Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - BRONCOS SQUAD SHOW: Analyzing Denver's Strategy Ahead of Free Agency

Episode Date: March 6, 2026

NFL Free agency is set to kickoff next week as the Broncos will look to fill a number of positions. Running back, tight end, linebacker and wide receiver appear to priorities for Denver heading into the free agent frenzy. There are some big "names" at all of the positions, but what will Denver look to accomplish when the time comes next week? Join Aniello Piro, Cody Roark, Sayre Bedinger and Nick Ferguson as they break down the latest news and notes in the world of Broncos football. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TurboTax This year you’re getting a major upgrade — Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast. Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a College Basketball Parlay Profit Boost. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at http://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I'm Anilipiro and free agency is upon us. Will they go linebacker? Will they go receiver? Will they go tight end? Or maybe all three? We'll talk about that today. I'm Sarah Bedinger. No question about it.

I am ready to get hurt again. I'm Nick Ferguson. And could Alex Singleton be headed to Baltimore? Ooh, I didn't give that one a thought. Let's break it down on today's Lockdown Broncos Squad show. Let's get into it, fellas. From the South Stans, it's the Broncos. Squad, everything Denver Broncos every week, covering all the big hits and game-changing plays from

the Mile High City, the way only the Lockdown Podcast Network can. Gear Up and Squad Up, the Broncos Squad Show starts now. It is your Lockdown Broncos squad show right here on your Lockdown Broncos YouTube channel. Hope everyone in and around the Mile High City is staying warm and staying safe out there as it is a snowy start to our Friday. Well, getting closer to the afternoon, but it's still technically the morning as we're recording this show. And that's part of the reason why you don't see Mr. Cody work here at the moment is he is dealing with some technical difficulties due to the snow. So you might join us a little bit later on on the program.

Not 100% sure, but hope he's okay. And I hope everyone in Broncos country, like I said, is staying warm and safe. We do have Sarah Bedinger and Nick Ferguson, though. What's up, fellas? What's good. You stay in warm, Nick? I'm always staying warm, man. I know most people think I'm a Floridian, born and raised, but I tell you this, more of the places that I played as a professional athlete, believe it or not, have been cold.

And, you know, it said that God has a sense of humor, but he has really a sense of humor because from Canada to Buffalo, New York, to New York, New York, to Denver, Colorado, all cold weather places where I got a lot of cold weather gear. So if I ever move back down south, I'm going to have to throw all this crap away. You're going to have to thrift it, you know, maybe sell it to someone that you know out here because, yeah, you don't need that down in South Florida. Is there a game or a practice that comes to mind where it was like the coldest experience for you off the top of your head? Yeah, you know what? Not just that, but it was one of a hell of experience with the New York Jets and Bill Parcells as a young player because usually by week 16, week 17, I mean, no one's wearing full pads. right, that's what you're thinking. And most teams have, you know,

little domes or something of bubbles that they can go and practice. With Parcells, we never practice inside, right? You're freezing your bejes off. And when you walk out, you can see the bubble, but you're never going to walk into it. Because his mindset was, well, if we play in a cold, we must practice in a cold.

And we were getting ready to play Baltimore Ravens that Sunday. So it's not only cold is all getting. it out outside. But we're in full pads doing live go line. Yeah, that's right. That's what I experienced as a rookie with the New York Jets under build parcels. So wrap your mind around that. That's your welcome to the NFL moment right there in your rookie season. Well, you know, the domes are getting built left and right when it comes to NFL stadium. So those days, you know, you had them, you played in them. And I'm sure there's still always going to be

around to a certain extent. But fewer and far between, I think, is what we'll get when it comes to the cold weather out there. But, okay, let's, well, let me do this first real quick. Today's episode is brought to you by our friends over at Game Time. Download the GameTime app today, create an account and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Be sure to check them out. Okay, little free agency strategy here to kind of get us started.

And we did a really big deep dive on Wednesday's episode talking about the running backs. Kenneth Walker, most notably after the news involving Breeze Hall. Also some good discussion on Travis ETM. Let's take a look at the other positions today. And we can weave running back back into it for sure. But we're talking receiver. We're talking tight end. We're talking linebackers.

Sarah, I'll start with you. What do you kind of envision is the overall strategy for the Denver Broncos when it comes to their free agency? You don't necessarily have to rank, you know, order of importance, but do you think they maybe go after a tight end before they go after a receiver or is it linebacker before the other two? How do you see this free agency period kind of kicking off of the Broncos as we get ready for it? I could really see it being any one of those three as like the first signing, right? But I think that ultimately the Broncos understand that there's not,

there can't really necessarily be a priority of one of those positions over the other because this year's crop is relatively deep at all those positions. And so they should have options A, B, and C already lined up. And if you have to go beyond the letter C, well, you've really screwed this up. And so I just don't think that they can do that. any of those positions. I think we'll see in the next couple of days. I'm guessing that we'll see I know Nick tease something. I'm eager to hear what he has to say because my gut instinct is saying that Alex Singleton before Monday is probably going to sign a deal with the Broncos. That's just

a gut feeling. I don't have any sources. I don't know anything. You guys know me. I'm just here for the vibes and for the takes. So, but I think that's going to happen, especially after seeing Palski brought back and Ben Powers getting informed that he's going to be back and starting. And So I just think Singleton being back makes sense. You know, we'll see what happens. But the priority in free agency has to be to get a starting caliber player at all three of those positions. To me, it doesn't necessarily matter which one comes first, although I could see maybe the linebacker position being the most competitive price-wise out of those three positions.

Yeah. And a good little transition point, Nick, you brought up, I believe it was the Baltimore Ravens with association to Alex Singleton. And look, I even see some of the comments here. I think Michael is the one who put it out there that there's mixed reviews on Alex Singleton amongst the fan base. Like there's some people that want him back that think he did a good job. Obviously, let's take the human side out of it with what he was dealing with his cancer diagnosis and that battle that he went through. But then there's, you know, another half of Broncos country that's out there that is okay if Alex Singleton hits the road, right, and goes elsewhere and whatnot. And we've talked about at length throughout the course of

the off season, how important it is for Denver to probably retain continuity in some capacity, whether that's Singleton's turned on both and just kind of try to keep that thing going, especially if they are to bring in a new linebacker. So you bring up Singleton to Baltimore. Have you heard something or is that a hunch from you? No, that's what they call in the radio business a tease. And basically what I was teasing is this weekend, Alex Singleton will be in Baltimore, but he will not be visiting to Baltimore or Ravens, he's going there to accept the Ed Block Award based on what he went through last year for his health with the cancer and the fact that he played in that game.

