Round 1: Marcel Dareus DT Alabama

            Honestly, I'd like to be able to trade back into the 5-8 range and take Nick Fairley. While I like Darius better because of his higher floor, Fairley plus an extra pick is the superior value. Be that as it may, Dareus is strong and athletic. He flashes the ability to be disruptive. Overall he's the best match of value and need for the Broncos at #2. No-brainer to me if we can't move.

Round 2: Marcus Cannon OL, TCU

            A huge man with good athleticism and agility? Sign me up! Most of what I've seen and read about him leads me to believe that he can work in a primarily ZBS system at either RT or OG. On the flip side, his size and power actually gives us an option in short yardage and goal line if we want to power the ball. The versatility of the guy makes me extremely covetous and I would probably do the happy happy dance if we took him with our first 2nd round pick.

Round 2: Marvin Austin, DT UNC

            In terms of the draft I really like the value of having a chance at Austin in the 2nd round. He's got first round physical abilities. He's athletic enough that he can be disruptive while large enough to anchor. Paired with Dareus we could have a pair of young studs that grow together into a top five tandem in the league.

            Course, I'm not the only one that likes his match of value and talent so he might be gone. In that case I'm gonna hope Paea has fallen (but he won't). I'm not fond of any of the LBs at this position. All of them feel like reaches (I especially don't like (Martez Wilson). I feel the same way about the DBs. Would love if Mikel LeShoure fell to this pick but he won't. I don't want to take a TE here though Rudolph would have to be considered. In the end, if Austin and Paea are gone here I think I'd lean toward a risk/reward pick with Kenrick Ellis.

Round 3: Tyler Sash SAF Iowa

            A versatile playmaker with good size and tackling ability. I'd expect him to compete for the SS job long-term. I'd like to see him teamed with McBath ASAP.

            I could get on board with a LB like Greg Jones here as well.

Round 6: K.J. Wright LB Miss St.

            This late in the draft you start looking for a mix of abilities that fit what you need. We need an SLB and depth on the LB corps in general is lacking. Wright is kind of a Jack of all trades player. He's got adequate size and speed. He's good against the run and has some coverage abilities. Basically he's a player that should compete to make the team, and if the light comes on he could work his way onto the field in a hurry. Not like we have a lot of talent at his position.

Round 6: Lee Smith TE Marshall

            A good-sized TE with good blocking skills that also showed the ability to be a reliable outlet receiver at Marshall. He played special teams effectively as well. I like him as a good combination of skills. I think he has a nice upside overall and really like the idea of him getting out in front of Tim Tebow on a roll out where he can either catch the ball or block for our monster QB. I have a feeling he could be a steal.

Rounds 7: Bruce Miller LB Central Florida

            Another player with an interesting mix of abilities. He's high motor and high character. Moves well along the line. Has a high football IQ and maintains discipline. Has flashed good blitzing skills. Does not have a lot of experience dropping into coverage but might develop. At worst he's a good back-up thumper and high motor ST player.

What I missed:

            I would've liked to come away with a RB and another OL prospect, but with few picks and nothing in the middle of the draft I feel like front seven quantity and competition will really help the team. That said, using late picks on offensive prospect with upside would be fine with me. Honestly, I don't think we have a great feel for the RBs we have because the offensive line has been injured where we're veteran and we started inexperienced players every week.

but would still make the team better. And before y'all go off on me and my ancestry keep in mind that this is a mock and mocks are as much a way to think about the team as to give our opinions about what should be done in reality. This would not be my preference for the upcoming draft. At the same time, I think this draft would make the Broncos a better team both next year, and more importantly, over the long haul.

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For the Broncos and their fans, this offseason is critical. McD left us in total disarray with questionable talent and only five draft picks in the upcoming. While four of those are in the first three rounds, we could sure use some more quality competition come TC.

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With the talk out of Dove Valley about getting back to the Bronco Way and recapturing the team's culture of winning, I was wondering if any of you thought it might be a good idea for the Broncos to returning to a more traditional training camp?

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This one will almost certainly make some folks grouchy, but I wanted to throw it out there for the purposes of thinking about our team a little differently. The main assumptions in my approach to this mock are that we are much closer to being a very good offense than a very good defense. That an effective running game will make the defense better by picking up first downs, controlling the clock, and limiting the number of possessions for both teams. That we will be going back to a 4-3 and that a number of our players are already suited for it.

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Is Nick Fairly really a better DT prospect than Marcell Dareus?

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More fines (including the weekly on the Steelers' Harrison) handed down by the NFL for dangerous hits. While this isn't a specific Broncos post, it certainly applies in that the Broncos are subject to the crackdown like the other teams. Some fans, including myself, are not altogether happy with what the crackdown (which has slowly been going on for a number of seasons) has done to the product on the field. For the most part, the MSM has interpreted those of us with an issue as hardcore fans who have a problem with big hits being taken out of the game. That's not really my beef at all.

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Round #1

 I’m on the fence with the 1st round, especially Thomas. I really like his potential. He has a very high ceiling. I think the comparisons to BMarsh are actually off. He's faster and a better vertical threat than Marshall. He probably isn't going to be the monster that BMarsh was to tackle in the open field. As far as route running goes, he needs to learn and Marshall still had a ways to go in that department as well. My concerns are not so much that we took Thomas, it's that we took him while 3 players in particular were still available.

1. Brian Bulaga OT, Iowa. Honestly, this was the only player on the board that we had to jump the Packers to get, and I think we should have done it. He’s an athletic big man with the feet to play left tackle. He could have started at guard for us immediately (and would be better than Beadles) and provided depth behind the injury prone Harris and versatility to the line if Clady were to go down. When your biggest need is offensive line and a player that was pretty much a consensus top 10 guy falls in your area, I have some reservations about not taking him.

 2. Dan Williams DT, Tennessee. Very few analysts would have batted an eye if Williams had gone in the #10-#15 range. He's 330 pounds of run-stuffing, pocket pushing, hold the line manhood. I liked what I saw from Baker last preseason, but there's a reason he went undrafted. Williams would have played right away as he learned the position from Nunnely and Jamaal Williams. Once again I have to question the wisdom of skipping a need/value match like this was at #22, and we might very well have had him at #24 and kept our 4th. Green Bay sure wasn’t going to take him with their NT rotation set. NE might have but who knows with NE?

 3. Jared Odrick DE, Penn St. Prototypical 5-tech defensive end. His strength is anchoring against the run on the edge. He's not a brilliant pass rusher but has some ability there which is a bonus. The DEs are still my biggest question mark on the defense going into the season. We patched something together last year and we may be in the same boat this year. I expect Bannen to start there, but there is no guarantee he'll be an upgrade. While not the value at #22 that Bulaga or Williams would have been, few would have considered him a reach. And the fact is, we could almost certainly had him at #24. He’s at least the equal of Thomas as a need/value match, and in my opinion DE was a bigger concern than WR going into the draft.

 As far as the Tim Tebow pick goes, I'm fine with it for the most part. It does feel somewhat like a luxury pick considering all our needs and the fact that he will take time to develop. At the same time, that we have the personnel on the roster to allow him to develop as a QB while contributing in other ways is a plus for the pick. I definitely don't believe he would have made it to our second rounder so we clearly had to package something to move up to get him. I do wonder if Baltimore might have taken a little less than what they did for us to get there. While it's clear at this point that the sole reason those picks were acquired was to have the ammo to get Tebow, I still have a hard time with giving up a 2, 3, and 4 for a project when we have a ton of holes to fill.

As far as Thomas and Tebow as players, I think they both have a good chance to make us better in the long run, I just question if they were really the best choices for the team to win right now. I especially wouldn’t want to bet against Tebow finding a way to be a stud QB over time.

Round #2

This is the pick that I truly hate in this draft. Yes he’s a high character, hard-working, smart guy. He or an equivalent player would absolutely have been there in the third round though. In fact, I’m 95% certain that we could have had Beadles himself at either #80 or #87. It especially annoys me when I see some of the following names: Linval Joseph, Toby Gerhart, Mike Neal, Terrence Cody, Golden Tate, Vladimir Ducasse, Brandon Spikes, Jon Asomoah, Alex Carrington, John Jerry, Donald Butler. All these players went between where we did pick Beadles and where we could have picked Beadles. If we take J.D. Walton at #80 then we likely could have taken Beadles at #87.

There were three OGs taken after Beadles and before Walton. Coming into the draft, I wasn’t that high on Ducasse, was neutral on Asomoah, and actually really liked John Jerry. That said I like J.D. Walton plus any one of those three guys for our line more than I like J.D. Walton and Beadles.

The other annoying part is that we could have traded back for another pick AND still had one of the eleven players mentioned above, or Beadles himself. If you really, really like Beadles then fine, but find a way to get the maximum value for your picks while getting the players you targeted.

The 2nd and 3rd rounds are where you get the core of a great NFL team. I don’t think we did ourselves any favors in the 2nd.

Round #3

I have the complete opposite feeling for the 3rd round. These two picks I love. Good players at positions we need to upgrade chosen where their value is high.

