Denver Broncos blog, news and rumors


FB

[hype it up!]
[Share with Yardbarker]

Published on 05/12/2009 at Tue May 12 18:00.
Tagged: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,.



2009 Draft Reflections – Round 2

Posted Tue May 12th by

Editor’s Note: East’s article was originally published Monday just before news broke that Shannon Sharpe had been elected to the Broncos Ring of Fame. I wanted to make sure his piece got some time at the top. Great job East!

Like I said before, Draft grades are useless. I don’t believe in grades until a few seasons have passed. However reflecting on who was picked and why is a legitimate idea. Now that finals are over and I can’t sleep in past 9:30 a.m. anymore I’m ready to bang out some posts.

37. Alphonso Smith

Pros: The guy is a playmaker, you can’t question that. His press conference was very impressive. At his size he is a perfect nickel corner and with the talent around him he could be dangerous. If he was two inches taller he would have been a top 5 pick. As a sophomore at Wake Forest, Smith only started 3 games but tallied four sacks and three interceptions. The next year he lead the NCAA in interceptions with eight, and registered seven the next. Smith has shown great instincts to be a great corner at the next level. Denver needs a player who can turn over the ball outside of Champ Bailey, who gets thrown away from quite often. Karl Paymah wasn’t cutting it at all as a backup corner so it can’t really hurt to try Alphonso Smith. Take a look at his highlights, the guy plays like he’s a linebacker at times.

Cons: Obviously his size, being 5’9 doesn’t exactly help you in the NFL. Many analysts have said that he is too big of a gambler on the ball. Smith says himself in his press conference that he doesn’t consider himself a gambler because he calculates the risk before he takes it. However, a risk is a risk, and the formula is different in the NFL. Smith may have had a prolific career at Wake Forest but he’s still a developmental player. Smith is a first round prospect but it still trading next year’s first for him was a questionable call. I understand not wanting to spend the money signing four first rounders within two seasons, but why not Chicago’s pick? Does McDaniels have that much faith in the team this year? Josh McDaniels has said numerous times that he’s looking for players with certain ‘skill sets.’ This explains the mentality of Denver’s draft decisions.

Good Value: No

  • At this moment in time this isn’t a good value. Obviously if Smith ends up being a huge impact to the secondary then this will definitely change. The real question isn’t if Smith is going to be a great player, it’s what is the value of the draft pick Denver gave up?

Good Pick: Yes

  • The depth at corner is more shallow than most think. If Andre Goodman and Bailey are hurt, and their both 30, the starting corners are Jack Williams, Josh Bell or Smith, who all have no NFL interceptions. Another thing to consider is that Williams and Smith have no starts as well. Adding depth at corner wasn’t such a bad idea and when you’re number one guy is still on the board with the Patriots who are picking soon, it’s not too bad of an idea to get him.

48. Darcel McBath

Pros: McBath is yet another player who possesses a ‘skill set’ McDaniels is looking for. McDaniels likes players who have performed, McBath was highly prolific in college racking up 214 tackles and 12 interceptions, two for touchdowns. McBath is coming off a great senior year where of seven interceptions where both of his touchdowns come from. Much like Alphonso, McBath has playmaking abilities, one of his pick sixes was during their bowl game against Mississippi. In his senior year McBath had become a strong vocal leader of the team and will definitely learn a speech or two from Brian Dawkins. Where you will mostly see McBath playing is on special teams. McDaniels either was trying to instantly improve special teams with this pick or get another Mc on the team. Denver’s special teams last year was atrocious, hopefully with players like McBath Denver won’t have to fight out of their own five yard line.

Cons: McBath isn’t exactly the best when it comes to coverage, due to his average size he tends to get beat by bigger, stronger, and faster receivers. Play analysis is another weakness for McBath, he tends to bite on play fakes and cannot redirect himself very well. Proper tackling is an issue as well. Hopefully leadership behind Brian Dawkins combined with competition from Josh Barrett McBath will have a better chance to develop.

Good Value: No

  • McBath would most likely have been there in the third round where Denver had two picks. McDaniels doesn’t exactly like to play the waiting game.

Good Pick: Yes

  • McBath will instantly improve the special teams area. At his presser McBath talked about how loves to play special teams and expects to have an impact there this season.

