I going to go ahead and call it: Broncos take Earl Thomas, FS, Texas

[BowlenBall]

On the Denver Broncos website, the top two feature stories are:

1. A feature story on the top safeties in the draft -- guess whose name is strangely missing?
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...&storyID=10009

2. An article on how happy the Broncos are with backup safeties Bruton and McBath -- perhaps some clever reverse-psychology by McDaniels, in hopes of throwing other NFL teams off his trail?
http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...&storyID=10008

Actually, Thomas does make some sense at the #11 pick. There's a very good chance he'll be the BPA, although he'll probably still be available since safeties are somewhat undervalued. He can also play any of the five DB positions immediately (SS, FS, CB1, CB2, nickel) and would be an immediate upgrade at three of them. Add in the fact that our current starters are in their mid to late 30s, and it all make sense....

Remember, you heard it here first!

[Br0nc0Buster]

Thomas is one of my top 2 favorite targets for our first round pick
I have been saying I want either Thomas or Haden

so yes if they get Thomas I will be quite happy
draft Thomas, move McBath over to SS, and boom you have two ballhawks for the next 10 years in the backfield

[Lomax]

I just think we would have had a private workout with anybody who we'd likely pick at 11. I don't think Thomas is really on the radar. If the team was so high on him, wouldn't there have been a private workout?

[meangene]

He may not be listed as a safety because a lot of services rate him as a corner and not a safety.

[BowlenBall]

Originally Posted by meangene

He may not be listed as a safety because a lot of services rate him as a corner and not a safety.

Yeah, that was my first thought too. However, he's not in the DenverBroncos.com article on top cornerbacks, either:

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.ph...4&storyID=9995

Very odd, in that he's clearly the second-best safety in this class, and/or a top 3 cornerback. Hard to believe it's an accidental oversight -- it's like making your list of top DTs and leaving off Gerald McCoy....

[montrose]

I suppose I'd be okay with it, although I think safety is our deepest position of young talent. My current preference would be 1) McClain if he's there, 2) Try to trade down for Pouncey or Iupati and pick up an extra pick, 3) Best OT available who they could kick inside to OG, 4) D.Williams, 5) Another projected pick around this spot like Thomas, Bryant, etc.

[Play2win]

Good. That mean we won't be picking him.



Hopefully no secondary in the first two rounds.

My hopefuls for the first round: Spiller, Dan Williams, or Weatherspoon.


Dan Williams might be the pick. Imagine (3) 300lb ++ guys on our DL!!

He might even be worth trading up for.

[SoDak Bronco]

i'm hoping we trade up to grab Jarvis Moss...He is a little skinny and raw, but the kid has mad potential

[gtown]

I doubt we go safety after last year. Plus, to my knowledge the Broncos haven't yet worked out any safeties this year.

[Lolad]

Spiller is a luxury pick. A luxury in which we don't have in choosing this year, maybe if we had another 1st rd pick. But we already know that story

[BMarsh615]

We already have 6 safeties. Why would we draft another one?

[Cito Pelon]

Well, I'm all for building up the D further through the draft this year. I'd love to see the D built up to be very strong for years to come. Players like Earl Thomas, Joe Hayden, Dan Williams, Brandon Graham, Odrick, maybe McClain, Weatherspoon, the only chance to get one of them may be at #11, and may be the best D BPA's at #11.

O BPA's FOR THE BRONCS aren't as plentiful at #11 - I figure O BPA's by position would be an OG/OC, and the OG's/OC's like Pouncey or Iupati IMO would be overdrafted at #11. If Bulaga falls to #11, ok, that maybe might be worth it, but I still would rather have one of the D BPA's. A lot of people would go with Spiller or Dez Bryant at #11, me I'd prefer one of the D BPA's, one of them would be more of an impact in the long run.

In the 2nd round it looks like Denver can get a quality OC, OG, or WR (if Marshall is traded) to fill a postion of need and not overdraft.

So Thomas would be a good player to have on the team, but I think there will be similar D BPA's at #11 that fit positions of need better than Earl Thomas.

