Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - CRUNCH TIME: Denver Broncos Sam Ehlinger Headlines Players UNDER PRESSURE vs. Minnesota Vikings

Starting point is 00:00:00 With one NFL preseason game remaining, the pressure is on for a handful of players trying to make the 53-man roster. You are locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. What's happening at Broncos' country? Cody Roark, Broncos, B, reporter from Mile High Sports. joined, as always by Sarah Beninger site expert, predominantly orange.com. We got a lot to talk about here today because the Broncos are under pressure, folks. We'll go through which offensive players who are trying to fight for a roster spot are facing the most pressure ahead of the preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings, which defensive players fall under that category for a very loaded unit. And we'll also throw out whether or not the Broncos starters should play in Friday's game.

Starting point is 00:00:50 There are some interesting sides to both coins right there. So, Sarah, my friend, let's talk about it. Offensive players who are under the most pressure against the Minnesota Vikings, I think when we look at this, we would probably look a little bit beyond the scope of the starters just because, everybody for the most part is returning that was there from last year outside of Jalen Waddle. To me, I feel like we're going to talk about maybe Sam Ellinger being under the most pressure right now offensively, only because I don't think he's gotten as much snaps or adequate enough snaps and opportunities as guys like Jared Stittiman.

Starting point is 00:01:23 We know there was a QB2 battle going on. So I feel like for Sam, based on what we know about the reps, I feel like he's probably under the most pressure. 100%. I was going to say that I think the discussion really begins with the backup quarterback. So Sam for sure is in this category. And for me, I would include Jared as well. I know that there's two different types of pressure coming, right? There's, I think, the pressure from maybe the fan base. And then there's maybe the pressure from the team itself. And I think where Jared is at is under maybe a lot more pressure from the fan base to prove that he's worth the $8 million cap hit, to prove that the Broncos

Starting point is 00:02:00 don't have to worry about the same sort of ending that we had last season in the AFC championship game if his number is called. And certainly what we saw against Green Bay puts some pressure on Jarrett. But you're right, Cody, not having the reps, puts the pressure on Sam Ellinger in this game to really go out there and play well with whatever opportunity he is given. I mean, and he can make an impression, certainly. So this is a big game for these two because you and I, we did our roster prediction earlier this week. We have the Broncos keeping two quarterback.

Starting point is 00:02:30 Now, we have no idea necessarily what Sean is going to decide last year. They started off by keeping two quarterbacks and Sam kind of shuffled up and down the roster. So our assumption, based on the rest of this team and how it's constructed and how much depth they have, is that once again, it's going to be two quarterbacks. The question is, do you keep the cheaper option in Sam Ellinger, who has done well with his opportunities in camp? Or do you keep Jarrett Stidham, who has more experience, certainly in the offense, but also on the field in the last couple of seasons. Yeah, no, and I think between both of these guys, you know,

Starting point is 00:03:05 I would be disappointed if it ended up being just, hey, we're going to keep three guys on the 53. I've been on the record of saying it. I think it would be a waste of a roster spot because I do feel like you need numbers and other positions. So when we talk about pressure, well, there's definitely some debate at running back, right, as to whether or not does never keep three, does never keep four? I know I've got them keeping three personally, but I can't quit Jalulul McLaughlin.

Starting point is 00:03:28 Now, I don't think he's got pressure on him, so to speak. And I'd say more so in comparison to guys like Tyler Badegh, but I do think that these are two guys here that, you know, if the Broncos are seriously considering keeping four running backs, and I'm not including the fullback in this, folks. I'm talking just running back specifically. I think that the pressure would be between a battle between Jalul McLaughlin and Tyler Bade. And it seems like Jolulam McLaughlin has been the guys getting those first reps ahead of Bade

Starting point is 00:03:53 all throughout training camp and all throughout, I'd say, even the preseason games. Yeah, absolutely. So the running back position, it's really a matter of whether or not those guys want to stick around in Denver, right? I mean, I think that's the, they have the ability to come back to the practice squad. I think we're both in agreement that three running backs makes the most sense for this team. And the writing was put on the wall the moment the team drafted Jonah Coleman. And I have to think that both Bade and McLaughlin knew exactly what the Broncos were going to be doing. I would assume there's some clarity behind the scenes, Cody. I don't think. guarantees get made all the time. But I would say that those two guys probably knew, hey, we're probably going to draft somebody, right?

