SB Nation User Blog: GarretBarnes

My OFFICIAL 7 Round Mock Draft

GarretBarnes — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:15:17 -0000

12. Denver Broncos: B.J Raji, DT, Boston College. While Raji definitely deserves to be drafted higher, there is really nobody that would be in extreme need of his services up until this point in the draft. The Broncos with two draft picks now would have a hard time passing up the star Defensive Tackle when they know that they can solve another major need later in the 1st round. Raji has shown signs of becoming one of the best Defensive Tackles in the draft and could be a dominant force inside the NFL. It is a no-brainer if he drops this low that we would draft him, but that is the problem: he might not drop this low. But if he does the Broncos WILL jump.

18. Denver Broncos (f/Chicago): Brian Cushing, OLB, USC. I previously had Aaron Maybin going here, but after a chain of events I decided that we need to go for the safer pick if we really want to improve and I really like Brian Cushing. Cushing is not a boom or bust prospect like Maybin but still has some risk and is somewhat raw. That said, he can start in his first year at either Strong or Weak side and give the Broncos a bit more defensive fire power. He might be even better off playing Inside Linebacker in our new 3-4 defense. Cushing has the ability to stop the run and get the sack as well as good coverage. While Cushing has durability issues, it doesn’t mean that he can’t be effective when healthy and if he stays healthy could be one of the best players on this defense over time.

48. Denver Broncos: Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose State. Jarron Gilbert is a true athlete. Whether you think that he might be a risk and a potential bust, I don’t think that he will be or he is. Gilbert shined brightly in a small school like San Jose State and if we pass up a Defensive End in the first round, we would be crazy to not draft a player of his level in the second round. An impact player in every definition of the word, he has found his stock raising and has certainly impressed scouts and yours truly.

79. Denver Broncos: Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama. Can you believe he has dropped this low? After conflicting reports on the Broncos being interested in him, if he were to drop into the 3rd round there would not be a single doubt that the Broncos would go after him. He is truly a defensive playmaker and he has terrific hands and ball skills not to mention amazing instincts around the ball and just when tackling. If we really want to improve this team on all levels, we will draft Rashad Johnson if he were available and we are favorites to draft him if he is in the 3rd round. Heck, if he falls anywhere in the 3rd I might be tempted to trade up.

84. Denver Broncos (f/Chicago): Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU. Darry Beckwith would be in my opinion a steal at this point but a very possible one. While he could end up in the early 3rd round, chances are he will end up later in there due to the fact that his stock has dropped a lot lower and while underrated is not attractive to too many teams. Beckwith would be a good Inside Linebacker in a 3-4 system especially ours, were he could play along side Andra Davis. Another good thing about him is versatility,early in his college career he would be versatile much like D.J Williams as he would play all sorts of Linebacker positions including WILL, SAM, and MAC so there are a lot of things we could do especially if we decide to instead of playing Brian Cushing on the outside playing him in the middle and moving Beckwith. That said, we would probably keep him here at Inside Linebacker.

114. Denver Broncos: Stephen McGee, QB, Texas A&M. Stephen McGee is actually a bit like Jay Cutler. The difference is this time he fits in the system and is a lot more raw. Josh McDaniels is supposed to be very interested in him and he is the developmental Quarterback that McDaniels loves to have. Tough, and a team leader, Stephen McGee is a mid-round prospect who would fit well into our system and play as a solid backup to Kyle Orton. Hopefully someone who in a couple of years could come in and start for our offense, Stephen McGee is a very likely choice for the Broncos in almost any round.

149. Denver Broncos: Patrick Turner, WR, USC. Wide Receiver is not as big a need as it was about a week ago where it looked like Brandon Marshall would face serious suspension time. Now, he might not face any at all. Patrick Turner, a great route runner and a good athlete, Turner is tall and was quite an impact on the Trojans last year. One of the most underrated receivers in the draft, Turner’s only major knock may be that he severely lacks timed speed. He only runs, get this: a 4.77 at WIDE RECEIVER. That is slow for that position at an epic proportion. But he still has great hands and can jump high for the ball which makes up well for his lack of separation. While he still needs a lot of work, he might prosper under Josh McDaniels.

185. Denver Broncos: Mortty Ivy, OLB, West Virginia. The Broncos are looking for a bit of defensive leadership and talent. Mortty Ivy could bring both. While by no means is Ivy a physical beast he has a nose for the mental aspect of the game and also is a great leader. The Broncos are in serious need of a good Strong Side Linebackers and while Ivy is not a very famous or flashy player he could still battle for a starting job in the NFL. Ivy has a good ball skills and could have potential as an NFL pass rusher. Ivy has a bit of an injury concern but I would not be that scared of it. His injuries have never been way too serious and he Ivy even had enough drive to with a torn acl to play all 11 games of the 2007 season.