While J.D. Walton is not the freakish athlete for the interior offensive line that is Maurkice Pouncey, he’s still just about everything you want in the pivot. He’s intelligent with a great football IQ, he’s tough with a mean streak on the field, he’s durable, and he gives his all on every play. He’s the only player we took in the first three rounds that is a sure-fire day one starter for the Broncos from the time he walks in the building. Now what more could you want at pick #80. 

For those that believe in numerology, isn’t it interesting that Eric Decker was taken with pick #87? Can anyone else hear Invesco reverberating with the rhythmic chant of, “E-ric!, E-ric!, E-ric!” If you can’t tell, he reminds me of another tall WR that once wore the orange and blue. A WR who was tough as nails, caught nearly everything thrown in his zip code, ran great routes, and knocked people on their tuckus when he blocked downfield. While I like Demaryius Thomas’s potential, I expect Decker to contribute more right away, and wouldn’t be surprised if we look back ten years from now and see Eric with the better career. Now THAT is draft value.

Round #4

No picks due to our first round maneuvering. I’m sure in the coming days that we are going to do the pros and cons to death of giving up a 2nd, 3rd, and two 4th round picks to guarantee that Thomas and Tebow became Broncos. Personally, I think we probably could have stood pat at #24 and had Thomas. And even if he is taken, I’m perfectly happy with either Dan Williams or Jared Odrick at that spot. In fact, I probably would have preferred it. In other words, we should have had at least one 4th round pick and still got a targeted player.

Did we give up more than we had to to get back into the 1st for Tebow? I think we probably could have replaced the 3rd or 4th in the package we gave with a 5th or 6th and still had Ozzy’s attention. In other words, we could have probably bought our way back in with a 2nd, 4th, and 5th, or a 2nd, 3rd, and 6th. Still that’s a little nit-picky even for me. I’m fine with the Tebow trade for the most part.

We still should have had at least one pick in this round.

Round #5

It’s perfectly appropriate to remove character concerns from your first round board. Missing on first rounders because of their temperament is just as bad as misjudging talent and can set your franchise back years. At the same time, it’s perfectly appropriate to take a risk with character concerns later in the draft when the talent value is very high. That’s what we have with Perrish Cox. Talent-wise, he averages about a 2nd round grade. A few teams even had him rated as a late 1st in ability. Most think he has starter potential at CB, he’ll have a chance to win the KR job and free up Eddie Royal to play offense exclusively, and I’m guessing he contributes on coverage teams as well. That’s value meeting need. I like this pick a lot.

Round #6

Meh. I expect that Eric Olsen will provide depth at all three interior line positions and compete for a starting job over the long term. Can’t expect much more out of a 6th rounder.

I think my biggest problem with both Olsen and Beadles is neither is Bulaga. If we were gonna give up a fourth to leap-frog the Packers then I just can’t convince myself that he shouldn’t have been the pick. And if he’s the pick, then we can use either our 2nd or 6th to fill another hole. Especially our 2nd.

Round #7

We our gave our 5th rounder next year to make sure we got a couple of intriguing developmental prospects in Syd’Quan Thompson and Jammie Kirlew. If we had them rated in the 5th to 6th round range then that trade is appropriate. I’m okay with trading a marginal pick next year for a couple guys the coaching staff liked in this draft.

Ah, the NFL offseason. That magical time when all is possible and everyone's team will make miraculous choices that put them on the verge of Superbowl glory! With the exception of New Orleans and Indianapolis (and probably Detroit), NFL cities around the nation enter this wondrous candy store of possibility with eyes wide and hands grabbing for their favorite quick-fix jellybeans, candy bars, and licorice whips. That some of the treats may be on shelves to high to reach, might be too expensive, or are just not a good deal doesn't easily penetrate fanbases' initial drooling exuberance. Unfortunately, like a stern mother, reality tells us that even though we want both the bubble gum and the M&Ms we might have to choose one or the other. Bitter disappointment not withstanding. 

I'm going to jump into the role of practical-minded parent to address one of the unrealistic Bronco repairs that I keep seeing on MHR and other sites that talk about our team. While there are a number of tasty treats that have come up with regards to saving Broncos, two of the delicacies we seem to crave most are available in the NFL Draft aisle of the candy store. The Broncos didn't run the ball well, the interior line was a big reason why, and Broncos fans in the know want them some sweets called Mike Iupati and Maurkice Pouncey to patch the problem. The idea that we need to draft both of these guys is one that's been popping up all over the Orange and Blue blogworld. Well children, I'm here to tell you that the chances of our enjoying that yummy feast are pretty dang slim. 

Don't get me wrong, I like both players and would be immensely satisfied if they both ended up with horses on their helmets. Unfortunately, we are poorly positioned to come up with both guys given the way the draft works. In fact, if we stand pat with the picks we have we probably can't land either guy. It's basically a function of the value of the picks we currently have held up next to the rankings of the players. We have pick #10 or #11 in the first round and then don't pick again until pick #45 in the second round. Neither Iupati or Pouncey are worthy our current first round pick. Both would be monumental reaches barring a major shift of opinion during the draft evaluation process. Even if the stock of one (or both) of them shoots up from Senior Bowl to Combine to Pro Days, NFL teams almost never take interior offensive linemen in the top half of the first round. I'm confident that we won't take either one with the #10/11 pick.

On the flip side, both players are the consensus top prospects at their respective positions. We don't select again until thirteen picks into the second round. Is it really likely that either of those guys is going to last that long? I'll tell you right now that Iupati will definitely not be there. He will come off the board somewhere in the 20s. There is an outside chance that Pouncey might last that long, but I doubt it. So if we don't make any moves, we have a very small chance to end up with Pouncey. More likely we get neither. In order to get one or both, we have to do some wheeling and dealing.

To get an idea of what kind of scenarios might work, we have to decide where the players are likely to go. First, though centers are usually more highly valued than guards because of versatility, in this draft it looks like Iupati is the more highly regarded prospect. He's already getting oooohs and aaaahs at the Senior Bowl. Heck, his weigh-in was generating the textual equivalent of man goo across the blogosphere. Big and fit with the longest arms and largest hands of anyone invited to the game. Realistically, if no one reaches very much and he doesn't inexplicably fall very far, I expect he'll go somewhere between picks 18-30. Pouncey is less highly regarded so far, though part of that is less time to get a buzz going since he only recently declared. My initial guess is that he's like to go somwhere between picks 25 and 37/38. And no, I'm not accounting for team needs just yet. So what are our options to get picks in that range?

The most likely scenarios for picking up at least one later first round pick are to trade/allow to be signed Brandon Marshall or trade back from the #10/11 pick. As far as Marshall goes, we would need to find a WR needy team willing to trade for him or pay the tendered compensation to sign him. While he is not the elite receiver people seem to think he is, Marshall is likely worth a second half of the first round pick. Teams that might look at a WR like him are:

#17 Tennessee: If Marshall goes to the Titans I think it might still be too early to look at Iupati and it's definitely too early for Pouncey. This is especially true in that a player like DT Dan Williams has a good chance to be available. He represents a better match of need and value than Iupati. A 3-4 DE like Jared Odrick might also be a better choice. 

#21 Cincinatti: Between the free agent departure of TJ Houshmenzadah, the untimely death of Chris Henry and the on-going drama that is Chad Johnson, this once WR rich team is now in the pass-catching poor house. This pick is about where I'd expect Iupati's value to start matching up with our OG need. Still too early for Pouncey.

#25 Baltimore: Marshall going here would present the most likely scenario for our having to choose between Iupati and Pouncey. There's a good chance both will be here and both are worthy of this selection in terms of value. Of the two Iupati is the more likely to be gone. I'm almost certain that Maurkice will still be here. My biggest yuck with Marshall going to Baltimore is we're likely to have to deal with him in games that mean something at some point.

#27 Dallas: Brandon Marshall is what Dallas wanted to get in Roy Williams. Would they be willing to give up another first rounder for a WR talent with red-flags? Maybe. By this pick the availabilty of Iupati is going to be iffy. My gut tells me he's gone. That or Dallas keeps the pick and takes him :). Pouncey will be here and is worthy. If we ended up with Dallas' pick I'd jump on either of them if they're available. 

#29 NY Jets: Braylon Edwards is a disappointment. Marshall's hands may be a bit on the iffy side, but Edwards should have been a DB. Rex Ryan has shown he'll take chances to improve his team. Could be a match. Iupati is going to be gone by now. Pouncey should be available and I'd be happy to take him.

As far as a trade back scenario goes, the thought process is the same. Can we trade back to a point where either Iupati or Pouncey are available and also not a reach. I haven't done a full breakdown on team needs so I won't go into detailed scenarios. Basically, in order to end up in the 20s from 10/11, a player from one of the premium positions needs to fall and a team needs to be willing to jump to get him. If Sam Bradford is still there when we pick someone very well might take a chance on coming up. Someone may also be willing to come up for a top LT prospect or pass rushing threat. A trade back could get us either Pouncey or Iupati.

