SB Nation User Blog: gnarlybroncodude

Pro Bowl

gnarlybroncodude — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:42:21 -0000

I know the Pro Bowl in a popularity contest and most people on this site do not really like it. Voting for the Pro Bowl ends December 21st. The Broncos have some players in the fan voting section that are in the running at their positions but the only player #1 is Champ Bailey. We need to make a final push to get some of our players the recognition they deserve.

The latest from the Pro Bowl Voting

Champ Bailey remains the highest vote-getter among cornerbacks in the AFC. His teammate in the secondary, Brian Dawkins, is No. 2 at the strong safety position behind Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu. Elvis Dumervil is second at outside linebacker behind a Steelers player, as well — James Harrison. Eddie Royal rounds out the current list of Broncos in contention for the Pro Bowl, currently third at kick returner behind San Diego’s Darren Sproles and Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs.

Fresh off his record-breaking day against the Indianapolis Colts, Brandon Marshall is not listed among the top five wide receivers in the AFC — Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco and Wes Welker are first through fifth, respectively, in the voting.

The first time the NFL sent out a Pro Bowl voting update, Ryan Clady, Matt Prater andD.J. Williams were fifth at their respective positions. They are not listed this time around.

There are 4 players on this team that should be starters in the Pro Bowl.

1. Brandon Marshall-He is the BEAST and arguably the best WR in the AFC. He deserves to go to the Pro Bowl more then the 5 top WR currently in the Top 5 in fan Voting

2. Elvis "DOOM" Dumervil- It is amazing how well he has transitioned to OLB and simply dominated. He is currently 2nd behind James Harrison. Harrison is a great OLB but DOOM is have a much better year.

3. Ryan Clady- This guy is the Top LT in the AFC and there is no reason he should not start in the Pro Bowl. His sack numbers are up from last year but the Oline as a whole is not as good as last year.

4. Brian Dawkins- How is Troy Polamalu 1st when he has been injured most of the year. Dawkins is playing like he is 25 and not 35. He is showing how important it is to have a great safety on your team.

There are also a few players that I would like to see get in.

5. Eddie Royal- not as a WR but as a KR/PR. I really do not want Sproles to take that top spot because of my hate for the Dolts. That is the main reason I have voted for him

6-Matt Prater- Yes he missed a FG against Indy but he has been a really good kicker on FG this year and stellar kickoffs. This guy deserves to at least be in the top 3 for kickers in the AFC

7. Andre Goodman- He has been just as effective, if not more effective then Champ this year. He has embraced playing on the other side of one of the best CB ever and he has flourished in his role. He is having a stellar year. He is not getting any attention because he is a Bronco. He will most likely not get in because there are some great corners in the AFC

Now if we can get the 2000 plus members of this site to vote at least 10 times per day that would really make a push and support our players. If we can get 20,000+ votes over the next 6 days it will give every one of our favorite Bronco players 120,000 extra votes before the end of voting. I do not know if that amount of votes will help at this point in time but we should at least try. Lets get out there and support out players. GO AND VOTE TODAY

Broncos Country Madden Online League

gnarlybroncodude — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:17:58 -0000

I was recently made the Commish of this league by ChacoP without any notification, which is ok. Sorry it took so long to sim week one but I did not know i was made the commish of the league. I sim'd week one about 1 week ago and most people have yet to play their games for week 2. Can you all go in and play your games for week to as soon as you get a chance. I would like to make this a serious/active league and sim every week every 2-4 days. This will make it more enjoyable for everyone involved. If you are playing someone else during the week please talk with each other to set up a time to play. If you are part of the league and have any suggestions please let me know.

Madden 10 Online Franchise

gnarlybroncodude — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:13:44 -0000

I know Madden 10 comes out tonight at Midnight and they have the great new feature of the Online Franchise. I have been waiting for this feature forever and I am happy it is here. I want to get a league together instead of playing against a bunch of stangers/the computer. It would be great to get 32 people together to play in a league. well maybe we can let the computer play as the rest of the AFC West lol. I know a lot of people on here have different prefrences on XBOX 360 or PS3. I have both. My 360 does freeze a bit too much however.

