Mr. East’s It’s a Wonderful Horrible Mock Draft

Browns not good enough to take at 12…..and you don’t have rey even in the first round…huh? If we take brown at 12 who do we take at 44?

I don’t know where you’re coming from with Everette Brown not being good enough at 12, but I see Rey Maualuga falling due to the combine.

wow. Brown??? risky pick. I could see it happening but still very risky. I agree with jcampb though maualuga won’t drop that low. other than that good mock.

I’m always torn on mock drafts – i can never decide if I love them or hate them. All this speculation and chatter and then one trade throws everything out the window.

One thing I do know is that if Shanny was drafting I’m convinced he would pick Knowshon. He talked about Jonathan Stewart last year, nearly took Maroney a couple of years back. Plus last year after every poor defensive performance, the Broncos would sign a receiver. So this pick would make sense.

But with two people drafting who have never been in this position before – who knows what they will do. There’s no past history to go by (is there?). But I do subscribe to the theory that Mr East mentions that it really doesn’t matter which defensive position Denver drafts its going to be an upgrade. Personally I think I would explore jumping in front of Green Bay for Raji but thats based purely on reputation.

i dont view brown as risky at all. he is a very quick defensive end with solid tackling skills. he is a beast and will translate very well to the pros. there are whispers that he will go as high as 5. i dont know why he would be risky at 12. in fact, personally i dont see him on the board when we pick.

I like your pick EAST and agree that Brown is a solid value at 12. Kiper doesn’t think Brown is as explosive as Orakpo or Maybin but I think both Brown and English will be better pros. Only time will tell though and you are right that things will change in terms of teams needs due to free agency pick-ups and players will move up down boards based on the combine, individual workouts, and pro days. I am interested to see your revision post combine.

flbronc – I agree that there’s a real solid chance he wont be on the board at 12, however if the Raiders take Maclin or none of the premier offensive tackles then Brown has the chance of slipping because Orakpo is considered to be better suited for either schemes. Other teams will jump at grabbing Michael Oher and Jason Smith instead of Brown which will lead to his drop to 12. I think though that it’s a 50/50 that Al Davis messes up and doesn’t draft an offensive linemen.

mikebirty – I know how you feel about mock drafts it seems so useless sometimes. The way I see it is that it keeps your mind fresh for all the options out there for not just Denver but for what other teams need as well. When that one trade implodes all the mock drafts, all is not lost because it’s really just rebuilding the structure and not starting from scratch. A good mock drafter understands its fickle nature.

Garrett – I think it’s more a bias against Rey, I think he will drop to the lower first round, I’m now thinking I should have given him to Tennessee with the potential departure of Keith Bullock.

pretty good mock draft. except i think Buffalo will take TE Brandon Pettigrew and Orakpo will fall to us. and Orakpo would be better then Brown. but Brown would be good value at 12. and i totally agree that Maualuga wont go high in the first at all. his 40 and cone drills at the combine will be make or break. im surprised more of the Maualuga lovers arent screaming at you. lol

Brown’s off the board already by 12 when we pick so I don’t see the real risk . I really, really like brown. He led the nation in sacks, has a beastly physique(no homo, check this guy out on youtube), and seems to have the athletic ability to really do some damage in a 3-4.

Unlike his teammate from last year, Vernon Gholston, Brown has been projected high early from the get go, so won’t have a freak combine and go 6 based off that. He has a lot less bust potential then him imo.

And Mr. East, no Aaron Maybin? He’s gonna be a serious riser at the combine, kid has a ton of athletic ability, and probably the most upside out of Brown, Orakpo, and himself at 3-4 OLB. He’s a little raw right now, but I’ve heard Penn State’s coaching staff nob this guy too much not be a little bit infatuated with him. He’s been compared to Merriman.

Brown’s off the board already by 12 when we pick so I don’t see the real risk . I really, really like brown. He led the nation in sacks, has a beastly physique(no homo, check this guy out on youtube), and seems to have the athletic ability to really do some damage in a 3-4.

Unlike his teammate from last year, Vernon Gholston, Brown has been projected high early from the get go, so won’t have a freak combine and go 6 based off that. He has a lot less bust potential then him imo.

And Mr. East, no Aaron Maybin? He’s gonna be a serious riser at the combine, kid has a ton of athletic ability, and probably the most upside out of Brown, Orakpo, and himself at 3-4 OLB. He’s a little raw right now, but I’ve heard Penn State’s coaching staff nob this guy too much not be a little bit infatuated with him. He’s been compared to Merriman.

uh Nathan. Vernon Gholston went to OHIO state. Brown went to Florida state.

NathanH,

The reason why I don’t have Maybin on there is because he weighs 236 pounds. This is a pre-combine mock draft but in my preliminary drafts I had him at a few teams, but I don’t think his stock is high enough. I think Michael Johnson will fall and Peira Jerry will rise, but I’m not going to state it until they prove it.

Brown, yes from Florida Sate, has the chance of falling due to the number of premiere offensive tackles that will be taken in the top 10. If kerry is right and Pettigrew is taken at 11 then Brown/Orakpo may fall even farther.

the Deal between the Panthers and Jordan Gross has been done. Julius Peppers is gonna receive the franchise tag. could have swore i said that weeks ago. lol

East if we have the choice between brown or orakpo who do you take?

the deal between Asomugha and the Raiders is done and is awaiting league approval

“I would expect some big name player on the Denver defense to be traded if Denver doesn’t want to trade down.”

Why not just say “Champ Bailey”? Or do you mean that other big name player?

Peppers got tagged. Asomugha is signed by the Raiders. the conjecture is dead!!

I’m curious to see what the youngster GM and the youngster HC will do now. I just can’t foresee them giving up anyone for a big name like Peppers or signing a high dollar guy like Haynesworth. That sounds more like a Daniel Snyder or a Jerry Jones move. Now that Peppers has the tag and is going to require $300 million and a luxury yacht in trade for his services, I think they’ll acquire several solid starters that will fill several needs instead of just one or two. I guess it just depends on your defensive philosophy, but I just can’t see how one player is worth that much.

