SB Nation User Blog: super7

Broncos getting new uniforms for 2010?

super7 — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:04:15 -0000

I LOVE the 1960 throwbacks (this was originally a reply post to Broncotodd's recent fanpost). I love the 80's unis. I even kinda sorta like (hate) the current unis even though...well...

Okay, so I have had a love/hate thing with the current "swoosh" uniforms because they have a VERY short "style shelf life". We’ve had the "new" unis for 12 years and I think that we’re again "out of style". Can I use "quotation marks" any more?

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that the Broncos need a face lift on the style front. In the mid 1990’s there was rumor that a change was coming. I started to see jackets and t-shirts with a navy blue clor instead of the royal blue that we’d seen for so long. We knew that Denver’s color scheme needed updating. We assumed that we’d see a darkening of the colors and a "tougher" logo. I didn’t expect the swooshiness (made up word) that we went with and was FURIOUS at first. We lost our identity and Bowlen tried to BS the fans with the 'predominnantly orange' comment. I still think the unis are a bit silly.

Then we made a Super Bowl run and the new unis became part of our identity. Then colleges and high school started to roll with the swoosh design. "Cool", I thought, they are copying us. Well, all of those teams that switched to the swoosh unis have switched away from them and gone with a more modern design. Now, instead of darker/tougher/more intimidating uni’s, we’re seeing a move towards simpler, cleaner, and more "old-school" looks.

I, for one, think Denver needs to come up with a hybrid of the 60’s, 80’s, and current unis.

Here’s my required list for unis:
1) We must keep the orange and blue (especially an orange predominance) only because Denver’s become known as Orange & Blue. Plus, in another year or two, we can be the second comming of THE ORANGE CRUSH.
2) Get rid of the swooshes.
3) Lets go with a more simplified helmet design. Our current set up looks like 1998 threw up on it. Not only do we have the new logo, but we have 3 orange stripes over the top (are they supposed to be kinda like a horse’s mane?).
4) Lets go with dark pants on the road like we did back in the day – maybe we go with blue though instead of orange? (Coolest Floyd little photo ever)

5) We need more stripes on the socks – just saying, they’re cool!

via cache.gettyimages.com

So…long post..but fun topic…

What do you guys think? Still undecided on may favorite road unis. This is just my ghetto mock up of what I think we should be doing.

SImple home unis, kept the logo, got rid of the helmet stripes, pant stripes, swooshes, and jersey stripes. Added sock stripes (I mean is any other team synonymous with sock stripes, regardless of horizontal or vertical orientation more than the Broncos?). I kept the 1980’s block lettering/numbering although you can’t see it that well. The jersey is a combo of the 1960 throwback and the 80’s color scheme. The pants are boring, which I like. As far as the road unis go, I think the blue pants/white socks look tough and the simple – all orange number without a border color looks cool to me, so I put the same jersey with orange pants on the last one just to see what it looks like. I even went with a gray facemask because I love that the 1960 uni had the gray facemask and in the mid 80's we had grey facemasks too.

We could always go with this too: A real Orange & Blue lover's uni:

via img269.imageshack.us

For the roadies, I love the darker pants. The first one has the same numbers as in the 80’s and essentially is the same exact concept as the late 1960's/early 1970's roadies (like the Floyd Little photo above) just without sleeve and pants stripes. I kept the pants all stripe free. I think my fave (aside from the home unis) is roadie #3- nah, I like roadie #2 because it's simply more Bronco-ey than the other ones.

What do you think?

via img38.imageshack.us

Poll

Broncos uni's - what should we do?

Stick with the current swoosh unis

148 votes

Back to the 1980's

51 votes

Make some sort of hybrid of all the old ones - like I did here

95 votes

Go with the vertical socks/1960 unis

4 votes

Stay with the current uni's but change to an orange (current alternate) jersey instead of blue

154 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Why the eff...

super7 — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:31:15 -0000

…don’t the Broncos run the no-huddle/hurry-up offense (is there a material difference?) at home?

I read an article featuring Malcolm Gladwell (author of Blink, Outliers, and many other great works) this week and Gladwell is blown away why the Broncos aren’t using the best home field advantage in the league to their advantage.

