Interesting mock from this website.

[lex]

http://www.drafttek.com/round12009.asp

1. T. Cody, DT, Alabama
2. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
3. Caldwell, C, Alabama

[SoCalBronco]

I don't think Cody will go pro. He's also a much better fit for the 3-4 than the 4-3, although he would definitely help out in run defense regardless. Spiller doesn't fit what we do. He's a speed back. His teammate possesses the better vision and power and Denver values those characteristics more. Caldwell, would, however, be an excellent selection for Denver in Round 3. It would allow Hamilton to stay at LG, where he would be best, rather than moving to C.

[lex]

I don't think Cody will go pro. He's also a much better fit for the 3-4 than the 4-3, although he would definitely help out in run defense regardless. Spiller doesn't fit what we do. He's a speed back. His teammate possesses the better vision and power and Denver values those characteristics more. Caldwell, would, however, be an excellent selection for Denver in Round 3. It would allow Hamilton to stay at LG, where he would be best, rather than moving to C.

I dont think there is a specific set of traits that it could be said we value over all others. When you think about it, we let Mike Anderson walk clearing the way for Tatum Bell to become the starter. In the end Tatum was a fumbler though and was soon gone. Portis was amazingly productive in our system and he also relied heavily on speed. I actually think is explosiveness would be a big compliment to Torain, assuming Torain is what everyone hopes and also a big weapon for Jay.

I dont know what to make of Cody though. I guess I still see us as a 4-3 team going forward. Ive been viewing our flirtation with the 3-4 as desperation. I also like Mack in the 1st.

[SoCalBronco]

I dont know what to make of Cody though. I guess I still see us as a 4-3 team going forward. Ive been viewing our flirtation with the 3-4 as desperation. I also like Mack in the 1st.

I agree that its desperation, at least in the sense of trying to throw together as many looks as possible because we have to resort to smoke and mirrors since we can't do it straight up (it seems we can't do it with the mirrors either). In the final analysis, the 4-3 is the most appropriate defense. Our best player in the front is exclusively a 4-3 WLB. Our top two DTs are much better in the 4-3 than in the 3-4. I think Dumervil and Bailey are also better 4-3 types than the opposite.

Mack is a very good player, but how can OC be justified in the 1st when both DE spots, both S spots, MLB and probably also DT and SLB need to be addressed (well, perhaps not the latter, for political reasons) ASAP. I just can't justify it. I've never been a believer in the idea of BPA. It exists too much in the abstract, its not connected with reality. I think a balancing test is a better idea. You rank the needs and you rank who is available and how much they would help in each area against the priority. If we're in Round 2 and there's a second round grade S available, he will help the S position more, in consideration to what it was beforehand, than a first round grade OC will help the OL, in consideration to what it was beforehand, even if he is available in Round 2. I just can't justify Mack in Round 1 under any circumstances when the defense is in the shape that it is. In the 3rd round, maybe, especially if you have a good talent that slides there. Even there, between Caldwell and a decent defensive player at an area of need, I'll still probably go for the latter, even if Caldwell might be a slightly better prospect overall, but I would definitely consider him and it would be a good pick, as I noted earlier.

[BroncoMan4ever]

http://www.drafttek.com/round12009.asp

1. T. Cody, DT, Alabama
2. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
3. Caldwell, C, Alabama

i can't see us taking Cody in the first if Curry, Spikes and Maualuga are available.
and i don't see us taking a RB in the second unless we have already fixed our DE, and Safety positions in FA. Also i don't think Davis would be the guy we would take in the 2nd if we were to take a RB that early
no way are we taking an OT on the first day of the draft in round 3


i don't like a single thing about how that mock has us picking

[SoCalBronco]

i can't see us taking Cody in the first if Curry, Spikes and Maualuga are available.


I think people are going to be surprised this year when they don't see a MLB selected by Denver until at least Round 3. Shanahan has made the unusual statement that Woodyard will be a future starter at linebacker. A mere cursory look at the position reveals that it cannot be at his natural WLB spot because we have a pro bowl talent there on a long term deal, just hitting his prime. It cannot be on the strongside because even if Woodyard were to gain another 10 pounds or so, he'd still be too light for the position. It's by far the worst of the three positions for his frame. It just doesn't make sense and would be a huge weakness for the run defense. It has to be the middle. At around 235-240, he could make it work. It would still be on the light side, but it could work. This doesn't mean Shanahan will not continue to add to the talent at the position, to bring in competition as it were, but don't believe that he thinks its a priority up front. Not with his DEs getting their dicks stomped on in the dirt and with his safeties playing at a college level adequacy. It won't happen. It just won't.

[BroncoMan4ever]

I think people are going to be surprised this year when they don't see a MLB selected by Denver until at least Round 3. Shanahan has made the unusual statement that Woodyard will be a future starter at linebacker. A mere cursory look at the position reveals that it cannot be at his natural WLB spot because we have a pro bowl talent there on a long term deal, just hitting his prime. It cannot be on the strongside because even if Woodyard were to gain another 10 pounds or so, he'd still be too light for the position. It's by far the worst of the three positions for his frame. It just doesn't make sense and would be a huge weakness for the run defense. It has to be the middle. At around 235-240, he could make it work. It would still be on the light side, but it could work. This doesn't mean Shanahan will not continue to add to the talent at the position, to bring in competition as it were, but don't believe that he thinks its a priority up front. Not with his DEs getting their ***** stomped on in the dirt and with his safeties playing at a college level adequacy. It won't happen. It just won't.


he does have the motor, and tackling ability to be an upgrade at MLB. but with our man in the middle, i want a guy who doesn't just do his job, i want a field captain who gets his teammates pumped up for every play. i want them to put in a guy to be the heart of the defense. can Woodyard be that guy?

i also wonder did Shanahan say he would be an NFL starter at LB and did he say he would be a starter before DJ was resigned? because i remember him saying Woodyard would become a starter, but i always had a thought it would be at Safety. He was projected before the draft to be an NFL safety.

right now are defense has talented players, but no heart, no leader. DJ is a team captain but he isn't going to make anyone around him better in the way that Wilson did.

[lex]

i can't see us taking Cody in the first if Curry, Spikes and Maualuga are available.
and i don't see us taking a RB in the second unless we have already fixed our DE, and Safety positions in FA. Also i don't think Davis would be the guy we would take in the 2nd if we were to take a RB that early
no way are we taking an OT on the first day of the draft in round 3


i don't like a single thing about how that mock has us picking

I dont think Cody is especially realistic either but then I also dont think Shanahan has turned his back on the 4-3. Taking a DE is problematic in that it may take 2 years to know if we made a mistake and this is just after we took two DEs with our first 2 picks a couple of years ago.

[lex]

I agree that its desperation, at least in the sense of trying to throw together as many looks as possible because we have to resort to smoke and mirrors since we can't do it straight up (it seems we can't do it with the mirrors either). In the final analysis, the 4-3 is the most appropriate defense. Our best player in the front is exclusively a 4-3 WLB. Our top two DTs are much better in the 4-3 than in the 3-4. I think Dumervil and Bailey are also better 4-3 types than the opposite.

Mack is a very good player, but how can OC be justified in the 1st when both DE spots, both S spots, MLB and probably also DT and SLB need to be addressed (well, perhaps not the latter, for political reasons) ASAP. I just can't justify it. I've never been a believer in the idea of BPA. It exists too much in the abstract, its not connected with reality. I think a balancing test is a better idea. You rank the needs and you rank who is available and how much they would help in each area against the priority. If we're in Round 2 and there's a second round grade S available, he will help the S position more, in consideration to what it was beforehand, than a first round grade OC will help the OL, in consideration to what it was beforehand, even if he is available in Round 2. I just can't justify Mack in Round 1 under any circumstances when the defense is in the shape that it is. In the 3rd round, maybe, especially if you have a good talent that slides there. Even there, between Caldwell and a decent defensive player at an area of need, I'll still probably go for the latter, even if Caldwell might be a slightly better prospect overall, but I would definitely consider him and it would be a good pick, as I noted earlier.

I cant justify overdrafting on defense when the incompetence of our DC obscures what our true needs are. Having said that, Im not comfortobale with BPA either. Its more the term itself. I prefer Player of Greatest Utility to us. In that sense I could justify Mack. Having a stronger running game would help the consistency of the offense as well as the defense.

[bpc]

how much will people freak when we go offense in round 1?

[NFLBRONCO]

how much will people freak when we go offense in round 1?

I wouldn't we still need more help on offense.

[gyldenlove]

DT is not a bad pick, it would allow Thomas and Robertson to rotate more and use penetration more if we could keep them fresh and rotate in Powell and Cody.

Spiller is a luxury pick that we don't need, we should definitely go S or LB with that pick. Webster is nowhere near good enough to be a starting MLB and we have nothing at S.

Picking up an interior lineman doesn't seem that bright, we got Lichtensteiger last year who can be either C or G as we need. Wiegman has at least another season after this one so our need is not that pressing.

I would say all of our top 3 picks should be for defensive players. S, MLB and DL.

[nickademus]

now that Cody is hurt I doubt he will come out. as for Spiller why would we draft Selvin/Hall/Aldridge part 4? I seriously doubt we take a C in the first three rounds. As for not taking a MLB I wouldnt be shocked but that would mean was signed a new one like Crowder or someone else. I am all for starting to draft DL in the first few rounds more consistantly but I am not sure this is the draft to start as it is pretty stacked at lb and S both are possitions of need IMHO.

[BroncoMan4ever]

I wouldn't we still need more help on offense.

agreed, we have good starters, but no depth, no RB's worth a crap(still unsure of Torain and hope he becomes a beast for us) and injury prone TE's an aging slot receiver who is prone to injury.

[NFLBRONCO]

agreed, we have good starters, but no depth, no RB's worth a crap(still unsure of Torain and hope he becomes a beast for us) and injury prone TE's an aging slot receiver who is prone to injury.

If BS and Shef would miss 1 game here and there I would have not posted what I did. They seem to be out 2 or 3 weeks whenever they get a boo boo.
I think BS got his 10th concussion he might need to retire.

[nickademus]

I am not apposed to a WR in this draft but I really think the strength of this draft again lies with some of our biggest needs. when there are maybe two RBs in the draft that might be better than Torian I am not sure we will go that way. It seems to me that there are maybe two or three WRs that will go pretty high but there is a pretty steep fall after that. And other than OT shanny has never taken a high round G or C on the O line. Honestly I would be shocked if we went O in the first few rounds.

[eddie mac]

It's simple really.

Pat sat back last year and put quarter after quarter into this big glass jar entitled "Haynesworth". Come the end of March 2009 he's going to hand that jar and it's entire contents which includes "Walker's final 3 year salaries and Travis Henry's 2008 2nd tiered signing bonus" over to Albert and say "Welcome to Denver you big lifesaver".

The rest is gravy as they say. Well what I mean is we draft 2 safeties between Rds 1-4, a linebacker, a CB, a deep threat WR, OL depth, the yearly RB and so on.

Then Shanahan can decide if he wants to pay Robertson another $4m next year to battle Thomas for the other DT spot or cut his ass with no cap hit.

See the intriguing thing is for the first time in Denver Broncos natural history this team will have more cap room than it'll ever spend. Approx $32m or so which is only $6m off the team with the most cap room whilst teams like the Raiders/Jets and Skins will be battling to get under the cap.

The other thing working in Denver's favour is the fact we have no RFA's to tender, well why on earth would we re-sign Pears or Lowry.:D No players worth a franchise/transition tag either so that huge pile of dough will remain intact.

The only free-agents we have worth re-signing are arguably Pittman, Paymah and Webster. Then again if anyone has watched us play this year bringing any defensive player back on our field would be a brainfart bar DJ, Thomas or Champ.

So instead of pissing away major money on mid-low tier players this is the year we'll spend it on a top-tier one.

[SoCalBronco]

I cant justify overdrafting on defense when the incompetence of our DC obscures what our true needs are. Having said that, Im not comfortobale with BPA either. Its more the term itself. I prefer Player of Greatest Utility to us. In that sense I could justify Mack. Having a stronger running game would help the consistency of the offense as well as the defense.

Slowik may or may not be an incompetent DC. I tend to think that he is not incompetent despite his history. We are running the scheme that Shanahan has said fits us best and comports with what we had traditionally been running before Bates. That's not me making it up, its what Shanny said.

