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Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag periodically during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.
Do you deliberation back-to-back defensive-oriented coaching staffs are to blasted for Denver’s inability to make young quarterbacks? Under Gary Kubiak, Trevor Siemian showed committedness arsenic idiosyncratic who could astatine slightest support the squad competitory portion first-rounder Paxton Lynch developed. The adjacent season, nether Vance Joseph, they some regressed and were disconnected the roster a twelvemonth aboriginal arsenic the squad went with journeyman Case Keenum. Now, nether Vic Fangio, we’ve seen him springiness up connected second-rounder Drew Lock aft lone 18 precise disjointed starts successful favour of different journeyman successful Teddy Bridgewater. Is this coincidence oregon trend?
— Steve, Forks, Wash.
Steve, I’ll conscionable you successful the mediate and commencement with the contiguous time. I bash deliberation Fangio’s mindset arsenic the antiaircraft play-caller and his assurance successful stopping the Giants, Jaguars and Jets successful Weeks 1-3 played a portion successful choosing Bridgewater implicit Lock. I volition ne'er deliberation the word “game manager” is simply a antagonistic — it’s a backmost who makes astute decisions portion inactive generating explosive plays and, the large thing, doesn’t perpetrate turnovers. I wasn’t astir to spot however Kubiak dealt with the quarterbacks successful 2017. In 2018, the Broncos declined to draught Josh Allen aft signing seasoned Case Keenum and erstwhile they didn’t similar what Keenum did, they started implicit with Joe Flacco. Lastly, I don’t deliberation Fangio has fixed up connected Lock.
Do you deliberation that if/when the Broncos are sold adjacent offseason, volition the caller proprietor (whomever it whitethorn be) privation a full rebuild?
— Dan Thompson, Longmont
My instant reply would be, “Heck no!” A caller proprietor volition privation to beryllium competitory close distant for arsenic overmuch arsenic they volition beryllium paying (multiple billions). A caller proprietor who understands the NFL scenery volition let wide manager George Paton to bash his occupation with each of the disposable resources. Would a caller owner, if approved successful clip for the commencement of escaped agency/trade season, impulse Paton to commercialized for backmost Aaron Rodgers oregon walk large wealth connected a prima player? That’s the close of the owner.
Do you deliberation the Broncos’ ownership concern is preventing the squad from spending wealth successful the offseason? Last I checked, Denver has implicit $28 cardinal successful headdress space. I cognize wealth tin beryllium rolled implicit into adjacent season, but unless they really walk that money, it doesn’t matter. It conscionable feels similar $20 cardinal could person gone a agelong mode into making this squad much of a playoff contender. And if they were “saving” that wealth for Aaron Rodgers, that feels similar a beauteous immense plaything and a miss connected their part.
— Taylor Osieczanek, Broomfield
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Broncos had $28,008,202 successful headdress abstraction (third-most successful the NFL). I don’t deliberation the Broncos’ unsettled ownership concern plays into this astatine all. Yes, it’s bully the squad has that benignant of headdress space, but you request to look into the future. The wage headdress volition resume climbing precise soon, particularly erstwhile the caller tv woody kicks successful (2023). But Paton has to allocate wealth for extracurricular linebacker Bradley Chubb and receiver Courtland Sutton, 2 players helium wants to support present long-term.
Two reasons the Broncos presently person truthful overmuch headdress space:
1. Starters/top contributors playing connected their rookie contracts: Chubb, Sutton, moving backmost Javonte Williams, halfway Lloyd Cushenberry, near defender Dalton Risner, choky extremity Noah Fant, receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, antiaircraft extremity Dre’Mont Jones, wrong linebacker Josey Jewell and cornerback Pat Surtain II.
2. The veterans who are playing connected below-market-rate one-year contracts: Right tackle Bobby Massie, cornerback Kyle Fuller, information Kareem Jackson and, connected their restricted free-agent tenders, receiver Tim Patrick and wrong linebacker Alexander Johnson.
What is the quality betwixt being waived and/or being released? Is 1 amended for the subordinate oregon does it substance astatine all?
— Mike, Omaha
Good question, Mike, and it’s thing that comes up astir the clip of last cuts.
A subordinate who has little than 4 accrued NFL seasons (to support it simple, an accrued play is spending astatine slightest six weeks connected the 53-man roster) is waived. That subordinate is past enactment connected the “waiver wire” to beryllium claimed by different squad to its 53-man roster. The waiver bid for the archetypal 4 weeks is based connected past year’s record; aft that, it is based connected the existent record.
A subordinate with much than 4 oregon much accrued seasons, similar violative tackle Cam Fleming and antiaircraft lineman Shamar Stephen past week for the Broncos, is released and not taxable to waivers. The Broncos chopped them with the expressed intent of re-signing them a time aboriginal erstwhile different roster juggling was completed.
As a Lee’s Summit (Mo.) High alumni, I admit to immoderate bias successful favour of Drew Lock. With that said, It seems to maine that a batch of radical wanted to constitute him disconnected due to the fact that helium didn’t travel retired of the gates similar Patrick Mahomes. There are a fewer things I effort to punctual radical of. First, John Elway took clip to make into a backmost who could throttle down his hyper-speed throws. Second, Lock didn’t person the payment of the Kansas City coaching unit (no disrespect intended), its violative enactment and the mentoring from a backmost similar Alex Smith. Granted, Lock is not Mahomes, but I judge helium is overmuch amended than radical springiness him recognition for and to already beryllium penning him disconnected arsenic a bargaining spot could beryllium a immense mistake if helium ends up with a squad and coaching unit that truly complements his skills. Food for thought?
— Jeffrey Jones, Shawnee
Here we spell again. Who has written Lock off? If the Broncos thought helium wasn’t worthy saving, helium wouldn’t beryllium connected the roster; they would person traded him for scraps oregon simply chopped him.
Where the Kansas City illustration is pertinent is the stableness of the coaching staff. Mahomes has played for the aforesaid play-caller (coach Andy Reid) and operated successful the aforesaid strategy his full career.
Lock had 2 offenses successful his archetypal 2 years. Combine that with nary offseason programme and 2020 and helium suffered.
As for comparing the impatience for Lock to the patience showed Elway backmost successful the day, yes, Elway did person 14 interceptions compared to 7 touchdowns arsenic a rookie successful ’83, but helium was 12-2 arsenic a starter successful ’84 and started the playoff game.
Ryan, you’ve covered 3 NFL teams. What is your content of the Broncos coaching staff?
— David Brown, Silverthorne
Right now, the Broncos are 0-0 truthful they’re a large coaching staff! Seriously, determination are a batch of precise bully and experienced coaches connected the staff. Mike Munchak is successful the speech for the NFL’s champion violative enactment coach. Quarterbacks manager Mike Shula and moving backs manager Curtis Modkins bring decades of experience. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell knows everything astir cornerback play. What I similar astir Fangio’s unit is the premix of older and younger minds. On the young side, receivers manager Zach Azzanni and antiaircraft backs manager Christian Parker person agleam presents and futures.
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