SB Nation Blog: ejruiz

Yeah, I'm Still Thinking About the 2008 Draft.

ejruiz — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:12:50 -0000

We've talked up the Broncos 2008 Draft haul here at MHR for a while now. The Draft itself was a bit shocking, but as several contributers stepped up and shared their well-researched opinions on our new players, I think we all ended up please by the process. Much the same has happened with our decisions in free agency this reloading season, but that's not the focus on this post. I just wanted to share this tidbit by Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown about Denver's most recent draft:

It's obviously still very early but this could be one of Denver's best Draft Day hauls in years. In fact, every one of their selections is probably capable of making a pro roster and contributing in one form or another. Not only did Denver address their greatest need (left tackle) and land prospects who are a perfect fit for their system but they got good value throughout the draft and it even looks like they might have hit on a couple of late rounders. Denver is going to be an interesting team to watch in 2008 and while it's hard to envision them overtaking San Diego in the AFC West they could certainly compete for a Wild Card spot and maybe even make some noise in the playoffs. This draft class doesn't offer a lot of flash and Clady is the only sure-fire rookie starter but the long-term prognosis looks bright.

GRADE: B

I invite you all to take a moment and read the full article, because I found it interesting. He basically echoes the opinions expressed by many of the community here, but that's significant because he's not a Broncos fan! He's also a respected member of the draft-watching community (media passes to the Senior Bowl, Combine, etc.) so it's not like he's some kook in the basement of his mother's house. I believe the grade was supressed because of the lack of "flash" and early picks, but the comments give you the feeling that a 'B' is the floor for this group. I'm excited about this all over again and I thought I'd share it with you in case you've missed it. Cheers, and go Broncos!

Another Look At The Draft (1996-2005)

ejruiz — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:48:00 -0000

As Broncos fans, we've suffered through what feels like an inordinant ammount of weak draft classes over the last dozen years, but was that actually the case? There is no denying that our choices have often failed to live up to expectations or even the lowest acceptable levels, but how do we compare to other teams around the league in this regard? Our good friends at Pro Football Reference recently tried their hand at quantifying the results of the ten NFL Drafts from 1996 to 2005 and I found their conclusions interesting, to say the least. For there methodology and other details, please check out the full article here. I'll go ahead and give you the Broncos' specific tidbits below.

According to their research, Clinton Portis was the 21st best draft pick of that era and Willie Middlebrooks was the 34th worst; those were the only two Denver picks to figure in the top and bottom 35 lists. As a team, we ranked 17th in the league overall, worse than average, but certainly middle of the pack. We were actually 7th when it came to first round draft picks, but only 19th on what was then "the second day" picks that should have built depth and strengthened the special teams. Our best picks were Clinton Portis, Al Wilson and Trevor Pryce, with Willie Middlebrooks, Marcus Nash and Paul Toviessi as the three worst.

I feel as though we really turned the corner with the draft in 2006 and continued our good work since then, so our stats in that regard should improve. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that, as bad as we've been, there are about as many teams that have been worse as opposed to better; that makes me feel better about the potential for wasted opportunities due to bad picks. Does this information surprise you? Is it encouraging or disppointing? Do you even agree with the methodology and/or conclussions? Have it, Broncos fans!

2009 Mock? Sure, Why Not.

ejruiz — Wed, 14 May 2008 21:43:32 -0000

I'll be using the 2008 draft order so as to avoid any confusion and debate regarding that aspect of this experiment, but I seriously don't believe we'll experience that level of deja vu! First round, no trades allowed (other than the ones already made, of course), no underclassmen and the obvious caveat that it's way too early for this to be anything more than silly fun. Without further ado...

    1. Miami Dolphins: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
    2. St. Louis Rams: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
    3. Atlanta Falcons: Fili Moala, DT, USC
    4. Oakland Raiders: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss
    5. Kansas City Chiefs: Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
    6. New York Jets: William Moore FS Missouri
    7. San Francisco 49ers: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
    8. Baltimore Ravens: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
    9. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
  10. New Orleans Saints: Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
  11. Buffalo Bills: Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin
  12. Denver Broncos: James Laurinaitis ILB Ohio State
  13. Philadelphia Eagles (from Panthers): Jeremy Perry, OG, Oregon State
  14. Chicago Bears: Curtis Painter, QB, Purdue
  15. Detroit Lions: Victor Harris, CB, Virginia Tech
  16. Arizona Cardinals: James Davis, RB, Clemson
  17. Minnesota Vikings: Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
  18. Houston Texans: Demetrius Byrd, WR, LSU
  19. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Max Unger, OT, Oregon
  21. Washington Redskins: Michael Hamlin, SS, Clemson
  22. Cleveland Browns: Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Herman Johnson, OG, LSU
  24. Tennessee Titans: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
  25. Seattle Seahawks: Alex Boone, OT, Ohio State
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon
  27. San Diego Chargers: Nic Harris, FS, Oklahoma
  28. Dallas Cowboys: Aaron Kelly, WR, Clemson
  29. Indianapolis Colts: Darius Hill, TE, Ball State
  30. Green Bay Packers: Arian Foster, RB, Tennessee
  31.  New England Patriots: Marlon Lucky, RB, Nebraska
  32. New York Giants: Sean Lee, OLB, Penn State

MHR Scouting - The SEC

ejruiz — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:56:40 -0000

SEC stands for Speed Earns Championships. Actually, it stands for Southeastern Conference, but the former is just about as true. If you think I'm kidding, just ask the Ohio State Buckeyes, back-to-back national runners-up to the University of Florida Gators (2006) and Lousiana State University Tigers (2007). Though the SEC is college football's flagship conference now, it also has a storied history.