The other possibility for getting Pouncey is to jump up in the second round to nab him if he falls out of the first. As we know from the Alphonso Smith trade last year, the asking price for a high second round pick can be pretty stiff. Is Pouncey worth it? That's a debate for another stream of consiousness exercise.

In order to land both Iupati and Pouncey for certain, we'd have to get a late first rounder for Marshall AND trade back from the #10/11 spot. Is it possible? Of course. Is it likely? Hmmmmm. Even if the Broncos do exactly that, the Iuputi/Pouncey bandwagon could be disappointed if another player at a position of need looks like a better value. If Dan Williams is still there at 21 do you still take Iupati? Will he last a few more picks? See what I mean?

The other scenario that would give us a good opportunity to land both, though it depends a lot on what happens to Pouncey's stock, is to get a pick between 20-25 for Marshall or the 10/11 pick and to trade up to the early second. Iupati in the first and Pouncey in the second. Once again, too many variables to say this is super likely.

What my long-winded (as usually) post is getting at is that we don't have a prayer of getting either much less both of these guys without some fanagling. In addition, McXanders will have to determine that such haggling is what they want to do, particularly if they really like someone like Dez Bryant or Rolando McClain. Basically, its just not as simple as saying, "I think we should take Mike Iupati and Maurkice Pouncey in the first two rounds."

Would I like it? Yes. Do I think it's going to happen? Probably not.

Been awhile since I posted much of anything, but I gotta download some thoughts. Most of this will be Broncos, though the occasional general NFL thought might slip in. As always, I apologize for my long-winded writing style :)

Rule Change

I am not huge on monkeying with the rules of the game overall. In fact, I'm downright annoyed with a lot of the rules about "protecting the players" that are nearly impossible for players to control. Can a player really control where his helmet contacts another moving player when both are in the air and adjusting to a football? Hmmmm... Anyway, not the point I wanted to make. I believe it's time for the NFL to adopt the college pass interference penalty. Any infraction occurring further than fifteen yards from the LOS should be a fifteen yard penalty and automatic first down. While I've thought this for awhile, I'll admit that two calls against the Broncos in the final three games really has me wanting this change. And yes, I know calls even out, but it doesn't matter if you need to wait 'til next year to get yours back. The call on Goodman on the Raiders' winning drive at Invesco was ticky-tack at best but ended up being a forty yard penalty when Oakland was in a nearly impossible situation. Also, the penalty against Champ in the first half against the Eagles was pretty iffy. I'm not sure he ever touched the receiver, face-guarding is not illegal in the NFL, and there is no requirement to look for the ball. This was another monster penalty in terms of yardage. Both penalties ended up as TDs for the opposition in contests decided by 1 and 3 points. My point isn't really that those were bad calls. My point is that they were very close judgment calls that had a huge effect on the games' outcomes, not least because the yardage mark-off was so severe. Is it really in the best interest of the NFL to have games and eventual playoff spots determined by an officials' judgment on one of the most difficult penalties to call consistently? Is it really a good idea to have 40 and 50 yard changes in field position based on what one person thinks he sees? Should pass interference really be punished two or three times more severely than the worst roughing penalites? Besides, just as an aesthetic aside, should 40 or 50 yard gains be reserved for something that is done spectacularly right rather than something done marginally (okay, sometimes spectacularly) wrong? Fifteen yards max and an automatic first down. Change it.

Brandon Marshall

The Beast frustrates me immensely, and the main reasons are not his mercurial mood swings. Brandon frustrates me because his ceiling is so much higher than his actual play has been. Part of it might be attitude. Part of it might be that he is a johnny-come-lately to the WR position so his instincts don't match his physical gifts. Whatever the case, Brandon is not the elite receiver that the MSM, many Broncos fans, and Brandon himself thinks he is.

What Brandon Does Well:

1. YAC. This is what everyone sees with BM and its how he's earned the nickname "The Beast". He's fast and he's huge. He is physically the equal of any receiver in the NFL. He has great vision in the open field and the agility to take advantage of it. He's a pain in the backside to tackle. No receiver in the league can force positive yards out of negative situations like BM. Watching BM pick up yards with the ball in his hands is like reading a great writer. You know a masterpiece is likely just around the corner. This part of his game is why we as Broncos fans so want him to get his act together. It's beautiful.

2. He uses his size and athleticism well when he plays facing the QB. What I mean by that is he uses his physicality to both screen defenders and extend the target area for the QB. He's very good on slants. comebacks, and short to medium outs. If you throw the ball to BM in those positions you have a good chance for a completion and very little chance to give up and interception just because Brandon is likely to get some flesh on the football. It's this part of his game that lets him catch 100+ balls a year and create the illusion of being an elite receiver.

3. Score. Until this year, this was a deficit in Marshall's game, but 10 TDs is a respectable number and is the minimum for receivers that aspire to elite status. He can still improve here, but after 2009 catching TDs can be viewed as a positive for The Beast.

What Brandon Does Not Do Well:

1. Catch the ball consistently. Basically, he doesn't have great hands. While he does make some spectacular catches, too many balls hit his hands and then hit the ground. This part of his game is actually the most appropriate for his "Baby T.O." moniker. This is probably something that the Broncos (or another NFL team) will likely just have to deal with.

2. Situational and field awareness. This problem in BM's game shows up most often when he goes backwards to try and make a big play when he's already done the job that needed doing. While it's laudable that a big-time player is thinking about scoring on every play, I don't want him to give up a first down in hand for the possibility of more yards or even a TD. Often his athleticism lets him overcome this mistake and get back a first down he's given up, but not always. Brandon, when it's third down and your past the sticks, STAY THERE!!!

3. The Beast is not a deep threat. It irritates me too. It mostly bothers me because he doesn't approach catching the bomb in a way that best suits his talents. When you watch BM go deep, he mostly tries to get behind the DB and run under the ball. Bad idea. With his size and athleticism Brandon needs to stop and go get the ball. The highest point where BM can touch the ball is almost always out of reach of the DB covering him. Go to that spot Brandon! You'll either get your hands on it or draw a penalty when the little dude runs into you. This is where Brandon could make the improvements that would make him the elite receiver he thinks he is. I'm not that hopeful though. I can't imagine that the coaches (both in the Shanny regime and under McD) haven't tried working on this. That it isn't taking suggests it's an instinct thing.

Conclusion:

While I enjoy watching The Beast play, and he is certainly worthy of his pro-bowl selection, I'd rather not keep Marshall at the cost of an elite receiver salary. Between the flaws in his game and his diva tendency, I don't think he's worth the risk.

The Coach

Before I go off here, I want to emphasize that I am not a McD hater. I was fine with his hiring (if not necessarily fine with canning Shanny). McD did as well or better than all the other coaches we might have hired in his first year, with the exception of Rex Ryan though really they had similar seasons. I believe that McD has a chance to be a very good coach in the NFL. I'm not convinced that he will be a very good coach in his stint with the Denver Broncos. This might be his learning job.

The thing I like best about the coach is I believe he has a clear vision of what he wants to see on the field and a pretty good idea about how he wants to get there. I like that he tries to emphasize the fundamentals of playing sound football (something Shanny wasn't as good at). He understands that if talent and preparation come together in NFL players doing their jobs on each play through each series through each period of each game, the outcomes are likely to be good. That said, too many mental errors by the team lets me know that coach is still a ways from turning vision and understanding into reality. Especially bothersome were the penalties in critical situations that plagued us all season. If there's ever been a team that missed the playoffs because of false starts, its got to be the 2009 Denver Broncos.

There are a couple of things that concern me about McD at this point as well. First, he is one stubborn SOB when it comes to certain types of playcalls. I was especially annoyed with the lack of creativity in short yardage and goal situations. You gotta find a way to pick up 3rd and 1 or 2. Hammering the ball at the same spot time after time with the same result is an issue. Now, I am going to give the coach the benefit of the doubt and assume that what he's doing is running a play he feels is necessary for us to get right not just now but also in the future, so he's gonna run it 'til that happens. At the same time, a couple naked boots or play-action passes here and there might have earned us a playoff spot. I was also annoyed in that the power game he wants to run in that situation was not best suited for our goals given the weaknesses of our offensive line. The right side was significantly weakened with the loss of Ryan Harris. Polumbus is a servicable tackle but nowhere near the same class as Harris. Weigmann is exposed as not having enough lead in his pants when we have to get a push in short yardage. One the left side, Ben Hamilton was just this side of useless and Hochstein is adequate but not anything to write home about. I wish the coach would have found a way to mask these weaknesses better with creative play-calling.

