SB Nation - Kenny McKinley

The Once and Future Quarterback

Emmett Smith — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:20:51 -0000

As the glow from Thursday's game starts to fade every so slightly, and the nervous anticipation of opening the 2009 season on the road in Cincinnati begins to build, it seems appropriate to take a few moments to look back at the path taken and the job done by rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater - his background, his performances and his development. I think that despite the widely differing opinions that folks have as to the path the Broncos have taken to get here, and the variance between our visions of the future, there are probably relatively few Denver fans who don't recognize that they have caught a glimpse of a team as it could be. The aggressive defense, the excellent TO ratio, the high caliber play from the first string and the third and the play of a rookie quarterback who seemed to play with ice in his veins and passion in his heart, who made passes at all levels, moved well and showed how quickly he picks up the new scheme rang in a harmonious chord.

Not surprisingly, that rich major chord wasn't exactly echoed by the media that has been decrying the Broncos of late and who have, almost in Greek chorus, laughed long and loud at the idea that these same Broncos might actually win a few games. The folks who have used the most space to snicker and point fingers were no where to be found on this warm late summer morning. You wouldn't even know that the Broncos played last night by the deafening silence. Somehow, that figures. It takes no courage to point fingers. It takes more to admit that you could have been wrong. That kind of fortitude was in short supply as the morning light rose to bright afternoon. As evening drew near, it was almost completely absent. The Broncos, lead by rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater, had pulled off an impressive shutout victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

via cdn.bleacherreport.com

Tom Brandstater is a small town boy at heart. Born and raised in Turlock CA, not far from Modesto, Brandstater has stood out from an early age. He was a high school hero at Turlock High, playing mostly at quarterback but gaining notoriety as a safety due to the school's run-first offense. As would be his trademark, Brnastater never complained. Brandstater was just fine playing wherever he was asked to play. After graduating, he moved on the Fresno State, where he won, lost, and re-won the starting position during his sophomore campaign. He quickly learned what it meant to be in the public eye. He took over the position from Paul Pinegar, who won three Bowl victories for Fresno Statte. From the email, letters and text messages Pinegar got, you would have thought that he tanked on all three games.

"Paul motioned me toward his locker after a loss and on his cell phone were all these nasty messages," Brandstater remembered this week. "He told me, 'This is what you have to look forward to.'"

It didn't end there. "I was walking up the ramp at halftime one game and a young boy said, 'Gimme five!' And when I reached out to slap his hand, he pulled it back and said, 'You suck!'

"His father nearby yelled, 'That's right! You tell him!' " Brandstater said. "I had to laugh. I realized I couldn't please everybody."

Perhaps it was the perfect preparation for being in the public eye in Denver, a sports-crazy town that is currently hotly divided when it comes to the Broncos. But on his way, he managed to accomplish a few things.

Brandstater threw for nearly 7000 yards in college. He had one thing going for him that eventually made a big difference - he was coached in college by Pat Hill, who had previously coached with Bill Belichick. After college, there were mutterings that the Patriots would try to draft Tom, but former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels got there first. But that would come later.

Once he won the job for the last time as a sophomore, returning as a junior was something he did with fire in his eyes. Brandstater came back to his second offensive coordinator in 2 years, but still finished sixth in the WAC as a junior with an average of 213.23 yards per game. He amassed 2,654 yards on 211 of 337 passes (62.6 percent), connecting for 15 touchdowns against only five interceptions. He began to garner national attention when he and his team won the Humanitarian Bowl. Then came his senior year.

The three-time Academic All-WAC choice who had finished his undergrad degree the year before (2007), bettered his junior season's numbers as a senior. He ranked fourth in the league in passing efficiency and total offense, as he hit on 221 of 371 tosses (59.6 percent), generating a career-high 2,664 passing yards to go with 18 touchdowns, as he collected 2,614 yards in total offense. (12 INTs, QB rating 129.4) During his senior year, Brandstater had only one game with a QB rating below 96, only three games below 110 and only five games below 130. He was quickly becoming a force.

As it often goes in the media, the press caught on to the fact that some of his numbers weren't as strong as a senior, particularly his TD/INT ratio. While that fact seemed to dominate his coverage, the media was strangely silent on the fact that he was enduring yet another turnover in offensive coordinator, making it 4 OCs in 4 seasons. He had thrown for 18 TDs with 12 INTs, but finished the year with a QB rating of 129.4. To top it off, Brandstater had finished his masters in sports psychology before he threw the first pass in his last game as a senior. He started that game having already received his teams MVP award.

"To know that came from my teammates, even though I felt I could have played better, says a lot," Brandstater said. "I hope to go out the right way (in his last game) and see the smiles on the guys' faces."

His numbers ranked him 7th in the country and 6th in school history, but he was still viewed with suspicion. Then came the Senior Bowl, with Combine right on it's heels. Despite a torn latissimus muscle that hampered his performance (and dropped him on many draft boards), Brandstater felt good about his Combine experience. This is what he had to say:

"First, I’m gifted that a lot of it comes natural. Some guys just can’t run to save their life and luckily I’ve been blessed to be able to run. And then it comes down to working hard in the weight room and doing different things, different agility drills that allow you to be able to move around. I think that that’s a big part of my game."

Most of questions regarding Tom's mobility came early in his college career, when he was still learning the position. Brandstater is adamant that those days are behind him.

"I’m not a Michael Vick by any means, but I think when things break down I have some ability at least to make the play happen and try to extend the play and at least get the ball out of my hands so I don’t get sacked let one of the playmakers make a play."

Despite the discussion of the Patriots taking him in the draft, Brandstater was pleased to go as the first pick of the 6th round (174 overall) to Denver and QBs guru Josh McDaniels. Brandstater has been the recipient of a great deal of hands-on coaching from McDaniels and he understands the value of the experience.

Brandstater was now the 6th player to come out of Turlock High to the NFL, and the first to make an NFL roster since 1978.

"At the end of the day, it worked out perfectly," Brandstater said.

Brandstater immediately got a taste of the level of coaching that awaited him. During his first few days, the rookie-only days, Tom found himself the object of some intense redirection.

“These last couple of days he’s really applied some of his coaching toward me, and to know I’m getting what I think is the best coaching in the world, I know it’ll help me a lot,” Brandstater said at the time. "I really appreciate getting better through him.”

Slated to be the third string QB, Brandstater didn't get a lot of reps in practice this training camp, but he was in all the meetings and learned constantly. As you'd expect of a man ho finished a Master's degree in 1.5 years, Brandstater has the intellect to absorb the complexities of the Denver playbook, which is about the size of Encyclopedia Britannica. Tom got repeated compliments from Coach McDaniels on his intellect, his work ethic and his progress. Tom is frank about his strengths and weaknesses, and they don't always match his scouting reports. Like many good young players, the things that were once weaknesses have, in many cases, been ironed out.

"I would say that my strengths are my ability to lead a team, arm strength, accuracy, I can make all the throws, pocket awareness, game management and mobility, said Tom. "My weaknesses include making throws without feet set, I need more consistency on long balls, and my ability to put the last play behind me."

Brandstater saw his first action against Seattle and was hounded by their defensive pass run, being sacked repeatedly. He looked completely out of his element, but that's not uncommon with college QBs who move to the NFL in their first outing. The experience included operating behind a makeshift line made up in part of tryout players, some of whom wouldn't make it through the following weeks. Despite the fact that he looked lost at times, Brandstater's teammates were upbeat about his performance.

When Kyle Orton was injured during the Chicago game on August 20, Brandstater got a trial by fire. He quickly found out that the speed of the NFL game was a whole new experience.

"I wasn't quite expecting that," Brandstater said. "It was a fun experience for me obviously to get in there and go with the ones. There are some things I'd like to do differently, but overall I think I played well and gave myself a chance to build on that and try to get better for next week."

He still managed to finish the game with 8-of-12 completions for 110 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Kenny McKinley. After the game, the young signal caller drew praise from his teammates for his efforts.

"Tom's a great young quarterback," said second year receiver Eddie Royal, who pulled in five receptions for 44 yards. "Very smart guy. He's been studying up and it showed. He came in and he was able to move the ball and put some points on the board. Tom's looking good so far."

Since Chris Simms was still recovering from an injury of his own, Brandstater got the nod to start the next preseason game, a home game against Arizona. Before the contest, Brandstater said,

"As a starting quarterback -- I mean, it actually sounds crazy to say starting quarterback now -- but I'm starting on Thursday," Brandstater said. "There's a lot of work that needs to be put in to be the guy."

Josh McDaniels seemed to show no signs of worrying about Brandstater starting the game. He did, however, work extensively with Tom in the few days before the Thursday night game.

"These last couple of days he’s really applied some of his coaching toward me, and to know I’m getting what I think is the best coaching in the world, I know it’ll help me a lot," Brandstater said. "I really appreciate getting better through him."

Then he came out and stunned a Cardinals team that had made it to the Super Bowl earlier in 2009. He threw 16 completions out of 30 passes for 187 yards, and had only a single interception, managing a QB rating of nearly 90. For the two games he played in just 5 days, Tom had 42 passes for 24 receptions, a 57.1% completion rate, a total of 297 yards and 7.1 yards per pass attempted. The difference between the two appearances was like night and day. Brandstater put his Masters degree to work, calming himself, announcing just before he went in that he felt centered and ready and was sure he'd do fine. He drove the team to a field goal on the very first drive and put up 19 points on the scoreboard. The defense would shut the Cardinals out and pull in three interceptions while recovering a fumble. The Broncos showed signs of being an NFL ready team with a solid defense and a talented young man a quarterback. Suddenly, the hearts in Denver were lighter. Predictably, the pundits who had been excoriating the Broncos were nowhere to be found on Friday, the day after the game. Perhaps it was the Labor Day weekend.

