Thought this posted over the weekend but didn’t, so it’s Monday morning and I’m adding to this.
Knowshon Moreno, running back, Georgia. If you were reading this blog last week I mentioned, if he was on the board, could you pass him up? Stink and all the local radio and TV guys are saying they are shocked. I like the pick even though I know, like the rest of you, we need defense.
Tough to pass up on a guy that could be a 1,000 yard rusher and a great pass blocker, a certain three-down player. Tough guy. I watched him a bunch as I mentioned my college roommate Mark Richt (head coach at Georgia) coached him and I watched a bunch of Georgia football.
Robert Ayers, Defensive End, Tennessee. Best D-Lineman on the board at the time, no surprise. Only a one-year player at Tennessee, but I like the film I saw on him. He can run and separate well and has a decent inside move.
SIDEBAR: Baltimore took Michael Oher (OT) Ole Miss. The book Blind Side was written about this guy and it came true as he was drafted in the first round. Good book, read it a number of years ago and thought it was interesting but left a lot of great players names out that should have been mentioned. Worth a read. Mcollege teammate from Miami, Art Kehoe, was his coach and he spoke highly of the kid.
What do you all think about our first two picks?
ROUNDING IT OUT:
Round 2, Pick 5 (37) (From Seattle) – CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
Round 2, Pick 16 (48) – S Darcel McBath, Texas Tech
Round 2, Pick 32 (64) (From Pittsburgh) – TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina
Round 4, Pick 14 (114) – S David Bruton, Notre Dame
Round 4, Pick 32 (132) (From Pittsburgh) – G Seth Olsen, Iowa
Round 5, Pick 5 (141) (From CLE through PHI, NE and BAL) – WR Kenny McKinley, South Carolina
Round 6, Pick 1 (174) – QB Tom Brandstater, Fresno State
Round 7, Pick 16 (225) – C Blake Schlueter, TCU
I haven’t spent much time looking at the remainder of the draft, yet.
How do you grade draft day?
Coop
Tags: 2009 NFL Draft
At first i didnt like it, but we went with the best player at the time…Moreno was the best back in the draft and will go well with our offense, and with ayers he can play OLB or end in the 4-3… alphonso smith is small, but plays bigger than he is..the two safety’s will be great special teamers, and good against the run…i grade our draft a B…
Coop,
I am with you. I like we picked Moreno. He is a good pass blocker and can also catch the ball. He should be a good outlet for whoever the quarterback is.
I know a lot of poeple wanted to see all defense in the first few rounds but at the 12th pick, the top defensive players the Broncos were eyeing were gone (Raji, Jackson, Curry, Maybin). I do not think you can pass up on talent. We need a good young back.
All and all I am happy with the draft. The Broncos did a good job at filling both offensive and defensive needs and also got a quarter back prospect in the late rounds. I do not know much about Brandstarter but I hear he is big, smart and has a strong arm. Sounds kind of like Big Ben Rothlesburger but a little more mobile.
I cannot wait until the season to see how the new guys perform (not only the draft picks but the free agents as well). It is going to be like watching a new team (new players and a new system).
I know there were some character issues and perhaps some issues with injury this offseason but I would have loved to have seen Rey Mauluga here in Denver. We had a shot at him in the second round and we passed him up. I will go with the experts but the middle of that field still seems a little thin to me. I know you have to take the players that will help your team. For me I have no idea how Rey Mauluga is not starting at inside linebacker next year on this team… Like I said I will let the experts do what they do but if this team is under 6-10 next year then we have taken a step backwards folks.
As optimistic as many of you are, we still have no D line, its unbelievable we didn’t address it at all. Still no pressure on the qb, our biggest problem on D for many years now.
