NFL Draft Position Rankings-Offense

Here are the rankings for the offensive players in the upcoming NFL Draft. I stretched it to 15 running backs, and 20 wide receivers. Use it as a bit of cheat sheet come draft day. Here are the top offensive players at each position.

QBs

1)    Blake Bortles-Central Florida

2)    Johnny Manziel- Texas A&M

3)    Derek Carr-Fresno St

4)    Teddy Bridgewater-Louisville

5)    Zach Mettenberger-LSU

6)    Jimmy Garoppolo-Eastern Illinois

7)    A.J. McCarron-Alabama

8)    Tom Savage-Pitt

9)    Logan Thomas-Va Tech

10) Aaron Murray-Georgia

RBs

1)    Carlos Hyde-Ohio St

2)    Jeremy Hill-LSU

3)    Tre Mason-Auburn

4)    Bishop Sankey-Washington

5)    Lache Seastruck-Baylor

6)    Ka’Deem Carey-Arizona

7)    Kapri Bibbs-Colorado St

8)    Charles Sims-West Virginia

9)    Devonta Freeman-FSU

10) Tyler Gaffney-Stanford

11) Andre Williams-BC

12) Jerick McKinnon-Georgia Southern

13) Terrence West-Towson

14) Lorenzo Taliaferra-Coastal Carolina

15) Marion Grace- Arizona State

WRs

1)    Sammy Watkins-Clemson

2)    Mike Evans-Texas A&M

3)    Odell Beckham-LSU

4)    Brandin Cooks-Oregon St

5)    Marqise Lee-USC

6)    Kelvin Benjamin-FSU

7)    Davante Adams-Fresno St

8)    Jarvis Landry-LSU

9)    Allen Robinson-Penn St

10) Martavius Bryant-Clemson

11) Jordan Matthews-Vanderbilt

12) Paul Richardson-Colorado

13) Brandon Coleman-Rutgers

14) Donte Moncrief-Ole Miss

15) Jared Abberderis-Wisconsin

16) Cody Latimer-Indiana

17) Bruce Ellington-South Carolina

18) Josh Huff-Oregon

19) Dri Archer-Kent St

20) Mike Davis-Texas

TEs

1)    Eric Ebron-North Carolina

2)    Austin Seferian-Jenkins-Washington

3)    Jace Amaro-Texas Tech

4)    Troy Niklas-Notre Dame

5)    C.J. Fiedorowicz-Iowa

6)    Xavier Grimble-USC

7)    Arthur Lynch-Georgia

8)    Marcel Jensen-Fresno St

9)    Jacob Pedersen-Wisconsin

10) Richard Rodgers-California

OTs

1)    Greg Robinson-Auburn

2)    Jake Matthews-Texas A&M

3)    Taylor Lewan-Michigan

4)    Zack Martin-Notre Dame

5)    Morgan Moses-Virginia

6)    Cyrus Kouandjio-Alabama

7)    Joe Bitonio-Nevada

8)    JuWaun Jones-Tennessee

9)    Antonio Richardson-Tennessee

10) Jack Mewhort-Ohio St

OGs

1)    Xavier Sua-Filo-UCLA

2)    David Yankey-Stanford

3)    Cyril Richardson-Baylor

4)    Gabe Jackson-Miss State

5)    Trai Turner-LSU

6)    Dakota Dozier-Furman

7)    Anthony Steen-Alabama

8)    Chris Watt-Notre Dame

9)    Jon Halapio-Florida

10) Andrew Norwell-Ohio St

Cs

1)    Weston Richburgh-Colorado St

2)    Marcus Martin-USC

3)    Travis Swanson-Arkansas

4)    Tyler Larsen-Utah State

5)    Bryan Stork-FSU

6)    Gabe Ikard-Oklahoma

7)    Russell Bodine-North Carolina

8)    James Stone-Tennessee

9)    Jonotthan Harrison-Florida

10) Andrew Miller-Virginia Tech

2014 Denver Broncos Schedule!

The NFL unveiled the 2014 schedule on Wednesday night, and the Broncos schedule is quite an interesting one. I’ll provide analysis of the schedule below, but here is the table for the Broncos 2014 campaign (All times EST).

