the G sides

Been quiet about the Broncos moves this off-season so far. Draft is coming up and like all Bronco fans, I’ve got opinions that no one else cares about…but I want them heard.

Marshall Trade – win-win situation. He hated Denver for a lot of reasons, not all of them football (Darrent Williams) and now he goes ‘home’ to Miami. He gets what he wants. Denver gets what they want – the equivalent of a 1st round pick (2 Number 2s) and not paying an outrageous contract to a guy one slip away from NFL banishment. I like the trade.

Draft – what I don’t like is the speculation that now Dez Bryant is the number 11 pick. If that happens, guns will go off all over the city of Denver. Be listening next Thursday night. Dez Bryant is Marshall reincarnated — huge WR with massive talents, nutcase off the field.

Instead, pick #25, Rolando McClain. But McClain is a 10-year pick. It’s a Patrick Willis, Al Wilson, kind of pick. It’s a “this makes so much sense it’s stupid” pick. The Crohn’s disease? He’s handled it since high school. Proves he’s a warrior and disciplined to play at that high level with that issue. Will he be there at 11? I think so. I hope so. Almost every mock draft has him sitting there. And with Doom in a 3-4 – the meltdown of 2010 could be a thing of the past.

McClain actually covers AND tackles AND calls plays AND audibles AND hits people coming across the middle. Something a LB for Denver hasn’t done since Wilson’s days. He can play all 3 downs, he’s a gym rat, he’s smart, fast, and basically the other teams in front of Denver will be idiots if they don’t pick him.

How sold am I on McClain instead of Dez? If a WR is such a HUGE need (last time I checked, they don’t tackle or block), then I’d rather Denver sign TO for a year and draft McClain then let McClain go and draft Dez. How’s that?

The Rest of the Draft
I think if McClain is drafted at 11, the rest of the draft is gravy. As deep as the WR position is in this draft, grab one of those other WR with the 2nd rounder. Trade up and get a lineman/center in the first round. Grab a safety or DB in the middle rounds.

Tebow is an interesting pick. I know Denver worked him out and like all teams that meet him, they loved him. and if he is sitting there late in the 2nd round — heck yeah, roll the dice. If it works out, you’re a genius. If it doesn’t, well you tried. After watching Gruden’s film on the QB, I think Tebow will be a better pro than what was first thought and I think the team that gets him won’t ever have to worry about his work ethic or staying out of trouble.

He’ll be smarter with the ball than Clausen, bigger than McCoy to take the hits and with Orton — really, what is there to lose by drafting him? Worse case scenario, he’s a backup that does a great job on special teams.