2020 Mock Offseason V1

[BroncosFan2010]

*** COMP indicates comparable contracts used to evaluate signing amounts ***

 

CUTS

Joe Flacco QB +10M

Ronald Leary OG +8.5M

Todd Davis ILB +5M

 

RESIGNED

Justin Simmons S - Franchise Tag

Chris Harris Jr DB - 3 / 40M (COMP – AJ Bouye / Stephon Gilmore)

Connor McGovern OL – 4 / 32M (COMP – Jason Kelce / Ryan Kalil)

Derek Wolfe DL – 3 / 25M (COMP – Henry Anderson / Gerald McCoy)

Jeremiah Attaochu EDGE – 2 / 7M (COMP – Barkevious Mingo / Markus Golden)

Casey Kreiter LS – 1 / 1M

De’Vante Bausby DB – RFA Tender

Mike Purcell NT – RFA Tender

Brandon Allen QB – RFA Tender

Elijah Wilkinson OL – RFA Tender

Tim Patrick WR – ERFA Tender

Jake Rogers OT – ERFA Tender

Dymonte Thomas S – ERFA Tender

 

FREE AGENCY

Danny Trevathan ILB – 3 / 30M (COMP - Eric Kendricks / Lavonte Davis)

WHY? The big signing of the offseason is a familiar face. Everyone knows that this defensive scheme is predicated on an athletic, sideline-to-sideline ILB. Danny is just that. He brings veteran leadership, scheme familiarity and should be somewhat affordable coming off an injury IMO.

 

Nick Williams DL – 2 / 12M (COMP – Angelo Blackson / William Gholston)

WHY? One year wonder DL that Vic picked up in 2018 and who had a surprising season last year in CHI. His age (29) and single season of production makes him unlikely to get big offers IMO, so we throw him a decent sized chunk and hope he can be a bridge until Jones reaches his 3 down potential.

 

Tajae Sharpe WR – 2 / 10M (COMP – Randall Cobb / Cordarrelle Patterson)

WHY? Even if we draft a few WR, we need someone that is a know commodity. Sharpe isn’t electric but he can move the chains and has some upside to grow with the team since he is only 25. We pencil him in as the #3 in a battle that he will win IMO against DaeSean.

 

 

In this scenario Herbert / Love / Eason are available at 1.15 and JAX comes calling for a trade up

 

*** DEN trades 1.15 + 4.128 to JAX for 1.20 + 3.73 ***

 

1.20 – Henry Ruggs III – WR (Alabama, JR, 6’0, 190lbs, 4.25 – 4.45 EST)

WHY? Elite burner that contributes outside simple deep routes. He has the toughness and ‘across the middle’ abilities of a true slot but the burning speed of a Ted Ginn. Technically sound enough to contribute right away, as Alabama has a track record of WR’s transitioning well. Steps in as the #2 giving us a deep threat, YAC / Bubble Screen guy and overall burner of a talent that can open the offense in numerous ways.

 

2.46 – Cesar Ruiz – IOL (Michigan, JR, 6’3, 319lbs, 5.15 – 5.40 EST)

WHY? We need to continue to build this OL and Ruiz projects a versatile fit along the IOL. He has tremendous movement skills for his size and very active hands. He played RG as a FR and OC as a SO/JR, but I like his projection as an RG more than anything. He is a bubble plug/play guy, but I think we throw him in the fire as a rookie starter.

 

*** DEN trades 3.77 + 4.115 + 2021 R5 to BAL for 2.60 ***

               

2.60 – Bryce Hall – CB (Virginia, SR, 6’1, 200lbs, 4.38 – 4.58 EST)

WHY? Even with resigning CHJ and a potentially healthy Callahan, we need more talent at CB. Hall is an ideal zone fit who reads the QB tremendously well and has instinctual big play abilities. He has elite length and enough speed to play man, but ideally with rotated safety help.

 

3.73 – Isaiah Wilson – OT (Georgia, rSO, 6’6, 340lbs, 5.30 – 5.55 EST)

WHY? We are returning an up-and-down Bolles on the last year of his rookie deal and the perpetually injured James. The team needs a backup plan. Wilson is a developmental OT with great potential. He is a road grader with surprising functional movement skills and athleticism and projects as a great RT moving forward. We develop him as a rookie and reassess the position after the year, possible penciling him as a 2021/22 starter depending on whether Bolles has developed enough for a 2^nd contract and James has stayed healthy.