My other concern with McD is whether or not he has a good feel for his locker room. I do believe that the players, for the most part, respect him. I believe that they want to work hard for him and that they believe they can win with him. Given that, I don't think some of his "team-first" and/or motivational shennanigans are necessary or even useful. The final week was a glaring example. McD's choice to make an example of BM and Scheffler at that point was iffy. Now I know if we win that game it looks like a genius, but we didn't and we looked as bad as we have in any game this season. If BM says he's too hurt to play, then don't play him. Don't make a big deal out of it and say, "Well, since you aren't tough enough to play you can't play." Leave well enough alone. And with Sheffler, trying to give him an attitude adjustment prior to what could be his last game seems pretty silly. Look, NFL players are generally regular old people like anyone else. They know when somebody like Tony Scheffler is being an ass. Early in the season, when it matters to chemisty, do something about it. When it's the last game of the season and the chemisty is what it is, you know the guy can make plays, and the players who are doing things right are dependent on Mr. Selfish to get his job done the coach should just leave it be. Deal with the attitude adjustment during the offseason. Maybe McD was trying to get a one-for-all and all-for-one vibe going in the locker room before the big game. Instead, I think he got his team wondering if it was a good idea to bench playmakers when plays must be made. I do think this is something McD will get better at. Just might be with some other team in 2016 or so.

Team Needs

Well, one of the best things about sports is the story never really ends. One season flows from the last and there is always something to look forward too. So where do we need to improve to set ourselves up for a happy chapter in the novel that is the Denver Broncos?

1. Offensive guard is the number one priority in my opinion. Ben Hamilton was absolutely useless this year. If he wasn't failing to get a push in the run game or getting rag-dolled in the passing game, he was being called for holding in a critical situation. He deservedly lost his job to Hochstein who was better, but is by no means a dominating player. He's the kind of guy you want for depth, not to start week in and week out. I'm especially annoyed with this problem in that I thought we had a great chance to address it in the draft and didn't. We had a chance to take Max Unger out of Oregon in the second round and didn't do it. It doesn't help that our top second-rounder is our largest draft disappointment early in his career in Alphonso. We should take a careful look at guys like Mankins in FA and if I had my druthers, we'd take one of the two or three best guard prospects in the draft with a first or second rounder.

2. If OG is 1a than punter has got to be 1b. I thought it was sort of ironic that McD continued the long-time Shanny tradition of canning the opening day punter mid-season. He got about the same results. It is true that Kern was outkicking his coverage and having trouble with placement so getting rid of him wasn't a huge stretch. Unfortunately Mitch Berger wasn't any better. I'm still not convinced that his awful punting in his first appearance with the Broncos didn't cost us the game against the Ravens. And while he improved, he never was consistently good for us. Field position matters, and we need to take care of the punting situation big time.

3. Defensive Line. While Fields, Peterson, and McBean were decent this year, we could definitely use an upgrade at all three positions. I (along with others on MHR I believe) still think that Marcus Thomas could actually be best suited for DE. We still need a monster in the middle to hold the point of attack consistently. Baker may fill this need, but I wouldn't mind seeing a bona fide, experienced NT come in for a couple years. Oh Viiiiiiiiiiiiiince!!!!!!

4. Wide Receiver. I don't think BM is a Bronco next year. That definitely leaves a gap in the starting line-up. I am okay with starting Gaffney on one side. I think it's time to start shifting Eddie into the slot receiver role. Stokely is still viable but is getting old. I'd rather have him ready for big situations where we need him. Brandon Lloyd has talent but until he gains consistency I don't think he's a starter. We need to find another consistent, starting-caliber player for the receiving corps. We don't need a stud number one necessarily, just someone who will get the job done. The kind of player we need is more likely to come out of FA than the draft.

5. Tight End. Graham is a good all around tight end. He is great in the run game and holds his own in pass protection. He is decent as a pass catcher, though he drops some balls he should catch. Overall, he'll do nicely as the starter next year. Quinn flashed as a blocker at times, and he had the big punt block as well. He looks to have a long way to go in the passing game though. Much work to do to justify his second round draft slot. Scheffler won't be back. I'd like to find a veteran with a decent all around game here for depth.

6. Cornerback. Champ and Goodman were fine this year. They should be fine next year. I am not happy with Alphonso Smith. While he flashed a couple times in the first half of the season, he was much more noticable for mistakes later in the season. Yes, there is a learning curve at CB like any other position, and it is too way way way too early to throw in the towel. With that said, Alphonso frequently looks physically outmatched on the NFL playing field. You can see that his exceptional instincts get him close to where he is supposed to be but his limitations keep him a step-or two behind or and inch or two away. Maybe as his instincts synch with the pro game he'll turn into something. I'm not terribly optimistic though. That leaves us with a depth issue at CB. We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, I think Darcel McBath might be a good solution for the nickle spot next year, and it might help him when it comes time for him to take the starting FS job.

7. OT depth. I'd like to upgrade from Polumbus if possible. It was obvious how important Ryan Harris is to the offense when he was out.

8. For the most part, I'm okay with the rest of the team.

The running back situation isn't my favorite but I don't think we can know what we have in Moreno until we put a better interior offensive line in front of him. I still think we should have traded the #12 pick for more picks.

I'm willing to give the LB corps another season to learn and gel. Haggan was actually the best overall player of the four. Doom needs to improve in the run game or his sack production won't offset what is a weak spot in the defense. I like Andra Davis though he gets burned in the pass game sometimes, and for some reason can't tackle a QB when he gets there on a blitz. DJ is DJ. A very good, if somewhat overrated player. His biggest problems are discipline and consistency. Maybe another year away from Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn will make next year a better one for him.

Prater showed improvement in his consistency this year. He made big kicks more often than not when we needed them, and he was consistently good on kickoffs. I expect he'll be our kicker for a long time to come.

Safety might be the strongest spot on the team. The starters were more than adequate. Actually, Dawkins is the best safety the Broncos have ever had back there. Sorry Steve Atwater. If it's any consolation, you're not that far behind. Both McBath and Bruton look to be developing well and both could develop into good starters.

If we go with Orton at QB I'll be okay with it. He's got a lot of room to improve. Hopefully he has the talent to do it. I would like to see him be more aggressive now and again. For the most part, I'm okay with throwing the ball away, but once in awhile you gotta take a chance. The other thing he could do more of is run with the ball. 2nd and 7 is better than 2nd and 10. I don't think we'll be keeping Simms, but if we do I'll trust it's because the coaching staff believe he is viable. Honestly though, I think we might be best served to cut his cost and elevate Brandstater. Gotta see what the kid's got sometime.

Random

-Anybody else wonder if Clady was nursing an injury the second half of the year? He seemed to have a little difficulty cutting of the edge sometimes. He also seemed like he wasn't getting as low as he has in the past. While he was good the second half of the year, he wasn't his normal dominant self.

-Isn't it ironic that the season just past under McD looked almost exactly like Mike Shanahan's last three years in terms of the overall flow of the season? While the details of how it happened were completely different, we still got our usual fast start followed by a maddening slide that ends with the Broncos just outside the post-season. Gotta laugh so you don't cry, huh?

-I loved the throwback unis this year. Helps that we played well in'em. Hope we wear'em again soon. I'd like to see the D helmets again soon too.

-I love Peyton Hillis. It's obvious that his skill set doesn't match what McD wants to do. Then again, maybe McD might want to do something now and again that fits Peyton's skill set? Just saying. On the coaches side in the Hillis debate is that Spencer Larsen is a better blocker than Hillis at fullback. How's Owen Smith looking in Seattle? :)

Um...okay, I think I've probably babbled long enough.

I really love MHR and truly appreciate the insight it provides into the Broncos and football in general. The regular features (and random brainstorms) by the staff always teach me new stuff. I especially dig HT's stuff though I'm sure all the staff have their fans. I'm also highly impressed by the thoughtful fanposts we get from the members and the equally insightful comments that follow.

That said, MHR is only one particular medium. The internet is a wonderful tool, but there a number of ways that it falls short in terms of a teaching tool. It especially lacks spontaneity. It's much more difficult to ask a question and follow it through its conclusion online than it is in a regular conversation. Also the net is less conducive to the interesting tangents that spring mysteriously out of face-to-face interaction.

Also, the net sometimes lacks for clarity. When a staff member (or just a member who is a film geek) start talking about watching film I intellectually understand it, but I have a hard time seeing it. I also have a hard time turning tips in how to watch film into a real practice. I want to watch the left tackle, then I follow the ball anyway. Part of that is I'm not used to following something in the scrum. Anyway, I'm getting away from where I want to go. Suffice it to say I'd love to have one of the coaches that frequent MHR in the same room with some game tape showing me how to break it down piece by piece. I could ask immediate questions if I don't understand. I can point out things that jump out and get an idea if I'm seeing what's important. You get the idea.

So with that overly long preamble, let me get to my suggestion. I don't know if the staff of MHR has either the time or inclination, but I would love love love the opportunity to attend an MHR convention on all things Broncos plus important aspects of football in general. I'd love to sit in on a seminar where HT breaks down film, or thedude goes all stats geek, or Ted shows us how to muse and observe. Maybe Colinski could do something on analyzing draft prospects and team needs. I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw out there that I'd be willing to travel to attend such a convention and I'd be more than willing to pay a reasonable registration fee. Enough to pay costs for the convention and maybe even give the site a little extra working capital. I know folks like to informally get together around training camp. Maybe that would be a good time. Or maybe somewhere in the dead time between the Superbowl and the draft where we can most productively analyze the season past and speculate on the season upcoming. Plus it would give us all something to get through no football hell. So anyhow, if there is enough interest among the members, maybe the staff can try and put something together?

