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“Broncos-Orange Crush of Expectations”

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So what have you done for me lately?

That’s what they’re thinking, and saying privately in Denver, where John Elway calls all the shots as the GM of the Broncos.

That John Elway, who seldom failed as the quarterback that made that franchise a Super Bowl champion.

Life in the GM suite has not been always easy for Elway.

Coaching mis-steps, illnesses, hirings-firings, and mistakes on quarterbacks.

That’s not acceptable in Denver, and Elway knows it.

The standard joke in the Broncos building last year was the best quarterback in the building was not Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler or Paxton Lynch. It was Elway, and it had been years since he had led a touchdown drive.

Elway built a good defense, but could not fix his offense, regardless of how many QBs he had. The short lived Peyton Manning era was great, but there was no Tim Tebow coming to the rescue.

Elways turned the roster upside down, with some surprising deletions. Heavy duty running back CJ Anderson was axed, freeing up (4.5M). Longtime CB-Aqib Taleb and his (6.9M) contract and attitude was dispatched. Safety TJ Ward proceeded them out the door prior. All stunning deleteions

But Elway turned around and wrote 16M in checks to lure Case Keenum away from the Vikings to be their starting quarterback.

He went out and signed booming punter Marquette King, big leg, big personality, dispatched by the Raiders. Can you imagine 80-yard punts in Mile High Stadium?

He got a very good young safety-linebacker, Su’a Cravens, chopped by the Redskins, picked up in a trade for a draft pick.

He also added Tramaine Brock, a proven DB, and Jared Veldheer, a starting LT who was a high pick in Oakland.

Not a bad group of guys, with NFL experience, added to the equation.

Then come draft day, Brad Chubb, the top defensive lineman in the draft, the massive DE from North Carolina State dropped to him in the 5th slot. You put him on a defense that includes Von Miller, Derek Wolfe, and so much more speed, and a very good defense, got even better.

Elway wound up with 9-draft picks, and he made hay. Cortland Sutton was a big play receiver at SMU. Royce Freeman was the heavy duty running back at Oregon. Issac Yiadom was a very good CB at Boston College.

Denver thinks getting healthy along the offensive front will be of great help, and adding Keenum as part of 17-new players reporting to camp for OTA’s, is pretty significant.

Can you say bounce back season? Can you say return to glory years? Can you say Broncos football-pretty improved?

John Elway knows all about the history there, and now has laid the groundwork for the future.

They may be able to deliver in Denver, where the -Orange Crush of Expectation is about to be answered.

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“Silver & Black–Back?”

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It’s Jon Gruden’s team now.

He may have had success the first go-round as head coach under Al Davis, but make no mistake about it, it was Mr. Davis’ team.

Current owner, the son, Mark Davis has made it plain and simple. The job of GM-Reggie McKenzie, is to go get the players Gruden wants for the 2018-season.

This after a year of disappointment, setbacks, losses, and the failure to rally the franchise for a playoff run in 2017.

And Gruden has been busy.

The Raiders, an offense anchored by QB-Derek Carr, with a defense led by LB-Khalil Mack, have overhauled the roster.

The Raiders have added 21-veteran players thru free agency and trades since early March. There’s no doubt there will be more gas in the tank on offense, and they believe thee will be strength in numbers with the haul of defensive players they have brought in.

They rid themsleves of record setting kicker Sebastain Janikowski, veteran WR-Michael Crabtree, return man Cordarelle Patterson, and big-time punter Marquette King, not alot of blood letting for a franchise that added 9-draft picks to the 21-veterans.

The new firepower includes ex Packers receiver Jordy Nelson, and the just acquired deep pass receiver Martavis Bryant from the Steelers. Add to that explosive ex-Giants-Cowboys kick returner Dwayne Harris. Amari Cooper has some quality help.

In the backfield, Marshawn Lynch returns, and will be complimented by twice 1,400-yard rusher Doug Martin from Tampa Bay.

Gruden has decided to ‘rent-a-vet’ on defense after watching film of last year’s very young defense buckle under the seige of NFL quarterbacks, who picked apart a green-inexperienced laden group.

Veteran DBs-Shareece Wright, S-Marcus Gilchrist, Rashaan Melvin, Leon Hall and Saquon Golson will bring worlds of experience, as starters and in sub-packages.

A woefully young defensive front, will not be hurt by the addition of Tank Carradine and others.

Gruden added young athletes in the draft…in UCLA OT-Kolton Miller…tough guy DT PJ Hall….LSU pass rusher Arden Key…plus Michigan’s DT-Maurice Hurst, cleared after a heart problem.

Gruden has come off as mad scientist. It will be fun to watch him mix-and-match so many new faces into the team’s chemistry.

They have the quarterback, they have tons of experience in the offensive line, they have a power pair of running backs, now some veteran go to receivers, and now they have a bunch of veterans to work with kids on defense.