I considered an article by KaptainKirk that I read on May 7th that was both fantastic and eye opening. Even elite athletes have a harder time recovering in the altitude in Denver.

Gladwell has a great point and although it’s not novel, it resurfaces something painfully obvious. In this day of pro football where coaches and trainers evaluate shuttle times, blood-oxygen levels, vo2 max, and mental capacity, why don’t the coaches in Denver use this to their advantage. I mean, coaches actually videotaped other coaches’ signals (even though Belichick was the only one fingered for it) to gain a perceived advantage. Why would the franchise in Denver not take advantage of the elevation where their stadium is?

Maybe, just maybe someone will figure it out. But what would that take? It would take a quick fire passing game. It would take an offensive line that is very athletic and quick and just as good paving the way for a running back as it would be in pass blocking. It would take great receivers that have differing but interchangeable skill sets that can present a multitude of problems for the pass defenders. It would require a quarterback who could play within the system, take his checkdowns, and keep the chains moving, while staying away from sacks and interceptions. This quarterback would need to move well in the pocket and be able to manage the other players and the pace of the team. He would need to be able to change the play at the line of scrimmage. It would certainly require a huge stable of runningbacks. They would have to have runningback personnel that could adapt and stay fresh and get on and off the field in a hurry. It would require very smart players who truly understood the system and the concept of the plays. Even if we run the fast break, our guys will get tired too. Depth is key. Speed and execution take on heightened importance.

Who has that kind of offense? Just food for thought….

Mock - 7 round

super7 — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:39:49 -0000

I don't love mock drafts (other than stuff like Colinski or Draft Tek puts together) but what the heck, right?

I'm putting this together as if Ty Jackson and BJ Raji don't make it down to #12. If we draft Sanchez, I'm going to go out to my car and slam my head in my car door.

I have a reach or two and a huge value falling into our laps once or twice (Shonn Greene).

1a) Brian Cushing (OLB/USC)

1b) Sean Smith (CB/Utah)

2) Jason Glibert (DE/San Jose St.)

3a) Shonn Greene (RB/Iowa)

3b) Dorell Scott (DE/Clemson)

4) Kevin Olgetree (WR/Virginia)

5) Scott McKillop (ILB/Pittsburgh)

6) Chris Baker (DT/Hampton)

7a) Ray Feinga (OG/BYU)

7b) Pierre Walters (OLB/Eastern Illinois)

Denver's Running Offense in 2009

super7 — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:00:26 -0000

via bleacherreport.com

Buried in the phenomenal Horse Tracks pu pu platter put together by NYC today was this gem from the first item in Horse Tracks:

Never mind the new set of running backs (Buckhalter, J.J. Arrington and LaMont Jordan) the Broncos acquired through free agency. Perhaps the most significant change to the Broncos' offense this year will be the diminished role of the zone-blocking scheme that had been a Denver staple since the Mike Shanahan era began in 1995.

"That was really their bread-and-butter," McDaniels said. "We did more gap schemes in New England, where we're going to pull a guard. I can't give that up. That's kind of my baby. But you're going to see both."

We've had multiple conversations and posts in the past few months about what we should expect in 2009 and beyond, but this small quote is a BIG ONE considering what it means to the offensive look we've become accustomed to.

Now, I know what the Zone Blocking system is and what kind of players it uses, but although I have a general idea of what the "Gap Scheme" is, I don't have an in depth level of understanding of what it is, what kind of players it likes best, and what it means for the Denver Broncos, so......um.....

Hoosierteacher......can you help us out? Pleeeeease? Anyone?

Thanks in advance, everyone...

Underrated/Overrated (March)

super7 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:07:49 -0000

Of course, these topics and their standing on an overrated or underrated list are just my opinion on a handful of recent observations in the past month.