I expect it would grow over time btw :) Growth is never bad in a capitalist society, huh?

Just wanted to give a look at BMarsh considering all the controversy surrounding him to get some discussion going regarding what he is or is not actually worth to the Broncos in both the short and long term.

2008 NFL Rank Receptions:

#3: 104

#1 = Andre Johnson with 115. Johnson played 16 games to Marshall's 15. As did Welker who is the other ahead of him.

2008 NFL Rank Total Yards:

#7: 1265

#1 = Andre Johnson with 1575

2008 NFL Rank YPG:

#5: 84.3

#1 Steve Smith with 101.5

2008 NFL Rank TDs:

Tied #22: 6

#1 = Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson with 12

2008 NFL Rank 1st Down Rec:

#4: 65

#1 = Andre Johnson with 79

2008 NFL Rank YAC:

Tied #12: 439 (Steve Smith)

#1 = Wes Welker 758

2008 NFL Rank Yard Per Catch:

#124: 12.2

#1 Devery Henderson with 24.8

2008 NFL Rank Targeted:

#1: 181

#2 = Andre Johnson with 170

Comments: These mix stats and my own observations

Positives:

1. BMarsh's raw production kicks ass. He catches a lot of balls for a lot of yards.

2. He's a beast to try and tackle. I was a little surprised he wasn't a bit higher in YAC, then I remembered he gave back about 100 yards over the season circling backwards.

3. He picks up first downs. I didn't look for a breakdown on what down his first down catches come though. I'd like to see it if someone has that info. I'm betting he wasn't our top third down guy. Wouldn't be surprised if both Royal and Stokely finished ahead of him.

4. He gets off the jam pretty well because of his size and gets into his routes on time for the most part.

5. He often demands double-coverage, opening the field for others. 

6. He uses his body well to screen defenders when they are behind him so that he can make possession catches despite close coverage.

7. He's competitive and wants to be an elite receiver. He has a decent work ethic from what I can tell.

Negatives:

1. Despite our perception of him, BMarsh has not demonstrated that he is a big play receiver. He has a minuscule YPC average which indicates to me that he does not make a lot of plays down the field. Worse, he disappears in the red zone. He's only managed 15 TDs in his career. Randy Moss has 37, T.O. 38, and Larry Fitzgerald. 28 over the same span. Even a WR like Hines Ward who is known more for scrappiness than big play ability has 20 TDs over the last 3 seasons. Calvin Johnson has 16 TDs in his two seasons playing for the garbage Lions, for the love of Pete. I would think that a big-bodied possession guy like BMarsh should be a monster in tight, but it's not the case.

2. He does not have great hands. Despite being targeted more than any other receiver, he was third in catches. He drops balls. He also doesn't adjust to the long ball in the air well. With his height and general size, you'd think he'd be a great deep ball, jump ball artist. He's not. Most noticeably, he does not come back for the ball well when it is behind him. If he can't run under it, it's an incompletion more often than not. In terms of his hands and the drops, I'm willing to give him some time because of the nerve damage. In terms of going back for the ball, I hope somebody can coach him because he should be a monster at it and isn't.

3. Another factor in the difference between being targeted and number of catches might have to do with brains/discipline/concentration/etc. Specifically, he doesn't always run good routes and seems, to frequently for my taste, to run incorrect routes. We can assume that some of the misreads on such plays were Jay's, but a bunch were Marshall's as well.

4. He has a selfish streak. Brandon Stokely saving him a 15 yarder late in the Cleveland game last year is a big illustration.

5. The off-the-field stuff. No need to go over it in more depth here. Just makes you wonder how much the Broncos can rely on him long term.Whether it's injuring himself severely while horsing around or being on the commish's sh*t-list, you gotta wonder if he's gonna play all the games we need him to.

General:

I'm not trying to bash Brandon with this post. The negatives section is longer than the positives because we all know what he's good at. What we don't talk much about is what he's bad at (or at least what he's bad at on the field as opposed to life skills). My overall take is that BMarsh is one of the top five possession receivers in the NFL and a top ten or twelve overall receiver. He is not, however, a huge difference maker yet. He doesn't score TDs and he doesn't make the difficult play often enough. He (like Jay) has not been clutch in big spots. Basically, despite what looks like good production, I feel like Marshall has significantly underachieved in relation to his physical skills. In the BMarsh trade poll, I voted that I would consider trading him for a 1st and a servicable receiver. I still think like that would be appropiate value. Honestly, I'd be willing to give up BMarsh and a 2 rounder for a similar player in Anquan Boldin. 

I love to watch BMarsh in the same way I loved to watch Cutler. He's a freak of physical talent who does some unbelievable things on a football field. At the same time, I think we're still in the land of what Marshall could be rather than what he is. He could be an all-timer but there's still a lot standing in the way.

This is more of a general sports than Broncos specific post. Still, I think it's relevant in that it's unlikely that no Bronco is using performance enhancers to gain an edge, make the team or heal an injury.

Every year, when baseball rolls around, we have to deal with a spike in stories about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs (PHD). Mostly that's because MLB had done a terrible PR job around the issue and left itself open to charges of stupidity and hypocrisy. The NFL, on the other hand, has done a good job with their PR overall. They at least look like they are doing the best they can to keep the sport clean. That said, we all know that HGH and cutting edge steroids aren't always detectable, that players generally know how to cycle their use to get both benefit and avoid being caught, and that the NFL has quietly structured their testing to allow players to "sneak" use. The NFL still has players caught and gets some bad press because of it.

Having said all that, I don't want to rehash what should be done to clean up the game, at least not using a traditional argument. I feel that public discourse on the issue is all about revealing scandal and speculation on improving enforcement of PHD bans while little critical discussion occurs around underlying assumptions regarding PHD use. I've wanted to bring this topic up on MHR for awhile because y'all are (by far) the most critical thinking online sports community I've run into.

In the words of South Park's Mr. Mackey, the primary assumption that shapes our social approach to PHD seems to be, "Drugs are bad, m'kay." We are told that PHDs are horrible for long term health, they are clearly a way to cheat your natural human limitations, and they aren't fair to those athletes that choose to follow the rules. I agree with the last, but I am less certain about the first two. My contention is that it may be time to figure out how to integrate steroids and other PHDs into sport rather than fighting a losing battle to ban them.

First point, and a very short one. As with all technologies, once PHDs are out there you can't get the toothpaste back in the tube. Athletes are going to use steroids to get an edge. Management is going to allow as much leeway as possible for teams to compete. Trainers are going to procure the stuff, recommend how to administer, and give tips on dodging detection. None of this is going to go away because there is too much money and esteem available in pro sports for people not to pursue every method to capture both. Is it right? I don't know, but it's a fact. PHDs are not going away, so unless we decide to approach them differenently we'll be hearing about this all our lives, not to mention new "cheating" technologies. How will sport deal with performancing enhancing cybernetic implants in fifty years?

Second point, and I would love to hear from the MD members on this, is that PHD use may not be as physically harmful as we are led to believe. Certainly the shrill proclamations of the MSM on the topic sound like the scare tactics of D.A.R.E. when it comes to illegal recreational drugs. While I believe that someone on LSD once thought they could fly and jumped out a window, I also believe that thousands upon thousands of people have taken the drug without adverse consequences. Similarly, I believe that PHDs have had negative health effects for some athletes, including severe consequences like cancer. At the same time, I have not run into compelling evidence through mainstream discourse that demonstrates that negative health consequences are the rule when it comes to steroid use. I will admit that I am not an MD and don't have the time to go through the academic literature on the subject, but I'm sure if there was undeniable proof the PHD use was universally bad ESPN probably would have said something :).

Further, I want to suggest that potential negative health consequences could be mitigated by closely monitered use in an environment of accepted PHD use. I have a hard time believing that doctors and other trained professionals couldn't run PHD use programs that were nominally dangerous as compared to the circumstances that come with clandestine use. Think about it this way. If I took 100 heroin addicts and let them indulge their habit under professional supervision with the institutional backing of an organization with access to billions of dollars, I'm guessing the adverse effects they experience from their use would be far fewer than those experienced by 100 addicts doing the drug in the current climate of illegality. In the same way, I believe that above ground and monitered use of PHD in sport would be far less likely to have adverse affects on athletes if institutionally supported by the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, IOC, etc. etc. etc. Isn't it possible that accepted PHD use might actually be healthier for players than trying to ban them?

