Off Season Thread

[DownSetHutch]

Wow, I can't believe that Julius Thomas "can't stand John Elway and Peyton Manning." That is just absolutely assinine. I hope he does end up playing for the Raiders. He deserves to be on a losing team have his ass kicked by the Broncos twice a year.

After hearing that, I wouldn't want him on the team even if he was willing to play for free. Thanks for the memories, but don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

 

[DownSetHutch]

On a combine note, I was able to catch a little of the TEs' pass catching drills. Max Williams looked good, as expected. Nick O'Leary has some outstanding hands. When the ball hit his hands, it looked like it landed in a giant vat of jelly. The ball just stuck there. You could actually see a clear difference between him and every other TE in how naturally he caught the ball. It was impressive.

I am interested to see more of EJ Bibbs, TE, ISU. I watched a short video of some of his highlights, and he made a really nice open field block on a LB after a broken pass play. He has the size and build, and seemingly the skill set to possibly become a H-back type player in the NFL. He would be a nice fit for the Broncos, especially if he could play both fullback and TE. I really hope the Broncos are taking a look at this guy.

 

[cdumler7]

So at this time the Broncos have been linked to quite a few players whether that be from the combine, the senior bowl, or the shrine game. Some names of note (top-4 round type prospect)...

DE/Edge Rusher Za-Darius Smith of Kentucky (3rd round prospect)--We have had quite a bit of luck with Kentucky linebackers so makes sense for us to continue to look that way for talent. Mostly though he is a high effort guy that is a bit limited athletically but loves to hit people.

RB David Cobb of Minnesota (3rd round prospect)--Very good one-cut type back with lots of power. 54% of his yards this past season were after contact. Not a speedster at all and limited make you miss ability but will pick up the tough yards.

DE/Edge Rusher Markus Golden of Missouri (3rd round prospect)--Guy who reminds me of Robert Ayers. He has essentially one move with the bull rush and can be a high effort guy when he wants to be. Limited upside but gives his all.

Garrett Grayson--I think most from Colorado know who this kid is. Had a decent combine but not the greatest Senior Bowl from what I have heard.

CB Steven Nelson of Oregon State (3rd round prospect)--Very physical corner that loves to get in the face of players and is not afraid to help out in the run game. Does not have the make up speed though if beaten over the top and was the 2nd most penalized Corner that is in this draft from this past season. Gets very grabby.

LB Denzel Perryman of Miami (1st-2nd round prospect)--I think others have talked about him so no need to keep hashing out how good this guy is. IF we could get him in the 2nd it would be a huge steal.

WR Devin Smith of Ohio State (2nd round prospect)--Has had a very underwhelming combine but the tape shows a ridiculous down field threat with elite game speed. Doubt we draft him though with having so much talent already at the WR position.

OT Daryl Williams of Oklahoma (2nd round prospect)--Big boy with a lot of good tape. Limited athletically though so not sure he is a fit in our ZBS but high quality player.

TE Clive Walford of Miami (2nd round prospect)--Could be my new man crush. He is a great all around prospect for the position with decent blocking and a very good receiver down the field.

OT La'el Collins of LSU (top-20 prospect)--This is the one guy so far that we have talked to that most likely we have to trade up for. With us having some comp picks coming our way we do have the luxury of possibly trading up and this guy might be worth it. I am still a bigger fan of Erick Flowers as I think he has more upside to possibly switch to LT later on in his career and still be a quality player but Collins has that rare mix of highly athletic and just as mean as can be. Would bring some instant toughness to our group.

TE Maxx Williams of Minnesota (1st round prospect)--This kid is one I would keep an eye on. Has ridiculous hands, very high football IQ, high maturity especially for being one of the youngest prospects at the combine this week. Very high upside with the ability to possibly become a top-5 player at the TE position.