64. Richard Quinn

Pros: One of the best blocking tight ends in the draft, and he fits very well into McDaniels scheme. Quinn is also an absolute workhorse. Daniel Graham is turning into a better receiver so Quinn could see more playing time if Tony Scheffler ends up somewhere else. Quinn should learn well underneath the tutelage of Graham. Although Quinn only caught 12 passes at North Carolina he impressed scouts very well during receiving drills.

Cons: Obviously he only caught 12 passes in college. Even if Quinn turns out to have great hands in the NFL he won’t do much after the reception due to his speed and lack of elusiveness. I’m not exactly sure why Denver traded back into the second round to grab him too.

Good Value: No, but not as bad as you think.

  • Trading up into the second round for a blocking tight end? Very strange. At least the trade value wasn’t atrocious, Denver’s two thirds for Pittsburgh’s 2nd and 4th, not exactly a big deal. DT Jarron Gilbert, DT Roy Miller, DE Michael Johnson, and DT Alex Magee were still on the board. All of those defensive players are prospective busts, this is an example of how McDaniels won’t reach on a need. Some say that Quinn was a reach, but take this into consideration, the Steelers were in fact eying Quinn. This makes sense because the Steelers really need to protect Big Ben and Quinn is a low second round prospect. Perhaps McDaniels and Brian Xanders knew something we all didn’t and they liked Quinn enough to make sure he didn’t become a Steeler.

Good Pick: Yes

  • Quinn is great person, and a good football player. He will bring in his workhorse ethic and eventually do very well for Denver.

The second round did not exactly go as everyone expected. The fans would of much rather seen Ron Brace at 37 than Alphonso Smith. In the end though I was pleased with getting a playmaker like Smith, a special teams beast like McBath, and an outstanding tight end that will work his butt off in Quinn. Obviously I would have hoped to see more defensive line action, but the players I mentioned that were left on the board could possibly be huge busts and Denver can’t afford any of that this season. What do you all think? Air it out!

  • Andpark

    A. Smith seems like one fast dude. Time will tell if he was worth the move but kids got the quickness and good hands. Numbers aside between Ayers, Moreno and A.Smith we at least have some players that can impact this season. Need to give Orton all the help we can. Still don’t see why we can’t win our Div. this year.

  • roshon2411

    None of these picks were good value picks. Most of Denver’s picks were picked higher than they should of been.(the exception being Ayers) I don’t understand why they traded up for half these players. The Browns traded down three times in the first round and went from 5 picks to 10 picks. Denver has too many holes to be wasting picks. I hear so much about bringing the Patriot Way to Denver. Well, they should have followed the way the Patriot’s drafted. Traded down, got the same talent Denver did and stocked up on picks next year. I don’t have high hopes for this team to do well with a QB who has one 300 yard performance in his career. My guess all three QB’s see playing time before the year’s up.

  • robtink242

    me niether I think Ayers is going to kill this year. the offense is a mystery no one NOT on the team can perdict how the offense would look.

  • http://broncomadness.com Garrett Barnes

    the one thing i disagree with you about is that darcel mcbath was a good pick. i think he was a terrible pick. richard quinn by consensus was thought of as a 5th rounder at best but some few select teams did value him A LOT higher and that is why we were afraid to wait. i actually kind of like the quinn pick. or at least a lot more than the mcbath pick.

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    McBath had a highly prolific career playing a tough conference, I don’t see how he’s a terrible pick.

  • Kerry part 2

    *channels his inner kerry*
    Blah blah blah, negative reaction, kneejerk judgement, more negativity. I hate my life. Negativity towards the coach, negativity towards the owner. And maybe wrap it up with a jab towards another poster.
    *end*

    Like it or not, just trying to beat kerry to the post.

    Value for money is an important stat here. Second rounders have far more worth for the money than first rounders. All rookies are calculated risks… just with these 3 we are risking less to gain more. Good round, I think 2 will be very productive.