225. Denver Broncos: Brandon Walker, OG, Oklahoma. When you have as much depth at Offensive Guard as you have this year, it would be a crying shame if they did not use at least one late round pick on an underrated Linemen especially one like Walker who is a perfect fit for a Zone Blocking scheme. With Ben Hamilton aging and Chris Kuper injury prone, it would be a good idea to draft a player like Brandon Walker who would be able to play as a good interior linemen when one of them is injured. Playing on one of the best College Football offensive lines including Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson, Walker had a great Combine where he had a lot of scouts begin to talk about him and might be an effective backup.

235. Denver Broncos (f/Atlanta): Kendell Davis-Clark, CB, Michigan St. It is going to be somewhat tough for our new coach Josh McDaniels to draft Defensive Players on his first shot in the later rounds, but he might be intrigued by Davis-Clark even though he is not the most talented Cornerback you could get at this point. Josh McDaniels started his career in Michigan St. and would really like to get some Michigan St. alumni onto the team. Davis-Clark has injury concerns but is still a good tackler and can contribute into Special Teams and possibly succeed in a Nickel package. He can contribute into the run game and would be a very attractive pick to the coaching staff and scouts.

Building My Mock Draft...

GarretBarnes — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 04:09:17 -0000

Hey everyone, I am in the process of building my final mock draft by the 23rd. My goal though is to have you help. I really want to know your opinions and thoughts on my picks before the draft so I can learn more. I know a fair amount but there is always room to know more about what you are doing. This is very preliminary, these picks and I want you to help.

Every single pick you hate or dislike I want you to tell me why. Poke every single hole in my argument you can. Go in depth. For every single pick you like or you think would happen tell me exactly why. I will have it up on my own site Bronco Madness by the 23rd and I hope by a couple of times doing this, we together could build a more accurate draft. I trust your opinions.

Here is how it will go:

1st Draft: The players, tell me what you like and don't like. Go in depth

In 4 days 2nd Draft: Explanations for each pick. Tell me why I am wrong or right.

In 8 days, final draft: Any last problems, I should be close to my final decision.

Remember be as critical as humanely possible. I want you to really dig deep and tell me why or why not. Hopefully I will get some good replies and add your opinions into my draft, citing you of course. So break free and work with me on this. Feel free to be stubborn!

1. B.J Raji, DT, Boston College

1. Aaron Maybin, OLB/DE, Penn St.

2. Jarron Gilbert, DE, San Jose St.

3. Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU

3. Louis Murphy, WR, Florida

4. Sherrod Martin, CB/S, Troy

5. Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue

6. Mortty Ivy, OLB, West Virgina

7. Brandon Walker, OG, Oklahoma

7. Kendell-Davis Clark, CB, Michigan St.

Oh and one more thing. Don't just say whether it is good or bad. You can tell me that but make sure you explain why. I would love it if you could break down your opinions on each pick too but I don't expect that. Thanks again!

Broncos Updated Mock Draft

GarretBarnes — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 14:14:08 -0000

Round 1: B.J Raji, DT, Boston College. While Raji definitely deserves to be drafted higher, there is really nobody that would be in extreme need of his services up until this point in the draft. The Broncos with two draft picks now would have a hard time passing up the star Defensive Tackle when they know that they can solve another major need later in the 1st round. Raji has shown signs of becoming one of the best Defensive Tackles in the draft and could be a dominant force inside the NFL. It is a no-brainer if he drops this low that we would draft him, but that is the problem: he might not drop this low. If in fact my prediction comes true though, we won’t pass him up and you can bet on that.

Round 1: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU. Oh how things change. Before Cutler was traded I was hoping to get him at the number 12 pick, but now we might be able to wait for him at the 18th pick so we can get someone even more talented at the higher pick. He is a relatively safe pick and is the only true first round Defensive End in the 2009 Draft. He is great against the run and with the right coaching could excel against the pass too. He is taylor made to play in a 3-4 Defense and while I am still a bit wary of drafting Defensive Ends after Jarvis Moss, Tyson Jackson is the right person for the Broncos to draft.

Round 2: Victor "Macho" Harris, CB, Virginia Tech. The Broncos would really love to get a powerhouse Cornerback like Victor Harris here in the second round assuming that they don’t draft any defensive backs in the first. They know that they could be molded by some all time Defensive Back greats whether it is Champ Bailey or Brian Dawkins. Harris is a very underrated Cornerback whom might really intrigue the Broncos coaching staff.

