The Decision to Choose Marcus Thomas - The Orange Mane

SoCalBronco · 05-12-2007, 08:32 PM

Saturday, May 12, 2007

The Decision to Choose Marcus Thomas

Investigation into DT Swayed Sundquist, Broncos

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series leading into the mid-May commencement of organized team activities in which we further explore the Broncos' draft and offseason to date, focusing on the state of the club as it prepares to begin its organized team activities in the middle of the month. Last week, we looked at how the Broncos ended up picking 17th in the first round. Earlier this week, we examined the last two rounds of the draft's first day and why the Broncos targeted the defensive and offensive lines. Today we turn our attention to the acquisition of the fourth-round selection that became Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.

By Andrew Mason
DenverBroncos.com

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The sun had barely escaped from the horizon on the eastern plains of Colorado in the post-dawn hours of Aug. 29, but Ted Sundquist was not in the mood for a tranquil ease into a Sunday morning offseason routine.

The Broncos' general manager began that day -- the second of the 2007 NFL Draft -- by arriving at the club's headquarters and resuming the quest he commenced the night before, dialing one team after another, searching for a deal that would allow the Broncos to trade into the middle rounds and select before its next scheduled pick in the sixth round.

"I got in an hour early on Sunday and started calling and went through every single team until I got to 121, when Minnesota finally said yes," Sundquist said.

"I tried not to get too overextended. I'd have about four or five (at a time). I'd call when they were on the clock, as well, when I could see where they were at, and then I'd go right down the row. There were a couple of teams that had multiple fourth-rounders; I caught them on the front side and they said, 'Nah, I don't think so,' and I said, 'I'll see you on the second one.' Then we got back around and Minnesota was willing to do it.

"I called every single team and offered them the exact same thing that Minnesota took at the end of the fourth round and nobody would take it. (Other teams) had their players they wanted. Or, they weren't willing to move themselves out of the third round for next year's third-rounder. They still wanted the player, so what you saw were trades where teams would move back five or six spots in exchange for a fourth."

As it turned out, Sundquist said, the swap with the Vikings was timely if the Broncos were going to select Marcus Thomas, whom they had targeted to acquire since they selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Ryan Harris with the 70th overall pick.

"Marcus Thomas was going to be picked at 122 (a selection held by the Dallas Cowboys)," Sundquist said. "We had been told that."

If the Broncos had been able to retain the No. 86 selection that was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the trade to move up and pick Jarvis Moss in the first round, Thomas "probably" would have been Denver's second third-round choice.

THE COST OF THE TRADE

Eyebrows of draft observers arched at what the Broncos yielded in order to pick Thomas. It wasn't so much the sixth- and seventh-round choices that caused the stir, but the decision to send a third-rounder to the Vikings in the trade, moving the Broncos down to a pair of first-day selections next year.

At Head Coach Mike Shanahan's press conference following the Thomas selection, Shanahan was asked whether the package of picks was a "steep price to pay."

"It's not a very steep price to pay unless he is not with our program two weeks from now," Shanahan said.

Days later, Sundquist remained nonplussed by the notion.

""The 'steep price to pay' thing, once again, I'm baffled by, 'Why?'" Sundquist said. "It's too steep of a price if we end up picking in the top five of each round. But when has that happened in the life of most of our fans?"

Not since 1983.

"To me, when you identify a player that you feel like can come in and contribute to your football team now, I'm not going to sit and wait and say, 'It's too steep a price,' because there's this fictional ghost player in the third round next year that we could take -- and no one knows who that player would be," Sundquist continued.

"Is that guy (a 2008 third-rounder) going to have as big an impact on your football team as Marcus Thomas would have in '07? You have to ask yourself that. You don't know who that player is."

And on the Broncos' draft board, Thomas -- in terms of talent -- was close to first-round target Justin Harrell.

"Here's a guy who we feel may be as talented as Justin Harrell," Sundquist said.

