Broncos Trade Up in 1st Round to Select Paxton Lynch

The one thing that I love about the NFL Draft is the moment when your team trades up with another team and selects a particular player they covet. It is even more exciting when your team does that to select a quarterback. This happened in 2010 with the Broncos when they traded back into the first round to grab Tim Tebow, and it happened once again in this year's draft when Denver traded up from #31 overall to #26 overall with Seattle in order to select quarterback Paxton Lynch from Memphis. The Broncos gave up their 3rd round pick (#94 overall) to jump up to #26 and grab the guy they wanted. Here is how I break down this bold move by John Elway and the Broncos organization....

1) I was happy that Denver decided to select a QB in the first round. I felt they really needed to address the position after Peyton Manning decided to retire, Brock Osweiler bolted in free agency, and Mark Sanchez was acquired via trade in March. The Broncos didn't sit back and select a guy in the 3rd or 4th round. They went up and got a player who was considered the third best QB in this draft, and Lynch is someone that people feel could eventually be a franchise QB. Give Elway credit for having the balls to trade up and get Lynch and put the future of the franchise in the hands of a young and promising 1st round draft pick at the QB position.

2) Of all the options the Broncos had in terms of QBs, drafting a QB high was the best one in my opinion. Trading for Colin Kaepernick was not going to be a great move for the long-term. Signing a guy like Brian Hoyer was the not the answer. Trading for Sam Bradford was not going to work because the Eagles wanted a fortune for him. This was the best option because it gives the Broncos a future guy to lead the franchise, and it also resets the QB position from a money standpoint. If Lynch works out, then the Broncos have him for four years and a fifth-year option, and they only have to spend about $9 million. This will create flexibility for the team to continue to build the rest of the roster and continue to build a solid overall team.

3) I think Lynch's physical ability is what is the most intriguing about him. I know he is raw, and I know that he played in a spread concept in college at Memphis, but don't discount the idea that Lynch could be the starter come Week 1. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Gary Kubiak gets this kid ready to go at the start of the regular season. He definitely fits what the Broncos want out of a QB, and he will get coached up and protected by Kubiak and OC Rick Dennison, so Lynch could very well be the starter right away.
4) There is a lot to like about Lynch, but my two biggest concerns would be the fact that Lynch had his draft party at a bowling alley, and he has this "V for Vendetta" mustache and goatee-thing going. Other than that, I like his personality and demeanor. This was a really good move by the Broncos, and let's hope that Lynch is a the Broncos QB for a long, long time.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Everyone does a Mock Draft these days. I remember back in the '90s there were only a few Mock Drafts available. You would get a mock draft in a magazine (Sports Illustrated) or a few beat writers would have a Mock Draft on the day of the draft, but other then that, no one really produced one. The ones that were out there were treated like Bible verses. Now, there are Mock Drafts starting in September and basically every person related to the NFL has one. Why not join the party? I have been doing Mock Drafts for the last few years just for the hell of it, so I wanted to continue the tradition one more year. Here is my 2016 NFL Mock Draft.....

#1) St. Louis (via Tennessee): Jared Goff, QB, California.

#2) Philadelphia (via Cleveland): Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

#3) San Diego: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

#4) Dallas: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida St

#5) Jacksonville: Deforest Buckner, DE/DT, Oregon

#6) Baltimore: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

#7) San Francisco: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

#8) TRADE-Cleveland trades their 1st round pick (#8 overall) to Tennessee for the Titans 1st round pick (#15 overall) and their 3rd round pick (#64 overall). Tennessee selects Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

9) Tampa Bay: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida

10) New York Giants: Laquan Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss 

11) Chicago: Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB, Georgia

12) New Orleans: Jarran Reed, DT/DE, Alabama

13) Miami: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Ohio State

14) Oakland: Sheldon Rankins, DL, Louisville

15) Cleveland: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

16) Detroit: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

17) Atlanta: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson

18) TRADE-Indianapolis sends their 1st round pick (#18 overall) to the Jets for their 1st round (#20 overall) and their 4th round pick (#118 overall). The Jets select Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