What lies ahead? While I'm not much of one on predictions, this one seems more like stating a fact than predicting an unknown. Tom Brandstater is an NFL starting quarterback. While there's no question right now that Kyle Orton will start the Cincinnati game if his finger permits, it also seems clear that McDaniels won't lose much sleep if Tom Brandstater ends up starting against the Bengals or against the Cleveland Browns the following week. Brandstater is that good.

"He has a lot of poise for a rookie," said Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd. "He has a really calm demeanor, and everything about him is positive."

Brandstater will be the quarterback for the Denver Broncos, whether it be this game, this season or down the line. What we saw from that young man seemed to be far more of a statement of intent than a job interview.

"While the other guys are not here," he said. "I'm going to act like I'm the starter. I'm not going to look back until someone tells me I'm not playing anymore."

If he keeps this up, that day might come sooner than any of us imagined.

Kyle Orton, 'The Pass', and what it means in the Preseason

John Bena — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:24:00 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

3 months ago: Denver Broncos' head coach Josh McDaniels talks with Kyle Orton in the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Browse more photos »

Sometimes I need to take some time. Saturday's game, or the period following it, was one of those times. Not necessarily because I was that unhappy with the performance; far from it. No, sometimes I take some time because I like to jerk myself back to reality.

The Preseason, like most everything in the NFL, is beginning to take on a life of its own. The League has done a great job promoting just about everything - from the Combine, to the Draft, to Training Camp and the Preseason. While both are incredibly important at an internal level, the results (read: score) are not. Two teams playing a game in which both sides are trying to accomplish two different objectives makes it hard to celebrate, or criticize, the result.

Take the final stats from the game in Seattle -

Final

Category	Broncos	Seahawks
Score	13	27
Rushing Yards	81	72
Passing Yards	201	176
Total Yards	282	248
T.O.P	35:07	24:53
3rd Down	6/16(37.5%)	6/17(35.3%)
Turnovers	3	0

Forget the score for one second and look at the numbers - the important numbers. The Broncos won all the statistical battles - Time of Possession, 3rd-Down Conversions, Rushing, Passing, Total Yards. For much of the first half the team dominated play on both sides of the ball. For a team learning a new system on both sides of the ball there was progress from Week 1 of the preseason to Week 2. That is what I was looking for.

On the negative side, the Broncos have to stop giving the ball away. Forget 'The Pass' for one second - I'll be talking about that a bit later - Scheffler's fumble at the beginning of the 2nd half was way too much like 2008 for me. It doesn't matter who the coach is, who the quarterback is; if the Broncos turn the ball over deep in their territory like they did then, and when Kenny McKinley fumbled a punt return, the losses will pile up. That has to get cleaned up.

Another downer? Clock management. Whether it was a communication breakdown from the coach to the quarterback or Kyle Orton not getting out of the huddle fast enough; the Broncos were close on several occasions - the TD included - to delay-of-game penalties and were forced to use all their first-half timeouts by early in the 2nd quarter. Right now I'll chalk it up to a new coach, new quarterback and a new system.

Now, The Pass. This has been talked about in the comments and Fan Posts, but the haters will still point to it. Kyle Orton's left-handed INT late in the first half was ugly to be sure. It will be talked about all week to the point of nausea. Please be more educated. Why?

The play-calling. This goes back to what I was talking about earlier when it comes to the Preseason. It is the only time, in a competitive environment, to practice situational football against other teams. After LaMont Jordan ran the ball to the 2-yard line on 1st and Goal, the Broncos threw the ball three straight times. Could this happen? Sure. At times. But I find it hard to believe, with the running back stable the Broncos have, that the offense wouldn't try to punch it in. Even if they did try to pass twice, there is little doubt that during the regular season the right play is to kick the field goal. Winning, on the road, is too valuable a commodity not to extend that lead any chance you get.
The Drop. On 2nd and Goal the Broncos had the perfect play called. A play-action fake drew both linebackers to the line of scrimmage. Jabar Gaffney snuck to the back of the end zone, where Kyle Orton saw him and fired a laser that hit Gaffney right in the hands. Was it a bit high? Yes, but Orton still had to throw the ball over the linemen and linebackers to get it there. Plain and simple, it is a catch Gaffney has to make.
The Situation. The Broncos' decision to go for it on 4th and Goal from the 2 was more about practicing a situation than not kicking the field goal. You never know, in a real game, when you might need to score a TD on 4th and Goal from the 2. If you never practice it how will you be ready for it? That said, what was Orton supposed to do? Take the sack and people are clamoring that he doesn't know the situation. He could have gotten the ball out quicker, perhaps, but the Seahawks did a good job of flushing Orton to his left. Again, it was ugly, but given the situation there really wasn't anything Orton could do.

To make something clear, I'm not saying to ignore all the negative during the preseason. Not at all. What I am saying is, good or bad, nothing that happens during August will directly translate into September and October, especially when it comes to play-calling and strategy. Josh McDaniels is trying to throw as many situations at his team as he can and will use the preseason to do that - he's right.

Denver Broncos Training Camp 2009 - A Progress Report

John Bena — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:30:13 -0000

Training Camp in the National Football League may seem like a long time, but in reality it lasts 21 days - 3 weeks. 27 total workouts are scheduled. When this morning's practice concludes, the Broncos will be 1/3 of the way done with this year's training camp (Workout #9). It's a good time to take a look at some things, as well as dispel any misconceptions, at least in my view.

THE GOOD

Peyton Hillis - While many in the MSM thought Hillis could be in trouble when the Broncos signed all the RB free agents, then drafted Knowshon Moreno, those of us here at MHR knew better. We knew that Hillis was way too versatile for the Broncos just to dump off the roster. If anything, the Patriots have always been about versatility, and Hillis might be the most versatile player on the roster. Hillis had to prove he was healthy, however, to really grab hold of a roster spot. Hillis has done that and MUCH more. Hillis has shown the best hands of anyone at camp, he has played a physical style of football that Josh McDaniels wants from his football team, and most importantly, he can play multiple positions effectively. As Camp has gone on, Hillis has gotten more and more time in single-back sets. Josh McDaniels is going to find a way to get the ball to #22.

Kenny McKinley - Not much attention was paid to McKinley when he was drafted in the 5th round of the 2009 Draft, but people weren't very fond of the Eddie Royal selection in the 2nd round in 2008 (well, some at MHR liked it). I bring up Royal because McKinley might just be 2009's version of Royal. So far this camp McKinley has been a solid route runner and shown great hands. He can also return punts and kicks, or play as a gunner on punt coverage. In other words, McKinley has shown the versatility that is going to become a staple of the Broncos roster. With Marshall, Royal, Stokley, Gaffney, et al, the Broncos are putting together a deep receiving corps.

Jack Williams - When the Broncos traded up to draft Alphonso Smith in the 2nd round, everyone assumed Smith would take hold of the nickel-corner position. Someone forgot to tell Jack Williams, a 4th-rounder out of Kent State in 2008. Williams is a lot like Smith, and so far has held Smith to special teams duty. Williams is still rough around the edges but he is aggressive and has a knack for getting to the football.

As the pre-season rolls along, especially the games, I'll add a "Not-so-Good" section. Right now, however, it is pointless to do because we don't know the focus of the drills and just what the coaching staff is expecting the players to do. I do have a couple random thoughts -

Don't put much weight into news you hear about a player throwing interceptions, or a player picking off a pass. Many of these situational drills are played in a vacuum. For instance, you heard a lot about Jack Williams taking a pass 99-yards for a TD. It happened during a 2-minute drill in which no runs were allowed. We also have no idea if Kyle Orton was told to only look at his #1 receiver, or if Orton was not permitted to check down. Those things happen all the time.

An interception, or great play by the offense or defense really says little at this time of year. These guys are learning a new offense, and just like hitters being ahead of pitchers early in a baseball season, the defenses are usually ahead of the offenses during Training Camp. In other words, it is nice to know but doesn't concern or excite me either way.

You'll hear a lot that the Broncos did nothing to address their Front-7. Something to keep in mind: while there weren't any big name free agents or high draft picks added to the group, Josh McDaniels has quietly added something pretty important to his defense - size.

In 2008, with the Broncos in a 4-3 defense, the starters (Ekuban, Robertson, Thomas, Dumervil) averaged 287 pounds along the line, 236 pounds at linebacker (Bailey, Williams, Webster). They were predicated on speed, but ultimately, because of the lack of size and power up front, the unit was pushed around, especially in the run game.

Heading into 2009, the Broncos added bulk to both units. Along the D-line, the starting unit averages 302 pounds (+15 with McBean, Thomas, Peterson), while the linebackers average 256 pounds (+20 with Dumervil, Davis, Williams, Ayers). Sure, they have given up some speed with the likes of Andra Davis, but the extra size should help, especially in the running game.

2009 Denver Broncos - Breaking Down the Roster - The Receivers

Steve Nichols — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:30:09 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 months ago: Denver Broncos wide receivers Jabar Gaffney, left, and Chad Jackson confer during drills at football camp at the Broncos' headquarters in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo., on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

What happens to Denver's passing game relies heavily upon what happens with the Brandon Marshall holdout. The team wouldn't gain or lose much in terms of Marshall's presence or absence respectively, but the receiving corps would be structured very differently.

Denver has a playmaker in Eddie Royal, who has played at the #1 spot before (during a Marshall suspension). Denver also has an excellent slot receiver in veteran Brandon Stokley. Denver brought in Jabar Gaffney this offseason, a vet of the NE system. Denver also has 2009 5th-round draft pick Kenny McKinley to train up. More important than having a star on your receiving corps, it is crucial to have multiple targets who all have a good level of talent. So if Marshall stays, Denver has multiple talents. If he goes, Denver has multiple talents. The only question is how the players line up on the depth chart.