I'm sure a number of you are thinking, "Wow, very interesting, but that's not the point. Steroids are CHEATING you idiot!!!" My question is, why are they cheating? The answer, IMO, is that they are cheating because they are banned. The reason PHD can give a competitive advantage is that some players are using while others are not. If Mega-linebacker is crushing regular running back or beating out regular linebacker because he is using and they aren't, that is clearly unfair and compromises the integrity of the sport.  However, the reason he is able to do that is he can't use the drug without the knowledge of others. If PHD were integrated into sport then all the players would have the option of using in a monitered environment and everyone would know who is using what. It seems to me that would cancel the competitive advantage by giving it to everyone. Now mega-linebacker is always competing with mega-guard and mega-pitcher is always competing with mega-hitter. Now we're back to fair.

Further, above board use would solve the issue of "tainted eras" in the record books. If PHDs were integrated and used legally, then we would know that an era of players has a competitive advantage and could properly evaluate that era's achievements in relation to non-using eras. Also, if we had monitered use and a genetically gifted athlete that doesn't use breaks a record we can give him credit for doing it as a "natural" rather than enhanced human.

And that brings me to my last point. There is an underlying assumption, IMO, that juiced athletes are somehow not real. That they are cheating their "natural" place in the athletic order by using technology to raise their potential beyond it's "natural" limits. Not to get too philosophical here, but I think this exposes a bias in what we think of as human and invites a discussion of what humanness is or can be. Right now there is a bias toward the as-God-intended-it/as-Nature-constructed-it model of acceptable humanity. Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man is still the ideal of physical humanity. It is an unadorned, unmodified and genetically natural human perfection. It implies that modified physicality is unnatural and that unnatural is bad. In terms of the use of PHDs this philosphy translates into a negative interpretation of the modified athlete achieving over the genetically natural athlete. Is this a fair interpretation, or is it a kneejerk and uncritical acceptance of a bias toward unmodified physicality.

Human beings are, by evolutionary development and genetic construction, techonolgical animals. One of our greatest gifts is to modify either our environment or ourselves in ways that allow us to adapt quickly to changes. We an go into space because we are capable of taking our environment with us. We are able to create optimum natural athletes through the understanding and development of regimented exercise, managed nutrition and so on. It seems to me that PHD are simply an extension of this technological ability and that they express a different part of natural humanity. In that sense, a modified athlete is as natural as an unmodified athlete and is an equally astounding representation of what nature can achieve. Our technology is an outcome of our natural development and therefore technolgical enhancement is natural, not a perversion. We just need to change our interpretation of what is acceptable humanity to move beyond our current negativity about PHD.

I also want to add one more thing. There is a bias against PHD because they offend the American work-ethic. They are seen as a way to get something for nothing. This is really not the case. In order to gain the maximum benefits of most steroids and HGH, you have to work just as hard as you would to maximize your genetic potential. In fact, achieving a maximum enhanced potential is still a natural gift in that some people may be more genetically amenable to outside enhancement than others. It's just a different expression of humanness. 

So I say it's pretty much time to integrate what can't be banned and adjust our understanding of athletic prowess rather than trying to irrationally force athletics to fit our biases about acceptable humanity.

I do realize that I am going to get slammed from at least one quarter on this analysis. While pro and probably high level NCAA programs would have the ability to implement monitered, mostly safe use of PHD, what about lower level college and high school or younger athletes who don't have access to large amounts of institutional resources. They are still going to use steroids, and may even be compelled to do so in order to reach their dreams of competing at the higher levels. Also, the acceptance of use at more elite levels may indicate approval for their use at lower levels, even if unmonitered. I'm not sure how we could deal with that problem, though I'm pretty sure that clanestine use is already a big problem that may or may not have potential to be a bigger problem.

Unlike much of my writing, this is not going to go at things in a humorous or contrarian sort of way. I'm going to go at the Broncos draft with an "at the same time" mindset that reflects my general mixed feelings about what the Broncos did. Basically I'm gonna put down the Kool-Aid while hoping not to slide into negativity. I'm also going to make some general draft observations that don't necessarily have to do with the Broncos.

GENERAL DRAFT OBSERVATIONS

1. The Raiders, specifically Al Davis, are crazy. I seriously considered putting DHB in as the Raiders pick here in my mock and then decided that even Al couldn't be that insane. How you don't get more value for the #7 pick is beyond me. If you like DHB better than Crabtree that's fine, but how you don't recognize that you can have him 15 or 20 picks later is beyond me. Even if you give a value discount, say by letting Philly come up to take Crabtree by swapping the 21st pick and their second rounder you still pick up value and get your guy. And don't get me started on their 2nd round pick. The guy could've been theirs in the fifth round and people still would've been thinking it was a slight reach. I never thought I'd say this, but I am starting to feel sorry for Raiders fans. And I'm sad that a great rivalry is losing it's edge because of the senility of one man.

2. Three of the biggest reaches in the first round were by our division rivals. I am not going to fault the Chiefs much for taking Tyson Jackson where they did because he was clearly the best 3-4 DE in the draft, and while they could've had him 5-10 picks later they probably couldn't find someone to come up for their pick. Larry English at 16 for the Chargers makes me smile. He could likely have been had somewhere in the 2nd round and frankly looks like another Jarvis Moss to me. How Everette Brown fell to the second round and this guy goes 16 is beyond me. The Raiders I've already discussed.

3. In terms of the Broncos draft, my biggest problem was that we also didn't maximize the value of the picks we had. More on this with my breakdown of the specific picks. At the same time, I am pretty sure that we had a better draft than anyone else in our division.

4. What is it with the Bengals? Do they intentionally look for the biggest character risks in the draft? Andre Smith is a talent and no doubt, but the guy is coming into a situation that is likely to make him a bust. I'm so happy for Michael Oher that the Bengals didn't take him. As far as the Bengals in the 2nd round go, they and Maualuga deserve each other. One of the most positive developments of the Broncos draft, IMO, is that Rey Rey is not in orange and blue. Frankly, I consider him to be a more talented version of Nate Webster on the field with the added problem of being a bad risk off the field and a potential disaster in the locker room.

5. The Bills had an iffy first round. Aaron Maybin is not going to contribute until he's been in an NFL strenght and conditioning program for at least two seasons. He may have first round potential but he's a second or third rounder in terms of what he's going to give to the team over the first few seasons on the roster.  Wood is a good pick though I'm surprised they didn't address LT.

6. I don't like the Lions draft. Stafford may be a stud, but the probabilities (thanks HT :) ) for first round QBs make this a huge risk. Give me Curry, J. Smith, or Monroe. Much better chance they start early and contribute for a long time. And how in the world you pass on Michael Oher in the 20s is beyond me. When a top-ten talent drops to you and will greatly improve the probability that your new franchise player won't turn into Tim Couch or David Carr you take him. I like Pettigrew but this was a bad idea.

7. How does Ozzie Newsome always manage to come up with a great value pick at a position of need. Oher is likely going to be one of the steals of the draft.

8. The Jets sure didn't give up that much to get to the #5 pick. At the same time, the Browns did alright for themselves. Kind of a win-win IMO.

9. Something very weird happened in the Broncos draft that I'm sure a number of you experienced as well. Three times in this draft, the player I thought the Broncos should pick when they went on the clock were the next pick after we passed on them. Max Unger went #49, Sammie Lee Hill went #115, and A.Q. Shipley went #226. Not sure what it means but it was kind of disconcerting.

10. The first-round picks that I really liked (not counting the Broncos). Jacksonville getting Monroe at #8 who will start somewhere on their o-line for ten years. Michael Crabtree to the 49ers at #10 will help their marginal QBs and rub it in Al Davis' face for a decade. With rare discipline, the Redskins scored great value with Orakpo at #13. Maclin at #19 gives McNabb another dynamic option. Alex Mack to the Browns at #21 is the kind of boring but solid pick that leads to winning teams. Michael Oher will be a steal for the Ravens at #23. Though everyone and their mom married the Steelers to Mack, Ziggy Hood is a good consolation prize who will be developed to start at 3-4 defensive end.

11. Did I say the Raiders were crazy? Yes? Sorry to repeat, but seriously. THE RAIDERS ARE EFFING CRAZY!!!

ANALYSIS OF THE BRONCOS DRAFT

The running theme through my analysis, and the reason I have mixed emotions regarding this draft, is that I'm not sure we got maximum value for our picks. At the same time, I like most of the players we took. While I won't claim to have the pure football knowledge of HT and SlowWhiteGuy or the prospect knowledge of Styg, Broncoman, Colinski, or gnarlybroncodude, I do feel like a have a good general knowledge of the draft and how football works and I'm both happy and concerned about what I saw from Denver in the Draft.

1a. Knowshon Moreno RB, Georgia

I have no doubt that Knowshon is going to be a very good player for the Broncos for a long time. He will have 22-25 touches (18-22 rushes and 3 or 4 catches) a game and make things happen for the offense. He'll take pressure off of our QBs and increase the durability of the plethora of situational backs we have, especially Hillis. He's a stud and worthy of pick #12.