  • broncoNM

    i agree with keery pt 2… there are just as many 2nd rounders that workout as first rounders. All draft picks are risky…Atleast McD did his homwork and went after the guys he wanted. MHR had an article on the smith trade. Denver does not want 2 first round picks next year…. A second round pick is less guarantee money with less years on the contract. Smith was first round talent that can help this team in ’09…first rounders are close to 6 mil in guarantee…a high 2nd rd pick is less than a mil…per year it will cost denver less to pay moreno, ayers, smith and mcbath than it will take oakland to pay darius hayward-bey. No team wants a top ten pick…Its too big of a gamble and too much money. I dont mind the mcbath pick but i dont follow the big 12 that much so i dont know much about him. Value is a hard thing to judge…I’d rather have 5 draft picks that contribute instead of 10 draft picks that are busts.

  • adam

    Great article, thanks for doing it! I’m guilty of being an optomistic fan, and thus all the negativity this off-season leaves me very confused. How does someone like myself who is anything but a football coach honestly second-guess people like Bowlen and McDaniels? I like the picks, especially the Smith pick (how could you watch his presser and not like him?). The fact that we drafted Quinn tells me that McD values what we have in Graham, and can’t afford to not have him. McBath…he certainly can’t hurt our safety corp; I’d rather watch a rookie struggle than Manuel give up TDs in the back of the endzone.

  • dean

    I agree the draft is a crap shoot. Thats why I don’t understand wasting picks to move up and get these players. I understand McDaniels wanting his guys, but the value was too high. The highest I saw McBath predicted was 3rd Round and most likely 4th or 5th Round. An earlier post we all agreed Rashad Johnson wouldn’t slip into the 3rd and he went late 3rd. You don’t draft a blocking TE with a 2nd Round pick and lets hope they didn’t trade the opportunity to draft Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, or a franchise QB next year to grab a 5’9″. The Broncos with this draft essentially bought a Camry for the price of a Hummer because it fit in the garage better. It be one thing to move up if this team had depth, but they don’t. I have no problem with people on this blog being negative. Especially when I believe this team is being mismanaged. Bowlen might have experience but he did hire Wade Phillips at one time, so mistakes can be made. Ask Rich McKay how the Bobby Petrino experiment went. McDaniels will get my praise when he starts winning games.

  • http://bandit Dan Myers

    Hey East, you and I have agreed to disagree once in a while but this time you and I see eye-to-eye. I really like the Alphonso Smith (Phonze) pick. Most boards had him rated between 16-25 but luckily teams had other needs. I have read twice now that Phonze will be corner and Andre Goodman will be nickle because that is what he is best at.
    Darcel McBath played against Crabtree everyday so I can assume that he got real familiar with NFL talent coverage. Love that they got some youth in DB’s.
    I too was agas watching the draft. What was he doing? Well many days after, we have learned how Coach McD values players. East, as you state ‘he did not reach for a defensive need’. Following THEIR board, the Bronco took quality and traded up to get a player that was coveted by other teams. This shows some great work by Keith Kidd and his scouting group.
    As far as some that say they drafted the players way to high, I say I did not see their board and how they valued the players. I do now that Moreno was rated #1 RB in most boards, Ayers #4 DE, Phonze #4 CB, McBath #4-6 CB/FS, Quinn #5-8 TE, Bruton #5-7 FS, Olsen #21 OL, McKinley #11-16 WR, Brandstater #10 QB, Schlueter #8-9 C.

  • http://www.gingerballz.com Rulon Jones-Davis

    I understand that these guys could work out but I think every last one of these picks was a reach that we overpaid for!

    Just entered the webpage making world please check out my site:

    http://www.gingerballz.com/

  • jvill

    “Smith says himself in his press conference that he doesn’t consider himself a gambler because he calculates the risk before he takes it.”

    I know it’s a waste of time to get your dander up over the musings of professional athletes, but since risky play is Smith’s biggest knock, this didn’t assuage my fears at all. Calculates the risk? That’s great. What professional in any job doesn’t calculate risks? You calculated the risk of crossing the street today. The real question is does he calculate WELL — that’s what separates gamblers from strategists.

    The whole “value pick” argument is just pointless now. Just because all the teams loved Aaron Curry doesn’t make him worthwhile if he busts. Everybody loved Glenn Dorsey last year at 5, but he hasn’t done squat. Does that mean he WAS a good value pick when he hadn’t played, but now they he hasn’t shown up he is no longer good value? Throw in Tyson Jackson on the Chiefs D-line, and now maybe Dorsey kicks butt with the added help. So drafting Jackson affects Dorsey’s value — and thus the perceived value of picking him at 5 last year.

