First, a few notes.

First, I don't watch college ball, save for a few I glimpse while atop a barstool. Most of my player rankings come from other sources. If I choose a DE for a team, that's more the point than his actual name. I have my shortcomings. That being said, my sources are ones I trust. Also, due to that level of trust, I'm not stretching beyond round 1.

Second, there are many days between here and there, and much could change. We all know this. If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know. I only claim to be a Broncos afficinado anyway... and with that said... my mock draft (version #1)

01. Miami Dolphins - DE Chris Long, Virginia

I think Parcells wants to trade down more than anything, but... if it doesn't happen, I expect him to take a marquee player, namely Matt Ryan, or more likely, Chris Long.
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02. St. Louis Rams - OT Jake Long, Michigan

After the way Bulger and Jackson struggled behind an aging and ailing line, Jake Long should help immediately.
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03. Atlanta Falcons - DT Glenn Dorsey, Louisiana State

Rod Coleman is gone, and Dorsey helps the Falcons out immediately. Off the field behavior only makes him more attractive. I believe he'll clear any physical concerns.
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04. Oakland Raiders - RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas

There is no way Al Davis passes up on the flashiest player in the draft. Even if only to trade him later...
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05. Kansas City Chiefs - DT Sedrick Ellis, Southern California

The Chiefs have many holes to fix, but Ellis is a top talent for the pick, and will help Hali and Allen.
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06. New York Jets - DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State

The Jets love him, and he could add some teeth to a lackluster d-line
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07. New England Patriots - CB Leodis McKelvin, Troy

McKelvin helps address the loss of G a y and Samuel, as well as an excellent return man.
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08. Baltimore Ravens - QB Matt Ryan, Boston College

Ryan will provide quality competition for the QB position.
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09. Cincinnati Bengals - LB Keith Rivers, Southern California

After a chaotic off-season of LB loss, and a poor showing last year, Rivers will have the ability to be a leader on D.
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10. New Orleans Saints - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State

Partially due to name, partially due to talent, Rodgers-Cromartie is rising fast and will serve as an exciting second to G a y.
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11. Buffalo Bills - WR Malcolm Kelly Okalahoma

Seems Kelly is the odds on favorite to finally give Lee Evans a compliment.
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12. Denver Broncos - OT Ryan Clady, Boise State

While his stock seems to be rising, Clady's style and size makes him a fit for Denver's scheme, and few other teams. He's still a deal at 12.
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13. Carolina Panthers - OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh

The big lug's skills are raw, but he has a high ceiling, and Carolina needs to protect Delhomme this year.
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14. Chicago Bears - RB Rashard Mendenhall, Illinois

Last year showed that Benson needed Jones, and the other Adrian Peterson isn't the answer.
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15. Detroit Lions - OT Chris Williams, Vanderbilt

John Kitna might be tired of seeing the dome cover. I'm just saying.
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16. Arizona Cardinals - CB Aqib Talib, Kansas

The secondary looks to be in flux, and Talib can make an impact out of the gates.
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17. Minnesota Vikings - DE Derrick Harvey, Florida

In light of Udeze, the Vikes find a deal with Harvey.
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18. Houston Texans - CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida

Continuing the escalation of their D through the draft, a somewhat porous secondary lands on a top corner.
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19. Philadelphia Eagles - WR DeSean Jackson, California

McNabb's demand for more offensive weapons is answered... kind of.
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20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - CB James King, Penn State

Time to renew talent, and Kind has the size and raw talents... just needs time to develop.
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21. Washington Redskins - S Kenny Phillips, Miami

The best safety in the draft goes to those who lost Sean Taylor.
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22. Dallas Cowboys (VIA Cle) - CB Brandon Flowers Virginia Tech

With corners flying off the board, the Cowboys snag theirs, and with a high ceiling, Flowers is worthwhile here.
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23. Pittsburgh Steelers - OG Branden Albert, Virginia

By taking the top guard, the Steelers begin a long day of planning ahead for the o-line.
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24. Tennessee Titans - WR Limas Sweed, Texas

Young needs weapons and he knows Sweed. It's a win-win.
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25. Seattle Seahawks - DT Kentwan Ballmer, North Carolina

