Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos DEPTH Highlights Biggest EDGE Going into 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos biggest roster strength going into 2026 might not be what you think it is. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Happy Monday, Broncos country. I'm Cody Rourke. joined as always by Sarah Bettinger. Today's episode of the show is brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu. And right now, new customers can bet just $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Fandu.com to get started. We're going to play a little bit of a whiteboard Monday debate club here on today's episode of the show as we go through and highlight the biggest questions surrounding the

Starting point is 00:00:45 off season where Denver's biggest roster weaknesses are as they get ready for rookie minicap this week and more importantly kicking things off with the biggest roster strengths for this Broncos team. And as we said, it may not be what you expected to be. We'll debate it here on today's Whiteboard Monday edition of Locked on Broncos. Sarah, I always love doing these because it's a little time for mystery. It's a time to play some games. And I always feel like every time we break out the whiteboards,

Starting point is 00:01:11 and I know the audience is always curious about that as well. I want them to play along as if they're here with us. So as you're listening to the show, Broncos Country, right down as we're going through the answers to your questions. And we're excited to hear what they may be. But I'm going to kick things off with you, Sarah. As we look at this Broncos team, what they were able to achieve this past season was remarkable going 15.

Starting point is 00:01:32 when it happened 15 wins, if you include the playoffs, winning 14 games in the regular season, a lot, an expectation nobody really thought that they would do. They surpass that. Now the expectations for this team are high to the point, this team is bringing back a lot of the same players from last year because they believe they can win a Super Bowl with this group of guys. Let me ask you, what is the biggest roster strength for the Broncos and where are you going here on Whiteboard Monday?

Starting point is 00:01:58 Well, Cody, I'm really eager to see what you have to say as well here because you mentioned, and we talked about this before the show. So for the listeners to know, like, we don't know each other's answers to this. And you teased yours to me by saying that it's not necessarily a position, but a concept. And I had already written mine down. So it's going to be interesting to see how close we are on this. But here's what I put, Cody. I put depth as the Broncos biggest roster strength in 2026.

Starting point is 00:02:24 I think that ultimately, you know, you're only as good as your depth in the NFL. And of course, we know that when you get deeper into the season, when you get the opportunity to play in playoff games. The healthiest teams typically, you know, are the teams that are going to do the best. And it's not always the most talented teams. It's not always, well, this team has the best quarterback. And obviously you want to have both of those things. You want to have a good quarterback.

Starting point is 00:02:47 You want to have good top end talent. But if you are not deep, you are not going to go deep in the playoffs. And that has been proven over the course of history. And so I think the Broncos ultimately have some of the best depth in the NFL. you mentioned it, the continuity from last year's team before acquiring anybody this offseason. The Broncos had brought back 71 guys who were on the team last year in some capacity. Then you add Jalen Waddle. So you upgrade the top end talent of the roster.

Starting point is 00:03:15 And then you upgrade the depth through the draft and you're bringing guys back. You're developing young players. Tons of guys have played a lot of snaps for this team. I just think depth is the number one strength of this roster going into 2026. George Payton would agree with you. He said the same exact thing after the Broncos wrapped up their draft, feeling like we won a lot of games last year because of our depth. And that kind of plays into maybe my answer a little bit.

Starting point is 00:03:38 And I want to kind of share my thoughts on yours real quick before I dive into mine. I mean, let's maybe take a look at some of the players who stepped up last year. When you talk about depth, let's go to corner. When Pat Sertan went down with his injury, it was obviously Riley Mossing, the cornerback won responsibilities, but it was Jaday Barron. It was Chris Abrams drain. Those two guys stepping in because the Bronwyn. Rockos, they learned from their mistakes from 2024 where, man, our cornerback depth wasn't as great.

Starting point is 00:04:05 We had Levi Wallace who just, that was not his role playing on the outside. He was playing primarily that dime role that Jaday was playing this past season. He played that in 2024. He got put there on the outside. And Elijah Moore cooked him for over 100 yards in that game, as did Jerry Judy. It was a rough game for Levi Wallace. Denver went through that whole offseason experience and you know what? We should have played Chris Aden's drain a little bit more.

