Broncos Most Important Addition: an Undrafted Free Agent

Like many Bronco fans, my emotions following this weekend’s NFL draft ranged from angry to bewildered.  Why on Earth would this coaching staff draft a running back (Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno) in the first round?  How is it possible that only one pick was used on the front seven?  Don’t they know how awful this defense was last year?

I was frustrated.

I was angry.

Now I’m breathing a sigh of relief.

That sigh is based on a little noticed signing.  Denver brought in Chris Baker—a nose tackle from Hampton University—as an undrafted free agent.  Baker is not a big name like BJ Raji, Ron Brace, or even Ziggy Hood, but he is just what the doctor ordered.

Of the tackle prospects available in the 2009 draft, Baker is one of the only players to come out of a 3-4 system like the Broncos will run this year.  He played at the nose and at end—demonstrating the versatility coach Josh McDaniels covets. 

He has the measurables coveted by NFL scouts.  He’s 6’2″, 326 lbs.   He ran 4.94 in the 40-yard dash, did 24 reps on the bench press, and has a 35 1/2″ vertical leap.

He was a productive player at Hampton.  In his senior season he had 69 tackles including eight and a half sacks and 16 tackles for loss.  According to scouts he’s quick off the snap, plays with excellent leverage and is able to shed blockers.

So why wasn’t this guy drafted…one word: character.

Hampton started his career at Penn State, but was kicked off the team for a series of off-field incidents, which culminated in an assault charge.  He resurrected his career at Hampton, but teams remain concerned with the character problem.

Baker will give Josh McDaniels’ strategy of adding high-quality, high-character players its first test.  If McDaniels’ philosophy holds, the large number of “good guys” in the locker room will serve as a positive influence on one or two marginal candidates—causing them to focus and raise their level of commitment.

If Baker can put his “issues” behind him, the Broncos just may have filled the largest hole on their defense.  And that should cause Bronco fans to breathe just a little easier.

Denver Day Two Draft/CFA Review: Broncos Add Versatility

On day two of the NFL Draft, many Broncos fans expected Josh McDaniels and Co. to add a lot of big bodies.  Denver’s braintrust did not veer away from that goal, but they added a lot more on the offensive side of the ball than was expected. 

 

4 (114) David Bruton; Safety, Notre Dame

Bruton became the third defensive back taken by the Broncos in a span of four picks (Darcel McBath, Alphonso Smith). 

Bruton reminds me a lot of last year’s seventh round pick, Josh Barrett, in that he has excellent size (6’2″ 219 lbs) and great speed (4.46 second 40-yard dash). 

Josh McDaniels said that Bruton will see the field a lot in his first season, but it will likely take him time to develop as a starting safety in the league.

Bruton will make an instant impact as a special teams ace, and will join Darcel McBath and Josh Barrett in Denver’s promising, young defensive backfield. 

 

4 (132) Seth Olsen; Offensive Lineman, Iowa

Well, I do not think I have left Iowa out of my Broncos mock drafts since I began making them, and this is a pick that I really love, not just because I’m an Iowa fan.

Olsen is an extremely versatile lineman, who can play right tackle, left tackle, and either guard position.  For the Broncos, he will be the heir apparent to Ben Hamilton at left guard.

Olsen is very strong, and very instinctive, and you know coming from Kirk Ferentz’s system he is well-coached. 

 

5 (141) Kenny McKinley; Wide Receiver, South Carolina

We all figured the Broncos would go after a slot receiver at some point in the draft, and they made sure they got their man in Kenny McKinley. 

The former South Carolina star is a very fast receiver who has excellent slot potential for Denver. 

Josh McDaniels figures to implement an offense that features many four wide receiver sets, and the speedy receiver figures to fit in nicely. 

NFL.com raves that McKinley is a “polished route runner with good hands,” and could potentially remind McDaniels of former Patriots receiver Wes Welker.

 

6 (174) Tom Brandstater; Quarterback, Fresno State

If the Broncos were looking for the carbon copy of Tom Brady or Matt Cassel from this draft, they may have found him. 

Although Brandstater is a bit more athletic than the two quarterbacks that flourished under head coach Josh McDaniels, his NFL.com scouting report seems to indicate that he is strikingly similar.

“Brandstater possesses the range and arm strength that National Football League teams look for in a pro style quarterback.

“The unquestioned leader of the team put up impressive numbers since taking over the starting position as a sophomore, but has also excelled in the classroom, earning conference academic honors the last three seasons.

“His intelligence on the field is evident, but academically it is even more impressive, having graduated before his junior campaign and is finishing up work on his Master’s degree.”

Smart, both on the field and off, great arm strength, “unquestioned” leader of his team, and he has impressive numbers.  The Broncos may have gotten a steal with this kid, which is probably why they traded up to get him.

 

7 (225) Blake Schlueter; Center, Texas Christian University

Well, this was the second of two picks that I got correct in my final Broncos mock draft, and to be honest, I could not have been happier when we called his name. 

Schlueter is an extremely versatile lineman who ran a reported 4.67 40-yard dash at his pro day at TCU. 

He and Kory Lichtensteiger will compete for the center job when Casey Wiegmann retires, and Lichtensteiger may now be able to make the move to guard, where he could be a better fit.

 

College Free Agents

Lee Robinson; Linebacker, Alcorn State

The Broncos could have easily drafted Robinson, and reading his scouting report, it is clear that the only reason he went undrafted was due to the level of competition he faced. 

At 6’2″ 250 pounds, he is a great fit for rush linebacker at this level, and with Jarvis Moss on the chopping block, he could make the final squad.

 

Domonique Johnson; Cornerback, Jackson State

Another small-school prospect whom I had going to Denver in one of my seven-round mock drafts as a fourth-round selection.  He has prototypical size, speed, and arm length for the cornerback position, and with Denver only having six cornerbacks on their current roster, he could have a good chance of making the team.

