Broncos' recent draft history entirely forgettable

By Lee Rasizer, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Originally published 12:05 a.m., April 22, 2008
Updated 05:06 p.m., April 22, 2008

Gone, baby, gone.

It's not just a major motion picture but the story of Broncos drafts since 2000.

There are zero players on the roster among the prospects selected in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and only one each from 2001 and 2004.

It makes the Broncos' on-field success - they've averaged 9.6 wins since Y2K-bug fears hit - even more remarkable considering the young talent base that should be entering its prime has long left Dove Valley.

So where did everybody go? Some are with other teams. Some are in other leagues, still chasing the dream. Former players are in the mortgage industry, Hollywood, dental school, even the wine industry.

But they're not with the Broncos, which begs another question.

Why?

Some of the factors:

* An organizational penchant, now changing, to trust veterans and free-agent acquisitions over younger players.

* A possible lack of development in terms of the coaching they received once with the team.

* Physical talent that was a poor fit in the Broncos' scheme.

* Injuries.

* A reluctance in some cases to spend free-agent dollars on draftees once their first contracts expired, citing the value-vs.-cost model.

It's too simplistic to say the Broncos didn't evaluate the talent properly or draftees were bereft of the necessary skills.

"A lot of times in this league it's timing," said Jeff Shoate, a 2004 fifth-round pick who battled injuries for 31/2 years before he was released. "A lot of guys just didn't have good timing. And if you do struggle at the beginning, like a lot of rookies do, sometimes you don't get that second opportunity. Sometimes other teams give you that second opportunity, but that doesn't always happen."

Where are they now? Catching up with the Broncos' draft picks from 2000 to 2005:

2000

Rd. Pick Player Pos

1 15 Deltha O'Neal CB

Where he has been: A gambler on defense, O'Neal had a four- interception game with he Broncos and success as a return specialist. But his spirit was broken after coach Mike Shanahan, frustrated with his inconsistency, switched him to receiver in mid-2003. O'Neal was traded to Cincinnati in April 2004 as Denver moved up from 24th to 17th in the first round, a pick that eventually turned into LB D.J. Williams. O'Neal has recorded 16 interceptions and 36 pass breakups in 55 games as a starter with the Bengals.

2a 40 Ian Gold LB

Where he has been: Originally nicknamed "Crash Test Dummy" for his special-teams prowess, Gold played with similar reckless abandon and speed as a full-timer on defense for the first time in 2002 until a torn right anterior cruciate ligament derailed his career in a contract year. Gold ended up in Tampa Bay for a season but played out of position on the strong side and re-signed with the Broncos in 2005. A fixture at weak-side linebacker, Gold slipped considerably last year and was released in March.

2b 45 Kenoy Kennedy S

Where he has been: His accumulated league fines were the price of his hard-hitting style in five years with the Broncos, where he started 60 games (2001 to 2004). But when Kennedy entered free agency after his fifth season, the Broncos, seeking more range at the position, showed only lukewarm interest in re-signing him. Kennedy landed in Detroit with a $4.4 million signing bonus. He led Detroit with 127 tackles in 2005, was hurt in 2006 and made 91 stops last year. The acquisition of Dwight Smith led to Kennedy's release this spring.

3 70 Chris Cole WR

Where he has been: Chris Cole literally was a man among boys.

The Broncos' 2000 third-round pick, now 30, started his comeback bid this spring by working out at his high school in Orange, Texas.

On March 5, he moved to his college alma mater, Texas A&M, where he participated in the school's pro day.

"I thought it went pretty good," said Cole, who said he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. "But it's all about what they think. You've got to wait and see what happens. Hopefully, after the draft, they'll be looking for people."

Cole has been out of the NFL since 2005, when he tore ankle ligaments at Jacksonville Jaguars training camp after a stint the previous summer with the Oakland Raiders.

He since has made a couple of short-lived stops in the Arena and Canadian football leagues, and he just might land north of the border again with Toronto.

During four seasons in Denver, Cole played sparingly at wideout but was a frequent figure on special teams, particularly on kickoff returns.

Cole said he wishes he had seized the moment with the Broncos but added it was difficult to make an impact playing behind Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey in the Broncos offense.

"That place is a third-receiver graveyard," Cole said.

"If you're a third wideout, you're not too much getting it, and if you're the fourth wideout, you're definitely not getting any balls."

Cole lamented not getting the opportunity to be thrown into the fire more to make mistakes at receiver and grow from them into a NFL regular.

He joked Smith was on his way out both when he arrived and when he left.

"A lot of times it's just where you get drafted," Cole said. "Really, it's 90 percent of the whole deal. That will determine how long you play."