The often-chronicled, character-based reasons why Thomas' draft stock descended from the first round down into the middle rounds meant the Broncos had to engage in a scrutinous investigation of Thomas' background before deciding whether he was worth a mid-round flyer.

"I think that due diligence was done in our interviewing of the player, our interviewing of people who coached and mentored this player and disciplined this player over the four years at Florida," Sundquist said.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AND ANALYSIS

"I can assure the fans that it wasn't groupthink, that it wasn't about hearing what we wanted to hear," Sundquist said of the internal discussions that the Broncos brain trust conducted as they dissected Thomas' réumé and decided whether to prioritize him on the draft board.

"I'll be honest with you -– when we first talked about this, I, the general manager, was not real happy with the scenario -- that this guy was one of the senior leaders, had an opportunity, blew his opportunity and let his team down," Sundquist said. "I spoke up during the meetings about that, and it bothered me -- it bothered me quite a bit.

"But as we dug deeper and deeper into what the real circumstances were surrounding what went on, I became more comfortable with the risk that we were taking versus what I felt like we were getting from Marcus as a football player both on and off the field, and his leadership ability. You ask those guys down there (at the University of Florida) who the leader of that team was -- it's Marcus."

But the Broncos' investigation went deep, contacting anyone they could find with even a passing connection to Thomas -- past and present coaches, football support-staff personnel, professors, instructors. Their primary scouts in the region are director of player personnel Jim Goodman and his son, scout Jeff Goodman; both are Florida alumnae, and Jim Goodman was on the Florida staff from 1989-90.

"The area scouts, when they go into the university, it's their responsibility to speak to as many different sources as they possibly can about the character of any player," Sundquist said. "We're not searching to find what we want to find; we're searching to find the truth. Then we have to make the final decision as to whether we want to 'take that risk' or bypass that risk."

Shanahan also coached on the Florida staff from 1979-83.

"Our ins with Florida when it comes to getting to the bottom of some of these (character) questions are as good or better than anybody in the league," Sundquist said.

The Broncos then supplemented that research by interviewing him at the Scouting Combine, bringing him to Dove Valley for a pre-draft visit, and scouring for information, even studying the video of his Combine press conference. No stone was left unturned.

"Our visits weren't publicized. There was a reason for that," Sundquist said, "but he was brought in here for a visit."

"As it became clear (Thomas) could help us, then we went back and rechecked and maybe we went to some other sources and talked to some other people, but it was as thorough a job as we've done," Sundquist said. "There's a gamut of other things that we use with regards to testing and things like that, and this kid is very, very high on those charts.

"We battled this darn thing out and talked about it and went back. Even after we had done the initial interviews, we went back and talked to more people and asked them, 'Really – what is going on here?'

"I got swayed to where I was willing to take the risk. Initially, I said, 'Guys, no.'"

But Sundquist proved malleable and open to the notion that Thomas could atone for his past problems.

"We're comfortable with the decision we made," he said.

MONDAY: How the draft meshed with the general offseason plan.

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...4&storyID=6810

SoCalBronco · 05-12-2007, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

"I got swayed to where I was willing to take the risk. Initially, I said, 'Guys, no.'"

I love how Sundy acts like he is the one who has the juice on draft day.

Tombstone RJ · 05-12-2007, 08:50 PM

Nice read. I hope that Thomas becomes the next Warren Sapp...

CBF1 · 05-12-2007, 08:53 PM

And he might.... Do we know any different?

SoCalBronco · 05-12-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBF1

And he might.... Do we know any different?

Sure. Shanny is the VP for Football Operations and has the final say on all matters.

Pendejo · 05-12-2007, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

Sure. Shanny is the VP for Football Operations and has the final say on all matters.

Absolutely...but when was Sundquist made GM...and what have the drafts looked like since then as opposed to before?

The Rat has complete control, but he clearly listens to his guys.

(Edit: They promoted the guy so they didn't lose him. He may not have the Rat's stroke, but he has his ear.)

