While watching the game last night, I found myself frequently saying, "What the hell are you thinking!?" which inspired me to write this post. I personally feel like the Broncos coaching staff took the wrong stance on the game last night. The Broncos looked like they were playing not to lose instead of playing to win, and there's a huge difference. I would like to make you all well aware that I am a huge supporter of Fox and company with what they have done with the team this season. They've done a great job and I'm not taking away anything from them. They've overachieved big time not only my expectations but I'm guessing all of yours, too. After giving it some thought here's what I would've done last night. Enjoy.

Offense:

I'm not sure what was more frustrating last night, Dennis Allen's calls on defense or Mike McCoy's calls on offense. I figured if there was any way to win this game last night, the Broncos needed to control the TOP, turnovers, and the tempo of the game. The Broncos in my opinion needed to slow things down and let Tebow get some confidence early. Although the Broncos ended up controlling the TOP and turnover ratio (surprisingly), they didn't control the tempo of the game. The Patriots owned our offensive line last night and I feel like they must have been blitzing for much of the game considering they were consistently abusing our offensive line.

This made me wonder what ever happened to a screen pass? There's nothing like getting those big Hoggies out in front of DT or Royal and watching them escort our ball carriers down the field. If the Pats are going to blitz all day it only makes sense to take advantage of their aggressiveness. Screen passes were one of DT's most successful plays during his time at GT (check out his highlight films). They are also one of the easiest passes for a young QB to complete. Both DT and Eddie Royal are extremely elusive in the open field and they needed to touch the ball more. I think a screen pass here and there could have helped slow the game down for Tebow and would've helped to neutralize New England's aggressiveness.

What was the deal with running the ball on 3rd and 6-10 when we were down by 14 points? I understand that our offense is built around the running game, but when you're down by 14 to the Patriots. I also understand that it's important to stick to your game plan, but when the score is 35-7 and we're not moving the ball, something needs to be changed. There's nothing to lose at that point in time so why not take some risks?

Finally and least importantly, what ever happened to some trick plays or creativity? The offense was way too predictable this season and we needed some ways to surprise their defense. What's wrong with a flea flicker every once in a while? Why not try a reverse with Royal on one of our options, but instead of pitching it to McGahee/Ball, Royal would sweep between Tebow and the Running back and make a reverse out of it? I don't know maybe it's just me, but if we were going to beat the Patriots last night I think we needed some creativity and that's definitely something we lacked. Once again, we had nothing to lose so, WHY NOT?

Defense:

As I said, I was also frustrated with Dennis Allen's defensive calls last night, but who wasn't? I didn't get to watch part of the 1st, but Dave Logan said something like the Broncos only having 2 D-Linemen in and trying a bunch of zone blitzes? What the hell are you thinking? I'm sorry Dennis Allen, but you're no Dick LeBeau and we don't have the personnel on our defense to try and trick one of the smartest QB's in the league.

The teams that have been successful with the Patriots in the past are the ones that have done a good job of pressuring the QB and not giving him time to pick you apart. Last night, Tom Brady picked us apart and made it look effortless. Personally, I would've ran primarily out of a nickel package. I would've switched off who blitzed, but I would have brought 5 people almost every play. I have no doubt that at least one of our players could beat his 1 vs. 1 matchup at least 60% of the time and at the very least make Brady get rid of the ball early. To counter Brady getting rid of the ball early, I would've ran a press man cover two for most of the game. For the majority of the game, I would've had Champ matched up on Welker, Goodman on Branch, Harris on Hernandez, and Williams/ Miller on Gronk, possibly even double teaming him or Hernandez with one of our safeties. The press coverage would've delayed New England's routes and allowed our rushers more time to pressure Brady. If Brady wanted to take a chance and go deep, we had our safeties to help over the top. Even if Brady completed a ton of 5-10 yard passes, it would've limited his possessions and eaten up a lot of time, which in my opinion would've been a success.

Overall:

It's common sense to say the Broncos wouldn't be able to keep up in a shootout type game with the Patriots, and unfortunately it's exactly what happened last night. There were no noticeable risks taken and we were playing not to lose instead of being aggressive and taking action against the Patriots. What i've found in football is usually the more aggressive team wins, and New England was without a doubt the aggressor last night. In my opinion we were way too cautious and conservative, but hey I'm just some average Joe watching the game on TV, what do I know?

Well I appreciate you taking your time to read this and I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope maybe some light bulbs and imagination lit up in your brains so you can add some ideas to this post. I won't be offended if you disagree, after all this is just a place for friendly discussions and arguments. I'd be interested in your thoughts and I figured this is probably the best place to post mine. Thanks again for reading and have a great day!

After watching the first playoff game today, I was amazed at how much of an impact DT JJ Watt out of Wisconsin has had on the Houston Texans defense this season. While admiring Watt, I began to think of Dareus and Fairley as well, resulting in me doing a little research on the first 15 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft. I'm going to take a look at each player and the impact on their offenses and defenses, respectively.

#1: Cam Newton, Carolina: As almost everyone knows, Newton has had a huge impact on the Panthers this season. After going 2-14 in the 2010-2011 season, the Panthers finished 6-10 which was good for third place in the very difficult NFC South. The Panthers went from ranked 32nd in the NFL in total offense in 2010 to 7th in 2011. Newton broke NFL and Rookie records during this season finishing with 4,051 passing yards (10th in NFL), 21 TD passes (11th), 17 INT (6th most in NFL), and a 84.5 QB Rating (15th). While Newton's passing stats are great for a rookie, they don't tell the whole story. He also had 706 yards rushing and 14 TD's. Personally, I think Newton is without a doubt the Rookie of the Year and the right choice with the #1 pick.

#2: Von Miller, Denver: A fan favorite in Denver, Miller has transform Denver's defense into one of the more respectable, if not better defenses in the NFL. The Broncos have improved from being 4-12 in 2010 to 8-8 in 2011. Their defense has gone from being ranked 32nd in total defense, 25th in passing defense, and 31st in rushing defense in 2010 to 20th in total defense, 18th in passing defense, and 22th in rushing defense in 2011. The Broncos have also gone from being 32nd in sacks with just 23 last year, to 10th this season with 41. Of course the addition of John Fox, Elvis Dumervil, and company have helped improve these stats, but Miller's individual stats of 64 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 2 FF while missing a game and playing in four games with a cast on his hand speak for itself. Unfortunately the cast has slowed his production down significantly and we can only imagine his total production if he hadn't had the hand injury. Miller was elected to play in the 2011 Pro Bowl and was named 2nd team All-Pro.

#3: Marcell Dareus, Buffalo: The Buffalo Bills were one of the hottest teams starting the 2011 season, but unfortunately their luck ran out. The Bills improved from being 4-12 in 2010 to 6-10 in 2011, but their defense didn't seem to improve In 2010, the Bills finished 24th in total defense, 3rd in passing defense, and 32nd in rushing defense. In 2011 the Bills finished 26th in total defense, 19th in passing defense, and 28th in rushing defense. Unfortunately, the team defense didn't seem to improve a whole lot, and Dareus' stats were moderate with 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks.

#4: A.J. Green, Cincinnati: Alongside QB Andy Dalton, the Cincinnati Bengals have found a dynamic duo with WR A.J. Green, and I look forward to watch this two rookie standouts for years to come. The Bengals' record has improved from 4-12 to 9-7 in the tough AFC North. In just 15 games this season Green recorded 65 catches for 1,057 yards and 7 TD. He was also selected for the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl.

#5: Patrick Peterson, Arizona: Patrick Peterson was raked as the highest CB prospect to come out of college in a long time, and he made his presence well known on both defense and especially special teams. The Cardinals record improved to 8-8 in 2011, after being just 5-12 in 2010. The Cardinals' pass defense improved from being 23rd in 2010 to being 17th in 2011 and Peterson finished with 64 tackles, 2 INT, and 1 sack. Peterson also tied a rookie record with 4 special team TD's and was voted to the 2011 Pro Bowl and 1st team All-Pro as a return specialist.

#6: Julio Jones, Atlanta: The Falcons traded up in the draft to select Jones in order to add a dangerous weapon to what was one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. The Falcons didn't have as good of a season as they did in 2010, but their passing offense improved from being 15th to 7th in the NFL. Unfortunately, Jones had a nagging hamstring injury throughout the season but he still was able to record 54 catches, 959 yards, and 8 TD's in just 13 games this season. Jones looks to be a solid pick and one of the more dangerous offensive weapons in the future if he can stay away from injuries.

#7: Aldon Smith, San Francisco: The 49ers added Aldon Smith to one of the most dangerous defenses in the NFL. The 49ers improved from being 6-10 in 2010 to 13-3 in 2011. In 2010 their defense was ranked 13th in total defense, 24th in pass defense, and 6th in rushing defense. In 2011 they improved to 4th in total defense, 16th in pass defense, and 1st in rushing defense. Although Smith plays on one of the best defenses in the league his stats of 37 tackles, 14 sacks, and 2 FF although he didn't start a game. Smith is an exciting pass rusher with a great future ahead of him.

#8: Jake Locker, Tennessee: Tennessee made one of the more surprising picks in the 2011 NFL Draft by selecting Jake Locker. While Locker didn't play much because of Matt Hasselbeck's great performances, Locker impressed when the opportunity rose. Locker compiled 542 yards passing, 4 TD, 0 INT, and a QB rating of 99.4 in just 5 games of action. Locker also added 56 yards and 1 rushing TD. Locker seems to have a bright future although his small playing sample size.

#9: Tyron Smith, Dallas: Tyron Smith looks to be a solid T for the Cowboys in the future. He was the first OL taken by Jerry Jones in the first round and started every game for the Cowboys this season. The Cowboys averaged 4.4 YPC this season.

#10: Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville: Blaine Gabbert was another surprise pick this season with Jacksonville already having David Garrard. The Jags ended up cutting Garrard before the season and Gabbert started every game this season. To be honest, the Jacksonville pass offense was awful this season. They were ranked 32nd in the NFL for passing offense this season and Gabbert had stats of 2,214 yards, 12 TD, 11 INT, and a QB rating of 65.4. To Gabberts credit, Jacksonville might have the worst receiving corps in the NFL. Hopefully with some added weapons in the off-season Gabbert can improve, but as of now this pick is looking very questionable.

#11: J.J. Watt, DT, Houston: J.J. Watt was one of my favorite players in the draft this season and he didn't disappoint. The Texans ended up winning the AFC South and look to be a threatening team for years to come. In the past, the Texans defense was the only thing holding them back from being a playoff contender. That isn't the case anymore. In 2010 the Texans defense ranked 30th in total defense, 32nd in passing defense, and 13th in rush defense. In 2011 the Texans improved to 2nd in total defense, 3rd in passing defense, and 4th in rushing defense. It's hard to believe such an amazing improvement, especially considering the loss of Mario Williams for most of the season. Although the whole defense had improved under Wade Phillips, Watt's stats were solid. Watt compiled 56 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 4 passes knocked down. Watt is a great addition to a young, promising Texans defense.

#12: Christian Ponder, Minnesota: Christian Ponder was also one of the more questionable, surprising picks of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Vikings were hoping McNabb could be a temporary fix, but that wasn't the case. After cutting McNabb, Ponder became the starter. Ponder appeared in 11 games, starting 10 of them. Through those games, Ponder compiled 1,853 yards passing, 13 TD, 13 INT, and a QB rating of 70.1. Ponder also showed good mobility adding 218 yards rushing to his resume. Ponder played on a bad team and has shown some promise for the future, although I still consider this a questionable pick.

#13: Nick Fairley, Detroit: After being projected the #1 overall pick during part of the offseason, Fairley's character issues caused him to drop all the way to Detroit at #13. Fairley is a physical beast, but he has been bothered by injuries and his stats don't really show his talent. In 10 games this season Fairley has compiled just 15 tackles and 1 sack.

#14: Robert Quinn, St. Louis: One of the biggest mysteries going into the 2011 NFL daft had to be Robert Quinn since he didn't play his senior season at UNC. Character issues were a question after not being allowed to play at UNC during the 2010 season. Quinn has played on one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. He has compiled a modest 23 tackles and 5 sacks in 15 games with 1 start. Hopefully he can turn it up in his sophomore season or this could turn out to be another questionable pick

#15: Mike Pouncey, Miami: Pouncey looks to be a solid building block on a Dolphins O-Line that needed help. After only playing 1 year at C in college, there were some questions he could make the transition. Those questions have been answered and Pouncey looks to be a solid pick. He's the centerpiece along with Jake Long on the Dolphins O-Line that helped Reggie Bush achieve a healthy average of 5 YPC. Pouncey started all 16 games this season and looks to be a solid pick

Continue reading this post »

I know there's all this draft talk going on but I'd like to take a look at some possible Free Agents that the Broncos might pursue before the draft. I think that there's a consensus among Broncos fans that our main needs are CB, DT, RB, and MLB. Obviously our O-Line can always use some help and depth but I don't feel that this position is one of our most pressing needs. That being said here are some players that I wanted to bring to your attention and get some thoughts.

Cornerbacks

Brent Grimes: I see him as one of the more underrated CB's in the league and I doubt Atlanta lets him go. Will be 29 next season but age doesn't seem to be a huge problem with DB's. Has 41 tackles, 1 FF, 1 INT and 14 PD in 12 games this season.

Carlos Rodgers: Probably the most underrated CB this season turns 31 next season. Even though he may not be a long term fix he is someone that would fill the #2 CB spot next to Champ. Through 15 games this season he has 39 tackles, 6 INT, and 15 PD on what I consider the best defense in the NFL this season. I doubt the 49ers let him go but if they do he could be an interesting prospect.

Cortland Finnegan: Although he's a douche, this guy can play. Going into next season he will be 28 years old. Possibly the best run defending CB in the 2012 Free Agent class, he has 74 tackles, 1 INT, and 11 PD in 15 games this season. Tennessee has been reluctant to give him an extension so I wouldn't be surprised if he decides to leave. He'll require a high price tag and personally I'd prefer the Broncos don't pursue him but I wouldn't be disappointed if they did.

Brandon Carr: I feel like there's no way the Chiefs let him get away because of his age and his production, but I would love to steal him from our division rivals. Has 43 tackles, 3 INT, and 13 PD this year and although he didn't have the breakout season that was expected he's still a great #2 corner at only 26 years old at the beginning of next season.

Tracy Porter: No thanks. Too inconsistent and has had problems finishing a whole season.

Terrell Thomas: Interesting player that had a season ending injury. Great in run support and could come at a discounted price due to his inability to play this season. I say if anyone we take a chance on him considering he's going to be 27 years old next season and had two excellent years before.

Defensive Tackles

Amobi Okoye: An okay option for 2012 and has always underachieved after being picked in the first round by the Houston Texans a couple years back. Is only going to be 25 years old next season and is having a good season in Chicago's 4-3 defense. Has 25 tackles 4 sacks, and 1 FF in 15 games this season. Part of this could be due to all the attention that Julius Peppers creates, but I think he would be even better with Von and Dumervil.

Broderick Bunkley: Please resign him. In my opinion he has been productive this year and is just as good if not better than most of the 2012 free agent options.