4a 101 Jerry Johnson DT

Where he has been: Appeared in nine games in two seasons, never starting, before he was waived to close his third Broncos training camp in 2002. Involved in an eight-player trade in the Canadian Football League in 2004 but never made it out of the Ottawa Renegades' training camp. He was waived by Tampa Bay of the Arena League in 2005, also without having played a game.

4b 112 Cooper Carlisle G/T

Where he has been: He was the Swiss Army Knife of the Broncos' offensive line for five seasons, serving as a versatile backup and special-teamer. An injury to Dan Neil finally got Carlisle into the lineup in 2004, and he started 38 straight games. Carlisle nearly left for Baltimore but backed out of the deal at the last second, re-signing with Denver for two seasons. That run ended when the Broncos drafted Chris Kuper, signed Montrae Holland and had Chris Myers in reserve. Carlisle signed as a free agent with Oakland and now starts at right guard.

5 154 Muneer Moore WR

Where he has been: Dislocated an ankle and fractured a fibula during a preseason game during his rookie season, then tore a hamstring tendon in a minicamp the next year. Coached two years at the University of Richmond (2002, 2003) while recovering from experimental surgery to repair the hamstring in hopes of a comeback. Went to camp with the Jets in 2004, but his leg couldn't endure the stress. Now retired, Moore has worked for the NFL Players Association the past 3 1/2 years dealing with player marketing, sponsorship and licensing.

6 189 Mike Anderson RB

Where he has been: It was a tale straight out of Hollywood. He was in the marching band, not the football program, in high school, then a Marine who served in Somalia. At 27, as a rookie, he rushed for 1,487 yards and was chosen Offensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson never again duplicated that success, though he did have a 1,014-yard season in his final bow in Denver in 2005 after battling injuries and playing fullback the previous three years. Anderson joined Baltimore as a free agent but carried the ball only 54 times for 245 yards and one touchdown from 2006 to 2007. He was released Feb. 27.

7a 214 Jarious Jackson QB

Where he has been: Played in five games in four seasons with the Broncos, including an appearance in the 2000 wild-card loss at Baltimore. Headed to the CFL and after three seasons in a reserve role with British Columbia, finally got his big break last year. Jackson started 12 games and completed 167-of-304 passes for 2,553 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as the Lions reached the West final.

7b 246 Leroy Fields WR

Where he has been: A compensatory pick out of Marshall, he never made it through his first training camp, which featured 10 receivers. Worked out with New Orleans and Carolina. Played with the Bayou Beasts of the National Indoor Football League in 2001 and the next year with the AFL2's Tulsa Talons before ending his career. Now manages a finance company in Monroe, La., and coaches Pop Warner football.

2001

1 24 Willie Middlebrooks CB

Where he has been: A recommendation by then-Broncos assistant David Gibbs, who coached him at the University of Minnesota, weighed heavily on this selection, which never panned out. Middlebrooks entered the league hurt and had difficulty staying healthy. He played 51 games for Denver, mainly on special teams, before being dealt to San Francisco for John Engelberger in July 2005. An arrest in a domestic violence dispute in January 2005 didn't help his career path. Middlebrooks re-signed with the Broncos in 2006 with a stated goal to "just wipe every doubt that coaches or teams, even fans" had about him but never made it past training camp. He declined to discuss what he's doing now or whether football still is in his plans.

2 58 Paul Toviessi DE

Where he has been: Three right knee surgeries in one year prompted his release a year after the Broncos traded up to pluck him in Round 2. When Toviessi was healthy, he impressed. But he never could sustain it. "From everything we heard, he was as good as advertised. He was injured," said Toviessi's former agent, Kevin Robinson. "They thought he was the next best thing. Everybody said he was light years ahead of Reggie Hayward and two to three times as good." A disability policy kicked in after a microfracture procedure was unsuccessful, and Toviessi went to work in the mortgage industry in Colorado and Texas. He tried out again with the Broncos in 2005, but the knee wasn't strong enough.

3 87 Reggie Hayward DE

Where he has been: Recorded 22 sacks in 47 games with the Broncos before Jacksonville signed him in free agency in 2005. Denver viewed the $10 million guarantee he received in a five-year package as too pricey before ultimately signing, and trading for, a bevy of Cleveland linemen to revamp the front four. With Jacksonville, Hayward had 81/2 sacks in 2005 but tore an Achilles' tendon, which has cost him games and production the past two seasons.

4a 113 Ben Hamilton C/G

Where he has been: He was a full-time starter at left guard since his second season with the Broncos until post-concussion symptoms in the summer ended his 2007 season before it began. Hamilton is expected to be at full strength and rejoin the first unit at left guard this season and potentially become Tom Nalen's successor at center.

