If you aren't following former Broncos GM @Ted_Sundquist, you should be

[Tned]

Hey guys. Give Ted Sundquist (@Ted_Sundquist) a follow on Twitter. He's relatively new to Twitter, but I've found he's offering some really good insight about the thinking that goes on behind the scenes in an NFL teams front office.

For those that use Twitter as one of the resources to get their Broncos/NFL news and info, Ted's someone you should follow.

Also, here is an interesting article he wrote on his blog earlier in the month, where he discusses cash vs. cap issues: http://tedsundquist38.com/2011/08/04/it%e2%80%99s-never-really-been-about-the-cap/

[sneakers]

What is twitter?

[Tned]

What is twitter?

Go ask Governor Walker... ;)

[HORSEPOWER 56]

What is twitter?

It's a handy little way to send pictures of your junk to young women in hopes they'll want to have sex with you... :heh:

I mean it's a social networking thing...

[sneakers]

it's a handy little way to send pictures of your junk to young women in hopes they'll want to have sex with you... :heh:

I mean it's a social networking thing...

omg yess!

[Npba900]

Go ask Governor Walker... ;)

Who's Govenor Walker!!!:confused:

[Dzone]

It's a handy little way to send pictures of your junk to young women in hopes they'll want to have sex with you... :heh:

..
For real? Damn, I need to learn more about this twitter stuff! Cool!:beer:

[Denver Native (Carol)]

http://twitter.com/#!/ted_sundquist

He has some interesting entries on there in regards to Plummer/Cutler.

[TXBRONC]

What is twitter?

Oboists. :tsk:

[DenBronx]

So I followed him and asked a question.

Here is his reply.





DenBronx Ryan

@Ted_Sundquist What do you think about the new look of the Broncos, excluding the QB situation?And will you be a GM in the NFL again one day

Aug 25, 2:26 PM via web





Ted_Sundquist Ted Sundquist

@DenBronx Still hard to judge. BUF bad team. Like spd on D but inj's inside could hurt vs run. Open to opp w/ another tm if right situation.

Aug 25, 7:13 PM via web

[Tned]

As I've mentioned, if you aren't following Ted, you should.

He said once that he could explain any pick the Broncos made, based on the thinking at the time. Today, I asked him about Ngata, and he explained it. Someone else asked him about the picks of Crowder and Moss, and he explained in quite some detail.

If you are on Twitter, you really should follow him and feel free to ask him about moves or other things from when he was Broncos GM or ask him about current NFL or Broncos stuff. It's very interesting.

Even if don't use Twitter regularly, you can simply view his Tweets (newest on top) here: http://twitter.com/ted_sundquist

[G_Money]

If you go to his blog you can see him justify drafting Maurice Clarett and other foolish picks. His reasons are hilarious straw men and his tone makes em even funnier.

Thanks, Tned, but I try not to follow guys who somehow blew every draft they had a say in but somehow never made a mistake. Blowhards can spout that hot air somewhere else. :welcome:

~G

[Tned]

Said another way, he gives insight into what they were thinking at the time, and why they made the moves. He freely admits that in hindsight they don't all work out (for a variety of reasons), but he's simply giving a few into the thought process they had when they made the picks.

[G_Money]

That's how you read this?

http://blog.denverbroncos.com/tedsundquist/2007/11/27/i-feel-a-draft-in-here-part-4/#more-8


There was considerable discussion over the course of our five minutes, but ultimately we felt the upside to be bigger than any negatives that might come with the pick (fully aware of boom or bust). That’s really what the draft is all about, weighing the positive and negative aspects of a player’s ability to eventually reach his full potential. It was all there for the taking. A tremendous opportunity that he, and only he, chose not to seize.

As I look at who we passed at the position, the only player that jumps out on the second day is Marion Barber III. Barber has shown productive ability with the Cowboys for sure, but was laden with his own past physical problems and deemed too high a medical risk (longevity issues) for us to take at the time. And yes, we were fully aware of his Minnesota background. So much so that Coach Shanahan had coached his father for the Gophers in ‘79.

There are a number of RB’s still active in the League from the ‘05 draft, including Brandon Jacobs (NYG) and Darren Sproles (San Diego), neither of which met the past profile for what we look for at the position. Hindsight certainly is 20/20. But I’m not sure that I “see” a single player picked between our selection of Clarett and our next selection of Chris Myers (current OC starter) in the 6th round that would have made much of a major difference at this point in our ‘07 season.

"I know we passed on Jacobs, and Sproles, and Barber, but none of them would have worked anyway in our running game, and for some reason we HAD to draft a RB with significant character issues and poor measurables there - our hand was forced." :huh:

No one made them draft a character issue there. No one made them take a RB. If they wanted a RB, there were SEVERAL better options. If they wanted a character issue guy there were ones at other positions.