19) Buffalo: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State

20) Indianapolis: Cody Whitehair, Guard, Kansas State

21) Washington: A'Shawn Robinson, DE/DT, Alabama

22) Houston: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

23) Minnesota: Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame

24) Cincinnati: William Jackson, CB, Houston

25) Pittsburgh: Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State

26) Seattle: Johnathan Bullard, DT/DE, Florida

27) Green Bay: Chris Jones, DT, Miss State

28) TRADE- Cleveland trades their 2nd round pick (#32 overall) and their 4th round pick (#99 overall) to Kansas City. Cleveland selects Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

29) Arizona: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Ole Miss

30) Carolina: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

31) Denver: Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama  

Broncos Official 2016 Schedule

The NFL revealed the Broncos 2016 schedule on Thursday. Once again, even without Peyton Manning, the Broncos will be featured five times on primetime-including a season-opening Thursday Night Kickoff with the Carolina Panthers in a rematch of Super Bowl 50. Here is the 2016 schedule...


Week 1-Thursday 9/8/16: vs. Carolina (NBC) 8:30pm EST

Week 2-Sunday 9/18/16: vs. Indianapolis (CBS) 4:25pm EST

Week 3-Sunday 9/25/16: at Cincinnati (CBS) 1:00pm EST

Week 4-Sunday 10/2/16: at Tampa Bay (CBS) 4:05pm EST

Week 5-Sunday 10/9/16: vs. Atlanta (FOX) 4:05pm EST

Week 6-Thursday 10/13/16: at San Diego (CBS) 8:25pm EST

Week 7-Monday 10/24/16: vs. Houston (ESPN) 8:30pm EST

Week 8-Sunday 10/30/16: vs. San Diego (CBS) 4:05pm EST

Week 9-Sunday 11/6/16: at Oakland (NBC) 8:30pm EST

Week 10-Sunday 11/13/16: at New Orleans (CBS) 1:00pm EST

Week 11-BYE WEEK

Week 12-Sunday 11/27/16: vs. Kansas City (CBS) 4:25pm EST

Week 13-Sunday 12/4/16: at Jacksonville (CBS) 1:00pm EST

Week 14-Sunday 12/11/16: at Tennessee (CBS) 1:00pm EST

Week 15-Sunday 12/18/16: vs. New England (CBS) 4:25pm EST

Week 16-Sunday 12/25/16: at Kansas City (NBC) 8:30pm EST

Week 17-Sunday 1/1/17: vs. Oakland (CBS) 4:25pm EST

Analysis:

-The Broncos open up with Carolina in the season-opener and I correctly predicted that. I felt that was the most logical matchup and it will be the first time since 1970 that the two Super Bowl teams will meet in the season opener.

-The Broncos open up with two at home and finish at home in Week 17. Their first two home opponents are very tough: Carolina and Indy. Their third game of the year is at Cincy, and that will be difficult as well. The Broncos will have a tough time starting off 3-0 this year.

-The Broncos final three games are tough as well. NE, at KC, and Oakland will all present challenges to end the season.

-The middle part of the schedule is very feasible. From Week 4 with Tampa Bay to Week 14, the schedule includes: Atlanta, at SD, at New Orleans, KC, at Jax, and at Tenn.

-The Broncos have three different back to back road games (Weeks 3 and 4, Weeks 9 and 10, and Weeks 13 and 14).

-The Broncos have two sets of back to back home games (Weeks 1 and 2 and Weeks 7 and 8).

-The Broncos have 5 primetime games, which is a little surprising since Peyton Manning is retired. They have two Thursday Night games, 2 SNF games, and 1 Monday Night Football game. Three of those primetime games are on the road, and all three of those road games are at divisional opponents. They travel to SD on TNF, Oakland and KC on SNF.

-You knew that the league was going to put the Texans-Broncos game on primetime. The Broncos host Brock Osweiler and the Texans on Monday Night Football in Week 7.

-The Broncos do have a weird stretch where they head to Jacksonville and Tennessee in back-to-back weeks and play in the early slot in Weeks 13 and 14. That will be a tough couple of weeks.

-The Broncos will play KC on Sunday Night Football but the game will be played on Christmas Night on NBC at 8:30pm EST.


-Overall, it is a pretty fair schedule. You can't determine too much about these games in April, but there really isn't a terribly unfair stretch in this year's setup.