I liked our picks, not sure about the QB…But that’s cause I know next to nothing about him so it’s more an unknown issue. I like the pass on Rey Mauluga, mainly cause he didn’t seem like an every down guy (in the scheme were looking to run). Olsen played D in HS and his hand to hand it exceptional…Looks somewhat lost when working in space I can see Nolan working his magic and transitioning the kid into a killer NT, his size is there for it. If not coming from Iowa you know the guys on the line there are trained well and are trainable from the next level. All in all I’d give the draft an over all grade of B- with the chance of an upgrade to a B+ with the addition of the CFA signings to come.
i hate the fact we traded one of our number 1′s next year for a #2 this year. gotta keep both for bargaining power after what i think is turning into a 4-12 season. to not move up on some players, to not draft others we surely need, & to draft others well ahead of where they were projected gives me zero hope in the capabilities of the new regime. i thought this draft was going to be all about drafting the frontline 7 players for defense. the problem remains; if you can’t stuff the run or put pressure on the qb, no defensive back is going to matter, and we drafted a boatload of them. GRADE: D-
I like the picks the Broncos made in the draft, for a couple of reasons. First, I like the way the coaching staff went about setting up their draft board with about 100 players total on that board. Then they stuck to their guns during the draft and picked up the best players left on that board. If their scouting was good then they got nothing but good team players. With a QB at the helm that may or may not be able to carry the offense on his back , we have the best RB in the draft in the backfield. The best thing that ever happened to John Elway was T. Davis and I think even an average QB is much better with a great RB in the backfield. With Hillis back there too we should have one hell of a tandum carrying the rock. I was a little disappointed we didn’t pick a nose tackle, but then I remembered C. Powell who didn’t get to play last year. I have to believe the coaching staff sees something in the 12 D-lineman we have to not have picked one up and I’m thinking he may be the answer. Also , our 3 young d-lineman will be starting their 3rd year and many experts say that is when they start to play up to their potential . Hope that’s right. I also think the 3-4 fits some of those guys better than the 4-3. I trust in Nolan, he has been at the head of many excellent defenses and he will make the most out of the talent we have.
I think the draft went well. Everyone keeps saying we should have only focused on drafting defense. We have no idea yet how the defensive players we already have will do under Mcd’s and Nolans new defensive scheme. This was a weak draft and I am really impressed with the players we got out of it.
I understand everyone is talking about us not addressing the D-Line, but you have to remember Nolan is a far better D coach than we were working with last year. He can motivate and exploit players talents and make more out of nothing then most coaches. Remember when he was here last, name me one guy on that D-Line (with out hitting up the history). Coaching and scheme changing can excel players abilities to preform. The other thing to look at is we now have the tools and Scheme on the O side to manage the clock and allow the D to rest recover and set up for the next series.
IF WE WEREN’T DESPERATE FOR A D-LINE, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD DRAFT!!!
We got good players at a lot of spots.
Alphonso Smith and his play-making ability will prove worthy of the 1st rounder they gave up for him.
I just hope SOMEONE will step up at the NT position.
Maybe McD just hasn’t told us that he’s planning on Clady starting both ways! Haha!
imready:
I was like you. I thought it would have been nice to get a nose guard but I like our picks. Like you said, we have our second round pick last year – Carlton Powell, that was on the IR before the season started.
I do not think picking all defense would have been the answer, we can always use a running back and we got the best one in the draft.
I just hope Knowshawn can learn the O and help. He he doesn’t start it won’t be good. that’s why the Jets got rid of Mangini. If you pick someone high forget just making your team. HE NEEDS TO START. QB’s they give reasons not to start them and let them sit. Troy is in the Hall so it can be ok to start them. I was just thinkin all that money they spent on bringing backs in. we could have Peppers from the Panthers or The guy from Seattle. Yeah youcan cut a guy but its still a cap hit.
I think that Jordan & Buckhalter will compete for a third down/short yardage down back. I think Young, Torrain, & Arrington will comptete for a backup/spell HB, maybe even relasing one of them. Moreno will win the starting HB position. Honestly I wasn’t suprised we took a RB with our first pick. Obviously last year we saw we needed a durable back. I think that Moreno is our guy. Ayers, man all I gotta say is too bad he doesn’t have a twin to come play for us. I think that he is going to be a great guy, standing up or even head up on a guard. Which in a 3-4 is neccessary to be successful. The CB & S I hope can produce also. Overall I think we had a good draft. I wonder if McDaniels can turn Brandstater into a Pro Bowler????
