Who will make the team?

by DBinKC on May 6, 2009 7:27 PM MDT Comment 37 comments

I've made an early attempt to think about who is the safest to make the team, who is on the bubble and who must pass others up just to make it. I've put this in position order QB, RB, WR, OL, DL, LB, S, CB, ST. A few player DE / LB types I moved to where I think they might fit.

I'm sure there are several players I'm wrong about, so who would you put in the top 40 (definately on the team)? The next 20 (on the bubble) players and the final 27 (must pass others up to make it to the bubble).

Rank	Name	Depth
1	Orton, Kyle	1-QB
2	Moreno, Knowshon	1-RB
3	Hillis, Peyton	2-RB
4	Marshall, Brandon	1-WR
5	Royal, Eddie	2-WR
6	Clady, Ryan	1-T
7	Hamilton, Ben	1-G
8	Wiegmann, Casey	1-C
9	Kuper, Chris	2-G
10	Harris, Ryan	2-T
11	Graham, Daniel	1-TE
12	Ayers, Robert	1-DE
13	Fields, Ronald	1-DT
14	Peterson, Kenny	2-DE
15	Williams, D.J.	1-OLB
16	Davis, Andra	1-ILB
17	Greisen, Nick	2-ILB
18	Dumervil, Elvis	2-OLB
19	Dawkins, Brian	1-S
20	McBath, Darcel	2-S
21	Bailey, Champ	1-CB
22	Goodman, Andre'	2-CB
23	Prater, Matt	1-K
24	Kern, Brett	1-P
25	Paxton, Lonie	1-LS
26	Simms, Chris	2-QB
27	Jordan, LaMont	3-RB
28	Buckhalter, Correll	4-RB
29	Stokley, Brandon	3-WR
30	Gaffney, Jabar	4-WR
31	Gorin, Brandon	3-T
32	Olsen, Seth	3-G
33	Lichtensteiger, Kory	2-C
34	Reid, Darrell	3-DE
35	Thomas, Marcus	2-DT
36	Clemons, Nic	4-DE
37	Woodyard, Wesley	3-ILB
38	Bailey, Boss	3-OLB
39	Bruton, David	3-S
40	Smith, Alphonso	3-CB
41	Quinn, Richard	2-TE
42	McKinley, Kenny	5-WR
43	Williams, Jack	4-CB
44	Brandstater, Tom	3-QB
45	Scheffler, Tony	3-TE
46	Larsen, Spencer	4-ILB
47	Crowder, Tim	4-OLB
48	Hill, Renaldo	4-S
49	Jackson, Chad	6-WR
50	Powell, Carlton	3-DT
51	Bell, Josh	5-CB
52	Schlueter, Blake	3-C
53	Parker, J'Vonne	4-DT
54	Murray, Pat	4-G
55	Polumbus, Tyler	4-T
56	Branson, Marquez	4-TE
57	Pedescleaux, Everette	5-DE
58	Baker, Chris	4-DT
59	McChesney, Matt	5-G
60	Haggan, Mario	5-ILB
61	Moss, Jarvis	5-OLB
62	Arrington, J.J.	5-RB
63	Barrett, Josh	5-S
64	Torain, Ryan	6-RB
65	Davis, Rulon	7-DE
66	Putzier, Jeb	5-TE
67	Johnson, D.J.	6-CB
68	McBean, Ryan	6-DE
69	Askew, Matthias	6-DT
70	Oldenburg, Clint	5-T
70	Erickson, Mitch	6-G
71	Robinson, Lee	6-ILB
72	Schweiger, Jeff	6-OLB
73	Jones, Herana-Daze	6-S
74	Gordon, Marcus	6-T
75	Colquitt, Britton	2-P
76	Moulton, Rashod	7-CB
77	Green, Louis	7-ILB
78	Fox, Vernon	7--S
79	Bryant, Stanley	7-T
80	Swift, Nate	7-WR
81	Carter, Tony	8-CB
82	Kelley, Braxton	8-ILB
83	Moore, Kestahn	8-RB
84	Willis, Matt	8-WR
85	Taylor, Lucas	9a-WR
86	Shelton, Travis	9b-WR
87	Grimes, David	9c-WR

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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Comments

great thought provoker

be fun to see who people pick; i’m going to work on my picks later tonight.

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 6, 2009 7:59 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice idea for a thread...

But I need to see some camps first….we have a lot of guys in camp and the competition will be fierce!
A tip that I will use: I will look for those guys that bring the heat on Special Teams……thats where the success of this team will start.
You know that McD thinks this, as he has already stated that Eddie Royal will remain on PR!

Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????

by boydy2669 on May 6, 2009 8:06 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I really hope Polumbus and Barrett make the top 53...

I doubt either will pass waivers on the PS.

Taylor Mays in '10

by donbok1 on May 6, 2009 8:11 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Then Polumbus

will have to beat out Brandon Gorin or make it as a forth Tackle. Barrett would need to be 9 year vet Renaldo Hill to make the 4th Safety. There are going to be many battles between last years Broncos and this years free agents and rookies.

by DBinKC on May 6, 2009 8:25 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Um...

yeah, I understand that. I’m just saying that I like their potential and think they’d get picked up by someone else.