Under Gruden, the Silver & Black will likely make people Black & Blue with a very unique blend in the roster.

Silver and Black-Back….appears to be.

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“Chargers Draft-Good–Could Have Been Graat”

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They knew, we all knew what they had to do. The big question, did they do enough?

They, being the Chargers. The what, getting more players on defense. The question, did they make the right choices.

The Bolts needed big bodies upfront for the defensive line. They needed run stuffers at inside linebacker, and they wanted speed and more youth for an oft-injured secondary.

At first glance, the Chargers went for 4-straight players on defense, addressing each of the positions of need.

But there were other players they could have taken, bigger names, rather than what they wound up with.

The Bolts were stung in the first round, as they sat there and watched the top two defensive tackles get taken, well before their 17th pick came up.

Not too many people had projected that Washington Huskies DT-Vita Vea would go at 12 to the Tampa Bay Bucs, and then the Redskins would follow by taking Da’Rom Payne of Alabama. A real blow for sure.

But that meant that others would be dropping, and that included Florida State’s star safety Derwin James.

A 2-year starter, he was big time productive for the Seminoles, 175-tackles,takeaways, leader, hitter, and a multi-position guy roaming the middle of the field at (6’2-215(. A gem of a player. No complaint with that pick..

NFL scouts told me ‘he plays downhill’….’he is rangy-he is tough-he can do lots of things’. He fills a slot vacant a couple of years since Eric Weddle left. Maybe a big more athletic version of Weddle.

I am not sure I can buy the 2nd round choice, USC-inside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. Yes 12-sacks and 20-tackles for loss, but he was not the premiere inside backer in the Pac 12. Can you project greatness after just 1-year productivity for the Trojans?

In the 3rd round, little known North Carolina State DT-Justin Jones was the choice. He had 116-tackles in three years for the Wolfpack, but again was not rated as elite in the conference.

The Chargers bypassed Texas OT-OG-Connor Williams, Sam Houston State small college sensation defensive tackle PJ Hall. And highly regarded Oklahoma State QB-Mason Rudolph, who wound up going to the Steelers later on..

The fourth round choice was pseudo safety-linebacker Kyzir White out of West Virginia. He had 94-tackles as a two position player. They bypassed a very powerful DT-in Stanford’s Harrison Phillips, and higher rated pass rusher Arden Kay from LSU who had fallen because of a drug issue.

Also bypassed was University of Richmond QB-Kyle Lauretta, coming off a good Senior Bowl, again begging the question, when will Tom Tedesco-John Spanos ever address a quarterback for the future?

They also picked up a 6’3-WR-Dylan Cantrell from Texas Tech, a strong red-zone pass catcher, coming off a 71-catch season and 15-TDs over two Red Raiders years.

The later picks were Scott Quessenberry, the C-G from UCLA, and Northwestern’s 4-time thousand yard rusher Justin Jackson.

They looked but did not take the more explosive RB-Kalen Ballage of Arizona State.

I give them lots of different letter grades on this draft.

(A) Derwin James
(C) Uchenna Nwosu
(C) Justin Jones
(C) Kyzir White
(B) Dylan Cantrell
(B) Scott Quessenberry
(C) Justin Jackson

GPA, 7-picks, 18-points, and a grade of (2.5).

They could have been aggressive and traded up early in the draft. But much like their free agent deals, they always seem conservative, sometimes a day late and a dollar short.

I would have rather had Connor Williams, who went to the Cowboys, the Mason Rudolph future at quarterback, plus the Stanford defensive tackle.

The Chargers off season in no way compares to what the Raiders overhaul has been like, what John Elway has acquired in Denver, and the complete personality change in Kansas City, who had a better record than anyone.

Good they got defense, just not sure they got the right players.

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“NFL Draft-Who They Took-What I Think”

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1st Round Choices-NFL Draft-My Opinions

Browns..QB-Baker Mayfield..(33-6) as starter-will learn under Tyrod Taylor
Giants..RB-Saquon Barkley..What a week…Birth of daughter…2nd pick in draft…Stud.
Jets..QB-Sam Darnold..Look what fell to them..Big time player (20-6) record
Browns..CB-Denzel Ward…surprise high pick..but ran (4.3)-40..can run-can cover-hit
Broncos..DE-Brad Chubb..Look who fell to them-hi motor-great pick..great pick

Colts..OG-Quenton Nelson…Mauler-Meet Andrew Luck’s new best friend.
Bills..QB-Josh Allen…Bills gone thru 17-QBs since Jim Kelly era..no scholarship offers
Bears..LB-Roquan Smith..Run-hit-cover…Mike Singletary type player
49ers..OT-Matt McGinchey…Starts opposite Joe Staley
Arizona..QB-Josh Rosen..will link with new Off-Coor-Mike McCoy