And here's what I'll say to those members of Broncos country who are saying that they don't want Alex Singleton back. When you say that, you better have an option because right now you don't have Justin Shranar. We don't know what the team is going to do with Greenlaw. They could release him based off his injuries. So having a guy like that in the foe who has been a tackling machine. And oh, by the way, I know he has some flaws.

I had some flaws when I play. But also we have to look at the strengths. What did he bring to the team? And to me, it's going through that cancer situation, but also being a tackling machine. But also we saw Alex Singleton be a part of a great defense with that green dot. And when you bring in a new linebacker, now you run the risk of trying to bring that guy up to speed.

and get him fast-track. And if you can't do that and you make a poor decision at the linebacker position, that could be problematic for Vance Joseph and this defense. So I would have all those individuals who have those negative things to say

about Alex Singleton. Remember, pump your brakes because my mom always told me the grass isn't always greener on the other side. When you flip it over, that mug is brown. So be careful.

And I think some of the, I don't want to say concern, but like Singleton's a bit of older player, right? It's not like he's in his young 20s. And I think the other thing that you have to talk about without Singleton is this is probably going to be his last opportunity to cash in on some good NFL money, right? Like maybe he gets a two, three year deal. He'd sign maybe a one year deal after that. But this is going to be his opportunity to go out there and secure himself. And I know he had a nice contract from the Devin Broncos as well. But at that point aside, I mean, I would look at Dre Greenlaw as the prime example, Sarah, as to what Nick was just talking about. Like, I think Drake Greenlaw was fine. He wasn't Talano Hu Funga impactful. Like, Talao

who Fonga came in here and didn't skip a beat. And I think it also speaks to the importance of maybe trying to keep singleton if the number, if the dollars and cents are able to work out. And I think with Greenlaw, part of the problem, obviously, is just not being able to be on the field during a crucial point of the offseason. Or really most, if not all the off season, right? He wasn't able to be out there. So you're not necessarily able to be out there during the installation.

I know we saw him on the field in terms of like he was literally physically there, but not on the field doing, uh, doing the installation. I mean, he's heard. He heard himself back in April, I think, last year or March or whatever it was before the draft. And so to me, like, that was a huge reason for that. And I think you, my personal thought is that you've got to find a way to get a talent upgrade and figure out how to get somebody up to speed. Because to me, Singleton is, yes, he's going to be 32 this coming season. You're talking about giving him a pay raise from his $6 million salary last year, which that's already.

Now we're talking about sacrificing. other potential free agents to bring him back, had a torn ACL just as recently as 2024. Obviously, the cancer diagnosis last year proving his toughness. And we saw the forced fumble against Buffalo. We saw the past breakup against Buffalo. So there's things that can't be denied about what he has brought to this team. But I do think that it's one of those situations that feels like all good things kind of have to come to an end at some point. And this is where you have the opportunity to upgrade talent. And if that player, or those players can be on the field for the entire offseason program,

I would just assume that they can get up to speed with the defense. But I'm not, I've never played in an NFL defense. I never will. So I have no idea what that's like. So I'm assuming a lot there. But I think it's just, it's one of those things that's like, all right, you're paying somebody like Caden Ellis or Devin Lloyd or Nacobie Dean or one of these guys and you're saying, hey, come be the green dot guy for this.

defense, I feel like if I was getting paid, you know, $12, $15, $20 million a year, I'd probably find a way to figure it out. Nick, I think you could speak to that. I mean, just going back to where we started the show, right? You bounced around with the Jets, the Patriots, the Broncos, among some other places. Like what kind of goes into that offseason installation that, you know, could lead to success or failure or just general fit with the defense? Well, the idea is having familiarity.

And this is why when teams are doing their evaluation, whether it's the draft or where we talking about free agency, which is going to take place next week. The idea is that where guys are coming from, are they coming from similar schemes? And that makes the learning curve that much easier. And let's be totally honest, guys, it's freaking football. It's not going to change. The only thing that changes is what defense you're calling and the name that you're given to it and maybe some of the adjustments.

But it's still football. And the idea is making sure that you come in and you get in and you learn the concepts. Everywhere I've gone, I've played in a different defense. And the first thing for me was learning the concepts, get the concepts down, and try to relate that to another defense that you've played in before, which once again, it's the verbiage. That's different. Cover four, cover three, cover two.

It's the same damn thing, right? But what are you calling it? Right. We may call it Batman over here. We may call it Dark Side over here. Getting that verbiage down to understand exactly what you. you need to do. And that was the thing. But when Greenlaw first came here, he sat out for a lot. So he was standing on the sideline with a script in his hand, trying to look and see exactly what

was going on. If you're in a situation like that, fellas, I can tell you what I would do as a coach, I'll get a guy like Greenlaw and we're going to stand like 20 yards back. And you're going to stand and look at your position and say, okay, well, what adjustment would you go through if you were in this situation? That's how you learn. That's why it bothers me where coaches are just like, yeah, get those mental reps. I can tell you, right now as a player to hell with those mental reps. You don't figure it out until you actually end that particular position. And Greenlaw said to himself, man, it was like speaking Spanish, the defense to him.

But also we're still talking about the player who was injured. And I don't want to just kind of push him aside because of that. But this is the business of football, man. This is what we do. The idea is that it's about availability. If you're not available, we can't really use you. and I can personally speak to this. When you were injured, the game continues to move on.

No one really cares. So the idea is bringing some young guys in, maybe some guys that Sarah talked about who are free agent linebackers, bring some of those guys in because it's not just about adding depth. It's about elevating that position level. And obviously, we've seen over the past two years,

we've seen what this defense can do. They fell short, right, because the Broncos, is if you don't go to the Super Bowl, you don't beat the Patriots, you don't beat the Seattle Seahawks, you fall in short. The idea is, once again, Beyonce, how do we upgrade you?

So we need to get that damn upgrade. That's speaking Spanish quote from Drey Greenlaw still, no that it bugs me, but it's like it just speaks volumes of like how, I don't know if disconnected is the right word, but like how much of a learning curve there was from a guy that we thought, like Tellin a Hufong guy,

keep making that comparison because they both came from the same organization, right? They both came over to Denver from San Francisco. and I understand that linebackers are a much different position than safety to a certain extent, but like what the heck could have been so complicated

that Talano Hufanga picked it up in a blink of an eye and Drey Greenlaw couldn't. Can I just throw this out there? I think it's an excuse. I think it's an excuse. I do. I mean, Vance went on Peter Schrager's podcast during last season,

and he talked about the fact that when when Dre Greenlaw came back, it was not that he was being limited in snaps because of his injury. He was being limited in snaps because of his adjustment to picking up the defense. Like Vance said that. So I think that the reality is that it's just an excuse that's being made because you're

right. Hufanga came in, had immediate success. Brandon Jones came in, had immediate success. Riley Moss as a first year starter had success. I mean, all these rookies that are coming in and these past rushers, John Franklin Myers comes over from the Jets, immediate success. I mean, you can think of Dondre Tillman coming up from the UFL, immediate success. Like that's the, I think it's just an excuse, honestly.