A brian if he don’t he always got his MASTERS DEGREE. Man that kid has to be smart to get it Before his 3rd yr.
I actually was mad at first. I didn’t know who the running back we got, Moreno, was but now that I have done some digging into him and I love the choice. He looks like he will fit right in here and that gives us alot of depth at RB and we can probably move Hillis back to FB and run a tandum backfield. With Ayers he looks ok and I was extremely happy with picking up Smith, but I am already looking to next years draft and we should get that QB outta Texas.
I grade this draft a D or D-!! If it wasn’t for Moreno and Ayers it would be an F for sure!!! You all are just HOPING AND PRAYING we got guys that will justify their draft position!!! Smith, Quinn no way worth what we gave up!!! Come on, we could have had Maualuga in the 2nd RD!! Think about that, a great motivated high energy player we haven’t ahd since Al Wilson, Mobley and Romo!! The Smith kid from Utah is better than this Smith, plus the safety from Alabama, Johnson, way better than McBath or Bruton!! Also, Ellison and Moala from USC were there in the later rounds, Ellison a hard hitting D-Smith typ safety and Maoala a big DT which we needed!! Now everyone is saying McD is happy with what we have in camp now, remember, all the D-lineman were rejects from other teams and look at their history, all were practice squad players! I guess we’ll dump or trade Shef, since we got a TE, who is wortless and hasn’t caught more than 10 balls per year, hurray!! Another Chad Mustard!! The O-lineman were definately not needed, we have quite a few who have been waiting in the wings, Erickson and Lichty, plus Polumbus, but I think Mc D is looking to make his mark and get rid of all ofd Shanny’s players, if he keeps the DBs of this draft, well so long to Barrett, Bell, Williams and also to Torain and Young, as we have way too many backs in camp. I thought T-Bell came on and did a good job that was worthy of another shot in camp this year, but not so!! Well, we were dumb enough to trade our #1 next year and not Chics, which we will be at best, 5-11!!
I just thought this was a good article
http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/4/27/855265/shallow-thoughts-nearsighted
A Evil like I said yesterday. After the first 3 picks. It look like we took an intern blindfolded him, spon him around, and told him to throw the dart at the board. Whoever it hit we took.
Nice Post link Shanny. We have to win our first two games to get that div championship. we need to beat the team we suppose to and break even on the others.
Hey Coopster!!
So now that I’ve had some time to soak all this in and although I like Moreno – he’s talented and very good, we still needed to draft more defense. I knew they would put defense second… notice we have 6 offensive guys and only 4 for defense. And not to mention their very first pick they decided to go offense and THEN defense. I know Dawkins will most definitely help improve our defense but he can’t do it all and its not all about him… they got to do this as a TEAM.
I hope they can prove me wrong… so far I’ve managed to know what they’re gonna do before they do it. Prove me wrong on this and all will be well. You wanna talk about leadership here ya go… McD needs to fulfill BOTH sides of the ball not just offense. Needs to be successfully even on both sides… none of this one-way street stuff. Can’t really say how good we’ll be this season based off all this which is why I’m hangin in there. But I do know our schedule is not a piece of cake – we will have to be rock solid to win some of our games.
With faith…
GO BRONCOS in ’09!!!!
He is so mad man. Make me fill like I was happy yesterday!
lol
i love knowhon moreno so i agree with u coop
UUB: dude get over it honestly if we are gonna rebuild why trade Champ??? Yeah he may not be at the top of his game much longer but he is still a threat and a phycological weapon in the pass game. QBs dont throw his way which means they have got to look else where than there star wide out. Yeah we needed the line help but we also needed the RB give these guys a shot i think we will be ok in the end and if it wasnt for the tough season ahead and the teams we play we would go 9-7 even without Cutler.