(Double Edit: I found that he was named GM in 2002)

WABronco · 05-12-2007, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pendejo

The Rat has complete control, but he clearly listens to his guys.

Exactly.

These things have been great...good job by Mr. Mason.

Drek · 05-12-2007, 11:02 PM

The final decision falls on Shanahan's shoulders, but you have to think Sundquist, a former scout himself, has done a lot to overhaul our scouting services. That was our biggest issue, not Shanahan poorly addressing our needs. Shanahan targetted our needs pretty well most drafts but he can't scout everyone himself and neither can Sundquist. A much improved scouting staff is to thank for our recent draft success. Its not just their evaluation of talent either, its how well they guage the league interest. They knew who the top defensive guys who might make it to 21 where in this class, they set us up great to get a second standout DE in round 2 (notice how we got Crowder then at the very beginning of the second DE wave?), and followed that up by accurately evaluating Thomas' talent and making sure the big decision makers knew everything they could about the kid.

Anyone know if its the same guys just better managed with Sundquist running the ship, or has there been turnover in the staff the last few years? Be interesting to know.

footstepsfrom#27 · 05-12-2007, 11:37 PM

I feel better about the Thomas pick thatn I did on draft day after hearing how much they dug and went looking for all the facts in his case. I also like the fact that Sundquist was opposed to it at first. It sounds like they did more due dilligence than they did with the MoC situation.

watermock · 05-12-2007, 11:58 PM

"Knocks on door"

"Shanny, we are on the clock!"

"Handle it."

"He might come in smelling like reefer and beer boss.."

"Go ask what Bates wants and quit bothering me...I was having a vidid dream with Paris Hilton.." "Rolls over on Paris" (humps pillow)

"But Boss, Bates wants that kik that is ricky williams couson."

"Let me sleep with Paris"

sirhcyennek81 · 05-13-2007, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

I feel better about the Thomas pick thatn I did on draft day after hearing how much they dug and went looking for all the facts in his case. I also like the fact that Sundquist was opposed to it at first. It sounds like they did more due dilligence than they did with the MoC situation.

Thats probably why they called everyone Thomas ever knew, so if Thomas works out...in a wierd way, we can thank Clarett.

Cito Pelon · 05-13-2007, 01:04 AM

This gushing by Sundy is getting sickening. WTF, I can buy into the picks, but the gushing makes me wonder why the BBT thinks they have to over sell.

Bowlen is getting a little nervous, maybe.

Odysseus · 05-13-2007, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drek

The final decision falls on Shanahan's shoulders, but you have to think Sundquist, a former scout himself, has done a lot to overhaul our scouting services. That was our biggest issue, not Shanahan poorly addressing our needs. Shanahan targetted our needs pretty well most drafts but he can't scout everyone himself and neither can Sundquist. A much improved scouting staff is to thank for our recent draft success. Its not just their evaluation of talent either, its how well they guage the league interest. They knew who the top defensive guys who might make it to 21 where in this class, they set us up great to get a second standout DE in round 2 (notice how we got Crowder then at the very beginning of the second DE wave?), and followed that up by accurately evaluating Thomas' talent and making sure the big decision makers knew everything they could about the kid.

Anyone know if its the same guys just better managed with Sundquist running the ship, or has there been turnover in the staff the last few years? Be interesting to know.

Great post.

A couple of scouts retired, Sundquist get the reigns, some coach changes and then suddenly things got really good? Shanahan leans on his people a LOT to do their jobs. That has not always been his way of doing business. I think the team is better when they "spread it around" but now they need to put a championship up to prove that.

The players seemed to drop exactly where the Broncos said they would and nobody seemed to get the Broncos weren't making a mistake getting Thomas. When you have their teammate drafted that means you have full access to that player's knowledge of his teammate and contacts that might aide in the decision. This wasn't going to be Toveissi or Clarett all over again. I promise you that there was some very strong NO votes in room but I'm hoping that fans see the courage this team displayed. Courage is NOT reckless. It is making a decision and standing on it.