4B 120 Nick Harris Punter

Where he has been: It took time for Nick Harris to become one of the NFL's elite punters.

It took about three weeks of training camp in 2001 for the Broncos to decide growing pains weren't something they were willing to endure with Harris, even at the expense of a fourth-round draft pick.

Instead, the job went to veteran Tom Rouen, who also had been kicker Jason Elam's longtime holder. Harris was cut on a Wednesday, signed that evening by the Bengals, played in their final preseason game the next night and made the team on Friday.

"All of a sudden, I'm a resident of Ohio," he said.

Harris punted in Cincinnati for three years. He then joined the Detroit Lions, and it all started to click. During the past four years, he has averaged 40.9, 43.5, 45.0 and 44.3 yards while pinning opponents inside the 10 an impressive 38 times.

"I just needed time . . . ," Harris said. "And now it's the start of Year 8. It's just flown by and been a blast. I would have loved to have played for the Broncos longer, and living in Colorado would have been awesome as well. But it just didn't work out."

Harris was the first punter taken in the 2001 draft, which made his cut all the more surprising. He had a 37.3-yard gross average and a 26.7-yard net during that preseason for Denver but didn't punt much in games.

"I don't think I was ready to be in the league consistencywise, and with a team like Denver, who was a contender, especially in 2001 when it was two years removed from the Super Bowl, there was no room for mistakes," Harris said. "It was just one of those things where it just wasn't the right fit at the right time."

6 190 Kevin Kasper WR

Where he has been: His uniform has changed plenty of times. But Kevin Kasper wears the badge of "journeyman"proudly.

"I call myself well-traveled," he corrected.

Otherwise, the 2001 Broncos sixth-round pick is, in many respects, the same person. He still has spiky, blond hair, multiple earrings and a ripped physique that made him an early training-camp sensation in Denver, where he spent two seasons.

"It was just me being me," he said.

Kasper's attention to his body through inflexible nutrition and workout regimens earned him the nickname "Little Romo," after Bill Romanowski, his rookie year. Yet, while the receiver followed Romanowski, another player actually was his mentor.

"My idol back then was Ed McCaffrey, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to play with him and learn from him . . . ," Kasper said. "And I saw him stay in one place a long time. I saw myself doing similar things."

That notion ended when he was cut during the 2002 season. Kasper since has played for Seattle, Arizona, New England, Detroit and his current team, Cleveland. Kasper won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in the 2004 season.

He's also helping others try to realize their dreams. Kasper owns Get Fast Acceleration in Naperville, Ill. High school players from the area train with him two to three times a week in the offseason.

The former walk-on at the University of Iowa tells his clients about workout routines that have helped him and his will to succeed.

Perhaps he'll even mention he once was the talk of Broncos camp, making the team and starting four games after entering the summer 13th out of 13 on the depth chart at receiver.

"People enjoyed who I was, and most of it had to do with when I was in training camp," Kasper said. "People saw how much fun I was having and enjoyed watching me play. I still have fun out there."

2002

1 19 Ashley Lelie WR

Where he has been: Had plenty of speed, but his all-around game needed fine-tuning despite a 1,084-yard season in 2004. Unhappy about the acquisition of Javon Walker in 2006, Lelie saw no chance to start in Denver and held out of offseason activities and training camp, leading to a trade to Atlanta. He since has struggled with the Falcons and 49ers to regain the form that made him one of the league's top deep threats. Has 38 catches for 545 yards since a messy Broncos exit.

2 51 Clinton Portis RB

Where he has been: Put up two successive 1,500-yard seasons for the Broncos before he was dealt to Washington in the blockbuster Champ Bailey trade that also netted Denver a draft pick that became Tatum Bell. Portis has continued to flourish with the Redskins, rushing for 4,616 yards the past four years.

3 96 Dorsett Davis DT

Where he has been: Spent three years with Denver but never made a big impact. A serious finger injury landed him on injured reserve in 2003. He was cut in September 2005. An early draft entrant, Davis has gone back to Mississippi State to fulfill the wish of his late mother that he graduate. He's expected to receive his degree in May, according to his father. On the field, Davis has passed on CFL and Arena Football League opportunities. Expecting tryout with the San Diego Chargers in June.

4 131 Sam Brandon S

Where he has been: Released by the Broncos last summer after he failed a physical. Brandon had torn his right ACL in 2006. Before that, he played as a "big nickel" defender, shadowing tight ends in passing situations. But he never could push his way into the starting lineup. Currently working out in hopes of landing with a NFL team.