The key is that "good" in depth beats "excellence" at the top at the receiver positions. We'll explore this further while sorting out the receivers Denver has going into camp...

photo courtesy of the NFL

Brandon Marshall - WR #15

Age - 25

Style - Possession; excellent run blocker

Contract highlights - (hat tip to Rotoworld) 2009: $2.198 million, 2010: Free Agent

MHR-U code name - "BM" (The jury is out on if this means "Batman" or "Bowel Movement")

Brandon Marshall is at once both a great and terrible player.

On the plus side:

Can out-muscle any defensive back in the NFL. This means he can run over a DB for yards after a catch, and also that he is an excellent run-blocker.
Is not afraid of physical contact. Will fight for the ball.
Has excellent moves in tight quarters.
While not a speedster, he still has more "football" speed than many possession receivers.
An arm injury may have caused several drops in '08, but he continues to heal.

The negatives are equally impressive:

Legal troubles off the field are always a problem with the potential to face suspensions.
Shows flashes of stupidity (to name one: a TD celebration that was political in nature and was narrowly averted by wiser teammates).
Attitude - "holdout"
Recent hip surgery.

If Marshall is with the team in '09 he can play at the #1 spot and be very productive. But even so, questions would remain. Is he a long-term answer for a team that isn't going to tolerate "me first" attitudes and off-field issues? Between hurting his arm in an embarrassing off-field incident last year, or having hip surgery this year, Marshall may be an injury risk as much as a behavioral issue.

For these reasons, Marshall is hard to gauge. He is capable of playing at #1, but he might really be falling to the #2 spot behind Royal. Such a move by the coaches would be understandable, and yet the demotion of a player to a lesser-depth spot would only reignite existing problems. I seriously question Marshall's long-term potential to play for Denver, and yet his trade value is going to be much lower than his playing potential.

For now, let's place Marshall at #1 if he stays with the team. Given his run-blocking skills and his ability to create yards after receptions, he would be a terrific short- and mid-range target for a QB adapting to the Denver pass system.

Analysis - Marshall would easily make the cut, and would likely make the top WR spot on the team. However, his future with Denver beyond this year is in serious jeopardy. At the time of this writing, I would place Marshall's chances of playing for Denver this year at about 70/30.

photo courtesy of the NFL

Eddie Royal - WR #19

Age - 23

Style - Speed; superhuman agility

Contract highlights - (hat tip to Rotoworld) 7/24/2008: Signed a four-year, $3.955 million contract. The deal contains $2.4 million guaranteed, including a $1.55 million signing bonus. 2009: $385,000, 2010: $470,000, 2011: $555,000, 2012: Free Agent

MHR-U codename: "Royal with Cheese" (With affection, from the movie "Pulp Fiction")

Royal has it all. High talent, great attitude, good character, team focused. I pick him to be the future of the Broncos.

Positives:

Can turn on a dime. Few CBs in the league can stick with him on a route when he changes direction. (May have destroyed CB DeAngelo Hall's career in the first Denver/Oakland matchup in 2008 by making Hall look less-than-average in Royal's rookie debut).
Quickness, speed, and the ability to create distance after making a change of direction.
Reliable hands.
Exhibits great character on and off the field. Plays where he helps the team (dropped from #1 to #2 to make way for Marshall after the latter's suspension).

Negatives:

Royal was considered a prototypical slot receiver coming out of college. When he hit the pros, he may have been labeled a #2 receiver because he played behind Marshall. Fortunately, this stereotyping won't affect professional coaches, who may very well play Royal at #1 down the road.

Royal is rapidly passing Marshall as the fan favorite WR for Denver. While most fans admire Marshall's abilities, his off-field distractions have created a rift amongst fans that preceded even the McDaniels/Cutler debacle. But Royal has played like a Pro Bowler, and done so without drawing attention to himself. Fans appreciate his amazing talent and his quiet professionalism. It would be nice if Marshall stays and allows Royal to chew up opposing #2 CBs, but Royal is already a top-notch talent that can be a dangerous threat at #1.

Royal can give Denver's new QB a deep threat when the defense needs to be stretched vertically. Underneath, Royal can keeps defenses honest by forcing them to divide the assignments of safeties between both sides of the field. Most teams won't have a #2 CB that can consistently cover Royal. Those few teams that either have a strong #2 CB or that play a lot of zones will fare only slighter better.

As Royal gains experience, his route running will improve. Combined with his his agility, it is reasonable to assume that CBs won't be able to cover him effectively as he ages.

Analysis - If Marshall returns, Royal will make the team. He would likely play at the #2 spot. If Marshall does not, Royal again easily makes the team, but starts at #1. In either event, unless Marshall undergoes an epiphany in '09, there is a good chance that Royal will someday become the Rod Smith of Denver's future by playing at #1 full time.

photo courtesy of the NFL

Brandon Stokley - Slot Receiver #14

Age - 33

Style - Possession; tough

Contract highlights - (hat tip to Rotoworld) 12/7/2007: Signed a three-year, $10.1 million contract extension through 2010. The deal included a $5 million signing bonus. 2009: $900,000 (+ $560,000 "signing bonus"), 2010: $1.4 million, 2011: Free Agent

MHR code name - "The Slot Machine"

A veteran that may well be the best slot receiver in football today.

Advantages:

Solid hands.
Is not afraid to take a hit when going for passes over the middle.
Can muscle his way through traffic to fight for the ball.
Runs routes better than most slot receivers.
A veteran who has played the position for years, he knows all of the tactics involved when reading the coverage arrayed against him.

Negatives:

Is a concussion risk.
A threat for other injuries (history - Achilles)
It is unknown when Stokley will start to decline due to age.

Some would call him the top slot receiver in the NFL. He earned his reputation playing alongside Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in Peyton Manning's amazing Colts passing game. He catches what comes his way, and relies on his strength and power when facing safeties and LBs in the middle of the field. Sacrifices himself (perhaps too much) to make any catch. As a sly veteran, he can fool most nickelbacks (many of whom are younger players trying to work their way up depth charts).

Fans were amazed when a string of injuries forced Stokley to step up to the #1 spot briefly and held his own very well in 2007. The only real knocks on Stokley are his age and injury history. He's stayed healthy for the most part with Denver, but he takes some scary shots to move the ball forward for the team.

Analysis - If Marshall returns, Stokley may have a challenge for the slot with Jabar Gaffney. Without Marshall, Stokley should be a lock for slot.

photo courtesy of NFL.com

Jabar Gaffney - WR #10

Age - 28

Style - Possession; effective run blocker

Contract highlights - (hat tip to Rotoworld) 2/27/2009: Signed a four-year, $10 million contract. The deal includes $3 million guaranteed. 2009-2012: Under Contract, 2013: Free Agent

MHR-U Code name - "Gom Jabbar"

Jabar has been practicing at the #2 WR position opposite Eddie Royal (in Marshall's absence). If Marshall returns, Jabar could play at slot or #4! Where Jabar ends up may be one of the most under-analyzed controversies going into camp.

Advantages:

Good hands
Good run blocker
Can use an initial burst of speed to gain separation on short routes
Has played in the NE system

Negatives:

Denver is his fourth team since 2002
Doesn't sustain speed after his initial burst

Jabar will make the team, so that's out of the way. The fascination with Jabar's situation should be that he may end up as high as #2 or as low as #4 on the depth chart. He's been practicing at #2 in camp, but if Marshall returns he may compete with Stokley for the slot position. In my opinion, Stokley is such a role player at slot that he just shouldn't be moved to #4. On the other hand, Gaffney doesn't have the speed to play at #4 (a spot where sure hands often take a back seat to stretching the field for "better" receivers). Neither Stokley nor Gaffney should be playing #4. Perhaps both players will play at slot, regardless of whom gets the coveted slot position on the official chart.

If Gaffney plays at #2, he'll be the short-to-medium range option while Royal stretches the field north/south. With safeties pulled long strong side and short weak side, TEs and slots would benefit from any holes created short on the strong side (particularly routes that would carry them past a free safety playing too close on Gaffney).

Got that? We might have to throw it all out. Fifth-round pick Kenny McKinley doesn't expect to start at #5 on the depth chart, and neither does Chad Jackson.

Analysis - Gaffney will make the team. The big question is how high or low he ends up being on the depth chart.

photo courtesy of the NFL

Kenny McKinley - WR #11

Age - 22 (ROOKIE)

Style - Well-rounded

Contract highlights - Not yet signed at the time if this writing.

MHR-U Code name - If he works out, perhaps "McDaddy" (as in Mac Daddy). If he bombs, perhaps "They killed Kenny!" (as in South Park).

A few tidbits (gleaned from BroncoBear's definitive work on our receivers): Steve Spurrier calls him the best WR he ever coached. Kenny broke Sterling Sharpe's college records for yards gained and receptions. His number is one of only five retired by USC (South Carolina), and he's caught a pass in each of his last 43 games.

Advantages:

Speed
Route running
Hands
Agility and leaping ability
Elusiveness

Disadvantages:

His frame may dictate that he could be an injury risk at the pro level
Will have a hard time against press coverage
Can be out-muscled fighting in heavy traffic

This kid may be a shock to the NFL. Remember that the so-called "experts" (including me), thought Royal would be relegated to the slot position. Well, Kenny is a prototype slot receiver too, but his abilities are immense. The competition for slot is intense (see Stokley and Gaffney), so once again the presence or absence of Marshall is key.

Kenny is well rounded. Blessed with good hands, speed, agility, and character, he can "do it all". His major drawback is his light frame, which limits his "physicality" in traffic and might make him an injury threat. Trainers will do what they can to put together a routine for him to become limber while building up protective muscle. As with other slight players, Kenny may prove the experts wrong. (USC's opponents are still smarting).

Analysis - How does this kid not make the cut? The only problem may be whether or not he starts. His future looks bright.

photo courtesy of the NFL

Chad Jackson - WR #16

Age - 24

Style - Speedy, but tough.

