Huh? The Broncos 2009 Draft

Oh, what to say about the Denver Broncos draft, other than it defied conventional wisdom.  Any fan of the Denver Broncos could tell you that the front seven on defense was the team's biggest weakness.  Special teams, the secondary, and running back were also areas of concern.  New coach Josh McDaniels and new GM Brian Xanders spent part of the offseason shoring up the secondary and running back positions, signing one cornerback, two safeties, and three running backs to free agent contracts.  The Broncos are also in the process of switching to a 3-4 defense, and thus, they are in need of players who fit this defensive scheme.  So what did the Broncos do in the draft?  They drafted a running back (Knowshon Moreno) with their first pick, drafted two safeties (Darcel McBath, David Burton), a cornerback (Alphonso Smith), and only drafted one defensive lineman (Robert Ayers).  Of their ten picks, only four were for defense. 

 

I love the selection of Knowshon Moreno, but just not for the Broncos at this time.  Granted, consistency in the running game last year likely would have helped them to win at least one more game, saving Mike Shanahan's job.   Still, I think that the defensive line was so weak that the Broncos really needed to focus on it.  The Broncos ended up trading away one of their first round picks for 2010 for a cornerback in the second round, and I wonder why (maybe they tried) they didn't package it with the number 12 pick to move up in the first round to select BJ Raji, who went 10th to the Packers.  The 3-4 defense is anchored by the nose tackle position, and Raji was the best prospect for that position.  The Packers, who are also switching to a 3-4, realized this and grabbed Raji.

 

Alternately, the Broncos could have taken highly touted defensive end Brian Orakpo with the 12th pick and then selected either Ayers or Moreno with the 18th pick, as either player would have likely still been available at the 18th spot.  The way the Broncos draft unfolded in the second round makes me wonder if they realized they were too timid in the first round and thus overcompensated in the second with some confounding moves.
 

In the second round, the Broncos traded one of their first round picks for 2010 to move up to the 37th spot to draft CB Alphonso Smith, even though he possibly would have been available at the 48th spot.  The move also doesn't make much sense, when USC linebacker Ray Maualuga, who slipped from the first round, was still available.  The Bengals selected Maualuga with the next pick.  The other odd move by the Broncos was to trade their two third round picks (79 and 84) to Pittsburgh for their second round pick (64) and a fourth rounder (132) to select tight end Richard Quinn, a projected fourth rounder.  When you already have one of the best blocking TEs in Daniel Graham and a solid catching TE in Tony Scheffler, why reach for a player who was not considered by anyone else to be a second round choice.

I do think that the Broncos got some quality players, who could have an impact in the next few years.  Still, they are in desperate need of players who can stop the run and rush the passer.  Former Coach Mike Shanahan stated in his final press conference for the Broncos that the "new coach would have to be crazy not to keep the people who made the offense happen".  As a Broncos fan, I can only hope that Coach McDaniels is crazy like a fox and not crazy like Al Davis.

Luck of the Broncos

I just realized how incredibly lucky the Broncos were with the Cutler trade. If you recall, this all started because the Broncos wanted to trade Cutler for Cassell in a three team deal. The Patriots ended up trading Cassell and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs for a 2nd round pick. Then the whole soap opera started with the Broncos, and yesterday the Broncos announced that they traded Cutler to the Bears. They ended up getting two first round draft picks, a third round draft pick, and Kyle Orton. Josh McDaniels should be thanking his lucky stars. He went from screwing up the Cassell trade (who the Pats thought was worth a 2nd round pick and salary dump) to picking up a bunch of good draft picks and a QB who some people think isn't that much worse than Cassell. McDaniels' ineptitude at pulling off the initial trade actually paid off in the long run.

Cutler to Chicago

The Broncos did a little better than I expected, getting two first round drafts picks and Kyle Orton in exchange for Cutler and a fifth round draft pick. I don't know if Chris Simms or Kyle Orton is answer for QB, so the Broncos might look to fill that position in the draft. Not the scenario that I would have hoped for the Broncos at the start of the offseason, but I guess at least it is settled.

Cutting Ties With Cutler?

It looks as though the Broncos are actively trying to trade QB Jay Cutler now. Owner Pat Bowlen announced on Tuesday that the Broncos would, "begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded." I am quite surprised that it actually came down to this, but I now realize why.

Pat Bowlen made the decision to hire Head Coach Josh McDaniels, and thus, he had to stand behind the man he hired. If Bowlen actively supported Cutler, he would have undermined McDaniels and showed that he doubted his decision to hire him. Cutler was essentially Shanahan's hire, and thus Bowlen is less inclined to back him. I am not saying this was the right decision, but basically the safe one for Bowlen. I still think he handled the situation extremely poorly, as I mentioned in my previous post.

I also don't agree with Bowlen's announcing that Cutler is on the trading block. He has in effect shown his hand and let the league know that the Broncos have to get rid of him.  Bowlen won't be able to get as much value for him, as he would have if teams thought the Broncos still might keep him. Bowlen must now hope for a bidding war to get full value for Cutler (which they could have done previously).

It is not a big surprise to see so many teams reportedly interested in obtaining Cutler's services. Looking at the list of teams, I can see quite a few that would be attractive to Cutler, although he will have very little control over where he ends up. Here is a list of several teams that are supposedly interested in Cutler.

Detroit - Their QB situation is about as hopeless as last year's defeated team. Still, Calvin Johnson would be a great target for Cutler (and they share the same agent).  Also, the Lions have changed their stance and now are open to trading the first pick in the draft for Cutler, although, that carries a huge salary that the Broncos may not want to take on.

Tampa Bay - Tampa was one of the original teams involved in a Cutler - Cassel - (insert team commodity) three way.  Tampa desperately needs a QB, however, they do not have as much to offer as other teams.

Minnesota - This would seem to be one of the most likely places for Cutler to end up. The Vikings have NFL rushing leader Adrian Peterson, a solid offensive line, and a tough rushing defense. The weakest link on their playoff team last year was the QB position. The Vikings have reportedly said that they are happy with Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, but I find that hard to believe.

Washington - The Redskins weren't looking for QB during the off season, but with the latest news regarding Cutler, they have now entered the picture. With an owner like Dan Snyder, you can never count out the Redskins when a high profile free agent is available. Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Chris Cooley would be a decent group of skill players to join with Cutler.

Chicago - I can't remember the Bears having a decent QB in the last thirty years, other than maybe Jim McMahon, so it makes sense that they would be interested.  The Bears don't have as much to offer as some other teams, so they will also have to be creative in putting together a package that would be attractive to the Broncos.

 

Cleveland - New coach Eric Mangini has no vested interest in Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, and is holding an open competition between them.  There has been talk of a direct deal involving Quinn and defensive tackle Shaun Rodgers or a three team deal that might send Derek Anderson and draft picks to the Broncos.  Braylon Edwards name has also been tossed around in trade rumors.  Cleveland seemingly has more to offer to the Broncos than other teams, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they were involved in a Cutler trade.

 

New York Jets - The Brett Favre era was short lived in New York, and QB is now one of their weakest areas.  The Jets have let it be known that they are interested in trading for Cutler.  Also, Cutler's agent was also Favre's agent.

Several other teams, including San Francisco, Jacksonville, and Tennessee have also been floated around as possible destinations for Cutler.  I still find myself wondering why the Broncos are so eager to get rid of a player that so many other teams want.  I know he pouts on the sidelines when the game is going poorly, but I always took that as a sign of competitiveness.  Maybe there are more behind the scene (locker room) issues than I realize.