Is anyone interested in setting up a league with me? Also we should get a list of everyones PS3 & Xbox live handles so we can all play against eachother. I know everyone will want to be the Broncos in an online league but I think it would be fun anyways. Hopefully enough people will be into this idea. Let me know what you think.

Moreno

gnarlybroncodude — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:28:02 -0000

According to the Denver Post Knowshon Moreno is close to signing a 5 year deal with over $12.5 million in guaranteed money. Hopefully they can get this done tonight or tomorrow so he can get in camp soon. I think we have great depth at the RB postion this year so its not that big of a deal but you do not draft a player at 12 and bench him. That would be a waste of Money. The one thing I love about McDaniels is that each player has to earn their playing time. This concept seemed lost the last few years Shanahan was the coach. I think Knowshon can beat out people in camp but i would not be surprised to see the ball split alot between Torain, Hillis and Moreno. Personally rooting a little bit for Torain; hope he can stay healthy.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2009/08/06/knowshon-deal-close/

Broncos will take calls regarding BM

gnarlybroncodude — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:36:09 -0000

Broncos will take calls regarding BM

Adam Schfter reported on his twitter page that the Broncos will field calls about Brandon Marshall but they will not make calls to other teams. He also believes they would part with him for a 1st round pick.

Misconception of Small/Slow Cornerbacks

gnarlybroncodude — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:22:12 -0000

I have been reading through different posts on this site and reflecting on the draft for the past few days. I think the most controversial pick of the draft was Alphonso Smith. Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders gave up our first round pick next year for the 37th pick in this years draft. This did not sit well and still does not sit well with a lot of the members on MHR. Reading through the comments most people say "How do we give up a 1st round pick for a 5'9'' 193 lbs cornerback" or "This was the stupidest move, slow small corners never succeed at the NFL Level" These are very discouraging statements for some Bronco Fans. I decided to do some research to see how "Small Cornerbacks" fare in the NFL. I think you will like the results.

I found that there are plenty of smaller cornerbacks that are having successful careers. I looked at corners that were 5'10'' and 5'9'' because 1 inch is not that much. Through the research I looked at every NFL team and I found some big names that are considered by most to be small corners. Most of the guys below are household names for most NFL fans.

1. Lito Sheppard 5'10'' 194lbs- Lito has been in the NFL 8 seasons an has had a very successful career. He was drafted 26th overall by the Eagles in 2002. He has played in 93 games, starting 63, recording 256 tackles, 18 Interceptions, 3 sacks, 49 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. One interesting fact about Sheppard is he and Ed Reed are the only two players in NFL history to have multiple interception returns of 100 yards or more in NFL history. He is also the cousin of current Bronco WR Jabar Gaffney. At Florida University he started 22 games recording 8 interceptions and 87 tackles and also returned 27 kickoffs for 472 yards. Lito ran a 4.49 and 4.5 at his pro day in 2002. Lito is a two time Pro Bowler and 1 time All Pro selection.

2. Dunta Robinson 5'10'' 184lbs- Robinson has been in the league 5 years and was drafted 10th overall in the 2004 draft. He has quickly become one of the top corners in the league. He has recorded 329 tackles, 13 interceptions, 4 sacks, and 45 passes defended. The Texans used the franchise on him this year however would have received a huge pay day if the would have hit the open market. He played college ball at South Carolina where he started at safety but switched to corner his junior year. He finishe at South Carolina with 114 Tackles, 5 INT and 22 passes defended and was timed at 4.45 at his pro day. Dunta was the Defensive ROY in 2004

3. Cortland Finnegan 5'10'' 188 lbs- Finnegan is a guy that had a career year in 2008 and made the Pro Bowl. He has accumulated 235 tackles, 6 interceptions, 4 sacks, and 38 passes defended. He is a very physical corner for his size, however he did benefit from a good pass rush this past year. His 40 time is 4.46. However Cortland was a 7th round draft pick so there were not as high expectations on him. He is also a one time All Pro team selection.

