Broncos draft and free agency

[Elway777]

The 2 players on Defence I have the Broncos going after in free agency are Lance Briggs and Randy Starks. I think Dansby and Hayneworths will be Franchised. In the Draft the Broncos go with Conner in the first and Dre Moore in the second. Alternative draft would be Ellis in the first and Erin Henderson in the second.Either way the Broncos will have the best linebackers in NFL.

[lex]

The 2 players on Defence I have the Broncos going after in free agency are Lance Briggs and Randy Starks. I think Dansby and Hayneworths will be Franchised. In the Draft the Broncos go with Conner in the first and Dre Moore in the second. Alternative draft would be Ellis in the first and Erin Henderson in the second.Either way the Broncos will have the best linebackers in NFL.

I dont think theyll take Ellis. They may take Granger but not Ellis. As a matter of fact, Dre Moore may climb into round 1 after his combine. He is extremely strong and theres a good chance he'll put on a good show at the combine. Maybe, theyll take Henderson and Moore...a Terapin draft to follow up the Gator draft? But as of right now, Dre Moore is the DT I feel most comfortable with. Also, I think Bryan Kehl is a good player for Denver to draft as another OLB. Im going to have to revisit my mock though.

[socalorado]

The 2 players on Defence I have the Broncos going after in free agency are Lance Briggs and Randy Starks. I think Dansby and Hayneworths will be Franchised. In the Draft the Broncos go with Conner in the first and Dre Moore in the second. Alternative draft would be Ellis in the first and Erin Henderson in the second.Either way the Broncos will have the best linebackers in NFL.

So with briggs in DEN does DJ stay at MLB, and Briggs would play WILL or SAM?
Also, Ellis does not fit the Bates scheme at all. Not nearly heavy enough or a run clogger type player. Hes more of a attack the QB style of DT.
Why CB in the 1st? Theres extreme depth at corner right now. If DEN traded away Foxy for a pick IMHO, DEN still would not go after a CB until maybe later rounds. And that would depend on if Paymah, who also played well on Sun,was starting to show real promise.
Even with the addition of Randy Starks and Briggs i still think LB, S and WR are much more larger draft needs than CB. just my 2 cents though.

[socalorado]

Also, isnt Haynesworth going to be a UFA ?
I dont think he gets franchised. Hes playing for a HUGE payday, and i doubt TENN is going to keep em for a # of reasons. But he would be productive in DEN and that acquisition would solve the DT spot.

[NFLBRONCO]

Our luck when throwing BIG dough at players hasn't worked to well.

[Drek]

We should have no interest in Haynesworth, he's playing for a contract and we don't need to pay $7M a season for a run stuffer.

I've said it in about a dozen threads by now. Corey Williams and Chris Coles, Bates' starting DTs from the '05 Packers squad and two guys who still play in that system have expring contracts. They might be RFA or UFA, I'm unsure, but one was an UDFA to start with and the other a 6th round pick. Unless Green Bay is going to put significant tenders on their backup DTs we have two solid system guys to go after right there at DT.

I would like Randy Starks as well, I think he's ready to break out somewhere as a well above average DT.

As for linebacker, first and foremost we should go after Boss Bailey. He's played pretty much every linebacker position at some point, offers great athleticism and good size (235 pounds) and I'm sure he and Champ would love to play together, resulting in an easy in and maybe even something of a discounted contract.

After that decide what we're going to do with DJ. Is he the MLB? Then just draft or find the best OLB we can get. If he's a Sam put Bailey at Will, if he's a Will put Bailey at Sam. Do we want to move DJ to Will? Ok, then sign someone like Teddy Lehman on a get right contract where we got years of control if he stops getting hurt and performs but are looking at a low cost out if he doesn't, and then draft another linebacker to throw in the mix. With Jordan Beck and Nate Webster as backups we'll have solid depth behind a very athletic linebacker crew that isn't suffering Gold and Webster as starters.


We do those moves there and we go into the draft with all of our gaps fixed by 20-somethings. No immediate needs present and we can then take advantage of the talent available to us at each pick. Preferably some big beef at OL and DL as well as some athletes to develop at linebacker and safety. I wouldn't moan at all if we brought back one of the promising RBs in this draft class though, we'll probably have a shot at Ray Rice (if he leaves) or Mike Hart in round 2 pretty easily, either one would be a nice get if Henry is booted for a season.