 

*** DEN trades 3.83 to NE for 3.99 + 4.122

 

3.96 – Cam Akers – RB (Florida State, JR, 5’10, 212lbs, 4.44 – 4.63 EST)

WHY? The value for WR and RB in this draft is tremendous. Lindsay has been great, but Royce needs competition. Akers has 3 down potential and minimal wear on his tires. He is a clear cut BPA at this position and gives us a guy that can run inside with power and outside with speed.

 

3.99 – Rashard Lawrence – DL (LSU, SR, 6’2, 308lbs, 4.97 – 5.18 EST)

WHY? Purcell was great, but we need to beef up the line with young talent. Lawrence isn’t a world beater, but he has a NFL frame and enough push to be a potential future starting NT, while having the movement skills to step in at 34DE on running downs potentially. He is a team leader with great character and would fit right into our new culture.

 

4.122 – Julian Blackmon – S (Utah, SR, 6’0, 204lbs, 4.38 – 4.58 EST)

WHY? We lose Will Parks in FA and will need additional backup talent. Blackmon is a versatile player, falling into that hybrid FS/SS skillset that the Broncos seem to gravitate to. He is a elite tackler with zone talent who is fast enough to match up in man w/ his CB background. Not quite the LB hybrid that Parks was, but plays bigger than his listed size and should be able to help in subpackages right away IMO.

 

*** DEN trades 6.181 + 6.215 + 7.252 to TEN for 5.171 ***

 

5.171 – Quez Watkins – WR (Southern Miss, rJR, 6’1, 190lbs, 4.40 – 4.58 EST)

WHY? Until this point we have taken high character guys with few blemishes, but its time to roll the dice. Watkins is a electric athlete who was suspended for academics but after his return led the team in TD and catching yards. We can use him as a developmental WR and punt returner (Where he is excellent) in hopes that he clamps down and reaches his potential.

 

7.238 – Shaun Bradley – LB (Temple, SR, 6’1, 224lbs, 4.52 – 4.72 EST)

WHY? Even with signing Danny, we need more bodies at ILB. Bradley projects well as a sideline pursuit ILB and ideally we can give him time to add mass while retaining his mobility. He will fight for a backup ILB spot and if not we throw him on the PS.

 

7.255 – Steven Montez – QB (Colorado, rSR, 6’4, 240lbs, 4.73 – 4.94)

WHY? With our multitude of picks, at some point we are likely to take a PS QB to stash, and I like the idea of keeping this kid in Colorado. He never developed as hoped after his SO season, but he has real tools to work with and a great head on his shoulders. We throw him on the PS and hope he can fix his abysmal footwork to become a workable backup QB.

 

QB – Drew Lock / Brandon Allen

RB – Phillip Lindsay / Royce Freeman / Cam Akers

FB – Andy Janovich

WR1 – Courtland Sutton / Tim Patrick

WR2 – Henry Ruggs III / Quez Watkins

WR3 – Tajae Sharpe / DaeSean Hamilton

TE – Noah Fant / Jeff Heuerman / Troy Fumagalli

LT – Garett Bolles / Jake Rogers

LG – Dalton Risner / Austin Schlottmann / Elijah Wilkinson

OC – Connor McGovern / Austin Schlottmann

RG – Cesar Ruiz / Austin Schlottmann / Elijah Wilkinson

RT – Ja’Wuan James / Isaiah Wilson

 

DE – Derek Wolfe / DeMarcus Walker

NT – Mike Prucell / Rashard Lawrence

DE – Nick Williams / Dre’Mont Jones

EDGE – Von Miller / Malik Reed / Justin Hollins

ILB – AJ Johnson / Josey Jewell

ILB – Danny Trevathan / Joe Jones vs Shaun Bradley

EDGE – Bradley Chubb / Jeremiah Attachu

CB1 – Chris Harris Jr / De’Vante Bausby

CB2 – Bryce Hall / Isaac Yiadom

CB3 – Bryce Callahan

S – Kareem Jackson / Julian Blackmon

S – Justin Simmons / Trey Marshall vs Dymonte Thomas

[Broncofan]

Akers at 3.96 - OMG yes.   The most underrated elite skill RB IMO.   That’s the kind of value that this class offers.   He’s truly skilled enough to be our best RB by 2021.  The class is that deep.  
 

