2019 Post-Free Agency/Pre-Draft State of the Broncos

[fightinredantz]

I thought it would be fun to see where everyone thought the Broncos are at this point of the off-season. I think the Broncos made some key acquisitions in free agency to bolster the defense. There are still some needs/questions however for the 2019 season. On the offensive side it is hard to say we need to upgrade a lot of positions, but the unit has underachieved for a long time. Defense probably needs a productive offense more then anything at this point. I see the following areas of need/questions:

- QB - Is this the year we find an actual QB of the future? Do we wait until next year? Trade picks/players for 2020 picks for the ability to move up for the guy?
- Offensive Center/Guard - Leary is expensive, and not yet healthy. I think McGovern will fill either the center or guard position, but who fills the other? Sam Jones or Nico Falah would be candidates but there could be another addition during the draft also.

- Wide Receiver - With Sanders coming off the Achilles injury we are really lacking that veteran leadership with this group. We are really counting on the young guys to take steps in year 2.

- TE - Resigning Jeff Heuerman is a stop gap move it feels. When healthy he is more then serviceable. Jake Butt would be a great weapon but like Heuerman he has significant injury concerns. Troy Fumagalli doesn't have the injury history of the Heuerman or Butt, but he did miss last season with a sport hernia. The only other person that could be able to contribute would be Temarrick Hemingway, but I don't believe he is an all around TE prospect. I don't view Hemingway as a lock to make the roster.

- NT - We have Shelby Harris but not a lot behind him. Kerr and fill in if needed, but he seems more like a DE to me. I suppose Peko could come back on a 1 year team friendly deal and I would not be opposed to this idea. Probably will not happen until after the draft as we could add someone there.

- ILB - I do not think Todd Davis fits what Fangio wants to do and Jewel is a bit of a stretch to fit. We need at least 1 ILB and probably filled in the draft. Cravens might have a role here if he can manage to stay on the field for more then a handful of games.

- S - We have some pieces that might work but injuries/starting inexperience leaves some questions.

Overall this could be a very good team, average team, or a poor team. It will depend mostly on what we get out of the offense.

I hope Elway and company listen to the coaching staff. I don't know that this has been the case last couple of years. We have hired a coaching staff with proven track records at getting the most out of players. They know what skills they are looking for and should be the ones to guide the process of narrowing the prospect pool. If Elway wants to make the final call, then so be it.

It is going to be fun here in a month or so for the draft. I am far from knowledge able on the draft prospects but I will learn more as we move closer to the draft.

Do you agree with me? Disagree?

Please add your thoughts.

 

[CEH]

I’m expecting 8-8 given first time HC, first time OC and a new QB.

I think Vic and chak can make up two games due to in game coaching .

Flacco and Scangs will have to be a great duo to go further this year.

 

[58crash]

QB is at best case a put a patch on it for 4 years But IMO we will draft next year #1 we are going to suck badly if this is our team this year as starters we are a minefield of holes as we stand today! I don't think we win a game.

Our OL is IMO a mess.
I don't like our center what so ever he is a Guard that is in one year playing for another team.
We have one good Guard and he has yet to play in all games for a year. there is talk that the staff still wants to unload him even after paying him a bonus. IMO we need one Tarting LG from the Draft and a Starting C from the Draft and put Connor McGovern back RG and Draft his replacement for next year.

WR we don't have a true # 1 WR if we are close it is not Sutton ,Tim Patrick was the only WR that made plays down the stretch IMO we are missing a true star WR all together yep we need a WR not in this draft but next year we got to draft one damn early !


Our DL after this year will be a mess

We are losing next year Wolf,Gotsis, We need two DE in the Draft

CB we are losing Harris next year


We need to Draft a safety that will be a heavy rotation guy We are Garbage after the 2 starters ! I would cut the mess we call S below our Starters they suck! I really dont like Justin Simmons for that matter what so ever. not enough lead in his pants!!!!!

We are IMO a hell of a mess at ILBer We need to draft 3 of them we will look like crap as we stand .

NT is a garbage can of the mess we suck at stopping the Run this year. NT is Draft need

 

[58crash]

This draft had better be the best Draft ever by the Broncos or this is going to be a 3-year mess.

at least we should get the best QB next year in the Draft because as of now this team will get pancaked by everyone in our division next year.

 

[fightinredantz]

Crash, I see you are looking on the bright side. I don't know that the Broncos will lose all the guys you predict they will, but I guess time will tell.