5 144 Herb Haygood WR

Where he has been: A shoulder injury in a preseason game in 2003 essentially ended his Denver stay. Continued to play the next three years in NFL Europe (Scottish Claymores), the CFL (Montreal and British Columbia), the Arena Football League (Tampa Bay) and NFL (Chiefs training camp, Colts practice squad) before giving up football. He's now a receivers coach at Saginaw Valley State after having been a special teams/receivers coach at Olivet (Mich.) College. Recently spent time with the Broncos' offensive coaching staff in a learning opportunity.

6 191 Jeb Putzier TE

Where he has been: Played a key role in the offense in 2004 and 2005 with 73 catches for 1,053 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos even matched a restricted free-agent offer sheet from the Jets to keep him. But one year later, he was part of an offseason purge. Putzier landed in Houston with former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak but caught only 19 passes the past two seasons. Putzier signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Seahawks in March.

7a 228 Chris Young S

Where he has been: Hung on for nearly four years, appearing in 21 games from 2003 to 2004. But knee problems persisted and two microfracture procedures couldn't mend him, so he retired in 2005. Currently is a partner in the restaurant/ nightclub Treo near Park Meadows Mall.

7b 231 Monsanto Pope DT

Where he has been: Started 21 games from 2002 to 2004 but was benched after the 2005 opener and didn't set foot on the field until the season finale. Pope signed with the Jets as a free agent in 2006. He left Jets training camp because of personal reasons Aug. 1 and hasn't played since.

2003

1 20 George Foster T

Where he has been: Departed Denver in March 2007 as part of the Dre Bly trade. Benched numerous times in Detroit but ultimately re-signed. Started 45 of 48 games from 2004 to 2006) for the Broncos at right tackle but battled inconsistency in technique and effort.

2 51 Terry Pierce LB

Where he has been: He’s still a middle man

Only now Terry Pierce serves as the bridge between the present and future for his clients as an adviser for Merrill Lynch in a Kansas City, Mo., suburb.

The Broncos’ second-round pick in the 2003 draft, Pierce unexpectedly had to plan for his own career change when he was cut after two years. He failed to latch on elsewhere in the 2005 and 2006 seasons despite a brief stint with the Houston Texans and numerous tryouts.

But Pierce had a 3.7 grade-point average and a degree in finance to fall back on, and he used them to help high net-worth workers increase their fiscal well-being.

“It’s kind of where I’ve always been headed,” Pierce said. “It was just a good opportunity to leave the NFL when things were a little shaky and I was still young.”

Pierce remains somewhat bewildered about his short stay in Denver. It was his understanding he would replace Al Wilson, but a year after Pierce was picked, Wilson signed a lucrative new contract. It forced a move to outside linebacker, outside of Pierce’s comfort zone. Then, the Broncos drafted D.J. Williams and re-signed Ian Gold, which made Pierce the odd man out.

Pierce finds it interesting that none of the players with whom he broke into the NFL remain with the Broncos.

“Mike Shanahan has free rein, which most head coaches don’t. And most owners aren’t going to allow a head coach to release first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round draft picks before they’ve even been in the league for four years . . . ,” Pierce said. "That’s why Denver’s the way it is. You know how much money that is wasted?”

If not, a financial whiz like Pierce could help figure it out.

4a 108 Quentin Griffin RB

Where he has been: Began 2004 as heir apparent to Portis but suffered an ankle sprain, then a torn right ACL. Griffin started 2005 behind Anderson, Bell and Ron Dayne on the depth chart, was cut, re-signed in September 2005, then released a month later. Had a short-lived stint with the Chiefs in the 2006 offseason and starred for Hamburg in spring 2007 in NFL Europe. Was expected to play for Saskatchewan of the CFL this season but backed out. Currently is in Houston working toward a possible NFL return.

4b 114 Nick Eason DT

Where he has been: His one-year tenure in Denver was most notable for a three-day unexplained absence during his rookie training camp. Went on injured reserve his first year with an Achilles' tendon injury and ended up never playing a regular-season down for the Broncos. Landed in Cleveland, where he spent three seasons before signing with Pittsburgh. Played in all 16 games in 2007 for the Steelers, starting once. Recently signed a two-year contract with Pittsburgh.

4c 128 Bryant McNeal DE

Where he has been: Cut in 2004 and placed on the Broncos practice squad. Was released from the Oakland practice squad last summer after an arrest on an outstanding warrant for selling a Land Rover he didn't own. Living in South Carolina and trying to get back into football.

5a 157 Ben Claxton C

Where he has been: Didn't make it through his first training camp with the Broncos. Played in two NFL games, both in 2005 with the Falcons. Twice played for NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder. Spent time in 2003 on practice squads of the Browns, Dolphins and Buccaneers. Was in training camp with the Steelers and Raiders. Released by Oakland in August. Currently out of football.