 

Chris Baker; Defensive Tackle, Hampton

Another player that could have easily been drafted, the versatile Baker is a virtual lock to make the opening day roster.  His size (6’2″ 325) make him an ideal fit to play nose tackle in the 3-4 scheme, and I think he is a guy the Broncos targeted all along.

Everette Pedescleaux; Defensive End, Northern Iowa

A small school kid who, at 6’6″ 305 pounds could be an ideal fit as a 3-4 defensive end.  The Broncos will have him compete in mini camp, and probably training camp to add depth to their offensive line.

 

Lucas Taylor; Wide Receiver, Tennessee

Great athlete who struggled in terms of production at Tennessee when Erik Ainge left, and he suffered an injury last season as well.

With Denver’s receiving corps looking pretty deep, he will have to make a significant impact in camp to have a shot at the final roster.

 

Nate Swift; Wide Receiver, Nebraska

Swift, in my opinion, has the best shot at making Denver’s roster of any undrafted rookie.  He has great hands, runs good routes, and is mentally tough.  I like this kid a lot, and some Broncos observers are comparing his overall game to that of Ed McCaffery.

 

Travis Shelton; Wide Receiver, Temple

Shelton will be given a chance to come in and fill a void at kick returner for the Broncos, but he is undersized and reportedly has attitude problems.  He will have a tough time making the team.

 

David Grimes; Wide Receiver, Notre Dame

Another small receiver with good speed who will compete to return kicks or make an impact on special teams with Denver.  Joins a now crowded receiver group.

 

Tony Carter; Cornerback, Florida State

Carter is extremely fast, and while he is undersized, he is a very tough player.  He could make the team due to his speed and tackling ability.

 

Britton Colquitt; Punter/Kicker, Tennessee

Colquitt will come in and try and compete with Brett Kern, but likely will not make the final roster. 

 

Rulon Davis; Defensive End, California

Davis is a player I really like, and he is an ideal fit for defensive end in the 3-4 defense.  He has good quickness and strength, and could end up making the final roster as a backup or special teams guy.

 

Marquez Branson; H-back, Central Arkansas

I will try and stay calm here, but this is by far my favorite addition to Denver as far as an undrafted free agent goes.  YouTube has a 10-minute highlight reel of this kid out of Central Arkansas, and Broncos fans will not be disappointed. 

He has excellent size (6’2″ 247 pounds), and very good hands.  Some are comparing him to Peyton Hillis, although I do not think Branson is as tough.  Still, his hands are great, and he should make Denver’s final roster.

It was a great draft weekend for the Broncos, and they improved their team in many areas.  While the defensive line was not addressed as frequently as some of us mock draft nerds would have preferred, the Broncos added great players and will go into mini camp with a solid core of athletes.

How Did the Broncos Do in This Year’s NFL Draft?

The NFL Draft is now over.  Whether you like the outcome or not, there is no going back.  Many Broncos fans feel like they are taking crazy pills while others are looking at the silver lining.  Opinions will be abounding, but only time will tell.

 

With the 12th pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Knowshon Moreno, RB Georgia 5’11” 217

All of Broncos Nation was hoping for Denver to come out of the gate and select a player to help fix an anemic defense that was one of the worst in the league last year. Unfortunately fate would make this a difficult feat to accomplish.

T.Jackson (the best five technique defensive lineman in the draft) came of the board early to our divison rivals in Kansas City.  Then, as was expected, B.J. Raji (the best defensive tackle in the draft) was drafted by Green Bay.

This left the Broncos in a tough situation. Who do you pick now that Raji and Jackson were no Longer available?

I would have picked M.Jenkins or B. Orakpo.  They are quality players who were worthy of being selected with the 12th overall pick, and by my estimation would have filled a position of need.  Jenkins could compete for the nickle corner spot or safety of the future.  Orakpo, by all indications could be the hybrid DE/OLB that Denver could have used. 

The Broncos instead went with the best runningback in the draft, K.Moreno. 

This doesn’t make sense to me because Denver just invested a lot of contract money (33.5 mill) into C. Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, and L.Jordan.  Plus the Broncos also have R.Torain and S.Young on their roster (probably not for long though).

Though Moreno does not necessarily meet an imediate need in Denver, he was worthy of the selection at 12, and could be the next L.T. or Adrian Peterson (knocking on wood while typing)

After hearing Knowshon’s press conference, It is clear that he is a very high character guy.  He’s a “No sir, yes sir” kind of guy.  He is looking forward to coming in and competing and he will do whatever he is asked to do.  He can block, he can catch, he can run, he can hurdle defensive players, and he is a team first kind of guy.

When McDaniels was announced as Denver’s new head coach, I was not happy because I knew he was going to turn the Broncos into the “Patriots West”.  I have since warmed up to the idea a little bit, but one of the things the Pats always do well is draft high character, team first-guys and I am happy that McDaniels has brought that tradition along with him to the Broncos.

The Denver braintrust must have either not seen Orkpo or Jenkins as one of those players, or they really just valued Moreno (who is one of those guys more). 

I agree with taking talent over need, especially if “your guy” isn’t there, so I am O.K. with this pick.

ESPN’s analysts said that right now Moreno is probably the front runner to win the rookie of the year award in the ’09 season.

 

With the 18th pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Robert (not Ryan) Ayers, DL/LB Tennessee 6’3″ 272

This too was a tough pick in the eyes of many Broncos fans.

B. Cushing was gone, but many people would have rather seen Denver pick up R. Maualuga or C. Matthews, but R.Ayers was projected to go in the first round between 10-20, so he was definitely a valuable player worthy of his selection at 18th overall. 

But Ayers has also been termed a possible one year wonder, given that he only started for one year in college. 

The good news is he is another character guy.  Watch his press conference and you find out he is a humble guy who had some issues and has dealt with them and has grown up from those experiences and you can see he has a Hughe upside. 