And it might be the biggest reason why the Broncos end up cutting Dre Greenlaw on top of the fact that it's justified already because of his lack of availability. You expect him to be an impact player that starts in between the ears. You know what I'm saying? And so if you're making excuses about picking up the defensive scheme, which every one of those players was talking about they don't want to lose Vince Joseph. They're glad he didn't get a head coaching gig, you know, selfishly. Well, they love Vance and his scheme fits these players. Franchise record of sacks two years in a row. So if Vance is putting too much on the linebackers like Darien's suggesting,

we're not seeing it with Justin Sernad. We're not seeing it with some of the other guys. I mean, what we're seeing is one guy, really saying like, hey, this was too hard for me to figure out on the fly and it was reflected in the way that he played. I would say two things can be true at the same time, Sarah. And I think there's a little true to some of what you're saying. And when you talk to or you listen to some of the players defensively last year, they didn't want to lose Vance Joseph, right?

Because he's a player's coach. There was a chemistry there between the player and the guy calling the plays. But the other reason that they didn't want to lose Vance Joseph, they don't want to learn another damn defense, right? Let's keep it 100. When you have to learn another defense or offense, it is a struggle. I mean, everyone learns differently. And being around players and just being, you know, student myself, and you guys are probably going through this, we all learn differently.

Some guys, you say it to them, boom, they get it. Other guys are visual. I'm a visual learner. I want to write it down. I want to walk through it. I want to process it. And that way I can log it in my head. So if there's any adjustments, that's the way I adjust.

And then once again, going back to Greenlaw situation, you're coming in, you're injured. You're now having to try to learn a defense. You're not really on the field. but there's other ways to kind of remedy that because when I went to the Jets from the Buffalo Bills for about a month, every day at 445 in the morning, I was in Todd Bulls office trying to learn the damn defense, right? That's the sacrifice that you have to make because once again, you get paid a lot of money. And this is your freaking job, right? So yeah, maybe that was a little excuse, but the idea is that there are ways to overcome it.

but this is why I feel retention and having guys who are in the same defense for a certain amount of years. Well, look at Peyton Manning. Remember how many years he played in Tom Moore's offense for the Colts? I mean, he knew it inside and out, right? So much so that he was one of the one of a few quarterbacks that could possibly call the game by himself because he knows the offense. So this is why I think is important for the Broncos to make a huge decision on Greenlaw if you don't think he is. He has an aptitude for the defense or he's healthy enough.

Go ahead, man. Don't waste our time. Just move on. Bring Alex Singleton back. If you bring Justin Strunard back, fine. If you can't, partner those guys with someone else. And I think that's part of this strategy. Go ahead, sir.

I just want to ask a question. Like, do you think it would have been different if Dre had been able, like, let's say, let's say he was fully healthy up until the end of the preseason. And then in week one against the Titans, he goes down with a, you know, four to eight week injury or whatever. it is. Do you think he would have been better for the Broncos last year if he would have been around the entire offseason program? Yeah, I think so because that's when you have a chance to even though you can't do anything on the field, can interact with the coaches. I mean,

you can get the game plan. You can start mentally going over maybe first day, second day installation. But when you are not on the field, it makes it really difficult for you to learn the nuances of the scheme because, you know, once you get to this level, everyone can play. Everyone's a baller. The thing that separates one player from another is how quickly can you adjust to the defense of the offense that's given to you? How quickly can you process it? So if you can't process it that well, guess what? You're standing right next to me with a ball cap and a clipboard. How about that? 100%. 100%. And again, right before I toss it back to Sarah, I don't think that they're guaranteed

to cut Dre Greenlaw, but I think that's probably part of the strategy conversation that they're having behind the scenes of like, are we better off Cutting Dre signing one of Stranod or Singleton? I would think it'll be Sternad, unless he gets like a big offer elsewhere. Like I know Cody's been big on a Zoro Everow down there, I believe in Carolina. Like maybe that comes to fruition. But I would think you prioritize Stronad just because he's a younger player. And look, I like Alex Singleton as well. But clearing, by cutting Drey Greenlaw, you could obviously still sign a Devin Lloyd and whatnot,

if you keep a Drey-Green-law, but I think it makes a lot more sense to part ways with him if they were going to go down that rounds on a big-time free agent linebackers. So let's hit a quick break. When we come back, let's talk about another guy that is going to get paid either by the Broncos or somebody else. That, of course, is defensive end Jonathan Franklin Myers. He had some quotes to go out this week about his future. We'll talk about those next right here on your lockdown Broncos Squatcho. Back in just a moment, folks.

All right, you guys, where did my lower third go? it is. Let me tell you real quick about our friends over at Game Time, because we live in a world where we can stream anything, order food, and minutes, and carry supercomputers in our pockets. And somehow, buying tickets to a live game still feels complicated, hidden fees, jumping prices, endless steps. There has to be a better way. That's why I use the Game Time app. It gives fans the advantage. It makes getting tickets simple, whether it's NFL games, concerts, comedy, whatever you're into. I jumped in onto the Game Time app to check out tickets for an upcoming. and game. The Nuggets were in town last night. They're in town again tonight against the New York Knicks. You can see a panoramic view from your seat before you even buy it. The price you see includes all the fees, no surprises whatsoever at checkout. And you can even spot zone deals where you pick the section and GameTime picks the best seats for you for extra savings. Two taps and you have great seats locked in fast, easy and done. Take the guest workout of buying tickets. Download the GameTime app today. Create an account and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase terms they do apply again create an account and redeem with code locked on L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off download game time today and let them know that lockdown Broncos sent you all right well come on back in it to your squad show here on this snowy Friday after or Friday morning going into the afternoon here in the mile high city hope everyone is doing well out there Cody dealing with some technical difficulties he hasn't gone anywhere

He's just fighting with the computers and fighting with the Internet and all that kind of stuff. But I need a little up here of Sarah Beninger and Nick Ferguson hanging out with you guys here on this March the 6th. Okay, let me tease it. Let's dive into it. Jonathan Franklin Myers. And I wish Cody were here for this conversation because I saw him tweet about it yesterday about how. And we've talked about it on this show, right? Like keep the continuity on the defensive line.

Like JFM is one of those dogs up there. They paid Malcolm Roach. They paid Zach Allen. They paid Nick Panette. need. They paid all of these guys, Jonathan Cooper as well. So it looks like JFM might be the odd man out. And here's his quote. He says, I know what I'm going to do wherever I go next. I'm going to play my style of football. I'm going to do. I'm going to play physical.

