Hey hey hey future RG3 fans!

Congrats on being about to draft the most dynamic player in this years draft. I am a huge fan of RG3 despite being a Denver Broncos fan and I'm making some shirts. I will have them for sale if I get enough interest.

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Between the mixed camp reports and roar of fanatics lies the truth of Tim Tebow.

Has his camp been rough? Yes - from most accounts he is inaccurate with terrible footwork and wobbly throws. He's overthrowing receivers and missing wide open ones. 

Is this cause for concern? 

No.

We all knew who Tebow was when we called for him to start. We knew that he wasn't the poster boy of the pocket passer. He isn't Manning or Brady. 

He's Tim MFIN Tebow. The same guy that had Jamie Dukes and Warren Sapp call him one of the best leaders in the NFL. The same guy who Tedy Bruschi said was "next" on SportsNation. 

He is a legend without a complete story and he will lead the Broncos to Valhalla or to ruin. Time will tell which path we're on, but one thing is clear - its Tebow that is leading us there.

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Welcome to my final mock. This mock will be my best work. You may disagree with my players which is encouraged. I will probably defend my choices in my comments. Please refrain from taking it personal.

That being said - enjoy!

Trades: #2 overall to Cinci for their #4 and #35 overall. There is a lot of hooplah about how this won't happen since there isn't a CBA. This doesn't make sense to me. The only thing that would essentially prevent a trade up is the NFLPA winning the case. If they lose than all teams will proceed knowing a CBA will be in place before ANY rookie contracts are signed and it will be widely accepted that there will be a rookie wage scale in place in said CBA because both sides support it. The only details yet to be determined are the exact terms and lengths of the deal which most teams will gladly overlook to draft their guy (in this case Gabbert).

In this mock Carolina drafts Newton as the flagship player for the Ron Rivera era and Cinci drafts Gabbert. Buffalo is now really pissed and drafts Peterson to help their woeful secondary.

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Lets dispense with the pleasantries, again.

This is the third version of my mock. This time with more umph.

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Lets dispense with the pleasantries.

We all know why we're here. We want to gawk at all the potential talent Denver can add to their roster. These players haven't let us down, yet. They are all superstars in the making. They are Alphonso Smith before he became Alphonso Smith - all upside and hope.

Trades: Cincy trades the 4th overall and the 35th overall for the 2nd overall plus a future 4th round pick.

In this scenario Carolina drafts Newton, Cincy drafts Gabbert, and Buffalo drafts Peterson.

Round One: FIGHT

4th Overall

Marcell Dareus - DT

Fox and the brain trust is over joyed with how the draft has turned out so far. Dareus, while not without questions, is an elite prospect that will run stuff and occupy blockers. He's a high character guy and endears himself with fans with his upbeat attitude and work ethic.

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With the lockout looming and teams unable to address needs in free agency the 2011 NFL draft will change. You'll find teams reaching for needs much more than in the past and certain luxury players will fall in the draft. With this in mind I believe that Denver will have quite a few unexpected options in this upcoming draft.

Let's get right into it.

Denver trades 2nd overall pick and a future 4th round pick to Cincinatti for the 4th overall and the 35th overall picks.

In this scenario Newton and Gabbert go 1 and 2, respectively. Buffalo selects Marcell Dareus.

First Round - 4th Overall

Von Miller - LB

Von Miller is the most polished pass rusher in the draft. He has a high motor and is a vocal leader. He is pegged as a 3-4 OLB, but played a hybrid role in college and will excel. Miller lead college football in sacks in 2009 with 17 and despite facing numerous double teams managed to notch 10.5 sacks in his senior campaign. In addition Miller notched double digit tackle for loss and innumerable QB pressures. He is a sure tackler with outstanding speed and instincts. Miller's presence greatly improves Denvers front seven and addresses their pass rushing issues.


Second Round - 35th Overall

Mark Ingram - RB

A surprise faller here becomes a must pick for Fox and crew. The uncertainty with free agency and the CBA causes a luxury pick like Ingram to fall to the early second round where the Broncos can't help themselves with this bruising Heisman winner. Being the top RB in the draft Fox decides to spend their extra pick on what some would consider a luxury but is what most Denver fans consider a much needed addition to a very frail RB core. Visions of Knowshon and Ingram tearing up defenses dance in the heads of Denver fans as John Fox solidifies his commitment to the run.

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Von Miller Butkus Award Winner 2010 Highlights (via sportfan73)

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via www.saturdaydownsouth.com

The Denver Broncos aren't talentless.

The Denver Bronco defense, however, almost is. This draft is important in injecting our defense with young, high motor guys who will bolster our depth and it is a great draft in which to do it. This is a very deep DL draft and there are several guys who can come in and make an immediate impact on our team.

How amazing would a draft haul of Patrick Peterson, JJ Watts, and Kyle Rudolph be?

Pretty amazing considering all three of these guys are first round talents. However with a little luck we have a chance at all three of these guys with the picks we have now.

