Anyone subscribe to ESPN Insider

[Denver Native (Carol)]

The following article is on ESPN Insider. If any subscribes to it, it would be interesting to see where the Broncos are - thanks

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insid...tionalRankings

FBO: 2010 Organizational Rankings

Talent is a more fluid proposition in football than any other sport. Consider some of the prominent young wide receivers of last season and where they were before the 2009-10 campaign. Sidney Rice was third on the Minnesota Vikings' depth chart at wide receiver; had the team's pitch to T.J. Houshmandzadeh in free agency worked, Rice would have been buried behind him. Robert Meachem was a colossal bust who had 12 catches in two pro seasons. Miles Austin was stuck behind Sam Hurd as the primary backup for the Dallas Cowboys. Pierre Garcon was a lower-level college star with a cool name.

This past season was nothing new; every year, teams are pushed to new heights by players who were considered to be inexperienced or underprepared only weeks prior. Flaws attributed to talent magically disappear with playing time, first-team practice reps and confidence. Our Top 25 Prospects list attempts to identify those individual players lurking at the bottom of NFL rosters who are likely to emerge as valuable players in 2010, but our Organizational Rankings take a different approach.

Instead of limiting our analysis to players who have yet to emerge in the NFL, these rankings consider all players who will be 25 or younger as of September 1, 2010 -- regardless of where they were drafted or how many games they've started. After compiling a list of eligible players for each team, we compared the groups on a variety of factors. We weighed issues like upside versus established production, quantity versus quality, and current staff versus historical ability to develop rookies when it comes to evaluating the talent available to each NFL franchise.

In the end, we put together these rankings with help from the rest of the crew at Football Outsiders. The capsules represent a synopsis of thoughts as to why the team is ranked where they are and who the important young players are for the franchise. However, we should point out that talent under the age of 25 does not equal talent overall. In the NFL, a couple bounces of the ball can turn an average team into a wild-card contender -- but it takes real time to build a team that can challenge for a Super Bowl title. Some of the teams near the top of our list are still a couple of years away from that point, and their rank is more about promise for the future than promise for this upcoming campaign.

32. Washington Redskins
Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan have inherited a wasteland from Vinny Cerrato, who used his draft picks to acquire "has-beens" and "never-weres." As a result, the Redskins only have four "young" starters, and two of them (wideout Devin Thomas and safety LaRon Landry) have been professional flops. Outside linebacker Brian Orakpo was extremely effective last year, and rookie tackle Trent Williams should start on the left side from Day One. The only notable young players behind them are tight end Fred Davis and backup linebacker H.B. Blades.

31. San Diego Chargers
Since Norv Turner's arrival in 2007, the Chargers have failed to develop much in the way of young talent. First-round picks Craig Davis (2007) and Antoine Cason (2008) do not have good NFL records, and San Diego's only impact player under 25 is criminally underrated safety Eric Weddle. The Chargers hope that Cason grows into a starting role this year, halfback Ryan Mathews improves what was the league's worst rush offense in 2009-10, and middle linebacker Brandon Siler builds off a strong second half.

We gave you the logic behind the idea and the first two teams -- are you surprised the Chargers are that low? -- for free. For the rest of the rankings, you need to become an ESPN Insider. It's an extremely detailed look at the state of the NFL youth movement, so go for it.

[nevcraw]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/news/story?page=FootballOutsiders2010OrganizationalRank ings

And now, we arrive at the Top Ten


10. Denver Broncos
No team has a more skewed stack of talent than Denver. Despite having one of the league's oldest defenses, the Broncos didn't invest a single pick on that side of the ball until the fifth round. They'll move 2009 first-rounder Robert Ayers into the starting lineup at outside linebacker this year, but Ayers' SackSEER projection (explained here) suggests he'll be a colossal bust. The only other young defender expected to see any playing time is nickelback Alphonso Smith, who lost his job to Ty Law last year. Ty Law. A time machine wasn't even involved. On the other hand, Denver has a devastating crop of young talent on offense before we even consider how Tim Tebow will develop. Although he's coming off of a knee injury, left tackle Ryan Clady is among the game's best offensive linemen, while bookend Ryan Harris is supremely underrated. They could be joined up front by rookie guard Zane Beadles and center J.D. Walton as early as this year to block for second-year running back Knowshon Moreno. By 2011, the Broncos could be fielding an offense with only one starter -- Chris Kuper -- who is older than 26.