Contract highlights - 2009: $535,000, 2010: Free Agent

MHR-U code name - If he doesn't make the cut, "Hanging Chad". If he plays well, "Action Jackson"

The first thing that comes to mind is that Jackson just doesn't break the starting roster for teams he tries to play for. And yet, coaches see something in him that makes them keep bringing him back.

Advantages -

Can accelerate past most CBs and stay in high gear.
Catches passes without breaking stride.
Excellent agility, and elusive.
Not afraid to catch in heavy traffic. Will fight for the ball.
Another player with a NE history.

Disadvantages -

Significant injury history
Does not run crisp routes
While he jumps and extends well for balls, he uses poor mechanics to catch balls "on the numbers"
Hasn't played up to his potential yet, and could be a prospect with a limited window to achieve.

Perhaps with good coaching, this kid can break through whatever is holding him back. He has potential to be a scary, deep-field threat. But the prime focus of any WR is to stay on the field and catch balls. Jackson has problems in both areas.

Despite his speed and deep-threat prowess, he plays very well in short ranges (ala NE). While he is agile going for the ball and eluding tacklers, he isn't disciplined on his routes. His toughness is solid, as he fights for the ball by jumping or diving, and will catch a ball that requires some acrobatics. He is agile enough to evade tacklers one-on-one, and tough enough to plow through some tackles in other instances.

Oddly, while his athleticism allows him stretch for catches (vertical and horizontal), he has a tough time catching the passes that most players love; "on the numbers". If he can stay injury free, and work on inside catches, he may have a turnaround in the future. At the rate he's going, he's on the bubble.

Analysis - The first five players on the list will make the roster. Jackson has a good shot, but is not home free. He's in the mix, and will have to bring his best game to make the roster.

The Rest

photo courtesy of the NFL

Brandon Lloyd is a 27-year-old receiver. His agility allows him to out-jump anybody (a great sideline trait), and he has a reputation for sacrificing his body to make great catches in midair. Unfortunately, he isn't fearless in traffic and avoids hits, and gets injured here and there. He has shown some flashes of potential in the past (good years in '04 and '05, as well as a deeper maturity in '06 and '07). He will be in the mix with Jackson and others for the last few spots.

Beyond Lloyd, the names get a little fuzzier.

photo courtesy of the NFL

There's Matt Willis, a 25-year-old signed from and to the Raven's practice squad several times dating back to May 4th of '07 (until Denver picked him up in December).

photo courtesy of Wikimedia

There's also 28-year-old C.J. Jones. Our own Guru has the most current information on Jones here.

Overall Analysis

Let's say Marshall stays. My guess is the following chart:

Marshall (a demotion rocks the boat more than needed)
Royal
Stokley
Gaffney
McKinley
Jackson
Lloyd
Willis
Jones

Take your pick on how many receivers we take. The range is probably a bare minimum of six.

Without Marshall, I would move Gaffney up 2 spots (!):

Royal
Gaffney
Stokley
McKinley
Jackson
Lloyd
Willis
Jones

Without Marshall, Gaffney has been practicing at the #2 position. With Marshall on board, I don't think Gaffney should bump Stokley.

In both charts, McKinley is the lowest player I would call a lock to make the cut. Marshall's presence allows McKinley more time to grow in the system, but Marshall's absence would allow McKinley to get started right away in 4-receiver sets.

In both charts, we have players at the #4 position that are good matchups against #4 CBs, and a great slot. I think Gaffney holds his own at #2, while Royal excels at #2. At #1, Marshall would be solid, while Royal would be just as good. In other words, the presence or absence of Marshall is nothing to fret about.

If Marshall stands with us, things are great at WR. If he isn't with us, we have the depth to absorb the loss; we would remain a solid team at WR. I imagine that our OL will protect our new QB, and I think our running game will be exciting.

Orton will have everything he needs to do well, and his more conservative approach (read "accuracy instead of forcing") should serve him well.

I'll take depth and good players over excellence at one or two spots any day. It works for Brady, it worked for Cassel, and it should work for us.

All the best,

Poll

Does Marshall play for Denver in 2009?

Yes, and ONLY 2009

375 votes

Yes, and beyond 2009

492 votes

No; he's outta here

62 votes

How would I know?

98 votes

1027 votes | Poll has closed

Beyond Brandon Marshall

Emmett Smith — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:45:51 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 months ago: Denver Broncos tight end Tony Scheffler takes part in drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

The Denver Broncos Receiving Options

With the onset of yet another strange distraction this offseason, as Brandon Marshall ignores the effects of his injury and additional problems this offseason with his personal life (neither of which kept him from demanding a trade), there is a lot of talk about the Broncos and the potential receivers who are out there and might be part of a trade for Marshall. While I wouldn't rule those out, from one perspective it's difficult to imagine how an injured problem-child with more offseason issues on his radar (he's already been suspended once and has more court hearings upcoming) will bring a king's ransom in a trade. It's entirely possible that Marshall will be spending 2009 with the Broncos. Whether or not he is, however, I thought it worthwhile to do a quick rundown of who Denver already has as receiving options. For purposes of organization, I broke them down into wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. How they are used may not be the same as how they are listed, but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.

Wide Receivers

1. Eddie Royal
Dust off the superlatives and break out the thesaurus - Eddie Royal may be vested with the nickname 'Cheese' but his real name in 2008 turned out to be 'Money'. At 5'10", 182 lbs, this is a young man who shattered the axioms about not counting on wide receivers in their first year. He showed the world that he was the top receiving rookie in the NFL in just his first game, blasting DeAngelo Hall and the rest of the Oakland Raiders backfield for 9 receptions, 146 yards and a TD en route to a Denver destruction of their division rival. He would finish the season with 91 receptions and 980 yards, with 5 TDs and only three drops despite some hand problems caused by Jay Cutler's hard throwing style. Royal showed that he can run tight routes, gain separation, get yards after the catch, adjust to the ball in the air and, oh, yes - be a constant threat as a return guy. In addition to destroying the theory about the struggles of 1st year receivers he also blew up the one about return guys not making the transition to receiver effectively.

With solid character, ceaseless effort and tremendous skill, Royal is one of the many young bright spots for a Denver squad going through major changes. Could he step in as a #1 receiver? Ask Steve Smith. In fact, think of Smith without the 'thuggery' tag that he has allowed to develop around him. Royal is the kind of player that every team dreams of having. It's interesting to reflect on the fact that most of the Broncos faithful blew their collective gasket when we drafted him last year, with many demanding to know why we didn't go with DeSean Jackson, now of the Philadelphia Eagles. Now we know...

2. Brandon Stokley
Last year, the 5'11" 192 lb. Stokley shook off the effects of a concussion that plagued him previously and showed that he is still one of the penultimate 3rd-down slot receivers in the league. He produce 49 receptions, 528 yards and 3 TDs for the Broncos. He's likely to spend this year teaching Kenny McKinley how to play the slot like an All-Pro, and if he can get across just some of the tricks of the trade that he's developed during his 10-year career, McKinley will be much the better for it. Talking about money - over those 10 years he has fumbled just 3 times and only 1 of them came with his previous employer, Indianapolis. None in his two years in Denver and none of them in the last four years shows us that he's still one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.

3. Jabar Gaffney
Coming over from the New England Patriots during this offseason, the 6'1" 200 lb Gaffney has a lot to offer the Broncos. He's familiar with the new system's terminology, used to Head Coach Josh McDaniels and a big supporter of his and has a lot of skill. Over the span of his 7-year career (the past three with New England and Houston before that) he's played in 107 games and caught 256 balls for over 3,000 yards. Gaffney put up 169 first-down receptions and 15 TDs over that stretch of time. Look for him and new quarterback Kyle Orton to spend a lot of time hooking up together.

4. Kenny McKinley
This 5th-round choice for the Broncos was the key to the South Carolina Gamecocks offense for the past three years. Unintimidated by pressure situations, the incredibly productive McKinley was described by Head Coach Steve Spurrier as the "best wide receiver (he's) ever coached". His jersey was retired when he left school, one of only 5 players from USC to ever have been honored that way; he may yet bring a Brandon Stokley-like presence to the slot. His slight frame (5'10", 192 lb.) is perhaps his biggest concern, but there's simply no denying his level of skill. Some receivers are just a lot harder to cover than others. McKinley is like that. He runs good routes, has incredible hands and broke Sterling Sharpe's collegiate school records for receptions and receiving yards as well as catching a pass in each of his last 43 games. He did well in the Combine with a 4.44 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical leap, a broad jump of 113 inches and a 20-yard shuttle of 4.1 seconds, but his on-field production was the key to drafting him. He was ranked anywhere from the 2nd round to the middle-5th, so getting him in the 5th round was a good acquisition. He has great vision, solid instincts and is extremely elusive as a receiver. If he can stay healthy he'll fill in for Stokley whenever Brandon eventually falters. I hope that it's a long time. Look for him to struggle at first against press coverage

5. Chad Jackson
Chad Jackson is being gifted with the best opportunity of his short career. A 6'1" 215 lb receiver out of Florida, Jackson was picked by the Patriots with the 4th pick of the 2nd round but hasn't been about to break into the rotation with either New England or Denver. Over the past three years Jackson has only played in 18 games (12 of them in his first season), but he has had an elusive potential that has kept coaches willing to find ways to keep him on the roster. He has a history of kickoff returning that has also played in his favor. Shifty and quick with good acceleration, he often tends to round off his routes and must improve there. He came out of college a year early and that may have also worked against him as the problems with his game have been ones of an immature (professionally) player.