Round 3: Jason Phillips, ILB, TCU. It is really important that the Broncos get somebody besides Andra Davis in the middle before we face another epic Defensive collapse. While it will of course be hard finding somebody who can really fit our needs this late Jason Phillips might be a good start. He is a very good tackler who can intimidate most Running Backs and Tight Ends. You can fit him at any Linebacker position in my opinion but would of course be best in the middle where he might even be the second middle linebacker in the 3-4 system if he impresses enough in training camp. Andra Davis is a decent linebacker and an upgrade to anything we had last year but it would be even better if we could add some help with Jason Phillips in the third round.

Round 3: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio St. If in fact Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall gets suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell then Jabar Gaffney or Brandon Stokley could take over. But in reality while both are good receivers, they are NOT number 2 or number 1 receivers and Brian Robiskie is that type of receiver. He actually reminds me a lot of Brandon Marshall so he would definitely be a good backup to keep in there for when Brandon Marshall is out for let say... "personal issues". I really think that Brian Robiskie has all the physical talents including the height that Brandon Marshall has. Also Robiskie has good character and is a good leader in the locker room. I think that putting him in the system with Kyle Orton would be good.

Round 4: Curtis Taylor, S, LSU. I don't care if we get Ed Reed! We NEED another Safety at some point. Let's face it, nor Brian Dawkins or Renaldo Hill will last more than 3 years at best. We need to groom someone for the future Curtis Taylor is actually a career reliever. Whenever a star leaves his team he ends up replacing them and almost achieving their level. Taylor in 2007 replaced LaRon Landry in the starting lineup and was very productive at Safety. If he could replace Brian Dawkins with the same kind of success our mission will have been accomplished. Taylor I find very underrated and the 4th round would be a good spot to get someone of his ability.

Round 5: Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue. It is time that Josh McDaniels drafts at least one person to mold for the future and I think that Curtis Painter is the right person to do that with. He is a system QB who while tall lanky, and totally unathletic but he has great pocket presence and has a very strong arm and accuracy. It may be even better than Orton's who was as well Purdue alumni. I think that Painter with a lot of good training by Coach McDaniels could become a prolific passer and maybe be the successor to Kyle Orton if in fact he does not work out. Even if he does, he will serve as a solid backup anyway.

Round 6: Mortty Ivy, OLB, West Virginia. The Broncos are looking for a big of defensive leadership and talent. Mortty Ivy could bring both. While by no means is Ivy a physical beast he has a nose for the mental aspect of the game and also is a great leader. The Broncos are in serious need of a good Strong Side Linebackers and while Ivy is not a very famous or flashy player he could still battle for a starting job in the NFL. Ivy has a good ball skills and could have potential as an NFL pass rusher. Ivy has a bit of an injury concern but I would not be that scared of it. His injuries have never been way too serious and he had enough drive to with a torn acl to play all 11 games of the 2007 season.

Round 7: Ian Campbell, DE, Kansas St. Ian Campbell has been very productive and in his Junior season was one of the nations premiere pass rushers. He has dropped off a bit and has not shown much pro potential but he is still one of the best later round prospects. I think that he could really be a decent backup and maybe over time develop into a good pro.

Round 7: Kendall Davis-Clark, CB, Michigan St. It is tough for our new coach Josh McDaniels to draft Defensive Players on his first shot but he might be intrigued by Davis-Clark even though he is not the most talented Cornerback you could get at this point. Josh McDaniels started his career in Michigan St. and would really like to get some Michigan St. alumni onto the team. Davis-Clark has injury concerns but is still a good tackler and can contribute into Special Teams and possibly succeed in a Nickel package. He can contribute into the run game and would be a very attractive pick to the coaching staff and scouts.

Tell me what you guys think... I always like to post them here before I put them on my own site Bronco Madness.

A Notre Dame/Broncos Fans Dream May Sadly Come True

GarretBarnes — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:08:30 -0000

I am a Notre Dame fan. I love the Broncos even more, but I am a Notre Dame fan. I am a Brady Quinn advocate and when he was drafted I thought he was going to be the next great NFL QB. Still that does not mean I love Jay Cutler. In fact I also think that he is going to be one of the greatest Quarterbacks ever. (If he stays in orange and blue that is).

I hope Jay Cutler stays a Bronco more than anything, don't get me wrong. He is a fabulous signal caller and IF he stays a Bronco he will become a hall of famer without question. But that said, when I heard whispers of Brady Quinn as a Denver Bronco, my mouth started to water and I was lost in the joy of finally mixing my favorite NFL team, and my favorite college Quarterback. To me this was the greatest thing ever. (If I could only get past Jay Cutler leaving.)

Especially when you throw Shaun Rogers in to the equation, it is hard not to get pumped up about the thought of a Notre Dame QB in Broncos orange and blue. I have come to the conclusion that the Broncos and Jay Cutler will no longer be married by the end of this off-season and we will need a brand new option at Quarterback not just for now but for the long term.

