Broncos -- built to win now

[denverYooper]

This article from Rosenthal has some interesting observations about Elway's aggressive use of FA:

The Broncos are a team built to win in Peyton Manning's championship window. Denver had the least amount of drafted players on their 53-man roster of any team that made it to Championship Sunday, and the oldest average age, according to USA Today.

This isn't a team that can only "build through the draft." They don't have the time. Elway's success largely has been built on identifying weak spots on the roster and aggressively trying to fill those holes.

There's also a table in the article showing 18 FA signings for Denver in 2013. 18! Of those, though, 33% are worth a damn. Still, though, it's an approach that has gotten Denver to the superbowl and probably at least 1 more year of championship contention.

Now, their equation was made somewhat different by signing Manning. They had 3-4 years to throw a team around him and take a couple shots at the title. We'll see if it works out for them and what happens after this quick run is done.

[mraynrand]

Current Broncos are an interesting mirror image of Sherman's Packers. Sherman tried to win with the QB in place who appeared to be just about done, but injuries (2002) and QB meltdowns (2003,4) pretty much killed that plan (not to mention the very rotten drafting in 2004). This year Broncos are dealing with some significant injuries (not as bad as '02 Packers of course) and last year Manning melted down a bit (plus they had their version of 4th and 26 against the Ravens too).

The other similarity might be that they have to seriously rebuild, but they will do it without Manning. Packers had Favre for three years of the TT refit and it smoothed that out considerably - two down years (2005, 6) and one great year. Wonder if Broncos will look as bad as Colts after Manning departure.

[bobblehead]

This could also read "Broncos...built to lose soon"

[mraynrand]

Another interesting comparison might be to the 1994 49ers - I think they had 7 new FA starters that year, and they dipped a bit when those FAs aged and Young brained-out of the league, but didn't crater until after TO and Garcia...

[denverYooper]

This could also read "Broncos...built to lose soon"

Indeed it could. It is interesting being a fan of the TT/M3 Packers, who have taken a draft-and-develop approach and generally put a quality team on the field year after year, and live in the Denver market where they might have a wildly successful 3 year run with Manning but then crater and have to rebuild for a few years.

[Cheesehead Craig]

They had to build themselves to win now with Manning. He's done very soon. A SB there will placate the masses for several years while they get the rebuild under way. A SB tends to make the fans of the team much more forgiving.

[Bretsky]

Whether Seattle wins the Super Bowl, or Denver wins the Super Bowl.....the Champion GM gets a ton of credit for showing how to utilize free agency "and" the draft to allow his team to excel

[Bretsky]

I'm not sure there has been a better GM over the past few years than Seattle's; he's worked under two all stars but Schneider seems to have more Ron Wolf in him that TT IMO

[Rodgers12]

They had to build themselves to win now with Manning. He's done very soon. A SB there will placate the masses for several years while they get the rebuild under way. A SB tends to make the fans of the team much more forgiving.

Rebuilding is for losers. Denver doesn't need to rebuild. They have a roster stocked with players in their primes or entering their primes. They just need to find a competent replacement for P-Mann. Easier said than done.

Looking at the Broncos' rosters, you see "prime" players like Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Terrance Knighton, Rodgers-Comartie, and Wesley Woodyard.

You see players that will soon be entering their "primes" like Von Miller, Duke Ihenacho, Danny Trevathan, and even Montee Ball.

Core players that they'll need to replace soon (in addition to Manning, unless he plays til he's 44, as expected): Welker, Bailey, Mike Adams and Shaun Phillips. Take away these old-timers and the Broncos aren't that old. These guys don't spell "rebuild."

The Broncos might still lose some of their young uns. Thanks to the NFL's far-left wealth sharing system and the equally far-left salary cap. It's nice to see fat pigs with large bank accounts like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder get punished for spending money trying to improve their firms.

Denver is projected to be about $18 M below for next season. In other words, they're managing their cap efficiently.

Elway resembles that egomaniac that once ran the Packers' football operation, Ron Wolf. Recall how Wolf ran the draft, acquired veteran free agents and made trade happens?

[mraynrand]

Elway resembles that egomaniac that once ran the Packers' football operation, Ron Wolf. Recall how Wolf ran the draft, acquired veteran free agents and made trade happens?

Wolf was far more successful in acquiring pro talent than in drafting it. Favre, A. Green, K. Jackson, the entire SB-winning starting defensive line (White, Dotson. Brown, S. Jones), etc. etc.

[Zool]

Rodgers-Comartie

I don't think they'll be counting on DRC for very long.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-...ing-retirement

[Cheesehead Craig]

Rebuilding is for losers. Denver doesn't need to rebuild. They have a roster stocked with players in their primes or entering their primes. They just need to find a competent replacement for P-Mann. Easier said than done.