[nevcraw]

9. Detroit Lions
It's a testament to the work of coach Jim Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew that the Lions are even this high. Then again, when you can gut the team you're given and get national attention for merely winning a game, well, let's hope you can find some new young talent to get in the lineup. Matthew Stafford was highly inaccurate as a rookie, which is a disturbing sign, but there are still loads of young talent to go around, especially on defense. Ndamukong Suh will get all the hype as a rookie, but the best player on the Lions' defense in 2011 will be safety Louis Delmas, who was the team's best player at any position as a rookie. DeAndre Levy also looks to be an effective middle linebacker going forward. Meanwhile, the offensive cupboard isn't totally bare: Calvin Johnson is a game-changing talent, while Jahvid Best has loads of potential and should combine well with Kevin Smith when the latter returns from his knee injury. If Stafford takes a big step forward, the Lions could move into the top three of these rankings in 2011.

8. Cleveland Browns
How could the Browns -- a league laughingstock -- be so high? For one, they have football's best offensive lineman in 25-year-old left tackle Joe Thomas. Center Alex Mack is also promising. They may very well start two second-year wideouts in Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie, who should complement each other well. Second-round pick Montario Hardesty should contribute a fair amount to the ground attack. They also have a young cornerback tandem that could rank as one of the league's best as early as 2011: Eric Wright and rookie Joe Haden, with Sheldon Brown tutoring Haden this year. The one thing the defense lacks is a young pass-rusher, a role the organization hopes barely ineligible linebacker Chris Gocong, 26, can fill after moving over from Philadelphia in the Brown trade.



7. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons don't have the league's top crop of young talent, but they may have the league's best young asset in quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan was the lead pick in general manager Thomas Dimitroff's franchise-altering 2008 draft, which brought in virtually all the talent that pushes the Falcons into the seventh spot: Ryan, left tackle Sam Baker, linebacker Curtis Lofton, corner Chevis Jackson, wideout Harry Douglas, safety Thomas DeCoud and sleeper defensive end Kroy Biermann. Ryan and Lofton together should be the faces of the franchise on either side of the ball for the next decade.



6. Cincinnati Bengals
Although the Texans have the league's best crop of impact defensive talent, the Bengals sure come close. They have a big three of 25-and-under talent in middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, weakside linebacker Keith Rivers and cornerback Leon Hall -- who was jobbed on a Pro Bowl spot last year. The problem is that there's not much young talent on the offensive side of the ball; 2009 first-rounder Andre Smith will move into a starting role this year, but he'll take a job away from the only other 25-and-under guy who could start, Anthony Collins. The only other young player expected to play any sort of role on the offense is rookie tight end Jermaine Gresham, and rookie tight ends are usually an invisible species. The Bengals will need to address the offensive side of the ball with a multitude of picks in the 2011 draft.



5. San Francisco 49ers
It all starts with the best middle linebacker in the game -- Patrick Willis -- and goes from there. Behind Willis is underrated safety Dashon Goldson, a playmaker who helped contribute to the fourth-ranked 49ers' run defense a year ago. Promising corner Tarell Brown also lurks in the secondary, although he's trapped as the nickelback behind the contract of Nate Clements. Meanwhile, starting wideouts Michael Crabtree (22) and Josh Morgan (25) combine with Vernon Davis (26, and thus not included as a qualifying "young" player for these rankings) to give the 49ers one of the best trios of receiving talent in the game today. The biggest hole in the organization was on the offensive line, and the 49ers invested their top two picks this year in linemen: Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis and Idaho guard Mike Iupati. With effective 25-year-old left tackle Joe Staley returning from injury, the Niners should have one of the league's better lines by 2012.



