Denver Submit Broncos author Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly in the course of the season and periodically in the course of the offseason. Click on right here to submit a query.
Whereas I believe it will be a cool story to draft Bo Nix‘s adopted brother Tez Johnson, do you assume that it will be a useful transfer for the Broncos? He appears to be a a lot smaller model of Marvin Mims Jr., and I believe Troy Franklin is due for lots extra targets subsequent 12 months. I simply don’t know the way a lot he would add to the offense.
— Owen, Fort Collins
Hey Owen, thanks for writing and for getting us going this week. The Broncos drafting Tez Johnson could be, unequivocally, a very cool story. The Nix household considers him one in every of their very own. They name him their adopted son and brother. He and Nix are inseparable. Nix was up there final month for Oregon’s professional day to observe Johnson and a number of other different former teammates.
Johnson’s a enjoyable watch, too. He’s electrical within the open discipline. However… yeah, he’s actually small. He checked into the mix at 5-foot-10 and 154 kilos. And he ran 4.51 seconds within the 40-yard sprint. Mims, by comparability, was 5-11 however 183 kilos — 29 kilos heavier! — and ran 4.38 within the 40. Curiously, Johnson’s 10-yard break up was faster than Mims’ regardless of the slower total time. Franklin was 6-2 and 176 and ran 4.41 within the 40.
We all know Payton prefers large large receivers as a baseline. He likes to say that it’s not that he dislikes small receivers, simply that small receivers should stroll on water. A receiver Johnson’s dimension must be actually, really particular to be an influence participant within the NFL. Somebody will give him a shot. It could make for fairly a narrative if that somebody was the Broncos.
We’re speaking about needing extra tight ends or working backs or large receivers. Do we have now a powerful sufficient backup QB in case Bo Nix goes down?
— Tilman Adair, Denver
Hey Tilman, thanks for writing in. The Broncos actually like what Jarrett Stidham brings to the desk. That’s why they signed him for one more two years after he performed by way of his earlier two-year deal. Would the Broncos be in hassle if Nix missed a giant swath of the season? Most definitely — although the protection believes it will probably carry the group no matter scenario. However that’s not distinctive within the NFL.
Within the interim because you submitted this query, the Broncos have additionally agreed to signal Sam Ehlinger to a one-year deal. Payton’s talked about desirous to continually be within the quarterback growth enterprise, each along with his starter and with the reserves. Ehlinger will get an opportunity to work with Payton, quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and a room that received alongside very well final 12 months. The way in which the principles work now with having the ability to have the emergency third quarterback not rely towards your gameday energetic record, there’s extra incentive to maintain three quarterbacks in your 53-man roster.
If the Broncos coaches watched ASU almost pull off an upset of Texas of their bowl sport as a result of Cam Skattebo‘s terrific play (he single-handedly almost gained the sport) when he wasn’t vomiting on the sidelines they’d see the tailback that they search, don’t you assume?
— Gary Mason, Aztec, N.M.
Hey Gary, I wrote in final week’s mailbag about how Skattebo checks lots of bins the Broncos search for at working again. This week on the homeowners conferences in Florida, we heard Payton and Paton draw a transparent delineation between first- and second-down backs and guys that may play all three downs. Skattebo’s received the receiving capability to play on third down and he’s additionally received the form of toughness and demeanor coaches love.
The flip aspect, if you wish to name it that, is he reportedly ran within the mid-4.6s for the 40-yard sprint at his professional day. In all probability not a giant shock, however that form of quantity may hold him from being a real premium prospect. It’d even give some groups pause about whether or not he can actually carry a week-in, week-out load and create sufficient large performs for an NFL group. However the tape is the tape. He’s laborious to deal with, he performs with an edge and he’s received actual versatility.
I’d like to see the Broncos be aggressive and draft all offense to begin off with on this 12 months’s draft, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and LSU’s Mason Taylor getting the decision, heck, throw in Utah State’s Jalen Royals or the Solar Devils’ Cam Skattebo!
What are the possibilities Denver adopts such an concept? This 12 months’s draft is so deep you’d assume they’d commerce again a couple of times to amass a couple of extra picks to spherical out the roster. I’d be pleased with Ollie Gordon II or Devin Neal, too! It’s loopy what number of nice backs there are this 12 months. Regardless of that, choosing up JK Dobbins on a one-year prove-it deal is smart.
Everyone knows they want a brand new middle. What about transferring over Quinn Meinerz to middle and bringing again Dalton Risner? If not that, possibly draft Tate Ratledge or Jared Wilson out of Georgia to solidify that O-line. I believe our protection is about, however we’d like extra depth on the road (Omarr Norman-Lott or Deone Walker?).
