Denver Post sports writer Mike Klis posts his Broncos Mailbag in the first week of each month during the offseason.
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Let’s talk draft. Obviously, Denver has some holes to fill on both lines. But with Pat Bowlen’s recent comments about finding a quarterback, I see Denver taking a nose tackle at No. 11 and possibly Colt McCoy in the second round if he’s still on the board. What are your thoughts about this year’s draft?
— Dave, Oregon
Dave – I’ve always been perplexed by the enormous interest in the draft. The Broncos historically get far greater player contribution from free agency than they do the draft. Look at last year. The Broncos had two picks in the first round and three in the second. Who gave them greater production? Knowshon Moreno, Robert Ayers, Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath and Richard Quinn? Or Correll Buckhalter, Andra Davis, Andre’ Goodman, Jabar Gaffney and Darrell Reid? I didn’t even mention Brian Dawkins to try and make it a fair fight. The first five generated all the buzz. The second five was all but completely ignored yet generated far greater production.
Carrying on. We’ll be able to make better educated guesses about the Broncos’ draft after we see what they do this week in free agency. Teams address needs in chronological order. That means free agency is first.
As we stand here today, the Broncos’ greatest need is center. They don’t have one. If they don’t get a center in free agency, they probably won’t let Florida’s Maurkice Pouncey get past their second-round pick in the draft.
As for quarterback, I agree with you, Dave, the Broncos will draft one. I’m thinking somewhere in the top three rounds. McCoy? There’s a lot to like except height. At 6-foot-1, he’s too short for Josh McDaniels’ shotgun-heavy system. Maybe, McDaniels likes him, anyway. McDaniels seems to value quarterbacks who are proven winners. And McCoy won many a big game for Texas before his shoulder gave out in the biggest of big games.
But if McDaniels overlooks height in his quarterback, wouldn’t he first consider 6-2 Jimmy Clausen, who played three years for Charlie Weis, McDaniels’ offensive mentor, at Notre Dame?
What do you think of the Broncos possibly drafting a quarterback in the second or third round? I’m thinking someone like Tony Pike to develop for a year behind Kyle Orton — or even possibly later in the draft, a guy like Jonathan Crompton from Tennessee. He seems like he started to develop into a legitimate prospect last year. Would love to know what you think.
— Adam Funk, Mitchell, Neb.
Ah, quarterbacks. No wonder there’s so much interest in the draft, Adam. Have you seen the free-agent crop of quarterbacks? It’s much more fun to talk about Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Tony Pike than it is Chad Pennington, Daunte Culpepper, David Carr and Kyle Boller. Potential is always more exciting than potential realized.
Pike? I like that he’s 6-foot-6. Crompton is interesting. He was largely a bum for most of his college career but then was superb in the latter part of his senior year. And I like his height (6-3 1/2). But he’s a project pick, and the Broncos took one of those last year in Tom Brandstater. If they draft a quarterback this year, they will want him starting in 2011.
Hey, Mike. I am a little confused about the CBA issue going on. There isn’t a lot of info coming out. And it seems to me if a football season is really in jeopardy, there should be full-scale panic. Free agents aren’t being signed and business seems to be at standstill. Is there a deal in the works that will be in place by open trading March 5, or are things in worse shape than everyone is letting on?
— Josh, Centennial
Josh – Considering there isn’t a possibility of a work stoppage until 2011, a ton of information has been put out there. I think most fans say, “Who cares? Wake me when they don’t play a game. Then I’ll ask why.”
There will be NFL play this year. Where you are dead-on, Josh, is that the labor problems ahead are leaking into this year. The biggest issue this offseason is the high number of fourth- and fifth-year players who are restricted free agents when they otherwise would have been unrestricted free agents. “Restricted” is an apt term. Unrestricted free agency provides the opportunity for a potential financial windfall that comes through the open-bidding process. In restricted free agency, the team holds the right of first refusal, and that changes everything.
The “uncapped” season rules pushed unrestricted free agency eligibility from four years of NFL service time to six years. This change has left the unrestricted free agent pool with relatively little talent.
Are the Broncos going to put in a self-imposed cap, like some teams are going to do? Or are they going to spend?
— Everett, Phoenix
Everett – The Broncos, and presumably every other NFL team, have always worked off two financial blueprints: the salary cap, as negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement, and the cash budget, which each team controls at its own discretion.
The Broncos’ “cash” budget is what’s in play here. This essentially amounts to how much upfront money the Broncos can give to free agents in terms of signing bonuses. The “cash” budget at Dove Valley is stressed this year.
The salary cap, even though there isn’t one this year, will create some havoc on the ability of teams this month to negotiate multiyear deals. Teams do not want to spread guaranteed money into the 2011 season because of the chance there will be a lockout. The owners don’t want to pay if there’s no play. So I’m guessing there will either be a larger number of one-year deals signed in free agency this year, or there will be more deals with smaller guarantees.
Whatever the financial parameters, the Broncos have a far too aggressive front office to stand by. They will figure out how to sign five or six free agents who will be counted on for serious playing time in 2010.
How “media friendly” is the NFL scouting combine? Can reporters talk with all the prospects, coaches, GMs, etc.? Thanks, Mike!
— Adam, Denver
Adam – It’s just media friendly enough to draw more and more reporters each year. You do get a 10-minute interview with each prospect. You don’t get a second interview the next day. Just the one. Reporters also get a press conference with most NFL coaches and a few general managers at the combine.
I like to work the hotel lobbies more than the media center. My old friend and NFL mentor Bill Williamson taught me this trick. The lobbies have agents and coaches mingling near the Starbucks’ stand. There used to be more hallway access to NFL personnel in the old setup at the downtown Indy convention center. They moved the media last year to a more secluded room at Lucas Oil Stadium. The coaches and GMs no longer have to pass by us to get to their next assigned workout.
The old setup was better for the media. The new setup is better for the coaches, execs and players. One guess as to whether the NFL will consider a return to the old setup.
Mike Klis recently completed his fifth season of covering the Broncos for The Denver Post. He previously covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball for 15 years. for the Broncos Mailbag.