    There are just so many unknowns for rookies in football, an extremely interconnected team sport, that placing “value” on picks is all about probabilities and, frankly, trying to argue your perception of those probabilities is more sensible than some other guy’s perception.

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    You couldn’t be more right jvill. I only evaluate the value of the pick to get inside the mind of the person in charge of drafting.

    I agree about “the Phonze” (I’m stealing that and adding a bit to it Dan Myers) calculating risks. So what? Thats I said it’s a different formula in the NFL. He’s a very instinctive corner but we have to hope that can translate over to the NFL.

  • http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/111140/La_La_Mascot.jpg WhidbeyBronco

    very good jvill …ditto

    Dean – right with ya on all counts!

    broncoNM
    The MHR story you mention was absolute nonsense!
    Gawd I hate that KoolAid-drunk spin!!
    And “No team wants a top ten pick” also nonsense!!
    Anything you spend extra for is conceivably a larger risk but i assure u that there are more 2nd round busts than top ten busts!! Simple logic and/or Duh!!

    I hope this pick works out for us but I’ll never be convinced it was a good risk! It was a desperate move by a questionable coach, who’s already screwed up real bad!!

    Whoever mentioned Pat hired Wade P….? Good point!

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    Say what you want about Wade Phillips but he is 61-42 in his career, however a sad 0-4 in the playoffs. That’s what you get with Tony “I choke” Romo as your QB.

    He was also the victim of the “Music City Miracle.” That’s just bad luck.

    Would I want Wade as my HC? Nope, but he has proved he can win in this league. He’s kind of like a Marty Schottenheimer.

  • http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/111140/La_La_Mascot.jpg WhidbeyBronco

    ty East I was starting to gain the illusion that u knew ANYTHING about football! Shame on me. You give him credit for his record that Romo contributed to FAR more than anyone (even Elway!!) and then you blame Romo for his failures! Have you seen the abuse Romo took at the hands of his O line and weak coaching? You’re how old? I know u can’t remember very well how HORRIBLE Wade was here after we LOVED him as our D coach!

    Comparing Marty to Wade might be the peak of your idiocy! Seriously? Talk about “Bad Luck” Marty met Elway (at least) three times in the play-offs where he lost three very well coached games! Turning around Washington… damn great coaching! SD? LOVED seeing him fired there!!!

    Bottom line is u wouldn’t want him but you’re so quick to defend his ability. Go write news for Fox or MHR you could spin anything.

  • http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/111140/La_La_Mascot.jpg WhidbeyBronco

    oops, was that too harsh? I really want to back it off a bit but really? I can’t. I’m constantly annoyed by you. Simply that. Do u play any sport for instance?

  • http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/111140/La_La_Mascot.jpg WhidbeyBronco

    oh yeah, one more thing. Decide for Christs sake you coward! Good pick or not! Don’t run the Good value/ Bad pick BS!
    All things factor in to what is or isn’t a good pick!!
    Value, need, talent, intelligence etc
    Stick your neck out and decide! Good or bad!

    I feel ya tho, I see some real talent in our FOOLISH picks. But if you’re going to rate a draft field, RATE IT! Get off the damn fence.

  • broncoNM

    i am drunk on koolaid. I just think it is better than all this “the sky is falling and we are all doomed” crap…the guy has not even coached a game. Im gonna assume McD knows more about football and has done more research on players than all you doom&gloomers. But 3 years from now if A. Smith is a bust we can meet back here and you can lay down a big “i told you so” if it makes you feel better.

  • http://cdn0.sbnation.com/profile_images/111140/La_La_Mascot.jpg WhidbeyBronco

    visa versa NM, I SO hope you’re the one I’m hearing I told you so from!! The sad fact is that unless he’s a star or a total bust… we’ll never know. Really sir, I like the kid! I’m also NOT predicting that coach fails or that we’ll even have a losing season! I see great promise in many of coaches moves and truly hope that he overcomes his rookie mistakes… I’m just so tired of the Koolaid drunks running BS! Should I change my description from that to Blue & Orange colored glasses wearing Mo-Fos? I actually tend towards both… all things in moderation folks.

    I really wish I could delete my attack on East… all honest but really unpractical. In his defense, he works hard at offering us opinions to attack (lol), they’re very often correct in a ‘sky is blue’, ‘grass grows up’ kind of way… Luckily for us all, I think he’s long since ceased to be overly concerned with anything I have to say!