But I, like many of, don't like the current state of our draft so after the jump lets acquire more picks shall we?

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It is a tough pill to swallow, but the Broncos are officially out of contention for the playoffs mid season for the first time in a long, long time. Maybe we're not technically out mathematically, but anyone who has watched the games this season knows it to be true. We will struggle to be .500 this season and yearn for the years of mediocrity which led us down this lonely, desolate road.

The truth is simple: We are not a very good team.

We are an injury plagued, mistake prone team. We are too young in some spots and too old in others. We are a team without soul and a will to win.

But at least we're not the Cowboys or the Vikings.

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With all the doom and gloom going on I thought I'd share some positive analysis I found while checking out PFT's week seven picks.

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via www.exposay.com

Comparing any Denver player with a San Diego Charger could seem blasphemous, but a simple question crawled into my head last night: how did LaDainian Tomlinson do his rookie season and how did that compare with Moreno's "slightly disappointing" rookie season?

It's a simple enough question - one that could be answered with little research, but what I found out I was not expecting.

The answer would forever change the way I look at Moreno.

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@Adam_Schefter: New England traded running back Laurence Maroney to Denver. Compensation not know yet. More details at ESPN.com.

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Good Afternoon Denver Faithful!

Lately I've been hearing quite a bit of talk about Denver maybe earning a wild card spot if they can manage 2 wins in the last three games. Quite frankly that seems a bit pessimistic so I've broken down how Denver can walk away with the AFC West Division Title and while it is a bit confusing, it is definitely possible so lets take a look at how Denver can win the West.

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Good Morning Bronco Country!

It's been quite a while since my previous post, but I'm feeling a bit chipper and hopefully that translates into a good read. Its been a long and sometimes tumultuous season and as we near the end of charted territory and move forward into what has been uncharted territory I think a look back at some of my pre season expectations will shed some light on just how much better this team is than I thought they were going to be. I may pull out a few comments here and there as well, but its all in good fun and hopefully we can all see that these Broncos are even better than to kool-aid induced Bronco-plum visions we all had. 

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What the hell is Brandon Marshall thinking? Alienating a fan base isn't the path toward success when your job is entertainment. Alienating a team isn't bright when when you rely on them to aid your performance.

And alienating the people who sign your checks isn't the way to a big pay day in the NFL. I know someone in Denver will read this and maybe they can give him a copy. It sure wouldn't hurt.

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After the response to the last edition I was more than eager to contribute another issue. Today I will be continuing my personal rankings for more of my projected starters as well as touching on a common response theme from the last post.

Running backs get the call today and the task in front of me is not easy. There are quite a few question marks at the position so I look forward to reading all sorts of responses and different takes on how these positions are going to pan out.

However my discussion topic is simple. Which Denver Bronco has the most to prove? Each player has something to prove, but who's seat is the hottest? And why?

More to come after the jump.

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Good morning to you the Denver faithful and welcome to the first edition of The Breakdown. I've posted a few different fan posts over the last few months and hopefully this one will be as well received as those were. However I intend on making this a recurring blog.

What is the Breakdown you ask? Well its a chance for me to inject in you, the MHR reader a little bit of amateur analysis and maybe open up a few discussion topics along the way. I know personally I can never get enough information when dealing with Denver so hopefully I can help fill the preseason gap with my own insights.

Today I'm going to be touching on some offensive positional rankings and projected starters as well as a look back at the draft. I'm only going to be covering a few positions per post, but today I will be looking at QB, TE, and the WRs.

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I tried to post this as a comment to Dukes most recent blog entry regarding McDaniels, but it was too long so I'm posting it here.

Oh well, would have fallen on deaf ears anyway.

Mr. Dukes,

What is your vendetta against the Broncos? I have been keeping up with nearly all commentary regarding Denver and you seem to really have it out for McDaniels and the Broncos organization as a whole.

This off season has been hard for us Bronco fans and its almost as if you want to rub our faces in it. Losing Shanahan wasn't fun. Losing Cutler wasn't fun. The Marshall saga isn't fun. But most of us are optimistic - if only in a die hard fan kind of way - about the coming season.

But everything you say is negative. Literally everything. And I'm not saying losing a pro bowl QB and possibly a pro bowl WR is a good thing. It isn't. But lets really take a look at what happened this offseason:

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Kyle Orton is a mystery to me. I've never watched him play a full game. I haven't bothered to check out his highlight reel. I don't know his stats or even what number he's going to wear.

Needless to say I've done very little research on Mr. Orton.

But something about him has me extremely excited about this season. And its not the neck beard.

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Its four days into January and already I find myself scouring the internet for available talent that will help the Broncos for 2009. And already I've found myself compiling off season moves I hope Denver makes in an effort to recapture a trip to the promised land. Or at the very least a playoff game. After much soul searching and careful evaluation of our needs I have managed this list. I'm a list kind of guy.