He is willing to do whatever the coaches ask him to do, and he is a player who does have a lot of versatility.  Denver will probably try him out at a few positions, as either a hybrid DE/OLB or (as he hinted in his presser) at the five technique defensive end.

Given that he was worthy of the pick, that he grew up in college into a man of high character, and his production in his senior year, I really believe now that this also was a great pick. 

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has gone on record saying that three years from now we could look back at this draft and find out that R. Ayers is the best player taken in the entire draft.  Now, that is saying something!

Head Coach Josh McDaniels explained during his draft wrap-up press conference that he, GM Brian Xanders and the scouting team had a very narrow group of players that they were targeting during the draft.  Roughly 100 players both offense and defense.  Again only high character guys were being considered. 

McDaniels said that they were looking for players who would come in and compete and would have the ability to impact the team this year.  He didn’t want to take a player at a position of need just to drop him later.  He wanted guys who could contribute.  

McDaniels had one player one their draft board who they had rated very highly, and they did not think that he would remain around until Denver picked in round two at 48th overall.  Therefore Denver “rolled the dice” as McDaniels stated it and traded Denver’s first round pick in 2010 to Seattle for their second round, pick 37th overall.  

 

With the 37th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Alphonso Smith, CB Wake Forest 5’9″ 193

I am not sure anybody thought that trading away next years number one pick was a wise decision. I know I don’t, and it has nothing to do with the player we got, I just think that McDaniels was wrong. I cannot be sure because it didn’t happen this way, but I think they could have gotten A.Smith at 48.

Regardless of whether this decision was a wise one or not Denver got tht 37th overall pick.  Many Broncos fans were absolutely certain that the Broncos were going to pick up R.Maualuga, R.Brace, E.Brown, C. Barwin or J. Gilbert.  But that didn’t happen.

The Broncos picked up Alphonso Smith a 5’9″ cornerback.  

Smith is a dynamic player he would have easily been a first round pick, maybe even the best corner in the draft if not for his height.  He is an absolute ball hawk.  He will likely come in and play the Nickle right away from day one, and contribute on a defense that ranked last, yes 32 of 32, in the NFL in takeaways last year.

Make no mistake, A.Smith is a valuable pick and steal for where the Broncos picked him. I have no doubt in my mind that A.Smith will be an excellent player in the NFL for a lot of years.  My opinion is that we got an elite player with this pick. 

The only reason this pick is suspect is because of what Denver gave up to acquire the pick.

 

With the 48th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Darcel McBath, S Texas Tech 6’0″ 198

I don’t really know a lot about this player other than what analysts have said about him.  He apparently is a converted corner who has good instincts for the football. 

McDaniels looks for him to learn from the Broncos current secondary and add value to the Broncos on special teams.  He is apparently a very good kickoff return guy (as is A.Smith).

I was hoping again here that the Broncos would draft J.Gilbert, the next best five technique in the draft after T.Jackson. 

I also thought there were a lot of other prime safety prospects that Denver could have gone with, (W.Moore, R. Johnson to name a few) but Denver’s draft team apparently really liked this guy and if he can come in and contribute than perhaps it was a good pick.  Time will tell.

As the first day of the draft was winding down the Broncos board had one more guy that they had very highly rated on their board, and they felt that they did not want to chance waiting until the second day and hoping that he was still available when they would next be on the clock in the third round at pick number 79 overall.

Therefore McDaniels felt it necessary to trade the Broncos two third round picks 79 & 84 overall to the Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers for the final pick in the second round 64th overall and the Steelers fourth round pick 132 overall.

And so it was that…

 

With the 64th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Richard Quinn, TE North Carolina 6’4″ 264

Trading away our two third round selections was completely unnecessary in my opinion.  I cannot see Quinn being that hot of a commodity among the other NFL teams that Denver could not have been able to pick him up at 79 overall.  

Maybe I am wrong though.  He is in fact the second best plocking tight end in the draft.  And though he was under utilized at North Carolina in the passing game, he does have good hands.

McDaniels offensive schemes utilizes two and three tight end formations at times.  D. Graham, and J. Putzier are good blocking tight ends who have decent hands, but A. Scheffler and A. Bergen are not so good blockers. 

So I think McD felt that he needed Quinn in order to do the things he wanted to do offensivly and didn’t want to chance missing out on the perfect guy to fill this need.

Again I think it was a rash and unnecessary trade, at a position I think we have adequate depth in, but like it or not we are running McDaniels offense and he felt R. Quinn would allow him to do things that he would be unable to do schematically without him.  So he made the call, made the pick, and the rest is history.

 

On Day Two, Denver continued to ignore the glaring need of picking up D-lineman.  I guess the chips just didn’t fall out way.  The character guys, the type of players that McDaniels wanted just weren’t on the board when Denver drafted, and he didn’t feel strongly enough about any one of them to make a trade to ensure that he got them(like he did for Alphonso Smith).

So after missing out on Vaughn Martin…

 

With the 114th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

David Bruton, S Notre Dame 6’2″ 219

Again the Broncos choose a very intelligent, high character guy at a position that Denver needs quality depth.  Denver’s safeties were empty jersey’s last year with the exception of J. Barrett.

You have to be a smart to go to Notre Dame, D. Bruton showed he has speed at the combine (for a safety), and he was a team captain in college.  He has a great opportunity to learn from B-Dawk and contribute right away on special teams. 

I really would have liked to see Denver pick up a defensive lineman here.  I think Sammie Lee-Hill would have been a great pick, and is a player that could have contributed in Denver’s nose tackle/defensive tackle rotation. Alas, he must not have been on McDaniels narrow list of Players he wanted. 

Despite not getting a D-lineman I really like this pick, D.Bruton was one of the guys I really thought Denver should target, so I was very happy with this pick. 

 

With the 132nd overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Seth Olsen, G Iowa 6’5″ 306

Now this pick I don’t get at all.  We had a very good, possibly one of the Best O-Line units in the NFL last year.  And we added depth throughout the line during the off-season. 

