Elway’s 2018 draft is starting to age poorly
At first glance, one might not quibble with John Elway’s performance in the 2018 NFL draft.
Anytime a general manager nabs two future Pro Bowlers — outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (fifth overall) and wide receiver Courtland Sutton (second round) — with the first two picks, it’s safe to say they’ve done their job.
Peer a little closer, however, and things get a little less rosy for the Broncos executive.
John Elway — C+
That came into stark relief earlier this week when 2018 third-round selection Royce Freeman was let go by Elway’s successor, George Paton, as he finalized the team’s 53-man roster.
A highly touted running back out of Oregon, Freeman was supposed to be the future of the Broncos backfield. Instead, he lost his No. 1 spot midway through his rookie year to undrafted free agent Phillip Lindsay and never got it back.
As Broncos reporter Ryan O’halloran pointed out, with Freeman’s surprise exit, only three of Elway’s 10 picks from that draft remain on the current roster.
The hit list: CB Isaac Yiadom (third round, now on third team), WR Daesean Hamilton (fourth, waived), TE Troy Fumagalli (fifth, New England IR), OG Sam Jones (sixth, Atlanta practice squad), LB Keishawn Bierria (sixth, CFL) and RB David Williams (seventh, out of NFL).
All that’s left: Chubb, Sutton and starting middle linebacker Josey Jewell (fourth round).
That’s three picks still on the roster just three seasons later. Not exactly a formula for building championship-level depth.
Even one of Elway’s successes — Chubb leads all 2018 draftees with 20K sacks — comes with two very big caveats: 1) He’s already missed 14 games in three seasons, and 2)
Pro Bowl Bills quarterback Josh Allen went two picks later. And now the Broncos are on their fifth Week 1 starting QB in five seasons.
Ed Mccaffrey — B
If ever there was an impressive 28-point loss, it was the one we witnessed Friday night Boulder.
The Northern Colorado Bears did not bring home the “W” in a 35-7 loss to in-state big brother Colorado at Folsom Field, but they sure did walk away with one heck of an “MV.”
And we here at Grading the Week are not above recognizing a solid Moral Victory when we see one.
The last time CU and UNC met at Folsom Field, the Bears were just as competitive. The Buffs didn’t pull away until the second half of that 2017 meeting, with UNC within a touchdown early in the third quarter before CU imposed its will en route to a 41-21 win.
Sound familiar? Sure, except for a few notable differences.
Those Buffs were facing a UNC program that was several years into the Earnest Collins Era. And they initially raced out to a 28-7 lead late in the second quarter before boredom set in.
These Bears were playing their first game under new head coach Ed Mccaffrey. And they were locked in a scoreless draw after one quarter and trailed 14-0 at the half. If not for UNC quarterback Dylan Mccaffrey’s wayward goal line interception near the end of the second quarter, the Bears might’ve gone into the break down seven.
That’s all we really needed to see from the start of the Mccaffrey Era.
After waiting nearly two years to make his debut in blue and gold — one more year than his CU (Karl Dorrell) and CSU (Steve Addazio) counterparts hired during the same offseason — Mccaffrey appears to be building something sturdy in Greeley.