Sportline: Draft Needs Denver Broncos

[Dirk]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/11625847

The good news for the Denver Broncos is they have two first-round picks in this year's NFL Draft.

The bad news is they no longer have a franchise passer.

But isn't that what new coach Josh McDaniels wanted all along? The trade of quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears leaves the Broncos in a position to improve a defense that needs it, but also leaves a huge question at quarterback.

The two quarterbacks on the roster are Chris Simms and Kyle Orton, who came over from Chicago in the Cutler trade. If McDaniels believes one of those players is his quarterback, then the Broncos will pass on one in the first round. If not, they could take Mark Sanchez with the 12th pick if he is there.

The Broncos also have the 18th pick in the first round, thanks to the Cutler trade, so they're in position to move up and down the draft board.

The Denver defense gave up more points the past two years than all but two teams, St. Louis and Detroit. That's why Denver hasn't been a playoff team. It wasn't Cutler.

But the Broncos are moving forward, and this draft, thanks in large part to the trade for Cutler, will give them extra picks to do so.

No Cutler means more draft picks, but does it mean more victories?

QB: Can Orton or Simms become a real force in McDaniels' offense? Or will they take a rookie and let him be the quarterback of the future?

RB: To try to fix the running back spot, the Broncos signed Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington and LaMont Jordan. Do you see a franchise back there? Neither do I. The starter might end up being Ryan Torain if he can come back from a knee injury suffered as a rookie. Selvin Young is also in the mix. That's a lot of bodies, but no star.

WR: Brandon Marshall had a breakout season and is the go-to guy. Eddie Royal showed well as a rookie last season and should be even better. Brandon Stokley is good as the third receiver, but he has to stay on the field. There isn't much after him.

TE: The new regime wants a blocking tight end, which is why Tony Scheffler is on the market. Daniel Graham, who McDaniels had in New England, will be the starter. Jeb Putzier adds depth.

OL: This is the strongest area of the team. Rookie left tackle Ryan Clady was outstanding last season. He is the anchor. Right tackle Ryan Harris also played at a high level. The interior is solid with Casey Wiegmann at center and guards Ben Hamilton and Chris Kuper. Depth is youth-oriented.

DL: The new staff is switching to a 3-4, which means Marcus Thomas has to move to the nose and battle Ronald Fields for the starting job. Darrell Reid comes over from Indianapolis and is set to start at one end, while Kenny Peterson is the leader at the other. They need help here in the worst way.

LB: D.J. Williams will stay at outside linebacker. The other OLB will be Elvis Dumervil in the 3-4 scheme. Dumervil should flourish in the new system, moving from down end, where he was undersized. The inside backers will be Andra Davis and Boss Bailey. They need a big thumper to replace Bailey.

Secondary: Three new starters will join corner Champ Bailey in the secondary. They are Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and corner Andre' Goodman. Big deal. I'm not as excited about those moves as the Broncos are. They look more stop-gap than anything. The backups are raw, really raw. They need help here.

[Fan in Exile]

I wish that you had told me that Prisco wrote that article so I never would have bothered with it.

He completely screws up the positions on defense.

[omac]

I don't think Prisco understands that McDaniels doesn't really want a dominant RB, though. From his offense in NE to his justification for acquiring Arrington and the other RBs he got, he puts more value in a 3rd down back like Kevin Faulk. He isn't looking for the next TD. In the QB area, he's not looking for the next Elway; he's looking to develop a Cassel or a Brady, and he probably thinks he can do that with a former backup player, or a late round draft pick.

[Elevation inc]

I don't think Prisco understands that McDaniels doesn't really want a dominant RB, though. From his offense in NE to his justification for acquiring Arrington and the other RBs he got, he puts more value in a 3rd down back like Kevin Faulk. He isn't looking for the next TD. In the QB area, he's not looking for the next Elway; he's looking to develop a Cassel or a Brady, and he probably thinks he can do that with a former backup player, or a late round draft pick.

if we didnt want a high end running back we wouldnt be privately working out or attempting to workout the top 3 backs in the class....

all he has done so far is brought in better back-ups than the back-ups we had last year. rest assured this offense still wants a number 1 back.....

[broncofaninfla]

His take is DJ will be an OLB, if that holds true they might very well dafrt a ILB early.

[MOtorboat]

DL: The new staff is switching to a 3-4, which means Marcus Thomas has to move to the nose and battle Ronald Fields for the starting job. Darrell Reid comes over from Indianapolis and is set to start at one end, while Kenny Peterson is the leader at the other. They need help here in the worst way.

LB: D.J. Williams will stay at outside linebacker. The other OLB will be Elvis Dumervil in the 3-4 scheme. Dumervil should flourish in the new system, moving from down end, where he was undersized. The inside backers will be Andra Davis and Boss Bailey. They need a big thumper to replace Bailey.

First of all those last two sentences contradict each other.

But, past that last sentence...this just worries me. IMO, we have to get an impact, immediate starter in the defensive front seven out of at least two of our three day-one picks.

[claymore]

First of all those last two sentences contradict each other.

But, past that last sentence...this just worries me. IMO, we have to get an impact, immediate starter in the defensive front seven out of at least two of our three day-one picks.

Im holding out hope Moss, Dumerville and or Crowder will surprise us. If Moss and Dumerville can flourish at OLB, we are allot better off.