Seth Olsen wasn’t even the highest rated guard available at this point in the draft.

I think this shows a bit of a vote of no confidence in Ben Hamilton or Chris Kuper.  Hamilton is getting older (31), and depth is not a bad thing, but I thought this was more of a luxury pick than any other pick Denver made in the draft.  I could maybe understand it if Olsen played Center at some point in his football career, but he didn’t.

 

With the 141st overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Kenny McKinley, WR South Carolina 6’0″ 189

It was understood that one of Denver’s draft needs in the later rounds was to add another wide receiver to the roster.  McDaniels likes to spread the field with multiple receiver sets, and depth is a good thing if you are consistently putting three or four wide outs on the field at once.

McDaniels said in the press conference that McKinley was a versatile player who has lined up at all the wide receiver positions in the football career.  Steve Spurier made the statement that McKinley was the best wide receiver he ever had the pleasure of coaching.

I hope that both these things are true.  Wide receivers who have played for Steve Spurrier do not have a great track record of transitioning to the NFL with success.

Again I hope this works out, we did need a wide out, we shall see.

 

With the 174th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Tom (Brady… I mean)Bradstater, QB Fresno State 6’5″ 220

Denver drafts a guy that McDaniels admitted is a long way off, this is a guy who needs a lot of work.  McDaniels does like his size and height though.

Bradstater also was not the best prospect available here.  Curtis Painter, and Brian Hoyer were still available.  But apparently there is something Tom Brady, I mean Bradstater has something that McDaniels really liked as a project kind of guy.  I can’t quite place my finger on it, but his name reminds me of somebody…. I just can’t place it.

I think the fact that they picked a hugh project guy like Bradstater is an enormous vote of confidence in the quarterbacks already on Denver’s roster being able to run McDaniels intricate offense.  Kyle Orton and Chris Simms will be able to battle this one out in camp.  May the best man win.

 

With the 225th overall pick of the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select:

Blake Schlueter, C TCU 6’2″ 290    

Blake is a very agile guy, speedy for an O-lineman, and he had a great workout at his pro-day. 

McDaniels will require the offensive line to be able to do a lot of pulling for counters, traps and screens, so an agile center is a good pick.

Denver needed a center of the future, and adding depth at this position is definitely a good move.  Many have speculated that Kory Lichtensteiger is better suited to play guard, so this pick makes sense in many ways.

 

Overall I still have trouble understanding why Denver ignored their greatest need by not selecting anyone to help out the defensive line (unless Ayers plays the five technique).

Denver has added some very talented players.  But not in areas of immediate need.

I had hoped that Denver would be able to draft guys who would be able to come in and make our defense better right away.  Alas, things did not fall in our favor. 

I hope there are some undrafted free agents that will be able to compete for a roster spot on defense. Maybe we find another Wesley Woodyard or Spencer Larson.

I had wished that through the draft, Denver would have acquired some difference making players that would get me excited about the upcoming season, filling out the team and making us stronger in areas we needed strengthening.

It is more clear to me now that the Broncos are not one season or one draft away from reclaiming dominance in the division and making a playoff run.  It is gonna take some time. 

Hopefully the team gets better with the players McDaniels drafted, and hopefully next years draft has a greater quality of depth at the defensive line position with character guys that McDaniels will be willing to draft. 

I wish I was more excited and energized coming off of the draft, but who knows we may look back on this draft three years from now and find that Denver Broncos got the two best players in the draft with Moreno and Ayers. 

All will be revealed in time. It will certainly be an interesting season.   

Denver Broncos Drafted Poorly? Nope

I honestly dont understand the frustration in almost all Bronco fans during the NFL draft this weekend. Maybe because they needed to go towards the defense? Or maybe because Denver was adding depth instead of the holes? Think again…

 

Round 1, Pick 12 – Knowshon Moreno RB

At first I was with everyone else on this pick. Thinking about why in the world did Denver just added another running back.

Having Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan, Ryan Torain, and Selvin Young. Then I asked myself again, are they all legitimate running backs?

When was the last time we saw one of those running backs go over 100+ yards? We all know Moreno can easly prove that.

LaMont Jordan had three 100+ rushing yards in the last 3 years, his age has shown him that he can no longer be the dominant back he was in the past, this is year 11 for him.

Correll Buckhalter only had four 100+ rushing yard games in his 9 year career, now entering his 10th. J.J. Arrington…. has he even rushed for over 50+ in a game? Probably once or twice. And returning Denver Bronco running backs Selvin Young, Ryan Torain. 

Young has just two 100+ yard games (Both against KC in 2007), but can he even stay healthy? Finally Ryan Torain, basically missed all of the 2008 season and had a fairly decent game against the Browns in the first half.

Last season the New England Patriots ran the ball very…very effectively and with that in mind, McDaniels might have a well balanced attack using the best rookie running back Knowshon Moreno, LaMont Jordan, and Correll Buckhalter.

The passing attack will mostly consider the wide receivers and tight ends but will feature J.J. Arrington, Knowshon Moreno and Peyton Hillis at times.

 

Round 1, Pick 18 – Robert Ayers DE/LB

Very good pick by Denver. A defensive playmaker that can play both ways, defensive end and outside linebacker. He will most likely be playing defensive end most of the time along the side with Darrell Ried and Kenny Peterson. Probably will stand up at times.

 

Round 2, Pick 5 – Alphonso Smith CB

While I saw this decision be made, Many people hated this because Smith is a undersized cornerback that doesn’t have much speed and so on.

Denver traded their first-round natural pick to Seattle in return for the 37th pick in the draft, which ended up being Alphonso Smith.

Has first-round talent that is an absolute ball hawk that had I believe 22 career interceptions which is an ACC record. Now tell me thats not good, seriously.

