.. Strnad was a flop this year when given the chance. I'm just so tired of losing to the Chiefs.. Next year, next year!!!!!
Excellent and informative review DC. ThanksNotes
EFFORT!!
- I will be in the minority here by a longshot but I have no problem with retaining Vic Fangio. He is a good QB away (and needs to upgrade a few other positions) but really he is a good QB away from being a very good team. No way should we even have been in that game last night minus 3 starting DB's and all the other injuries we have had this year combined with how healthy the Chiefs have been (for the 4th year in a row). But mostly because of how close we are, how he has never been dealt a good QB since his time here and the big factor to me is how this team responds to him. How they go out every week after tough losses and still give Vic 100%... Very telling to me what these players think about each other and their coach when they fight and give 100% effort. That being said I am also not going to complain if he isn't retained. I sorta expect him not to be but I think he deserves another year with another offseason with a legit QB at the helm. The Broncos are #1 in scoring defense under Fangio. I understand the thought "He might just be a good D coordinator and not a HC"... I am willing to see what he can do with another offseason which SHOULD include yet another change at QB and I think this offseason we go harder then ever at a QB because we understand how close we are with the supporting cast around a good QB.
- It was very nice to see Ojemudia out there. He played very well. With Fuller likely gone this offseason and perhaps Bryce Callahan as well I think it was a huge game for Ojedmudia to prove we can count on him next year. I think I would be ok going into the season with Darby, Surtain, Ojemudia as our top 3 and obviously if we lose the other two getting some depth to replace them. Ideal situation would be nice to bring Callahan back on a 1 year deal and have 4 CB's we feel are very capable of. In today's game with injuries and all the pass happy teams (esp in the AFC West) we really need 4-5 good CB's... We all know Cally would get hurt at some time anyway so Ojemudia would essentially be like an extra 3rd. Be a nice luxury to have. I think we can all agree that Kyle Fuller won't be back. Although I will say he played better as the season went down. I don't dismiss the fact that his PT went down but when he was in there. He did miss on a bad tackle in the game.... But he wasn't the liability late in the season that he was early in the season in coverage.
I don't think we like McTelvin Agim much sadly. Coming out he was more of an effort guy then anything and I think it is an Elway pick that Paton isn't feeling. Agim was inactive a lot this year and it seemed like only if we were low on DL #'s was he active. Maybe he will have a good offseason but doesn't appear he is in the Paton plan to me. He has been inactive a lot his first two years. DeMarcus Walker was somewhat similar but we saw improvement late in year 2 from him and then he had a good year 3 and 4 when healthy. Maybe Agim will have a similar time here.
DRE'MONT JONES---- I feel this guy doesn't get the credit he deserves. He isn't quite the start I have forecasted him to be yet but he gets better an better. Gets pressure on the QB and has been good vs the run. He is starting to really come on as the season goes on. Very pumped about him for next year... Get use to me saying his name in next years break out thread because he has already done that to an extend... Next year he is going to be a monster. Shelby Harris played very well late in the season as well after a slow start but overall another good year for him.
Once we get a QB who can use Jeudy's quickness on quick route and Fant's ability to isolate his man one on one combined with Sutton and Tim Patrick's ability to get open this offense is going to be dangerous.
Melvin Gordon- We need to seriously consider bringing him back at the right price. He does so many little things well that most people don't notice. I'm not saying get into a bidding war for him because we have Javonte. But they compliment each other well and make us that much better of a team. Statistically this is the best 1/2 RB combination since Arian Foster/Ben Tate in 2011. Everyone will blame him and use him as the scapegoat for this game but let's be honest here. Blocking got him killed. Melvin Ingram pulled a Jadeveon Clowney (Michigan bowl game) and ironically enough Ingram was on that South Carolina team with Clowney. Really want Gordon back (for the right price) because he makes Williams and our run game that much better. Save the wear and tear on Williams and if you think about it. You are Melvin Gordon. Going into year 8...... You have enough money. You like it here, you want to be back here (Yes, he won't play for dimes) but he will have a longer career here with Williams getting more and more carries which in the long run as a RB makes Gordon's career last longer. Gordon and Williams both had 203 carries this year. Pretty funny. I think our staff did a heck of a job with how we handled Gordon and Williams this year. Marvelous job. They don't get enough credit for it.
