Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posted his Broncos Mailbag every Tuesday during the 2007 NFL season on DenverPost.com. Welcome to the season finale. Look for a new installment in a month’s time.
To drop a Broncos- or NFL-related question into the Broncos Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Mailbaggers,
It’s a given – 2008 has to be better for the Broncos than 2007. This is the final regular-season installment. During the offseason, which has started sooner than Bronco followers expected, we’ll be opening the mail once a month. I appreciate your insight and your passion. Happy New Year to all, even the outraged.
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What would be the three things that you would do FIRST to improve this team? It seems there is SO MUCH that needs to improve.
— Pat Cary, Norwood
Pat – My three firsts? Defense, defense, defense. Defense starts with the defensive line. The Broncos undoubtedly must improve at defensive tackle. Alvin McKinley played well but he needs to be one of three stout tackles, not No. 1. There is also a need for an impact linebacker. It’s agreed Randy Moss was New England’s best addition during the offseason but Adalius Thomas was a clear second.
The Broncos also need another safety, especially if John Lynch retires. Offensively, the receiver position lacks depth after Brandon Marshall. Brandon Stokley is a terrific No. 3 receiver, but for all his efforts, it’s unrealistic to expect him to make it for all 16 games.
And Javon Walker may have talked his way out of town with his Monday morning press gathering. So the Broncos need at least one more receiver. And one more running back if Travis Henry doesn’t return. And another offensive tackle, especially if Matt Lepsis retires. And perhaps a proven punter.
Mike – It is my understanding that Rod Smith has been invaluable in the development of Brandon Marshall this year … and what a year he’s had. Given Mike Shanahan’s affinity for former players (Rick Dennison, Steve Watson, Jimmy Spencer and – who could forget? – Gary Kubiak), and now that the sun has all but set on Rod’s career, what are the chances that this beloved Broncos icon will be roaming the sidelines next season wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard? I, for one, would love to see it!
— Brock Smith, San Diego
Brock – A nice thought. One reason why the Broncos kept Rod Smith around this year, even though it was painfully obvious from the early days of training camp his hip wasn’t going to allow him to play, was because of the much needed professional influence he brought to the locker room. The Broncos were aware Marshall would benefit more from Smith’s team-first attitude than, say, Javon Walker, who was prone to pop off whenever he wasn’t the primary focus of the game plan.
As for coaching full time, I’m not sure Smith would go for that. He enjoys the business world. Investments. He has his own construction company in Texarkana. Coaches put in ungodly hours, and initially the pay is poor. Then again, coaching does help players quell the competitiveness that thickly runs through their bloodstream. I can see Smith working for the organization as some kind of community liaison, perhaps, but coaching may be a stretch.
Sometimes when you win, you lose. With only Shanahan’s second losing season, we almost had a pick in the top 10. Where do the tiebreakers drop us? Defensive tackle is a huge need, but offensive tackle is where the quality depth is in the first round. Thoughts, Mike?
— Tony, Papillion, Neb.
Had the Broncos lost, Tony, they would have had the No. 9 pick. Because they won, they fell into a seven-way tie at 7-9. Strength of schedule was used to break the ties, and the Broncos wound up with the No. 12 pick. Last year, the Buffalo Bills got RB Marshawn Lynch at No. 12. Miami took Ted Ginn Jr. at No. 9. One reason why Bill Parcells is now in charge of the Dolphins.
When it comes to drafting in the No. 8 to 15 realm, it’s not necessarily where you pick but whom.
Mike – I know that the draft is a long way off. But I’m wondering: Is it possible for a team to “buy” a selection from another team in the NFL draft?
— Dale, Hawaii
Dale – A team can’t officially “buy” its way up the draft board, but it can trade its way up. In 2006, for instance, the Broncos dealt its way first from the No. 29 spot to No. 15, then from 15 to No. 11, where it got Jay Cutler.
Champ Bailey needs to shut up about Philip Rivers talking trash and start stopping him. Rivers has owned the Broncos (4-0). Do you think that is the only trash talking on the field? Not a chance!
— Chris, La Quinta, Calif.
Chris – Indeed, lost in the Rivers’ trash-talking episode is he does play his best against the Broncos. Besides his 4-0 record, Rivers in those four starts against Denver has completed 64 of 92 passes (69.6 percent) for 960 yards, seven TDs and two picks for a whopping 119.8 quarterback rating.
His success against the Broncos is mystifying because he otherwise doesn’t play anywhere close to that caliber. I’m not big on the he-said, he-said stories, Chris. But it seems to me Bailey with his eight consecutive Pro Bowls has more right to chirp than Rivers.
And even if Rivers were Peyton Manning, a quarterback should never, ever talk himself into trouble. The position already comes with the game’s biggest target. It’s simply foolish for Rivers to magnify his bull’s-eye. No doubt, he’s gotten the better of the Broncos. Why not let well enough alone?
I’m sure I’m not the only Broncos fan who believes Rod Smith belongs in the Hall of Fame. But will Hall voters agree with me? What do you think his chances are?