[lex]

We should have no interest in Haynesworth, he's playing for a contract and we don't need to pay $7M a season for a run stuffer.

I've said it in about a dozen threads by now. Corey Williams and Chris Coles, Bates' starting DTs from the '05 Packers squad and two guys who still play in that system have expring contracts. They might be RFA or UFA, I'm unsure, but one was an UDFA to start with and the other a 6th round pick. Unless Green Bay is going to put significant tenders on their backup DTs we have two solid system guys to go after right there at DT.

I would like Randy Starks as well, I think he's ready to break out somewhere as a well above average DT.

As for linebacker, first and foremost we should go after Boss Bailey. He's played pretty much every linebacker position at some point, offers great athleticism and good size (235 pounds) and I'm sure he and Champ would love to play together, resulting in an easy in and maybe even something of a discounted contract.

After that decide what we're going to do with DJ. Is he the MLB? Then just draft or find the best OLB we can get. If he's a Sam put Bailey at Will, if he's a Will put Bailey at Sam. Do we want to move DJ to Will? Ok, then sign someone like Teddy Lehman on a get right contract where we got years of control if he stops getting hurt and performs but are looking at a low cost out if he doesn't, and then draft another linebacker to throw in the mix. With Jordan Beck and Nate Webster as backups we'll have solid depth behind a very athletic linebacker crew that isn't suffering Gold and Webster as starters.


We do those moves there and we go into the draft with all of our gaps fixed by 20-somethings. No immediate needs present and we can then take advantage of the talent available to us at each pick. Preferably some big beef at OL and DL as well as some athletes to develop at linebacker and safety. I wouldn't moan at all if we brought back one of the promising RBs in this draft class though, we'll probably have a shot at Ray Rice (if he leaves) or Mike Hart in round 2 pretty easily, either one would be a nice get if Henry is booted for a season.


Arent you worried about Boss getting injured? Isnt he injured pretty much all the time. But I like where your head is at. The only thing though is when you look at our old formula for having good OLines, they were put together by getting undersized and undervalued vets. We could watch those guys on film against actual NFL competition and better evaluate guys who can help us. Not only that but they could usually contribute right away unlike a lot of the OLinemen weve been drafting. There are a couple of OLinemen I wouldnt mind drafting but as a general rule, I like the old way of acquiring Olinemen...it was more sensible.

[Drek]

Arent you worried about Boss getting injured? Isnt he injured pretty much all the time. But I like where your head is at. The only thing though is when you look at our old formula for having good OLines, they were put together by getting undersized and undervalued vets. We could watch those guys on film against actual NFL competition and better evaluate guys who can help us. Not only that but they could usually contribute right away unlike a lot of the OLinemen weve been drafting. There are a couple of OLinemen I wouldnt mind drafting but as a general rule, I like the old way of acquiring Olinemen...it was more sensible.

Boss missed the '04 season and 5 games of '05. He played in all 16 games in '03 and '06, as well as currently playing in every game in '07.

I wouldn't write a guy off because of one bad year in terms of physical health. He screwed up his knee (ACL I think?) then tweaked his ankle at the end of '05, which could happen to most anybody. Hardly reason to avoid getting a 6'3", 235 pound, 4.35 running, 48 inch vertical jumping, mid-20's experienced vet who has played pretty much every linebacker position and who happens to currently be playing a very good sam and is very good coverage anywhere he plays. I'd imagine he and Champ would have some great chemistry on that side of the field together and I don't see any team breaking the bank for him so we might even get a discount.

My reasoning for wanting to draft OLs is that teams simply don't let the top guys go anymore. We built our championship lines off of teams who didn't handle the cap well (because it was new) and underrated linemen because they aren't a "skill" position. Now teams dedicate more of their salary cap to the OL than any other position group.

I'd liken it to the belief that we can continue getting athletic, undersized linemen we can groom into the ZBS and get quality production out of in the last rounds or UDFA. We can, to a degree, but why? We didn't draft linebackers high before because most everyone else played traditional blocking schemes and wanted big slow maulers. Now most teams use at least some form of line shifts or occasional zone blocking, if not the entire system outright. Also, the talent pool has changed and we are now seeing 320 pound bulls who can move like the 290 pound guys we drafted in the past.

