So,

I was pondering the players we have acquired this offseason, and thinking about the now-standard MSM complaint that we didn't address all of our needs in the offseason (in the echo-chamber, this means front 7).

But I stopped right there, with the standard MSM line about the front 7. 

Because theirs is an interesting line of thinking.  According to the MSM, we have certain "needs" that must be "filled" accordingly, and if this formual is followed, the results will be a happy and successful team.  So, to follow this line of thinking a bit further, the strategy that is generally offered is to:

1.  diagnose a need

2.  find players that address this need

3.  sign/ draft these players

ok.  got it.  done and done.   easy as pie.  In fact, I think we've done that before, so let's check out our previous administration's history in addressing needs.

2007-

step one, diagnose problem-we need a pass rush!

step two, find players- well, we tried to sign Patrick Kearny (best available pass rusher) but Seatlle outbid us.  That's ok, we've got the draft

step three, sign/ draft players- First round- man, we almost missed out on a first-round grade pass rusher, but we traded up and got him! Welcome, Jarvis Moss.  And, just so that we have extra depth and another chance for a great pass rusher, we got Tim Crowder in the 2nd, plus we traded up and got a troubled but promising DT in the fourth- Welcome, Marcus Thomas. 

Success! We addressed our needs!

(flash forward to 2009)

hmm...

Well, as the above example illustrates, this line of thinking is fraught with significant problems.  FIrst, as HT so eloquently wrote at the time of the 2009 draft, each draft pick is like a lottery ticket (with a significant investment) in that you want to maximize your probabilities of getting a good player.  When you specify particular needs above all others (aka tunnel vision) you ignore the probabilities in favor of particular positional needs.  So, you feel trapped if your position of need is involved in a draft run before your pick- you either reach for a worse player or trade up to select during the run, minimizing your chances of further gains later in the draft.

However, there is another significant problem with this line of thinking- it neglects the teaching aspect of the draft.

What is the draft?  A chance to bring in new young players to your team.  Well, let me re-state that sentence with a particular emphasis.  The draft is a chance to bring in new YOUNG players to your team. 

What is a young player?  A player who has played in college, probably successfully, and must learn how to play in the NFL.  Again, for emphasis, a young player must, with very few exceptions, LEARN how to play in the NFL.

So how does a young player learn how to play in the NFL? (and yes, I'm almost done with the rhetorical questions) Well, that is the most important question, and the question that I believe Shanny failed to answer successfully. 

Much like any profession, there are some individuals with such significant gifts of focus, work ethic and talent that they will succeed regardless of their surroundings.  These individuals are like the golden tickets in the lottery of the draft- everyone tries to figure out who they are and then fights to bring them to their team.  Recent examples include Calvin Johnson and Peyton Manning- players that went to losing organizations and succeeded despite their surroundings.

However, for every Calvin Johnson or Peyton Manning, there are dozens of players selected in the draft that may or may not become successful, based laregly on how they are taught.  Again, this is like any profession, where an individual must be given the tools to succeed before they experience success.

Every NFL coach understands this, hence the term 'coach them up'.  Coaching is essentially teaching.

However, coaches are not the only, or even the most significant teachers of young players.  Players, and specifically veterans, are often the most significant teachers of young players.  For every hour a young player spends with the coaches (studying film, discussing technique, etc.), 3 hours are spent in the weight room, or the locker room, or on the field, where the players learn from other players. 

They learn how to prepare, how to train, how to conduct themselves professionally.  They learn about the lifestyle (good or bad), and the business of the NFL.  And they learn this all from other players. 

So, to return for a moment to the example of our 2007 player acquisitions, we diagnosed a need and addressed it by bringing in several young players at the position of need.  Success, right? Well, who is going to teach these young players about the NFL?  Who will be showing these young player the mental habits and training needed to be an elite athlete?  Will they be teaching each other?  Or will the players already on the team, players that have already been proven to be unsuccessful (hence the need in the first place) be teaching these players?

This is how one creates the dreaded "leadership void".  Without successful NFL veterans to teach young NFL draft picks, the young players either teach themselves (the blind leading the blind) , or learn unsuccessful habits from unsuccessful players.  And the leadership qualities of the rookies themselves, qualities which are analyzed and saught after by every NFL executive, are of little help unless the young players learn success first.

Enter Josh Mcdaniels/ Brian Xanders.

First acts of player acquisition (FA)-

Bring in successful veterans at positions of need (RB, LB, DT, CB, S).  According to MSM, we overloaded a bit, maybe, with over-acheiving players (i.e. players who have exceeded their natural talents through hard work and focus) instead of elite athletes.  Examples- Brian Dawkins, Andra Davis, Renaldo Hill, Andre Goodman.

Bring in players familiar with environment of success(i.e. players from Patriots organization, etc.) - Examples-  Lamont Jordon, Lonnie paxton, Jabar Gaffner.

MSM Media response- ok, addressed some needs, now need work on front 7. Time for the draft!

Draft Day-

Players acquired (first day)- Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, Alfonso Smith, Darcel Mcbath, RIchard Quinn.

MSM-  WHAT????- These players are at the same positions as the veterans acquired!! Why didn't the Broncos fill their needs???

Because this is the genius of the Mcdaniels/ Xanders strategy.  They understand that every NFL rookie must do one thing- learn.  And, though Mcdaniels seems a very confident coach/teacher, he also understands that there is much he cannot teach. And so, for that, he brought in the best coaching staff this side of the Mississippi. 

Player coaches for Knowshon Moreno- Lamont Jordan (patriots vet.), Correll Buckhalter, (Westbrook's caddy for several years) and JJ Arrington (Super Bowl, 2009)

Player coaches for Robert Ayers- Andra Davis (known for leadership/ character), Darrel Reid (Colts),

Player coaches for Alfonso Smith- Champ Bailey (HOF- bound), Andre Goodman (7 year vet, successful 2008 Dophins secondary)

Player coaches for Darcel Mcbath- Brian Dawkins (HOF-bound), Renaldo Hill (8 year vet, successful 2008 Doplphins secondary)

Player Coaches for Richard Quinn- Daniel Graham (team captain)

Not bad, eh?

Contrast that to 2007...

Player coaches for Jarvis Moss/ Tim Crowder- Elvis Dumervil (2nd year player) and... yeah, you get the point

So, when anyone asks me about our 2009 Draft I can say 2 things with certainty

1.  We picked the best lottery tickets available (i.e. we didn't reach for positions of need)

2.  And we made sure to put each of our high round picks (those with significant investment) into an environment for success. 

There are, of course, other benefits to this strategy (i.e. young rookies eventually replacing the aging vets for significant cap savings, etc.) but, to me, we succeeded mightily in giving our rookies the best possible chance for success. And that, not filling "needs", should be our ultimate goal.

So,

something tells me that in the near future, the the MSM will stop complaining about the 2009 Broncos draft and start complimenting it.  They will compliment our rookies for the leadership they exhibit.  They will compliment their work ethic and their character.  And for learning how to succeed from successful veterans. 

They will compliment Mcdaniels and Xanders for a winning strategy.  And so should we.

Now, let's go Broncos and bring on the minicamps!