A Staffer Round Table: 2011 and Beyond

It might make it a little better if you divided the questions with their answers separately. Then it would be easier for us to discuss them in the comments. I liked the post though

I enjoyed it. KK, Orton goes to Pro Bowl I will buy you a case of Guinness…..

1. I would say the coaching is the area that has improved the most. At least on the defensive side of the ball. I would say the TE have regressed, as we now have 2 rookies and one vet there. 2 very raw rookies.

2. Draft DT, CB, RB, OL next year. I think our WR situation is good, but this depends on DTs health. I will disagree with you Max and say Riley has NFL starter potential

3. I think Rahim Moore has the most potential out of our draft picks. Honestly, I think they all have potential. Thomas is up there with Rahim

4. Moreno, Ayers, Tebow and Miller. They all stay. If DT gets hurt again, he’s gone

5. If we have a losing season with Orton at the helm, they let him walk. If were 8-8 or 9-7, we resign and trade him. If 10-6 or better + playoffs, he sticks around a couple more years.

6. I was thinking about it today, and I think Fox might be like Dan Reeves 2.0 for us. Solid HC, but we ultimately needed that innovator in Shanny to get us the SBs. He could be rebuilder or he could be here long term like Reeves.

7. Pro bowlers this season: Bailey, Clady, Doom, Miller, Orton, Moreno, Lloyd, Dawk. (im drunk on kool aid as I type this)

As to that first question, I’d say our DTs are the group that regressed the most. I might get crapped on for that, but I think it’s true. Last year we had Justin Bannan and Jamal Williams that both played solid for 16 starts a piece. In the third position, we had Big Vick starting 14 games and Marcus Thomas starting two games.

Now all the sudden we have Little Vick starting along side Ryan McBean at DT, some dude named Mitch Unrein backing them up along with injured Ty Warren, Broderick Bunkley and Marcus Thomas. Once Bunkley gets healthy we’ll have less to worry about. And if Warren ever makes it back then those two will represent significant upgrades over last year. But as it stands, Little Vick and Ryan McBean are major steps down from Jamal Williams and Justin Bannan – those guys were just too expensive to keep.
Our pathetic laughable run defense last year was more the responsibility of the linebackers in that system. The linebackers were junk. DJ was the only one that could cover and that includes Elvis and Ayers. So if you ask me where we improved most, it’s at linebacker where we all the sudden have guys that can make plays, swarm the ball and are blazing fast on the edges.

Course, if I had call out a group instead of an exact position then the answer is easy: Pass rush group is the most improved. The additions of VonDoom will define this defense from day one.

Now who will it be, Dennard, Kirkpatrick, Gilmore, Harris… time will only tell

I’d add some method for us to respond to comments.

Maybe something as simple as numbering the questions. There were seven this time. 7 questions from the roundtable as a weekly post? I like something along those lines.

I believe you’re on to something very good here Topher!

After the format gels a bit you could add a regular as a guest each week… (pick me pick me)

One more thing I couldn’t resist:

at the close of the 2007 season, I thought Cutler, Scheffler and Marshall would be a trio into the future.

On the D side: Champ, Miller and Doom with DJ, Moore and Goody as potentials

On the O side: Lloyd, Clady, Thomas and Orton. Reasoning behind Orton is not homerism – I strongly feel this defense has the ability to shut down the majority of offenses in the league. Rightly or wrongly QBs get blamed for losing records and credit for winning. When we finish out with 10 wins and Orton has 3500 yards and a 2-1 TD/int ration he will be given media credit for the turn around and that will translate into pro bowl votes.

I’d probably guess the following four, in order of priority: RB, DT, CB, OL. The quarterback position is an unpredictable wild card in there.

I think Kyle won’t be allowed to leave until we have another option already in hand, which could mean franchising him and then removing it after Tebow shows he’s ready; it could mean keeping Kyle, or it could mean drafting a new guy. But one way or the other, I think Orton stays until we have another option that looks more ready than we had this year.

If I had to choose one of those players to be gone, I’d go with Moreno. It’s more likely that he gets injured and I also prefer drafting RBs rather that giving them big 2nd contracts. Nothing against Moreno, but Fox has to feel confident in his ability to pick RBs out of the draft, so I think he’d do it again.
I think Fox is here to stay. And I like Kirk’s predictions for pro-bowlers best.

Great job guys, alway the inovator, just like EFX..

Definitely re-sign. BUT… if Tebow plays this year and does well, then we should trade Orton for a really good offer. IF we can’t trade him, then I can see another year with Orton and let Tebow get even better.

That scenario sounds a lot like the chargers with their Brees/rivers “problem.” Once Tebow is ready we can trade Orton for a 1st or 2nd.

Plus we have Quinn for trade/back-up

I like these kinds of things. They are fun to read and I’m sure they are fun for you guys too. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy talking Bronco football? (Unless it’s a QB debate then nobody likes it)

A couple notes from me.

I do think that Fox can be a long term coach. He has great leadership, a steady hand and went to a Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme as a QB. I think he is more then competent enough to lead us to a Super Bowl.

However, there is a an interesting scenario that I have been thinking of that would lead to Fox leaving the team after his contract is up. It’s a crazy scenario so bare with me, but I think it’s possible that Dennis Allen could become our head coach in 4 years.

Now, hear me out. It’s way, way too early, but the early returns show that he has had a fantastic impact on our defense. I think our D will be top 15 this year. A realistic goal for next year would be top 10. In year 3, we would hope for top 5. That would give us one of the best defenses in the league. If that were to happen, Allen would definitely be getting interest from teams around the league. If we aren’t competing solidly in the AFC in 4 years, I think there’s a good chance we let Fox go and hire Allen as the head coach.

To reiterate what Nick said, thanks for the post and the convo. I think it’s getting so close to football that we can taste it now and it’s making me go through withdraws :)

For the guy with the most potential to surprise us in a good way, I’m going with Joe Mays. I’m still not comfortable at that MIKE position, but I’m more open to it now. Mays doesn’t have high expectations, so if he were to hold down the middle pretty well all year, I think we’d give him most improved or most surprising defender.

For the guy with the biggest potential to piss us off and surprise us in a negative way, I’ve got to go with Rahim Moore. I think because of where he was drafted, his immediate hold on the starting role, and maybe most of all, the way he knocked out that Bills receiver…. I think it makes us expect a lot from him.

But Rahim Moore is a rookie that’s responsible for our last line of defense. Scary. And for all we know, he could be picking his nose back there during each preseason game. VonDoom and the horrible OLs we faced have made it so that no balls fly more than 10 yards accurately. He’s probably going to make mistake, he just hasn’t had the chance to yet.

Google Translate doesn’t have an option for whatever language…that…is.