— Stan Finger, Wichita
Stan – I think Rod will fall short. I say that because Art Monk, who retired as the NFL’s all-time leading receiver and is still sixth with 940 catches, has been a seven-time finalist yet is not in the Hall of Fame. Smith will finish his career ranked 11th in receptions. Among those ahead of him are Andre Reed, Isaac Bruce, Jimmy Smith, Keenan McCardell and Irving Fryar. Would you consider any of them a Hall of Famer? I wouldn’t, although Reed is close.
Smith’s undrafted status and two Super Bowl rings will give him a push but, overall, his candidacy will fall about 100 catches short of Canton. Perhaps with patience, Smith could become a strong candidate for the veteran’s committee, but that’s a good 20 years away.
Hi, Mike. Is it just me, or could it be that Elvis Dumervil only looks like an awesome middle linebacker?
— J. Woods, Penn Valley, Calif.
J. – Somebody else mentioned the “Mike” spot for Big E a couple weeks ago. Dumervil definitely has the size (5-foot-11, 250 pounds), speed and strength to play the middle linebacker position. But I’ve got too much respect for the difficulty of the “Mike” position to think Dumervil could make the transition. Outside linebacker, maybe, but not a “Mike.” The great Karl Mecklenburg played seven defensive positions during his lengthy career with the Broncos. “Middle linebacker was the toughest,” he said.
The reason is blockers attack from both sides. At outside linebacker, or defensive end, the blockers come from only one direction. The Broncos just went through growing pains with the conversion of D.J. Williams to middle linebacker. I don’t see the team going through another experiment with another player.
I was unable to watch the Broncos game on Christmas Eve and was wondering how Jamie Winborn did with his only start. Did he show anything that makes you think he’ll get more playing time in the future?
— Dave S., Bountiful, Utah
Dave – Jamie Winborn started Christmas Eve and again Sunday and his presence was noticeable. Winborn may be an NFL journeyman but he’s also a former second-round draft pick. He went through three head coaches in 4 1/2 years at San Francisco, and has played for six head coaches in his eight-year career. Sometimes, a player just needs the right system or a coach to believe in him. Look how long it took Nick Ferguson to find his niche.
I think Winborn has a chance to be a starting outside linebacker next season.
Mike – Any chance the Broncos get a better backup quarterback in the offseason?
— Tim, Honolulu
Tim – I’m confused. Patrick Ramsey basically got to play in one game this season. It was the game when the Broncos made the Detroit Lions’ front four look like the Ferocious Foursome. The Lions knocked Jay Cutler out of the game in the second quarter. Ramsey demonstrated remarkable courage in that game, completing 29 of 46 passes for 262 yards. Backup quarterbacks who do better than that aren’t backup quarterbacks.
So, no, I don’t see the Broncos getting a better backup quarterback this offseason, although there’s a chance No. 3 quarterback Darrell Hackney will legitimately compete with Ramsey for the No. 2 spot next training camp.
My buddy got me a miniature Broncos offense from 2006 for Christmas. I ticked off the players no longer playing to see where we now stand. I came down to Matt Lepsis, Jay Cutler and Javon Walker as the only returners from last year’s offense due to trades, cuts and/or injuries. What an enlightening lesson! I get tired of we (yes, I include myself) Broncos fans blaming the coaches and bellyaching about a losing season. The “good old days” were incredibly healthy – and in this league, little is different between first and worst. I think the future is truly bright, but we’ve got to stabilize through the draft, even though it may mean another sub-.500 season. Thoughts?
— Russ Gorrell, Fredericksburg, Va.
Russ – A miniature Broncos offense from 2006? Some friends are better than others. But I agree with your point: The draft is where it’s at. I think the reason why the Broncos fell into this mess was they became too reliant on trades and free agency the past two years. They had little choice because of their poor drafts from 2001-04, a four-year dark period that produced only D.J. Williams as a contributor to this season.
And the 2005 draft took a hit with the death of Darrent Williams, leaving only backup defensive backs Domonique Foxworth, Karl Paymah and offensive lineman Chris Myers.
The Broncos struck it rich in the 2006 draft, and their 2007 draft will be terrific if Jarvis Moss bounces back from injury to join Tim Crowder and Marcus Thomas on the defensive line, and Ryan Harris emerges as a starting tackle next season.
For the Broncos to compete with New England and Indianapolis, they must first hope Tom Brady and Peyton Manning age quickly, and then start “outdrafting” those two organizations. That means not taking Maurice Clarett with the final pick in the third round of the 2005 draft, and leaving Marion Barber III and Brandon Jacobs available for selection a few picks later in the fourth round.
The problem for 2008 is the Broncos will have more needs than their draft can fill. But priority No. 1 should be their No. 12 draft pick. If the 2007 Broncos taught us anything, it’s that big names like Travis Henry, Javon Walker and Simeon Rice can be just as risky as the draft.
Merely through the maturity of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, Selvin Young, Elvis Dumervil, Tim Crowder, Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas, the Broncos should be better than 7-9 in 2008. As my uncle Al used to say: A slower built house is usually a stronger built house.
Mike Klis recently completed his third season of covering the Broncos after previously covering the Colorado Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. To drop a question into his Broncos Mailbag, or visit DenverPost.com’s .
