Dirk
04-14-2009, 07:38 AM
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.
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.