5b 158 Adrian Madise WR

Where he has been: Played in 11 games for the Broncos, the highlight an 83-yard kickoff return in the 2003 finale against Green Bay. Most recently played in the NFL in 2005. Signed with the Redskins in May 2007 but lasted only a week before being cut. Also spent brief stints with Tampa Bay and Tennessee. Waived by the Austin Wranglers of the Arena League in February 2007. Had planned to play for Team Texas in the All American Football League, but the league ceased operations until at least 2009.

6 194 Aaron Hunt DE

Where he has been: After he was cut by the Broncos after his first training camp, signed with the Cardinals but declined an offseason invitation to play in NFL Europe and eventually landed with the Dolphins. Released there, he signed with Denver in 2005 and was sent to Europe to play for Hamburg before being released after Broncos training camp. Currently playing in for British Columbia in the CFL, his third season up north. Won the CFL's most outstanding rookie award in 2006, when he was on a Grey Cup championship team.

7a 227 Clint Mitchell DE

Where he has been: Spent rookie year on injured reserve because of a thumb injury, then spent training camps in 2005 and 2006 with the Chiefs. Had been playing defensive end for Tampa Bay of the Arena League but was cut earlier this season. Had a tryout earlier this month with the AFL's Grand Rapids team.

7b 235 Ahmaad Galloway RB

Where he has been: Cut by the Broncos in 2004. Landed on the Chargers practice squad and had a successful stint for Frankfurt in NFL Europe in 2005 before he was cut. Had expected to play this year in the All American Football League before backing out of a deal. Currently working for a law firm in Birmingham, Ala., and planning return to school. Helped raise money and care for former Alabama teammate Victor Ellis before Ellis' death to cancer last month.

2004

1 17 D.J. Williams LB

Where he has been: One of two players remaining on the Broncos roster from the 2000 to 2004 draft classes. Has shifted from weak to strong to middle linebacker the past three seasons and will move again to weak side, his most natural position. Hasn't missed a game in three years, getting more regular-season action with Denver (48 games) than any other defensive player during that time.

2a 41 Tatum Bell RB

Where he has been: Averaged 4.9 yards on 481 carries in three seasons but couldn't nail down a starting job. Dealt to Detroit as part of the Bly trade and carried 44 times for 182 yards and a touchdown. Didn't play in final 11 games but was re-signed while Kevin Jones recovers from an ACL tear.

2b 54 Darius Watts WR

Where he has been: Darius Watts’ career had just about hit the wall — and then hit it again, gladly.

The Broncos’ second-round pick in 2004 is playing for the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League. He came off injured reserve March 29 and has played receiver and special teams. Before the tryouts with the Soul, the receiver spoke about his football career possibly coming to an end if he didn’t make it in the indoor game.

“It’s at a point in my life where it’s going to be or not going to be,” he said, adding, “I have to see if I still have some mojo in me.”

Watts teased with his ability during two seasons plus a third training camp in Denver. He could almost effortlessly get off the bump and ran solid routes but was inconsistent catching the ball. He finished with 33 catches for 407 yards, with all but two of his receptions coming in his rookie year.

“I was just there, then, ehhhhh . . . ” he said with a laugh about nearly cracking the regular rotation. “But you’ve got to come into the game knowing what it’s about — it’s 'Not For Long'. And nothing’s guaranteed.”

The former Marshall player doesn’t dwell on the past and said matter-of-factly he didn’t live up to the Broncos’ expectation level.

He was picked up by the New York Giants in 2006 but hurt his back during offseason workouts and was cut after training camp.

Watts isn’t sure whether he wants to use the Arena Football League as a springboard back to the NFL. He’s more concerned about proving he can still produce.

If I go out and do good here and they want to keep me and pay me more money, that’s an option,” he said. “But if I do bad . . . and I don’t got it no more, then we’ll know the way for me, too.”

And if it comes to an end in four-wall ball?

“I’ll probably move on with my life, get a job, get married, have about 12 kids, do it like that,” he said.

3 85 Jeremy LeSueur S

Where he has been: Hernia surgery cost him his rookie season. He was picked up by the Jets off the Broncos practice squad in October 2005. Has battled injuries and was released by the Jets, Browns and Seahawks, with whom he went to Super Bowl XL. Had signed with Michigan's AAFL entry before the league halted operations.

5 152 Jeff Shoate CB

Where he has been: Career was at a crossroads when the Broncos cut him midway through last season after 31/2 seasons of battling knee problems. But he had practice squad eligibility left when he was released. Baltimore came calling, then the New York Giants, only days after their playoff win at Tampa Bay. Shoate wound up having a sideline view at the Super Bowl and won a championship. "It was shocking in a lot of ways . . . but the longer it kept going, the more I was like, 'Maybe I'll see a ring out of this,' " Shoate said. Currently unsigned but hoping to land with the Ravens or Giants.