4. Brandon Flowers 5'9'' 187 lbs- He was the 35th pick in the 2nd round in 2008 for the Chiefs. He had a very impressive rookie season and that is saying a lot coming from a Bronco Fan. He will be a star in this league for years. He finished his first year with 69 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 passes defended. He played in 41 games, including 28 starts at Virginia Tech and recorded 158 tackles, 17 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, 32 passes defended, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He ran the 40 at the combine at 4.5.

5. Asante Samuel 5'10'' 185 lbs. Samuels is considered a top 5 cornerback in the league. He was selected in the 4th round of the 2003 draft by NE. He has amassed 267(239 solo) tackles, 26 interceptions, 83 passes defended, 4 TD. He played his college ball at Central Florida where he amassed 127 tackles, 8 interceptions, 38 passes deflected. Runs the 40 in 4.53. 2 time Pro Bowler, 1 All-Pro Selection, 2 time SB Champ. I believe Alphonso reminded McDaniels of Asante.

6.DeAngelo Hall 5'10'' 195 lbs- Hall is not my favorite guy but he is a good corner in the right system. Going into his 6th season he has amassed 301 tackles, 22 interceptions, 2 TD, 1 sack and 57 passes defended. During his college career at VT he had 190 tackles, 20 passes defended, 8 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Hall is very fast and has recorded the 40 in 4.37. Two Time Pro Bowler

7. Antoine Winfield 5'9'' 180 lbs- He is probably the most underrated cornerback in the league. He went to his 1st pro bowl in 2008. However he has been in the league for 10 years and he has have multiple years where he should have made the pro bowl. In his 10 years he has accumulated 685 tackles (592solo), 20 interceptions, 2 TD, 66 passes defended, 3 sacks. He finished his college career at Ohio State with 278 tackles. This was the only stat I could find for Winfield in college. There was not much info on his 40 but I found it one place that he ran a 4.4 coming out of college.

8. Ronde Barber 5'10'' 184 lbs- He has been in the league for 14 years and has had a successful career with the Bucs. During his long career he has recorded 675 tackles(569 solo), 37 interceptions, 7 TD, 98 passes defended, 23 sacks, 9 Forced Fumbles. He has had an amazing career in Tampa and he is another undervalued corner. 5 time Pro Bowler and 5 time All-Pro Selection. 1 time SB winner

The 8 players above are all active players on NFL rosters. The are all starting for their teams and contribute to their teams defense in a big way. Between them they have gone to the Pro Bowl 12 times. They have been selected to 8 All Pro Teams. Samuel has 2 SB rings and Barber has one. They have combined for 14 career interceptions. Every one of these players are essential to what their team does on defense because their job is to lock down the opposing teams #1 WR. These are very impressive stats for what most people would call either a small corner or a small/slow corner.

The Broncos traded up to get Alphonso Smith this past weekend and a lot of people did not like the move. He is listed at 5'9'' and 193 lbs on DenverBronco.com. He is what most people consider a small/slow cornerback. However Smith is by far the most productive corner is this years draft and one of the most productive corners in college football history. He is one of 3 players this century that have 20 or more career interceptions and there are only 9 other playes in the college football history that have more picks then Alphonso Smith. That is a very impressive statement. Smith played a significant role for the Wake Forrest defense for four years. Most scouting reports you will read on Smith will say he is quick, has great instincts, has great hands and is rarely out of position. The only knock on him is his size at 5'9''. He started 40 of 50 games at WF, recording 189 tackles ( 153 Solo), 9 sacks for minus 59 yards, 23.5 stops for losses for 98 yards, 8 forced fumbles. He holds the schools all time records with 40 pass deflections and 61 passes defended. His 21 career interceptions are also an ACC record and it ranks him 10th in NCAA history. He returned 4 of his career interceptions for touchdowns and blocked 5 kicks. His senior season he was one of 5 finalist for the Bronko Nagurski award, given to the nation's best defensive player.