Of course, I never thought I’d see major league baseball salaries rise to the amount they are, either, so (here’s the clever statement of the day) ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE. Isn’t that a “cover your arse” statement if you ever saw one?

Last thing- I love how Peppers left everyone guessing when he said he’d be fine with a trade to three different NFC teams or one AFC team. That guy knows how to command the high dollars and keep us all speculating. I love the Broncos, but do you really think this was the one AFC team he was referring to? Guess we’ll find out next week.

shit….thats bad news but I knew it was going to happen eventually, I just don’t see the broncos using that pick on a DE/OLB. We lost games because we couldn’t stop the run. If we want success thats where it starts, that and running the ball.

Man, I wonder when Adam Schefter sleeps.

I see that the Dolphins aren’t going to use their franchise tag- I know some of you already posted about him as a possibility, but can any of you enlighten me on Channing Crowder of Miami? Is he a 3-4 LB worth having? Who are some of the lesser known FAs that we might see on the team by the draft? ESPN and the NFL Network tell who the free agents are, but not a whole lot of speculation on where they’ll end up. Then again, maybe I missed a good post on this blog. Point me in the right direction please, fellow citizens of Broncos Nation.

no offense Mr. East but the last thing we need is another tweener, we have two already in moss and doom. I just think MLB, DT, or RB is a smarter pick here. Who knows what we are going to do, but if we pick him I think we need to dump Boss or trade doom or something.

Richard – Thats a pretty tough question but I would go with Everette Brown. Brown has shown that he has little to no injury issues where as Orakpo has durability concerns.

Dakota – He could be referring the Chargers, Jets, or Patriots. I would think he means the Patriots myself.

jcampb – Denver couldn’t stop anything, not just the run. The draft is just about addressing your concerns, it’s about picking the best possible player on the board at every pick. The Steelers do this consistently and always have depth.

Everette Brown isn’t a tweener as an OLB, he’s a manbeast. Shawne Merriman is bigger than Brown, and he’s an OLB, DeMarcus Ware is also a little bit bigger.

Unless you want him as a DE then he’s undersized, and thats just stupid. I don’t think we’re going to have a first round pick unless Raji falls or they really like Moreno.

Nice mock. Although, you heard it hear first: the Lions will not take a QB in the first round this year. They’ll do it with the first pick next year. Sam Bradford to the Lions in 2010!

With Pierre Thomas playing so well to compliment R Bush, I don’t think that the Saints will be looking RB at all. They’ll be looking Defense all the way.

I also don’t see the broncos not giving dumervil and Moss a shot on the outside. Tyson Jackson is rising up draft boards. Although he may or may not make an immediate impact, a player like that doesn’t come along often. Plus, it would be nice to take him away from the Chargers. My other big concern is the Broncos potential ILBs currently on the roster. Woody thinks that DJ will play on the outside. Not sure I agree. Anyway, my concern with them is their (I’m mean Boss, DJ, Woodyard, and Larson) ability to shed run blockers. Can anybody attest to their skill level in that area? I thought that DJ plays weakside linebacker so that he doesn’t have to deal with run blockers as much.

Good call on Larry English to the Pats. I haven’t seen that much, but it makes sense.

Dakota Fan –

Channing Crowder could be a good ILB fit, but he’s had knee problems for a long time. I’m hesitant to sign another densive player that will sit on the bench for half of the season. I think that he managed to stay healthy all of last year, though.

With Dansby, Peppers, Suggs, and Asomhuga all franchised, and assuming that the professor won’t trade picks for them, are there any other big name players that Denver can sign? I’m not counting Haynesworth.

What do you guys think about the possibility of Denver actually signing LT, say, on a cheap two year deal? Although he’s been injured some over the last two seasons, I wouldn’t characterize it as injury prone – it’s more like he’s just prone to wear down by the end of the season. If he splits carries, maybe that won’t happen. The guy is still awesome.

If you were to pick an veteran back to sign would it be LT (if available), Fred Taylor, or Deuce McCallister?

Oh and Dakota… Channing Crowder is not that good he’s only worth a cheap sign or a 6-7th rounder. I would be pissed if Denver used a 5th to get him.

Peppers to the Pats would be pretty scary, indeed. I can see it happening.

If Raji is taken by Green Bay, I see the Broncos moving out of this pick and trying to pick up a few extra first day picks…

Raji would be a rock on line if he was there… and would be great to build the new D-Line around.

Look at how much the draft scenarios and mock drafts have changed after either a bowl game or just further research on a player’s overall season. I’ve seen a player’s stock rise and fall right after the combine before, but this year, I predict it’s going to be even crazier than usual. That’s the ONLY prediction I make on the draft- a relatively safe one.

One last question: when was the last time the Broncos used a franchise tag? Hasn’t it been awhile?

That’s it for my questions. I should actually try to get some work done.

Wow sounds like you have a man crush on him, but unfortunetly it doesn’t make sense for us to pick him. sorry. Maybe if we sign a good MLB or DT that would make sense but as of right now it doesn’t.

As for the Steeler philosophy its easy to pick the best available player when you have a sick defense and good offense. They chose to help out their weakness, as should we. As for our defense the number 1 priority is to stop the run. Whats the point of having a good pass rush if the other team doesn’t pass the ball?

Yeah it makes sense for Denver to REACH/WASTE their first round pick on a MLB or DT seeing how there are no good ones within the #12 area.

Mancrush? What are you 8? I said I’d rather have them trade down the first round pick unless it is Moreno, who I do have a mancrush on… so get it right!

the “manbeast” douche….how is Rey a reach….where are you from because it sounds like you don’t live n e where near denver, Mr. East….another poser from the elway era thats never even lived in denver. JJ. Anyway I agree with trading down, we need as many picks as we can get.

I agree with jcampb, there is a MLB that is worthy of a number 12 pick. His name is rey. Our need is to set a tone on defense and stop the run. I believe he would do just that. But I like how you put Wells before moreno….he is going to be something special.

