Playing G.M. - Denver Broncos

Let's play GM a little bit here...


I'd like to know what's going to happen in Denver with a new coach and GM coming in. While I'm certain that the personnel decisions will yield better results, I'm not as certain that a change in coaching or in offensive philosophy would be beneficial. That's why my playing GM will be based on the idea that Denver Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison (who just signed a three-year contract extension prior to the season) will be retained, which is a very good possibility. Dennison will hopefully be able to continue recently fired Head Coach Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme that has led to such a successful running game over the past 10-15 years.

With that in account, as the Broncos GM I'd bring in a fresh, defensive mind. I like the idea of Leslie Frazier coming over from Minnesota, or perhaps Rex Ryan from Baltimore. Both would be considered player's coaches, and both could leave the offensive dealings to Dennison. I'm going to go with Rex Ryan in this instance because I don't believe that there's an assistant coach out there that deserves a head coaching job more than Ryan does.


After that, I'd invest as much money as I can in two marquee free-agents. With a defensive minded coach and a contending team, I would do everything I could to lure Pro Bowl DT Albert Haynesworth to Denver. He's an unrestricted free agent and would provide the defensive line with the strong anchor that it's been lacking for years now. The other top Free Agent I'd bring in is Ravens MLB Bart Scott. Scott's familiar with Rex Ryan and he's a stud in the middle. This would settle a very problematic position for the Broncos and would instantly upgrade the defense. With just these two additions to the front seven, Denver would be a legitimate Super Bowl candidate.

Now what do you do with the draft? The Broncos hold the 12th pick overall in the upcoming draft, and there should be plenty of talent available. With the additions of Haynesworth and Scott, the Broncos' top needs are: S, RB, OLB, OG, DL, CB, in that order. The top safety in the draft is USC's Taylor Mays, but he likely won't make it out of the top ten. If he does, he should be the top choice for the Broncos. A RB should be addressed later in the draft. Value at the other positions of need is a little thin at this point, so I'd be looking to trade down. If I couldn't trade down, I'd be eyeing Illinois CB Vontae Davis. He's got boom-or-bust written all over him, but allowing him to learn for a few years behind Champ Bailey and Dre Bly could be just what he needs to hone his skills and his consistency. His athleticism may even exceed that of his brother Vernon's. However, I'm going to assume that at the 12th pick in the draft one of the QB's will be falling or someone will want to trade up to grab somebody. The teens tend to get some action in trades. Assuming I could pick up an extra third round pick and get down into the mid-twenties of the first round, I'd be looking at one of two guys: USC OLB Brian Cushing and Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson. Both of these players have the ability to start immediately and to be big-time players at their respective positions. In this scenario, I'll assume that Cushing was available.

In the second round, I'd grab Duke Robinson if he's there, and he could be... but I'm going to assume that he isn't. Assuming he's not there, I'm going to grab RB Shonn Greene out of Iowa. He's got a one-cut ability and he's tough to bring down at 233. Deceptively athletic, he should fit in well with the Denver offense and provide some stability at the RB position.



Since I traded down in the first round, I picked up an extra third round pick and with my two third rounders, I'm going to target S Patrick Chung (who may not last that long) from Oregon with the first of the two picks, and Texas A&M's DE Michael Bennett. Chung has the range and the hitting ability to be a solid starter in the NFL, and Bennett has the size and raw ability to fit into the DE rotation with Elvis Dumervil, Ebenezer Ekuban, and John Engleberger.


Late in the game, I'll be targeting a big, strong, guard with upside, a developmental CB, Defensive line depth, and a developmental OT. Additionally, I'll be looking to grab a late round QB, because I believe in drafting a QB in every draft. I'd target a senior with a lot of experience, physical tools, and a competitive spirit. Somebody like Willie Tuitama from Arizona or college senior disappointment Cullen Harper from Clemson.


Additionally, I'd re-sign Patrick Ramsey to backup Jay Cutler. I'd cut ties with RB's Tatum Bell and Selvin Young, LB's Jordan Beck (UFA) and disappointing Niko Koutevides. I'd also look into some lesser known free agents such as: special teams ace Larry Izzo from N.E., OLB Tyjuan Hagler from Indy, and CB Jason Craft from StL. These guys won't command a ton of money, but are valuable contributors.

