Miscues in ‘09 set table for 2010 Draft

The first day of the first draft of the McDaniels-Xanders era in Denver was, by most accounts, a disaster.  The Broncos had just traded franchise quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears for two 1^st Round picks, and expectations were high for how those picks would be used.

Then Josh “I Do What I Want” McDaniels and Brian “I Do What Josh Tells Me” Xanders traded the Broncos’ extra 2010 pick for the 5^th pick in the 2^nd Round of the 2009 Draft.  The player they grabbed with that pick?  Wake Forest Cornerback Alphonso Smith, who couldn’t muscle his way past the Ghost of Ty Law in the Broncos’ DB pecking order.

The two ’09 picks that preceded Smith were used to draft Georgia Running Back Knowshon Moreno & Tennessee Defensive End Robert Ayers.  Moreno started through the 2009 regular season, but lacked the explosive playmaking ability that made him a 12^th Overall coming out of college.  Ayers spent the majority of his rookie season injured, and the rest of it ineffective.

Time will tell whether the Broncos later ’09 2^nd Round picks, Safety Darcel McBath & Tight End Richard Quinn, will pan out in Denver.  Quinn will see a lot of snaps in 2010 since former 2^nd Round TE Tony Scheffler was exiled to the Detroit Lions on Monday.  We’ll know a lot about how the Broncos coaching staff feels about McBath’s NFL progress after this week’s draft.  If Denver grabs a free safety in the first three rounds, it may be a sign that McBath is a bust.

At least the McXanders combo will have a chance to right their early-round wrongs from ‘09 with three picks in the first two rounds of the 2010 Draft.

Late-round 2009 picks are projects best saved for later examination, but overall rounds 4-7 look pretty good for McXanders.  Safety David Bruton, WR Kenny McKinley & Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater all looked solid in 2009 preseason action against fellow late-round talent.  No doubt, McKinley and Brandstater are learning to do things the McDaniels way before they ever become major role-players in his offense, but Kenny in particular has shown exceptional talent for a 5^th Round Selection.

The 2010 Draft is nigh upon us

By the time this article publishes, we will be roughly 24 hours away from the start of the 1^st Round of the 2010 Draft.

The Broncos ended the 2009 season with a lot of clear needs on the defensive side of the ball.  Strong Safety is probably a concern, but Inside Linebacker and Nose Tackle take clear precedence.  That’s the entire middle of the Denver defense for those keeping track.

The Broncos’ primary offensive need is at Center after 2009 7^th Round selection Blake Schlueter ended up with the Atlanta Falcons.

Denver Broncos needs in the first 2 Rounds

The weakness at ILB will likely spur Denver to pick up exceptional Alabama Linebacker Rolando McClain in the 1^st Round.  Despite the defensive depth in the 2010 draft, the LB class is one of the weakest in years.  Plus, McClain is the type of run stuffing on-field coach that Brian Xanders & Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale (himself a former linebacker) can build the rest of the defense around.

Really, the interior of the offensive line was the only big issue for the Denver offense going into this draft until Brandon Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins last week.  Unfortunately for the Broncos, the WR class gets pretty light after troubled but talented receiver Dez Bryant, and there is no way that Denver wants another head-case wideout mucking up the locker room should he fall to the 11^th pick.

What does work out in the Broncos’ favor is that the top Center in the 2010 Draft, Florida’s Maurkice Pouncey, may be available when Denver makes their first pick of the 2^nd Round.  However, if McClain is off the board earlier in the 1^st Round, the Broncos may go ahead and grab Pouncey with the 11^th Overall.  By most accounts, Pouncey is 1^st Round material in a draft so loaded that many top players will be available in the 2^nd.

Who goes when will all come down to the needs of other teams, but ideally these will be the Broncos’ top two picks.