As much as I want T addressed from this class - at 15 if Thomas / Wirfs & Wills (I’d be shocked if Beckton was on Elway’s radar at 1.15), if Simmons is gone (seems like a lock), then WR seems the right call, even with the insane depth.   I def love the idea of Ruggs later (KJ Hill Rd2 I’m really growing on as an alternate scenario).  
 

I doubt Beckton or Josh Jones lasted to 2.15 but if either did I’d be fine there.   Failing that though Wilson is a decent Rd3 target.  
 

Hall’s a great fit for a zone scheme.   Ideal to wait until 60 range for a zone CB, market inefficiency provides for a value pick like him.  

 

As much as I want to upgrade T tangibly with higher floor guys in a vacuum, it would be hard to argue with that result - Ruggs / Akers / Hall great fits, and Wilson’s ceiling.  

Edited January 24, 2020 by Broncofan

[Cutler06]

15 hours ago, BroncosFan2010 said:

 

Dymonte Thomas S – ERFA Tender

 

 

Thomas was waived the 17th, one less bell to answer.

[Scoundrel]

Ruggs is more likely to rise to be out of range at 15 then he is to be there at 20

[Ahhlucas]

Looks solid enough, but I would pick a more realistic trade partner. Why would Jacksonville chase a second-teir first-round QB when they have Foles and Minshew? It could happen if they absolutely fall in love with a guy, but it would really make life tough for them. They can't cut Foles until 2022 when his dead cap drops below 12m, and Minshew is under contract until then as well for pennies on the dollar. The year for them to go QB is likely 2022, or 2021 if both QBs bomb this year. 

[Broncofan]

16 minutes ago, Ahhlucas said:

Looks solid enough, but I would pick a more realistic trade partner. Why would Jacksonville chase a second-teir first-round QB when they have Foles and Minshew? It could happen if they absolutely fall in love with a guy, but it would really make life tough for them. They can't cut Foles until 2022 when his dead cap drops below 12m, and Minshew is under contract until then as well for pennies on the dollar. The year for them to go QB is likely 2022, or 2021 if both QBs bomb this year. 

That’s a fair criticism since apparently Marrone stayed in large part due to his advocacy for Minshew.  He apparently strongly lobbied to keep Minshew as the starter over Foles.  

[germ-x]

Would not complain with this a bit.  Akers would be an awesome addition, that FSU team he was on was pathetic, if he’d have played behind an Ohio State/Wisconsin OL he may have been RB1 in this draft.

[broncos_fan _from _uk]

Very nice draft. Wouldn’t mind it, but have some things to nitpick. I like the idea of taking a mid round tackle prospect with upside but would prefer one with the potential to play on the left even if it’s just as a swing. Adams, Jones (though this week may have pushed him into the late first early second), and Prince all come to mind.

Im a buffs homer but we should not draft Montez. Maybe a UDFA.  Love the kid as a college QB but he’s just that a college QB. Has all the tools none of the skills. Inconsistent accuracy, bad feet, no pocket awareness. Honestly he’s Tebow 2.0. without the media circus. (Thankfully no ones wasting a first on him)

[BroncosFan2010]

Quote

I like the idea of taking a mid round tackle prospect with upside but would prefer one with the potential to play on the left even if it’s just as a swing. Adams, Jones (though this week may have pushed him into the late first early second), and Prince all come to mind.

I certainly think Wilson has LT potential. He moves very well for his size. I think Jones and Prince are Top-50 picks, and Adams has so many injury red flags (Not to mention he is much older than Wilson). 

 

Quote

Im a buffs homer but we should not draft Montez. Maybe a UDFA.  Love the kid as a college QB but he’s just that a college QB. Has all the tools none of the skills. Inconsistent accuracy, bad feet, no pocket awareness. Honestly he’s Tebow 2.0. without the media circus. (Thankfully no ones wasting a first on him)

I mean, pick 255 is basically a UDFA. But I was mostly just sticking with someone familiar. That could be basically any QB. 

Kevin Davidson is pretty interesting. Only started a single season at Princeton but looked really good. Super crazy story too:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001096738/article/2020-eastwest-shrine-bowl-kevin-davidson-ready-for-his-shot