I'm going to play with effort. And I'm going to play with violence. And that's what I do. That's how I play. And wherever I go, that's what they can get. Sarah, that doesn't sound like a guy that is optimistic about coming back to Denver. No, no, I think he's well gone at this point. And others have pointed out in the chat as well, like the Tennessee Titans just, I mean, are screaming as the landing spot right there. You know, you got a reunion with Robert Sala, which makes a lot of sense. Titans have the most cap space of any team in the NFL. You get to play next to Jeffrey Simmons.

And now your old teammate Jermaine Johnson, who was just traded. Obviously, the Titans opened up that spot by trading to Vondre sweat to the Jets in that deal. So you've got a spot in the starting lineup. immediately. We've got familiarity with the defense, the head coach, you got a teammate that you already know really well. And it just makes sense. Like the Titans are going to be able to give him 18, 20 million a year or whatever it is that he's going to end up getting on the open market. But I think to the point that everybody's trying to make, it's like, okay, why would you not try to keep JFM? But, you know, the tradeoff is like, let's say the same amount average per year

goes to Luke Wattenberg and Alex Singleton. Are those two guys more, impactful for you than John Franklin Myers, who's been a model of consistency. I mean, we're still talking about why Luke Wattenberg doesn't snap it directly at his quarterback, and he got a contract extension. I just don't, I don't get some of that stuff. I understand the Broncos, but we talked about this, and I remember I asked a hypothetical question earlier this off season, do you really think the Broncos will let JFM hit free agency without making him an offer?

It seems like that's now going to be the case. I didn't think it was possible. It's going to be disappointing. And I think going back just real quick to the line backing conversation, and I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm impartial, or I guess I am partial, excuse me, because JFM was my favorite guy to interview in that locker room. Like, I'm going to miss talking to him selfishly if he does depart

because he was a great quote and he caught like he see it, and he fired from the hip there a little bit. But Sarah, to use the analogy that we talked about last show, which was on Wednesday. I know it's not exactly apples to apples, but you brought up the Rams and kind of like this F them picks mentality. And I understand that Denver's extremely deep on the defensive line. I just rattled off of those guys that got paid and got their contract extensions.

But I guess what I'm trying to figure out in my head is like, why would you not want to keep that continuity intact? Argued the strongest point of your defense is your defensive line outside of one half of the field with Pat Sertan. Kind of a different scenario, though, of course. Like having JFM, in my opinion, takes this Broncos defense from like an 8.5 to a 9. And I think that's because you have so many bodies out there. And that's not just because of, you know, all these other. guys in Allen and Benito.

But I think when you have those guys playing together, it allows JFM to be that much more effective. Yeah. I mean, there's no question. It's the guys that you actually have behind somebody, right? This is what everybody's talking about. Why didn't they draft tight end? Why haven't they been drafting the linebacker?

Well, they actually have drafted guys on the D-line that they're feeling good about apparently. I know, I remember last year. I can't remember who it was. I think it was Luca Evans talked to Inoma Uwasarique and was like, hey, if you get JFM's role. Are you ready for that? And he's like, absolutely 100% I'm ready for that.

And we saw a progression from Owasarike this past year. Savian Jones, a third round pick. They traded up to get him. Like, that's not a little thing. I mean, you trade up to get somebody at the back end of round three. You want that guy to play. And so I get it. I mean, you're budgeting for this stuff.

You haven't drafted on the offensive line. So you're paying the guys that you have. You have drafted on the defensive line. So you're letting JFM go and going to hopefully at least get a compensatory pick down the line. Yeah, Nick, what are your thoughts on the JFM situation? Obviously, you know, there's other positions that they probably need to fill. They're deep at defensive line, but I don't think you can question the impact that he's made

with the Broncos. No, you can't question his impact. No one can't really question his impact. And, you know, I'm glad Sarah brought up Sabian Jones and Wazareke. Those are two guys that I'm sure someone in the Broncos organization say, well, there's a strong possibility we're going to lose JFM. And the more he continued. you to get sacks and more he continue to get sacks and do the monster tear off.

I don't even know what you call that. But the more he did that, the more he blew up the spot and the more he made it more difficult for the Broncos and making that decision. But someone said, listen, we got these young guys in the waiting. So we lose him. We can now put someone else in that particular spot. But here's the problem with that. Because every team is saying that to themselves and it doesn't always work out.

You cross your fingers and you hope that it does, right? And you click your heels and say, I think I can, I think I can. But it doesn't always work out that way, gentlemen. How many times have we seen it? We've seen it on the Broncos. We've seen it on other teams. But this is an opportunity for JFM. And he went out there, he earned it, right?

No one gave it to him. He was in the midst of so many guys on the demons up side of the ball, Zach Allen, you had Benito, you had Cooper, you had all these names on the defense, but he found the way to stick out. So when you think about teams that would be in need of his services, you guys brought up the Tennessee Titans and his familiarity with Rob I Sala. Then you got to look at maybe the New York Giants

and maybe the San Francisco 49ers, but there are a lot of takers out there in places for John Franklin Myers. And the Broncos, they started to realize we're not going to be able to retain him. So we hope that some of these other guys will be able to step up and make plays. And this is why,

known as though you could lose and possibly you're going to lose John Franklin Myers. You got to look at other guys on both offense and defense because the Broncos have to make sure that continue to trend up, not downward. And there's going to be a lot of pressure on Razan Wiki and Savian Jones. Now, I also heard this. And I'm not a big fan of what I'm about to say. But I saw, I was reading something about, well, if the Broncos lose JFM, well, what about 15-year veteran Cameron Jordan? who has just going to go there. With Sean Payton.

And I'm like, no, no, no, no. You don't need to do that, right? Because if you do that, why are you doing it? You're only doing it because, well, Jordan's familiarity with Sean Payton. And if you do that, you may stifle the growth of Arisarice and Savian Jones. That's something you don't want to do. I respect the game of Cameron Jordan. But I don't think at this stage of his career, he is actually an upgrade to

what JFM was. So what happens in this? I mean, you're building a roster right now. You're building a roster that you believe has a chance to win the Super Bowl. What happens when if, I'm not going to say when, knock on wood. What happens if Zach Allen gets injured? You know, what happens if you need somebody to step in? And I mean, at that point during the season, now you have an opportunity to be proactive.

I'd rather be proactive about adding bodies to that mix as opposed to being reactive during the season. I'm not saying it has to be Cam Jordan. There's a number of players out there. But I think there's that, that's that tension though. Like you said, you want to let those young guys spread their wings.

You don't necessarily want to put a Cam Jordan in their way. But this is, I'm very much for like the Broncos signed Cam Jordan, sign Von Miller, bring these guys in and let them be, Let them be, let them be, Bon had nine sacks last year. Von had nine sacks.

