The Lead
Good morning, Broncos fans, and welcome to our new daily (at least Monday through Friday) series! Each morning we'll have the need-to-know stories wrapped up for you to start your day, featuring local stories focused on the Broncos or league-wide news that will make an impact on the team.
We'll begin every day with what we consider the biggest story, and then we'll get into our other sections, which feature other interesting links — stories, videos, podcasts, etc. — and the most entertaining Broncos-centric posts we can find on social media.
Without further ado, let's begin with the biggest news from over the weekend: Adam Schefter’s report that Derek Wolfe has agreed to join the Ravens. Baltimore has not yet officially announced the move, but Wolfe has confirmed the report on social media.
Since joining the Broncos in 2012 as a second-round pick, Wolfe endeared himself to Broncos Country as a fearsome figure that seemed to embody exactly what a defensive lineman should be and has to be to succeed in the trenches. And when he was successful, you'd hear it — especially at home games, when his howl, combined with that of thousands of fans, echoed through the stands.
No path to greatness in the NFL is easy, but his seemed harder than most. Even after he faced homelessness and an abusive home life as a child, he endured a tough stretch during his time as a Bronco beginning with a 2013 preseason game. In that game in Seattle, Wolfe suffered a scary spinal injury that later led to seizure-like symptoms and depression.
Two seasons later, Wolfe was back to his usual self as the Broncos formed one of the most dominant defenses in modern history. And as the Broncos approached the playoffs, he was even better — in the final 10 games of the season, including the playoffs, Wolfe only had one game with zero sacks.
To say Wolfe will be missed by Broncos Country is an understatement. They watched him go from rock bottom to a ring ceremony.
Below the Fold
Though Wolfe won't soon face the Broncos with his new team, another former longtime Bronco will. Chris Harris Jr., who reportedly agreed to terms with the Chargers, is scheduled to play the Broncos twice in the division, of course. As The Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla writes, Harris and Melvin Gordon III trading places could inject new life into the division rivalry.
In other news, my favorite thing I listened to this weekend was easily Shannon Sharpe’s appearance on All the Smoke, a podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Few people can tell stories like Sharpe, and he has no shortage of them — memories both happy and sad. He'll have you reeling when he tells you about the time his grandmother couldn't accept his collect call request, and less than an hour later, you'll be busting out laughing as he tries to tell the two former NBAers how good he was at basketball in high school.
Speaking of Broncos legends, Bleacher Report is conducting a 32-team simulation tournament made up of each NFL franchise’s all-time greats. With a 97-overall rating, Sharpe is naturally featured as the Broncos' best tight end. Be sure to check out the rest of the 28-man roster — looks like a pretty dang good team to me.
The Unclassifieds
In this section, we dove into the social media world to find some of the most interesting, funny or otherwise entertaining posts from our players or other people about the Broncos.