Starting point is 00:04:28 but we also need to upgrade our depth. In the event of an injury, we need to make sure our cornerback depth is solid. And as unpopular as it was, Denver went out and they drafted Jadae Barron. And I understand he didn't play as much in the eyes of Broncos country, but having that depth mattered in a big time way. And I think Denver got burnt by it in 2024. They learned from in 2025. Edge rusher, let's take a look at Jonah Ellis when he suffered the injury.

Starting point is 00:04:51 Dandre Tillman, stepping up in a big time way. Now you get a little bit more of a deeper look at some guys that maybe if Jonah was more healthy, he didn't miss time. How much of Dondrae Tillman would we have seen last year, when we have seen the extended look at him if Jonah never got hurt? That's obviously a question to be answered. But then Denver likes Jonah enough. They move him to offball linebacker because they really like their other outside linebacker in Q Robinson. So you get to experience these things in a vacuum when you're evaluating talent. And I think George and Sean, they've really sat down and they've looked at the bigger picture of this team. And I agree. I think depth is one of the

Starting point is 00:05:27 biggest strength of this roster. My concept, though, and here's my answer here on Whiteboard Wednesday, Sarah, it is experience, my friend, experience is the greatest thing that you can have. And it's crazy the three, well, not, I was 360 wouldn't be the right term. The 180 from 2024 to now the perception of this Broncos team. I saw something over the weekend where everyone on Twitter was debating about who's the favor right now coming out of the AFC. That's in, and they're like, there's a feeling it's not the bills. It's not the Bengals. It's not the Chiefs. I saw so many people saying it's the Broncos. It's crazy how in 2024 before the season even began when Bo Necks was drafted, everyone said, this is going to be the worst roster in football. They're going to be terrible. They're going

Starting point is 00:06:08 to be Candace for the number one overall pick to the point now that they have ascended so far. And they haven't necessarily let the hype get to their heads. They were inexperienced in 24 outside of who? Cortland Sutton, PS2, primarily Garrett Bulls, Mike McGlinchie. They didn't have that. But now those young guys who were inexperienced in 2024, they're now at the forefront here, 2026. Last year, the Broncos allowed on inexperienced guys with RJ Harvey, Pat Bryant at times. Now those guys have a little bit more of that experience. Not saying that they're veterans, but they've been through the mud with the Broncos, right?

Starting point is 00:06:41 And now they're in a position where things can take off for them this upcoming season. I think overall Denver's got more experience across the board. And that's all relative to the continuity in which retaining 71 players that were on the roster. or at some point last year, adding two new additions in free agency, drafting the rookies that you added. Experience, I think, is one of the biggest things that are now benefiting this Broncos team and them going through and winning those one score games last year. After the year prior, they were losing all those one score games.

Starting point is 00:07:09 How they approached this year in that same category will be very interesting. Will that experience take them to the point where they're now blowing out teams that they should more consistently versus being in dog fights and finding ways to win? I hope, and that's my belief here, is that experience. will translate over here in 2026, even though that their schedule is going to be tougher. I'm trying to think of the phrase that Coach Peyton used at one point, Cody, when he was talking about the team's inexperience being an asset in their favor, essentially, he was basically saying, you know, ignorance is bliss or like you don't know what

Starting point is 00:07:42 you don't know. And so when you've got a team that's young and essentially it's just kind of playing with house money, they've viewed that as an advantage for their team. But when you talk about the experience that they've now had over the last two years, how valuable is it to have been in all those one score games? How valuable is it to have gone up against Josh Allen in the playoffs each of the last two seasons? How valuable is the experience of playing in the ASC championship? So it's not just like years that they're accruing on their, you know, like ledger as veteran players.