I at first highly protested Josh McDaniels and felt as if he had ruined everything and that Cutler was innocent. Those feelings have blown over now, and I am left with a disgust for the way Jay Cutler has handled things and a brand new level of professional respect for the way Josh McDaniels has not backed down and made it clear that there is no such thing as an indispensable player under his regime.

So when a friend of mine asked me what I thought of the notion that Brady Quinn might be a Bronco I smiled and said it might be pleasant. But then came the crucial question. "Who would you rather have as a Denver Bronco?" he asked me.

I hadn't thought about that. While I knew it would be awesome having him as a Denver Bronco I never thought about which one I would rather have. I was absolutely dumbstruck. "Well, they are both good Quarterbacks, they would both be good," I told him trying to laugh it off.

He wasn't going to back down. "But seriously, who would you rather have?"

Then without a second thought, I opened my mouth. "Brady Quinn," I told him.

"Why?" He asked me. You see, he had this on going argument with me that Jay Cutler would not be the next star QB and that he was never going to be the next John Elway, Brett Favre, or Peyton Manning. He was satisfied.

So I told him what I am going to tell MHR today. It was not because he was from Notre Dame, but what I had gone through in the last few days had been enough to change my mind about Jay Cutler. I had grasped a lot about Cutler's leadership in the last few days. Clearly, he was not the kind of team captain I wanted on my team and would not fair well in the locker room. This was no Peyton Manning or John Elway.

Brady Quinn fits into our offense perfectly. He has ran it before, and I trust Josh McDaniels theory that sometimes a great system that fits with a good player will always be better than a great player that does not fit in well with a system. Brady Quinn had shown the ability to be a star and if he was in fact going to be a star QB like I once thought he would be, he could still pull that off.

So yes, I would rather have Brady Quinn. Don't get upset with me, because don't get me wrong: I would still love to have him on our team. But if I have the choice between a more talented crybaby who does not fit into our system and a better team leader who may not have the same physical talents but is the perfect fit for our team, I will choose the latter option.

Again, I love Jay Cutler, but he better get his act together or else I see a QB swap that would work out well for us.

My Broncos Mock Draft

GarretBarnes — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:40:36 -0000

Hey everyone, it has been a little while since I have done a fanpost over at MHR but I have been really busy with Bronco Madness and all. So I thought I would give you all a sneak preview of my mock draft before I go put it up on my own site. Tell me if I did anything extremely stupid because I would rather make a fool of myself here than over at my own site. =P

Round 1: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU. Oh how things change. I was pushing very hard to get Rey Maualuga here but with an injury, off the field problems, and Andra Davis being signed I think that we need to draft somebody on the Defensive Line. But, and there is a but my first choice B.J Raji is not available so it looks like the Broncos will chase after Tyson Jackson who is a Defensive End from LSU. He is a relatively safe pick and is the only true first round Defensive End in the 2009 Draft. He is great against the run and with the right coaching could excel against the pass too. He is taylor made to play in a 3-4 Defense and while I am still a bit wary of drafting Defensive Ends after Jarvis Moss, Tyson Jackson is the right person for the Broncos to draft.

Round 2: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College. If we don’t draft a Defensive Tackle in the first round then it is necessary that we get one in the second. It is by far our biggest need and Ron Brace would be the optimum fit for our defense. We can train him for a year or two but he could definitely come in after one season riding the bench and possibly be a star. I don't remember us ever having a legitimate star Defensive Tackle in the Shanahan era and with Mike Nolan and Josh McDaniels in town you can bet that they will be looking for one to fit our 3-4 defense that will soon be employed.

Round 3: Jason Phillips, MLB, TCU. It is really important that the Broncos get somebody besides Andra Davis in the middle before we face another epic Defensive collapse. While it will of course be hard finding somebody who can really fit our needs this late Jason Phillips might be a good start. He is a very good tackler who can intimidate most Running Backs and Tight Ends. You can fit him at any Linebacker position in my opinion but would of course be best in the middle where he might even be the second middle linebacker in the 3-4 system if he impresses enough in training camp. Andra Davis is a decent linebacker and an upgrade to anything we had last year but it would be even better if we could add some help with Jason Phillips in the third round.

Round 4: Coye Francies, CB, San Jose St. Coye Francies has seen his stock soar as of late but still has a lot of questions surrounding whether he could break even into the third round. If you ask me though he won't even though he should. Francies is a great player who is tight in coverage and has excellent speed. He is smooth and fluid with his hips and changes direction well. Even with the signings of Andre Goodman and Champ Bailey already in place the Broncos not only need depth but a bit more of a future. Coye Francies could battle Jack Williams or Josh Bell, or whoever we hope to build this Defensive Backs squad around in the future and be a great Special Teams player for now or come in situational.