[Drek]

Originally Posted by Lolad

Spiller is a luxury pick. A luxury in which we don't have in choosing this year, maybe if we had another 1st rd pick. But we already know that story

You should always draft BPA assuming you can get the guy on the field, and we'd be able to with Spiller.

This is what every NFL GM past and present says when that question comes up, at least every time I've heard it answered. Most will tell you that not doing so and drafting out of need will find you over picking a player who also probably won't be an ideal fit for your scheme. When you do that you're building the perfect storm to have a 1st round bust.

If Spiller is on the board at #11 he'd be great leverage to trade down with. If we can't move down and there isn't a player of comparable value at a higher need position then you take Spiller.

[WolfpackGuy]

Originally Posted by BMarsh615

We already have 6 safeties. Why would we draft another one?

Remember that one time when all those RB's went down?

[Cito Pelon]

Originally Posted by BMarsh615

We already have 6 safeties. Why would we draft another one?

Well, they have 5. I can see the reasoning behind anyone advocating drafting Earl Thomas. Dawkins has only 2 more years at a high level. Renaldo Hill has a few more years in him, but he's not spectacular.

That leaves Josh Barrett, David Bruton, and Darcel McBath as the future core of safeties, maybe one can count Champ as a future safety for a couple years down the road. Josh Barrett really doesn't seem to have it, Bruton & McBath might be a good starting tandem, but adding Earl Thomas would be a good supplement to the corps.

As I said above, I'd like to see the D built up to be very strong for years to come, but I think there will be better D BPA's for the Broncs at #11.

[SonOfLe-loLang]

I'd still rather see dan Williams, especially if he had ability to play end like Ngata.

[BowlenBall]

I'm not saying Earl Thomas is the best pick at #11 -- I just feel that there's some funny stuff coming out of Dove Valley right now that points in that direction.

Another case in point -- the Broncos made McBath and Bruton available to the press today, and our man Klis was there to write up the story for the Denver Post. Seems a bit odd, unless McDaniels wanted to set up a smoke screen of sorts. Something like "Denver is happy with their safeties, so there's no need for anyone to trade up to #10 to take Thomas before them."

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_14845586

[Paladin]

It looks more and more likely that McClain will be the pick, IMO.

[tsiguy96]

denver media is not trying to help the broncos get the guy they want.

[s0phr0syne]

Originally Posted by tsiguy96

denver media is not trying to help the broncos get the guy they want.

He's saying the team and their PR moves are the controllers, not the Denver media.

I'm not sure how it works, but I think that the media just gets sessions with whoever the Broncos trot out for them.

As far as the safeties being available, that was like 2 or 3 days ago, not today. But the OP is right about the safety and CB preview articles, as well as the McBath and Bruton feature.

It's a pretty far fetched theory, and is all more than likely coincidental, but will be interesting if it actually plays out like that. It's just really unlikely because I doubt that anyone besides a team's own fans read those fluff pieces written by the official PR department of the team.

[Paladin]

Denver media sucks.

[Bigdawg26]

I wouldn't mind getting Earl Thomas, but they are so many safeties in the draft to get one so early especially when we really don't need one. I would guess McClain would be the pick or Pouncey.

[Caligula]

Safety/RB in the first? Seriously? You can go BPA if your team is pretty solid. Ours isn't. Going with BPA without looking to fill needed roles, is a terrible idea.

[Hamrob]

McClain (ILB)
Pouncey (C)
Bulaga (G)
Odrick (OLB/DE)
Davis (G)

I really belive we will either take McClain or Pouncey with the 11th pick. Both are potential 10yr starters who could find themselves as fixtures in the probowl over that time.

If those guys aren't available, then I think we take the next best guy that fits both our system and our area of need. I don't think we will go CB/S in the 1st round...not after spending a 1st, 2nd and 4th on this area last year. That would be pure stupidity.

[tsiguy96]

Originally Posted by Caligula

Safety/RB in the first? Seriously? You can go BPA if your team is pretty solid. Ours isn't. Going with BPA without looking to fill needed roles, is a terrible idea.

i think you should always look for BPA, but you have to try and fill needs, and FS isnt one of those needs. our team is solid at a lot of positions. but the positions we do need (C, G are huge) we need really badly.