Team on the way up?

[TonyR]

Here's the Broncos write-up on Grantland's NFL Preview. The Broncos have been classified as a team that should improve this year.


While Josh McDaniels kept the Denver offense going before he was fired, the Broncos defense collapsed under a string of injuries last season. The 2009 unit had the league's seventh-best DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), but it also fielded a group of 11 starters, many in their 30s, who combined to miss a total of just two games all season. When star pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil went down with a torn pectoral muscle last August and went on season-ending injured reserve, it was the first sign of an impending flood. By the end of the year, the Broncos' defensive starters had missed a combined 40 games. They fell to 30th in DVOA and allowed more points than any other team in football. It was ugly.

We can start with our reasons to be hopeful right there. Dumervil is back, which should change the entire complexion of their defense. He's also got a buddy in second overall pick Von Miller, who had 10.5 sacks as an outside linebacker in Texas A&M's 3-4 scheme last year. Outside linebackers in the 4-3 rarely rush the passer, so they don't normally accrue heavy sack totals, but John Fox is reportedly going to use Miller as a defensive end in pass-rushing situations. With Dumervil on the other side, Miller should get plenty of opportunities to rush the quarterback one-on-one against an overmatched right tackle. He may not get 10.5 sacks, but he should be a credible second threat.

On the other hand, it's hard to see where the meat of the defense is going to come from. Despite investing five high draft picks over the past five years into defensive talent, the Broncos have essentially nothing to show for it. In 2007, the Broncos used their first-round pick on Jarvis Moss and added Tim Crowder in the second round. Moss and Crowder were expected to be the team's defensive ends of the future, but neither player remains in Denver.

McDaniels' first draft, though, is quickly becoming a legendarily bad production. He spent the 18th pick on pass-rusher Robert Ayers, who started only for one season at Tennessee and had just nine sacks in his four-year college career. Ayers has been a washout as a pro, but at least he's still in town! McDaniels dealt a first-round pick to move up and acquire Alphonso Smith with the 37th pick, but after Smith struggled during his rookie season, the Broncos dealt him to Detroit for practice squad tight end Dan Gronkowski. The team shipped Gronkowski out of town on Saturday and sent safety Darcel McBath, the 48th pick in that year's draft, along with him. That's five first- and second-round picks and one terrible pass-rusher to show for it.

It's not much prettier on the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos used the 12th pick in that year's draft on halfback Knowshon Moreno, who they're convinced isn't a full-time running back after two years of middling production. After spending the offseason staring longingly at DeAngelo Williams, they settled for Willis McGahee. The final second-round pick from that year's draft was blocking tight end Richard Quinn, whom the team also cut this offseason. The jury's still out on their two 2010 first-rounders, but wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has a torn Achilles and will miss the first half of the 2011 season, while Tim Tebow is currently third on the depth chart at quarterback and falling. Utility lineman Zane Beadles, the team's lone second-rounder, might be the best draft pick McDaniels made. That's not high praise, either.

Best-case scenario: Injuries to Orton and Brady Quinn force Tim Tebow into the lineup, and he leads the Broncos on a long winning streak that culminates in their winning the AFC West.

Worst-case scenario: The dismal draft classes of 2009 and 2010 continue to haunt the team, as a total lack of depth causes it to collapse with even a small number of injuries.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...eview-part-iii

[TonyR]

I probably should have read the whole thing before posting. Lame and mostly worthless.

[peacepipe]

Best-case scenario: Injuries to Orton and Brady Quinn force Tim Tebow into the lineup, and he leads the Broncos on a long winning streak that culminates in their winning the AFC West

.
dmn tebownites are everywhere.

[Kaylore]

Grantland?

[yerner]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Grantland?

Bill Simmons new website that hosts a collection of writers. It's not bad. Chuck Klosterman frequently contributes. Lots of interesting articles about sports and pop culture.

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Grantland?

It's a sister site to ESPN.com with Bill Simmons as the lead attraction. I think the whole aim was to allow more "edgy" material that is more indirectly linked to the parent co. But you can access it directly from the ESPN home page.

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by yerner

Chuck Klosterman frequently...

Malcolm Gladwell, too.

[vancejohnson82]

wow...that was an awful write-up for us

[Inkana7]

Robert Ayers is not a pass-rusher.

Also the bit on Miller shows that the article was basically written without any research, just guessing ****.

[PRBronco]

Originally Posted by TonyR

I probably should have read the whole thing before posting. Lame and mostly worthless.

Yeah they lost me when they kept referring to Ayers as a pass rusher.

[WolfpackGuy]

"While Josh McDaniels kept the Denver offense going before he was fired..."

Really?

[SonOfLe-loLang]

They have some good articles on that site, also some worthless ones. I always do enjoy Gladwell and Klosterman though

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by SonOfLe-loLang

They have some good articles on that site...

Agree, a good site overall. Some of this guy's write-ups of other teams were decent so I was expecting this one to be good as well.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Inkana7

Robert Ayers is not a pass-rusher.

Also the bit on Miller shows that the article was basically written without any research, just guessing ****.

