Broncos.com Confirms D-Rob Trade

Broncos.com has confirmed the Dwayne Robertson was acquired today for only a conditional 2009 draft pick. This is shocking news given that the asking price for Robertson was reportedly much higher. Should Robertson, who's seldom missed a start during his 4 year career, overcome concerns about the health of his knees, he'll be an absolute steal at this price. Reportedly, Denver surrenders the pick only if Robertson makes it through training camp healthy.

A Big 'Thank You' to Carl Peterson

It looks like Carl Peterson is dumb enough to trade superstar defensive end Jared Allen, or so says Allen. After missing 2 games last year to a DUI suspension, Allen recorded 15.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 14 games. These numbers may seem heroic to some of you, but they are actually godly; in case you haven't noticed the Chiefs defense sucks.

Reportedly, this move is being made to "stockpile draftpicks" and embrace the Chiefs "rebuilding mode." Truthfully, this move is being made because (a) the Chiefs have no money to sign Allen right now, (b) Allen is an unrestricted free agent next year, and (c) Allen also thinks the Chiefs defense sucks and he'd rather play elsewhere. I'm not sure what a team in "rebuilding mode" is looking for if not a player like Allen. At 26-years-old, Allen is arguably the best player in the NFL at arguably the toughest position to find great players.

In two meetings last year, Allen terrorized our ailing offensive line. I want to extend a special "thanks" to Carl Peterson for being such an incompetent fool. This buds for you, Carl!

Robertson Deal Appears Imminent

Scouts.com is reporting that the Broncos and Jets have nearly completed a deal that would send defensive tackle Dwayne Robertson to Denver. According to an anonymous source, Denver will reportedly give up two of its five draft picks between rounds 4 and 6 to complete the deal.

Two picks? This makes me cringe. There's no question Denver needs immediate help along the defensive line but I think there are better options available with those picks. Between Robertson's bad knees and his failure to develop into the kind of talent his 4th-overall draft selection portended, this seems like a hefty fee.

Let's hope both picks are from day 2 of the draft.

Broncos Trading Down?

Mike Klis is reporting that Denver is looking to trade down on draft day. He speculates Washington, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Houston, and Dallas are likely suitors for a deal. This is a prudent strategy, particularly if Denver is targeting a solution at offensive tackle, safety, or wide receiver (as is popularly reported), where the drop off in talent from #12 to #20 is minimal. If Denver can garner an additional first-day pick in such a deal, it would add some positional flexibility where we may currently feel locked into certain positional needs.

Pro Football Weekly Mock Draft

Pro Football Weekly’s latest mock draft has Denver drafting Boise State’s Ryan Clady at #12. Given his horrible Wonderlic score, less-than-ideal attitude, and our youth at the position, I would be flabbergasted if this was our pick. As a side note, they also have USC OLB Keith River’s slipping to #29 and Sedrick Ellis drafted to play NT for Cincinnati; both projections are preposterous. Who writes this garbage?

Update: The Sedrick-Ellis-to-Cincinnati rumors are so ubiquitous at this point that I am conceding they may be considering this move. I don't see Ellis as being a unique fit for this system and think Cincinnati is the perfect trade suitor for Denver in the event that Ellis is available at #9. Given that Cincinnati has emerged as a competitor in the Dwayne Robertson sweepstakes, there could be some interesting moves made between the Jets, Bengals, and Broncos on draft day.

A Trade for Robertson Unlikely

Several news sources have quoted Shanahan speaking ominously about the possibility of a trade for Robertson. Shanahan confirmed that Robertson failed his physical. Injury concerns and contract issues had me weary about the advantage in bringing in Robertson. Still, Robertson's experience at NT is something absent from Denver's repertoire at present. It looks like we're going to have to address this need on draft day. More on this to come...

Robertson Trade Talks Still Underway

Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this situation? Robertson--a huge disappointment in terms of his draft stock--looks like he'll cost us between $8 and $11 million against the cap. As if they weren't shady enough, he couldn't pass a physical in February.

I'm sure the Jets are anxious to get this guy off their books (maybe for good reason), but I get the feeling that Denver is the sucker in this deal. I can't remember the last time Denver signed a big-time free agent NT that didn't blow up in their face (Dan Wilkerson, Sam Adams, Daryle Gardner). Is it possible to get this done on draft day?