Joe Thomas is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He's about 305-310 and at the same time has all the athletic gifts we'd wish for in an OT for our system. Ten years ago Joe Thomas falls to the middle of the draft because he doesn't have much power, just great technique and agility. We'd draft him in the 4th or 5th and watch him become an anchor of our line. This draft he went 3rd overall.

Its a paradigm shift in the league's OL assessment and we haven't responded until just recently, taking a few OLs (Harris and Kuper) in the middle rounds. This year has a ripe class of big and strong yet also athletic and agile OTs to chose from. We'd be foolish not to get at least one of them if possible.

Look at the success Holland is having at RG for us. He's doing a great job there and he's far from an athletic wonder. But he's an example of the OLs now available in the draft. You no longer have to sacrifice size for speed.

Picture this. We draft Cherilous or Baker in round 1, then John Sullivan (C out of ND) in round 2 or 3 (by some trade). Add that to the mix of Kuper, Myers, Holland, Pears, Harris, etc. and we could have a line with an average weight around 310-315, not the 290 of old, and still be athletic enough to run all the same ZBS plays. Only difference? When we're within the 20's we'll also be able to line up and punch teams in the mouth.

[lex]

Boss missed the '04 season and 5 games of '05. He played in all 16 games in '03 and '06, as well as currently playing in every game in '07.

I wouldn't write a guy off because of one bad year in terms of physical health. He screwed up his knee (ACL I think?) then tweaked his ankle at the end of '05, which could happen to most anybody. Hardly reason to avoid getting a 6'3", 235 pound, 4.35 running, 48 inch vertical jumping, mid-20's experienced vet who has played pretty much every linebacker position and who happens to currently be playing a very good sam and is very good coverage anywhere he plays. I'd imagine he and Champ would have some great chemistry on that side of the field together and I don't see any team breaking the bank for him so we might even get a discount.
I hear what youre saying and he would be good for what youre saying but in general, Id like to see more fundamental LBs...but I guess I could live with Bailey at SLB...I guess Im jaded by what Ive seen from Webster and Gold this year, who are also athletic linebackers.


My reasoning for wanting to draft OLs is that teams simply don't let the top guys go anymore. We built our championship lines off of teams who didn't handle the cap well (because it was new) and underrated linemen because they aren't a "skill" position. Now teams dedicate more of their salary cap to the OL than any other position group.

I'd liken it to the belief that we can continue getting athletic, undersized linemen we can groom into the ZBS and get quality production out of in the last rounds or UDFA. We can, to a degree, but why? We didn't draft linebackers high before because most everyone else played traditional blocking schemes and wanted big slow maulers. Now most teams use at least some form of line shifts or occasional zone blocking, if not the entire system outright. Also, the talent pool has changed and we are now seeing 320 pound bulls who can move like the 290 pound guys we drafted in the past.
Joe Thomas is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He's about 305-310 and at the same time has all the athletic gifts we'd wish for in an OT for our system. Ten years ago Joe Thomas falls to the middle of the draft because he doesn't have much power, just great technique and agility. We'd draft him in the 4th or 5th and watch him become an anchor of our line. This draft he went 3rd overall.

Its a paradigm shift in the league's OL assessment and we haven't responded until just recently, taking a few OLs (Harris and Kuper) in the middle rounds. This year has a ripe class of big and strong yet also athletic and agile OTs to chose from. We'd be foolish not to get at least one of them if possible.

Look at the success Holland is having at RG for us. He's doing a great job there and he's far from an athletic wonder. But he's an example of the OLs now available in the draft. You no longer have to sacrifice size for speed.

Picture this. We draft Cherilous or Baker in round 1, then John Sullivan (C out of ND) in round 2 or 3 (by some trade). Add that to the mix of Kuper, Myers, Holland, Pears, Harris, etc. and we could have a line with an average weight around 310-315, not the 290 of old, and still be athletic enough to run all the same ZBS plays. Only difference? When we're within the 20's we'll also be able to line up and punch teams in the mouth.

