughing the passer penalty that contributed to Denver’s loss—a failure to stop Trubisky on fourth down with the game on the line.

The Bears quarterback has struggled all season, but the Broncos secondary lost track of Robinson and allowed a 25-yard pass on 4th-and-15. Chicago called a timeout with just one second remaining before the field goal, so all Denver had to do was keep track of Robinson for a moment more to clinch the win.

Elway at least offered fans an optimistic viewpoint when he said, "I feel better at 0-2 this year than I did at 2-0 last year" and pointed to head coach Vic Fangio and quarterback Joe Flacco as the reason.

"We have to be able to overcome bad plays, bad refereeing and mistakes on our part. Great teams are able to overcome these things," Elway said. "I think Vic’s got us going in that direction and I think Joe Flacco has been a good pillar for us. He has experience. He’s won a world championship. He knows what it takes."

The Broncos face the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, so they will need to overcome Aaron Rodgers as well.

Denver Broncos general manager John Elway warned left tackle Garett Bolles his penalty problems have "got to stop" in order to keep his critical role within the offense.

Elway commented on Bolles, who's already been called for holding five times in two games, during an appearance on KOA Radio (via ESPN's Jeff Legwold):

"Well, it's got to stop. Period. There are no more excuses for it. He's had 26 holding penalties in the last two years and two games, so it's got to stop. The bottom line is if he thinks he's getting singled out, he is. He's got to understand that. He's got to understand what he's doing. And that was my question (Sunday), 'Does he know what holding is?' Does he know what he can and can't do? If he thinks he's getting targeted, he's got to realize he isn't. We'll keep working for it and he's still a talented guy. He cannot do that because it's beating us."

The Broncos selected Bolles with the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Since then, he's been called for 34 penalties in 34 career appearances, resulting in nearly 450 lost yards for the team's offense, per Legwold.

"It was frustrating," Bolles said. "I've built a reputation for myself in this league of holding. I disagree with it, to be honest. There are some calls I disagree with, and there are some things that I understand."

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said the team's options are limited since Elijah Wilkinson, the team's top reserve tackle, has already been filling in for Ja'Wuan James at right tackle.

Mike Klis of 9News reported last week James is going to miss "several weeks" with a knee injury. So Bolles' job may be safe for the short term.

Once he returns, however, the Broncos may look to reshape their offensive line if Bolles hasn't shown improvement in terms of avoiding penalties.

The 27-year-old University of Utah product's next chance to illustrate progress will come Sunday when Denver faces off with the Green Bay Packers.

The Denver Broncos will now be playing at Empower Field at Mile High.

The Broncos and Empower Retirement have agreed on a naming rights deal on the team's stadium, according to Marshall Zelinger and Mike Klis of 9News.com, a 21-year deal that will last through the 2039 season.    

OFFICIAL: @EmpowerToday is our new stadium naming rights partner. #BroncosCountry, we’ll see you at Empower Field at Mile High this fall!

📰 » https://t.co/wEXNkFxpjC pic.twitter.com/yyZ8xlGzxT

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 4, 2019

The @Broncos stadium will be referred to as Empower Field at Mile High for the next 20 seasons, as Denver-based Empower Retirement, which administers $638 Billion in assets for 9.2 million retirement plan participants is sponsoring the stadium. pic.twitter.com/nGgOc29C4O

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) September 4, 2019

The team's CEO and president, Joe Ellis, spoke about the agreement:

"Great company, local company with about 3,000 employees. Very forward-thinking, very innovative. Wanting to be, as Pat Bowlen once said, the best at everything. Took a while, obviously, to get to this point but we found the right partner and I'm really excited to have Empower Retirement come forward and we're looking forward to having the name Empower Field at Mile High in lights on September 15 when we open up against the Bears."

The team's current stadium started out as Invesco Field at Mile High back in 2001, before it was renamed Sports Authority Field at Mile High and then temporarily Broncos Stadium at Mile High in 2018. Now, the Broncos will have more long-term stability with their naming partner, given the long agreement.

"That's the whole thing: We found the right partner," Ellis said. "We found a great partner. They've always been a great partner since 2015 and for them to step up this way—it's not a relief. It's just exciting and it's something the fans deserve. They deserve to have the right name on this building and now they've got it."

The Broncos have always enjoyed a unique home-field advantage, given the city of Denver's mile-high elevation and passionate fanbase. Now, the team will have one of the more unique stadium names to host that experience. 

Veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas could be returning to the Denver Broncos.

Thomas was cut by the New England Patriots on Saturday, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported on Sunday that, "Per a league source, the Broncos could be bringing Thomas back to town."

                

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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