Round 5: Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee. Here is the problem with the running back situation: If we draft a Running Back (which we should) we will be left with a total of 6-7 running backs when we enter training camp. Mind you, we had 8 injured so this might be smart but as it looks we will have 4 on the active roster and by picking a player in the 5th round we are guaranteeing to ourselves that we will drop a Correll Buckhalter, Ryan Torain, Lamont Jordan or J.J Arrington. It also puts our favorites like Peyton Hillis and his standing on the depth chart at risk. But when it is all said and done we need to do what is best for the team and that is drafting an underrated player like Arian Foster. Foster has great balance and hits the hole hard with a short and quick burst. While he lacks great speed, he might still be a solid addition to our roster or even the practice squad.

Round 5: Alex Fletcher, C, Stanford. I like Kory Lichtensteiger and I know that Casey Wiegmann is a Pro Bowler but when you think about it, nobody is safe under this new regime. Just ask Jay Cutler. That is why we don't know if Josh McDaniels is that crazy about Kory Lichtensteiger and therefore he might want to pick his own middle round Center. If he does I think it will involve Alex Fletcher a Center from my Stanford University which I live only 7 minutes away from. Because of that I have gotten the opportunity to see him play a lot and I know just what he is capable of. He is a strong blocker who is very accurate with his snaps. He also has potential as a great special teams blocker on punts. If he was available by the 5th round I think that it would be hard for our coaching staff to resist.

Round 7: Kory Sperry, TE, Colorado St. It looks like there is a chance Tony Scheffler might not be back next year and that Daniel Graham only has a few years left so a late round Tight End might be a good option for the Broncos. Or if neither you accept as reasons to draft one here is another one: are you not sick of the Chad Mustard, and Nate Jacksons who we keep signing and getting rid of all the time. If we want 4 Tight Ends on the roster: Graham, Scheffler, Putzier and one other lets get a permanent, home grown player. Sperry is about as home grown as it gets as he already comes from Colorado St. The new regime has already signed two former Colorado St. alumni to the team to warm up to fans and if we got Sperry it would do a good job of doing just that. Sperry is the most underrated Tight End in the class and could be a great receiving Tight End in the future.

Round 7: Kendell Davis-Clark, CB, Michigan St. It is tough for our new coach Josh McDaniels to draft Defensive Players on his first shot but he might be intrigued by Davis-Clark even though he is not the most talented Cornerback you could get at this point. Josh McDaniels started his career in Michigan St. and would really like to get some Michigan St. alumni onto the team. Davis-Clark has injury concerns but is still a good tackler and can contribute into Special Teams and possibly succeed in a Nickel package. He can contribute into the run game and would be a very attractive pick to the coaching staff and scouts.

Sam Bradford Not Applying...

GarretBarnes — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:48:55 -0000

I just read some crazy news. Apparently Sam Bradford of Oklahoma has decided to put off the NFL another year to play with the Sooners. I thought for sure that he would come to the NFL after winning a Heisman and being predicted as such a high picked QB. It could have really met the need for a QB for a lot of teams.

My thought on why he wanted to stay is to either make another run at the Heisman or simply try to win a Championship for Oklahoma. They will be losing a lot of players though so I am surprised he took the risk of staying.

Here is the news via Rivals.com:

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA (TICKER) —Sam Bradford helped ease the pain for Oklahoma fans still reeling from the Sooners’ 24-14 loss to Florida in the BCS championship game.

Despite being projected as a possible top pick in this year’s draft, the current Heisman Trophy winner announced Wednesday that he would return to Oklahoma for his junior season.

“After looking at all the information and weighing the pros and cons of both, I think that it is in my best interest to come back to Oklahoma,” Bradford said during a news conference.

Although just a sophomore, the 21-year-old Bradford was regarded by many scouts as the most NFL-ready quarterback had he entered the draft.

The Oklahoma City native paced the Football Bowl Subdivision this past season with 50 touchdowns while passing for 4,721 yards - the third-best mark in the FBS.

However, Bradford decided that his NFL career can wait at least one more year.

“I feel this is where my heart is and where I want to be,” said Bradford, who directed one of the most potent offenses in NCAA history in 2008.

Oklahoma scored an NCAA-record 702 points while becoming the first team in 89 years to surpass 60 or more points in five straight games.

The Sooners routed Missouri, 62-21, in the Big 12 Conference championship game to win their third straight league title.

However, Bradford was held in check by Florida in the BCS title game, passing for only 256 yards and throwing two interceptions against the Gators.

Bradford said the loss to Florida did not weigh heavily in his decision to come back to Oklahoma.

“I’ve dreamed about playing at Oklahoma since I was a little kid,” he said. “The last three years have been three of the best years of my life. There’s no reason to cut that experience short.