Starting point is 00:04:34 So I would assume that was part of their understanding. And I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, honestly, I think they probably love being in Denver. They've been Bade is one of the longest tenured guys on this team at this point. I mean, right? He's been here since 2022. So I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of those guys comes back. To me, I think when you look at the skill players on offense,

Starting point is 00:04:56 I would put some pressure squarely on guys like Cameron Ross and Kobe Katzis because now they've been kind of name dropped by the coaching staff, right? And I guess honestly you would have to lump them in with the special team section here as well because that's where Darren Rizzy said, hey, we've finally got some depth in the return game. Well, those are the guys that he's talking about. It's not Tyler Bade. It's not R.J. Harvey.

Starting point is 00:05:20 It's not, you know, whoever else is Michael Bandy. He hasn't even been practicing. he's talking about Colby Catsis and Cameron Ross, and then even Sean Fresh, who we may talk about in the next segment here, those two riders receivers, in my opinion, Cody, we're certainly going to be priority players for the practice squad, but do they change the equation with another big return in this game?

Starting point is 00:05:41 So the pressure is on to make plays both on offense and special teams for those two guys. Now, I think it's great that you made that point, right? Because I think people are like, wait, these guys have pressure on them. In a way, like to perform, you want to make plays because of the fact that this is your, your audition, whether it be in Denver, whether it be for 31 other teams, as Sean Payton always likes to say. And folks, I mean, we've got, take a drink every time Sean Payton says, you know,

Starting point is 00:06:03 it's an audition for 31 other teams around the NFL. I feel like we're already drunk here. But my point is, is, you know, with those guys, like the fresh is the Ross, one return, as you mentioned, breaks everything open specifically for that. You have an electrifying return. There's a team out there says, you know what, we have a bigger need for that than maybe Denver does because they've got Marvin Mims. And so there might be one of those scenarios, right, where you may have to sneak a guy like Cameron Ross onto the 53 initially or, you know, Sean Fresh. I mean, just dependent upon it, right?

Starting point is 00:06:32 Because one play like that changes everything. I also think it helped. Remember back in the day, I think this was 2008? Remember Jack Williams? He had that pick six in the preseason. And he was kind of like this guy that was kind of on the fringe, but that pick six. And I think he returned it almost 100 yards ended up being something that helped him make the roster. So, you know, you play, you get paid. That's the nature of today's NFL.

Starting point is 00:06:56 I want to throw one more out there. One more position I feel like has probably the most pressure on it. And it has probably been the tight end position. I think guys like Downland Bentley definitely have a lot of pressure because we haven't seen much from. I think he's a good blocker, but we have not been able to see him create separation in practice or even in games. That's where I think a guy who has pressure on him as well, like Lucas Crowell has the advantage because Lucas has been catching passes. He has been making plays in practice and some of the preseason games.

Starting point is 00:07:25 And when you're trying to figure out what your practice squad is going to look like, you need some good guys there. I think Bentley will clear practice squad no matter what. I think he'll make it. I don't think you have to worry about that. But a guy like Lucas, Crow, might have other options, right? And I think having a guy like Crow on your practice squad,

Starting point is 00:07:40 I think it wouldn't be a bad thing here for Denver. They look to have some depth specifically if they carry four tight ends on the 53, like you and I both have them with ad, Justin Jolie, who would probably be a red shirt guy for a good portion of the season as he learns and develops and grows, yeah, and Adam Troutman, Atkins and Evan Ingram. So that's where I feel like the players that have the most pressure on them coming under Friday's game against the Vikings. I think that's where it's all going to come to the forefront.

