Mixed Returns


The free agency period has begun. For Denver, this has meant some mixed results through the first week, or so. Today, I thought I would look at the good, the bad, and the unknown of this first flurry of activity.

The Good:
* Signing Wes Welker (2 years, $12 million). Not only is Welker a good receiver, this is a signing that weakens the New England Patriots, a rival. The Pats may have signed Danny Amendola, which could be good, but he will be new and Tom Brady loves Wes Welker. This will hurt the Patriots chemistry. But on the flip side, it will greatly improve the situation for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have two great outside receivers — Demariyus Thomas and Eric Decker. But during last year's playoffs, it became painfully obvious we needed more of a threat over the middle. When Thomas and Decker were walled off by the Baltimore Ravens, Peyton Manning struggled to help the Broncos move the ball. With Welker and the two tight ends — Joel Driessen and Jacob Tamme — that will be much more difficult to do. This will give the Broncos a more dynamic pass offense.

* Signing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (1 year, $5 million). I think this is a potentially great signing. It's short money and time, allowing the Broncos' young corners to develop and adding quality veteran depth opposite Champ Bailey. Rodgers-Cromartie's stock fell after last year's disaster in Philadelphia, but prior to that he was great for Arizona. And, as a bonus, he has Super Bowl experience. That is a low risk, high reward option.

The Bad:
* Elvis Dumervil was cut yesterday thanks to a comedy of errors. The team asked him to take a pay cut to give salary cap relief. He agreed, but the paperwork was late, so he was cut. Now the team took a cap hit and may not be able to resign him. Dumervil's numbers have fallen, but he is still a great pass rushing threat. Denver needed to keep him AND get another strong rushing end to help get pressure on the passer. Now they may or may not get to keep Dumervil, and it greatly hurts the strategy. After a lot of great moves, this was a HUGE stumble by John Elway and company.

* Signing defensive tackles Terrance Knighton and Kevin Vickerson. Knighton is a cast off from Jacksonville, while Vickerson was a free agent from the Broncos. Denver had middling to poor middle defensive line play last year, and targeted that area for an upgrade. This doesn't seem to be that. I found both signings sort of curious, but at least they weren't big money deals.

The Uncertain:
* Ryan Clady received the Franchise Tag but hasn't signed. Denver signed San Diego guard Louis Vasquez, but it's hard to say how that greatly improves the team. In my opinion the solidity of the offensive line is still a question. And that is very important. This remains a work in progress moving forward.

* The Broncos are targeting Manti Te'o, the linebacker from Notre Dame, in the April draft. With him, that could give Denver a dynamic linebacking core. But as of now, that is also a question mark. We have Von Miller on one side and Wesley Woodyard on the other, but what about the middle? D.J. Williams was cut and Keith Brooking is a free agent. We signed Stewart Bradley, but he is rated more as a depth player and a back up. Last year linebacker was a strength. This year, it feels like it's still a work in progress.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more