Everyone else only time will tell.
I think we had a good draft. Even though we traded a 1 for Smith in the 2nd, i still really like the pick. I don’t know much about him, but I know he was referred to as a “shutdown” corner at Wake, that can’t hurt. He also seemed like a very bright guy with an excellent work ethic in his press conference. The only negatives I’ve heard about him have been the fact that he is “undersized.” In my opinion, measurables can only tell you so much. Both Woodyard and Royal were considered to be undersized, but look at them! Smith is one of the guys I am most excited about this year, both him and Moreno of course. But Smith appears to have the right attitude to succeed and be a great corner for us in the future, our secondary is only getting older and Champ can’t play forever, hopefully we got a worthy replacement. If that happens, then no way you can argue with us trading our 1
Well I have mixed emotions about this draft!!! Obviously the front seven is an issue!!! I feel we should have gone with B. Orakpo with the 1st pick and then R. Ayers with the second like we did!!! I actually know C. Powells mom and have done a lot of research on him, and if he is healthy this year, that will help out HUGE!!! But if we could have gotten Orakpo along with Powell and Ayers, our front 7 could have been nast!!! Love the drafting of kenny McKenley!!! That guy was a BEAST in South Carolina!!! Majorly confused on moving up to draft Quinn at TE in the second. We could have easily gotten him in the 3rd and plus the TE we have are great!!! Once again should have gotten B. Orakpo and that would have made our draft a b or b-. Could have gotten good RB in later rounds plus we have so many of them already!!!! MY grade is a C or C-!!!!
Let’s look at the team as a whole after that draft:
(how would you grade them?)
Passing offense: A-
-Added threat with Moreno (who excels at blocking too).
-Strong receiving core with added depth with addition of McKinley
-Good blocking help from Quinn… But isn’t Graham already our guy?
-O-line depth added with rookie G and C
-New QB to develope (ie Cassel)
-Can Orton play handle all these weapons, I say yes!
Rushing offense: B
-Great o-line makes a huge difference here. No more PASS ONLY!
-MORENO and HILLIS should be two names we hear early and often next year. Arrington will still be a useful 3rd down or situational back. Jordan will be a goal-line back. Bye bye buckhalter and torrain (no room).
Passing defense: B
-Dumervil and Ayers should help pass rush some.
-Alphonso Smith should compete for the #2 CB spot or play as the nickel.
-McBath and Bruton will help add depth to a talented DB group.
Rushing defense:C-
-I think they will struggle to stop the run without a dominating NT!
-Ayers is a talented DE/OLB. Has no competition for a starting spot.
-I guess McD is OK with who they have on the D-line…
-Linebacking core should be decent with Williams, Woodyard, Davis and Dumervil/Ayers.
Special teams: B-
-Throughout free agency and the draft, this has been a priority. THAT IS GREAT! Shanahan never spent much effort on special teams and it cost him big.
-Look to see special teams make some big plays and help win games they wouldn’t normally win.
All in all:
I see our biggest weakness as the rush defense. Maybe someone like Marcus Thomas or whoever can step up and surprise us.
The biggest question is: can Orton handle the QB job?
-The addition of Moreno will greatly impact Orton’s success.
-I believe Orton has a career year with the toys he has in Denver.
Prediction:
-2009 record: 9-7 (good)
-They’ll beat who they’re supposed to.
-Tough schedule gives them 7 losses.
-Moreno runs for 1,300 and 9 TD’s
-Orton passes for 3,000 w/ 17 TD’s and 5 INT’s.
-Defense and special teams increase steadily over the year.
-Maybe a wild-card spot.
