Brian Leonard

[Eliminatrix]

What do you think about drafting Brian Leonard and using him as a third down back. Cutler would love having a big back like him to protect him in the pocket, and he also is great at catching the ball out of the backfield. Eventually he could become a fullback for us or running back depending on how he develops. Just wanted to hear what you guys have to say

[KnightOLB53]

i would love to have him i say he would be a good upgrade compared to KJ and Sapp

[Lorcust]

Seahawks, Eagles or Bucs are landing him in the second round, IMO.

[tommy1986]

No he doesn't fill a need position although I would be okay with picking him in the 3rd round, but he won't be there in all likelyhood.

[sbutk]

What do you think about drafting Brian Leonard and using him as a third down back. Cutler would love having a big back like him to protect him in the pocket, and he also is great at catching the ball out of the backfield. Eventually he could become a fullback for us or running back depending on how he develops. Just wanted to hear what you guys have to say

Personally, I love this idea. ...And don't think I'm biased just because I went to Rutgers.

[BigBroncLove]

i would love to have him i say he would be a good upgrade compared to KJ and Sapp

Johnson and Sapp did excellent this year, especially Sapp before his broken leg.

There were a few bobbles of balls thrown their way in the first couple of games, but the FB's this year rarely caused a sack by bad blocking, did excellent in their run blocking positions, and were great on those few FB handoffs we did through out the season.

We don't need an FB IMO.

[Hawgdriver]

Leonard is projected 2nd round, I would love if we could pick him up at 53. I think he brings a lot to the table. He weighs 224 and has 4.54 speed. Not only is he a competent lead blocker, but he is also a gifted runner, with good cutback ability. He is good at picking up the blitz. He is an excellent receiver.

Although I'm happy with Johnson and Sapp, I don't think either of them possess all of those abilities. I think Johnson is an excellent FB but he is getting on in years. Sapp had some great runs and is a special teams ace. But I think Leonard could really bring a spark the other two don't have. I think he would flourish as a FB with a broad role in the offense. We could use a back with those abilities. I know Denver isn't known for their backs catching passes, but I think he would make a difference, especially if used as another receiving option.

In my opinion, I think Leonard could be another bona fide weapon on the Broncos offense. Although he is an exceptional between the tackles runner, I don't think at this point that he could be a featured HB. But he could be a great complement to our running game, and especially our passing game.

My only concern is that Shanny doesn't have a need for that type of player in his system. Any thoughts on that?

[TheFuture6]

take a look at my (wishful thinking) mock in my sig. ive been all over this guy for sometime, and alot of people just dismiss it. this is a very talented kid. he is slimming down in hopes of being a RB in the NFL, and i think, based on our previous backs, that he would be the perfect guy to work into our starting rotation. you look at the guys who have suceeded in our system (Rueben Droughns, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis), they all have tremendous power. I'm so sick of hearing about how we should take a RB in the 1st round (not that we dont need one, but we have MUCH bigger needs), but i think reaching for a talent like leonard in the 2nd to stick in at RB would be a tremendous pickup. I honestly think this guy can not only succeed, but THRIVE in our system.

[sbutk]

Leonard is projected 2nd round, I would love if we could pick him up at 53. I think he brings a lot to the table. He weighs 224 and has 4.54 speed. Not only is he a competent lead blocker, but he is also a gifted runner, with good cutback ability. He is good at picking up the blitz. He is an excellent receiver.

Although I'm happy with Johnson and Sapp, I don't think either of them possess all of those abilities. I think Johnson is an excellent FB but he is getting on in years. Sapp had some great runs and is a special teams ace. But I think Leonard could really bring a spark the other two don't have. I think he would flourish as a FB with a broad role in the offense. We could use a back with those abilities. I know Denver isn't known for their backs catching passes, but I think he would make a difference, especially if used as another receiving option.

In my opinion, I think Leonard could be another bona fide weapon on the Broncos offense. Although he is an exceptional between the tackles runner, I don't think at this point that he could be a featured HB. But he could be a great complement to our running game, and especially our passing game.

My only concern is that Shanny doesn't have a need for that type of player in his system. Any thoughts on that?

I'd love to see the Broncos draft him.

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

For a team that does not feature an H-back type, Leonard would just be a luxury pick unless that team wants to change its scheme to emphasize such a role. I really can't see the Broncos doing such, and I certainly don't believe we are able to spend first day picks on luxury players.

[Hawgdriver]

For a team that does not feature an H-back type, Leonard would just be a luxury pick unless that team wants to change its scheme to emphasize such a role. I really can't see the Broncos doing such, and I certainly don't believe we are able to spend first day picks on luxury players.

I see your point. What do you mean by 'feature an H-back type'? I don't understand.

When I posted this, I had Tom Rathman of the SF 49ers in mind. I remember that he was exemplary in the passing offense, and a punishing pass protector and lead blocker as well. Rathman was more prototypical of a bruising fullback, but he was only 10 lbs heavier than Leonard.

I'm not trying to say that Leonard is the next Rathman. I'm saying that we could add another young weapon to our rebounding offense. I think Jay is the type of QB that will be able to command an offense with multiple weapons like that.

I'll have to close by saying that I'm not an expert about Leonard, and I have no idea if the Broncos would consider a hermaphroback (FB or HB?). However, he is dripping with athleticism and talent, so they could probably find a use for him at either position. I think he makes sense at 53. Then again, perhaps he is a 'luxury pick' that would only be a situational and special teams player. I think it's worth exploring the idea.

