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Training Camp Notes & Observations


jsthomp2007

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1 hour ago, broncos67 said:

Hollins did not have a good game in any way shape or form but he's a rookie, so I mean, those things will happen. He looked a bit lost and slow last night.

Schlottman I didn't notice much, but he definitely got rag-dolled on one pass play in particular, but clearly he's shown a lot if he's moving up the chart.

To be fair to Hollins they have also moved him inside for a couple of weeks and then back to EDGE.   It’s a big adjustment for any rookie but EDGE and ILB are 2 completely different animals.  

I didn’t see much of Malik Reed last night.   I hope he isn’t peaking because cutting Jeff Holland was the direct result of Reed & Hollins pushing him down the depth chart (no argument with Hollins or Reed in a vacuum but Holland looked like a rotation worthy EDGE last year once called up - sucks that we are so thin everywhere in the roster but have EDGE depth most other teams would envy). 

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1 hour ago, Broncofan said:

To be fair to Hollins they have also moved him inside for a couple of weeks and then back to EDGE.   It’s a big adjustment for any rookie but EDGE and ILB are 2 completely different animals.  

I didn’t see much of Malik Reed last night.   I hope he isn’t peaking because cutting Jeff Holland was the direct result of Reed & Hollins pushing him down the depth chart (no argument with Hollins or Reed in a vacuum but Holland looked like a rotation worthy EDGE last year once called up - sucks that we are so thin everywhere in the roster but have EDGE depth most other teams would envy). 

Reed didn't play. Lot of second level depth guys sat last night. 

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10 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said:

Reed didn't play. Lot of second level depth guys sat last night. 

Well that's good news.  Did Wallace sit too?  I didn't see any of him either.   I was so focused on our ILB and OL play, I realized I wasn't following our 2nd team EDGE play at all.

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Well this really sucks.  

Why?  Because Jeff Holland got waived (and then claimed by ARI with the #1 priority) because he was #5 at best on the EDGE depth chart, passed by Wallace, and without ST ability wasn’t going to make the roster, according to reports last week.   Damn.  Guess Hollins seem like a lock to stay at EDGE and Reed to make the team as a top 4 guy.  

I can’t blame Elway for saying the starting unit might not get much time.  The OL needs more reps but otherwise avoiding more injuries is key given our lack of roster depth.  

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Leary's chronic knee flaring up again and Davis still not practicing after almost five weeks. Team's just being slowly gutted by these small injuries, one after another. 

I think we're getting a good read on what this team is. There is plenty of individual talent, enough to be competitive with good teams when healthy. But the wheels will really come off if they lose 1 or 2 core guys, and there's always a decent chance of that happening. I see a young team that will make us proud at times but by December, probably fade. The defense will provide a lot of fun moments and I'd bet we're looking at Chubb as the best player on the team sooner than later. 

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9 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said:

Leary's chronic knee flaring up again and Davis still not practicing after almost five weeks. Team's just being slowly gutted by these small injuries, one after another. 

I think we're getting a good read on what this team is. There is plenty of individual talent, enough to be competitive with good teams when healthy. But the wheels will really come off if they lose 1 or 2 core guys, and there's always a decent chance of that happening. I see a young team that will make us proud at times but by December, probably fade. The defense will provide a lot of fun moments and I'd bet we're looking at Chubb as the best player on the team sooner than later. 

The likelihood increases as time goes on that Todd Davis has more than a calf strain but wear and tear from the Achilles.   He’s a limited player but if that’s the case we are paper thin at ILB.  Ugh. 

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2 hours ago, BroncoBruin said:

Leary's chronic knee flaring up again and Davis still not practicing after almost five weeks. Team's just being slowly gutted by these small injuries, one after another. 

I think we're getting a good read on what this team is. There is plenty of individual talent, enough to be competitive with good teams when healthy. But the wheels will really come off if they lose 1 or 2 core guys, and there's always a decent chance of that happening. I see a young team that will make us proud at times but by December, probably fade. The defense will provide a lot of fun moments and I'd bet we're looking at Chubb as the best player on the team sooner than later. 

Totally agree with this.

Our interior defensive front is nothing better than above average in the run game, so when you factor in our (at best) below average ILB's, I really fear we're going to get blown off the ball in the run game on Defense.

I would full expect teams to get us in our Nickel package then ram it down our throats. If you have to bring a Safety down to help in that regard, it makes you so limited from a coverage perspective in early downs where blitzing is much more difficult (Cover 1/Cover 3 are the only real options).

This is nothing new - it happened all of last year, the Jets game in particular if you can remember that shambles. We basically Cover 1 exclusively in early downs and the Jets ripped us to pieces.

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I touched on this in the Week 2 preseason GD thread, but if this comes to pass - then it also puts Elway in a tough spot for Opening Day.  We have 4 guys now with serious injuries where reg. season time is going to be missed - Lock, Janovich, Riddick & Joseph Jones.   You can only IR-return 2 guys all year - and you MUST keep them on the 53-man roster when cuts are made first, then put them on IR-return.  So we're talking about cutting down to 49 active guys, keeping those 4, and then putting 2 on IR-return, and hoping we can get back 2 of the 4 extra guys we cut back from clearing waivers.

I said it before, I'll say it again now - with this context in mind, Elway should really consider cutting Theo Riddick (injury release).   Riddick came with a 1M guarantee - but he also came with likely a contract with offset language.    Which means if another team signed him, DEN would recover whatever $ they got from that 2nd contract.   Now the other wrinkle - any team that signs a vet after Week 1 can go week-to-week with that vet.  So if we cut Riddick, knowing his injury, we likely wouldn't get all of the 1M back - maybe half.  But we'd also save the 1.5M in other bonuses that Riddick could make if he stays on the roster.

We absolutely need Lock on IR-return, and frankly, Janovich & even Joe Jones is more difficult to replace (given he's an actual ILB, our worst spot by far) than Theo Riddick.  Plus Jones is actually a very good ST player, and that's clearly needed - and he's cheap for 2 more years (my main reason TBH).   

I disliked the Riddick signing before because it was a 1-year win-now move with no future hope of sticking beyond 2019, on a team with unrealistic chances of contention, and more built for 2020+ contention.  But keeping Riddick would be insane now, given he's already hurting, a huge risk for re-occurrence, and the roster crunch we're about to face, if the news on Lock (and the news on Janovich & Joe Jones) are already known.   Out of all the guys hurt, Riddick is both the most replaceable short-term, the most expensive, and the guy with zero long-term potential.   Plus, doing it now saves $, and introduces the chance for another team to sign him Week 2, and we recover up to 650K out of the 1M spent.  Come on, Elway...

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 Kerr just never worked out after flashing in IND.   It happens.

But Dekoda Watson was a brutal trade decision.   Yeah, I know it's a Day 3 pick.  But this was a throwaway pick from the moment it happened - not because Watson was destined to fail, but because he was entering his age-30 year never having been an impact guy - and only signed for 1 year.    So didn't offer ANY hope for 2020+.

It's pretty telling that Elway's best moves the last 2 years have been youth-oriented.   Stop with the stopgap vet $ for 1-year guys, it's just a waste of resources, not just cap space but also opportunity cost.  Invest in the kids, most of them won't work out, but the ones that do will help us in 2020+.  No more 1-year retreads beyond min-wage guys (and yes, that means cut Theo Riddick now and save 1.5M plus whatever offset $ he finds from another team, and let a kid get a crack, not a guy who won't be part of our 2020+ plans).

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48 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

 

 Kerr just never worked out after flashing in IND.   It happens.

But Dekoda Watson was a brutal trade decision.   Yeah, I know it's a Day 3 pick.  But this was a throwaway pick from the moment it happened - not because Watson was destined to fail, but because he was entering his age-30 year never having been an impact guy - and only signed for 1 year.    So didn't offer ANY hope for 2020+.

It's pretty telling that Elway's best moves the last 2 years have been youth-oriented.   Stop with the stopgap vet $ for 1-year guys, it's just a waste of resources, not just cap space but also opportunity cost.  Invest in the kids, most of them won't work out, but the ones that do will help us in 2020+.  No more 1-year retreads beyond min-wage guys (and yes, that means cut Theo Riddick now and save 1.5M plus whatever offset $ he finds from another team, and let a kid get a crack, not a guy who won't be part of our 2020+ plans).

I completely agree with this take I hated the trade when it happened. Even if it was a deal to poach Rich S away. 

The niners have a wealth of skill position players I would of rather gotten a return like that. At least it gives a player a chance to make the 53.

I don't think leaving the 2019 draft with 6 selections was wise across the board especially with a trade down in the first. I get it Elway got his guy in lock, he also got his guy in Lynch and Brock. This roster needs young talent to develop tremendously.

I'm not sure if it's the scouting department, the turnover rate of staffing, or Just lackluster evaluating. 

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2 minutes ago, BroncoBruin said:

Kerr was a 330 pounder who couldn't hold the POA. Purcell will directly replace him and do a better job. The Watson move makes no sense to me. We're horrible on special teams and the only EDGE depth is composed of rookies, one of whom also plays another position. 

I will say this, going young is the right way to approach 2020+.   And as much as Elway wants to say he's not giving up on 2019 - they shouldn't go all in to try and get to a 8-8 record, or a microscopic chance to contend.    Lock or another QB is likely our future, so investing anything in 2019 at the expense of our youth is a mistake.   

I absolutely hated the Watson trade the moment it happened, and made no secret of it.  600K and a draft spot drop wasted.   Small change - but a pure waste of $ now.  At least Elway didn't compound it by creating an opportunity cost waste as well.  I'll give him credit there for limiting his mistake on this one.

 

 

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