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

Obviously it's only May, but I'm curious. Did the Broncos get better or worse?

Douchecanoe is up there with fuctard on the awesome scale!

I would be amazed if anyone did not think we were potentially a better team now than last season.

We filled holes with quality and never lost anyone of significance. I would like to have held onto woodyard - but picking up Vilma in free agency would make up for that - but apart from that, i think we are set in all positions and deep (enough) everywhere apart from QB.

I think this team will miss Moreno big time.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

I think this team will miss Moreno big time.

RB is the only position I feel uneasy about. I think Ball is going to be fine, but I have 0 faith in Hillman, and CJ is completely unproven at this point. Hopefully one of the UDFA's impress.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

I think this team will miss Moreno big time.

This I agree with. We pretty much improved our defense across the board and our WRs are still fine, but the backfield worries me. Lord help us if Ball goes down.

I think Ball is going to be a beast this year.

Originally Posted by daveaitken18

I think Ball is going to be a beast this year.

I'm fine with Ball, but the depth behind him is the problem. RB is one of the most injury-susceptible positions, and we really have 0 proven depth if Ball were to go down at any point. This is a position that I hope we are not done addressing before week 1.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I'm fine with Ball, but the depth behind him is the problem. RB is one of the most injury-susceptible positions, and we really have 0 proven depth if Ball were to go down at any point. This is a position that I hope we are not done addressing before week 1.

Fair point - all i have to go on is a 'gut feeling' but i really think CJ could step up to the plate this year. Out of curiosity who would you like to see us sign in FA?

Ill miss Moreno's heart but i think we will be fine with Ball. Hillman is a different story for me though. But as too the question i think we are much more rounded than we were last year. The only hiccups i can see that would put a dent in all that would be if players get suspended or seriously injured along the way. But as of now if everyone remains healthy i think we are a much better team.

Originally Posted by daveaitken18

Fair point - all i have to go on is a 'gut feeling' but i really think CJ could step up to the plate this year. Out of curiosity who would you like to see us sign in FA?

I don't really know who is still out there. I was thinking we could probably get one from a team who is deep at RB after some of their camp cuts.

Originally Posted by Timmy!

RB is the only position I feel uneasy about. I think Ball is going to be fine, but I have 0 faith in Hillman, and CJ is completely unproven at this point. Hopefully one of the UDFA's impress.

I think Bibbs will be on the roster. But I'm confused - you say CJ is unproven, but you want a UDFA to impress? CJ has already proven something by virtue of being with this team last year and learning the system. I doubt Bibbs or anyone else will show any more than CJ did in his first year.

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.

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.

Okay, I'll play.

I can understand concern about Clady, but I'm not that worried at this point.
Vasquez was more than "solid" last year.
Sanders is our #2 WR, not Latimer or Caldwell.
Our best DT is Knighton, and Vickerson is probably backing up Sly this year. Not that concerned.
Can we wait to see what Barrow is before we declare MLB a lost cause?
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.
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.
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.

Missed ya, Joel!

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.

Don't know enough about RT.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Northman

Ill miss Moreno's heart but i think we will be fine with Ball. Hillman is a different story for me though. But as too the question i think we are much more rounded than we were last year. The only hiccups i can see that would put a dent in all that would be if players get suspended or seriously injured along the way. But as of now if everyone remains healthy i think we are a much better team.

I really don't know what to expect from Hillman. But my gut says "not much". And if he gets the fumbleitis again........