Thread: 2021 Broncos Draft Thread: 04/29/21-05/01/21

Big difference with the Buffalo situation is that the HC and GM were a combo deal, and they both had a season of NFL football with an inherited roster prior to the draft.

Still a bold move, but for Paton to make that same move would be that much more remarkable since he has only just arrived.

For what it’s worth, rumor is Parsons isn’t even on Denver’s board.

2017 49ers - Team ShanaLynch inherits 2-14 team with Kaepernick and Gabbert in QB room. They draft Solomon Thomas at #3, and he's been mostly useless.

Trubisky went #2, I think maybe SF traded out of that spot. So...good move, but opportunity wasted. Anyways, they needed a QB. Can't remember when they acquired Jimmy G, if they were already on 'Plan Jimmy' at that point.

Point is, they could have drafted Mahomes or Deshaun Watson. If there was a team and a moment for a mic-drop affair, taking Mahomes (or even Watson) at #3 would have been it.

I need to look up when they acquired Jimmy G now. Ok, October 2017, then he went 5-0 and signed a massive contract prior to the draft. Given this info, it would have been weird to draft one of those QBs...weird...but correct?

Originally Posted by Traveler

For what it’s worth, rumor is Parsons isn’t even on Denver’s board.

If that's the case, I have to wonder how much influence Fangio has in this. I can see having questions/concerns, but not having a player that falls into his wheelhouse of expertise and fills a position of need...and not even having him on your board seems ridiculous

Reid and Veach taking Mahomes in 2017 was bold, especially how much they risked in doing so. But Reid was entrenched and had enough clout to miss, and Veach was insulated a bit from the spotlight. He was also tenured in the org.

Takeaway - a bold move for a QB, but the GM/team was a bit more seasoned--much different than the Paton situation. Plus, Reid as HC is much more of a QB guy than Fangio is.

Do the Broncos even have a QB-guy in the building?

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

If that's the case, I have to wonder how much influence Fangio has in this. I can see having questions/concerns, but not having a player that falls into his wheelhouse of expertise and fills a position of need...and not even having him on your board seems ridiculous

It seems like an obvious misdirection to me.

Which means it's probably 100% true.

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

If that's the case, I have to wonder how much influence Fangio has in this. I can see having questions/concerns, but not having a player that falls into his wheelhouse of expertise and fills a position of need...and not even having him on your board seems ridiculous

I agree it seems ridiculous and probably not true. Just passing along something I saw on Twitter last night.

Other recent GMs

Chris Grier - first move was to trade away his first round pick of his first draft (internal hire)
Ryan Pace - inherited Cutler, went Fox-ball, drafted mega-bust Kevin White (WR), later made a splash for Trubisky (oops) (external hire)
Mike Maccagnan - inherited a Fitzmagic situation, no viable QB available at 7 (Trevor Siemian would prove to be the best of the rest), the following year he passes on Paxton Lynch to take Christian Hackenberg, missing on Dak. (external hire)
Jason Licht - inherits QB-needy roster, could have packaged something for Bortles but doesn't, passes on Manziel and Bridgewater, eventually gives Jameis Winston a try with 1st overall pick the following year...that fails, but GM's roster leads team to SB win last year (external hire)

Betting market just swung to Trey Lance at #3 -- it's been Jones as the favorite for weeks. That would be a bummer. I'd be most excited if we ended up with Lance tonight.

Originally Posted by Buff

Betting market just swung to Trey Lance at #3 -- it's been Jones as the favorite for weeks. That would be a bummer. I'd be most excited if we ended up with Lance tonight.

Something tells me though that if Jones or Fields is there they would take either of them over Lance. If Lance is all that is left i seriously doubt Denver takes him, just a feeling.

Originally Posted by Northman

Something tells me though that if Jones or Fields is there they would take either of them over Lance. If Lance is all that is left i seriously doubt Denver takes him, just a feeling.

Well I have the opposite feeling and think he's the top QB on our board!

Ray Farmer - short-tenured internal(ish) hire of Cleveland Browns who helped draft Manziel and other nobodies, a spectacular string of whiffs even worse than throwing darts...takeaway: don't draft cokeheads
Dennis Hickey - external hire who drafted Ja'Wuan James with his '4-months-on-the-job' first rounder. Inherited a 3d year Tannehill. No chance ever for a splashy move.
David Caldwell - (external hire) fires 1st year HC Mularkey, inherits Chad Henne as QB, with #2 overall pick goes T, passing on Geno Smith (fair.)

What are you doing Hawg? lol

I'm done with this. What I've discovered:

No GM who is 4 months on the job, coming from outside the organization, with an incumbent HC, has made waves by moving up to draft a QB.

Staying at 9 and drafting a QB in this situation wouldn't be a shock, but it's not the norm--what I see in general is a lot of conservative decision-making. Going FA and trading away options for future value.

As a common sense matter, I wonder who Paton's team is, are his scouts some he's brought with him, or all Bronco scouts until next year? What does it mean that Elway has stepped away--is it a subtle no-confidence vote against Lock?

Also, I take it back about no QB-whisperer in the building. I'm not sure that Shula is one, but he's damned sure got a solid enough resume for my skepticism to look ignorant.

Originally Posted by Northman

What are you doing Hawg? lol

Patterns, man.

Patterns.