Yesterday was the end of an era for the Denver Broncos as Jason Elam ended his 15 year career with the Donkeys and moved to the Atlanta Falcons. It was a sad day for the Orange and Blue.

I have only the fondest of memories of Jason’s tenure with the Broncos. It just won’t be the same without him. I remember the Rich Karlis days and sweating every time he stepped on the field. Not so with Mr. Elam…or “Mr. Reliable”. I remember Elam lining up for the 63 yard kick and watching it sail through the uprights. I remember his countless game winning kicks and having absolutely no doubt that he would make each and every one of them. He is a class act both on and off the field.

This just shows how cash strapped the Broncos are this year (or at least how strapped they feel). I didn’t think this one was going to get away from them; I figured they would find a way to keep Elam, but it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s going to be a strange year for my beloved team. I’m not sure what to make of all their moves so far and it doesn’t give me a “warm and fuzzy” heading in to the draft either.

Losing Elam sucks for the Broncos and their fans, but I can’t say I fully understand Elam’s reasoning either. I mean come on…the Falcons?? Sure it’s your hometown. The Falcons? Really? I mean, really?? At least he didn’t go the Javon Walker route and move to Oakland. Jason has more class and brains than that.

I wish him the best and say once again that it just won’t be the same without him. I wish he could have finished out his career here and broken a few more records along the way. This is the way of the NFL…bummer!

ON THIS NOTE: I found a great fan blog for the Denver Broncos called BroncoTalk. Check it out if you’re a fan.