Number One

via www.giants.com

Name: Steve Spagnuolo
Position: Head Coach
Reasoning:
This guy is an absolute talent. Not only that but I truly believe he can come in and make an immediate impact with many of the defensive players we have. Yes, Denver's defense was abysmal this season. Yes, we lack quite a bit of talent in places we shouldn't, but I fully believe with Spags' brilliant defensive schemes we can turn what we have into something manageable. I know it doesn't seem like it, but Denver does have some very coachable young talent on defense . I'd like to see Steve come in and shape these guys. I'm talking about guys like Spencer Larsen, Josh Barrett, Wesley Woodyard, Marcus Thomas, and even Jarvis Moss. There is a lot of talent there and in the right hands I think they can all shine in this league. I'm still torn on the Shanahan issue, but for now its best to move forward I think and with our offense in play I fully believe Mr. Spagnuolo is the best fit for our team.

Number Two

via static.nfl.com

Name: Albert Haynseworth
Position: DT
Reasoning:
We need him. He is the most dominant DT in the league and he will immediately improve our run defense. We will have to pay top dollar to get him, but he will be WELL worth it - especially if I get my first wish. He becomes a free agent this season as a condition of his making the pro bowl this season and with the Titan's success this year he may not be looking to switch teams, but an early playoff loss and the right contract might lure him into wearing orange and blue next season. He's a run stopper and a play maker - two things we haven't had at DT in too long. Marcus Thomas would also benefit greatly from his presence and leadership. A great addition to any team, Haynesworth might solve our run defense woes all by himself.

Number Three

via media.collegepublisher.com

Name: Taylor Mays
Position: FS
Reasoning:
I currently live in Southern California so hearing about USC football is pretty common place. And of all the talent Pete Carroll has recruited in recent years I believe Taylor Mays to be the best. Denver is in dire need of a playmaker at the FS position and Mays is just that. Coming in at 6'3" and 230lbs he has great size. But thats just the beginning. He runs a 4.32s forty. 4.32! His vertical is measured at 41"! This guy is talented, smart, and comes from a good pedigree. Plus he hits hard. Really hard. We lacked much of any production from our safeties this season and Mays will change that. He is going to be a force in this league and if we don't pick him up we'll regret it every time we play against him. With the 12th pick its unlikely he'll still be on the board when Denver is on the clock, but I'm not against trading up for him. I'm all for it to be honest.

Number Four

via static.nfl.com

Name: Julius Peppers
Position: DE
Reasoning:
He'll be a free agent after this season and while I'd rather have Haynesworth it wouldn't be terrible to get Peppers instead - it would be quite the opposite. Denver needs a big FA signing this off season and we don't need an offensive one. Peppers would drastically help out Bailey and Bly by doing something Denver has been terrible at in recent years: pressuring the QB. Bly and Bailey are GREAT corners but they can't beat the both the QB and WR every play. Any QB/WR combo in the league will find open space a few times a game if given enough time. They need someone to make that ball come out quicker and Peppers is up to task. He's freakishly athletic and WILL force errant throws which will lead to turnovers (which we also haven't been doing well lately). He'd be a great addition, albeit an expensive one. Plus the grooming factor with Jarvis Moss is a huge plus. I haven't fully given up on Moss yet, so bringing a veteran DE like Peppers might be just what Jarvis needs.

Number Five

via static.nfl.com

Name: Darren Sproles
Position: RB
Reasoning:
I've become a big fan of the "running back by committee" strategy. And I think given all our issues at RB bringing in a vastly talented back such as Sproles would be an absolutely terrifying prospect for the rest of the league. I'm not saying we don't have talent at RB - I just want more. Hillis proved to be an excellent power back and I think Sproles will be the lightning to his thunder. He's got excellent speed and more than that he plays with intensity and heart every time he's on the field. I just watched him almost single handedly dispatch the Colts and would love to see him on our side. Plus it doesn't hurt to take talent like his from the only division rival that matters. I know quite a few of you will wonder what I propose happens to the other six RBs from the 2008 fiasco that was our run game and to be completely honest I'm not sold on any of them. Selvin Young shows flashes of genius but he wasn't so strong before he got hurt. Pittman's getting hurt was a huge blow - he's a great power back and was a TD machine, but he's a bit on the older side which doesn't bode well given his IR status all last year. And were to begin with Torain? He could be a great talent and if he stays healthy I want him to remain a Bronco. But I can't bank on that and nobody else can. As for the others, well, only Bell really impressed me. He played well against SD and really demonstrated to me he wants to be in Denver. And not in a kiosk but on the field. But Sproles has taken up Tomlinson's rushing duties well and would be a perfect fit for our zone blocking scheme (if we keep it).

Oh and a side note: Sproles AND Royal on KR/PR? I just smiled as I wrote that.

That is all I have for now. I'm sure I'll find more as we approach the 2009 season. More than anything I hope we can find a coach whose up to the task of replacing one of the greatest coaches of all time. They're big shoes to fill and it'll take an extraordinary talent to come close.

Feel free to add your comments and I'll do my best to reply.

Bleeding Orange and Blue,
Christian LeBrilla