I really dont think its a scheme issue. We've also been trying a bunch of new wrinkles every week to try to figure out something that will give people trouble. Nothing appears to be working. It doesn't appear to be for lack of scheming. We're trying everything in the book. The general trend with the new wrinkles and stuff has been that we have usually held the opponent in check for like a quarter and change (JAX,SD,NO,KC) before they figure it out and it all goes to hell. The point is, we've tried to scheme. At some point, you can't make up for a large talent problem.

To be sure, a good coordinator can probably mask two or three dogs on the defense. Coyer did this a few years ago with the Tampa 2. We did not have rangy enough safeties to play a traditional two deep zone. We could not rely on Lynch or Fergy to be able to get to the three dead areas deep in time, so we cheated them past the hash to the sideline and dropped our athletic and speedy MLB back deeper to protect the even more exposed middle hole between the hashes. This is all fine and good when there's just a handful of guys you need to protect.

But how can anyone mask the deficiencies of like 8 of your 11 defenders? It's a task that just isn't humanly possible. It just isnt.

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.

People have been acting like "oh yeah, Denver is really stocking up on picks". We haven't. It's a colossal lie of the first degree. Denver's basically added another 5th and a 7th. Wow. Color me impressed. Not. We have not established any appreciable advantage in the draft department vis a vis our rivals in the conference. We've got all these problems and people are thinking its going to all get addressed satisfactorily in the draft when we're lacking the ammo to do it.

Then there's the argument about Haynesworth and stuff. Do you really think TEN will not franchise him? These guys don't hit the market. We could have all the money in the world, but the true A-caliber guys won't hit the market...either by voluntary agreement or by force.

Here's the bottom line: We don't have the horses and we don't have the ammo. We're sitting holding our ***** in our hands and pretending that we're going to sign this stud or that stud in this pie in the sky mentality. I don't get this place sometimes.

[NFLBRONCO]

Slowik may or may not be an incompetent DC. I tend to think that he is not incompetent despite his history. We are running the scheme that Shanahan has said fits us best and comports with what we had traditionally been running before Bates. That's not me making it up, its what Shanny said.

I really dont think its a scheme issue. We've also been trying a bunch of new wrinkles every week to try to figure out something that will give people trouble. Nothing appears to be working. It doesn't appear to be for lack of scheming. We're trying everything in the book. The general trend with the new wrinkles and stuff has been that we have usually held the opponent in check for like a quarter and change (JAX,SD,NO,KC) before they figure it out and it all goes to hell. The point is, we've tried to scheme. At some point, you can't make up for a large talent problem.

To be sure, a good coordinator can probably mask two or three dogs on the defense. Coyer did this a few years ago with the Tampa 2. We did not have rangy enough safeties to play a traditional two deep zone. We could not rely on Lynch or Fergy to be able to get to the three dead areas deep in time, so we cheated them past the hash to the sideline and dropped our athletic and speedy MLB back deeper to protect the even more exposed middle hole between the hashes. This is all fine and good when there's just a handful of guys you need to protect.

But how can anyone mask the deficiencies of like 8 of your 11 defenders? It's a task that just isn't humanly possible. It just isnt.

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.

People have been acting like "oh yeah, Denver is really stocking up on picks". We haven't. It's a colossal lie of the first degree. Denver's basically added another 5th and a 7th. Wow. Color me impressed. Not. We have not established any appreciable advantage in the draft department vis a vis our rivals in the conference. We've got all these problems and people are thinking its going to all get addressed satisfactorily in the draft when we're lacking the ammo to do it.

Then there's the argument about Haynesworth and stuff. Do you really think TEN will not franchise him? These guys don't hit the market. We could have all the money in the world, but the true A-caliber guys won't hit the market...either by voluntary agreement or by force.

Here's the bottom line: We don't have the horses and we don't have the ammo. We're sitting holding our ***** in our hands and pretending that we're going to sign this stud or that stud in this pie in the sky mentality. I don't get this place sometimes.


Great post SoCal you hit nail on the head. I do not buy Denver will sign a big name FA if one would even hit market. This rebuild will take a few solid drafts to get better.

[BroncoMan4ever]

Great post SoCal you hit nail on the head. I do not buy Denver will sign a big name FA if one would even hit market. This rebuild will take a few solid drafts to get better.

i don't buy that the team is rebuilding. I am thinking Shanahan is looking at his offense and thinking if he had a stud RB we would still be throwing up 30+ points a game
My theory is that Shanahan is not wanting to continue building through the draft. He sees what could be a dominant offense, and a defense in need of MLB, Safeties, and an all around DE and depth at corner and DT. Shanahan will be trying to get Bowlen to fork over big money for Haynesworth, Suggs or Peppers and then draft a MLB and draft Safeties or get at least one in FA.

If we continue to try and build through the draft I will be surprised. We may add depth, but next season's draft is just going to be used to get the defense playing capably, by getting off the field and get us ready to compete.

Shanahan isn't building for 2-3 years in the future, he is going to build for next season. He knows the team isn;t ready now, but he will expect a contender next season

[rugbythug]

Slowik may or may not be an incompetent DC. I tend to think that he is not incompetent despite his history. We are running the scheme that Shanahan has said fits us best and comports with what we had traditionally been running before Bates. That's not me making it up, its what Shanny said.

I really dont think its a scheme issue. We've also been trying a bunch of new wrinkles every week to try to figure out something that will give people trouble. Nothing appears to be working. It doesn't appear to be for lack of scheming. We're trying everything in the book. The general trend with the new wrinkles and stuff has been that we have usually held the opponent in check for like a quarter and change (JAX,SD,NO,KC) before they figure it out and it all goes to hell. The point is, we've tried to scheme. At some point, you can't make up for a large talent problem.

To be sure, a good coordinator can probably mask two or three dogs on the defense. Coyer did this a few years ago with the Tampa 2. We did not have rangy enough safeties to play a traditional two deep zone. We could not rely on Lynch or Fergy to be able to get to the three dead areas deep in time, so we cheated them past the hash to the sideline and dropped our athletic and speedy MLB back deeper to protect the even more exposed middle hole between the hashes. This is all fine and good when there's just a handful of guys you need to protect.

But how can anyone mask the deficiencies of like 8 of your 11 defenders? It's a task that just isn't humanly possible. It just isnt.

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.

People have been acting like "oh yeah, Denver is really stocking up on picks". We haven't. It's a colossal lie of the first degree. Denver's basically added another 5th and a 7th. Wow. Color me impressed. Not. We have not established any appreciable advantage in the draft department vis a vis our rivals in the conference. We've got all these problems and people are thinking its going to all get addressed satisfactorily in the draft when we're lacking the ammo to do it.

Then there's the argument about Haynesworth and stuff. Do you really think TEN will not franchise him? These guys don't hit the market. We could have all the money in the world, but the true A-caliber guys won't hit the market...either by voluntary agreement or by force.

Here's the bottom line: We don't have the horses and we don't have the ammo. We're sitting holding our ***** in our hands and pretending that we're going to sign this stud or that stud in this pie in the sky mentality. I don't get this place sometimes.

As Per Haynesworth last Contract he can not be franchised if he makes the Pro bowl. So he will hit the market and be the highest paid Defender ever.

[gyldenlove]

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.


Please not Brian Orakpo. On a good day he is Elvis Dumervil with Jarvis Moss size.

I do agree on Tyson Jackson, we need to get bigger at DE in my mind. I would like us to play a lot like the Ravens with 3 really big defensive linemen who can plug the line and then a hybrid like Dumervil (who would play the role of Suggs) who can move around and play some stand up and some hand down and move from side to side and line up wide. To do this we really need a big body DT (like Ngata) and a huge DE (like Pryce).

I think that would allow us to play our linebackers more conservatively so we can actually try to stop the run.

[mattob14]

It's simple really.

Pat sat back last year and put quarter after quarter into this big glass jar entitled "Haynesworth". Come the end of March 2009 he's going to hand that jar and it's entire contents which includes "Walker's final 3 year salaries and Travis Henry's 2008 2nd tiered signing bonus" over to Albert and say "Welcome to Denver you big lifesaver".

The rest is gravy as they say. Well what I mean is we draft 2 safeties between Rds 1-4, a linebacker, a CB, a deep threat WR, OL depth, the yearly RB and so on.

Then Shanahan can decide if he wants to pay Robertson another $4m next year to battle Thomas for the other DT spot or cut his ass with no cap hit.

See the intriguing thing is for the first time in Denver Broncos natural history this team will have more cap room than it'll ever spend. Approx $32m or so which is only $6m off the team with the most cap room whilst teams like the Raiders/Jets and Skins will be battling to get under the cap.

The other thing working in Denver's favour is the fact we have no RFA's to tender, well why on earth would we re-sign Pears or Lowry.:D No players worth a franchise/transition tag either so that huge pile of dough will remain intact.

The only free-agents we have worth re-signing are arguably Pittman, Paymah and Webster. Then again if anyone has watched us play this year bringing any defensive player back on our field would be a brainfart bar DJ, Thomas or Champ.

So instead of pissing away major money on mid-low tier players this is the year we'll spend it on a top-tier one.

Even if I don't agree, thank you to our resident cap expert for at least giving me a glimmer of hope Haynesworth will be wearing Orange and Blue next season.

If we signed Haynesworth, I'd love to see this draft:

1. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake- A natural SAM, he's got good size and athleticism, is strong in pass-coverage and can get after the QB on the blitz. He's also a playmaker, taking 3 INT's for TDs last year.

2. Patrick Chung, S, Oregon- Hard nosed, aggressive, athletic, and a solid tackler. In a year without William Moore or Taylor Mays, he's probably a 1st rounder.

3. Clinton McDonald, DE/DT, Memphis- He's big (6'3", 285), athletic (has been clocked in the 4.7's) and productive (7 sacks this year). He's also versatile enough to play DE in a base set or DT in pass-rush situations.

4. Derek Pegues, S, Miss St- Undersized, but a ball-hawk who has 11 career INTs, including 5 his junior year. He's a quality returner as well, with 5 career TDs (2 PRs and 3 INT returns).

5a. Brandon Tate, WR, UNC- He was coming on strong this year, before injury ended his season. Had he stayed healthy, had an outside shot at round 1. A big-play man who is also a quality returner. He could be a steal if he falls this far.

5b. Clay Matthews, LB, USC- He's been buried behind guys like Rivers, Maualuga, and Cushing, but he's a solid player in his own right. Can provide depth at both OLB positions and be a strong special teamer. He's a gamer, we need more of those on this D. He also brings some versatility if we continue to experiment with the 3-4.

6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian- Pick a RB, any RB. Shanahan likes to take a chance on unknown RBs, and Scott is a small-school player who put up over 2100 yards and 35 TDs last season. At 5'11", 225, he's got the build the team likes.

7a. Nate Longshore, QB, Cal- I wouldn't be surprised to see another QB picked late this year and Longshore has the physical talent to take a chance on. He has the size and tools, but the performance hasn't been there. This is a risk-reward pick.

7b. Josh Pinkard, S/CB, USC- I'll admit, I know nothing about him other than what socal has said. With the talent USC has at Safety, it's easy to get burried, so why not take a chance on a solid athlete with some versatility?

That draft would fill the D with experienced, productive players and hopefully bring some toughness to the unit. MLB wasn't addressed, as I feel Curry is the best LB in this class and was worth the 1st. I wanted to address Offense a little earlier too, but Curry and Chung are just too good to pass up and McDonald could be a nice piece for the DL. Finally, I'd love to pick up another pick in the 2nd-4th rounds and add one of the interior OL who should be available (Mack, Luigs, or Caldwell would be nice options at C) but the picks just aren't there right now.

[nickademus]

Even if I don't agree, thank you to our resident cap expert for at least giving me a glimmer of hope Haynesworth will be wearing Orange and Blue next season.

If we signed Haynesworth, I'd love to see this draft:

1. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake- A natural SAM, he's got good size and athleticism, is strong in pass-coverage and can get after the QB on the blitz. He's also a playmaker, taking 3 INT's for TDs last year.

2. Patrick Chung, S, Oregon- Hard nosed, aggressive, athletic, and a solid tackler. In a year without William Moore or Taylor Mays, he's probably a 1st rounder.

3. Clinton McDonald, DE/DT, Memphis- He's big (6'3", 285), athletic (has been clocked in the 4.7's) and productive (7 sacks this year). He's also versatile enough to play DE in a base set or DT in pass-rush situations.

4. Derek Pegues, S, Miss St- Undersized, but a ball-hawk who has 11 career INTs, including 5 his junior year. He's a quality returner as well, with 5 career TDs (2 PRs and 3 INT returns).