Marcus Thomas: Like Bunkley, I also think he is a good situational player that we should try to keep.

Other than that I don't see many attractive targets

Middle Linebackers

Curtis Lofton: Complete stud in the middle of the Atlanta defense. I doubt they will let him walk but at 26 years old at the beginning of next season, 133 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 1 FF he would be an amazing pickup and would make the Broncos have one of the top tier linebacking corps in the league.

Stephen Tulloch: Having a great year for the Lions I also doubt that they will let him walk. At 27 years old he would also be an attractive target after having 104 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 INT through 15 games this season.

Dan Connor: Possibly one of the more interesting and realistic 2012 MLB FA's, Connor played for Fox in Carolina. Although he was behind great MLB's in Carolina, he has had more opportunities to play this season. He has compiled 70 tackles an 1 FF in 10 starts this season.

Running Backs

Ray Rice: No way Baltimore lets him go.

Matt Forte: Could be had at a discount price after his knee injury but I think someone might overpay him. I also don't think he will return to the Bears; therefore, I think he could be an interesting pickup. He's an extremely diverse back and almost impossible to tackle in the open field. He will be 27 years old at the beginning of next season so he does have a couple years before he hits the infamous 30.

Ryan Grant: Had a great year in Green Bay but his injury history concerns me and I'd prefer we stay away.

Peyton Hillis: Great back when he's healthy but that wasn't the case this year. I figure someone will overpay for him and I'd prefer it if we stayed away although he is finishing the year strong.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis: No thank you.

Cedric Benson: No thank you.

Marshawn Lynch: Possibly the most interesting free agent to me, he will be only 26 going into next season. Personally, I don't see Seattle letting him get away but if they do I would be interested. I'm not sure how much his stats are padded by his rigorous workload but considering he averaged 4.2 YPC and he played in a somewhat one dimensional offense proves to me that he can get it done. Guy is a TD machine and runs great between the tackles.

Summary

Overall the RB and CB positions are a lot deeper in FA compared to the DT and MLB positions. Ideally I would like to get a DT or CB in the 1st round of the draft and address RB and MLB either through Free Agency or later in the draft. I'd also like to see what we have in Nate Irving before drafting a MLB in the first two rounds of the draft. Hope you enjoyed reading this and if there are any players that you would also suggest feel free to inform me!

Haha I know this should be a fanshot, but after seeing that Brandon Marshall was stabbed by his wife in Florida yesterday, I was reading this article. 

Interesting to think that with the NFL Lockout looking probable next year, Marshall says that he's going to play for the Nuggets since there will be no football. He also goes on to say that the Denver fans would want him back. Seems like he's a cancer to me. Any thoughts?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=6414256

What is the Nuggets' front office thinking? What more could they want from the Nets? 

Well, they got way too greedy, and in my opinion they got exactly what they deserved. Thanks for a price that was set way too high for Carmelo, we probably aren't going to get anything compared to what we could've gotten. To my knowledge, It was proposed that we would receive up to 6 players (including Favors and Morrow) from the Nets along with two 1st round draft picks (possibly lottery picks?). Compared to any other package that we might have received, that sounds very good to me. I personally saw us getting 1 or 2 impact players from the Nets, with Favors and hopefully a promising lottery pick. Now, all that hope is gone. 

So where do we go next? Knicks? Possibly Chicago? 

Personally, I don't see the Knicks package very attractive. Who would be involved?

Landry Fields looks to be the most attractive prospect from me. Then comes WIlson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Anthony Randolph is supposed to be traded soon for a first round pick that they can include in a deal for Melo. I personally don't see us with a large need for Landy Fields, and I would hate the idea of us rebuilding our team around Danillo Gallinari or Wilson Chandler. Gallinari is much like Melo, just about half as productive. Wilson Chandler also isn't a guy I would like to build this team around. He's also somewhat like Melo, but half as productive as well. Also, I don't see Chandler resigning with us, it's clear that he wants to stay in NY. Anthony Randolph is a freak of an athlete, but he also isn't a great player to build the franchise around. Eddy Curry's expiring contract is attractive, but money only goes so far, and I don't see us attracting an impact free agent to Denver anytime soon. 

Chicago? Who do we get from them?

The Bulls tried to send us Luol Deng for Melo, and he's a nice option but once again he's not a franchise player. We've also said that we don't want his contract long term. The Bulls have also made it well known that neither Joakim Noah nor Derrick Rose are available. I like Taj Gibson a lot, but the numbers reallly don't add up. 

I really don't see what we're going to do unless we have a trade involving 3 team, but I still fell like our best option is now gone, just because we became too greedy. 

I know we're all tired of change here in Denver, but I'm starting to get used to it. Denver has been unsuccessful the past two seasons using the 3-4 defense, and I think our personnel is better fit for the 4-3. The Defensive Line is the biggest problem for our 3-4, and I feel like our front 7 personnel is better fit. With a better front seven, it helps out the secondary drastically. Look at the Ohio State vs. Arkansas game. If a QB is uncomfortable, he will not be nearly as effective. In my opinion, if you can't pressure the QB, he'll make the most elite secondary look like a bunch of rookies. That being said, here's my dream off-season.

Resign:

Champ Bailey: Franchise him, resign him for a couple years, whatever you do, we need him on our team this coming year. If all else fails and we're having another shitty year, trade him to a contender before the trade deadline. If we do end up making something out of next season and show a bright future, he can and is willing to turn into a safety to prolong his career, and I think he'll make a great one. 

Ryan Harris: Great run blocker, solid in pass protection.

Marcus Thomas: Could be a good 4-3 DT, especially on passing downs. Not a starter but could be a good rotational player. 

Free Agents: instead of picking up a ton of players and spending a ton of money through free agency, I'd personally rather build in the draft, so I'm going to target players that are young yet show promise. I'm also not going to add a lot of high profile players, because the chance of us landing one of them isn't very high. 

S Dawan Landry: Both of these safeties have the benefit on playing on two of the top defenses in the league, and they know what it takes. Signing one of the two is an absolute necessity for us becasue I see Safety as our 3rd largest need behind CB and DL. 

DE Ray Edwards: Often overshadowed by the Williams' and Jared Allen, Ray Edwards has put together a solid season for the Vikings. He's only 26 years old and he's listed at 6'5, 268 lbs. Edwards has proven to be good against the run and the pass, totaling 8 sacks this season. 

DT Alan Branch: Very underrated DT/NT playing for the Cardinals. Originally a DT in Michigan's defense, moved to NT to fit the Cardinals' system. He's still young and he's a disruptive force. I think he'd be a great pickup this offseason and he shouldn't cost too much. 

MLB Stephen Tulloch: At only 26 years old, Tulloch put up impressive numbers and emerged as a leader for the Titans this year. He finished 2010-2011 with 159 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. I think he's definitely a player on the rise and I'd love to add him if possible. 

Other possible options: MLB Rocky McIntosh, DT Brandon Mebane, DT Barry Coefield, DE Charles Johnson, SEric Weddle, 

Trade:

Kyle Orton to Arizona for their 3rd round pick. Wisenhunt is on the hot seat and he needs a serviceable QB to win a couple more games for him next year while Skelton is developing. Otherwise, he loses his job. 

Eddie Royal to Washington for their 5th & 7th round picks. Washington doesn't have a 3rd or 4th round pick, so I think we settle for a 5th and a 7th. 

Draft: 

1. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. After moving to a 4-3, I see our biggest glaring need at CB. I don't see Cox as being a starting caliber CB for any time soon, Bailey is coming back for at least another year, and Goodman can't stay healthy and he isn't getting any younger. I don't see our defensive line needing as much help immediately due to us moving back into the 4-3, and I think with all the depth in this draft we can address the DL later. Players like Peterson don't come around very often, and I think he's the best value on the board. 

2. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska. After moving to our 4-3, I think Crick would fit perfectly as one of our up and coming DT's. He's 6'6 285 lbs, and with his large frame I think he could put even a little more weight on. Crick has been just as disruptive this year as he was last year. The biggest question on him coming into this year was wether or not he could keep up his production without Suh. He definitely has, and that's why I pick him at #36. 

2. Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State. After moving to a 4-3 and moving DJ to OLB, it will be interesting to see how Mays fits in. I think Mays can do a decent job for a while, but he's not the long term answer. Greg Jones has been great for the #9 Spartans, and at 6'1" 240 lbs. Jones has great size. Jones had 105 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions this season, I think he'll be great in the NFL. 

3. Mason Foster, OLB, Washington. After watching Foster tear up Nebraska, I instantly grew a man crush for him (no homo). I see him possibly moving up into the late 2nd-early 3rd round, and fortunately the Broncos have a high 3rd round pick. If he can improve his 40 time, I'm positive his status will move up. This season he had 162 tackles and 8 sacks. He's a tackling machine and will cause trouble in the backfield. He'd be a great steal if we could get him here. 

5. Lee Smith, TE, Marshall. The Broncos draft a huge, 6'6" 267 lbs. TE that can help near the redzone. Smith has 4.7 speed which won't really stretch the field, but he is a huge frame to throw to. This season he has compiled 79 receptions for 791 yards with 3 TD's, which is impressive for any TE. With his large frame and good hands he's the type of TE that Denver has been needing since Sharpe. 

6. Ryan Jones, CB, Northwest Missouri State. While Jones plays in a smaller conference, he has the ideal size and speed for a CB. He's listed at 5'11" 195 lbs. with 4.4 speed. This season he had 55 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 11 pass break ups. If he has good Pro Day and Combine results I see him climbing up the boards and I see him as great value here. 

7. Martin Parker, DT, Richmond. While Parker also played at a smaller school, he terrorized opponents backfields. He's 6'2", 288 lbs. and he looks to be very athletic. This year he had 75 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, and 10 QB hurries. I can see him helping a lot on 3rd downs at DT and possibly even rotate in at DE. He could also be another hidden gem. 

7. Chris Conte, FS, California. Conte is an large, athletic safety that could be a hidden gem. He's 6'3", 212 lbs. and runs a 4.54 40. This season he had 72 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. 

Hopeful Depth Chart

Offense:

QB: T. Tebow, B. Quinn

HB: K. Moreno, C. Buckhalter, L. White, L. Ball

WR: B. Lloyd, E. Decker, M. Willis

WR: D. Thomas, J. Gaffney, B. Davis

TE: L. Smith, R. Quinn, Gronkowski

LT: R. Clady, C. Clark

LG: Z. Beadles, E. Olsen

C: J. Walton, J. Byers, C. Frye

RG: C. Kuper, S. Daniels

RT: R. Harris, R. Hochstein

Defense:

DE: R. Ayers, R. Edwards

DT: J. Bannan, J. Crick, M. Parker

DT: K. Vickerson, Alan Branch. M. Thomas

DE: E. Dumervil, R. McBean

OLB: D. Williams, W. Woodyard

MLB: S. Tulloch, G. Jones

OLB: M. Haggan, M. Foster

CB: C. Bailey, P. Cox, S. Thompson

CB: P. Peterson, A. Goodman, R. Jones

FS: Dawan Landry, R. Hill, C. Conte

SS: Brian Dawkins, D. McBath

Well, there it is. My season observations and possible remedies to possibly fix our team someday. I'm not a frequent poster here, so please don't be too harsh! Have at it!

Usually on Sundays I just watch the game, not paying any attention to specific players; however, yesterday I tried to zone in on a couple players at least a couple plays per game. Here is what I saw:

Robert Ayers is our best run defender. Ayers consistently stood his blocker up and never gave ground. More often than not, he would hold his line of defense or even penetrate into the backfield being very disruptive. The only thing that I didn't like was on some plays he seemed like he wasn't giving all of his effort to shed blocks and tackle the tailback, but I believe he was just setting the edge instead of being lazy. Although Ayers is slow getting to the QB when blitzing, he's an excellent run defender, which brings me to this point. Ayers would be much better playing DE in ad 4-3 than playing OLB in a 3-4. I'm no defensive guru, but Ayers inability to get to the QB has made me believe that he's much better suited for a 4-3. Should the Broncos go to a 4-3? That's debatable, but I don't see Ayers fully coming out of his shell until he's in a 4-3. 

DJ Williams needs to go, or he should be moved to OLB. Williams is an athletic freak of nature, but he's not strong enough/ skilled enough to play ILB in our 3-4. DJ can't get off a block to save his life, and he really does only make tackles 5+ yards down the field, usually from behind as well. We need two stud ILB's that can shed off blocks and make a play in the hole. DJ did however look great while blitzing from the outside yesterday, which makes me believe that he's better suited to be an OLB instead of an ILB. Either DJ needs to go, we need to change the scheme back to a 4-3, or we need to change his position, because he's not getting the job done. 

Andre Goodman looked like a starting quality CB to me yesterday. He defended 4 passes yesterday and was solid in run support. Unfortunately, he isn't getting any younger. He still seemed to be better than Perrish Cox, and while Cox is just a rookie, I'd rather have Goodman. If Goodman could stay healthy he'd be a great starter next to Champ. Unfortunately going into this offseason, we don't know what Champ is going to do, and we don't know what's going to happen to Cox, so I say we keep him around for at least another year. If Champ and Cox both don't come back, we'd be screwed. 

Brian Dawkins is done. I hate to say this because he's by far my favorite player besides maybe Tebow, but he's not the same as he used to be. I admire him for trying to lengthen his career, but he's not the sure tackler that he once was. I saw Dawkins miss a ton of tackles yesterday, and surprisingly he was taking bad angles. Possibly he was taking bad angles because he isn't as fast as he used to be? I don't know. Another part of him looking back could be the fact that our ILB's don't do anything to stop the run, and it's hard for anyone to make an open field tackle 10+ yards down the field, but Dawkins wasn't looking good at it yesterday. If we had good depth behind him, I'd say let him go. Unfortunately, I don't see a better replacement on our current team. McBath has shown signs of promise, but he looked awful against the Raiders, and he's apparently made out of glass. I say we have to keep Dawkins for at least another year if we can't find a better replacement this offseason. 

I'm not sure what to think of Eddie Royal. Some games he looks like a potential Pro-Bowler, some games he disappears and isn't even there. There's nothing I hate more than inconsistency, so he's not too high on my list. The only problem though is if we decide to trade him, what can we get back? The Steelers only got a 5th rounder back last year for Holmes, and he's a much better receiver than Royal, although his trade value may have been affected because of his character issues and the fact that he was suspended for the first four games. I'm thinking a 4th round pick would be fair to ask for, but I think a 5th rounder is more realistic. Which brings me to this point, is it worth it to trade Royal for a 5th round pick?

Brandon Lloyd should be a Pro Bowler. Lloyd might have the stickiest hands I have seen in a long long time. He catches everything, and he is still relatively young. I know a lot of you aren't going to like this idea, but I say we shop him around. I think his trade value could possibly be a 2nd round pick, and with our deep stable of WR's, I'd at least consider looking around to see what all we could get for him. Personally, besides maybe Clady, Dumervil, and Champ, I think he may have the most value on our team. By no means am I saying we should move him, but it doesn't hurt to look around. Who knows, if the price is right, we may move him. 

