Arian Foster

[nflbronco]

Draft a RB in the 6th round again

 

[nflbronco]

Draft a guy named Davis Terrel this time

 

[Draft Crazy]

It is a pretty good RB class, but IMO as of now I see it as a top 4 RB draft, after that it falls off a bit. Not a lot of late round sleepers this year.. But that is just my opinion so could strike gold late. I wouldn't mind a flyer on Alabama RB Kenyan Drake. Could be a good KR and is a tough quick runner overshadowed by other backs at Bama (Henry and Yeldon)

 

[Broncosr0k]

I'm tired of projects and retreads. Just draft one high and be done with it.

Well we did that recently with Knowshon Moreno. We then spent the next 5 years waiting to see this guy develop to then have one decent season but nothing to get too excited about.

Montee Ball and Hilman are also second rounders to go with Knowshon. Knowshon and Ball are gone. Hillman looks replaceable.

It is very easy to say grab a guy in the draft but their are no guarantees and reaching hurts your team. Trent Richardson was an early pick, Melvin Gordon another. Even people like Eddie Lacey have struggled.We have seen this system before turn nobodies into somebody. We don't need to chase talent at RB.

 

[cdumler7]

Montee Ball and Hilman are also second rounders to go with Knowshon. Knowshon and Ball are gone. Hillman looks replaceable.

It is very easy to say grab a guy in the draft but their are no guarantees and reaching hurts your team. Trent Richardson was an early pick, Melvin Gordon another. Even people like Eddie Lacey have struggled.We have seen this system before turn nobodies into somebody. We don't need to chase talent at RB.

It truly is about impossible to tell how a rookie is going to do. I mean you have guys like Todd Gurley who look like you can build an offense around that individual player. But then the next guy drafted is Melvin Gordon who didn't look all that great year one. The 2nd leading rusher out of the rookies was Thomas Rawls who wasn't drafted.

For me personally I am torn in I love Ezekiel Elliot. I think he is a major game changer but at the same time I do look at Kubiak's history with no name RB's becoming house hold names in the NFL. I think I can be happy either way.

 

[randymon]

I am in full agreement with DC on Hillman .... He is a classic example of a guy who will get swallowed up in the playoffs as he is one dimensional ... Now, if he's the 2nd or 3rd guy coming off the bench, that's a little different, but having him start at RB is not good, and relying on him as we have is a recipe for inconsistency - and inconsistent football - esp inconsistent running football - always rears it's head at the worst time ..

I'm ready to move on

Hillman is going to be getting an apology tweet from you two after Sunday's game. Can you say MVP?

 

[Broncosr0k]

Hillman is going to be getting an apology tweet from you two after Sunday's game. Can you say MVP?

He just does not strike me as a top talent. His success can be spotty, may be due to a bad Oline. I still think his assets can be replaced with a cheaper player when he goes to FA.

 

[cdumler7]

He just does not strike me as a top talent. His success can be spotty, may be due to a bad Oline. I still think his assets can be replaced with a cheaper player when he goes to FA.

I have 2 major problems with Hillman. I like that we have him but more as a complimentary player. The problems with him are that he just isn't the break tackle kind of guy. Arm tackles will take him down. The other is he is took quick to try and jump it outside. I don't know how many times I have seen a huge cut back lane for him to gain at least 5 yards through and instead he bounces it outside to get stuffed for no gain.

I'm still glad we have him but to me CJ should be starting and Hillman come in for say that 10-12 carries a game to see if his speed can get a big play.

 

[Malibu]

Denver has the RB's to get it done. Starts with the o line and I don't think they need to draft a RB until late in the draft. Fix the o line first. Don't need another Montee Ball and wasted pick.

 

[Draft Crazy]

I keep waiting for Hillman to be at worst something like Tatum Bell was for us. Guy who went down easy but he sure did break a lot of home run like runs for us while here, but he hasn't even been that. I can only really think or 2 long TD runs Hillman has broke for us in his 4 years here, which is why we drafted him. He is just not good for the role we have for him. We can't depend on him to be a consistent back for us. To me he is more of a 3rd RB who can come in from time to time and see if a change of pace type can hit the long run. I feel like we have just had to depend on him too much this year, and I am really over him in that type of role. I think we need to move on. He isn't what I thought he was when we drafted him. I figured he could be a potential return man who breaks off a big run much like Tatum Bell when he was in here and catch some passes out of the backfield for us on 3rd down extending drives.

I do give him credit while he is not a great blocker he is willing blocker and he has saved us a few times this year when the LB is coming up the middle to nail the QB.

I just don't feel he provides what we were looking for when we drafted him. Elway seems to love him though. I really wish he had turned out better but I am ready to move on from Hillman. In fairness to him the role he is expected to fill this year is probably bigger then a RB his size should be depended on and he should have a different role on the team, but he just hasn't taken advantage of it IMO.

 

[Draft Crazy]

Denver has the RB's to get it done. Starts with the o line and I don't think they need to draft a RB until late in the draft. Fix the o line first. Don't need another Montee Ball and wasted pick.

I agree that it starts with the OL, but can't ignore RB just because you swung and missed on one... Gotta go out there and do a better job in the scouting of RB's, get one that fits your system. Not saying we HAVE to use an early pick on one, but just because you missed on Montee Ball doesn't mean you have to shy away if it is a dire need like it seems to be right now. Really depends on how you set up your board and if you like RB's who are valued mid to late if you can wait on a RB... If you don't have high grades on RB's you know will be around later and you love someone who wil be there earlier enough to take him then you go for it.

