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Cut and run? The Denver Broncos have already mastered it. Now it’s time to finish the job.

The Broncos enter the 2007 campaign under much different circumstances than the year before. Last fall, Denver was coming off a 13-3 season (11-4-1 against the spread) and looking every bit the Super Bowl contender. The defense was outstanding, the running game was as efficient as ever, and Jake Plummer had settled into a groove at quarterback.

Or so we thought. Plummer bottomed out in his fourth year in the Orange and Blue, the ground attack wasn’t quite as good as expected after Mike Anderson was waived for salary-cap purposes, and the Broncos ended up missing the playoffs at 9-7 (5-11 ATS). They’ve now become an afterthought in an AFC West that features the San Diego Chargers, the No. 2 favorite to win Super Bowl XLII at +550. Denver? Way back in the peloton at +2000.

This is the stuff handicappers dream about. Coach Mike Shanahan has gone to great lengths to revive the Denver offense, and he’s done it in relative quietude. The biggest move has already paid dividends – Jay Cutler took over for Plummer in Week 13 and played very well despite winning just two of five games. Now it’s time for Cutler to make the leap into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks. The former Vanderbilt star is being compared (favorably) to some other notable names who enjoyed outstanding sophomore seasons: Dan Marino, Tom Brady and even – gasp – Mr. John Elway himself. Cutler is both skilled and intelligent, a leader and an efficient athlete.

There are plenty of other young and talented quarterbacks in the league, but Cutler is one of the few who doesn’t have to carry his team on his back. Shanahan and the Broncos have already proven they’re doing the right thing in the two areas that traditionally lead to NFL success: running and defense. The primary thing they need from the quarterback is to manage the game with a minimum of mistakes. To ensure this, the Broncos are giving Cutler all the support he needs.

The aforementioned cutting and running will be supplied by Travis Henry. It didn’t take long for the Broncos to ink Henry to a five-year deal after the Tennessee Titans cut him loose. He’s exactly the kind of tailback who thrives in Denver’s zone-blocking system; one cut, and Henry bursts downfield. The Broncos have famously squeezed 1,000-yard seasons from six different men over the past decade. Henry might not be in the same league as Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis, but he should be a significant upgrade over Tatum Bell, last year’s top rusher and now a member of the Detroit Lions.

Receiving even less attention is the signing of free agent Daniel Graham at tight end. He spent the past five years blocking for Brady in New England, and he’ll spend the next five doing the same for Cutler. Graham isn’t too shabby catching the ball, either, a useful complement to a top-shelf receiving corps that includes Brandon Marshall, Javon Walker, newcomer Brandon Stokley and (probably) 13-year veteran Rod Smith. Even if Smith doesn’t return from hip surgery, Cutler will have a compelling array of targets and possibly the best offensive line in the NFL buying him the time to make the right decisions.

The vaunted Orange Crush defense has to be considered an upgrade over 2006, as well. The Broncos wisely converted Bell into cornerback Dre’ Bly, a two-time Pro Bowler who gives Denver an impressive 1-2 punch lined across from the consummate Champ Bailey. And things are looking better in the trenches with three capable linemen drafted in the first four rounds this summer: Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder and Marcus Thomas. The Broncos should also make the best use of a still useful Sam Adams, a prototypical run-stuffing behemoth who fits snugly into new defensive coordinator Jim Bates’ game plan.

Given the push Denver has made this offseason, it would take a lot of things to go wrong for the Broncos not to be in the Super Bowl mix at the end of Week 17. Their total for regular-season wins is 9.5; the “over” is priced at –115.

With 2007 NFL games still a ways away, we at the BetUS.com sportsbook will keep your interest high throughout the NFL offseason with the most exciting and innovative NFL props and NFL futures on the online sports betting market. In the Sportsbook in the Future / Props section, you will see NFL Futures, Specials and Week One NFL Lines for all your favorite NFL teams.

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