2021 GMO Draft - UDFA

Probably. I liked last year's class just as much as this year. Especially when the Browns grabbed my top TE Harrison Bryant

 

It kind of seems to go that way with TE's every year. Top end guys are fairly predictable, then it's all over the place.

 

Very happy to get him here, especially since Tim snagged Wildgoose just ahead of me.

The roster is just about complete now. Two more particular names left that I want to draft/sign as UDFAs, and two sixth rounders left to take them.

 

Can you imagine the awesome power of a secondary when one of your DBs is named Wildgoose?! Who could ever throw on you.

 

Now that I think about it, it's pretty much that way with every position. lol!

Well maybe not long snappers. Those are rare breeds.

 

Denver Broncos​

The Broncos started the offseason in kind of an odd position. They lost Courtland Sutton (top 3 offensive player) and Von Miller (elite defender) before their 2020 season could even get under way. So between that, and their up and down play from starting QB Drew Lock it's fair to say even their top brass aren't 100% sure what they have heading towards 2021. Their previous GM, the infamous John Elway, brought one championship already a few years ago with Peyton Manning's swan song. But he's decided it's in the team's best interest he step away from the GM position and stick to front office executive type stuff. In comes George Paton, a long-time Vikings exec who is well respected around the league. Without knowing how the front office felt about their prospects going forward, and with only a moderate understanding of Paton's preferences, I sort of tried to balance past Elway behavior with a blend of Vikings recent tendencies and my own personal vision of where the team should head going forward. It's an odd dynamic, to be sure.

FREE AGENCY​

My goal was mostly to try and retain their proven performers so that they could use their draft picks to build around what was already there and get a better view of what they have going forward in 2021. During Paton's time in Minnesota they weren't terribly active in FA (to my recollection), but Elway often wasn't afraid to make a splash previously in Denver. So again, the tiebreaker became kind of whatever I felt like doing.
My plan was to retain important guys (V.Miller/Justin Simmons/Shelby Harris @DL/Tim Patrick @WR). But we had a decent amount of cap space so I wanted to keep an open mind if a pricier new addition could help us in a key area.

Execution​

Mostly successful. The one guy I couldn't retain was Shelby Harris. But the price on him went up quickly. I did the math, realized he had never had more than 6 sacks in a year, and was about to turn 30. Instead of paying him $10 million plus I opted to sign Morgan Fox (LAR / 6 sacks last year and only 26 years old) for only $3 million. I kept J.Simmons, Tim Patrick, and Phillip Lindsay on tags. Lindsay seemed easier to keep than to have to dedicate one of my draft picks to another RB. Asset allocation decision. He's had success with us before. We hope for more 2019 than 2020 going forward from him.

Roster Depth:
S John Johnson $9.8 Million (LAR)
C/G Ethan Pocic $3 Million (SEA)
DL Morgan Fox $3 Million (LAR)
CB Richard Sherman $3 Million (SF)
T/G Matt Feiler Vet Min (PIT)
QB Trevor Siemian Vet Min (DEN)
QB Jameis Winston Vet Min (N.O.)


Final Thoughts: Well...we're in a division with Patrick Mahomes for the foreseeable future. I have one ProBowl safety in Justin Simmons, whom I retained with the franchise tag. But considering DB was one of our 2-3 biggest needs anyway, and the bad luck of facing Mahomes twice per year, it felt prudent to add another ProBowl safety to pair with Simmons. Enter my biggest FA move, a 4 year $9.8 Million AAV pact with John Johnson (LAR). Other depth moves included T/G depth with Matt Feiler (PIT), the veteran CB addition of Richard Sherman, and some interior OL depth with E.Pocic because their draft pick I was low on last year ended up looking pretty unprepared for life in the NFL (Cushenberry). Also added Morgan Fox on a cheap pact coming from the Rams. That might prove to be my smartest dollars >> production move of the off-season.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DRAFT ​

My goal was to play it low key but look for a chance to improve our Quarterback situation. I channeled my inner @Tim (If you don't have that guy, you keep F*%&*n looking until something clicks). Am I crediting the right guy with that stance?? Anyways....Aside from that, I wanted talent at CB, then to add talent to the roster as I saw fit. Other potential depth needs included coverage LB, RT (beyond Ja'Wuan James/Feiler), Edge, IOL, DL, S depth, RB depth.

1(9) Mac Jones - QB - Alabama
2(8) Kelvin Joseph - CB - Kentucky
3(7) Ronnie Perkins - Edge - Oklahoma
4(9) Cameron McGrone - LB - Michigan
5(8) Cameron Sample - DL - Tulane
6(7) Shaka Toney - Edge - Penn State
7(9) David Moore Jr - G - Grambling State
7(11) Brenden Jaimes - T - Nebraska
7(26) Aashari Crosswell - S - Arizona St

Mac Jones is the star of the show. I "like" him. Haven't scouted him as thorough as I'd like to have. But I believe he's a smart player who knows how to get the ball to his playmakers, take what's given to him, and stay calm under pressure. He showed moxie and leadership winning the job and running away with it at Bama. I believe he fits the mold for Denver more than say a Trey Lance for both Elway and George Paton. Drew Lock has shown flashes, but just isn't that guy in my estimation. We pull the trigger.
Kelvin Joseph is a hyper-athletic and competitive corner from a big program (previously LSU) who has shown serious potential in man coverage. I like his chances to be a starter sooner than later. Has the pedigree, requisite size, and mentality of a feisty outside starting CB.
Ronnie Perkins is developmental depth behind Superstar Von Miller and future stud (we hope) Bradley Chubb. Joins Shaka Toney and Derrek Tuszka as Edge depth.
Cameron McGrone is an LB I happen to like as an all-around backer. I brought him up to Tim a while back and said I see a Devin Bush-lite. Yeah I know, same school, cheap comp. But it's his awareness in zone coverage and aggressiveness toward the line of scrimmage that remind me of Bush. I like him as a coverage option among a young group of guys in Denver. 2021 will be their first real look at last year's late round selection of Justin Strnad also. So we lost Shelby Harris in free agency. He had been productive recently and fit the scheme fairly well. But money said it was time to move on. I "doubled down" so to speak with the FA signing of Morgan Fox, who had a career year last season, and the selection of Cameron Sample. I really like what little I have seen from Sample. He attacks downhill similarly to Shelby Harris, and I think can cause some disruption from the interior. I think he'll fit in our 5-tech rotation in time with some added muscle and can help provide a rush from the inside in nickel and dime situations. Sidenote: It was completely accidental that I selected two guys named Cameron back-to-back. Actually made me laugh. What are the odds...
Added more depth at Edge and S with Shaka Toney and Aashari Crosswell, respectively.
Also went true BPA in my opinion late with both O-line selections. David Moore Jr and Brenden Jaimes are talented enough to push for opening day roster spots and can provide depth behind the starters potentially while continuing to develop with NFL coaching.

 

Titans are OTC

WHAT....I'm not suppose to be on the Clock till tomorrow at 7 am my time.......you guys are way too fast.

Chill out and go have a Beer or sex with your wife eh......lol

I'm came to check out Fantasy Hockey scores and I'm OTC........OK OK I will make a pick.


Josh Palmer................WR................Tennessee


He is Canadian eh.

 

He is. Nice sleeper too.

 

Thanks Ruth........Titans need a good WR.

 

Outstanding! I lived in Denver for 13 years and if I was still there I’d read this to my friends and they’d buy me beers.

I personally think that Elway f’ed things up royally. While he had that early success with Manning, it may ultimately have proven to overinflate Elway’s and lots of others’ opinion of how savvy he is. He sucked at the GM job.

 

Text me when I'm up.

 

Spot on. Exactly my thoughts...

 

At least Elway is no MJ. Now there is a past great that can't manage a team. Actually Gretzky sucked too but he knew it.

 

That Paxton Lynch stink might never come off

 

We're having a run on Canadians, eh?

 

I’m going to ask the same question I asked about 24 hours ago.

Is there any chance we’ll get to BUF (6/29) tonight? It’s getting late here and I’m already old (but not as old as Lyman!).

If there’s a real shot at another 28 picks being made I can PM Truth (or, is it Ruth? [I prefer the androgynous RT]) with my pick list.

 

@RTTRUTH - I think you're OTC now

 

You're probably pretty safe going to bed tonight Dan. Thanks for looking out for us.

 

He is right.

Anyone want to trade up to Indianapolis' pick?? I'll give it 15-20

 

For some stupid reason I was confident that Mac Jones would be there for LV at #17, so I hate your draft and I didn't even bother to read the breakdown....

Just kidding...nice work.