Cravens traded to Denver

[-Rod-]

Stewart is under contract through the 2020 season with a reasonable salary, which means some teams could show interest in a trade.

[VonElway758]

Good move.Goes from a disappointing looking FA month to a a trade making things much more interesting.
Happy about this although a bit worried about a story I read about the coaches having doubts about Mayfield.
Personally,I have more doubts about some of the coaches than I do about Mayfield but happy with this trade.

[samparnell]

I don't think it's a sign for either, at least for this season. They will keep at least 4 safeties. Those 4 look to be Cravens, Parks, Simmons, and Stewart

Is Cravens a Safety, or is he a Backer? Denver might draft a Backer. They might draft a Safety, but there are more good Backer prospects in the Draft this year than there are Safeties unless teams plan to convert a rookie Corner to Safety.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Cravens is deployed. We'll see how he's listed. I agree with you that Parks and Stewart aren't going anywhere this year. I think Parks will be around for a while.

[HUMCALC]

Last time DEN traded with WSH for a DB (Champ), I remember it turning out pretty well for 1 team

[Mr.W]

Yeah..I remember the last time Elway and D.Williams faced each other too..Washington ended up on the better end of that too✌️

[Rastic]

Thread cleaned.

Just a friendly reminder, please keep to the COCs and keep smack out of the general forums.

[brianmcfarlane]

I'll grant you that, but of those players, are they on the team because they deserve it, or due to lack of options. Lets not forget that Isaiah McKenzie is still on the team. I hear what you are saying, but that's not normally and these players that are on the roster aren't really contributing.

Contributing?

Last year there were sixteen draftees on the team several of whom were on IR (e.g., Butt, Kelly, C. Henderson, Simmons) Everyone from the 2016 Draft played and some of them played a lot (i.e., Lynch, Gotsis, Simmons, Booker, McGovern, Janovich, Parks, Dixon) You can single out McKenzie if you like, but that doesn't paint an accurate picture because even from last years draft Bolles, Walker, Langley and D. Henderson played with Bolles a year-long starter.

As far as contributing goes, forty-seven players are active on game day and guys who don't start on offense or defense start and play on several Special Teams. Some of them are on KO, KOR, Punt and PR.

You may be thinking of some of the UDFAs (Jamal Carter, Jordan Taylor, Dymonte Thomas, Marcus Rios, Deiontrez Mount, Jerol Garcia-Williams, Joseph Jones, Elijah Wilkinson) However, when it comes to contributing, if those guys are active on game day, they are on STs which is contributing.

It's too bad the Bronco website doesn't list the positions and depth chart for all the Special Teams.

Interesting that McGovern has 5 starts in his 2 years and active/played in 15 games and was a 5th rounder. OTOH Cravens has 3 starts and active/played in 11 games in his 2 years.
I hope availability is not an issue for Cravens.
Parks has contributed quite a bit too - 6th round - and I have to mention Janovich, another 6th round pick.
McKenzie had problems with fumbling, that can be corrected - some players can't but considering he was a rookie he has a chance still to overcome that flaw, he still has the potential/ability to make plays. IIRC many were excited about his potential in TC and preseason last year, I think it would be a mistake to give up on the guy without giving him a chance thru preseason.

Actually looking back at all the picks the last 2 seasons it doesn't look like a lot of busts ... yet.

[Dean]

If I understand the rule changes correctly, K.O. and K.O. returns will have almost no importance. Therefore, McKenzie or any other K.O. returner is unimportant.

[Sam_Z]

Stewart is under contract through the 2020 season with a reasonable salary, which means some teams could show interest in a trade.

Ya the rams if they have any space left

[Butler By'Note]

If I understand the rule changes correctly, K.O. and K.O. returns will have almost no importance. Therefore, McKenzie or any other K.O. returner is unimportant.

They haven't made those changes yet, but will look to in the future. Teams will still pop it up to inside the 5 and hope to stop the return inside the 25 thus "winning" the situation. Until they actually put in a rule where teams just start at a set position after each score or to start a half, teams will still figure out a way to make the other team return the ball, especially for good coverage teams against poor return teams.

[Sam_Z]

Is Cravens a Safety, or is he a Backer? Denver might draft a Backer. They might draft a Safety, but there are more good Backer prospects in the Draft this year than there are Safeties unless teams plan to convert a rookie Corner to Safety.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Cravens is deployed. We'll see how he's listed. I agree with you that Parks and Stewart aren't going anywhere this year. I think Parks will be around for a while.

He will be playing safety according to multiple sources. TJ Ward type physicality with the ability to cover better than most SS throughout the league! This is a player!

[Butler By'Note]

He will be playing safety according to multiple sources. TJ Ward type physicality with the ability to cover better than most SS throughout the league! This is a player!

I think you're right about Strong Safety initially, but I could see the Broncos also using him in the way they used Parks last year in dime situations, he's on the field as a DB, but lines up initially down in the box as a backer. This gives them an extra body to stop the run, but also gives the defense a player who can go into coverage against TEs and RBs from that spot. They could also blitz him.

[GiddyupGetEm]

As someone who lives in the DC area, I have watched Cravens for a few years. If talent alone is what makes a player, then we would have gotten a steal.

Unfortunately even before he quit on his team, he didn’t show any heart. Teammates doubted him early on in his career.

The Broncos defense has a major lacking of heart. How many times did our core defense just quit because our QB threw a pick deep in our own territory? Many times.

Who is going to get 100% out of Cravens? Will Cravens demand his teammates give 100%? These questions are essential.

Overall, this trade ups our talent level, but I worry we still lack leaders on this team.

[broncos SB2010]

Is Cravens a Safety, or is he a Backer? Denver might draft a Backer. They might draft a Safety, but there are more good Backer prospects in the Draft this year than there are Safeties unless teams plan to convert a rookie Corner to Safety.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Cravens is deployed. We'll see how he's listed. I agree with you that Parks and Stewart aren't going anywhere this year. I think Parks will be around for a while.

I think they envision him as a guy who can be a nickel player. Instead of bringing in a 3rd CB, they can bring in Cravens with the primary responsibility of covering the TEs. Teams that feature a TE in the passing game are tough to stop when they split out their TEs against a LB or CB and we have 2 of them in our division. Guys like Gronk, and in our division, Kelce and Hunter Henry need a hybrid type player to cover them. They are too physical for a true DB and too athletic for a LB. Cravens would allow them to still run a 2 high safety scheme, if they choose to, but have the personnel in to stay with the TE and also play the run well.

[nickmeyer]

With the new targeting rule I am concerned he leads with his head alot but usually its because he is a shoe string tackler, gets really low and I like that.