MHR Mailbag - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap Edition

From Twitter

@Bronco_Mike251 @MileHighReport has Talib played up to his contract numbers so far?

— Sean Miller (@smill8) October 9, 2014

Talib is making about 7.9 million this season which puts him 8th among all NFL corners as far as salary this season.  over the course of 183 snaps he's been targeted 28 times and has allowed 15 receptions for 194 yards (55 YAC) and a 1TD.  His receptions given up are about 8th in the league (Richard Sherman comes in 1st with 7 allowed). In fact outside of that 1 TD reception where he had pretty good coverage, Talib has not given up a huge play in coverage. Here are some of the receivers he has covered thus far:

TY Hilton: 5 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards, 1 PD

Reggie Wayne: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards

Donnie Avery: 2 targets, 1 reception, 6 yards

Travis Kelce: 2 targets, 1 reception, 24 yards

Percy Harvin: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards

Ricardo Lockette: 1 target, 1 reception, 39 yards, 1 TD

Larry Fitzgerald: 2 targets, 1 reception, 15 yards

Michael Floyd: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards

John Brown: 3 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards

So far Talib has given up two pass plays over 20 yards. From what I've seen on tape most of his receptions are coming against off zone coverage.  He has contributed a couple of PD, one of which became a crucial interception in the Seattle game, so I think it is a matter of time before Talib gets his hands on one. Add to that the physical nature of his play and willingness to tackle and support the running defense and the Broncos have to be pleased up to this point.

@Bronco_Mike251 I've got one, just to get out of making cookies! What IS the dirtiest play in NFL history? Arians whining made me wonder...

— P6M (@tlcat06) October 9, 2014

I've heard stories of old school players clotheslining opponents to the ground. Probably the dirtiest play I've ever seen was when Bill Romanowski rolled over on Shannon Sharpe separating his elbow. He did it completely maliciously and put Shannon out for several weeks. When Arians shot his mouth off, this video was sent around twitter, and I'd have to say this is pretty dirty.

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@Bronco_Mike251 How do you think our defense would look if Rex was the D Coordinator?

— 5 RINGZZZ (@JuanPieceOfCake) October 9, 2014

If Rex could learn to shut his mouth more often, I'd love to see him in charge of this Broncos defense, especially with all the flexibility we have in the front 7 and in the secondary. Rex is aggressive and someone who has successfully been able to shut down some of the most successful offensive attacks and quarterbacks in the league including guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

You would probably see a true 3-4 defense, I'm willing to project the starting base line as Wolfe, Knighton, and Jackson with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware at OLB, Nate Irving and Danny Trevathan at ILB.  The biggest difference would be the amount of man coverage Rex could get out of this secondary because Rex likes to blitz and bring additional pressure especially when the coverage allows it.

From Mile High Report

From Calikula:

What do you think of Bradley Roby so far? Does he have any bad habits that jump out at you? What are some of the things he does well that jump out at you?

Roby's technique is flawed at times, he's a rookie it happens. What stands out to me is his closing speed and recognition. Even when he gets beat he seems to figure things out simultaneously then his athleticism kicks in and he's able to make a play on the ball.  Bradley has allowed a high percentage of his targets to be completed, but he's also held his receivers to an 11.9 reception average, 32% of his yards are YAC, and he has yet to give up a TD. Not only that he has proven to be a solid tackler bringing down receivers at the point of reception. I like what I see from him so far.

From Elkhunter:

I am wondering what REALLY is up with Lattimer. He was really showing stuff and Caldwell does not impress me at all. I would think we would be better off getting him some reps here and there rather than languishing on the inactive list every week.

He's a rookie, playing in a precision offense, with perhaps the most pedantic and unforgiving quarterback in the league. Add to that he's behind guys named Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, and Wes Welker, and I have no problems with the rookie riding pine. Cody looks like the real deal, but he will not ascend the depth chart on talent alone. And I'm not a believer that he can step in and do better than a Caldwell (even if Cody is more talented) because Caldwell has about three years playing in this offense right about now. Our passing offense is not broken. Even if Latimer were somehow able to surpass Bubba Caldwell on the depth chart, he isn't getting on the field more than 2-3 snaps per game when Sanders or Thomas need a breather.

You know what's wrong with Cody? He's a talented guy below a bunch of other more experienced talented guys. Nothing more, nothing less.

From falcon 642:

So Von Miller or JJ Watt who would you pick?

Outside of the ridiculous year where Watt batted a plethora of passes down at the LOS, they are pretty close as far as impact. Watt has played in 54 games and has registered 40.5 sacks (0.75 sacks per game). He has 33 passes defensed (those knockdowns at the LOS) 1 interception for 1 TD, 8 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, and 1 TD. Von Miller has played in 44 games and has registered 39.0 sacks (0.89 sacks per game). He has 7 passes defensed, 1 interception for 1 TD, 12 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 TD.

You couldn't lose with either one of them.  But since Von Miller is a Bronco I'll stick by him.

Running game queries:

There were so many different questions about the running game so I'll go ahead and address them as a group.  No I don't think Ronnie Hillman based on past performance and off the field issues should be the next in line after Montee Ball. He did however seem to provide the Broncos with better speed at the position which Montee Ball lacks. Montee is a patient runner, he excels with a true zone blocking scheme and he has never been the kind of back that will outrun the defense or knock them off their feet.

Rookie or not I would be going with Juwan Thompson. With our OL struggles, this is the kind of powerful runner that will break tackles and gain positive yardage when nothing is there. If he's green it is Peyton Manning's responsibility to help him as much as possible on the field until he knows the offense.

Here's what's wrong with the offensive line in my opinion. They re-shuffled to optimize the pass blocking and they did so to the detriment of the running game. Orlando Franklin isn't a lateral athlete capable of doing what Zane Beadles did in the pulling and screen game. Chris Clark is not the brutal mauler that Orlando Franklin was at RT. Add to that the lingering recovery of Ryan Clady who quite honestly hasn't looked like himself and Louis Vasquez who has been playing hurt and you have a lot of moving parts that have yet to gel.

If the Broncos want to establish the running game going forward they need to do it from their two TE set.

Thanks to all those who submitted questions. If you want to be a part of my mailbag, please submit questions via twitter (@bronco_mike251), email broncomike251@yahoo.com, or through the fanpost section when I post one up.

GO BRONCOS!!!