Starting point is 00:08:04 But it makes things very interesting. It does indeed. And it's the one last audition, the one last ride for so many players that because after this, there are some players that will probably never play football ever again. And that's always kind of the sobering realities of the NFL. But go out there, give it to your all as Coach Payton. I'm sure all the other coaches are telling these guys as well. But coming up next, Broncos country, Sarah and I are going to talk about which defensive players have the most pressure on them to perform in Friday's game against the Vikings.

Starting point is 00:08:30 You'll get that. You're on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of the show was brought to you by our friends over there at Indeed, sponsored jobs. When workplace chaos hits and you need the right hire, Indeed, sponsor jobs helps connect employers with candidates who match specific needs like skills, certifications, and locations. So less time gets spent searching. and more time gets spent.

Starting point is 00:08:49 Finding the right fit for your job. And people are finding quality hires on Indeed right now. And in the minute that I've been talking to you, companies like yours have made 27 hires on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. One thing the Broncos do really well in the off season is they analyze the big picture of their front office. They've restructured certain positions because they found the right fit

Starting point is 00:09:08 from other organizations that they want to bring into the fold and it allows them to move up the ladder and grow inside of the front office structure. Spend less time searching. And more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes with less stress, less time, and more results. And when you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. And listeners of this show, you'll get a $75 sponsored job credit

Starting point is 00:09:29 to get your job of the premium status that it deserves. It Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indy.com slash podcast terms and conditions apply need to hire. This is a job for Indeed, sponsor jobs. which Denver Broncos defensive players are under the most pressure for Friday's preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. It starts with the linebacker position, but I think we also got a lump safety in there as well after the team signed a veteran at that position here this past week.

Starting point is 00:10:03 Broncos country, let's talk about it. And Cody, let's get into that discussion about the linebackers. I think that's a pretty easy place to start in this game, although certainly against Green Bay, the defensive front is going to be under some more. to perform after what we saw against the Packers. I think though we start at linebacker where maybe some roster spots are in question, right? I mean, we don't know what the Broncos are going to keep four linebackers. Are they going to keep five? Has Karenne Reed separated himself?

Starting point is 00:10:29 Does the team still believe Jordan Turner is a roster guy? Because you and I had him on our early projections for the roster as well, of special teams. He played more defense than any of the other guys last year, meaning like Carine, Lavel Bailey, the guys that got called. up later in the season. So there's some interesting debates going on here. Who do you think at linebacker is maybe facing a make or break game? Like, you know, you mentioned the Jack Williams play, right? Which linebacker is maybe one big play away from kind of swinging the pendulum back in the other

Starting point is 00:11:03 direction? Maybe he's trending off the roster now and one big player, a couple of big plays, could swing him back on it. Yeah, I think it's going to be Tori and York and Jordan Turner really fighting for that last spot, right? For me, I'm looking at, I think Corrine Reid has showcased enough. I think he's been very consistent throughout Trenting camp and even in the preseason games for that, you know, Mo linebacker spot. Red Murdoch, we already know based on what Vance Joseph has said about him, how he knows the defense. The other stuff that they can work on is getting him to play a little bit quicker. You know, he understands everything. It's just about being able to react and go a little bit quicker, getting those live

Starting point is 00:11:37 fire reps. Those two guys, I think, are locked. So I think if you carry one more, I think that pressure is now on Tori and York to make place Jordan Turner. And Turner missed obviously a good portion of training camp early on with the soft tissue injury. He was on the non-football injury list for a good portion. And in that meantime, guys like Tori and York were able to get more reps defensively, get more opportunities out there. And we've seen flashes from York. I think the biggest critique or question about him has to do with him just being undersized. But here's the thing about him being undersized. I don't think really matters. He reacts very quickly. He fills the right gaps in his run fits.