OT D.J. Humphries of Florida (1st/2nd round prospect)--Another guy to keep an eye on as he is one of the more athletic OL players in this entire draft. Doesn't have very good technique but have him work with Gibbs and Gibbs will turn him into one of the most technically sound OL players in the entire NFL. You combine that with his athleticism and this kid could turn into something great. I am getting on board with this kid joining the Broncos.

OT Jeremiah Poutasi of Utah (3rd round prospect)--This kid is a bit of a project. He has shown great improvement over his college career but has some limited athleticism that could make his ceiling a little lower than I would like. Is more likely a guard in the NFL.

Ty Sambrailo of Colorado State (1st/2nd round prospect)--Remind me of Schofield from this past year in shows decent technique and has high upside athleticism but needs a year or so to develop NFL type strength. He definitely has upside but not sure I am wanting to use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a guy that most likely needs to sit a year before he is ready.

FS Cody Prewitt of Mississippi State (2nd round prospect)--Decent player with nothing that really stands out good or bad for his game. This is a very bad safety class but he would not be the guy I would take. Derron Smith is the guy I would look at of any of the safeties but this could be a position that we have to hope Webster can develop to a quality starter or make a big push to get McCourty away from the Patriots.


Alright I think that is all the guys so far we have been linked to that fit the bill of a higher round prospect. Will update this as we go.

 

[randymon]

L.Colins and M.Williams would be interesting 1st rd pks. Depending on Maxx`s blocking ability not sure I really like any TE`s as 1st rd pks though in this draft. Don`t think Sambrillo rates a 1st IMO and is a stretch for a 2nd rd pk. Really like the odds of Humphries being a solid player and then some for Denver. Good stuff CD. P.S. In Grayson`s defense, I watched Senior bowl and Grayson actually looked better than any of the QB`s ( that`s not saying much) but he did throw for most yds ( 118 ) and was 8-15 and he had at least 2 drops. Only got 2 drives in game I believe.

 

[DownSetHutch]

With our team's needs, if we pick a TE in the 1st round, or even the 2nd, that would be a huge mistake. We don't have the luxury of picking the Best Player Available because of the changes on both offense and defense. The team needs too much help elsewhere, especially on O-line.

 

[DownSetHutch]

So at this time the Broncos have been linked to quite a few players whether that be from the combine, the senior bowl, or the shrine game. Some names of note (top-4 round type prospect)...

DE/Edge Rusher Za-Darius Smith of Kentucky (3rd round prospect)--We have had quite a bit of luck with Kentucky linebackers so makes sense for us to continue to look that way for talent. Mostly though he is a high effort guy that is a bit limited athletically but loves to hit people.

RB David Cobb of Minnesota (3rd round prospect)--Very good one-cut type back with lots of power. 54% of his yards this past season were after contact. Not a speedster at all and limited make you miss ability but will pick up the tough yards.

DE/Edge Rusher Markus Golden of Missouri (3rd round prospect)--Guy who reminds me of Robert Ayers. He has essentially one move with the bull rush and can be a high effort guy when he wants to be. Limited upside but gives his all.

Garrett Grayson--I think most from Colorado know who this kid is. Had a decent combine but not the greatest Senior Bowl from what I have heard.

CB Steven Nelson of Oregon State (3rd round prospect)--Very physical corner that loves to get in the face of players and is not afraid to help out in the run game. Does not have the make up speed though if beaten over the top and was the 2nd most penalized Corner that is in this draft from this past season. Gets very grabby.

LB Denzel Perryman of Miami (1st-2nd round prospect)--I think others have talked about him so no need to keep hashing out how good this guy is. IF we could get him in the 2nd it would be a huge steal.

WR Devin Smith of Ohio State (2nd round prospect)--Has had a very underwhelming combine but the tape shows a ridiculous down field threat with elite game speed. Doubt we draft him though with having so much talent already at the WR position.

OT Daryl Williams of Oklahoma (2nd round prospect)--Big boy with a lot of good tape. Limited athletically though so not sure he is a fit in our ZBS but high quality player.