Underrated	Overrated
Renaldo Hill	McNicknames
Local CBS station's relationship with Cutler	John Clayton
Chris Simms	ESPN's market share
Jay Cutler's upside	Ryan Torain's chances of ever starting
The impact of Brian Dawkins on the team psyche	The level of tenacity with which Denver persued Matt Cassel
Pioli and McDaniels' respect for Matt Cassel	The Lions' new logo
Bowlen's level of involvement in the Cutler saga	Bus Cook's credibility to QB's entering the NFL
McDaniels' intellect and ability to speak with precision	Denver's red zone offense since Terrell Davis
Eddie Royal	The chance that Casey Wiegmann plays at 2008 level
The chance of a draft day trade not involving Cutler	The chance of a draft day trade involving Cutler
Ryan Clady…still	Brandon Marshall's hands (since the nerve damage)
Scott Pioli	NFC East
Coordinators and position coaches	McDaniels' inexperience
Shanny's ability to mask talent gaps with X's & O's	Denver's 2008 offense
Number of players who 'quit on the team' last year	Jay Cutler's "attitude problem"
How ugly the organization got during 2008's final 3 weeks	Chris Berman
Impact of the new DirecTV/NFL deal	The impact of a cap free year in 2010

Thoughts?

What did I leave off of this list?

To Pay Jay or Not to Pay Jay?

super7 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:44:30 -0000

note...this was also posted as a comment on Tollerud's last FanPost and by the time I realized it should be a fanpost, I submitted it, I'm really sorry for doubling up here, guys and gals.

Pay Jay...that’s the best option, in my opinion.

Trade him later or not at all, but the only option at this point is to work a deal out and have a big smiley interview on the NFL network.

If we trade him now, we get 60 cents on the dollar or less.

If we keep him and don’t pay him it will be a distraction all year and will be VERY ugly.

Jay says he can’t trust the management. I don’t disagree that mistrust in the new boss is a big deal, but he is still under contract.

He’s either trying to get retribution for being wronged (not likely) or he and Cook are simply trying to leverage the situation (and have been since Shanny and Bates left) for a bigger payday, which is what I think he’s been doing all along. Jay and Bus wanted a new contract either way, whether Shanny was here or not. This is just more ammo they can use to squeeze the team.

Jay and Josh need to both give a little on what they require, and work out something. If both sides get some of what they want this can be resolved. If Jay gets a pay day (which he deserves, IMO, because there’s not a QB in his league when you consider age, wear and tear, injury history, upside, etc) and Josh admits that he handled this poorly to Jay, this will go by the wayside after a few games.

Jay doesn’t have to capitulate here. Josh does if he wants to win in the first few seasons. If Pat doesn’t want to get involved because it undermined Josh’s autority, then I get understand.

But if Denver didn’t have Cutler, they’d be in hole with no light at the end of the tunnel for at least a few seasons. And if Josh fails and loses Jay before a game’s even played, then Josh will have to pack his bags inside of 3 seasons unless Denver wins playoff games in 2 of the 3 seasons and those odds are not good.

This situation is ridiculous and I appreciate that Josh treats this like a business, but in the end, this isn’t so different than Manny Ramirez with the Red Sox for 2 or 3 seasons in a row and the Kobe thing a few years back. Winning will clear the team’s pimples, but losing will just expose them further. Both the Sox and Lakers paid their star, and this situation isn’t so different.

There will ALWAYS be 2 different sets of rules, one for the star player and one for the rest of the team. I know Josh may think that if he plays it like there’s only one set of rules from day one, that he can start his career off on the right foot. I get that. But lets call a spade a spade here.

Like Reggie Rivers said on the Fan, if McD talked with another team about trading Champ Bailey this week, this time he’d call Champ after taking the offer and let him know that one was considered and not to worry about what he’s gonna hear on the TV and radio. What I’m saying here is that he’d handle it differently this time, and if he admits that to Cutler, that’d be a HUGE step forward.

We can be mad a Jay all we want, but he’s a top flight talent at the most important position and most visible position in the biggest sport in the USA and he’s asking his team to pony up some money because he’s a star and although I think that they way he and Cook have gone about it is underhanded and sneaky, its obvious that a raise is what he and Cook want and that’s all and until they get it, they’re going to be the top story in the NFL and will keep gashing the Denver Broncos organization (which has been realtively drama free since 1994) until they get a resolution.

This publicity is actually escalating Jay’s level of superstar, for better or worse.