East Brown is the right call, glad you’re paying attention to injury histories.

I’m glad Peppers was taken care of by Carolina. Now we won’t have to listen to posters (mostly on other sites) gush about how he’s THE MAN.

By the way, I have taken what Joe Collier said about building a 3-4 defense to heart, and have tried to incorporate that thinking into my draft wishlist. His method starts with a NT, 2 inside linebackers, then 2 D ends. Basically build it from the inside.

Therefore, after signing Canty DE from Dallas, Sean Jones SS from Cleveland, Wright DE from New England, and Bartell CB from St. Louis in Free Agency, we trade down from 12 to 22nd to 26th or so and receive say 26th in first and take someone like Larry English DE/OLB Northern Illinois, Clint Sintim OLB Virginia, or Paul Kruger DE Utah. With our 2 second round picks take Shon Greene RB Iowa, and either Ron Brace if we like him and his bad back checks out, or one of a number of Free Safeties. In the 3rd round we take Ellerbee or another ILB( or wait for Jasper Brinkley from So Carolina). We would now have 2 4th rounders, 2 fifth rounders, 1 or 2 6th rounders (depending on whether Atlanta resigns Foxworth) and 1 or 2 7th rounders.

First off, Rey Maualuga is not worth the #12 pick at all. Stopping the run starts up front at the defensive line, not with ILBs. There are more DT prospects in the later rounds, gaining more 2nd and 3rd round picks is more a vital action than wasting your pick on an overrated USC player.

Second off, “douche” is uncalled for. I was clearly joking with you and stated that you had my “mancrush” wrong. Just because I don’t live in Denver doesn’t mean I’ve never been to a Denver game, in or outside Denver. I’m sorry my father from Colorado Springs decided to join the armed forces and I grew up in about 10 different places. This site is not for personal attacks, and as far the Elway era, that is in the past and now is the time to rebuild.

i firmly believe in selecting Samoan/Hawaiian USC Defensive Stars – give me Rey at 12 and he’ll clog the middle for 10 yrs. Just a note on jcamp’s implication that you need to actually live in Denver to be a Bronco fan? Give it a rest, football is unique beyond all other sports as geographics mean nothing. How many Steelers fans were at the Superbowl, it seemed 75/25, do you think they all flew in from PA? Look how infected the country is with Dallas fans. Born in bred in Jersey and I’ve despised all regional teams from birth except for the NYY’s. Bronco fan for 23+ yrs and counting, I have a pair of Mile High seats in my house and if there was ever any real way to prove someones’s a Bronco fan its as my wife will tell anyone, I stopped enjoying the games years ago. When we win I’m not happy, its as if I’m being sued for millions and my lawyer comes up to me and says they dropped the lawsuit. It just relief that I can sleep that night without thinking about how heartless the defense was or how stupid some of the playing calling was. Pure stress relief – no joy – that’s my curse, being a Denver Broncos fan, I can’t complain since there are those born and bred deushebags that are referred to as San Diego Charger fans – pure trash in every sense of the word. Let’s just keep in mind that you don’t need to live in Denver to be a Bronco fan, I have no problem saying that I’ve followed and suffered with the Broncos more than some of the fans who go to the actual games, but it is what it is.

is said I was joking, chill. If we do go with brown great. If not fine too, but we have glaring needs at CB, MLB, NT, and Safety. Who do you think we are going to get in FA Mr. West? Is a big signing out of the question? I hope not, I’m sick of all these mediocre signing that have kept us from being a top tier team.

We should target Buchanon for the Champ’s other side. I don’t think he’d be that big of a signing, just a solid one.

I know stav, just giving him a hard time, but I was and will be the one who creates the mile high thunder, not like it did anything for us last year. But I left many a game with little to no voice on sunday and sometimes monday.

What about the guy from the rams….cant remember his name….anyone know who I’m talking about.

I hear ya’ and wish I was with you. I catch them everytime they’re around here, even at the risk of taking a beating at the hands of trashy drunken a-holes like the Jets fans (they run amok at Jets games). I can guarantee you that I’ve walked out of Giants/Jets games vs. Denver with my jersey beer (not mine) and I’m sure spit-stained. Not that I didn’t deserve it, but regardless of where you are or where you go, I’m going there to do my thing and the cheer the Broncos……….as vulgar as I may get.

jcampb72 –

You need to take a few breaths and chill out yourself. You’re writing like you’re a little light-headed. Even if you’re joking, you should show a little more respect to a guy who’s done a lot more research than you have. You might check a few posts back for FAs that Mr. East is interested in. Some may not have picked up on your “jj” internet slang, imo.

There are two Rams that the Broncos would have been interested in: Otogwe (S) or Bartell (CB). Otogwe is franchised, so forget him. Richard thinks we should go after Bartell, but I don’t know much about him.

I’m fine taking Brown also, as long as he can stop the run. I am with Richard, though, in how much I respected the Joe Collier interview in RMN.

Can anybody speak to the Bronco potential ILBs’ ability to shed run blockers? If not, then ILB is as much a concern as anything else. Rey may not be a good value at #12, and he may be a USC player, but I still think that he’s an impact player that can contribute right away, whether he does well at the combine or not. The combine is relatively worthless, imo. I don’t love him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos take him. He certainly won’t be available past the Jets or the Chargers.

I have not a clue to what the hell Denver should do now. I’m sick of drafting a bunch of rookies and praying that they solve our problems (Moss, Crowder, etc.) I want a player who has proven himself that he deserves to be in the NFL. Someone who has shown he can do something. With all of the great, younger vets tagged,who the hell do we get now? I do not see this switch to a 3-4 going well at all, as of now. Hopefully McD has a plan cause by the looks of it now, were very, very fu****….