TE Clive Walford of Miami (2nd round prospect)--Could be my new man crush. He is a great all around prospect for the position with decent blocking and a very good receiver down the field.

OT La'el Collins of LSU (top-20 prospect)--This is the one guy so far that we have talked to that most likely we have to trade up for. With us having some comp picks coming our way we do have the luxury of possibly trading up and this guy might be worth it. I am still a bigger fan of Erick Flowers as I think he has more upside to possibly switch to LT later on in his career and still be a quality player but Collins has that rare mix of highly athletic and just as mean as can be. Would bring some instant toughness to our group.

TE Maxx Williams of Minnesota (1st round prospect)--This kid is one I would keep an eye on. Has ridiculous hands, very high football IQ, high maturity especially for being one of the youngest prospects at the combine this week. Very high upside with the ability to possibly become a top-5 player at the TE position.

OT D.J. Humphries of Florida (1st/2nd round prospect)--Another guy to keep an eye on as he is one of the more athletic OL players in this entire draft. Doesn't have very good technique but have him work with Gibbs and Gibbs will turn him into one of the most technically sound OL players in the entire NFL. You combine that with his athleticism and this kid could turn into something great. I am getting on board with this kid joining the Broncos.

OT Jeremiah Poutasi of Utah (3rd round prospect)--This kid is a bit of a project. He has shown great improvement over his college career but has some limited athleticism that could make his ceiling a little lower than I would like. Is more likely a guard in the NFL.

Ty Sambrailo of Colorado State (1st/2nd round prospect)--Remind me of Schofield from this past year in shows decent technique and has high upside athleticism but needs a year or so to develop NFL type strength. He definitely has upside but not sure I am wanting to use a 1st or 2nd round pick on a guy that most likely needs to sit a year before he is ready.

FS Cody Prewitt of Mississippi State (2nd round prospect)--Decent player with nothing that really stands out good or bad for his game. This is a very bad safety class but he would not be the guy I would take. Derron Smith is the guy I would look at of any of the safeties but this could be a position that we have to hope Webster can develop to a quality starter or make a big push to get McCourty away from the Patriots.


Alright I think that is all the guys so far we have been linked to that fit the bill of a higher round prospect. Will update this as we go.

Thanks for doing all that research cd. Well done, and keep it up. I always appreciate getting this kind of info from fellow fans, because I know the info has been through a "fan filter" of someone who knows the team a little better than most media members.

Its interesting that all of the O-linemen listed are OTs. I wonder what that means for Orlando Franklin, et. al. I'm a bit surprised that 2 of the players listed are edge rushers when we have 2 of the best in the game already on 1 team. Both of those prospects are too small to play 3-4 DE every down. I don't follow the reasoning there.

 

[Broncosr0k]

Its interesting that all of the O-linemen listed are OTs. I wonder what that means for Orlando Franklin, et. al. I'm a bit surprised that 2 of the players listed are edge rushers when we have 2 of the best in the game already on 1 team. Both of those prospects are too small to play 3-4 DE every down. I don't follow the reasoning there.

I think Franklin it best served as a guard. The idea would probably be moving him to guard and grabbing a new RT. Possibly one that could jump over to LT in a year or two.

As for the edge rushers. I think they are looking for someone to rotate out with Demarcus Ware. Keeping fresh pass rushers is not a bad thing and Ware drifted off in the second half of the season. It may also be a tactic to get a rookie experience now and start him in 2016. If Ware has another year like he did on this one I am not sure he will be worth the money. (I think he has the biggest dead money hit too.)

 

[DownSetHutch]

Yeah, that makes sense B-rok. We just have so many LBs on the roster that I figured 1or more might be able to take up the slack in rotation and depth on the outside. Maybe not.

We could have multiple casualties in the LB dept. once cuts begin this summer. It will be interesting to see who ends up where, and who doesn't make it.