Yahoo's draft profile on him said in part, "He is best when running short area routes, where he shows better crispness in his breaks. He has the size to compete for the ball in traffic and make body adjustments, but does like to jump and body catch a bit. Jackson excels at catching in a crowd and has the courage to combat for the jump balls. He will extend and pluck the ball, but did struggle with his consistency in the past (lacks softness and will juggle the ball). When he catches with his body, he will bobble the ball, but when he extends, he can catch and run without having to gear down." The short routes that Orton is best at and which have predominated in New England over the past 4 years should play to his advantage. This is his best, and perhaps his last chance to show a team that he can be an NFL wide receiver. Elusive with good strength and the leg drive to get the yards after the catch, Jackson could be a fine addition to this year's team if he simply matures as a player.

6. Brandon Lloyd

Recently of the Chicago Bears, Lloyd hasn't found his niche in the 7 years that he's played for San Francisco, Washington and Chicago. Despite a talent for circus catches and athletic contributions, Lloyd has developed a reputation for not enjoying hard contact and having troubles maintaining his focus. It will be interesting to see how he handles the "no-excuses" atmosphere of Josh McDaniels' team. When he's on track with a team he can provide 45 catches a year and 600 yards a season as he did in San Francisco in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, the Broncos have Matt Willis, a 6'0" 200 lb. 4th-year player out of UCLA who is trying to catch on as well as Lucas Taylor (6'1" 195) and Nate Swift (6'0" 185), two CFAs trying to earn a place on the practice squad.

Tight Ends

1. Daniel Graham

You have to love the Broncos' options at tight end. Daniel Graham, a 6'3", 257 lb. tight end, a former Patriot himself, is equally talented at blocking and receiving and who leads this group. Graham has always wanted to be more of a receiving tight end but his skills at blocking have made that untenable. He's exactly what most teams would like at the position - durable, reliable and effective. He runs good routes and is an equally safe bet on third down or in the red zone and can be counted on for 2-3 receptions per game as well as that many or more key blocks. He is familiar with the Patriots-based terminology which also gives the Broncos an edge going into the new season.

2. Tony Scheffler

At 6'5" and 250 lbs, Tony Scheffler is a wide receiver in a tight end's body. Although his blocking is currently underrated (it improved visibly over the course of 2008), Tony is a receiving tight end, first and foremost. Scheffler redshirted his freshman year at Western Michigan and played slot receiver the following year. Scheffler switched over to tight end in 2004 which explains his less-than-stellar blocking skills in the past. Learning quickly, he achieved All-American status in 2005. He set a school season record for tight ends with 57 receptions for 670 yards (11.8 avg) and nine touchdowns that year. He also garnered Academic All-MAC honors for the third straight year (finishing school with a 3.63 GPA), a fact that lends credence to the belief that he will flourish in Head Coach McDaniels' cerebral approach to football. Drafted with the 29th pick of the 2nd round by the Broncos, Scheffler suffered a foot injury that impeded his progress during his first two season with the Broncos, but was undeterred by it during 2008 when he put up 40 receptions for 645 yards, providing 49 yards per game and a rousing 16.1 average with 28 first downs and 3 TD. If by any chance Brandon Marshall doesn't play for Denver during the 2009 season, some of the catches may well go to this big target with good hands. He's averaging 597 yards per season over the past two years.

Scheffler doesn't have great top-end speed but he's extremely explosive off the line, often catching opposing linebackers, safeties and even cornerbacks unaware. Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, Coach McDaniels shows no interest at all in parting company with this talented receiver who is still mastering the tight end position. He wasn't required to spend much time in the weight room in college, but still managed 32 repetitions on the bench press during a post-Combine public workout and is working diligently to get even stronger now that he's in pro football. His combination of size, quickness, explosion and soft (9.25 inch) hands are rare in a man of his size. Scheffler is still putting on muscle, despite a frame that is both big and ripped. Look for him to enjoy his role in Coach McDaniels' scheme.

3. Richard Quinn

The newcomer to the group, Quinn came by way of the Broncos third pick in the 2nd round (pick #64), creating a small stir among the faithful. His days at the University of North Carolina required him to stay in to block for two reasons - UNC had several NFL-ready players who could play receiver and their offensive line was porous at best. Coach Butch Davis has readily admitted that he under-utilized Quinn's receiving abilities. During the last minicamp, he made a diving catch near the end zone that eliminated for the onlooker's minds any concerns with his receiving talent. He also caught well and ran good routes at his Combine and Pro Day workouts as well as the 12 private workouts that various NFL teams put him through. That total should give you an idea of how much interest there was in Quinn, who used to pretend to be Jerry Rice when he was a kid.

But it's certainly his blocking that got most people's attention. Draft Ace put it this way: "Impressive size and strength. A truly dominant blocker. Acts like a 6th offensive lineman in North Carolina's offense." cfnscout.com said this, "One of the biggest question marks in the draft, he’s big, very strong, and a good blocker with refined technique; he could be thrown on a team right away and produce for a running game. Can he catch? cdsdraft.com just said, "Bigger and stronger than most TEs available this year. A true in-line blocker with better hands than you would think. Was not used that much in the passing game, and thus did not get a chance to really show what he can do in that area. Solid worker. No real downside." That summed it up pretty well.

By the way, Texas was looking to take Quinn in the third round if the Broncos hadn't gotten him with that pick. Comments regarding where he 'should' have gone are kind of like those on the value of a house. A house is worth what folks will pay for it. So is a draft pick - if another team is going to take him before you pick next and you want him, you have to make the move. A few teams had called Quinn's agent Peter Schaffer and told him that they were taking Quinn in the 2nd round, but for various reasons those picks fell through. The Broncos did take him, giving them two excellent blocking tight ends; both of whom can also catch well and a huge pass-catching specialist who can also line up at WR in some packages. Not a bad setup. For those who are interested, there was a good comment that gave some things to think about regarding Quinn.

Running Backs

Coach McDaniels has made it clear to all that running backs in his system (whatever that system may be) are going to do three things well - block, run and catch. He has a fine spread of backs from rookies to veterans and all of them are multi-talented.

1. Peyton Hillis

One of the most versatile players on the Broncos this year, Hillis is currently lining up at RB, FB, WR and TE and it's only June. Add to that his special teams work and you wonder if they won't trot him out on defense in some package just to see what would happen. Hillis has long been known for his soft hands and solid yards after catch numbers: He did it in college and over his rookie season and this year won't be different.

2. Correll Buckhalter

Buckhalter is usually running with the 1st team in OTAs, but he'll have to win out over Hillis and Knowshon Moreno to keep that slot. Given the realities of an NFL season, look for him to have a secure job with the Broncos and to either start or get regular snaps. He's got very good hands and should fit in well with general approach of McDaniels' receiving running backs; although he only started six games last year he had 13 receptions in that time. Buckhalter is interesting because as the game goes on, he gains strength - he averages 6.0 ypc for attempts 11-20, while gaining 4.9 on attempts 1-10.

3. Ryan Torain

Torain is a great unknown, starting with whether he can stay healthy for more than a few plays. If he can, he's said to have big-play talent and good hands as a receiver. He might add yet another dimension to an offense that appears to have all the tools.

4. LaMont Jordan

Jordan has a lot of things going for him. He's familiar with the New England terminology and playbook, he's big and strong, and no one minds knowing that you can go to Jordan in a pinch. The issue might be how to find a slot for him, and the option of going to IR with Torain may occur to some folks. Jordan's biggest downfall might be that he didn't catch a pass at all last year but he does have over 1,300 yards receiving in his career.

5. Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon has great balance, vision and skill, which happily includes the ability to make the catch and make the yards after the catch. He's going to need to in this offense, which should depend on short passes and screens to the running backs. That's right up Moreno's alley. Moreno is also a great unknown; is Josh McDaniels going to use a constant rotation of his backs or use Moreno, as some have suggested, as an every-down primary back? We'll know soon.

Conclusions

All in all, it's hard to argue that the Broncos have a sizable stable of talented and effective receivers, regardless of what position they supposedly play. To conclude, I'll leave you with a quote from Phil Simms' Sunday Morning Quarterback. He was fielding a question regarding the tight ends including Mark Bavaro leading the New York Giants in receiving one year.

"...and because they were our best receivers (Note: the tight ends) we designed plays for them. We moved them. We split them out. We put them at tight end. We ran them down the field. We ran them short. We did just about everything we could do with them in the passing game.

"If the tight end is not of that caliber, then you change formation, you move players around and you get a wide receiver in the tight end position and he runs the tight end routes. That's what all teams do. the plays they run are exactly the same, regardless of who they have running the pass routes. Instead of the fullback running into the flat they send the tight end into the flat. If they put a wide receiver where the tight end would usually go, that's because the wide receiver is better than the tight end."

Innovation is the only constant; change, the only thing that doesn't vary. If one player goes down, another must step up. In the case of the Broncos, you have a team with a young Head Coach who has been a tremendous teacher and innovator at the coordinator level. Now he will have to step up and perform as well as a head coach. As for the players - this short piece should show clearly that the Broncos have no shortage of options at receiver. We have big receivers like Scheffler and Quinn, fast receivers like McKinley, short, quick receivers like Royal. We have a group of running backs who have multiple skills; Jordan and Hillis can work the short-yardage game, Moreno can work the flat, Buckhalter can fill in wherever he is needed. Graham and Quinn can clear the way for other players, but each can also chip and go. The permutations are endless; the possibilities limited only by ingenuity and skill.

Marshall may stay or he may go. In either case, don't look for the Broncos to look back.

Educated Guess - 2009 Depth Chart Thoughts

Steve Nichols — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:30:09 -0000

It is still too early to have a good idea of what depth chart Denver will be using. But members of the media and fans at Milehighreport.com will put up depth charts anyway because it is fun to speculate on who will play at what positions. I love depth chart projections because the conversation that ensues serves to educate. Some folks will share information about a player trait that others weren't aware of, and discussions of schemes ensue.

Most longtime members of MHR love the annual depth-chart breakdown that Guru does. It was my favorite feature of MHR before I joined the site a few years ago. If you want accurate predictions, that's your story. If you want some educated guesses and a good discussion, I hope you'll enjoy the following....