“I look forward to competing for a fourth straight Big 12 championship and another opportunity to win the national championship.”

Bradford continued a recent trend of Heisman Trophy winners returning to school the year after capturing the award. He follows Oklahoma’s Jason White in 2003, Southern California’s Matt Leinart in 2004 and Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007.

Bradford also became the third Oklahoma player to announce a return this week, joining defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and offensive tackle Trent Williams, who made his decision earlier Wednesday.

“Hopefully it sends a loud and clear message to other young guys out there that these (Oklahoma) guys value the experience of college,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said.

Poll

Should Sam Bradford Have Stayed In Oklahoma?

Yes

3 votes

No

6 votes

9 votes | Poll has closed

Michael Crabtree...

GarretBarnes — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:06:32 -0000

So I am kind of new here at Mocking The Draft but I love the draft and when not over at my site Bronco Madness covering it I thought that I would post here as another outlet for my so called "wisdom" or whatever you call it. I thought I would start out by talking a bit about Michael Crabtree who in my eyes could be the most controversial draft prospect in years. By that I mean while he would be a sure fire first rounder if he applies for the draft he could end from the last 10 picks to the number 1.

There is something about him and how he has those soft, prefect hands. That is the reason that I love him so much. Some people like fast, small receivers who have only average hands but when I look at a Wide Receiver the first things I look at are the three H's: hight, hands, and heart. I want them to be tall enough to stand over Cornerbacks and I want them to get high balls so that they can adjust to QB with their hight. I never want to see a receiver drop a big pass. That is my biggest pet peeve. As for heart, there are so many players at WR who just give up on plays. If the pass is thrown too high they won't jump. If it is too ahead they won't dive. If it is behind they will just give up. You need heart to help your QB when he messes up. That will happen.

Michael Crabtree if you have ever watched him has all of those things. So why is he controversial? The better question would be how isn't he? Crabtree is only a sophomore but since he was red shirted he can apply for the draft. Therefore it raises the question of experience. College Football has become an outlet for players who are very raw and untested to become more skilled and get ready for the NFL. It is almost a training program for them. So if you do not have that experience, should you be in the NFL after only to college seasons?

The second question that raises eyebrows about Michael Crabtree is the matter of timed speed. As you can see from what I said earlier that is not a problem to me for so many players get by in the NFL with only average speed but the traits that he does have. Timed speed is important though to most scouts because Cornerbacks have become so fast that if you can not control your speed on a moments notice and make quick moves then you will be stuck in coverage at all times resulting in Interceptions and Incomplete passes. It is a lot different from College Football where Interceptions are more rare then they are in the NFL.

via www.bcsfrenzy.com

The final point that should be made on why Michael Crabtree is controversial is that Texas Tech is well known for putting up big numbers with their play style. This is the same Achilles heel that killed Colt Brennan's draft stock last year at Hawaii. It can be very deceiving and make a player look a lot better than they really are. But still, Crabtree had over 1,900 reception yards. That stuff can very rarely be deceptive. Personally, I think he should apply for the draft but there are some questions.

What might make him hesitate is the lack of need for a big time Wide Receiver next year and even if teams to need one they have bigger priorities. Of all 32 teams this year I only saw 6 that were in a big need of a Wide Receiver. That means that he would less likely be needed. Besides, the position of Wide Receiver is not one that teams stretch farther for a player than they should. You can get a solid Wide Receiver until about the 4th round, sometimes more. That makes even more people wonder, "Wow... Should he come into the NFL this year?"

Finally, there is the matter of money. With the Bears (who I pegged as the number 1 pick drafting Crabtree) looking a heck of a lot better there are few teams in the top 10 picks who could use him which brings money into the equation. He will make more money if he waits another year. But, if his draft stock falls more then it would be a big mistake. There are so many things that could be put into play about him. This should worry him and whoever his agent is.

So I will leave it to you all to decide... What do you think of Michael Crabtree?

Poll

What Do You Think of The Crabtree Situation?

Should apply this year. He will be a star.

16 votes

Should not apply this year. He will be a star.

7 votes

Should apply this year. He will be a bust.

1 votes

Should not apply this year. He will be a bust.

0 votes

24 votes | Poll has closed

How I Became A Broncos Fan

GarretBarnes — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:34:45 -0000

I envy you who can say you were a life long Broncos fan. I really do. See I may be one of the Broncos biggest fans but I wasn't for my whole life. I end up loving teams from all around the globe due to the fact that I have lived all sorts of places. My friends and I actually joke about how my theme song is that Choice Hotels commercial where they sing "I've been everywhere... I've been everywhere".

