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Why Ryan Clady belongs in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

Published

1 year ago

July 20, 2023

Press Room

Why Ryan Clady belongs in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame

Is it possible to be forgotten even when you played in the last decade?

Because it seems as if that became the fate of left tackle Ryan Clady.

The end of his playing career was quiet, as far as his time as a Bronco went. His final on-field work in orange and blue came during a May 27, 2015 OTA practice, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. He walked off the field that day. But he never donned a Broncos helmet again.

Denver released him in the following offseason. He played one final season with the New York Jets, then came back to Centura Health Training Center the following summer to formally retire as a Bronco.

That concluded his career after nine seasons, eight as a Bronco.

But even though he lost one full season to an ACL rupture and 14 games of another to a Lisfranc injury, Clady maximized the time he had.

First, he was terrific from the jump. The Broncos’ 2008 first-round pick allowed no sacks as a rookie, per the data compiled by Pro Football Focus. None of the other 65 offensive tackles who played at least 500 snaps that year could make that claim.

By 2009, Clady was a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro. Even after battling knee problems in 2010, he returned to the Pro Bowl three more times following the 2011, 2012 and 2014 seasons. His 2014 appearance came despite dealing with lingering discomfort from the Lisfranc injury a season earlier.

Clady is also one of just 13 Broncos in an exclusive club: at least two NFL Pro Bowl appearances and two first-team All-Pro selections.

The other 12 members:

Steve Atwater
Champ Bailey
Terrell Davis
Randy Gradishar
Peyton Manning
Karl Mecklenburg
Von Miller
Tom Nalen
Riley Odoms
Shannon Sharpe
Rick Upchurch
Louis Wright

Not even John Elway is in that collection. It’s Broncos royalty.

Miller isn’t yet eligible for the Ring of Fame, of course. He’s still playing for the Buffalo Bills. So that leaves 12 eligible players with at least two Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro nods in Broncos history.

Eleven are in. Clady is not.

Now, there is an argument against Clady, and it’s tied to team accomplishment. In his two campaigns wrecked by injuries, the Broncos advanced to the Super Bowl each time. So, the hypothesis goes, how necessary was his stellar play?

But here’s the thing: Such logic assumes a vacuum that doesn’t exist in the highly-interconnected world of the NFL. The Broncos lost Clady two games into 2013 … but gained a healthy Knowshon Moreno and Julius Thomas. And reserve Chris Clark — a better left tackle than right tackle, as time proved — ascended to a level he’d never before reached, peaking in a dominant performance against Kansas City that November. Furthermore, the exquisite performance from the defense in 2015 compensated for myriad offensive issues, injury-related and otherwise.

Even with the injuries, Clady reached a level of accomplishment no other offensive tackle in Broncos history has matched in orange and blue. Not even Gary Zimmerman can claim as many All-Pro selections and Pro Bowls. And with five seasons played, he had just one more healthy season than Clady.

Further, among all Broncos offensive linemen, only Tom Nalen has more league-wide honors as a Bronco than Clady.

Clady only became eligible last year. And with the backlog of older, deserving candidates, he likely must wait.

He’s been forgotten in some circles. But it’s time to remember his greatness. Clady belongs in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

MAKING THE CASE FOR THE RING OF FAME:

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Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more

Published

3 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Denver area events for Nov. 25: Pop-up holiday lounge at Union Station and more

If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Monday

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Alaska Night,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

Brazilian Zouk Classes and Social Dance — 7-11:30 p.m., Mercury Café, 2199 California St., Denver, $20 class and social, $15 social only; mercurycafe.com.

Cloud Nothings — With Armlock, Famers Wife, 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $25. Tickets: axs.com.

Mile High Holidays Drone Show — 7 p.m. through Dec. 31, Denver skies; denver.org/milehighholidays.

“American Dreams” Exhibit — Through Dec. 31, Molly Brown House Museum, 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: mollybrown.org.

“Shadow and Light: Patrick Marold” — Through Jan. 5, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

“Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco” — Through Jan. 12, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver. Go online for prices. Tickets: kirklandmuseum.org.

“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits” — Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

Monday-Dec. 28

Miracle at Union Station: Buddy’s Bar — Pop-up cocktail lounge featuring holiday décor, cocktails and a designated Hanukkah table, 4-p.m.-midnight, Galley Bar on lower level, Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St., Denver. Reservations: denverunionstation.com.

Monday-Dec. 30

Free Downtown Trolley Rides — See the downtown Castle Rock decorations, 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, no rides Dec. 24, pickup/drop-off points Encore Garage Entrance on South Street between Wilcox and Perry Street and Douglas County School District Parking Lot Entrance on 6th Street Wilcox and Perry Street, Castle Rock; crgov.com/2622/season-of-the-star.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette

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PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

Published

11 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

PHOTOS: Denver Broncos beat Las Vegas Raiders, 29-19, in NFL Week 12

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) of the Denver Broncos celebrates after the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

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Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

Published

19 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Raiders HC Sounds Off on Broncos QB Bo Nix’s Rapid Rise

On Sunday, fans will be treated to a head-to-head contest between two rapidly emerging offensive powerhouses, both of whom are bonafide Rookie of the Year contenders. Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers found new homes with consecutive picks during last April’s NFL draft, and since then, they’ve performed exceptionally well in the pro ranks.

Nix is firmly on the radar of Raiders head coach Antonio Piece, but that’s even more true after yet another award-winning performance last week.

“He was a winner as a freshman. He was a winner as a six-year player,” Pierce noted of Nix. “All he does is win, come in the league. Won the quarterback battle there in Denver. Maybe they were keeping them tight on the leash early on, and now they’re not. He has full control that offense. You can see that Sean Payton gives him opportunities to audible and make some adjustments. He’s making throws, he’s running with his legs, he’s taking care of the football, and he’s winning. That’s all you can ask for from a rookie.”

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Nix presents a clear and present danger to the Raiders’ chances of squeezing out what would be only their third win of their massively disappointing season. Stopping the impressive rookie is proving to be another matter entirely for NFL defenses, especially one with a badly beaten-up roster like the Raiders.

“This is crazy,” Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo said via ESPN‘s Paul Gutierrez. “I’ve never seen this amount of injuries on any team I’ve been on.”

This week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton has pumped the brakes a little on the burgeoning hype exploding around Nix. That being said, you get the distinct feeling that Payton is more than comfortable unleashing Nix’s full array of talents at his disposal. Confidence is growing in Nix, and that’s been reflected in how Payton has opened up the playbook for his first-year signal-caller.

The juices are flowing, and Payton may have found an answer in dynamic second-year receiver Marvin Mims Jr. The mystical “joker” role within the Broncos offense seems to have been filled.

“I think we always gotta be saying, ‘Hey, are we doing everything we can to highlight his strengths?’ And so, yeah, I don’t know if he’s got the ‘joker’ tattoo, but he might be invited to the club,” Payton said via Andrew Mason.

When push comes to shove, if Nix plays lights out again, an easy win might come Denver’s way, but stopping Bowers would also ensure the victory and help in the race for Rookie of the Year honors. Payton is already on high alert, but it was also tinged with a bit of football envy when he illustrated Bowers’ “joker” abilities.

“Someone had a really good vision for him and you see all the ‘Joker’ traits, means and change of direction,” Payton said of Bowers. “It can’t be a little. It’s a high-end receiving trait and he can move, he can be outside and he can run a route tree maybe different than most tight ends.”

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