It’s a somber day. One of the greats, Weapon X, is calling it a career after 16 exciting years.

Did Brian Dawkins play a Hall of Fame worthy career? I don’t know but I look forward to reading the debates.

This is what I do know. Brian Dawkins terrorized the NFC East (AFC West too). He hit hard and is in the running for most popular player in Eagles history. Above all else Brian Dawkins is smart. He played smart and is smart enough to walk away while he still can, he suffered a serious neck injury that forced him to miss the end of last season. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see him play with Peyton Manning.

Thanks for the memories, Mr. Dawkins.

@nhall

On Wednesday NFL owners voted for the playoff overtime rules to now be used in the regular season as well. Great news, it really didn’t make any sense that there were two different sets of rules. To recap, the new rules give both teams a chance to touch the ball in overtime except if there’s a first-possession touchdown or safety. But come on, what are the chances of that ever happening?

Yesterday, Peyton got some throwing reps in at the Denver facility. You getting used to how the blue and orange looks yet?

(Source: The Denver Post)

“That’s the toughest part of this, the personal side. If I wanted one man to marry my daughter, it’d be Tim. But without a doubt in my mind, this is the best decision for the Denver Broncos.” - John Elway

Guess who’s reuniting with Peyton Manning in Denver.

Tracy “Who Dat” Porter

This is still just so bizarre.

Like something out of a dream.

Or a “What If?” comic book.

Or a Back II The Future movie.

(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

(Dangerghost)

And now it’s finally official. Peyton Manning at his Denver Broncos press conference.

If you squint really hard and tilt your head just right you can make out who the silhouette belongs to. Yup, that’s a Manning Face in there.

Peyton Manning has arrived at Bronco’s headquarters.

     When the news broke that Peyton Manning will be the next Quarterback for the Denver Broncos, my first thought, being a Giants fan, was “glad he isn’t going to the Niners!” My next thought was that one year in, Jon Elway is pretty good at this GM thing.

     Few GMs would have the balls to alienate a player as popular as Tim Tebow, but Elway played his hand perfectly. It was going to be difficult for Elway to find a true franchise QB as long as Tebow was in town. Luckily for Elway, an all time great hit the market and Elway never looked back.

    The Denver Broncos now can enjoy the kind of stability that only a handful of teams in the NFL have: stability at the four most important positions in a franchise: Owner, GM, Coach, and Quarterback. In my opinion, there are only four franchises in the NFL with proven stability at these four positions: the Packers, Patriots, Giants and Steelers. If Peyton Manning can regain his old form, then Denver will join the aforementioned franchises as one of the NFL’s elite.

    Some may think that I’m jumping the gun by anointing the Broncos as an elite franchise but over the last three years, Pat Bowlen has cemented his reputation as one of the league’s best owners. At the end of the 2010 season the Broncos were without a coach, GM, and no one knew what to make of Tim Tebow. Bowlen, the only remaining figure from Denver’s back to back Superbowls, then hired his franchise’s greatest player, Jon Elway, to be GM. Elway and Bowlen then hired one of the league’s best coaches in John Fox and now they’re acquired Peyton Manning. 

     The turnaround of the Broncos after the disastrous “McDaniels era” has been nothing short of amazing and it’s all because Bowlen is not too cheap or too proud to admit his mistakes. During the 2011 season, Bowlen was sending paychecks to three different coaches: Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels, and John Fox. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Marvin Lewis has avoided the chopping block numerous times because Mike Brown is too cheap to pay a coach who isn’t working for him. But that’s the difference between a great owner like Bowlen, and an awful one like Brown.

     While I can’t say enough about how Pat Bowlen has reinvented his franchise, all my praise is premature if Peyton Manning can’t deliver on the field. I believe he will be fully healthy. With that said, I expect Manning to have a great season behind Denver’s offensive line, which should be much better than what he played behind in his last few years in Indy. I like Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker as starting receivers and the Broncos should be able to acquire a slot receiver and tight end through the draft and free agency.

     I really believe Manning chose the best situation to get him to a Superbowl this season. Many people would say the Niners were the best team pursuing Manning. This is correct. However, the NFC is much stronger than the AFC right now. Although having Manning at QB would have made San Francisco the favorites to win the NFC, they still would have to deal with the the last three Superbowl champs: the Giants, Packers, and Saints. Having to deal with the Steelers, Ravens, and Patriots won’t be easy either, but it is not quite the murderer’s row that the NFC has become. Manning made the right choice and the city of Denver should expect to contend for a Superbowl this coming season.

- Julien (Hot Wings and Beer)

What a great day for photoshops!

WR Brandon Lloyd is headed to New England to, presumably, do the job that Chad Ochocinco failed to do. At 3 years/$12 Million, he’s getting about the same deal.

As an extra bonus, Lloyd (if you remember) is formerly of the Denver Broncos who was coached by Josh McDaniels, who’s now the Offensive Coordinator for the Patriots. Hence, his transition should be easier.

Finally, former Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez also signed with the Pats. Word is that he’ll take Julian Edelman’s slot position, so that Edelman can focus on defense.