5a. Brandon Tate, WR, UNC- He was coming on strong this year, before injury ended his season. Had he stayed healthy, had an outside shot at round 1. A big-play man who is also a quality returner. He could be a steal if he falls this far.

5b. Clay Matthews, LB, USC- He's been buried behind guys like Rivers, Maualuga, and Cushing, but he's a solid player in his own right. Can provide depth at both OLB positions and be a strong special teamer. He's a gamer, we need more of those on this D. He also brings some versatility if we continue to experiment with the 3-4.

6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian- Pick a RB, any RB. Shanahan likes to take a chance on unknown RBs, and Scott is a small-school player who put up over 2100 yards and 35 TDs last season. At 5'11", 225, he's got the build the team likes.

7a. Nate Longshore, QB, Cal- I wouldn't be surprised to see another QB picked late this year and Longshore has the physical talent to take a chance on. He has the size and tools, but the performance hasn't been there. This is a risk-reward pick.

7b. Josh Pinkard, S/CB, USC- I'll admit, I know nothing about him other than what socal has said. With the talent USC has at Safety, it's easy to get burried, so why not take a chance on a solid athlete with some versatility?

That draft would fill the D with experienced, productive players and hopefully bring some toughness to the unit. MLB wasn't addressed, as I feel Curry is the best LB in this class and was worth the 1st. I wanted to address Offense a little earlier too, but Curry and Chung are just too good to pass up and McDonald could be a nice piece for the DL. Finally, I'd love to pick up another pick in the 2nd-4th rounds and add one of the interior OL who should be available (Mack, Luigs, or Caldwell would be nice options at C) but the picks just aren't there right now.

I love this plan!! Curry is a beast. if we were to go this route we should be able to afford a guy like Crowder or take another oft-injured guy like Peterson who is productive when healthy. I would love it but IMHO he will be to expensive but Vilma will also be there. So there will be options when it comes to filling out the D.

[eddie mac]

Slowik may or may not be an incompetent DC. I tend to think that he is not incompetent despite his history. We are running the scheme that Shanahan has said fits us best and comports with what we had traditionally been running before Bates. That's not me making it up, its what Shanny said.

I really dont think its a scheme issue. We've also been trying a bunch of new wrinkles every week to try to figure out something that will give people trouble. Nothing appears to be working. It doesn't appear to be for lack of scheming. We're trying everything in the book. The general trend with the new wrinkles and stuff has been that we have usually held the opponent in check for like a quarter and change (JAX,SD,NO,KC) before they figure it out and it all goes to hell. The point is, we've tried to scheme. At some point, you can't make up for a large talent problem.

To be sure, a good coordinator can probably mask two or three dogs on the defense. Coyer did this a few years ago with the Tampa 2. We did not have rangy enough safeties to play a traditional two deep zone. We could not rely on Lynch or Fergy to be able to get to the three dead areas deep in time, so we cheated them past the hash to the sideline and dropped our athletic and speedy MLB back deeper to protect the even more exposed middle hole between the hashes. This is all fine and good when there's just a handful of guys you need to protect.

But how can anyone mask the deficiencies of like 8 of your 11 defenders? It's a task that just isn't humanly possible. It just isnt.

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.

People have been acting like "oh yeah, Denver is really stocking up on picks". We haven't. It's a colossal lie of the first degree. Denver's basically added another 5th and a 7th. Wow. Color me impressed. Not. We have not established any appreciable advantage in the draft department vis a vis our rivals in the conference. We've got all these problems and people are thinking its going to all get addressed satisfactorily in the draft when we're lacking the ammo to do it.

Then there's the argument about Haynesworth and stuff. Do you really think TEN will not franchise him? These guys don't hit the market. We could have all the money in the world, but the true A-caliber guys won't hit the market...either by voluntary agreement or by force.
Here's the bottom line: We don't have the horses and we don't have the ammo. We're sitting holding our ***** in our hands and pretending that we're going to sign this stud or that stud in this pie in the sky mentality. I don't get this place sometimes.

Apparently Haynesworth, Suggs and Peppers all have agreements in place that they wont be franchised this offseason. Haynesworth has to meet one of four categories with Pro Bowl selection being the hardest of them, 50% playing time was another I believe.

Secondly the Titans are cheap and have been since their team went into cap hell 3-4 seasons ago. They only cleared their books in 2006-07, plus the fact if they dont give Kyle Vandenbosch a huge extension before this season ends his deal voids as well.

The Ravens have a host of top free agents including 3/4 of the best linebacking core in football. Lewis and Scott are both UFA's.

Carolina also has to sort out deals and decide who they tag between Gross and Gamble. So IMHO at least 2 of the 3 mentioned above will hit the market and I think we'll get one of them.

The Broncos are in cap and contract heaven because Bowlen knew the CBA was going boobies up, hence our change in rookie contracts from 2006 when we started giving every single rookie a 4 year deal instead of 3 knowing full well if the CBA ever collapsed those players wouldn't see FA until they'd had 6 accredited seasons under their belt.

Smart man eh.

[NFLBRONCO]

i don't buy that the team is rebuilding. I am thinking Shanahan is looking at his offense and thinking if he had a stud RB we would still be throwing up 30+ points a game
My theory is that Shanahan is not wanting to continue building through the draft. He sees what could be a dominant offense, and a defense in need of MLB, Safeties, and an all around DE and depth at corner and DT. Shanahan will be trying to get Bowlen to fork over big money for Haynesworth, Suggs or Peppers and then draft a MLB and draft Safeties or get at least one in FA.

If we continue to try and build through the draft I will be surprised. We may add depth, but next season's draft is just going to be used to get the defense playing capably, by getting off the field and get us ready to compete.

Shanahan isn't building for 2-3 years in the future, he is going to build for next season. He knows the team isn;t ready now, but he will expect a contender next season

Great Post


I think it is rebuilding as of today. If Denver dives into FA harder then I expect then your 100% correct. I thought Denver got soured on big name FA's.

[eddie mac]

Great Post


I think it is rebuilding as of today. If Denver dives into FA harder then I expect then your 100% correct. I thought Denver got soured on big name FA's.

They got soured on mid-tier ones who they overpaid. Haynesworth/Peppers or indeed Suggs are way above the level of any FA the Broncos have signed in a long time.

The only big name FA we've landed in the last few years has been Daniel Graham and he was brought in as an OT basically until we found a stud like Clady.

[mattob14]

I love this plan!! Curry is a beast. if we were to go this route we should be able to afford a guy like Crowder or take another oft-injured guy like Peterson who is productive when healthy. I would love it but IMHO he will be to expensive but Vilma will also be there. So there will be options when it comes to filling out the D.

Yeah, there's some options at MLB and I wouldn't mind a veteran Safety either. Someone like Mike Brown should come cheap due to injury and could provide some leadership. The one thing I really like about going this route is we'd add an impact player at each level with Haynesworth, Curry, and Chung. The D should be improved in 2009 and has the potential to be very good as early as 2010.

[nickademus]

I feel like we need to put a decent D together before champ bolts. I figure if we dont get a RB early in this draft than we will almost definately get one in the next draft and also in that draft if we dont take a CB or hit with one of our later round CB's then we will be even more thin as champ will be what 32-33? IF we play our cards right and get a little lucky they way the Offence has we should end up with one of the better Ds in the league, but then again Shanny and co have yet to draft top shelf talent for the D so I prey the Goodman's are up to the job.

[lex]

Slowik may or may not be an incompetent DC. I tend to think that he is not incompetent despite his history. We are running the scheme that Shanahan has said fits us best and comports with what we had traditionally been running before Bates. That's not me making it up, its what Shanny said.

I really dont think its a scheme issue. We've also been trying a bunch of new wrinkles every week to try to figure out something that will give people trouble. Nothing appears to be working. It doesn't appear to be for lack of scheming. We're trying everything in the book. The general trend with the new wrinkles and stuff has been that we have usually held the opponent in check for like a quarter and change (JAX,SD,NO,KC) before they figure it out and it all goes to hell. The point is, we've tried to scheme. At some point, you can't make up for a large talent problem.

To be sure, a good coordinator can probably mask two or three dogs on the defense. Coyer did this a few years ago with the Tampa 2. We did not have rangy enough safeties to play a traditional two deep zone. We could not rely on Lynch or Fergy to be able to get to the three dead areas deep in time, so we cheated them past the hash to the sideline and dropped our athletic and speedy MLB back deeper to protect the even more exposed middle hole between the hashes. This is all fine and good when there's just a handful of guys you need to protect.

But how can anyone mask the deficiencies of like 8 of your 11 defenders? It's a task that just isn't humanly possible. It just isnt.

At this time, we lack the picks to do what needs to be done. At DE, we need both a guy like Orakpo who can rush the passer from the weak DE spot, and we could also really use a guy like Tyson Jackson for the strong DE spot (he's big enough actually to even be a 4-3 DT) that can be a true force at the point of attack vs. the run. We also need at least one real nice safety. Rashad Johnson from Alabama would be great in say the 2nd round. One more high caliber DT is needed (i.e. talent level no worse than a 2nd round level DT). Without even addressing the LB position, I've already mentioned four areas that need to be addressed in the first TWO rounds. Yet, we don't have four picks in those rounds.

People have been acting like "oh yeah, Denver is really stocking up on picks". We haven't. It's a colossal lie of the first degree. Denver's basically added another 5th and a 7th. Wow. Color me impressed. Not. We have not established any appreciable advantage in the draft department vis a vis our rivals in the conference. We've got all these problems and people are thinking its going to all get addressed satisfactorily in the draft when we're lacking the ammo to do it.

Then there's the argument about Haynesworth and stuff. Do you really think TEN will not franchise him? These guys don't hit the market. We could have all the money in the world, but the true A-caliber guys won't hit the market...either by voluntary agreement or by force.

Here's the bottom line: We don't have the horses and we don't have the ammo. We're sitting holding our ***** in our hands and pretending that we're going to sign this stud or that stud in this pie in the sky mentality. I don't get this place sometimes.


The better question is how does one expect 8/11 players to mask our horrific DC? Its hard to tell how bad those 8 guys are when your DC is as bad as Slowik. And when his blitzes are repeatedly undermined by his ridiculous cushions...and you allegedly have one of the best tandem of cover corners in the leage, theres a scheme problem. Denver can come out in a 3-8 or a 2-9 if they want and it wont change that Slowik has problems scheming.

[BroncoMan4ever]

Even if I don't agree, thank you to our resident cap expert for at least giving me a glimmer of hope Haynesworth will be wearing Orange and Blue next season.

If we signed Haynesworth, I'd love to see this draft:

1. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake- A natural SAM, he's got good size and athleticism, is strong in pass-coverage and can get after the QB on the blitz. He's also a playmaker, taking 3 INT's for TDs last year.

2. Patrick Chung, S, Oregon- Hard nosed, aggressive, athletic, and a solid tackler. In a year without William Moore or Taylor Mays, he's probably a 1st rounder.

3. Clinton McDonald, DE/DT, Memphis- He's big (6'3", 285), athletic (has been clocked in the 4.7's) and productive (7 sacks this year). He's also versatile enough to play DE in a base set or DT in pass-rush situations.

4. Derek Pegues, S, Miss St- Undersized, but a ball-hawk who has 11 career INTs, including 5 his junior year. He's a quality returner as well, with 5 career TDs (2 PRs and 3 INT returns).

5a. Brandon Tate, WR, UNC- He was coming on strong this year, before injury ended his season. Had he stayed healthy, had an outside shot at round 1. A big-play man who is also a quality returner. He could be a steal if he falls this far.

5b. Clay Matthews, LB, USC- He's been buried behind guys like Rivers, Maualuga, and Cushing, but he's a solid player in his own right. Can provide depth at both OLB positions and be a strong special teamer. He's a gamer, we need more of those on this D. He also brings some versatility if we continue to experiment with the 3-4.

6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian- Pick a RB, any RB. Shanahan likes to take a chance on unknown RBs, and Scott is a small-school player who put up over 2100 yards and 35 TDs last season. At 5'11", 225, he's got the build the team likes.

7a. Nate Longshore, QB, Cal- I wouldn't be surprised to see another QB picked late this year and Longshore has the physical talent to take a chance on. He has the size and tools, but the performance hasn't been there. This is a risk-reward pick.

7b. Josh Pinkard, S/CB, USC- I'll admit, I know nothing about him other than what socal has said. With the talent USC has at Safety, it's easy to get burried, so why not take a chance on a solid athlete with some versatility?