4. Baltimore Ravens
Ozzie Newsome is the best general manager in football, and year after year, his drafts deliver promising new players to an organization that seems to have more talent than opportunities. Although the Ravens are known for their defense, it's the offense that has most of the team's young talent these days. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice get the headlines at quarterback and running back, respectively, but no team has a pair of young tackles that match up with Michael Oher and Jared Gaither, both 24. The problem with the defensive talent might just be getting on the field; the Ravens spent their two second-rounders this year on front seven talent, linebacker Sergio Kindle and massive nose tackle Terrence Cody, but those guys will need to serve their apprenticeships before seeing serious snap totals. One player who might break through this season is corner Lardarius Webb, who is coming off of a torn ACL but should be starting by the end of the season.

3. Kansas City Chiefs
The secret isn't out yet in Kansas City, but it's about to be -- the Chiefs have one of the best developing cores of talent in the game. They're deepest in the secondary, where fifth-overall pick Eric Berry will play safety behind a strong young tandem of cornerbacks: Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers. They will be joined by a fourth young starter, but incumbent Jarrad Page has requested a trade, which makes it likely that fifth-round pick Kendrick Lewis will start instead. Even nickelback Javier Arenas is a 22-year-old rookie. The front three features 2009 first-rounder Tyson Jackson and 2008 first-rounder Glenn Dorsey, though Dorsey has struggled to live up to the hype that surrounded him before the draft. The Chiefs also have an underrated group of developing players on offense, led by breakout star Jamaal Charles, who was the best running back in football during the second half of the 2009 season. Dwayne Bowe, for all his off-field antics, has shown a decent amount of promise despite playing alongside a litany of middling quarterbacks. He could be joined by 21-year-old Dexter McCluster, who will play the slot as a rookie after converting from running back during the offseason. Left tackle Branden Albert is a serviceable starter at worst, and third-round guard Jon Asamoah is likely to start in 2011. If Kansas City suddenly emerges in the league this year, guys like Charles, Carr, and Berry are going to be household names.



2. Carolina Panthers
There are currently 81 players on the Panthers roster, 58 of whom are either 25 or younger. That's a sign of how salary cap issues and a veteran roster forced the team to throw a lot of young talent at the wall and see what sticks. The reality, though, is that the Panthers have both quality and quantity. Their best young player, of course, is middle linebacker Jon Beason, who deserves to be in the conversations about the league's best linebackers. No middle linebacker -- not even Patrick Willis -- is better in coverage. Carolina had the league's second-ranked pass defense last year by Football Outsiders numbers, and its oldest starter in the secondary is 27-year-old Chris Gamble. He's the only one of their top six defensive backs older than 25. Defensive end Charles Johnson is 24, and by the end of the year, he'll be starting across from 2009 second-rounder Everette Brown, who is 22. The offense, though, is Carolina's more impressive young unit. Even without including Matt Moore, who turns 26 in August, there's serious talent to be had. The star is halfback Jonathan Stewart, who is every bit the back DeAngelo Williams is, but struggles to stay healthy. The offensive line opening holes for Stewart and Williams is among the league's best, and it features two elite young players in center Ryan Kalil and right tackle Jeff Otah. This year, they'll be joined by guard Geoff Schwartz, who made it to our Top 25 Prospects list and profiles as another excellent masher in the running game. They've even got a viable receiving prospect in tight end Gary Barnidge. With Moore, Jimmy Clausen, and Tony Pike on the roster, they've got three guys to compete for the long-term answer at QB.



1. Houston Texans
Not only are the Texans at the top of our rankings, but they could be even further ahead of the pack if we included players who are currently 25 and turn 26 before September 1. That would allow us to add star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans to the Texans' haul. Even without him, though, the Texans are downright spoiled for talent. No one can match their one-two punch of Mario Williams and Brian Cushing, the best young players at their respective positions in the NFL. Add Ryans into the mix, and the Texans have three guys in their starting 11 who should be starting in the Pro Bowl every year. They're that good.
Those three players aren't the only talents on defense, either. Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye has been inconsistent as a pro, but consider that he's just 23; Okoye is more than six months younger than Ndamukong Suh, who hasn't played a pro down. Safety Bernard Pollard was gifted by the Chiefs and immediately shored up the team's biggest weakness. The versatile Connor Barwin had 4.5 sacks in limited time last year. Zac Diles benefited from playing alongside two elite linebackers, but held his own in coverage on the weak side. The team may start second-year corner Glover Quin across from rookie Kareem Jackson and would not regret it. The Texans go deep. Throw in their troika of young running backs, led by Steve Slaton, and Houston is an organization at the peak of its developmental work. General manager Rick Smith doesn't get much attention nationwide, but since he took over for Charlie Casserly in 2006, it's hard to find anyone who's identified and acquired young talent as well as Smith has.