I mean, I'm just throwing that out there that you're adding a player who's been in this defense. Like, I love the idea. And I think a lot of teams need to do more of this. But you've got to, you can't have enough pass rushers.

The Broncos seem to think you can't have enough corners. You can't have enough pass rushers. And for a team that set a franchise record in sacks, two straight seasons, I mean, you got to, to have depth. You have to. John Franklin Myers is not a small loss. Like that is a substantial. That's, I think, the point that Cody was making on his Twitter page, like, this is a significant

loss. You're, you can run it back with the other guys and you can hope that there's development from those guys, but you have to bring in veteran depth for your pass rush when you lose a key piece of that unit. I don't think you can just rely on the hypothetical unless you're strapped for cash unless you're strapped like they were hey when they when they had riley moss stepping into a starting role people are like they need to go for a veteran corner and they need to bring in someone in free agents they couldn't they couldn't do that they had to rely on their young guys this is not a situation where you have to i think you want to you want them to thrive but bring in depth when it's proactive instead of bring in guys off the street when you have to be reactive

oh here's my or go ahead so i agree with you that you have to have depth but bringing in Avon Miller and the Cam Jordan is not the adequate debt that you want. Because here are two things you have to consider. You're paying both of those guys, right? These are not, you know, young guys. They're long and a two. And there's a veteran minimum that you have to pay each one of those guys. And then why am I going to pay you veteran minimum and you're not an every down guy?

You're now taking reps away from developing players. And when you do go in, you're now, what, a third down specialist? So if you're a third down specialist and we're paying you a third down specialist type of bread, then I expect a certain level of production from you as that player. So listen, I get it, man. I love both of those guys. But when you're talking about building a team, you don't want that. You can go out and free agency and use that money to get more guys that can add depth, add more production.

and be a complimentary piece for Zach Allen on the defensive line. I mean, but and you can also do that in a draft as well. So to me, if you're going to spend your money, spend it wisely. And if you're going to build depth, go out and use depth wisely and get some of these younger guys. And I know, man, we love these players. Like, I would love to see Von Miller come back. But Von Miller coming back to just be a guy on this roster. To me, that's not how I want to seem.

It's almost like watching Michael Jordan play for the Washington, Wizards, right? I was just like, no, man, I don't want to just did that. Bond just did that. He did. And it distorts the image that I had of a Michael Jordan or even thinking Aaron Rogers at this point in his career. I don't want to see him go out like this, even watching Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50. He wasn't the same. I just don't want that for these players and I don't want that for this organization. Here's what I would, here's what I would throw in. The question is, what is more important right now for the Broncos? Is it winning a Super Bowl or is it developing Savion Jones and Q Robinson?

I mean, like, that's a real question because when you talk about like the 2015 team that won at all, DeMarcus, where is standing in the way of Shaq Barrett? He's standing in the way of Shane Ray, a first round pick. I mean, that's how he could have been perceived at that time. I know DeMarcus was at a different point in his career at that time than either Cam Jordan or Von Miller. but you could look at a number of different examples of this team. Like when it comes to guys, we got to bring in, we got to bring in Wes Welker.

I know we have Eric Decker and we have Demarius Thomas and West requires a high volume with targets to be effective in the slot, but we have to bring him in. We have Julius Thomas, but we have to bring in, I can't remember if it was Joel Driesen or whoever it is. He's going to take targets away from Julius Thomas, but he's a veteran player who can upgrade our team.

Like he upgrades our debt. If you're talking about veteran minimum for both of these guys or either of these guys, I am all in on that. And I would say I'd even be in favor of, hey, I'll throw this out there because we're getting crazy. It's the off season. I would trade Jonathan Cooper and get something in return for him and bring in Vaughn and let Q Robinson and Jonah Ellis. Oh, no. I would.

I hate that, man. Give me Coo from Benito, bro. When is the last time Jonathan Cooper had a sack in a game? Well, sometimes it's not about getting the sack. Where's the pressures? Wait, wait, we don't really sit on the stat sheet because we can look at Jack Allen in that same, through that same lens, because they may get enough pressure where they push the quarterback and Nick Benito's arms.

So I think that's value to that as well. But trading Jonathan Cooper to bring in Von Miller, who's only going to play, what, maybe 50% of it. the plays if he had a second of the championship game i mean i i can't do it man i can't do it jona ellis so jonah ellis and q robinson don't need to play but savion jones needs to play this is this is where i'm this is where i'll split the hairs because jona ellis might be the broncos second best pass rusher he might we don't know because he doesn't play q robinson immediately gets onto the field in the playoffs immediately makes plays every time

Q. Robinson got onto the field. He made plays. I realized he can't be a starter from, you know, week one on as a rookie. He was dealing with the injury, whatnot. But that's, that's what I'm saying is that we've got other guys on this team. They're taking up big chunks of the cap that, hey, you have assets on the roster that can help make your team better somewhere else. And there's veterans out there who can slide in as depth and you have young guys. I mean, this is the philosophy of the L.A. Rams. This is. This is what they do. Like they, it's the F them picks mentality. It is the veteran guys are going to go help.

Like Devante Adams coming in. Does that make sense with Puka Nakua on paper when that move happens? It's like, well, yeah, you need multiple receivers, but Pooka Nakuwa requires a high volume of targets to be the most effective that he can be. But it works because their coaches figured it out and made away. They did. You know why it worked because when you talk about a guy like Devonty Adams, he still have more gas in the tank.

We're talking about Von Miller and Cam Jordan. Well, to me, man, it may not be totally on red and empty, but it's damn sure close, right? So I'm like, why sacrifice, you know, valuable playing time of young players for that? Like, going back to Demarcus Ware, even with DeMarcus Ware, being at that point of his career, he still had more gas in the tank that Von and Cam Jordan have. So if you have a veteran guy, at any position, who still has, maybe he's at, you know, mid-tank or whatever, three-quarters of a tank? Yeah, you can split, but guys who you know, we do know that both of these players we're talking

about, Cam Joon and Vaughn, no matter how much we love Vaughn here, their better days are behind them, man. And that is the most difficult part as a professional athlete to realize and acknowledge that your better days are behind you because I can tell you right now. my mind said, man, I can go out there and I can play four quarters. But my body says, hell to the knob. Let me throw this out there then. Okay.