I like some of what youre saying but I dont really think the 330 Olinemen move as well as you are claiming. Nor do I think Holland is doing as well as you are claiming. I do agree with you though that we need bigger guys who are athletic enough and we need to kind of get away from smaller guys that we hope are strong enough...because thats whats killing us in short yardage. Also, I would say Jake Long is a better example of a big lineman who can move well. That guy is tremendous...and absolute monster. I went to the Michigan-Northwestern game and sat in one of the endzones so I could have a better sense of what these guys are all about. Long simply would leave a path of destruction on a routine basis. There would be this vacuum where he had been and it would soon be filled by the guy that Kraus was unable to block. Long was amazing though. Id take Long over Thomas any day of the week but more importantly on Sundays for what the Broncos do.

[lex]

What does everyone think of Porkchop Womack and Sean Locklear? They weigh around 330 and 310 respectively and both play for Seattle.

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/nfl/freeagentsOL.html

[Drek]

I hear what youre saying and he would be good for what youre saying but in general, Id like to see more fundamental LBs...but I guess I could live with Bailey at SLB...I guess Im jaded by what Ive seen from Webster and Gold this year, who are also athletic linebackers.
Its not mutually exclusive though. Bailey is a fundamentally sound linebacker who actually wraps up and maintains his assignments. I know, it sounds crazy after years of seeing athletic Ian Gold free lance all over the place but that isn't a truism for all athletically gifted linebackers, its just the norm because a lot of them cop out.

Bailey isn't some combination super freak like Adalius Thomas where he's big, fast, and has the fundamentals to play any position in the front seven but he's solid across the board and well above average is some areas (like coverage skills). When we (hopefully) send Gold's ass packing we'll need at least one new nickel LB and thats assuming we keep DJ. It'd be real nice if that guy is a versatile and still fundamentally sound 'backer instead of another straight up will like say, Demario Williams or Dansby. Those guys are better than Bailey but they basically need to play weak side and will cost a fortune. What if DJ can't hack it at MLB? Can't exactly bump him back outside to his natural position after signing one of those cap busters. With Bailey we get versatility without sacrificing fundamentals.




I like some of what youre saying but I dont really think the 330 Olinemen move as well as you are claiming. Nor do I think Holland is doing as well as you are claiming. I do agree with you though that we need bigger guys who are athletic enough and we need to kind of get away from smaller guys that we hope are strong enough...because thats whats killing us in short yardage. Also, I would say Jake Long is a better example of a big lineman who can move well. That guy is tremendous...and absolute monster. I went to the Michigan-Northwestern game and sat in one of the endzones so I could have a better sense of what these guys are all about. Long simply would leave a path of destruction on a routine basis. There would be this vacuum where he had been and it would soon be filled by the guy that Kraus was unable to block. Long was amazing though. Id take Long over Thomas any day of the week but more importantly on Sundays for what the Broncos do.

320-330 linemen don't need to move like a cat to execute our system though, they just need to move well. And I'm not saying that Holland is playing at a pro bowl level, but for a 320+ pounder he isn't exactly lagging behind when he's supposed to pull, trap, or get down field. He does it pretty well and at the same time is big and strong enough to be stout in pass protection. And he's just slightly more athletic than your average big guy.

I'm not saying we should've found a way to draft Thomas. In fact I spoke out quite often against it in this very message board. He was just a good example of the greater importance placed on athletic/mobile OLs. This year's OT draft class is the one we should be interested in.

There was no snub intended for Long either, the total opposite in fact, I think he'll be an easy top 10 pick. I don't think we'll finish that poorly, but we could have a real good shot at Cherilous or Baker, both athletic enough to be very good OTs for us for many years. In an ideal world Clady would leave early and fall right into our laps. He's huge but is just an absolute freak of an athlete. Given a few years he could actually change the way we run our offense. Regardless, there are almost a half dozen OTs in this draft who have the size and athleticism to be very good players in our system. Pretty much all of them will go first day and I'm hoping we bring at least one home. We've got a lot of good talent on this team that we've managed to "steal" later in the draft, but to take the step from "good" to "great" we need to add that monster anchor who can do it all. This is the draft to get that guy.

[lex]

Its not mutually exclusive though. Bailey is a fundamentally sound linebacker who actually wraps up and maintains his assignments. I know, it sounds crazy after years of seeing athletic Ian Gold free lance all over the place but that isn't a truism for all athletically gifted linebackers, its just the norm because a lot of them cop out.