The SEC began play in 1933, founded by 13 universities that broke off from the old Southern Conference in order to shine on their own. Three original members have since left (Sewanee in 1940, Georgia Tech in 1964 and Tulane in 1966) and two others (Arkansas and South Carolina) joined for play starting in 1992. After that expansion, the conference divided its twelve teams into two divisions (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt in the East and Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Lousiana State, Mississippi and Mississippi State in the West) with the winners of each matching-up for a championship game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome prior to the bowl season every year. This rich tradition, fueled by passionate support, leads to top-notch competition.

In the South, college football is the unofficial religion. Saturday is the true Sabbath, stadiums are their temples and sinners are separated from saints by the scoreboard and the standings. Average capacity at an SEC home stadium is 78,115 and they sell out with ease. They have TV ties to CBS on a national level and various other local channels throughout the region. There are 25 official rivalries involving SEC teams, some of which are inactive or not very competitive at the moment, but most of which are red-hot. I'll delve into them more in detail at a later date, either before the games are played or in a single, separate post prior to the start of the season. Sufficed to say for now: the SEC is home to some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. Teams and players that make it out of this conference are among the best in the land and they often prove just that in the postseason and beyond.

SEC schools have laid claim to 24 national championships in football, including six since 1992 and three since 2003. The conference was dominated by Florida, Tennessee and Georgia in the 90's and by LSU, Florida, Georgia and Auburn so far this decade. Though the dredges have at times been among the weakest squads in the nation, the conference is typically very deep and nothing short of elite at the top. Great teams are usually lead by great players and the SEC has had no shortage of either. In 2007, for instance, four star athletes (QB Tim Tebow of Florida, RB Darren McFadden of Arkansas, OC Jonathan Luigs of Arkansas and DT Glenn Dorsey of LSU) combined to win 9 of college football's 25 prestigious individual awards; meanwhile, Dorsey and his Tigers won the conference's second consecutive national title. The SEC has also fared well at the next level, in both the NFL draft and on the playing field.

Since expanding to its current size in 1992, the SEC has had, on average, over six (6.19) players selected in the first round of 16 NFL Drafts. They've had four players chosen in the top 11 picks in three of the last four years. On the NFL's Opening Day in 2007, the SEC had more players (263) on active rosters than any other conference. The Denver Broncos currently have 19 players from the SEC on their roster, including at least 11 that will garner significant playing time in 2008 and beyond. Jason Witten (TE, Cowboys/Tennessee), Alan Faneca (OG, Steelers/LSU), Albert Haynesworth (DT, Titans/Tennessee), Patrick Willis (ILB, 49ers/Ole Miss), Fred Taylor (RB, Jaguars/Florida), Jason Peters (OT, Arkansas), DeMeco Ryans (ILB, Texans/Alabama) and our own Champ Bailey (CB, Broncos/Georgia) were former SEC standouts that were named to the NFL's 2007 All-Pro teams. Keep in mind that that list doesn't even include other stars like Chris Samuels (OT, Redskins/Alabama), Tony Ugoh (OT, Colts/Arkansas), Marcus McNeill (OT, Chargers/Auburn), Lito Shepard (CB, Eagles/Florida), Will Witherspoon (LB, Rams/Georgia), Marlon McCree (S, Broncos/Kentucky), Jospeh Addai (RB, Colts/LSU), Eli Manning (QB, Giants/Ole Miss), Eric Moulds (WR, Titans/Mississippi State), John Abraham (DE, South Carolina), Peyton Manning (QB, Colts/Tennessee) and our own Jay Cutler (QB, Broncos/Vanderbilt), as well as dozens of others who played their college ball in the SEC.

I have been a fan of the Florida Gators, and by extension SEC football, since the 1994 season or so. It will be my pleasure to share my knowledge of this college football conference with you all in 2008 and perhaps even beyond. Moreover, I am currently a sophomore at the University of Florida, so I may even be able to scout some of the Gators games in person as well. I will analyze the SEC's games, stats and highlights, in order to uncover potential future Broncos in the making. Hopefully you will find this interesting and entertaining, because it will certainly be that for me. Welcome to the SEC, my friends: this is college football. Cheers!

2008 Re-Draft.

ejruiz — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:44:44 -0000

Yeah, it's way too early to judge this draft. Then again, it's actually too early to judge the draft netted us Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, etc. This is mostly an excersize in fun or a form of venting, but it's something that I feel like doing and I hope you forgive me for endulging myself. And so, without further ado, here's how I wish it would have gone down knowing all that we know now.

