Thread: Have the Broncos improved their roster this off season?

well, I think BALL is going to be fine. However, look how the NFL views RBs now. RBs weren't getting squat in FA, and it took the longest in the history of the draft for the FIRST RB to be drafted this year. There WILL be pretty good RBs that hit the market after cuts, and I feel that we might very well add another RB that we've heard of for depth. However, I think both RBs we have are better than people give credit...or... are giving too much credit to other RBs.

Caldwell is NOT the WR that Decker is, not even close. But the addition of Emanual Sanders, for some reason has been forgotton, plus our drafted WR will be a decent combo to supliment. Emanual will be the replacement for Decker, NOT Caldwell.

Defense, the additions we gained at safety and DE are HUGE. I'm not a big Talib fan at all, hopefully he can stay healthy enough for MOST of the season...especially the end. But I doubt it. The BIGGEST addition to our defense, will be getting the players back that were injured. Thats a giant upgrade in itself. How is it a downgrade because Champ isn't on our roster,when Champ didn't play all year??? Makes NO senses. Our Corners didn't downgrade at all, while our safeties were upgraded. I don't think we miss a weakside LB that was suplimented as the starter on the second half of the season. He leaving does not downgrade our defense, except for depth I suppose.

Another silly point. How can we compare Ware and Smith as a downgrade to a player that wasn't even ON the roster last year? Doom wasn't on the Broncos in 2013... so the addition of Ware to the roster shouldn't be even compared to that player as an up-grade/downgrade... at ALL.
Ayers was fodder, and Smith EASILY replaces his spot without problem, not to mention that Ware is a better player than Doom. Always has been.

The OL will be better this year. Getting players back, drafting players, moving players to their strength will just be btter than the patchwork we had last season. A no brainer.

Originally Posted by Joel

An important part of whether we're better "on paper," as you put it, is that we have FIVE starters coming off serious injury who were 100% healthy this time last year. Two of them tore ACLs in the last month of the season, so we'll have to suffer through the first part of the season without them.

We're better at safety and DE, but it's hard to see how much of anywhere else, and we're worse many places.

-LT: I'm far more worried about Clady than this time last year; he played on a bad knee throughout most of 2011, then missed most of last year with a lis-franc injury to that foot.
+LG: Here's hoping Franklin transitions well; I concede he probably can't be much worse than Beadles.
+C: Ramirez will start unless someone outplays him, and he's better than Walton (Koppen was better than both, but this time last year we hadn't un-retired him due to Waltons injury.) +
0RG: Vasquez should still be solid, but he was last year, too.
-RT: Clark? Schofield? The latters scouting report says he struggles with quick edge rushers as much as Clark and Franklin do (which is a lot,) and neither have Franklins push.
-QB: A year older, and unlikely to shatter all the records he set last year.
-RB: Starter's gone; hopefully Ball can passblock now—and so can his backup (whoever that is....)
-WR: #2 is gone; I doubt a second round rookie's ready to fill his shoes, and if Caldwell could he'd have done it last year.

-DT: This time in 2013 our best DT wasn't coming off a dislocated hip (at 330+ lbs.!)
-DE: This time last year was pre-Faxgate; Ware's a stud, but is he better than Doom+Ayers? Doubtful, and even if a healthy Quanterus Smith is more hit than hype it's still a net loss.
0MLB: Still as crappy as the whole past decade; I guess once you hit rock bottom and stay there it CAN'T get worse. Yea...?
-OLB: Our former DRoY Pro Bowler's no longer suspended 6 games—he's on IR with an ACL torn just before Christmas. Woodyard's in TN: Anyone know EITHER of our starters? HUGE downgrade.
-CB: Let's be simple/generous and say DRC→Talib's a wash; (even a 1st round) rookie for (even an aging) Champ isn't, and Harris tore his ACL nearly a month after Miller. MASSIVE downgrade.
0SS: Presumably Nacho, so no change.
+FS: Presumably Ward, who I expect will be better than Moore was even before compartment syndrome got him.

Before anyone leaps to mention mid-round picks/Economy Class FAs: Nearly HALF last years starters are gone/severely injured; the bargain bin and midround rookies can't replace SB starters.

So we've improved in 3 areas, stayed put in 3 and worsened in 9. That's only a quantitative rather than qualitative assessment, and YMMV, but I doubt many objectives ones will vary a lot.

