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TheReverend
02-04-2012, 03:00 PM
Hi guys. Here's a little something I wrote up elsewhere. Hopeful that it provides some insight or if nothing more, fodder for some good football discussion during the off-season!

Let's try and get some and look at this off-season and go point by point over what is going to happen and how our favorite football team is going to look in 2012.

If you don't want to read anything pertaining to this subject, please at least read the following statement:

Last year was an evaluation year to see what players on the current roster fit what EFX wanted to do offensively, defensively and according to their general football philosophy. We saw this manifest itself MULTIPLE times from rotating players in different positions on the depth chart to trading away and outright cutting veterans at certain positions so we could evaluate the younger players behind them. Despite being in an "evaluation year", this team went from the worst team in the NFL the year prior (when you factor SoS) to AFCW Champions and its first playoff win in 6 years.


Now let's look at what's going to happen in this coming off-season

Roster additions:

We will definitely be adding players at CB, MLB, IOL, RB, WR

We will probably be adding players at DT, DE, S, TE

I expect the majority of these roster moves to be strictly depth and competition moves, but I do expect 2-3 "blue chip" players to hit the roster this off-season which should make a dramatic effect on the players around them.

On top of adding some key vets and more vet leadership, we can expect to see some pretty substantial improvements from a young roster coming off a lockout season:

All of last years rookies will now have a full off-season of OTAs. Time in the system for the game to slow down for them and to make dramatic mental leaps, as well as more repetition being coached into them.

Areas I expect to see massive upgrades in current personnel:

WR - Demaryius will be healthy. Decker should be healthy. These two can both finally not only get a full off-season worth of work and coaching, but have time to establish good chemistry with Tim. Our WRs lead the NFL in drops per attempt, and I expect to see that dramatically improve this year for the aforementioned reasons. (Side note: It's my hope we also add a proven vet receiver with a known work ethic that can teach these two how to properly prepare at this level)

OL - Franklin played very well when you look at the wealth of his season and also showed some pretty dramatic improvement from game one to the end of the season. That being said, this unit has LOADS of room to improve. As is, we have Ryan Harris back and ready to compete. I'm hopeful we add a premier G to really solidify the unit moving forward, but as is the experience in this system should go a long ways with a corps of pretty talented young guys.

QB - Only 16 starts under his belt and 1.5 off-seasons and neither one involved taking reps of any significance with the 1s. He's had no stability as of yet in the offensive game plan as it's been an evolving system (not blaming anyone, it is what it is). Has one of, if not the best work ethic in the entire NFL. Has the closest physical parallel, a HoF'er, and the perfect potential mentor to him pledged to work with him during the off-season.

The entire offense:

McCoy will now have a full off-season to scheme to our teams strengths, incorporate a truly multi-dimensional offense, more trust to his QB, and better, healthy, more experienced players to execute it.

Defensively:

I expect to see leaps and bounds of improvement in

Von Miller - who will not only mentally be light years ahead of where he was last year, but now has a DC who as a former LBer has a history of getting the very best out of his LB'ers (apply this to DJ Williams as well)

Carter - excelled at a cerebral position his rookie year past expectations. The first step kills at the S position, to be able to excel a couple steps behind while diagnosing the play is going to provide a dramatic contrast to build off of a successful rookie season (apply the same to Rahim Moore. I expect him to be able to provide an impact next season)

And especially our front seven as a whole as we've now made a dramatic improvement at the DC position.

Also, it should be noted that we have a bonus asset uplifting the team as a whole: Tim's work ethic. Having the leader of your team spend so much time doing everything he can to improve his game absolutely has an effect on the players around him. Odds of something half-assing practice, OTAs, the weight room, film study, etc become dramatically reduced. Infectious work ethic and a desire to succeed is something we need and should also play a dramatic role on the team moving forward and potential FAs (I'd love to nab under-achieving Aaron Ross because of this and our HC's background as a former secondary coach. Could finally get him to play up to his talent level)

Fantasy section:

My dream off-season would be:

Carl Nicks (hands down my top priority)
Reggie Wayne (could do WONDERS with Demaryius the way Marvin did with him)
Mario Williams (DL becomes our top unit instantly... talk about a turn over events)
Dan Connor (though not as talented, he's still the heady, tough, smart linebacker that we've lacked since Wilson)
Aaron Ross (our coaching and Tebow's work ethic combined with a fresh start could turn him into what he should be)

And then Devon Still, Stephon Gilmore, Brandon Boykin, and Dan Herron via the draft.

