Where to go from here

[Northman]

Aside from the obvious (Getting rid of VJ) how would you like to move forward in terms of personnel on the field. Ive seen people say various things in different threads but if you had to really think about the entire picture, what would you want? What moves would you make? Do you stand pat with everything? Do you overhaul everything? This is what one Bronco fan brought up in our Bronco group on FB, agree/disagree? What would you do differently?


Just looked at Overthecap.com (http://overthecap.com/) at the Broncos 2018 payroll and John ELWAY has some tough decisions to make come January 2018. We have 32 million in cap room and we can stretch it to 45 million with strategic cuts like Watson, Cj Anderson all the CLOWN SHOW behind center, and middle of the road players. But the tough decisions are Talib 11 million, resigning Roby and either a pay cut on DT AND or trade can get us to 50 million.I say gut the entire Offense.

1) All 3 Qbs gotta go
2) Rb CJ Anderson and Jamaal Charles gone.
3) TE All TE expect Jake Butt gone
4) Wr DT pay cut, Latimer Flower and THUMBS McKenzie gotta go
5) OLINE Watson, Garcia, Stephenson, Cyrus K gotta go
Free Agency Focus on RT, LG, TE and a Vet RB, ILB


DRAFT: QB with top 5 pick either Mayfield or Rosen, RB in 2nd round and Olineman in 3 and 4th rounds then WR, PR /KR and Nose tackle

[Tned]

FWIW, over the cap lists Broncos effective cap space as 27 million for 2018. I'm not sure what the difference between the 32 and 27 represents, other than they say "effective cap space" is how much money teams will have left after they sign their top 51 players. Maybe they are including the rookie class budget in the "effective" number.

[Shazam!]

QB
OL
TE
WR
All new QBs
Trade DT/Sanders and Siemien if there is a suitor

[Rick]

Simien and Oz are gone, PL might be gone.
CJ will be gone as the Broncos won't pay him the wage again, Miami will.
OL will be enhanced with another high pick, probably second round as they will probably take a QB in the first at this point. How did McGovern do Sunday?
Latimer might stay. No-one else will pay him big, he is good on ST.
Sanders will stay, DT might be gone or pay cut.
Talib will be gone, Roby will take over. Can't pay that money to 3 CBs.
All TEs except Butt are gone.

[LawDog]

Simien and Oz are gone, PL might be gone.
CJ will be gone as the Broncos won't pay him the wage again, Miami will.
OL will be enhanced with another high pick, probably second round as they will probably take a QB in the first at this point. How did McGovern do Sunday?
Latimer might stay. No-one else will pay him big, he is good on ST.
Sanders will stay, DT might be gone or pay cut.
Talib will be gone, Roby will take over. Can't pay that money to 3 CBs.
All TEs except Butt are gone.

Oz is gone. PL should be gone, he really doesn't bring anything to the table. In contrast, if they pick up a quality vet (via trade or some FA miracle) I would keep Siemian as the backup. He's smart, and humble, and would be an asset during camp and in-season game prep. I'd see him doing his job and not being a distraction, can't see PL being effective in that role and I really don't want him starting.

[Tned]

Oz is gone. PL should be gone, he really doesn't bring anything to the table. In contrast, if they pick up a quality vet (via trade or some FA miracle) I would keep Siemian as the backup. He's smart, and humble, and would be an asset during camp and in-season game prep. I'd see him doing his job and not being a distraction, can't see PL being effective in that role and I really don't want him starting.

Siemian is probably playing for that job now. The way he played last year and the first few games this year and even in relief of Lynch, he appeared well suited. The way he's played in his last five or so starts, he's been very, very bad.

[LawDog]

Siemian is probably playing for that job now. The way he played last year and the first few games this year and even in relief of Lynch, he appeared well suited. The way he's played in his last five or so starts, he's been very, very bad.

He's a C student that aced a quiz, and is now being expected to be the guy who blows the curve with straight A's.

[Buff]

1.) I honestly don't know what happens to the QB depth chart.