Starting point is 00:12:12 I just think the one thing that we saw this last week against Green Bay, and it was from every linebacker. I just felt like the defensive line got pushed back a little bit too much into their space, and it makes it a lot harder for them to go out and attack. So I didn't feel like it was complimentary football from the D-line linebackers against Green Bay, and that has to change this week against the Minnesota Vikings. So for me, Tori, New York, Jordan Turner. I think these guys will be battling to figure out who gets that final spot potentially

Starting point is 00:12:38 at offball linebacker. I'm going to go with another one here, Sarah. I'm going to say Sabion Jones has a lot of pressure on him. The Broncos third round rookie from last year that they traded up to get. We have not necessarily seen too much from him in the game settings just yet. He's had some flashes in practice. But to me, it also goes back to the point where it doesn't matter where you get drafted. Like, Sean Payton historically, even has had high draft picks in the past,

Starting point is 00:13:03 fourth round picks that, you know, he's moved on from him in favor of undrafted guys. If we look at his history and Sabian, I just don't think, has flashed as much. Now, he's got an opportunity to go out there and do something in this week's game against the Vikings. But for me, and this may be a little bit bold, but myself and some of my other fellow beat reporters, he have been talking about it. We got Jordan Jackson maybe making it over, say, Beyond Jones. Very interesting, Cody. I think that that would be, once again, a tough pill to swallow, right? But I mean, in the name of winning, pretty much anything is on the table. And I think that's kind of where the Broncos are at right now.

Starting point is 00:13:39 I would say like in in very much running a parallel, you know, highway to that, I think the recent draft picks for the Broncos on the defensive side of the ball are under pressure, right? I mean, recent as in like, you know, the 2023 class. So anybody that's been drafted in the Sean Payton era, like Drew Sanders, a third round pick, probably not making this team in any capacity, regardless of 53 or practice squad. So that's a third round pick. Stavion Jones, third round pick, could be on the roster bubble.

Starting point is 00:14:10 J.L. Skinner, a recent sixth round pick could be on the roster bubble. I mean, you name it on this defensive side of the ball. There's guys that have been drafted by this team that, I mean, recent picks, Miles Scott. Obviously, we've talked about other players on the defensive side, like a high, high price undrafted free agent even in Tori and York. I mean, these guys that the Broncos are drafting, it's starting to become a little bit of a pattern. on the defensive side of the ball. And I know it's day three picks.

Starting point is 00:14:39 So being a little overly critical, maybe in certain instances, but not with Savion Jones, not with Drew Sanders. Those are two guys that are picked on day two, and they're within their rookie contracts yet. So that's a player development issue in some ways, right? So I don't like that there's a lot of potential recent draft picks on the roster bubble, or at least perception-wise.

Starting point is 00:15:02 I know J.L. Skinner was talked up very highly by Vance Joseph after Tuesday's practice. So I'll just be interested to see how do these recent draft picks kind of respond to maybe some pressure in this game. Yeah, and look, this is where I'll say, like I disagree on J.L. Skinner. I don't think he's got any pressure on him at all.

Starting point is 00:15:20 And I think the pressure, when we talk about safety or the pressure relative to that position, I think it has everything to do with Tyson Anderson and Miles Scott more so than it does Jail Skinner. The thing that Vance Joseph has said, and I've had a chance to sit, down with JL one-on-one this off-season. He's in a feature for our Mile High Sports magazine

Starting point is 00:15:40 that obviously dropped and Nick Benito is our cover athlete, by the way, exciting stuff there. So make sure you check it out of Mile High Sports. But the nice old one-on-one for J-L played all of 2025 with Torne Labrum. To play through that type of pain is crazy. But the one thing that he told me is he didn't want to let down his teammates. He felt like if he were to miss time,

Starting point is 00:16:01 he would let down his teammates, ultimately let down himself. And he feels like he would have failed the organization. So this dude was putting his body on the line while playing through extreme amounts of pain. But what Vance Joseph said on Tuesday was, you know, he missed the spring with the shoulder injury. He came back and he just kind of came back on fire. His body was in the right spot. He's made plays in practice defensively. I think in the preseason games at safety, I feel like I've seen more from J.L.