If you took away his height and weight away and showed someone his college production they would project him as a top 10 pick. He is one of the most productive corners coming out college in years. I personally watched him on NFL network during the practices at the Senior Bowl and during the game. He was by far the most impressive corner that week. He was always in the right place to either knock the ball down or make the interception. I know everyone has their opinion to what the ideal height for a corner is but if you can play corner effectively and shut down the opposing receiver it does not matter if you are 6'2'' or 5'9". I think people look took much into height and weight when evaluating any player coming out of college. You can look at the measurables all you want and make your opinion from it but you should put on the game tape because the tape does not lie. If you watch game tape of Alphonso Smith you will see a shutdown corner who mirrors the receiver, has great instincts, and is always around the ball making plays. You can not deny his talent.

I personally love this pick. I think Smith is going to be a star and challenge for Defensive Rookie of the Year along with his new teammate Robert Ayers. The Broncos cornerbacks are all going to be on the wrong side of 30 this season; Champ Bailey will be 31 in September and Andre Goodman will be 31 in August. It was smart for McDaniels to draft a replacement that is a great talent and can learn from one of the best corners in the history of the league for a few years. He may remind a few Broncos fans of another small corner we drafted a few years back in Darrent Williams (R.I.P. We miss you Darrent). Learning under Bailey did wonders for Williams and it will do the same for Alphonso. Only time will tell if Smith was worth giving up our 1st round pick next year but before people jump on Alphonso Smith and call him a bad pick because of his size and speed they should first do some research on him and other smaller corners in this league. They will find a very productive young corner that is a down to earth, hard working kid. Alphonso Smith is the kind of player every NFL Coach and Fan should want on their team.

Official 7 Round Mock

gnarlybroncodude — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 06:06:37 -0000

12. B.J. Raji- Josh Mcdaniels and Mike Nolan are ecstatic if Raji falls to them here and turn the pick right away. I know a lot of people on here say he would be the 4 best tackle next year and that may be true but we need help now and he is legit. I see a lot of Vince Wilfork in him. He has the size, speed and power to be an excellent NT. If he is there at 12 he will be the pick

18. Knowshon Moreno- McDaniels loves this kid and one of the top RB in the draft. He does not have elite speed but he is a very shift runner with great vision. Moreno is also ran a pro style offense at Georgia where he learned to block, which most backs can not do coming out of college. He also has great hands out of the backfield. Personally Beanie Wells is starting to grow on me. Wells is a more physically gifted runner then Moreno and the only knock on him is his durability. Remember when AP came out people said the same stuff about him that they are saying about Wells. I think Mcdaniels needs to give a good look at wells also.

48. Fili Moala- I like this guy. He was the dominant force on the line that allowed the 3 USC backers everyone talks about to run free. He was considered a top 20 pick at the beginning of the college season and has 1st round talent. We got our NT in the 1st and now we get one of our 3-4 DE. Also if Moala puts on a little weight we could switch him an Raji around on the line to cause problems for the offense. Remember this guys cousin is Haloti Ngata.

79. Jasper Brinkley- This kid has the size and mean streak to play ILB. I call him a poor mans Rey Maualuga. He can lay huge hits on people and is a down hill run stuffing LB. He has had weight issues playing all the way at 275 lbs at times but is said to carry his weight well. In 2006 he dominated the SEC with 107 tackles with 85 of them being solo, 14.5 TFL, and 5 sacks. He was injured and played only 4 games in 2007 and was not as effective in 2008 trying to battle back from his injury. He is said to be fully recovered and could be a steal at this point.

84. Rashard Johnson- This kid was nothing but a ballhawk at Alabama. He is not the best athlete and had some problems off the field that could have him drop here. He used to be corner so he has great instincts for a safety. If they allow him to roam the field he will make the corners lives a lot easier. He will sit and learn behind Dawkins and is one of our future safeties, hopefully with Josh Barrett. If he is gone then Stephen McGee could be the pick

114. Antoine Caldwell- I have seen him here a few drafts. I like the kid. He was a very good center in the SEC which says a lot because he has to face elite DT competition almost every week.

