Daily Thought
The Broncos play the Colts this Saturday night in what might be the only meaningful preseason game. Here's a few interesting things to look for:
1) Mike Anderson will play the first quarter, Tatum Bell the second, Ron Dayne the third, and Quentin Griffin will probably play most of the fourth unless Maurice Clarett's ego...uhh, er I mean groin, is healed enough to take a few snaps. The Broncos will probably keep the first three backs on the roster in the order I listed them. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Griffin. Right now he is potential trade bait. As for Clarett, right now he is the fifth-string HB, which basically means he's a big fat nothing as far as football is concerned.
2) Jake Plummer is ready to prove critics wrong and take the Broncos deep into the playoffs. But who will back him up? Van Pelt is green around the ears and Matt Mauck is about the most ordinary player on the roster. The Broncos will probably keep three quarterbacks, and Saturday might very well determine who backs up Plummer and who runs the scout team in practice. And let's not forget that other guy...you know the one, he backed up Plummer last year. Whatever happened to him? Danny Kanell = trade bait.
3) The Browncos defensive line and the secondary are the main reason that most analysts ripped Denver's off-season makeover. Champ Bailey won't play much if at all, so Saturday will determine whether any of the cornerback draftpicks will impact the regular season. There are still some open spots and backup positions on the D-line and look for some players to try and secure roster spots on the D-line.
4) Finally, after Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie, the status of the Broncos receiving corps is constantly in flux. Will Darius Watts take the third spot from Rice, as was originally planned, or will he drop even further, say to the practice squad? Will the ever-exciting Todd Devoe make the team? How about Charlie Adams? And whatever happened to Triandos Luke? One of these guys will be cut by next week, and it won't be Jerry Rice.
So, tune in next week to the Broncos Update where all these questions and more will be answered with a flare and panache unmatched by most sports bloggers.
posted by MP | 5:52 PM
2 Comments:
MP? Where you is and where be your thoughts on Maurice Clarrett? C'mon, man, get on the bus.
Really now, how can I can possibly comment on a guy that was injured for most of camp and never made any significant contribution to the team? They should have cut him sooner. It's only because of all the college hoopla that anyone even knows who he is. Without that, he gets one line in the middle of the sports section and drifts into obscurity.
Shanahan, however, deserves some major heat for drafting Clarett in the first place (a third round pick nonetheless), and more generally for giving chances to players with questionable character flaws.
Coaches should coach and the front-office should be in charge of personnel. Shanahan is no mastermind when it comes to decisions regarding players. Remember Darryl Gardener? His attitude made him a bust. Willie Middlebrooks? Who knows what'll happen but he wasn't a good fit on the Broncos...for three years.
The best teams and hence the best GM's tend to have upstanding players. The NBA is the perfect example. San Antonio is now a dynasty because their players are pretty upstanding guys. Minnesota, whose had an incredibly talented team this year, suffered because of questionable guys like Sprewell (who the Nuggets should not pursue).
In the NFL, it's a little harder because of team size. But why even waste time on a guy like Clarett when you can draft someone else who might work their butt off and someday become a major contributer.
That's all I got.
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