#12 - Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State: Yeah, I was on the Chris Williams bandwagon for a long while, but I get this pick. Since the braintrust felt comfortable investing this much in him, I assume they believe he should be able to compete for the starting LT spot from Game 1. He has a high ceiling and we needed an LT. I wish we could have traded up for Sed Ellis or even Glenn Dorsey, but who knows if that was ever possible. An RB would have made a bigger splash, but I believe in our current stabble. This is a fine pick, in my book.

#42 - Dexter Jackson, KR/WR, Appalachian State: If we valued a return man this highly, I wish we would have taken a shot at the guy I believe will be the best one out of this draft. I like his chances to become a viable slot receiver as much as Royal's and I believe his ceiling there is even higher. I don't mind the Royal pick, I just would have gone in a different direction myself.

#108 - Dre Moore, DT, Maryland: There are serious questions about this kid and his motor, but his talent is undeniable. We took a shot drafting Marcus Thomas and trading for Dewayne Robertson (not to mention all the other guys that have come and gone at the position) so why not go all in and gamble on a guy like this at this time? Beats me.

#119 - Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M: Here's another guy we thought about as a possibility in the second round at some point, so getting him here would have been exceptional value. He's a run-stuffer extraordiare and we could have used someone like him. The fact that we didn't get anyone like that is a tough pill to swallow, especially when we passed on him for a guy who will likely be nothing more than a special teamer. I don't mean to demean that contribution, but we had bigger fish to fry and plenty of latter picks with which to address that need. He would have been a nice compliment to the rest of our DT at this point.

#139 - Johnathan Goff, ILB, Vanderbilt: This has nothing to do with a Vandy connection or anything of that sort; this has everything to do with value and appropriate roster building. I have faith in Niko, but we'd be foolish to put all of our eggs in one basket. The braintrust saw a need for depth here, but waited to long and got someone with no real chance of pushing K2.

#148 - Durant Brooks, P, Georgia Tech: The only negative thing I've ever read about him as a punter is that he can put too much on kicks from time to time. Great power for both distance and hangtime plus good placement equals a solid NFL punter. It would have been nice to sure this position up for a long time to come.

#183 - Steve Justice, C, Wake Forrest: I'll give you that our braintrust wanted Lichtensteiger more and that he may well be the better prospect, but getting him here is at least equal value and would have allowed us to address more pressing needs earlier on. He's a very good center in his own right and I think we were all comfortable with him much higher than this.

#220 - Josh Barrett, S, Arizona State: I have a soft spot for toolsy guys (I apologize for the baseball term) and this guy has awesome triangle numbers for a 7th round pick. At worst he's good, young depth and has starter upside. He's a solid special teamer in the meantime, I think

#227 - Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia: It'd be nice to wait and snag a guy like this as a CFA, but he didn't make it out of the draft. He has a strong leg and is a good field goal kicker. He's reasonably clutch, too. Basically, he's an NFL caliber kicker who could be trying 60 yarders in Denver. He would have been a good heir to Jason Elam.

CFA to target: Eric Young (OG, Tennessee), Ezra Butler (OLB, Nevada), Jamar Adams (S, Michigan), Erin Henderson (LB, Maryland), Ali Highsmith (OLB, LSU), Wesley Woodyard (S/OLB, Kentucky), Marcus Griffin (S, Texas), J Leman (ILB, Illinois) and Mike Dragosavich (P, North Dakota State). We should also check in on Tommy Blake (DE, TCU) and Ben Moffitt (ILB, USF) to see if they got their heads on straight now, because they're plenty talented.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I think my draft would have jived better with our needs and gotten the most value possible. In all honesty, I think our actual draft was acceptable because of the strength of the rest of our reloading season. It'll be years before we can accurately judge what went on this weekend, but I'll take the risk of jumping the gun now. I feel better because of it, maybe you should try it, too!

I Have a Dream (Mock).

ejruiz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:17:43 -0000

As the date draws nigh, we are all getting a better idea of what we want our Broncos to accomplish in the draft. I share my hopes below the fold. NOTE: they're basically identical to what I've stated before, so there should be no real surprises, but still...

With the #17 Pick in the MHR Community Mock Draft...

ejruiz — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:02:48 -0000

Hello, everyone! I've been asked by TSG to post a Diary with my pick for the Denver Broncos in our community's Mock Draft and the rationale behind it. And so, without further ado, it is my honor to present to you (below the fold) our newest Bronco!

Another Broncos Mock.

ejruiz — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:37:39 -0000

Styg50 was kind enough to share his current Broncos mock and in depth analysis to boot, so I figured I'd do much of the same. The reason being that we have very different approaches to this particular draft and Denver's strategy within it.

Two-Round Mock.

ejruiz — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:13:18 -0000

Those of you who have ever tried to do this know how difficult it can be. I've been working on this year's version for a while now and I still don't feel all that comfortable with it. Seeing as we're about to partake in our own little mock drafting experiment, however, I figured it'd be a fine time to post my solo attempt. Have at it!

My Bullpen.

ejruiz — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:23:24 -0000

The Braves have a wonderful dileman on their hands: too many qualified relievers for a limited number of spots in the bullpen. Personally, I think the solution is rather simple, but I'm sure some of you may disagree.