On Monday, Executive Vice President of Football Operations met the media on the same day Brian Dawkins announced his retirement.
In addition to the coverage already on DenverBroncos.com, we thought we’d highlight a few more key quotes from Elway’s press session.
On Brian Dawkins’ retirement:
“For a guy like that, it’s always tough to make that final decision, take that final step, but he’s obviously had a great career. He called [Head Coach] John Fox this morning. I did not talk to Brian, but the career that he’s had for 16 years—[three] years here in Denver and [13] in Philadelphia—he had a tremendous career. I’m sure he took the time that he wanted to take since the season was over. In that situation, it always does take that kind of time. I’m sure that he went through it many, many times. It’s always tough to take that final step. He’ll be missed. He did so many tremendous things for the Broncos, not only on the field, but his leadership off the field was something that we’ll always be grateful for.”
“We left it up to him. We were going to let him make that decision. Obviously, we would like to have had him back, but it was going to be his decision, and we told him to take his time, because when you make career decisions like that, they do take that time. He did take his time and, obviously, came with the decision that he felt was best for him and his family.“
On how QB Peyton Manning affects the team’s draft approach
“I think the bottom line is we want to do the best thing to surround him with a team that’s going to give him an opportunity to win. We can go in with an idea of what we would like to do, but that changes as players come off the board. It’s always fluid, so to be able to have a game plan, just like going into a football game and having a game plan, once you get into the game and you see what’s going on, it’s a fluid situation. It will be the same thing with the draft. Obviously, there are guys that we have pinpointed and like, but you never know where they’re going to go and when they’re going to be there. That’s something that’s fluid and changes all the time.”
On how the team predicts who will be available at No. 25
“It all depends. What we try to do is just see when we get to that position, who is left on the board. Then, if there are three or four guys that we like, compare them and see which would have the biggest impact and is going to have the biggest impact for our football team. Those are the things—we’re always going to get to three different guys. We can’t predict who those three or four different guys are going to be by the time we get to No. 25. We just try to do as many mocks as we can to be able to discuss as many different situations and the different players that might be there.”
On whether defensive tackle is the team’s greatest position of need
“We struggled a little bit, losing [DT] Brodrick [Bunkley] in free agency. We wanted to keep him but couldn’t do that. We don’t feel as bad about our tackles as everybody else does. I think that we feel OK there and [DT] Ty Warren will be back coming off an injury and [DT Kevin] Vickerson is coming back and then we have some young guys in there where we feel like we’ll be OK. It’s not nearly the need in our minds that people think it is.”
On whether the team needs to draft a cornerback
“We struggled all last year against anybody that spread us out. That is the thing. Every team has needs. It’s just a matter of the impact of the people you can find to help solve that need. You can never have enough good corners; you can never have enough good pass rushers. There is no question, corner is another spot that is very vital if you’re going to be good on the defensive side because of where the game is going and the amount of spread offense that we’re seeing now you have to be good in the secondary. But, you’re only as good as your pass rush too. You have to combine both of those. Obviously our pass rush is better than it’s been, but we have to get better when people spread us out.”
Tags: Brian Dawkins, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway, Kevin Vickerson, Peyton Manning, Ty Warren
The saints issue now is directly with Loomis and took place 2002 2003 and 2004 and was started by the previous GM in 2000. The current players and staff shouldn’t be suspended unless they knew about it then. Which I doubt. I don’t think there’s anyone with the team now that was there then minus Loomis.
BFE, three more days bro!!!!!
I`m vying for Doug Martin at #25.
Looks like you spoke too soon kk… Bitter sweet, now I got a game 7 on draft night… Cool to see that rookie who was just called up get his first ever NHL goal though
The ‘Death’ Penalty in fact cost SMU two full seasons of football… ’87 by decree of NCAA and ’88 because of a University decision that it could not ‘field a viable team’…
It’s my oppinion that they league should fire sale the Saints to the same group that bought the dodgers and move them to LA… that would send a pretty clear message to play by the rules or don’t play at all…
Benson (the guy that owns the Saints) should then be forced to donate that money to New Orleans and not be able to claim any of it as a Tax Write off…
*Repost* (with updated time to draft
)
‘MILE HIGH’ SALUTE (BONG) to BRIAN DAWKINS!!! You were the best safety to wear the Orange and Blue since Steve Atwater!!!
We will miss you greatly, and I for one would trade PM for You and Tebow any day! (we all know he comes back if Tebow was still here, he said it himself and I posted that article here already weeks ago!)
‘MILE HIGH’ SALUTE to you Ms Tide!!! I will look forward very much to talking to you again one day! Until then, I’ll be here PUM PUM PUMMING the good fight!!! You will be very greatly missed!
2 days 21 hours and 54 minutes till the DRAFT!!!!
B-R-O-N-C-O-S BRONCOS BRONCOS BRONCOS!!!
and speaking of SMU (Randemness)… Props to JUNE JONES!!!
he is one of the greatest Offensive minds that has ever graced the sport… What he did in Hawai’i was unbelievable and to get SMU their first winning season in 20 years was kind of a big deal…
I would like to see him as an OC in the NFL… I know he sucked as an HC in atlanta, but I think with today’s passer friendly rules in the NFL he would Wreck Shop!!!
*randomness…. Spluh…
O… and uh, the sky is blue
Just Sayin
Dennard now faces up to 5 years in prison. I now doubt he will be drafted.