Week 1-Sunday Sept 7^th: vs Indianapolis (NBC 8:30pm)

Week 2-Sunday Sept 14^th: vs Kansas City (CBS 4:25pm)

Week 3-Sunday Sept 21^st: at Seattle (CBS 4:25pm)

Week 4- BYE WEEK

Week 5- Sunday Oct 5^th: vs Arizona (FOX 4:05pm)

Week 6-Sunday Oct 12^th: at NY Jets (CBS 1:00pm)

Week 7- Sunday Oct 19^th: vs San Francisco (NBC 8:30pm)

Week 8-Thursday Oct 23^rd: vs San Diego (CBS 8:25pm)

Week 9-Sunday Nov 2^nd: at New England (CBS 4:25pm)

Week 10-Sunday Nov 9^th: at Oakland (CBS 4:05pm)

Week 11-Sunday Nov 16^th: at St. Louis (CBS 1:00pm)

Week 12-Sunday Nov 23^rd: vs Miami (CBS 4:25pm)

Week 13-Sunday Nov 30^th: at Kansas City (NBC 8:30pm)

Week 14-Sunday Dec 7^th: vs Buffalo (CBS 4:05pm)

Week 15-Sunday Dec 14^th: at San Diego (CBS 4:25pm)

Week 16-Monday Dec 22^nd: at Cincinnati (ESPN 8:40pm)

Week 17-Sunday Dec 28^th: vs Oakland (CBS 4:25pm)

Analysis:

-It was a given that Denver was going to be featured again in primetime. They got 5 primetime games featuring Peyton Manning and the Broncos/

-It is no surprise at all that they open at home on SNF with Indy because I predicted that would be the SNF opener. Andrew Luck vs. Peyton Manning. That will be one hell of a way to open up the year.

-5 of their first 7 games are at home. Also, throw in their bye week in Week 4 and out of the first 8 weeks, they only travel twice from September 7^th through the end of October.

-The Broncos get nailed with the dreaded 3 in a row on the road. It starts with NE on November 2^nd but goes through Oakland and St.Louis which isn’t such a bad back end.

-The Broncos have 6 out of 9 games on the road in the second half of the season. That is a pretty rough stretch to finish out the year.

-The Broncos get a tough break when they host SF in a Sunday night game on October 19^th and then they have to play a Thursday Night game against San Diego three days later. That is rough situation, but at least they are at home for both games.

-I absolutely love the Monday night game at Cincy on December 22^nd. It is perfect timing. It is right before Christmas, late in the season, on a Monday night. That is a really good night to watch football.

-Overall, it is a tough schedule because Denver is saddled with the NFC West this year and a division that featured two other playoff teams. The truth is that when you have Peyton Manning there isn’t a schedule that is so bad. Yes, there are some really tough games this year, but with Manning at the controls every game is winnable. He is 12-4 on the road with the Broncos the last two years, and there is no reason to believe that he can’t go at least 5-3 on the road this year.

2014 NFL Primetime and Thanksgiving Predictions

The NFL schedule should be released in a week or two, and in preparation for that I would like to present my predictions for the opening night game, the first week primetime games, and the Thanksgiving games. The NFL used to release these games at the league meetings in March, but the last few years that have not revealed these games in advance. It doesn’t look like they will do that again this year. In any event, it is fun to speculate, so I will present my picks for this year’s Thursday night opener in Seattle, the Week 1 primetime games, and the Thanksgiving tripleheader. Here goes….

Thursday Night Opener (NBC)

Thursday 9/4 8:30pm EST

San Francisco at Seattle

-This is a no-brainer for the first game of the year. The NFL likes to come out with a bang, and this game would do just that. Plus, FOX can still get the second game between these two teams later in the year.

Sunday Night Football Opener (NBC)

Sunday 9/7 8:30pm EST

Indianapolis at Denver

-It is always a good idea to feature Peyton Manning in the beginning of the year, so NBC decides to go with Manning vs. Andrew Luck to kickoff their SNF package.

Monday Night Football Doubleheader (ESPN)

Game 1

Monday 9/8 7:15pm EST

Dallas at NY Giants

-The NFL likes to feature big markets on the early game of the Monday Night opener, so I think they go with two NFC East rivals to kick things off.