Bailey isn't some combination super freak like Adalius Thomas where he's big, fast, and has the fundamentals to play any position in the front seven but he's solid across the board and well above average is some areas (like coverage skills). When we (hopefully) send Gold's ass packing we'll need at least one new nickel LB and thats assuming we keep DJ. It'd be real nice if that guy is a versatile and still fundamentally sound 'backer instead of another straight up will like say, Demario Williams or Dansby. Those guys are better than Bailey but they basically need to play weak side and will cost a fortune. What if DJ can't hack it at MLB? Can't exactly bump him back outside to his natural position after signing one of those cap busters. With Bailey we get versatility without sacrificing fundamentals.

I realize there are players capable of both. But to me, the emphasis should always be fundamentals. If a LB is athletic beyond that, great. But after Gold, what I want to hear about is the fundamentals more than the athleticism.







320-330 linemen don't need to move like a cat to execute our system though, they just need to move well. And I'm not saying that Holland is playing at a pro bowl level, but for a 320+ pounder he isn't exactly lagging behind when he's supposed to pull, trap, or get down field. He does it pretty well and at the same time is big and strong enough to be stout in pass protection. And he's just slightly more athletic than your average big guy.

Ive already addressed this.

I'm not saying we should've found a way to draft Thomas. In fact I spoke out quite often against it in this very message board. He was just a good example of the greater importance placed on athletic/mobile OLs. This year's OT draft class is the one we should be interested in.

There was no snub intended for Long either, the total opposite in fact, I think he'll be an easy top 10 pick. I don't think we'll finish that poorly, but we could have a real good shot at Cherilous or Baker, both athletic enough to be very good OTs for us for many years. In an ideal world Clady would leave early and fall right into our laps. He's huge but is just an absolute freak of an athlete. Given a few years he could actually change the way we run our offense. Regardless, there are almost a half dozen OTs in this draft who have the size and athleticism to be very good players in our system. Pretty much all of them will go first day and I'm hoping we bring at least one home. We've got a lot of good talent on this team that we've managed to "steal" later in the draft, but to take the step from "good" to "great" we need to add that monster anchor who can do it all. This is the draft to get that guy.

I think we'd be ok getting Zuttah but it would be great to also get someone else but it all depends on how our needs are addressed otherwise.

[socalorado]

Its not mutually exclusive though. Bailey is a fundamentally sound linebacker who actually wraps up and maintains his assignments. I know, it sounds crazy after years of seeing athletic Ian Gold free lance all over the place but that isn't a truism for all athletically gifted linebackers, its just the norm because a lot of them cop out.

Bailey isn't some combination super freak like Adalius Thomas where he's big, fast, and has the fundamentals to play any position in the front seven but he's solid across the board and well above average is some areas (like coverage skills). When we (hopefully) send Gold's ass packing we'll need at least one new nickel LB and thats assuming we keep DJ. It'd be real nice if that guy is a versatile and still fundamentally sound 'backer instead of another straight up will like say, Demario Williams or Dansby. Those guys are better than Bailey but they basically need to play weak side and will cost a fortune. What if DJ can't hack it at MLB? Can't exactly bump him back outside to his natural position after signing one of those cap busters. With Bailey we get versatility without sacrificing fundamentals.





320-330 linemen don't need to move like a cat to execute our system though, they just need to move well. And I'm not saying that Holland is playing at a pro bowl level, but for a 320+ pounder he isn't exactly lagging behind when he's supposed to pull, trap, or get down field. He does it pretty well and at the same time is big and strong enough to be stout in pass protection. And he's just slightly more athletic than your average big guy.

I'm not saying we should've found a way to draft Thomas. In fact I spoke out quite often against it in this very message board. He was just a good example of the greater importance placed on athletic/mobile OLs. This year's OT draft class is the one we should be interested in.

There was no snub intended for Long either, the total opposite in fact, I think he'll be an easy top 10 pick. I don't think we'll finish that poorly, but we could have a real good shot at Cherilous or Baker, both athletic enough to be very good OTs for us for many years. In an ideal world Clady would leave early and fall right into our laps. He's huge but is just an absolute freak of an athlete. Given a few years he could actually change the way we run our offense. Regardless, there are almost a half dozen OTs in this draft who have the size and athleticism to be very good players in our system. Pretty much all of them will go first day and I'm hoping we bring at least one home. We've got a lot of good talent on this team that we've managed to "steal" later in the draft, but to take the step from "good" to "great" we need to add that monster anchor who can do it all. This is the draft to get that guy.

I like the idea of BOSS coming to DEN. At 1st, i wasnt too sure. It was a little too convenient with his bro here and it just sounded homerish. but the more i see and hear of him, the more i am convinced he is worth picking up 1st and foremost because he is a sound tackler, knowledgeable at ALL LB positions and a really good athlete, but also, the contract help that he could bring is really a bonus! Also, i think having the 2 together would be cool, not for us as fans so much, but for the 2 of em as brothers always wanting to play together. I think both of em in that locker room could really LEAD these guys both on and off the field.
I'm not a big fan of Jim Rome, but he refers to Champ as a "Pro's,Pro"
basically a guy who is just a leader in everything he does, how he carries himself on and off the field. i would LOVE for 2 guys like that in the locker room. Lynch is gone soon and this team could use a leadership jolt from 2 guys that live, eat and breathe football and winning!
As for the big O-Linemen, there are some big ones that move, and as you can see from my mock in the other thread, i have a bunch of O-linemen in the later rounds, but man, those guys will cost alot of high draft picks, or alot of FA money. But i dont want Cutler on his @$$ so, yeah i say get em.
What about Carlos Dansby? Alos, how do you feel about Mike Doss?
i think DEN NEEDs to address safety in the draft as well, but i would like a solid guy that can plug and play for next year. its just pathetic back there now.

[Drek]

As for the big O-Linemen, there are some big ones that move, and as you can see from my mock in the other thread, i have a bunch of O-linemen in the later rounds, but man, those guys will cost alot of high draft picks, or alot of FA money. But i dont want Cutler on his @$$ so, yeah i say get em.
What about Carlos Dansby? Alos, how do you feel about Mike Doss?
i think DEN NEEDs to address safety in the draft as well, but i would like a solid guy that can plug and play for next year. its just pathetic back there now.

I don't think we need to draft a ton of OLs, we have some good 300+ pounders who fit our system already. Kuper and Myers are promising, Holland and Pears are solid, Harris and Eslinger promise some upside.

What I'd like to see is that one pro bowl level talent who will elevate our OL from good to great. Thats easier said than done but this draft class is the easiest chance we'll ever see to do just that. I don't want us spending a ton of picks on the line. Just an OT very early and if John Sullivan falls in our laps him as well. Otherwise we've got some good young depth to roll with.

Dansby is far and away the best FA eligible LB after this season, but I can't see us breaking the bank on him. He's a natural will and a hell of a playmaker out there, but the defensive scheme Bates is implementing doesn't feature the OLBs enough to justify the kind of big money deal he'll be rewarded with. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he gets franchised. Same with Demario Williams. As playmakers both are probably better than Bailey, but they'll cost way more and don't bring his versatility, which is what we need to assemble our linebacking corps in the best possible fashion since DJ's future is pretty up in the air.

We do need to improve safety but it should be through the draft unless some team is dumb enough to let a stud walk, which isn't likely since the franchise tag for a safety is so damn small. A fast cover safety would be a great fit for us, we already have a bunch of hard hitting run stoppers with Abdullah, Cargile, and Ferguson for when Lynch retires. We need a guy who'll generate turnovers when QBs try to go away from Bailey and Bly.

The FO has a real good shot to completely overhaul the front seven of this defense and in a very positive way if they start the FA market as aggressively as they did last year. A couple DTs familiar with Bates' system and a versatile veteran linebacker and we can then use our draft picks to find long term solutions, not patching immediate holes.

[muffcon350]

I would love to have Dan Connor, James Laurinitus, or Keith Rivers in the first and then take Red Bryant or Dre Moore in the second.

If Shanny decides to go DT in the first, who knows, it could be Frank Okam, which would put our D line being made up of half Florida and half Texas:
DE-Jarvis Moss
DT-Marcus Thomas
DT-Frank Okam
DE-Tim Crowder

That could make for some great chemistry, but I would rather take Bryant or Moore in the second and focus on linebacker in the first.

[Traveler]

Who's the best LB available (college or pro) that can quickly diagnose and attack a play before it gets started? The sight of our LB's constantly making stops after the other team has crossed the LOS has been our weakness for years.