Honestly, if I’m Tyler Polumbus, and see Brandon Gorin as my main competition in camp, then I’d be fairly optimistic. Polumbus may very well not make the team, but if he gets beat out by Brandon Gorin, then I’d be disappointed. Now if Levi Jones or another vet who is looking for work comes in and takes his spot, then that’s another story.

I can’t agree with you that Hill is the one that Barrett needs to best to earn his spot. I’m sure that most of us expect Dawkins to be starting on day one, but who are the other two safeties you have ahead of Hill? McBath and Bruton? I love McBath’s game but I’m not sold on him being the starting safety opposite Dawkins in week one. My money is on Hill.

I would guess Barrett needs to beat out Bruton for his spot on this team, and from the progress he made last year from mini camp to the Chiefs game, I don’t think it’s out of the question. Barrett showed some serious coverage skills last year, and my guess is that he plays a little better this year with the experience he gained in ‘08. I just don’t have much faith in rookie safeties making the roster in week 1, unless you are ahead of the curve.

Taylor Mays in '10

by donbok1 on May 6, 2009 10:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

New coaches

don’t like to cut draft picks as a general rule. I believe McD said something to the effect that we didn’t draft them to cut them. So I put Bruton as safely on the team. Hill also seams safely on the team and I agree with you will probably start, so Barrett looks like the odd man out unless McD goes very young.

by DBinKC on May 7, 2009 5:20 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barrett is a monster on special teams and will have a role on this team.

Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????

by boydy2669 on May 7, 2009 6:46 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right

Bruton will also be a ST monster, and Josh even said that is why he was drafted. Frankly, that’s Great! It’s about time that we gave 2-3 slots to guys who are strong ST players. I expect Barrett and Bruton to be on the final squad, perhaps even both dress each week.

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on May 7, 2009 5:50 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Keep in mind only 80 on the roster in the end

http://www.davusx.net/assets/db/la_la_land.gif

"We should have kept Seattle and dumped San Diego from the Division"

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

by Jon Tollerud on May 6, 2009 8:14 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Every time a drafted player is signed

someone else has to go.

by DBinKC on May 6, 2009 8:16 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

i thought the roster limit was 53

plus 8 on the practice squad

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 8:50 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

with the end of NFL Europe

i think the roster spots are 80. maybe someone can approve or debunk this….

http://www.davusx.net/assets/db/la_la_land.gif

"We should have kept Seattle and dumped San Diego from the Division"

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

by Jon Tollerud on May 7, 2009 11:22 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

From what I'm seeing on various sites

teams can bring 80 players into training camp

they are limited to 53 players on an active list during the season with an 8-man practice squad

they are limited to 45 active players on game day.

I echo Jon in asking, if anyone has anything more definitive, please let us know

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 12:57 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

this sounds right

add 72 (the first cut down in between 80 and 53) and it will be very accurate. Also, the 3rd QB does not have to be activated to dress for the game, so when assembling the weekly 45 he can be left off. (the catch is, if he comes into the game for any reason, he has to finish the game.)

There is no army so powerful as an idea whose time has come.

by Jeremy Bolander on May 7, 2009 1:15 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

UDFA

I’m excited to see how the college free agents compete. I hope they come out with the same tenacity that Woodyard had last year. Competition will certainly be the order of the day!
Go Broncos!!!!

by sbsbroncofan on May 6, 2009 9:45 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

it will be a competition royale this summer

Coach McD is being true to his word to bring competition to every position. This can only raise the bar for player excellence.

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 6, 2009 9:51 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

News Flash, rumors are Cutler will not make the team.

I was googling to see if there were any comments about Cutler at the Bears Mini-camp. There are none! The first practice he will be at for the Bears will on July 27th. That’s not a lot of time for those new rookie receivers and Hester to get used to Jay’s bullets!!! Something tells me the Bears will never have the chemistry that the Broncos have already after just one little mini camp.

by Bronkfan on May 7, 2009 6:43 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Dumervil gone Boss Bailey too??

I don’t know why, I don’t see Elvis making the transition. We will have to cut him and someone running the 4-3 gives him a home. Boss gets nicked again misses some time and somebody takes his spot. Just hunches, hope we can find someone to get to the passer off the edge.

by Lisa FB on May 7, 2009 8:12 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

everything out of camp

says Dumervil is doing well with the transition to standing up

http://www.davusx.net/assets/db/la_la_land.gif

"We should have kept Seattle and dumped San Diego from the Division"

Davis and Sharpe to the Hall!

by Jon Tollerud on May 7, 2009 11:23 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read that

DOOM was “a natural” dropping back into coverage, which is huge for the OLBs. This was after teh first minicamp, before the draft.

As to Boss, McD was noncommital about tagging him with a position, saying only “he is very versatile, and we will use him in lots of places….” Whatever that means.

