Draft a 1st Round Running back with a terrible Defense? You betcha!

Mike Nolan hasn’t moved the Broncos within a running back of the Super Bowl. I think we have to spend this year’s draft filling out the defense- especially since we’re obviously planning to move to a 3-4. Next year though, I’d probably be all for a RB in the first round.

are available at 12 it’ll be hard to pick a back, but if we can’t get them and Knowshon is available and we can’t trade down then we snag him.

that sometimes drafting by need is just as important as getting that big time flashy back. It’ll come. Again, I’ll say I wanted Mendenhall, Chris Johnson or even Tashard Choice in a later round last season. It didn’t happen and look where it took us…The Broncos picked up a prolific lineman in Ryan Clady.

As much as I also understand the importance of a big time back, I think we have to start building our foundation. Denver is switching to a new defense (as many posters and signs have indicated) and the Broncos are going to need some help with that.

I can see an early-round RB selected, but probably not this year. Of all the positions on the field, RB is one where rookies can step in and succeed almost immediately (which is good, as the career clock is ticking the moment they first step on to the field). In contrast, DT is a position that usually takes a few years of development. IMO, better to draft DT now, let the player develop, and go RB when the DT is ready (unless someone else has stepped in already, of course).

It does seem to show that having a high draft pick invested in a running back is important.

I’ve always argued that perhaps a great running back isn’t needed. This year we had problems with injuries and not talent. But if we rush for 120-150 yards a game, regardless of how many running backs we cycle through there; isn’t that all we need?

A running game is important to run the clock and to provide a double edged sword to defenses. While having an Adrian Peterson would be fantastic – do we need that? Can’t we get by with a healthy Peyton Hillis, Ryan Torain, and maybe some speed with Anthony Alridge?

I will say this: I am adamantly OPPOSED to Denver drafting a RB in the first, and for all the reasons you listed: we have Hillis, we have a stud oline, we need help on defense, NT is a five star position of need, etc. etc. I don’t wnat a RB, no, no, no, no to a RB.

Unless it is Knowshon Moreno.

I divide my analysis of players up into five levels, each corresponding to how in depth I look at that player. 1st level is little more than the facts. I don’t even need to see the player to complete this level. Each level is progressively deeper until I get to a fifth level evaluation, which usually entails a detailed story, and an indepth look at his abilities and how the correlate to the Broncos.

I am at level 6 with Knowshon, a level of interest and excitement that I reserve for players who are already Broncos. This kid is special. I can guarantee that I will have a story up about him before the draft rolls around.

In the second round Raji in the 1st

I like Spillers. However, when I look at the metrics (which, I admit, I tend to do), I don’t see the power and weight that I’d like. I’ve watched some film of him, and came away with the same feeling

Of course, much of the decision about a RB should be dependent on exactly what offense McD has already decided on, and we don’t get to find out until some time much later in the year. Hopefully he will have prepped the Goodmans thoroughly as to exactly what he wants.

The name Shonn Greene came up as a possible pick. I love his story, but I don’t know if he can catch the ball, and a back in a Broncos system should be able to. But, again, that might change.

- The Giants had already won the Super Bowl and had a top notch defense (#2) before they ever drafted Anderson
- Ernest Bynar was part of a three back rotation on a Redskin team that had the #3 defense in the NFL and with today’s 7 round draft he would be a CFA
- By the time Emmitt Smith was drafted the cowboys were the #1 defense in the NFL (with no pro-bowl players)
- when SF drafted Watters they were the #8 defense and #2 v. the run (which they accomplished by creatively circumventing FA rules)
- the 96 Packers defense was #1 in both yards and points
- the Broncos already had a top 10 defense and they only spent a 6th round pick on RB
- St Louis already had a top defense (#1 rush, #1 pts) when they drafted Faulk
- the Ravens already had all the pieces of one of the best defenses in history when they drafted Lewis and he split carries with undrafted Priest Holmes

I could go on but suffice to say that other than the Colts ALL those team had the pieces of great defenses BEFORE they drafted the backs and even then with the exception of Smith and Devais, the backs were not instumental in the teams Super Bowl runs.

And I’m down with an RB in the first 2 – 4 rounds – but, if an impact defensive player is there at 12 that will anchor our defense for years to come, we should take him. From what McShay said about Raji, I don’t see how we could pass on him at 12 for our new 3-4.

I also feel this way partially b/c I was high on Spiller and now that he’s not coming out I’m not as excited about the other prospects that are out there given what we already have on the roster.

I feel I can give some unique perspective since I’ve seen most of Georgia’s games the last 2 seasons in person.

Knowshon is next-level good. He is a sparkplug. The offense just moves at a different pace with him in there, and that carried over to the UGA defense the latter half of 2007.

As far as his skills:
-He doesn’t get tackled in tight spaces
-Incredible vision/cutback ability
-As quick as they come (as opposed to fast.. the one knock is that he doesn’t have an ‘extra gear’ downfield)
-He’s got an extreme case of the ‘want-its’. For example, against Georgia Tech in 2007 Knowshon followed GT uber-safety Morgan Burnett 40+ yards downfield after a Burnett fumble recovery, and punched the ball out at the 1, then knocked it out of the back of the endzone. Sick hustle. Think Ben Watson tracking down Champ type hustle (ironically, 2 other Georgia guys)

One thing I’ll say Steve O’ though is that Knowshon did fumble twice his freshman season. Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with your posts.