So, after seeing all of this yesterday, I say that we move back to a 4-3 for next season. I'm tired of consistently being the in the bottom five on defense. Our defensive line would already be in okay shape with Ayers and Doom as the Ends, Vickerson and Bannan as the Tackles. I'm not sure what I would do with our linebackers though. I'd probably have Haggan and Williams as the OLBs with Mays possibly in the middle. I think our secondary would be helped out a ton with the new front. I still see CB being a weak part on our team, especially without knowing if Champ or Cox will be back. Along with CB being a weak spot, I also see S being a weak spot that needs to be addressed in the off-season. 

Here's my dream off-season: (Remember I'm moving us back into the 4-3)

Resign:

Champ Bailey: Franchise him, resign him for a couple years, whatever you do, we need him on our team this coming year. If all else fails and we're having another shitty year, trade him to a contender before the trade deadline. If we do end up making something out of next season and show a bright future, he can and is willing to turn into a safety to prolong his career, and I think he'll make a great one. 

Ryan Harris: Great run blocker, solid in pass protection.

Marcus Thomas: Could be a good 4-3 DT, especially on passing downs. Not a starter but could be a good rotational player. 

Free Agents: instead of picking up a ton of players and spending a ton of money through free agency, I'd personally rather build in the draft, so I'm going to target players that are young yet show promise. I'm also not going to add a lot of high profile players, because the chance of us landing one of them isn't very high. 

S Dawan Landry: Both of these safeties have the benefit on playing on two of the top defenses in the league, and they know what it takes. Signing one of the two is an absolute necessity for us becasue I see Safety as our 3rd largest need behind CB and DL. 

DE Ray Edwards: Often overshadowed by the Williams' and Jared Allen, Ray Edwards has put together a solid season for the Vikings. He's only 26 years old and he's listed at 6'5, 268 lbs. Edwards has proven to be good against the run and the pass, totaling 8 sacks this season. 

DT Alan Branch: Very underrated DT/NT playing for the Cardinals. Originally a DT in Michigan's defense, moved to NT to fit the Cardinals' system. He's still young and he's a disruptive force. I think he'd be a great pickup this offseason and he shouldn't cost too much. 

MLB Desmond Bishop: Also only 26 years old, Bishop has shown a lot of promise while filling in for Nick Barnett. The only problem is he hasn't been able to play a whole lot since the Packers have so much depth. Good thing is, he may be flying under the radar. He'd be my first priority for filling the ILB spot. 

Other possible options: MLB Stephen Tulloch, DT Brandon Mebane, DT Barry Coefield, DE Charles Johnson, S Eric Weddle, 

Trade:

Kyle Orton to Arizona for their 3rd round pick. Wisenhunt is on the hot seat and he needs a serviceable QB to win a couple more games for him next year while Skelton is developing. Otherwise, he loses his job. 

Eddie Royal to Washington for their 5th & 7th round picks. Washington doesn't have a 3rd or 4th round pick, so I think we settle for a 5th and a 7th. 

Draft: 

1. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. After moving to a 4-3, I see our biggest glaring need at CB. I don't see Cox as being a starting caliber CB for any time soon, Bailey is coming back for at least another year, and Goodman can't stay healthy and he isn't getting any younger. I don't see our defensive line needing as much help immediately due to us moving back into the 4-3, and I think with all the depth in this draft we can address the DL later. Players like Peterson don't come around very often, and I think he's the best value on the board. 

2. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska. After moving to our 4-3, I think Crick would fit perfectly as one of our up and coming DT's. He's 6'6 285 lbs, and with his large frame I think he could put even a little more weight on. Crick has been just as disruptive this year as he was last year. The biggest question on him coming into this year was wether or not he could keep up his production without Suh. He definitely has, and that's why I pick him at #36. 

2. Greg Jones, ILB, Michigan State. After moving to a 4-3 and moving DJ to OLB, it will be interesting to see how Mays fits in. I think Mays can do a decent job for a while, but he's not the long term answer. Greg Jones has been great for the #9 Spartans, and at 6'1" 240 lbs. Jones has great size. Jones had 105 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions this season, I think he'll be great in the NFL. 

3. Mason Foster, OLB, Washington. After watching Foster tear up Nebraska, I instantly grew a man crush for him (no homo). I see him possibly moving up into the late 2nd-early 3rd round, and fortunately the Broncos have a high 3rd round pick. If he can improve his 40 time, I'm positive his status will move up. This season he had 162 tackles and 8 sacks. He's a tackling machine and will cause trouble in the backfield. He'd be a great steal if we could get him here. 

5. Lee Smith, TE, Marshall. The Broncos draft a huge, 6'6" 267 lbs. TE that can help near the redzone. Smith has 4.7 speed which won't really stretch the field, but he is a huge frame to throw to. This season he has compiled 79 receptions for 791 yards with 3 TD's, which is impressive for any TE. With his large frame and good hands he's the type of TE that Denver has been needing since Sharpe. 

6. Ryan Jones, CB, Northwest Missouri State. While Jones plays in a smaller conference, he has the ideal size and speed for a CB. He's listed at 5'11" 195 lbs. with 4.4 speed. This season he had 55 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 11 pass break ups. If he has good Pro Day and Combine results I see him climbing up the boards and I see him as great value here. 

7. Martin Parker, DT, Richmond. While Parker also played at a smaller school, he terrorized opponents backfields. He's 6'2", 288 lbs. and he looks to be very athletic. This year he had 75 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, and 10 QB hurries. I can see him helping a lot on 3rd downs at DT and possibly even rotate in at DE. He could also be another hidden gem. 

7. Chris Conte, FS, California. Conte is an large, athletic safety that could be a hidden gem. He's 6'3", 212 lbs. and runs a 4.54 40. This season he had 72 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. 

Hopeful Depth Chart

Offense:

QB: T. Tebow, B. Quinn

HB: K. Moreno, C. Buckhalter, L. Ball

WR: B. Lloyd, E. Decker, M. Willis

WR: D. Thomas, J. Gaffney, B. Davis

TE: L. Smith, R. Quinn, Gronkowski

LT: R. Clady, C. Clark

LG: Z. Beadles, E. Olsen

C: J. Walton, J. Byers, C. Frye

RG: C. Kuper, S. Daniels

RT: R. Harris, R. Hochstein

Defense:

DE: R. Ayers, R. Edwards

DT: J. Bannan, J. Crick, M. Parker

DT: K. Vickerson, Alan Branch. M. Thomas

DE: E. Dumervil, R. McBean

OLB: D. Williams, W. Woodyard

MLB: D. Bishop, G. Jones

OLB: M. Haggan, M. Foster

CB: C. Bailey, P. Cox, S. Thompson

CB: P. Peterson, A. Goodman, R. Jones

FS: Dawan Landry, R. Hill, C. Conte

SS: Brian Dawkins, D. McBath

Well, there it is. My season observations and possible remedies to possibly fix our team someday. I'm not a frequent poster here, so please don't be too harsh! Have at it!

The last couple days I have been thinking if the Broncos are in rebuilding mode, or if we already have a strong core to build around. To me, teams should always be built around the Offensive and Defensive Lines. After drafting three Offensive Linemen and re-signing one, I believe that the Broncos have a foundation for their Offensive Line. Clady, Kuper, and Harris are all soild, and I think that both Olsens and Beadles will turn out to be good players. The only problem is injuries. The Defensive Line on the other hand is awful in my eyes. I don't always think that blowing up the roster is a terrible thing. If McDaniels would have done a better job at drafting, we would have a very solid foundation right now. Instead, he made some questionable picks. Lets look at the past. 

2009: Needs: DL, LB, S, HB, OL

Draft Picks- (Players that we could've had)

Round 1 #12: HB Knowshon Moreno- (DE/OLB Brian Orakpo, Brian Cushing)

Analysis: I personally never understood this pick. We already signed Correll Buckhalter and we already had Peyton Hillis. We needed help in the front 7.... so we decide to draft a running back...

Round 1 #18: DE/OLB Robert Ayers (OLB Clay Matthews)

Analysis: I don't exactly blame McDaniels for this pick because it's hard to see who will be able to transition from a 4-3 DE into a 3-4 OLB, but it sure would've been nice to have Clay Matthews instead.

Round 2 #5: CB Alphonso Smith (ILB Rey Maualuga, CB Jairus Byrd)

Analysis: In my eyes, the dumbest thing that McDaniels did was trade our 2010 first round pick to the Seahawks for a 2009 second round pick which ended up to be Alphonso Smith... who is currently with the Detroit Lions. 

Round 2 #16: S Darcel McBath (G Max Unger, T Phil Loadholt, DT Fili Moala, T Sebastian Vollmer)

Analysis: I think McBath can be a good safety in the future, and I actually liked this pick. 

Round 2 #32: TE Richard Quinn (HB Shonn Greene, CB Bradley Fletcher, WR Mike Wallace)

Analysis: Also one of the dumber things that McDaniels did.. I understand he wanted a blocking TE for our scheme, but why trade up to round 2 when we could have him in the 6th?

So, after the first 3 rounds, we could have technically had DE/OLB Brian Orakpo, OLB Clay Matthews, ILB Rey Maualuga, G Max Unger, and HB Shonn Greene. 

Now lets look at 2010..

Draft Picks- (Players We Could've Had)

2010 Team Needs: LB, WR, TE, DL, CB

Round 1

#22: WR Demaryius Thomas- (NT Dan Williams, CB Devin McCourty, WR Dez Bryant, HB Jahvid Best)

Analysis: After trading Brandon Marshall, I understand Josh McDaniels pick. I personally think Thomas shows a lot of promise, the only problem is keeping him healthy. 

Round 1 #25: QB Tim Tebow- (NT Dan Williams, CB Devin McCourty, HB Jahvid Best, DT Brian Price)

Analysis- To me, this was a bad pick. After going 8-8 in 2009, the Broncos surely didn't have the luxury of acquiring a project. In the first round, I feel as if you need to draft a player that can contribute soon if not immediately. 

Round 2 #13: OL Zane Beadles- (ILB Daryl Washington, NT Linval Joseph, ILB Brandon Spikes)

Analysis- A good pick to me, Zane has shown promise this season.

Round 3 #16: OL J.D. Walton- (WR Emmanuel Sanders, DT Corey Peters, QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley)

Analysis- A good pick to me, Walton has been good for the toughest position on the OL, and it's only going to get better. 

Round 3 #23: WR Eric Decker- (TE Tony Moeaki, WR Mike Williams, CB Alterraun Verner)

Analysis- What seems to be a good pick to me, Decker was a beast in college but he didn't play his senior year due to injury. I'm still excited to see what he can bring to the table once he gets his chance. 

So, after the past two years in the top 3 rounds, we could've ended up with DE/OLB Brian Orakpo, OLB Clay Matthews, ILB Rey Maualuga, OG Max Unger, HB Shonn Greene, WR Demaryius Thomas, CB Devin McCourty, OG Zane Beadles, OC J.D. Walton, and WR Eric Decker. 

I personally would prefer this group over our current group, but you can't go back in time.

Can you imagine our OL consisting of:

LT: Ryan Clady, LG: Max Unger, C: J.D. Walton, RG: Chris Kuper, RT Ryan Harris. With the most diverse OL in Zane Beadles as a backup?

Or can you imagine our Linebackers consisting of:

LOLB: Clay Matthews/Brian Orakpo, ILB: Rey Maualuga, ILB: DJ Williams, ROLB: Elvis Dumervil/ Brian Orakpo

Or how about our Secondary consisting of:

CB: Champ Bailey, CB: Devin McCourty/Andre Goodwin, FS: Brian Dawkins/ David Bruton, SS: Renaldo Hill/ Darcel McBath

The list goes on and on... I personally don't think we have enough on the team right now build around. Our offensive line is solid, our receivers are solid... but that's just about it. I think we need to get a lot younger, and there's no better way of doing that than through the draft. If it's done right, we'll have an extremely solid young team for decades to come. 

I believe that it might be beneficial for the Broncos to blow up the roster again and try to rebuild. For me, right now the best young players to build around are: OT Ryan Clady, OG Chris Kuper, C J.D. Walton, OG Zane Beadles, OT Ryan Harris, WR Demaryius Thomas, WR Eddie Royal, WR Eric Decker, S David Bruton, S Darcel McBath, and LB Elvis Dumervil. Other than that, everyone on our team i'd be willing to part ways with. I know that it'll be tough to part ways with Champ, but I'd like to see us get younger, and most of all I'd love to see him to get a championship, unfortunately it won't be with the Broncos. I feel the same way about Dawkins too. 

I know it's only been six games, but  I was thinking about it and watching the Nuggets this year is much different than watching the Nuggets last year. To me, last year Nuggets games seemed more like, "The Melo Show" with Chauncey consistently averaging 20 PPG and with JR having an amazing game every once in a while. Our front-court seemed frail and weak, because it was. Our bench was weak besides Lawson and sometime JR.

This year is completely different for me. Melo still takes his shots, but Chauncey doesn't need to do as much since Al Harrington has come to town. Arron Afflalo has emerged as a key piece of our team. In my eyes, our front-court seems to be the strongest that it's been in a while. Melvin Ely and Shelden Williams have shown promise. Also, with Harrington coming to town, our bench is much stronger. Instead of JR's inconsistency, we've found a solid player to come off the bench and score 15+ points per game, at much higher percentages. 

Here's some comparisons between Melvin Ely and Shelden Williams this year, vs. K-Mart and Birdman last year. I'm going to compare their stats per 30 minutes. Obviously, I'm basing K-Mart and Birdman's statistics off of last year)

Points per 30 minutes:

Melvin Ely: 5.8 (56%)

Shelden Williams: 9.2 (49%)

Kenyon Martin: 10.1 (46%)

Chris Andersen: 7.9 (57%)

Rebounds per 30 minutes:

Melvin Ely: 8.0 (2.2 offensive, 5.8 defensive)

Shelden Williams: 10.5 (3.8 offensive, 6.7 defensive)

Kenyon Martin: 8.2 (2.1 offensive, 6.1 defensive)

Chris Anderson: 8.5 (2.6 offensive, 5.9 defensive)

Blocks per 30 minutes:

Melvin Ely: 1.3

Shelden Williams: 0.6

Kenyon Martin: 0.9

Chris Anderson: 2.5

Steals per 30 minutes:

Melvin Ely: 0.9

Shelden Williams: 0.6

Kenyon Martin: 1.1

Chris Andersen: 0.7

So overall, Shelden Williams and Melvin Ely would average 15 points at 52.5%, 18.5 rebounds (6 offensive, 12.5 defensive), 1.9 blocks, and 1.5 steals.

Kenyon Martin and Chris Anderson would average 18 PPG at 51.5%, 16.7 rebounds (4.7 offensive, 12 defensive), 3.6 blocks, and 1.8 steals.

Which would you prefer? Also, consider the salaries. Williams and Ely combined are $2,139,018, whereas K-Mart and Bird's combined are $20,487,454. 

I personally would rather have Ely and Williams, but who knows. Maybe Martin will come back and play harder since he's looking for a new contract at the end of this year. Also, Bird's knee was injured for most of the year last year, so maybe he'll come back to his 2008-2009 form. It will all be interesting to see what happens when Bird and K-Mart come back. I personally wouldn't mind trading K-Mart at the trade deadline. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is the first time in a while that I feel like we have an abundance of big men. 

