2023 off-season thread

[lomaxgrUK]

I'm torn on the spending. This roster needed upgrading at every position we've splashed on. However, every year we see a team splash in Free Agency and they are lauded for it, only for it to very rarely actually work out.

It's very clear we are trying to get more physical upfront and play with that style of play. It will likely see us struggle in 3rd and long, but how can we possibly struggle anymore on 3rd and long than we did last year?

At least we might have something resembling an identity upfront.

[Broncofan]

2 hours ago, lomaxgrUK said:

I'm torn on the spending. This roster needed upgrading at every position we've splashed on. However, every year we see a team splash in Free Agency and they are lauded for it, only for it to very rarely actually work out.

It's very clear we are trying to get more physical upfront and play with that style of play. It will likely see us struggle in 3rd and long, but how can we possibly struggle anymore on 3rd and long than we did last year?

At least we might have something resembling an identity upfront.

The risk is that this becomes the default strategy long term.   It’s just not sustainable unless you can replicate the Saints 2017 or Seahawks 2022 draft (finding 3-4 plus starters in Day 2-3 of the draft and not missing on the day 1 pick).   
 

But given our team construction and pick capital this was our only path.   I just hope it’s not the MO every year.    While we absolutely can push cap hell down the road for 3-4 more years you can’t keep doing it perpetually.   But this offseason there was no way to upgrade the roster in any meaningful way.   One potential plus is that Allen / Powers are all 25 so we’re getting their prime physical years before decline phase hits.     Mcglinchey being 28 is more concerning at a 5-year deal (basically 3/50M guaranteed).   
 

Once we go down this route - when we decide to rebuild it means either 1 year of absolute cap-eating, worse-than-2017-18 roster build holes, or 2 years of doing nothing and just taking lumps along the way.    I’m ok with that but it’s the flip side to going all-in.   The important factor to recognize is that cap rules basically allow teams to push this decision back 3-4 years longer than casual fans believe.   So it rarely forces a team to rebuild with no choice on when to do it - but it’s still needed eventually.   
 

Given how we’re constructed I get it.   And the areas we’re addressing are all the right ones.  Trenches, trenches, trenches.   If Sutton gets dealt I imagine it’s for 1 more impact move.  We’ll see. 

 

 

 

[broncos67]

I don't have any issue with what we did tbh. I'm thrilled with the signings. I agree, this can't be the standard going forward, but this team needed a massive talent infusion in the trenches, particularly the OL. Powers is a great signing. McGlinchey is a good signing, but I do have *some* concerns about the total dollar value. 

Love the Zach Allen signing. Jones didn't wanna be here. Period. Time to rid the team of any and all players who are part of "old culture." Allen is disruptive and should be nice next to DJ Jones. 

Manhertz is a nice signing and that absolutely signals to me that we're going to lean HEAVY on the run game. Expecting an early pick at RB and a signing as well.

Singleton re-signing was smart give what other ILB on the market got. He was stellar last year so I'll take him back at what feels like a very fair price.

[broncos67]

I saw the CJGJ stuff last night. I'm not really expecting to sign him, but it would be awesome if we did. Payton clearly likes him. He'd get to play for a top tier defense. It could be a lot of fun.

[1234567]

6 hours ago, lomaxgrUK said:

I'm not sure if there is a single statistic out there that i care less about than pro bowl visits.

 

Eh, I tend to agree with you on that most of the time; I didn’t really mean that post as a complaint. They’re ok players. I’m mostly just making an observation on how expensive offensive linemen in general are becoming in this league. 

[grizmo78]

LOL McDaniels strikes again. So glad he went to the Raiders and is running them into the ground.

[7DnBrnc53]

4 minutes ago, grizmo78 said:

LOL McDaniels strikes again. So glad he went to the Raiders and is running them into the ground.

I saw. He doesn't know what talent is. I am waiting for the next shoe to drop, which is a cheating scandal at some point this coming season. 

[AnAngryAmerican]

15 minutes ago, 7DnBrnc53 said:

I saw. He doesn't know what talent is. I am waiting for the next shoe to drop, which is a cheating scandal at some point this coming season. 

It’s typical for coaches/GMs to sign free agents who come from their previous job or from a team led by someone from the same “tree.” But the Patriot guys take it to whole other level.

When Mac was here, how many former former Patriots did we sign? I don’t remember the exact number but at point I counted it up and it was over 20. In two years. And they overpay them. Didn’t we give like $20m guaranteed to Jarvis Green?  The Lions did the same thing when they Quinn as GM and Patricia as HC. It’s really astonishing. I’m so shocked that Arizona and Houston hired the HCs they hired this year given their GMs.

I remember a few years ago I was reading a snarky mock draft that didn’t name players but named ideas, like for the Packers it said “another WR for Aaron Rodgers to blame”  and for the Patriot pick the mock had “a future Detroit Lions free agent signing.” Lol. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by AnAngryAmerican

[jsthomp2007]

5 hours ago, 1234567 said:

Eh, I tend to agree with you on that most of the time; I didn’t really mean that post as a complaint. They’re ok players. I’m mostly just making an observation on how expensive offensive linemen in general are becoming in this league. 

You win the trenches, you win the game.  The big uglies should get paid. 

[7DnBrnc53]

15 minutes ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

It’s typical for coaches/GMs to sign free agents who come from their previous job or from a team led by someone from the same “tree.” But the Patriot guys take it to whole other level.