I prefer to draft D, but I’m ok with taking a RB there. Our offense and defense was better in the games where we had a good running game. We were able to control the pace and the tone. If Raji is there at 12 you have to take him, if Raji and Rey are off the board I would go with Knowshon.

and he has the best hands on the team to boot – a between-the-tackles stud who can get tough yards and is also a pass-receiving threat. And we have Torain as an alternate feature back with several change of pace options. I just can’t see spending a first-round draft choice when we’re that well-stocked at running back and have so many defensive needs.

I’ve seen defenses suck before – but these were the suckiest sucks that ever sucked.

If we go offense on day 1 of the draft, I will be very disappointed.

They were no better than middle of the pack, talent-wise. They were good enough though, because our offense controled the clock, gave them adequate rest, and made opposing offenses one-dimensional. That is part of what a great offense (and by great, I mean can impose their will on a defense and run down their throats) so important: it can minimize the defense’s flaws. The key to having an offense like that is a RB who can get the tough yards. Watching TD, I always was amazed that he got one or two yards more than what seemed possible. If ran up the gut, and the play ended up in a mangled mass of bodies, you can bet that TD was at the furthest edge, just ahead of the first down marker. That ability is what often moved the chains for the Broncos offense in the late 90s, and kept the suspect defense off of the field. As a result, opposing teams nearly always played from behind and had to pass the ball. The defense then, could gamble with blitzes. So, this is a long-winded way to say that I agree: a great RB certainly helps make an average or less-than-average defense good enough for a W. I’m too lazy to do the research, but I’d bet that our average time of possession this year was much below the average from ‘98 & ’99, because we ultimately had to rely on Cutler’s arm to move us down the field. And that didn’t do any favors for our defense.

Draft Picks on Defense. If we do decied to go for a RB I think we can find a late round value that will fit our system nicely. Look at Hillis.

But I do wonder if Hillis is last year’s TD. No, not that he’s TD good. Just that he’s a deep round RB would could be head-turning good, used right. I recall a sudden improvement at red zone scoring percentage when we could let him get us the last two yards.

In fairness, our run blocking really improved by then – early in the season too many plays saw the opposing D in the backfield as the handoff was made. I can’t fault our RBs for that.

was drafted by the Colts and Cleveland has too much money invested in Shaun Rogers

Hillis sees the hole before it’s open, so he’s at the line ready to go through the hole when it opens. Then combine his power with very good lateral moves, and you’ve got a heck of a back. And I think I read somewhere on MHR that his time in the 40 is about the same as TD’s was. I bet he busts some nice long runs this coming season.
Give him the chance in training camp to line up at RB, and he’ll be an every down back for us.
Bottom line? No to using a high pick on a running back.

that we already have our TD. His name is Hillis. If we insist on bringing in another RB make it a mid-rounder. It’s a myth that you can plug just any back into the Denver system and get TD-like results, and it’s an error to suppose that if we can get great results with inferior backs think what we could do with a first rounder. It’s not that the zone-block system makes bad backs good but that it requires a different kind of skill set. A good one cut and go running back doesn’t dance around waiting for a hole to open up but is decisive. He makes his decision and cuts for the hole before it opens. He’s able to do so and thereby get through the hole before it closes because he’s able to read blocks on the fly and see where the hole is going to open up.

The ability to read blocking and use blockers is a less obvious skill set than blinding speed and shake and bake moves, but is enormously effective in an offensive system designed to take advantage of it. Since most teams aren’t built to utilize this skill set and aren’t good at recognizing it anyway a good one-cut back is as likely to be available in the seventh round as the first, because this kind of back won’t necessarily shine in college. Now if a back has this potential and in addition has blazing speed and elusiveness, making him a target of other teams because of the latter two, I could see spending a high draft choice. Can anyone tell me for sure that Moreno is this kind of back? If not, I can’t see drafting him when we have more pressing needs.

Part of the equation is coaching, and in Dennison and Turner we have the keepers of the system. Turner is a genius at making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, witness the job he did with Bell, who’s not a natural one cut and go back. But he can do so much more with the right kind of back, and that’s Hillis. While I was writing this a comment from Bradley popped up, with the opening sentence reading, “Hillis sees the hole before it’s open, so he’s at the line ready to go through the hole when it opens.” Exactly. Great minds and all that. I credit McDaniels for seeing what’s good in the Denver offensive system and retaining it, and I credit Bowlen for seeing this kind of potential in McDaniels. Given that he appears also to be a pretty good defensive coach I think Bowlen has hit a home run and we’re on our way to recreating the dominating offense and better than average defense formula. Watch out, league!

And that’s despite the injuries. If they draft a RB I might have an aneurysm.

Great post. Rec’d. I don’t know much about any of this, but I’m eating it up! I love watching this debate unfold! I feel like a ping-pong ball, switching sides with every new point and point of view! Yes! RB! Draft First! No Defense! Defense must be first! RB…D…RB…D…

Let’s just go get a bada$$ who can play both sides of the ball. There. Problem solved. LOL

I agree that drafting a quality RB is a priority, but I don’t think that we need to reach for that player at 12. A 2nd or 3rd round RB would suit me fine.

FA is no way to find a back. See, Travis Henry.

like…i read somewhere that a running back has like…maybe…about five years average in the league…and jays guys need lotsa defense or they are just gonna not go anywhere again…and it takes like two or three years for those loveable lug on the dline to learn their thing

sooooo…like i dont know anything about all this…but wouldnt it make lotsa sense to pick guys who can become good defense players this year and next year…and then draft a running back

but what do i know

Raji, Rey, or Moreno. This seems to be the consensus, or at least the line this thread has taken. I’d love to have Moreno on the Broncos, but there is only one 1st round pick. Hillis is more than adeuate at RB – maybe Moreno would be better. But we have almost no one at DT or NT. The need there is simply much greater.