It’s not making him more tradeable, but Jay Cutler is a household name because of all of this, not because he’s a Pro Bowler.

Maybe I'm on drugs here, but Denver's still well under the cap and I'm SURE that Denver can get these guys paid.

I'd like an argument from the other side too if its out there...

Denver' s "Lord of the Flies" weekend

super7 — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:52:10 -0000

I understand that this is a blog-site and we are a community that wants to keep each other notified of any and all news (regardless of source) that is written or released that has anything to do with the Denver Broncos, but I would like to ask the readers of MHR to think critically first and foremost.

First, a vocabulary lesson:

conjecture (countable and uncountable; plural conjectures)

A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess. I explained it, but it is pure conjecture whether he understood, or not.

A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis. The physicist used his conjecture about subatomic particles to design an experiment.

I thought that defining conjecture was appropriate because there is much of it coming from the MSM right now. However, it's also coming from the fans and bloggers too.

I know that there's nothing wrong with supposing things and discussing them on a blog-site like MHR, but the amount of knee-jerk panic and vitrol I've seen on this site in the past 3 days is shocking. What makes MHR the best site on the web in my opinion is that the readers and writers are thoughtful and respectful, while also critical and knowledgable about the subject matter. I have always maintained that MHR was a better forum that denverpost.com or ESPN or anywhere else because the readers of MHR were above in-fighting and bickering and trolling and above all, MHR readers do a great job digesting new information and logically disecting it.

There were more than a few threads yesterday and Saturday that were not a reflection of why this site is great, and I was disappointed.

When I was preparing for the LSAT, I spent most of my time learning how to look at a single phrase and find its flaws and assumptions and considering what audience the phrase was meant for. This is a small lesson in critical thinking.

Critical thinking is purposeful and reflective judgment about what to believe or do in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments. Critical thinking might involve determining the meaning and significance of what is observed or expressed, or, concerning a given inference or argument, determining whether there is adequate justification to accept the conclusion as true. Hence, Fisher & Scriven define critical thinking as "Skilled, active, interpretation and evaluation of observations, communications, information, and argumentation."[1]

Critical thinking gives due consideration to the evidence, the context of judgment, the relevant criteria for making the judgment well, the applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment, and the applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the nature of the problem and the question at hand. Critical thinking employs not only logic but broad intellectual criteria such as clarity, credibility, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, significance and fairness.

I know that's a bit long winded, but what I'm after here is the idea that as fans, we need to consider the source of any story, the outlet that was used to break the story, the amount of evidence within the content and judge for ourselves how credible it is and why it's even considered news.

But the truth is, that we don't know what the truth is. Only Xanders, McDaniels, and Bowlen know what the truth is. That's it. What we're all up in arms about is a discussion that happened in a closed room or over a private phone line and unless Bus Cook had a wire-tap, I don't think he'll ever know the whole truth about what was said or offered and neither will the fans. And you know what, that's fine by me. These guys are allowed to discuss this in private. There are far bigger names that have been in trade talks than Jay Cutler.

Cutler and his agent should consider this as well because they are likely running on emotion (Cutler) and looking to somehow capitalize (Cook) on this mess.

All parties involved will spin this in the way that produces the best results for themselves.

This situarion will be resolved. The chance that Cutler is lining up under center for the next 5 years is probably very good. The chance that McDaniels had interest in Matt Cassel is good as well. But also consider that McDaniels and Xanders may have been "out on their tips" (skiing reference) a bit with this Cutler situation and mis-handled it. It think that is one thing we can be sure about. Maybe they learned their lesson.

I thought TSG made a great move when he basically stopped guessing and asked to be contacted before he put anything else out there from anyone. That, my friends, is how you take control of a situation when it's in a tailspin.

All things considered, I think the Broncos are a better team right now that they were at any point in the past three seasons (talent-wise) and so long as there can be a resolution between players and coach, things will be just fine.

There are many correlations between what happened between Cutler and the front office this weekend and The Lord of the Flies, but the same goes for some of the posters/readers here as well. No need for divided camps when we don't know fact from fiction.

