Broncos draft goals: replace Doom, look to the future
“Several Broncos at several key positions are getting old. Champ Bailey at cornerback is the most obvious of these. Willis McGahee is no spring chicken either. Kevin Vickerson is 30 and Wes Welker is 32. Bringing in some youngbloods as understudies to these veterans would certainly be wise.“
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Tonight the mocking can finally come to an end. The real NFL draft is finally here and the Denver Broncos have selections in every round but the sixth.
Naturally, the local pundits have been attempting for weeks to predict what Elway and Co will do with their selections tonight and over the next days. To me it’s pretty simple. Their top priority needs to be replacing Elvis Dumervil. By now it seems obvious that they are not planning to do that through free agency. Freeney and Abraham remain available, but the Broncos appear to be looking for a solution through the draft. It’s doubtful that they would take a defensive end in the first round, though. So, while the position is a top priority, it’s not likely to swallow their first pick.
Several Broncos at several key positions are getting old. Champ Bailey at cornerback is the most obvious of these. Willis McGahee is no spring chicken either. Kevin Vickerson is 30 and Wes Welker is 32. Bringing in some youngbloods as understudies to these veterans would certainly be wise.
The Broncos must begin laying the groundwork for the future post-Manning. John Elway is keenly aware of that – as illustrated by the selection of Brock Osweiller in the second round of the 2012 draft. The “Manning window” does create urgency for the Broncos, but Elway seems to believe that the team will continue to be competitive even after number 18 is gone. There’s no indication that the VP of Football Operations intends to operate any differently than he otherwise would just because Manning doesn’t have many years left.
It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Broncos allocate one of their six picks to the quarterback position. They’ll need to add another field general somehow – either through free agency or the draft. Selecting another youngster to push Osweiller and learn from Peyton Manning could prove fruitful in the near future. A newly drafted QB this year could be juicy trade bait next year. The “draft and trade” QB strategy works for the Patriots – why not us?
Whatever happens tonight it will be exciting. Anytime the NFL is in the spotlight there’s a reason to get fired up.
