Thread: Imaginary fun day! Glorious Rebuild Dreamscapes.

I'm a dork, I know. Anyway, let's pretend the Broncos are back in contention in a few years. How does it happen?

Elway being fired and a GM being brought in who understands and realizes that this roster needs to be completely overhauled in almost every area. Someone who can begin drafting intelligently and competently while trading veterans on expiring contracts away to stockpile draftpicks in the next two drafts. Specifically 2021 with an eye on getting Trevor Lawrence.

Then we can begin building a coaching staff that realizes it's 2019, not 1969 and employ a gameplan that doesn't look out of time and place while giving young talent the chance to develop and flourish.

If Mr. B was still our owner and hadn't been afflicted with Alzheimers, we all know he would've already had Elway fired and we'd be well along in this process already.

Hell yeah! Incoming massive post!

Elway isnt getting fired IMO but he made another mistake with a rookie HC

Need to re-evaluate the personnel and scouting dept first thing

Originally Posted by Edmonton Bronco Fan

Elway being fired and a GM being brought in who understands and realizes that this roster needs to be completely overhauled in almost every area. Someone who can begin drafting intelligently and competently.

Then we can begin building a coaching staff that realizes it's 2019, not 1969 and employ a gameplan that doesn't look out of time and place while giving young talent the chance to develop and flourish.

If Mr. B was still our owner and hadn't been afflicted with Alzheimers, we all know he would've already had Elway fired and we'd be well along in this process already.

Generally agree, although I think Elway might possess the ability to direct another turnaround.

What I think is more fun personally is pretending to be GM--who do you want to deal, what do you get? What picks would you pile up, which core pieces to move forward...what's the team identity? And so on.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

Elway isnt getting fired IMO but he made another mistake with a rookie HC

Need to re-evaluate the personnel and scouting dept first thing

Good call. How do you do this?

Dogfish, you have some thoughts?

So, I think this starts with identifying the players that could be involved in the next team that could be competing for a playoff spot. Who are those players?

Offense:
QB: Drew Lock
RB: Phillip Lindsay
WR: Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Diontae Spencer, Juwann Winfree (?)
TE: Noah Fant
OL: Dalton Risner

Defense
LB: Bradley Chubb, Von Miller (?)
DB: Justin Simmons, Will Parks

I think that’s your core.

The first thing we have to do is hit on a QB. Until that happens we're going nowhere fast.

Step One – Face the harsh reality that we are nowhere near rebuilding. For far too long we have neglected positions that aren’t seen as pivotal. 3-4 defenses can get by without having great ILB’s, offenses can get by without meaningful TE depth and third WR’s. Look yourself in the mirror and admit that not only have you often failed to hit on the larger/sexier positions, but by failing to address the tertiary positions as a whole you’ve greatly weakened the team.
Step Two – Note that while resources have to be allocated to the major issues, the tertiary positions are in need of something more than bargain bin purchases. Yeah, you drafted Fant last year. That’s a nice start. A….start.


Step Two – Left tackle. Garrett Bolles can’t block anything other than success. If you have to draft one in the first round, you do it. If you have to break open the bank in FA, you do it. Lord knows rolling money over from year-to-year is the Elway way….and it should account for something. FFS, trade for one. Maybe you draft a couple guys who can play multiple spots and you sign/trade for an average LT. Just put the resources in it. We’re not looking for the next Walter Jones. We’re looking for a legitimate NFL starter.


Step Three – purge the veterans. Yes, including Von Miller. Yes, including CHJ. Yes, Wolfe. You take the best offer you can get, know that teams won’t offer top dollar because these guys are older, you’re clearly out of contention, and you don’t have bargaining power. That’s the reality of the situation. It’s a firesale for a reason. Hold your nose, grit up, and do it.
Step Four – Get a new head coach. I know this won’t be popular. I know a lot of you already hate me because I’m kind of negative. I get it. Here’s my point – you have a very old head coach who clearly isn’t that great. He’s based on defense. You have little young defensive talent. You will be relying on Lock, young offensive talent, or a first round QB, Sutton, Lindsay, Freeman, Fant….get the picture. Stop fighting modern NFL trends. You can still win with defense. But go in a direction of strength.


Also, the argument has often been that you can just get a good OC to fix the offense. Well, why doesn’t that argument work for the defense/DC as well? If the answer is just that you prefer defense then you don’t have an argument.