When Mac was here, how many former former Patriots did we sign? I don’t remember the exact number but at point I counted it up and it was over 20. In two years. And they overpay them. Didn’t we give like $20m guaranteed to Jarvis Green?  The Lions did the same thing when they Quinn as GM and Patricia as HC. It’s really astonishing. I’m so shocked that Arizona and Houston hired the HCs they hired this year given their GMs.

I remember a few years ago I was reading a snarky mock draft that didn’t name players but named ideas, like for the Packers it said “another WR for Aaron Rodgers to blame”  and for the Patriot pick the mock had “a future Detroit Lions free agent signing.” Lol. 

That comment had to do with the Waller trade, but it also referred to McDaniels' mediocre drafts, especially his first year. He drafted a RB with his first pick, and made him run behind a power blocking line that was more suited for zone blocking. Then, after drafting a 4-3 end in Ayers (and trying to put him at OLB. Demarcus Walker before Walker), he made the stupid Alphonso Smith deal and drafted a blocking TE in Round 2. Then, the next year, the Thomas pick wasn't the best. I know that Demaryius had a solid career in Denver, but he was made by Manning to some extent, and he was inconsistent. Gronk should have been the pick. 

You are right, however, with his Patriot obsession. Besides those moves, he traded a fourth-round pick for mega-bust Laurence Mauroney in 2010 (a trade that not too many remember). He also wanted to bring in Cassel during the Jay Cutler saga. 

Edited March 14, 2023 by 7DnBrnc53

[AnAngryAmerican]

13 minutes ago, 7DnBrnc53 said:

That comment had to do with the Waller trade, but it also referred to McDaniels' mediocre drafts, especially his first year. He drafted a RB with his first pick, and made him run behind a power blocking line that was more suited for zone blocking. Then, after drafting a 4-3 end in Ayers (and trying to put him at OLB. Demarcus Walker before Walker), he made the stupid Alphonso Smith deal and drafted a blocking TE in Round 2. Then, the next year, the Thomas pick wasn't the best. I know that Demaryius had a solid career in Denver, but he was made by Manning to some extent, and he was inconsistent. Gronk should have been the pick. 

You are right, however, with his Patriot obsession. Besides those moves, he traded a fourth-round pick for mega-bust Laurence Mauroney in 2010 (a trade that not too many remember). He also wanted to bring in Cassel during the Jay Cutler saga. 

This forum was something to behold in those days lol when he was making those moves. I can’t believe how many members we had who kept twisting logic in every way imaginable to try to defend him. Good times lol. 

I can’t believe he traded Waller and got only a late 3rd? Wow. What’s he going to do with that, draft someone from Alabama I would guess. 

[BroncoBruin]

Waller is probably cooked. Their mistake was not trading him for the Packers’ 2nd round pick at the deadline when they were going nowhere. Lost almost two full rounds of value by waiting. 

[paul-mac]

Samaje Perine. There's your veteran RB while Javonte rehabs.

[Broncofan]

1 hour ago, BroncoBruin said:

Waller is probably cooked. Their mistake was not trading him for the Packers’ 2nd round pick at the deadline when they were going nowhere. Lost almost two full rounds of value by waiting. 

And paid him a bunch of $ they can't get back either.    Classic McDaniels - had him hold out, caved in just before season began, then gets him hurt with no TC (who could see that coming)...and then trades a year too late.   I'd feel bad for Raiders fans....but it's literally textbook McD. 

[Broncofan]

1 hour ago, paul-mac said:

Samaje Perine. There's your veteran RB while Javonte rehabs.

As long as we didn't go crazy in salary, this is a good fit.   Perine is an excellent 2-way RB - great blocker, and a major plus in the pass catching game.   He isn't a bellcow, though - so I expect we would look to a 2nd RB addition.   This would  strongly signal that we would go rookie RB in the draft - to be Javonte Williams' caddy if he's OK in 2024 (which is no given), or be the possible heir if Javonte's terrible triad-like recovery isn't as straightforward (much bigger chance).   And to be clear, expecting anything close to prior form from Javonte is a tall order in 2023, year 1 post-ACL (and that's before we get to the news that his injury was confirmed earlier this off-season to be far more complicated, similar to <but not exactly> like the terrible triad injuries seen b4).

For all the "let's get a big-name RB" talk, it's such a poor allocation of resources to spend big-$ on RB on 2nd contracts.  Going after Perine would hopefully be that sub 5M AAV that's the ideal value investment..  If we spend a R4-5 pick on a top 8 RB (who'd be top 3-4 in other years), that's a great combo for roster building.    It also fits with Payton's MO since RB's became devalued to not spend up on RB - when RB's ruled the roost investment-wise, Payton was willing to spend up - but since Mark Ingram in 2011, in the last 10+ years, Alvin Kamara was the highest drafted RB at R3, and signing no big FA's was the norm.   I suspect this is Payton's MO going forward, but we'll see.

EDIT:  2 years, 7M, and we don't know even if it's all guaranteed.   Can't argue the signing at all.   Frankly, if Lat Murray wants to come back at 1/2M, won't argue (although I'd hope it doesn't stop us from drafting the future guy as Javonte insurance <and when he becomes expensive, still a good idea to have a plan B anyways if he does recover> in an insanely deep RB draft class).

 

 

Edited March 14, 2023 by Broncofan