I think Siemian profiles as a nice backup. Hard worker, respected by teammates, has shown flashes of productivity - obviously if he keeps throwing out dumpster fire performances then things could change, but I wouldn't mind keeping him around as a #2. Lynch isn't likely to get cut in the offseason and his trade value is probably too low to move him, so he'll likely be here for camp too. Then I assume we want to give Chad Kelly a look - plus I expect us to at minimum draft a QB or acquire one in free agency...

So in that scenario maybe we have 4 QBs in camp - Lynch, Siemian, Kelly and new guy.

2.) Jamaal Charles should be gone. CJ's $4.5 mil cap number is just high enough to where he's in jeopardy of being cut, but just low enough to where it's not a foregone conclusion. We could do worse than coming into next year with CJ, Booker and Henderson.

3.) TE is a massive gaping hole and need. Hopefully Butt can provide some value there but we should be looking to grab another TE in the draft of FA.

4.) WR is another major pivot point... DT's 2018 cap number is more reasonable than his 2019 number, so we might be able to scratch one more year out of him. Sanders will actually make more next year than DT. I kind of think we have too much money wrapped up in WRs as a holdover from the Manning era - it might be wise to try to move one of these guys to bolster the OL.

5.) O-line - Stephenson and Watson can't be run out of town fast enough. We should probably ax both of our left guards at this point. Bolles better get his ass in the weight room all off season. Leary needs to stay healthy next year. And I don't care what anybody says - Paradis is average, we could upgrade from him (though he's not the main problem) if the right situation comes along.


Main offseason priorities:

1.) QB
2.) QB
3.) QB
4.) RT
5.) LG

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

Personally, if we don’t fall in love with one of the top qb’s I’d be happy going after someone like Cousins and using that top 5 pick on a playmaker

[dogfish]

Personally, if we don’t fall in love with one of the top qb’s I’d be happy going after someone like Cousins and using that top 5 pick on a playmaker

and by "playmaker" you mean "monster offensive tackle". . . right?

[Rick]

How did McGovern do at starting guard for the game?

Would be interesting to see if he could take over at RG next year so Leary can move back to left.

[Hawgdriver]

and by "playmaker" you mean "monster offensive tackle". . . right?

1. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
2. Bradley Chubb, EDGE, N.C. State
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama
4. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
5. Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame ???

Guy makes pancakes for a living.

Leaves the question of LT/RT open, but getting a LT/RT leaves the question of LG open.

[Shazam!]

1.) I honestly don't know what happens to the QB depth chart.

I think Siemian profiles as a nice backup. Hard worker, respected by teammates, has shown flashes of productivity - obviously if he keeps throwing out dumpster fire performances then things could change, but I wouldn't mind keeping him around as a #2. Lynch isn't likely to get cut in the offseason and his trade value is probably too low to move him, so he'll likely be here for camp too. Then I assume we want to give Chad Kelly a look - plus I expect us to at minimum draft a QB or acquire one in free agency...

So in that scenario maybe we have 4 QBs in camp - Lynch, Siemian, Kelly and new guy.

2.) Jamaal Charles should be gone. CJ's $4.5 mil cap number is just high enough to where he's in jeopardy of being cut, but just low enough to where it's not a foregone conclusion. We could do worse than coming into next year with CJ, Booker and Henderson.

3.) TE is a massive gaping hole and need. Hopefully Butt can provide some value there but we should be looking to grab another TE in the draft of FA.

4.) WR is another major pivot point... DT's 2018 cap number is more reasonable than his 2019 number, so we might be able to scratch one more year out of him. Sanders will actually make more next year than DT. I kind of think we have too much money wrapped up in WRs as a holdover from the Manning era - it might be wise to try to move one of these guys to bolster the OL.

5.) O-line - Stephenson and Watson can't be run out of town fast enough. We should probably ax both of our left guards at this point. Bolles better get his ass in the weight room all off season. Leary needs to stay healthy next year. And I don't care what anybody says - Paradis is average, we could upgrade from him (though he's not the main problem) if the right situation comes along.