Another 1^st Round option is Tennessee Nose Tackle Dan Williams, although the NT class is deep enough that Denver can get a less expensive center for their 3-4 defense later in the draft.  Terrance Cody, Alabama’s behemoth Nose Tackle, may fit the bill.  Cody has conditioning issues, but may work well in a platoon with recently acquired veteran NT Jamal Williams (formerly of the San Diego Chargers).  North Carolina DT Cam Thomas should be available late in the 2^nd Round.

Ian’s Dream Draft: Rounds 1 & 2

All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the tendencies of McDaniels and Xanders after their free-wheeling, pick-trading 2009 Draft odyssey.  If the stars aligned perfectly, the Broncos could spend the first two picks setting the middle of their defense & offense with Rolando McClain & Maurkice Pouncey respectively.

Since Denver has both the 11^th & 13^th picks in the 2^nd Round, taking Pouncey with the 11 and then the best Nose Tackle available at 13 makes a lot of sense.  However, my Dream Draft has another, considerably wackier outcome.  Pouncey Centered an outstanding offensive line as a Gator in front of Heisman-winning Florida QB Tim Tebow.

If Tebow falls to the 2^nd Round, the Broncos will have the rare opportunity to grab the Center/Quarterback combo that made Florida a National Title contender the last two years.  Pouncey is clearly the best Center in the draft, and should both he and Tebow fall to the early stages of the 2^nd Round, I would love to see both end up in Denver.

Read more about Tim Tebow as a Bronco here.

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Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a restricted free-agent tender with Denver, indicating that he will stay with the team through the 2010-2011 season.  Orton was tendered at a first-round draft pick, but is not likely to follow the tender-to-trade path that Brandon Marshall took out of town.

Orton was already participating in the Broncos’ offseason conditioning program after signing an injury waiver, and his relationship with the team was never in doubt.  Kyle said that he felt his presence at offseason workouts was necessary because of his leadership role with the team.

However, Orton was also critical of Denver’s unwillingness to settle ongoing contract disputes with Pro Bowl Defensive End Elvis Dumervil and other young Broncos who had paid their NFL dues by playing through their rookie contracts without asking for a pay increase.  Dumervil has not signed the RFA tender offered by the team, and may hold out through training camp as a result.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has said that Kyle Orton will remain the Broncos’ starting QB so long as he continues to perform at a high level and show improvement.  There was some doubt as to whether the recently-acquired Brady Quinn would compete with Orton from the beginning of training camp.

Orton threw for more than 3,800 yards last season, with more than 1,100 of those yards moving through elite Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.

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Brandon Marshall was traded to the Miami Dolphins early Wednesday morning in exchange for two 2nd Round draft picks.  According to league sources, the Denver Broncos will receive a 2010 2nd Round pick & a 2011 2nd Round pick from the Dolphins in exchange for the big, physical Pro Bowl receiver Marshall.

With Brandon Marshall’s exit from the Broncos, head coach Josh McDaniels has successfully finished erasing the face of the Shanahan Era from the Denver offense.

The Broncos received two 1st Round picks, two 2nd Round picks & a 3rd Round pick in exchange for the two most recognizable aspects of former Denver coach Mike Shanahan’s highly efficient offense from the 2008-2009 season.

Brandon Marshall is expected to receive a very lucrative offer from the Dolphins in exchange for his services, as Miami seeks to offset the New York Jets’ recent acquisition of Super Bowl MVP receiver Santonio Holmes from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The move makes the AFC East one of the most powerful divisions in the league.  In addition to the Jets & Dolphins, the AFC East also houses perennial powerhouse and former McDaniels employer the New England Patriots.

Marshall will travel to Miami today.   Assuming he passes a physical and the NFL processes the trade paperwork without any snafus, the Dolphins will enhance an offense that was missing exactly what Brandon brings to the table: a big, talented possession receiver to match their dynamic running game and stout defense.

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Brandon Marshall has signed a $2.5 million restricted free agent tender with the Denver Broncos.