 

[cdumler7]

Well some big rumors out of Denver over the last day or two. From the sound of it the Broncos are not going to bring back Franklin or Knighton. Sounds like the Broncos have figured out the price that these two can fetch on the open market is way more than they are willing to pay and have decided to just let them go make what they can on the open market while finding similar talent for a cheaper price. It sounds like the Broncos are very interested in Mike Iupati of the 49ers. Before his injury he was considered the best guard in football by many. He is more of a mauler than a ZBS type guy but he does have the athleticism to fit the scheme. Another option is Clint Boling of the Bengals. He has been a very underrated guard but proven himself especially as a run blocker.

It also sounds like the Broncos are possibly looking at adding Rodney Hudson or Stefen Wisniewski of the Raiders to play Center. They then will probably look to the draft to add competition for Schofield at the RT spot and see which young player emerges.

DT wise there have been a few rumors. The first is very unlikely but hey Elway has made splashes before in trying to get Suh to come to Denver. More than likely his price is way out of our range. A couple of other options are that of Stephen Paea of the Bears (more of a pass rushing specialist than a run stopping guy) and the most likely choice is the Broncos will go hard after Dan Williams of the Cardinals. Dan Williams actually graded out as the better run stopper between him and Knighton so as much as I like Knighton Williams seems like a cheaper option that can give us similar production.

 

[cdumler7]

Also just some rumors of players the Broncos might be looking at are...

TE--Owen Daniels and Jordan Cameron seem to be the two names I keep seeing mentioned along with obviously resigning Green.

DE/OLB--Pernell McPhee of the Ravens and Brooks Reed seem to be the two names that keep popping up. The Broncos look like they want to get a quality player to rotate in with Miller and Ware to help keep them all fresh throughout the season. At this time the big question is does this mean the Broncos are giving up on Qaunterus Smith who now has had two straight seasons ended with a knee injury?

Safety--This might be the biggest question mark heading into the season. The draft looks mediocre at best for the position and FA might even be worse with our own Moore being the 2nd best option possibly hitting the market. Rumors are if the Patriots let McCourty get to FA the Broncos will be one of the first calls to his agent. Another option is that of Da'Norris Searcy who in his first year starting had a solid season. The Broncos do look serious though about trying out Webster at the FS position and hoping he can develop.

 

[TDs3nOut]

Broncos apparently have some interest in TE James Casey.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/2/23/8092409/report-tight-end-james-casey-to-visit-the-broncos

He's played behind some pretty good TEs as a pro and has never been as productive as I thought he might be after seeing him play several outstanding games in college. Interesting possibility, in my opinion.

 

[cdumler7]

Broncos apparently have some interest in TE James Casey.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/2/23/8092409/report-tight-end-james-casey-to-visit-the-broncos

He's played behind some pretty good TEs as a pro and has never been as productive as I thought he might be after seeing him play several outstanding games in college. Interesting possibility, in my opinion.

I think this would be a good move. If nothing else he can be our 3rd TE and be a special teams ace as he was Philly's best Special Teams player from what I have read. Throw in if he is actually a very good run blocker from the TE position. He also at the combine ran a 4.66 (would be the 2nd fastest TE in this upcoming draft class if I remember right). He also is a very versatile player in that he can play HB/FB/TE. Heck in college he had 1 game where he played 7 different positions. He was a quarterback in high school then in college played DE, LB, Safety, TE, WR, HB, QB, and FB.

I think a move like signing Casey and then signing Green gives the Broncos some freedom where they don't have to pick one of the top TE's in this class but can pick one of the guys that is more based on potential like Blake Bell of Oklahoma who switched from QB to TE but has all the potential in the world.

Now obviously this would all mean that our TE position honestly would be a little weak heading into this next season. With the Cap though it is impossible to have every position be at a Pro Bowl level. I do think though this group would have a ton of fight with having Green and Casey as both love to do the little things and fight in the trenches and both have some major upside in the receiving department but have never had the opportunity.
I am always the optimist though.

 

[cdumler7]

Here is some of college highlights if anybody is interested. Really shows his versatility as they used him all over the field to take advantage of his athleticism...

 

[WalkerBoh]

Maybe Elway and Co. are really trying to find a TE who can also serve as a decent FB? Would be one good way to marry Kubiak's offense to Manning's.

 

[cdumler7]

When he played under Kubiak in Houston he actually played more FB than he did TE if I remember correctly. He only carried the ball once but did have 45 catches out of the backfield for the Texans in about a 2 year span so good overall option. Versatility seems to be something that Elway really cares about. Every single OL player seems to get cross trained at another position during Training Camp just to make sure we have good depth no matter where an injury happens (just haven't had much talent beyond our starters at the OL so injuries hamper us big time).

 

[TDs3nOut]

Here is some of college highlights if anybody is interested. Really shows his versatility as they used him all over the field to take advantage of his athleticism...

Couldn't get the link to work, but that is also a bit of relief, since I have little doubt that a large number of the highlights in that video came against my Houston Cougars! Do agree with your optimism about the possibility of signing the very versatile and athletic Casey.

Another idea, mentioned only briefly in this piece, that appeals to me is the possibility of using Juwan Thompson as a FB.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/c...-want-fullback-denver-broncos?source=infinite

I am certainly no scout and have often been too optimistic about certain players, but I really like what I've seen from Thompson.

 

[DownSetHutch]

Broncos apparently have some interest in TE James Casey.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/2/23/8092409/report-tight-end-james-casey-to-visit-the-broncos

He's played behind some pretty good TEs as a pro and has never been as productive as I thought he might be after seeing him play several outstanding games in college. Interesting possibility, in my opinion.

That dude's got some talent for sure. The TE/FB/ST player is a nice packege to have all rolled into one roster spot.

Kubiak and staff are going to really have to get creative with the offense, assuming Manning is coming back, and this type of player would allow for a lot more creativity.

 

[cdumler7]

So looks like with good reason the Broncos will be losing JT, Franklin, and Knighton. JT is not only wanting to be one of the 3 highest paid TE's in the NFL but he is wanting the most guaranteed of any TE in NFL history. It sounds like the Broncos offered him $8 million a year which was not the problem but the guaranteed money was no where near what he wanted. So if he is looking for the most guaranteed money of a TE he is looking somewhere in the $16-20 million range which is just crazy talk for the TE position.

For Knighton it looks like he is looking in the $7 million a year range where the Broncos are probably closer to about $5 million a year. If he does get $7 million a year on the open market which would easily put him in the top-10 interior DL players.

Franklin's agent has said that he wants to be the highest paid RT in the NFL. Last year Franklin was not happy about the team asking him to switch to LG and is looking for a team that wants him at RT. If he is wanting to be the highest paid RT in the NFL that would mean a contract above $7 million a year.

As much as I like these players and what they brought to our team that is just getting ridiculous on price. I understand them going after that and don't blame them but I also don't blame the Broncos for deciding to go a different direction.

It does sound like the Broncos are going to be one of the big pursuers of Wiz from the Raiders to play Center. He has been rumored to be looking for a deal in the $3-5 million range. That would be affordable plus give us a young star at a position of need.

 

[cdumler7]

Franklin was on twitter today denying anything that has been said about him and what he is seeking contract wise and that he would be leaving Denver. Said he has been on vacation so he has no clue where anybody got any kind of information about him and where he is going to sign.

The Broncos are also now getting linked to TE Jordan Cameron of the Browns. The Broncos have hired I think his name is Heckert from the Browns a couple of years ago and since then the Broncos have been big on bringing in some Browns players like Mike Adams, Ward, and Norwood. Heckert drafted Cameron and probably knows him better than most in the league so wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos kick the tires a bit. I would be a bit surprised by the move as I think he will price himself out of our range but say we can get him on a 1-2 year prove it deal it could definitely be worth it for both parties.

 

[Duffman]

I would be in favor of us signing Jacoby Jones now that he's been cut by the Ravens. We need a reliable person on punts and kickoffs and he does have the Kubiak connection.