Riddle me this: 2009 Draft Recap

With the coming and going of the 2009 NFL Draft comes change and dreams of a bright future. With all the changes that have occurred with the Denver Broncos since the end of December, I almost don't recognize them anymore. Denver brought surprise and great maneuverability to this year's draft which resulted in mixed feelings by fans and analysts alike. As for this fan (because that's why you're here) here are my thoughts on this year's selections.

1. Knowshon Moreno - I think Moreno is an excellent pick for Denver (not just because he played for UGA) because of the help and stability he will bring to a position that was filled by 9 different players last season. Whether Kyle Orton or Chris Simms will be under center remains to be seen but either of them will be under much less pressure because of the threat Moreno will bring to opposing defenses. He'll also give us back red zone efficiency, where we really hurt last year with all of the picks and fumbles that happened there.
   
2. Robert Ayers - Mike Mayock likes him and that's always a good start. Upon further inspection, looks like he could be a steal for where we got him. I saw some Senior Bowl vids in which Ayers crushed #6 pick Andre Smith. Here's hoping he can bring a spark (and some sacks) to a suspect d-line.
3. Alphonso Smith - came in the second round but Denver gave up their first rounder next year for him. Many who believe the Broncos will not be as good this year worry that it will be a top 10 pick for a 5'9 corner from Wake Forest. Besides Champ (6') Smith is only a couple inches shorter than the rest of Denver's corners. Plain and simple, it is a position that needed addressing with the aging of their defensive backfield. He is awesome to watch in the couple games I saw him in and still got a few (21 total) picks despite his height. During his press conference he was smiling ear to ear the whole time and I could tell he really wants to be a Bronco. Who better to mentor him than Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins?
4. Darcel McBath - didn't really see a whole lot of his play when i watched a red raiders game, but I like the pick because he can play safety or corner and will, like Smith, learn from some of the best in the league.
5. Richard Quinn - This is the one pick I don't really understand. Twelve career receptions at UNC, he'll be a blocking specialist but this move was made even more surprising because they still have Tony Scheffler. I guess we'll see but I think they could have just waited to get him in the 3rd round.
6. David Bruton - Notre Dame's lone draftee, Bruton should also help in the defensive secondary and McD says he's quite the special teams player. We could definitely use more fair catches and better punt coverage although I hope we're not punting as much. That does it on defense
   
7. Seth Olsen - As long as he helps keep (insert QB here) upright and open up lanes for Moreno, we should be in good shape.
8. Kenny McKinley - McDaniels shows his McBias to McNames. McKinley is the all time leading receiver for South Carolina and could be quite the steal. He's built for the slot role and could bust out in McDaniels' system.
9. Tom Brandstater - moved up to get him at top of the 6th round so that tells me he's definitely who McDaniels wanted. I hope McD is around long enough to groom him to be our long term answer at quarterback. Brandstater is definitely smart and finished his Masters in Sports Psychology so surely that could translate and help him better adapt to McDaniels' intricate system.
   
10. Blake Schlueter - Center that might need some beefing up before he's ready to take over in a year or two. Again, aging position that will need someone ready to take it over.
    

In a draft highlighted by good character and versatility, Denver brings on 4 defensive players and 6 offensive along with a late round quarterback named Tom. Time will only tell how good McDaniels' and Xanders' incumbant draft really is. I did expect more defense and was surprised that no DTs or LBs were drafted but they must be confident with what they have. Obviously, I hope it's a great class that can have some immediate impact players like last year's draft highlighted by Eddie Royal and Ryan Clady.

Big Easy Mode

I can't just ignore the Nuggets tying the largest margin of victory by a road team in the playoffs. What kind of sports blogger would that make me?

After their close rally in game 3 of their series with the New Orleans Hornets, the Nuggets came out and played some ball. Denver ended up losing that game in a heart breaker by a mere two points but went into the Hornets' house again in game 4 and crushed them by 58!

Now, the Nuggets have a chance to close out this series at home and advance to round two. Since they won games 1 and 2 by double digits as well, they can hopefully carry this momentum to Wednesday's game and the next series. Go Nuggets!

These Aren't Your Fathers' Broncos

I was itching to get this blog started so I could vent out my frustrations with the Denver Broncos organization and all the riffraff surrounding it over the past month. In reality, it has been snowballing since late December with the firing of Mike Shanahan. Then, Pat Bowlen hired Josh McDaniels to take the reins. McDaniels proceeded to hire his own staff, make personnel changes and ultimately dismantled last year's second ranked offense.

All of these decisions by the organization were somewhat baffling and unexpected to me. Pat Bowlen fired a "coach for life?" Hiring an offensive minded coach for what seems to need a complete defensive reclamation project is definitely the consensus I saw from those in the media and my own observations.

Once McDaniels' hiring set in, it made sense. I foresaw McDaniels bringing Jay Cutler into his own element much like Jim Zorn was able to bring Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins) into his element. Long story short, Cutler is gone and there is no clear replacement for Cutler.

With the departure of one disgruntled quarterback, the entire organization looks to turn the page and move forward to a bright future.

With the time to contemplate all of this change and let it sink in, maybe this is all just what the Broncos needed.

While Cutler will be missed, I recall often being more frustrated with some of his decision making on and off the field. He has great talent which seemed to cloud his vision some of the time. Just because he can throw through tight windows, doesn't necessarily mean he should have. Nevertheless, he would continue to do so which payed off sometimes but was very costly in goal line situations or just any situation.

During the first part of the 2008-2009 football season, Cutler said in a magazine interview that he believes he has a stronger arm than John Elway. Whether that is the case or not, you don't call out John Elway on anything. Cutler showed he has some balls, but as the face of a beloved franchise, I don't think you need to go down that road.

So Cutler is gone along with his questionable decision making. His departure has provided the Broncos a gift to rebuild that putrid defense. Hopefully, it will be a gift that keeps on giving while the team wanders the desert of franchise quarterbacks.



On a quick side note, the draft is coming up the day after tomorrow. I don't have time to go too in depth with the draft but here's my quick opinion on what they should do come saturday. Fear not though, I'll be blogging about their decisions sometime before people stop caring. Here are their first 3 picks as well as some later predictions. Enjoy!

1. Tyson Jackson, DE LSU
   
2. James Laurinaitis, LB Ohio State
3. Ron Brace, DT Boston College

If they're going to pick a quarterback, they should do it in the 3rd or 4th round. I could see them picking John Parker Wilson from Bama or Nate Davis from Ball State. We'll just have to see but be sure to check my thoughts about what acually happens!

Busting the Blogging Bubble

Hey Readers! Thanks for taking the time to check out my brand new blog! Since I am pursuing a career in Journalism and hope to be a sports writer after college, I will use this blog for practicing writing stories or columns, honing my skills, and finding my voice. Many of my posts will likely deal with subjects in the sports world. I can assure you that many of them will have to do with the Denver Broncos, as they are my favorite sports team, but also other sports in continued efforts to hone my writing skills.

I really appreciate anyone taking the time to read what I write, especially since it may not be pretty at times. I would appreciate any and all feedback in an effort to make my writing better and therefore more enjoyable for you! Enjoy!