 

Round 2, Pick 16 – Darcel McBath SS

Not much of a speed type player, but he is like Alphonso Smith, he is a ball hawk. A safety that can also play cornerback at times which really helps Denver in case of a backfield injury, he will provide with help. Great player

 

Round 2, Pick 32 – Richard Quinn TE

This was the 2nd time I was all, “Wait? They already got Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler, and Jeb Putzier. Why did they add another tight end?”

This was actually an incredible pick because Tony cant block at all but is a threat to linebackers and safeties. Putzier is a well balanced player but is becoming a poor athlete as his career goes.

Richard Quinn provides extra run blocking strength/pass blocking strength that is needed in Goal Line formation and also in third-and-2 or fourth-and-1 situations.

There was a situation in New England when they had the same fit. Having Kyle Brady, Ben Watson, and David Thomas. Brady and Thomas are complete blockers but lacked in the passing game, while Watson was the threat.

 

Round 4, Pick 14 – David Bruton FS

Interesting pick here, they went with another safety. I actually like the pick though because David is some athlete with a lot of speed and adding more competition in the free safety and strong safety position. He is helping Denver in injury wise and preparing for the feature.

 

Round 4, Pick 32 – Seth Olson OG

With Denver having Hamilton and Wiegmann going into retirement mode some time, they are considering a guard at this time which is a pretty decent pick.

 

Round 5, Pick 5 – Kenny McKinley WR

Great wide receiver at 6’0″ 200 pounds with great hands and speed. Probably will fill in when Brandon Marshall gets an 8 game suspension this season, good choice here. Can also return punts and kicks which is what Denver needs.

Round 6, Pick 1 – Tom Brandstater QB

Say hello to our future quarterback Tom Brandstater. Maybe McDaniels thought if he drafted a guy name Tom then he’ll turn out to be like Tom Brady (who was drafted in the 6th round). Ill put some facts out there for some people who dont know this person.

A 6’5″ 220-pound quarterback out of Fresno State. Played all 4 years in college. Started to play in his Sophomore year having 1,490 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His Junior year was a bit better having 2,654 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns and only 5 interceptions.

His Senior year was to go out there and prove hes a 1st rounder or 2nd rounder but instead struggled… throwing 2,664 yards, 18 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions…. sound a bit familiar kind of?

Round 7, Pick 16 – Blake Schlueter C

Last and final pick ends up being another offensive lineman. Blake can bring more competition for a possible starting job next year, this guy is a pear football player, simple as that.

Now, I bet a lot of you are very disappointed in this year’s draft considering they did not go after the defensive line or linebacking corp at all except grabbing Ayers in the first round. Saying Mc”…..” is the worst coach ever and blah blah blah. Well in case you didnt notice, this guy KNOWS what he is doing, trust me.

I’ve commented on alot of peoples mock draft’s and so on that Denver does not need to go after a linebacker, which i was right that they didnt go after one.

Simply because they have way to much depth at the inside and outside linebacker positions right now, and they are all very talented as well.

I was hoping Denver would have at least get 2 defensive ends during the draft, Robert Ayers is like a Darrell Ried, playing defensive end and outside linebacker which is fearly good, and having Kenny Peterson who I believe can be a potential starter.

I have 100% full trust in the Denver Bronco organization and if this is what they believe to have on there roster, then so be it.

I grade this draft a B because they did an excellent job filling in needs in game situations, not because they were adding depth. I will be very disappointed if anyone says this is the worst draft ever or doubtful comments like that.

Tim Ruskell: On Drugs

Sure, April 25th was a good day for the city of Seattle.  Not even close to best ever, but it was good…well, sort of.

We got our man, Aaron Curry, the stud Wake Forest LB, expected to complete the league’s best young LB trio.

The Sounders moved to 4-2 by beating San Jose (those two losses could even be held in question because we did not have our goalkeeper due to thinking outside the box, literally).

The Mariners almost gave it away, but hung on for a one-run win over a team who has plenty of W’s over them in recent memory.

But another event occurred on April 25th that just puts a very unpleasant taste in your mouth if you’re a supporter of the Seattle Seahawks.

Seeing the headline “Seahawks remove franchise tag from Leroy Hill”

What the f*#k were they thinking?  Honestly?

You just draft Curry, form the top trio of LB’s in the entirety of the league, then you get rid of your second stud LB from said top trio; just mind boggling

I have been very positive about the JP trade because in the long run it yielded us Curry, and a starting DE, Cory Redding, who should provide us a huge upgrade. The trade made us younger and better.

We did literally just release Hill, getting rid of a second LB from a group that was the strength of the defense, and one of the league’s best.

Sure, you have a lot of money tied up there, but that’s why it was going to be the league’s best, you don’t have the league’s best for cheap.

All for what, $8 million? Sure it’s a good chunk of money, but for the money you are saving, you just tore apart the league’s best trio of LB’s.

We also just traded our 2010 third-rounder for another tiny receiver. Seahawks, you sure do know how to go from brilliance to dud in 24 hours.

We get a rookie pool so signing Curry, Unger, Deon, and Teel is not the issue.

We have been interested in signing Ken Lucas, which would be great.  I can guarantee we could have made a less significant cut to free up the money to sign him.

Matt Hasselbeck would probably redo his contract if it meant helping to keep Leroy and sign Ken.

I would absolutely love to see Ken Lucas signed here; in fact, I have lobbied for it. At the price of Hill, and the desecration of what could be the league’s top trio of LB’s for ten or more years, no stank you.

If they sign Derrick Brooks or Freddie Keiahlo, then the move could make more sense.  Sure they’re not as good as Hill, but they’re on the same level at least.

Knowing Ruskell, the following are most likely what will happen:  He won’t sign Lucas, then sign Derrick Brooks, he will sign Lucas and not re-sign Hill, or he might re-sign Hill and then not sign Lucas.  In other words, he just won’t finish the defense.

