MHR Mailbag: "Tim Lynch is the Mike" Edition

This first one comes from our friend Kronk:

"The so-and-so is the Mike" call-out pre-snap by the QB...

We all hear it. But I haven't paid enough attention to it to know the following:

1) Why is he calling attention to the "Mike"?

2) Does the QB call it out on most/all plays? (Just pass/situational plays?)

3) What happens if there isn't a "true Mike" on the field at the time - since supposedly we don't have one out there "65% of the time"? Who (if anyone) is he calling out instead? (This comes back to Q#1... why he's/someone's being called out in the first place.)

Tim Lynch:

Calling out the Mike has nothing to do with the position of Middle Linebacker, at least as far as I understand. The quarterback is identifying protection schemes for his linemen. The better a quarterback is at setting his protection, the less likely he will get sacked. Peyton Manning is one of the best in the game at this. And if I'm totally wrong, well, that is why I don't write MHR-U posts. ;)

Bronco Mike:

Tim is absolutely right, but check out this video by Brian Billick explaining it in some more detail

Next up is an emailed question from Kevin

All the great things that happened last year and so far the great moves made this off-season (see Wes Welker), can all be quickly undone in my opinion, with a wrong move or bad hit on PFM.

Elway was doing some extensive vetting on Matt Barkley at the combine. I saw an inordinate amount of information on Barkley during that time from a Denver perspective. I'm not of the mind that Barkley is the future of the Broncos but likewise I cant get my head around the possibility that Brock Osweilier is either.

Any chance Denver is drafting a QB, or more specifically Matt Barkley at 28?

Tim Lynch:

This would make no sense whatsoever... Unless, through seeing Brock Osweiler in practice throughout 2012, they are convinced Osweiler isn't the long term answer. Matt Barkley is overrated anyway.

Bronco Mike:

As far as one bad hit on Peyton Manning and that being doom for the Broncos, you can pretty much say that about any NFL team. There are very few instances where a backup can step up and fill those shoes. When it does happen, it happens on deep teams. If any top notch starter goes down, that teams' championship prospects take a nosedive.

Currently we have only two QB's on the starting roster. It is customary to take 4 to camp. My feeling is we get one vet on a minimum contract with no guarantees and snag an undrafted free agent rookie to stash on the practice squad.

There is no need to draft another QB this year, and though it might happen since we only have 2, if we took one before the 6th or 7th round I'd be surprised. Barkley stinks, he is not starter material or even decent starting material if someone goes down.

Scotty Payne:

I would be very very surprised if they drafted a QB at all in this draft. They spent a 2nd round pick on Brock Osweiler last year and have Peyton Manning coming off a MVP type year. Also this drafts QB class is not very good.

Elway does his due diligence on the QB position every year it seems.

This came up in one of my posts and it was a conversation by CH74, Rodney Adams, and myself.

Von Miller to RDE?

Tim Lynch:

I think fans put too much emphasis on a players position on paper and don't pay enough attention to what positions players actually play throughout the game. I see Von Miller playing at the defensive end position on a good percentage of snaps, but he is an outside linebacker. He is far too valuable being moved all over the line. Putting him in one spot just makes it easier for opposing quarterbacks to set their protections.

Bronco Mike:

I originally stated it was crazy sauce and I still think it is to a certain extent, but I understand the logic and I think there is some middle ground here. But I want to clarify a few things first. Von's biggest attribute is his speed and athleticism. His first step is deadly. A full time move to RDE means you want him with his hand in the ground which takes that advantage away. Even if you don't do that you're moving Von away from the strongside on rushing downs where he's proved to be an asset in getting to the backfield and disrupting plays. It also means you need to fill a now open hole at the SAM position.

I've seen so many creative blitzes and a variety of things on tape to know that Del Rio uses guys in different ways-and this is the common ground, we can play a variety of fronts and this will be done to maximize the talent that is here. With this defense especially let's get away from replacing Doom with one guy. I foresee a lot of guys contributing and we have the talent to do so. I get that some people think the defense will suffer greatly from his loss, but I'm not one of them. And I don't think it is wise to take away some of the strengths that Von Miller has by relegating him to one position.

Scotty Payne:

No way. Von is great at what he's doing now. He's our SAM Backer and also is the "Joker" on passing downs. I would rather Del Rio move Von all over the defense to create matchup problems for the offense. Also Von has turned into one helluva linebacker. Lets keep him right where he is and draft a pass rushing stud in the draft!