6a 171 Triandos Luke WR

Where he has been: In camp with the Giants in 2006 but quit football after failing in a tryout with the Crush. As a Broncos rookie, Luke contributed on punt returns (19 for 135 yards) and kickoff returns (15 for 306) but didn't make it through his second camp. Currently serving as a branch manager of Charter One Bank in Cleveland after moving from Denver six months ago. Oversees the total operations of his branch, following in the footsteps of his brother-in-law, a successful banker.

6b 190 Josh Sewell C

Where he has been: One year after spending his rookie year on the Broncos practice squad, he decided to quit after the 2005 training camp. "There were a lot of changes in my life," he said recently. "I got married. . . . And I wasn't sure what I wanted to do." Played in NFL Europe for Frankfurt in 2007 to re-establish himself as a player and was Team Alabama's first pick (sixth overall) in the All American Football League draft in January. He had hoped it would serve as a springboard for a return to the NFL, but the AAFL ceased operations. He recently signed with Grand Rapids of the Arena League.

7a 225 Matt Mauck QB

Where he has been: Spent the majority of 2004 on the Broncos practice squad. Completed 15-of-27 passes for 136 yards in two 2005 appearances with Tennessee. Was on the Titans practice squad behind Kerry Collins and Vince Young in 2006. Sat out last season after undergoing January back surgery. Still hoping for NFL return but considering dental school if no opportunity arises.

7b 247 Brandon Miree RB

Where he has been: Spent a year on injured reserve and on the Broncos practice squad before breaking into starting lineup with Green Bay in 2006. Career ended when he hurt his neck last summer. Owns Street Ready Entertainment, based in Atlanta and New York, which has distribution deals through Virgin/EMI (music) and Warner Bros. (film). Gearing for CD release later this year of DJ Pharris, with guest appearances by R Kelly, Common, Kanye West, Ludacris and others. A member of the American Screenwriters Association, he wrote concept for upcoming video to support the DJ Pharris release. "It's a blessing to go from one passion to the next," Miree said.

7c 250 Bradlee Van Pelt QB

Where he has been: Had been the Texans backup quarterback behind Sage Rosenfels last spring before the team dealt for Matt Schaub. It's a scenario similar to his Broncos stay, when he backed up Jake Plummer before Jay Cutler's arrival. Currently in Santa Barbara, Calif., staying in shape for a potential NFL return, with his mind open to switching positions. Also managing the tasting room at a winery to learn that industry should his football career fail to pan out.

2005

2 56 Darrent Williams CB

Where he has been: Showed promise as a cornerback and returner before he was slain in a drive-by shooting in his limousine after a New Year's Eve party after the 2006 finale.

3a 76 Karl Paymah CB

Where he has been: Spent 21/2 seasons as a special- teams contributor and seldom-used dime back. Broke into playing rotation in November as a nickel defender and appeared to play more confidently. Will battle for third corner role again next season behind Bailey and Bly.

3b 97 Domonique Foxworth CB

Where he has been: Has been a valuable spare part in the Broncos defense for three years, roaming from starting corner (2005) to nickel back (2006) to safety (2007). Should settle back into a cover role in 2008, battling Paymah for starting nickel-back duties.

3c 101 Maurice Clarett RB

Where he has been: High-risk, high-reward pick turned to high anxiety. The Broncos took Clarett before Marion Barber III but never saw him play. Injured in training camp and distant with teammates, he was cut. Then problems with the law began. He was awaiting trial on aggravated robbery charges for brandishing a gun and robbing two people on New Year's Day 2006 when he was involved in a high-speed chase with police, who found four loaded weapons in his SUV. Entered a guilty plea in September 2006 after negotiating settlement on aggravated robbery and weapons charges. Currently serving time at Toledo Correctional Institution that's set to end in February 2014.

6 200 Chris Myers C/G

Where he has been: Bided time for two seasons as versatile reserve before getting a break last year and starting all 16 games at center and left guard. Received a low tender by Broncos in restricted free agency and was signed last month by the Texans, for whom he'll start .

7 239 Paul Ernster K/P

Where he has been: Successful as a kickoff specialist while averaging 36.6 yards per punt as a rookie, but his second go-round ended disastrously in December. Averaged 35.6 yards in a game at San Diego, including two bad punts that preceded Chargers points, and was released. "I came into a weird situation with some things going on and there was no room for me to hiccup like that, but it happened," he said. Still living in Denver area, he recently signed with Detroit.