He has to leave one hole open, of course.  Sure D.D. Lewis can start; he started in 2005.  But who would you rather have, Hill or Lewis? All of a sudden you have a liability where a strength once was.

The last time the Seahawks pulled a stunt like this, they ended up making it brilliant.  So hopefully I’m wrong, but only time will tell.

Timmy, get it right. You made my favorite coach walk, but don’t tear apart the best thing this team has going.

The Denver Broncos: A Potential Threat For the 2009 Season

When I show people that I am a Bronco fan by wearing Bronco apparel, I usually get at least 20 comments during the day on how the Broncos suck.

I wish I would have time to explain to these people why the Broncos did not make the playoffs last year and why they will be good this year (and how incredibly stupid they are), but I guess that’s what B/R is for.

I’m going to start with the most obvious reason of why we didn’t succeed, which is our running backs. Denver broke a record this year for most RB’s on IR, with seven. Some people didn’t even consider the fact that we had to resort to using Tatum bell (he was working at a phone company in Denver). Not to mention, the game where LB Spenser Larsen played both LB AND FB.

Even with these losses, Denver still had the second best offense in the the league.

What we have done to fix that? For one, we drafted Knowshon Moreno. And seriously, what’s the chance that we’ll lose more than maybe 2 running backs again?

The next reason was our defense. With John Lynch leaving the team, Denver had to leave the job to safety Marlon McCree. We certainly didn’t get any better when he was injured. Other major injuries were Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil, and Boss Bailey, all of whom are key players to the defense.

Things that Denver has done to help with this is switching to a 3/4 defense (major improvement), and drafting new, young defensive players that should in turn help improve the team.

When I did get the chance to argue with people, these were the main points they had to confront me (although they didn’t get too specific). And I must say that I’m am very excited to see it pay off this season.

 

The Denver Broncos’ War Room: On Drugs

The Broncos committed highway robbery just a few weeks ago, yielding two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a starting quarterback in exchange for a petulant self-entitled child.

I have been blasting the Bears ever since, not necessarily for getting Cutler, who is a franchise type quarterback for the future, but for trading for a quarterback when he has no one to throw to.

The Bears did nothing to change that in the draft, actually trading back even further (thank you for Max Unger).

The Broncos made a couple of real head scratcher’s as well.

With the 12th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the Denver Broncos select:

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia?

You sign three RB’s during the offseason, JJ Arrington, Lamont Jordan, Correll Buckhalter, and already have Selvin Young and Peyton Hillis on the roster. You trade your franchise quarterback and use one of the key picks from the trade on another RB?

I almost would not have been so critical of the move, if Brian Orakpo was not on the board.

Passing on Orakpo, who was as highly rated as going No. 5 to Cleveland, for a RB was just plain dreadful. If you sign three RB’s and have five potential starters already wearing Broncos range and blue, why a RB?

One could argue that he wasn’t a three-four end, but that’s why its called conversion and OLB, it has been done plenty of times.

They draft a DE later with Ayers, and that was a solid pick, except for the fact they passed on Orakpo.

Didn’t you notice Washington practically beamed themselves to Roger Goodell when they were on the clock, there was a good reason for that.

Their next move was my personal favorite, it was like, I can realistically see Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford in the bright green city.

They trade the second part of their previously brilliant Cutler trade, sending the Seattle Seahawks their 2010 first-round pick for the No. 37 pick.

My friend and I turned to each other and said the words, “Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow!”

Not only did the Seattle Seahawks get the draft’s top prospect, we also got a starting lineman. Thank you Chicago!

AND, We were hand fed the opportunity to draft a true franchise quarterback from a team who just traded theirs away. Oh, the irony is so magical.

This is how the Jay Cutler trade has broken down.

Broncos trade Jay Cutler, 5th round pick.

They receive: Knowshon Moreno, Kyle Orton, Alphonso Smith, and Half of Richard Quinn.

They subtracted a franchise QB for a mediocre QB, a nickel CB, a RB, who has plenty of competition, and a third string TE.  Maybe it will turn out to be OK.

Right now I think Josh McDaniel’s head is still in New England where they could afford to waste picks.

When you could have had Orakpo, Maualuga, even Josh Freeman, it’s puzzling to see a RB taken.

As a Seahawks fan, here’s hoping your defense plays in similar fashion as last season, we are that much closer to getting our own franchise quarterback and have no one else but an old rival to thank.

I never thought the Jay Cutler trade would pay the Seahawks dividends. You never know what the day will bring!

Denver Broncos Day One Draft Review: McDaniels Bolsters Both O’ and D’

April 25, 2009, marks the busiest draft day in the history of the Denver Broncos.  Josh McDaniels and Co. were wheeling and dealing all day long, and Denver ended up with five picks in the first two rounds of the draft.  How did the Broncos fare given their extreme amount of picks?

 

1 (12) Knowshon Moreno; Running Back, Georgia

I absolutely love this pick.  Despite my “homerism” toward Shonn Greene out of Iowa, Denver came away with the very best running back in this year’s draft.

Josh McDaniels made it a priority to address the running back position this off-season, signing Correll Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington, LaMont Jordan, and now drafting Knowshon Moreno.

Despite Denver’s large group of backs, Moreno is the early and clear favorite to win the starting job.  He went into his redshirt sophomore season at Georgia at 207 pounds, and has bulked up to 217. 

While some are bashing this pick due to Denver’s strong need on the defensive side of the ball, I contend that this was the smartest pick McDaniels could have made given Denver’s top two defensive targets (B.J. Raji, Tyson Jackson) were long gone by now. 

In two seasons for Georgia, Moreno rushed for 2,734 yards and 30 touchdowns, and also caught 53 passes for 645 yards and two touchdowns. 

Josh McDaniels’ offensive scheme requires a running back that can run between the tackles, catch the ball, and block on third down.  Moreno can do every one of those things very effectively.