Next up is our very own Topher Doll:

Why does there seem to be no love for Zane Beadles on MHR?

Tim Lynch:

I think some players take longer to find their NFL legs than others and Zane Beadles had a couple of rough patches in his first two seasons with the team. I had that bias going into last year, but if you look at how he played with Manning under center you see a player that is good at playing knowing exactly what his responsibility is. With Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow, Beadles was left hung out to dry far too often. This is another example of how a great player makes those around him better. I think the experience Beadles gains working with Manning will make him a 10 year starter in this league. You watch and see.

Bronco Mike:

A few things are at work here, first he was a Josh McDaniels draft pick that struggled early on in his thus far short career. Next you have the notion that Peyton Manning makes everyone better there fore his success last season isn't of his own making. Beadles is a solid player and one of our most athletic linemen. When the Broncos pull a guard he's the one that does it. I think our entire interior struggled run blocking last year, but that will happen with two guys down for injury. I'm not going to dog the man and I think he did a fine job last year. Next year will be the test to see if he can continue and augment that progress.

Scotty Payne:

Beadles is hated on here. Not as much as Lance Ball, but he's up there. I don't know why really. He's a very solid left guard, and made the pro bowl this past season.

Some of the hate may come from the 2011 season when we had Tim Tebow back there and our entire OL struggled. Under Manning, Beadles had a solid year. So lets give some love to our Pro Bowl left guard!

Finally an anonymous question

What are the three biggest draft needs for the Broncos. If you were the Broncos GM, what players would you take in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round?

Tim Lynch:

Manti Te'o... And whoever else Elway thinks is good enough to contribute.

Bronco Mike:

In my offensive breakdown I labeled the RB and WR as high needs. With WR I know people might do a double take but Decker is in his contract year in 2013 and will hit the market in 2014. Thomas and Welker will follow in 2015. Behind them we have Andre Caldwell, Trindon Holliday, and some practice squad bodies. Add to that DE and I would take them in the following order:

Rd 1 DE Bjorn Werner - news is his stock might be falling enough for him to reach late 1^st round early 2^nd round. Apparently his combine and workout numbers weren't the greatest. Who cares? Great motor and effort player with potential to be a very good pass rusher. Exactly what the Broncos want and need.

Rd 2 WR DeAndre Hopkins - probably doesn't fall to late 2^nd round, but a guy can wish can't he?

Rd 3 RB Le'Veon Bell - tough runner with great vision. He can be our workhorse and future at RB. Caught 67 passes out of the backfield the last couple of years and can pass protect. He can be an everydown back capable of staying in for entire drives when Peyton goes no huddle. Biggest knock I hear about him is his height and his "tall running". Know who else were/are tall runners? Terrell Davis and Arian Foster.

If we ended up with this haul or something similar with our first three picks, I would giggle like a little schoolgirl Tim Lynch if the Broncos pick Manti Teo.

Scotty Payne:

1. DE/Pass Rusher 2. Running Back. 3 Safety/Inside Linebacker/Defensive Tackle.

This is a tough one for me honestly. The Broncos can go a number of different ways in the draft, especially in the first round. I'm not ruling out a CB, WR, OL pick either.

My 3 as of right now would be....

1st round. Carradine or BPA/Trade Back

If the Broncos want to win the Super Bowl they need guys who can get after the passer. Carradine, Moore, Werner or someone else would make me happy here.

BPA is also another option. If all of the top pass rushers are off the board, the Broncos have the luxury of taking the best player available. Why i'm not ruling out a OL(Center) or WR in the first round

A trade back would not surprise me either. The Broncos only have 6 picks, and Elway has shown he isn't afraid of moving around. Lets hope if this happens, we get better value than last year.

2nd round. In the second round i would like to go running back. With no runners going in the first round, the Broncos should be able to get one of the better backs in the draft at this spot. Mike Klis tweeted that he's 99.9% sure the Broncos will take a RB in the first three rounds. We'll see how right he is..

The guy im starting to like a lot is Christine Michael. a 5'11 220+lb running back with 4.42 speed. The Broncos are missing a guy who can run between the tackles consistently with explosion. There's some maturity questions with him, but nothing a strong locker room cannot fix. Peyton and company will get him going in the right direction.

3rd round. Here i would either at DT/CB or safety. The Broncos could use added depth and youth at both positions

Hope you enjoyed this weeks Mailbag PLEASE SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO ME:

broncomike251@gmail.com @Bronco_Mike251

GO BRONCOS!!!