[Mat'hir Uth Gan]

I see your point. What do you mean by 'feature an H-back type'? I don't understand.

When I posted this, I had Tom Rathman of the SF 49ers in mind. I remember that he was exemplary in the passing offense, and a punishing pass protector and lead blocker as well. Rathman was more prototypical of a bruising fullback, but he was only 10 lbs heavier than Leonard.

I'm not trying to say that Leonard is the next Rathman. I'm saying that we could add another young weapon to our rebounding offense. I think Jay is the type of QB that will be able to command an offense with multiple weapons like that.

I'll have to close by saying that I'm not an expert about Leonard, and I have no idea if the Broncos would consider a hermaphroback (FB or HB?). However, he is dripping with athleticism and talent, so they could probably find a use for him at either position. I think he makes sense at 53. Then again, perhaps he is a 'luxury pick' that would only be a situational and special teams player. I think it's worth exploring the idea.

Allow me to clarify; when a team takes a unique player, really of any position, they have to cater their play calling to that individuals' unique talents. For example, when Pittsburgh took Randel El, they tailored specific plays for him, and that worked out fine.

The thing is though that these tweener type players never are taken very high by a team unless they utilize an offense that fits that player already. Leonard is a little bit like Mike Alstott and Greg Jones, but with less power and more catching ability. He's could compare to a player like Chris Cooley more then a Tom Rathman (who is a bit more like Greg Jones).

Denver runs a cut and go offense, they favor mobility and finesse blocking. We don't really utilize an H-back role, we rely more on a traditional TE set-up. Now, we could draft Leonard and change our playcalling and such, but I don't believe it will happen and here's why...

1) We just drafted a TE in the 2nd round last year. Using an H-back with marginal blocking ability would take away Scheffler's play time.

2) We like our FBs to be blockers first, which is not the strength of Leonard. Pass catching and running is his strength. So, if we draft him and use him in Denver's current offense, then he's a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, and we aren't taking advantage of his unique skill set. If we change our offense to adapt to a player like Leonard, and really if you draft someone that early, you'd have to, you're taking away Scheffler's play time at TE, since the two would play similar roles, mainly underneath routes.

[TheFuture6]

Allow me to clarify; when a team takes a unique player, really of any position, they have to cater their play calling to that individuals' unique talents. For example, when Pittsburgh took Randel El, they tailored specific plays for him, and that worked out fine.

The thing is though that these tweener type players never are taken very high by a team unless they utilize an offense that fits that player already. Leonard is a little bit like Mike Alstott and Greg Jones, but with less power and more catching ability. He's could compare to a player like Chris Cooley more then a Tom Rathman (who is a bit more like Greg Jones).

Denver runs a cut and go offense, they favor mobility and finesse blocking. We don't really utilize an H-back role, we rely more on a traditional TE set-up. Now, we could draft Leonard and change our playcalling and such, but I don't believe it will happen and here's why...

1) We just drafted a TE in the 2nd round last year. Using an H-back with marginal blocking ability would take away Scheffler's play time.

2) We like our FBs to be blockers first, which is not the strength of Leonard. Pass catching and running is his strength. So, if we draft him and use him in Denver's current offense, then he's a square peg trying to fit in a round hole, and we aren't taking advantage of his unique skill set. If we change our offense to adapt to a player like Leonard, and really if you draft someone that early, you'd have to, you're taking away Scheffler's play time at TE, since the two would play similar roles, mainly underneath routes.

You really don't mention him as a RB. I think he would make a great RB because he has some speed, even more power, and as you have said, he is a very good pass catcher. Our system is built for one-cut, downhill runners, which is exactly what Leonard could bring to our team. I'm so sick off hearing that we should take a RB in the 1st round, but a 2nd round pick spent on Leonard would be spent wisely, mainly due to this kid's talent, versatility, and apparently, he is a great teammate without a huge ego. Check out this Yahoo! Sports article on the top 50 in this year's draft on Leonard:

47. Brian Leonard, running back/fullback, Rutgers – The question will remain right up to the draft whether he is a running back or fullback in the pros. However, there is no question that he has all the necessary skills to be successful. His intangibles, competitive nature and willingness to go all-out on every down will make him a well-loved teammate, and he can line up in such a wide variety of positions that even Bill Belichick couldn't find enough time to draw up all the ways he could make use of him.

[sbutk]

You really don't mention him as a RB. I think he would make a great RB because he has some speed, even more power, and as you have said, he is a very good pass catcher. Our system is built for one-cut, downhill runners, which is exactly what Leonard could bring to our team. I'm so sick off hearing that we should take a RB in the 1st round, but a 2nd round pick spent on Leonard would be spent wisely, mainly due to this kid's talent, versatility, and apparently, he is a great teammate without a huge ego. Check out this Yahoo! Sports article on the top 50 in this year's draft on Leonard:

47. Brian Leonard, running back/fullback, Rutgers – The question will remain right up to the draft whether he is a running back or fullback in the pros. However, there is no question that he has all the necessary skills to be successful. His intangibles, competitive nature and willingness to go all-out on every down will make him a well-loved teammate, and he can line up in such a wide variety of positions that even Bill Belichick couldn't find enough time to draw up all the ways he could make use of him.

Just curious, could you give us a link to that article? Thanks.

[WABronco]

He would be an excellent luxury pick, and he'd give us a lot of things we don't have currently...a lot.