Having addressed running back, Seattle can upgrade their D-line further with Ballmer.
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26. Jacksonville Jaguars - DE Phillip Merling, Clemson

Jags need to address their D-line again, after a year of lackluster pass rush and losses in the off-season.
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27. San Diego Chargers - DB Antoine Cason, Arizona

Cason's stock has dropped, however his ability to play either safety or corner makes him a prime target for the Chargers, who need to address both.
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28. Dallas Cowboys - RB Felix Jones, Arkansas

The Boys, unable to pull down McFadden with much to-do get the guy who once compliment DMF to compliment MB3.
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29. San Francisco 49ers (VIA Ind) - OT Gosder Cherlius, Boston College

The Niners give their o-line a boost with Cherlius, a high-riser.
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30. Green Bay Packers - LB Jarod Mayo, Tennessee

The LB corps gets even more depth and knowledge as the young GB team plans even further into the future..
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31. New England Patriots - Pick Forfeited

Hey, don't cheat. You'll pick more often.
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32. New York Giants - LB Dan Connor, Penn State

Conner helps to address the missing Kiwanuka with one of the top talents.

Broncos, oh my Broncos...

Um... just so you know... Chris Chambers is now a Charger. That whooping they handed you was their take on "warming up".

We play the Steelers this week, and, well, they may be banged up, they may have issues, but they're scary, and winning handily.

The Colts and Green Bay are coming down the pike.

K.C. and Oakland are getting their games together. I don't want to be last in the division... do you?

From my understanding, 4 linebackers tried out for the team this last week.

So... um... now that we're on the trade deadline, WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING? Please? I know we're just short of having an amazing team. I don't want to see us get beat up, in light of the moves we've made and the blows to our team.

Is Rod Smith active, or not?

Just please... please... give a man hope, will you?

Your fan, no matter what...

Jason

It's tough for any NFL team fan to see their team losing. This is the time when the fair weather fans seem to have the better idea, because they don't share your pain when the team drops 3 painful games in a row. Still, I am a Broncos fan. I am a deeply worried, horrified, pained Broncos fan... but I am giving up another title. That of a blind Shanahan follower. Why you ask?

After a bad loss, or even a close game, it's natural to go over the pros and cons of the games, see where the team is standing, where they can improve... it give you something to think about and hope for, to somehow justify the week of ribbings you'll get for being a tried and true fan.

So what's up with the Broncs?

At the beginning of the season, many popular analysts suggested that the Broncos main shortcomings were at wide reciever and defensive line. Well, Javon Walker has been good (when healthy), Brandon Marshall has been a force to watch, and Brandon Stokely is probably one of the best thirds a team could ask for. Martinez isn't bad, and Rod Smith hasn't been ruled out yet, so, all clear there. As for the defensive front, Elvis Dumerville is one of the AFC leaders in sacks. QBs are under more presure, and there are more backfield tackles... but then what's wrong with the team?

Special teams - There was a thought that Domink Hixon was to blame for bad special team performaces, and so today he was replaced by Brian Clark... who fumbled and had about as many yards as Hixon. The problem is, when another team kicks, everyone arrives in front of the carrier about the same time the ball arrives. There doesn't seem to be much blocking. This is a vast difference from when the Broncos kick away, and teams are able to establish running lanes and block patterns... and then go out for coffee, write a birthday card to their grandmother, get it in the post office box to make Monday morning pick up, get back to the field, re-establish the block system just in time to greet the Broncos special teams unit. I seriously thought that special teams coach Scott O'Brien was supposed to fix the problems we had out there... and why, exactly, is Champ Bailey out there? Running 85 yards downfield to try and make a tackle is tiring work... for a good handful of players, it is there only purpose in the NFL. They live for it, and we don't obviously have enough because our defensive cornerstone probowl corner is out there.

Injuries - OK, you can never fully account for these, but some of our biggest names on both sides of the ball have missed time, and it's hurt in key situations. Which brings us to the next point.

Deapth - As I mentioned earlier, WR might be OK here, but between the defensive secondary, the linebacking corp and the o-linemen, I don't know if the team has that much blood to bleed, and the drop off in talent between starters and second string players is obvious. Huge holes develop on the field, and without announcement, you know exactly what player went out.

