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Published on 01/02/2011 at Sun Jan 02 21:47.
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In this post, I’m going to grade the performances of each of the Denver Broncos‘ 2010 rookies’ seasons.  Grading two aspects, contribution to the team and the ‘whatever is asked of me’ attitude, I’ll get my final grades on each rookies’ season then ask you for yours.

ThompsonStarting with, 7th round pick (225 overall) Cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson, California.  (Please not that 7th round DE/LB Jammie Kirlew of Indiana isn’t being rating because he was released before making any contributions on defense).  Scouted as a physical yet slow defensive back, Thompson was excited to fall in the draft but make a team due to his intangibles and his toughness.  The Broncos got both of those, plus versatility.  Contributing on special teams (returning a few punts and covering kickoffs) and defense, Thompson finished the season with 18 tackles and 2 interceptions.  He wasn’t given a big role but took advantage of his opportunities.  Final grade: C+

OlsenNext we have 6th round pick (183rd overall) Center Eric Olsen, Notre Dame.  The Broncos brought Olsen to add depth to an offensive line that went through a rebuilding period in 2010.  Listed as back-up left guard during the season, Olsen only dressed for one game this season.  While he did provide depth and a practice body, Eric didn’t contribtue to the Broncos offense at all as a rookie.  Final grade: C

CoxFollowing Olsen comes 5th round pick (137th overall) Cornerback Perrish Cox, Oaklahoma State.  Scouted as a huge sleeper with character concerns entering the draft, the Broncos may have gotten something special in Cox (provided he gets his act together and is allowed to play again).  In training camp, fellow cornerback Champ Bailey praised Cox and half jokingly said his job was in jeopardy.  The joke was reality for corner Andre’ Goodman, who bothered by a quad injury for much of the season, didn’t record one interception in 2010 — a season after leading the team with five in 2009.  Goodman’s absence gave Cox the chance to start nine games as a rookie.  Although he was beat on occasion, Cox showed loads of potential and perfect cornerback technique throughout the year and made some nice plays on defense.  He finished the season with 59 tackles, an interception, 2 forced fumbles and 172 kickoff return yards off nine returns.  Final grade: C+ (His on-the-field performance I give a B+ but his off field actions caused me to lower his rankings due to its detrimental effect it could have on the team’s image in the future if he is suspended and not able to play).

DeckerThe next rookie, a 3rd round (87 overall pick) out of Minnesota, is a 23-year old rookie named Eric Decker.  An underrated player going into the draft (largely due to an ankle injury), Decker managed to recover from his injury and contribute to the Broncos as a rookie on offense and special teams.  A perfect example of a player who will do whatever is asked of him, Decker excelled on special teams, recording 9 stops while returning 22 kickoffs for 556 yards (a nice 25.3 yards-per-return average).  On offense, Decker did not get a lot of playing time until week twelve against the Rams.  In that game and over the next two weeks, Decker caught four passes for 84 yards.  In the Broncos season finale, Decker hauled in two Tebow passes for 22 yards and his first receiving touchdown as a Pro.  Decker finished the season with a 17.7 yards per catch average, the second best YPC average on the team, behind Brandon Lloyd‘s 18.8 average.  Final grade: B+

WaltonUp next is another 3rd round pick (80th overall) Center J.D. Walton.  Placed in the center of an offensive line that struggled in 2010, it would be easy to spit out some venom on Walton.  The truth be told though, Walton actually had a fairly good rookie season, all things considered.  Starting 15 games, Walton allowed just 3.0 sacks which was less than Clady (7.0), Beadles (6.o), and Kuper (4.0) permitted (tackle Ryan Harris allowed the least on the team with 3.25).  Showing potential as a rookie and being asked to anchor a poor offensive line as a rookie, Walton earns a Final grade of B-.