2006, 2007 drafts overview

The Broncos have retained nine of the 11 players they picked in the past two drafts, including core players such as quarterback Jay Cutler, tight end Tony Scheffler and defensive ends Elvis Dumervil and Jarvis Moss.

The two players no longer with the Broncos are 2006 fourth-round pick Domenik Hixon, now a kick returner and receiver for the New York Giants after his Broncos release in October, and center Greg Eslinger, a 2006 sixth-rounder who spent his rookie year on injured reserve and the first 10 weeks last season on the Broncos’ practice squad before signing with Cleveland. Eslinger was waived by the Browns, then signed with the Houston Texans in January.

The 2006, 2007 draftees:

2006

Rd. Pick Player Pos.

1 11 Jay Cutler QB

2 61 Tony Scheffler TE

4a 119 Brandon Marshall WR

4b 126 Elvis Dumervil DE

*4c 130 Domenik Hixon WR

5 161 Chris Kuper G

6 198 Greg Eslinger C

*Compensatory selection

2007

Rd. Pick Player Pos.

1 17 Jarvis Moss DE

2 56 Tim Crowder DE

3 70 Ryan Harris T

4 121 Marcus Thomas DT

• April 22, 2008

  5:57 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  DenverBroncosFan writes:

  Finally a reasonable article about the Broncos drafting. It’s ridiculous to say the Broncos can't draft because no one is left from the 2000 draft when the average career of an NFL player is less than 4 years.

  No one seems to notice that our drafting got better as Shanahan brought in new talent evaluators that eventually made Ted Sundquist expendable. I think Mike Shanahan is reacting to the talent problems and making the changes necessary.

  Probably the only way to evaluate a team’s drafting ability is by looking at the total stats that the draftees produced during their tenure with the team plus any trade value that they gave the team (Clinton Portis is no longer here because we traded him for Champ Bailey, but I hardly think drafting him was a mistake). And then, you would have to compare that with the other teams in the league. How many New England Patriots are left from the 2000?

• April 22, 2008

  9:08 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  hoppman writes:

  This list shows how bad the drafting has been under Shanahan. No more INJURED players in the early rounds. What strikes me is that had you asked most draft experts, many of the Broncos early round picks were reaches at best. Wasting a third rounder on Clarett may have been the biggest mistake, high risk, high reward? are you kidding me, it was all risk on a team that didn't need any more bad characters.

• April 22, 2008

  9:32 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Broncoryan2 writes:

  Wow what bad drafting and the article is missing a drafted player! The article is missing the wide receiver from Marshall, Darius Watts.

• April 22, 2008

  9:54 a.m.

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  hdfresh writes:

  Great article! Its nice to see how all of the draftees are doing these days. Not too much success it seems with other teams.

• April 22, 2008

  10:17 a.m.

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  Cwillyrun1 writes:

  The drafting hasn't been bad, but injuries have hurt some of the picks and they didn't pan out. Drafting isn't a guarantee of a player's ability in the NFL. I remember Dan Reeves drafting Ted Gregory #1 having never seen him. I don't think we ever saw him after he was drafted. The last three drafts have been good ones.

  hoppman, most draft experts are usually off in their assesments of each team as opposed to the people doing the drafting for those NFL teams. Kiper (an expert?) is almost always off in his first round team-by-team picks. The thing is, they can criticize from the LazyBoy if a pick doesn't pan out and looks bad, the "I told you so" comments, and if one they don't like does turn out good, they don't seem to mention it, do they?

  Hey, can Van Pelt come back as a safety?

• April 22, 2008

  10:53 a.m.

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  dougcfoster writes:

  The amazing thing about this article is how many of these guys got injured in meaningless pre-season games and were never able to make it back. Why do they play four or five fake games every year?

• April 22, 2008

  11:47 a.m.

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  dilligaf writes:

  The draft is a crap shoot. You have to get lucky. I just wish the local media and the fans would look around the league not just the Broncos. The players that are drafted have talent but until you get them in the NFL you don't know if they can play at the next level. There was a article yesterday on 1st round busts around the league. Names like Couch and Jeff George was brought up. So it is not that coaches are bad drafters most of it is good luck or bad luck. Now every once in a while you get really lucky and pick someone in the 7th. (Terrell Davis) Nobody ever wants to give Shanny credit for those they just want to nail him for the unlucky ones and call him a bad drafter.

• April 22, 2008

  12:09 p.m.

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  buffsblg writes:

  I agree that going back to 2000 is somewhat misleading, as 7 years is a pretty long career. however, we can look at trends and Two things do strike me. The first is the lack of production from our first round picks with the exception of D.J. Williams. If you cannot make a hit with your first rounders, there is a problem. It is likely that Cutler will change that streak, but missing with your top pick certainly hurts long term, especially given the salary cap hit.