The tender offer by the Broncos and Marshall’s acceptance were the result of a phone call between Marshall & Denver head coach Josh McDaniels.  The two spoke today regarding Marshall’s future with the team, a conversation that no doubt included input from the Broncos’ front office and Brandon Marshall’s agent Kennard McGuire.

While this move may seem like an indicator that Brandon Marshall will stay with the team, it is more likely designed to ease the Broncos’ negotiating position with teams interested in the 6’4″ wide receiver.  Marshall caught 101 passes for 1,120 yards last year despite missing the team’s final game versus Kansas City.

Denver is rumored to be shopping Marshall to the Seattle Seahawks, and the $2.5 million restricted free agent tender will make any potential move much easier.  Previous to Marshall signing the Broncos’ tender offer, Brandon would have needed to sign off on any potential trade.  Now Brandon Marshall is under contract with Denver through the 2010 season as a restricted free agent, and the Broncos can make any trade move that suits the organization.

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They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire. That’s not always as true when it comes to NFL trade rumors. Especially when those rumors are fueled by Drew Rosenhaus . Add to that the fact that Josh McDaniels and Brandon Marshall have a scheduled phone call today, and things might just be getting interesting in Broncos Country again. Remember just about a year ago, when it was a series of meetings and phone calls that ultimately led down the road to the Cutler trade. Now, it’s Marshall on the other end of the line, and McDaniels can be expected to do some serious laying down of the law – what, did you expect him to coddle Marshall? Don’t count on it. These ‘putting the foot down’ kind of conversations nearly always lead to the player being traded, and since Marshall had one foot and his entire disposition out the door already, this very likely signals the upcoming trade.

Drew Rosenhaus, the super agent that also engineered many of the T.O. moves, said on south Florida TV that Marshall will be moved to Seattle for a second round pick, and a lower round pick in addition. While this is wild rumor almost certainly floated by an agent without substantiation, let’s assume it for a moment.

I love the trade. Let me be clear – I don’t want to lose Marshall. A beast like him is not common among NFL teams, and the offense will suffer for having lost him. But he’s already gone. Call it an attitude problem, call it fall out from the Williams murder, call it what you want – but you have to call it reality. He’s gone. And the Broncos have 2 options:

1. Keep him around, suffer through the media circus and the half-assed play for another season.

2. Trade him for the best you can get.

While I don’t put option 1 beyond McDaniels, I really think he’s of the type to get what he can. Remember, Shanahan was ready to cut Marshall and got fired before he had a chance to execute that plan. And thanks to Santonio Holmes, a legitimate star receiver with serious off the field problems, being traded for a 5th round pick (and a bag of footballs?), the market for Marshall just tightened up considerably.

So if Seattle is willing to part with a 2nd round pick, I say take it and run. Anything else you get is gravy. The Seahawks get a true number one receiver to play alongside Whosyermama, and the Broncos get to move on having completely dismantled their offense in 1 short year.

Correction – Drew Rosenhaus does not represent Brandon Marshall – Kennard McGuire does. But that doesn’t change the source of the rumor, nor the grain of salt with which it should be taken.

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A Denver jury has found Willie Clark guilty of murdering former Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams early on New Year’s Day 2007.  The jury deliberated for a day and a half before returning the guilty verdict Thursday.

Defense attorneys argued on Clarks’ behalf that witnesses who testified that Willie was the shooter were only trying to conceal their own guilt, but a glut of evidence and testimony pointed to Clark.  The skapegoat defense failed to hold water, and the Denver jury spent all of Wednesday & Thursday morning in deliberations before submitting a guilty verdict.

Denver prosecutors will likely seek life in prison for the noted gang member.  No information was available as to whether or not Clark’s defense team planned to appeal the jury’s findings.

The tense trial involved a number of current & former Broncos players, including Brandon Marshall and Elvis Dumervil.  It was Dumervil who provided key evidence that broke a logjam in testimony early on in the trial.  Marshall wept as he described sleepless nights remembering the night that the talented, enigmatic Darrent Williams was shot along Speer Boulevard in Downtown Denver.