The Denver Broncos’ offense now features the likes of Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham, Jabar Gaffney, Peyton Hillis, and now Knowshon Moreno.  It’s a very dynamic, athletic group of players that forms one of the top young groups in the entire NFL.

 

1(18) Robert Ayers; Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Tennessee

If anyone has been keeping tabs, you know that I have strongly opposed the acquiring of Ayers throughout the “mocking” process. 

I didn’t really see a fit for the former Volunteer, and thought that the fact that he only had one really good year meant that he was a second round pick at best.

Now, I’m not so sure.  Ayers is widely considered to be one of the most athletic and versatile defensive linemen in the entire draft, and he looks like the next best alternative to Denver’s top target Tyson Jackson. 

Ayers is 6’3″, 275 pounds, and brings a very complete game to the defensive end position.  Some feel he would have been best fit for the 4-3 scheme as a defensive end, but Josh McDaniels feels that Ayers can stand up as a rush linebacker if needed, as well as dig his hand in the ground and stuff the run.

The key stat with Ayers is tackles for loss, of which he registered 15.5 in 2008.  Many experts feel he was playing his best ball at the end of his college career, and that he will continue to ascend heading into the NFL. 

“When Robert got here, he thought he was God’s gift to football,” former head coach Phillip Fulmer said. “He wouldn’t listen to the upperclassmen…not in a bad way, but he just didn’t take to coaching very well. (As a senior) he’s starving for coaching, and he’s giving great effort. He’s turned into a big-time SEC defensive end.”

Denver needed to upgrade their run defense in the first round, and they did that with Ayers.

 

2 (37) Alphonso Smith; Cornerback, Wake Forest

The Denver Broncos acquired the rights to the 37th overall pick in the second round by trading away their first round pick from 2010, and I doubt they will regret it. 

If not for his height (5-foot-9), Smith would have been a top five pick in this year’s draft.  He has undoubtedly been the most productive cornerback at the collegiate level over the last four years, and even in the past century.

In fact, Smith is only the third cornerback in the last 100 years to have ammassed over 20 interceptions for his career.  Smith’s 21 interceptions complemented his career 189 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and eight forced fumbles. 

Oh yeah, did I mention he was also a special teams ace?  Smith averaged 20.7 yards per kickoff return, and blocked five kicks in his career at Wake Forest.

The three time All-American will start his career in Denver as the nickel cornerback behind Champ Bailey and Andre’ Goodman, but make no mistake about it:  This kid intends on starting sooner rather than later. This was an excellent value pick by the Denver Broncos.

 

2 (48) Darcel McBath; Safety, Texas Tech

This pick really intrigued me.  I never really thought of McBath as a possibility for the Broncos, simply because nobody has him rated as a second-round prospect.  My question now, after doing a lot of research on him is, “Why?”

McBath is a converted cornerback, who at 6’0″ 198 pounds has excellent bulk and size for the free safety position.  He will benefit greatly from the tutelage of future Hall of Famers Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey as he hones his coverage and tackling skills. 

In three years as the starter, McBath registered 223 tackles, 12 interceptions, and became an All-Big 12 performer over that three year span.

McBath’s banner campaign came in his senior season, which he had 75 tackles, seven interceptions, and seven passes defensed. 

He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and forced a fumble.  His stellar play garnered him first team All-Big 12 and All-American Honors.

I have no doubt that Denver made the correct choice with this pick.  I cannot wait to see these two ball-hawking defensive backs in McBath and Alphonso Smith take the field for the Broncos. 

 

2 (64) Richard Quinn; Tight End, North Carolina

This pick, acquired from Pittsburgh along with a fourth round pick in exchange for two third round picks was a head scratcher for many Denver fans. 

Quinn is a blocking specialist who, in his time as a Tar Heel, had only 12 receptions, two of which were touchdowns.

Head Coach Josh McDaniels insists this will have no effect on Tony Scheffler, and while I will believe that when I see it, I think this was probably Denver’s riskiest pick of the day. 

We cannot say Quinn would have been available at pick 79 or 84, but it is highly likely that he would have been.  Quinn himself was surprised that he received a day one call.

Quinn is in a similar mold to current Broncos’ tight end Daniel Graham, and while his receiving skills are not elite, his blocking skills are rivaled only by Brandon Pettigrew among the tight ends available in this draft.

A curious pick by the Broncos, which is sure to raise questions, but a solid player nonetheless.  Quinn is not great value here, but Denver probably would have picked him anyway, and they still have six picks on day two.

Overall, I felt it was a very productive day for the Denver Broncos, who addressed both offensive and defensive needs.

They found their star running back, run-stuffing defensive lineman, two ball-hawking defensive backs, and a blocking specialist at tight end. 

Day two is sure to bring more excitement, and the Broncos are in a good position to add more young talent to their squad.

Knowshon Moreno Was The Perfect Choice for the Denver Broncos

GWhen I woke up this morning, the first thought that came to my mind was the draft. More importantly, to myself, was who the Broncos would take.

I waited in anticipation, hoping for LSU star, Tyson Jackson, to be our first overall selection. That dream faded after the third pick to the Chiefs. To be honest, I had no idea who McDaniels had in mind for the 12th overall pick.

When Knowshon Moreno’s name was called, I wasn’t sure what to think of the draft pick. My mind had been set for months on the fact that Denver’s defense needed all the help that it could get.

I couldn’t figure out why McDaniels was adding on yet another running back to our current 5, including former Arkansas Razorback, fullback, Peyton Hillis.

After considering it for a while, it became very clear that Josh McDaniels had made the right decision, and knew exactly what he was doing.

I decided to do some research on our newly added running back, I was very happy with the results.

In Moreno’s entire career at Georgia, he ran for 2,736 yards, and had 30 touchdowns overall. Let me remind you that this is in 2 seasons alone.

