What to do about our D?

[Dman444]

I have been thinking about this for awhile now, and I'd like to see what everyone else thought. I'm sure everyone knows we have a very seasoned defense, especially secondary, and we're going to have to address it very soon.

The question is how soon do we have to address it and how do we address it. I'd say with this current defense we have two to three years max with many of these players to be playing at the level they are right now. On defense we have Dawkins-36, Holliday-33, Goodman-31, Bailey-31, Hill-30, Davis-30, and Peterson-30. That's seven out of eleven starters over thirty and all of our secondary.

Do we draft players mostly defense this year and groom them and hope Williams, Smith, Bruton, and McBath can also grow into their roles, or do we continue to do the free agency thing.

Also, do we have to win within two or three years before our defense is pretty much a whole new squad? Also Nolan will likely be gone son enough. What do you guys think?

[skycoyote]

Quote, "I have been thinking about this for awhile now "

If you don't think everything will be ok. lol Sorry I couldn't resist.

[honz]

I think we did quite a bit to address our aging secondary in this years draft. We drafted Phonz and McBath in the second...which tells me that they see those guys as future starters...whether they both work out or not we shall see. Jack Williams seems to have really come into his own this year, but he will probably always be a nickel corner. We also have Bruton and Barrett who are both physical specimens with a lot of upside if they can be coached up. Only the coaches know how those guys are coming along though.

We have a lot of depth at Safety, but not vary much at all at CB. I suspect that we will draft another CB relatively early (2nd to 4th round or so) and try to coach them up before Champ and Goodman leave. What are their contract situations anyways?

[Dman444]

I think we did quite a bit to address our aging secondary in this years draft. We drafted Phonz and McBath in the second...which tells me that they see those guys as future starters...whether they both work out or not we shall see. Jack Williams seems to have really come into his own this year, but he will probably always be a nickel corner. We also have Bruton and Barrett who are both physical specimens with a lot of upside if they can be coached up. Only the coaches know how those guys are coming along though.

We have a lot of depth at Safety, but not vary much at all at CB. I suspect that we will draft another CB relatively early (2nd to 4th round or so) and try to coach them up before Champ and Goodman leave. What are their contract situations anyways?

I don't know about their contract situations.

[j3phr3y]

Champ Bailey:
3/3/2004: Signed a seven-year, $63 million contract. The deal contains $23 million guaranteed, including an $18 million signing bonus. 2009: $6.5 million (+ $2 million roster bonus due 3/3), 2010: $9.5 million, 2011: Free Agent. Cap charge: $13.669 million (2009).

Andre' Goodman:
3/1/2009: Signed a five-year, $20.4 million contract. The deal includes $9.8 million guaranteed. Another $4.8 million is available through incentives based on Goodman playing 75% of the defensive snaps. 2009-2013: Under Contract, 2014: Free Agent

Brian Dawkins:
2/28/2009: Signed a five-year, $17 million contract. The deal includes $7.2 million guaranteed. Another $10 million is available via performance incentives. 2009-2010: Under Contract, 2011-2013: Voidable Years, 2014: Free Agent

David Bruton:
7/26/2009: Signed a four-year, $2.230 million contract. The deal included a $480,000 signing bonus. 2009: $310,000, 2010: $395,000, 2011: $480,000, 2012: $565,000, 2013: Free Agent

Josh Barrett:
2009: $385,000, 2010: Exclusive Rights Free Agent

Renaldo Hill:
2/27/2009: Signed a four-year, $10 million contract. The deal includes $3 million guaranteed. 2009-2012: Under Contract, 2013: Free Agent

Darcel McBath:
7/26/2009: Signed a four-year, $3.85 million contract. The deal includes $2.01 million guaranteed. 2009: $310,000, 2010: $395,000, 2011: $480,000, 2012: $565,000, 2013: Free Agent

Alphonso Smith:
7/26/2009: Signed a four-year, $4.08 million contract. The deal included a $2.15 million signing bonus. Another $750,000 is available via a onetime playing-time incentive that is guaranteed for injury. If Smith wins Defensive ROY in 2009, he'll get a $100,000 performance escalator. 2009: $310,000, 2010: $395,000, 2011: $480,000 (+ $50,000 workout bonus), 2012: $565,000 (+ $130,000 workout bonus), 2013: Free Agent

Jack Williams:
7/22/2008: Signed a four-year, $2.157 million contract. The deal included a $452,000 signing bonus. 2009: $385,000, 2010: $470,000, 2011: $555,000, 2012: Free Agent

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/clubhouse_contracts.aspx?sport=NFL&majteam=DEN

[honz]

Looks like we are pretty well set in the secondary for at least the next couple of years.

[Day1BroncoFan]

Barring any injuries we should be set for the next 3-4 years. :D

[Shazam!]

Monday night.

San Diego Chargers.

5-1 or 6-0.

Can the defense keep it's pace.

2009 Season.

That's all I'm thinking about right now.

[Ziggy]

There is a reason that the Broncos drafted differently than everyone thought they would. They are drafting in the same mold as the Pittsburgh Steelers. You take the best player available in the draft, regardless of position, and build your team that way. Then, you supplement with free agents. Eventually, every positon will be covered, but it takes patience and juevos. Drafting Moreno wasn't popular with a lot of Denver fans, but McD did it anyways, because they believed he was the best player available at that position in the draft.

The Broncos have set themselves up for the secondary for both now and in the future. They also did that to an extent with LB and TE. Not only that, but McD brought in players like Dawkins and Andre Davis to win now, and teach the younger players how to train, prepare, and play in games. This is the formula for both instant and long term success. Next year the Broncos may go heavy at any position. It could be QB, WR, DT, DE, we don't know. The only thing we do know is that it will be dictated by the talent that is available in the draft at the positions that they rate the highest.

It's been a long time coming, and it is a system that will work if given the proper patience, support, time, and talent evaluation. I believe that we have all of those factors in our favor right now in Denver. Relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride for years to come.

[Day1BroncoFan]

Ziggy, I hope you're right because that sounds exciting to me. :rockon:

[dogfish]

What to do about our D?


sit back and hope they kick the shit out of phyllis rivers?

[Nomad]

Monday night.

San Diego Chargers.

5-1 or 6-0.

Can the defense keep it's pace.

2009 Season.

That's all I'm thinking about right now.


sit back and hope they kick the shit out of phyllis rivers?


Word!! QFT!!!!

[Lonestar]

I believe Ziggy is pretty much on the money..

mike did this way back when we still had a bunch of HOF players on the team.. but as his choices failed for the most part we drafted to fill huge holes..

Overall I believe our DBs can play another 3-4 years and then when they decide to hang them up the newbies brought in over the past 2 years will be more than ready to go and carry on fine traditions..

DEN used to be a place that no one like going deep or over the middle.. with Atwater and Smith being the last of the tandems we have had at Safety..

John Lynch was a force or could have been if he did not slowitt calling the shots..


right now we have an HOFer in Dawkins and with proper coaching he could last till his contract expires.. it is not always speed but savvy that gets you by back there..

[Crush05]

My thoughts are we are going into a salary cap free year next season. IMO I fell McD will woooo in the pieces nedded to get better and to grow from where we are now!!

[gobroncsnv]

I think Lynch started losing effectiveness when he was getting penalized for just walking on the field... some of the hits he got called for were just ridiculous... Took some of the fire out of him, and it affected his play. He was just never the same after some of those. I think he took it personally being branded by the league as a "dirty" player.