The last player I remember that could do that was Mecklenberg. If we get that type of LB without breaking the bank, all the better.

[socalorado]

Who's the best LB available (college or pro) that can quickly diagnose and attack a play before it gets started? The sight of our LB's constantly making stops after the other team has crossed the LOS has been our weakness for years.

The last player I remember that could do that was Mecklenberg. If we get that type of LB without breaking the bank, all the better.

Beau Bell MLB UNLV

[Elway777]

I think Briggs could play all 3 linebacker spots even Middle linebacker. I still think the Broncos will keep Williams at MLB so Briiggs will play the weakside. I could also see the Broncos signing Briggs for the Sam moving Williams to the Will and Drafting Mlke in the first.

[Elway777]

We should have no interest in Haynesworth, he's playing for a contract and we don't need to pay $7M a season for a run stuffer.

I've said it in about a dozen threads by now. Corey Williams and Chris Coles, Bates' starting DTs from the '05 Packers squad and two guys who still play in that system have expring contracts. They might be RFA or UFA, I'm unsure, but one was an UDFA to start with and the other a 6th round pick. Unless Green Bay is going to put significant tenders on their backup DTs we have two solid system guys to go after right there at DT.

I would like Randy Starks as well, I think he's ready to break out somewhere as a well above average DT.

As for linebacker, first and foremost we should go after Boss Bailey. He's played pretty much every linebacker position at some point, offers great athleticism and good size (235 pounds) and I'm sure he and Champ would love to play together, resulting in an easy in and maybe even something of a discounted contract.

After that decide what we're going to do with DJ. Is he the MLB? Then just draft or find the best OLB we can get. If he's a Sam put Bailey at Will, if he's a Will put Bailey at Sam. Do we want to move DJ to Will? Ok, then sign someone like Teddy Lehman on a get right contract where we got years of control if he stops getting hurt and performs but are looking at a low cost out if he doesn't, and then draft another linebacker to throw in the mix. With Jordan Beck and Nate Webster as backups we'll have solid depth behind a very athletic linebacker crew that isn't suffering Gold and Webster as starters.


We do those moves there and we go into the draft with all of our gaps fixed by 20-somethings. No immediate needs present and we can then take advantage of the talent available to us at each pick. Preferably some big beef at OL and DL as well as some athletes to develop at linebacker and safety. I wouldn't moan at all if we brought back one of the promising RBs in this draft class though, we'll probably have a shot at Ray Rice (if he leaves) or Mike Hart in round 2 pretty easily, either one would be a nice get if Henry is booted for a season. I would love to get Haynesworth but I think the Titans will Franshise him because they are like 40 million under the cap and need to spend the money on someone. If they Franshise Haynes worth then they have no long team have some protection if he becomes lazy. I like Williams and Coles. I would not mind the Broncos signing both Corry Williams and Starks as free agents and maybe trading for Vilma and drafting Conner in the first.

[Broncos_OTM]

I would love to get Haynesworth but I think the Titans will Franshise him because they are like 40 million under the cap and need to spend the money on someone. If they Franshise Haynes worth then they have no long team have some protection if he becomes lazy. I like Williams and Coles. I would not mind the Broncos signing both Corry Williams and Starks as free agents and maybe trading for Vilma and drafting Conner in the first.

I would have liked Vilma to start the season but man after getting hurt and being out the rest of the year i am gonna say pass. i don't want another player that might cost us a lot that might deteriorate much like javon walker. I like walker he is a Legit #1 but man i think his injury is still hanging over his head.

[Broncoman13]

Drek's posts in this thread of been right on!

I'll add that I think we need a safety in the draft. If this guy is available in the first you take him!

Kenny Phillips S 6’2 210 Miami Jr. By: Robert Davis
Kenny Phillips came to Miami with the expectations of being the next study safety from the U. Early on he showed that those lofty expectations were valid. He was on everyone’s Freshman All American lists after finishing the year with 88 tackles, three for loss and an interception. As a sophomore, he stepped his game up even more, finishing with 71 tackles, six for loss, and four interceptions despite missing the final three games with a broken thumb.