Moreno, and the Georgia Bulldogs, also has a victory last year in the Capital One Bowl game where he scored a touchdown, had 125 yards, rushing and receiving, and 6 receptions.

I can only imagine what he’ll do for the new-look, Denver Broncos.

At the end of the day, I was satisfied in Denver’s selections. They got a good defensive end, a vastly underrated safety, a dominant cornerback, and a starting running back for the future.

Out of all Denver’s draft picks, I was pleased with Knowshon Moreno the most. He is a great running back that will be a game-changer in 2009.

So Far So…WHY? Broncos’ First Day Draft Grades

The first day of the Denver Broncos’ 2009 draft has been anything but the miracle that new head coach Josh McDaniels needed.

Here is a rundown of the Broncos’ picks so far.

 

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia (First Round, 12th pick)

At first this pick appears confusing, as the Broncos need to come out of this draft with front seven starters on defense. Now the Broncos have 2,333,256 running backs on our roster…

But after it settled in, I was okay with it. Moreno’s a playmaker, and they really haven’t had a playmaker at running back since Clinton Portis left town. Hopefully they can get some big plays out of the running game now!

Considering what transpired in the draft prior to them picking, there weren’t any value picks on the defensive side of the ball that would fit their new scheme. Brian Orakpo, the defensive end from Texas, is a solid defensive end prospect, but not for a 3-4 defense (I don’t think he can play at outside linebacker in the NFL). Brian Cushing, the linebacker from USC, would have been a large reach at No. 12 as well.

Pick Grade: B

I am docking their grade on this pick due to their inability to either move up for B.J. Raji (DT out of Boston College) or Aaron Curry (OLB from Wake Forest).

 

Robert Ayers, DE/OLB, Tennessee (First Round, 18th Pick)

He has the potential to play at outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense opposite D.J. Williams. He doesn’t have “huge” sack numbers in college, which is concerning (only eight sacks in three years of college) but had a lot of tackles for losses (30.5), so that shows he does get penetration.

Ayers is the most well rounded of the defensive ends predicted to go in the first round this year and very well could end up being the best defensive player to come out of this draft. He will be on the field on all three defensive downs as he can stop the run and rush the passer.

This was a good value pick. The Broncos needed a hybrid DE/OLB to play in the 3-4 scheme, and there were talks of them taking Ayers at No. 12. Getting him at 18 is solid.

Pick Grade: B+

Solid pickup getting Ayers in towards middle/end of the first round

 

Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest (Second Round, 37th Pick)

Pardon my pig Latin, but what the uckFey were the Denver Broncos thinking?

They traded a first round pick from next year (I hear it’s their natural pick, NOT the one they got from the Bears) for a 5’9″ cornerback who is also slow (4.5+ 40-yard dash). Seriously, McDumbass and Brian Xanders better hope he turns out to be better than most think he will be.

Smith is a decent player who does have big play potential (recorded over 20 interceptions in his college career), but he is not a top 10 draft pick (which is basically what the Broncos gave up to get him).

Pick Grade: F

If I could give them a grade lower than an F here, I would. Smith is going to be a nickel corner in the NFL, and the Broncos gave up far too much to get him here. This is the type of pick that could haunt this franchise for the next 10 years. Rey Maualuga from USC (who went with the very next pick) would have made a lot more sense—still not worth a top 10 pick, but a better value.

 

Darcel McBath, SS, Texas Tech (Second Round, 48th Pick)

He had a good college career at Texas Tech, but he’s not a very big hitter, which is something I like safeties to posses. I was hoping they would go with Fili Moala with this pick (the DT out of USC).

Pick Grade: C-

With players available such as William Moore (safety out of Missouri) and Fili Moala (DT out of USC), there were better picks to be made at this spot.

 

Richard Quinn, TE, North Carolina (Second Round, 64th Pick)

Quinn is the second-best blocking tight end in this year’s draft behind Brandon Pettigrew (the Lions’ second pick of the first round) and has decent hands for somebody his size (270, 6’4″). He reminds me of Daniel Graham. This draft has shown me that the Broncos intend on being run heavy next year and using a lot of two-TE sets with Graham blocking on one side, Quinn on the other.

This also spells DOOM for Tony Scheffler, who I see being dropped early next week. That 2006 draft is looking worse and worse as this offseason progresses.

Pick Grade: C

To me he is a mirror image of the Broncos’ other tight end, Daniel Graham, which is great if you want to be a running team. He didn’t have a lot of production in the passing game in college, but that’s largely due to the fact that the Tar Heels had three NFL caliber wideouts who were the focus in the passing game. He displayed good hands at the combine.

 

Bottom line, I give the Broncos a D- for the first day of this draft. In free agency the Broncos signed three defensive backs (Brian Dawkins from the Eagles, Andre’ Goodman and Renaldo Hill from the Dolphins) for $47 million and three running backs (Correll Buckhalter from the Eagles, J.J. Arrington from the Cardinals, and LaMont Jordan from the Patriots) for $44 million.

Naturally, the Broncos used three of their first five picks on these positions.

They also gave up a potential top five pick for next year’s draft (which I thought was going to be used for our future QB).

The Jay Cutler trade was tolerable due to their ability to try to replace him in next year’s draft. I thought they would give Kyle Orton a season to see if he was worthy of being our QB of the future, and if we struggled, we would use next year’s pick on either Colt McCoy out of Texas or Sam Bradford from Oklahoma. That option is now gone

This draft has cost McDaniels his throwaway year. If they don’t make the playoffs this season—which based on their schedule and their transition to a new scheme, they won’t—then one of the youngest coaches in NFL history could also become the youngest fired head coach in NFL history.

« Previous Page — Next Page »

BroncosZone Latest

• The Denver Broncos Must Face Their New Reality
• Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?
• Hey Denver, Where’s the Love for Josh McDaniels?
• Josh McDaniels Is the Poster Boy for “Too Much, Too Soon”
• Denver Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall: “I Love Being a Bronco”