At that point we go from a subpar talented but over-achieving team to perhaps the most talented team in the league.

Ziggy
02-04-2012, 03:42 PM
Good write up Rev. I'm in agreement with most everything you posted here, minus a couple of points. The Broncos aren't going to be one of the most talented teams in the league next season. It's going to take at least 2 more draft and free agent periods to get there. There are holes at IOL, MLB, DT, RB, FB, CB, and safety. Building depth is going to take time also.

I like Devon Still if he drops that far. There are going to be some great options late in the first. There are some boom or bust players that have all pro potential:
Jerel Worthy
Vontaze Burfict
Donta Hightower

There are also some solid guys that could drop and solidify starting positions for years to come:
Peter Konz
Mark Barron
Janoris Jenkins

Then there's the 3rd tier of guys that would be worth taking a shot on early that won't be there late in the 2nd:
Doug Martin
Fletcher Cox
Alameda Ta'amu
Jared Crick
Brandon Thompson

Any of the above listed names could come in and make an impact thier rookie year. As far as free agents go, I doubt the Broncos will make too big of a splash. I think EFX will be looking for the Bunkley, McGahee type of players that can come in for a decent salary and contribute right away.

Xanders said that they would start negotiating with our own free agents in the next week or two. I'm guessing that Prater and Bunk are the priorities.

TheReverend
02-04-2012, 03:51 PM
Good write up Rev. I'm in agreement with most everything you posted here, minus a couple of points. The Broncos aren't going to be one of the most talented teams in the league next season. It's going to take at least 2 more draft and free agent periods to get there. There are holes at IOL, MLB, DT, RB, FB, CB, and safety. Building depth is going to take time also.

I like Devon Still if he drops that far. There are going to be some great options late in the first. There are some boom or bust players that have all pro potential:
Jerel Worthy
Vontaze Burfict
Donta Hightower

There are also some solid guys that could drop and solidify starting positions for years to come:
Peter Konz
Mark Barron
Janoris Jenkins

Then there's the 3rd tier of guys that would be worth taking a shot on early that won't be there late in the 2nd:
Doug Martin
Fletcher Cox
Alameda Ta'amu
Jared Crick
Brandon Thompson

Any of the above listed names could come in and make an impact thier rookie year. As far as free agents go, I doubt the Broncos will make too big of a splash. I think EFX will be looking for the Bunkley, McGahee type of players that can come in for a decent salary and contribute right away.

Xanders said that they would start negotiating with our own free agents in the next week or two. I'm guessing that Prater and Bunk are the priorities.

I think you misunderstood. When I said we have the potential to be one of the most talented teams in the league, that was predicated on my "dream off-season". Adding those guys to the current roster would absolutely make the Broncos one of the most talented teams in the league.

Will it happen? You're probably right that we'll be much more conservative, but I'm still hopeful we can land 2 (maybe even 3) game-breakers that will flip positions of weakness into ones of strength.

I like the fire Burfict brings to the table, but we canNOT viably draft him to play next to Von Miller. 2 linebackers that can (and in Miller's case, will be used to) cover will be a necessity and that's something Burfict can't provide.

I have a shortlist that's very similar for potential 2nd round sliders actually, so great work :)

Northman
02-04-2012, 05:26 PM
Very good write-up Rev. Good to see you around homie. :)

underrated29
02-04-2012, 08:48 PM
I don't have faith that McCoy will be able to draw up a good offense but I will hope he can.

TheReverend
02-05-2012, 01:32 PM
Very good write-up Rev. Good to see you around homie. :)

Thanks bud. I'll be around now lol.


I don't have faith that McCoy will be able to draw up a good offense but I will hope he can.

McCoy was the subject to the vast majority of my ire last season.

That being said, he was put in a pretty hard spot. Young, (and as much as I love Tebow) VERY raw, player with a new system on the fly. He was trying to protect his young QB with the play-calling even though I absolutely believe it hand-cuffed him more often than not.

Coming into the next season we'll have concrete system, more trust in Tim and the rest of the players.

Should equate to good things.