"You may be right; I may be crazy but" I'd bet money the only people saying we're better than we were this time last year are the ones who say that EVERY year.

Joel, I don't think the salary cap would allow us to have Pro Bowlers at every position. Just sayin.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Okay, I'll play.

I can understand concern about Clady, but I'm not that worried at this point.

To paraphrase the Teflon One, are you more worried about him than you were one year ago? If the answer's "yes," that's a minus.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Vasquez was more than "solid" last year.

Sure, but however good he was or wasn't, I expect Vasquez to be Vasquez; he won't be an improvement on HIMSELF (though he has been in the organization a full year now.)

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Sanders is our #2 WR, not Latimer or Caldwell.

If you say so; he wasn't the #2 in Pitt, and they didn't have DT (even when Mike Wallace was still around,) so I doubt he's a wash for Decker, let alone an improvement.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Our best DT is Knighton, and Vickerson is probably backing up Sly this year. Not that concerned.

I dispute that first part, at least until Vickersons leg came out of its socket. How much did you hear about Knighton before that?

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Can we wait to see what Barrow is before we declare MLB a lost cause?

If you insist; his scouting report still sounds like a slower thinner DJ to me, and DJ was horrifying at MLB, despite being very good at WLB and SLB.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

When Von's back, he'll be fine. Until then ... McCray? Our other OLB, as you may remember, is Trevathan, who had a great year and is only getting better.

You're right I overlooked Trevathan; my bad. As far as Miller though, even in 2014, full ACL recovery's far from a given, and they can still SEEM 100% only to blow out again for no apparent reason a year or two later. Regardless, "when Von's back" is even less clear than it was this time last year.

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Again, let's see what Roby is before we judge, but my suspicion is he's better than an over the hill Bailey. If Champ were still here, you'd be complaining about his injury history. "Massive" downgrade is BS.

One injury, even a serious one, isn't a history, but with all I hear about lis-francs, yeah, I'd be worried if Champ were still here; aren't we "lucky" we get to worry about how good a rookie is instead of how good an aging first ballot HoFer coming off a serious injury is?

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Ward is a SS, so better than Duke.
I'm concerned about FS, as Moore is coming back from injury and we have almost no depth. So ironically, one of the only things you give a plus to is a question mark in my mind.

Yeah, if we're benching Nacho and starting a guy who had his leg muscles slit lengthwise to prevent them exploding half a year ago, he worries me "Moore" than this time last year (which is saying something, all things considered.)

Originally Posted by VonDoom

Missed ya, Joel!

Use a sight.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

LT should be even. All reports are Clady is recovering nicely - all the hardware is out of his foot and he is excelling in rehab. His return, even if not 100% is a net plus.

Compared to last year? Clady coming off a season-ending injury>fully healthy Clady? How's that work?

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Don't know enough about RT.

Did 365 days ago.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Your -QB is just stupid. I doubt Manning will have another year of record-setting numbers, but mainly because we'll focus on being more balanced than any reduction in skill level.

BEST case, 38 year old Manning's no worse than 37 year old Manning. Technically, we could note people were still mumbling about him "losing his zip" this time last year, so you could cite that; turns out those concerns were groundless; it just took more than one offseason to get all his strength back, after which he was better than ever—but we didn't know that this time last year.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

RB should be even as well. I've been a big supporter of Moreno, but he had one "good" year out of four. I believe Ball is a more than adequate replacement. Depth could be an issue, but it's not worse than last year.

We had Ball after last years draft, too, and a lot of folks were sure he'd be the starter instead of that bum Moreno. The CHANGE in personnel is instead of Moreno we now have... um Bibbs, is it?

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

WR - Your comment on Caldwell is kind of silly because Decker was entrenched in that position. I'll give you the minus, but just barely.

Ask Roethlisberger if he'd rather have Sanders (or Caldwell) than Decker and we both know what he'd say. And that Manning would say the same. And not just barely.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

DT - Big Vick is expected back, and we have Sly and Knighton. That's even IMO.

It's even IF Vickerson fully recovers, but he dislocated the largest bone in his body, and it supports half his massive frame. It's like Clady: x returning from serious injury CAN'T be better than x.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

DE - Doom wasn't even here last year, not sure why you bring him up. We also brought in one of, if not the best DE available. That's a plus.