I also think that we should get rid of JR. He's a cancer to the team. His inconsistency is unacceptable, and we've found a replacement for him. 

Any thoughts on the abundance of big men or biggest differences between this year and last? Please share

Well, since I'm bored and waiting for NBA Free Agency to start... I decided to look back at the past personnel decisions since 2000 and see what could have happened if everything went right by drafting the right players. I'm not one of those people that weeps on the past, but I just thought I'd throw this out!

2000: Instead of picking Mamadou N'Diaye with the #27 pick, we draft Michael Redd.

2001: We didn't pick until the second round, and with pick #47, we selected Ousmane Cisse. Looking at the players selected after Cisse, I don't think there was anyone that would've helped more. 

2002: With the #5 pick in the draft, Instead of drafting Nikoloz Tskitishvili, the Nuggets select Amare Stoudemire. With the #7 pick in the draft, the Nuggets select Nene. With the #33 pick in the draft, instead of picking Vincent Yarbrough, the Nuggets select Carlos Boozer.

2003: Obviously we had a rough year so we had a high draft pick. Fortunately, Detroit screwed up and we took advantage of the situation by selecting Carmelo Anthony at pick #3. Instead of taking Sani Becirovic with pick #46, we take Kyle Korver.

2004: We made a great pick with Jameer Nelson at #20, but we traded him! Big mistake. I'm going to say we kept him. 

2005: Instead of taking Julius Hodge with pick #20, we take Nate Robinson. Instead of taking Jarrett Jack with pick #22, we take David Lee. Instead of taking Axel Hervelle with pick #52, we take Marcin Gortat. 

2006: The Nuggets traded 3 first round picks to the Nets for Kenyon Martin. 

2007: No pick

2008: No pick

2009: We traded for Ty Lawson.

2010: No pick

Lineup:

PG: Jameer Nelson, Ty Lawson

SG: Michael Redd, Kyle Korver, Nate Robinson

SF: Carmelo Anthony

PF: Amare' Stoudemire, David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Kenyon Martin

C: Nene, Marcin Gortat. 

To me, this would equal a championship without a doubt, and we'd still be pretty young. I'm sure we could trade a PF for a backup SF or a C. Just thought it'd be kinda fun to look at. 

With Free Agency only being about 3 days away now, I'm going to look at the top possible (realistic) bigs that the Nuggets might be looking at. I'm going to look at scoring, rebounding (offensive and defensive), assists, turn overs, blocks, and steals all per 30 minutes. I do 30 minutes because that's a reasonable amount of time for starters in the league. I'll look at David Lee, Udonis Haslem, Brendan Haywood, Hakin Warrick, Amir Johnson, Brandan Wright (stats may be deceiving since he only played 121 minutes last year), Jason Maxiell, Chris Wilcox, Tyson Chandler, Drew Gooden, and Andris Biedrins. If you have any other players that you would like to see up here, just ask!

Size

Tyson Chandler, 7'1", 235 lbs. 

Brendan Haywood: 7', 263 lbs.

Andris Biedrins: 6'11", 240 lbs.

Drew Gooden: 6'10", 250 lbs. 

Chris Wilcox: 6'10", 235 lbs. 

Brandan Wright: 6'10", 210 lbs. 

David Lee: 6'9", 250 lbs. 

Hakin Warrick: 6'9", 220 lbs. 

Amir Johnson: 6'9", 210 lbs. 

Udonis Haslem: 6'8", 235 lbs. 

Jason Maxiell: 6'7", 260 lbs. 

Points

Brandan Wright: 17.6 points, 48.1% FG, 84.0% FT

David Lee: 16.3 points, 54.5% FG, 77.4% FT

Drew Gooden: 13.0 points, 47.1% FG, 80.9% FT

Amir Johnson: 10.6 points, 62.3% FG, 63.8% FT

Udonis Haslem: 10.6 points, 49.4% FG, 76.2% FT

Chris Wilcox: 10.4 points, 52.5% FG, 50% FT

Hakin Warrick: 10.3 points, 48.1% FG, 72.7% FT

Jason Maxiell: 9.9 points, 51.1% FG, 57.4% FT

Brendan Haywood: 9.0 points, 56% FG, 61.9% FT

Tyson Chandler: 8.6 points, 57.4% FG, 73.2% FT

Andris Biedrins: 6.2 points, 59% FG, 52% FT

Rebounds

Andris Biedrins: 10.2 rebounds (2.5 offensive, 7.7 defensive)

David Lee: 9.4 rebounds (2.3 offensive, 7.1 defensive)

Drew Gooden: 9.2 rebounds (3.5 offensive, 5.7 defensive)

Brendan Haywood: 9.1 rebounds (3.5 offensive, 5.6 defensive)

Udonis Haslem: 8.7 rebounds (2.3 offensive, 6.4 defensive)

Tyson Chandler: 8.2 rebounds (2.9 offensive, 5.3 defensive)

Amir Johnson: 8.2 rebounds (3.2 offensive, 5.0 defensive)

Chris Wilcox: 8.0 rebounds (3.0 offensive, 5.0 defensive)

Jason Maxiell: 7.7 rebounds (3.1 offensive, 4.6 defensive)

Hakim Warrick: 6.0 rebounds (2.4 offensive, 3.6 defensive)

Brandan Wright: 5.7 rebounds (1.7 offensive, 4.0 defensive)

Assists

Andris Biedrins: 2.2 assists

Amir Johnson: 1.0 assists

Hakin Warrick: 1.0 assists

Chris Wilcox: 0.9 assists

Drew Gooden: 0.8 assists

David Lee: 0.8 assists

Jason Maxiell: 0.8 assists

Udonis Haslem: 0.7 assists

Brendan Haywood: 0.5 assists

Tyson Chandler: 0.4 assists

Brandan Wright: 0.2 assists

Turnovers

Chris Wilcox: 2.6 turnovers

Tyson Chandler: 2.3 turnovers

David Lee: 1.9 turnovers

Drew Gooden: 1.8 turnovers

Brandan Wright: 1.7 turnovers

Brendan Haywood: 1.6 turnovers

Hakin Warrick: 1.5 turnovers

Jason Maxiell: 1.3 turnovers

Andris Biedrins: 1.3 turnovers

Amir Johnson: 1.3 turnovers

Udonis Haslem: 1.0 turnovers

Blocks

Brendan Haywood: 2.0 blocks

Andris Biedrins: 1.7 blocks

Tyson Chandler: 1.4 blocks

Amir Johnson: 1.4 blocks

Brandan Wright: 1.2 blocks

Drew Gooden: 1.0 blocks

Chris Wilcox: 0.8 blocks

Jason Maxiell: 0.7 blocks

David Lee: 0.6 blocks

Hakin Warrick: 0.3 blocks

Udonis Haslem: 0.3 blocks

Steals

Brandan Wright: 1.0 steals

Chris Wilcox: 0.9 steals

Amir Johnson: 0.9 steals

David Lee: 0.8 steals

Andris Biedrins: 0.8 steals

Drew Gooden: 0.7 steals

Jason Maxiell: 0.7 steals

Hakim Warrick: 0.5 steals

Tyson Chandler: 0.4 steals

Udonis Haslem: 0.4 steals

Brendan Haywood: 0.3 steals

Overall, I think all of these players would be good fits. Biedrins would be amazing if he could stay healthy, I'd love to add his defensive game along with his athleticism and size. Brendan Haywood would be a nice option as well, if we could sign him to the MLE. I like David Lee, but he might be too expensive. Udonis Haslem would be a great addition, but he seems extremely loyal and it sounds like he's a top priority for the Heat this off-season. Hakim Warrick will probably be available, he'll want to play with Melo, but I don't think he'll help a ton in terms of a big. Amir Johnson looks to be a good defensive player and a very efficent offensive player. I also like Brandan Wright because he's big (although he needs to add weight), he's talented around the rim, and he looks to be solid defensively. Jason Maxiell and Chris Wilcox are nice options, they're solid in almost every aspect of their game, but not great at anything either. Tyson Chandler adds nice height, but he's extremely injury prone and his contract is huge. Drew Gooden is one of my favorite options, he's good offensively and pretty good defensively as well. 

Here's my idea:

1. Trade K-Mart and JR to Golden State for Biedrins, Azubuike, and Wright

2. Sign Amir Johnson

New Lineup:

PG: Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson

SG: Arron Afflalo, Kelenna Azubuike

SF: Carmelo Anthony, Joey Graham, Renaldo Balkman

PF: Nene, Brandan Wright, Amir Johnson

C: Andris Biedrins, Chris Anderson

After not making the finals again... I fell that we can always learn something from this past season and from the teams that made the Finals. Here's what I think the Nuggets should take with them into 2011.

1. Obviously we need a legit big man. Both the Lakers and the Celtics had two players over 7' or over 270 lbs. Celtics: (Kevin Garnett 7', 253 lbs. Kendrick Perkins 6'10, 280 lbs. Glen Davis 6'9, 290 lbs.) Lakers: Gasol 7' 250 lbs. Bynum 7' 285 lbs.) I realize that Big Baby is only 6'9, but his weight makes him almost impossible to move. He's an excellent rebound and an above average defender. Perkins is also immovable but he also has height which makes him an excellent defender. Garnett is a great rebounder as well, and he's a good defender. Now for the Lakers. Both Gasol and Bynum can control the boards because of their length. They're both good post defenders. Gasol can control a game with his offensive game. His jump hook is almost unstoppable because of his length. Bynum also looks promising offensively if he can stay healthy. The Nuggets need a 7' player that's built like Perkins. Our biggest need is without a doubt a post defender/ rebounder. 

2. The Celtics run to the Finals really isn't that remarkable. They're an older team which makes injuries a lot more probable, much like our Nuggets. Doc Rivers is an excellent coach. He took a gamble during the regular season, a huge one. He believed the players when told him that they would bring it in the Playoffs, and they sure did. They looked like a new team during the playoffs. I think this may have been the key to their run. Maybe the Nuggets should take notes. The Nuggets were so worn down at the end of last season that they couldn't even advance past a worn down Utah Jazz team during the first round. The Regular Season really doesn't mean much as long as you make it to the playoffs. Look at the Cavs, they've been regular season champs the last two seasons but they can't make it to the Finals. Next year the Nuggets need to rest everyone more and have a deeper bench. They need to play players like AC, Petro, and Graham a lot more next year. Forget only playing 8, we need to play 10. 

3. The Nuggets need more than one scoring option. And no, Chauncey isn't the answer. When a soon to be 34 year old PG averages the most PPG in his career, you have problems. The Nuggets need a second and third option, and one needs to be in the post. 

Have any others? Please post them and i'll add them right away. 

As seen before, I was wondering how everyone here uses the term bust. To me, a bust is a player picked in the higher rounds (especially the 1st), is paid a large amount of money, and isn't a quality contributor. I think it takes 3-4 years to consider a player a bust, and Jarvis Moss is right on the brink for me. I understand that he has had to overcome some adversity, but who doesn't? In my opinion, he hasn't earned his keep on the Broncos, being paid $3 Million a year for 5 years, and only having 3 sacks and 25 tackles in the first 3 years of his contract. Technically, Moss is being paid $3 Million for every sack and 8 tackles that he gets. If this was Dumervil, he would have made around $51 Million last year! Yikes! I haven't given up on Moss quite yet, but I think it's fair to say that if he doesn't contribute to our team this year, he'll definitely be considered a bust for years to come. Here's my proof, let me know what you think. I'm going to look at the 05, 06, 07, and 08 draft classes. I didn't include 09 because I think that it's hard enough to evaluate players with 2 years of experience, so it'd be almost impossible to evaluate players with only one. If you don't want to read it all, scroll down to the bottom. I find it pretty interesting. 

2005 NFL Draft: *Playing time/ Solid contributor

*Playing time- playing a significant amount of time in games during first 2 seasons. 

*Solid contributor- personal judgement with stats and analysis included. 

*Pro Bowl in Bold

*All Pro in Italics

1. Alex Smith QB- yes, no (started 23 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 16-24 record as starter, 37 TD, 43 INT, 56% completion)

2. Ronnie Brown HB- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 816 yards rushing, 250 yards receiving, 7 TD per season)

3. Braylon Edwards WR- yes, yes (started 22 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 848 receiving yards, 7 TD per season)

4. Cedric Benson HB- no, yes (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 1,200 yards, 6 TD last season with the Bengals)

5. Cadillac Williams HB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 648 yards, 4 TD per season *stats are dampened by major knee injury but he's returning back to shape*)

6. Adam Jones CB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 63 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries in 2006 before he ruined his career) 

7. Troy Williamson WR- no, no (started 14 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 226 yards, 1 TD per year)

8. Antrel Rolle FS- yes, yes (started 20 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 67 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble per season)

9. Carlos Rodgers CB- yes, yes (started 20 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 50 tackles, 1 interception per year)

10. Mike Williams WR- no, no (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 180 yards, 1 TD per year)

11. DeMarcus Ware OLB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 71 tackles, 13 sacks per season)

12. Shawne Merriman OLB- yes, yes (started 27 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 63 tackles, 13 sacks per year during first 3 years until he was injured in 2008)

13. Jammal Brown LT- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for Saints)

14. Thomas Davis OLB- no, yes (started 15 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 98 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles from 2006-2008, only played half the season in 2009 because of injury)

15. Derrick Johnson OLB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 87 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, 3 sacks first 4 seasons until he was benched last year)

16. Travis Johnson DT- no, no (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 24 tackles per season)

17. David Pollack ILB- no, no (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ suffered a broken vertebrae in 2006 causing retirement)

18. Erasmus James DE- no, no (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ totaled 37 tackles, 5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in 4 years with Vikings, currently a free agent)

19. Alex Barron LT- yes, yes (started 27 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ strarting LT for Rams)

20. Marcus Spears DE- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 33 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble per season)

21. Matt Jones WR- no, yes (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 42 catches, 4 TD per season)

22. Mark Clayton WR- yes, no (started 22 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 47 catches, 3 TD per season)

23. Fabian Washington CB- yes, yes (started 25 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 39 tackles, 2 interceptions per season until he was injured in 2009)

24. Aaron Rodgers QB- no, yes (stared 0 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 17-15 record as starter, 59 TD, 21 INT, 64% in last two seasons)

25. Jason Campbell QB- yes, yes (started 20 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 20-32 record as starter, averages 11 TD, 7 INT per season, 61% completion)

26. Chris Spencer C- no, yes (started 8 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting C for Seahawks)

27. Roddy White WR- no, yes (started 13 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 85 catches, 9 TD last three seasons) 

28. Luis Castillo DE- yes, yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 37 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 pass defended per season)

29. Marlin Jackson CB- no, yes (started 9 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 57 tackles, 1 interception, 3 passes defended per season)

30. Heath Miller TE- yes, yes (started 30 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 49 catches, 5 TD per season)

31. Mike Patterson DT- yes, yes (started 23 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 52 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble per season)

32. Logan Mankins LG- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LG for Patriots)

As you can see, 20 of the 32 (63%) of the players played a significant amount during their first two seasons in the league. Also, 26 of the 32 (81%) of the players have made solid contributions to their teams, 8 of the 32 (25%) have made the Pro Bowl, and 3 of the 32 (9%) have been selected as 1st Team All Pro. Only 5 of the 32 (16%) haven't played significant amounts of time and contributing to their teams, and one of them couldn't because he had a career ending injury. 

