After all these years, after all the whining I’ve done for the Broncos to pick a defensive tackle in the first round, they finally went and did it.
So you’d think I’d be excited as hell.
I'm only halfway there, and perhaps it's not because I'm so down on Sylveser Williams, as much as I was hoping the Broncos would move up and grab Star Lotulelei or Sharrif Floyd as they fell down the board.
Continue reading "Gut Reaction: Broncos draft Sylvester Williams"
After years of unmet expectations that the Broncos would take a defensive tackle atop their draft classes, they finally did so on Thursday night, when it was least anticipated. Denver went with a former reclamation project at #28, stealing North Carolina defensive tackle Sylvester Williams.
Williams played only one year of high school ball, and when no colleges came calling on the recruiting trail, he assumed his career had come to an end. So he traded the gridiron for working in a factory making radiator parts for trucks.
Updated 4/27/13 11:51am ET
Continue reading "Broncos select UNC DT Sylvester Williams 28th overall"
Ted Bartlett evaluates draft-eligible prospects in his spare time, among a number of activities he pursues, including managing an accounting team, golf, studying for the CPA exam, insulting various religious figures in writing, and generally, staying ahead of more than a few curves. During the 2012 NFL Draft, he wiped the passion off of Jeff Legwold's face by nailing the Derek Wolfe pick, when Jeff had never even heard of him. Ted also focuses on the NFL's business and legal environment, offensive and defensive schemes, going off on unrelated tangents, and all 32 teams in the NFL. Follow along as he offers his instant analysis of tonight's NFL Draft.
Continue reading "Live 2013 NFL Draft analysis: First round"
Denver enters the evening with the 28th overall pick.
Deadspin's latest excellent long form article concerns the Chargers' highly controversial team physician, Dr. David Chao. According to the piece, Chao has been sued by at least 20 ex-patients since 1998. He lost one suit last summer to a young female who alleged that she had been disfigured in the course of his treatment; Chao was found liable for negligence and fraud in that case.
Doctors do get nuisance lawsuits, so let’s just ignore those niggling negligence and fraud problems, and let’s look at the rest of his dossier:
He’s had two drinking and driving citations. His blood alcohol was 0.11 on at least one of them (2001), and claimed that his ‘Asian genes’ permitted him to be legally drunk on two drinks, taken hours before. He was disqualified for a license to evaluate worker’s compensation claims when he failed to disclose another alcohol related arrest (2006).
Good Morning, Broncos fans! With the NFL draft set to kick off in just a few hours, now's as good a time as any to ponder one of the most basic of questions regarding the event:
Why should we even have one?
Defenders of the draft always point to the need to maintain competitive balance in the league, but as Patrick Hruby reminds us, the teams that routinely pick at the top of the draft don't seem to benefit as much as this theory would suggest.
The whole point of the draft, also noted by Hruby - both in its inception and its current state (hello, CBA) - was and is to keep player salaries down.
As we often do on the most news-heavy of days, we'll be tracking pre-draft speculation here. It will be updated throughout the day, so check back often!
I'd say 50-50 the Broncos trade back. They do not have a trade in place now. Probably not until the 20s will trade calls get serious.
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) April 25, 2013
Updated 6:27pm ET
Continue reading "Chiefs expected to take Eric Fisher at #1; could Raiders draft Hayden at #3?"
After watching film until I had become one with the monitor and clicker, I finally threw in the towel as far as writing full pieces on the draft. As is ever the case, there were a few people I couldn’t get to and several stories that asked to be told, but I lost the race with time and health. Here are some of the players that I still thought were worth writing about:
Living out here in California, I watched a lot of Datone Jones’s work for UCLA. He's a very impressive player, and his physical skills are not in question. He’s got a decent explosion, he’s got good size and strength, and his technique is coming along well. I like him. Some mocks have linked him to Denver, and with good reason, especially following the Dumervil departure debacle.
Good Morning, Broncos fans! If you weren't fortunate enough to catch last night's 30 for 30: Elway to Marino on ESPN, you can find the times it will re-air here.
For a Broncos or Dolphins fan, it's an exceptional documentary, based almost entirely upon the notes of Marvin Demoff, the longtime agent for both John Elway and Dan Marino. Considering the preponderance of factors that led Elway to Denver, we should all consider ourselves particularly fortunate for that gift which continues to give, to this day.
To any Raiders, Cowboys, Colts, Bears, Patriots, Steelers, Jets, or Chiefs fan, we imagine it's an infuriating reminder (or lesson) of the circumstances and forces that kept those teams from landing either legendary quarterback.
As we tend to do on the most news-heavy of days, we're going to track the day's pre-draft speculation here. It will be updated throughout the day, so check back often!
Updated 8:36pm ET