So with this plan, I'd be heading into 2009 with Rex Ryan as my head coach and the following roster:



QB - Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey, Willie Tuitama
RB - Shonn Greene, Michael Pittman, Peyton Hillis
FB - Spencer Larsen, Hillis
WR - Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely
TE - Tony Scheffler, Daniel Graham
OT - Ryan Clady, Ryan Harris
OG - Chris Kuper, Ben Hamilton
C - Casey Wiegmann

K - Matt Prater
P - Kern
RS - Royal


DT - Albert Haynesworth, Dewayne Robertson, Marcus Thomas
DE - John Engelberger, Elvis Dumervill, Ebenezor Ekuban, Michael Bennett, Jarvis Moss
OLB - D.J. Williams, Brian Cushing, Tyjuan Hagler, Jamie Winborn, Larry Izzo
MLB - Bart Scott, Nate Webster, Larsen
CB - Champ Bailey, Dre Bly, Jason Craft
S - Patrick Chung, Marquand Manuel, Marlon McCree


Denver is definitely a place that I would want to go if I were being considered for a GM position, and it's a great spot for a head coaching candidate as well. It isn't often that you can walk into a situation where QB, LT, and WR are already in position. Consistency and the defense are the only things missing, and I think that with this kind of off-season, the Broncos could be there next year.

Arizona Defense

I was very impressed watching the defense of the Arizona Cardinals. They contained NFL MVP candidate RB Michael Turner, holding him to a mere 42 yards on 18 carries, and they forced two interceptions out of Offensive Rookie of the Year QB Matt Ryan. Granted he's a rookie starting his first playoff game, on the road, but impressive nonetheless. Everyone knew that Arizona's offense had firepower (though few would've predicted the success of Edgerrin James in the running game on Saturday), but the defensive effort is most certainly what led to the Cardinals 30-24 victory in Glendale, AZ.

Three defensive players had standout games in my mind. While the whole defense played well, rookie CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, LB Karlos Dansby, and most of all DT Darnell Dockett. Others made big plays and were important parts of the defense, but these three were highly impressive in this energetic effort.

Rodgers-Cromartie (or DRC) had 10 total tackles and an interception, but what was most impressive was his handling of Pro Bowl WR Roddy White. 11 catches, 84 yards and a score might not look like he was handled, but anyone watching the game will tell you that the blanket coverage of DRC kept White from turning those 11 catches into significantly more than a sub-par 7.6 yard average per catch. White averaged 15.7 yards per catch during the regular season, but on Saturday was held in check by the up-and-coming rookie. Look for DRC to emerge next year as a star CB.


Dansby is a beast in his own right. Leading the defense, he brought a level of energy to the game that became infectious to the rest of his teammates. Much like Bob Sanders in Indianapolis, when Dansby is fired up, the Cardinals defense is fired up. Dansby finished with a modest eight tackles, but he was flying around to the football and was obviously a contributing factor to the containment of Michael Turner. Dansby is often overlooked when it comes to awards and accolades, but he's a top performer and is capable of leading this defense further into the postseason. A huge challenge awaits, as next week he'll face the two-headed running back monster in Carolina.


Dockett might be the most critical of the three players I'm mentioning in this article. Dockett had only one tackle the entire game (which was a huge stuffing of Michael Turner). However, he was a force the entire game. Granted, much of the success of the Dockett had to do with being able to time the rookie QB's count perfectly (a benefit that will be harder to have against savvy veterans such as Jake Delhomme, Donovan McNabb, and Eli Manning), but it's no doubt that he provided a dominant force for the Arizona defensive line. Dockett found a way to disrupt the continuity of an otherwise very good Falcons offensive line. Play after play he was taking on blockers to free up edge rushers and close out running lanes. He was in Matt Ryan's face and his intensity on the field was unmatched. If he keeps up this dominant style of play, the Cardinals might just have a chance to go far this postseason.


No Matter what's in store next week for the Cardinals in Carolina, if their defense maintains this type of intensity, they have a chance to win the game. I hope that they can keep up this energy, because they're a lot of fun to watch when they do.

Dolphins Win!

As a lifelong Dolphins fan, I can't help but to be excited about the Dolphins victory over the Jets. While I agree that it's unfortunate to see a team that goes 11-5 (the Patriots) miss the playoffs, I must admit that I'm happy to see Miami as the only AFC East team to make it.

This was a great victory for the team, and a great one for Chad Pennington. I'll be the first to admit that when Pennington was signed just weeks before the start of the regular season, I was skeptical at best. I thought to myself "oh great, another washed up veteran that can't stay healthy!" I was concerned about his arm strength, his durability, whether or not he'd learn the system, etc. I am now very happy to say that I was wrong to disagree, and I was wrong to be skeptical and concerned. Not that Chad Pennington reads my blog, but I would like to officially apologize to him for my doubts. Mr. Pennington, I'm very, very sorry; and thank you for this season. Even if Miami loses to the Ravens next Sunday in the first round of the playoffs, I'll still be ecstatic by the progress this team has made. Looming doubts about the sale of the franchise, the permanence of Bill Parcells, and other issues abound; but today Dolphins fans everywhere can be happy to see our favorite team make the biggest turnaround in NFL history. Congratulations to the Dolphins, and I hope you can beat a very, very tough Baltimore Ravens team next Sunday!

