Report on Shanahan’s pre-Draft Presser

I jotted down some notes and quotes on Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan‘s press conference, as the Broncos get set for the 2008 NFL Draft tomorrow. Of course he didn’t do anything to give away his hand, but if you’re like me you’ll appreciate the few nuggets here and there about the roster and the front office.

• Coach openly talked about wanting to add depth to the offensive line. Great, now there’s no way we go after an OT.
• He talked about the effect of only having an 80-man roster as the Broncos head into training camp. I found this part really interesting – he noted that, since teams are not going to carry the usual total closer to 90, there will be a little over 300 undrafted free agents (and other free agents) out there that teams aren’t going to be used to seeing.
• On drafting a running back: “Would we be interested in a running back? Sure we would. It all depends on who’s there. … I think there is some good value in the first round. Good value in the second round. This is one of the deeper classes I’ve seen in running backs.” Check. No running back either. Well, who the hell are we going for then, Mike?
• Assistant GM Jim Armstrong Goodman has caught the apple of Shanahan’s eye. You see Shanahan’s face glow a little bit when asked about Goodman, and he talks about how knowledgeable Goodman is, and how he can talk at length about any prospect just by mentioning the guy’s name. Also said this will be Goodman’s first opportunity to “run the draft.”
• He talked about the game plan, and preparing to both trade up and trade down depending on the scenarios that present themselves.
• On Jay Cutler’s comments on Brandon Marshall: “You gotta be your own man. … He felt like speaking up, so he spoke up.”

Shanahan also talked at length about not going after any specific position in the first round if he thought there was a lot of depth there in the second round. Like everybody knows, Shanny is the master of these pressers by now, and did little to give away his hand. If anything, he played into the national media by talking at length about the offensive line and running back positions. You can analyze this tape all day long if you like, you won’t come away any wiser. Which is why waiting for tomorrow is so agonizing at this point.