That draft would fill the D with experienced, productive players and hopefully bring some toughness to the unit. MLB wasn't addressed, as I feel Curry is the best LB in this class and was worth the 1st. I wanted to address Offense a little earlier too, but Curry and Chung are just too good to pass up and McDonald could be a nice piece for the DL. Finally, I'd love to pick up another pick in the 2nd-4th rounds and add one of the interior OL who should be available (Mack, Luigs, or Caldwell would be nice options at C) but the picks just aren't there right now.


i like the Curry pick but i want a MLB(he plays both OLB and ILB but is more natural at OLB). drafting a SAM doesn't do crap because this defense is married to Boss until we get Champ re-signed long term.
I would rather draft a SAM later in the draft for depth and to be able to play Special Teams and step in if/when Boss gets injured.

I am hoping we draft Spikes in the 1st

[BroncoMan4ever]

They got soured on mid-tier ones who they overpaid. Haynesworth/Peppers or indeed Suggs are way above the level of any FA the Broncos have signed in a long time.

The only big name FA we've landed in the last few years has been Daniel Graham and he was brought in as an OT basically until we found a stud like Clady.

exactly. Bowlen doesn't want to burn anymore money on over the hill/reclamation projects/bad character/stop gap FA's anymore. But I am sure for a top tier can't miss FA, he would have no problem tossing out big money.

[mattob14]

i like the Curry pick but i want a MLB(he plays both OLB and ILB but is more natural at OLB). drafting a SAM doesn't do crap because this defense is married to Boss until we get Champ re-signed long term.
I would rather draft a SAM later in the draft for depth and to be able to play Special Teams and step in if/when Boss gets injured.

I am hoping we draft Spikes in the 1st

With Boss getting microfracture, we better not be married to him. Curry should be the best LB on the board and is a playmaker. I like Spikes too, but would rather have Curry.

[lex]

exactly. Bowlen doesn't want to burn anymore money on over the hill/reclamation projects/bad character/stop gap FA's anymore. But I am sure for a top tier can't miss FA, he would have no problem tossing out big money.

Yeah, its better to just spend the money and get Peppers or Suggs rather than overpay for some second or third tier player and hope theyre Suggs or Peppers.

[TheChamp24]

Am I the only one that saw in that mock that Rey Maualuga was picked 5 spots after our pick?
As for selectin offense, I wouldn't be opposed if it was an OG or RB. That said, I don't think RB will be looked at very well in the draft.

[nickademus]

yea I jsut dont think we are gonna go RB high in this draft we take one almost every year but usually its a late round project for coach turner.

[BroncoMan4ever]

yea I jsut dont think we are gonna go RB high in this draft we take one almost every year but usually its a late round project for coach turner.

we all know, everyone in the league knows, Turner can turn a turd into a gem for a season or 2. I would like to see Turner get a gem and turn it into a diamond.

[nickademus]

I am now fully on the we need a RB bandwagon!!!!

[lex]

1 Alex Mack C
2 Patrick Chung S
2 C.J. Spiller RB 2010 1st
2 Darry Beckwith MLB Dumervil
3 B.J. Raji DT
4 David Bruton S
5 Tony Carter CB
5 Jacoby Ford WR
6 Paul Fanaika OG
6 Brandon Swain DE Winborn
7 Davon Drew TE
7 Mike Reilly QB


Playing off of SoCalBroncos theme, I put together a mock aimed at improving the running game and the defense. I denoted how the pick was acquired in the right margin. Additionally, I would go sign Peppers or Suggs in FA. Flame away.

The depth chart should look something like this:

QB: Cutler/Ramsey
RB: Spiller/Torain/Pittman
FB: Hillis
TE: Graham/Scheffler
LT: Clady/Palumbo
LG: Hamilton/Lichtensteiger/Faniaka
C: Mack/Wiegman/Lichtensteiger
RG: Kuper/Lichtensteiger
RT: Harris/Palumbo

DE: Peppers/Crowder
DE: Moss/Ekuban
DT: Thomas/Powell
DT: Robertson/Raji
SLB: Bailey/Woodyard
MLB: Beckwith/Webster
WLB: Williams/Woodyard
CB: Bailey/Paymah/Carter
CB: Bly/Williams/Carter
S: Chung/Barrett
S: Bruton/Barrett

[TheChamp24]

1 Alex Mack C
2 Patrick Chung S
2 C.J. Spiller RB 2010 1st
2 Darry Beckwith MLB Dumervil
3 B.J. Raji DT
4 David Bruton S
5 Tony Carter CB
5 Jacoby Ford WR
6 Paul Fanaika OG
6 Brandon Swain DE Winborn
7 Davon Drew TE
7 Mike Reilly QB


Playing off of SoCalBroncos theme, I put together a mock aimed at improving the running game and the defense. I denoted how the pick was acquired in the right margin. Additionally, I would go sign Peppers or Suggs in FA. Flame away.

The depth chart should look something like this:

QB: Cutler/Ramsey
RB: Spiller/Torain/Pittman
FB: Hillis
TE: Graham/Scheffler
LT: Clady/Palumbo
LG: Hamilton/Lichtensteiger/Faniaka
C: Mack/Wiegman/Lichtensteiger
RG: Kuper/Lichtensteiger
RT: Harris/Palumbo

DE: Peppers/Crowder
DE: Moss/Ekuban
DT: Thomas/Powell
DT: Robertson/Raji
SLB: Bailey/Woodyard
MLB: Beckwith/Webster
WLB: Williams/Woodyard
CB: Bailey/Paymah/Carter
CB: Bly/Williams/Carter
S: Chung/Barrett
S: Bruton/Barrett

I think it would be very dumb to trade away a future 1st for a RB in round 2. If we get a DE like Peppers, then I would welcome trading Dumervil for a 2nd.
Also, taking a Center in the 1st round doesn't make sense with where we will be picking. Guard, maybe.

[lex]

I think it would be very dumb to trade away a future 1st for a RB in round 2. If we get a DE like Peppers, then I would welcome trading Dumervil for a 2nd.
Also, taking a Center in the 1st round doesn't make sense with where we will be picking. Guard, maybe.

Why would it be dumb?

[TheChamp24]

Why would it be dumb?

Why? Because I don't see us doing anything next year, so we'll be picking in the teens again most likely, and that would put us in position to get a real good RB if we need it.

I think trading up to select a RB isn't exactly a smart move because of the fact there are so many RB's out there now that could succeed for us. I mean, its like paying $20 for a $5 burger. There's no need to pay that much for it.

[lex]

Why? Because I don't see us doing anything next year, so we'll be picking in the teens again most likely, and that would put us in position to get a real good RB if we need it.

I think trading up to select a RB isn't exactly a smart move because of the fact there are so many RB's out there now that could succeed for us. I mean, its like paying $20 for a $5 burger. There's no need to pay that much for it.



Its not like that at all. This approach is what has left people wanting a running back. This "we can plug anyone in there" concept is one thats novelty is wearing off. If you can get an explosive playmaker in the backfield, its justifiable, especially if everyone who can turn pro does.

[chaz]

Its not like that at all. This approach is what has left people wanting a running back. This "we can plug anyone in there" concept is one thats novelty is wearing off. If you can get an explosive playmaker in the backfield, its justifiable, especially if everyone who can turn pro does.

we're in the top ten in yards/rush but bottom ten in rushes/game....its not the players

[lex]

we're in the top ten in yards/rush but bottom ten in rushes/game....its not the players

The reason we are in the top ten yards/rush is because we are in the bottom ten in rushes/game. If you see the rushes/game increase, you'll most definitely see the yards/rush go down. But the reason the yards per rush is high is because we pass it a lot and also because we have a QB who has the arm strength to spread out the defense. However, if we had a better running game, we would be running more. The lack of a running game is a big reason for the inconcistencies on offense over the past few weeks. And along those lines, we have been trying to get by with bargain basement running backs. I like some of them but their aversion to talent at RB doesnt make a lot of sense. Its minimizing what should be a strength...same with interior OLine. I like Kuper but aside from that, I think we could upgrade.

[socalorado]

Even if I don't agree, thank you to our resident cap expert for at least giving me a glimmer of hope Haynesworth will be wearing Orange and Blue next season.

If we signed Haynesworth, I'd love to see this draft:

1. Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake- A natural SAM, he's got good size and athleticism, is strong in pass-coverage and can get after the QB on the blitz. He's also a playmaker, taking 3 INT's for TDs last year.

2. Patrick Chung, S, Oregon- Hard nosed, aggressive, athletic, and a solid tackler. In a year without William Moore or Taylor Mays, he's probably a 1st rounder.

3. Clinton McDonald, DE/DT, Memphis- He's big (6'3", 285), athletic (has been clocked in the 4.7's) and productive (7 sacks this year). He's also versatile enough to play DE in a base set or DT in pass-rush situations.

4. Derek Pegues, S, Miss St- Undersized, but a ball-hawk who has 11 career INTs, including 5 his junior year. He's a quality returner as well, with 5 career TDs (2 PRs and 3 INT returns).

5a. Brandon Tate, WR, UNC- He was coming on strong this year, before injury ended his season. Had he stayed healthy, had an outside shot at round 1. A big-play man who is also a quality returner. He could be a steal if he falls this far.

5b. Clay Matthews, LB, USC- He's been buried behind guys like Rivers, Maualuga, and Cushing, but he's a solid player in his own right. Can provide depth at both OLB positions and be a strong special teamer. He's a gamer, we need more of those on this D. He also brings some versatility if we continue to experiment with the 3-4.

6. Bernard Scott, RB, Abilene Christian- Pick a RB, any RB. Shanahan likes to take a chance on unknown RBs, and Scott is a small-school player who put up over 2100 yards and 35 TDs last season. At 5'11", 225, he's got the build the team likes.

7a. Nate Longshore, QB, Cal- I wouldn't be surprised to see another QB picked late this year and Longshore has the physical talent to take a chance on. He has the size and tools, but the performance hasn't been there. This is a risk-reward pick.

7b. Josh Pinkard, S/CB, USC- I'll admit, I know nothing about him other than what socal has said. With the talent USC has at Safety, it's easy to get burried, so why not take a chance on a solid athlete with some versatility?

That draft would fill the D with experienced, productive players and hopefully bring some toughness to the unit. MLB wasn't addressed, as I feel Curry is the best LB in this class and was worth the 1st. I wanted to address Offense a little earlier too, but Curry and Chung are just too good to pass up and McDonald could be a nice piece for the DL. Finally, I'd love to pick up another pick in the 2nd-4th rounds and add one of the interior OL who should be available (Mack, Luigs, or Caldwell would be nice options at C) but the picks just aren't there right now.

If this happened i would be so impressed i would $h!t outta my mouth!
Right outta my mouth!
Man, that is a sweet draft.
I would rather get Spikes in the 1st though. but i think he will be the 1st LB off the board now, so REY REY or Curry would be great!
Also, i wold rather have FS Rashad Johnson ALABAMA instead of Pegues.
Also Ramses Barden at WR CAL-POLY. Huge steal.

[mattob14]

If this happened i would be so impressed i would $h!t outta my mouth!
Right outta my mouth!
Man, that is a sweet draft.
I would rather get Spikes in the 1st though. but i think he will be the 1st LB off the board now, so REY REY or Curry would be great!
Also, i wold rather have FS Rashad Johnson ALABAMA instead of Pegues.
Also Ramses Barden at WR CAL-POLY. Huge steal.

Then for your sake, I hope it doesn't happen!

Johnson would definitely be better than Pegues, but right now he seems to be more of a 2nd-3rd rounder than a 4th round prospect. Barden would be great too, and I'd be happy grabbing him in the 5th. Tate is my preference here primarily because I think he complements our existing WRs a little better than Barden.

As for Curry or Spikes, I'm happy either way. Both are productive, active playmakers who would provide a big lift to our front-7. Curry's pass coverage and big-play abilities are sorely needed at the moment though.

[BroncoMan4ever]

I like Curry and would be ok with the pick but i would rather get Spikes. This team needs a stud in the middle of the defense leading the other 10 guys on defense. i know we need a SAM and Curry is a damn good one, but i just have the feeling he would not be used as much as he should considering Boss is here until we get Champ resigned.

My thinking is if we draft a SAM in the 1st but he might not play enough to make a good contribution, because the team is trying to keep Boss happy by having him continue to start and see the bulk of the defensive snaps when he is not injured so that Champ sees that we took care of his brother and he wants to stay in Denver.

[mattob14]

I like Curry and would be ok with the pick but i would rather get Spikes. This team needs a stud in the middle of the defense leading the other 10 guys on defense. i know we need a SAM and Curry is a damn good one, but i just have the feeling he would not be used as much as he should considering Boss is here until we get Champ resigned.