Here's a quick recap:

63% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2005 draft played a significant amount of time during their first two seasons in the league. 

81% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2005 draft have made solid contributions to their teams. 

25% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2005 draft have made at least one Pro Bowl. 

9% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2005 draft have been chosen as 1st Team All Pro.

16% (13% if you don't count a career ending injury) of the players selected in the 2005 draft haven't done diddily squat. 

Soo... according to these stats from the 2005 NFL Draft... The chances of drafting a Pro Bowl player is higher than drafting a bust. The chances of drafting an All Pro player is just under the chances of drafting a bust. 

2006 NFL Draft:

1. Mario Williams DE- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 51 tackles, 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles per season)

2. Reggie Bush HB- yes, yes (started 18 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 485 rushing yards, 484 receiving yards, 65 receptions, 8 TD per season)

3. Vince Young QB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 26-13 record as starter, averages 15 TD, 13 interceptions, 58% completion)

4. D'Brickishaw Ferguson OT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for Jets)

5. A.J. Hawk ILB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 99 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception per season)

6. Vernon Davis TE- yes, yes (started 22 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 36 catches, 524 yards receiving, and 5 TD per season)

7. Michael Huff FS- yes, no (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 61 tackles, 1 interception per season)

8. Donte Whitner SS- yes, yes (started 29 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 78 tackles, 1 interception, 3 passes defended, 1 forced fumble per season)

9. Ernie Sims OLB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 98 tackles, 1 forced fumble per season. 

10. Matt Leinart QB- yes, no (started 16 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 7-10 record as starter, averages 4 TD, 5 INT per season)

11. Jay Cutler QB- yes, yes (started 21 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 24-29 record as starter, averages 20 TD, 16 INT per season)

12. Haloti Ngata DT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 46 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 interception per season)

13. Kamerion Wimbley OLB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 61 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles per season)

14. Brodrick Bunkley DT- no, yes (started 15 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 41 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 2 sacks per season since 2007)

15. Tye Hill CB- yes, no (started 17 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 28 tackles, 1 interception, 4 passes defended per season)

16. Jason Allen SS- no, no (started 9 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 37 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 passes defended per season since 2007)

17. Chad Greenway ILB- yes, yes (started 16 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 105 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions per season since 2007)

18. Bobby Carpenter ILB- no, no (started 0 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 20 tackles, 1 sack per season)

19. Antonio Cromartie CB- no, yes (started (started 8 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 47 tackles, 5 interceptions, 12 passes defended since 2007)

20. Tamba Hali DE- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 59 tackles, 7 sacks per, 2 passes defended per season)

21. Laurence Maroney HB- no, yes (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 779 yards rushing, 136 yards receiving, 7 TD per season *didn't count 2008 since he was injured*)

22. Manny Lawson OLB- no, yes (started 15 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had breakout year in 2009 with 66 tackles, 6.5 sacks. 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery) 

23. Davin Joseph G- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LG for the Buccaneers)

24. Johnathan Joseph CB- yes, yes (started 23 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 58 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery per season)

25. Santonio Holmes WR- yes, yes (started 17 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 59 catches, 959 yards, 5 TD per season)

26. John McCargo DT- no, no (started 0 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 12 tackles per season)

27. DeAngelo Williams HB- no, yes (started 2 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 1,316 yards rushing, 186 yards receiving, 14 TD per season since 2008)

28. Marcedes Lewis TE- yes, no (started 19 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 37 catches, 2 TD per season)

29. Nick Mangold C- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting C for Jets)

30. Joseph Addai HB- no, yes (started 15 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 881 yards rushing, 308 yards receiving, 11 TD per season)

31. Kelly Jennings CB- yes, no (started 17 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 42 tackles per season) 

32. Mathias Kiwanuka DE-  yes, yes (started 18 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 52 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 5 sacks, 2 passes defended per season)

As you can see, 23 of the 32 (72%) of the players chosen in 2006 played a significant amount in their first 2 years in the league. Also, 24 of the 32 (75%) of the players have made significant contributions to their teams, 11 of the 32 (34%) of the players have been selected to at least one Pro Bowl, and 2 of the 32 (6%) have been selected to as an All Pro. Only 3 of the 32 (9%) haven't played significant amounts during their first 2 seasons and haven't made any significant contributions. 

Here's a quick recap: 

72% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft have played significant minutes during their first 2 seasons in the league. 

75% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft have made significant contributions to their teams. 

34% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft have been to at least 1 Pro Bowl. 

6% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft have been chosen as 1st Team All Pro. 

9% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2006 NFL Draft haven't done diddily squat. 

So... according to these stats, the chances of drafting a Pro Bowl player is a lot higher than drafting a bust, and the chances of drafting an All Pro player is just below the chances of drafting a bust. 

2007 NFL Draft: 

1. JaMarcus Russell QB- yes, no (started the whole 2008 season/ 7-18 record as a starting QB, averaged 6 TD, 8 interceptions per year)

2. Calvin Johnson WR- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 61 catches, 7 TD per year)

3. Joe Thomas LT- yes, yes (started all 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for Browns)

4. Gaines Adams DE- yes, yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 6.5 sacks, 36 tackles per year)

5. Levi Brown RT- yes, yes (started 27 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting RT for Cardinals)

6. LaRon Landry SS/FS- yes, yes (started all 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 83 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble per year)

7. Adrian Peterson HB- yes yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 1,494 yards rushing, 276 yards receiving, 10 TD per season)

8. Jamaal Anderson DE- yes, yes (started 31 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 28 tackles, 1 sacks per year, Falcons tied with 10th best rush defense last year)

9. Ted Ginn Jr. WR- yes, yes (started 22 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 43 catches and 3 TD per year, also is a good Special Teams player)

10. Amobi Okoye DT- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 32 tackles, 3 sacks per year, Texans were tied with 10th best rush defense last season)

11. Patrick Willis ILB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 154 tackles, 3 sacks per year)

12. Marshawn Lynch HB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 1,076 yards, 7.5 TD during first 2 seasons)

13. Adam Carriker DE- yes, no (started 25 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 26.5 tackles, 1 sack per year)

14. Darrelle Revis CB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 66 tackles, 5 interceptions per year)

15. Lawrence Timmons ILB- no, yes (started 2 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 77 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 7 sacks last year once he got playing time)

16. Justin Harrell DT- no, no (started 2 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 11 tackles per year)

17. Jarvis Moss DE/OLB- no, no (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 8 tackles, 1 sack per year)

18. Leon Hall CB- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 68 tackles, 5 interceptions per year)

19. Michael Griffin SS- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 65 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble per year)

20. Aaron Ross CB- yes, no (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 35 tackles, 2 interceptions per year)

21. Reggie Nelson FS- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/  averages 61 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble per year)

22. Brady Quinn QB- no, no (started 3 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 3-9 as starter, averages 3 TD, 3 interceptions per year)

23. Dwayne Bowe WR- yes, yes (started 31 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 68 catches, 5 TD per year)

24. Brandon Meriweather SS- no, yes (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 63 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles per year)

25. Jon Beason ILB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 140 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries per year)

26. Anthony Spencer DE/ OLB- no, yes (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 67 tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 6 sacks last season)

27. Robert Meachem WR- no, yes (started 10 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 45 catches, 9 TD in 2008 with Saints)

28. Joe Staley LT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for 49ers)

29. Ben Grubbs LG- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LG for Ravens)

30. Craig Davis WR- no, no (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 10 catches per year)

31. Greg Olsen TE- no, yes (started 12 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 51 catches, 5 TD per year)

32. Anthony Gonzalez WR- no, yes (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 47 catches, 4 TD per year)

As you can see, 22 of the 32 (69%) of the players played a significant amount of time during their first 2 years in the league. Also, 25 of the 32 (78%) of the players are solid contributors on their teams in some way, 8 of the 32 (25%) players are Pro Bowlers, and 5 of the 32 (16%) of the players are All Pro Selections. Only 4 of the 32 (13%) of the players were neither getting playing time and contributing to their teams. 

Heres a quick recap:

69% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft earned significant amounts of playing time during the first 2 years of their careers. 

78% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft made/make solid contributions to their teams. 

25% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft have been to the Pro Bowl at least once. 

16% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft have been chosen as 1st Team All Pro. 

13% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft haven't done diddily squat (AKA Bust).  

So according to these stats from the 2007 NFL Draft... the chances of choosing a Pro Bowl player is greater than the chance of choosing a bust. The chance of choosing a 1st Team All Pro player is equal to the chance choosing a bust.

2008 NFL Draft: I'm going to be easier in terms of contributing since it's too early to tell

1. Jake Long LT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for Dolphins)

2. Chris Long DE- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 42 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 5 sacks per season)

3. Matt Ryan QB- yes, yes (started 30 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 20-10 record as starter, averages 264 completions, 60% completion, 19 TD, 13 interceptions per season)

4. Darren McFadden HB- no, yes (started 12 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 428 rushing yards, 265 receiving yards, 2 TD per season)

5. Glenn Dorsey DE- yes, yes (started 30 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 50 tackles, 1 sack per season)

6. Vernon Gholston DE- no, no (started 3 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 12 tackles per season)

7. Sedrick Ellis DT- yes, yes (started 23 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 31 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 passes defended per season)

8. Derrick Harvey DE- yes, yes (started 25 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 38 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 passes defended per season)

9. Keith Rivers ILB- yes, yes (started 20 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 54 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception per season)

10. Jerod Mayo ILB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 115 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble per season)

11. Leodis McKelvin CB- no, yes (started 9 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 31 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovered, 2 interceptions, and 5 passes defended in 6 starts his rookie season before getting hurt in 2009)

12. Ryan Clady LT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for the BRONCOS!)

13. Johnathan Stewart HB- no, yes (started 3 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 985 yards rushing, 93 yards receiving, 10 TD per season)

14. Chris Williams RT- yes, no (started 16 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting RT for the Bears)

15. Brandon Albert LG- yes, yes (started 29 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LG for the Chiefs)

16. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB- yes, yes (started 27 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 45 tackles, 5 interceptions, 1 TD, 22 passes defended per season)

17. Gosder Cherilus RT- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting RT for the Lions)

18. Joe Flacco QB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 20-12 as starter, averages 18 TD, 12 interceptions per season)

19. Jeff Otah RT- yes, yes (started 25 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting RT for the Panthers)

20. Aquib Talib CB- yes, yes (started 17 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 64 tackles, 5 interceptions, 9 passes defended in 2009)

21. Sam Baker LT- yes, yes (started 19 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for the Falcons)

22. Felix Jones HB- no, yes (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 685 rushing yards, 129 receiving yards, 3 TD last year as Marion Barber's backup)

23. Rashard Mendenhall HB- no, yes (started 13 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 1108 rushing yards, 261 receiving yards, 8 TD in 2009)

24. Chris Johnson HB- yes, yes (started 30 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 1,617 rushing yards, 382 receiving yards, 13 TD per season)

25. Mike Jenkins CB- yes, yes (started 30 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 49 tackles, 19 passes defended, 5 interceptions in 2009)

26. Duane Brown OT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for the Texans)

27. Antoine Cason- no, yes (started 3 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 49 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defended per season)

28. Lawrence Jackson DE- yes, yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 31 tackles, 4 sacks per season) 

29. Kentwan Balmer DE- no, no (started 0 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ hasn't played at all due to performance and an injury in 2009)

30. Dustin Keller TE- yes, yes (started 18 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 529 yards receiving, 47 catches, 3 TD per season)

31. forfeited because of spygate

32. Kenny Phillips DB- no, yes (started 5 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 62 tackles, 1 interception, 5 passes defended in 3 starts in 2008 before being injured in 2009)

As you can see... 23 of the 31 (74%) have played a significant amount of time during their first 2 seasons in the league. Also, 28 of the 31 (90%) have made what I consider significant contributions, 5 of the 31 (16%) have already been to the Pro Bowl, and 2 of the 31 (6%) of the players have been named 1st Team All Pro. Only 2 of the 31 (6%) of the players haven't earned playing time and haven't made contributions. 

Here's a quick recap:

74% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft have earned significant amounts of playing time during their first 2 seasons in the league. 

90% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft have made significant contributions to their team. 

16% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft have made it to the Pro Bowl. 

6% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft have been named 1st Team All Pros. 

6% of the players selected in the 1st round of the 2008 NFL Draft haven't done diddily squat. 

According to the stats from the 2008 NFL Draft... the chances of drafting a Pro Bowl player is again higher than the chances of drafting a bust, and the chances of drafting an All Pro player is equal to the chance of drafting a bust. 

*OVERALL SUMMARY*

88 of the 127 (69%) players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft from 2005-2008 have earned significant playing time for their team during the first 2 years of entering the league. 

103 of the 127 (81%) players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft from 2005-2008 have made significant contributions to their teams while being in the league. 

32 of the 127 (25%) players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft from 2005-2008 have been to at least one Pro Bowl. 

12 of the 127 (9%) players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft from 2005-2008 have been chosen as 1st Team All Pro selections. 

14 of the 127 (11%) players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft from 2005-2008 haven't earned playing time and haven't contributed to the team. 

So... The chances of choosing a Pro Bowl caliber player in the 1st round of the NFL Draft is about twice as high as choosing a bust. Also, the chances of choosing an All Pro caliber player is just a little lower than the chances of picking a bust!

After looking at 4 Draft classes, I have come to the conclusion that 25% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the NFL draft will turn into Pro Bowl caliber players, which to me is very encouraging. It's also encouraging to know that the chances of drafting an All Pro caliber player is about the same as the chances of drafting a bust. Thanks for reading and I'd love to have some feedback!

I was wondering how everyone here uses the term bust. To me, a bust is a player picked in the higher rounds (especially the 1st), is paid a large amount of money, and isn't a quality contributor. I think it takes 3-4 years to consider a player a bust, and Jarvis Moss is right on the brink for me. I understand that he has had to overcome some adversity, but who doesn't? In my opinion, he hasn't earned his keep on the Broncos, being paid $3 Million a year for 5 years, and only having 3 sacks and 25 tackles in the first 3 years of his contract. Technically, Moss is being paid $3 Million for every sack and 8 tackles that he gets. If this was Dumervil, he would have made around $51 Million last year! Yikes! I haven't given up on Moss quite yet, but I think it's fair to say that if he doesn't contribute to our team this year, he'll definitely be considered a bust for years to come. Here's my proof, let me know what you think.