I could see Harris walking after next year unless he is willing to give another discount to stay here. Callahan, Jackson, and Yiadom isn't a horrible first 3 CBs. I do agree that we might need to find another very good CB if Harris does walk with the way Fangio wants to use players to disguise what we are playing.

With Wolfe and Gotsis I think one of them might walk. We may not be able or willing to pay both. Although Leary's contract is structure so he is easily cut after the 2019 season which may free up some money to allow us to sign a couple of these guys.

 

[58crash]

Crash, I see you are looking on the bright side. I don't know that the Broncos will lose all the guys you predict they will, but I guess time will tell.

I could see Harris walking after next year unless he is willing to give another discount to stay here. Callahan, Jackson, and Yiadom isn't a horrible first 3 CBs. I do agree that we might need to find another very good CB if Harris does walk with the way Fangio wants to use players to disguise what we are playing.

With Wolfe and Gotsis I think one of them might walk. We may not be able or willing to pay both. Although Leary's contract is structure so he is easily cut after the 2019 season which may free up some money to allow us to sign a couple of these guys.

I have decided we draft and train players for other teams.

 

[58crash]

4-year model

 

[58crash]

Right now we cut a lot of starters that we have no answer for on our team this draft had better rock because we will be in the dumpster if not.

I don't like where we are at this point.

Our OL is Crap and we got a QB that is old not a going to win game scrambling for his life.

The OL can be better if they come up with a Real Center they just need to serviceable the C we got from the redskins he was cheap. and draft a Guard in the second round to replace Connor McGovern because he will be gone.

Elway is not going to pay draft picks.

Wolf wants a mega payday he is so gone. the only way we keep him is to franchise him and that is not happening unless he has one hell of a season. my guess this year he will pull a hell of a season out of his ass and will want to be paid.

We have too many holes for this year and IMO we will not get them covered up.

Is there a wild Card ? hell yes!!


Emmanuel Sanders

Ronald Leary
Jeff Heuerman

Jake Butt

Troy Fumagalli


All stay healthy .

and we get a MLB'er out of someone on our roster . In A.J. Johnson

 

[58crash]

heck, I forgot several other players with Ouies

Bryce Callahan has missed a lot of games this time foot and that has ended plenty DB's NFL carriers


Isaac Yiadom at least he played through his injories

Phillip Lindsay IR


Royce Freeman Should have been put on IR

Joe Flacco back bothered him all of last season

 

[58crash]

We are a team of mash

 

[58crash]

I get mad as hell watch Coaches talk about a player coming back that season with High ankle sprains. FFS that is a broken leg. I know someone will argue that it is not but try and play on a leg where a bone is floating around in your leg and hurts like hell every time you cut. Maybe if you are an OL and a mean MF'er!

Sam Jones if he is the Geem that staff says and Starts at Center. I will say we have something on OL but I have read fluff pieces on players and they still go boom when the lights go on.

 

[fightinredantz]

WR is one area that I am worried about. I think some veteran leadership there would be good. Who knows what Sanders will be.

The Oline is place where you need to have continuity, and we seem to shuffle about 50% of the line a year. This year an new C/RG and RT. Not ideal. Next year probably a new LG and if you are correct C/RG.

While the Broncos don't have what I will call bad contracts, they also don't have the big dollars to spend in free agency. The Broncos definitely need to be better in the draft. It would help if we didn't change HCs every couple of years too. While we are maintaining the 3-4 defense, but the way it is being run is different. Fangio wants versatile pieces on D and at certain positions we do not have that.

I understand you skepticism, but I am an optimist. If we go 0-16 (which I doubt as we do get to play the Raiders twice this year as well as Buffalo, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Tennessee). If we do have a down year it will make drafting the QB of the Future much easier. Which should make everyone happy unless they turn out to be a bust.

 

[SpringStein]

I thought I was down on the Broncos. Now I've come to realize I'm a super optimist!

 

[femurov]

I thought it would be fun to see where everyone thought the Broncos are at this point of the off-season. I think the Broncos made some key acquisitions in free agency to bolster the defense. There are still some needs/questions however for the 2019 season. On the offensive side it is hard to say we need to upgrade a lot of positions, but the unit has underachieved for a long time. Defense probably needs a productive offense more then anything at this point. I see the following areas of need/questions:

- QB - Is this the year we find an actual QB of the future? Do we wait until next year? Trade picks/players for 2020 picks for the ability to move up for the guy?

I don't want us to trade up for a QB. If Haskins is there at 10, we have to consider that. Maybe Lock, if it is true how much we are in love with him, but I don't think I am buying that. I think Carl wrote in the other thread that we are considering trading back to pick up extra picks next year to move up and get Hebert or Lawrence if he comes out. I would be on board with that plan. I don't think I would be opposed to trading up into the back end of the 1st round if someone like Daniel Jones falls, but it would not be a priority for us. Not because we don't need one, but because this class isn't as impressive as last year's or next year's (according to the experts).

- Offensive Center/Guard - Leary is expensive, and not yet healthy. I think McGovern will fill either the center or guard position, but who fills the other? Sam Jones or Nico Falah would be candidates but there could be another addition during the draft also.

I think we need to hit the draft pretty hard for this. Every year there are plenty of solid, starting OL that go in the middle rounds. Maybe the shotgun spray strategy with our extra picks in the 4th and 5th would work.

- Wide Receiver - With Sanders coming off the Achilles injury we are really lacking that veteran leadership with this group. We are really counting on the young guys to take steps in year 2.

Definitely not a priority early, but grabbing a depth guy couldn't hurt. There are still experienced guys without homes on the FA market that would be cheap and help mentor these younger guys. I wouldn't mind a mid round gadget type guy. Penny Hart is a name that I really like for that.

- TE - Resigning Jeff Heuerman is a stop gap move it feels. When healthy he is more then serviceable. Jake Butt would be a great weapon but like Heuerman he has significant injury concerns. Troy Fumagalli doesn't have the injury history of the Heuerman or Butt, but he did miss last season with a sport hernia. The only other person that could be able to contribute would be Temarrick Hemingway, but I don't believe he is an all around TE prospect. I don't view Hemingway as a lock to make the roster.

Flacco loves him some TEs, so I wouldn't be surprised to see us look hard at someone in the 2nd or if we traded back. I have seen some mocks with us taking one of the Iowa guys at 10. Not a fan of that.

- NT - We have Shelby Harris but not a lot behind him. Kerr and fill in if needed, but he seems more like a DE to me. I suppose Peko could come back on a 1 year team friendly deal and I would not be opposed to this idea. Probably will not happen until after the draft as we could add someone there.

With how stacked this draft is supposed to be on the DL, I think we grab a guy or two in the middle rounds. I also wouldn't mind getting Peko back or maybe signing a similar vet.

- ILB - I do not think Todd Davis fits what Fangio wants to do and Jewel is a bit of a stretch to fit. We need at least 1 ILB and probably filled in the draft. Cravens might have a role here if he can manage to stay on the field for more then a handful of games.

Devon White at 10. That's what I am rooting for. If he goes earlier, if we were to figure out a trade back where we get Devin Bush, I wouldn't mind that.

- S - We have some pieces that might work but injuries/starting inexperience leaves some questions.

I think Kareem Jackson will be moving all over the secondary. I wouldn't mind grabbing a mid round guy to develop or for depth.

Overall this could be a very good team, average team, or a poor team. It will depend mostly on what we get out of the offense.

I hope Elway and company listen to the coaching staff. I don't know that this has been the case last couple of years. We have hired a coaching staff with proven track records at getting the most out of players. They know what skills they are looking for and should be the ones to guide the process of narrowing the prospect pool. If Elway wants to make the final call, then so be it.

It is going to be fun here in a month or so for the draft. I am far from knowledge able on the draft prospects but I will learn more as we move closer to the draft.

Do you agree with me? Disagree?

Please add your thoughts.

I think your overall assessment is pretty spot on. I added some position specific comments above in bold and you can see that I could nitpick a disagreement here and there, but I am pretty much on the same page. I feel like we are a 7-9 type team on paper and if we gel early and get a lucky bounce or two, or maybe someone unexpected steps up and locks down a starting position, we could make a run for the playoffs. On the flip side, injury and under-performance could lead to a season closer to 5-11 or something. I think the defense should take steps forward with a new system and coach and all, but I worry about what Flacco can do. He has been very inconsistent in his career and has been injury prone the past couple of years. He is definitely not a "rah-rah" kind of leader. You could make the argument that if you take away the 4 game playoff run he made a few years back, he has been a pretty average QB for most of his career. Sometimes, a change of scenery is good for you. Sometimes, it doesn't matter. I do believe that if he stays healthy, that he will be an improvement over Keenum. How much is the question.

 

[58crash]

What Does Alexander Johnson Bring to the Broncos?

