Way Early Prospects & FAs Wish List

by JuiceIsLoose on Jan 22, 2012 5:03 PM MST

It's awfully early to project draft picks since the combine isn't even here yet, but based on projections I wanted to name some potential prospects for our early selections that I like. I also wanted to include some potential free agents.

Free Agents

QB - I'd prefer to resign Brady Quinn but if not I like Josh Johnson's athleticism if we continue to run this offense and should come cheap. Dennis Dixon also a possibility.

RB - A big name signing at RB is nonsense (Ray Rice, Matt Forte, Peyton Hillis). Obviously Rice and Forte aren't going anywhere and can probably include Marshawn Lynch as well. Wouldn't mind Mike Tolbert but I think he stays so I'd enjoy a modest signing of Tim Hightower who does everything good but nothing great.

WR - If we keep this group intact, I think we are fine. DT is shaping up to be a good #1 and I think Decker fills in nicely as a #2 with Royal and Willis working as #3 and #4. I think we'd have to overpay for Vincent Jackson or DeSean Jackson and don't like the fit.

TE - Like to keep our same unit going forward. Hopefully Thomas can become a legitimate pass catcher with Green being such a great blocker.

OL - Address depth through the draft. Would love to add a true RT and kick Orlando Franklin inside to guard where I feel he can be a Pro Bowler.

DL - Some big names available. Wouldn't mind reeling in one but not getting my hopes up. Calais Campbell is out there and would be a nice addition but I don't like him with a large contract over Ayers. Obviously would love to add Mario Williams if the Texans let him walk. Jason Jones has injury issues but would be a great addition for an interior pass rush.

LB - Curtis Lofton is at the top of my list but will probably be the most sought-after LB on the market. Would be a great, although probably unrealistic, addition to our defense. E.J. Henderson would be a nice backup plan if he came at the right price.

DB - Love Brent Grimes. Plays a lot bigger than his frame. I've been against Goodman forever so an upgrade across from Champ (and an eventual replacement for Champ) is necessary. I think we address at least one CB in the draft as well. I want no part of Cortland Finnegan. I dont think he's worth the contract he'll demand. I believe Carlos Rogers will remain a '9er, Carr will remain a Chief, and Terrell Thomas will remain a Giant. Obviously if B-Dawk is done we'll need help at SS. I hope Rahim comes around this offseason. Quinton Carter has been really good for us and I like him going forward. The big get will be LaRon Landry. Awesome player and if we were going to get one big FA, my choice would be Landry. Full disclosure, big Landry fan.

FA Signed

In my perfect world we sign Mario Williams, Curtis Lofton, and LaRon Landry. But this isn't Madden so I'll project us to sign: Josh Johnson, Tim Hightower, LaRon Landry.

Early Draft Possibilities

Round 1

Dre Kirkpatrick

via rantsports.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com

Love Kirkpatrick if he ends up falling to us. Arrested for drug possession could make his stock fall. I know a potential Top 10 pick slipping to #25 is a bit of a reach but stranger things have happened. EFX shouldn't hesitate to select this kid. He's tall at about 6'2", that's elite size for a CB. Proved he can stop the run routinely at Bama. Would be a great addition opposite Champ for the next few years.

Vontaze Burfict

via www.thejetsblog.com

Top 10 talent again. But character concerns have teams worried, but not me (easy for me to say with nothing on the line right?). Love Burfict as our MLB for years to come. Plays super aggressive, almost to a fault at times. Does get an alarming number of personal fouls at ASU but watching some tape, I feel like he got shafted on a few and he got flagged from reputation. Superb athlete for his size. Runs sideline to sideline with great speed and hits like a mack truck. One of those 'backers who would hit his mother if she was carrying the ball for the opponent. Love him as a prospect but he has some growing up to do. I think he will but that's the risk NFL owners will have to take. If Burfict can nail the interview process at the combine and private workouts, with Kirkpatrick already off the board, This guy will be a major upgrade to our defense. I like Dont'a Hightower better as a person, but he's much more a 2 down ILB in a 3-4. Imagine Doom and Von on the outside, Burfict in the middle, and Landry roaming at safety! But again, not getting my hopes up.

Devon Still

via www.examiner.com

Will probably be selected before #25 but I believe it's for a lack of top tier DT's in the class than his individual talents. I would like Still at #25 if EFX didn't want the potential headache of Burfict and Kirkpatrick likely gone. Still showed the potential to be a dominant DT in some games this year. But during the Wisconsin game he was completely dominated by Kevin Zeitler, one of the better guard prospects in the nation. I see him going earlier but a pocket-pushing DT is a need for the Broncos. Another DT I like, who also will likely be gone is Michael Brockers from LSU.

Round 2

Stephon Gilmore - CB

Brandon Thompson - DT

Kevin Zeitler - OG

Jeff Fuller - WR

Again it's difficult to project where these prospects will be slated with so much evaluation time left. I would prefer to continue to address the defense early in the draft with holes on the DL, LB, and DB positions.

Let me know what you think.