Jordan C DJ Williams is fair at shedding run blockers, his strength at the WILB position would be to cover, and his speed to the ball carrier. When you watch his game, its speed and excellent spatial awareness. Larson is harder to analyse because he only started 3 games last year, but he held his ground and played his gaps well enough. Of course being better than Webster isn’t that hard. Rey would definitely help, the question is whether hes worth a 12th pick. The fellow that I’m intrigued with is Jasper Brinkley from So Carolina. He’s huge at 6’2″ 275, has pretty good lateral movement, sheds blocker without any effort, and is an absolute MONSTER at pass rush. THe one game I looked at showed good instincts, good discipline and he even had an interception.( didn’t do s### on the return though). His weakness would be in coverage.

Guys, there’s tons of good players still out there, we’ll be fine. We could bring in Vilma or Bart Scott to fill the other ILB spot with DJ, sign Canty or Olshansky for DE, as well as Wright to compete with Marcus Thomas for the other DE spot. Break the books and make Gabe Watson our top priority and he’ll probably tender for a 3rd. Go after Jim Leonhard or James Sanders to fill a saftey spot. Then use our first and second on OLB and CB unless Raji or Brace are there at either pick.

To the people here that want to go ILB so bad, you do realize that no line backing crew or secondary, no matter how good , are crap without a good d-line that can provide a good pass rush and push for the run. In the 3-4, the pass rush comes from the OLB’s, not the DE’s generally. Boss is not a 3-4 OLB, Wesley Woodyard is definatly not a 3-4 OLB, but i have hope for both of them in the middle. We don’t really have any one unless Moss and/or Dumervil work out at OLB that have shown at any level of their career that they have the size or pass rushing ability to play OLB in the 3-4. This is why we fill out the line through FA, and go OLB in the 1st if Raji’s gone.

We have a ton of cap, and all the tags have been a blessing in disguise imo, because we have so many holes to fill. I’d be much happier filling 4-5 spots with GOOD players, rather than bringing in 1 great player like Peppers and 3-4 average ones.

Thanks, Richard. I respect what you’re saying.

Vilma makes no sense to bring in since he didn’t pan out in the Jets 3-4. Bart Scott is definitely a possibility.

What I’m seeing in this draft is a deep DE/OLB class and a not so deep ILB class. I like McKillop and maybe Brinkley, but he, along with many of the ILBs later in the draft seem to be one dimensional – good at pass coverage or good at run stuffing, but not both.

ILB, in my mind, requires a greater skill set and those players are much harder to come by. A 3-4 OLB mostly just has to rush the passer. I would hope that they could do more, but it’s not necessary.

If they brink it Scott, great, but if his price skyrockets…we’ll see.

OLBs/DEs that I like that could fall outside the first round: English, Kruger, Shaughnessy, Sintim, Barwin, Hunt, Brown, Veikune. You get the idea.

Mauluga is fairly on demensional, he’s not gonna be able to man up with the faster tight ends if we take him and DJ probably would if not a saftey, so we’d be commiting him to the run anyways, so why not get one of the one demensional ILB in the later rounds that does just that anyways?

I think everyone so high on Rey will be suprised when he goes mid 20′s. Earliest shot for imo is Detriots second pick.

Nathan H Rey isn’t one dimensional, his real problem is a lack of discipline at times. What the hell he’s what 22 yrs old? My statement about him not being worth a 12th has more to do with our needs on the D side of the ball and the fact that with numbers we will have a better chance of scoring THAT guy. Thats why I’m for trading down to the mid 20s and getting a 2nd and 4th round pick. There’s enough talent in the 2nd to get that RB that some are drooling over, as well as the NT, and there’s some real quality mid round talent we can get for depth and development. What the Shanahan era left us with on D is no talent and barely any depth. I’d rather be able to have 11 picks than 9. It gives us two more chances to find and develop the next Marshall, TD, Sharpe, etc.

Can anyone tell me where all the USC bashing is from? Can anyone tell me who the last DEFENSIVE stud drafted from USC who was a bust? Lofa Tutupu? Troy Polamalu? Junior Seau? (just to name a few) Where is all of this Trojan hatred coming from? It seems to have no solid foundation, just bias IMO.

Jordan C I agree that theres more good OLB prospects than ILB guys in this draft. So what we few, we proud, we broncotalk posters need to do is think outside the box and review which DE/OLB guys might fit in the middle. Two that may fit the bill are: 1) Clint Sintim could be a real find in the SILB position, hes listed as a Sam OLB in a 4-3but has played Mike as well, and 2) AAron Kampman and Jason Babineaux both started at Iowa as linebackers. This years draft has another in DE Mitch King. He’s described as non stop, agressive, smart, quick, etc. He started as an ILB. Can we say Tedy Bruschi? He, by the way, played DE at Arizona.

Wow, I never thought of Mitch King playing ILB at the next level, but I’ve watched him play quite a bit and I think you may be on to something. The only problem with it that I see is that I’ve heard he could go as high as the 2nd, and would we be willing to take a guy that would be asked to take on a lot and possibly take 2-3 years before he sees starting time with a 2nd or even 3rd? If he was some how there in the 4th i’d love to try something like that with him though.

What do you guys think about these ILB’s expected to go somewhere outside of the 1st if we didn’t take one already:

Darry Beckwith(pretty impressive and athletic)
Scott McKillop(Led the nation in tackle pg, only seen him once though)
Gerald McRath(I really want some more info on this guy-In 3 seasons he had 386 tackles, 32.5 for a loss, 8 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles.)

Anybody else got there eyes on some sleepers in the mid rounds?

I would fall on the floor and laugh, and cry, and then laugh again if the Lions take Crabtree :)

That would be soooo funny. It’s really not that unlikely. Roy, Calvin…
lol

jchase8410:

yeah i can tell you where the bashing comes from, you say guys like Polomalu, Tatupu and Seau. ok Seau was drafted over 20 years ago so that is irrelavant. look at guys like Leinart, Bush, Winston Justice are all bums. plenty of USC flops that everyone had overhyped just because they play for USC. and ill go a step further and alot of the bashing coes from the fact that EVERY SINGLE YEAR people watch the Rose Bowl and just proclaim we HAVE TO HAVE this certain player. last year Illinois played USC and everybody screamed for Rashard Mendenhall, before that hundreds screamed that we just HAD to trade up for Reggie Bush and so on and so on. alot of USC players are formed in Pete Carolls system and flop in the NFL. id take a division 2 football player over a USC athlete anyday of the week. big difference between football players and athletes trying to play football.