2007 Draft Class: *Playing time/ *Solid contributor

*Playing time- playing a significant amount of time in games during first 2 years in the league

*Solid Contributor- personal judgement with analysis included

1. JaMarcus Russell QB- yes, no (started the whole 2008 season/ 7-18 record as a starting QB, averaged 6 TD, 8 interceptions per year)

2. Calvin Johnson WR- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 61 catches, 7 TD per year)

3. Joe Thomas LT- yes, yes (started all 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for Browns, 3 time Pro Bowl, 1 time first team All Pro)

4. Gaines Adams DE- yes, yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 6.5 sacks, 36 tackles per year)

5. Levi Brown RT- yes, yes (started 27 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting RT for Cardinals)

6. LaRon Landry SS/FS- yes, yes (started all 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 83 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble per year)

7. Adrian Peterson HB- yes yes (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 3 time Pro Bowl, 2 time first team All Pro)

8. Jamaal Anderson DE- yes, yes (started 31 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 28 tackles, 1 sacks per year, Falcons tied with 10th best rush defense last year)

9. Ted Ginn Jr. WR- yes, yes (started 22 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 43 catches and 3 TD per year, also is a good Special Teams player)

10. Amobi Okoye DT- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 32 tackles, 3 sacks per year, Texans were tied with 10th best rush defense last season)

11. Patrick Willis ILB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 154 tackles, 3 sacks per year, 3 time Pro Bowl, 2 time 1st team All Pro)

12. Marshawn Lynch HB- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 1,076 yards, 7.5 TD during first 2 seasons, 1 time Pro Bowl)

13. Adam Carriker DE- yes, no (started 25 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 26.5 tackles, 1 sack per year)

14. Darrelle Revis CB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 66 tackles, 5 interceptions per year, 2 time Pro Bowl, 1 time first team All Pro)

15. Lawrence Timmons ILB- no, yes (started 2 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 77 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 7 sacks last year once he got playing time)

16. Justin Harrell DT- no, no (started 2 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 11 tackles per year)

17. Jarvis Moss DE/OLB- no, no (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 8 tackles, 1 sack per year)

18. Leon Hall CB- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 68 tackles, 5 interceptions per year)

19. Michael Griffin SS- yes, yes (started 26 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 65 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble per year, 1 time Pro Bowl)

20. Aaron Ross CB- yes, no (started 24 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 35 tackles, 2 interceptions per year)

21. Reggie Nelson FS- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/  averages 61 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble per year)

22. Brady Quinn QB- no, no (started 3 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ 3-9 as starter, averages 3 TD, 3 interceptions per year)

23. Dwayne Bowe WR- yes, yes (started 31 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 68 catches, 5 TD per year)

24. Brandon Meriweather SS- no, yes (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 63 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles per year, 1 time Pro Bowl)

25. Jon Beason ILB- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 140 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries per year, 1 time Pro Bowl, 1 time first team All Pro)

26. Anthony Spencer DE/ OLB- no, yes (started 6 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 67 tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 6 sacks last season)

27. Robert Meachem WR- no, yes (started 10 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ had 45 catches, 9 TD in 2008 with Saints)

28. Joe Staley LT- yes, yes (started 32 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LT for 49ers)

29. Ben Grubbs LG- yes, yes (started 28 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ starting LG for Ravens)

30. Craig Davis WR- no, no (started 1 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averaged 10 catches per year)

31. Greg Olsen TE- no, yes (started 12 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 51 catches, 5 TD per year)

32. Anthony Gonzalez WR- no, yes (started 11 of 32 games during first 2 seasons/ averages 47 catches, 4 TD per year)

As you can see, 22 of the 32 (69%) of the players played a significant amount of time during their first 2 years in the league. Also, 25 of the 32 (78%) of the players are solid contributors on their teams in some way, 8 of the 32 (25%) players are Pro Bowlers, and 4 of the 32 (13%) of the players are All Pro Selections. Only 4 of the 32 (13%) of the players were neither getting playing time and contributing to their teams. 

Heres a quick recap:

69% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft earned significant amounts of playing time during the first 2 years of their careers. 

78% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft made/make solid contributions to their teams. 

25% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft have been to the Pro Bowl at least once. 

13% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft have been chosen as 1st Team All Pro. 

13% of the players chosen in the 1st round of the 2007 draft haven't done diddily squat (AKA Bust).  

So according to these stats from the 2007 NFL Draft... the chances of choosing a Pro Bowl player is greater than the chance of choosing a bust. The chance of choosing a 1st Team All Pro player is equal to the chance choosing a bust.

OUCH! This makes the selection of Jarvis Moss hurt even worse!

I guess I can give him one more year to prove to me that he is worth something before I call him a legitimate bust. Right now, for me anyways, he's just flirting with the word. 

Well, give me your thoughts and thanks for reading!

Now that the Nuggets will possibly have a new owner, anything can happen. I'm not saying that the Nuggets need to blow up their roster, but I'm going to propose a couple of ideas that may become options. Remember, I'm not saying that I am in favor of or opposed to any of these trades, and that I'm just making possibilities. I'm not putting these in any particular order either. Well here it is. Give me your thoughts, just don't be too harsh. 

Option 1: Trade with Clippers and Hawks

*TRADE*

Clippers: Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, #8 pick ($15,171,069)

Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony ($17,149,243)

Although we trade away our franchise player, we receive one of the most productive big men in the league, a promising SG, a project C, and a rookie SF. I see this as trading one starter for two starters and projects. The Clippers are happy because they have their superstar to sell tickets and hopefully improve the team in LA.

*TRADE*

Hawks: Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby ($23,877,267)

Nuggets: JR Smith, Kenyon Martin, Renaldo Balkman ($24,252,305)

The Hawks aren't going to be championship contenders so they decide to compile as many expiring contracts as possible. The Nuggets trade away two expiring contracts for two young starters and a old overpaid PG. Bibby's contract expires in 2012 so I'm sure the Nuggets would be able to trade away his expiring contract if they wanted to. 

*DRAFT*

Nuggets draft Al-Farouq Aminu with #8 pick.

*Al-Farouq Aminu gets same contract as Jordan Hill (8th pick in 2009)

*NEW LINEUP*

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, Mike Bibby

SG- Eric Gordon, Arron Afflalo

SF- Marvin Williams, Al-Farouq Aminu

PF- Josh Smith, Nene, Chris Anderson

C- Chris Kaman, DeAndre Jordan

Option 2: Trade with Pacers

*TRADE*

Pacers: Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Jeff Foster, #10 pick ($19,313,452)

Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony ($17,149,243)

Although the Nuggets give up their superstar, they fill in the SF spot with another young, talented player. They also pick up a young, promising Center, an expiring contract, and a young, talented SG to replace JR.

*DRAFT*

Nuggets pick Xavier Henry with #10 pick.

*Xavier Henry gets the same contract as Brandon Jennings (10th pick in 2009).

*NEW LINEUP*

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson

SG- Arron Afflalo, JR Smith, Xavier Henry

SF- Danny Granger, Joey Graham, Renaldo Balkman

PF- Nene, Kenyon Martin, Chris Anderson

C- Roy Hibbert, Jeff Foster

While the Nuggets will hurt right now, they are set for the future. They have their PG in Lawson, their SG in Henry and Afflalo, their SF in Granger, their PF in Nene, and their C in Hibbert. They also have a ton of cap space for in the future with K-Mart's, JR's, and Foster's contracts expiring (total of $30 Mil). 

Option 3: (inspired by hvino), Trade with 76ers

*TRADE*

76ers: Elton Brand, #2 pick ($15,959,099)

Nuggets: Nene, JR Smith ($17,391,851)

The Nuggets lose Nene and JR, while they also take on Elton Brand's horrid contract... that isn't too bad. As hvino pointed out to me, Elton Brand is paid a ton, and Derrick Favors is paid a little with the rookie contract. Overall, it's as if we were paying both players 10 million each. 

*DRAFT*

Nuggets draft Derrick Favors with #2 pick

Nuggets buy #23 pick from Timberwolves, draft SG Elliot Williams

*Derrick Favors gets the same contract as Hasheem Thabett (2nd pick in 2009).

*Elliot Williams get the same contract as Omri Casspi (23th pick in 2009).

*Joey Graham gets $1 Million because it's easier to calculate. 

*NEW LINEUP*

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson

SG- Arron Afflalo, Elliot Williams

SF- Carmelo Anthony, Joey Graham, Renaldo Balkman

PF- Elton Brand, Kenyon Martin

C- Derrick Favors, Chris Anderson

I think that this trade hurts the Nuggets for the next 3 years, but it definitely makes us better after that. If we do this trade we are absolutely in rebuilding mode. I like thinking of having Lawson, Afflalo, Williams, Anthony, and Favors in the future, but I think it hurts our team too much right now to pull the trigger. 

Option 4: (for InboundingLobPass), Same trade as #1, but without Clippers

*TRADE*

Hawks: Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby ($23,877,267)

Nuggets: Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Renaldo Balkman ($24,252,305)

The Hawks aren't going to be championship contenders so they decide to compile as many expiring contracts as possible. The Nuggets trade away two expiring contracts for two young starters and a old overpaid PG. Bibby's contract expires in 2012 so I'm sure the Nuggets would be able to trade away his expiring contract if they wanted to. 

NEW LINEUP

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, Mike Bibby

SG- Arron Afflalo, Coby Karl

SF- Carmelo Anthony, Marvin Williams

PF- Josh Smith, Chris Anderson, Brian Butch

C- Nene, Johan Petro

As you might have noticed, the cap numbers are huge. I don't think that we need Marvin Williams as a backup for Melo. There's no need to pay two starting SF's on the same team. Also, I don't feel like we've addressed the Center position enough. 

Option 5: Same as 4, but instead of Williams we get Pachulia and 1st round pick

*TRADE*

Hawks: Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia, Mike Bibby, #24 pick

Nuggets: Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Renaldo Balkman

*DRAFT*

Nuggets draft Elliot Williams with pick #24.

*NEW LINEUP*

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, Mike Bibby

SG- Arron Afflalo, Elliot Williams

SF- Carmelo Anthony, Joey Graham

PF- Josh Smith, Chris Anderson, Brian Butch

C- Nene, Zaza Pachulia, Johan Petro

In this scenario I think we addressed our front court with the additions of Smith and Pachulia. We added a backup SG behind Afflalo in Elliot Williams, and we dropped the Marvin Williams contract. I like this a lot more. 

Well, I'm all finished. Leave me comments on how to make these trades better, or even leave comments of possible trade scenarios of your own. Thanks!

To me, it's apparent that the current Nugget's roster isn't getting it done. Unfortunately, we have an owner that is extremely tight with his money and he isn't willing to spend whatever it takes to get us over the hump. Our team is getting older, and with age comes injuries. We can't afford to play Chauncey and K-Mart 35 minutes a game. Even if we keep them down to 25 I still think they'll be worn out or injured when the playoffs come. Therefore, since the FO isn't willing to spend and we're getting old... It's time to BLOW UP THE ROSTER!!!

First Scenario:

Current Cap: $74 Mil

TRADE

Chicago: Taj Gibson

Denver: Trade Exception, Future 1st 

TRADE

Orlando: Brandon Bass, 29th Pick

Denver: J.R. Smith

TRADE

Atlanta Hawks: Jamal Crawford, Zaza Pachulia, Trade Exception

Denver Nuggets: Kenyon Martin, furture 1st round pick

DRAFT

29th Pick- Devin Ebanks

NEW EVERYTHING

 *I gave Joey Graham the same contract as Tacos from last year

*Devin Ebanks got the same contract as Toney Douglass (the 29th pick last year)

NEW LINEUP

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson

SG- Arron Afflalo, Jamal Crawford

SF- Carmelo Anthony, Joey Graham, Renaldo Balkman

PF- Taj Gibson, Brandon Bass

C- Nene, Zaza Pachulia, Chris Anderson

Analysis: We only dropped $2 Million in cap, but I feel like we've added a lot more depth in Taj Gibson, Brandon Bass, and Zaza Pachulia. I also feel like we've gotten a better, more consistent J.R. Smith in Jamal Crawford. The Bulls clear cap space for getting Chris Bosh, and J.R. Smith fits in with the Magic more than anyone in the league. The Hawks also decided to blow up their roster since Joe Johnson is taking off and the current roster wasn't getting the job done. 

Second Crazier Scenario:

TRADE

LA Clippers: Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, 8th overall pick

Denver: Carmelo Anthony

TRADE

Atlanta: Marvin Williams, Josh Smith

Denver: Kenyon Martin, future 1st round pick

TRADE

Orlando: Brandon Bass, 29th pick

Denver: J.R. Smith

DRAFT

8th pick- Greg Monroe

29th pick- Eric Bledsoe

NEW EVERYTHING

* I gave Greg Monroe the same deal as Jordan Hill last year. (8th pick in 2009)

* I gave Eric Bledsoe the same deal as Toney Douglass last year. (29th pick on 2009)

NEW LINEUP

PG- Chauncey Billups, Ty Lawson, Eric Bledsoe

SG- Eric Gordon, Arron Afflalo

SF- Marvin Williams, Joey Graham, Renaldo Balkman

PF- Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, Brandon Bass, Chris Anderson

C- Nene, DeAndre Joran, Johan Petro

Analysis: First I'd like to say that we dropped over $10 Million in cap space. Denver got a load of young promising players along with some players that could be diamonds in the rough. Eric Gordon is a ton better than J.R. Smith. I don't believe that SF is a position you need a great player at to win a championship. I think that Marvin Williams can do fine. I hate the thought of losing Melo, and I'm not saying that I want to. This is just a creative way to change and possibly improve our roster. We now have the depth in the front court to compete with the dominant franchises in the league. After 3 years we can evaluate how each of our post players played and decide which ones we want to keep and which ones we want to let go. We drafted Greg Monroe because he can play PF or C. He's a great passer and is an excellent post scorer and post defender. We also drafted Eric Bledsoe because he's versatile and able to play PG or SG. Chauncey Billups can't play forever and if Eric Bledsoe wasn't overshadowed by John Wall, he would have been a lottery pick. I wish I could find a way to get rid of Chris Anderson but I can't seem to. 

Well, let me hear your thoughts.. Just don't be too harsh!

As we all know, we still haven't signed Elvis Dumervil to a long term contract. I was wondering if there has been any negotiations? And do you think that the Broncos are waiting until the end of the season to sign him long term. I personally have no problem with Elvis. I love the way that he carries himself and I also love the way that he plays. He's undersized, under-appreciated,  and underrated... BUT, I was thinking that McDaniels is waiting to see if DOOM can be as productive as he was last year, and if he can improve in the run defense before he gives him a huge contract. What are your thoughts?

Welcome fellow stiffs! I have been debating on what has to happen this off season to make our team better for next year. First, I think GK needs to get healthy, and second, our front court needs some serious help. I'm going to prove to you why Nene might be more valuable than you think he is. I'm going to look at points per 48 minutes along with FG%, rebounds per 48 minutes, assists per 48 minutes, steals per 48 minutes, and blocks per 48 minutes. Here goes nothing! I'll be comparing Johan Petro, Nene, David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Zach Randolph, Kendrick Perkins, Troy Murphy, Spencer Hawes, DeJuan Blair, Nenad Krstic, Al Jefferson, and Dwight Howard. There are 12 players so I'll rate the top player with twelve, second with 11, third with 10 and so on and so on. I won't add points onto scoring because it's too hard to compare efficency with results.