I’d like to see not less than a few recent new faces at linebacker (Jack Kaiser) or Kobe King? Sebastian Castro or Caleb Ransaw within the late rounds addressing the security place could be perfect!
— Dennis Moore, Fruita
Dennis has been grinding the tape and is so, so prepared for the draft. Love the thrill. It’s certainly a enjoyable time of 12 months. Don’t even know the place to begin with this.
It does appear to be there’s the potential for the Broncos to make a run on offensive gamers within the draft. That’s due to the depth at tight finish and working again within the draft class plus the fascinating set of mid-round receivers and offensive linemen but additionally due to the eye the Broncos gave the center of their protection in free company. We’ll see if Henderson’s there at No. 51 and Taylor at No. 85. I’d be a bit stunned if each of these occurred.
Rushing by way of the remainder: No on Risner returning or Meinerz transferring to middle. The Broncos have Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth within the center and in the event that they’re going to do something, they’ll most likely attempt to get some younger expertise within the pipeline. That’s good planning in case that is Wattenberg’s ultimate 12 months in Denver or they determine to maneuver on from Ben Powers after 2025.
Agree with you about mining linebacker and security, too, although we’ll see if the Broncos assume they’re getting good worth there. Perhaps the working again class is so good that they take one on Day 2 and one other taste on Day 3. Not not possible they discover a veteran working again nonetheless, however Payton made it fairly clear this week that wasn’t a precedence, calling the free agent crop “fairly lean” from a expertise perspective.
Hey Parker! With the draft proper across the nook, it’s an thrilling time to see what the pundits are predicting the Broncos do with the twentieth choose. I do know that the RB class is sort of deep on this 12 months’s draft however I’m personally hoping the Broncos don’t fiddle and simply take North Carolina again Omarion Hampton with the twentieth choose versus taking a again within the later rounds. What’s your tackle what the Broncos may do at this level within the sport?
— Rick Tout, Wilmington, N.C.
Hey Rick, thanks for the word. Very fascinating this week in Florida to listen to Paton, fairly particularly, say he thinks there are working backs to be discovered on this draft from the second by way of the sixth rounds. Conspicuously absent: The primary spherical. Now, the draft is just a few weeks away and which means it’s smokescreenin’, subterfugin’, lyin’ season for each group within the league. Perhaps the Broncos try to coax Hampton right down to No. 20. Perhaps they like Ohio State’s TreyVeon Henderson, who has some late first-round buzz, sufficient to take him there or sufficient to commerce again a couple of spots and hope he’s there within the mid-20s. .
What’s fascinating is there are three spots I hold coming again to because it pertains to the primary spherical: Working again, tight finish and defensive position. However these three positions even have depth, so they might deal with any of them on Day 2 as properly. I nonetheless assume if the correct tight finish or defensive lineman is there at No. 20, that might be troublesome to go up.
Now watch them take a nook or an edge or one thing.
Should you’re the Broncos, you’re hoping Ole Miss quarterback Jaxon Dart goes within the high 19 picks along with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders and, most likely, that a number of offensive linemen and corners get picked. Push the expertise at different spots towards No. 20.
In your opinion, which AFC West group has accomplished one of the best job to date in signing free brokers, extending its personal gamers and total roster administration? And if not one of the best, the place do the Broncos rank?
— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
Hey Ed, thanks as at all times for the query. It’s one. It strikes me that Denver and Vegas have most likely been essentially the most energetic total. Kansas Metropolis’s needed to rework its offensive line and has set about doing that. The Chargers had some powerful selections to make however are nonetheless in fine condition.
Denver on paper has accomplished a very nice job of addressing wants in free company and retaining D.J. Jones. They misplaced a pair guys they wished to maintain and had been within the combine for a handful of free brokers who went elsewhere like tight finish Juwan Johnson, however that’s a part of life this time of 12 months.
All that mentioned, I do assume the Raiders have accomplished job this offseason and never simply on the roster entrance. Hiring Pete Carroll brings immediate credibility after which pairing him with GM John Spytek and having the Tom Brady affect, too, makes for an fascinating entrance workplace. Then buying and selling for Geno Smith and getting Maxx Crosby to decide to a giant extension are each stable strikes.
At the start of the offseason, it felt like they had been teetering. However the waters are calmer now, they’ve received their quarterback and a cornerstone defensive participant and a Tremendous Bowl champion coach. Oh, and Brock Bowers. They’ve received a methods to go, however the guess right here is that they gained’t be a pushover with Carroll on the helm.
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