Step Four – Get that quarterback. In step two I noted you might have to draft a LT. The only exception to that position is if there’s a god tier Qb available. I love Lock. I beat the drum for Lock months before the last season ended. I think he clearly has round one talent. I think he clearly has a huge work ethic, and he’s a good young man. I believe in him. However, he’s a really good talent…and if there’s that top tier monster talent, that generational talent…that…shining beacon of hope….you go with hope…even over a LT, even over Lock.

Step Five – Hire me to run your PR office. I need money, bitches.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

The first thing we have to do is hit on a QB. Until that happens we're going nowhere fast.

And even before that, we need to know what we are looking for, and how to know when we see it. This means an offensive mind that knows what capabilities are req'd at the position, and an objective way to measure it in a prospect.

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

And even before that, we need to know what we are looking for, and how to know when we see it. This means an offensive mind that knows what capabilities are req'd at the position, and an objective way to measure it in a prospect.

Someone get Shanahan into our scouting department. He was a bad GM, but he knew enough and saw enough in players that it was more of him doing TOO much than him being unable to do anything.

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

Generally agree, although I think Elway might possess the ability to direct another turnaround.

What I think is more fun personally is pretending to be GM--who do you want to deal, what do you get? What picks would you pile up, which core pieces to move forward...what's the team identity? And so on.

Got to test the waters and see what type of returns Manny, Harris, Wolfe and, I'm hesitant to even entertain it, Von, could return. If someone is willing to break the bank and give you an offer too good to refuse for Miller I think you have to think about taking it at this point.

Set your focus on the 2021 draft for returns on the vets, see if you can stockpile enough picks to move up to number 1 in the event you need to snag Trevor Lawrence. Focus on ILB's, OT's and OG's in the 2020 draft, SS, FS and CB too.

I think you hit on a big issue though, right now the culture around this team is toxic and we have no identity whatsoever. The vets seem to have had enough and are contributing to that. I don't blame them but at this point there really isn't anyone I'd not be willing to part with except for Lindsay, Chubb and Sutton. We don't have much of a non-expendable core that will be instrumental in shaping the future of this team beyond that.

I cannot urge this anymore - we have to get over this romanticized notion of defense wins championships, ergo we must be a defensive team. Presuppositions have to go out the window.

Originally Posted by Edmonton Bronco Fan

I think you hit on a big issue though, right now the culture around this team is toxic and we have no identity whatsoever. The vets seem to have had enough and are contributing to that. I don't blame them ...

I hadn't thought that deep about it, but you are right--that's an important part of the process. A clear statement of vision and identity about the team. Actions that reflect it. Then everyone can move in that same direction.

Some of the vets might need a change of scenery for both the team mental health and that player's own ambitions and goals.

If I am Elway today I do this:

1. I see what I can get for Flacco, Sanders, Harris, Wolfe, basically anyone on the Dline not shelby or vance. Von and Chubb are not on the block either. If there is anything that will amount to a 3rd or higher I am likely to pull the trigger.

2. I inform the coaching staff that Lock will need to be the starter the rest of the season, all coaches jobs will be secured this year regardless of record (unless I find someone better, but this years performance will not be reflected upon those decisions). I want to see them get lock prepped and ready to roll.

3. Assuming we can trade of Sanders and maybe a few others- I also want to see Juwann winfree playing more ( I like him!)

4. I presume we draft top 5. If lock shows enough promise then I try and trade down from pick 3 or so to pick 6 or so. Then I also try and trade from 6 or so to 11ish....Now I have my ammo for next years trevor Lawerence should Lock suck balls as a starter for 2020.

My picks, We need at least 2 starting DBs, We need at least 1 ILB, we need a LT, we need a NT. If around 11 ish there is a LT. Hes mine! if not I will look at a DB. Elway is great at drafting defense. And he has done a great job the past two drafts, so I will continue to be very confident that he and the scouts will find the right players that they want.

Next season- I have no clue who the FA will be, but I am doubling down on OT, ILB, NT and DB. I will be signing a few of those guys in FA also.

We start lock and see how he does. If he sucks I have the bad record and ammo for Trevor. If he does admirably well, I have enough picks to fill in around lock with whatever the 2020 season shows us to be lacking. Maybe we did get a LT, but still need DB help. Then with my multiple 1sts I am going DBs, if we have LT and dbs, but need NT and ILB- then that is where I go! I would also look at a Saftey too. Kareem is older. Need some young blood coming in.

For now, I trade the older expensive vets, aside from von and the kicker and see how well lock performs with a season adn a half as a starter. Oh, ron leary- hes a goner too!