Von Miller and Cam Jordan last season combined for 19 and a half sacks. Nick Benito and Jonathan Cooper, 22. So I'm just throwing that out there that like these two guys, although they are older, they are like a great three point shooter in basketball. Like they've got to. as pass rushers that the last thing to go is your shot. And for pass rushers like these guys, the last thing to go is your pass rush ability. Like they get to the quarterback. And they do it on, at least for Vaughn's case, like a minimal number of snaps. And so I think that's,

I mean, obviously we're just talking about this stuff. It's, it's just interesting to me to debate these kind of things. But yeah, I think like, realistically speaking, you know, this won't be the Broncos priority. It's all about how do they effectively have a plan together to replace John Franklin Myers, right? I mean, that's where this discussion stemmed from ultimately. And I think, yeah, it'll be interesting to see what tactic they take because while Sean was in New Orleans, he was all about the long tooth former Broncos. I mean, he was, right? He signed Champ Bailey. He signed Emmanuel Sanders. He signed a number of other guys, Chris Harris, Jr. Like, he signed the long tooth Broncos while he was with the Saints. So I don't know

he's definitely opposed to doing the same type of thing in Denver. Could Von Miller or Cam Jordan be the Miami Heat's version of Ray Allen? That's kind of where I end on this conversation. Like, could they come in and make an impact? Can they be that spot up shooter, right? So it's interesting. No, it's a very worthwhile debate. And again, I think it feeds into just overall strategy for this Broncos team heading into

this off season, assuming Jonathan Franklin Myers does depart. How did they replace that? Is that internally or do they go out and sign one of these veteran guys? So let us know your thoughts in the comment section. All right, let's hit a quick break. When we come back, let's go to a couple of spicy names that the Broncos could potentially target at wide receiver one, who is a creation to be one who they would have to trade for.

We'll have a bit of a conversation here on the wide receiver room. Next, when we come back right here on your locked on Broncos squad show. All right, you guys, real quick, let me tell you about our friends over at TurboTax. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, So the old way of doing taxes is a lot. Trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient, sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers,

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Head to turbotax.com slash local to find a store near you and book your appointment. Taxes are no fun. Be sure to check out our friends over at Intuit TurboTex. Let them do the heavy lifting for you and let them know that Lockdown Broncos sent you. All right. Well, come on back into your Lockdown Broncos squad show. Neil Lepiro, Sarah Bedinger, and Nick Ferguson. Good conversation there in the last segment about defensive line.

Let's see if we can keep that energy going here with the wide receiver dynamic here. And we've talked A.J. Brown, spoiler alert, that's one of the guys we wanted to talk about. So let's start with Stefan Diggs. As it was announced, I want to say yesterday or sometime this week, that he will indeed be released by the New England Patriots. We know that he made a pretty big impact on the field for New England with Drake May in his lone season there. the reason I bring up Stefan Diggs is he's like that big sexy name right like you hear everyone knows the name Stefan Diggs right do you think Denver entertains one of these two guys Stefan Diggs a j brown Sarah I'll start with you I think the AJ Brown idea has that ship has sailed sadly I mean I think that

would be cool to see like a j brown playing for the Broncos but definitely feel like that ship has sailed that seems like howie roseman is asking for an arm a leg of couple of toes, you know, maybe something else, you know, I don't know, he's asking for the world to get A.J. Brown. So I don't think that's happening. If Stefan Diggs legal situation, which I don't know what the timeline is for all that stuff, I think if his legal situation plays out where he's not getting suspended by the NFL, I mean, I could definitely see the Broncos giving him a call if other options fail. Like they finished second in the bidding to sign him last year. So it makes sense that they would revisit that if he's now available again and still playing at a high level, which he was for the Patriots last year.

So I know that a lot of folks don't like that idea because of the person. I just think we'll see how the legal situation plays out because we know the NFL doesn't necessarily prioritize that as much as maybe the fans do. Nick? I'm going to take a page out of Usher's book. You don't have to call. I'm okay, girl, because the idea is that, no, we're not. calling either these two guys, right? Because when you think about Stefan Diggs, those legal issues that Sarah just talked about. To me, now you're caught not in a yes or no situation. You're caught

in a goddamn maybe, right? What are you doing with Stefan Diggs? We know all the drama that comes along with him. And we've seen the biggest thing about the Broncos locker room on either side of the ball is the cohesion inside the locker room. You don't want someone to come in to be a disruptor. That's what Stefan did. would bring. He would be more of a disruptor than production maker for the Broncos offense. Now, A.J. Brown is really intriguing, right? There's some stuff that comes along with him. And we're talking about two wide receivers and what we know about wide receivers, prima donnas and a lot of drama. But if there was one guy, I would be willing to accept his

drama, it would be A.J. Brown, because I know what he's going to do on the field. But the only problem with that, fellas, is the fact that you now have to give up draft capital, right? And how much draft capital would you have to give up? You might have to give up maybe a third and a player, possibly. But I don't want to do that if I'm the Denver Broncos. I'm not thinking that way. I, myself, unlike other people, I'm not content with the production in the wide receiver room. And that's no slight against anyone in the room. But it's about making sure everyone kind of keeps their ears perked up and no one gets comfortable because we know what happens when people get comfortable. Both of you guys in relationships, I bet you never get comfortable in your

relationship, do you? Nope. You know why? Grand opening, grand closing for your relationship. So you want to make sure that you keep every single player on their toes. And there are some some veteran players out there. I mentioned before as not well liked on this on locked on. but I mentioned Debo Samuos as being a guy because of what he brings from a weapon standpoint. Alex, the kid from the Colts, what is Alex Pierce, Pierce, yes, I like his speed. Now, will the Broncos be able to get him? Probably not. Maybe, I don't know, it's going to be a lot of suitors.

And then you have other wire receivers that are out there. But I do know this. The one thing the Broncos need to do, they need to make that wide receiver room more competitive. And if you watch the combine and you like guys who fly, there was a lot of guys running some fast 40s that would definitely put a lot of pressure on these Broncos wide receivers. Well, Sarah, you just sent it in our group chat as we were kind of breaking some of this stuff down. We got a bit of an update that's come across the last few minutes from Luca Evans of the Denver Post

who does an absolutely tremendous job at reporting and covering the Denver Broncos. Here's some of the nuggets that he drops. He doesn't expect the Broncos to be in the market for Out. Piers. That said, it seems that Denver has some interest in Romeo Dobbs. So that could be an interesting match for Denver. I believe we'll have to compete with at least Buffalo is one of the other teams that I've seen connected to Dobbs there. And Denver has a significant appetite for a free agent inside linebacker. They're also looking at depth at the safety position. And one other nugget that he adds here is he does not think the Broncos will be in on running back Tyler outgear.

What do you make of all that, sir? I really like the Romeo Dobbs. potential addition. I think that he's been the leading receiver for the Packers two of the last three years. And the fact that he was, I believe, their leader in targets, the very first year that Jordan Love took over as the starting quarterback speaks volumes to what Matt LaFlewer thinks of Romeo Dobbs. And I know Aaron Rogers loved him when Rogers was in his last year with the team. So I really like that potential addition. I think you could get him for a really reasonable price as well, compared to Alec Pierce, who I'd be okay paying the price tag for Alec Pierce. I actually mentioned that in a bonus episode of Lockdown Broncos that I did.