After I graduated from college I moved down to Colorado because of business. I had never really cared that much about the Broncos before then. Nope. Believe it or not I was a KC Chiefs fan. Now I wasn't die hard like I am about the Broncos these days but that does not mean that I did not like them. I would tailgate, watch them on T.V, talk about them in the office.

Amplify that now a days to the Broncos when I will BBQ for the Broncos even when I live in California, watch them on DirecTV because they do not play out here and not only talk about them in the office but run a blog all about them. See my first sign of that I would become a Broncos fan was that my best friend I met in the office was a huge Broncos fan. He basically just made me get drunk on Orange Koolaid, and orange crush, and anything else orange and blue.

It did not take long before I started to pay attention to the Broncos. I would sometimes watch their games, and listen to what they said on T.V about them but I was still a Chiefs fan. But then I went to my first Broncos game. From that day on I was hooked on everything orange & blue.

I will never forget the feeling of walking into Mile High for the first time. It was amazing. I became a sucker for traditions like the classic IN-COM-PLETE!!!!!!! At first I was like "What the hell is wrong with that announcer? Does he not think we know it was incomplete?" It is funny looking back at it now. See there is something special about Broncos fans. The only other team that has fans as good as the Broncos is the Eagles and even then they do not compare.

As you can see now my love grew and grew and grew for the Broncos. One of the saddest things I ever had to do was leave Denver and move to the North East. I have not been to a home game since. See us Broncos fans are special. We are not like most fans.

We uphold traditions and love our team through all of the ups and downs. You can't just say I kind of like the Broncos. You love the Broncos or you just don't care at all about them. But you should. There is nothing like being a Broncos fan. You special and not mainstream. It's better than being a Cowboys fans who are a dime a dozen. So go Broncos!

How Did We Go 13-3?

GarretBarnes — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:26:22 -0000

What has it been 3 years since we were one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl and went 13-3? But I am looking back at it today and saying to myself how good we have it. When you think of our team I do not see any star power on our offense. Unless you count Jake Plummer and he was washed up.

I think that we should be proud of where we are today. We have a star of the future QB, one of the leagues best WRs, some great defensive backs, and a young d-line. Look at our roster from that year:

Offense

Quarterback: Jake Plummer and Bradlee Van Pelt
Runningbacks: Mike Anderson, Ron Dayne, Tatum Bell and Cecil Sapp
Fullbacks: Kyle Johnson
Wide Receivers: Ashley Lelie, Rod Smith, Darius Watts, Charlie Adams, Todd Devoe and David Terrell
Tight Ends: Jeb Putzier, Stephen Alexander, Nate Jackson and Wesley Dukes
Right Tackle: George Foster and Cornell Green
Right Guard: Ben Hamilton
Center: Tom Nalen
Left Guard: Cooper Carlisle, Chris Myers
Left Tackle: Matt Lepsis

Defense

Defensive Ends: Trevor Pryce, Courtney Brown, Ebenezer Ekuban and John Engleberger
Defensive Tackles: Gerrard Warren, Demetrin Veal and Michael Myers
Linebackers: Al Wilson, DJ Williams, Ian Gold, Keith Burns, Patrick Chukwurah and Louis Green
Cornerbacks: Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams, Domonique Foxworth, Karl Paymah and Roc Alexander
Free Safeties: John Lynch
Strong Safeties: Sam Brandon, Nick Ferguson

We could have a real good season this year. If you can name me one player on this offense at the level Brandon Marshall or Tony Scheffler is, I would be amazed. Half of these players are not even on a team let alone starting. Is Jake Plummer officially retired yet? I can only imagine what our team will be like. So where do we need to improve?

I think that our running game will need to step it up a bit. I think we also know that we need to stop the run. Jay Cutler just needs to mature a bit and if Brandon Marshall is not suspended I think that we could go all the way to the playoffs this year. Don't feel bad about your team! We are actually looking okay compared to that 13-3 season. But here is the ultimate question. Who would win in a football game? Our 2008 team or our 2005 team? That is by the way a serious question.

Poll

Who would win, our 2005 team or our new 2008 team?

2005 Team

34 votes

2008 Team

54 votes

88 votes | Poll has closed

31 Reasons That Broncos Fans Should Not Feel Bad

GarretBarnes — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:56:01 -0000

In times like these with B-Marsh in Vegas, us coming off of a 7-9 record and the fact that we have gone two seasons without a playoff birth we have to hold hope. So I have compiled a list of 31 reasons that we should not feel bad about our team. Things can be worse and I am here to show you why. There is one reason for every team. So remember, when you are feeling down about the Broncos and you can't get the thought of us losing off of your mind just come look at all these different reasons to hold out hope for us.

Reason #31, Dolphins: We didn't go 1-11 then become so desperate that we needed to take the Tuna out from retirement not to coach but to work in some office at a position that doesn't really matter.