Coop,
Nice to hear from you. When you look at things rationally, Moreno can fit in and perhaps Bruton can be a linebacker. He seems athletic enough to be versatile and fit Nolan’s numerous schemes. I really think Tim Crowder will excel in our new system while Robert Ayers will be excellent. For those of you who think Orton is the biggest question mark we have, I adjure you to remember he was 21-12 with the Bears who had no legitimate weapons for him to play with. The schedule may be tough on paper but just remember the fact that we’re on the other teams’ schedules makes their slates difficult. GO BRONCOS!!! Also my neighbor Devin Frischknecht inked a free agent deal with the Washington Redskins so when we go to Washington the Broncs can light him up (he’s a tight end).
I was surprised when we took Moreno but a couple of early mock drafts had us selecting him. He will make one or two of our current backs expendable. He will be a tough and exciting player to watch. Liked the fact we did address the defensive backfield with some solid picks. (Smith and the two Safeties). Brandstater will be a good QB to groom for the future, although he’s almost 25 yrs old. (He won’t be able to wear #7 like he did in college). Maybe he’ll switch to #12 like his favorite –QB T. Brady (per online interview). Seth Olsen is a big OG !
Looks like Coach McDaniels and Nolan are comfortable with our LB’s as we didn’t take a single one… guess that’s a good sign. Overall a good draft.
Yo Greatness007 can I put on a blindfold and throw darts @ some of da so called Bronco fans?! They know who they are, da ones who claim coach McDaniels better show them something or else! Or else what, you’re gonna jump ship to a new team? O wait some are already claiming Chicago bc that Cutler guy is there now.
I’m not a coach and I’m not gonna try to be! I do however support da Denver Broncos no matter what. I don’t know why they drafted da way they did, but they know why and that’s all that matters. No so called expert can grade our draft till da end of the season.
We know the scheme in every phase of da game will change for us, but I think the scheme will fit da players we have including the ones we drafted.
jack_fan, I agree. That’s the thing about drafting a NT, for the sake of drafting one. The guy you draft may not be as some of the guys we still have, so they’d end up releasing him. I think McD said it well, ‘we need to find guys that fit.’
overall not a bad draft.
Guys and Girls, relax. We drafted the best running back out there in Moreno, the best defensive player in Ayers and the best cornerback in Alphonso. Moreno is so talented he could be one of the best in the NFL next year. As for our front seven. Remember Webster and Winborn were 2 out of those 7 and we had 4 D lineman in which now we only have to field 3. We are allready drastically improved on defense and Im sure coach is still not done. Dont believe all the hype from the so called experts. Remember those same experts said last year that Clady should play right guard because he wasnt left guard material. We all know how that worked out. Im pumped. Bring on training camp……West Coast
I think we only had five ppl return on last years defense so a lot of you guys are talking about a defense that you haven’t seen play yet….are you guys hating on the couple of guys that turned miami’s team around…hill, goodman……goodman lead the league with pass deflictions last year…come on this is not the same defense do you guys read up on things before you post for all we know it could have been a different dc every year that hurt this defenses potential in the first place we have mike nolan and this is a whole different team and the defense will not be running the same plays even though we will run some 4-3
whats up coop nice to hear your take. I am sorry guys I am just tired of ppl bashing our defense and being mad because we didn’t follow all the mock drafts and picking some brandname defensive players. can’t wait for the season to start. GO BRONCOS
Great draft because we helped ALL 3 phases of the game. A great running game helps all 3 phases too. Helps the offense by taking pressure off the QB and opens up the passing game, helps the defense by keeping them on the bench with time of possession, and helps special teams with field position. If they have to punt, 3 and outs just kill you. How many of those did we see last year? Too many! Get a few 1st downs consistently with a strong running game and it will go far in helping to win the game.
There are so many ways to win, and lose, in the NFL. You can have a rock solid game on offense and lose it in special teams. EVERYONE, myself included, knows we needed to improve on Defense from last year, which I might add they already did through FA, but…..we were also 32nd in field position which is special teams.
Yes the O was 2nd overall, but in points, which is the only stat that really matters, they were 16th. Right in the middle just like our 8-8 record.
That’s why it was a great draft in my opinion. We needed help in ALL 3 phases of the game, NOT just Defense, and the guys making the picks obviously understood this. I also never thought about drafting not just good players but also guys with good character.