...and at the same time, I can't help but wonder if we couldn't have gotten a comparable running back while pick up value for this pick. We may even have been able to get Knowshon and added value. I'm not going to scream too loudly about it right though because I realize it may have been difficult to find a trading partner. My other concern is that a player of equal or greater value at a position of equal or greater need fell to us at pick #12 in Brian Orakpo. I like him as much or better than Ayers and wonder if we couldn't have had Orakpo at #12 and Knowshon at #18. I'm also wondering if we couldn't have addressed a defensive need here and gotten a back of nearly the same value later in the draft. Running backs always fall and this year was no exception.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick. While we might have gotten more value, Knowshon will likely do a lot for the Broncos for a long period of time and that's what you really want from a first round pick.

1b. Robert Ayers DE, Tennessee

I had Ayers to the Broncos in my mock because I knew that his positional versatility would appeal to Josh McDaniels and I think he has a ton of upside. At his best, I see Ayers as the new era version of Karl Mecklenberg (who was Adalius Thomas before Thomas even knew he could play football). He has the combination of size and athleticism to situationally play anywhere in the front seven. I expect that he will mostly be moved between DE and OLB with some kicks inside to rush the passer in our 4-3 hybrid. 

...and at the same time, Ayers makes me a bit nervous in that he didn't produce until his final year in college. Really a minor gripe. My main concern actually was addressed above. I feel like Orakpo and Moreno might have been better for our team than Ayers and Moreno.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick as well. I see what McDaniels sees and as long as he develops into that vision I think he'll be worthy of this selection. He does make me wonder if a 3-4 is going to be our base defense, or if McDaniels is planning to create the ameoba defense to compliment the ameoba offense.

2a. Alphonso Smith CB, Wake Forrest

I like Alsphonso Smith as a player a lot. I think he is going to be a playmaker. He's quick and has good ball-skills. Frankly, he reminds me a bit of Dre Bly when Bly was at his best and used properly. He's a ballhawk and will make plays as a nickleback until he's ready to move into the starting lineup. He also tackles much better than Bly while giving added value on special teams. He can spell Royal on punts and team with Arrington on KOs.

...and at the same time, I have serious concerns regarding what we gave up to get him. I accept the logic that McXander's chose to spend one of next year's 1st round picks to get someone they gave a first round grade and who will contribute immediately. I have concerns that the logic cost us a pick we may have been able to keep and still get either A. Smith or a similar player in S. Smith at our pick at #48. Basically, my complaint is that we may have really wasted a ton of value and flexibiltiy in next years draft to get a player we could have gotten anyway.

Overall, I'm not terribly upset. I do believe that Smith is a talent who was correctly graded by the McXander's team. If we view this as we got 3 first rounders this year instead of just two this looks good. If we think of it as we could have had three first rounders this year and still had two first rounders next year it's a bit more iffy.

2b. Darcel McBath S, Texas Tech

In general I'm cool with this pick. He's going to push Renaldo Hill to be his best if he doesn't want to go to the bench and will likely start for the Broncos within a couple of seasons. He won't be a liability in coverage and will make plays as an Ed Reed sort of centerfielder. As HT pointed out in his analysis, McBath is the best free safety for what he does in the draft.

...and at the same time, I wonder if he's the best 'best at' we could've taken at #48. Max Unger is also a 'best at' at a position of equal or greater need. Unger is clearly the one elite linemen who is best at being versatile. He can play credibly anywhere on the offensive line and is an exceptional prospect at both center and guard. I believe that McBath is a reasonable value at #48, but I think that Unger would have been an exceptional value.

Overall, I'm not gonna cry over spilt milk. McBath is a good player worthy of going mid-second round. I expect he will be a long time contributor to the Broncos defense and special teams.

2c. Richard Quinn TE, North Carolina

Okay, here we go. I like Quinn fine as a player. He is a versatile TE who has a nasty disposition as a blocker and apparently impressed McD with his combine workout and hands. I think he is good insurance for Graham and Scheffler and definitely represents an upgrade from the Jackson experiment.

...and at the same time, I really hate this pick. The reason I hate it is that I am 99.999999% sure that we could have taken Quinn with the first of our third round picks and kept our second third round pick. To tell the truth, this pick reminded me of Coach Shanahan at his worst on draft day. It's silly to give up value in the draft when you don't have to. We could've had this guy and another third round player or multiple later round picks.

Overall, blah. I'm pretty sure that Quinn will be a decent player for Denver, but why we gave up anything to get him is beyond me.

4a. David Bruton S, Notre Dame

Once again, I have no problem with Bruton as a player. He brings great leadership and work ethic to a team that seems to have been lacking both in recent years. He plays hard and he will absolutely kill it on kick and punt coverage.

...and at the same time, I really question the decision to make a second pick at safety when another best fell to us in an area of need. Sammie Lee Hill is clearly the best developmental NT prospect in this draft. His perceived upside is high enough that many draft experts had him going in the third round. That he fell to an area of the draft that is perfect for developmental prospects makes me wonder if McXander's emphasis on taking BPA was properly executed here.

Overall, I see this as a luxery pick for a team that hasn't reached the penthouse and shouldn't be looking for a bubble bath.

4b. Seth Olsen OG, Iowa

This is not an 'at the same time' analysis. This is the one pick that I don't like, period. I don't see how a guy with poor feet and limited athleticism is a fit in an offense that emphasizes frequent pulling by the guards or zone blocking, much less both. Yeah, he's a tough guy with a nasty demeanor and good intangibles but there were other guys like that who fit the system McD has outlined with the same qualities who would have been better fits.

5. Kenny McKinley WR, South Carolina

McKinley is a quick receiver with very good hand and body control. He makes tough catches and gets turned upfield quickly. He offers schematic versatility in that he can play the slot or outside and allows us to maximize both his impact and increase the veratility of Eddie Royal who can also bounce between the outside and the slot.

...and at the same time, McKinley is pretty light in the shorts. I think he can put on 5-10 more pounds of protein armor without losing quickness, but I'm not sure of it. I have questions about his durability.

Overall, McKinley is a good pick and may turn into a steal this late in the draft.

6. Tom Brandstater QB, Fresno State

This guy is as good a developmental pick as any. He's got a good enough arm, learned from a coach with pro experience in a pro-syle offense, reads defenses well, and has upside.

...and at the same time, he reminds me more of Drew Bledsoe than Tom Brady. Not that that is necessarily bad, but I question his mobility and that lowers his versatility. Also, not to beat a dead horse into a bloody pulp of bite-sized bits for the vultures, but I really don't think we had to give up one of our 7th round picks to get Brandstater, or a QB of equal developmental value. Still, not a huge sin if you think he can be your guy of the future.

Overall, I'm fine with this pick. I'm happy with our #1 and #2 QBs and if McDaniels thinks that Brandstater has potential, I'm not going to argue with him.

7. Blake Schlueter C, TCU

This guy fits the mold of what we should covet in a scheme that emphasizes good feet and athleticism. He moves well, is smart, and plays mean. He could develop into a good playr for the Broncos.

...at the same time, he lacks strength and sometimes got pushed around in a league not known for it's monsters on the interior DL. My bigger problem is who he isn't. Like I said before, I would've much preferred to take Max Unger when he fell to us. Schlueter is neither as talented nor as versatile. Further, I thought that A.Q. Shipley, who went one pick later, is a better overall prospect with more experience against tougher competition. Still, I can't say that Shipley was so much better as a prospect that passing on him for Schlueter is a bad move.

Overall, I can't argue too terribly much with this pick. He's a solid prospect with some upside taken in the seventh round.

BRING ME A PITCHER OF ORANGE & BLUE KOOL-AID

I have mixed feelings about our draft, but that doesn't mean that I won't be rooting like crazy for all of these guys to be great Denver Broncos.

I think we did a couple of things with CFA's that make me feel better about not addressing the defensive front seven as much as we could in the draft. We picked up 2 DE, a DT, and a LB after the draft. Of those, I'm pretty darn excited about Pedescleaux who has the look of a 3-4 end with upside. I also like that we got DT Chris Baker from Hampton after the draft. Using a pick on him would have worried me considering his character problems, but as a CFA coming into an organization modeled after the Patriots I think he's worth a shot. 

Also, the draft approach tends to make me feel more optimistic about our players in place on defense than I otherwise would have been. Maybe Coach Shanahan's biggest problem is he was accidently drafting and signing players for the 3-4 rather than the 4-3!

Moreover, I think that we clearly did as well or better in the draft than the rest of our division. The AFC West is still likely to be a pretty weak division and I don't see that these players hurt our chances of winning a division title.

Anyway, feedback is both accepted and desired and...

GO DENVER BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Detroit: In a rare fit of common sense, the Lions realize that a great LT will help nearly anyone they put behind center.

Jason Smith OT, Baylor

2. St. Louis: After a near brain-fart with the rank odor of Stafford, the Rams also give in to common sense and take a player that will start somewhere on their O-line for a decade.

Eugene Monroe OT, Virginia

3. Kansas City: After discovering that it's a lot easier to trade picks in the late 20s that the top 5, Scott Pioli surprises everyone and decides to complement Bowe on the other side. Matt Cassel goes to the equipment manager for one size larger jock.

