As the team website looks at 2011 draft quarterbacks this week, I started speculating in my mind as to the Denver Broncos’ draft history in terms of quarterbacks.
One thought led to another, and here we are taking a look at this question: who proved to be the most successful quarterback ever drafted by the Broncos, playing and contributing primarily for our team?
There have been some interesting guys in terms of what they did in college or in the real world, despite not having achieved success in Denver.
We won’t bother listing every name, but let’s throw out some tidbits of which fans might not be aware.
The 1960 draft, Denver’s first, produced Dean Look of Michigan State, who had a fine career in the National Football League — as an official.
In 1962 the Broncos selected Gale Weidner from the University of Colorado, who never made it, but CU fans might recall him quarterbacking a perfect 7-0 conference record and Big Eight championship for the Buffs in 1961, going to the Orange Bowl where CU eventually lost to LSU.
Mickey Slaughter was drafted out of Louisiana Tech by the Broncos in 1963, and he achieved his greatest fame going back to his alma mater as a coach, where he prepared Terry Bradshaw for his Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
George Mira (University of Miami) and Bob Berry (University of Oregon) were chosen by Denver in 1962 and went on to have NFL careers, but that was back in the day when prominent guys just did not come to Denver, and neither did they.
Scotty Glacken came here from Duke in 1966 and he fought hard trying to play, but the offense was so woeful he had no chance.
The common draft began in 1967, which meant that the NFL and AFL were no longer competing against each other for players-when you drafted someone, he had to sign with you or go play in Canada. So naturally, that marked the Broncos being able to sign their draft choices and build a team. But it still did not mean ultimate success at the quarterback position through the draft.
The early years were unkind to Denver in a lot of ways, so it figures that drafting quarterbacks would follow that pattern.
Bronco fans are aware that first quarterback and Ring of Famer Frank Tripucka was acquired as a veteran free agent, Steve Tensi was a number one draft choice of the Chargers before Lou Saban acquired him through trade, Jacky Lee was labeled a “can’t miss” prospect with the Oilers before the Broncos traded All-AFL defensive tackle Bud McFadin for him-and then Lee missed badly as an awful quarterback in Denver.
In 1974 Denver selected John Hufnagel from Penn State, and while he did make the team as a backup, he went on to great success first as a player and still as a coach in the Canadian Football League, where he continues as a head coach today.
Trades and free agency always were a bigger part of what Denver did at the position than the draft.
Denver was led to its first winning season by Ring of Famer Charley Johnson (trade) and went to its first Super Bowl in 1977 with Ring of Famer Craig Morton, whom the Broncos had acquired in trade from New York, with Steve Ramsey going to the Giants as part of that deal.
Even the ultimate quarterback, the Gold Standard of the NFL, John Elway, was traded to Denver by the Baltimore Colts. Mark Herrmann (Purdue) went to the Colts as part of that trade, and Herrmann was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010, long after his Denver days.
But in 1983 the Broncos did draft a relative unknown from Texas A&M, and Gary Kubiak went on to become a great backup quarterback behind John Elway.
Brian Griese was selected in the third round in 1998 and he too went on to a longer career away from Denver than in the Mile High City.
The last two decades have seen first round draft choices Tommy Maddox (UCLA, drafted in 1992), who had later success with the Steelers and Jay Cutler in 2006. Cutler certainly has become a controversial figure in Denver sports history and it remains to be seen how he does with the Chicago Bears. His situation in Denver has been well-chronicled.
And of course, last year’s number one draft choice Tim Tebow came here off of perhaps the greatest single season by an offensive player in the history of college football. Two national championships and a Heisman Trophy were the cherries on top of the cake for Tebow’s magnificent career at Florida.
The Tim Tebow, the sky is the limit and the future is unknown. He did an excellent job first in a reserve role and then in starting the last three games of the 2010 season for Denver, but Tebow would be the first to admit he has a lot of work to do to achieve the kind of success he and the Broncos desire. But as those who know him are aware, no one will ever work hard on crafting that future than Tebow, every single day of the year.
The future is as big a part of history as is the past, and it will be interesting to see how Tebow can impact that list of all-time Bronco quarterbacks selected in the draft.
For the moment, the quarterback who was actually drafted by Denver, and went on to play his entire career as a Bronco, with championship level success, was Gary Kubiak.
He played his entire career here from 1983 through 1991, and in those nine years he earned a reputation as the best backup quarterback in pro football, while earning three AFC championship rings with the Broncos. Kubiak was a vital player on those championship teams and participated in Super Bowls XXI in Pasadena, XXII in San Diego, and XXIV in New Orleans. It takes a lot of players to make a team, and the backup quarterback is a vital position.
