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Denver Native (Carol)
04-21-2011, 12:19 PM
This isn't just a new Broncos era with John Elway and John Fox in charge.

The Broncos are also introducing a new math.

Here's a test: The Broncos ran a 3-4 defense last year. This year they are running a 4-3 defense. How many more players does the switch from the 3-4 to 4-3 add to the Broncos' pool of candidates?

The answer is 90.

Broncos general manager Brian Xanders can explain. In the past two seasons, when ex-coach Josh McDaniels employed a 3-4 system, the Broncos put approximately 100 players on their draft board. This year, with new coach Fox switching to the 4-3, there are 190 players.

rest of article - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_17895891

Denver Native (Carol)
04-21-2011, 12:22 PM
While on conference call with Jon Gruden yesterday, I asked the former NFL coach to compare Marcell Dareus, who just about every draft mocker (except me) has the Broncos taking with the No. 2 overall draft pick, with Nick Fairley, who had way better stats last season.

After listening to Gruden’s summary, I think Dareus would have been the choice for the 3-4 defense the Broncos ran under Josh McDaniels last year. But with new head coach John Fox converting the defense to the 4-3, I think Fairley is the wiser choice between the two.

That’s if the Broncos go D-tackle. I still think OLB Von Miller is right there. Here’s what Gruden said about Dareus-Fairley:

rest of article - http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2011/04/20/fairley-better-fit-than-dareus-in-fox-4-3/7227/

rcsodak
04-21-2011, 12:28 PM
MD please
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claymore
04-21-2011, 12:31 PM
Gruden was pretty bad at the draft. So whatever he says we should do the opposite.

TXBRONC
04-21-2011, 12:47 PM
McDaniels should have had a deeper draft board readless of the 3-4 scheme. Nevertheless it's good to see that Fox and Friends and will have more to chose from.

rcsodak
04-21-2011, 01:55 PM
Gruden was pretty bad at the draft. So whatever he says we should do the opposite.
Lol. I'm not sure I've ever heard him say a negative word about a player, yet.
I guess the shotgun approach works for some.
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rcsodak
04-21-2011, 01:59 PM
Is it just me, or is the moment free agency once allowed, all hell is going to break loose?! Teams frantically calling players not drafted....fighting to be the 1st offer.....calling agents of UFA's......ugh!
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KCL
04-21-2011, 02:11 PM
Is it just me, or is the moment free agency once allowed, all hell is going to break loose?! Teams frantically calling players not drafted....fighting to be the 1st offer.....calling agents of UFA's......ugh!
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That will be exciting!!!!

Lonestar
04-21-2011, 02:30 PM
So if I do the math correctly by switching defenses that adds 90 guys to the board.
Had we not switched then 190-90=100 the same number that Josh was comfortable with.
John makes it look like, Just maybe Josh was right and y'all were wrong.

Or John will get ragged on after the draft.
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Traveler
04-21-2011, 02:39 PM
Is it just me, or is the moment free agency once allowed, all hell is going to break loose?! Teams frantically calling players not drafted....fighting to be the 1st offer.....calling agents of UFA's......ugh!
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Very possible. Add the possibility that both players and teams are likely to immediately agree to deals because FA money will be limited since the draft has already taken place. Also, not as many FA's making numerous visits since time will be limited.

Denver Native (Carol)
04-21-2011, 02:52 PM
From the press conference yesterday that Xanders and Elway held with the press:


"It's been a great process in terms of all three of us having different experiences and perspectives," Xanders said. "John (Elway) is a Hall of Fame player who's been in great locker rooms and knows what the team should look like and where he wants it to go. He offers that experience and leadership. And then Fox has been excellent in terms of his knowledge of football and his defensive background. This is his 22nd year in the league and he came from some very good organizations. This is my 18th year and 15th draft, so I think we all have a bunch of different perspectives.

"If we have an opinion, we state it and voice it. That's what we're supposed to do, have discussion and debate as we stack the board. And we're not done yet."

That discussion hasn't been limited to Elway, Fox and Xanders. The general manager called the process "inclusive," as there have been a number of group meetings involving the personnel department along with position coaches as the draft board is whittled down.