Starting point is 00:08:12 It's experience in situations. It's experience in moments. It's understanding what it's like to have a short off season. It's understanding what it's like to play deep into January. and to believe that you can get past that point because ultimately, you know, you can, I like to say this and it's not always applicable, but you can't lead someone where you've never been, right? And so I think for the Broncos, now you're in a position where like these other players on the team,

Starting point is 00:08:39 like they've all been to the AFC championship game. I know Sean Payton's won a Super Bowl. So he's able, that's one of the biggest reasons, Cody, why I feel like we believe this team can win a Super Bowl is you've got a coach who's been there before. It's not to say coaches don't win it, you know, for the first time. That's not what I'm trying to say. But ultimately, you know, with a team that has experience, you've got veterans on the team, obviously, but you've also got guys now who have played in big moments, big playoff games.

Starting point is 00:09:06 They've won the division. They know what all these things taste like. And so now you can apply that when you're trying to build upon something. Like it's, yes, you're reshuffling the deck or you're flipping over the puzzle and doing it all over again because it's a new year, but you are building on the experience that you've built in terms of, okay, we've gotten to this point. We know what it takes to get there. I can't remember who it was that was just talking about that. If it was Peyton Manning or something like that, who's saying, like, have these guys know what it takes to get it done now. I mean, that's what that experience

Starting point is 00:09:38 is. It's not just, well, we've got a bunch of really quality veterans on the team. No, it's about experience in moments and getting as far as you possibly can. Well, you know, people are liking the the combination of sayings that you and I are coming up with. You came up with one last week, you know, saying that Bo Nix was the straw that stirs the, or the was the drink that scores the straw at that point. And somebody said, these guys are coming up with some clever catchphrases. You know, there is that saying, and you kind of alluded to it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Starting point is 00:10:09 Has anyone ever forced a horse to try to drink water? Have you ever tried? Like, I don't know. I wonder if you can. I mean, they have things now. You have like little bottles that you could probably squirt in their mouth. I don't even know, but I don't even know where we're going with this. You might get kicked.

Starting point is 00:10:21 This is, yeah, I was just watching a Kentucky Derby this past week, and I tell you what, the horse that I had on mine, he bucked his jockey off and was scratched right before the race had started. So we'll see how things go with that here with this Broncos team here. Broncos country share with us your perceived whiteboard Monday, biggest roster strength here for the Broncos. Coming up next, we're going to share our thoughts on what we believe the biggest roster weaknesses for this Broncos team as we continue on here today's show.

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Starting point is 00:11:40 Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indy.com slash podcast right now. Support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast terms and conditions apply need to hire. This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. We talked about the biggest strengths for the Denver Broncos roster going into the 2026 season, but what about the biggest weaknesses? Are they going to surprise all of you listeners out there as much as they surprise,

Starting point is 00:12:05 maybe even Cody and I to think about it? I know that Broncos don't have a lot of weaknesses. So we might have to go with some of these, I guess, concepts instead of position groups, Broncos country, but we're going to break it all. down on today's episode of the show here on a whiteboard Monday. Very exciting stuff. And Broncos country, as we get deeper into the offseason and closer to the team, doing some on-field work and training camp even in a couple of months here. We want to invite you to check out the everyday or club. You're going to be able to

Starting point is 00:12:33 join other Broncos country members on our Discord channel and get an ad-free episode of the show. So we appreciate you considering supporting the show in that way. Cody, I'm excited to see what you think here because ultimately the Broncos don't have a lot the roster weaknesses. I mean, I think you can be critical and say, well, they need depth at certain areas or they need, you know, better depth or more proven depth or whatever it may be, even though I just said depth is the strength of this team. But, you know, we, we kind of view things underneath a microscope, right? We're like, okay, as I'm, as I'm scanning this position group right here, I can spot a weakness at the molecular level. So that's kind of where it is. I feel like the Broncos

Starting point is 00:13:11 are that good. So I, what do you think? What is this team's biggest roster weakness here? in 2026. Yeah, I agree with you. And I like that you said at the molecular level, because, I mean, we are at this point kind of nitpicking. And even though they've made some additions, it's still, in my opinion, maybe one of their bigger weaknesses in terms of like their depth is strong, but this position, the depth still is very unclear. I'm going to go linebacker here, Sarah. Linebacker to me is a big question mark for me right now in terms of whether or not this is the biggest roster weakness here for Denver. I think they got better in a lot of areas. the running back position, certainly with the addition to Jonah Coleman, R.J. Harvey going to year two.