As fans it's hard to understand, but you have to set your draft board up and trust it. For instances. You don't take an OT early and reach on a player you aren't high on just to fill the position if you like someone else a little later at a better value in which you aren't passing over players you have placed high value you on just to fill another position in which you don't see as high of value when taking that player.

 

[58crash]

Well we did that recently with Knowshon Moreno. We then spent the next 5 years waiting to see this guy develop to then have one decent season but nothing to get too excited about.

The one year he Developed Alex Gibbs just happened to be around

 

[cdumler7]

I agree that it starts with the OL, but can't ignore RB just because you swung and missed on one... Gotta go out there and do a better job in the scouting of RB's, get one that fits your system. Not saying we HAVE to use an early pick on one, but just because you missed on Montee Ball doesn't mean you have to shy away if it is a dire need like it seems to be right now. Really depends on how you set up your board and if you like RB's who are valued mid to late if you can wait on a RB... If you don't have high grades on RB's you know will be around later and you love someone who wil be there earlier enough to take him then you go for it.

As fans it's hard to understand, but you have to set your draft board up and trust it. For instances. You don't take an OT early and reach on a player you aren't high on just to fill the position if you like someone else a little later at a better value in which you aren't passing over players you have placed high value you on just to fill another position in which you don't see as high of value when taking that player.

Which to me the Broncos have been one of the best teams at really holding to their board. I mean the last 3 draft picks in Sly Williams, Bradley Roby, and Shane Ray were not exactly at positions of huge need.

When we drafted Sly Williams we had drafted 2 DL players the year before. We had also brought in Terrance Knighton. So he was mostly going to be a rotation piece.

2014 we drafted Roby after bringing in Aqib Talib.

2015 Shane Ray coming in to back up Ware and Miller.

So they have definitely stuck to their board thinking that talent even at a position of depth is still worth taking. I think injuries to every team have shown that at some point every season you are going to have to depend on your depth players to rise up for you. All 3 of those guys have been huge even coming off the bench for us to have the team we have this year.

As for RB like you said just because we have not hit in the past means we just give up on the position. It means you change how you view these players and see if there is a different way to possibly scout them to get better results. To me right now I have RB's ranked throughout the Big Boards out there that I would be more than fine with the team taking. Like I said I am a huge Ezekiel Elliot fan. At the same time I realize he is not the perfect fit for our system so I can see why the team wouldn't take him or would have him lower on their draft board than other teams.

 

[cdumler7]

The one year he Developed Alex Gibbs just happened to be around

Well nothing makes a RB look better than having a good OL blocking in front of him. Can't do much when you are getting hit 2 yards behind the LOS. So yes I agree better OL play would be huge for many of these guys no matter who we stick back there.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Hillman is a nice player.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The one FA RB I am hoping we do give a look at is Alfred Morris of the Redskins. I don't think he would cost very much and he would be the most familiar back with the system we run. I think he has got the raw end of a coaching change in Washington so I could see him really getting back to his rookie form here in Denver.

I mean look at his 1st 2 years in the league...1600 yards his first year and 1300 his 2nd while averaging over 4.6 yards per carry. Then he has a coaching switch and scheme switch from the ZBS that we would be running and his numbers fall off quite a bit. I think he is a system back which is why not many teams will be interested. He is one of those buy low and sell high kind of guys that Elway loves to bring in.

I agree with you. He got screwed with the Redskins.

 

[cdumler7]

I agree with you. He got screwed with the Redskins.

I see him as one of those FA signings that plays way above what kind of contract he is going to get. One of those FA bargains that will have everybody scratching their heads of how did they not see this kid having a huge season? Throw in like I said he has already shown that in a system very similar to what we run here with Kubiak (Shanahan ran almost the same system) that he can be a pro bowl player. He doesn't really have a huge injury history, still has plenty of legs, and a guy that wants to prove people wrong that he has fallen off.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I see him as one of those FA signings that plays way above what kind of contract he is going to get. One of those FA bargains that will have everybody scratching their heads of how did they not see this kid having a huge season? Throw in like I said he has already shown that in a system very similar to what we run here with Kubiak (Shanahan ran almost the same system) that he can be a pro bowl player. He doesn't really have a huge injury history, still has plenty of legs, and a guy that wants to prove people wrong that he has fallen off.

This is the type of Moneyball analytics that caused the Browns to hire the baseball guy.

Paul DePodesta.

 

[cdumler7]

This is the type of Moneyball analytics that caused the Browns to hire the baseball guy.

Paul DePodesta.

Going to be interesting to see how that works out. The NFL is such a different game than that of baseball. A lot more of a team game than that of baseball. It not only takes finding players of great talent but finding players that can work well together within a certain scheme. To me a guy like Alfred Morris has shown that the ZBS scheme is the best fit for him so while the stats could say he is a good bet to be a buy low sell high kind of guy he also might not be a great fit in a Cleveland more power style of offense. That is why I think that moneyball side of things will have some limited results. You can't just look at them as individual players but how in the world they fit into your scheme and lockerroom.

 

[SpringStein]

@DJ - what's the sense with Raiders fans about relocation? Sounding more and more like momentum is building for Chargers and Rams to have an arranged marriage in LA. Think the Raiders stay in Oakland or ??