Reason #30, Rams: We didn't come into the season with the one of the best QBs, best RBs, and best WRs, and still end up the second worst in the league.

Reason #29, Falcons: We didn't put our entire season in the hands of some dogfighting, lawbreaking loser, who isn't even a real QB and when they left cried like little babies and had to spend our first round pick just to forget about him.

Reason #28, Raiders: We aren't the Raiders. THANK THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!

Reason #27, Chiefs: We don't have a starting QB who can't win a game on his home turf after playing half of season and actually winning the QB job.

Reason #26, Jets: We don't have one of the greatest comeback seasons ever with the comeback player of the year then come back and go 4-12. Not to mention be stupid enough to not notice that there are guys in Patriots sweatshirts videotaping you.

Reason #25, 49ers: We don't have a QB position battle so open that a Center could probably be allowed to compete in it and win.

via deseretnews.com

Reason #24, Ravens: We did not have the best defense in the AFC content with our QB then came in and suddenly decided our QB was terrible and our defense sucked so we changed them completely in the draft.

Reason #23, Bengals: Brandon Marshall's arrest may have been bad but just remember that half of our team was not arrested and once we were done with that our best player demanded a trade only to come crying back saying that he "acted psycho".

Reason #22, Saints: We did not use our second overall pick in the NFL Draft on a backup running back who averages 3 yards per carry.

Reason #21, Bills: Our second round pick star of the future linebacker was not taken out for the entire season because of an injury in the 3rd game of the season.

Reason #20, Panthers: We did not rely on the washed up, ancient Vinny Testeverde to help us get through half of the season. That's something to be proud of!

Reason #19, Bears: We did not lose in the Super Bowl and then end the following season last in our division and 7-9.

Reason #18, Lions: We did not trade our Pro Bowl CB for a backup running back who had only 100 yards. We also did not pick the best player in the draft only to be riddled by injuries in his rookie season.

Reason #17, Cardinals: We did have two star WRs, the second QB taken off the draft board in 2006, a Pro Bowl RB, and one of the best Safeties in the league only to face two straight mediocre seasons. Instead we got the 3rd QB drafted and guess what? He played better than the first two.

Reason #16, Vikings: We did not have the rookie of the year, the best defense in the league, and the best running game in the NFL but still miss the playoffs.

Reason #15, Texans: The QB which we thought would be our savior did not get injured and be replaced by the average Sage Rosenfels.

Reason #14, Eagles: We did not rely on the health of our QB and finally when he had a relatively healthy season we still did not go 8-8.

Reason #13, Browns: We did not go 10-6 and still somehow managed to miss the playoffs. I know that sucks!

Reason #12, Buccaneers: We did not have a RB who completely fooled us in his rookie season with what we thought was skill and a QB who is what? 37 or something years old.

via cache.daylife.com

Reason #11, Redskins: It may have happened a long time ago but it would still haunt us today if we would have traded Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis.

Reason #10, Seahawks: We did not get lead to the Super Bowl by a Madden Cover boy, MVP, and record breaker, RB only to lose the Super Bowl and have that RB follow it up with two straight below 1,000 yard seasons. Bye bye Shaun Alexander.

Reason #9, Steelers: We did not have our QB and team leader win a Super Bowl then nearly kill himself on motorcycle.

Reason #8, Titans: We did not supply our rookie of the year QB with no receivers and then when you have a chance to draft some you wait to the 4th round.

Reason #7, Chargers: Our RB when he does not win a playoff game does not go home and cry. We do not have a punk QB caught on cameras smack talking the other team from across the field.

Reason #6, Jaguars: We did not start the 2007 season season as the least liked team in the NFL. It did not take us a decade to find a good QB.

Reason #5, Packers: Our legendary QBs ride off into the Sunset was not throwing an Interception in overtime IN A PLAYOFF GAME just to be eliminated by the future Super Bowl winners.

Reason #4, Cowboys: We do not have a QB who loses every playoff game and when his girlfriend comes to watch we do not lose.

Reason #3, Colts: We do not have WR who gets interviewed in murder cases and hurts our chances of winning because he is "injured". It seems like it is "Im too tired, I don't want to play today."

Reason #2, Patriots: We do not have a perfect season until the Super Bowl when we lose to the Giants. We were not caught cheating and were not involved in the biggest scandal that the NFL has ever seen.

Reason #1, Giants: We do not only win in front of other teams fans only to get boos and make every fan in New York angry. But then again they did win the Super Bowl!

Do you feel better now? Things could be a lot worse for the good ol' Broncos right now. So next time you feel down because the Broncos are losing or Brandon Marshall is being stupid again, or that you are just losing hope for us, just come here and see that this is not the worst thing that has happened to a team. Things could be worse. I mean let's face it we could be the Raiders. ;)