Of course, he also coached for the Broncos and now is the head coach of the Houston Texans, remaining an all-time fan favorite in the Mile High City.
Tags: Brian Griese, Gary Kubiak, Tim Tebow, Tommy Maddox
Well it sounds like no drafted Bronco QB has amounted to much……All things considered, I’d go with Kubiak…. let’s hope this becomes an easy answer in the future.
We just cut Maroney!!!
Haha, forgot about Jay….whatever happened to Bradlee Van Pelt? Or the kid from Notre Dame? lol
Theres a shocker Freak! worst 4th round draft pick in Denver history. Since thats what he cost us!
I was thinking the same thing… 4th rd pick down the tubes!
Wonder if Donald Lee would be considered in our TE dilemma? Or we can follow what GB did with AJ and do the same for DG? No? haha
McD screwed us with that one. Maroney woulda been cut anyway. He just kept getting conned by belichek. We shoulda gotten Marshawn Lynch younger and ran with power not danced for the same price. He was a brusier that coulda complemented Moreno well … All for the same price. We also lost Josh Barrett under his watch.
sndvl … think Indy would give up tamme. They still got clark. lol. All we need is a pass catching TE. quinn can block. Now the question is was tamme good or was Manning just so amazing as usual, that he can make anyone look good lol
Yea, I’d do just about anything to go back in time and knock some sense into McDoofus before he completed this deal!
Man, it would be sooo nice to have that pick back!!
I swear, I honestly believe that the only thing McD wanted to accomplish here was making NE a better team!!
We gave them picks to trade to the #22 spot in the 1st round last year! We gave them a 4th for Maroney. We basically gave them Barrett. I don’t remember what we gave up for lonnie paxton, if anything!!
McD seemed to just help other teams than really helping our team if you look at it!
The whole Marshall, Cuter, Scheffler, and Hillis fiasco!
Alphonso Smith for a future 1st round pick!!!
The list goes on and on……
Yup 30,
said it for the longest. under McD we werent the denver broncos. We were the denver giving trees cuz everyone benefited from the McD Hire except us for the most part. I still believe Belicheck sent him to Denver to sabotage us for ruining another superbowl run back in 2005 with the bailey INT lol
Lets no forget my dear fellow fans, because i sure almost did, WE STILL HAVE LENDEL WHITE!!! Woooooooooooooooooooooooooo Im excited for his return so much!!
BAY,
You gotta give Dawkins another year! Those poor guys in the back field (DB) had the hell beat out of them this past season because the front 7 did not get any pressure on the QB in 2010.
Dawkins had his BEST year statistically in 2009 of his entire career and when Dummerville set the sack record for 2009 everyone played better, stronger, faster. I refuse to give up on Dawkins!!!
Player like Brian Dawkins come along once per decade and you have to let them play until they are finished. And ride them into the GROUND! You can’t coach HEART AND SOUL like that man has, and on top of everything else HE’s A GREAT PERSON!!!
Now I can understand your dis-satisfaction over his 2010 campaign, but give the man another year and I guarentee he won’t let you or any BRONCO FAN down. He is one of those RARE STUDS that Denver needs far more of on Defense!!!
That’s my take on Mr. Dawkins.
My Question for everyone is where on earth are we going to find a GOOD TIGHT END??? There are little to none via the draft this year and there are none via Free Agency!!! And we haven’t had a really GREAT ONE SINCE SHARPE!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!
P.S. I like our first pick of the 2011 Draft to be DaQuan Bowers DE. I think the Broncos are looking his way too and as part of their POKER FACE they don’t mention much about him.
As my second choice I like Patrick Peterson (LSU) – there is just something about how that guy carries himself and he has made skills as a Corner and his Special Teams are off the charts!!!
I would be HAPPY with either of these guys!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky_zxdQ75Lw&feature=related
Just some fun watching on Stephen Paea DT from Oregon. 6’1 303. Doesnt look like he weighs that much tho. Prolly cuz he is 303 pounds of muscle as we can see from his combine benching record. Add his record to the tape and u can see he is not just a workout phenom. I think he will sneak out of the 2nd round into the first but i wish we could get him. Reminds me of Haloti Nagata except Haloti is 6’3 and 350. Both are Tongan and both wen to Oregon. He moves very fast for his size and forces fumbles.
***In other ran-dumb news I just completed my collection of all FOUR of the Major BRONCO HELMET STLYE. However, there are like 16 variations on those main four.***
My favorite is the Newest Helmet with the SPEED Style (has the diamond shaped ear holes).