Thanks for posting this SoCal. Great post as usual.

Odysseus · 05-13-2007, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cito Pelon

This gushing by Sundy is getting sickening. WTF, I can buy into the picks, but the gushing makes me wonder why the BBT thinks they have to over sell.

Bowlen is getting a little nervous, maybe.

Sunny is grandstanding and chest thumping because had beat a bad beat. He had nothing and walked away with the jackpot. Nice! He should be crowing. He's not talking to the fans but to the other guys circling around that he whupped.

Thomas was the pick of the 2007 draft because even if he's not spectacular the Broncos DT is so pathetic this guy was a UBER HUGE pickup. I mean no disrespect to Moss, Crowder and Harris but our DT needed this bad. I do not think this guy was cheap but I do think he was well worth it.

Sunny didn't say no. He said "Oh hell no" and it wasn't until the proof was in did he realize that Bates was asking for the right guy. You really don't have to call 20 references to know a person but that they would call literally "God and country" on a player shows the incredible resistance they had to even considering the guy.

I'm glad they got him. Gush on Sundquist. This your day baby. You earned it.

chrisp · 05-13-2007, 07:03 AM

I think people are blowing this slightly out of proportion - what Sundy is really saying is that initally he was a dissenting voice, and he's saying that primarily to emphasise the point that the character concerns were taken seriously, not to try to say he's the big cheese on draft day.

...not that I believe everything that comes out of Sundy's mouth, however, just that I don't think he's trying to big himself up on this occasion.

One thing that is reassuring about this, however, is the suggestion that the tight links with Florida that the Broncos staff have helped them get a better insight to the character of the guy. The story I've heard about the Thomas situation makes sense, and indicates to me that he's worth the risk, but it was still a gnawing concern that so many other teams passed on him for so long given that he was previously rated as a first-round talent. Surely they all heard the same story? The fact that the Broncos might have been able to get a better handle on the ins and outs of the situation through the number of links they have with his college is a reassuring explanation.

Steve Sewell · 05-13-2007, 09:16 AM

This isn't grandstanding...it's the Broncos organization's feeble attempt to get some of the more retarded fans and media to appreciate the due diligence they went through in stealing a 1st round talent in the 4th round.

Kaylore · 05-13-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Sewell

This isn't grandstanding...it's the Broncos organization's feeble attempt to get some of the more retarded fans and media to appreciate the due diligence they went through in stealing a 1st round talent in the 4th round.

I don't even think it's that calculated. I think Andrew Mason asked him what happened and Ted Sundquist told him. I don't think they care what the fans think of the pick, and that includes the non-retarded ones.

Steve Sewell · 05-14-2007, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

I don't even think it's that calculated. I think Andrew Mason asked him what happened and Ted Sundquist told him. I don't think they care what the fans think of the pick, and that includes the non-retarded ones.

I appreciate what you're saying Kaylore, but there's always a reason for why someone says something that they know is going to be published...otherwise they wouldn't ever talk to the media. It was pretty extensive in terms of explanation...the Broncos didn't owe anyone an explanation into the reasoning for their move to pick this guy up. But there were so many fools thinking we had drafted Charles Manson's adopted son that I think the organization was compelled to get into more detail than they usually do about their player evaluation.

azbroncfan · 05-14-2007, 03:51 PM

He was the BPA in an area of need and isn't that big of risk in round 4. Decision made.

Steve Prefontaine · 05-14-2007, 05:17 PM

I was pissed that Sunday morning (during the 4th round) because I was thinking, "WTF!!! Denver didn't address DT on the first day and now they don't have a pick until the 6th round!!!" I was blaming it on trading the 3rd rounder to move up and get Moss. Then 2 minutes later I saw that Denver was on the clock and I knew (well hoped) they were taking Thomas. I did a little dance and my fiance giggled because she knew the Broncos had just made her Sunday a lot better.

I'm really satisfied with how the draft played out.

05-12-2007, 08:32 PM	#1
SoCalBronco Nixonite Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Arcadia, CA Posts: 33,303 Adopt-a-Bronco: D.J. Williams	The Decision to Choose Marcus Thomas Saturday, May 12, 2007 The Decision to Choose Marcus Thomas Investigation into DT Swayed Sundquist, Broncos EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series leading into the mid-May commencement of organized team activities in which we further explore the Broncos' draft and offseason to date, focusing on the state of the club as it prepares to begin its organized team activities in the middle of the month. Last week, we looked at how the Broncos ended up picking 17th in the first round. Earlier this week, we examined the last two rounds of the draft's first day and why the Broncos targeted the defensive and offensive lines. Today we turn our attention to the acquisition of the fourth-round selection that became Florida defensive tackle Marcus Thomas. By Andrew Mason DenverBroncos.com ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The sun had barely escaped from the horizon on the eastern plains of Colorado in the post-dawn hours of Aug. 29, but Ted Sundquist was not in the mood for a tranquil ease into a Sunday morning offseason routine. The Broncos' general manager began that day -- the second of the 2007 NFL Draft -- by arriving at the club's headquarters and resuming the quest he commenced the night before, dialing one team after another, searching for a deal that would allow the Broncos to trade into the middle rounds and select before its next scheduled pick in the sixth round. "I got in an hour early on Sunday and started calling and went through every single team until I got to 121, when Minnesota finally said yes," Sundquist said. "I tried not to get too overextended. I'd have about four or five (at a time). I'd call when they were on the clock, as well, when I could see where they were at, and then I'd go right down the row. There were a couple of teams that had multiple fourth-rounders; I caught them on the front side and they said, 'Nah, I don't think so,' and I said, 'I'll see you on the second one.' Then we got back around and Minnesota was willing to do it. "I called every single team and offered them the exact same thing that Minnesota took at the end of the fourth round and nobody would take it. (Other teams) had their players they wanted. Or, they weren't willing to move themselves out of the third round for next year's third-rounder. They still wanted the player, so what you saw were trades where teams would move back five or six spots in exchange for a fourth." As it turned out, Sundquist said, the swap with the Vikings was timely if the Broncos were going to select Marcus Thomas, whom they had targeted to acquire since they selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Ryan Harris with the 70th overall pick. "Marcus Thomas was going to be picked at 122 (a selection held by the Dallas Cowboys)," Sundquist said. "We had been told that." If the Broncos had been able to retain the No. 86 selection that was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the trade to move up and pick Jarvis Moss in the first round, Thomas "probably" would have been Denver's second third-round choice. THE COST OF THE TRADE Eyebrows of draft observers arched at what the Broncos yielded in order to pick Thomas. It wasn't so much the sixth- and seventh-round choices that caused the stir, but the decision to send a third-rounder to the Vikings in the trade, moving the Broncos down to a pair of first-day selections next year. At Head Coach Mike Shanahan's press conference following the Thomas selection, Shanahan was asked whether the package of picks was a "steep price to pay." "It's not a very steep price to pay unless he is not with our program two weeks from now," Shanahan said. Days later, Sundquist remained nonplussed by the notion. ""The 'steep price to pay' thing, once again, I'm baffled by, 'Why?'" Sundquist said. "It's too steep of a price if we end up picking in the top five of each round. But when has that happened in the life of most of our fans?" Not since 1983. "To me, when you identify a player that you feel like can come in and contribute to your football team now, I'm not going to sit and wait and say, 'It's too steep a price,' because there's this fictional ghost player in the third round next year that we could take -- and no one knows who that player would be," Sundquist continued. "Is that guy (a 2008 third-rounder) going to have as big an impact on your football team as Marcus Thomas would have in '07? You have to ask yourself that. You don't know who that player is." And on the Broncos' draft board, Thomas -- in terms of talent -- was close to first-round target Justin Harrell. "Here's a guy who we feel may be as talented as Justin Harrell," Sundquist said. The often-chronicled, character-based reasons why Thomas' draft stock descended from the first round down into the middle rounds meant the Broncos had to engage in a scrutinous investigation of Thomas' background before deciding whether he was worth a mid-round flyer. "I think that due diligence was done in our interviewing of the player, our interviewing of people who coached and mentored this player and disciplined this player over the four years at Florida," Sundquist said. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AND ANALYSIS "I can assure the fans that it wasn't groupthink, that it wasn't about hearing what we wanted to hear," Sundquist said of the internal discussions that the Broncos brain trust conducted as they dissected Thomas' réumé and decided whether to prioritize him on the draft board. "I'll be honest with you -– when we first talked about this, I, the general manager, was not real happy with the scenario -- that this guy was one of the senior leaders, had an opportunity, blew his opportunity and let his team down," Sundquist said. "I spoke up during the meetings about that, and it bothered me -- it bothered me quite a bit. "But as we dug deeper and deeper into what the real circumstances were surrounding what went on, I became more comfortable with the risk that we were taking versus what I felt like we were getting from Marcus as a football player both on and off the field, and his leadership ability. You ask those guys down there (at the University of Florida) who the leader of that team was -- it's Marcus." But the Broncos' investigation went deep, contacting anyone they could find with even a passing connection to Thomas -- past and present coaches, football support-staff personnel, professors, instructors. Their primary scouts in the region are director of player personnel Jim Goodman and his son, scout Jeff Goodman; both are Florida alumnae, and Jim Goodman was on the Florida staff from 1989-90. "The area scouts, when they go into the university, it's their responsibility to speak to as many different sources as they possibly can about the character of any player," Sundquist said. "We're not searching to find what we want to find; we're searching to find the truth. Then we have to make the final decision as to whether we want to 'take that risk' or bypass that risk." Shanahan also coached on the Florida staff from 1979-83. "Our ins with Florida when it comes to getting to the bottom of some of these (character) questions are as good or better than anybody in the league," Sundquist said. The Broncos then supplemented that research by interviewing him at the Scouting Combine, bringing him to Dove Valley for a pre-draft visit, and scouring for information, even studying the video of his Combine press conference. No stone was left unturned. "Our visits weren't publicized. There was a reason for that," Sundquist said, "but he was brought in here for a visit." "As it became clear (Thomas) could help us, then we went back and rechecked and maybe we went to some other sources and talked to some other people, but it was as thorough a job as we've done," Sundquist said. "There's a gamut of other things that we use with regards to testing and things like that, and this kid is very, very high on those charts. "We battled this darn thing out and talked about it and went back. Even after we had done the initial interviews, we went back and talked to more people and asked them, 'Really – what is going on here?' "I got swayed to where I was willing to take the risk. Initially, I said, 'Guys, no.'" But Sundquist proved malleable and open to the notion that Thomas could atone for his past problems. "We're comfortable with the decision we made," he said. MONDAY: How the draft meshed with the general offseason plan. http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...4&storyID=6810 __________________ ITS A PLAYOFF HOCKEY NIGHT IN PITTSBURGH!