Randy Moss was a trouble maker until he went to NE. Hhmm, why do you think that is? Well, now we have that same philosophy. Cutler just didn’t fit in here and I hope B-Marsh acts like Moss now or he may be gone too. Just makes way more sense to me now.
I learned A LOT of things this weekend, one of them being that if I approach my questions from the stand point that these guys actually do know what they are doing, then I can try and see objectively the answer to my question instead of just thinking they must be morons and stupid because they didn’t do what I thought they should.
My point being, why did they trade next years #1 for Smith? Doesn’t make sense to us, does it? But now for me, instead of shaking my head in disbelief about how idiotic they are, I am curious to find out what they know that I don’t. There is no way they are that dumb.
The draft is always a crap shoot to a certain degree, so we will see how it pans out.
I’m more excited right now about the Broncos than I have been since right before kick off 2005 against the Steelers at home.
Go Broncos!! The AFC West is OURS!!
I understand that many Broncos fans are upset that the draft wasn’t more focused on defense, mainly the front seven, and I agree. I would have preferred going after some big D-linemen. However, I think it’s ridiculous to say that this team is going to go 4-12 or 3-13 next year like some people seem to think. It’s not like this team is lacking talent at every position. Yeah, this team lost some crucial pieces during the offseason, but it also added some key pieces. Don’t you think players like Champ, Dawkins, DJ, Dumervill, Clady, Marshall and Royal among others are a good enough core to make this at least an average team?
That said, I’m not jumping for joy over this draft, but I do understand why the picks were made.
Moreno- McDaniels pulled the trigger on the best overall RB in the draft. Tyson Jackson and BJ Raji were already off the board. Orakpo would have been intriguing, but many scouts feel he would have trouble dropping back into coverage in a 3-4 and just may have trouble holding up against the run in a four man front. Other defenders might have been a reach at 12. Plus, Moreno gives the offense a legitimate running threat to take pressure off either Orton or Simms, and create space for this talented receiving corps to get open.
Ayers- Many scouts feel he was the most versatile end in this draft. He’s capable of playing the 5 technique as a 3-4 end, 3-4 OLB, and is also capable of rushing the passer inside on 3rd down. A solid choice.
Smith- I know we had to give up a lot to get him, but it also makes sense. Even back when we had a stout D with Champ and D-Will on the other side, offenses would take advantage of the fact that we didn’t have a reliable nickel corner by dinking and dunking over the middle to slot receivers. If he can pick off 3-5 passes a year as nickel corner (which is his specialty), then this is a good move.
All in all, it’s not how I saw the draft going, but all the picks should be able to contribute at least a little bit this year. I give this draft either a B- or a B. Probably somewhere in between. Saying this team will go 3-13 or 13-3 are both probably unlikely. I expect 8-8 or 9-7 next year, which I wouldn’t mind considering the tumultuous offseason this team has had.
Are you all serious with 4-12 what do u do if u have a question at QB u get a elite RB Knowshon Moreno is a complete back thank god its about time we had one! D-line is what u all can say can we count to 3 ppl with Robert Ayers (who I am giddy about) Will be an excellent end and wow did we forget Elvis so soon that’s 2 can anyone tell me how many d-line men start in a 3-4 yes that’s right 3! So now we are missing 1 count it 1 good NT with the average talent & end a big body that needs a double team will any free agents fill that bill or Powell hummmm? If I told you at the end of the season last year that we would need 1 d-linemen to have a solid starting line Who wouldn’t be happy with that? And really Lets see the #1 RB in the draft And Mayocks #1 all around D player in the draft and you Monday morning QBS are upset with that? naw we have 2 of the older corners in the game no need for a young ball hawk? And wow who needs a monster blocking tight end um like 31 other teams but not us because we have 2 now. Can anyone say run the ball! Tony’s good and all but can anyone tell me how many full seasons hes played? Yea lets draft a NT so Joe blow don’t get his fealers hurt that cant play our system or get high class good players who can play ball and stay out of the courtroom! And no QB what really as of week 8 last season who were the top 10 QBS in the NFL sorry to tell ya Orton was one of them till he hurt is ankle.And Simms if hes back even to 90% he has franchise QB written all over him! And what have Orton and Simms done that Cutller hasn’t O yea won games in the playoffs!!! So QBs who win playoff games Elite RB awsome O line And A retooled D um 4-12 Serious ????did anyone think we would possibly have our D this far along at this point I did not! Time to quit Cutller crying and get on with the Business of winning!!! Once and for all Cutler would not have made the pro bowel if the vote was at the end of the season like it should be and i cant wait to see him get riped apart in a real division! What makes cutller so good its the horrid D in the West and a awesome WR corps! Those days are over for Jay!! So if the dolts play as heartless as they did last year we can win this division believe that! And what trade Champ does that even need a response?
i have to say that i am excited about the broncos. i like what we did in free agency and the draft. i like mcd and am staying positive. we will be 19 – 0 this coming season. now that is out of the way i have to say for those that are upset i am ok with that. if you are still here after the cutler trade than you are a bronco fan. as a bronco fan you have that right to feel what ever way you want as long as you stay a bronco fan. just because you are mad does not mean you do not care about the broncos. of coarse you will annoy me sometimes with your comments but as long as you are cheering for the broncos i am ok with that. lord knows i was starting to get tired and upset with shanny. i guess my point is i don’t like when people jump from team to team. if you want to be upset that is fine to me. just as long as you are still a bronco fan and not now a bear fan.
Hey Coop, nice blog as usuall.
I really like the 1st pick, and for more than a few years (since we traded Portis) wanted Shanny to pick a high talent RB to really make the running game solid. We’ll see how this pans out over the next 2 years. As for the rest of the draft I like what I see, even drafting a blocking TE may be just backup for Graham if he gets hurt. The other players are football people and are productive in college wich usually translates to productive in the pros.
As for those that keep screaming that we needed all defensive picks. Remember this, over the last 5 years or so our def coordinators have all been rather vanilla in their scheming and gameplanning. Our current def coordinator has forgotten more about defense than most of us will ever know. He brings a proven track record of using schemes and good gameplanning to improve defenses greatly. It looks to me like he is seeing more talent on our line than has been previously displayed with our vanilla defenses of old. Only time will tell, but if you look at the top defenses in the league, the talent level from theirs to ours is not as wide as the gap in production from theirs to ours. Therefore it stands to reason that it has been the coaching that has held our defense back. Yes we needed more talent, but maybe we just need better schemes to put our guys in a better position to succede.
WOW I leave the site for awhile and there is such a positive spin…This is great! To the negative fans…When were you ever chosen to run a draft (outside of fantasy). Scheme players were picked not just fan favorites, I liked playing arm chair GM as much as the next guy and there are still guys out there that I liked and thought would be Broncos, but I’m over it. That’s why GM’s and coaches are paired up to begin with. If they don’t understand what the others ideals and schemes are then you could draft the greatest college talent and still fail. Look at the Cowgirls…Talent for days and unable to fit into one scheme. To the positive fans out there I love the honest realistic approach to the season…9-7 I can believe is possible. If we can gel and start off fast we could even play the upset and have an even better record. Remember there is a reason why teams rebuild and winning is winning if you didn’t/don’t make the playoffs then you need to address all the shortcomings not just the fans ideals.
well put mrbroncofan and patientbroncofan.
wish more ppl had as much faith as us. i have seen a lot of ppl jumping off ship of the “run mac out of town” and some have gotten back on it, after this draft, b/c their MAN was not picked. but this was a weak draft and we got a great draft IMO. personally i liked M Jenkens but that is water under the bridge.
Coop, you and I know that Pat Bowlen is not a dumb business amn, right? If he did not like something in the draft he would have stepped in.
My question would be; Couch Nunnley and Martindale have to be OK with the defensive players they have to start with.
I expect Ron Fields and J’Vonne Parker at NT. Marcus Thomas, Carlton Powell, Tim Crowder, Matt Askew, Nic Clemons, and Kenny Peterson at DE, I forgot McBean.
Again, people really need to get over the love affair with guys like Orakpo and Maualuga. Orakpo wouldn’t fit this defense believe it or not. He’s too small to be an end in it and can’t play OLB in it because he can’t drop into coverage. And Maualuga would have been a wasted pick because there’s no way he would even have a chance to start. Andra Davis and DJ Williams are going to start in the middle. We all know DJ is a tremendously talented player and Andra is probably the most underrated 3-4 inside ILB in the league. Maualuga and Orakpo just wouldn’t have made sense.
at first i did not understand the TE pick. didn’t think we needed one. after a while i realized that back some time ago we released nate jackson. i thought at first maybe quinn would be shefflers replacement if we trade him but the fact is we did have 3 TE before but no longer do. it seems to me that quinn will be nate jackson’s replacement. not shefflers. i do think we could use more than just 2 TE. as much as i like sheffler he does get injured sometimes. i believe he had a groin injury last year but was a man a played through most of it. i think i am fine now with having quinn as a bronco. very happy with the WHOLE draft this year for the broncos
i really like how mcd is going after players that have great character such as dawkins. that seems to be the theme in both free agency and the draft. maybe that would mean there is much less of a chance of having players like TRAVIS HENRY. that dude is going to be in jail for awhile
what I think this years draft tells us is that the new coaching staff really likes who we have on the defensive side of the ball NOW especially at (LB)-we didn’t draft any. I don’t think with the exception of Moreno that any of these rooks will come in and start from day one (I could be wrong). so for now with the exception of the occasional free agent signing and practice squad steal we have our team. if we would have went out and got Cushing, Raji, Maualuga, Orakpo, Jackson etc. one of those top guys on defense, that would tell us that we have a definite need at those positions right away…thats not the case, everyone we picked is going to be special teams and depth, hopefully if they dedicate themselves they can make it on the field in a starting role. our last year’s defense was a total victim of scheme and not personel going by our ’09 draft. we’re gonna do better than a lot of people think this year.
It took me a couple of days to get over the shock of drafting
a rb at#12 . But after thinking about it I think it was the best
thing to do at that spot. I believe over all we had a good draft
but trying to grade a draft at this point is useless. The one thing I will say to who ever said trade champ I wish we were
face to face so I could slap the taste out of your mouth.
I also agree the defense has had a complete make over from
last year and since no one as seen them play yet to say they
will be just as bad as last year is pretty stupid on your part.
Look I’m not a big Mcd fan he is calling the shots like it or not
milehighmagic88-you’re way off in regards to Maualuga…I agree with you in regards to Orakpo though…Maualuga will be the defensive rookie of the year guaranteed, everyone can use a guy like Maualuga on their squad even GOD could use him and he don’t need anyone’s help. DJ will be fine Andra will be okay, but we need that Al Wilson/Bill Romanowski type LB in the middle and Maualuga would have done that for us.
blum-I’m with you on that dude…once Champ is done at CB move him to FS and be a star there, kinda like Aeneas Williams a few years back for the Cardinals, not only that Champ is crucial to our team and the fine tuning of the incoming CBs to the team…I think Alphonso Smith got a bad rap for his size but with Champs help he’ll be a beast for sure, (we all remember 5’7″ Darrent Williams #27…)
emaldo…I have to agree with milehighmagic88 on the Maulauga issue. His evaluation even said teams were turned off by him cause he was not seen as an every down LB. I think we were looking for players who will step into a scheme. Great players are only as good as the scheme they are in. This was a weak draft class this year on all sides of the ball. He will make an impact with the Bungles, but they have the scheme that will compliment him and hide his weaknesses.
what number should Moreno wear 30 maybe 34?