Game 2

10:15pm EST

Oakland at San Diego

-There aren’t a lot of options with the backend of the doubleheader, so I’ll go with the Chargers and Raiders to finish off Week 1

Thanksgiving Games

12:30pm EST- CBS

Buffalo at Detroit

-It apparently was leaked by the Bills website, but this makes sense because the only other option was the Dolphins. Give the Bills a chance on Thanksgiving with a fairly short trip to Detroit.

4:30pm EST-FOX

New Orleans at Dallas

-FOX has some attractive options, but I’ll go with the Saints here. New Orleans should be good so this has the potential to be a quality matchup and ratings win for FOX and the NFL.

8:30pm EST- NBC

Philadelphia at Green Bay

-This is a tough game to figure out. The last two years featured division rivals with the Pats and Jets in 2012 and Steelers and Ravens in 2013. I think this game works because it is Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night, and it features two teams in the playoffs from last year.

2014 Broncos Mock Schedule

One of my favorite ways to kill time in the offseason is to try to predict the Broncos upcoming schedule. This is a complicated process that requires many revisions and rewrites. I know that the chances of me getting at least half of these dates correct is remote, but it is a fun little offseason project. Here is my 2014 Broncos mock schedule....

(All times Eastern Standard Time)

Week 1: Sunday 9/7 vs. Indy 8:30pm NBC

Week 2: Sunday 9/14 at NY Jets 4:25pm CBS

Week 3: Sunday 9/21 vs. Kansas City 4:25pm CBS

Week 4: Sunday 9/28 at St. Louis 1:00pm CBS

Week 5: Monday 10/6 at Cincinnati 8:30pm ESPN

Week 6: Sunday 10/12 vs. Arizona 4:25pm FOX

Week 7 Thursday 10/16 vs. San Diego 8:00pm CBS

Week 8 Sunday 10/26 at Kansas City 1:00pm CBS

Week 9 Sunday 11/2 at New England 8:30pm NBC

Week 10 Sunday 11/9 vs. Oakland 4:25pm CBS

Week 11 BYE WEEK

Week 12 Sunday 11/23 at Seattle 8:30pm NBC

Week 13 Sunday 11/30 vs. Buffalo 4:25pm CBS

Week 14 Sunday 12/7 vs. San Francisco 4:25pm FOX

Week 15 Sunday 12/14 at Oakland 4:05pm CBS

Week 16 Sunday 12/21 vs. Miami 4:25pm CBS

Week 17 Sunday 12/28 at San Diego 4:25pm CBS

Broncos Offseason Update

The Broncos seem to be done in free agency as they set their sights on the draft in May. They did make a move last week when they signed C Will Montgomery from Washington. It is essentially a one-year deal without any real guarantees. Montgomery started the last three seasons for Mike Shanahan. He is a pretty durable player, and his signing gives the Broncos some options on their offensive line. If Montgomery beats out incumbent Manny Ramirez, then the Broncos slide Ramirez over to LG to replace Zane Beadles. If Montgomery doesn’t beat out Ramirez, then Denver still needs to find a replacement for Beadles in the draft and Montgomery will be an insurance policy in case there are injuries on the line.

John Fox signed a three-year extension last week. It was a foregone conclusion that Fox was going to get extended considering that he was entering the last year of his contract. Fox has done a really solid job since coming to Denver in 2011. The Broncos have gone 34-14, won three straight AFC West titles, an AFC Championship and a berth in this year’s Super Bowl. Fox did a great job fixing the locker room and the team after the disastrous Josh McDaniels era. It was a no-brainer to get a deal done with him. It deserves a raise and it is good to have Fox locked up for the near future, but I do think that he needs to do a better job in these big games. His ability to challenge plays is curious at times, but he needs to have a better performance in the big games. The end of the Baltimore playoff game last year and the way he got outcoached in the Super Bowl this year are two games that Fox needs to look at and fix going forward. I like Fox a lot, but he has to have some better moments in the biggest games of the year.

Denver lost some valuable free agents as well in the past few weeks. RB Knowshon Moreno signed with Miami. Shaun Phillips left to go to Tennessee, and Robert Ayers left to go sign with the NY Giants. All three guys can be replaced, and there are better options on the Broncos roster right now, but those three players all played a significant role in helping Denver get to the Super Bowl last year. I understand that you can’t keep everyone, but each of those guys were integral parts of that team and their success. Just go watch the AFC Championship Game against the Pats. Moreno had big runs in that game, Ayers had a solid game and key sack on Tom Brady, and Phillips played great and made a huge stop on Shane Vereen late in the game on a two-point conversion. All three will be missed in some aspect. 

