The Denver Broncos finished the 2011 NFL Draft in much the same way it began - by building depth on defense and at tight end. The Broncos added a linebacker, defensive tackle and tight end to their haul, as the full-scale rebuild of the Denver Broncos under John Fox and John Elway has begun. Here is what the latest Broncos had to say:
LINEBACKER MIKE MOHAMED -
On whether he will play inside or outside linebacker
"I haven't been told about my role. I just want to come in, and wherever they need me-wherever I fit in- that's where I'll go. As for which one I prefer, I played both during my college career, and to be honest, it doesn't really matter."
On being the third linebacker selected by the Broncos
"I guess they thought they needed a little bit of competition, and competition is always good; it always makes a team better. I'm just looking to go in there and give it my all and try to make the Broncos a better team."
On how much contact he had with the Broncos before being drafted
"Just a little bit-definitely not the most, but I wouldn't say none. It's not like I didn't talk to them at all. I talked to them a little bit at the Combine. "
On playing a role on special teams
"Yeah, definitely. I already know that's kind of my ticket. I've done them all throughout my college career. Like I said earlier, I'll go in wherever they need me."
On whether he was surprised by falling to the sixth round
"To be honest, I thought I would go a little bit earlier than what I did, but there's a reason for everything. Going to the Broncos in here the sixth, that's what was meant to be."
On whether he has spoken with Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway
"I did. I talked to John over the phone for a few minutes. He told me, ‘Imagine a Stanford guy drafting a Cal guy.' You would never think that in a million years."
On his playing style
"I think the first thing that stands out is that I'm a ball hawk. I'm relentless. I'll always try to get to the ball, obviously within the parameters of the defense. I'm never giving up on plays; my motto is, ‘All or nothing.'"
On his workout plans until team activities resume
"I'm going to keep working out-keep running, keep lifting weights and try to stay in shape, so whenever things get figured out, I'm ready to go and ready to report. I would like to get in touch with some of my teammates, but we'll see. I'm trying to get it all figured out."
On whether he has been given a time frame as to when team activities will resume
"No, not yet. I've just talked real briefly with a couple of guys: John Elway, the head coach (John Fox), the linebackers' coach (Richard Smith), so we'll see. They didn't really fill me in on any of that, so I'm not sure if they even know right now."
On whether he has spoken with Broncos CB Syd'Quan Thompson, a former teammate at Cal
"No, I haven't talked to him yet, but it's definitely cool for me knowing a guy on the team that I've played with already. I'm sure he's probably got some good advice."
TIGHT END VIRGIL GREEN
On transitioning from wide receiver to tight end
"Initially it was a tough transition. I went from being a high school receiver who everyone was afraid to hit to a tight end where you are hit almost every single play. Gaining weight was by far the toughest part. I have a fast metabolism and my body doesn't like to put on a lot of weight but I ended up putting weight on and I feel fast, and I feel athletic and physical. I am hoping to bring some of my athleticism and physical ability to the Denver Broncos."
On his familiarity with TE Julius Thomas
"Me and Julius actually had a chance to train together so I know him a little bit. I am excited to work with him and compete with him as well."
On whether his draft day was stressful
"No, it has not been as stressful for me. I left it in God's hands and I knew he would put me where I fit perfectly. I know he put me in Denver for a reason and I am going to go out there and do what God asks me to do."
On describing himself as a blocker
"I think I am a great in-line blocker. At Nevada, we ran the ball a lot. So in our offense, if you couldn't block, you couldn't play."
On his plans until the a labor agreement is reached
"I have been working out with a trainer in my hometown this last week. We have been working out hard and I am focused on getting into the weight room and getting my conditioning in because I know I have to be ready at all times. I just love working hard so every day is going to be a constant staying in the weight room for an hour-and-a-half or two hours and then doing conditioning work later that day. When I get that call from the Broncos to show up, I will be ready."
On his 42-inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine
I have always had a jumping ability. In high school, people were always laughing about how I dunked on people in basketball games.
On prior interaction with Broncos
"We talked at the combine. I talked to (Tight Ends) Coach (Clancy) Barone and he let me know that he was very interested in me. He came over and worked me out and we went over some offensive things that he wanted to show me. I kind of felt like the Broncos was one of the teams that were going to draft me. I am ready to go play."
On playing basketball
"In high school, that was actually my main sport up until my senior year. Basketball was one of my first loves and my first passion."
DEFENSIVE TACKLE JEREMY BEAL
On his draft day
"Yeah, it was a long day. I just hoped for the opportunity to get drafted and then Denver called me and it was a happy feeling."
On fitting into a 4-3 defense
"Going into the draft, I knew I could play a variety of positions, defensive end was one of them."
On prior contact with Broncos
"Not very much contact at all. I knew they wanted me to take a visit and then cancelled at the last second."
On if he has spoken with former and future teammate Quinton Carter
"I haven't gotten to talk to Quinton yet. I will talk to him here in a little bit. It would be fun to reunite with him. "
On where he went in the draft
"I didn't know where I was going to go. I am just happy that I went. It doesn't matter where I went I was just happy to get the opportunity."
On his plans before a labor agreement is reached
I have been working out. I plan on keeping on doing that and then going to minicamp and being the best that I can be and compete for a job."
On areas he needs to improve at the NFL
"First of all, I think pass rush. It is a step up from the college level and you can always work on your pass rush. Just my overall game and stuff like that."