Go Broncos

Klis: DJ Williams saves the team money

super7 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:31:50 -0000

Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams had a $4.5 million roster bonus due March 2 that was converted into a more salary cap-friendly signing bonus, money guaranteed. (Getty Images)By agreeing to change essentially one word in his contract, linebacker D.J. Williams provided the Broncos with $3.6 million in salary cap relief for the 2009 season.

In return, Williams was rewarded with the peace of mind that came when his bonus was transferred from possibility to certainty.

This is what the business side of sports calls a win-win.

Williams' $4.5 million roster bonus due by March 2 was converted into a signing bonus. Signing bonuses, unlike roster bonuses, can be prorated over the length of a contract, or five years in Williams' case.

The prorated portion of Williams' signing bonus comes out to $900,000 a year. There was no reason for Williams to hesitate over the change in contract language because his

Contracts could become a major order of business this week as the Broncos send their new management team of coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. The combine begins today and runs through Tuesday.

Besides Williams' revised deal, the agents for center Casey Wiegmann and wide receiver Brandon Marshall are hoping the Broncos will be amenable to discussing contract extensions this week in Indianapolis. Wiegmann, who is to receive the veteran minimum $845,000 salary in 2009, and Marshall, who is scheduled to make $2.2 million, are in the final years of their contracts.

There had been preliminary discussions between their agents and Broncos executives Jim and Jeff Goodman, but the Goodmans were dismissed last week. Talks would have to begin anew with Xanders.

Financial commitments are part of every player evaluation, as was the case Monday when the Broncos cut six veterans, including defensive starters Dewayne Robertson, John Engelberger, Marquand Manuel and Jamie Winborn. The cuts generated $22.2 million in cap savings — $16 million from Robertson alone.

The Broncos may also be facing a decision on outside linebacker Boss Bailey, who is due a $2 million roster bonus in early March. Bailey played well when healthy last season but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 7.

Among the Broncos expected to receive their respective roster bonuses due by March 2 are cornerback Champ Bailey ($2 million), guard Ben Hamilton ($500,000) and wide receiver Brandon Stokley ($500,000).

Nice work there by Xanders and D.J. and his agent. I saw something saying that Denver ended up taking a net loss on the Bly cut and if that's the case, Tuesday's overall results would end up lessening the loss. Bly's cut was a net loss of $5.8 M, so the loss is closer to $3.2 M now.

Good to hear we're gonna pay B-Marsh before he hits the market next year.

I love McD and Prof. X for what's going on right now. They're like friggin Ernst & Young over there at Dove Valley auditing and fixing everything.

More on Personnel Decisions by Mike Lombardi (NFP)

super7 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:07:00 -0000

Great stuff From Mike Lombardi from the National Football Post this morning

FROM MARK KISZLA OF THE DENVER POST… Motivated to wrestle back control of his franchise from the all-encompassing power of Shanahan, Bowlen can only point the finger of responsibility in his own chest for the upheaval created when he took the unusual tack of hiring a coach before conclusively settling on how the Broncos would make difficult personnel decisions for a team that has missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Denver has tough decisions to ponder. The Broncos must decide whether to retain or break ties with veteran players such as linebacker Nate Webster, defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson and cornerback Dre Bly, plus do thorough evaluation of draft prospects that must weigh the need for defensive help against the need for a reliable, workhorse running back. It all will now fall in the lap of (GM Brian) Xanders, whose background included 14 years with the Atlanta Falcons.

I disagree very strongly with Mark Kiszla. The Broncos do not have any tough decisions because they really don’t have any good players to make tough decisions about. Webster, Bly and Robertson played on one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year, and none of those players performed anywhere near a winning level. When you’re bad in the NFL, it’s easy to make decisions; the hard part in making roster moves comes when you’re in the middle — not good, but not awful .

The changes in Denver didn’t surprise me at all. In fact, I wrote about this when Josh McDaniels was hired as head coach. McDaniels seems to have a good understanding of what he needs to do to turn the Broncos around. The way the Broncos handled personnel the past 14 years under Mike Shanahan is completely opposite from the way McDaniels learned it in New England.