149. Mike Thomas- This kid is a burner and will help in the return game. He really impressed me at the Senior bowl by beating pretty much every corner there all week. He is very underrated but will fall because he is only 5'8

185. Brian Hoyer- I have not seen his name on any mocks going to the Broncos. I really like the kid he can make all the throws but had horrible WR at Michigan State that dropped a ton of balls. I think he will develop into a very good pro with the help of McDaniels

225. Bear Pascoe- He seems to be a fan favorite on this site so I threw him in here

235. Vaugh Martin- This guy is just huge at 331 and has crazy athleticism for his size. He is still very raw and if we want him we may have to take him earlier then this. I think he has great value with this pick because he has a lot of upside

Official 1st Round Mock

gnarlybroncodude — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:20:41 -0000

I pay a lot of attention to the draft every year. This year I think there is a lot of good players but not a lot of superstars and that is why a lot of teams are looking to trade back. My mock will not include any trades because those are never a for sure thing. I personally watch a lot of college football also so I have some decent knowledge of the players coming out in this years draft.

1. Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford- Detroit needs a ton of needs. I think Stafford is the pick because you build a franchise around a QB and the Lions desperately need a face of the franchise to draw back the fans. They could easily go OT with Smith but I do not think they should go LB with Aaron Curry

2. St. Louis Rams- Jason Smith- This is an easy one. There is a huge void at LT with Orlando Pace no longer there. This team O-lines has been horrible over the last few years. Bulger has had no time to throw and Jackson has not holes to run through. I consider this pick almost a lock if the Lions do not pick him at 1.

3. KC Chiefs- Eugene Monroe- Monroe is reunited with his college teammate Brandon Albert. Monroe will play LT and Albert RT and KC has these positions set for 10+ years. Almost everyone has Aaron Curry here but I do not think it will happen. The Bill Parcells/ Bill Belichick have rarely drafted LB high in the draft and it does not fit the mold Pioli was brought up in. Also I do not think Curry is a good fit in a 3-4

4. Seattle Seahawks- Mark Sanchez- Yes they have Matt Hasselbeck however he has had a hard time staying healthy the last couple years and will be 34 in September. This is a good situation for Sanchez because he will not have to start right away. He can hold a clip board for 1-2 years and then take over. Sanchez will need those 1-2 years because he is not ready to be a starter day 1

5. Cleveland Browns- Aaron Curry- I know I said I did not think he is a good fit in a 3-4 but he will be hard to pass up if he falls to five. He is the safest player in the draft and will start somewhere on this team day one; most likely at ILB.

6. Cincinnati Bengals- Andre Smith- This guy would have been in consideration for the #1 pick if he would have not pulled that stunt at the combine. He is the most physically gifted tackle in the draft and the Bengals can not pass on him. They need to get some to keep Carson Palmer on his feet.

7. Oakland Raiders- Michael Oher- I think he is highly underrated but this is the first reach in the draft. This will probably be Jeremy Maclin because Al Davis loves speed but I have a gut feeling they will take and OT. I think they really want Andre Smith to fall to them. Also their new head coach used to be an O-line coach.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars-Michael Crabtree- They get a steal getting Crabtree here. He will be an All Pro WR in the NFL. I know they signed Torry Holt but he is aging and they need the future. If they pass on Crabtree they will be crazy. I think Crabtree is the best player in the draft.

9. GB Packers-Brian Orakpo- They really wanted one of the OT to slide here but it does not happen. Orakpo is a beast of a man and also a steal at this point. I watched him a lot this past year and when healthy the guy could not be blocked. They will turn him into a terror at OLB although he has huge bust potential.

10. SF 49ers-Aaron Maybin- They also wanted an OT but with none on the board they take Maybin. He is some what of a risk only playing one full year but if he would have stayed in school one more year he had the potential to be a top 5 pick. Maybin has a great first step and a non-stop motor. He just needs to keep the weight on he has gained in the off season.