I know that might sound like a stupid waste of money to some, but it’s my hobby!!!
BO BRONCOS!!!
Breaking News!!!!
The Broncos have released defensive linemen Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams.
WOW. Not Bannan. Hopefully we sign back
If we dont get bannan back. Marcel Dareus here we come. Im a lil dissapointed that this points to no peterson, but I am fine with Marcell Dareus. As long as its not Fairley…TRB out…
Welcome to the Denver Broncos Mr. Dareus.
On Schefter twitter:
Last year’s treasure is this year’s trash: Broncos released defensive linemen Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams.
I like this, this is starting to look a lot like McD’s house cleaning. I always said that would be necessary, just had to wait for the last hours to see it happening.
If you’re gonna get Bannan back you most likely got less than 7 hours to do so, LOL.
well, I guess this does point to no Peterson, I hope we still get him tho..My second option would either be Dareus and Paea or Fairley Paea either works!
Williams is understood but Bannan why I guess we are just going to get younger or they have a great plan in place
sure looks like we showed our hand. But with the number 2 pick i guess we can afford to. I understood Jamaal cuz he was gonna get money in the new year and was old. Saw that coming but not banaan. I say sign him back AJ hawk style. Bannan that is. Guess the Peterson Faithfuls might as well throw in the towel lol
Anything is still possible but as everyone knows I never saw Peterson as an option for our situation. Both football and financial sense.
Well my cousin who is a Rams fan read somewhere on the Rams blogs that Redskins offered a 5 year deal to Atogwe!!!
Don’t see that it’s official yet but I guess only time will tell!
So, now our bigger needs are DT, ILB, S and TE. Easy math, no TE, S or ILB worthy of the #2 pick, so it leaves a DL pick at #2 unless we trade down.
Me likey…
Maybe there is alot of faith in Marcus Thomas and Vickerson
draft dareus and in the second round rahim moore FS from ucla an paea
LOL, good one for the Peterson faithful, haha, but two DT is hardly enough to fill that position.
TRB, Tamme would be a great add. I don’t think Indy would part with him very easily. Maybe a 4th rounder. Something we lack! The giving tree just about sums it up too. All we got back was Orton and Quinn??? And the brother Lebowski.
It’s official I’m on the Paea Party bus! Peterson at 2 and trade back in the mid 20s to get him!
Forget the end of my last post. Lol!
We’re bound to be in for a couple more doozies before today’s final hour, but unfortunately I’m about to head out for some boat chores. You guys do your best to keep me informed!
The Williams release didn’t surprise me, but the Bannan one kind of did. I thought he had a chance as a 4-3 DT. What was his contract worth this year?
I figured that much, posting before reading, haha. But who knows, Peterson might be the guy, the odds seem to be piling up against him though…
It’s official freak30, Shanny stole him from us:
Former Rams safety O.J. Atogwe reached agreement on a five-year deal with the Washington Redskins.
Bannan due 5.24 mil this season.
Bannan’s five-year deal is worth $22 million and includes a $6.245 million signing bonus and $10.5 million in total guaranteed money.
Bannan will be paid an average of $4.4 million annually.
His salary-cap figures are $2.004 million, $5.24 million in 2011 and 2012 and $4.74 million in 2013 and 2014.
That was all McD brainiac’s doing (since Xanders said his hands were tied…?).
Latest cba:
mortreport On Sportscenter, just reported if there’s an extension probably short one at 24 hours. Just know any minute
now that atogwe is gone we need to draft rahim moore in the 2 round
Crap, the news keep piling up and I can’t get my rear end out of here.
And now we are probably going to hang on to the 6 million dollar man Dawk, to the pleasure of double posting true2broncos, haha.
were are the news of atogwe i don’tsee them in nfl.com
Schefter twitter
I’m not trying to nag or anything but for the love of god its DUMERVIL not Dummerville!!!!!!!! That is one of my pet peeves when someone (I.E. Dumervil) is considered to be a fan favorite and yet you still can’t spell his name right. This post is to no one specifically, but to all who continuously spell his name wrong. We as Denver Bronco fans owe it to Elvis Dumervil to at least spell his name correctly…….Whew!!! Got that off my chest.
Agreed 100% and there is a very simple solution to that dilemna, call him Doom if in doubt.
wait for nfl.com shefter may be wrong
mortreport So, yes, it’s a 24 hour extension on talks.
Shefter is seldom wrong, it’s over for Atogwe I’m afraid, NFL.com is just inondated with last minute stuff on this last day of cba and can’t keep up is all.