BeadlesTo the left of Walton throughout the season was 2nd round pick (45th overall) Guard Zane Beadles, Utah.  A versatile player, Beadles played tackle in college and made the transaction to guard for the Broncos.  Starting 13 games for the Broncos, Beadles showed discipline, being penalized only twice.  With a year under his belt, Beadles looks to improve in 2011 and should prove to be a solid guard for the Broncos. Final grade: C

TebowThe second of the Broncos two 1st round picks (25th overall), is Quarterback Tim Tebow, Florida.  A polarizing subject among fans, scouts, and coaches, the Broncos made a lot of noise (and money) by drafting Tebow.  Although he was not asked to start until week 15 against Oakland, the Broncos found ways to use Tebow in the offense throughout the year.  Playing in seven games (starting three) Tebow went 41-of-82 for 654 yards, 5 touchdowns and three interceptions.  A dual threat, Tebow added 227 yards off 43 carries, scoring 6 times on the ground.  He could certainly use some fine tuning (particularly his footwork), and he made some awful rookie mistakes, but the kid’s got it.  The heart, the drive, the play making ability, the leadership, the legs, the arm, the guns.  When he’s in the game you feel like the team has a chance no matter what the score is (or at least I do anyway), and I believe the team feels the same way.  Final grade: B+

ThomasRounding out the grading is 1st rounder (22nd overall pick), Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech.  Drafted by former Head Coach Josh McDaniels, the Broncos chose potential over production in drafting Thomas over Oaklahoma State’s Dez Bryant.  Bothered by an ankle injury throughout much of his rookie season, Thomas only started in two games for the Broncos.  He finished the year with 22 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns while adding 398 return yards off 16 kickoffs.  If he can stay healthy, Thomas may become a huge offensive threat for the Broncos down the road, but as a rookie, Thomas did next to nothing.  Final grade: C-

What do you think, agree with my grades, disagree?  Share your grades in the comments!

  • mikebirty

    Yeah I think those grades are about fair. For what he did when he actually made the field Thomas should have got an A, he was excellent when he actually made the field. And ZB deserved an improved grade since moving to Guard rather than tackle.

    And I'd completely forgotten that we'd drafted Eric Olsen.

  • Adrenaline27

    I have to agree, I just know we cannot afford to miss on our picks this year who every they decided to draft.

  • TheTroglodyte

    Good writeup, I'd grade Beadles a B- because the kid was being jerked around to different positions on the team. Going from LT in college to LG in the pros than RT and than back to LG has got to be extremely tough. I'm actually surprised he handled it all as well as he did.

  • areferee

    Nice job Jon. Wouldn't argue with your ratings except to point out that Syd'Quan, Decker and Tebow were under-utilized, but that is where the coaching staff's marks go down.

  • kerry

    i completely disagree. i wouldnt give a single draft pick above a C. Thomas did nothing, Tebow is 1-2 with a 50 percent completion percentage (but yeah he kept us in games, which means nothing), Beadles and Walton couldnt block a troop of wheelchair ridden old ladies, Decker, supposed to be the next Wes Welker couldnt even make it in a McD offense, and Cox, Olsen and Thompson didnt do anything significant.

  • Adrenaline27

    You still have a girls name, and how hard is it to capitalize i? I give Kerry a F-

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    I would give a few variations on this, but overall agree. Syd'Quan deserves a much higher grade, he made a lot of big plays for being a 7th rounder. You couldn't ask much more out of the guy. Olsen probably deserves a lower grade, he was invisible all year. Fair assessment with Cox, but Walton gets a B+, maybe even an A- in my opinion. O-lineman say starting center in the NFL as a rookie is one of the most challenging tasks to accomplish and he held his own. He's going to be our center for the next decade. Bryan Douglass over at the Stable breaks down o-line play after every game and said Walton is right behind Pouncey in terms of production at the position, and I'll take his word as gospel.

    Beadles I'm good with a C, he came on once he was allowed that guard spot, but still got blown up by pass rushers too much, and didn't get enough push in the running game. Loved his counter block yesterday, that was textbook.

