Brain Fertilizer

Good analysis by the Chief's Gretz:

The Chiefs and Broncos, and also to a certain extent the Chargers and Raiders are in their current predicaments because of poor drafting. Right now, the guts of any NFL team should be players taken in the 2000 through 2004 drafts. The oldest of that group would be an eight-year veteran and the youngest would be in his fourth season. Because of free agency, there is natural attrition the league goes through each and every season, as the older players are left behind. But those five seasons should dominate at least half the team’s roster, with more recent drafts (2005-07) taking up most of the other half.

That’s not the case in the AFC West. Among the four teams there is not a single player remaining from on their rosters this week from their 2001 drafts. There are only two players from the 2002 draft still playing for the team that drafted them: cornerback Quentin Jammer in San Diego and often-injured wide receiver Ronald Curry in Oakland.

Among the four teams there are nine players from the 2003 draft and a dozen players from the 2004 draft.

The team struggling most because of poor results in the draft is Denver. Mike Shanahan’s track record in the draft is exceedingly bad. He had more draft picks in those five seasons than any other team in the division and has only two current players to show for it: linebacker Ian Gold (2000) and D.J. Williams (2004.) On the 53-man roster this week are only 15 players drafted by Denver in any season.

To make up for those deficiencies the Broncos have had to remain a big player in the free agent market and through trades. Right now half of Denver’s 22 starters have come from trades or free agency. There’s at least another dozen in backup positions, including defensive end Simeon Rice who the Broncos have paid big money for and he’s not gotten on the field in eight games.

While the Chiefs were more productive in the draft during those seasons, they have the same numbers as the Broncos: 11 of their 22 starters came through free agency or trades.