First I'll start off with points per 48 minutes. (Rank in points+rank in percentage)

Al Jefferson: 28.4 @ 49.8% (12+04=16)

Carlos Boozer: 27.3 @ 56.2% (11+09=20)

Zach Randolph: 26.4 @ 48.8% (10+03=13)

David Lee: 26.1 @ 54.5% (09+07=16)

Dwight Howard: 25.4 @ 61.2% (08+12=20)

Troy Murphy: 21.5 @ 47.2% (07+02=09)

DeJuan Blair: 20.5 @ 55.6% (06+08=14)

Nene: 19.8 @ 58.7% (05+10=15)

Spencer Hawes: 18.2 @ 46.8% (04+01=05)

Kendrick Perkins: 17.6 @ 60.2% (03+11=14)

Nenad Krstic: 17.6 @ 50.2% (02+05=07)

Johan Petro: 13.4 @ 53.5% (01+06=07)

After looking at this, Nene looks like a pretty good scorer, especially with his FG%. I'd say Nene is the fourth best scorer in this group after Dwight Howard, Kendrick Perkins, and Carlos Boozer.

Next we'll look at rebounds per 48 minutes.

Dwight Howard 18.3 (12)

DeJuan Blair: 16.9 (11)

Carlos Boozer: 15.7 (10)

David Lee: 15.1 (08)

Troy Murphy: 15.1 (08)

Zach Randolph: 14.9 (07)

Johan Petro: 14.2 (06)

Al Jefferson: 13.7 (05)

Kendrick Perkins: 13.3 (04)

Spencer Hawes: 11.0 (03)

Nene: 10.9 (02)

Nenad Krstic: 10.6 (01)

Anyone that says Nene isn't a bad rebounder, he is. He's not an efficent rebounder, I don't care what you say. This is why our front court struggles so much. Our C is among the bottom of rebounds per 48 minutes. Chris Anderson and K-Mart are both among the 13-14 range. 

Time for assists!

David Lee: 4.7 (12)

Carlos Boozer: 4.4 (11)

Spencer Hawes: 4.0 (10)

Nene: 3.5 (09)

Al Jefferson: 2.7 (08)

Dwight Howard: 2.4 (07)

Zach Randolph: 2.3 (06)

DeJuan Blair: 2.1 (04)

Troy Murphy: 2.1 (04)

Kendrick Perkins: 1.8 (03)

Johan Petro: 1.5 (02)

Nenad Krstic: 1.4 (01)

What sticks out to me most is how Boozer is once again at the top of this list. I was also suprised to see David Lee at the top of this list. Nene is a good passer and I'll give him that. 

Steals

Carlos Boozer: 1.51 (12)

Troy Murphy: 1.47 (11)

Nene: 1.40 (10)

Zach Randolph: 1.26 (09)

David Lee: 1.05 (08)

Dwight Howard: 0.92 (07)

Al Jefferson: 0.83 (06)

DeJuan Blair: 0.61 (05)

Spencer Hawes: 0.44 (04)

Nenad Krstic: 0.42 (03)

Kendrick Perkins: 0.33 (02)

Johan Petro: 0.28 (01)

Nene was at the top of this list, that's obvious; but he's also the only center at the top of the list. Maybe he should move to PF?

My favorite, BLOCKS!

Dwight Howard: 3.85 (12)

Kendrick Perkins: 2.94 (11)

Spencer Hawes: 2.09 (10)

Al Jefferson: 1.91 (09)

Johan Petro: 1.43 (06)

Nene: 1.43 (06)

DeJuan Blair: 1.43 (06)

Nenad Krstic: 1.24 (05)

Carlos Boozer: 0.65 (04)

David Lee: 0.64 (03)

Zach Randolph: 0.54 (02)

Troy Murphy: 0.47 (01)

Obviously Dwight was at the top of the list, but Nene was in the middle, only above PF's. Maybe he doesn't belong as a Center after all. 

Finally, one that'll kill a team, TURN OVERS!

Nenad Krstic: 1.6 (12)

Troy Murphy: 2.0 (11)

Nene: 2.2 (10)

Johan Petro: 2.5 (09)

Al Jefferson: 2.6 (08)

Zach Randolph: 2.7 (07)

David Lee: 3.0 (06)

Spencer Hawes: 3.3 (05)

DeJuan Blair: 3.6 (04)

Kendrick Perkins: 3.7 (03)

Carlos Boozer: 3.8 (02)

Dwight Howard: 4.6 (01)

Obiviously the people that have the ball more convert more turnovers... except NENE!

TOTALS: (Points/ Categories), with the 09-10 season salaries next to them

Dwight Howard: 8.42      $15,133,800

Carlos Boozer: 8.42        $12,657,233

David Lee: 7.57     $7,000,000

Nene: 7.42     $10,520,000

Al Jefferson: 7.42     $12,000,000

Troy Murphy: 6.28     $11,047,619

Zach Randolph: 6.28     $16,000,000

DeJuan Blair: 6.28     $850,000

Spencer Hawes: 5.71     $2,332,800

Kendrick Perkins: 5.28   $4,250,000

Johan Petro: 4.42    $884,881

Nenad Krstic: 4.14   $5,400,000

All in all, I think that we should keep Nene. If his rebounding wasn't horrific, he'd be the top player on the chart. I tried to make this fair and I do realize that there are some unequal parts, but it's a good scale to see who the most productive, overall players are. Unfortunately some parts are probably weighted more than others, such as rebounding, scoring, etc. Also, with the salary figures, Nene comes at a good price compared to most of the top tier big men listed above. Give me some thoughts.

According to ESPN, Coach Karl has been hospitalized again for a blood clot in his leg. He's is currently undergoing treatment to make sure that it doesn't spread to his heart and lungs. To me it seems like this guy can't get a break. Just remember to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I sure would love to have our own, "Coach K" back next season, especially after seeing what Dantley could do. 

I know that everyone's tempers are flaring and people are saying things that they don't mean (including myself), but take a minute to cool down and think about what you would do if you were the Denver Nuggets General Manager for the next year. Put yourself in Mr. Kroenke's shoes. There are still many questions to be answered for next year. Does K Mart sign his player option? Do we blow up the roster and start all over? Who do we keep? Who do we trade? Who do we let go? I'll give you my opinion, and I'd also like to know yours. 

The first question is if K-Mart signs his player option or not. I guess we'll really find out if K-Mart is just in it for the money, or if a championship means anything to him. If he's just in it for the money, there's no way that K-Mart leaves because there's no way that he's going to get paid $16.5 Mil next year anywhere else but Denver. If a championship means anything to him, I see K-Mart leaving for another serious contender while taking a huge pay cut. Who knows, maybe he thinks the Nuggets are a contender and wants to get paid, but in my eyes, the Nuggets aren't as close to championship contention unless they go way over the cap and sign a big name free agent to play in the post. I don't think Mr. Kroenke will do that; therefore, I think K-Mart leaves, opening up $16.5 million for the Nuggets to use on FA's next offseason. 

Total Salary: $56,814,231

The first thing that I would do is sign Arron Afflalo to a long term deal. Something like Bird's deal with an extra year or two. He's not an elite player, but he's a winner and a hard worker. You never hear him saying something negative and he's a great locker room guy, a great defender, and a solid 3 point threat. I see Afflalo being our version of Ariza in LA last year. The Nuggets sign Afflalo to a 4 year, $20 mil deal. 

Cap Hit: 5 Million/ year

New Salary: $61,814,231

The second thing that I would look to do is trade JR Smith. I don't dislike JR, but I hate his inconsistency. One out of seven games he is among the top 15 players in the league, but the other six games he's a non-factor. I look for the Nuggets to trade him and hopefully we can get some decent value in return. 

Cap hit: None (JR contract and new player's contract cancel each other out)

New Salary: $61,814,231

Obviously, the third thing the Nuggets need to do is look for post depth. With the loss of K-Mart they desperately need a post player. Anderson is getting older and isn't the player he used to be. My best case scenario would be to grab Brendan Haywood from Dallas since he turns into an UFA after this season. He's big, young, and can play center, allowing Nene move to PF where most people say he belongs. I think Haywood can be had for a 3 year, $21 Mil deal. Other UFA possibilities could be Luis Scola (HOU), Shelden Williams (BOS), Drew Gooden (LAC), Kurt Thomas (MIL), Aaron Gray (NOH), David Lee (NYK), Juwan Howard (POR), and none other but Carlos Boozer (UTA). By the way, those are only the UFA's. There's tons of players that have options to opt out such as, Yao Ming (HOU), Amare' Stoudemire (PHO), Chris Bosh (TOR), Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), and Tyson Chandler (NOH). 

Cap hit: $7 Million/ year

New Salary: $68,814,231

Finally, I think the Nuggets should sign Joey Graham and Johan Petro to long term deals as well. I think something along 4 years, $12 Mil. would get the job done and I think Graham is more than capable to be a backup for Melo. I loved what I saw tonight once he got the opportunity to play and I think he made the most of it. He's young, strong, and has tremendous upside. I also liked what I saw from when Petro when he got opportunity. I think he can be a project, yet still have productful minutes. I think Petro would agree to a 2 year, $2 Mil. deal. Sign them. 

Cap hit: $4 Million/ year.

New Salary: $72,814,231

So.. If my best case scenario comes true... We will have...

PG- Chauncey, Lawson

SG- Afflalo, Someone in return for JR

SF- Anthony, Graham, Balkman

PF- Nene, Bird

C- Haywood, Petro

All in all, I see the Nuggets adding a bigger, better big man compared to K-Mart. Denver now has its legitimate Center. I see us keeping Graham, Petro, and Afflalo around. We lose JR, but we add another player (no clue who I would want) and Ty becomes the old instant offense that JR used to supply us with. I see this Nuggets team being much more well rounded than the one this year. 

To me it seems like a Civil War has begun here at MHR all because one 1st round pick that Josh McDaniels has chosen, Tim Tebow. I'll start to say that I wasn't a fan of drafting Tebow, especially in the 1st, but think about it... It's ONE pick. There's no need for us to do name calling or say that we won't support the Broncos or Josh McDaniels because he picked Tim Tebow. If that's how you feel, than I personally don't think that you're a true Broncos fan anyways. Tim Tebow is now a member of our beloved Broncos whether you like it or not! What's done has been done and there's nothing that you can do to change it! So what are you going to do? Moan and complain and be a baby because that's all you know to do! OR Are you going to move on and adapt and still support our TEAM because you're a true Broncos fan?

Give it some thought. I guarantee every single one of you was thinking, "Wow, we have a genius as a head coach. I never would've thought that we would trade back not once but TWICE in the 1st round." Most of us were also thinking, "Wow! Great pick with Thomas! He's exactly like Brandon Marshall without the character issues." Suddenly, McDaniels picks Tebow and all hell breaks loose. He does three great things in the draft and makes one "mistake" and suddenly he's lost all of your support? Let me remind you that Josh McDaniels is the same coach that made Tom Brady (a 6th round pick) and Matt Cassell (a 7th round pick) into what most people consider "franchise" QB's.

I'll end this by saying Tim Tebow is a Bronco, we need to support him. I can't wait until a 3rd and goal comes up and the Tebow does one of his jump passes for a TD or when Tebow runs the Wild Horses offense with Moreno. Should be fun to watch. Hopefully he can make us forget about the most recent #15 that has left.

We'll Broncos Nation, stick together and thank you for reading. 

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."- Muhammad Ali

Does this guy know anything about football? He has the Broncos picking Dez Bryant which very well might happen, but than he has us drafting Tyson Alualu at 43 and then Eric Decker at 45. I have no problem with Decker, but I do have a problem with him at 45. To me, that'd be like drafting Tim Tebow at 11. The rest of the picks are Walton at 80, Pike at 114, Beadles at 137, and Veldheer at 183. I have no doubt that Veldheer won't be there at 183. I hate how these so called ESPN, "experts" know less than many of us bloggers here at MHR, yet they get paid for it. 

The recent question going on throughout MHR is what should the Broncos do with the 11th overall pick. I'm going to give Rolando McClain, Dan Williams, CJ Spiller, Joe Haden, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Iupati, Earl Thomas, and Dez Bryant all consideration. I'm going to evaluate by need, best player available, and other concerns all on a 1-10 scale. Here goes nothing!

Need:

Rolando McClain- The Broncos opened up a huge hole after cutting ILB Andra Davis. The Broncos have numerous possible people that have a shot to fill that void, such as Haggan, Woodyard, and Larsen. Since I don't think that we have a great option to fill that hole, I'll rate McClain as an 9.

Dan Williams- The Broncos spent almost all of free agency bolstering up their D-Line by adding Williams, Bannan, and Green. In my opinion, I'd say the Broncos have pretty good depth at D-Line with Fields, Baker, Thomas, McBean, and Smith. The Broncos are pretty set at DL but they could definitely use a stud NT for the future; therefore, I'll rate Williams a 7.

CJ Spiller- In my opinion the Broncos currently have 3 effective HB's on their roster in Buckhalter, Moreno, and Arrington. Although the Broncos don't have an extremely explosive player on their offense right now, I don't think that we need another HB right now especially after using a 1st round pick on Moreno last year. I'll give Spiller a 4. 

Joe Haden- As we all know the Broncos already have one of the best secondaries in the league; however, we all also know that they're all getting old. The depth isn't the greatest at this position, but we also don't know what we have yet in a lot of our young CB's. Since we already have one of the best secondaries in the league, I'll rate Haden as a 5.

Maurkice Pouncey- Obviously the Broncos don't have anyone currently at this position and they need one desperately. I value Centers more than most people because they have to give line calls and pick up blitzes. Pouncey deserves a 10.

Mike Iupati- The Broncos lost long-time starter Ben Hamilton this last off season because the Broncos wanted to beef up their offensive line. This was fine to me, but it left a big hole in the interior of our line too. So far we have three solid O-Line starters in Clady, Kuper, and Harris. We have depth at OG with 4th round pick Seth Olsen, and it will be interesting how he fits into McDaniels' plans. I think Olsen will be progressing quickly because he played in a power-o offense at Iowa. I'll rate Iupati at a 7.

Earl Thomas- As I said earlier, the Broncos have one of the best secondaries in the league, but it's also very old. Thomas is an intriguing prospect because he can play both CB and S. I love what I've seen from Dawkins and Hill, and I also like what I have seen from McBath and Bruton. I don't see S a primary need but I'll give Thomas a 6 because of his versatility. 

Dez Bryant- Here comes the controversy. The Broncos lost one of the best WR's in the league last week and there are going to be some big shoes to fill. WR is a very tough position to come in and be effective during their 1st year in the league. Also, in McDaniels' system, there doesn't need to be great receivers to be successful. Look back at the Patriots during thier dynasty seasons. That being said, I'll give Bryant a 7. 

BPA/ Value:

Rolando McClain- If Denver drafts McClain I see him coming in right away, starting, and becoming the leader of the Broncos' defense. I can definatly see McClain being an Al Wilson type player. McClain is very effective in stopping the run, blitzing, and is good in zone coverage. McDaniels also said that McClain is one of the smartest players that he has seen coming out of college. This draft isn't very deep with ILB's. I'll give McClain a 9. 