    Decker probably gets a C-, his special teams wasn't bad but I was hoping to see much more out of him and officially knock Gaffney off the roster. A lot of that was the coaching but he didn't contribute enough to deserve a B+.

    Agree with Tebow's grade, he contributed even when he wasn't starting. Plus he gave us one more win during a rough season. D. Thomas deserves a much lower grade. It's not his fault he was hurt, but that was one knock against him in the draft. Being our top pick in the draft you have to contribute more in your rookie season. I think he can do great things, look at the Seahawk game where he was unleashed on an unsuspecting defense. Give him a full off-season and I think he will be big time player next year.

  • anthony33

    Beadles and Dalton would get c- to d. Plenty of time to develop and I believe they both showed promise. Hard to give a rookie O Lineman anything higher than a C since it's a difficult position to learn and adjust to. Dalton is a keeper, not sure about Beadles.

    Syd Quan- C-. Too many dropped kicks and was okay when is did play on defense. Again, showed promise. A keeper.

    Olsen- Incomplete: not sure how you grade out as a C when you never played a down?

    Thomas and Decker: both c-. Both were injured too much to get a good read. Again, Thomas showed flashes of brillance and Decker was decent at times on kick returns. Both keepers.

    Cox- I (for idiot). What else can you say about someone who has potentially thrown away a career in the NFL in less than a year.
    Probalby won't be around to keep and if he is then I'd say one more year.

    Tebow – B+ All the positives they talk about are there and real. Would have thought the mechanics would have been better after all the work, but trusting that at least part of that is getting a feel for playing in the NFL.
    Most definitely a keeper with real potenital for greatness.

  • anthony33

    Josh, nice review. Tried the broncos stable website to read about Walton, but it's all dated 10-25?? What am I missing?

  • anthony33

    Keeping us in the game means nothing??? So you would rather have Orton when as soon as we are down by ten points the game is over?

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    He doesn't update that site very often, he works for the Fanball network and has a serious twitter addiction. I think it's part of his job description to be active on there so I'll give him a pass.

  • anthony33

    Shefty mentioning 49ers and Michigan for Harbaugh with Denver as the dark horse. Interesting. Elway is there for more than just being the honorary captain.

    Love Harbaugh the college coach… not sure if he is ready for the NFL. Much of it depends where his heart is.

  • robtink242

    lmao.. i see your over exaggerating point.. Okay realistically i think we are pretty much set at WR.. Royal, Lloyd and the two rookies is a decent group regardless what anyone think.. Lets be real Kerry you and I both know we were not using players to there strengths.. I do see us making a move at Pouncey out of Florida at G.. if we can trade down and acquire multiple picks.. Tebow is pretty decent than I expected and better than his record states.. You know it really cause of our defense why we stunk the last 3 weeks..

  • TheTroglodyte

    Who is Dalton and how do you combine “Plenty of time to develop” and “it's a difficult position to learn and adjust to” in the same paragraph?

    Seriously, unless you are trying to win some kind of political office, pick a stance and stick to it.

  • TheTroglodyte

    You aren't somehow trying to insinuate that the Broncos coaching staff do not get an A+ for 2010 are you?

  • http://nation.theorangepage.com/blog Ian Henson

    I think Syd'quan Thompson grades out as an A for me. His turnovers on special teams and his interception against Houston… I am very happy with him. Beadles and Walton also showed much improvement, Cox I would mark down for the exact reason you did, but I was impressed with his play more often than not. I'd rate Decker a bit higher and Olsen you can't even rate really.

  • http://ehalseymiles.com E. Halsey Miles

    Syd'Quan deserves an A because getting someone who can contribute *at all* in the 7th round is a minimum of a C. Getting someone who can stand out in the 7th round, even if he's not likely to be a quality starter? That's important. I think he's probably a career special teamer, but he may have a good career as a nickel/dime CB too, and that's strong stuff.