There is no army so powerful as an idea whose time has come.

by Jeremy Bolander on May 7, 2009 1:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would put Chris Baker in there for sure,

he’s an animal waiting on someone to leave the cage door open. 13-3 Baby!!!

by bfree2bronc on May 7, 2009 8:24 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Rulon Davis and JJ Arrington are safer than Jarvis Moss

I saw Rulon play at Cal and he is a beast when he’s healthy, plus he’s a real 5 technique DE since he played a 3-4 in college. JJ was signed to be a short yardage back and has kick return skills, whereas a feel like J Moss may have a really hard time converting to LB. He rarely showed promise in the 4-3 scheme and there’s abundant rumors we were trying to trade him…just think he should be even lower on the list than those guys.

by CaliRaiderHater on May 7, 2009 11:08 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

And great list BTW!

by CaliRaiderHater on May 7, 2009 11:09 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Moss better step up to the 'pump'

because some of these boys they brought in are monsters…13-3 Baby!!!

by bfree2bronc on May 7, 2009 12:34 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

PR/KR

McD drools over special teams stand-outs. I know he’s not a big name and in fact he fell to the bottom of your list, but Travis Shelton from Temple was a monster stud on special teams, granted it is just the MAC but that kid had a real good feel for the game. This is a very crappy post (not crappy writing or crappy assumptions mind you, i did rec it and i very much enjoy it) it just rips you down from the lala land clouds of Kool-Aid to look through all of these players that you are so trying to and starting to love and you can envision them making huge plays in the orange and blue and then wham read this post and you realize that we have to cut 30+ of them to make our roster. Granted its a great thing that we have so much talent in to help us have the best people on the roster come the season. BTW great job and i enjoyed looking through your assumptions.

by JALefor on May 7, 2009 2:17 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks, Travis is someone

I know almost nothing about. It’s impossible to know what will be in the mind of a jedi three plus months from now, but every year there are surprises like Shelton who make the team over an aging vet or a higher priced free agent. I didn’t mean to pull you out of lala land, but was just trying to find out where the battles for spots could go.

by DBinKC on May 7, 2009 6:20 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

A totally unscientific stab at who will be here

First off: 13-3 Baby!!!!
I never get draft predictions right, maybe I’ll do better with this:

QB - Orton, Simms, Brandstater
RB – Moreno, Hillis, Buckhalter, Arrington, Torain
WR – Marshall, Royal, Stokely, Gaffney, McKinley
TE – Graham, Quinn, Scheffler
OL – Clady, Hamilton, Wiegmann, Kuper, Harris, Gorin, Olsen, Schleuter (threw that last one in because I did grad work at TCU :D )
DL – Ayers, Fields, Peterson, Reid, Powell, Pedescleaux (gotta go with a name like that), Baker, Thomas, Clemons
LB – Williams, Davis, Greisen, Dumerville, Crowder, Woolyard, Larsen, Robinson, Moss
DB – Bailey, Dawkins, Hill, Goodman, Smith, McBath, Bruton, Bell, Johnson
Specialists – Prater (K), Kern (P), Paxton (LS)

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 3:30 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

btw great original post

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 3:30 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's a of new faces

that weren’t Broncos last year!

by DBinKC on May 7, 2009 5:59 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

very true

I figured going out on a limb might be worth it — it’s not like i’ve ever been right about these things before :D.

Anyway you look at it there will be a lot of new faces, some FA vets, some draftees, some CFAs. But I also believe there will be a solid core drawn from last year’s Broncos.

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 6:48 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we were at 36 new players last year

what are we at this year?

There is no army so powerful as an idea whose time has come.

by Jeremy Bolander on May 7, 2009 7:27 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

we're up around the same based on the list above

but we need to remember that at least 7 of those players will have to be dropped before the start of training camp in august (I think we’re limited 80 players on the roster going into training camp)

Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and hope you come down somewhere between the two.

by BShrout on May 7, 2009 7:38 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

number problems, BShrout

5 – RB
5 – WR
8 – OL
3 – QB
3- TE
TOTAL OFFENSE = 24

9 – DL
9 – LB
9 – DB
TOTAL DEFENSE = 27 !!

3 – specialists (24 + 27 + 3 = 54) I don’t think the league will allow the extra player.

I like to use the 25, 25 number for planning, and it’ OK if it’s not perfectly even. You might even consider inactives, too.

QB – Orton, Simms, Brandstater
RB – Moreno, Hillis, Buckhalter, Arrington, Torain
WR – Marshall, Royal, Stokely, Gaffney, McKinley
TE – Graham, Quinn, Scheffler
OL – Clady, Hamilton, Wiegmann, Kuper, Harris, Gorin, Olsen, Schleuter (threw that last one in because I did grad work at TCU :D )

DL – Ayers, Fields, Peterson, Reid, Powell, Pedescleaux (gotta go with a name like that), Baker, Thomas, Clemons
LB – Williams, Davis, Greisen, Dumerville, Crowder, Woodyard, Larsen, Robinson, Moss
DB – Bailey, Dawkins, Hill, Goodman, Smith, McBath, Bruton, Bell, Johnson

Specialists – Prater (K), Kern (P), Paxton (LS)

I’d cut one more DL since three deep may be too big of a luxury.

by Colinski on May 8, 2009 2:18 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs