What we should pick up in the offseason!

[trevorlovesthed]

I dont know about all of you, but my positions that i think we should take care of is running back and someone at d-line. Don't get me wrong we got some good players off of the Browns line, but i believe we just need a shutdown guy at one of them positions, it doesnt matter which one just one of them. And runningback because noone could really carry the load for us this season we just need a powerback out of the draft or free agency. I think Tatum Bell is better when he can go into the game and hit a homerun for us. Basically i think he's better when he has breather then we just send him in on like 2 and short. We just need a bruising runner that can pick up the tought yards or n all down back. Do you's agree???


RIP DARRENT WILLIAMS 1982-2007

[Morambar]

We need DTs.

And smaller fonts....

Our ends are pretty good and pretty deep, but not so the defensive tackles. Gerard Warren's the only for whom I have much use, when he's healthy, and drawing doubles all year while offenses give Michael Myers no more attention than he deserves means Warren's hurt a lot. That means offensive lines only need a man each to block Myers and Warren, and that leaves three linemen and a TE and/or RB to block our ends. Two guys ain't gettin' past 4-5, I'm sorry. We need a big dominating DT who can draw the doubles Warren's getting now and confront offenses with a choice: put FOUR guys on our two DTs and let our ends (and LBs) go crazy in your backfield, or try to block our ends and the occasional blitzing LB while hoping the DT you aren't double teaming doesn't beat your QB to death with his own center. In short, we need someone else to tie up blockers and collapse the pocket, so Warren's not all by himself out there.

On offense we need a back who's versatile but not necessarily showy , so he has a vital role to play on any down and distance, and plays it well if not spectacularly. Someone who can pickup blitzes on 3rd and long, convert 3rd and short, score on 1st and G at the 1 (twice ) and do it all game, all year. He'll still get 1000 yards easily behind our line, but if he does all those other things I won't loose much sleep over him not getting 2000. Of course, when I say "he'll get his yards behind our line" what I mean at this point is "he'll get his yards behind Nalen, Hamilton and Lepsis, but heaven help him if he has to run behind Carlisle, and if he doesn't pickup that blitzer Foster misses on passing downs we better carry about 3 times more QBs than normal. " I hope we get Nalen and Lepsis back for another year or two and Pears can go to RT while one of the Two Chrises makes a big upgrade in at RG, else any back will continue having our semi-traditional trouble running anywhere but left.

Those are the three things I'd fix in the offseason, though I also think Als nagging injuries have exposed how little depth we have at LB, especially MLB (Burns will be 35 next year and when he retires we've basically got FA Webster and Louis Green, OK backup OLBs, but not really subs for Al. ) I'd like to draft one of the many tweeners about whom we keep hearing, one with decent pass coverage skills, and play him behind Al for a couple years. Then I'd love to use him and the crushing NT I'd get with our first pick to shift to a 3-4 with D.J. and the former backup MLB on the outside plus Al and Webster/Chuckwurah (OLB in college, and a good backup if naught else) on the inside. A MLB can sub for D.J. or Gold in a pinch, but it's much harder for a 4-3 OLB to sub for a MLB. Depending on how free agency goes I'd like to see:

DT(X2, 'cos one might be a bust and we need depth anyway, especially since we rotate. ) I don't follow college much, but at 19 years old and already 298 lbs. Amobi Okoye looks REALLY good if we can get him; he's obviously smart to graduate at 20, almost certain to get bigger and as a 20 year old rookie has a looooot of years in him for the team smart enough to sign him.

RG (Nalen won't play forever, and even if we can put both Chrises in that leaves us strapped if someone's hurt. )

RB

MLB/3-4 OLB

That takes us through the third round, depending once again on our free agency gains (and losses, but a lot of our starters still have lots left on their contracts; we'll likely drop a bundle on someone like Garcia or Huard, though Brunell would be a productive bargain, I think. ) If Meadows and Lepsis stick around another couple years we're OK in the short run, but I'd probably spend a late pick on a tackle to develop, too, for when one or both of them retire. I'd likely do the same at SS for when Lynch/Ferguson leave in a few years (PLEASE PLAY LYNCH AT SS WHERE HE BELONGS NEXT YEAR!!!) That still leaves a couple picks if somone's all hot and bothered over the many WRs who come out every year, or thinks we're desperate for one of the many DEs available this year. We could even go after a decent punter, or get a backup for Elam, though I suspect he's got another five years left in his leg.

Anyway, that's how I see us winning the Big One in the next year or two, and with all the young talent we'll have under contract, several times thereafter. Can't say that's what we WILL do, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

[muse]

I think we need to draft an OT over an OG. Remember that we never usually carry more than 8 linemen...last year was a major exception because of the young talent we had (Kuper and Myers would never make it through waivers, we had to get Eslinger a mystery injury). If next year we have Lepsis-Hamilton-Nalen-Myers-Pears that leaves Kuper and Eslinger taking two spots...the last spot will have to go to a T and if we draft someone quite high like Doug Free we'll have to rostificate them unless we give them a mystery injury. I don't like carrying so few linemen either...but considering our drafted linemen will usually make it through waivers onto the practice squad we'll usually have some sort of emergency contigent I guess. Either that or Shanny will start putting our big TEs (Trusty and Mustard...) onto the line. Which reminds me...I sincerely hope they're not our "future" LT projects...

