Dan Williams had a great Combine (5.17 40 at 327 pounds), solidifying himself as the No. 3 defensive tackle in this class. Some may argue that this is a bit high for a nose tackle, but if B.J. Raji can go off the board at No. 9, Williams is a strong option here. And think about it this way - Denver would easily relinquish this pick for a younger version of Casey Hampton or Jamal Williams.
almost 2 years ago
John Bena
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Been on the McClain train all along....
And still am, but I’ve definitely warmed up to D.Williams the last month or so.
I'm with you and ILBer is of more concern now than DL.
If we can’t trust the players to develop that we have, then ship them off to somebody that will let them develop. The rant around here that we have no depth on the Defensive line has no merit…Player like Fields, Baker, Thomas, Mcbean, Parker, Powell, Peterson and Pedescleaux still have a lot to learn in this system. If we can get Jamal Williams in the mix that will give experience to the younger players to learn from. Right now we need an ILBer with grit, True Grit because Davis and Williams haven’t shown me that grit yet. Rolando McClain can be the grit to spart our defense in much the same fashion Rey Lewis does for the baltimore Ravens. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it…
Show me some Rolando McClain at #11...
-Stick to the fight when you are hardest hit - it's when things seem worst that you must not quit!
by BroncoSense72 on Mar 9, 2010 1:46 PM MST up reply actions
I definetly liked what i saw of him in the senior bowl and the combine..
Looks like he has a very strong lower body which is perfect for a nt i believe. I was against drafting raji last year, and am happy he didn’t fall to us, didn’t really like him as a prospect. Willaims seems to have the look of someone who would be a dominating force on the inside..
I wouldn’t mind McClain either..
Wonder if they both fell to us at 11 who we would go for..
Both probably will be there at 11
I’m with Kgrone here, McClain could be a star – but certainly won’t be worse than a solid starter. Williams could be a star or a bust. I disagree with his Senior Bowl performance – the minute i heard that the lanky Matt Tennant handled him again and again one-on-one – I lost interest. Still a better pick than Bradford, Claussen, or Bryant? Yes. But I also think we have Fields, Bannan, and Baker have that spot fairly filled – we – on the other hand have no answer at ILB thus far this free agency season – and no OC/OG is worth the #11 pick. It’ll be harder to trade out than we thing (especially now that, the Steelers – a team assumed to be interested in Williams) resigned Hampton – so I’d go McClain.
Also, WalterFootball is pretty good in terms of scouting, not as good, IMO, as Draft Scout, Sidelinescouting, and some others, but pretty good. But they have little insight on a team by team basis and what they need, look for, etc.
Not only that,
but he’s got a pretty obvious bias against Josh McDaniels, and seemingly the entire Broncos organization in general. It comes through pretty badly at times, and he’s not above putting a bad pick in there once in a while to poke fun at a team he doesn’t like. You have to take some of that with a healthy dose of salt.
by BroncosBassist on Mar 9, 2010 1:25 PM MST up reply actions
Yer he is always putting McCoy in there or 'joke' picks saying that McD is an idiot.
Pretty sad really considering he is trying to pass himself off as a professional! :-/
Like this quote from thefootballexpert.com
Watching tape on Williams has been a blast. He can be an absolute monster at times. Williams has amazing athletic ability and shows great strength. He has shown that he can take on double teams and anchor himself in the middle of the field. He uses his hands very well and he has the ability to shed blockers and be a real force as a run stopper. He often looks unblock-able when he gets underneath the opposing lineman’s pads. Has the look of an ideal nose tackle in the NFL. However, he needs to improve the moves he uses. The bull rush is a great move and can be very effective; however, in the NFL he will need to use more variety in order to beat veteran offensive lineman. He also will need to improve his motor and overall endurance
If I had to choose,
I would go for McClain because he’s familiar with playing in a 3-4 scheme…and we were in the top 10 in run d when we had Al Wilson and no great d-line
by BroncosFaN88 on Mar 9, 2010 12:23 PM MST via mobile reply actions
Did Wilson ever play in a 3-4?
Not trying to undermine your point, but the MLB is the most important position in the 4-3, just as the NT is for the 3-4. A great defensive line isn’t as essential to the 4-3 as it is for the 3-4. Likewise, a great line is key for the 3-4 defense.
My point is, we can’t expect a great Mike to lead this defense as well as Wilson did before, because the position isn’t as important for us now. Still, McClain is my #2 choice behind Williams. I certainly wouldn’t say ‘no’ to a LB like that.