As I've written consistently, this is a tough year to guess on our final roster and dept chart. New coaches, new system, a radical change in player-use philosophy, and a major turnover in players makes this year tricky, but very intriguing. We'll know much more when camp is fully underway, but here are some of my thoughts thus far.

DEFENSE

SAFETY

One of my most difficult tasks is to guess whether or not Brian Dawkins plays at his historical free-safety position or moves to strong safety. There are strong arguments both ways. Even at his age, Dawkins had a terrific season again last year. He still has speed and range, and can sack quarterbacks from the deep safety position. He still has the hands to intercept. And when he hits a ball carrier, the stadium hears it. Brian Dawkins remains a terrifying force on the field. I would like to see him stay at FS, but I'm starting to lean towards a move to SS. I have a few reasons for this, but I'm not 100% comfortable with making a firm projection.

First, Dawkins will be getting older, and the eventual slowing will make him a better fit at SS. Second, I'll take Dawkins covering a TE over some of the prospects at LOLB. Third, in most schemes the SS will have more run-support responsibilities, and Dawkins is one of those safeties that can consistently bring down even the biggest of RBs.

Renaldo Hill would then become my guess at FS. Coming off of the good year he had last year, I think he is a definite upgrade at FS. Given his age, he will likely be holding the position for a young up-and-coming player in the near future.

Darcel McBath is my favorite for the backup FS spot. He should do well on STs, but I think he will be the future at FS, and a player to watch. I think he'll see some playing time this year. For the fourth spot on the safety chart, we might see a duel between Vernon Fox and Josh Barrett. Fox could win out because there is talk about Barrett getting some looks for an OLB position.

Where does this leave the "other" rookie (David Bruton)? I think he has a shot at being a special teams ace for now, and a project for a future role at safety.

Cornerback

Superstar Champ Bailey is a lock for the #1 CB position. Andre Goodman was brought in to take over at the #2 position, and should do a great job there. Controversial draft pick Alphonso Smith will be exciting at nickel back, and is likely going to be a #2 CB in the near future.

I love what the team has done at safety and corner. We have two future-Hall of Famers at defensive-back positions, a hot rookie, and two solid veterans. The battle for the final spot will be between Jack Williams, Josh Bell, and Rashod Moulton.

Inside Linebacker

In my last article, I wrote that I was proud of myself for predicting that D.J. Williams would again be moving, this time to RILB. It is his natural spot, and one that he is happy with. He will be the anchor for the LBs. At LILB, Andra Davis will be stopping runs and "ted blocking" the way to sacks for the RILB. Beyond these two, nothing is sure.

I'm guessing that Larsen will be a FB / ILB hybrid. Someone pointed out a fact to me in the last couple of weeks, and I buy the reasoning - Larsen would make a great LILB because (as a FB) he is already capable of blocking the way through the trenches. I buy that, so Larsen becomes my pick for #2 LILB. Woodyard is my pick to back up Williams.

Outside Linebacker

With hybrids, this is a very tough call. Until he gets injured, Boss Bailey has a shot at starting LOLB, and Jarvis Moss is my guess to compete for the spot. The more I think about it, I like Elvis Dumervil at ROLB. He isn't big enough to play RDE in a 3-4, but his rush skills would make him a feared presence in a 3-4 played with a 5-2 look. I'm not sure who backs up Dumervil. With safety Josh Barrett getting looks at LB, I think he could go ROLB or LOLB. For now, let's consider ROLB a possibility.

Nose Tackle

The early favorite is clearly Ronald Fields, who was projected to start for the 49ers this year. Carlton Powell and Marcus Thomas are both bulking up and fighting for a spot, and I think there may be a better competition for the spot than earlier thought.

Defensive End

Let me throw out the names in the mix as I see them (in no special order) - Robert Ayers, Tim Crowder, Ryan McBean, Kenny Peterson, and Nic Clemons.

I think Ayers, McBean, and Crowder compete for the LDE spot. I think Peterson starts RDE, with Clemons or one of the three players competing for LDE backing him up.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Kyle Orton had a lesser offensive line and lesser receivers in Chicago, but still managed more wins than Denver's previous QB. He may not have the physical tools and potential of a Jay Cutler, but he also lacks the drawbacks (forcing the ball into interceptions, not looking off receivers, decision making in general). Chris Simms is not likely to be the starter, but could be a surprise if called in during an injury to Orton.

Tom Brandstater may be a long-term project, or a desperate emergency player in the event of a catastrophic string of injuries. The only real question is, "Do we carry three QBs on the roster, or keep Brandenstater on the practice squad but suited up under the NFL's emergency 'third QB' rule"? Tom is a very smart kid, and may be a surprise in a couple of years.

Running Backs

Denver is loaded at this position. I was sorry to see Arrington not pass the physical, but Denver didn't lose much in the signing. Still, Denver finally has a workhorse RB in 1st-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno. The next question is, do we go committee or run a prime back? Do we spell or rotate? Peyton Hillis is a proven commodity as a power back, but can also block as FB or gash defensive lines running the ball from the FB position. Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordon are solid backs, not castoffs. The running game will not be an issue for Denver this year.

Larsen and Hillis can both play FB. Hillis is good enough to start at RB (with Moreno), and Larsen is good enough to play at LILB (likely rotating behind Davis).

Denver has a lot of options.

Receiver

Brandon Marshall starts at #1, and Eddie Royal starts at #2. Brandon Stokley is probably still going to be our slot receiver, and that's a good thing. This is a great starting group. Competing for the coveted 4th-receiver spot are Jabar Gaffney, rookie Kenny McKinley, and Chad Jackson.

Tight End

Daniel Graham is not only the clear starter, but has played in the NE offensive program before. He is an outstanding blocker, but can cause defenses problems if he goes out to catch. Tony Scheffler is too good of a receiving TE not to be in the mix, and will see the field in a lot of two-TE sets. Jeb Putzier and rookie Richard Quinn will fight for the 3rd TE position. Putzier has the advantage in catching, but Quinn is a heck of a blocker.

Center

Casey Wiegmann will start. Kory Lichtensteiger is being groomed as his replacement. Blake Schlueter (rookie) is either going to back up Kory next year, or might back up one of the guards this year.

Guard

Ben Hamilton starts at LG, and Chris Kuper starts at RG. Seth Olsen and (perhaps) Blake Schlueter are my guesses to back up.

Tackle

Ryan Clady is a lock at LT, and Ryan Harris is a lock at RT. Tyler Polumbus is a likely backup, but Brandon Gorin might give him a run for his money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special teams is settled at K, P, and long snapper. The only question is whether Royal will be relieved of his return responsibilities.

As mentioned earlier, without knowing the systems we'll be running, and with the added complexity of the Amoeba philosophy and the hybrid scheming, this is a tough depth chart to figure out. I'm certain that I'm going to be wrong on a least a few of my early guesses, but my overarching hope is that we as a group can discuss the roster and use the chart as a good base to exchange ideas.

I look forward to hearing from folks on their thoughts!

Poll

Assuming that Marshall, Royal, and Stokley start at the first three WR positions, which of the following players should start at #4 WR?

Jabbar Gaffney

726 votes

Kenny McKinley

83 votes

Chad Jackson

66 votes

875 votes | Poll has closed

Post-Spring Preview: NC State Wolfpack

Gamecock Man — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:51:23 -0000

Carolina once again opens their season against NC State, this time traveling to Raleigh to take on the 'Pack. Last time around, we beat State 34-0. However, the score was deceiving: we only led 3-0 at the half and 13-0 at the beginning of the final quarter, and Chris Smelley came in to relieve the regrettable Tommy Beecher and played a deceptively good quarter in which we scored the final 21 points. As we all know, this game was a harbinger of many things we would experience throughout the season, among them a defense that saved the crazy bad offense, inconsistent QB play, absolutely no running game (don't let all the yards Mike Davis racked up at the end of this game deceive you).

This year, I expect this game to be much different. First of all, State is no longer the team they were at that point. Led by QB Russell Wilson, the "Pack emerged at the end of last season after a horrid start and eventually earned a bowl berth. State will look to continue their solid play this year. South Carolina, on the other hand, still has questions, this time on both sides of the ball. However, a more experienced Stephen Garcia, a new offensive line coach in Eric Wolford, and another stellar recruiting class have us believing we can play better this year.

Let's take a look at how the two teams match up against each other on offense. The defensive and head coaching comparisons are soon to come.

Offense

Quarterback

State comes in with the aforementioned Wilson, who played very well down the stretch last year. Wilson's most impressive stat is his 17-1 TD-INT ratio, a surprising stat considering that his completion percentage was good but not great at 54.5%. Wilson is also an effective scrambler. If Wilson gets hurt or doesn't live up to expectations, former star recruit Mike Glennon is waiting in the wings.

We of course have Stephen Garcia, who looked good in spurts last year but played poorly over the last few games. Garcia probably has more upside than Wilson, but he needs to prove that he can live up to expectations. Hopefully his good spring was an indication that he's on the way there, but he still haven't proven he can play well consistently, which Wilson has done to some degree.

Verdict: Push--Wilson is more proven but Garcia could be much better when all is said and done

Running Back

State loses Andre Brown, who went to the New York Giants in the fourth round. However, they do return Jamelle Eugene, a capable back that has played well in tandem with Brown over the past two years.

South Carolina loses starter Mike Davis, but returns talented back ups in Brian Maddox and Eric Baker and has new comers with star potential in true freshman Jarvis Giles and redshirt freshman Kenny Miles. While none of these players has yet played a major role in the offense, they are all talented and having a number of them gives us a lot of depth. While I hesitate to call anything about our running game superior, I think this will be a break out unit in 2009.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--State will be productive, but one or more of the SC backs will emerge for a breakout 2009

Wide Receiver

With Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer returning, State has a solid receiving core coming back. These two players were Wilson's main targets last year.

