If Mike Shanahan has any guts, he will make a gamble in the NFL draft that shocks Broncomaniacs and causes Roger Goodell to stammer in disbelief.
Imagine Goodell stepping to the microphone to announce: “With the 12th pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos select . . . running back Jonathan Stewart of Oregon?”
Say what? The Broncos have not taken a running back in the first round since 1985.
But Denver needs to make some noise.
So take a running back. Make it Stewart. He’s built like a Hummer. He’s a load.
Or, if your preference runs more to a Mack truck with a Ferrari gearbox, then the rock-carrier for the Broncos is Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois.
Ignore what draft geeks are telling Denver to do.
Take a running back.
While the Broncos have obvious needs at offensive tackle, linebacker, safety and in the defensive line, there would be no wisdom in making a conventional choice.
Now everybody knows the book on Shanahan is he takes unpolished backs late in the draft and turns them into 1,000-yard gems.
But I swear on the scalp of Mel Kiper Jr. that this isn’t some wild, hair-brained idea.
There are whispers in NFL circles that the Broncos are seriously considering taking a running back. While half-truths and downright lies are as much a part of draft tradition as good motors and 40-yard dashes, it makes sense for Denver to pick a tailback.
On a team whose roster of Pro Bowl talent has shrunk in recent years, either Stewart or Mendenhall would immediately become the most talented runner in town.
The Broncos cannot really put all their faith and love in veteran running back Travis Henry any more than the nine mothers of his nine children do.
Although giving back contract money now has Henry working on Shana- han’s terms, the 29-year-old player remains on shaky ground, if for no other reason than he has missed 19 games during the past four NFL seasons.
Anybody who saw Mendenhall break a 79-yard touchdown run against Southern California in the Rose Bowl would be tempted to stand up and salute him as the second coming of Terrell Davis, but it might have been a ruse when the Broncos brought the Illinois junior to Dove Valley for a visit.
I’m guessing Denver actually favors Stewart, despite the fact recent surgery to correct a turf toe injury will slow his development as a rookie after rushing last season for a school-record 1,722 yards at Oregon.
After their less-than-graceful shove of Matt Lepsis into retirement, the Broncos certainly have room to add an offensive tackle. Any number of beefy blockers, from Chris Williams of Vanderbilt to Jeff Otah of Pittsburgh, would be safe choices for Denver at No. 12.
But here’s the question Shanahan must ask himself: If it takes at least a year for a young offensive lineman to master the dark arts employed in the Denver trenches, how would picking a big grunt help Jay Cutler emerge as an elite NFL quarterback in 2008?
The Broncos’ playoff hopes, to say nothing of the coach’s reputation, are in need of immediate attention.
While Shanahan might be building himself a new castle to call home in the Denver suburbs, the emperor has no clothes, not to mention only a single playoff victory since John Elway retired.
To change his team’s fortune, maybe Shanahan should try something different than blaming a defensive coordinator or making a scapegoat of his quarterback.
What should an old football coach do when his genius is fading to black?
Run to daylight.
The Broncos need a playmaker to get Broncomaniacs buzzing.
Jonathan Stewart? Rashard Mendenhall?
Pick one.
Either way, the Broncos cannot lose.
Mark Kiszla: 303-954-1053 or mkiszla@denverpost.com