I thought maybe the Broncos could surprise some folks because right now everybody is kind of talking about running back, lineback, or tight end. And it's kind of just a carousel of who could they sign at those positions. But I'm thinking to myself, why are they talking about those guys, right? Why are they talking about why is everybody getting leaked information about running backs and linebackers? Well, it could be because the Broncos are throwing you off the scent of what they're trying to do. And at this point, I think everybody's got a lot of their ducks in a row behind the

scenes to be able to maybe leak some of this stuff out, although not sure how happy the Broncos will be that this Dobbs rumor is out there if they really have interest in signing him. It's going to be pricey, but he does fit the room really well because think about that Green Bay receiver room, right? It's very similar if Dobbs comes to Denver as it was while he was in Green Bay. I mean, you have Christian Watson, you have Jaden Reed, you just drafted Matthew Golden, you have have Dante and Wix and then you're trying to feed all these mouths. Tucker Kraft emerging as a tight end. He kind of fits perfectly in this mold of, hey, he can be a high volume target guy. He's a reliable player. He's very good at all things, but he doesn't necessarily have to be a,

you know, quote unquote wide receiver one. I would be, I'd be really excited about Romeo Dobbs. Maybe not the biggest needle mover. Maybe not going to sell a bunch of jerseys, but he'd be a nice pick up for this team. That just seems like the most realistic move for the Broncos is somewhat of that category in tier. Like I understand, like I said, where we start the conversation with A.J. Brown and Stefano Diggs, like those are the big sexy names. I just don't think Denver is going down that route.

I don't think Justin Jefferson is getting traded. I don't think Jamar Chase is getting traded, right? Like, I think a Romeo Dobbs type complements that wide receiver very nicely. You keep Cortland's son. He fixes the drops. Troy Franklin had a three or four weeks stretch there where he looked real good or begging for more Marvin Mims that I just think of a Romeo Dobbs type, Nick, seems like the type of guy.

That's a complimentary piece with some big upside as opposed to taking a massive swing and a big fish. That seems to me if Denver was going to go wide receiver, the type of guy they would target. Well, yeah, that would be the type of guy you target because, I mean, Romeo Dobbs is still a young wide receiver. And the biggest thing, when we look at free agency is, how much is the guy going to cost me, right? and you don't have to break the bank to get a guy like Romeo Dobbs, but you still get a certain level of production.

And yes, he would be a complimentary piece. And when you think about Romeo Dobbs and his ability to run route, I mean, to me, that's definitely going to put a lot of pressure on the Broncos wide receivers. Because the one thing that we've seen from the Broncos wide receivers over the past two years is on upfield routes, they don't do a great job of separating. Now, this is coming from a guy who play defense. When you watch them, there's not a lot of separation. And this is why there was a lot of early criticism, you know, last year of Bo Nex

and how long he's holding on to the ball and how he's patting the ball. You know why he was patting the ball. He was waiting for someone to get open, right? So if you bring the Romeo Dobbs, it changed the complexity of what you want to do if you are Davis Webb. Notice I didn't say Sean Payton. Now that opens the spacing for a guy like Evan Ingram and it creates spacing for the run game. So I like the idea and the concept of bringing a guy in like Romeo Dobbs,

but I wouldn't stop there. I mean, you have Juan Jennings, who's out there as well, and it's not going to cost you a lot of money to bring in a guy like that. Not saying as though he would be one of my top choices, but he is definitely a choice. But if you say, well, we bring in, you know, Romeo Dobbs, you sign him next week, and then you look to draft two wide receivers in the upcoming draft.

Sign me up for it. I think that'll make that group and that side of the ball of that much more productive and competitive. Well, we'll have a lot to sink our teeth into once we get to next week. We'll see how Denver kind of attacks this free agency period. And we'll see if these thoughts kind of come to fruition. Von Miller, Cam Jordan, Romeo Dobbs, Tyler Alger, Kenneth Walker, all that kind of stuff. So we shall see how that all kind of plays out.

Let's hit our final break. When we come back, let's put a bow on the show. A couple of closing thoughts. Let's type of this Alex Palchowski contract extension as well real quick. I know there were some reporting about what that means for Ben Powers, and it's a good thing for Ben Powers, all things considered. And some final thoughts here on your Lockdown Broncos Squad Show back in just a moment, folks. All right, winding down here on the program, appreciate each and every one of you in Broncos country that have rocked with us today and every single day right here on the lockdown Broncos YouTube channel, as well as the audio feed, do us a favor. Hit that like button, smash that subscribe button.

Really helps us out here on the channel. So the news, this doesn't have as much to do with free agency, is the Broncos went out there and extended Alex Palchowski. And we know that Alex Palchowski actually had a pretty significant role due to injuries to guys like Quinn Miners, Mike McGlinchie, throughout the course of the season, Luke Wattenberg as well. And I know there were some initial speculation that that means Denver would likely move on from Ben Powers. That has now been reported to not be the case. And here's what I say before I'll toss it to you here because I have this debate on the radio last night. because that was the conversation we're having. It's like by extending Paucheski,

does that mean you're moving on from Ben Powers? There are two positions, in my opinion, outside of quarterback, because that's the natural one. But beyond quarterback, there's two positions that are damn near impossible to fill at a high rate and free agency, cornerback and offensive line. And my response to is, would Denver cut Ben Powers to save some more money and have more flexibility on the cap,

is I wouldn't do that because I think when Ben Powers really got healthy the middle last season. He showed you something, and I want as much depth as possible on the offensive line. What do you make of this extension? What do you make of Ben Powers? It's a great move. I mean, you don't use the RFA tender to bring back Palschew. You get him for two years, a team control, very, very low cost to the Broncos. And he's played and started for you at multiple positions at this point. I think his best position is the right tackle position. And I thought that, you know, for, I guess before he even was re-signed. I think a lot of folks saw that he did a solid job in place of Ben Powers last year,

but we had many conversations about how excited we were for Ben Powers to come back because of how much better the running game was with him in there. Like Palchesky had never even played on the left side of the line, much less left guard when he took over that spot. He was the team's fourth option, fourth or fifth, because it's Ben Powers in the starting lineup. Nick Garjulo, I think the team was really high on him before his disgusting preseason injury. I hope he's doing okay.

And then Matt Pert was the next guy up after Ben Powers got hurt and he was terrible. So in that London game. Yes, in the London game. And so Palseski was the guy that they were just like looking around after picking the entire kickball team at recess. And they're like, all right, this is the last guy up. You know what I'm saying? And he did a good job. But is he a starting NFL left guard?