Starting point is 00:13:50 I'm excited about that. But Alex Singleton, Justin Sternad, are the perceived guys that are going to be starting at linebacker, at least the early signs right now in the offseason this upcoming year. That's why the Broncos were comfortable. And they said it wasn't a position that we got to have it at linebacker in the NFL draft, though they got Red Murdoch as Mr. Irrelevant with the last pick in the NFL draft. They have an undrafted guy who's getting a lot of buzz in Tarin, York. And they have other guys behind Justin and Alex, like Jonah Ellis, who made the position switch, right? And then you have their guys from Lashard, Jordan Turner, Lavel Bailey, Corinne Reed. To me, this is a weakness slash question mark for me. And I'm excited to see how maybe Red Murdoch comes in and challenges

Starting point is 00:14:30 York comes in and challenges those other guys. But to me, the reason I'd say, like, we're looking at this roster offensively, defensively, sir, this is the position like, hey, if you have an injury here at linebacker, is the depth good enough right now for one of these guys to come in and start? And there's not going to be a massive dip in production. I can't honestly answer that question right now by saying yes. That is what maybe where I feel like this is the biggest roster weakness for Denver. What do you think on that? And I'm curious also to hear yours.

Starting point is 00:14:58 Yeah, I think you're right on that because look, the linebacker position, you start off when I think of roster weaknesses. I always start off by asking the question, if you're one injury away at this position, what does that look like, you know, or you're one injury away from. from being in blank position. So I think that linebacker is one of those spots where you look at that and you say, okay, one injury to a veteran and we're starting to really have to kind of squint

Starting point is 00:15:25 to see the positive at that spot. And that's not, it's not to say that they're bad players or anything like that, but we just don't know. We don't know with Red Murdoch. We don't know with Tori in York. We don't know, even with Jonah Ellis, even though very optimistic about what he can do out there, which Jonah Ellis, Cody,

Starting point is 00:15:44 speaks to the strength of this roster of the depth. It's just like, hey, we're literally too good to keep him at his position that we drafted him at that he was all rookie selection at. I mean, that's really a bit of evidence towards that. But I put down the tight end position. I think the tight end position to me is the biggest weakness on the roster right now in a similar vein of linebacker, right? Because you have Evan Ingram who I think can be a great asset for this team.

Starting point is 00:16:11 I think he can be a great asset for the passing game, but ultimately we didn't see that last year. The Broncos were one of just a couple of teams that didn't have a single tight end among the top 32 in the NFL in receiving yards at that position. I know that was a long-winded way of saying that, but no tight ends in the top 32 tight ends in the NFL in receiving yards. Ultimately, it's pretty sad because you paid a lot of money to get Evan Ingram. And then you just ultimately didn't utilize him.

Starting point is 00:16:40 Nate Adkins struggles with injuries. Adam Troutman barely gets the ball. So I love the additions of Justin Jolie and then you get Dallin Bentley. I love that. I'm optimistic about those guys, even as fifth and seventh round picks. But to say this tight end position has a lot to prove this offseason, I think would be an understatement. Because we don't know what those guys are going to bring to the table compared to last year, which I think you could argue.

Starting point is 00:17:06 I mean, Broncos had one of the worst tight end groups in the NFL, one of the least threatening on a week-to-week basis. So that to me is where I started with that question is, okay, what's the biggest roster weakness? You look at last year's team where they struggled the most. I think tight end, especially on offense, is where I would have to kind of plant my flag, so to speak. Yeah, no, I don't disagree with you.

Starting point is 00:17:28 I do think that that room, at least on paper, got better, right? But it's a question mark still. And God forbid, like, you always have to boost the depth of maybe some of your position rooms you feel like you have questions about. because you also have to get to the regular season too, right? We talk about it all the time. Around the NFL, there are guys that get hurt in training camp. There's guys that get hurt in joint practices, preseason games,

Starting point is 00:17:49 and the hope and prayer is that you can keep these guys or find a way. Like Denver lost a couple of guys last year. What was it, Matt Henningson, Michael Burton, they lost these guys due to injury, you know, before the regular season even came. I understand it's different Nate Adkins from time to time. He suffered an injury and he didn't make it to the start of the regular season because of that. So you do have to hope that we just got to get guys there. That's the ultimate goal is we've got to get them to week one and then we'll go from there.