Linebackers - Last year, Ian Gold went to great efforts to prove he had not lost a step. Now constantly caught in offensive mismatches, it appears he's lost two. D.J. Williams has proven himseld a phenominal athlete by appearing to be adequate at this position. Like most of the defense, it's unclear if he knows where to be most of the time, he's not reading well or adjusting, but his physical ability lets him make up the difference. Webster has flashes of brilliance, but they are few and far between and he is not the caliber of starter we are used to seeing in Denver. So... how is Al Wilson these days? Because now, more than ever, I miss him.

General defense - We give up the run. Our two outstanding corners get beat with some consistency. Our safties are covering like corners. What our defense lacks is any sense of a consistent personality. We're not hard hitting. We're not smart. We're not fast. We're not shutdown. We have individual players who may hold one or more of those titles, but the defense as a whole has no single focus, and as such, we look lost. Instead of forcing teams to beat us in one particular fashion, we try to cover for all of it, which lets a team beat us every which way.

Jay Cutler - I will be forgiving. You are making errors that anyone new to the position is prone to make, and you are showing some amazing capabilties that let us dream of what could be. But still, take up meditation or something to calm the heck down.

Runningbacks - I think they're good... but...

O-Line - As first shown with the Raiders to some degree, and then heavily with the Jags, the Colts, and again, some today with the Chargers, you're job is to force the defender where you want him to go, not the other way. The vaunted Denver o-line zone running system looks like it should have retired years ago.

And finally, offensive play calling -  Seriously?! You think because they stopped you on down 1 and 2 when running up the middle that you may surprise them by doing it again on 3? You think that you can "trick" another team on 3rd (or all too often 4th) and long by going underneath, when you've never really proven you can go long?  And stop designing QB sneaks for 4th and 4. It doesn't work. Jay is one big tough guy, but it simply doesn't work. My football experience may be limited, but even I know better than that.

And the combination has led me for the first time to judge my coach as inept. The season is long, there are many chances to get a team in order, but I was really under the impression that this would be a strong year for the Broncs.

Instead, I am left trying to rationalize into a bye. Maybe we all need a break.

Oh, and before I get all the "Broncos s.u.c.k" comments, realize a few things.

Raiders fans - Chances are, we'll still get more than the 2 wins we have already
KC fans - The future of your team is Brodie Croyle and Dwayne Bowe. The glass may be half full, but it's still half-glass-ed.
Charger fans - One week ago, you didn't sound so different.
Everyone else - You've all had your ups and downs. You didn't like it when someone else rubbed it in. Wasn't needed. Your love for the team meant you criticized harder than anyone, right? Right.

Football is a wonderful game. Strategy, physical talent, improv, and planning... this game is amazing... but I'm also getting p.issy about things that impeed my fandom... here's a list of things I could do without...

1) Whiney coaches - OK, stealing signals is one thing. I mean, it's like looking at another guys' cards in poker... that being said, if you can get away with it, you just might find yourself to be the peeking type. But then this crud about mimicking snap counts, or calling time outs, or sending tapes to the NFL AFTER you've already won the game? Seriously? I don't want to hear it. I don't want to read about it. I don't want to hear from long retired coaches about how they used to get away with things or not get away with things. I want to watch football.

2) Nicknames - Oh man, so sick of this, especially since most of them don't last too long. Abbreviations are fine. If I mention L.J. or L.T. to my friends, they know who I mean (though if I mention L.T. to my dad, he's liable to get confused). But since Daunte Hall was dubbed "the human joystick", it's all been downhill. I just wonder how long before Chicago's Adrian Peterson becomes known simply as "The other"

3) Sports writers making vague references -  I just read an article where someone mentions the "S.S. Minow". Really? Look, the references aren't helping anyone out. They can only hurt, so stop. I mean, if Dennis Miller couldn't pull it off like a greek tradgedy, why should you do any better?

4) Tony Kornheiser - Speaking of commentators destroying MNF, I actually cancelled my cable service to avoid hearing this man call another game ever again. In preseason, he talked about David Copperfield and refs wearing sequened dresses. Does he even know where he is?

5) Animal rights activists - Look, we can all agree Vick is a bad, bad man, but I really don't want PETA jumping up on Sunday and declaring who the baby seal thinks should win. I don't have anything against the cause exactly, except that it's still kind of polar to football fandom, and this excuse for a podium stinks. It's like Soviet Russia and The U.S. agreeing n.azism is a bad thing. Once it's over, stay off of eachother's property. We're still grilling burgers in the parking lot before the game.

6) Race issues - Please, just stop. Play the game.

7) Article responses - Look, I'm glad the internet allows us all to post our opinions on something, but I'm sick of seeing people rush to post "FIRST!" next to a new article, as if they've been salivating all night waiting for the queue to update. It's the same muck rakers who throw out barbs that aren't needed to fuel a fire and list their killer blog about their kids' soccor team as an NFL blog just to rise to the top of the screen. Get over yourself.

8) Personal life articles - Don't care who Tom Brady is putting babies in. Don't care about Strahan's divorce. Don't care who goes to what clubs. Don't care. Don't care.

9) Oh, and bleeps in blogs. I don't know, someday, when people can post blogs like adults we won't have to get fancy to keep certain words (fully approved by the FCC) from turning into a blue bleep on the foxsports screen.

OK, that's the short list, but can't we just get down with fandom? Can't we stay focused on the sport itself and not turn the NFL into Hollywood part 2? I beg for sanity in sports. I beg for respect amongst fans.

Peace on earth, and killer Sundays to all...

I am not one to believe I am wrong too often. Honestly, I'm pretty self-righteous, so when I begin prognosticating, I'm putting a bit on the line... and the following teams, players, and twists of fate have already ruined it for me...

1) The Patriots. OK, they can be shady. I'm not surprised. I don't think it's an uncommon issue in the NFL, and I don't like it. I also question their treatment of the team itself... I've always said Belichick creeped me out. But I also said that I questioned the Pats ability to gel as a team and play as well as they seemed able on paper. I was wrong. Beating the Jets was one thing, but the way they shut down and burned up the Chargers was another. I hate them, but they are a team to beat.

2) The Saints. Granted, it's only week 2, and it is not the time to declare anyone dead in the water, but I now question my own sanity in picking them to go all the way to the Super Bowl and... win. It's not that I don't consider them still capable, it's just I'm horribly dismayed by the terrible play of an "improved" defense, and the short, conservative approach taken earlier in the game. That's not what propelled them so far last year. If they don't start picking it up and playing like a team on a mission, they will leave many people looking stupid.

3) The Falcons. This might have been more wishful thinking, but I really wanted Joey to do well. I really wanted the Falcons to do well. I really thought they might actually do... OK. Now, not only will they make me look silly for picking them to do well, but also because I picked Tennessee and Minnesota to be the worst...

4) Steven Jackson: During my fantasy drafts, Jackson was listed as my #2 selection. He looks lost and vulnerable out there, and with Pace out, I'm suddenly relieved that of my many FF leagues, I never got to draft second.

5) The NFC. I still don't believe the NFC on the whole is on par with the AFC. It's just, within the NFC, my rankings were all upside-down, it seems. Darn them.

But there is a silver lining, folks. I'm not wrong all the time. Here's why...

1) Carson Palmer. I said he would come back to full strength, and the offense would take off in Cincinnati again. I was right. I just didn't foresee the defense being "give up 51 points to the Browns" bad.

2) The Panthers. I said with a healthy Steve Smith, Delhomme would look good again, and they could make themselves into players in the NFC... which brings us to...

3) The Texans. Looks like Kubs finally has a team this year... and they could rule the NFC. Too bad about not being in there... Still, don't be surprised if they make waves this year.

4) I said Culpepper would be a great mentor for JaMarcus Russell. If nothing else, it seems like they can share a lot of quality bench time together.

5) I said Denver would be the top of the AFC West... and this week, they are. This may change, as people are quick to point out that last second field goals against so-so teams are not a good sign, and I would sort of agree. Except that I remember many a year where Denver did not play at their own level, but at the level of their opposition. Conservative game play was opted for over putting a team away, and errors could nearly take the game out of their hands. It's not good for a guy with high blood pressure to watch this sort of thing. But, as the trite saying goes, "A win is a win". And for anyone claiming Shannahan cheated, it's called "icing the kicker", and it's one of the oldest coaches' tricks. And for the record, that game proved another part of my season predictions. The Raiders are going to be better than anyone thinks.