I agree with u Rob,
But let me ask u this…have Dan Williams ever play the NT position? Correct me if im wrong but I believe Tennessee play a 4-3 defense…
by BroncosFaN88 on Mar 9, 2010 12:52 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
True
But so did most other NTs in the NFL today when they were in college. Few college teams utilize the 3-4, so it’s a bit unfair to any NT prospect to hold that against them. I’d have to check to be sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Ngata, Rogers, Jamal Williams, Hampton, et al. didn’t play 3-4 in college.
just from what ive heard
i have no factual information but i think mcclain has got bust all over him. not running at the combine and i saw the video of good tackles and bad tackles. the bad tackles make him look awfull. i think dan williams is a great pick and if it weren’t for the two stud DT’s this year he would be a top 10 pick.
we need line help take him
I guess our only indication will be if we draft Willaims or someone or another nose prospect..
I doubt the Front Office is just going to tell us their plans as it would give other teams more information about the positions we may target on draft day.
"...but if B.J. Raji can go off the board at No. 9, Williams is a strong option here."
I haven’t seen much written comparing these guys. How good is Williams compared to Raji? How is he better? How is he worse? The impression I get is that Williams has a higher motor and a better work ethic, while Raji is better at stuffing the line and run defense. But like I said, I haven’t seen much comparing the two, so I could be way off.
Thoughts?
I read one site saying that Willaims was the poor mans Raji.. but i don't buy it..
To me Raji was a DE, great at getting pressure but average in run D. Williams, is the opposite, lacks the moves to constantly get pressure, can bull rush but that’s about it, but is very strong against the run and double teams..
BJ Raji was a much better prospect before the 2009 season exposed him as a so-so NFL player. A lot like Alphonso Smith, but much more expensive.
In my opinion.
Ah, so you liked the trade!
Last year does not appear to have been a good year for defensive linemen. I recall you saying a few months ago that you should stop bagging on Robert Ayers, since the other obvious killer option at that draft spot in retrospect was, well, er, um? One year in, the 2009 first round appears to have been light on world-beaters.
How much better is he than Chris Baker?
Please ignore above, can I delete it?
Baker has spent a year on the roster learning and with the signing of Bannon and potentially Williams are these the veterans brought in for rotation to help develop Baker rather than a high draft pick?
Walter Football? This guy thinks even less of McDaniels than I do. Please read his reviews of our 2009 draft. I find it ironic (real irony) that he would be used as a source for MHR.
He calls McDaniels, McFumbles and MisHandles. He talks about Orton’s girly arm, used to blast Andra Davis and really hated on the Alphonso Smith trade. As you can imagine, I see eye to eye with Walter on certain issues.
In my opinion.
Really have no idea what got this guy so emotionally caught up in the Cutler trade..
I visited his site a lot last year during draft time, and after the trade he went on a tangent against McD, surely these draft ‘gurus’ are supposed to be unbiased and rational..
I talked to Walter fairly regularly...
I’ve gotten him to change his view on McDaniels…early in 2009…only to have him revert back to his views with the 2-8 collapse. lol
He’s a good guy and knows football – but he underestimates the Broncos. I think he is a closet Raider fan. :P
I have actually fallen off the Rolando McClain wagon…he may be the best of a mediocre group of ILB’s in this draft… Mike Iupati also looks like he might fall to us in the 2nd round. I’d be down for Dan Williams and Iupati in first two rounds. ;-)
Verbose in style, dispersion of thought, procrastination in life.
The guy formerly known as ZAPPA
Have you ever seen
a closet raiders fan? Unpossible. :)
by BroncosBassist on Mar 9, 2010 1:29 PM MST up reply actions
He hated the McD hire from Day 1
So, he still hates him? Tough. What’s the point?
Don't say rebuild - say reload...
don't want...
dez, williams or any qb. I think we are good with the Dt we’ve got. I’m on the mclain bandwagon, if he isn’t there i would trade the pick and move down to get lupati and another pick…fun time in Bronco nation.. go Broncos!!
If we bring in Jamal Williams to go along with Bannan and Green, I would much rather see us bring in McClain in the 1st and then a DL in the 2nd or 3rd
Guys like Lamarr Houston (DE) or Cam Thomas (NT)
Last year everyone was all over Ron Brace out of Boston College.
Since most felt BJ Raji would be gone by the time we picked at #12 the next best thing was Ron Brace. Well it seems for some reason that McD/Nolan didn’t feel it necessary to take him at 37 (A Smith) as he was still on the board and drafted #40 by New England. We can reason all day long why Dan Williams would be the best pick at #11 in this years draft, the only problem with that is it takes away any thinking that the players we already have aren’t going to develop (just like Dan Williams would have to). Whereas drafting a player like Rolando McClain could have immediate effects for our linebacking crew that wasn’t exactly “STELLAR”! I’m not on any bandwagon of any prospect, because yes they are just prospects, but I am on the bandwagon of winning! And I want to win now!
Ron Brace had back injury concerns..
That is a scary issue for a NT to have.
I am in no way against McClain in the first.. I think he would improve the D immediately and sub in and out for Davis while learning the ropes.
But Dan Williams is also a very interesting prospect, He could well be a dominant NT in the NFL and people have likened him to Ryan Pickett.