We MUST get better at the OL positions. Sadly, we were better this year then any of the last 5 but we need to keep working at it. Dalton Risner isn't looking promising to me. The Gut is. He still has a ways to go though. I think Cushenberry is better then a lot think. Great leader, very durable and dependable. Massie was ok at RT this year but we really need to stop, stop gapping RT and over paying injury prone FA's like Ja'Uan James and Manelik Watson. I think if anything we can conclude we have some good depth at OT. Guys like Calvin Anderson, Muti if they aren't starting material for us they at least have experience now and provide good depth. Not sure what we do with Glasgow. I think if we can release him without much issue we may have to do it this year. He is not durable and while not awful hasn't been what we hoped he was. He is sorta along the lines of a Ronald Leary right now. Overpaid and not dependable.
TE I feel really good about. Once we get a QB we have good weapons at TE... I think Andrew Beck doesn't make the squad next year though. I think Shaun Beyer could.
WR- It will be nice to get KJ Hamler back. Next year will be a huge year for him. If it wasn't for Hamler on the roster I would be praying for Kentucky WR/KR Wan'Dale Robinson at church services on Sunday. Seth Williams has a future here. IMO. Sadly, not sure Tyrie Cleveland does. See how he improves in year 3.
Diontae Spencer's biggest asset is that he doesn't fumble often. We can trust him as a PR. But then Week 17 he fumbled.. and Week 18 he was inactive. He offers nothing as a WR.. His PR ability is ok but mostly trusting unlike some of our past returners. I don't think it was good enough this year though. With PR/KR being such a small part of the NFL with the new rule changes I am not sure we keep Spencer just to be a return man. Hinton returned punts this week. Not sure he will be the long term PR there as he will still have to fight for a roster spot at WR and I think a guy like Seth Williams will pass Hinton up on the WR depth chart... but I am starting to see the writing on the wall for Spencer.
ILB as we have already talked about will be interesting. We are in a good situation there yet the decisions will be tough. Baron Browing proved he can start but also is banged up a lot. Kenny Young missed the last 4 games with a concussion. I think he is probably the least likely to return but I doubt we can keep Johnson and Jewell like we have talked about. Kiser adds depth he played well. Jonas Griffith played well. We are REALLY good here. and if Fangio is retained I feel like this is a position we can put @Mingo at and in the Fangio defense even Mingo will end up with 10 tackles a game.
I feel good about Kicker and Punter.
We need edge help that is for sure. Chubb is going into his contract year and it will be interesting to see what happens there. Either he gets hurt again and we decide we are tired of messing with it.. The talent is there obviously but we can't give him a big contract if he is going to be off the field more then he is going to be on it. Our luck he will have a HUGE and healthy year, get paid then miss a lot of time after.. The decision on him next year will be tricky but we don't have to worry about that now.
Kareem Jackson will be interesting. I don't think he will retire. Question will be. Does he want to return here? Do we want him to return? (I think so) but Sterns did have a pretty good season. Ideally, would be great to have Sterns as our #3 again with Jackson giving us one more year but we could make the youth movement now if we think Sterns is ready now. Sterns isn't as aggressive or hard hitting as Jackson but he is smart and reliable with great ball skills. I am hoping Jamar Johnson shows next year he can be our #3... Johnson has elite ball skills but has a lot to learn and how to play at the NFL level. More of a do or die type S which then becomes how much does he hurt you vs help you? If he can learn how to play within the NFL and shine with his ball skills then he will be an asset.
Have I lost anyone yet?
Overeall, this Chiefs/Broncos game I never gave us a shot with the amount of players we had out and playing a very tough Chiefs team (although not as tough IMO as the past few years)... When we lost I felt that mad/sad moment that I haven't had with this Broncos team for years. While it sucked it actually felt good to feel sad/mad about losing a game for a change. It reminded me of the good times (even if the feeling was more like a bad time) but it felt good to care and have hope and feel alive again.
Lock had a lot of fight in him and some good runs but his pass game still sucked. I wouldn’t say he played really well for a QB.
The play call on Gordon's fumble was dreadful and predictable ...