"We go around the room and the position coach gets to speak first and state his case of where he thinks (each player) is and how he fits with the Broncos," Xanders explained. "Then anybody else in the room that's evaluated him gets to state their case. We watch a lot of tape -- usually over 150 plays -- and then we roll into the All-Star games and watch the combine and then we compare the numbers. So it's an intensive meeting. It's been very positive."

Through that process, along with bringing players to Dove Valley for interviews -- Xanders said the team met with four players this morning -- the draft board has been narrowed from 250 prospects at the end of February to 190.

In past years, Xanders said the board has been set at about 100 players.

"Maybe his is just a stronger draft," he said. "The 4-3 (defensive) shift allows more players to come onto the draft board."

http://www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Devising-a-Plan/41f31078-db3c-4fd2-9588-57ad7e427c52

Also, everyone needs to remember that this year, things are being done in reverse from previous years - When the CBA was in place, FA came first - THEREFORE, some of the needs were filled that way, and then came the draft. BUT, this year, the draft comes first.

In regards to the above:


SETTING FREE AGENCY ASIDE

Ever the optimist, Elway has found a silver lining in the absence of a free-agency period so far this offseason. While free agents find themselves in limbo without a collective bargaining agreement, a new crop of future pros awaits an opportunity in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In Elway's eyes, that allows the Broncos to focus on executing a talent-based draft strategy instead of worrying about filling needs that had not been addressed by signing free agents.

"It actually helps us with the draft because now we can find the best players that are on that draft board," Elway said. "We now have the time in free agency, if we have some holes after the draft, to address those holes in free agency."

www.denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Devising-a-Plan/41f31078-db3c-4fd2-9588-57ad7e427c52

So, this is ANOTHER reason why the Broncos' board this year has more players than last year.

KCL
04-21-2011, 02:56 PM
So if I do the math correctly by switching defenses that adds 90 guys to the board.
Had we not switched then 190-90=100 the same number that Josh was comfortable with.
John makes it look like, Just maybe Josh was right and y'all were wrong.

Or John will get ragged on after the draft.
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UGH! Don't start this........PLEASE!

rcsodak
04-21-2011, 03:10 PM
UGH! Don't start this........PLEASE!

Well..... lol....he IS only stating the obvious.




:couch:
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TXBRONC
04-21-2011, 03:16 PM
Well..... lol....he IS only stating the obvious.




:couch:
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More like baiting RC.

Denver Native (Carol)
04-21-2011, 03:20 PM
topic of thread - broncos' defensive change adds players to draft board

rcsodak
04-21-2011, 03:25 PM
topic of thread - broncos' defensive change adds players to draft board
I just hope they don't get overwhelmed by the quantity. Its quality that matters most, afterall.
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I Eat Staples
04-21-2011, 03:31 PM
So if I do the math correctly by switching defenses that adds 90 guys to the board.
Had we not switched then 190-90=100 the same number that Josh was comfortable with.
John makes it look like, Just maybe Josh was right and y'all were wrong.

Or John will get ragged on after the draft.
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His record would say otherwise. But you're entitled to be blind.

KCL
04-21-2011, 03:36 PM
Well..... lol....he IS only stating the obvious.




:couch:
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rc......:youbehavetoo:

KCL
04-21-2011, 03:37 PM
More like baiting RC.

I will agree with this which more than him are guilty of...sorry Carol to rant in your thread.

rcsodak
04-21-2011, 03:40 PM
I will agree with this which more than him are guilty of...sorry Carol to rant in your thread.
mods, please edit all of the posts talking of baiting. Otherwise it'll just continue.
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KCL
04-21-2011, 03:41 PM
:focus:

Lonestar
04-23-2011, 03:14 AM
I just hope they don't get overwhelmed by the quantity. Its quality that matters most, afterall.
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By all means put 200 players on the draft board even if 100'of them donnot fit your scheme. That way your ass is covered for Monday morning GMs.

Afterall it is indeed about quantity, not QUALITY of the team. If you are running a 3-4 d let's make sure to waste your time on having Pure 4-3 players on the board.

If you are running a run first offense by all means have 20 wide receivers and pocket passers that have zero mobility.
If yiu have great depth in the defensive back field that are all young and probowlers load that puppy up wi DBs.