Broncos Sign Emmanuel Sanders

The Broncos made another big move in free agency over the weekend when they signed Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders. The deal is a three-year deal worth $15M. The guaranteed portion of the deal is $6M. Essentially, the Broncos got a replacement for the departed Eric Decker for about $9M cheaper. Decker's deal with the Jets is worth $15M guaranteed. Sanders was high on the Broncos wish list for free agent receivers. There was a bit of controversy with this move because Sanders apparently had a verbal agreement with the Chiefs, but his agent supposedly then shopped him to other teams including the Broncos and the Bucs. Sanders said that Denver was the place he always wanted to end up with because of the Peyton Manning factor. That certainly makes a lot of sense. Sanders a nice year last year for the Steelers posting career highs with 67 catches 740 yards and 6 touchdowns. Anyone who has seen Sanders play knows that he can expand those numbers tremendously playing in Denver with Manning and that offense next year. This was a solid move for the Broncos because they replace Decker with a real threat, and it still gives them the chance to draft a wideout in May's NFL Draft. Good signing and good move by John Elway and the Broncos front office to swoop in and snag him away from going to KC.

In other free agency news, the Broncos lost LB Wesley Woodyard to Tennessee. Woodyards signed a four-year deal worth $16M. It sounds like he will step in and start for the Titans at MLB. It is sad to see Woodyard go because he goes back to the Mike Shanahan days in Denver. At times he was the heart and soul of the defense, but he fell out of favor with the coaching staff right around the time he got hurt against Dallas in Week 5. He was a captain for most of his term, but the writing was on the wall that he was on his way out of town because the Broncos replaced him at MLB with Paris Lenon around the middle of the season, and Danny Trevathan was solidly entrenched as the starting weakside linebacker.

Denver also saw both Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Trindon Holliday head off to the New York Giants. DRC turned down the Broncos offer that they essentially gave to Aqib Talib. He was in New Jersey meeting with the Jets on Saturday, but the two sides couldn't come to an agreement on a deal. DRC went over to meet with the Giants on Sunday and agreed to terms on a five-year $35M contract. Rodgers-Cromartie was an essential part of the Broncos defense last season. In his only season in Denver, he played really well in coverage all year long.

Trindon Holliday's story is a little interesting. We all remember the kind of impact that Holliday had once he came to Denver after Week 6 of the 2012 season. He scored six touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns in Denver and had that memorable game against Baltimore in which he scored on a punt return and a kickoff return. Holliday started 2013 in the same fashion with a punt return TD against the Giants in Week 2 and kickoff return against the Eagles in Week 4. After that his play seemed to fall off. Ball security issues were a concern, and his judgment on punts really seemed to take a turn for the worse. Many times this year the Broncos replaced him with Wes Welker on crucial punt returns. In the playoffs, Eric Decker even filled in for him on punt returns. Holliday was a lightning rod and a dynamic returner, and the Broncos need to address that aspect of their special teams next year. I know he came with many risks, but the rewards he provided were pretty high too. The return game will be an interesting subplot heading into the 2014 season.

Broncos Sign Ward, Talib, and Ware to Start Free Agency

The Broncos certainly know how to make a splash during the free agency signing period. Two years ago, they made the biggest move when they signed Peyton Manning. It is safe to say that move has certainly paid off. Last year, the Broncos shocked the NFL world by stealing Wes Welker away from the Patriots. Welker helped Denver become the NFL's most prolific offense ever on the way to over 600 points scored in 2013. What did John Elway do for an encore in 2014? Elway and the Broncos went after some of the biggest fish in free agency. Denver signed safety T.J. Ward in the opening moments of free agency on Tuesday, and then they made one of the most surprising moves by nailing down Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib late Tuesday night. Denver then swooped in grabbed the newly released DeMarcus Ware from Dallas on Wednesday. The focus for Denver going into the offseason was to upgrade their defense, and they did just that. Here is a breakdown of the three big signings Denver made:

1) T.J. Ward-The deal is a four-year $23M agreement, but the key numbers are that the Broncos guaranteed only $14M. It averages out to about $5.5M dollars per year. This is an extremely good deal because Ward is only 27, and he was one of the best safeties available in free agency. The Broncos get a guy in his prime, and they add him to the back end of their secondary, a spot they really needed help in. This might be my favorite move the Broncos made so far. He is a very physical player, and that is something that the Broncos need at this point. By the way, it was famous last year as the guy who literally blew up Rob Gronkowski's knee in the game up in Foxboro. I think this was a great move by the Broncos.

