Time for redemption: Shane Ray out to prove his worth to Broncos
Teams like the Broncos, perennial Super Bowl favorites picking at the end of the draft, aren’t supposed to be able to get game-changing players without dealing significant assets. They aren’t supposed to—but Denver did. Sure, Elway sent Detroit Manny Ramirez, an offensive lineman who could likely have been cut from the Broncos roster this summer, along with Denver’s first-round pick this year and its fifth-round picks this year and in 2016; but for a team without major roster holes and with a surplus of picks, that’s hardly a haul worth missing. In return, Denver got to leapfrog over Arizona, which seemed a likely landing spot for Ray, rather than wait for its own 28th pick and settle for an average offensive lineman.