D-Rob a Panacea for the D-Line?

Seemingly so, if you read this morning's Denver Post:

"The question is not whether they can get a quality tackle, the question is whether they get one they feel is worthy of the No. 12 selection and pay scale," said Jeffrey Foster, president of NFL Scouting Inc., which serves 20 teams, including the Broncos. "There will be a tackle there that they like, but is he worth 12th-pick money? Those are questions that head coaches and salary cap guys and personnel guys start debating."

What the Broncos won't do is trade up for Sedrick Ellis or down for Kentwan Balmer, defensive tackles projected for the first round. The position is no longer a top priority after the Broncos acquired defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson from the New York Jets on Thursday in exchange for a 2009 conditional draft pick. "

A couple of thoughts:

• I absolutely agree with the first quote. I believe Denver likes several offensive line prospects available at #12 in this year's draft; however, I don't believe that Denver thinks they are all worth 12th pick money. In fact, Ryan Clady is the only guy I believe Denver is truly interested in drafting if they stay put in round 1. If some combination of Mendenhall, Rivers, McKelvin, Thomas, and Harvey are on the board when Denver picks, they will likely try and move down to take Williams, Otah, or Cherilius. If they don't receive a reasonable trade offer, don't be surprised to hear Mendenhall's, Rivers', or Harvey's name called at 12th overall. With the tackle class this deep, Denver isn't going to overpay for a player based on need.
  
  
• I disagree with the second part of this quote. Conservatively speaking, Denver views D-Rob as a stopgap at defensive tackle. Sure, he's a young guy with plenty of talent, but his knees are a ticking timebomb waiting to go off. What Robertson buys the Broncos is time. My guess is that Shanahan uses that time wisely. That is, he will add a lot of talent to the position this weekend. Only the rarest defensive tackle is capable of stepping in to a rotation and making an impact their first year. Thus, I don't buy that Denver isn't interested in trading up to acquire Sedrick Ellis. In fact, I think they'll have to deal with Cincinnati on the issue who may already be positioning themselves to negotiate a deal.