Michael Crabtree WR, Texas Tech

4. Seattle: Hasselbeck's injury history and age prompt the Seahawks to get a QB to groom whilst the grooming is good. Matthew Stafford starts thinking about the cookies in the green room.

Mark Sanchez QB, USC

5. Cleveland: Well, Seattle has shot down their deal in place with the Redskins, and despite his perceived love of Jay Cutler, Snyder doesn't want Stafford. Luckily the 'safest' pick in the draft has fallen to the Browns.

Aaron Curry LB, Wake Forrest

6. Cincinnati: Having scoured the various penal league's for a talented felon in vain, the Bengals decided to go with the biggest character risk from the college ranks instead.

Andre Smith OT Alabama

7. Oakland: Al hands Tom Cable the card. In his other hand his chromed cattle-prod gleams maliciously. The card reads, "Darrius Heyward-Bey, SFG (super-fast guy to you), Maryland. Tom whines, "Awwww, boss......" Al raises the cattle-prod menacingly and says, "Make the pick sonny or you're up shit creek without a paddle!" A clever gleam shines in Tommy Boy's eyes, "Paddle? What's a paddle boss? You mean like the on hanging in your office for when we're bad????" Al glares and rasps out, "No you idiot, a paddle like an oar! Straighten up or I'll fire you ya moron!" Ol' Tom jumps up and runs for the podium. "Oher!!! Yes sir, Mr Davis, SIR!!!!!"

Michael Oher OT, Ole Miss

8. Jacksonville: In another burst of common sense, Jack Del Rio reasons that David Garrard might be more effective if he actually had someone to throw the friggin' ball to. Staining his brain, he works the equation out and realizes that Matthew Stafford will probably be awful without such a player so what's the point of picking him?

Jeremy Maclin WR, Missouri

9. Green Bay: Rapidly reassessing the suitability of their interior defensive linemen to play  NT in a 3-4, the Packers flip BJ Raji the bird and take the athletic freak who will play rush OLB.

Brain Orakpo DE/OLB, Texas

10. San Francisco: ESPN has been following Matt Stafford since the Seattle pick. Somewhere in the middle of Oakland's turn Matt whips out his cell phone and maniacly stabs at the numbers. Within moments of beginning to talk, tears begin to leak from the corners of his eyes. As Green Bay goes on the clock, Matt slides under the table. From the depths huge, wrack sobs begin to emerge. As the clock winds down on San Fran, Mike Singletary himself walks to the podium arm in arm with Roger Goodell and states, "We feel Matt Stafford has taken great strides in beginning deal with his parents divorce. With the strict understanding that he will continue to undergo intense therapy, he's our guy!"

Matthew Stafford QB, Georgia

11. Buffalo: The Bills are mad. They were sure one of those LTs would fall to them. After calmly ordering the execution of their spy in the Raiders war room, the Bills make the first major reach for need in the draft.

Brandon Pettigrew TE, Oklahoma State

12. Denver: Sith Lord Darth McD lets his blue and orange robe slip from his shoulders. At his feet the dying virgin gasps her last breath as the last of her blood flows across the pentagram painted on the Dove Valley floor. In the candlelight McD reaches for the phone as general managers and head coaches of teams picking in the top eleven suddenly feel free, as if they had been cut loose from dangling puppet strings. Sith Lord McD smiles as his plans to murder and replace Sith Master Darth BillB on October 11th continue to unfold.

B.J. Raji DT, Boston College

13. Washington: Dan Snyder is throwing a temper tantrum. All the equipment in the war room is shattered as Dan rages against the foiling of his man-crush for Sanchez. Mora shall pay!!!! And that damn Pioli insisted on fair value!!!! Meanwhile Jim Zorn has to resort to smoke signals to get their pick to the podium as the phones are toast. 

Everette Brown DE, Florida State

14. New Orleans: Despite Sean Payton's desire to give more toys to his offense, he gives into the part of himself that insists his offense will look even better if they don't have to score eighty-billion points to win.

Brian Cushing LB USC

15. Houston: Jedi Master Kubiak rededicates himself to making his army great as he mourns the death of the mighty leprechaun of the force who taught him, Mastermind Yoda Shanahan. He decides that the greatest lesson he learned from his master is the one the master never learned himself. The DL is a Jedi's lightsaber, make it hum and slice as greatly and brightly as you can. With that he adds a bookend for Mario Williams.

Robert Ayers DE, Tennessee

16. San Diego: A.J. Smith hangs up the phone, satisfied at his decision. As he walks back toward the conference table a strange voice enters his head, "No A.J., no. Take Rey Rey. Take Rey Rey. He's the next Say-Ow! Do it, do it, do it!!!" A.J. spins on his heel, intent on picking up that phone. Instead his slick loafers cause him to fall. He cracks his head on the conference table and has a nice long nap.

Tyson Jackson DE, LSU

17. New York Jets: Turns out Rex Ryan wasn't kidding when he said he was satisfied with the QBs on the roster. That, and he can't stand to take one of those offensive pansies in the first round no matter how much sense it might make.

Rey Maualuga LB, USC

18. Denver: Sith Lord Darth McD rages at his foiled manipulation of the that clumsy dolt, A.J. Smith. Get a decent pair of shoes, moron!!!! After meditating in his hatred until the clock is down to thirty seconds, Lord McD goes with his next favorite defensive option.

Clay Matthews LB, USC

19. Tampa Bay: Raheem hands Gandalf a hundred dollar bill. "Thanks man, I knew you could do it. And yeah, I'll be there to give that inspirational speech to the hobbits of Shire Local eleventy-one!"

Josh Freeman QB, Kansas State

20. Detroit: "The Schwartz is with us!" scream Lions fans everywhere.

Peria Jerry DT, Ole Miss

21. Philidelphia: Andy Reid needs to change his shorts when he sees who fell to them all the way at #21. He wonders if that Sith Lord at #18 really knows what he's doing.

Malcolm Jenkins CB, Ohio State

22. Minnesota: Well, the QBs are gone and the remaining receivers don't do much for Brad Childress. Instead he decides to ride that Adrian Petersen horse as hard and far as he can by picking a mauler to play right tackle.

Phil Loadholt OT, Oklahoma

23. New England: Sith Master Darth BillB feels the tickle of his apprentice's ambition and decides he better get on the friggin' ball. The legendary clone army at linebacker is aging or banished, but a new generation has been seeded in Jerod Mayo. Darth keeps it going.

Clint Sintim LB, Virginia

24. Atlanta: Grand Moff Dimitroff goes with the axiom of the Dark Side. Versatility, versatility, versatility. And if it's athletic, so much the better.

Sean Smith DB, Utah

25. Miami: Tuna don't like them prima dona WRs, and his mauler at RT is surprisingly gone to Minnesota. He knows he should replace the prodigal son at CB, gone to Denver but just can't get past his boner for linebackers.

Connor Barwin LB, Cinncinati

26. Baltimore: Harbaugh decided to use Flacco's arm and some speed to stretch the field. A ton of Baltimore fans groan. They've wanted a receiver for a long time, but come on!!! Meanwhile, Rex Ryan giggles while wondering if he'd make a good Santa Claus if this head coach thing don't work out.

Darrius Heyward-Bey WR, Maryland

27. Indianapolis: Prince Peyton doesn't want to betray his good buddy, Jeff Saturday, by bringing in a youngster at center. Instead His Highness insists on Bob Sanders injury insurance.

Louis Delmas S, Western Michigan

28. Buffalo: They can't believe that the first of the second tier LTs has fallen to the end of the round. Hosanas and Hallelujahs warm the frigid spring air of upstate NY. Management breaths a sigh of relief that they may be able to fix the silliness of trading a darn good left tackle. Eben Britton bursts into tears as the card is read. I thought it was meeeeee!!!!" he screams in anguish.

William Beatty OT, UConn

Roger Goodell finally stops pouting as he gets to announce a first round trade. "Well I like surprising people!" he explains. Unfortunately, nobody is really that surprised. New York send the 29th pick in the 2009 draft to Cleveland for Braylon Edwards.

29. Cleveland: Browns fans are amazed but overjoyed when incompetence doesn't completely win out. Management doesn't downgrade from Braylon Edwards to Hakeem Nicks. Instead they go with the best player to fill a genuine need.

Vontae Davis CB, Ilinois

30. Tennessee: The Titans come up with another first-round head-scratcher when they fail to draft a legitimate WR for the 50th consecutive draft. Instead they reach a bit to replace Haynesworth. Luckily for Titans fans, Jeff Fischer's head-scratchers have a way of working out.

Ron Brace DT, Boston College

31. Arizona: Ken Wisenhunt falls to his knees and flings praises to the football gods. He, and everyone else who follows the NFL draft, can't believe that they get their pick of RBs. While there are no actually orgasms in the Cardinals' war room, it's a close thing.

Knowshon Moreno RB, Georgia

32. Pittsburgh: The blue-collar Steelers remain the blue-collar Steelers. Seriously, how can you say something clever when it comes to boring winners like Pittsburgh?

Alex Mack C, California