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen released a statement almost immediately following Clark’s conviction:

“Nothing can ever bring Darrent Williams back or ease the suffering for (his mother) Rosalind and her grandchildren. But after three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case. This process has been extremely difficult for the Williams family, his friends and teammates, this community, and the entire Denver Broncos organization.

I would like to praise the long and hard work of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney’s Office. I also want to thank the Denver community for the overwhelming support that both the Williams family and the Broncos have received during this unimaginable tragedy.

Darrent’s legacy will live on for all of us in the Broncos organization, and the outstanding work done each day at the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center is a tribute to his impact on this community. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Williams family.”

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However, thanks to the magic of Twitter, we get word from Bengals beat writer Joe Reedy that it’s all a sham. Reedy asserts that it’s only a ploy to drive up the price with Seattle.

Either way, Marshall is currently in the Emerald City talking to Seahawks officials about the possibility of playing there. Seattle has to decide if it wants to put down an offer sheet, which essentially amounts to committing the #6 pick in the draft to Denver, to satisfy the first-round tender price the Broncos placed on Marshall as a restricted free agent.

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The Broncos placed a first-round tender on Brandon Marshall earlier this week, and Denver will have seven days to match any contract offer the Seahawks make.  If the Broncos let Marshall go on his merry way, Seattle would owe Denver their top first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.  For those of you keeping track, that means the Broncos would have three top-50 draft picks in 2010… follow closely now…

Denver traded Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears last season, and they got 2009 & 2010 first-round picks in return.  The Broncos then traded their own 2010 first-rounder to the Seahawks in return for Seattle’s high second-round 2009 pick.  (Denver used that pick to draft cornerback Alphonso Smith.)

The 2010 Chicago pick that Denver retained ended up being the 11th overall when they lost a coin flip with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had an identical record to the Bears’ last season.  That left Denver with pick #11, and the Seahawks with Denver’s #14 pick.  Seattle also has a top-ten pick, #6, as a result of their dismal 2009 season.

If the Seahawks put an offer on Brandon Marshall and he ends up in Seattle, the Broncos would have the #6 & #11 overall picks in the 2011 draft.  They also have the #13 pick in the 2nd round, good for 45th overall.  Not bad.  In fact, this is probably the best situation available for Denver and Marshall.

Despite The Beast’s impressive set of receiving skills (and his amazing post-catch ability to run through & around opposing secondaries), Marshall has too much negative history in Denver to ever fully develop with the Broncos.  Brandon played a role in the shooting death of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, and his relationship with Denver head coach Josh McDaniels is tense at the best of times.

Marshall needs to go, and that’s why the Broncos placed a 1st round tender on him instead of the 1st & 3rd round tender they placed on DE Elvis Dumervil.  With the 1st round tender Marshall is marketable, and Seattle would seem a perfect fit.

The Seahawks just watched their #1 receiver, Nate Burleson, exit to Detroit via free-agency.  (Major burn.)  Their #2 (Deion Branch) and #3 (TJ Houshmandzadeh) are both beyond their prime at 31 & 32 years old respectively.  Plus Seattle has seen a rash of injuries at the wide receiver position for two consecutive seasons, and Brandon Marshall is a big, durable player with no history of major injury.

Expect this deal to be done by the middle of next week, as Seattle will not find a better receiver than Marshall in the 2010 Draft.  While Denver will not necessarily receive the Seahawk’s #6 pick, they should at least get their #14 back.  Negotiation is possible, but Seattle knows that the market for Marshall extends to a number of other teams.

The Broncos just re-signed Brandon Marshall’s proxy, possession receiver Brandon Lloyd, another signal that Denver is fully prepared to let Marshall ride off into the Seattle sunset.

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Brandon Lloyd was an excellent foil for Brandon Marshall last season.  Russ Hochstein is a Patriots-pedigreed offensive lineman that clearly fits the mold preferred by Broncos’ coach Josh McDaniels.