Every prospect might or might not work out but those are the two that i would like us to go after in the first. Especially if we have two picks to work with.
I think DL will wait til the later rounds now...
Maybe Torrell Troup from UCF as a NT/DE in the 4th or Corey Peters from Kentucky as a DE in the 6th. I loved Alualu and Neal as possible 3rd rounders – but the Green signing has made that less of a priority – unless of course one of them slips into the 4th maybe? The Green signing means it’s even less likely for a NT to come out of the draft at all. Now that we have Green – it’s clearer than ever Bannan will get most of his snaps at NT. Now we have a NT rotation of Fields, Bannan and Baker and a DE rotation of Green, McBean, Peterson, and Thomas. Solid, servicable, vastly improved depth-wise – but I can’t see us spending the 11th or 45th on somebody like Williams or Thomas now.
Could well wait..
Hopefully Baker is good enough now for first team rotation.. Not a definite and i guess if we do draft Williams we will know Baker is a non option.
I’m not sure but i could still see us targeting a DE in the draft.. Like we did with the back field last year.. vet free agents and rookies to learn from them..
Does that make McClain the only other viable 11 prospect? Haden Maybe? A Tackle that could play guard? A RB? O_O haha..
Also,
Wonderfully said bfree. I’m with you. We want bigger at NT, but do the Broncos? Bannan, like Fields, is in that 310-315 range – not overly strong but technically sound and tenacious. Even if we get Williams (which I still think has more to do with us sticking it to the Chargers than actual interest) he’d play on a very limited role. My gut says – if you (we) want bigger – root for Chris Baker, who still isn’t in the “magical” 330 range.
I don't know, V7
Chris Baker, who still isn’t in the "magical" 330 range.
This is kind of a fun ‘argument’ – just a discussion, of course. You’ve got your single gap guys that aren’t over 315, and while Ratliff is the best known, he’d not the only one. Then you usually see your guys around 325, like Wilfork over on NE, moving more into two gap, but they can play both. Then there’s the guys who are so big they need their own area code, like Williams was, and like Ngata. Their a lot of fun, but only a few aren’t too heavy to move well. Since you can’t be sure to get one (there are very few who can move enough to play), you scheme for something lighter, like Wilfork/Baker size.
And, if a house that really moves comes your way, you take him. I think that when we talk about Cody, though, I’d have to know how they plan to scheme for him to say yes or no. Martindale is bound to be aggressive, but what exactly that will mean, I really haven’t heard yet. I was uncomfortable hearing that Tennant beat Williams regularly in the Senior Bowl, though. It poked a fork into my level of interest, to be honest. Ouch.
Don't say rebuild - say reload...
Not sure about the Tennant thing..
Didn’t see it myself.. (untrained eye taken into account) but the highlights of him show very good ability to hold double teams and pretty impressive run defense as well.
I'd like to see
Offense. So far FA have upgraded the defense.
Consider openings and low-man on the totem pole on 53 man roster.
DL=7 Right now low man is Peterson. Sign J. Williams or draft or draft D. Williams, low man is Thomas or Baker
LB=8 1 spot open. Then low man would be Reid or Woodyard
DB=10 Low man is Carter or Barrett.
... if you have a belief, you will tend to find things that support it. But if you have a prejudice, you’ll move heaven and earth to maintain it. BroncoBear
How about
OT need a backup. Harris becomes a FA next year and Clady becomes a FA the following year.
... if you have a belief, you will tend to find things that support it. But if you have a prejudice, you’ll move heaven and earth to maintain it. BroncoBear
they will probably be given contract extensions…top tackles just don’t make it to free agency. They are too valuable. that being said, we’ll probably look at a tackle in the draft in later rounds
by black_knight101 on Mar 9, 2010 4:34 PM MST up reply actions
BPA
Best Player Available.
I hope we take whoever is the highest rated player on our board regardless of position. If it’s Williams, fine. McClain, Clausen, Haden, Berry, Pierre-Paul, etc. Whoever.
"You can make mistakes, but you are not a failure until you blame others for those mistakes." -John Wooden
I Watched
Dan the Man at the combine and he did well enough. You never know how large-bodied men will do until they actually play in the NFL but he might be worth our while if we don’t draft him too high. Of course, if we’re successful in nailing Jamal Williams, perhaps we can focus on other needs….
Brad James
by the new Bradfather on Mar 9, 2010 3:33 PM MST reply actions
I'd be cool with Williams...
…unless we actually passed on Joe Haden to take him.
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."-- Oscar Wilde
by PredominantlyOrange on Mar 9, 2010 3:34 PM MST reply actions
BIG O
The focus of our first pick SHOULD be offense, unless a can’t miss prospect is there. I do not see Williams as a “can’t miss” prospect.
A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is drudgery. But a vision with a plan can change the world.
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