My thinking is if we draft a SAM in the 1st but he might not play enough to make a good contribution, because the team is trying to keep Boss happy by having him continue to start and see the bulk of the defensive snaps when he is not injured so that Champ sees that we took care of his brother and he wants to stay in Denver.

Well, that should still leave around 80% of the snaps to Curry, so we should be fine.

Honestly, with Boss needing microfracture, I'm not counting on him returning next season, making SAM nearly as big a need as MIKE.

[rastaman]

how much will people freak when we go offense in round 1?

I wouldn't mind b/c here of late when Shanny drafts skilled offensive players he's done great! However, where I don't want to see Shanny picking in the
1st and second rounds are Defensive players.....Shanahan really sucks in that area.

With they type of GM the Broncos have, when it comes to addressing the Defense in the draft, the Broncos need to sign players with a proven track record both on and off the field in FA! Sure its going to cost a bundle to sign a player like Carolina's Julius Peppers but hey thats the price of FA; you are either a serious player ready to committ or you're not when it comes to FA. Also, Denver needs to go after the Ravens Safety--Laundry as well. This will at least give Denver two experienced impact players to fill voids at two positions they really need.

[nickademus]

how much will people freak when we go offense in round 1?

IF we have filled MLB and DL through FA then I wont really care as long as we arn't drafting a C with that pick. so that means just say no to Alex Mack. If we are picking around 18-22 I could see Moreno or one of the MLBs if they fall. what will piss me off is if we end this draft without Patrick Chung. Yea the man crush is complete I watched all his game film yesterday (slow ass day at work) and that guy would start on 3/4 of the league right now not to mention the freaking Broncos D.

[lex]

IF we have filled MLB and DL through FA then I wont really care as long as we arn't drafting a C with that pick. so that means just say no to Alex Mack. If we are picking around 18-22 I could see Moreno or one of the MLBs if they fall. what will piss me off is if we end this draft without Patrick Chung. Yea the man crush is complete I watched all his game film yesterday (slow ass day at work) and that guy would start on 3/4 of the league right now not to mention the freaking Broncos D.

Chung would be a good get but there are other quality Ss too. Rashad Johnson, Courtney Green, and David Bruton are also good prospects. I dont think either of them are as well rounded though. Maybe we could get Green as a thumper and Bruton as a ballhawk.

[socalorado]

Chung would be a good get but there are other quality Ss too. Rashad Johnson, Courtney Green, and David Bruton are also good prospects. I dont think either of them are as well rounded though. Maybe we could get Green as a thumper and Bruton as a ballhawk.

DENs priority in the 2nd is to get Chung. He is NFL ready right now.
He has all the tools and would be a plug and play guy.
If he is gone through the top half of the 2nd and DEN doesnt make a play to move up in the 2nd, OR! if he has been taken in the 1st, then theres a really good chance that Rolle will have slipped down to the 2nd, and i would hope DEN would go after him. or Rashad Johnson. he is a really smart player who could come in ruight away and make an impact in DEN. i would really like him to be there in the 3rd or 4th. BAMA is going to have a really good run on D players 2 drafts from now.

[lex]

DENs priority in the 2nd is to get Chung. He is NFL ready right now.
He has all the tools and would be a plug and play guy.
If he is gone through the top half of the 2nd and DEN doesnt make a play to move up in the 2nd, OR! if he has been taken in the 1st, then theres a really good chance that Rolle will have slipped down to the 2nd, and i would hope DEN would go after him. or Rashad Johnson. he is a really smart player who could come in ruight away and make an impact in DEN. i would really like him to be there in the 3rd or 4th. BAMA is going to have a really good run on D players 2 drafts from now.

You have to also look at it in terms of who would improve the team. I dont question that Chung would improve the team. But I also wouldnt doubt other guys like the ones I mentioned improving the team also. BTW, I think Rashad Johnson just improved his draft stock today...and I have been seeing him as slotted to go in the 3rd. Also, Im not really interested in Rolle. He's a good player but I dont think he is worth a 1st and I dont want to move up to get him in the 2nd.

[nickademus]

I would not be suprised if Chung played his way into the first it would piss me off but it wouldnt shock me. There are other guys out there who would be an upgrade to what whe have Chung just seems to provide such a solid answer its hard not to fixate.

[lex]

I would not be suprised if Chung played his way into the first it would piss me off but it wouldnt shock me. There are other guys out there who would be an upgrade to what whe have Chung just seems to provide such a solid answer its hard not to fixate.

Every year, theres speculation of several guys who might possibly go in the first. That list of guys might be 50 or more. The only thing is, there can only be 32 guys going in the first. Yeah, its easy to look at a lot of guys and imagine a scenario where they could go in the first. But its only going to be a reality for 32 guys.

[lex]

I hate this one:

http://www.drafttek.com/round42009.asp

1. James Laurinaitis, MLB
2. Javon Ringer, RB
3. Ricky Jean-Francois, DT
4. Jeff Fitzgerald, DE

BTW, they have Patrick Chung going at the end of the 4th.

[SoCalBronco]

I have my heart set on Rashad Johnson in the 2nd. The 1st is problematic. On one hand, I am hoping for Orakpo to help out at DE. On the other hand, the offense is so close to being a monster, I'm thinking that perhaps lex's old "arms race" theory might justify going for a big time back there.

There's just so many areas crying out to be addressed. It's a shame that Shanny has done a poor job accumulating picks, because we can't address what needs to be addressed. This has been the one, consistent failure of biblical proportions from Shanny during his tenure, here.

[SoCalBronco]

I hate this one:

http://www.drafttek.com/round42009.asp

1. James Laurinaitis, MLB
2. Javon Ringer, RB
3. Ricky Jean-Francois, DT
4. Jeff Fitzgerald, DE

BTW, they have Patrick Chung going at the end of the 4th.

Jean-Francois would be a great get in the 3rd. He has alot of upside. He just scratched the surface in the title game last year. He isn't having a super year this year, but he would be a fine get for this club.

It killed me that his incredibly poor grades prevented him from attending Miami.

[lex]

I have my heart set on Rashad Johnson in the 2nd. The 1st is problematic. On one hand, I am hoping for Orakpo to help out at DE. On the other hand, the offense is so close to being a monster, I'm thinking that perhaps lex's old "arms race" theory might justify going for a big time back there.

There's just so many areas crying out to be addressed. It's a shame that Shanny has done a poor job accumulating picks, because we can't address what needs to be addressed. This has been the one, consistent failure of biblical proportions from Shanny during his tenure, here.

Rashad Johnson is a good player. What RB would you say we could justify taking with a high pick?

[chaz]

are we going to be getting compensatory picks this year?

[SoCalBronco]

Rashad Johnson is a good player. What RB would you say we could justify taking with a high pick?

If we go about 8-8 and are around 16 and Wells is somehow there, there would be sufficient justification in my view to take the plunge. There might even be justification to go with Moreno at that spot, although its a closer question. I like James Davis as well, but I could not justify a pick in the area of 15-18 for him.

[TheChamp24]

With where I think we'll end up picking, between 16-22, I think that puts us in a borderline position to be taking a RB because Wells will be gone by then, and then it depends on the underclassmen declaring.
With Moreno, I haven't seen him play, but I have heard iffy things about him, like he doesn't perform well against good defenses. Although he tore up LSU this year, so I don't know how far that goes.

And stock pile picks? What, make a plethora of trades just to get draft picks? Seriously?

[lex]

With where I think we'll end up picking, between 16-22, I think that puts us in a borderline position to be taking a RB because Wells will be gone by then, and then it depends on the underclassmen declaring.
With Moreno, I haven't seen him play, but I have heard iffy things about him, like he doesn't perform well against good defenses. Although he tore up LSU this year, so I don't know how far that goes.

And stock pile picks? What, make a plethora of trades just to get draft picks? Seriously?

Theres a lot of value in the 2nd but I could also justify taking Spikes, Maualuga, or even Taylor Mays in the first. But again, I really wish we would sign Suggs or Peppers. Doing so would make us less of a liability against the run and would make Dumervil expendable. I think we could get a 2nd for him because there are teams with other things in order who would like a guy that averages over 10 sacks a season on a team that struggles against the run.

[elsid13]

Rashad Johnson is a good player. What RB would you say we could justify taking with a high pick?

I don't know if he coming out but LSU Charles Scott (JR) is really catching my eye. He as big as Wells and has better speed. I like his balance and way he runs with his pads down.

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[elsid13]

Some more highlights - watch the cuts, vision and feet

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[Inkana7]

Rey Rey would improve our Front 7 overnight.

[lex]

I don't know if he coming out but LSU Charles Scott (JR) is really catching my eye. He as big as Wells and has better speed. I like his balance and way he runs with his pads down.

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What round do you think he would go in and where would you justify us taking him?

[lex]

Rey Rey would improve our Front 7 overnight.

So would a number of guys.

[elsid13]

What round do you think he would go in and where would you justify us taking him?

I see him as mid 2nd. But he might be one of those guys that moves up the charts after the combine. I really do think he is the best RB in SEC.

Most draft sites have in the low 3rd to 4th range.

[lex]

I see him as mid 2nd. But he might be one of those guys that moves up the charts after the combine. I really do think he is the best RB in SEC.

Most draft sites have in the low 3rd to 4th range.

Do you think there is a big difference between him and Shonn Greene?

[elsid13]

Do you think there is a big difference between him and Shonn Greene?

I haven't seen enough of Greene to form an educated opinion who's better. My gut goes with Scott because of who he excelling against. He playing against NFL type speed and power in the SEC, while Green has the Big 10.

[lex]

I haven't seen enough of Greene to form an educated opinion who's better. My gut goes with Scott because of who he excelling against. He playing against NFL type speed and power in the SEC, while Green has the Big 10.


Yeah, ok but if Scott isnt THAT much better than a similar player, would you still take him in the 2nd if that other player would be available the next round?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrWZwH9VVJU

[elsid13]

Yeah, ok but if Scott isnt THAT much better than a similar player, would you still take him in the 2nd if that other player would be available the next round?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrWZwH9VVJU

Right now, I can not say if they are close. The other thing I like with Scott is he can catch the ball. I really liked Torain last year before we drafted him and Mike Bell the year before. Both I thought would be successful in ZBS system. I think Scott has ability to be very special player in NFL and would dominate in Denver. And in the 2nd or 3rd would be great bargain.

[lex]

Right now, I can not say if they are close. The other thing I like with Scott is he can catch the ball. I really liked Torain last year before we drafted him and Mike Bell the year before. Both I thought would be successful in ZBS system. I think Scott has ability to be very special player in NFL and would dominate in Denver. And in the 2nd or 3rd would be great bargain.

What gives? We drafted Torain. I hated the Torain pick. I wasnt that impressed with him in college when I watched him. It was a wasted pick. I like Shonn Greene and actually, your guy, Scott, far more than I liked Torain. But we drafted Torain and have to live with that. The guy I want them to draft is Spiller. We already have Torain and he would be a great compliment to what Torain can provide (in theory).

[elsid13]

What gives? We drafted Torain.

Not sure what you are asking me. I think that we should go with Scott (if he comes out), Torain and Aldridge. Two sledgehammers with speed and a rocket. Since I think the two running back system is way to go in NFL.

[bpc]

I like everything about Shon Greene. Kid is a stud and a workhorse. I hate to use this comparison but he runs just like Travis Henry and in this offense, that could be huge.

I think most would say Jay is the future of this offense. His throwing is going to be what takes this team to the next level. My goal for Denver would be to find a tough, healthy, north south runner who can take up to 20 carries and punish a defense at the end of the game. I don't need a 4.3 back or one that excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Give me that consistent gamer who is going to act like a sledge hammer for this offense. I assume Greene is running around a 4.6 but has great pad level and will put that shoulder through you should you get in his way. He spearheaded Iowa to their biggest win in a few years last night over Penn State. It was a cold, nasty, hard hitting day and Greene was the engine for the offense which kept churning out tough first downs.

I have my first round draft list paired down realistically to Brandon Spikes, William Moore, Taylor Mays or LeSean McCoy.

Conditionally if these guys are there and we took them, I wouldn't complain... Laurinaitis, Malauga, Maclin, Mack, Crabtree.