Phillips has it all. From a physical standpoint, he has everything you want. He has excellent size and can match up with just about anyone in coverage. He also possesses the athleticism, quickness, and speed to fly around the field making plays. He is aggressive, active, and willing to do whatever it takes to get to the football. Phillips is a complete safety as he can attack the line of scrimmage in run support and make plays on the football in coverage. He has also earned All ACC honors for his success in the classroom, so he is getting it done off the field as well.

There is not much to dislike about Phillips’ game. He is a rare safety that can do it all and is a legit Top 10 pick. If you want to pick things apart, he can go for the big hit a little too often instead of making the safe play.

If Phillips declares this season, he is in all likelihood a Top 10 pick. He is a playmaker in the secondary, and has all the skills to develop into a perennial pro bowler.


I think this should be our #1 priority in next year's draft. Address DT in free agency. We're not going to get Dorsey as we won't draft high enough. Players like Briggs and Dansby are available LB in FA and I personally think that DJ has shown enough improvement (game to game this season) to be objective and say he's capable of playing MLB at a very high level.

Playing the best TE's in football means you have to have a safety and/or LB's that can cover. Adding Boss Bailey and Phillips would go a long way toward neutralizing the likes of Gates and Gonzalez.
__________________

[Broncos_OTM]

So with briggs in DEN does DJ stay at MLB, and Briggs would play WILL or SAM?
Also, Ellis does not fit the Bates scheme at all. Not nearly heavy enough or a run clogger type player. Hes more of a attack the QB style of DT.
Why CB in the 1st? Theres extreme depth at corner right now. If DEN traded away Foxy for a pick IMHO, DEN still would not go after a CB until maybe later rounds. And that would depend on if Paymah, who also played well on Sun,was starting to show real promise.
Even with the addition of Randy Starks and Briggs i still think LB, S and WR are much more larger draft needs than CB. just my 2 cents though.

The thing about ellis though is this. He is a HOSS he is incredibly strong. He can always add weight.

[Broncos_OTM]

Drek's posts in this thread of been right on!

I'll add that I think we need a safety in the draft. If this guy is available in the first you take him!

Kenny Phillips S 6’2 210 Miami Jr. By: Robert Davis
Kenny Phillips came to Miami with the expectations of being the next study safety from the U. Early on he showed that those lofty expectations were valid. He was on everyone’s Freshman All American lists after finishing the year with 88 tackles, three for loss and an interception. As a sophomore, he stepped his game up even more, finishing with 71 tackles, six for loss, and four interceptions despite missing the final three games with a broken thumb.

Phillips has it all. From a physical standpoint, he has everything you want. He has excellent size and can match up with just about anyone in coverage. He also possesses the athleticism, quickness, and speed to fly around the field making plays. He is aggressive, active, and willing to do whatever it takes to get to the football. Phillips is a complete safety as he can attack the line of scrimmage in run support and make plays on the football in coverage. He has also earned All ACC honors for his success in the classroom, so he is getting it done off the field as well.

There is not much to dislike about Phillips’ game. He is a rare safety that can do it all and is a legit Top 10 pick. If you want to pick things apart, he can go for the big hit a little too often instead of making the safe play.

If Phillips declares this season, he is in all likelihood a Top 10 pick. He is a playmaker in the secondary, and has all the skills to develop into a perennial pro bowler.


I think this should be our #1 priority in next year's draft. Address DT in free agency. We're not going to get Dorsey as we won't draft high enough. Players like Briggs and Dansby are available LB in FA and I personally think that DJ has shown enough improvement (game to game this season) to be objective and say he's capable of playing MLB at a very high level.

Playing the best TE's in football means you have to have a safety and/or LB's that can cover. Adding Boss Bailey and Phillips would go a long way toward neutralizing the likes of Gates and Gonzalez.
__________________Phillips is dropping right now. and definety could use a Senior season. he is riding on hype right now. not that he isnt good. but he needs to go back for one more season.

[socalorado]

Phillips is dropping right now. and definety could use a Senior season. he is riding on hype right now. not that he isnt good. but he needs to go back for one more season.

ahh. i dont think Phillips wastes a chance at injury in college for a HUGE payday as a 1st rounder man. He's not dropping from what ive seen, and in this class, he will still fall no further than 16-17. He is VERY talented.

[eddie mac]

http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/features/freeagents/fa.php?option=All&y=2008

More detailed list of free-agents. A little out of date cos some players have left their old teams but quite comprehensive.