[broncobryce]

I didn't realize we were that young on offense. Now we need to get younger on d
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums

[gobroncsnv]

Let's just get better on both...

[Lonestar]

I didn't realize we were that young on offense. Now we need to get younger on d
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums that will come as J Williams retire in two years. then we will see a bunch of kiddies on D.

Baker, Ayers, Doom, Thomas, Smith, COx, Moss, Mcbean, Woody, Burton, Mcbath, with DJ being the old man at 9 years in the league.

[Jagsbch]

In the end, we put together these rankings with help from the rest of the crew at Football Outsiders. The capsules represent a synopsis of thoughts as to why the team is ranked where they are


ESPN (http://http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insid...tionalRankings)

And now, we arrive at the Top Ten


10. Denver Broncos
No team has a more skewed stack of talent than Denver. Despite having one of the league's oldest defenses, the Broncos didn't invest a single pick on that side of the ball until the fifth round. They'll move 2009 first-rounder Robert Ayers into the starting lineup at outside linebacker this year, but Ayers' SackSEER projection (explained here) suggests he'll be a colossal bust. The only other young defender expected to see any playing time is nickelback Alphonso Smith, who lost his job to Ty Law last year. Ty Law. A time machine wasn't even involved. On the other hand, Denver has a devastating crop of young talent on offense before we even consider how Tim Tebow will develop. Although he's coming off of a knee injury, left tackle Ryan Clady is among the game's best offensive linemen, while bookend Ryan Harris is supremely underrated. They could be joined up front by rookie guard Zane Beadles and center J.D. Walton as early as this year to block for second-year running back Knowshon Moreno. By 2011, the Broncos could be fielding an offense with only one starter -- Chris Kuper -- who is older than 26.


How insane is this article. I love it, a synopsis that capsules representives of thoughts from across the board? This is just not one mans opinion.

I am amazed how this goes across the grain of ESPN's pathetic power ranking standing of the Broncos.

Have you guys seen this?

12. Denver Broncos: Between left tackle Ryan Clady and right tackle Ryan Harris(notes), the Broncos have the best pair of young offensive tackles in the game. The loss of Harris to injury last season destroyed the running game that was so effective and helped the Broncos start 6-0 last season. Now, Clady is out with a patellar tendon injury that could sideline him through the start of the season. The interior line is still in transition from the days of Mike Shanahan’s cut-blocking scheme. But the fact is this unit was so good for most of the season that it actually helped make quarterback Kyle Orton(notes) look much better than really is the case..

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-olinerankings061810

Seeing this pretty much has this writer feeling like his take regarding this team is flat out blasting the nail on the head with a unorthodox long wind up at that.

A young head coach focusing on building continuity with his offense by molding the clay together in its entirety before sticking it in the heat of the oven that is the regular season schedule; every starter will be under 26? Talk about a Dynasty in the making~!!

"Show me the blue prints, show me the blue prints, show me the blue prints .... show me the blue prints"

“the way of the future, the way of the further, the way of the future..."


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/17/m_99f235d1df8f465993041e9c7f65f0a4.jpghttp://www.tailslate.net/images/filmIMGS/aviator1.jpg

[OrangeHoof]

There's a difference between results and potential. They ranked the Texans #1 and they haven't climbed out of third in their own division yet. Ever.

[Lonestar]

I'm willing to give them a couple of years to see what they can be.

Getting D is easier to do than fine tuning an complex O.
Mobile Post via Mobile.BroncosForums.com/forums