Denver Publish Broncos author Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly through the season and periodically through the offseason. Click on right here to submit a query.
Drew Sanders was a five-star recruit out of Texas, a Butkus Award winner and first-team All-American at Arkansas and a third-round draft decide of the Broncos. However by means of his first two NFL seasons he has barely seen the sphere. The Broncos have an ideal want at inside linebacker this offseason. Might he be the reply?
— Jeff Bear, Loveland
Hey Jeff, thanks for writing in. Certainly, Drew Sanders is without doubt one of the extra fascinating figures on the Broncos roster as he prepares for his third professional season. He performed each inside and on the sting as a rookie — he moved exterior when the Broncos wanted some assist there — after which had his second season impacted in a serious manner by a spring Achilles tear. When he returned, he first gave the impression to be set to return to exterior linebacker. However by the point Sanders was able to play, Denver’s edge group had change into a energy and the within linebacker group was struggling and had misplaced Alex Singleton for the season to a torn ACL.
This offseason, head coach Sean Payton and common supervisor George Paton have dedicated Sanders to inside linebacker. That’s the other of this time final 12 months.
Sanders is a terrific athlete, possessing the form of measurement and vary Denver has lacked in the course of the sphere. Nonetheless, he hasn’t proven he can play inside full time. Heading into free company, the three inside linebackers on the roster are Sanders, Singleton (nonetheless months away from being cleared to return) and 2024 undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey. Might Singleton and Sanders be the Broncos’ common pairing in 2025? Positively. But it surely’s removed from a positive factor. That’s why will probably be fascinating to see whether or not Denver aggressively pursues an inside linebacker in free company. Payton was a part of the group that drafted Philadelphia All-Professional Zach Baun to New Orleans again in 2020. Denver’s seen an entire lot of Nick Bolton the previous 4 years in Kansas Metropolis. There are different high quality choices that may hit free company subsequent week, too. They might additionally handle the place within the draft.
No matter who Denver provides over the following two months, although, Sanders can be some of the intently watched gamers on the roster.
How come Bo Nix doesn’t use a wrist bracelet with performs on it like most different quarterbacks? Does he know the performs that properly that Sean Payton desires to run? Does he have a photographic reminiscence? No matter it’s, it’s spectacular for a rookie.
— Mike, Omaha, Neb.
Hey Mike, thanks for the query. Nix definitely had good command of the offense by the top of the season, however he did have a band more often than not. Late within the 12 months, he wore it on his belt relatively than on his wrist. Payton has mentioned, each with Nix and Russell Wilson earlier than, that the principle level of the band is to shorten a number of the wordiest play calls. Payton’s acquired play names that would make an auctioneer blush. So as an alternative of relaying a 19-word name to Nix after which having him relay that to the huddle, it’s simpler to shorten the inbound name to the quarterback. It’s not likely a sign of play-call command or something like that.
To Denver’s credit score, although, Nix, Payton and the offensive mind belief discovered a very good rhythm because the season progressed of attending to extra issues that the rookie was snug with. The coaches’ job is to offer Nix issues he can succeed with. And Nix’s job is to guarantee that record is all the time increasing. That’s a part of what’s fascinating about this offseason. Nix and Payton will profit from their first 12 months collectively and might go a lot deeper into the bag. However the remainder of the league will even be devising methods to make life tougher on the quarterback in his second season. Is it September but?
Sean Payton and the Broncos shocked the preseason pundits with this 12 months’s success. With over a 3rd of the Broncos’ 2025 opponents on this 12 months’s playoffs, do you count on our boys to indicate everybody the 2024 season was no fluke and head to the postseason once more?
— Curt Hanlen, Bosque Farms, N.M.
Hey Curt, good query. Method, manner, manner too early for these kinds of predictions, however you already know the Broncos will say their customary has been set they usually haven’t any plans on back-sliding.
To your query, 43% of the NFL makes the postseason yearly, so that you’re going to have a very good variety of playoff groups in your schedule, even should you’re one of many 14 that makes it. The Broncos nonetheless play a third-place schedule this fall, so it’s not the gauntlet that division champions usually face. Although, to be truthful, Inexperienced Bay and Cincinnati aren’t any slouches as third-place finishers. They’re most likely saying the identical factor concerning the Broncos.
This half can’t be mentioned sufficient: The AFC goes to be a beast for years to come back. You realize the quarterbacks within the convention: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, C.J. Stroud and onward.
Chemistry: An overused or misunderstood time period? How do you fee the Broncos staff chemistry? You’re across the staff rather more than followers, what do you see and listen to within the locker room?
— David Brown, Silverthorne
Hey David, yeah, fascinating query. Even from our positions, I’d warning towards saying something too categorical. However the 2024 Broncos definitely appeared like a bunch that had good chemistry and a very good locker room. The protection was tight-knit and the addition of Malcolm Roach — a giant character amongst a bunch that has some business-like guys — actually helped solidify the group’s tradition. They form of took to coronary heart the concept that Pat Surtain II was the one first-round decide amongst them and that they have been a bunch that needed to combat, individually and collectively. Clearly the offensive line performed a component in setting the tone offensively, however Nix’s addition and the way in which the unit purchased into him grew to become palpable shortly.
The Broncos confirmed resilience on a number of events — after the 0-2 begin, after the crushing loss to Kansas Metropolis and after shedding in Weeks 16 and 17 in irritating style. That’s normally a telltale signal of excellent chemistry. Now the duty is to construct off of that with what can be a 2025 staff constructed on an identical basis however, like yearly within the NFL, that includes many new faces, too.
I’ve heard and browse references to groups wanting Zach Wilson subsequent season. Ought to the Broncos signal him, play him within the preseason and attempt to commerce him, or simply permit him to stroll as a free agent? Additionally, which seems to be extra seemingly: Denver choosing a good finish or a working again early within the draft?
— Fred Waiss, Prairie du Chien, Wis.
Hey Fred, thanks as all the time for the be aware. Extra on this later within the week, however sure, the Broncos want a backup quarterback to Bo Nix and it’s not going they’ll get each Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson again.
Wilson clearly has extra upside and you could possibly simply inform from the way in which that Payton and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb talked about him that they favored the trajectory he was on. One other season working with him — or the prospect to signal him, let him play extensively within the preseason after which commerce him — could be an thrilling prospect. One of many highlights of attending to the stadium 3.5 hours earlier than kickoff every weekend was watching Webb take Wilson by means of an early exercise on the sphere earlier than Stidham and Nix warmed up. The expertise is apparent.
However when free company begins subsequent week Wilson will undoubtedly be on the lookout for a spot the place he can compete for a beginning job. Not that there’s no person else who might be an appropriate backup, however the worst-case state of affairs for Denver would most likely be attempting to get Wilson again, failing and within the meantime shedding Stidham to a different staff. We’ll see how shortly they handle the place within the coming days.
Not a query, however a suggestion. Troy Renck requested for a brand new title for the hybrid place within the Broncos offense, out of respect for Denver’s solely true Joker. My vote is for Mustang. It hints on the wildcard nature of the place, and it additionally occurs to stay with the Ford equestrian theme. Let’s make Mustang occur!
— Patrick, Denver
Mustang, Joker, name it what you need. If the Broncos discover that man within the draft this spring, it’s acquired the potential to make a world of distinction for Nix in Yr 2.
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