Ball on the block?

[randymon]

Montee had 4.7 YPC with a pretty big sample size as a rookie. Something is missing in his game post-injury, or his line is worse, but let's not act like he had no business in the league.

And our offensive line was terrible during Montee's Senior year. The OL Coach was fired mid season they were so bad, and while Montee's numbers weren't exceptional, he still won the Doak Walker Award.

Montee was never Melvin Gordon, but he has some of the best vision out there. His ceiling is low but his floor was high. Luckily, you have two backs above that floor. That's a good thing.

Yeah I'm going to have to go back at least his senior yr and his rookie season with Denver and take a closer look especially on the " vision " aspect because I certainly haven't seen it in his play. Injury withstanding.

 

[cdumler7]

This has been discussed before, John has been brilliant in the later rounds. Not so much in the early rounds When you consider what he left on the board. Now I say this after he has drafted 2 guys who I really wanted in Roby and Ray. Despite my nitpicking I love Elway overall obviously. He has set the ship right after the disaster we call McDaniels. He shoots from the hip and remains aggressive in his approach to getting what he wants

To me it is that 3rd round that keeps getting Elway. So far our 1st round picks have been Miller (All-Pro type player), Sly Williams (Starter), Roby (pretty much a starter), and Ray (will become an eventual starter). So 1st round so far has been 4 players that all are contributing even this year. In the 2nd round we have Moore (was a starter), Franklin (was a starter), Osweiler (still waiting to see what he can do), Montee Ball (obviously bust), Latimer (waiting to see what happens), and Sambrailo (starter this year). So that is 3 starters, one that could be our QB of the future, 1 that is a for sure bust, and another we are still having to wait and see.

Like I said though 3rd round is where Elway in my opinion just hasn't really done well...Irving (only part time starter mostly back up in his time with Denver), Hillman (maybe this year he pays off), Webster (buried on the depth chart), Schofield (looking like a possible bust), and now Heuerman went on IR just a couple of days into off season work.

I think Elway gets a pretty bad rap for what he has done in the draft but to me I at least include what they do with UDFA as well as that is part of the equation and so far with those added on it has been a pretty darn good group with quite a few Pro Bowls and even a few All-Pro type years from the player she has drafted/UDFA.

Really to me this whole group gets a huge boost if Osweiler becomes the QB of the future for the Broncos. If he plays like a top-12 QB in this league after this season then Elway looks like a complete genius in this whole draft process.

 

[58crash]

wolf is a starter also 2nd round

 

[cdumler7]

wolf is a starter also 2nd round

Sorry I knew I was forgetting somebody. So again I think the story of Elway's drafting is a bit overblown. I do think part of the problem is he has been so good in the FA market that it has caused some of the draft picks to sit a little more. Now some of that is Fox refusing to play draft picks at times but it is one of those that when you have a talented team it is harder for a young player to make their mark.

Now they actually did this experiment earlier on 104.3 but looking at our team here are the players starting that the Broncos have drafted since Elway took over (remember this is starting right now as we know that Moore, Franklin, and Thomas are all gone now that were starters)

On the defense:
Von Miller
Malik Jackson
Sly Williams
Derek Wolfe (when he gets back)
Danny Trevathan
Chris Harris
Bradley Roby (anymore a nickel Corner plays more than a 3rd or 4th Linebacker)

Offensively:
Sambrailo
Paradis
Anderson

So 10 of our 22 starters are guys that we drafted in the last 4-5 years.