South Carolina lost one of its best players in recent history when Kenny McKinley graduated. Losing McKinley will hurt us, but hopefully Jason Barnes, Moe Brown, and Dion LeCorn will be able to step in and fill his shoes. Each, however, has failed to consistently perform well over the past couple of years. I think it's key that one of these guys emerges as the go-to guy. He doesn't have to be McKinley or Sidney Rice, but he does need to provide us with a viable target.

Verdict: Slight Advantage NC State--the fact that State has proven targets and that I think we have a group of players with a lot to prove gives State the slight advantage

Offensive Line

South Carolina loses Jamon Meredith but retains depth otherwise. This line has performed poorly over the past few years, but new coach Eric Wolford had them performing well in spring practice. I expect significant improvement here in 2009.

State loses two important linemen in John Bedics and Meares Green. Losing these two could be hell for a unit that will have to keep Eric Norwood out of their backfield.

Verdict: Slight Advantage South Carolina--as with the running game, I hesitate to make this call, but I really think we're going to see improvement here

Your Turn! - 2009 NFL Draft Grade - Denver Broncos

John Bena — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:26:20 -0000

You've read all the comments, the quotes from the players, the coaches, the talking heads and all of us here on MHR and across the web. You've taken it all in, and hopefully come to some kind of early conclusion. Now take a stab at grading the 2009 Denver Broncos draft.

Below are all the picks, provided with a bit of commentary from Styg. Six offensive players, 4 defensive players. Look at it, and make an educated decision based on what the Broncos did, what they addressed, instead of what others say should have happened.

2009 NFL Draft
Rd/Pick	Player, position	School	Comments
1.12	RB Knowshon Moreno	Georgia	The Man.
1.18	DE Robert Ayers	Tennessee	Technique and Talent.
2.37	CB Alphonso Smith	Wake Forest	Savvy ballhawk.
2.48	FS Darcel McBath	Texas Tech	Smart and attacks the ball
2.64	TE Richard Quinn	N.Carolina	Best blocking TE in the draft.
4.114	FS David Bruton	Notre Dame	Team leader.
4.132	OG Seth Olsen	Iowa	Versatile interior lineman.
5.141	WR Kenny McKinley	S.Carolina	Tenacious, quick, great hands and routes.
6.174	QB Tom Brandstater	Fresno State	Likely #3 QB.
7.225	C Blake Schleuter	TCU	Smart and very athletic.

Poll

Your Turn! Grade the 2009 Denver Broncos Draft

A

370 votes

B

1078 votes

C

694 votes

D

416 votes

F

231 votes

2789 votes | Poll has closed

Josh McDaniels discusses Day 2 of the 2009 NFL Draft

John Bena — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:03:01 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

7 months ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels talks about this weekend's NFL draft at its conclusion at the team's headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, April 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Browse more photos »

HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS

END OF 2009 NFL DRAFT PRESS CONFERENCE

Opening statement

"Day two is officially over, well I don't know if the draft is over, but our part in it is. I am very happy with what we have accomplished here in the last two days which was to add the kind of players that will compete for spots on our team, and we feel like we did that with five more players today. I am looking forward to the competition as it begins later this week in our second mini camp"

On QB Tom Brandstater (6th Rd., 174th overall, Fresno State University)

"In terms of the mold of a quarterback, the arm strength, the height, he is 6'5" 220 and has a good arm. He is bright and smart, and I like that a lot. He has above average feet that he can maneuver a little bit in the pocket. I think he also has a passion for football, and for being the best player that he can be. He has got a long way to go as most quarterbacks coming into the league do, but he has a great attitude and a great approach, and he will be here later this week. I am looking forward to getting him in here and beginning to teach him."

On comparisons between QB Tom Brandstater and New England QB Tom Brady

"The body type may be similar, but I would not compare any quarterback to Tom [Brady] or Matt [Cassel] at this point. We are talking about a guy who has never even practiced at this level, so I am not going to put anybody in that category. I don't know if I have been around any rookie quarterback that has come in ready to compete immediately. He is going to come in and be competitive with his work ethic and in meetings, so we will see how far he can go, and we will continue to coach him the entire time he is here."

On the way he approached the draft

"I don't think this is a very deep draft in terms of players that would fit our system in those areas. When you get to a selection and you have a player that you valued much higher than another player, then in my opinion you don't want to draft someone because they play a certain position. There may have been a few times where there was some discussion had, but we are not looking to draft players and cut them, especially early on. If the player is not going to come in and compete with someone on our roster, then we are going to go in a different direction at another position, and that is what we did the entire draft."

On finalizing the roster

"We will not be done with our roster until the end of August. If that means college free agency after the draft, we are never going to stop looking. We are not going stop looking at any position not just including the front seven. We have players who have been here for the past few months working extremely hard, and we are going to see how they do and how much we can coach them."

On if they got every player they wanted

"I'm not going to say any names here or there, but the players we drafted yesterday and today I am very pleased with. Each has an opportunity to come in and compete and make our team this year and make our team better. That's what we were looking for, guys with skill sets that we value at those positions and the traits. Most of you have spoken to or asked questions to the guys we drafted on the first day and hopefully they represented what we are all about, which is tough, smart, competitive, good people, believe in the team. Not just it's ‘me, me, me.' None of them are like that. You're not going to find the five we drafted today are like that either. I'm very happy with the results of what we tried to get done this weekend. Again, the results won't speak until these guys actually get here and go into their first meeting and come out with a big headache and not having any idea what to do. Then they get out on the field and try to get better each day. It's a slow process, but we're excited about what we added on our team this weekend and we're looking forward to coaching them here on Friday."

On if they targeted more offensive players

"I mentioned before, we were trying to add good players on either side of the ball. I think the perception was that we were going to do more on one side than the other, but if we could add good players on either side of the ball or, in many cases, we added players that can help on our special teams which is a big key for us. We have so much room to improve on special teams. We were 32nd in the league in field position, so anybody that can help us on a kicking unit, I'd love to have them in a Bronco uniform. We addressed some areas where we felt we could help our team. Some of those were offense, some were defense. I didn't have a preset number. Sometimes when you get to a selection, you have two or three guys you are hoping are going to be there. Then you mini-rank them throughout the draft, then two picks before you pick, one of them is gone, then the pick before you pick, the other's gone, so you say, ‘that's our guy.' That happened more than a few times. That's the process that you go through and we hopefully got the value we were looking for at each pick."

On speaking with drafted players

"I personally spoke to each player that we drafted before we actually sent the card in today. Most of the players, I think seven in total, came to the facility before. The other three we worked out extensively in private workouts. We either met them here, did a private workout, or, in many cases, did both. We are very familiar with each player we have now. I think that helps the process. When we called today and I got on the phone, there was a familiar voice on the other end. They knew me, I knew them, and they knew what we're about too. They've heard it before."

On familiarity with drafted players

"We took advantage; we used almost all of the allotment we are permitted as far as bringing players in. I think the number is 30 that you're permitted. We brought in close to 30. Like I said, seven of ten have been here before. They know their way around, they've seen the facility. They've met me and the coaching staff. We targeted players; we weren't trying to throw a bunch of smokescreens in the process. We wanted to bring in players we had a sincere interest in and we felt could help our team. We're fortunate that we felt comfortable with them, we watched them on tape, we brought them here, and we saw them at the combine. We have a mini relationship started already with many of them."

On WR Kenny McKinley (5th Rd., 141st overall, University of South Carolina)

"He can really run and he's got very good hands. He's smart and loves to compete. He's a guy that can play more than one spot in the receiver alignments. Adding a player that has sub 4.4 speed, I think anytime you add a skill player with that kind of speed, it's a good thing and you've gotten faster. You've hopefully helped out your special teams in some capacity, which hopefully Kenny can do. He's a great kid. Again, he loves football and he loves to compete. He's very much like the other players we drafted, he has a little different skill set, but should fit in and compete with the talented receivers we have on our roster."

On S David Bruton (4th Rd., 114th overall, Notre Dame University

"He's one of the finest special teams players in the draft, period. He was a great gunner for the punt team, getting down there and getting to the returner before the ball was caught, many times forcing a lot of fair catches. He's got great speed. I think he's the fastest safety in the draft. He could really impact us on three or four teams; punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return. I think he's blocked a kick or two in his career, or certainly has the capability to do that. He's got great range in the deep part of the field as a safety also."

On if any rookies will start this season

"I think it's so hard to tell how fast they are going to get to that point. At some point through injuries or progression, you may end up with that many starting. I don't know, we'll see. But I love the attitude that every one of these guys is going to approach our organization and our team with, which is that they are going to come in and work hard. They know they have good competition ahead of them. They know they have good veteran players to learn from. They're going to try in any way they can to help us improve. If that means starting one of them, or five of them, or all ten of them at some point, then I hope our team is better for it."

On offensive line

"I think that's a spot you always- you know, you don't ever turn head away from. If you feel like you've got good players inside that fit your scheme, that are athletic, physical, smart players that can play more than one position, which is important. We don't want to have players too many players along the front that don't have good versatility. (C) Blake (Schlueter) and (G) Seth (Olsen) both, they can play either guard or Blake's certainly more center than Seth. But Seth is a player that will learn how to snap the ball and play center once he's here. So, to have three-position versatility inside is very big. We have some players on our roster right now that have that, and we looked to add more and those two players were guys that we really liked."