I think you could find reason to justify just about any of those picks. The middle of this defense is a huge concern. There isn't any DT's worth our pick that I see right now, not in the 1st round. MLB could be serviced by any of the three guys projected where they are right now... I rank them Spikes, Malauga and then Laurinitis. We SHOULD be looking at another WR and if a guy like Maclin or Crabtree fell, we would be a fool to at least not consider it with Jay at the helm. That would have our offense moving forward with BMarsh as the #1, Maclin/Crabtree #2 and Royal playing in the slot exposing defenses. Stokely could come in during obvious passing plays like 3rd and long, 4 WR sets. He would be better like that anyways. He shouldn't have more than 15 pass plays.

Say what you want about Alex Mack but the guy is going to a be a multiple year pro bowler. Is center an obvious need right now? No, but it could be in a season or two as Hamilton and Weigman get older. He's the next Olin Kruetz except bigger. He'd mesh perfectly with our young OL and he'll excel in the zone blocking scheme.

On the DL there isn't anybody who has wowed me. If we move to a 3-4 then we need to start looking here for a DE/OLB. DT is better suited in round 2 or 3.

MLB has already been mentioned and I really like both William Moore and Taylor Mays. Both are going to be physical players which will impact the run and pass games a la Bob Sanders and Troy Polumalu. We need that type of support and even though safety is said to be a deep position this year, you won't be able to find players like this down the line. You can't find them at this size, that fast and with the quickness they have.

I have my updated Broncos mock below.

[socalorado]

Theres a lot of value in the 2nd but I could also justify taking Spikes, Maualuga, or even Taylor Mays in the first. But again, I really wish we would sign Suggs or Peppers. Doing so would make us less of a liability against the run and would make Dumervil expendable. I think we could get a 2nd for him because there are teams with other things in order who would like a guy that averages over 10 sacks a season on a team that struggles against the run.

Do a mock with this in mind. I would like to see it.
Have the FAs you want on there as well.
i would really like to see it, considering that DNE may really need a RB in the top end ogf the draft.
And yes, Rashad Johnson played his way into possibly the bottom of the 2nd or top of the 3rd round yesterday. Hes played well all season.
Chung is a better all around player though.
I swear, if this plays out right, DEN could really have another good draft.
I 'll make one too.

[socalorado]

I like everything about Shon Greene. Kid is a stud and a workhorse. I hate to use this comparison but he runs just like Travis Henry and in this offense, that could be huge.

I think most would say Jay is the future of this offense. His throwing is going to be what takes this team to the next level. My goal for Denver would be to find a tough, healthy, north south runner who can take up to 20 carries and punish a defense at the end of the game. I don't need a 4.3 back or one that excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Give me that consistent gamer who is going to act like a sledge hammer for this offense. I assume Greene is running around a 4.6 but has great pad level and will put that shoulder through you should you get in his way. He spearheaded Iowa to their biggest win in a few years last night over Penn State. It was a cold, nasty, hard hitting day and Greene was the engine for the offense which kept churning out tough first downs.

I have my first round draft list paired down realistically to Brandon Spikes, William Moore, Taylor Mays or LeSean McCoy.

Conditionally if these guys are there and we took them, I wouldn't complain... Laurinaitis, Malauga, Maclin, Mack, Crabtree.

I think you could find reason to justify just about any of those picks. The middle of this defense is a huge concern. There isn't any DT's worth our pick that I see right now, not in the 1st round. MLB could be serviced by any of the three guys projected where they are right now... I rank them Spikes, Malauga and then Laurinitis. We SHOULD be looking at another WR and if a guy like Maclin or Crabtree fell, we would be a fool to at least not consider it with Jay at the helm. That would have our offense moving forward with BMarsh as the #1, Maclin/Crabtree #2 and Royal playing in the slot exposing defenses. Stokely could come in during obvious passing plays like 3rd and long, 4 WR sets. He would be better like that anyways. He shouldn't have more than 15 pass plays.

Say what you want about Alex Mack but the guy is going to a be a multiple year pro bowler. Is center an obvious need right now? No, but it could be in a season or two as Hamilton and Weigman get older. He's the next Olin Kruetz except bigger. He'd mesh perfectly with our young OL and he'll excel in the zone blocking scheme.

On the DL there isn't anybody who has wowed me. If we move to a 3-4 then we need to start looking here for a DE/OLB. DT is better suited in round 2 or 3.

MLB has already been mentioned and I really like both William Moore and Taylor Mays. Both are going to be physical players which will impact the run and pass games a la Bob Sanders and Troy Polumalu. We need that type of support and even though safety is said to be a deep position this year, you won't be able to find players like this down the line. You can't find them at this size, that fast and with the quickness they have.

I have my updated Broncos mock below.

I thought the same comaprison about Greene. It initially is a negative, but THenry was a really good RB, when he wasnt in trouble.

[bpc]

I thought the same comaprison about Greene. It initially is a negative, but THenry was a really good RB, when he wasnt in trouble.

When T Henry just played, he was fine. It's when he let all the other crap come parading onto the field which ruined it for him. Same thing happened in Denver. You could see his size and power allowed him to string out plays and continue on for 1st downs and YAC.

Greene is a tough talented runner but he isn't a burner and I wouldn't put him in the Reggie Bush mold in terms of his hands which everybody covets now. Even with how productive he's been, he'll time slower than the backs that get taken in the 1st round and he'll slide perfectly into our spot in round 2. I would be more than happy going defense in round 1 (SAFETY/MLB) to strengthen the middle of our defense and then addressing our HB issues in round 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yPN0Oa2YqM

[lex]

Not sure what you are asking me. I think that we should go with Scott (if he comes out), Torain and Aldridge. Two sledgehammers with speed and a rocket. Since I think the two running back system is way to go in NFL.


Im saying that Torain was already supposed to be what youre hoping for out of Scott. And Torain seems too stiff to get the pad level necessary to be considered a slefge hammer. For someone to be a sledge hammer, a) they need to be on the field, and b) they need to be able to run behind their pads. And like I said, Torain runs stiff in such a way that he appears to have a problem transitioning to the appropriate pad level. But we drafted him so, we're stuck with him.

Another thing, I know a lot of people think the sledge hammer is more rugged and durable but I question that. You see a lot of guys who are very physical missing time with injury. So with that in mind, why not get a couple of guys with complimentary skills and give it to them 15 times a game?

[Requiem]

I don't really like Shonn Greene. I'm not sure why he didn't play in 2007. Can anyone answer? I don't know. I think that there will be younger and more talented options than Greene in round two if we wanted to go the route of running back that early. I'd prefer not to get a guy who has had one good year in college and will be 24 years old as a rookie when you can get guys with better talent, who are younger and have more production several years younger than he is. Plus, he shows me nothing in the hands department.

[lex]

I don't really like Shonn Greene. I'm not sure why he didn't play in 2007. Can anyone answer? I don't know. I think that there will be younger and more talented options than Greene in round two if we wanted to go the route of running back that early. I'd prefer not to get a guy who has had one good year in college and will be 24 years old as a rookie when you can get guys with better talent, who are younger and have more production several years younger than he is. Plus, he shows me nothing in the hands department.


I like him but not in the second.

[Requiem]

I still really enjoy James Davis (and C.J. Spiller) despite the problems they've had this year. I think Bowden utilized them poorly (offense was just "WTF!?") and their offensive line hasn't been doing jack either. I think Davis is a nice late-second or early-third round selection after the underclassmen declare. I just think he's a tremendous fit for the offense due to his cutting ability, and despite luke-warm numbers this year, could be a great pro in Denver.

I'm another guy who is a Javon Ringer fan too. Tough as nails. Was supposed to be out several years back with a knee injury, but rehabilitated and came back and kicked more ass for the Spartans. Those two guys are my favorite seniors.

I'm not sure why Arian Foster didn't play yesterday, but he's just been average this year as well. I think he could slip. I'd take him in the middle rounds if we wanted another bruiser.

TBQH, I wouldn't mind us using a top three round pick and another pick on a candidate in the backfield. All these injuries are unfortunate, and that's not necessarily the only reason to double dip. The talent level is just "meh" in the first place.

Why settle?

[TheChamp24]

One RB who I doubt will come out is Demarco Murray, I think he could be really special in our system.
I'm really sold on taking a LB in round 1 though.

[lex]

I like everything about Shon Greene. Kid is a stud and a workhorse. I hate to use this comparison but he runs just like Travis Henry and in this offense, that could be huge.

I think most would say Jay is the future of this offense. His throwing is going to be what takes this team to the next level. My goal for Denver would be to find a tough, healthy, north south runner who can take up to 20 carries and punish a defense at the end of the game. I don't need a 4.3 back or one that excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Give me that consistent gamer who is going to act like a sledge hammer for this offense. I assume Greene is running around a 4.6 but has great pad level and will put that shoulder through you should you get in his way. He spearheaded Iowa to their biggest win in a few years last night over Penn State. It was a cold, nasty, hard hitting day and Greene was the engine for the offense which kept churning out tough first downs.

Youre kind of contradicting yourself. You say Jay is the future of the offense and we're reliant on him to take us to the next level but then youre arguing for taking a RB with a high pick. I disagree. I think the future is reliant on bringing along the running game. We had perhaps the best QB in the history of the game and didnt win a SB until we had a dominant running game. I think thats the justification for going after a RB with a high pick, along with smoothing out the inconsistencies we have with the offense in the here and now. But with that in mind, its makes sense to get a RB who is explosive and can catch passes out of the backfield that would help both the running game and the passing game to go along with Torain or Hillis, whatever the case may be.


I have my first round draft list paired down realistically to Brandon Spikes, William Moore, Taylor Mays or LeSean McCoy.

Conditionally if these guys are there and we took them, I wouldn't complain... Laurinaitis, Malauga, Maclin, Mack, Crabtree.

So you dont have a problem with 2 WRs but you have an aversion to a RB who is a receiving threat?

I think you could find reason to justify just about any of those picks. The middle of this defense is a huge concern. There isn't any DT's worth our pick that I see right now, not in the 1st round. MLB could be serviced by any of the three guys projected where they are right now... I rank them Spikes, Malauga and then Laurinitis. We SHOULD be looking at another WR and if a guy like Maclin or Crabtree fell, we would be a fool to at least not consider it with Jay at the helm. That would have our offense moving forward with BMarsh as the #1, Maclin/Crabtree #2 and Royal playing in the slot exposing defenses. Stokely could come in during obvious passing plays like 3rd and long, 4 WR sets. He would be better like that anyways. He shouldn't have more than 15 pass plays.

Its more justifiable to take a RB in the first since he is less likely to be a bust.

Say what you want about Alex Mack but the guy is going to a be a multiple year pro bowler. Is center an obvious need right now? No, but it could be in a season or two as Hamilton and Weigman get older. He's the next Olin Kruetz except bigger. He'd mesh perfectly with our young OL and he'll excel in the zone blocking scheme.

I agree absolutely and completely with this.

On the DL there isn't anybody who has wowed me. If we move to a 3-4 then we need to start looking here for a DE/OLB. DT is better suited in round 2 or 3.

Remember we have Powell back next year. But for DT, Id prefer a big run stuffer like maybe Raji or Scott.

MLB has already been mentioned and I really like both William Moore and Taylor Mays. Both are going to be physical players which will impact the run and pass games a la Bob Sanders and Troy Polumalu. We need that type of support and even though safety is said to be a deep position this year, you won't be able to find players like this down the line. You can't find them at this size, that fast and with the quickness they have.

Mays is a good player but so are several other safeties in the draft. But it would be better to target MLB because I think there is a bigger drop off at Mike after the 1st and also because we should commit more to building our defense from front to back as opposed to back to front.

I have my updated Broncos mock below.

Its Ramses Barden.

[Requiem]

One RB who I doubt will come out is Demarco Murray, I think he could be really special in our system.
I'm really sold on taking a LB in round 1 though.

I think that we're in a good predicament as far as needs and what will be available this year. There's solid MIKE and OLB options in this draft several rounds deep, IMHO. Same goes for safety. There are also going to be some good receiving and running options, along with Mack at the OL if we were to go that way.

I'm a little iffy on priority right now, but I think we can still get impact players at all of the aforementioned positions within the first several rounds.

[elsid13]

I don't really like Shonn Greene. I'm not sure why he didn't play in 2007. Can anyone answer? I don't know. I think that there will be younger and more talented options than Greene in round two if we wanted to go the route of running back that early. I'd prefer not to get a guy who has had one good year in college and will be 24 years old as a rookie when you can get guys with better talent, who are younger and have more production several years younger than he is. Plus, he shows me nothing in the hands department.

It appear have either been grades or playing time.