Looking at the Broncos' rosters, you see "prime" players like Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Terrance Knighton, Rodgers-Comartie, and Wesley Woodyard.

You see players that will soon be entering their "primes" like Von Miller, Duke Ihenacho, Danny Trevathan, and even Montee Ball.

Core players that they'll need to replace soon (in addition to Manning, unless he plays til he's 44, as expected): Welker, Bailey, Mike Adams and Shaun Phillips. Take away these old-timers and the Broncos aren't that old. These guys don't spell "rebuild."

The Broncos might still lose some of their young uns. Thanks to the NFL's far-left wealth sharing system and the equally far-left salary cap. It's nice to see fat pigs with large bank accounts like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder get punished for spending money trying to improve their firms.

Denver is projected to be about $18 M below for next season. In other words, they're managing their cap efficiently.

Elway resembles that egomaniac that once ran the Packers' football operation, Ron Wolf. Recall how Wolf ran the draft, acquired veteran free agents and made trade happens?

Like you said, replacing Manning when he does go is easier said than done. Getting a new franchise QB is harder than it looks. Yes, one can get lucky and get a Wilson, Luck, or Kap but there are more misses than hits and it all starts there.

Plus those core players you mentioned of Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Terrance Knighton, Rodgers-Comartie, and Wesley Woodyard along with Von Miller, Duke Ihenacho, Danny Trevathan, and even Montee Ball all are going to need to PAID soon. Sure the Broncos are under the cap now but a SB win starts raising players salary demands and the majority of these guys are massively underpaid. It just takes a few big contracts, having rookies or bargain basement FAs fill in for higher quality players who got paid elsewhere, and a QB who needs several seasons to get up to speed and you have a middling team who is trying to figure out how to compete again.

[denverYooper]

Rebuilding is for losers. Denver doesn't need to rebuild. They have a roster stocked with players in their primes or entering their primes. They just need to find a competent replacement for P-Mann. Easier said than done.

Looking at the Broncos' rosters, you see "prime" players like Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Terrance Knighton, Rodgers-Comartie, and Wesley Woodyard.

You see players that will soon be entering their "primes" like Von Miller, Duke Ihenacho, Danny Trevathan, and even Montee Ball.

Core players that they'll need to replace soon (in addition to Manning, unless he plays til he's 44, as expected): Welker, Bailey, Mike Adams and Shaun Phillips. Take away these old-timers and the Broncos aren't that old. These guys don't spell "rebuild."

The Broncos might still lose some of their young uns. Thanks to the NFL's far-left wealth sharing system and the equally far-left salary cap. It's nice to see fat pigs with large bank accounts like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder get punished for spending money trying to improve their firms.

Denver is projected to be about $18 M below for next season. In other words, they're managing their cap efficiently.

Elway resembles that egomaniac that once ran the Packers' football operation, Ron Wolf. Recall how Wolf ran the draft, acquired veteran free agents and made trade happens?

It's not so clean as that.

DRC is on a one year deal. He mentioned yesterday that he might just retire if they win the superbowl. If he doesn't retire, he'll probably want to get paid.

They have to decide soon if they want to pay Von Miller a lot of money. That will affect either the cap or his presence on the team. That's not going to be an easy decision because the defense has been fine without him and he brought a lot of headaches this year.

Decker and Woodyard are FAs, as is Knowshon Moreno. They have to decide who, of those three, they want to pay. The local feeling is that they should pay Decker and Moreno and let Woodyard walk. Coming into the season, the thought was that they would pay Woodyard and that Decker would probably leave in FA because he'd possibly want to get paid and his wife has designs on a country career elsewhere. But Woodyard got "benched" (or at least relegated to a third down role) for Trevathan midway through the year.

Ihenacho is the defense's Bigby: hits hard but can whiff spectacularly.

Thomas has really blossomed into a great player, and TE Julius Thomas looks like a steal also. Knighton has been a pleasant surprise for that team.

[Smidgeon]

They had to build themselves to win now with Manning. He's done very soon. A SB there will placate the masses for several years while they get the rebuild under way. A SB tends to make the fans of the team much more forgiving.

Unless you're Green Bay. Then two consecutive one-and-dones in the playoffs make the fans a little edgy.

[mraynrand]

Unless you're Green Bay. Then two consecutive one-and-dones in the playoffs make the fans a little edgy.

It's been five consecutive playoff appearances, and last year the Pack did win a playoff game, though I can see how people would forget about it since it wasn't a contest at all and was dramatically overshadowed by 579!