A full year ago, Doom was still here, and most folks were convinced he was such a huge and critical part of our D we'd find SOME way to re-sign him. Ware's a stud, but it's hard to believe he and post-spine-contusion-and-seizing Wolfe better than Doom, Ayers and fully-healthy Wolfe.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

CB is even, if not a plus. Champ barely played last year and was a shadow of the player we all have known and loved. Most reports on our rookie are solid.

Talib, a second rounder and Harris coming off a partial ACL tear a few months ago>DRC, Champ and a fully healthy Harris?

How's THAT work? Is Talib THAT much better than DRC, 'cause that ain't what Broncos fans were saying a few months ago.
Is Harris THAT much better with a repaired ACL than an uninjured one?
Or is a second round rookie just THAT much better than Champ Bailey?

I envy some of ya'll the ability to see sunrise/set 24/7 thanks to those shades with Thunder on 'em.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

I think this team will miss Moreno big time.

Aside from Moreno rarely ever fumbling, his best asset was the fact that he could pick up blocks on passing plays. I saw a few plays where Montee Ball failed to pick up the pass rusher and had a clear shot at Peyton. I also missed the fire Moreno possessed through out all of last year.

lol!! nice friggin' thread, douchecanoe. . . .

We're gonna suck.

Ok Joel agree on LT, SAM, Cb, and FS. Can't agree on the others. Emmanuel adds a game breaker element at the z plu he's an electric returner.

Vick may be coming off injury but sly was dominant in the last 4 games of the regular season. He is the more dynamic player, and knighton is in a contract year so potentially depth is worse but our starters are better.

RB same story starter should be better. Depth is questionable, but another year of seasoning for the young guys should balance that.

stop kidding yourself, steve. . . we're clearly worse across the board. . . no hope at all. . .

I had just assumed the moves Denver had made was making them even better, but after careful consideration (Joel is bitching? Check) I feel certain that Denver has improved.

And Joel, before you accuse me of being "people saying we're better than we were this time last year are the ones who say that EVERY year.", remember, I was the whiny little bitch in '09 and '10.

Btw, Bitch, you've been predicting Manning's demise for how many years now? Just stick with it, you'll be right someday.

We are not going to miss Moreno. You guys know how much I liked knowshon too, but I like ball waaaaasaaaay better. I think ball is being severely underrated by just about everyone. Last year with a cake schedule knowshon had 1k yards and about 500 receiving. This year with a harder schedule I bet ball eclipses the rush yards and gets 60% of knowshons receiving yards.

Ball is legit in the biggest understatement.

I think over the last 6 games only Jamal Charles had a higher ypc. Now ball didn't get a whole lot of touches but he got a lot more than the beginning of the year. This guy is a runner, a grinder. He is going prey on the 6 and 7 man boxes we are going to see!

Originally Posted by underrated29

We are not going to miss Moreno. You guys know how much I liked knowshon too, but I like ball waaaaasaaaay better. I think ball is being severely underrated by just about everyone. Last year with a cake schedule knowshon had 1k yards and about 500 receiving. This year with a harder schedule I bet ball eclipses the rush yards and gets 60% of knowshons receiving yards.

Ball is legit in the biggest understatement.

I think over the last 6 games only Jamal Charles had a higher ypc. Now ball didn't get a whole lot of touches but he got a lot more than the beginning of the year. This guy is a runner, a grinder. He is going prey on the 6 and 7 man boxes we are going to see!

I don't think it's Ball any of us are worried about. It's the depth behind him if he goes down.

Originally Posted by underrated29

We are not going to miss Moreno. You guys know how much I liked knowshon too, but I like ball waaaaasaaaay better. I think ball is being severely underrated by just about everyone. Last year with a cake schedule knowshon had 1k yards and about 500 receiving. This year with a harder schedule I bet ball eclipses the rush yards and gets 60% of knowshons receiving yards.

Ball is legit in the biggest understatement.

I think over the last 6 games only Jamal Charles had a higher ypc. Now ball didn't get a whole lot of touches but he got a lot more than the beginning of the year. This guy is a runner, a grinder. He is going prey on the 6 and 7 man boxes we are going to see!

And in old school Broncos fashion wear down the back seven of opposing defenses

This is a different roster. I think it's hard to compare the two, honestly.

Still the best team in the AFC, if that means anything.

The defense is markedly better.