Signed,

Captain Obvious

[omac]

if we didnt want a high end running back we wouldnt be privately working out or attempting to workout the top 3 backs in the class....

all he has done so far is brought in better back-ups than the back-ups we had last year. rest assured this offense still wants a number 1 back.....

Good point, but it could just be a smokescreen, ala Shanahan.

Look at NE's RBs, and none of them were very dominant; you could even say they were interchangeable. Sometimes Morris, sometimes Maroney, sometimes Faulk, even a few times Ben-Jarvis(?). Then look at the backs he recently acquired ... Jordan, Arrington, Buckhalter. That sure looks a lot like NE's rbs.

[omac]

Im holding out hope Moss, Dumerville and or Crowder will surprise us. If Moss and Dumerville can flourish at OLB, we are allot better off.

Signed,

Captain Obvious

If it's any consolation, one of the scouting reports on Moss before getting drafted was that he has the athleticism and football sense to play OLB in a 3-4. Not that we've seen anything to that effect :D , but I don't think we really ran a true 3-4 last season either.

[claymore]

If it's any consolation, one of the scouting reports on Moss before getting drafted was that he has the athleticism and football sense to play OLB in a 3-4. Not that we've seen anything to that effect :D , but I don't think we really ran a true 3-4 last season either.

LOL, I was reading up on him yesterday. Most of the reports I saw envisioned him converting in the Pros. I think with good coaching him and Doom will do well.

[omac]

LOL, I was reading up on him yesterday. Most of the reports I saw envisioned him converting in the Pros. I think with good coaching him and Doom will do well.

Good coaching ... on defense? That's one thing I really look forward to, now that Nolan's in charge of the D. Hopefully, we have some good prospects who weren't coached to their full potential. :cheers:

[claymore]

Good coaching ... on defense? That's one thing I really look forward to, now that Nolan's in charge of the D. Hopefully, we have some good prospects who weren't coached to their full potential. :cheers:

If we can salvage a couple of our more recent draft picks I will love McD and his staff all the more.

[Elevation inc]

Good point, but it could just be a smokescreen, ala Shanahan.

Look at NE's RBs, and none of them were very dominant; you could even say they were interchangeable. Sometimes Morris, sometimes Maroney, sometimes Faulk, even a few times Ben-Jarvis(?). Then look at the backs he recently acquired ... Jordan, Arrington, Buckhalter. That sure looks a lot like NE's rbs.

MCD does not smoke screen...lol

as for New england RB's???? well maroney was drafted to be there franchsie runner his injury history and continual problems lead way to morris getting playing time, who's injuries led to faulk getting playing time, which allowed faulk to prove how good he is on third downs yet not as a number 1 load carrier, which is the reason the comittte was started because there backs couldnt stay healthy and none of the backs could carry the load.


Jarvis ellis finally got a shot because of injuries to maroney, morris and faulk who all proved they cant stay healthy over 16 games.


yes new england had a comitte but that doesnt mean they were happy about it or felt that was a way to win games. they actually ran more of a comitte based on need than choice.


a franchsie runner is a dream come true for MCd's offense because it relies on clock management, ball control, and the ability to not force things, a elite runner takes immense pressure of a qb in a system like that.


we can, will, and should take a top back in this draft, people underestimate the good it will do our defense in the long run....

[omac]

MCD does not smoke screen...lol

as for New england RB's???? well maroney was drafted to be there franchsie runner his injury history and continual problems lead way to morris getting playing time, who's injuries led to faulk getting playing time, which allowed faulk to prove how good he is on third downs yet not as a number 1 load carrier, which is the reason the comittte was started because there backs couldnt stay healthy and none of the backs could carry the load.


Jarvis ellis finally got a shot because of injuries to maroney, morris and faulk who all proved they cant stay healthy over 16 games.


yes new england had a comitte but that doesnt mean they were happy about it or felt that was a way to win games. they actually ran more of a comitte based on need than choice.


a franchsie runner is a dream come true for MCd's offense because it relies on clock management, ball control, and the ability to not force things, a elite runner takes immense pressure of a qb in a system like that.


we can, will, and should take a top back in this draft, people underestimate the good it will do our defense in the long run....

I don't disagree on the importance of a really solid RB threat; I wanted that for the Broncos last season, and still do. I just don't think McDaniels is looking for one. I think he's got all the backs he wants.

That's a good point on Maroney being a 1st rounder, though, so maybe he might value a really solid every down RB over the 3rd down rb's he said he likes in the article posted in one of the threads here. In the same sense, Tom Brady was an accident, not great late round drafting. They had their signal caller in Bledsoe, and if they believed Brady would be that good, they wouldn't have risked drafting him that late. So, despite how it turned out, just like how it turned out with their RBs, there might be sense in what some analysts are saying that McDaniels might want to draft a QB high. Cassel was drafted late (or maybe mid), and he played well last season, but what people are forgetting is that the Patriots might not have been planning on giving him an extension. That was written about prior to the start of last season. But since it did work out, many posters including myself just assume that he'll draft a mid or late round QB to develop, instead of taking a top rated signal caller; again, an accident ... had Brady stayed healthy last season, Cassel could very well have been cut. I doubt there were NE fans saying how great Cassel was, and how he was going to take over after Tom Brady.