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

Love Burfict if Dre doesn't fall enough

Burfict has phenomenal talent and with good guys and a strong head coach I don’t worry about his attitude concerns. Plus I like that he is a little nasty

by jshaw546 on Jan 22, 2012 8:09 PM MST via mobile reply actions

Agreed!

I want my Mike backer to be a little nasty. I want the Broncos defense to be one of the most feared units in the league and Burfict would definitely improve that, a huge improvement over Mays or Irving. I think Denver took a huge step in the right direction but we need to shore up the middle of our defense (DT, MLB, S). We got good rush off the edge obviously with Doom and Gig ’Em.. and we need one more CB.

by JuiceIsLoose on Jan 22, 2012 8:20 PM MST up reply actions

A good young DT is definitely in need as well

Im hoping that we can grab a guy like Taamu Poe Cox or Thompson in the second. There is a log jam of DTs with a round 1-2 grade so hopefully we will wait to see who is available there. If none then I really like David Wilson. Great size and speed and has the ability to run between the tackles.

by jshaw546 on Jan 22, 2012 9:11 PM MST via mobile up reply actions

jshaw546 don't hold your breath hoping John Fox drafts a defensive tackle in the 1st rd...Or the 2nd for that matter.

Head coach seems to like his DTs to be seasoned veterans of other teams castoffs. In the 9 years he and GM Hurder drafted together, the earliest they drafted one was #89 of the 3rd rd. Seems as if Fox and Xanders believe along the same lines since not one has been drafted by Denver in the first round when Xanders was GM. They probably feel that DTs (like I do by the way) usually take 3-4 years to become proficient at the position and why bother wasting that time when they can concentrate on other positions of need.

If you study who and what position Fox drafted you would see that the majority of the 1st rounders were on defense, with the DE (defensive end) position gathering the most selections (9, but not all in the first rd). His first pick ever as a head coach was DE Julius Peppers, who along with other acquistions and selections took them to the SB in their second season. Along with DEs, Fox likes his CBs (cornerbacks) taking 1 (Chris Gamble @28) in the 1st rd. What was strange about this pick was that Carolina had the 31th pick from losing the SB and gave a 4th rounder to reach up 3 spots to get Gamble. Fox also likes his RBs (runningbacks) and selected both of them in the first. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart who became the runningbacks by committee for Fox’s offense. Fox probably wet his pants when DeAngelo Williams was still there at #27 and jumped on him like white on rice. That was the 2006 draft. Jonathan was taken at #13 of the 2008 draft.

Fox has taken 2 Ts and a S in the first too, along with LB Jon Beason at #25 (where we’re picking this year). If I had to hedge my bets on the ‘what’ position EFX was going to select, it wouldn’t be a DT just on past practices. The latter part of the first rd has been…RB, CB and LB, all taken after the 20th pick. Since EFX acquired three (3) LBers in last years draft, I feel comfortable feeling they won’t address the position this year in the first. RB and CB is a position of need and if we were to narrow down the whole process, I think EFX will get either one of these or a DE. The bottom line is BPA and reading an article today with an interview with Panthers GM Marty Hurder you can learn a lot of how they will draft and who they draft.

BTW, Fox’s Panthers traded away their 1st rd picks for future picks in 2009 and 2010. Getting an impact player that will start is the priority of the first rd pick. From then on, it’s the BPA.

Win, lose or draw, we are the Denver Broncos! 13-3 Baby!!! Until we ain't!

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by bfree2bronc on Jan 23, 2012 4:46 PM MST up reply actions

I'll second that...

My family lives in Phoenix, so I pay attention to the AZ games and Burfict stands out. He definitely gets the PF flags, but it seemed to me like they were just a symptom of a high motor guy who plays with a lot of aggression and emotion.

This guy can really play, and the presence of veteran players and coaches would help temper his enthusiasm, so to speak. I want a top tier corner more, but this is definitely a pick I would be very happy with.

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious" Vince Lombardi

by CCBroncosFan on Jan 22, 2012 9:00 PM MST up reply actions

Burfict is not our guy in round 1

He certainlly has the right disposition for that spot on the field, but he makes too many mistakes, and too often hesitates at the snap of the ball (interestingly enough his first two years he seemed more productive, then he got the grow up talk, still made dumb penalties, but seemed to be more tentative on the field – at least from what I saw). We already have that guy on our roster (Joe Mays) and he doesn’t give up 30 yards of field postion each game with penalties. Additionally, I doubt he will nail the interview process, just my opinion. That being said, I hope the guy gets a 7 on wonderlic and comes across like a 6th grader in interviews, and we get to draft him in the 3rd or 4th round. He could be great, but too much risk for us in round 1 or 2. We need guys that should start for us with those picks, not guys who might work out. I know there are no sure things, but this guy is too risky for our team situation.

Still is a maybe for me. I fear that he will not be able to push the pocket enough, and will be the second coming of Marcus Thomas. If that were the case, I’d prefer to keep Marcus and look elsewhere with our first pick.

Kirkpatrick would be great, but even with the weed I doubt he falls to us. Maybe the BC MLB will run a slower 40. It wouldn’t break precedent to have the 1st MLB off the board in the 20s, so maybe we have a shot there. If not, I want the best pash rushing lineman (DE or DT) we can find.

by brettden on Jan 22, 2012 10:01 PM MST up reply actions

Still...