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05-12-2007, 08:50 PM	#3
Tombstone RJ Ring of Famer Old School Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: In the Tetons! Posts: 19,286 Adopt-a-Bronco: WorrellWilliams	Nice read. I hope that Thomas becomes the next Warren Sapp...

05-12-2007, 08:53 PM	#4
CBF1 Ring of Famer No avatar is the new avatar Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,907 Adopt-a-Bronco: Jack Del rio	And he might.... Do we know any different?

05-12-2007, 11:02 PM	#8
Drek Ring of Famer Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 12,316	The final decision falls on Shanahan's shoulders, but you have to think Sundquist, a former scout himself, has done a lot to overhaul our scouting services. That was our biggest issue, not Shanahan poorly addressing our needs. Shanahan targetted our needs pretty well most drafts but he can't scout everyone himself and neither can Sundquist. A much improved scouting staff is to thank for our recent draft success. Its not just their evaluation of talent either, its how well they guage the league interest. They knew who the top defensive guys who might make it to 21 where in this class, they set us up great to get a second standout DE in round 2 (notice how we got Crowder then at the very beginning of the second DE wave?), and followed that up by accurately evaluating Thomas' talent and making sure the big decision makers knew everything they could about the kid. Anyone know if its the same guys just better managed with Sundquist running the ship, or has there been turnover in the staff the last few years? Be interesting to know.

05-12-2007, 11:37 PM	#9
footstepsfrom#27 helmet to helmet hitter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 16,117 Adopt-a-Bronco: Joe Mays	I feel better about the Thomas pick thatn I did on draft day after hearing how much they dug and went looking for all the facts in his case. I also like the fact that Sundquist was opposed to it at first. It sounds like they did more due dilligence than they did with the MoC situation.

05-12-2007, 11:58 PM	#10
watermock "Hoodie Jr" "Hug me!" Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Hot Springs, Ouachitah Posts: 77,090	"Knocks on door" "Shanny, we are on the clock!" "Handle it." "He might come in smelling like reefer and beer boss.." "Go ask what Bates wants and quit bothering me...I was having a vidid dream with Paris Hilton.." "Rolls over on Paris" (humps pillow) "But Boss, Bates wants that kik that is ricky williams couson." "Let me sleep with Paris"

05-13-2007, 01:04 AM	#12
Cito Pelon Attack at all times . . . Happy dog at the Divide Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: AFC West Championshipville Posts: 15,194 Adopt-a-Bronco: Elvis	This gushing by Sundy is getting sickening. WTF, I can buy into the picks, but the gushing makes me wonder why the BBT thinks they have to over sell. Bowlen is getting a little nervous, maybe.

05-13-2007, 07:03 AM	#15
chrisp Friend of the unsung Not into the football......yet Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: London UK Posts: 1,300 Adopt-a-Bronco: Danny Trevathan	I think people are blowing this slightly out of proportion - what Sundy is really saying is that initally he was a dissenting voice, and he's saying that primarily to emphasise the point that the character concerns were taken seriously, not to try to say he's the big cheese on draft day. ...not that I believe everything that comes out of Sundy's mouth, however, just that I don't think he's trying to big himself up on this occasion. One thing that is reassuring about this, however, is the suggestion that the tight links with Florida that the Broncos staff have helped them get a better insight to the character of the guy. The story I've heard about the Thomas situation makes sense, and indicates to me that he's worth the risk, but it was still a gnawing concern that so many other teams passed on him for so long given that he was previously rated as a first-round talent. Surely they all heard the same story? The fact that the Broncos might have been able to get a better handle on the ins and outs of the situation through the number of links they have with his college is a reassuring explanation.

05-13-2007, 09:16 AM	#16
Steve Sewell Oh Tyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Patrick and Ty's pimp Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 4,666 Adopt-a-Bronco: Reggie Rivers	This isn't grandstanding...it's the Broncos organization's feeble attempt to get some of the more retarded fans and media to appreciate the due diligence they went through in stealing a 1st round talent in the 4th round.

05-14-2007, 03:51 PM	#19
azbroncfan Ring of Famer Angry guntoting,meateating AMERICAN Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Scottsdale Posts: 8,669 Adopt-a-Bronco: TEBOW	He was the BPA in an area of need and isn't that big of risk in round 4. Decision made.

05-14-2007, 05:17 PM	#20
Steve Prefontaine Ring of Famer Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,289 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	I was pissed that Sunday morning (during the 4th round) because I was thinking, "WTF!!! Denver didn't address DT on the first day and now they don't have a pick until the 6th round!!!" I was blaming it on trading the 3rd rounder to move up and get Moss. Then 2 minutes later I saw that Denver was on the clock and I knew (well hoped) they were taking Thomas. I did a little dance and my fiance giggled because she knew the Broncos had just made her Sunday a lot better. I'm really satisfied with how the draft played out.