Nathan H

Darry Beckwith is 6’1″ 233. Size wise he’s Woodyard, we already have that guy. Played Will and some Mike in a 4-3. We already have that guy in DJ Williams. Is weak in coverage, and has trouble diengaging from blocks. Nice player but doesn’t help us.

Scott McKillip better size than Beckwith, has excellent insticts and techniques, good at covering TEs. Needs to improve strength in upper body. He could help us. A couple months with Rich Tuten would be just what the DR. ordered.

Gerald McRath good intincts ,young, undersized. Not a fit in what we’re trying to do. A project if you want him in later rounds.-

The reason I’m thinking Jasper Brinkley or maybe a Mitch King is because we don’t have any of those guys and they would bring something to the party. Speed and Finnesse are good things to have on a football field, but one thing lacking on our D has been size and power. We really need both.

I completely agree with the size and power part. Thanks for the info.

How bout some of these mid round safteys?

Chip Vaugh
Brandon Underwood
Kevin Ellison

And what do you guys think of Rashad Jennings of Liberty? This guy runs crazy quick for his size. Look him up on Youtube. I’d use a 3rd on him in a heart beat, maybe even a 2nd. I would never use a 1st on RB though .

Completely agree on Rb issue, they have too many needs to waste a #12 on RB. If any of those four can actually wrap up and tackle then they are already better than anyone who started at safety for us last year.

Nathan H I Haven’t really looked at safeties yet. I have been concentrating on Dline and Linebackers so far. But cheer up, I’m home from work with a broken left hand. I don’t have much to do and I’ll eventually get to the safety position. My only real problem is my typing is rather slow and painful.(As are my Posts)

Sounds like Josh McDaniels knows exactly who he wants from his combine interview at NFL.com:

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ed6ec5

I’m really psyched to see how they put this team back together!

Wow, Kerry…come on now. I’m pretty sure I put in CAPS “DEFENSIVE” Player. Secondly, I’m nor sure I would call Reggie Bush a bum. I seem to remember him scoring on us twice this year, which I know isn’t saying much with our defense. However, he is a playmaker, whether it is catching a screen pass, returning punts, whatever. Maybe he doesn’t excel running between the tackles, but neither does, say, Sproles, but he tears teams up. Leinart is playing behind a future HOF QB in Kurt Warner, so we’ll see with him. If we were talking about picking Mark Sanchez, this would be a completely different discussion.

Reggie Bush isn’t a running back. Lets talk running backs. Everywhere I read the trendy pick amongst Broncos faithful this year seems to be Knowshon Moreno. I haven’t seen one person picking Beanie Wells and the Broncos to meet at the altar. Mr. East Himself just picked Beanie before Knowshon, my question, Broncos faithful, IS WHY NOT BEANIE?

We definitely don’t need a RB in the First Round. Our scheme doesn’t call for it (not that it wouldn’t be nice) but let’s face it, we need to and we will focus on defense.
And the USC bashing is ridiculous! More than half of all players are busts, first rounders included and no more from USC than anywhere else. I will agree that a player’s draft stock seems to rise after an awesome bowl performace (a la Jarvis Moss) and I still don’t understand how talent evaluators keep making that mistake.
Getting back to RB’s, there will be excellent ones available in the 2nd-3rd rounds. Beanie Wells could be available, Shonn Greene (Iowa) is an absolute beast and there will always be the lesser known backs that go undrafted or late (TD).

Hello my follow broncomaniac’s … I just read the article from RMN saying J Moss (my boy) will be switch to an pass rushing outside linebacker … To me it makes sense hes 6’6 260 … however what doesnt make sense to me is converting Dumervil into an OLB as well … hes 5’10?

Harrison is 5’11″

Beanie is a weanie… Sure his physical stats look great but, he’s soft. If you want a RB thats first inline for the trainer then he’s your guy

Jordan C – really? wow I was trying to look up other outside linebackers I saw some that were about 6’1. I know that Shaun “I wear panties” Phillips was 6’3 … I didnt consider Harrison? I wonder if the weight difference is close …. Doom is like 250? I guess Harrison might be a tad heavier.

In my mock that I had posted a while back, I had the broncos taking raji in the first, shonn Greene in the second, louis delmas in the third, and I had mitch king with one of our 5th round picks.

trade to 18-22 and get MLB laraunitus….then shonn greene and ron brace or a Safety.

Gibril Wilson was realeased by the Raiders today. I hope we consider him. He had 120+ tackles and was good at getting to the ball. We could really use a tackler like him in the secondary.

NathanH… I liked your first 2 suggestions of Jim Leonhard or James Sanders. The few times i watched the ravens Leonhard seem to be everywhere making plays. I know he was surrounded by alot of talent but i still see him as a nice addition. Doubt the ravens would let him go tho. Leonhard is listed about 20 lbs lighter than wilson and sanders but i wouldnt have know it by watching him play. That guy can lay a lick. Dont get me wrong Gibril would still be a great upgrade at safety but i would prefer leonhard or sanders. Nothing wrong with too many viable options. Any of these guys would be better than the M&M duo of last year.

I really like Gibril Wilson. He would be a good addition

how about gibril anddd james sanders… leonards okay but dewan landry thes starter there before he got hurt if all goes good on hisrecovery he probably takes the spot back… if leonard sanders are available take sanders for our FS and gibril at strong we definatloy got enough cash for both sanders for one isn’t considered a very high up there FA and gibril just got cut by the faiders so thats gotta cut ur price tag down a bit

I was hoping for Gibril Wilson last year. I’m hoping again this year.

I putting down my prediction for the free agency/draft right now. I say in free agency Broncos at the very least pick up Dominique Foxworth and Channing Crowder. Foxworth was a decent CB and I think McDaniels has more respect for his character than Shanahan did. In the draft 1st round will be Rey Maualugu (whether we trade down for him or not) and in the 2nd round… Patrick Chung. Then with all hope next year in the draft the Broncos find a way to take Taylor Mays. With Chung and Mays as our safety tandem it will be in the same realm as Dennis Smith/Steve Atwater. In addition to being great defensive backs if they have the same ability to stuff the run as Smith and Atwater than we could have a great defense for years to come.

Jordan C Does Gibril Wilson play free or strong?

Does Gibril has the speed and hard hitting power that we need in the safety positon , I’m still curious on what Barrett will be able to provide us. He’s a big safety and has the speed , and also has some ball skills as we saw in the Carolina game… maybe being an apprentice for a year will allow him to progress further

On a side note , every time I see a picture of D-Will I’m reminded of how much I miss seeing him play , the loss of him had a huge impact on the Broncos not only on the field but also with the teammate that was lost.

RIP D- Will , I remember the pick you ran back against the Raiders , I remember you picking off Rivers against the Chargers and taking it for 6 … I remember the heart you showed on the field …Players come and players go, but Bronco Fans will never forget you …

dee, if your asking if he has the size and speed for saftey, he does for SS, but probably not for FS as he’s not great in man coverage at all. He finished 9th in the NFL in tackles and was the only non-lb of the top 10.

Remember how many long runs we gave up last year? That was mostly because our safties were amongst the worst in the league. It’d be nice to have a tackler like Gibril if we could match him with a ball hawk FS.

I agree about Wilson being a SS. I also agree/hope for the development of J Barrett. Rather than get a long term free safety, I like the idea of signing Brian Dawkins to a two year contract to mentor/provide leadership. He might still be available, right?

I really like the idea of Champ, Wilson, Dawkins, and Macho Harris/DJ Moore in the secondary. Or give Jack Williams or Josh Bell a shot.

McD said they will play 3-4 some of the time, it looks like they can possibly get most of the positions filled. And if they can, I think you’ll see them commit to the scheme very soon. It all depends on free agency.

Champ is going to be traded foer 2 draft picks. If you’re starting from the ground up, then start from the ground up.

I saw them trading Champ before they cut Bly, but now I’m not so sure. Could still see it, though.

If Champs gonna restructure his contract like I heard, than were not gonna be trading him. I think that was an indicator that he’s staying.

And Jordon C, The Eagles will likely re-sign Dawkins. No one has played more games for their franchise than Dawkins and I heard he wants to retire there and they want him back as well.

Mike Champ isn’t going to be traded, Period. If he was it would already have happened, and they would have kept(ugh!) Bly. Would be really stupid thing to do. So far I haven’t detected anything stupid from our new brain trust.

JordanC Wilson at strong would be nice, but have you looked at Sean Jones from Cleveland? Could be HOT! By the way, even if we pick up Wilson or anyone else, we still need two Free safeties, since Barrett is a strong. One from the draft, one from FA. I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Ok people, to some of you this may sound very dumb. When draft time comes, and if BJ Raji gets taken by Green Bay or anyone before us, I would not mind getting Knowshon Moreno. I know our defense is the issue for this team, but I feel that we are going to do a lot in FA. Our runningback situation is not any prettier than our defense though. Yes we have Hillis (he’s the man), Torain, and Young. Everyone else is going to be a free agent. Hillis is definitley a plus, Young needs to go, and no one knows anything about Torain, because he is always hurt. There is always something wrong with him. And after watching Moreno run his forty and such, he would definitley be a plus to our offense. Our one-two punch could consist of him and Hillis. We wont cut Torain, but we will bring him in gradually. He is coming off a torn ACL. Moreno is a bigass dude with some speed (4.55). He could be our first and second down back, than Hillis will pound the ball on the third downs. Than with all of our picks after that, we go pure defense. I feel that besides Raji, he would be the only rookie to come in and have a true impact on our team as a rookie. He reminds me of an Adrian Peterson. What do you guys all think about this idea?

Richard, I wouldn’t be to sure about that. I’m not saying he will be traded but they’res always that possibility.

I agree with you about Sean Jones, he has a lot of potential but he has a hard time staying healthy and consistent

Joe -

I completely agree. Knowshown Moreno is an elite prospect who is flying under the radar due to the lack of RB need. The only player right now I’m okay with Denver taking at 12 (who hasn’t fallen drastically) is Knowshon Moreno. He will turn around Denver’s underachieving and inconsistent offense. I’m glad someone else thinks the same.

Joe, given our O-line and RB coach have stayed, I’d much rather go after the next TD, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, etc and get someone outside of the 1st round that’ll be a star.

Rashad Jennings of Liberty is currently soaring up the draft boards and could be there in the 2nd if Beanie or Know start to drop. Think Brandon Jacobs.

Mr. Eeast -

Ya I definitley see him helping out our offense. Especially in the TOP area, as well as the red zone. He is a big back who could really put some punishment on the defenders. If we can get him and our running game again, Denver’s number 2 ranked offense could easily turn into the number one offense in the NFL. We need that TOP badly, and thats when he can contribute. And having a player of his status on the team could really help Jay. With a good running game, Jay could be even more outstanding. The opposing defenses can’t just prepapre for the pass all the time, as they did last year. And look how well Jay did with that going on. ProBowl. Imagine if we had that running game?? Less picks, more touchdown passes.

I’ll have mixed feelings about taking Moreno. If the defense wasn’t such a mess, I’d be all about it.

I thought Barrett played free safety. If he does play strong, then I’d be less interested in Wilson, but not disappointed if they do sign him.

Free safety, to me, is a game changing position and needs real leadership. In the draft, I only like the top two or three prospects in Jenkins, Delmas, and Rashad Johnson. Outside of Dawkins, there’s not anybody else worth looking at in FA.

I honestly don’t know much about Sean Jones. I read, though, that he stayed relatively healthy until last year. If he can prove that he’s fully recovered from last year, then great – go get him. I like Wilson more, though, maybe just because I know more about him.

Over the next week, I’m curious about two things: Jenkin’s 40 time and his potential at free safety and the Baltimore linebacker situation. If the Broncos can a chance to sign Bart Scott, and they do, then I’ll stop all this talk about Rey Maualuga. But if not…

I really like Delmas. He has great leadership and is a ball hawk. He’s overagressive at times, but hopefully the coaching staff at the next level can work that out for him. If William Moore some how drops to our 2nd pick too, I’d be possibly interested in him.

Some mid round guys i wanted your guys’ opinions on:

Worrell Williams-ILB(a little undersized but all over the place on every play)
Terrance Taylor(beasted at the combine, maybe worth a 6th or 7th)-NT
Vance Walker-DE
Roy Miller-DE/DT
Chip Vaughn-SS

Any one seen a lot of any of these guys?

I’ve seen a lot on Vance Walker and Terrance Taylor and trust me they will not be around come 6 or 7. Walterfootball has Taylor going to Denver in the 3rd round and Vance Walker going to Dallas in the 4th. I’m not sold on Worrell Williams yet, but I cant wait to watch him at the combine.

I knew Walker would be gone by than, but they were saying on NFL networks coverage of the combine that Taylor, despite his freakish strength, likely won’t be picked before the 6th. They were knocking his ability to pass rush at all, mostly nitpicking really. I was suprised as I had seen him on Walterfootballs mock as well. Maybe he doesn’t interview well or something we don’t know and can’t see the measurables on. I think the guy has a lot of potential though, and could be money for depth at NT.

Mr. East My feeling and that’s all any of us has to go on, is that the demolition of the roster is complete and champ stays especially because of his interception against New England in ’05. No way McD has forgotten about that one, it broke the Pats back.

NathanH Terrance Taylor isn’t that hot a prospect. If he interests you, may I suggest Dorrell Scott from Clemson, a better larger player available in the same mid rounds as taylor. And another kid that has me drooling is Jarron Gilbert DE from San Jose St. He needs to put on about 10-15 lbs., but if we give him a signing bonus, we also give him a gift certificate to McDonalds. This kid can play, and theres a utube video of him jumping out of a pool that show A LOT of Burst.

Worrell Williams is good, but has the same knocks as his older brother DJ. He is all instinct and has little football iq. He is a big, strong MLB who makes plays, maybe worth a 5th, or 6th round pick

I haven’t seen Taylor, but I’ve read that he’s big and takes up space, but lacks motor/motivation and pass rushing skills, as was already pointed out. Interestingly enough, I’ve read that the scouting report was similar for Gabe Watson, who’s been talked about a lot. It turns out that both played at Michigan. Coincidence? I think not. Seriously, though, Taylor is probably a good mid- to late-round developmental project.

From what I’m reading about Scott, it looks like he’s not quite big enough to play nose tackle. ESPN’s got him listed at just 308. Gilbert is being projected at 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT. I haven’t heard anybody put him as NT. He’s looking to be about 280-290.

In fact, Walterfootball lists combine weigh ins as: Scott at 312, Gilbert at 288, and Taylor at 306! Much lighter for Taylor than I expected.

Scott is 6’4″, a few weeks in the weight room and a gift certificate to the golden corral buffett will solve the weight problem. Taylor is 6’0′-6’1″ and is probably as big as he’s going to get. Gilbert is 6’6″ and is definitely a DE prospect, I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear in a previous post. He has amazingly strong legs with great balance, and very good hands. If he’s 288 lbs. now hes put on 7 lbs since December. He’s headed in the right direction.

as per usual i don’t have much to say but i wanted the 100th comment.

Quick question, consensus seems to be that this pick should be a defender – so how many prospective defensive starters have to be signed in free agency for beenie or knowshon to be the logical pick?

I’d say 4 or 5. Safety, Linebacker and two linemen. Another linebacker clinches it.

mikebirty -

I like the way you’re thinking, the offseason will determine a lot in the draft. I hope that Denver can pick up some solid defensive starters in FA in able to get Knowshown Moreno because at 12 so far there’s not a lot of defensive talent left available for that draft pick.

it came to me in one of my more lucid moments on the weekend. Signing boss, manuel, marlon, niko and robertson meant that Shany could go offense on day 1. If the top free agent in every defensive category signs up and Raji is off the board then why not?

Mikebirty:

i think a CB is also needed in FA. now alot of the 3-4 defenses play alot of zone in the secondary. and the best ZONE CB in free agency is DeAngelo Hall. he should be signed also. this is what im looking at, go with me on this:

DT Gabe Watson from Arizona to play NT. he is 335 pounds.
LB Bart Scott from Baltimore to play 3-4 ILB.
CB DeAngelo Hall. excellent zone CB.
DE Chris Canty from Dallas to play 3-4 DE.
S Jim Leonhard from Baltimore at SS or FS.

i think all those guys being acquired could allow us to get Knowshown Moreno. the trick is that Gabe Watson is a RFA and would have to be acquired by giving up a draft pick. if he is tendered for a third rounder or lower then absolutely he has to be gotten.

mikebirty signing boss,manuel,mccree,niko, and robertson also contributed to Shanny cleaning out his desk at the end of the season. I’m not dissing your idea, its more a knock on the FA’s that were signed.

kerry –

now you’re in favor of giving up draft picks for RFAs?!

There is no way that DeAngelo Hall becomes a Bronco. He’s a complete whiner. Plus, while the Steelers play a lot of zone, I don’t think that the Pats did, and I’m not sure about the Ravens under Nolan. But I guarantee that 3-4 does not equal zone coverage.

I’m also skeptical of Jim Leonhard. He had a good post season, but that’s all that he’s shown. He’s undersized and his performance was surely enhanced by a great front seven. While I’m hoping that Denver has a great front seven…it probably won’t happen this year.