Starting point is 00:16:24 This year than any of the other years that we've seen from him in terms of coming up, being in good phase and coverage versus guys catching the ball in the middle of the field like we saw early on with him when he was trying to learn the defense. He's more comfortable. And he's Darren Rizzy's guy. Like J.L. is, besides Devin Kee, I'd say J.L. is his number two guy. If you had a, you know, your right hand man, your left hand man. Well, it's Devin Kee, J.L. Skinner

Starting point is 00:16:47 for Rizzi. So the pressure in my opinion, sir, I think is more so on Tyson Anderson, Miles Scott. I think J.L. Skinner is not even a question to make the roster. Well, that's great. And I love hearing that. And I think that's huge for him and his development. And certainly,

Starting point is 00:17:02 a testament to his toughness to play through. injury like that last year. How about at the cornerback position? Kind of teased it before with guys like Cameron Ross, Colby Katzis. But Sean Fresh, I noticed Cody in the game against Green Bay was the first guy out there on punt return as well. And so I, you know, I'm interested by this guy. He obviously catches the ball very well as a punt returner, but he's also somebody who's

Starting point is 00:17:26 made a couple of plays as a defensive back. Like in camp, I remember there was a word that he had made a play. I remember he made a play against Atlanta on. deep ball, you know, knock the ball away on a potential touchdown. So Sean Fresh from the UFL, things didn't work out for Hakeem Butler, but things might be working out a little bit better for Sean Fresh. I don't know if 53-man roster is a possibility, but again, I'll reference what Darren Rizzy said,

Starting point is 00:17:53 that they feel they have way better depth in the return game now than they did last year. So I do wonder with Mims still kind of working his way back from injury, do they consider rostering a, you know, whoever they believe is their top backup return specialist? I think there's a very good opportunity for that to happen this year. I think more so in comparison to other years that we've talked about. I think MIMS coming back trying to get healthy, I think is one of the bigger factors in that. We've seen it. Soft tissue stuff can linger.

Starting point is 00:18:21 Now, Marvin's been great in team period stuff, but Marvin wasn't fielding punts or kicks over the course and since he's returned to practice this week. So 10-4-Hat theory, where are we going with it? Who knows? I mean, there could be something out there. Sean Fresh Jr. reminds me a lot of Jayquan Macmillan. Not necessarily. Like, I think there's a little bit more, you know, pizzazz to him because now he's also

Starting point is 00:18:43 adding a dynamic in the return game. Jayquan was just a guy playing corner in camp that was making plays back when he was an undrafted rookie free agent. Fresh, I think, would be a very nice developmental guy that they want on the practice squad if they can't get him onto the active roster. I even think Brent Austin has done enough to get a practice squad spot as well. I mean, those guys kind of emerged a little bit over Jaden Robinson, who kind of got banged up. And then the team ended up waving and injuring, you know, waved, injured designation for him,

Starting point is 00:19:10 moving on from him. And they really like Jaden Robinson, but they like what Brent Austin and Sean Fresh Jr. have been able to provide. And Fresh can kind of play that inside outside. He can play nickel can play on the outside. Brent, I think it could also do the same thing. So they want to maybe develop those guys a little bit more in a house. So not opposed to it.

Starting point is 00:19:26 I'm very curious to see how. things transpire here in the final week of the preseason, the Broncos have some tough decisions to make folks when it comes to getting the right 53 man roster. We'll find out on Sunday for sure who makes up the Broncos 53 this upcoming season. But coming up next, Broncos country, there's one preseason game left and Sarah and I are going to play a little bit of a game. We're going to debate. Should the Broncos starters play on Friday yes or no? Make sure you let us know and we'll dive into it. Now on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of the show was brought to you by our friends over there at O'Doo. Running a business shouldn't fill

Starting point is 00:19:58 like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. One app for accounting, one for inventory, and another one for sales. And yet somehow, none of them talk to each one. That's how businesses can fall apart. But that's where Odu comes in because Odu, they are in all-on-one business management software that brings every part of your business together in one powerful platform, from sales and accounting to inventory and marketing. Everything works in one place.