    I apologize to the folks who are equally annoyed by my ranting, I’ll try to refrain in the future… I promise!

    Go Broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://myspace.com/paraleipsis jchase8410

    Wow, that was a little bit ridiculous Whidbey. Could you PLEASE let us know how you gained admission to the university of I-know-more-about-football-than-anyone? I would love to gain your level of knowledge, I’ve only played football for 9 years, and coached for 6. That is obviously not enough for someone to post their opinion in your eyes, so please, talk to the dean (Kerry I’m assuming) and put in a good word for me. I’m just dying to see your credentials…you must have graduated at the top of your class with the amount of football knowledge that you have. I bet that you even did hundreds of hours of film study, interviews, workouts with the draft prospects just to give you ammunition to throw our own idiocy back at us…you should run the Broncos scouting team, but that is probably beneath someone of your limitless knowledge.

    Get the f&%k over yourself man. You can’t treat people that way and expect not to be labeled a douche. Start your own site if you want to spew that garbage!

  • adam

    With you broncoNM, you made my point exactly. Sure seems that McD deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least for a season or two, especially because it was him, not any of us, that Bowlen thought well enough of to hire.

    People are criticizing the draft as though Shanny was the master…an nothing could be further from the truth.

  • http://myspace.com/paraleipsis jchase8410

    I like Mcd’s draft strategy. Did he reach for some players? Absolutely, but he wasn’t afraid to make the moves to get the guys he felt could better the football team. It was the first draft he has ever been in charge of, with a lot of help from GMX. He deserves for us to trust him until he proves on the field that he can’t get it done.

    Whidbey

    The good value vs. good pick thing that you ranted about makes perfect sense if you stop to think about it. Value and skill sets that may help better the team are completely different entities. The. Value of the pick that Mr. East was talking about was bad because he felt that the same player could have been taken withoutmoving up. The fact that he feels it was a good pick is that the skill sets that these players have should immediately help the team is some way. They got good players, just at a lower value than they may have gotten had they not moved up. You react on your emotions before you think things through. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and count to five before touching your keyboard next time. Also, has anyone else said anything about the BT fantasy football league?

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    jchase,

    I can’t do fantasy football… my life becomes ruined immediately. Once I join a league I probably check it close to 50 times a day and I get no work done whatsoever.

  • roshon2411

    Damn Whidbey,

    How’s Mr East A$$ taste? Because you just ripped into it. Little harsh but I’m with ya though.

    East you do seem to stay on the fence. Wade Phillips is a good coach but you wouldn’t want him as your coach? And the good value vs. good pick is BS. Would drafting a kicker in the first round be a good pick because Denver needs a kicker because Prater is horrible? No, because the value would be horrible. Drafting a blocking TE in the 2nd just boggles my mind. Are blocking TE’s that hard to find now?

    Why does McDaniels deserve anything from the fans? I’m not a professional coach, but I’m also not a politician. I’m still going to criticize my government when I see fit. Vegas and most sports writers think the Broncos have taken a step backwards with the moves made so far this off season. I agree, I actually think they’ve taken a couple steps back.

    Check out this article from yahoo, and the comment made discussing the Chargers chances of making the playoffs.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=sixnflplayoffteamsthatmi&prov=tsn&type=lgns

    This team isn’t highly regarded anymore, even around the league. There’s a reason why the Seahawks made the trade for the Broncos first rd and not the Bears.

    Once again, I’ll be glad if i’m wrong and eat crow all day.

  • kerry

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. this is hilarious. i have someone imitating me. wow. i dont know if i should feel like im being stalked though. lol. but its cool to know that i inspire so many on here that they have to imitate me and my style of writing.

    Whidbey:

    be careful man, dont dare challenge anyones thoughts on here otherwise you arent a true fan and should find a different team. lol

    except you can challenge me because apparently im not a broncos fan because i dont drink the kool-aid and am not a broncos “Yes-man” fan who agrees with every single move the Broncos make.

    carry on.

