Author: Nick

A THR-Influenced 2016 Broncos Mock Draft

I’ve commented very little on the incoming college talent in the 2016 NFL Draft.  That’s because, I’ve expressed here before, I’m not good at breaking down film in order to be an acceptable judge of talent.  Thus, I’ve come to rely on those who are good at it to help me figure out how the Broncos and other teams end up doing after draft weekend is over.

The one site that I’ve found the most helpful since 2004 is The Huddle Report.  Unless you’ve seen me mention it in comments here, you probably haven’t heard of it.  It’s not a fancy site, in either style or substance.  But in 13 draft seasons, I’ve found that it’s helped put me on the right track more often than the wrong track. Continue reading A THR-Influenced 2016 Broncos Mock Draft

The Broncos’ History In Early Sunday Games

Yesterday, Football Outsiders published an interesting piece by Brian Stonelake making the case that NFL teams in the Western United States struggle when they have to play on the road in the early slot on Sunday afternoons.  He argues that due to the slow adjustment of the circadian rhythm, teams that play at a time where their bodies feel like it’s the morning perform worse against teams that do not.

Since Stonelake’s study implicates the Broncos, and I’m familiar enough with their history, I thought I would break down their performance in early Sunday games to see how they have fared.  This is of particular current interest since the Broncos are going to have four early Sunday games in 2016 (Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and New Orleans).

Continue reading The Broncos’ History In Early Sunday Games

The 2016 Regular Season Schedule For The Broncos

Wk Team Date Time (ET) Network
1 Carolina  September 8  8:30 PM NBC
2 Indianapolis September 18 4:25 PM CBS
3 @ Cincinnati September 25 1:00 PM CBS
4 @ Tampa Bay  October 2 4:05 PM CBS
5 Atlanta October 9 4:05 PM FOX
6 @ San Diego October 13 8:25 PM NFLN/CBS
7 Houston October 24 8:30 PM ESPN
8 San Diego October 30 4:05 PM CBS
9 @ Oakland November 6 8:30 PM NBC
 10 @ New Orleans November 13 1:00 PM CBS
 11 Bye
 12  Kansas City November 27 4:25 PM CBS
 13 @ Jacksonville December 4 1:00 PM CBS
 14 @ Tennessee December 11 1:00 PM CBS
 15 New England December 18 4:25 PM CBS
 16 @ Kansas City Dec. 25 8:30 PM NBC
 17 Oakland Jan. 1  4:25 PM CBS

As we await the release of the schedule at 6 PM MT, you can comment here on any thoughts, wishes, etc. regarding the schedule of the Broncos or any other team as we await the three hour tour the NFL wants to take us on for something that really only takes a few seconds to release and a few minutes to explain.

7th Seeds In NFL History

I’ve long had ardent opposition to the expansion of the NFL playoffs from 12 teams to 14.  Yet this is an idea that refuses to die, and it seems like it will be an inevitability. If I were an NFL owner, I would still vote against it.  However, in recent years I have slightly softened my opposition.  The main reason why is because if we’re still going to retain giving division winners automatic home playoff games, no matter how terrible the division is (one of my most hated rules in the NFL), expanding the field to 14 would at least ease the pain for one team who put together a good record in a tough division, but would be at risk of missing the playoffs in favor of a mediocre division winner.

The above paragraph, of course, consists of opinions (my own and those of the Competition Committee), so I decided to add a bit of objectivity to determine just how wise of an idea this would be.  Beyond the fold I have constructed a table listing out all of the 52 games that would have taken place since 1990 (when the playoffs expanded from 10 to 12 teams) if the #7 seed was granted entry into the playoffs against the #2 seed.  Included are the teams’ records, as well as Football Outsiders’ DVOA ratings to add a little extra depth.  At the end, I’ll add some commentary for the most notable hypothetical games Continue reading 7th Seeds In NFL History

Broncos Trade Ryan Clady To The Jets

By trading Clady, the Broncos will gain $8.9 million in 2016 cap space while carrying $1.2 million in dead money from Clady’s remaining prorated bonuses.  This should give the Broncos something close to $10 million in 2016 cap space.

The Jets’ 5th round pick is #157 overall.  At this time, it is unclear which of the three of the Broncos’ 7th round picks (#228, #235, or #253) they gave up.

Broncos Sign Jared Crick

Andrew Mason has more from the team’s website.  There is obvious familiarity between Crick and the Broncos’ coaching staff back in all of their days in Houston, so this signing can’t be seen as a surprise.

Ian Rapaport has reported this as a two year, $4 million deal, but as always we will have to see the details of where that number comes from.

The Needs Of The Broncos In Approaching The 2016 NFL Draft

With the draft about 4 weeks away and free agency unlikely to change things must further, I felt that it would be handy to list out the positions that the Broncos could be looking to improve upon via draft weekend at the end of April.  Here’s how this analysis will break it down:

  • These needs are not ordered by priority, and that is intentional.  A good GM like John Elway will not lock in on most positions, and will instead take the best player on the board that fits one of the needs on the list.
  • Remember that while the draft takes place from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon, Saturday night into Sunday is just as important for recruiting undrafted rookies.  We know how well the Broncos have done in this category in recent years, so don’t be surprised if some needs are filled in this manner.
  • Finally, I’m breaking down the team’s needs into two categories: present needs, ones that should be met for 2016, and future needs, those that should be met for 2017 and beyond depending on what players the Broncos could be at risk in losing during the next wave of free agency.

Continue reading The Needs Of The Broncos In Approaching The 2016 NFL Draft

The Complications Of Trading For Colin Kaepernick

Just when it looked like the Colin Kaepernick rumors had died down, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle fired them up again by reporting that Kaepernick had visited with John Elway last Thursday.  Given that the report includes that the 49ers have given Kaepernick permission to seek a trade, it certainly doesn’t hurt for Elway to open up some dialogue.  However, as I see it there are still several obstacles to be able to make this trade work, so I thought it might be useful to run through what’s in the way of making this trade happen. Continue reading The Complications Of Trading For Colin Kaepernick

Evaluation Of The 2016 Broncos Offseason Road Plan

The conclusion of March and the beginning of April also coincides well with when less attention is paid toward free agency and more attention is paid toward the draft.  I’ll have some thoughts on what steps to consider for the latter likely next week, but for the former I figured that since my 17-point 2016 offseason plan back from February was largely focused on free agency, it would be a good time to review it, to see what I got right and wrong, and what the Broncos may have done right or wrong.

Continue reading Evaluation Of The 2016 Broncos Offseason Road Plan