Unless you count Jenkins, there are no good safeties at pick 12, so signing one in free agency wouldn’t keep the Broncos from picking Moreno anyway.

Richard –

I think that mikebirty is just realizing that the same process can occur, assuming that they sign actual football players in free agency.

Alright, who is the number one FA everyone wants now and/or who does everyone think we should take at #12?

Joe –

Question number 2 depends on Question number 1. I haven’t heard anyone complain about signing Chris Canty and both Bart Scott and Gabe Watson seem to be gaining consensus momentum. We’ll see if those two are actually reasonably available.

Canty or Olshansky would be good. I agree about Watson, even if it means a 3rd.

As for the 12th pick, its a consensus I feel that if Raji is available we take him, if not there’s a lot of argument about whether we should go ILB, OLB, DE, CB, or even RB.

So many holes to fill…

I know huh. Thats why I keep reminding myself its a 2 year process.

Which is why I say why not go after Fred Taylor in free agency. He’s got some milage left and I’ve heard there won’t be much of a market for him and he’ll likely come cheap if we pursued him. He’d be a stop gap for a year and let us prolong drafting a RB til next years draft.

Also, I really hate even thinking about it, but Xanders did say he wants to pick up another pick and we don’t really have much value left. But do you think Dumervil could be shipped out? And if so for what? I’m no expert on player for pick values but I’d guess an early 3rd maybe? It may be worth it if they don’t feel he’ll adjust well to a 3-4.

I do like the idea of canty and olshansky. Not sure about Hall but what about Bryant McFadden from the steelers to compliment champ on the other side? Too expensive?
I think Fred Taylor would be too expensive and too old. I would prefer us looking for help/depth at RB through the draft. But if we do go through the FA market i would say cedric benson (hopefully he has all his dui’s out of his system), Dominic Rhodes (Depth, experience). I actually liked the way Pittman ran before he got hurt last yr. If he is healthy i would prefer re-signing him before bringing taylor in.

I think we should get Bartell over McFadden. The reason is Bartell didn’t have the pass rush like McFadden did, even with that Bartells numbers are better. McFadden wouldn’t be that much of an upgrade from Bly, Im sick of mediocre players. Some way or another we need to be serious and open up the checkbook, but only if we are smart, not like The D Bag of all D Bags Al Davis.

I really don’t think the broncos will draft Raji. After Xanders and McDaniels have stated they want smart/intelligent players i don’t think they would use a pick on a guy who sat out an entire season because of academics. I was thinking the Broncos could trade their 1st rd pick and Dumervil for a 1st round in the late teens/early 20s and for a second round pick. How plausible would that trade be? Also, Fili Moala looked pretty good to me in the combine, what do you think of that DT out of USC?

Bartell’s numbers make him look like the real deal.

But some bad news guys, i saw this on another board:

Chris canty wants a 5 year 50 million dollar contract with 18 million guaranteed.

I mean, we have the cap to do it, but 10 a year? Unless its heavily insentive based(which wouldn’t make sense for a 3-4 DE) he’s out of his mind.

With so many teams switching to the 3-4, John Clayton thinks he’ll get it. And he’s probably right.

With so many teams switching to the 3-4, John Clayton thinks he’ll get it. And he’s probably right. If he’s legit, I could see the Broncos doing 7-8/year, but I don’t think Scott Pioli or Ted Thompson are going to pay 10/year either.

might as well get haynesworth with those kind of numbers for canty.

NathanH Bartell is the right choice.

As for Canty he can ask for anything he wants in a negotiation. If someone gives that to him, good for him. BUT, I think he will be surprised to find his value is less than his asking price. As an aside, someone could give him that kind of contract, and then Al Davis him, you know, cut him before the bonus money needs to be paid. Then he can find work somewhere else. John Claytons opinion aside, who has the desire and cap room to buy this guy? Green Bay?, New England? just who ? Jerry Jones? Dan Snyder(yes Redskins play 4-3).

As a lifelong Chicago White Sox fan, it may be instructive to remember the imortal words of former owner Bill Veeck.
“The problem with Baseball(Football) is not the high price of stars, its the high price of mediocrity!” Canty is a good player, not a once in a lifetime phenom.

Jcampb –

Why would a 3-4 team go after Haynesworth? He has never played in that system and no desire to play in that system. Most DLs play their best on their contract year and it will probably be really bad since he has serious character issues. He’s not worth Pat Bowlen’s money right now.

He doesn’t have to play NT, he could play DE. Has he said he doesn’t want to play in a 3-4, if so I haven’t heard that. He is a dominant force and would bring a prescense and a identity to a D that is lacking in both. And have his contract based on performance, that would allow him to stay hungry.

He may not of said he doesn’t want to play in the 3-4, but he did say that he wanted to be the highest defensive player in NFL history. Therefore, I don’t think he would want a performance based contract. I just don’t feel safe with paying a punk the most money a defensive player has ever been paid… even without playing in that system.

Regardless we must upgrade the D line, its one of the worst in the league. So im pushing for Raji, but hes not going to be there, or like you said brace. A 3-4 STARTS WITH A BIG NT. Without one a 3-4 cannot function properly. The more I read about the FA’s the less im excited, seems like these boys want a lot of money for being just alright. But if he was willing to sign a performance based contract would you sign him?

Mr. East -

I posted this on the other news article above this one, but here it is again. Shaun Rogers wants out of Cleveland. He wants to be released. What if Denver signed him if he was a FA? Think he could do work in a 3-4? And if he is not cut, what if we could trade for him? Whats your idea?

Shaun Rogers is a beast, but he also has a terrible attitude problem. Jamal Lewis and other players on the browns stated that they couldn’t stand being around him and he tore the team apart. Lewis was actually quoted saying “Football wasn’t fun anymore.”

For that reason I don’t know if I’d want a guy like that.

I realize you prolly put alot of time into this, but wouldn’t it have been prudent to have at least made changes after the FA pickups/trades that happened, LAST WEEK?

Just sayin…. ;)