Don't be so sure.

[Mountain Bronco]

Originally Posted by Inkana7

Robert Ayers is not a pass-rusher.

Also the bit on Miller shows that the article was basically written without any research, just guessing ****.

As a DE I hope to god he gets after the passer a least a bit. There will be times where we need him to.

[Mountain Bronco]

I like the site, but this guy and the whole way they are doing the mega preview is really weird and I don't like it. This guy (who wrote the article) is pretty bad and he is the primary NFL guy on the site so that sucks.

[Swedish Extrovert]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Don't be so sure.

He hasn't shown much. I'm still holding out hope though, and he's actually been pretty good against the run.

[Swedish Extrovert]

I posted something a while back about the ages of the starters...I'd be surprised if we aren't the youngest team in the league.

[Ray_Lewis'_Victim]

Also it says DT's going to miss most of the season, which is also wrong. Crappy article is crappy

[Old Dude]

What an idiot.

[TonyR]

Originally Posted by Mightysmurf

...I'd be surprised if we aren't the youngest team in the league.

I read somewhere that Tampa is.

[Br0nc0Buster]

Originally Posted by PRBronco

Yeah they lost me when they kept referring to Ayers as a pass rusher.

hes a pass rush specialist

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by TonyR

I read somewhere that Tampa is.

Tampa was last year and got even younger.

Our secondary immediately disqualifies us.

[Beantown Bronco]

The only thing that makes me feel even somewhat better about our recent drafting is that of Bill Belichick. Of the 30 odd guys drafted by the Pats from 2006-2008, only 3 of them are still on the roster.....and one of them's the kicker.

That's pretty bad.

[HILife]

Originally Posted by TonyR

Here's the Broncos write-up on Grantland's NFL Preview. The Broncos have been classified as a team that should improve this year.


While Josh McDaniels kept the Denver offense going before he was fired, the Broncos defense collapsed under a string of injuries last season. The 2009 unit had the league's seventh-best DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), but it also fielded a group of 11 starters, many in their 30s, who combined to miss a total of just two games all season. When star pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil went down with a torn pectoral muscle last August and went on season-ending injured reserve, it was the first sign of an impending flood. By the end of the year, the Broncos' defensive starters had missed a combined 40 games. They fell to 30th in DVOA and allowed more points than any other team in football. It was ugly.

We can start with our reasons to be hopeful right there. Dumervil is back, which should change the entire complexion of their defense. He's also got a buddy in second overall pick Von Miller, who had 10.5 sacks as an outside linebacker in Texas A&M's 3-4 scheme last year. Outside linebackers in the 4-3 rarely rush the passer, so they don't normally accrue heavy sack totals, but John Fox is reportedly going to use Miller as a defensive end in pass-rushing situations. With Dumervil on the other side, Miller should get plenty of opportunities to rush the quarterback one-on-one against an overmatched right tackle. He may not get 10.5 sacks, but he should be a credible second threat.

On the other hand, it's hard to see where the meat of the defense is going to come from. Despite investing five high draft picks over the past five years into defensive talent, the Broncos have essentially nothing to show for it. In 2007, the Broncos used their first-round pick on Jarvis Moss and added Tim Crowder in the second round. Moss and Crowder were expected to be the team's defensive ends of the future, but neither player remains in Denver.

McDaniels' first draft, though, is quickly becoming a legendarily bad production. He spent the 18th pick on pass-rusher Robert Ayers, who started only for one season at Tennessee and had just nine sacks in his four-year college career. Ayers has been a washout as a pro, but at least he's still in town! McDaniels dealt a first-round pick to move up and acquire Alphonso Smith with the 37th pick, but after Smith struggled during his rookie season, the Broncos dealt him to Detroit for practice squad tight end Dan Gronkowski. The team shipped Gronkowski out of town on Saturday and sent safety Darcel McBath, the 48th pick in that year's draft, along with him. That's five first- and second-round picks and one terrible pass-rusher to show for it.

It's not much prettier on the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos used the 12th pick in that year's draft on halfback Knowshon Moreno, who they're convinced isn't a full-time running back after two years of middling production. After spending the offseason staring longingly at DeAngelo Williams, they settled for Willis McGahee. The final second-round pick from that year's draft was blocking tight end Richard Quinn, whom the team also cut this offseason. The jury's still out on their two 2010 first-rounders, but wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has a torn Achilles and will miss the first half of the 2011 season, while Tim Tebow is currently third on the depth chart at quarterback and falling. Utility lineman Zane Beadles, the team's lone second-rounder, might be the best draft pick McDaniels made. That's not high praise, either.

Best-case scenario: Injuries to Orton and Brady Quinn force Tim Tebow into the lineup, and he leads the Broncos on a long winning streak that culminates in their winning the AFC West.

Worst-case scenario: The dismal draft classes of 2009 and 2010 continue to haunt the team, as a total lack of depth causes it to collapse with even a small number of injuries.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...eview-part-iii

How is this the best case scenario? We really need an injury to the #1 AND #2a so that #2b can come in and win the AFC West? We can't win the AFC West with #1?