Main offseason priorities:

1.) QB
2.) QB
3.) QB
4.) RT
5.) LG

I believe Leary has been the only lone Linemen worth keeping.

[Al Wilson 4 Mayor]

and by "playmaker" you mean "monster offensive tackle". . . right?

Bolles isn’t going anywhere and I’m not sure we want to spent a top 5 pick on a RT or OG. We can get one of those at the top of the 2nd. I mean a 5tech, OLB, DB, or someone on offense who knows how to find the end zone.

[GEM]

Where to go from here.....a nap sounds good. :D

[GEM]

Bolles isn’t going anywhere and I’m not sure we want to spent a top 5 pick on a RT or OG. We can get one of those at the top of the 2nd. I mean a 5tech, OLB, DB, or someone on offense who knows how to find the end zone.

All the talk I've heard has said move Bolles over to RT and draft a LT.

[dogfish]

Bolles isn’t going anywhere and I’m not sure we want to spent a top 5 pick on a RT or OG.

he can go about 4 spots to the right, if we have the chance to draft a better player. . . he's held his own for a raw kid throw into the fire, but he's also held everything and everyone else in sight as well. . . and he's going to be 30 by the time he hits his second contract. . .

i think the pass rushers we have (hopefully including walker next year) would be fine if we could ever have a lead. . . and playmakers are great, but sign me up for finding a Qb and/or fixing the line before we sink anymore premium resources into expensive toys who barely function when you don't have a capable passer. . . enough with building our offense from the outside in, it's not working. . .

[BigDaddyBronco]

QB and T are the 1 and 1a priorities. My fear is that we will miss out on Rosen or Darnold and will be left with taking a chance on Allen or Mayfield. My hope beyond hope would be drafting McGlinchy with the early 1st rounder and getting lucky and moving back into the bottom of the 1st and getting a Mayfield.

Then you hope they both pan out and we have out LT (with Bolles moving to RT) and a young, exciting, and shorter QB of the future.

My guess is that Elway will not draft Mayfield as he isn't 6'5" and will miss out on Rosen and Darnold and then picks up Allen who is a project and gets killed behind another bad OLine thus wrecking his confidence and he turns into a bust.

[Tned]

All the talk I've heard has said move Bolles over to RT and draft a LT.

Easier said then done. If you don't draft an LT in the top 5 or so (maybe top 10), it's typically a crap shoot. So, are we drafting a blue chip LT or a QB. If a QB, then it will be a crap shoot for a drafted LT to be better than Bolles.

[GEM]

Let's just go back to these days...

11533

[Cugel]

All the talk I've heard has said move Bolles over to RT and draft a LT.

They will do that if they land a FA QB ahead of the draft, otherwise they need to draft a QB with that top 4 pick. If they don't have one, it will be another season like this one. And the last time they tried to draft a starting LT in the 2nd round, it was Ty Sambrailo. We all know how that turned out.

Obviously they cannot go into the season with the QBs on the roster. None of them can start. Trevor might make a decent backup if you needed him for 2 games or fewer a season.

And unless they trade, they will have to throw boat-loads of money at a FA QB to get him to come here and be part of the train-wreck. Kirk Cousins for instance will have a choice (among others) of Jacksonville, where they are a QB away from competing for a championship. . . .

or Denver, where they are about 15 starters away from competing for a championship.

Of course, Eli might end up in Jacksonville, but it looks like they will keep him now that they dropped the foot-fungus that was Ben Mcadoo.

The painful reality is that Denver is now about as attractive a destination for FA QBs as Cleveland.

Coaching changes every year? Check.
Massive roster overhaul? Check.
Garbage OL? Well Cleveland had a decent OL anchored by Joe Thomas, so they had the advantage there.

I wouldn't come here if I were a FA Qb looking to compete for a playoff berth. But, NFL QBs will go where the money is best usually - unless like Peyton they have already made a boat-load of money.

[Cugel]

BTW: The 49ers just announced they will use the Franchise Tag to keep Jimmy Garapolo under contract for next year. No surprise since they used a 2nd round pick for him. But he played well so far, so they feel they have their future franchise QB.