Has had a TON of tackles for loss this season. Somewhere around 18 and added 5 sacks.
He has the ability to live in opponents backfield but Im worried about consistency.

There is a lack of elite DT prospects in this class that’s why I dont think Still or Brockers will be available by #25. I don’t like Cox in the first round either. If we would grab the huge DT from Washington in round #2 I’d be good with that.

Dennard from Nebraska scares me a little and so does Jenkins with his off-field issues. Kirkpatrick is the only guy at CB I feel comfortable with in round #1.

That’s why I would love Burfict if his head is right. And that seems to be a BIG if

by JuiceIsLoose on Jan 22, 2012 10:21 PM MST up reply actions

I hear your. Concerns on Burfict

But his talent level is way beyond Mays so that is not a fair comparison. He has the talent to be an impact player. To me, risk is drafting a player that has mediocre productivity and average talent in the first round like all these DTs do. Plus, LBs almost always work out and DTs almost always bust. That is why I like Burfict in the first

by jshaw546 on Jan 23, 2012 2:10 AM MST via mobile up reply actions

LB Vontaze Burfict has been

considered to be the equivalent of Ray Lewis. Lewi had his issues when he was younger too, but has seemed to out grow them, but Lewis was a day one starter and what you want when drafting first round talent. If EFX select Burfict at #25 then I wouldn’t be too concerned thinking he would be a cancer on the team. I think they would do a full evaluation of his character issues and address them at the beginning of the relationship. Burfict is said to be the pound for pound best athlete on the board and that says a lot.

Win, lose or draw, we are the Denver Broncos! 13-3 Baby!!! Until we ain't!

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by bfree2bronc on Jan 23, 2012 5:39 PM MST up reply actions

No on Miller, but yes on Burfict?

That’s funny.

Truth shall be known.

by Agent Jerry Fletcher on Jan 23, 2012 8:33 AM MST up reply actions

2nd round

I hope we go CB in round 2 (assuming we get a DL/DE in round 1). I think it is realistic to count on a guy in round 2 can be groomed to start in his second year. We go with Goodman and Champ one more year, then hopefully move this draftee into Goodman’s spot.

I could also see us maybe looking for a second pash rusher in round 2, depending on what we do in FA. I think Doom and Von are great, but those are the only 2 pash rushers we have, and I think to be a great defense we need 4 or 5.

by brettden on Jan 22, 2012 10:05 PM MST reply actions

I think Goodman needs to be replaced yesterday...

by JuiceIsLoose on Jan 22, 2012 10:22 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs

Beyond

My uninformed position is we will draft defense in rounds 1 and 2. In round 3 there will be some good OL still on the board, and I hope we take the best one, regardless of position, but I’d prefer OT as those guys generally seem to have more versatily to move inside than visa versa.

From there I expect to see WR, QB, RB, LB/CB in no particular order.

by brettden on Jan 22, 2012 10:08 PM MST reply actions

Im not sure we take an OL in the top 3 rds.

I worry about the RT and G position a little but the OL was definitely a strength and with Harris resigning he provides depth as well as felxibility o move Franklin inside if needed because we know Harris can start at RT

by jshaw546 on Jan 23, 2012 2:14 AM MST via mobile up reply actions

Need the 1st round pick to be a hit

Burfict for me will either be elite or out of the league within a couple of years dont see any middle ground with him and on that basis see it as too much of a gamble to pick him in the 1st round.

"The Holy Writ of Gloucester Rugby Club demands: first, that the forwards shall win the ball; second, that the forwards shall keep the ball; and third, the backs shall buy the beer." - Doug Ibbotson

by SteveUK on Jan 23, 2012 1:53 AM MST reply actions 2 recs

+1

Truth shall be known.

by Agent Jerry Fletcher on Jan 23, 2012 8:36 AM MST up reply actions

Agreed. +1

by H-bizzle on Jan 23, 2012 12:21 PM MST up reply actions

Couldn't disagree more.

Let’s put two guys with major character concerns at the top of the big board! Our locker room needs more pot heads and morons with impulse issues. Child, please!

Truth shall be known.

by Agent Jerry Fletcher on Jan 23, 2012 8:39 AM MST reply actions

I would like to have Tolbert

and think SD will let him leave. I wouldn’t mind Mario Williams, but I think a FA signing on the DL isn’t likely because of Dumervil’s salary. I can’t see them having that much money tied up on the DL. Of course I could be wrong, but that is my mindset.
I wouldn’t waste my time on either Jackson. We don’y need WR’s, we need a QB that can deliver the ball to the ones we have.
Orlando Franklin is too tall to play Guard and if he progresses as much as he did since he’s been here, will be quite a bit better next season. I can see us grabbing a MLB in FA and a DB, but definitely no thank you for LaRon Landry. I think he is way overrated.

If the Broncos spend big on one FA this year, I am guessing it will be RB, MLB or DB.

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by KaptainKirk on Jan 23, 2012 10:53 AM MST reply actions 1 recs