  The second is the real absence of superstars. In these drafts, who do you see that is a real game changer, no matter where he plays. I see one, Portis and one potential, D. J. Williams (Darrent might have been but we will never know). Until Cutler, we have not drafted a guy that other teams needed to game plan for. Getting good depth is important, but once in a while you need that big hit and we have not done it. In that same time, San Diego has Rivers and Tomlinson and Merriman and KC has L. Johnson and Jared Allen. Certainly our lack of picks at the very top has made this more difficult, but we certainly have not hit big and that must have played a role in the decline of the team.

• April 22, 2008

  3:36 p.m.

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  ISKIFREELY writes:

  This might be the reason why Ted Sundquist got himself fired.

• April 22, 2008

  4:04 p.m.

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  HBBeough writes:

  Buffsblg, Rivers, Tomlinson and Merriman are all products of having the worst (or second to worst) record in the NFL the previous year. You get good players when you draft 1 or 2. KC has equal or less talent than the Broncos so they don't deserve any draft crown themselves. Of the fifty players listed above eighteen were on the team that took down the Patriots in the 2005 playoffs and hosted the AFC championship.

• April 22, 2008

  4:06 p.m.

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  RockyV writes:

  What an silly article.

  Kinda forgot about undrafted players and what not.

  I'm really really really tired of local sports writers doing everything they can to tear down the teams they are covering - just a bunch of blowhards sitting around complaining thinking that somehow they are better able to pick better players at the draft, make better play calls on game day and what not.

  I'm thinking there's a reason they are sports writers and not head coaches.

• April 22, 2008

  4:19 p.m.

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  Seabreezes writes:

  SI.com has a list of the 15 biggest draft busts in NFL history. No Bronco is on that list, so just think.....it could've been worse (Ryan Leaf, anyone? Tony Mandarich?)

• April 22, 2008

  4:24 p.m.

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  SteveC writes:

  Deltha O'Neal was either the best player on the field or the dumbest, it just depended on which play it was. Sometimes he was just playing on a different level than everybody else and sometimes my 11 year old daughter was better.

• April 22, 2008

  6:27 p.m.

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  ES writes:

  This is not a very well thought out article.

  Portis who was drafted got us Champ Baily.

  We use that talent for some pretty good trades. I think its very common for teams to loose players that they have drafted. We traded players for picks that got us Jay Cutler. It is the way free agency has changed the game you sports reporting dinosaurs.

  Most of the players drafted just don't make it in the NFL. I mean how many players are drafted each year? There are only 80 spots on a team.

  Think BIG PICTURE!!!And stop whining that we lost some 7th round draft picks. Most teams do loose them over time.

• April 22, 2008

  7:01 p.m.

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  Broncos4Life writes:

  While I've been openly criticizing Shanahan for his personnel decisions I have to agree that it's not all his fault. Although, he does have the most input in this area of the football operations. First and second round picks are supposed to be starters within a 2-3 year period, rounds 3-5 are supposed to be your depth as you develop your team. Somehow I still don't see that happening much here in Denver. Since Sundquist is now gone, who is going to accept responsibility for this draft? Good or bad, someone needs to step up!

• April 22, 2008

  7:24 p.m.

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  AngelontheSidelines writes:

  Terrel Davis and Shannon Sharpe are both on the NFL.com top ten draft steals of all time. Was that just dumb luck?

• April 23, 2008

  4:54 a.m.

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  wildbillmp36 writes:

  The Broncos need to look at bringing in a new kicker and I think they should bring in Dan Carpenter of The University of Montana as a free agent. I think he would fit in well here

• April 23, 2008

  8:10 a.m.

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  UncleBuck writes:

  Brocoryan, Watts is listed in the column so what are you talking about?

  When I look at this list, I see quite a few good picks so why all the drama about how bad the team drafted these years? Do people realize what percentage of players drafted even make it in the NFL, not just stay on the same team? Just because a player is no longer on the team that drafted them does not mean they were a bad pick. Several of the players listed above showed their ability but got injured and never recovered. Some played well for a few years and then their play dropped off. Some were traded for other players.

• April 23, 2008

  8:42 a.m.

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  Brain writes:

  The article means little without comparing drafts of other teams that constantly drafted late because they were winning the year before.

• April 23, 2008

  10:12 p.m.

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  mrwhite_20 writes:

  According to this PFW article. The Broncos by far the worst drafting team in the past 5 years. Let's hope '06 through '08 will change that trend.

  http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/...

• April 24, 2008

  10:17 a.m.

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  UncleBuck writes:

  Maybe Pro Football Weekly so read this article instead of just looking at current rosters. I suppose they blame the team for the death of Darrent Williams.