What to do in Detroit...

The Detroit Lions are on the verge of possibly becoming the first team to ever finish a 16 game regular season without a win. Even if they beat Green Bay this week and go 1-15, it's still obvious that they need to take a step in a new direction. But what exactly should they do? Where should they turn to try and fix this mess?

As we've seen in Miami and Atlanta this season, a quick turnaround is possible. However, we've also seen teams like Oakland struggle for years. What's the difference? Management. Thomas Dimitroff and Bill Parcells have done an impecable job signing and drafting talent in their first years with the Falcons and the Dolphins respectively. Al Davis seems to be making bad decisions left and right. That's the biggest difference in teams. Management. That's the reason why the Colts and Patriots have been good for so long and why the Browns and Bengals have struggled. It's why Pittsburgh is always competitive and why Oakland just can't get over the hump. Detroit needs to bring in a real talent evaluator as a G.M. and a new head coach that will work together and bring stability to the team.

Once a new coach and general manager are in place, then start re-tooling the roster from the inside out. Evaluate who you can build the team around. RB Kevin Smith, WR Calvin Johnson, LB Ernie Simms, RT Gosder Cherilus. These guys need to be the future of the team. Bring in a couple of solid defensive free agents, but nobody high profile like Haynesworth or Asomugha. Consider someone like LB Bart Scott from Baltimore and CB Jabari Greer from the Bills. Scott could pair with Simms to upgrade the LB position and Greer could start at corner, taking pressure of Leigh Bodden on the other side. Then draft the rest of your team.

Start with the number one overall pick. Grab LT Andre Smith from Alabama and have him anchor your line for the next decade. If Cherilus starts to develop, this will leave them with a great pair of bookend tackles. With the other first round pick received from Dallas in the Roy Williams trade, look to secure OG Duke Robinson from Oklahoma. Most don't agree with drafting guards early, but Robinson may be worth it. With he and Smith anchoring the left side of the offensive line, the Lions could finally be dominate up front for a long time. In the second round, look at a DT such as Sen'Derrick Marks from Auburn or Fili Moala from USC. These guys have the potential to be dominant interior forces and should last until the 33rd pick. The Lions have two third round choices and should be thinking about C Max Unger from Oregon, continuing to re-tool their entire offensive line, DE Michael Bennett from Texas A&M, or if he lasts that long, S Patrick Chung from Oregon. All of these guys could help where it matters most. Their second third round pick could be used to pick up a guy like TE Travis Beckum from Wisconsin. Current TE Michael Gaines is a valuable player, but Beckum has much better top end speed and can stretch the seam, giving the Lions another target in the passing game. He's also a decent blocker. In later rounds, look for more depth at OLB and both the offensive and defensive lines. Finally, draft a QB because I believe in always drafting a QB, just in case he's the next overlooked NFL star QB. Somebody like Willie Tuitama from Arizona or Cullen Harper from Clemson should be available in the 6th or 7th round and both have the potential to be solid picks.

At this point, Detroit would have a solid foundation in the trenches, in management, and in some young stars. They can learn to play together in 2009 and then the Lions can worry about a QB next year.

Cable Sucks!

No this isn't another ranting by me about not being able to get Sunday Ticket on Cable. Nor is this another condemning post toward Time Warner Cable for not carrying the NFL Network. While those two things do indeed anger me to no end, I'm talking about Raiders interim Head Coach Tom Cable.

Former Raiders Head Coach Lane Kiffin, fired earlier this season, is now the newly hired Head Coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Kiffin recently hired Raiders offensive line coach James Cregg. Now I agree that Cregg should've finished off the last couple weeks of the season with the Raiders. However, in retaliation, Cable fired two other Kiffin associates from the Raiders staff and is verbally lashing out at Cregg and Kiffin. This was the wrong response.

The Raiders are a lost cause this season and many believe that Kiffin was unjustly fired from the team. In light of this, it makes perfect sense for a guy like Cregg to leave the Raiders' screwed up organization to join Kiffin. It's loyal and I don't see anything wrong with it. If the Raiders were still alive for a playoff berth or something to that effect, then I might understand the anger, but Cregg's loyalty obviously lies with Kiffin, the man who hired him. I don't see anything wrong with that and Cable is a moron for thinking otherwise.

Just my rant of the day. Hopefully Raiders fans will have some good news coming out of Oakland sometime in the near future and not any more of this garbage.

Referee Gene Steratore

I was watching the Colts-Chargers game last night, and they kept mentioning one of the officials by the name of Gene Steratore. Me being who I am, could only think of this.

Week 6 NFL Personnel Secret Identity

Seriously, Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress is bound to show up at a conference any day now in one of those hats, and say "Those wascally Wions, if not for the wefewees giving us turnovers, we would've wost!"