2) Aqib Talib- The deal is reportedly worth six years and $57M , but it includes $26M in guarantees. Plus, the Broncos can cut Talib after three years, and they don't owe him another penny. Talib is 28 years old, and he was considered one of the top five corners available in free agency. As of late Tuesday night, it looked like Denver was going to re-sign Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but when those negotiations hit a snag, the Broncos turned their attention to Talib. He immediately becomes Denver's #1 corner, and his physical play should help the Broncos in the run game, and he will be the guy who matches up against the top receiver on opposite teams. Talib is definitely an upgrade for the Broncos and they essentially got him for about $8.5M dollars per year. That is lower than some of the other CB deals that were doled out to Sam Shields and Brent Grimes. The one thing that scares me about him is that he is injury prone. Don't forget he also was injured in both of the AFC Championship Games he played in with the Pats the last two years. The one thing I like is that the Broncos again steal another key piece away from the Patriots like they did with Welker a year ago. I think this was a good move by Denver, but I'm worried about the injury bug with him.

3) DeMarcus Ware- The deal is worth $30M over three years. $20M is guaranteed and it is reported that Ware will make about $13M this year. As soon as the Cowboys released Ware, Denver jumped all over him. They were considered the favorites and they got their man. Ware is 31, and last year he was bothered by injuries and he only had six sacks for the Cowboys, which was an all-time low in his career. When healthy, Ware is one of the premier pass rushers in the entire NFL, and it sounds like he will be healthy heading into the 2014 season. Don't underestimate a guy who has a chip on his shoulder, and Ware certainly has that going into next year. Players like Ware want to get a Super Bowl ring, and they want to go to a winner, so going to Denver was a no-brainer. You pair him with Von Miller, and the Broncos have that bookend, pass-rushing combination that they so badly want. I think the Ware signing was a really good one, and he will also bring a very solid presence to the locker room. That part can't be underestimated. It is a really good move for both Ware and the Broncos.

-Denver also re-signed WR Andre Caldwell. The deal is for two years and $3.45M dollars. Look for Caldwell to fill in for the departed Eric Decker. Caldwell is not the same caliber of player as Decker, but he provides some stability considering he has been in the offense with Manning for the past two years.

-Denver did lose some free agents from their team. Guard Zane Beadles to Jacksonville in a deal that will pay him $30M over five seasons with $13M guaranteed. This was a total business decision by Beadles. Denver wasn't going to pay him that money, and he deserved to cash in on the open market. Although Beadles has been a mainstay on the offensive line since 2011, he was always considered the weak link in their group. Denver might move Orlando Franklin inside to guard and move Chris Clark over to RT. I am sure they will look to add another interior lineman in the draft.

-The Broncos also lost WR Eric Decker to the Jets. It was apparent at the outset that Denver didn't have any intention of re-signing Decker, and as a result he is headed to the Jets. It will be interesting to see the final contract numbers for Decker, but the Broncos focus in free agency was going to be on the defensive side of the ball. This year's draft is supposedly very deep at WR, so look for Denver to draft a receiver in the first three rounds. The bottom line with Decker is that he is a solid #2 receiver, and the Broncos have to think about re-signing Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas next offseason. You can't afford to sink huge numbers into three or four receivers. It just doesn't work that way. Was Decker a benefit of having Manning as his QB? Of course he was, but he is still a really solid player, and it is a shame that the Broncos couldn't have found a way to lock him up. Decker won't put up the numbers with Geno Smith in NY, but he will be a good addition for the Jets and their putrid offense.

-The bottom line is that the Broncos still have Peyton Manning as their QB. If you can take the pressure off him just a little bit, and give him some help on the other side of the ball, then they might be an even better team in 2014. Adding Ward, Talib, and Ware has certainly done that. You think John Elway was a little scarred after watching his team get crushed by Seattle in the Super Bowl? I think so, and these moves can get Denver right back there next year in Arizona.