Absolutely not. So like Broncos fans romanticize their own players, worse than any fan base. I've ever seen. Like there's no question about it. Like Paucheschi is what he is. He's the reporting eligible guy. He's a future potential starter to take over from McGlinchie when his contract is up. I think after this next year or in the next couple of years,

he's a starting option at right tackle, not left guard. I think the Broncos has to draft a starting left guard for next year, this year. They have to get that ball rolling in 2026. Nick, your thoughts. Well, here's a, here's along in the show. There are some pros and cons for both the team and Picheschi. And I know this all to where I know a lot of guys have been in a situation, and I too have been in the situation.

When you are a backup, you add depth. And coaches want to know that they can plug and play you, and everything is going to be fine. The problem with that is that, guess what, you are known as being a plug and play guy. That is it. And it's his versatility that helps him, but it's also his versatility that hurts him at the same time because when some of these coaches and

front office staff kind of get this image of you, they can't change that no matter what you do. He's a great player. He's very versatile, but we don't see him as a starter. So what you have to do as a player, when you get an opportunity to get into the game, you have to make sure you put your best foot forward. And the difference between Pajowski and myself, I get a chance to hit people for a living, right? So I can come down here and I can show you every skill set that I have. But when you're playing offensive linemen and you're being sub-down for Ben Powers when he's injured and you're playing guard, guess what? You got two bookends next to you.

You have a center in Wattenberg and you have to your left, Garrett Bowes. So they're saying, well, how good is he really? We really don't know. So the only way you get a chance to really show who and what you are is if something happens with McGlitchie. So you put a lot of pressure on him in training camp. So if he's not performing well, they now can go to you. And when you get into the game, now you can shut whatever edge rush or down. And then they start having second thoughts, not about you, but about Mike McGlitchie.

And said, you know what? Maybe that's where we need to make a change. But this is the problem when you are one of those guys that have a lot of versatility, but they don't view you as a starter. But I think it's great for a Pajewski and his family, because remember, this guy was undrafted, right? He's an undrafted guy that just got a bag. Now, is it a massive bag?

No, but going from nothing to something, I say that's a hell of a lot. I would agree with you. And I think it's kind of a win-win move for all parties. And Ben Powers has to feel like at least secure knowing that he's going to be back on this team for this upcoming season. Right, for one year. But you're not just getting thrown out, right? like right away after the Paucheschi extension.

So again, going back to the point that I made when I kind of set it up, I don't think you can have as too much depth at the offensive line position. That's kind of where I'm at. So I know offensive line isn't the most fun position group to talk about. It doesn't get all the shine and luster that the other ones do. But it is very important to the continuity of this team. And I think it's a good signing for the Broncos and Paucheski, all things considered. Okay, before we get out of here, let's have a little fun.

I kind of tease it a little bit to start the show. That's kind of where we began here. what position do you think the Broncos sign first when it comes to free agency? If you add one guesses to a position group, do you think it's a linebacker? Do you think it's a receiver? Do you think it's a running back, a tight end? What do you guys think is the first position off the board for Denver? I'll start with you, Sarah.

I'm going to say linebacker because I think that there's, that's going to be a competitive market to sign the high end guys. We're seeing a number of other players get released around the league, right? So I think it's a loaded, it's a loaded group of players and you're going to want to just take care of that need right away if you're the Denver Broncos. Like that we'll see what happens with Singleton. I mentioned my gut feeling about him getting re-signed. But I mean, we'll see if they're that in on linebackers like Luca Evans report indicates, maybe they are going to clean house at that position group.

And maybe I don't, I don't know what's going to happen. But I think that ultimately like there, when you look at who's going to sign first, to me, I'm like, okay, who's the most well. connected guy in free agency to the Broncos. That's an outside free agent. To me, that would be Caden Ellis, who was drafted by Sean Payton in 2019. And he's somebody who upgrades the position tremendously. I think he is that type of really smart player who could come in and pick up the defense right away. He get to play with his little brother in Denver. He played his college ball at Idaho. So he's coming back to the mountain west. You know what I'm saying? I think he makes the most sense. And so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the first deal that gets announced out of whatever is going on behind the scenes.

Okay. Nick, what do you think? I'm going to say running back, man. And the reason I say that is because if you don't make a massive push to get maybe a Travis E.TN, whether it's Tyler, Iger, or Kenneth Walker, that's going to be significant because that's going to give other teams an opportunity to grab some of these players. And yeah, there's some value with some of these young guys coming out in the draft. But let's talk about what free agency is about. It's about making a big splash day one. Something where the fans can high five themselves, like they're in the draft war room. Yeah, we got our guy, man.

We're one step closer to that Super Bowl. So that would kind of put the Broncos in that conversation because what was one of the bigger issues that the Broncos had last year, right? It was the inability to be consistent in the run game. And you can say, well, hey, they still have J.K. Dobbins. Yeah, he's a fallback guy. He's a kind of like plan D guy just in case you can't get any of these top running backs. You can always fall back on it because you've already done that already, right? You know what he can do.

But at the same time, you need to go out and you need to show that everyone around the league, the other 31 teams that, you know what, last year you guys took us for granted. and look what we were able to do. And we didn't have, you know, a perfect run game. Now we're telling you, we are serious. We're pushing all our chips to the center of the table, and we're putting everyone on damn notice. That's what the Broncos need to do.

And hopefully they actually do it. I would agree with you. I think it's going to be running back just because I think there's two legitimate guys that truly upgrade this room. That's Kenneth Walker and Travis UTN. And once those two guys are off the board, you have to pivot.

And I'm okay with Rico Dab. I'm okay with Tyler Algear. I just think the cream of the crop is those two guys. And if Denver, based off the report that we heard earlier this week as it pertained to Brees Hall, is truly that interested in the top flight running back, I think you're going to have to come out with a strong offer and get that taking care of sooner rather than later. So it might be ETN, might be Kenneth Walker, might be a Rico Dattle. We shall see.

But my prediction is running back as is Nick Ferguson and Sarah is going with linebacker. But I'm pumped for next week's shows. I'll put it that way. I'm excited to get some meat on the bone, like do a little bit more reaction as opposed to projection with respect to this Broncos team. So it'll be a good time. But all right,

that is going to do it for us on today's lockdown Broncos squad show. Y'all are the absolute best out there in Broncos country. If you're in and around the Mile High City, stay warm, stay safe, go get some soup and, you know, maybe watch some film or watch some old highlights and all that good stuff as well. But for Sarah Bettinger and Nick Ferguson,

I am Neelopiro signing off. We'll talk to you guys a couple of days. next week and enjoy your weekend folks talk to you guys soon.