Edit - from Hawkeye site http://football.hawkmania.com/2008/02/page/2/

There is the possibility that Shonn Greene, who played two seasons at Iowa before leaving the team and the university in June because of academics, could return. He has been taking classes at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids to try to get his grades in order. Greene declined interviews this fall and has not indicated whether he will return to Iowa. He rooms with Young, though, which is why Young was asked Nov. 6 to give an update on Greene’s plans. Young did not want to comment, saying only, “I don’t know. Shonn loves watching TV, man. He’s alright. He’s alright. I don’t know. I don’t want to say anything.” If you want to listen to the question and answer, click twice on the play button above and decide for yourself what you think Young meant.

[lex]

I still really enjoy James Davis (and C.J. Spiller) despite the problems they've had this year. I think Bowden utilized them poorly (offense was just "WTF!?") and their offensive line hasn't been doing jack either. I think Davis is a nice late-second or early-third round selection after the underclassmen declare. I just think he's a tremendous fit for the offense due to his cutting ability, and despite luke-warm numbers this year, could be a great pro in Denver.

I'm another guy who is a Javon Ringer fan too. Tough as nails. Was supposed to be out several years back with a knee injury, but rehabilitated and came back and kicked more ass for the Spartans. Those two guys are my favorite seniors.

I'm not sure why Arian Foster didn't play yesterday, but he's just been average this year as well. I think he could slip. I'd take him in the middle rounds if we wanted another bruiser.

TBQH, I wouldn't mind us using a top three round pick and another pick on a candidate in the backfield. All these injuries are unfortunate, and that's not necessarily the only reason to double dip. The talent level is just "meh" in the first place.

Why settle?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohP5XBCu_ws

Here is another guy of the more physical variety.

"Why settle"...I agree. I like how people pidgeon-hole running backs by style almost as if to suggest that all fast RBs are the same. Theyre not. I freqently see people saying we already have Selvin Young as a speed back. Selvin Young runs a 4.5. C.J. Spiller runs closer to a 4.3 and might play even faster than that. Practically every long run Young had where he wasnt able to punch it into the endzone, ends up with a TD if Spiller is the RB. Plus, I think Spiller can run the ball 15 times a game and put on 10 lbs without losing speed. You see this a lot once those guys commit to eating well at those pre-combine camps.

Again, Im not averse to guys like Scott and Greene but I think Spiller would be better.

[Requiem]

Yeah, that kid from Liberty you just showed peaked my interest too -- but I can't say I'll ever get to see Liberty play so I don't know much about him. I wish a Tennessee St. game or two would have been televised nationally this year. That Javarris Williams kid looks to be promising as well.

At any case, I think we need a back who has good receiving skills. It'd be nice to have a good check down option coming out of the backfield and I think we'd be extremely surprised with how much having a legit receiving threat from the RB position could do as far as production in our offense, and opening **** up for the other receivers.

[bpc]

I don't really like Shonn Greene. I'm not sure why he didn't play in 2007. Can anyone answer? I don't know. I think that there will be younger and more talented options than Greene in round two if we wanted to go the route of running back that early. I'd prefer not to get a guy who has had one good year in college and will be 24 years old as a rookie when you can get guys with better talent, who are younger and have more production several years younger than he is. Plus, he shows me nothing in the hands department.

Grades.

[lex]

Yeah, that kid from Liberty you just showed peaked my interest too -- but I can't say I'll ever get to see Liberty play so I don't know much about him. I wish a Tennessee St. game or two would have been televised nationally this year. That Javarris Williams kid looks to be promising as well.

At any case, I think we need a back who has good receiving skills. It'd be nice to have a good check down option coming out of the backfield and I think we'd be extremely surprised with how much having a legit receiving threat from the RB position could do as far as production in our offense, and opening **** up for the other receivers.

Yup. It would be nice to have someone like Spiller who is a mismatch for every LB in the league and one that has good/great hands. It would also be nice to have a guy with the speed and vision to take it to the house. I think Turner could help Spiller on the 3-6 yard runs but it sucks missing out on the 70 yard runs just so we can have the 3-6 yard runs. Basically, even with a "good" offense, we havent had THAT many long plays. We are still moving the ball methodically down the field. It would be a good idea to get someone who brings the big play. And again, I think Spiller can be worked with in terms of maximizing the shorter runs.

BTW, its good to see you around Req.

[bpc]

Check the font...

Youre kind of contradicting yourself. You say Jay is the future of the offense and we're reliant on him to take us to the next level but then youre arguing for taking a RB with a high pick. I disagree. I think the future is reliant on bringing along the running game. We had perhaps the best QB in the history of the game and didnt win a SB until we had a dominant running game. I think thats the justification for going after a RB with a high pick, along with smoothing out the inconsistencies we have with the offense in the here and now. But with that in mind, its makes sense to get a RB who is explosive and can catch passes out of the backfield that would help both the running game and the passing game to go along with Torain or Hillis, whatever the case may be.

Jay is the future. A HB is needed for balance purposes. I'm saying I don't need a HB with all the bells and whistles. Give me a guy that can stay healthy, is consistent, and can carry the ball 20 times a game which is rare. This will be more than enough to keep defenses honest.

So you dont have a problem with 2 WRs but you have an aversion to a RB who is a receiving threat?

No, I'm saying if we want on HB which might be needed considering how bad our defense is, I wouldn't be against a solid player like Greene in round 2. Lesean McCoy is my top back right now. He's faster and a better receiver vs. Greene and I would be more than happy with him in round 1 if we went that way.

Its more justifiable to take a RB in the first since he is less likely to be a bust.

the draft is showing that HB's are easier to find even in later rounds... look at a guy like Steve Slaton, Michael Turner, Matt Forte, and a few other guys... I absolutely feel a competent back is needed in Denver next year. I don't know if I would take one in the first though. They would have to be special. A franchise has to know that their shelf life is relatively short compared to finding a stud at MLB, WR, or safety.

I agree absolutely and completely with this.



Remember we have Powell back next year. But for DT, Id prefer a big run stuffer like maybe Raji or Scott.

I like Raji, i don't know if he'll be available after round 2. People will think i'm crazy but I would mount up a big pay day for Haynesworth. The guy could instantly transform this defense. His affect will be felt in the run and pass game.

Mays is a good player but so are several other safeties in the draft. But it would be better to target MLB because I think there is a bigger drop off at Mike after the 1st and also because we should commit more to building our defense from front to back as opposed to back to front.

We need massive help up the middle of this defense. It starts at DT which is why I think we need to put some money on the table in free agency for Haynesworth. I think he's matured.

I like Spikes probably most of any defensive player however I think its harder to find a SS who can do all that we're asking him to do. Play up in the box a lot, have athleticism to cover guys running across the field yet be a factor in the running game... you get my point. If we keep Slowiks defense, we are going to need a guy that can do it all... size is a requirement as is speed. The guys have to be special. I think Moore and Mays are special players, potential tempo setters. IMO it's easier to find guys to fill the middle of the field than it is to find a super talented safety prospect. That is why I have it filled out that way. Laurinitis will be a solid contributor on the next level, you'll have to protect him though. I think Malauga could bust big time. He has Levar Arrington written all over him... a free lancer who will make your jaw drop one play and then miss his assignments the next two plays. Spikes is the man. I wouldn't have one problem taking him in round 1.

Its Ramses Barden.


my bad.

[Requiem]

Yeah, I never really talk draft anymore (this year I've just been swamped at school and work) at BF or here, so today I thought I'd make the effort since I had some free time and discuss. I'd really like Spiller too. I don't think he's going to be an every down workhorse guy, but we don't need that IMHO. No team really has one go to guy, every body splits up the load.

I think it'd be badass if Spiller fell into the second round and we got him, and then got that kid out of Liberty or some **** later on. I think Spiller will surprise as a runner in the NFL, but I think he's a guy who can easily get 1,500 yards of production receiving/rushing a year, and that's not even counting KO returns and the like. (He messed one up bad against FSU, but he's still a threat there.)

I bought the Torain hype for a while, he might still be a good runner. But injuries just suck balls. Never been a fan of Young, don't think Alridge is that special, and everyone or anyone else who we have probably is a skank too.

I forgot we had Cory Boyd and signed him recently. Maybe he could turn into a tough downs runner or a pounder. Heck, he probably has as much porential as Torain anyways.

At any case, we need a legitimate top running back prospect on this team. I don't like us settling on guys because of the success we've had with late round players. We've put priorities on getting other weapons around Cutler, so why not at RB -- one of the most crucial positions in our offense?

It's worth a damn shot.

[lex]

Do a mock with this in mind. I would like to see it.
Have the FAs you want on there as well.
i would really like to see it, considering that DNE may really need a RB in the top end ogf the draft.
And yes, Rashad Johnson played his way into possibly the bottom of the 2nd or top of the 3rd round yesterday. Hes played well all season.
Chung is a better all around player though.
I swear, if this plays out right, DEN could really have another good draft.
I 'll make one too.

Ill post one in a little while.

[lex]

Do a mock with this in mind. I would like to see it.
Have the FAs you want on there as well.
i would really like to see it, considering that DNE may really need a RB in the top end ogf the draft.
And yes, Rashad Johnson played his way into possibly the bottom of the 2nd or top of the 3rd round yesterday. Hes played well all season.
Chung is a better all around player though.
I swear, if this plays out right, DEN could really have another good draft.
I 'll make one too.



1 Taylor Mays S Southern Cal
2 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson
2 Jonathan Luigs C Arkansas
3 Rashad Jennings RB Liberty
4 David Bruton S Notre Dame
5 Worrell Williams MLB Cal
5 Ramses Barden WR Cal-Poly
6 Rashaad Jackson DT Clemson
7 Kevin Atkins OLB Boston College
7 Jackie Bates CB Hampton



The other 2nd would come from trading Dumervil after signing Peppers, ideally (or maybe Suggs). If Taylor Mays is not available, Id bump up Spiller and take Chung with the first 2nd.

[BroncoMan4ever]

I think we need to trade away our 1st in 2010 for another 2nd rounder in 09, and IF we can sign Peppers maybe trade away Doom for another 2nd(although i would really prefer to keep Doom and let him loose with another all around DE opposite from him)

i would love to see us have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft. We could completely turn the team around on the 1st day of the draft alone.
Spikes, Chung, Greene, and another Corner with a 2nd round grade.

[BroncoMan4ever]

1 Taylor Mays S Southern Cal
2 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson
2 Jonathan Luigs C Arkansas
3 Rashad Jennings RB Liberty
4 David Bruton S Notre Dame
5 Worrell Williams MLB Cal
5 Ramses Barden WR Cal-Poly
6 Rashaad Jackson DT Clemson
7 Kevin Atkins OLB Boston College
7 Jackie Bates CB Hampton



The other 2nd would come from trading Dumervil after signing Peppers, ideally (or maybe Suggs). If Taylor Mays is not available, Id bump up Spiller and take Chung with the first 2nd.

i like your mock for the most part. but instead of Mays in the first i would prefer Spikes and in the 2nd, instead of Spiller i would prefer Chung.

i am not real high on Spiller, a little to light and our past experience with lighter RB's hasn't been real good. we hear in the offseason that they are bulking up but it never works out and they become fumble problems or injury problems for the team. But i do like Jennings in the 3rd. After Shonn Greene he is the RB i want us to take.

[TheChamp24]

1 Taylor Mays S Southern Cal
2 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson
2 Jonathan Luigs C Arkansas
3 Rashad Jennings RB Liberty
4 David Bruton S Notre Dame
5 Worrell Williams MLB Cal
5 Ramses Barden WR Cal-Poly
6 Rashaad Jackson DT Clemson
7 Kevin Atkins OLB Boston College
7 Jackie Bates CB Hampton



The other 2nd would come from trading Dumervil after signing Peppers, ideally (or maybe Suggs). If Taylor Mays is not available, Id bump up Spiller and take Chung with the first 2nd.

You want us to take 2 RB's in the first 3 rounds? wtf? I also think you are too high on Spiller

I think we need to trade away our 1st in 2010 for another 2nd rounder in 09, and IF we can sign Peppers maybe trade away Doom for another 2nd(although i would really prefer to keep Doom and let him loose with another all around DE opposite from him)

i would love to see us have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft. We could completely turn the team around on the 1st day of the draft alone.
Spikes, Chung, Greene, and another Corner with a 2nd round grade.

We shouldn't trade away picks for now, this team isn't that close to being a winner yet. Not every single guy is going to be a hit, and its putting too much stock into 1 draft.

[lex]

You want us to take 2 RB's in the first 3 rounds? wtf? I also think you are too high on Spiller



We shouldn't trade away picks for now, this team isn't that close to being a winner yet. Not every single guy is going to be a hit, and its putting too much stock into 1 draft.