11. Buffalo Bills-Brandon Pettigrew- A lot of people will say this a reach but I do not think so. This kid is legit. He is a complete TE who can block, run routes, and has decent hands. They get Trent Edwards another weapon and someone that can help clear the holes for Lynch(when his suspension is up lol)

12. Denver Broncos- B.J. Raji- Josh Mcdaniels and Mike Nolan are ecstatic if Raji falls to them here and turn the pick right away. I know a lot of people on here say he would be the 4 best tackle next year and that may be true but we need help now and he is legit. I see a lot of Vince Wilfork in him. He has the size, speed and power to be an excellent NT. If he is there at 12 he will be the pick

13. Washington Redskins- Robert Ayers- Washington desperately needs a pass rush and have a huge vacancy since releasing Jason Taylor. Ayers is a player is a lot of upside and is a good fit in a 4-3. I really like Ayers and think he would be a great Rush OLB in a 3-4 also. Ayers will benefit in his first year playing next to Albert Haynesworth.

14. NO Saints-Malcolm Jenkins- Before the draft process started he was a top 5 pick and there was not way he would go out of the top 10. He is a huge steal at this point at player I think the Broncos would take if both Raji and Jackson are both gone. I think Jenkins will be a CB at the next level but he can play safety for the saints also. Either way he greatly improves their secondary

15. Houston Texans- Brain Cushing- The Texans need help in multiple areas but I think LB is the biggest. Cushing is a great player that will lock down as their SLB for years. He will start and contribute day 1. I could see them taking Beanie Wells also because he would be a great compliment back to Steve Slaton.

16. SD Chargers- Tyson Jackson- The Charges could go multiple ways. They need help at Safety, Dline, ILB, OT and they need a RB to take over for LT. They take the BPA and that is Tyson Jackson who is starting to get a lot of Buzz/rumors that he could go in the top 5. Tyson will take the place that was vacated by Igor.

17. NY Jets- Everette Brown- Rex Ryan wants to do two things. Play great defense and run the ball. They do not have a huge need at RB but they need a rush OLB. They took Gholston last year and he could pan out but Ryan does not take that chance.

18. Denver Broncos-Knowshon Moreno- McDaniels loves this kid and one of the top RB in the draft. He does not have elite speed but he is a very shift runner with great vision. Moreno is also ran a pro style offense at Georgia where he learned to block, which most backs can not do coming out of college. He also has great hands out of the backfield. Personally Beanie Wells is starting to grow on me. Wells is a more physically gifted runner then Moreno and the only knock on him is his durability. Remember when AP came out people said the same stuff about him that they are saying about Wells. I think Mcdaniels needs to give a good look at wells also.

19. TB Bucs- Michael Johnson- The biggest reach in the draft. Remember when Jim Bates was our DC and we took Jarvis Moss. Well Johnson is a Moss Clone. A great player is a questionable motor that does not always play up to his potential. I had Peria Jerry here but Jim Bates like bigger DT like Raji and Brace.

20. Detroit Lions- Eben Britton- The Lions went QB with their first pick and now need a LT to keep him on his feet. They took Gosder Cherilus last year but I think he is a better fit at RT. The biggest mistake new head coaches make is drafting a young QB and playing him right away behind a horrible O-line. Example is David Carr.

21. Philadelphia Eagles- Beanie Wells- Brian Westbrook turns 30 this year and rarely stay healthy for a full 16 games. They lost Buckhalter to FA and need to draft a successor to Westbrook. Wells could turn out to be the best RB in the Draft. He has physical skills that resemble Adrian Peterson, however I am not saying he will be as good as AP.

22. Minnesota Vikings- Jeremy Maclin- The Vikings need playmakers at WR. They signed Berrian last year but they still need help. Maclin is great value at this pick and could go as high as the Raiders. Maclin instantly helps them in the return game and upgrades their WR corps.