[JRWIZ]

Dl mostly DT is the are of most concern, someone unmovable and that takes up bodies to block.

But then of course Mikey never has prioritized the DL but for an occasional late 2nd oto4rounbders praying someone will become a star. If they do they are to dumb to resign them before their to big headed to talk to anyone. Like the last two (berry and heyward) that left DEN for the big money they could have been had for half the money before mid season.

As long as DEN is a LB based defense do not look for Mikey to do much here than bring in broken down almost has beens or want a bes to man the position.

Warren is not gonna be happy again next year and may soon start talking trash.

[DEN_BOWL_06]

Dl mostly DT is the are of most concern, someone unmovable and that takes up bodies to block.

But then of course Mikey never has prioritized the DL but for an occasional late 2nd oto4rounbders praying someone will become a star. If they do they are to dumb to resign them before their to big headed to talk to anyone. Like the last two (berry and heyward) that left DEN for the big money they could have been had for half the money before mid season.

As long as DEN is a LB based defense do not look for Mikey to do much here than bring in broken down almost has beens or want a bes to man the position.

Warren is not gonna be happy again next year and may soon start talking trash.

if shanny didn't get any DL & RB this offseason, i will assume he doesn't know
the weakness in this team.

[Skywalker]

Defensive Line

Depth at Offensive Line

Runningback

Depth at Linebacker

[Broncoballa2684]

watchin the colts cheifs game rite now i say we get ty law....he OWNS manning!!

[22cannon]

I don't know about you, but I'm going to pick up a six-pack and wait till April's Draft.

[dabroncos27]

defensive end

if we had champ bailey's all over the field we would be ok, but i think we need a defensive end like a richard seymour or dwight freeney, because we couldnt get to peyton manning that whole game, but i like to see elvis dumervil split with kenard lang on one side and put the big money man on the other side...then we have champ bailey on one side and domonique foxworth on the other side and bring in competition for foxworth...i would even take ty law for one year and use fox as a nickel and dime back...nothin against fox...

offensively, i think cutler is gonna be something special, but could use a veteran just to be behind him...i dont think plummer wants to hang around as a backup, so we will see him in houston with kubiak....javon walke one side brandon marshall on the other side, and if rod comes back probably will be limited time, and scheffler at te...at running back my personal thought would be to keep mike bell and for a good cheap price bring in domonic rhodes especially with addai going to be #1 back in indy..hes got horse written all over him, and i think he would be perfect fit..a little bit of mike anderson and tatum bell together....

and of course if lepsis is ok next year would be nice to have him back and need someone on right side, because i dont think foster can get it done in our system...too big and not fast enough...

let me know what my denver fans think...

[Morambar]

Unless he retires again...

I think we need to draft an OT over an OG. Remember that we never usually carry more than 8 linemen...last year was a major exception because of the young talent we had (Kuper and Myers would never make it through waivers, we had to get Eslinger a mystery injury). If next year we have Lepsis-Hamilton-Nalen-Myers-Pears that leaves Kuper and Eslinger taking two spots...the last spot will have to go to a T and if we draft someone quite high like Doug Free we'll have to rostificate them unless we give them a mystery injury. I don't like carrying so few linemen either...but considering our drafted linemen will usually make it through waivers onto the practice squad we'll usually have some sort of emergency contigent I guess. Either that or Shanny will start putting our big TEs (Trusty and Mustard...) onto the line. Which reminds me...I sincerely hope they're not our "future" LT projects...

I expect Meadows to be our backup tackle again, unless Pears isn't ready to be RT, in which case Meadows will and Pears will be the backup with a season starting at LT under his belt to go with his experience as the RT he was drafted to be. So there's your three tackles, all of whom we know can play. At guard we have Hamilton and the Two Chrises, promising but untried. Unless Nalen retires, in which case we have the Two Chrises, sinces the coaches say Eslinger's not ready to take Nalens spot at center. Meadows would be that backup tackle you want and whichever Chris isn't starting would backup the one that is and Hamilton with Eslinger the backup center and whomever we drafted on the practice squad unless he's really good and can win a backup job his rookie year. Personally, I'd carry more than eight linemen, because a R/LTs aren't interchangable, but I don't run the team. If we can carry ten guys for four spots on the defensive line we ought to be able to carry more than eight for five spots on the offensive line.

[Morambar]

Glad somebody's on EXACTLY the same page as me.

Defensive Line

Depth at Offensive Line

Runningback

Depth at Linebacker

Now please tell me you work for the front office (and that "defensive line" means "NT" and "offensive line" means "guards. " ). We do those four things and I see us going deep into the playoffs for a long time.