The Broncos are going to make a move to the 3-4 this year, and it will take some time to acquire the players to fit that style. The Broncos are a blank slate on defense; other than hoping Champ Bailey and D.J. Williams can play at a higher level, there aren’t many players you can count on in the new system. There will be many cuts coming from the Broncos, as they have to weed out some of the players who did not play to the level of their contracts. Boss Bailey, Dre’ Bly, Dewayne Robertson and John Engelberger are all potentially on the chopping block. Cutting players will not be difficult.

Elvis Dumervil will move to linebacker, but that’s not certain, nor is it certain that he can play outside. Jarvis Moss, a first-round pick in 2007, is not suited for the 3-4. He’s athletic enough to play linebacker, but he’s not instinctive or physical enough to succeed. Not sure where Tim Crowder could fit in the 3-4. He’s not a five-technique or a ‘backer so he might have a hard time adjusting. The one thing the Broncos must do is define what they want and need in players on defense. There was never a defined description in the past, so the first order of business will be to clearly make those definitions.

There are few pieces to build around, and cutting and removing players will not be too difficult, but it will take some time. And it will require a keen eye to find the talent that will help rebuild the team.

He is right. As fans we caught up in the rubix-cube that is moving, cutting, drafting, and acquiring talent. But we must remember that Denver is far, far away from having a good level of talent on defense. Not even DJ or Champ had a good year last year. It's rough times for the talent level in Denver.

Denver has made the decisions they've made in the past 9 weeks because the orgnization was out of control. Now, Denver does have a good young QB, WRs, FB, and OL as its cornerstone, so that's a great silver lining, but Denver also has some work to do and it will take a few years to get where we all want them to be.

2009 Offseason Outline/Strategy

super7 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:51:42 -0000

via cache.daylife.com

This offseason outline is predicated upon Denver switching to a 3-4 defense. Who to cut and or trade is not at the center of my outline. This outline is mainly in regards to player acquisition based upon a pre-draft evaluation of current personnel. Some tough decisions need to be made but Denver must truly focus on the task ant hand because, as they say, time is wasting.

Here is my 6 point plan. The "talent board" (click the link below to see it) is a great breakdown of available talent via trade and draft as well as a high level perspective on Denver’s current talent.

Talent Board: http://flickcabin.com/public/view/full/21478

Goal 1: Make a decision on what current players we want at Defensive End, Outside Linebacker, and Inside Linebacker. McDaniels alluded to this process in his most recent www.denverbroncos.com interview. Personnel decisions at each position affect the others. Denver must determine if Jarvis Moss and Elvis Dumervil should be playing OLB or DE. If it is determined that they should be outside rush ends, then DJ Williams may move inside. If this happens, Denver will need to determine who will be playing the 5 technique DE position in the 3-4 defense next year. Denver’s draft priorities in the first half of the draft rest very heavily on this decision. Also, Denver must have, at very least, an idea of where DJ Williams fits. He may not be the speed rush OLB that a traditional 3-4 is looking for. Denver must make a decision to keep him, trade him, or ask him to switch positions.

Goal 2: Make a decision on where Peyton Hillis should spend the bulk of his days in 2009. Denver must make a decision and stick with it. The decision greatly affects the outcome of Goal #3.

Free Agency (begins 2/27):

Goal 3: Free Agent RB – I target a Free Agent Running Back because Denver needs a proven commodity in the run game to pair with either Torain or Hillis. Denver simply needs more talent in the backfield. There is a glut of Free Agent RBs available this offseason, and my guess is that the bidding for a handful of "top-tier" backs will drive their prices up, so Denver should make their move as soon as possible. If Denver chooses to use Hillis at FB, then they will need at least a 2-down RB. If Hillis will be used at RB, then Denver will need a complimentary back. Denver needs more talent and depth at RB, regardless. Denver should not concentrate on finding a RB in the first half of the draft because young defenders are a bigger priority and the top tier backs will all be gone by early in the 2nd round, so to have a shot at a top-tier RB in the draft, Denver would have to use a 1st round pick to do so. Denver cannot afford to miss out on a top 10 college defender with its pick at #12. If Denver decides that Hillis will play FB or that Hillis is not a 2 or 3 down back, then my ideal RB would be Derrick Ward. If Denver decides that Hillis is a 2 or 3 down back and should be "the starter" then a player like LaMont Jordan would fit the bill well and Denver will need to look at adding a FB late in the draft of they don’t think Pinnock is the answer or Larsen moves permanently to ILB (although I foresee a Mike Vrabel type goalline package featuring Larsen coming to an offense near you).