When Marshall was benched for the last game of the season, it was Lloyd who stepped in and had a great game versus Kansas City in his absence.  B-Lloyd is an adequate substitute for B-Marsh, and with Marshall tendered for only a first-round draft pick, Lloyd may be the Broncos’ top posesssion receiver next season.

Brandon Marshall will probably find a suitor willing to bet that he is a better receiver than any of the top receivers in the 2010 NFL Draft.  Whichever team pays the first-rounder price would be absolutely right, and the Broncos would benefit from having another top pick to play with in the stacked ’10 Draft.

Brandon Lloyd is an 8th year veteran with a big body and good hands.  He doesn’t have the speed or game-breaking ability of Marshall, but should be adequate in the McDaniels offense.

Russ Hochstein is a 10th year man who came over from the New England Patriots last season (August 25th).  McDaniels was familiar with Hochstein from his days as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, and clearly favored Russ enough to offer him a new contract this season.

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Image by steven_the_spamkid via Flickr

The man accused of killing Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year’s Day 2007 has yet to take the stand in his own trial, but Denver prosecutors have brought plenty of his supposed accomplices to the forefront as the trial moves into its final stages.

Defendant Willie Clark has been pointed to as the shooter by two friends, and another claims that Clark asked her to help him hide a vehicle involved in the shooting.

Williams was shot in the neck as he sat in a white stretch Hummer on Speer Blvd around 2am after an altercation at a Denver nightclub earlier in the evening.  The gunfire originated from a white Chevy Tahoe SUV, spraying the passenger section of the vehicle.

Although Williams was the only player shot in the attack, a number of other Broncos have been involved with the trial.  Former Broncos Wide Receiver Javon Walker held Darrent as he bled to death, and Brandon Marshall is widely believed to have been the intended target that night.  Broncos Defensive End Elvis Dumervil was instrumental in generating testimony from a female accomplice of Clark.

Dumervil made a secret recording of a conversation with a female friend of Clark, and with whom Elvis had a prior relationship.  Shaniqua Dunn took the stand last Thursday and originally had difficulty remember details of her encounter with Clark on the night of the shooting.  After prosecutors told her they had a recording from Dumervil’s cell phone, Dunn admitted that Clark asked her and her boyfriend for a gun the night of the shooting.  When they turned him down, Clark reportedly said, “That’s okay, I have one in my car.”

Said Dumervil, “She called me and she started talking and I felt whatever she said might be valuable and might help in someway somehow.”   Elvis activated a feature on his phone that recorded the remainder of his conversation with Dunn.

Denver Broncos Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall was likely the gunman’s intended target, this based on Marshall’s testimony from last week.

It was Marshall who initially tried to diffuse a verbal altercation outside of the Denver nightclub, but Brandon eventually escalated the situation when he went after a member of Clark’s crew.  After Clark threatened Marshall and his cousin, Brandon exclaimed, “You ain’t got no f**cking gun.”

Clark took off running, and Marshall and others tried to leave the scene as quickly as possible.  Said Marshall, “Being from where I’m from . . . if there ain’t no police there breaking up no fight or an argument and guys take off . . . a light should go off meaning danger. The first thing I thought about was, ‘These guys running, he’s acting like he has a gun.  He may be running to go get a gun.’”

Marshall was not in the vehicle that was targeted by gunfire, and he says he thinks about the altercation that led to Darrent Williams’ death every night.

Prosecutors will try to utilize the testimony of Clark’s friends, Vernon Edwards & Daniel Harris, to convict him in the case.

Edwards said that Clark admitted to the shooting, and when Vernon advised him to turn himself in Clark implied that he would “go on the run” instead.  Harris testified that he was in the vehicle when Willie Clark fired on Williams’ Hummer.  Clark’s lawyers are expected to suggest that Harris was actually the gunman that night.

The prosecution will likely finish introducing evidence and testimony early next week.

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