23. NE Patriots- Clay Matthews- This is an easy pick for BB. Matthews is the versatile, blue collar player that the patriots love. Matthews could turn out be the best of the 3 USC LB. He will step in right away and take the place of Mike Vrabel.

24. Atlanta Falcons-Vontae Davis- The Falcons need help on defense. The need a corner really bad which makes Davis the pick. Davis is a physical specimen and has all the tools to develop into a shut down corner. The question about him is coachabiltiy and metal aspects of the game

25. Miami Dolphins- Rey Maualuga- The Dolphins need help at ILB and Maualuga can step in and start for them day 1. He will be consider a steal at this point by most people and is a fan favorite by many fans. He is a great fit for Miami

26. Baltimore Ravens- Darrius Heyward-Bey- The Ravens would be very happy to get another weapon for Joe Flaco. Bey will be able to stretch the field and allow Flacco to show off his arm strength.

27. Indianapolis Colts- Peria Jerry- The Colts biggest need is DT and Jerry is a a perfect fit for their system. He is nearly 300 pounds and free up Freeney and Mathis to go get the QB

28. Buffalo Bills- William Beatty- The Bills have a huge hole at LT with the Jason Peters trade. They have to draft a best tackle available.

29. NY Giants- Hakeem Nicks- The Giants have a huge hole at WR with the release of Burress. They need to get some for Manning to throw to. Nicks is not the fastest guy but he good size, runs great routes and has good hands.

30. Tennessee Titans- Darius Butler- The Titans lost Albert Haynesworth but they have a bigger need at CB. They have a pro bowl CB in Finnegan however they have 34 year old Nick Harper starting on the other side. Butler is the most fluid CB in the draft and could make an immediate impact.

31. Arizona Cardinals- Donald Brown- The Cardinals need help at RB and Tim Hightower is not the solution. Edjerrin James is over the hill and wants out of Arizona anyways. Brown makes James expendable. Brown runs with good power and has soft hands to catch balls out of the backfield.

32. Pittsburgh Steelers-Alex Mack- The Steelers biggest need is their O-line. Mack will come in and start day one at Center but could play either Guard spot for them.

I did not include any trades in my mock draft but I want to break down some scenario that could happen and I think Mcdaniels should do.

If Raji falls to us at 12 I think we should trade ahead of SD and take Tyson Jackson. Preferably trade up to the 13th pick and make sure we get him. If we get Raji and Jackson in the 1st round it would turn around our D line problem almost immediately. Depending on how high we move up it will most likely take the 18th and 3rd or the 18th and a 4th.

Broncos come out on top

gnarlybroncodude — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:05:35 -0000

Broncos come out on top

Here is an article I found from a Vandy paper that says the Broncos came out on top of the trade

My thoughts on Linebackers

gnarlybroncodude — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:50:58 -0000

With the trade of Jay Cutler we now have 2 1st round picks. The 12th and 18th pick in the draft give us a lot of flexibility to move up or down. I think we should trade the 12th pick and move down to acquire more picks, preferably another 1st rounder next year and an extra 2nd or 3rd this year. I personally watch a lot of college football and think the talent in next years draft is much better and deeper. If McDaniels chooses to stay at 12 and 18 we should draft 1 DL and 1LB. Preferably both players we pick in the first round we have huge impact on our team in 2009 but you have to be realistic. Most D-Linemen do not contribute that much in their first year. Linebackers can come in right away, contribute and possibly dominate. Not every linebacker that is drafted in the first round pans our but the last 6 defensive ROY have been linebackers.