Yeah, unless theyre ok with who we have at RB, in which case I would draft Spiller. He's just so explosive. He's a mismatch for ever LB in the league and big play opportunities that were left on the field would no longer be. And like I said, I think Turner would help him maximize the 3-6 yard runs. The pressure he puts on a defense easily justifies the pick.

[lex]

i like your mock for the most part. but instead of Mays in the first i would prefer Spikes and in the 2nd, instead of Spiller i would prefer Chung.

i am not real high on Spiller, a little to light and our past experience with lighter RB's hasn't been real good. we hear in the offseason that they are bulking up but it never works out and they become fumble problems or injury problems for the team. But i do like Jennings in the 3rd. After Shonn Greene he is the RB i want us to take.

Yeah, I like Spikes too. In an alternate scenario I would take Spikes in the first, Courtney Greene in the 3rd and then Cedric Peerman in the 6th possibly.

And I realize thats a popular opinion about the lighter RBs but are they really any less durable than the bigger backs we've had? Thats more myth than anything. And Spiller would be a 15 carry a game guy in the beginning. Torain was supposed to be a featured back but that hasnt worked out so well and it just goes to show that its good to not put your eggs in one basket. And theres not really a correlation between fast guy and fumbler. Physical backs are just as prone to fumble.

[socalorado]

1 Taylor Mays S Southern Cal
2 C.J. Spiller RB Clemson
2 Jonathan Luigs C Arkansas
3 Rashad Jennings RB Liberty
4 David Bruton S Notre Dame
5 Worrell Williams MLB Cal
5 Ramses Barden WR Cal-Poly
6 Rashaad Jackson DT Clemson
7 Kevin Atkins OLB Boston College
7 Jackie Bates CB Hampton



The other 2nd would come from trading Dumervil after signing Peppers, ideally (or maybe Suggs). If Taylor Mays is not available, Id bump up Spiller and take Chung with the first 2nd.


1 Rey Maualuga MLB USC
2 Patrick Chung SS ORE
2 Shonn Greene RB IOWA
3 Matt Shaughnessy, DE WISCONSIN
4 Clay Mathews DE/OLB USC
5 Josh Pinkard CB/FS USC
5 Ramses Barden WR CAL POLY
6 Roy Miller DT TEXAS
7 Ronnie Palmer OLB ARIZONA
7 Ernest Mitchell DT ARKANSAS

So, trade away Doom for a 2nd. Ok. Sure. Got it.
Make a play and aquire DT Albert Haynesworth. Just pay the man.
That should leave DEN with about $4.95 left in their FA checking account, so that about wraps up the FA market for Pat and Mike.
1st, off it may look a little west coast heavy, but i have the thought of drafting versatile, game changers in mind. Team guys who can play at multiple positions, and play them well.
REY REY - problem solved in the middle. He leads a revamped D.
Chung- Are you kidding me?!?!? The draft is a success if DEN gets these 2 right off. Chung could play RIGHT NOW in DEN, today, this week against ATL and play better than any safety DEN currently has on roster. Sad, really.
Chung is also a team leader and a smart, rangy, player with a nose for the football. Excellent tackler.
Greene brings the power running game back to DEN. A tough back that runs downhill. Just what the doctor ordered. I couldnt justify drafting a RB higher with Greene available in the late 2nd. The holes on D should be addressed 1st, and by then Spiller would be gone more than likely. If Spiller WAS still there, i would have no problem taking him either.
Shaughnessy is a pure pass rusher that can get the DE position going in DEN. No Doom, so bring in a new breed of MONSTER. At 6-6 , 250 this guy has a motor. I also like Derek Walker, Illinois but i took the badger based on production and size. Something DEN is laking at DE.
Speaking of motors, the next 2 guys have exactly that!
Mathews is a converted OLB that plays DE, but he is just a terror on the field. Hes everywhere! Extremelly fast, and a solid tackler, he seems to make plays all game and gets stronger as the game goes on. If DEN wanted to move to the 3-4 he would be a perfect fit at LB. But he could also play in the 4-3 at DE or SAM. He is a versatile player with a high motor that would be a rejuvinating factor on defense in DEN. I am thinking more OLB in DEN.
Pinkard is the real steal of this mock draft. If he keeps playng the way he is, he wont be a steal for long. He will go in the 4th if he keeps up the high level of play he has recently. Pinkard was once slotted at USC for the FS position, but injuries kept him down, and he fell into the dreaded back up spot behind Mays and Ellison. Carrol then realized once healthy, that Pinkard can play BOTH safety and CB. He has incredible instincts and can make all the breaks and run with any WR in the Pac 10 ive seen. He is a really good ball hawking type of player with an aggressive attitude. Very impressive, and as of today i believe he has more INTS than Mays. Hes just plain good.
Barden- Think Marshall, but taller. Jeez this guy would make DENs offense just pure evil. If Marshall or Sheffler leave, then having a guy to develop for the WR position is vital, and Barden fits the bill. most of us have him as our "steal" player, so i know alot of you know as much, if not more about him than me. I'll leave it at that.
Miller and Mitchell are DTs that to me, would fit as developmental depth. If theres a diamond there, great! But the more DTs the better at this point.
Let em all compete and take the best from the bunch.
Palmer is another guy who just always seems to be around the ball and always is making plays. took him for more depth at the position.
FLAME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!

[nickademus]

1 Rey Maualuga MLB USC
2 Patrick Chung SS ORE
2 Shonn Greene RB IOWA
3 Matt Shaughnessy, DE WISCONSIN
4 Clay Mathews DE/OLB USC
5 Josh Pinkard CB/FS USC
5 Ramses Barden WR CAL POLY
6 Roy Miller DT TEXAS
7 Ronnie Palmer OLB ARIZONA
7 Ernest Mitchell DT ARKANSAS

So, trade away Doom for a 2nd. Ok. Sure. Got it.
Make a play and aquire DT Albert Haynesworth. Just pay the man.
That should leave DEN with about $4.95 left in their FA checking account, so that about wraps up the FA market for Pat and Mike.
1st, off it may look a little west coast heavy, but i have the thought of drafting versatile, game changers in mind. Team guys who can play at multiple positions, and play them well.
REY REY - problem solved in the middle. He leads a revamped D.
Chung- Are you kidding me?!?!? The draft is a success if DEN gets these 2 right off. Chung could play RIGHT NOW in DEN, today, this week against ATL and play better than any safety DEN currently has on roster. Sad, really.
Chung is also a team leader and a smart, rangy, player with a nose for the football. Excellent tackler.
Greene brings the power running game back to DEN. A tough back that runs downhill. Just what the doctor ordered. I couldnt justify drafting a RB higher with Greene available in the late 2nd. The holes on D should be addressed 1st, and by then Spiller would be gone more than likely. If Spiller WAS still there, i would have no problem taking him either.
Shaughnessy is a pure pass rusher that can get the DE position going in DEN. No Doom, so bring in a new breed of MONSTER. At 6-6 , 250 this guy has a motor. I also like Derek Walker, Illinois but i took the badger based on production and size. Something DEN is laking at DE.
Speaking of motors, the next 2 guys have exactly that!
Mathews is a converted OLB that plays DE, but he is just a terror on the field. Hes everywhere! Extremelly fast, and a solid tackler, he seems to make plays all game and gets stronger as the game goes on. If DEN wanted to move to the 3-4 he would be a perfect fit at LB. But he could also play in the 4-3 at DE or SAM. He is a versatile player with a high motor that would be a rejuvinating factor on defense in DEN. I am thinking more OLB in DEN.
Pinkard is the real steal of this mock draft. If he keeps playng the way he is, he wont be a steal for long. He will go in the 4th if he keeps up the high level of play he has recently. Pinkard was once slotted at USC for the FS position, but injuries kept him down, and he fell into the dreaded back up spot behind Mays and Ellison. Carrol then realized once healthy, that Pinkard can play BOTH safety and CB. He has incredible instincts and can make all the breaks and run with any WR in the Pac 10 ive seen. He is a really good ball hawking type of player with an aggressive attitude. Very impressive, and as of today i believe he has more INTS than Mays. Hes just plain good.
Barden- Think Marshall, but taller. Jeez this guy would make DENs offense just pure evil. If Marshall or Sheffler leave, then having a guy to develop for the WR position is vital, and Barden fits the bill. most of us have him as our "steal" player, so i know alot of you know as much, if not more about him than me. I'll leave it at that.
Miller and Mitchell are DTs that to me, would fit as developmental depth. If theres a diamond there, great! But the more DTs the better at this point.
Let em all compete and take the best from the bunch.
Palmer is another guy who just always seems to be around the ball and always is making plays. took him for more depth at the position.
FLAME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!

I love this plan. the only thing I would change is replace Green with either McCoy or Davis. I am not sold on Green and I am even less excited with Spiller.

[lex]

I love this plan. the only thing I would change is replace Green with either McCoy or Davis. I am not sold on Green and I am even less excited with Spiller.

I knew a lot of people feel this way. But when they see his big play ability and the number of ways he can challenge the defense, people will likely change their tune. I see people refer to other smaller backs but many of them were also lower round picks. This guys probably more explosive than anyone we've seen here in a long time and its not just his straight line speed either. He'll help the running game. He'll help the passing game. And he'll help in STs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFQfITF1oPQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqnqJn_UQx8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiJvk_Q3x98&feature=related

[nickademus]

I like this type of back as a back up or a 3rd down guy but not as a 2nd round guy we are expecting to start hand have the ball go his way 20+ times per game. I agree he is explosive but so was Glen Milbern (sp) and the midget we got from OU (Griffen?) for a year or two. We need a back but this is a bad year for that to be the case.

[cutthemdown]

Haynesworth will be harder to land then people realize. There will be tons of teams offering him tons of money.

[lex]

I like this type of back as a back up or a 3rd down guy but not as a 2nd round guy we are expecting to start hand have the ball go his way 20+ times per game. I agree he is explosive but so was Glen Milbern (sp) and the midget we got from OU (Griffen?) for a year or two. We need a back but this is a bad year for that to be the case.

Think of it this way, Reggie Bush was a top 5 pick. Spiller would be a bargain in the 2nd. Spiller is much more explosive than Milburn was.

[TheChamp24]

I'll argue that Darren Sproles went in round 4/5, Michael Turner in round 4/5.
Those guys were explosive as well.
Brian Westbrook was a 3rd round guy.
I think if he can handle a 20 carry a game workload, then sure, I'd be okay with a 2nd round pick on Spiller.
Personally, I don't care for explosiveness, I want consistency. I want 5 yards a pop on a run, I don't want to have to worry about being in 2nd and 9, 3rd and 8. I want to be 2nd and 5, 3rd and short.

[nickademus]

I would prefer a mix of both. I have really liked what I have seen out of McCoy and to a lesser degree Moreno and I would rank them in the same area but my guess is McCoy falls out of the first.

[socalorado]

I would prefer a mix of both. I have really liked what I have seen out of McCoy and to a lesser degree Moreno and I would rank them in the same area but my guess is McCoy falls out of the first.


I did my mock based on DENs immediate needs, and although the RB position is so depleted that they just signed TBell, i stll think MLB and Safety are the 2positions that are of the most immediate need in DEN and if DEN aquired REY REY and Chung i just cant see the Shanny going RB 1st over them. So i just figured that by the end of the 2nd round their would be a play on RBs and Greene would be their for DEN.
Spiller would be great, but DEN has no compliment bruiser RB to go with him. 190 lb backs need a guy to take the load off. So i chose the best guy i thought would be able to tote the rock for 25-30 carries a game and get the tough yards. And break tackles. And score in the red zone. and break long ones occasionally. And be consisitent. Greene.

Shonn Greene*, Iowa
Height: 5-11. Weight: 235.
Projected 40 Time: 4.54.
10/26/08: Shonn Greene has been an absolute beast this year. Just ask THE REV! HAHA! Through eight games, Greene has tallied at least 100 yards in every single game, including a 217-yard, four-touchdown performance against Wisconsin.

[nickademus]

As usual I cant aruge with your line of thinking but something tells me that we are going to actually do what ever we can to get a decent back in this draft. I also agree that S and MLB are our two biggest needs going into this draft and I am preying for Spikes even over Rey Rey he just seems to make less mistakes. I am scared to death that Chung will play his way out of the second round and if that happens I think a RB is a real possibility. It seems like we are accumulating alot of late round picks this year so we should see the typical movement out of shanny come draft time.