• August 23, 2018
• , 4:55 am
• Nick Bowen

AJ Johnson, or as he is now going by, Alexander Johnson is an interesting player that signed with the Broncos last week. Four days before the week 2 preseason game against the Bears, he signed as an official rookie. Johnson attended college at the University of Tennessee and hasn’t played football since 2014 when he was suspended indefinitely when he and another player were accused of r*pe. Recently almost four years later, both men were found not guilty. Some of the top Broncos officials who have talked with him have said that he acknowledges his legal struggles but has a mature mentality and is determined to move forward with his future. Johnson could have been a top tier talent if he had been drafted. Since he stopped playing, Alexander has never stopped training with hopes of continuing where he left off.

He took the field last Saturday against the Bears and despite playing sparingly, he made some plays. He most notably made a big tackle on a kickoff in which he broke through a double team to stop the returner. He earned praise from head coach Vance Joseph and defensive coordinator Joe Woods even though he played only a handful of snaps. Alexander is listed at 6-foot-2 and clocks in at 243 pounds. He is a 26 year old rookie which some may see as a hinderance because he has a much smaller window to be productive. However, If he continues to build off of his playing ability that he showed on Saturday, he could be a huge steal for the Broncos. Johnson signed a 3 year deal with only around $50,000 guaranteed to him. This amount is a winning situation for Denver who could be getting a blue chip caliber player for a fraction of the money it would normally take to keep them on the team. Stay tuned to see how Johnson progresses and evolves.

Until next time, keep calm and Bronco On!

 

[58crash]

2015 NFL Draft Profile: A.J. Johnson




?

• 6'2"HEIGHT
• 245LBS.WEIGHT

ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
One of just four players in Tennessee history to accumulate 400 career tackles. Reads keys and responds. Doesn't usually overreact to play-fakes. Gives consistent effort and gets the defense lined up. Consistent tackler with a closing burst to the ball. Takes good angles to the ball and doesn't run under blocks. Recognizes screen passes and flows to the action. Sifts through trash at his feet and avoids it. Can be used as a blitzer and is a core special-teams player.
WEAKNESSES
Linear body and plays upright in space. Long strider -- takes time to hit his top gear. Average lateral movement and has sluggish foot movement in confined spaces. Technique falters while scraping down the line to play the run. Will get shoulders turned and lose leverage against second-level blocks. Doesn't feature a quick trigger mechanism in his hips. Hand usage needs improvement. Offensive linemen get into his body too easily. Was suspended by Tennessee near the end of the season after he was alleged to have been involved in the r*pe of a 19-year-old student and was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of aggravated r*pe in February.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Priority free agent
BOTTOM LINE
His production will jump off the page, but Johnson isn't the high-impact player his tackle numbers might suggest. With average lateral movement and limited twitch, Johnson can be an NFL starter, but is unlikely to be a standout at any point. Off-the-field issues must be monitored as they could sink his draft stock.
RELATED LINKS

• Johnson has NFL Scouting Combine invite revoked
• Johnson indicted on two counts of aggravated r*pe

-Lance Zierlein

Let's be honest we have ST linebackers and 2 down thumpers

we need 3 LBers for this Coach. my guess we will get two in the draft and mix and match for the 3rd

C
GRADE TITLE
9.00-10 Once-in-lifetime player
8.00-8.99 Perennial All-Pro
7.50-7.99 Future All-Pro
7.00-7.49 Pro Bowl-caliber player
6.50-6.99 Chance to become Pro Bowl-caliber player
6.00-6.49 Should become instant starter
5.50-5.99 Chance to become NFL starter
5.20-5.49 NFL backup or special teams potential
5.01-5.19 Better-than-average chance to make NFL roster
5.00 50-50 Chance to make NFL roster
4.75-4.99 Should be in an NFL training camp
4.50-4.74 Chance to be in an NFL training camp
NO GRADE Likely needs time in developmental league.

COMMENTS

 

[LGM]

Someone please put a cork in his Boone's farm, and get him away from the AOL.

 

[listopencil]

Well, honestly, I expect the O-Line and LB's to improve even if we don't add a single significant player to either group. If that's not the case then Fangio and Munchak were wasted hires on the coaching staff. I also think our WR/TE groups will be better because we'll have a better QB in a better situation throwing to them. I think our defensive backfield is now fine, as is our offensive backfield. I am concerned with the D-Line because I think we need more talent at Tackle. I would also like to see more talent at ILB. I'd like to see the Broncos focus on that at the top of the draft. Talent on the O-Line would be welcome as well and I'd like for them to address that with a BPA approach in the middle of the draft. Other than that I'd like to seem them catch a falling star if it happens but mostly go BPA.

 

[fightinredantz]

I would like to see us add a return with some big play ability, ideally without fumbling issues.

 

[58crash]

I would like to see us add a return with some big play ability, ideally without fumbling issues.

Only if they are DB's we always cut WR's every time