On strategy during draft

"I think we were aggressive, if you want to use that term. We didn't have that many players on our board once we were done with the evaluation, and that was the goal. ‘Let's get the players on the board that we want on our team. Let's not have 200 names up there if we don't want 200 guys on our roster.' So, we had a board that was thinned out. (General Manager) Brian (Xanders), and the scouts and the coaches did a great job evaluating the players they had in their areas. And, by the end of the process, our board was thin. We knew we wanted to come away with players on our board and we did, we didn't go to the back board for anybody. At some certain points in the draft, I think you ask yourself ‘If we wait, is he going to be there?' And there were a few times where we felt like there's no way. If we wait, we're not going to be able to attain a player that we'd like to get. We weighed the value of what we were trading to try to go ahead and get the players that we were looking to get. And we have a totally full draft next year, one through seven. So, we didn't give away any rounds next year. We had a couple extra (this year) and we used those to move and get the players in this year's draft."

On trading own pick in 2010 draft to Seattle to acquire CB Alphonso Smith (2nd Rd., 37th overall, Wake Forest University)

"We agreed that (the pick) could be ours. After talking through with (Seattle), we felt like ‘that's okay, we'll roll the dice. I have no idea where Chicago's pick is going to be, and I don't have the foresight to know where our pick is going to be. So, we felt like, at that point to haggle over something like that, that may not turn out in your favor, but it may. After discussing it with (Seattle), we said, ‘alright, let's go ahead and do it."

On trying to get more picks in Rounds 3-7

"It's an interesting night after the first day of the draft where you kind of take the players that are left. After the first day, it's even thinner than it was when it started on Saturday. We took the players that were left on our board, that we felt very good about in terms of wanting to try to acquire those players. We stacked those differently from top to bottom. We felt like if that group of 20-some players starts to go quick in the third round, where we didn't have any selections, then our best maneuver would be to try and get as many of them as we could. But, we felt comfortable with where we were at, looking at the players that we had a chance to get, so we just took them."

On pursuing college free agency, feelings of roster

"I don't think the work's going to ever stop. We're going to address the college free agency hard, we're going to bring in some college free agents and see if they can compete. And, if they can win a roster spot, that's great, that's good for our football team. And the ongoing spring, college free agents, veteran free agency- there's a lot of things that go into that. By the time August rolls around, we'll have a much better idea, a much better feel. But we're going to bring in the amount of players that we can bring in after the draft to try and give ourselves an opportunity to see as many guys that we kinda liked that didn't get drafted as we can. And if those players are good enough through a month-and-a-half of minicamp and passing camp practices to make us want to take them to training camp once all the draft picks are signed, then we'll do that. But they'll have an opportunity to do that in the next month-and-a-half, and if they succeed at that, it makes our team better."

On the type of player the Broncos were targeting

"From the get-go, we targeted a certain type of player: tough, smart, competitive, versatile, a good person that loves football and wants to win. And we think we brought in those types of free agents with every guy we brought in and we think we drafted 10 players that fit that mold also. And the college free agents that we bring in will hopefully be the exact same. So, if our locker room is full of those kinds of players, we're going to be happy with the kind of player we have in there. And, ultimately, it's our job and their job to come together and improve throughout the entire spring so that'll we get to the point, as a football team, where we can actually execute and play well. It's not only good to have those kinds of players, but to play well with them. And all of them are good players, and they're going to have an opportunity to make us better. Again, I can't emphasize enough how much we're going to try and win as a team. It will not be one side of the ball. It will not be one side of the ball beating the other team, it won't be the other side of the team beating the other team. It'll be three phases, playing well, playing together, complimenting one another and playing good situational football, and that's how we'll win."

On S Darcel McBath (2nd Rd., 48th overall, Texas Tech) and CB Alphonso Smith (2nd Rd., 37th overall, Wake Forest)

"Both (S) Darcel (McBath) and (CB) Alphonso (Smith) have gotten their hands on the ball. And that, to me, is sometimes something you can coach a player to improve in that area, and sometimes that's instinctive, that's something that they possess as football players. They can see the quarterback and the route at the same time so they can get to the catch-point before the receiver does. I would say it's hard to find guys in a draft or free agency that you feel like have that kind of production. So, hopefully we've addressed an area where we feel like we can help our team turn the ball over more with the players we have in the secondary. And hopefully it shows this year on the field."

On pursing college free agents

"We're going to try to get as many as we can today. The competition starts as soon as (pick) 256 is done. So, we'll see how fast we can get it done and obviously we'll work as late as we can today to try and close those things off, so that in the morning we feel like we've got an idea of who's going to be here on Thursday."

On C Blake Schlueter (7th Rd., 225th overall, Texas-Christian University)

"He's one of the best athletes, in terms of those interior positions, that was in the draft. I think he was the fastest interior linemen, not that that matters a whole lot- they don't have the ball and are running away from everybody. But it shows that he can move and that he has good movement skills and that he can do some of the things that we ask our centers and our guards to do, in terms of the zone scheme that we'll use, in terms of pulling and getting out in front of the runner, screens- a very athletic player that can do some of those things and that's going to be something that we're going to try and improve at this year, is our screen game. Blake (Schlueter)'s very versatile, very, very good kid, very smart, multiple positions, flexibility. And he fits the mold of what we're looking for in there. His athletic ability is certainly a big plus."

On C Blake Schlueter getting bigger

"I think he was 292. If he can get a little heavier, that's great. But he's certainly effective, strong, plays strong, plays with great leverage. That's one of the things, he's 6-2-and-a-half and he uses that to his advantage. He can bend, he can get under people, he can anchor the pocket and drop back passes, and that's something that's valuable to us here. But I think he can probably get a little bigger."

On draft experience as head coach

"It was great. (General Manager) Brian (Xanders) and I worked hand in hand the whole weekend and it was a lot of fun. It's always great fun when you're sitting there adding player after player after player that you feel like can come in and improve your team. And to actually put the tag on the board, where he's actually on your roster, on your depth chart, that's a neat feeling. So, it was a great experience, I look forward to next year's draft and going through the process again."

Denver Broncos Trade Up Eight Spots, Select WR, Kenny McKinley, South Carolina

Jeremy Bolander — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:12:39 -0000

This is a pick Broncos fans will learn to dig, just give it a little time. After seeing the WR board devastated in the third round, Denver waited like a crouching lion to pounce on McKinley. they just had to knock some other teams out of the way to do it, is all.

At A Glance
Position 1: Wide Receiver	Height: 6-1
Position 2:	Weight: 189
Class: Senior	Age:
Projected Round: 4th-5th	40time: 4.37

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: X	Vertical: 37
20yd Split: 2.53	Broad Jump: 9'5"
10yd Split: 1.46	20yd Shuttle: 4.10
3 Cone Drill: 6.96

Pros: Good initial quickness off the snap. Not a real physical player, but uses his hands and lateral quickness well to get a clean release off the line of scrimmage. Savvy route-runner. Good short-area burst and is a cognizant route-runner. Varies his speed and utilizes his good body control to generate separation against tight coverage. Reliable hands for the reception. Strong hands to snatch the ball out of the air. Good body control to contort in space and make the difficult reception. Knows where the sticks and sidelines are. Can take a pop and hang on. Wastes no time getting upfield after the reception. Good vision in the open field and can generate positive yards after the reception.

Cons: Lanky, almost skinny build that could use additional mass, but not at the expense of losing speed, another area of concern. Lacks the straight-line speed to challenge deep or to break away after a short or intermediate reception. Can be caught from behind. Characterized as a tough player, but can be intimidated with a good pop early. Can get alligator arms going over the middle.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From Garnet and Black Attack:

There was nothing notable at the time about the fact that, on Sept. 24, 2005, Kenny McKinley failed to catch a ball in South Carolina's 45-20 rout of Troy. After all, McKinley was not a yet a star of the Gamecocks' offense, and South Carolina will still getting far more attention nationally for its new coach, Steve spurrier, than for anything happening on the field.

No, there was nothing remarkable about the fact that Kenny McKinley went a whole game without a catch. Except that it was the last time it would ever happen.

For the rest of his college career, spanning 43 games, McKinley was the one thing Gamecock fans could count on despite a ferris wheel at quarterback, an offensive line that couldn't block a punching bag and a run game in which positive yardage was often far more elusive than the backs themselves. He was going to catch the ball at least once, and often several more times.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

After missing three games with a hamstring injury this past season, South Carolina receiver Kenny McKinley returned for the bulk of the SEC schedule on a right leg that was never 100 percent.

But McKinley did not feel the same obligation to play in the Senior Bowl, pulling out three days before the game after tweaking his hamstring. The decision led some Senior Bowl coaches and executives to question the toughness of a player known at USC for his fearlessness going over the middle. [see more...]
"I wanted to prove that I could keep my size," said McKinley. "I weighed in at 189 at the Combine and came in today and weighed 190. I've been eating well and training hard, so I've been able to stay up there in the high 80s and 90s. I believed I came in and showed them I can run great routes and have good hands. I let my stuff on the field speak, so hopefully somebody will pick me up. I believe I've done everything I could do to go as high as I could go (in the draft)." [see more...]
Adequate height...Great leaper...Very good hands...Nice ball skills and body control...Elusive with terrific vision and instincts...Very quick and agile with a burst...Runs good routes and knows how to get open...Tough and will work the middle...Can do some damage after the catch...Smart with good awareness...Could also contribute as a return man...Great production...A lot of experience against elite competition. [see more...]
McKinley has been a mainstay at wide receiver in South Carolina for years now. In the shadow of Sidney Rice throughout his first two seasons as a Gamecock, McKinley still started six games as a freshman and 13 games as a sophomore. After Rice's departure, McKinley really took off as a junior in 2007. He caught 77 passes for 968 yards and nine touchdowns, and was named First-Team All-SEC by the coaches and the AP. Injuries had never been a problem for McKinley, but they are starting to creep up so that could be a concern among NFL scouts. He had surgery on his big toe during this past off-season, but was ready to go well before the start of the regular season. [see more....]

Poll

How do you like the pick?

Love it.

132 votes

Like it.

300 votes

Loathe it.

135 votes

567 votes | Poll has closed