  • http://adammackwright.wordpress.com/ AdamMackWright

    I know it's not totally fair to rate Demariyus Thomas lower because of the comparison, but look how much immediate impact Dez Bryant had on the Cowboys versus how much impact DT made on the Broncos. Broncs made the wrong draft choice, as usual.

  • http://nation.theorangepage.com/blog Ian Henson

    Exactly… I love me a productive 7th rounder. Jon does too (Hillis).

  • Darwin

    Look at all the high draft picks this year and last year & can anyone really envision any of these guys being impact players? Potential is for losers and that what the Broncos have been under McDaniels.
    I don't see one true impact player drafted in the last two years. Now if the Broncos get a coach who can craft a staff who can develop players then maybe just maybe a couple of these guys 'might' develop into impact players.

  • http://twitter.com/dxmanning Joshua Manning

    I gonna get killed for saying but I think J.D. Walton should get an A-. He was WAY better than Zane Beadles IMO.

  • anthony33

    I meant Walton… my mistake.

    They both had a full year of live action to learn and develop into NFL linemen. I wouldn't grade them much higher that a C because it's a position that takes a long time to learn. A 'C' grade means there is plenty of room for upside. Both off to a decent start, but saw more consistency with WALTON. Tough to fault Beadles as he was like a ping pong ball through the first ten weeks.

    I didn't think it was all the difficult.

  • TheTroglodyte

    I was just giving you a rough time man. Good explanation though

  • TheTroglodyte

    Impossible to determine after 1 year in the league and silly to try and do so.

  • anthony33

    no problem cave man. Who would you pick as our next HC?

  • TheTroglodyte

    That's a tough one. I really want to like Studesville and if they decided to keep him I would be happy with giving him the shot as long as the front office was stable.

    I wouldn't mind seeing Jim Harbaugh given a shot either but he is the only offensive guy I wouldn't flip over hiring.

    Jon Gruden and Ron Rivera I think could make good coaches too.

    You?

  • anthony33

    Well, I actually thought Charlie Weis would be a good choice. Older, more mature, more seasoned version of McD. And a much better people person.

    Now that he is going to Florida I would like to see one of several. Cowher, Harbaugh, Rivera, Gruden, Maranelli (probably my first choice) and Mularkey.

    Marenelli paired with the right GM and a good OC would be a great combination IMO. He got the raw end of Millen being the GM in Detroit.

  • TheTroglodyte

    I would not want to see Mularkey get it but Marenelli might be a great choice. You are right about him getting the raw end under Millen.

    From the sound of it, we have no shot at Cowher but I'm not sure he is going to be that effective when he comes back to coaching anyway. Seems to have lost a bit of his fire since the passing of his wife.

  • areferee

    I relish the opportunity to present them with an A+ only if you allow me the freedom to start with the letter Z. (As in “Zebra”)

    And I only insinuate in the shower…

  • areferee

    How about Jeraldo Rivera?

  • Crwolff

    I read (I think on MSN) an article about coaches on the hot seat. The Raiders were listed (Cable)…… They listed McDaniels as a possible replacement to Cable. Anybody else read more about that? That would be totally crazy!

  • anthony33

    We've already had McD and we the same thing in the vault… nothing.

  • Reverendofrock

    Other than Cox, I'd say you've got it pretty well right. Cox cost the Broncos more yardage than any other player on the team, bar none! The guy's very rarely in position to make a play on the ball, and when he is, he fails miserably. Then there are the penalties. This doesn't even include his personal 'difficulties'. This guy's either got to get it together, or he's got to go!

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

    So your saying they would have done better had they gotten more opportunities? If so, I agree

  • http://Facebook.com/BroncosZone Jon

    He gave up the Stable =/ And I was going to gave Thompson a higher grade but was afraid I'd be called a homer …

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    Is this an alias account for Frank Schwab?