Starting point is 00:20:21 And O-Doo is one platform to manage, grow, and scale your business. And the best organizations know that success isn't just about talent. It's about having everyone working toward the same goal. And that's true in sports, just like it is in business. Now, one thing, you got to be on the same page with you, especially in the NFL preseason. If you're George Payton, Sean Payton, your coaches and your scouting department, we need to build the best 53-man roster. And as the Broncos have gone through training camp in the preseason, they have notes on every player. And they all put that in one centralized platform.

Starting point is 00:20:49 And they communicate effectively. Le Winthico make the tough decisions. Odu can help you do the same exact things because great organizations win because operations matter. and that's why you should get O-Doo. Try for free today at Odo.com slash lockdown. That's OD-O-O-O-D-O-D-com slash locked-on. Bo Nix and the Broncos starters got plenty of run last week against the Green Bay Packers, and some of the starters got plenty of run in week one against the Atlanta Falcons.

Starting point is 00:21:13 But as you go into week three against a Brian Flores defense, that loves to send zero blitz looks at the quarterback. Do you play Bo Nix and the starters on Friday? That's what we're getting into. Shout out to everyone in Broncos, country, all the everydayers out there. Thanks for tuning in making us your shift. first listen, you know, the lockdown podcast network, your team every day. Also the number one sports podcast network in the country.

Starting point is 00:21:35 Sarah, where do you stand on this? Because I feel like I go back and forth in my head. I'm like, okay, do you want to play the starters some in this game against the Vikings? Or do you want to just rest them, get them ready for Monday night football against Kansas City? I'm split down the middle on the two, but here's maybe where I lean on why I think maybe they should play a series or two here. The Broncos have not conducted a joint training camp practice. And there is this conversation.

Starting point is 00:22:00 And Arizona Cardinals head coach LaFleur made mention of it. Michael Fleur made mention that they did a study in the offseason when it came to these joint practice. And if you do a joint practice, that's the essential equivalent of playing, you know, certain amount of snaps in a preseason game. They believe it gets you callous enough. And the actual data suggests that you don't see as many injuries through the first handful of weeks of the season because you're callous enough. We haven't seen the Broncos do that. So part of me is thinking because of that trend, I think we're going to see the starters play on Friday.

Starting point is 00:22:32 And I want to be very clear. As a time that we're sitting down and recording this, we recorded this Wednesday morning. We had yet to hear from Sean Payton. So maybe by the time this even drops here on Thursday, maybe Sean Payton's already said after his Wednesday press conference that that starters are going to play some. So this is beforehand, just an FYI to everyone. Yeah. And I think I honestly would like to see them play. Cody, I mean, I don't need to see Pat Sartan.

Starting point is 00:22:58 Obviously, we don't need to see any guys who are, like, working their way back from injuries or anything like that. We don't need to see that. But like you said, building up that callous, like Sean Payton talks about that all the time. And when Sean Payton talks about something, he's like, he'll put feet to it. He doesn't really just, he's about it if he talks about it, right? He will put his money where his mouth is or whatever phrase you want to use there. So I know he talks a lot about building the callus. I know he's talked a lot about players playing in the preseason.

Starting point is 00:23:29 And I don't think he really minds weighing that, you know, the on-field benefits and building the callus versus the potential risk of a freak injury happening, right? I mean, they don't think about like, they don't think like that with every single player on the team, right? So there's certain guys that you would say, like, does Pat Sartan need to build the callus? No. does Riley Moss who's dealing with a rib injury need to build more callus? No.

Starting point is 00:23:56 So there's Zach Allen. Does he need to build callus? Probably not. I mean, so there's certain guys that you could decide to say, hey, this guy is going to just be wearing a jersey and a headset or whatever on the sideline. But for even like Bo Nix, again, he was injured in the recovery, in the beginning of the offseason program, kind of worked his way back. He looked really good in the preseason opener.

Starting point is 00:24:18 Was that good enough? was that enough callous for him? Or do you want to go out there and see him, you know, kind of just get his feet a little bit more wet on the field? Or do you want to risk, like you said, with Brian Flores? I mean, he is a madman, just like Vance Joseph is when it comes to his, and he will send guys. Just ask Jackson Dart and, you know, what Brian Flores will send at you in a preseason game.