Goal 4: Free Agent S – I target a Free Agent Safety to pair with Josh Barrett and a Safety TBD from the draft. Denver needs depth at safety, but if Denver can add a known quantity at Safety who is a top-tier player, then they will solve many of their basic problems in both coverage and defending the ground game. Players of Marquand Manuel and Marlon McCree’s ilk won’t be tolerated in my new scheme. I frankly don’t know enough about the technical desires of Mike Nolan and McD in regards to a safety to determine which player I would consider signing, but I would guess that Denver would like to have someone physical who has the ability to make a few plays a game, but who is also proven and has a few season under his belt. There is no shortage of available, proven, and somewhat affordable Safeties in Free Agency this off season and Denver should take advantage of the competition for jobs and probably get somebody for face value. Denver can still target a Safety in the draft, but this will free up a second round and, depending on who Denver signs, maybe even free up a third round pick as well.

NFL Draft (begins 4/25):

Goal 5: If BJ Raji is available, however unlikely, draft him. Attempt to trade up a few spots, but not at the expense of your 2nd round pick. There is a huge disparity between Raji (#1 NT) and any of the other NTs in the draft and the prospects of finding a Free Agent NT with upside without breaking the bank this offseason are slim. Denver cannot survive on Defense without someone comfortable in a 3-4 NT. Denver’s roster has no NT. Denver can use Powell, Thomas, or Robertson (if he’s resigned) at NT but not as a viable solution for more than a few games covering for an injury. Powell looks like a player with good upside, but from the film I’ve watched, he would look very good at DE in the 3-4 scheme and coming off of a torn Achilles is no easy task. The NT position is the main cog of the 3-4 defense and Denver simply doesn’t have anyone who can effectively play the position at a professional level. If BJ Raji is not available, Denver must target Brace, Terrance Taylor, or Sammie Lee Hill in rounds 3 through 5, but Denver can absolutely not afford to leave New York without a NT on the roster because there is not a realistic possibility that Denver can bring in a Free Agent NT who can contribute immediately (unless Denver buys Haynesworth) and have upside compared to any of the incoming rookie NTs I mentioned above. Glover, Jackson, and Watson are too expensive, old, and unproven compared to the upside and cost of the incoming rookies except for Raji, who, by most accounts is worth the pricetag. Why would you use a draft pick on an unproven player like Watson, when you could draft a NT and pay him a rookie salary and potentially get better upside for less risk?

Goal 6: Now that Goal 1 has been solved, Denver will have a vacancy or vacancies to fill. Denver should use their first pick (if BJ Raji is unavailable) to fill one of its vacancies at DE, OLB, or ILB depending upon what personnel has been moved where and who they have most highly rated. If Raji falls to Denver, Denver should use their 2nd round pick in the very same manner.

I completely understand that there are exponential possibilities for Denver this offseason. Denver may take a RB in the first round of their top guys are unavailable. They could trade down. I acknowledge the probability that my outline will likely turn out nothing like what actually happens, but I think the market looks right for Denver this offseason. Fortunately, two of Denver’s biggest need areas have ample supply as of today in the FA market. If Denver can make some great decisions, they could hypothetically enter draft day with two less needs. As it stands today, Denver is missing a starter on offense and at least 4 starters on defense, and depending on where the chips fall, possibly up to 5 or 6. Denver could, with a couple of moves in Free Agency, go into the draft with all 11 starters on offense and looking for 3 or 4 on defense, which is a much less daunting task than is presented today.

Refs:
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/02/nfp-prospect-position-rankings-2/
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/01/2009-nfl-draft-value-chart/
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/2009/02/nfp-specialized-position-rankings/
http://gnb.scout.com/a.z?s=61&p=9&c=12&yr=2009&nid=83&lnid=83&rc=16&pid=33