Dolphins..CB-Minkah Fitzpatrick..Shutdown corner
Tampa Bay..DT-Vito Vea..Massive-Joins McCoy-Jason Paul-Vin Curry-Beau Allen
Redskins..DT-Da’Ron Payne…active joins good defensive front
Saints..DE-Marcus Davenport…Traded 2-first round picks to move up
Raiders..OT-Kolton Miller…heir apparent Donald Penn..play both LT-RT

Bills..LB-Tremaine Edmunds…big-fast-plays downhill
Chargers..S-Derwin James…lost 4-players off board-big-fast-hits .
Packers..CB-Jaire Alexander..runs (4.38)
Dallas..LB-Leighton Vander Esche-came from 8-man football to 1st round
Detroit..C-Frank Ragnow-mauler upfront

Bengals..C-Billy Price-begins rebuild of OL
Titans..LB-Rashaan Evans-explosive inside player
Patriots..OT-Isiah Wynn..replacement for Nate Solder
Carolina..WR-DJ Moore…(6;2) runs 4.4.
Ravens..TE-Hayden Hurst…big-fast-hands-tough

Falcons..WR-Calvin Ridley…runs 4.4-home run hitter receiver
Seahawks..RB-Rashaad Penny…do everything back-kick returner…(2,974-APY) last year
Steelers..S-Terrell Edmunds..runner-hitter
Jaguars..DT-Taven Bryant..very active inside tackle
Vikings..CB-Mike Hughes…must deal with off field issues

Patriots..RB-Sonny Michell…home run hitter running back
Ravens..QB-Lamar Jackson…Draft be QB-or-WR…great athlete..learn from Joe Flacco

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“Chargers Draft Report Card-Rate Them”

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NFL draft day is upon us. The draft is the lifeline of your franchise. You hit on lots of picks you build a perennial power. You miss on lots of picks, you become the downtrodden.

Tom Telesco and John Spanos work hand-in-had. One is President of Football Operations (Spanos), given the job by his dad. The other is VP-General Manager (Telesco) hired by John Spanos.

Their franchise, their roster, their fault.

Philip Rivers is putting up Hall of Fame credentials as a quarterback, and yet, stunningly, he has just 1-playoff win in the last 10-years as QB of the Bolts. Not so much on him, as it is on Team Spanos football brass.

Here’s a year-by-year evaluation, with letter grades, of the Telesco-Spanos draft for you to judge, why they are, where they are, after evaluating their picks in rounds 1-thru 6-each years..

2017…(2.2) GPA
..Mike Williams-WR-injured most of year…Grade C
..Forrest Lamp-OG-injured all year-on IR…Grade Incomplete
..Dan Feeney-OG-starting guard most of year..Grade B
..Rayshawn Jenkins S-special teams…Grade D
..Desmond King.. DB-special teams..Grade B
..Stephen Tevi..OG-backup..Grade C

2016…(2.0) GPA
..Joey Bosa-DE-Pro Bowl…Grade A
..Hunter Henry-TE..Productive pass catcher..Grade B
..Max Tuerk-C-released..Grade F
..Joshua Perry-LB-released..Grade F
..Jatavius Brown-LB-starter..Grade C
..Drew Kaser-P-solid years..Grade B
..Derek Watt-FB-serviceable..Grade C

2015…(2.4) GPA
..Melvin Gordon-RB superstar…Grade A
..Denzel Perryman-LB-rock solid but hurt..Grade B
..Craig Mager-S-washout..Grade D
..Kyle Emanuel-LB..strongside starter-average..Grade C
..Darius Philon-DE..backup guy…Grade C

2014..(0.4) GPA
..Jason Verrett-CB..once promising-always hurt..Grade C
..Jerry Attaochu-LB..injured-released..Grade F
..Craig Watt-OG..quit football..Grade F
..Ryan Carrethers-DT-washout..Grade F
..Marlon Grice-RB..released..Grade F

2013..(1.6) GPA
..DJ Fluker-OT…started-released-moved to 3-teams..Grade C
..Mantei Teo-LB..serviceable but injured much..Grade C
..Keenan Allen-WR…star in league after getting healthy…Grade A
..Stevie Williams-CB…released..Grade F
..Tourek Williams-LB..Injured-released finally..Grade F

Summary: ..

Letter Grade for Spanos-Telesco in the draft….1.7-GPA for their 5-years together….27-picks in all-only 5-established starters…only 3-legitimate stars in NFL.

No wonder why Philip Rivers has just 1-postseason win in a decade. Franchise is (19-32) over last three plus seasons….Has not been to the playoffs since 2013….Has just 1-playoff win since 2008……Under Telesco-Spanos leadership-team has (37-45) record….Spanos ownership of franchise shows 14-winning seasons in 34-years of operation.

Grading scale…A=4..B=3…C=2…D=1…F=0

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