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Josh Temple

    No you're not, A- might be a little high, Pouncey deserves an A- in Pittsburgh, but Walton can be a B, B+

  • 5280

    the whole offensive line is going to be real good. they just need a little more time. adammacwright the reason dez bryant seems like he's more productive is because he was completly healthy when he was drafted. Domariyus thomas broke his foot working out for the combine. up until then he was rated as the best WR coming out of college on many peoples draft board(including mike mayocks). when he broke his foot he dropped. it was a criticle decision to draft him, but from what i've seen, if he works hard enough this off season, he'll have a steller 2011(if theres a season). He also came from a college style offence in college(much like Tebow did) so therefore, he'll need a little more work then the average WR. And what exactly did Dez Bryant do that was so remarkable? he had an average season. the only difference is that he started and DT didn't.

    Darwin yes i do think many of the draft picks from the last 2 years will become impact players, namely TIM freakin TEBOW! if you dont think he can be an impact player ur out of ur mind. DT of course can be an impact player as long as he learns how to use his body more when catching a slant route. that pick on sunday was all his fault. u should never let a tiny DB like Cason get in front of u like that. but thats just rookie mistakes. he'll learn from that and become more effective with each year he plays. Decker was the 3rd-5th best reciever on a lot of peoples drafts boards. he's almost as big as DT.

    Jon u forgot one guy and thats cassius caughn. he's a rookie isnt he? he had a good year as well. he was asked to fill a couple of holes and he would get a c mabe a b-. and i could have sworn it was him who ran back the kick off against the chargers on sunday. Parrish cox will be a shut down corner like champ, providing he stays out of trouble and comes back next year. i think he should get a b grade. ya he made some mistakes, but he's got to learn from them. he's got great speed and ball hawking ability. i just think if ur gonna have an O lineman who never played a snap on this list, why wouldn't you have cassius vaughn?

  • areferee

    Al Davis? Crazy? Surely you jest!

  • TheTroglodyte

    Falling behind on the news here. The Broncos have signed 6 players to future contracts and Orton has been put up for sale with the asking price being a 2nd round draft pick.

  • areferee

    Look for Kyle to shuffle off to Buffalo. He would prefer Phoenix.

    (Mularkey comes to town on Friday)

  • stav

    If it results in a 2nd round pick aka starter for 2011 – so be it. I prefer Phoenix – out of the AFC.

  • Moe

    How are you gonna give decker a B+ and Sydquan only a C+. Either your trying to make friends with all the noob fans or you just dont know football very much.

  • Moe

    Career special teamer? how many times has he seen the field? and how many picks has he gotten? In his very limited opportunity's he has shined for us dont know why you have him as a career special teamer i like him better than Cox, way more explosive in his breaks and seems like a more natural ball hawk to.

  • areferee

    Easy there Curly.

    The author asked whether or not you agree and to offer your own grades on the players. Insulting an opinion is not the point of this dialogue.

    I happen to be a big Syd'Quan fan, but he did make a lot of rookie mistakes, especially at CB. C+ is not unfair even if you disagree on Decker.

    How about we keep our assessments to the players and the organization and back off bad mouthing the contributors to this Website.

  • stav

    If it results in a 2nd round pick aka starter for 2011 – so be it. I prefer Phoenix – out of the AFC.

  • Moe

    How are you gonna give decker a B+ and Sydquan only a C+. Either your trying to make friends with all the noob fans or you just dont know football very much.

  • Moe

    Career special teamer? how many times has he seen the field? and how many picks has he gotten? In his very limited opportunity's he has shined for us dont know why you have him as a career special teamer i like him better than Cox, way more explosive in his breaks and seems like a more natural ball hawk to.

  • areferee

    Easy there Curly.

    The author asked whether or not you agree and to offer your own grades on the players. Insulting an opinion is not the point of this dialogue.

    I happen to be a big Syd'Quan fan, but he did make a lot of rookie mistakes, especially at CB. C+ is not unfair even if you disagree on Decker.

    How about we keep our assessments to the players and the organization and back off bad mouthing the contributors to this Website.