His post-pick justifications are bizarre, and the fact that they thought Clarett had awesome talent was telling also. I'm not surprised that our drafts didn't improve until Sundquist stopped having the majority of the input that Shanny made decisions from and the Goodmans took over that role. Voila - good drafts appear.

I don't miss Sundquist, and since I can sum up his drafts with a simple, "he, like Millen, doesn't know jack about talent evaluation from college to pros" I'm not sure how much he can illuminate for me in his thought process at this point.

I'm ecstatic he's no longer got his tentacles in the Broncos, though.

~G

[Tned]

That's how you read this?

http://blog.denverbroncos.com/tedsundquist/2007/11/27/i-feel-a-draft-in-here-part-4/#more-8



"I know we passed on Jacobs, and Sproles, and Barber, but none of them would have worked anyway in our running game, and for some reason we HAD to draft a RB with significant character issues and poor measurables there - our hand was forced." :huh:

No one made them draft a character issue there. No one made them take a RB. If they wanted a RB, there were SEVERAL better options. If they wanted a character issue guy there were ones at other positions.

His post-pick justifications are bizarre, and the fact that they thought Clarett had awesome talent was telling also. I'm not surprised that our drafts didn't improve until Sundquist stopped having the majority of the input that Shanny made decisions from and the Goodmans took over that role. Voila - good drafts appear.

I don't miss Sundquist, and since I can sum up his drafts with a simple, "he, like Millen, doesn't know jack about talent evaluation from college to pros" I'm not sure how much he can illuminate for me in his thought process at this point.

I'm ecstatic he's no longer got his tentacles in the Broncos, though.

~G

FWIW, that's an '07 blog entry from when he was still with the Broncos not his current site or recent writings. I have no idea if he has a different take on Clarret now.

Still it's an explanation of why they made the decision they did, including Sproles and Barber not being the kind of backs they drafted.

[Medford Bronco]

It's a handy little way to send pictures of your junk to young women in hopes they'll want to have sex with you... :heh:

I mean it's a social networking thing...

Just ask Farve and Tiger Woods :elefant::lol:

[DenBronx]

I think Ted was always Mikeys whipping boy. He never had control at all. All he really could do was give his opinion and Shanahan was going to do what he wanted regardless.


My favorite was the Goodmans....but EFX is making a strong case so far.


I do enjoy the details of the behind the door decisions. Not sure how you justify Clarett though?

[Tned]

I think Ted was always Mikeys whipping boy. He never had control at all. All he really could do was give his opinion and Shanahan was going to do what he wanted regardless.


My favorite was the Goodmans....but EFX is making a strong case so far.


I do enjoy the details of the behind the door decisions. Not sure how you justify Clarett though?

Here we were talking about what appears to be Broncos current strategy, and that if a team isn't truly a couple players away from competing, then picking up free agents not only can waste money, but more importantly take roster/starting spots away from young talent that needs to be developed. His response was:


RT @Ted_Sundquist @BroncosForums Precisely. Big mistake made by us. MS wanted to WIN now & lacked patience to develop youngsters. Filled holes w/ vets.

[G_Money]

I think Ted was always Mikeys whipping boy. He never had control at all. All he really could do was give his opinion and Shanahan was going to do what he wanted regardless.

I agree that he didn't have final control, but he did have input. And I haven't seen a single instance where he used that input to the Broncos' advantage.

The second his input was neutered and the Goodmans were heard, our drafts became ridiculously good. I don't believe in that kind of coincidence, especially considering the previous 5 drafts (Sundquist was promoted to GM in 2001).

One bad draft might just be a mistake or bad luck. You don't have 5 drafts full of bad luck.

And as for this:



RT @Ted_Sundquist @BroncosForums Precisely. Big mistake made by us. MS wanted to WIN now & lacked patience to develop youngsters. Filled holes w/ vets.

I would like to know what young talent was provided to him worth developing. He ran out there with undrafted and late-round kids all the time. If he could FIND talent in what he was given Shanny tried to keep it. But identifying young talent wasn't his best skill - and apparently not Ted's either. I do blame Shanny - he kept Ted around and in his ear like Wormwood for WAY too long.

Everything in this org was under Shanahan's purview, so our drafting issues were absolutely his fault.

But if Sundquist had been giving him a batch of young starters like Cutler, Marshall, Scheffler, Hillis and Doom every draft (which was the first draft Goodman had his ear instead of Sundquist), I think Shanny would have used them. As I remember it, he actually did.

~G