  • Anthony

    I am sick and tired of people criticizing the team for trading next year’s first rounder for the right to draft Alphonso Smith. I mean nobody knows at this point if he will be great but it’s a risk that the organization thought was worth it. Do you people agree that most teams in the NFL would have given up their first rounder this year for the right to draft Eddie Royal last year? Of course look at his production compared to all other NFL rookies it was off the charts so we have to have faith in the team that they made the right decision and not criticize. Secondly, we still have a first rounder next year, which gives us flexibility to still move around the board. Last, did you people not realize that most of the teams we’re trying to get out of the top 10 this year, most likely things will be the same next year so we now know that if the team is really pursuing a player they will make the necessary moves to get who they want. Also it will be straining for the Broncos to pay for four 1st round selections in two years, when we have the likes of Brandon Marshall, Champ, Ryan Harris, Dumervil, Orton and others on the verge of free agency in the next year or two. Everyone relax and have faith. I just gave you four solid reasons why trading next years first to draft Alphonso Smith was a good move. Anyone wanna challenge my theories cause i would like to hear what others have to say.

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    Roshon,
    Value means the current value of the player’s range, which is evaluated to get into the mindset of the person drafting. Such as if someone drafted Chris Baker in the first round it would not be a good value. Even if Chris Baker becomes the best NT to ever play the game it still wouldn’t have been a good value during the draft. Does it really matter? Not really. The only reason I evaluate it is like I said before, to see what kind of drafter McDaniels and Xanders are. Do they tend to reach? What kind of players do they go after? How prone are they to trading? If so, for what kind of players? I agree that it’s BS because in the end it’s all about how the player performs.

    The point about Wade Phillips is that he has been successful, more so than other coaches, and no I wouldn’t want him as my coach because I feel like his golden days are over.

    Comments are for speculating and most of the time I’m kidding around. Do I need a dissertation for each comment explaining each and every facet of my statements? There are some angry people out there.

    Whidbey,

    I could careless about what you say about me. Seriously the Romo comment was a joke, lighten up. Don’t take my comments like I think they’re prophecy and can be nothing but correct, seriously let’s be calm first then hopefully we can work on being respectful. You’re spewing a lot of negativity into this site, if you don’t agree with me that’s fine, that’s part of life. I don’t care if you bash me, the point is not to create a negative atmosphere. Remember you’re not the only one who reads this site. I’ll admit I’ve been quite pretentious in the past, but I’m putting that all behind me.

    We’re all Bronco’s fans, let’s not treat each other like we’re all a bunch of Al Davises.

  • roshon2411

    Brian Brohm was drafted in the second round last year too… I’m sure no one would trade their first rd pick for him. Alphonso Smith could be a good pick like Royal or he could be a bad 2nd rd pick like Darius Watts. Yeah people were trying to move out of the top ten but for extra picks. You didn’t see Cleveland trade the 5th pick for the 17th pick straight up. Besides the guys who picked Royal last year are essentially gone. It’d be one thing if this team made the playoffs year in and year out and had a pick in the high 20’s but the traded, in most likely hood, a top 15 pick for the third best CB in the draft? Not sure how that makes sense. Was this team a CB away from winning the Super Bowl this year? Not sure how many rookie CB’s have made the pro bowl but I don’t see him making an immediate impact like Royal.

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    Roshon,

    I agree with 100% of what you said. From the way they drafted it seems that McDaniels and Xanders really do not consider this a rebuilding year. I think McDaniels believes he put this team about .500 this season, which is good Denver has a coach that believes that, I just want him to prove it. I’m still a little skeptical, but I’m keeping my hopes up.

  • roshon2411

    East,

    I know what you mean by value. My point is you can equate a bad value pick as being an overall bad pick. For example, say last year the Broncos picked Eddie Royal with the 12th pick. Well that would have been a bad pick right? Royal had a great year and all, but they would have reach for him and missed at getting him and Clady. Thats how I see this draft. Not about who they got but essentially who they missed out on. Were all on here to express are opinions, agree or disagree and you might not want to throw grades out but others have, and when you include the Cutler trade most agree this team isn’t better than last year.

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    I know what you mean Roshon, and I think it’s too soon to say whether the team is better than last year, I haven’t even tried to speculate it. I see what you mean your definition of value/pick, by pick I should have meant player. When I wrote this I meant to say can the player contribute? Has this player been solid? I would have given players like Michael Johnson a big fat NO at the selection. Other’s have thrown out grades, you should check out the article Mike Florio wrote about draft grades.

    http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/04/19/get-ready-for-the-meaningless-draft-grades/

    Back in 2005 Mel Kiper gave the Bengals an A- and all of those players ended up as busts. Kiper went on a B- to the Vikings who drafted Troy Williamson that year among several other busts.