Dan Williams- I am a huge Dan Williams fan. I can see see Dan Williams clogging up the middle of the Broncos' defense for the next 10 years. Williams is very effective in stopping the run and is also a good pass rusher. McDaniels said that Williams is extremely athletic and what his teammates called, "unblockable." Although the draft is pretty deep with possible NT's, I'll rate him an 8. Rating: 8

CJ Spiller- One of the most electrifying players in the draft, Spiller has been compared to Tennessee running back Chris Johnson because of his amazing speed. CJ Spiller is by far the best HB in the draft, and one of the top 10 players in the draft. Although is see this draft as being pretty deep at HB, I'll give him an 8.

Joe Haden- Probably the best CB in the draft, he has the potential to start when he walks in the door, but I see this draft being pretty deep in CB. Rating: 7

Maurkice Pouncey- I hate the idea of picking up an interior lineman at pick #11, but this draft isn't very deep in quality centers after Walton and Tennant. I wouldn't like to see Pouncey picked at 11, but I wouldn't feel terrible about it either. Rating: 7

Mike Iupati- Once again, I hate the idea of picking up an interior lineman at pick #11. Iupati is the best OG in the draft, but there has been reports on him being raw and holding too much. I also think that we can get big, quality OG's later in the draft. Rating: 6

Earl Thomas- I personally haven't payed a ton of attention to the Safety position in this draft considering we drafted two last year, but I don't think that it is very deep. Earl Thomas has been considered by some so called, "experts" as having more potential than Eric Berry. Since Thomas has versatility to play either CB or S, I'll rate him an 8. 

Dez Bryant- Arguably the best WR in the draft, I actually like the tools Dez Bryant brings to the table. He's a physical freak and it showed at Oklahoma State. Even though I really like Bryant, this draft is extremely deep in WR's, and I don't think the Broncos offense needs GREAT receivers be effective. Rating: 7

Other Concerns: 

Rolando McClain- I find this claim of not having Chrons disease very fishy. Either way, it's apparent he has some medical condition after not being able to finish his workout at his pro-day. He said that it hasn't ever effected him during games though, and that he's had it since freshmen year in high school. That being said, I'll subtract 2 points because of his health concerns. 

Dan Williams- none

CJ Spiller- none

Joe Haden- none

Maurkice Pouncey- none

Mike Iupati- none

Earl Thomas- none

Dez Bryant- Although some people make a big deal by saying he has character issues, I feel differently. He made one mistake during college that caused him his eligibility during the 09-10 season. He's never had trouble with the law, so I'm only going to subtract 1 point

OVERALL RANKINGS:

Rolando McClain: 16

Dan Williams: 15

CJ Spiller: 12

Joe Haden: 12

Maurkice Pouncey: 17

Mike Iupati: 13

Earl Thomas: 14

Dez Bryant: 13

Overall it looks like my board goes Pouncey, McClain, Williams, Thomas, Bryant, Iupati, Haden, and Spiller. 

*Note*- I tried to be as unbiased as possible and I gave each player what I thought they deserved. I thought it was a good system to see where each player stands in my rankings. 

GIVE ME SOME THOUGHTS! HOW WOULD YOU RATE THEM?

1. To me, it's not the end of the world if the Broncos don't draft a Center in the top 3 rounds. Fry could be a possible starter, who knows. Also, if you look at the 2011 draft class (I know I'm getting ahead of myself), it is a very deep draft for Centers. For example, USC's Kristofer O'Dowd, Penn State's Stefen Wisniewski, and Florida's Mike Pouncey (brother of Maurkice Pouncey) are all late 1st- early 2nd round draft picks. Arizona's Colin Baxter is also another Center that is projected to be in the 2nd round. Wisiewski, Pouncey, and Baxter all have great value since they all can play both Center or Guard. I don't think we should reach this year to pick Pouncey at 11 since next years draft is so loaded with Center/Guard talent, and we still would have the options to get Walton or Tennant later in this years draft. I wouldn't mind seeing us trade down to get Pouncey, but I don't think that we should reach for him at 11.

2. I don't think that we should pick a WR with our selection at 11. This draft is plenty deep with talent with Bryant, Tate, Thomas, Williams, Benn, Mitchell, LaFell, Decker, and Shipley all projected to go before the 4th round. I wouldn't like us to draft Bryant with #11, mainly because I think we can get somewhat similar players deeper in the draft. Also, next years draft (I know I'm looking ahead again) is loaded with WR talent. I don't think that we should waste value on a WR early in the 1st round if there are plenty of other good options later in the draft. 

3. I think that the Broncos are going to draft McClain if he is around at our pick. McDaniels had too much praise and said that he wasn't concerned with his Chron's disease. McDaniels is very close with Nick Saban (Alabama's coach) so I'm sure that they have spoken about McClain. I also think McClain would be great value considering the next best prospect is probably Sean Lee from Penn State in the 2nd-3rd round. I think McClain might be a lock at the #11 spot. 

Well, since everybody and their mom is making mock drafts, I decided I would give it a try, but I'm gonna give it a little twist. I'm going to try to stockpile as many picks as I can since this is such a deep draft. I'll tell you who they are, what position they play, how big they are, and at the end what they're rated as at CBS. Tell me what you think. 

Broncos draft picks: 1st (11), 2nd (43, 45), 3rd (80), 4th (114), 5th (None), 6th (183), 7th (220)

*TRADE* Denver Broncos trade pick #11 to New York Giants for pick #15 and pick #76. Giants trade up to pick McClain. (1050 vs. 1085)

Broncos draft picks: 1st (15), 2nd (43, 45), 3rd (76, 80) 4th (114), 5th (None), 6th (183), 7th (220).

*TRADE* Denver Broncos trade pick #15 and #43 to Houston Texans for pick #20, pick #51, pick #81, and pick #197. Texans trade up to get either Haden or Thomas. (1280 vs. 1276.5)

Broncos draft picks: 1st (20), 2nd (45, 51), 3rd (76, 80, 81), 4th (114), 5th (None), 6th (183), 7th (220).

Now here comes the picks:

1st (20): Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida. 6'4", 304 lbs. Denver drafts a much needed O-Lineman that can play either Guard or Center. (27 at CBS)

.

2nd (43): Damian Williams, WR, USC. 6'1", 197 lbs. Denver gets its WR that they need for the future. (54 at CBS).

2nd (45): Vladimir Ducrasse, OT/OG, Massachusetts. 6'5", 332 lbs. Denver drafts a huge offensive linemen that is versatile and will be developed for the future. (59 at CBS).

*TRADE* Denver Broncos trade pick #76 and pick #81 to New England Patriots for pick #53 and pick #119. (385 vs. 386).

Broncos remaining picks: 2nd (53), 3rd (80), 4th (114, 119), 5th (None), 6th (183, 197), 7th (220). 

2nd (53): Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina. 6'5", 328 lbs. Denver drafts a massive NT to clog up the trenches in years to come. (60 at CBS).

3rd (80): Donald Butler, ILB, Washington. 6'1", 245 lbs. Denver passed up on McClain and fills the hole with a big ILB. (79 at CBS).

4th (114): Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State. 6'0", 195 lbs. Denver picks up a CB with pretty good size and good coverage ability. (113 at CBS).

4th (119): Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia. 6'2, 293 lbs. Denver picks up a former DT in college that can hopefully fill into one of our DE positions. (117 at CBS).

6th (183): Scott Long, WR, Louisville. 6'2, 216 lbs. Denver picks up another big WR with good speed. (188 at CBS).

6th (197): A.J. Jefferson, CB, Fresno State. 6'0", 193 lbs. Denver picks up another CB with pretty good size and good coverage skills. He can also return kicks and punts. (195 at CBS).

7th (220): Joe Hawley, C, UNLV. 6'3", 297 lbs. Denver brings in another Center to inhance competition. (214 at CBS).

So overall:

O-Line: 3

WR: 2

D-Line: 2

LB: 1

CB: 2

Sorry I didn't add any pictures. I don't post a whole lot so I don't know how. 

Well there it is. Tear it apart. 

According to a league source, Chris Simms has agreed to a one year deal with the Tennessee Titans. Simms sent time with the Titans in 2008, so maybe they signed him because he's already comfortable with their system. Although I don't think he's the greatest QB in the league, he's a good role model and the NFL can definitely use more players like him. I'm happy to see Simms has found a new job, and found it quickly. 

Adam Schefter has reported that former Cleveland Browns' OG Rex Hadnot (who the Broncos had targeted)has reached a multi-year agreement with the Arizona Cardinals.

Adam Schefter has also reported that LT is visiting with the New York Jets after the Minnesota Vikings couldn't tie him down. 

The New York Jets have also signed former Browns' safety Brodney Pool to a one-year, $1.3 million dollar deal. 

Maybe the most interesting news is WR Terrell Owens' next stop could be with the Oakland Raiders. Sounds like something Al Davis would do. 

Any thoughts?

OT Tony Pashos (who the Broncos had been targeting) has signed a 3 year $10 mil year deal with Mike Holmgren and the Cleveland Brown reports Adam Schefter. 

DE Dwan Edwards is meeting with the Broncos tonight and possibly into tomorrow.

Cincinnati is reportedly interested in Brandon Marshall, and that the Broncos will not trade him. 

This is all that I've heard, but any news on Rex Hadnot or other possibilities? Please share! 

Thanks!

WR Brandon Marshall: Although Marshall will be pursued by many teams, I though I'd choose an obvious one and a sleeper one. 

1. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens look in desperate need of a top WR. Derrick Mason might have played his last season, and without him their passing game would be close to nothing. Also, since Marshall is only a 1st round tender in a very deep draft, Baltimore will probably be more than willing to give up their late 1st rounder (25) for Brandon Marshall. Flacco, Marshall, and Rice could be quite the trio in years to come. Baltimore has one pick for every round. 

2. Tennessee Titans: Without a doubt I think the Titans are a team that is in need for a #1 type quality WR. Tennessee already has a pretty good defense, and if they had a passing game to match their running game their offense would be unstoppable. The only question is if B Marsh is worth the #16 pick to the Titans. The Titans are already missing their 2nd round pick which they sent to the Pats; however, Young, Marshall, and Johnson also would make quite the trio in the future (if Young can be consistent). 

QB Kyle Orton: I don't think that any team is willing to give up a 1st round pick for Orton, but I'll give it a couple thoughts. 

1. Arizona Cardinals: If Leinart doesn't show improvement during the off season and with Kurt Warner retiring, I could see the Cardinals making a bid at Orton. If Leinart doesn't show he can handle the Cardinals offense (which he hasn't been able to in the past), the Cardinals could go from being a playoff team and NFC West Champs to being near the top of the draft again. My reasoning behind this: They're probably letting Dansby and Rolle go, Boldin is likely to get traded, and Warner retired. I don't remember a time when a team lost so many key components in one off-season. Also, the QB is an essential position in Arizona's pass heavy offense. Orton has proved that he can manage a game as well as any QB in the league and that he can learn new complicated systems quickly and still be successful with them. Finally, the Cardinals are picking low in the 1st, (26), it might not be such a bad idea. The free agent market for QB's is pretty bad unless they trade for McNabb or Kolb. I doubt this move will happen, but nothing is impossible. The Cards also have all 7 picks.

2. Minnesota Vikings: If Favre doesn't come back next year (which we won't know until training camp probably), Minnesota could be desperate for a QB. Minnesota could be a a team like Arizona but not to the same extent. Minnesota went to the NFC Championship this game for one reason, Brett Favre. I have no doubt in my mind that this wouldn't have happened without him. The Vikings will still be solid next year, but I don't see them making a strong playoff push unless they attain a QB that is proven. Once again, Kyle Orton has proven that he can manage games and that he can learn systems quickly. Since Minnesota has no certainty at QB and they pick at #30 (pretty much a high 2nd rounder), I could see them making a reach at Orton. The Vikings are already one of the best overall teams in the league, besides at the QB position without Favre, and I can see Orton stepping in and giving them insurance. The Vikings also have all 7 picks

OG Chris Kuper: I don't see anyone pursuing Kuper at a 1st round tender. 

OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil: I don't see anyone pursuing Dumervil as well. Besides, even if they did I would expect our Front Office to match the deal. I don't see Dumervil leaving. 

TE Tony Scheffler: The team that I have might be a suprise. Check it out

1. Indianapolis Colts: I could see Indy pursuing Scheffler. Dallas Clark may have had his best season in the league last year, but he isn't getting any younger. I could see Scheffler coming in to replace Clark in a couple of years. Indy picks 31st in the 2nd round which is more like a high 3rd round pick. I don't think Scheffler can ask for a lot of money simply because he hasn't done a ton in the NFL. 

2. Cleveland Browns: Many people have claimed that Scheffler would be a good fit here, but I just can't see it. The Browns have too many major needs and they won't spend a 2nd rounder on Scheff. 

Stock Up: 

DT Linval Joseph: Ht: 6'4" Wt: 328 lbs. 40: 5.36 Bench: 39 reps. Joseph looks to be a big strong NT that should be moving up draft boards. He's said to have good feet. I think he can fit a big void for us. Joseph looks to be both solid in the run game and pass rushing. I'd love to see us pick him in the 4th round. I think he could be another gem found out of Eastern Carolina just like... hmm... Chris Johnson?

HB Montario Hardesty: Ht: 6' Wt: 225 lbs. 40: 4.49 Bench: 21 reps. Vert Jump: 41" Broad Jump: 10'4" 3 Cone Drill: 6.87 20 Yd. Shuttle: 4.14 60 Yd. Shuttle: 11.47. Although none of Hardesty's numbers are eye-popping (besides his jumping), all of his numbers are very solid. Hardesty looks to be an okay sized back, he has average speed, average strength, but is very quick. Hardesty also completed the full workout, which may effect some of his numbers because of fatigue. He looks like he could be an overall good pick, not great but SOLID. After the combine I see him being a lock in the 3rd round. 

Stock Down: 

HB Dexter McCluster: Ht: 5'9" Wt: 172 lbs. 40: 4.58 Bench: 20 reps. Vert Jump: 37.5" 20 Yd. Shuttle: 4.06. Already undersized, McCluster failed to show scouts that he has true break away speed after running a 4.58 on his 40 yd. dash. This time was the slowest out of all the HB. Although McCluster's 40 time wasn't impressive, he proved that he's one of the quickest players after a 4.06 20 yd. Shuttle run. I believe that if McCluster could've put together 40 time in the low 4.4's than he would've moved himself into the 2nd round. 

Sleeper Picks:

TE Clay Harbor: Ht: 6'3" Wt: 252 lbs 40: 4.69 Bench: 30 reps Vert. Jump: 40" Broad Jump: 10'. Harbor is said to be a tough, physical player who can run and catch. He's also had experience at fullback so he is versatile (McD+). With Hillis possibly leaving this off season, Harbor could be a replacement at FB. Also, he's almost the exact same size as the best run blocking TE in the league (Daniel Graham), who is 6'3" and 257 lbs. Harbor looks like a physical freak and he could be a good pick in the 4th or 5th round. 

Feel Free to Add Players but please give information about them and a reason why you added them.