That means they will either trade their #2 overall pick, move down and stockpile picks, or else take an impact player at another position.

So, if Denver really wanted to move up from #4 (where they are right now) to #2 in the draft and get one of the top 2 QBs they probably could do it. I'm not saying they will do it.

That would depend on whether they land a veteran starting QB in FA or not. If not, they will definitely need to draft a QB with their #1 pick. They might be able to stand pat at #4 and draft a QB there. But if there are two really top first round QBs in the draft they could get one.

[Cugel]

Easier said then done. If you don't draft an LT in the top 5 or so (maybe top 10), it's typically a crap shoot. So, are we drafting a blue chip LT or a QB. If a QB, then it will be a crap shoot for a drafted LT to be better than Bolles.

That is all true. But it will be determined by whether they sign a veteran FA QB or trade for one like Case Keenum (it's thought the Vikings still want Bridgewater as their starter although that is changing. Neither is under contract for next season so one is likely to be dealt).

The Viking would not let either just walk, but they will probably trade one of them. If Denver traded for one, they could just draft a LT with their #4 pick, and move Bolles to RT where hopefully he might get fewer holding penalties?

[Tned]

That is all true. But it will be determined by whether they sign a veteran FA QB or trade for one like Case Keenum (it's thought the Vikings still want Bridgewater as their starter although that is changing. Neither is under contract for next season so one is likely to be dealt).

The Viking would not let either just walk, but they will probably trade one of them. If Denver traded for one, they could just draft a LT with their #4 pick, and move Bolles to RT where hopefully he might get fewer holding penalties?

And whether with one good year, they feel that Keenum is the type of QB that can lead them to a championship. If they don't think any of their young guys are "the guy" and don't draft one this year, then there is a pretty good chance they find themselves in 8-8 level purgatory where they can't win it all and they don't have a high draft pick to even get one of the 50/50 QBs (which is essentially what you get with a top 10 QB, a 50/50 chance he won't be a bust).

It's not like they have a QB that isn't quite ready and if they can have a veteran get them through one year, then the young guy can take over (since it's looking less and less like Lynch is that guy). So, I'm not sure they are going to view Keenum as a franchise QB to build around.

[Rick]

BTW: The 49ers just announced they will use the Franchise Tag to keep Jimmy Garapolo under contract for next year. No surprise since they used a 2nd round pick for him. But he played well so far, so they feel they have their future franchise QB.

That means they will either trade their #2 overall pick, move down and stockpile picks, or else take an impact player at another position.

So, if Denver really wanted to move up from #4 (where they are right now) to #2 in the draft and get one of the top 2 QBs they probably could do it. I'm not saying they will do it.

That would depend on whether they land a veteran starting QB in FA or not. If not, they will definitely need to draft a QB with their #1 pick. They might be able to stand pat at #4 and draft a QB there. But if there are two really top first round QBs in the draft they could get one.

By the time it all shakes out, I don't think SF will pick ahead of us. It will be a race between us and the Giants for the #2, and I think Giants might actually win another 1 as they rally for Eli.

[Rick]

That is all true. But it will be determined by whether they sign a veteran FA QB or trade for one like Case Keenum (it's thought the Vikings still want Bridgewater as their starter although that is changing. Neither is under contract for next season so one is likely to be dealt).

The Viking would not let either just walk, but they will probably trade one of them. If Denver traded for one, they could just draft a LT with their #4 pick, and move Bolles to RT where hopefully he might get fewer holding penalties?

Both are FA, not sure how they would deal one since neither would be under contract.

[NightTerror218]

Needs QB. Being top 5 pick most likely means a trade into,top 3 or drafting a QB with 2nd pick.

OL need a a G and RT. Pick 1 or 2 needs to a dress this. Been too bad for too long, Killing QB. But as positions if need TE and MLB. Marshall ia good but a coverage LB for TEs is needed.

I see talib moving on and front who has not stepped up like I would like coming in for talib will be new #2. Stewart has been victimized too,much and will prob be moved on from allowing Simmons to be FS and parks FS.