    So others can speculate and BS around, but I don’t really pay much attention to what they say.

  • roshon2411

    I’m with you East. McDaniels and Xander clearly don’t see this as a rebuilding year. As you can tell i’m skeptical as well, but will keep my hopes up once the season starts. (Actually going to the Cincy game) So if they feel they’re not rebuilding, i’m expecting to see results.

    Good or bad love this site. It’s always good to be talking about the Broncos in May.

  • http://myspace.com/paraleipsis jchase8410

    I can’t even being myself to speculate how well the Broncos will do this season. They could dominate most of their opponents, or they could be dominated week in and week out. I’m expecting somewhere in the middle, but right now none of us have any idea. The offseasin is killing me right now!! Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

  • http://myspace.com/paraleipsis jchase8410

    I love this site too. Its the only one I can write comments on from my phone.

  • BroncoinVA9986

    i pumped smith nobody listenined to me…..

  • Anthony

    Roshon – you say Smith is the third best CB in this draft like give me a break, every analyst you hear says that if Alphonso Smith was 2 inches taller he would have been a top 10 pick so give me a break that he’s the third best cornerback in the draft that’s garbage. James Harrison, defensive player of the year wasn’t even drafted so who cares what the rankings say you have to hope that these players become starters and not expect these players to be busts if that were the case what’s the point of having the draft. Good job comparing us to Cleveland for all of the great decisions they’ve made for the past 40 years of the NFL come on.

  • adam

    You guys should look at the new article on the Broncos home page, it’s about the new defense. I found it to be a pretty encouraging article.

  • matt97c83

    Yeah, definitely—they could be exciting to watch this year and I wouldn’t have said that in the past couple of years. McDaniels and Nolan ought to re-energize the team—I think Smith and Moreno will have an impact immediately.

  • roshon2411

    Anthony-

    If I didn’t have nutz i’d be a girl and you can’t teach height. How was he not the third best corner. Malcolm Jenkins went 13th and Vontae Davis 25th well ahead of Smith and both those players had significant issues. Jenkins might not be fast enough and Davis has issues with discipline. Still they were drafted well ahead of Smith. Heck, Darius Butler was rated by many to be ahead of Smith. Smith could be a great corner or he could be Karl Paymeh, neither one of us know. My point is he wasn’t worth a potential top 15 pick. If Denver has a horrible season and ends up in the top 10, he better be Deion or Champ. Now, if Denver makes the playoffs it’s not that bad of a trade. But i’m not willing to put money on it. Every team passed on him because he wasn’t first round talent. He was a reach, James Harrison wasn’t.

  • Jon K.

    Hey Mr. East,
    You interested in writer for another blog as well?
    (Kyle hope you don’t think I’m steeling your guys, if you have right to them let me know, haha jk, but if you do mind let me know.) I’m re-starting up a blog this fall, a Broncos blog, give me an email:

    dbjon47@gmail.com

  • MikeY55

    alot of people didn’t like the drafting of eddie royal last year over alot of other bigger name receivers like desean jackson limas sweed or malcom kelly and even when we drafted darrent williams people questioned it.. both were undersized players who understood the game very well which is pretty similar to alphonso smith so its still alot to give up for him but i’m not gonna give up on him before training camp haha all rookies can prove there worth.

  • broncoNM

    Enough about the height of A.Smith. Here is a list of 4 pro bowl CB’s last year:
    Cortland Finnegan – 5-10
    Assante Samuel – 5-10
    Antoine Winfield – 5-9
    Ronde Barber – 5-10

    CB’s that are 6′0″ are considered tall… of coarse you would like a freak tall athlete that could play CB (Nnamdi Asomugha 6′2″) but the talent level of a CB is not based on height. Champ is a great mixture of height (6′) and athleticism. But Smith’s height will not limit him on making plays. He may give up 4-5 inches on receivers but he is an athlete that has ballhawking skills. I understand if you dont like the trade value to grab this kid but he will be a playmaker in our nickel package…Its ridiculous to discredit him on height alone. He could easily be the best CB in this draft.