Woof! that is huge!
(doing my best dave chapelle)
‘Damn, five years just for punching a cop in the face!?!?!’
name that movie…
The fact that B Dawk didn’t sign a one day contract with the Eagles to retire an Eagle, but instead Tweeted his retirtement and then says that he’s retiring in Denver because it’s a great place to raise his kids says what he really thought of the Eagles organization and Philly as a place to live. The ultimate one fingered salute by Dawkins to the Eagles and Philly.
Nice OSS… thank you for that update… I read a question earlier here addressing that very subject and I was curious if he was going into the Hall as a Bronco (Hell Yes) or an Eagle (an Eagle?)
water is wet also…
Just Sayin
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7847476/new-orleans-saints-re-sign-42-year-old-john-kasay-one-year
42!!! Hope he has a clause in there that says he doesn’t have to attempt a tackle under any circumstance…
Moyer got a win in the MLB at 49 for the Rockies… Impressive stuff… !!!
that’s got to be grammatically incorrect so my apologies…
it has to be ‘Moyer earned a win in Major League Baseball at the age of 49 for the Rockies’… can’t really use ‘the’ before MLB there, my apologies for the redneckitis… (I’m not a Baseball fan, so I don’t know if this is a common error or just my own…)
Player don’t go into the hall as part of a team…I believe they just go in as a player….
And BT…you are still crazy!
Mike when inducted into the Hall of Fame it is as a Player but they have a team associated with them. Like John Elway QB of the Denver Broncos. Dawkins has announced his retirement as a Bronco however if he goes into the Hall of Fame both teams will have the association with him.
You can say The big league, the show or the majors…. It’s all in context. It’s a confusing language for sure. Glad I learned IT first…
Von-Dumervil and Broncosfreak30 are entered.
A little more than 2 days left to submit entries!
hi guys! Thought I was all alone…
Mike, AB, SNDVL… Mile ‘HIGH’ Salute bronco buddies! (and to all of those I didn’t name BONG)
I’m in a real fun mood
O… and Ice is Cold…
Just Sayin
Thanks for the Info Sndvl… I read it to myself and was just like ‘that can’t be correct’… OCD!!!
Ice is very cold i know that for a fact LOL
how is the Girlfriend AB? and are you guys gettin an early spring like we did down here?
AB…Okay but per the HOF Website …..”An enshrinee, however, is not asked to “declare,” nor does the Hall of Fame “ choose” a team under which a new member is enshrined.”
So what I mean is that it doesn’t really matter if he retires a Bronco as it regards to the HOF.
Waddup Turtle…you kooky Tebow freak!
Glad you are in funny mood! I could use a laugh.
ahh and Mike… thanks for that as well… learning all kinds of new stuff today…!!!
I’d like to add…. Fire is Hot
Just Sayin
Mike thanks. I wasnt sure. I stated my understanding of it.
BT the girlfriend is good. We are getting a late spring. The snow is finally starting to melt. Normally snow is gone by early April here. Its going to be a nice spring and summer this year though.
I think I’ve ‘Said’ all I can possilby ‘Say’ for now!
I’m going to go make some food… I’ll try to stop back in before bed, today was really long and maybe I’m just in a good mood because I’m really sleeping in my mind already and this is just the auto-pilot mode…
signing off
Good to hear AB… talk to you guys soon
Peace out BT.
I just watched Elway’s presser…he no longer looks like someone rehearsed his lines with him like last year. More comfortable now.
Of course, I have no idea who we are going to pick in the draft…but I do know…fire is hot and ice is indeed quite cold!
Later BT.
Turtle……uh……420 was 3 days ago dude,it’s time to take a break,lol.
I don’t blame Dawk,I wouldn’t want to live in Philly either…just saying!
Who wants to live in a city where they throw snow balls and Santa Clause? Especially when you have kids? LOL
Yeah Colorado is a lot better place to raise a family than Penn,just my opinion tho……
Mike,JE will only get better as the COO,he’s already done a Helluva job,imo.I can’t wait to see what JDR’s Defense looks like on the field!
AB posted at 4:55 pm:
Most of the good defensive ends/pass rushers, including Jones, should come off the board sometime between pick No. 10 (Buffalo Bills) and pick No. 20 (Tennessee Titans).
AB do you think the Titans will draft a DE/OLB,because I thought they were targeting a CB,since they lost Finnegan,maybe Kirkpatrick?
BFE Titans need both a good edge rusher and a CB. So i can see either. I know they are attempting to get Samuel.
OK…didn’t know they were targeting Samuels,thanks!
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2012/mock-drafts/greg-cosell/130109
Check out this guys first mock. It is based solely on game film.
Samuels will be a draft day trade,hopefully too us!!!!!
BFE from what ive read the Eagles want to trade him BEFORE draft day.
WOW!!!!!
Clabourne the 3rd CB taken and Fleener TE too us,I think with Tamme,Dressen,Thomas,and Green,we are very well set at the TE position for years to come!
I agree with some of his picks tho!
They have 2 days to trade him then!
Yea BFE. I thought it was cool that he made it going just off of game film.
3
It was a cool mocke,specially Janoris Jenkins going at #5,because if not for the trouble,he possibly could have!
If I’m not mistaken isn’t Kirkpatrick,Jenkins,and Janson Jackson in trouble for smoking weed?
mock.