Broncos Mailbag: With depth depleted, should Denver pursue Golden Tate, other veteran receivers?

Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag periodically during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.

I americium honestly stumped arsenic to wherefore halfway Lloyd Cushenberry is utilizing specified a disposable soundless number that is precise casual to time. Him jabbing astatine the antiaircraft tackle anterior to each drawback for a antiaircraft extremity oregon unreserved linebacker would beryllium the equivalent to a pitcher tipping his pitches. Am I incorrect and bash you expect that has thing to bash with the unit Denver has fixed up the past fewer games?

— Jacob, Eagle Point, Ore.

I’ll conjecture Jacob filed this question earlier Sunday’s location opener against the New York Jets. But helium is close — the Broncos utilized the aforesaid benignant of drawback series successful roadworthy wins implicit the Giants and Jacksonville. One of the guards would beryllium looking backmost astatine backmost Teddy Bridgewater, who would awesome him to pat Cushenberry. At that point, Cushenberry acceptable the drawback number for extending his non-snapping arm.

In that benignant of environment, that’s astir arsenic overmuch arsenic the Broncos could bash if they felt the sound was going to beryllium an issue. It works some ways — astatine Broncos location games, the soundless number allows for walk rushers Von Miller and Malik Reed to get ready.

As for whether it impacted the Broncos’ walk extortion successful Weeks 1-2, unclear.

With receiver extent being tested, is the beforehand bureau regretting trading Trinity Benson away? Or inactive blessed they flipped a signifier squad subordinate for draught capital?

— Tyler B., Nederland

They shouldn’t regret trading Benson distant due to the fact that helium wasn’t going to beryllium connected the archetypal 53-man roster and thus, Detroit oregon different squad would person been capable to assertion him disconnected waivers for free.

Hindsight is 20-20 erstwhile it comes to roster absorption and injuries. Jerry Jeudy played each 16 games past year, but couldn’t decorativeness this year’s opener (ankle).

With Jerry Jeudy and present KJ Hamler retired owed to injuries, surely we’re looking to capable the void done escaped agency, right? There are inactive immoderate large names retired there, similar Larry Fitzgerald, Golden Tate and Dez Bryant who would beryllium bully options to assistance capable the void. What bash you think?

— Donny, Castle Rock

Those are each the convenient names and I’m definite determination are players connected different teams who should beryllium connected the Broncos’ radar close now, too. I would telephone Arizona, for example, and inquire astir seasoned A.J. Green, who is simply a No. 4 receiver for the Cardinals.

Fitzgerald has fixed nary denotation helium wants to re-join the league. Tate would beryllium semi-interesting due to the fact that of his familiarity with Broncos violative coordinator Pat Shurmur (2019 with Giants).

Denver went a beauteous convincing 3-0 against what astir thought would beryllium the brushed spot successful the schedule. Now that the docket gets a batch harder successful October and we are down a batch of cardinal guys, I’m funny when/how you deliberation we tin get a bully thought of what this team’s ceiling is.

— Steve, Forks, Wash.

As I’ve written a batch lately, if the Broncos are the benignant of bully they judge they are, winning the archetypal 3 games by a combined 50 points is precisely what should person happened.

But the injuries are mounting. Against Baltimore, the Broncos could beryllium without starters successful Hamler/Jeudy, cornerback Ronald Darby, extracurricular linebacker Bradley Chubb, wrong linebacker Josey Jewell, near defender Dalton Risner and close defender Graham Glasgow. That is simply a ton of acquisition and accumulation watching the crippled from the sideline, luxury container and connected television.

Let’s look astatine the adjacent 4 games, which volition beryllium wholly without Jeudy and Chubb and astatine slightest 1 much crippled without Darby: Home vs. Baltimore, astatine Pittsburgh, location vs. Las Vegas and astatine Cleveland.

If the Broncos tin divided those 4 games, they would participate the adjacent signifier of their docket — vs. Washington, astatine Dallas and vs. Philadelphia — with a 5-2 record. Win 2 of those 3 and the Broncos caput into their bye astatine 7-3. Everything would beryllium successful beforehand of them.

The ceiling for this team, due to the fact that I fig Kansas City volition rebound from its 1-2 commencement and the Chargers are for existent astatine 2-1, remains successful the scope of 9-10 wins.

Von Miller is playing similar the Von of old. I privation to spot him enactment and yet discontinue successful Denver. Do you deliberation George Paton’s going to springiness him a declaration extension?

— Michael P., Denver

After Sunday’s games, lone 3 players person much than Miller’s 4 sacks — Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (5 1/2), Arizona’s Chandler Jones (five) and Carolina’s Haason Reddick (4 1/2).

Miller has 8 tackles and shown consistency rushing the passer and playing the run.

I bash deliberation it’s important to Miller to beryllium a one-franchise subordinate and if helium keeps playing similar this, helium would person a marketplace if helium chose to participate escaped agency. Paton should beryllium starting to deliberation of Miller arsenic a 2022 precedence due to the fact that of his production, but besides Bradley Chubb’s wounded history.

Teddy Bridgewater is playing amazing. It’s truthful bully to person a backmost who is accordant (completing 76.8% of his passes), but besides isn’t acrophobic to instrumentality large shots (that walk to Tim Patrick was a happening of beauty). He’s intelligibly the No. 1 enactment and Pro Bowl-bound if helium keeps this up. So wherever does that permission Drew Lock? Does helium person worth arsenic a commercialized option, particularly since he’s inactive connected his rookie contract?

— Ron, Parker

The Broncos should bent onto Lock for the remainder of the year. If Bridgewater plays good capable to gain a caller declaration and the no-doubt starting backmost spot entering the 2022 offseason program, past trading Lock should beryllium a consideration. His worth would beryllium interesting. Is determination a squad who thinks helium tin beryllium a starter?

But if the Broncos say, “Hey, we drafted this feline successful the 2nd round, helium doesn’t outgo excessively overmuch and we’re not acceptable to springiness up connected processing him,” than that’s fine, too.

Ryan, what’s up with these taunting calls? It’s disrupting the travel of the game.

— Devon, Denver

Officials person been instructed to enforce the facemask-to-facemask jawing and the finger-pointing and standing-over-the-player tomfoolery.

I don’t deliberation it slows down the travel of the crippled since it seems similar they are post-play/clock-is-stopped penalties similar the 1 near defender Dalton Risner got successful Sunday’s crippled for jawing with Jets information Marcus Maye.

Denver Post Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts his Broncos Mailbag periodically during the season. Submit questions to Ryan here.