by Lindsay H. Jones The Denver Post , The Denver Post

is hoping to win a championship.

"I would love to have a ring," Dawkins said. "I would love to finish it all with a ring."

It was hardly a prediction from Dawkins, though, about the Broncos' prospects in 2009. Still, it's a bold statement coming from the team's new locker-room leader.

Dawkins, 35, played on 10 teams that made the playoffs in his 13 seasons in Philadelphia. His Eagles teams made it to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl, in 2004, though the Eagles lost that game to the New England Patriots.

That's a lot of postseason experience, something that only a handful of the Broncos holdovers from the Mike

Shanahan era can claim. Only Champ Bailey, D.J. Williams, Ben Hamilton, Louis Green and Jeb Putzier were Broncos when the team last made the playoffs in 2005.

Dawkins said it is important, then, that his new teammates - especially the young ones - realize what they do in June is critical to making a playoff push come November or December.

"From this time of year, it's really honestly about dedication. Dedicating yourself to the potential of us doing what we need to do and to getting to the playoffs," Dawkins said. "What I mean by that dedication is your workouts need to be intense. You can't not work out for a period of time and think 'I'm going to be all right.' You can't think, 'I've got all the plays down' and not study them. And you have to take care of your body, and what that means is getting the proper sleep and eating the right things."

The Broncos will hold their final organized team activity Friday through Sunday - a full-team camp that is the only mandatory event of the offseason. The team expects full attendance.

After the camp, players will remain in Denver for more weight and conditioning training before taking a month off before the start of training camp in late July.

"It's going to be important for every guy to take responsibility for his playbook and know that thing so that we can go out and play, when you're not thinking anymore," Dawkins said.

Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com

Copyright 2009 The Denver Post All Rights Reserved
	Terms & Conditions     Privacy Copyright © 2009 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.