KAPOLEI — A new era is about to begin in Denver.

After the past 14 seasons under former head coach Mike Shanahan, first-time head coach and former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was hired Jan 11.

Despite speaking out against the firing by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen last month, quarterback Jay Cutler is now looking forward to turning a new leaf.

"I haven't talked to (McDaniels) yet, but I'm kind of eager to see what we can do together," Cutler said. "The decision was made and it was made with the best interest of the team in mind so we just have to wait and see."

Said Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall: "It was shocking at first, but now I think that everybody is excited at the opportunity to be with some new guys that have some things that hopefully will work better for us."

Cutler, who will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance, is one of three Broncos on the AFC team. Marshall — Cutler's favorite target — and center Casey Wiegmann are also rookies to the all-star game.

In his third season out of Central Florida, Marshall played in 15 games and had 104 receptions, 1,265 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Despite putting up better numbers last season (1,325 yards and seven TDs), Marshall was left off the 2008 Pro Bowl roster.

"I've been telling people all week that I don't understand how he doesn't get more praise for the stuff he does on the field and more notoriety because I think he's right up there with the best in the league," Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. "He's a difficult guy to cover and for me, he's a guy that I know I have to bring my A-game for every time."

Cutler had his best pro season after throwing for 4,526 yards (third most in the NFL) with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He completed just over 62 percent of his passes.

"He's a great talent," Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said of Cutler. "We watch a lot of (Denver's) film and he can make all the throws. He can run, he's big and strong and I think he's getting better as the years go by."

Asomugha agreed: "I've always felt like Jay was the toughest quarterback for me to go against in the AFC. He's a real confident guy, throws a real nice ball and he's got some targets and he always seems to do well against us so I've got a lot of respect for him."

Wiegmann appreciated his first Pro Bowl invite and admitted to being a little wide-eyed in the AFC locker room at this week's practices.

"Being a first alternate for so long and finally getting the chance to come over here, it feels really good to be with these guys and be known as a Pro Bowler now," said Wiegmann, a 13-year veteran. "It's neat being around all the superstars of the NFL. Offensive linemen are offensive linemen, but when you start being around the skill (position) guys, who have the big names and have been around the league for a while, it's pretty cool."

But in the end, he hopes to find those old, familiar faces in the end zone come tomorrow.

Said Wiegmann: "The perfect game would end with me snapping it to Jay, Jay throwing it to Brandon and Brandon scoring a touchdown."

STEELERS' HARRISON NOT FAMILIAR WITH FRANCISCO

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, had to be reminded who he got tangled up with during a much-talked about play in the Super Bowl.

Harrison drew a personal foul after he was shown hitting Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco, a Kahuku alum, during a punt late in the game.

Francisco called Harrison "a great player, just not a classy guy, as he showed the world on that cheap shot he took on me."

NBC announcer John Madden said Harrison should have been thrown out of the game. That night on a national radio talk show, host Jason Smith devoted a segment to the play, ripping Harrison and calling it the classless play of the season.

When Harrison was asked about the incident yesterday after the AFC team's practice, he responded: "Who is that? Who is Aaron Francisco?"

It wasn't until his all-star teammates Shaun Rogers, of Cleveland, and Brendon Ayanbadejo, of Baltimore, chimed in that Harrison remembered.

"That dude you mushed in the game," Ayanbadejo said.

"Oh! He tried to cut me. Yeah, that's business, you know, it ain't like I tried to kill him or something," Harrison said. "Everything I did was football related and legal, they just felt like I did a little bit too much."

Said Rogers of Francisco: "He do that to everybody. You must not have watched them play, he do that to everybody, but (what Harrison did) wasn't nothing personal."

PATRIOTS' WELKER, OTHERS HIGH ON BESS

New England wide receiver Wes Welker earned his first Pro Bowl invitation after notching 111 receptions, 1,165 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Welker, a five-year veteran, just completed his second season with the Patriots.

Last year, Welker had 112 catches and 1,175 receiving yards with seven touchdowns on the way to a Super Bowl XLII appearance.

"It's been a lot of fun out here this week. I've just been trying to take it all in, but relax a little, too," Welker said. "It's great to be here."

Welker spent three seasons (2004-06) with the Miami Dolphins, mostly as the team's third receiver and punt returner. It is the same role that former University of Hawai'i receiver Davone Bess played for Miami this season.

"He's done a good job, making a lot of plays and he's forcing them to keep him on the field right now the way he's playing," Welker said. "I haven't seem him drop a ball, he's got great hands."

Dolphins' fourth-year running back Ronnie Brown praised Bess' work ethic.

"He really worked hard all season," Brown said. "He just got after it and focused on improving in areas that he needed to and he became a real asset to us."

Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch suggests another reason for Bess' steady play: "He's from Oakland," said Lynch, who along with Bess and Brown are from the Bay Area.

OAKLAND'S ASOMUGHA FINALLY GETS HIS DUE

Oakland's Asomugha is also making his first Pro Bowl appearance after being considered one of the league's most underrated cornerbacks the past few seasons.

While his numbers weren't eye-popping this season (40 tackles, one interception, nine passes defended), there was a good reason for that: teams didn't throw his way.

"It is what it is," Asomugha laughed. "I try not to let it frustrate me, especially because I'm usually on their best receiver every week, so you can never let down."

Asomugha's best season was in 2006 when he recorded eight interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and defended 11 passes with 50 tackles and a sack.

The sixth-year player out of California is a free agent this offseason, but expects to be back in the silver and black next year.

"It's a situation where it feels like there's a good chance that you'll get the (franchise) tag, so you just kind of have to go with it. When you're a free agent, you usually get the chance to look at other things and see what else is out there, but I think that if I don't get that opportunity then I'll deal with it and play ball."

BUCCANEERS' SMITH MAKING RETURN TRIP

The most notable player here that went undrafted is undoubtedly Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison, but another rags-to-riches story is Tampa Bay running back Clifton Smith.

Smith, who made the trip as a return specialist, may be a familiar name to local fans. He played three seasons at Fresno State (2005-2007) and in 2007 ran for 105 yards against the Warriors at Aloha Stadium.

"Just a year ago I was playing in that stadium as a college kid, now coming back a year later, making it to the Pro Bowl, that's a great feeling," Smith said. "I never would've dreamed this in my first year."

Smith was the only player to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the NFL this year.

"What he was able to do in about nine or 10 games was pretty amazing," said Bucs' defensive back Ronde Barber.