2016 Opening Weekend and Thanksgiving Schedule Predictions

Week 1:
Thursday Night Kickoff Opener-9/8/16
Carolina at Denver-8:30pm EST (NBC)

Sunday Night Football Opener-9/11/16
Dallas at New York Giants-8:30pm EST (NBC)

Monday Night Football-9/12/16
Game 1:
New England at Buffalo-7:15pm EST (ESPN)

Game 2:
Los Angeles at Arizona-10:15pm EST (ESPN)

Thanksgiving Tripleheader-11/24/16
Game 1:
Minnesota at Detroit-12:30pm EST (CBS)

Game 2:
Washington at Dallas-4:00pm EST (FOX)

Game 3:
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh-8:00pm EST (NBC)

Christmas Night Special-12/25/16
Seattle at Green Bay-8:00pm EST (NBC)

Broncos 2016 Mock Schedule

It is certainly one of the most meaningless things to do in the offseason, but I can't resist to create my own mock schedule for the Broncos 2016 season. Here goes....

Week 1-Thursday September 8th: vs. Carolina 8:00pm EST (NBC)

Week 2- Sunday September 18th: at Jacksonville 1:00pn EST (CBS)

Week 3-Sundy September 25th: at Oakland 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Week 4-Sunday October 2nd: vs. Atlanta 4:25pm EST (FOX)

Week 5-Sunday October 9th at San Diego 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Week 6-Sunday October 16th: vs. Indianapolis 8:20pm EST (NBC)

Week 7-Sunday October 23rd: BYE WEEK

Week 8-Sunday October 30th: at Tennessee 1:00pm EST (CBS)

Week 9-Sunday November 6th: vs. New England 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Week 10-Thursday November 10th: vs. Kansas City 8:25pm EST (CBS/NFLN)

Week 11-Sunday November 20th: at New Orleans 1:00pm EST (CBS)

Week 12-Sunday November 27th: at Cincinnati 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Week 13-Monday December 5th: vs. Houston  8:30pm EST (ESPN)

Week 14-Sunday December 11th: at Tampa Bay 1:00pm EST (CBS)

Week 15-Sunday December 18th: vs. Oakland 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Week 16-Saturday December 24th: vs.San Diego 4:05pm EST (CBS)

Week 17-Sunday January 1st: at Kansas City 4:25pm EST (CBS)

Broncos Trade Ryan Clady to the Jets

The Broncos traded LT Ryan Clady to the Jets along with a 7th round pick. The Jets sent the Broncos a 5th round pick. The move to trade Clady was expected because the Broncos signed Russell Okung a few weeks ago. Clady became expendable because he has a high salary for next year and he has been hurt for two of the last three years. He missed 14 games in 2013 and he missed all 16 games in 2015. Clady was drafted by the Broncos in 2008, and he was a mainstay on the offensive line all these years, but the injuries started to pile up and he was expendable as a result.

Broncos Free Agency Recap

The Broncos have had some more comings and goings in the last couple weeks in free agency, so let's catch up with the transactions.

1) Broncos Sign LT Russell Okung: This was a surprising move, but the Broncos signed Okung to a deal that is very team friendly. The first year is for $5 million and then the rest of the four years on the deal are for about $10-12 million, but essentially the Broncos and Okung have a year-to-year deal. Okung's signing means that he will take over at LT for the Broncos and Ryan Clady will be on the trading block or get released at some point in the offseason.

2) Broncos Re-sign WR Jordan Norwood: This was a good move by John Elway because Norwood had some real flashes at times last year, and I think he can be valuable as a punt returner once again. it is a one-year deal, but I like the move and Norwood will most likely be our slot receiver in 2016.

3) Broncos Sign DE Jared Crick: This is an intriguing move because Crick reunites with Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips, and it gives Denver another replacement for the departed Malik Jackson. No one that Denver signs or drafts will replace Jackson but Crick is a decent option at a very valuable price.

4) Broncos Sign LS Casey Kreiter: The Broncos filled their long snapping position by signing Kreiter, who snapped for the Cowboys the last two preseasons.

5) Omar Bolden signs with the Bears: Bolden follows Danny Trevathan and Aaron Brewer out the door to sign with the Bears. It is a one-year deal with Chicago. I liked Bolden a lot and he did a nice job when he handled punt and kick returns the past two seasons. He was also good to have at safety for depth purposes.