Starting point is 00:24:42 So, like, the last thing we want or indeed is we're not saying build callus by, hey, go take a hit from a blitzing safety from Brian Flores in the preseason. Like that's what Bo Nix needs before the start of the year. He needs to take a huge hit like that. Absolutely not. No, we want to see them out there like operating things, making plays. That's not the type of callus we're talking about is taking a big hit and, you know, risking getting hurt.

Starting point is 00:25:09 Like we want these guys out there playing and getting on-field in-game reps at full speed. That's the type of callus you want to build. and I do think Sean is of that philosophy. I mean, shoot, Bo's been hit more times than practice and he's been hitting a preseason game so far. I mean, at this point, why not? You got big Malcolm Roach, Nick Benito, you got Malcolm Roach hitting you twice.

Starting point is 00:25:29 Nick Benito getting you once. You get sandwiched between Malcolm Roach and Benito on one specific play. I mean, I feel like that's enough contact there for Bo Nicks to absorb. But, I mean, Bo's tough. I think Bo wants to play, will want to play. Obviously, as a time we're recording this on a Wednesday morning, we are expected to hear from Bo Nix on Wednesday. So if you're getting this episode, obviously on Thursday when it releases,

Starting point is 00:25:50 we probably already heard from Bo. But we can't predict the future, folks. But anyways, I do think that some starter should play. Do guys like Cortland Sutton need to play in this game? No. Jalen Waddle, I don't even think Jailen Waddle needs to play because he's also one of those guys that was on a pitch count. But with Marvin Mims returning back to practice this week,

Starting point is 00:26:07 Sarah, I think it would be good for Marvin to get a couple of snaps or at least a series in this game against Minnesota on Friday. I don't even think I need to see much of guys like Pat Bryan. I would say, okay, maybe Pat plays a series, Marvin plays a series, and then Troy Franklin, right? And then a little Jordan Humphrey, you have your main guys. And then maybe in the second half, it's the undrafted guys. The Colby Katz is the Cameron Ross, is the Joseph Manjacks of the world that go out there and they get some reps. So I'm with you.

Starting point is 00:26:33 I think there are a handful of guys that you'll probably see that'll dress in uniform, go out through pregame warmups. But I think there'll be a handful of key starters that probably actually don't even take the field when the game actually starts. but I think some players will. And I think that maybe the guys that the coaching staff has questions on in certain positions or areas, maybe we want to see a little bit more. This is the game to do it. And you're going to get a different exotic blitz look that your communication is going to have to be exactly where it is.

Starting point is 00:26:58 In order to preserve your quarterbacks and keep them upright to prevent any kind of disaster that we saw last week against the Green Bay Packers, where too many third and long situations, too many penalties, too much pressure allowed to Jared Stidham and Sam Ellinger. don't want to have that happen this week. And you know what? Get Bo Nix in there for a series or two. Get them out, bang. There you go. Now we go on to Kansas City.

Starting point is 00:27:19 That's the motto here as we push forward as the Broncos wrap up their NFL preseason this Friday against the Minnesota Vikings at home. You'll get a post game show from Sarah and myself. You also get the squad show later on as well. And in the meantime, Broncos Country, if you like today's episode show, hit that subscribe by that follow button so you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team. Sarah and I bring it to you every single day. all year long. And also, if you want to check up the Lockdown Broncos hit YouTube page,

Starting point is 00:27:46 it's short, sweet Broncos consumable content that you can have over a cup of coffee almost every single day. So make sure you go check that out as well. Tomorrow's episode of the show will be our final game preview of Sarah and I highlight our players to watch will go a little bit deeper into some of our bold predictions, things that we think we will see here for the Broncos on Friday. You'll get all that in tomorrow's episode, Lockdown Broncos. We'll see you then.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - CRUNCH TIME: Denver Broncos Sam Ehlinger Headlines Players UNDER PRESSURE vs. Minnesota Vikings

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.