Thread: Optimistic take: No team under .500 has a higher ceiling than the 2-3 Denver Broncos

Originally Posted by Elevation inc

This is false, Drew is our guy and picking between 25-32 still can address the LB, Pass rush and OT positions.....The development is needed because they are one of the youngest offenses in the NFL, then you throw in the defense decimated by injuries still playing well. The playoff experience would be more valuable for a young team even if we don't make it far more then 7-10 draft slots. This team is pretty talented overall and if you cant see that then your not being objective.

The team is probably the 3rd most talented team in the division right now. We'll see that against the Chiefs. The Raiders beat them, so if the Broncos lose, which every sensible person is predicting (every analyst I've heard all unanimously predict a Chiefs win because -- well, duh!).

If they beat the Chiefs it will be the first time since the first game of the 2015 season.

If they can't beat the Chiefs then what are they? Good enough to make the playoffs and then get stomped in the first round like Shanahan's teams in the 2000s?

What is the value in that? High draft picks are more valuable than lower ones.

Given how badly John Elway does with picks in the 20's I wouldn't want to give him another one either: Garrett Bolles, Paxton Lynch, Shane Ray, Sylvester Williams (good on Sylvester for coming back, but as a first round pick he was a major disappointment).

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Says every person who has ever read anything you've ever posted.

I'm right and you're wrong and that's that!

Originally Posted by Cugel

I'm right and you're wrong and that's that!

There is no point in tanking in the NFL. There’s too much variance and the talent margin between teams is so thin, there’s literally no reason to do it.

I disagree we are 3rd most talented.

I believe a case could even be argued for most talented. To support this- switch Mahomes with Lock. Tell me which team is the most talented. Now I understand he is on the chefs and not our team, but our defense imo is better than the chefs, and only second, by a little to the bolts. Our offense is more talented than anyone but chefs.

That said, we are young and injured. The faid are not as young. Not as injured. They are young and good though, make no mistake. The chargers are starting their youth movement. Their D is loaded! But they are always hurt. Always.

If we can get Lock to show out. We can easily be 2nd.

Originally Posted by Cugel

Don't be a total moron! What good is going 9-7, make the playoffs, then get bounced in the first game?

It's too bad to have a chance at a championship, but too good a record to get a high draft pick. That's the Shanahan Zone as I pointed out!

The Giants say hello.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Let's see, *checks notes*,

Stanley: 6th overall
Schwartz: 37th overall
Smith: 9th overall
Ramczyk: 32nd overall
Armstead: 75th overall
Bakhtiari: 109th overall
Johnson: 4th overall

So 4 of your 7 could have been had without a premium pick. So yeah, it's definitely our draft position that explains the o-line...

Cool, now we just need one of those teams to pick our next LT once we’re out of reach of the low-hanging fruit.

Originally Posted by Jaded

Cool, now we just need one of those teams to pick our next LT once we’re out of reach of the low-hanging fruit.

Have I told you about the third-best tackle in football?

Originally Posted by MOtorboat

Have I told you about the third-best tackle in football?

Ronnie Stanley?

Originally Posted by Jaded

Ronnie Stanley?

No.

At least Den is out of the TL sweepstakes.

Jets fans here have TL fever. Amazing how a few years ago Darnold was a Future HoFer and the Jets were gonna win 10 SBs

In short we can call it the "Shanahan Window." What doomed Mike Shanahan was that his teams were just good enough to make the playoffs in alternate years (pretty much), but not good enough to challenge the Manning Colts or the Brady Patriots.

Didn't they beat the Brady Pats three times in 2005 and 06? Those Pat teams really weren't all that good outside of 2007. They needed breaks and cheating to win.

The Broncos are about 10 new good starters away from challenging the Chiefs. And it's not going to happen this season.

The Chiefs are pretty good, but now we are deifying them. If they had Alex Smith at QB, they wouldn't be thought of in the same light.

Originally Posted by 7DnBrnc53

Didn't they beat the Brady Pats three times in 2005 and 06? Those Pat teams really weren't all that good outside of 2007. They needed breaks and cheating to win.



The Chiefs are pretty good, but now we are deifying them. If they had Alex Smith at QB, they wouldn't be thought of in the same light.

Agreed on both points. I think people are kidding themselves if they think that if we'd had a few more 4 win seasons with shanny than 8 win seasons those better draft picks would have somehow magically gotten us back to the super bowl. The NFL is probably the least important sport to have high draft picks in. QB is the one exception to that obviously, but any other position you can typically get quality starters well into the 3rd round. And even at the QB position at least half the elite guys or more were picked in the middle of the first round or later. Brees, Rodgers, Wilson, Dak, Lamar, and Brady being examples.

Those constant 7 to 9 win seasons with Shanny weren't the reason we couldn't get over the hump. There were plenty of great players he could have had in those drafts that he passed on for busts. I'd rather have a team that wins as many games as they can and a GM with enough talent to get great players without having a top 5 pick. Look at teams like the Ravens and Steelers. They are never bad, yet they always seem to draft talented players. So seriously, save me the "it's better to win 4 games than 8" nonsense. That's how loser franchises think.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Agreed on both points. I think people are kidding themselves if they think that if we'd had a few more 4 win seasons with shanny than 8 win seasons those better draft picks would have somehow magically gotten us back to the super bowl. The NFL is probably the least important sport to have high draft picks in. QB is the one exception to that obviously, but any other position you can typically get quality starters well into the 3rd round. And even at the QB position at least half the elite guys or more were picked in the middle of the first round or later. Brees, Rodgers, Wilson, Dak, Lamar, and Brady being examples.

Those constant 7 to 9 win seasons with Shanny weren't the reason we couldn't get over the hump. There were plenty of great players he could have had in those drafts that he passed on for busts. I'd rather have a team that wins as many games as they can and a GM with enough talent to get great players without having a top 5 pick. Look at teams like the Ravens and Steelers. They are never bad, yet they always seem to draft talented players. So seriously, save me the "it's better to win 4 games than 8" nonsense. That's how loser franchises think.

Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe and a host of others agree.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Terrell Davis, Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe and a host of others agree.

Those guys are great to pluck out of the rough, but even that's something that's more luck than something you can consistently rely on. When we've had our down periods, it's been because our drafts have been consistently full of flops in the early and middle rounds. You just can't whiff on those picks in rounds 1-4 year after year and expect to stay competitive. I think our last couple of drafts have been more promising though and hopefully will finally get us out of that rut.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Those guys are great to pluck out of the rough, but even that's something that's more luck than something you can consistently rely on. When we've had our down periods, it's been because our drafts have been consistently full of flops in the early and middle rounds. You just can't whiff on those picks in rounds 1-4 year after year and expect to stay competitive. I think our last couple of drafts have been more promising though and hopefully will finally get us out of that rut.

Not disagreeing, but we've had a ton of late round draft picks, and even undrafted players that have made a huge impact.

What round was Brady drafted in again?