Defensive Rookie of The Year 2003-2008
2003	Terrell Suggs	1st Round, 10th Pick
2004	Jonathan Vilma	1st Round, 12th Pick
2005	Shawne Merriman	1st Round, 12th Pick
2006	DeMeco Ryans	2nd Round, 33rd Pick
2007	Patrick Willis	1st Round, 11th Pick
2008	Jerod Mayo	1st Round, 10th Pick

This tells you that the transition from college to the pros for linebackers is much easier. 5 out of these 6 were picked from the 10th to 12th pick in round one. The Broncos just happen to have the 12th pick this year. Other players that have been picked between the 10th and 12 pick from 2002 to 2008 have been Ryan Clady, Marshawn Lynch, Jay Cutler, Haloti Ngata, Demarcus Ware, Ben Roethlisberger, Marcus Trufant, Dwight Freeney. This is a long list of elite players in the NFL. There has been good value players for teams picking with the 10th, 11th or 12th pick since 2002. If we stay with the 12th pick and do not trade back I think we should draft a linebacker and then with the 18th pick we should focus on a defensive lineman. This years class of linebackers happens to be very deep. According to Mike Mayock (who I think actually knows what he is talking about unlike Kiper and McShay) these are the top OLB and ILB in this draft.

Inside linebackers
1	Rey Maualuga	USC	Explosive point of attack, can struggle in space
2	James Laurinaitis	Ohio State	Consistent technician, clean off the field
3	Jasper Brinkley	South Carolina	No comment
4	Darry Beckwith	LSU	Athletic and solid tackler, engulfed by big bodies
5	Dannell Ellerbe	Georgia	Can cover/blitz, question durability and instincts

Outside linebackers
1	Aaron Curry	Wake Forest	Scheme diverse/high-level performer, safest pick in draft
2	Brian Orakpo	Texas	Talented conversion guy, explosive off edge
3	Brian Cushing	USC	Love attitude/passion, 4-3 SAM/3-4 ILB?
4	Clay Matthews	USC	No comment
T-5th	Larry English	Northern Illinois	Can run the arc, level of competition
T-5th	Aaron Maybin	Penn State	No comment

Curry and Orakpo will be gone by the 12th pick. Maualuga, Cushing, Matthews, Laurinaitis, and Maybin most likely will be available at 12 and possibly at 18. The Broncos will have a lot of options with the 12th pick if they choose to go in the linebacker direction. McDaniels & Co. should look at recent history which shows us that rookie linebackers can come in and dominate right away. McDaniels watched this last year with Jerod Mayo. Realistically only some of the players above are worth the value of the 12th pick. I think Maualuga, Matthews, Cushing, and Maybin are all worthy of the 12th pick. All of these players were very dominate in college and they are all 1st round picks.

The fan and MHR favorite is Rey Maualuga. Maualuga is a big ILB with decent game speed. He can stuff the run and always looks for the big hit. He also has some major flaws. His biggest flaw is his liability in coverage where he often looks lost. I personally think he will be a stud in the right system. His rookie year he will most likely not be a 3 down linebacker but may grow into that role with some coaching.

I personally like Aaron Maybin. If he would have stayed in school a couple of years he would have been a top 5 pick. A lot of people think he will take a couple of years to develop but I disagree. He has bulked up from around 235 to 250 and showed at his pro day that he can carry the weight well. He also has the frame to add 10-15 more pounds without loosing his speed. His first step is the fastest in this years draft and he has a relentless motor. I think he will be and elite OLB in our 3-4 system. Maybin is the best pass pure rusher in this class.

The Broncos do have good depth at the linebacker position but we do not have stars. DJ William and Woodyard in my opinion are the only great athletes in our linebacking core. Andra Davis is servicable for a year but he is not a great linebacker. Mcdaniels and Co are going to use DOOM and Moss as OLB this year but they have not proven they can play the position. In my opinion the Broncos still need help at linebacker. We need a linebacker that will be a team leader and have a big impact on our defense. We need a guy that makes the people around him play better. The Broncos will have a lot of options with their 1st round picks this year and there are a lot of great linebackers they can choose from. I believe they should use one of their picks in the 1st round on a linebacker because the past has shown linebacks can contribute right away but we will have to wait and see.

Poll

Which Linebacker do you prefer?

Rey Maualuga

34 votes

Brian Cushing

7 votes

Clay Matthews

5 votes

Aaron Maybin

8 votes

James Laurinaitis

13 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed