What pieces do we have?

[AnAngryAmerican]

I forgot what it was that got me thinking about this, probably something on the radio as I drive around from client to client, meeting to meeting. 

But anyway, what pieces - real, foundational, we can win a Super Bowl with you - kind of pieces do we have? And I do not just mean on the 53 man roster but also on the coaching staff and in the front office. HERE is the front office and coaching staff and HERE is the current roster. 

So what pieces do we have?

[AKRNA]

You're a bit premature with your question. Ask again after the next 6 games.

[BroncoBruin]

On the coaching staff, Vic as a defensive play caller and Munchak as OL coach are two I feel reasonably confident in making their units play above their talent level. 

In the front office, it's hard to tell. It feels like they haven't replaced pivotal figures like Champ Kelly, Tom Heckert and Adam Peters. Matt Russell has been the #2 guy for a long time and the dynamics of he and Elway coming to decisions on personnel is unclear.

On the team itself, I think Phillip Lindsay, Courtland Sutton, Dalton Risner, Bradley Chubb and Justin Simmons are the young "sure things". I know Simmons is a FA but he'll be at worst franchised. Noah Fant starting to produce like he is at 21 years old is a good sign, and AJ Johnson has pretty much established himself as a good linebacker with difference making qualities after just 6 games. In theory, a lot of our veteran players (not including upcoming FAs like CHJ and the D-line guys) are good pieces. Kareem Jackson and Von Miller are still high level guys right now, but will they be when the team is actually good again? Bryce Callahan and Ja'Wuan James are good players when they're actually healthy, but you can't really depend on that. Beyond that...who knows? Lot of young players who are up-and-down especially on defense and should benefit from time in the system. 

[AnAngryAmerican]

2 hours ago, AKRNA said:

You're a bit premature with your question. Ask again after the next 6 games.

Or how about let’s see who changes our minds in the next 6 games? 

[1234567]

Ooh I like this topic. 

Where I think we’re set:

Fangio- *for now* I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. This team is lacking in talent all across the board. Yet despite that, we’ve still been in a position to win most of our games right up to the end. Couldn’t say that for VJ. 

Munchak - He has always taken a year or two to really show an effect. But there is no doubt that he’s one of the premier O-line coaches in the league. The garbage he inherited this season isn’t his fault. 

Defensive backfield- Fangio runs a very complicated coverage scheme, and it has taken a while for our young d-backs to pick it up. But until that second half meltdown against the Vikings, they were playing really well. I think this unit will only improve next year. 

Runningbacks - Lindsay and Freeman are studs making the most of our horrid O-line. 

Pass rush - Fangio definitely runs a low pressure system in that he doesn’t send more than 4 very often, and pounding the opposing qb into submission doesn’t seem to be a big factor in his game plans. So the rushers we have are serviceable in the roles they are given. 

Needs: 

Minus that glorious left guard of ours, the ENTIRE o-line is garbage. Bottom five easily. This HAS to be addressed in next year’s draft or we will never win again in this league, no matter who our qb is. 

D-line - we need more beef and depth. Wolfe is having a career year but is injury prone, and Gotsis sucks. We have some great pieces there but we need more of them to rotate in. 

ILB - We appear to have stumbled onto a legit playmaker in Johnson, but he’s essentially a 27 year old rookie and aside from him, it gets pretty average in a hurry. 

WR - Sutton’s a beast but he doesn’t appear to be getting a lot of help from the rest of the receivers. 

The Maybe’s:

TE - Fant is going to be a nightmare come next season, but can he stay healthy and continue to improve his blocking? If he goes down, who does that leave other than a bunch of injury prone guys who can’t stay on the field? It’s def a concern of mine. 

QB - Will Lock be the answer? No way to know until we fix that line. 

Scangarello - Same problem as QB. I like his creativity, but gimmicks only work for so long. That horrible o-line is disrupting EVERYTHING he has tried run as an offense so it’s hard to judge him one way or the other at this point. 

[AKRNA]

3 hours ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

Or how about let’s see who changes our minds in the next 6 games? 

There ya go.

[Cutler06]

I'd list Purcell as a piece that will contribute in Fangio's scheme, if you add in Johnson, Purcell adds just as much IMO

[jsthomp2007]

I think there is some talent on this tesm:

Lock - he has talent. What he and the coaching staff do with it is the question. I have no issue with him as Qbotf. 

Sutton and Patrick at WR, but they need another WR.

 

TE I like Fant. Many of you all said it takes longer for them to develop. 

 

RB I think they need an upgrade. Freeman is okay and as much as I love Lindsay, he's a gadget...he's Dave Meggett...Kevin Falk. I would like to see a three down back that Lindsay can compliment.

OL...scape most of it and start over.

SP - need whole new special teamed outside of Spencer. He doesn't fumble and that is fine.

DL - if we can get a Derrick Brown that'd be cool but DLs like TEs take time to develop. 

ILB - love AJ, but getting some in insurance is probably a good idea. 

CB - always get more here.

S- I'm good with Kareem and Simmons

[The Helicopter]

Did we really give up a draft pick for Flacco? 

[Broncofan]

10 hours ago, The Helicopter said:

Did we really give up a draft pick for Flacco? 

And the crazy part was, a good part of the fanbase sold it as a bargain, as well as the contract.    The only good part about the deal was Flacco came with no future dead money.  And since Elway's not chosen to use it, even his 2020 restructure cap push-back is only a paper-exercise.

Still, that was an expensive way to get half a season of crappy play.