Just so you can say we had 300 names to the list. to

Northman
04-23-2011, 06:50 AM
UGH! Don't start this........PLEASE!

http://www.overclock.net/gallery/data/500/crybaby.jpg

rcsodak
04-23-2011, 07:38 AM
http://www.overclock.net/gallery/data/500/crybaby.jpgkc could kick your ass.

Just sayin

HORSEPOWER 56
04-23-2011, 07:38 AM
By all means put 200 players on the draft board even if 100'of them donnot fit your scheme. That way your ass is covered for Monday morning GMs.

Afterall it is indeed about quantity, not QUALITY of the team. If you are running a 3-4 d let's make sure to waste your time on having Pure 4-3 players on the board.

If you are running a run first offense by all means have 20 wide receivers and pocket passers that have zero mobility.
If yiu have great depth in the defensive back field that are all young and probowlers load that puppy up wi DBs.

Just so you can say we had 300 names to the list. to

I would hope that you'd know by now that it has NOTHING to do with that. It has EVERYTHING to do with having a deep board where you have evaluated the most players you can. McDaniels draft board was so narrow and so specific that when the guys he was targeting were gone, he'd panic and make AWFUL decisions like drafting a blocking TE who had like 12 catches in his whole college career with a 2nd round pick when he was widely expected to be un-drafted.

That's why you have a large board and that's why you DO YOUR HOMEWORK with as many players as possible. The reason teams miss on players is because they don't scout them well enough and eliminate them from their draft board too early. That's how guy like Shannon Sharpe and Tom Brady slip through the cracks. The Ravens' Ozzie Newsome (widely seen as one of the best draft specialists) typically has at least 250 guys on his board going into the draft. When someone takes the player he has the best ranked, he just moves on to the next guy. We've been notorious draft-reach artists. 1/2 the fans on this board could probably do a better job...

It's not just about the draft, either. By doing your homework, you also know who the value picks really are in UDFA and when those 4 RBs you have all get hurt, you know whose practice squad to rob for the best talent because you scouted the kid.

rcsodak
04-23-2011, 07:48 AM
I would hope that you'd know by now that it has NOTHING to do with that. It has EVERYTHING to do with having a deep board where you have evaluated the most players you can. McDaniels draft board was so narrow and so specific that when the guys he was targeting were gone, he'd panic and make AWFUL decisions like drafting a blocking TE who had like 12 catches in his whole college career with a 2nd round pick when he was widely expected to be un-drafted.

That's why you have a large board and that's why you DO YOUR HOMEWORK with as many players as possible. The reason teams miss on players is because they don't scout them well enough and eliminate them from their draft board too early. That's how guy like Shannon Sharpe and Tom Brady slip through the cracks. The Ravens' Ozzie Newsome (widely seen as one of the best draft specialists) typically has at least 250 guys on his board going into the draft. When someone takes the player he has the best ranked, he just moves on to the next guy. We've been notorious draft-reach artists. 1/2 the fans on this board could probably do a better job...

It's not just about the draft, either. By doing your homework, you also know who the value picks really are in UDFA and when those 4 RBs you have all get hurt, you know whose practice squad to rob for the best talent because you scouted the kid.

NE has a small board. Other than sucking hind teet at wr's, they seem to do ok. We don't know how many others do.
I have my doubts on TBrady being anything more, tho, than dumbluck. 160 (+-) went before him. If they knew how good he was going to be, they wouldn't have waited for fear of another team taking him.
Same with TD, SS, etc.
All a team can do is some homework on each player, and then pray the test questions equal up.

Lonestar
04-23-2011, 09:37 AM
There is a huge difference in scouting every player in college and having them all on your board come draft day.

I suspect that is where HP does not get it.

Josh needed a blocking TE so he got the best one in the draft. So he had 12 catches BFD.
He as being paid to BLOCK. Receiving is just a plus.

As for supposedly not having correct info that can be blamed on the switch of HC.

The bates group were s outing all year for what mikey wAs looking for in a period of a few
Months they had to switch gears and reevaluate everyone for what Josh needs for his schemes.
Not to hard to figure out when you use logic oppose to emotion.

Lonestar
04-23-2011, 09:41 AM
You have to focus on your type of player opposed to having the shotgun approach.

Never draft someone just because he is a player. Nice to have but they have to fit into the scheme.

Nonsense in picking a guy as a DT if he can't convert to a 3-4 NT.