Starting point is 00:18:13 But I hope the Broncos transform the perception that defenses have of their offense when it comes to the tight end position. Hopefully Evan Ingram explodes this year, especially with Davis Webb being the play caller, knowing and obviously the connection that those two guys have, how can he get him more involved? I think that's a huge question. I am so excited to see a little bit more about what Justin Jolie is going to bring to the table. Spoiler alert, Broncos country. Later on today, you're going to get a bonus episode where I sit down. with his tight-end coach at NC State.

Starting point is 00:18:41 Gavin Locklear, he tells me an awesome story about who he is as a person, who he is as a player. You get some good insights from the guy who coached him for the last two seasons. You'll get that today. But you are right. Like Denver has to come out because the perception is right now the tight-in position is just a decoy. It's a last checkdown option.

Starting point is 00:19:01 It's a security blanket, last resort if everybody else is taken away. I'm curious to see how Jalen Waddle's edition here, maybe opens things up for the tight ends a little bit more, especially if defense is focused on covering he and Cortland. I'm very excited about that. But I think that's fair. I think defensively, we highlight a linebacker offensively. I agree with you on the tight end position. Coming up next, Broncos Country, Sarah and I, we're going to give the answer to the question. What is the biggest question surrounding this Broncos team going into the offseason? It could be players, it could be concepts, it could just be theories in general. We're going to share that here on today's

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Starting point is 00:20:40 You comment on the show, you tweet us on social media with your answers. We appreciate you so much here for making us your first listening here on the lockdown podcast network, the number one sports podcast network in the country. Thanks to all of you. All right, sir, I'm putting you on the spot here for this question because I feel like you can go anywhere with this. The biggest question surrounding the off season for this team, could be player focused, could be coach focused, it could be concept focused. where are you leaning at here today, my friend?

Starting point is 00:21:07 Here's what I've got. I've got Davis Webb as the big question surrounding the offseason. And I'm excited about the question because I think that a lot of times I think about, okay, what's the biggest question? It's met with a sort of glass half empty sort of answer because you've got to be like, okay, so what am I questioning as opposed to what am I intrigued by? You know me, Cody. I'm the eternal optimist.

Starting point is 00:21:32 It looks like Cody might be erasing his. I have to erase my aunt. I have to erase it because I got the same one. Davis Webb's play caller. So I'm going to erase it. As you're talking, I'm going to write another one. Cody,

Starting point is 00:21:44 you went the humble route and let me answer this one first because I think it's a, I think it's a great question. Honestly, how is Davis Webb going to do as the play caller executing Sean Payton's offense? How is he going to set up other guys to, you know, succeed within the offense? Like, you know,

Starting point is 00:21:58 for instance, the guy that we just mentioned in the previous segment, Evan Ingram, who should have a much bigger role this season. I mean, how are you going to get him involved? And so I'm excited to find out what he's going to do. I'm excited to find out what his vision for the running game is going to be. How much are the Broncos going to change their run scheme, if at all, I just can't wait to see what he does.

Starting point is 00:22:19 And I know we've gotten one preseason game from him, but Cody, the rest of the offseason and the preseason is going to be fascinating to find out what's the installation look like. I can't wait to hear from Davis. And just literally somebody asked him, what do you envision? being different about the offensive play calling this year versus last year. So there's a lot of questions surrounding it, but I just, I don't, it's funny because I haven't perceived, and then you tell me your thoughts on this. I haven't thought of it in any sort of negative light whatsoever this off season. I've just been kind of operating like, man, Davis Webb taking play calling is going to be a good

Starting point is 00:22:55 thing. It's been this unknown, but I'm curious, excited to see how it's going to turn out. I haven't had as much anxiety or reserved. I don't even know if that's a word, probably not, to that whole entire question here. Because I do feel like we've seen things go a certain way. And maybe this is maybe where we all learn a lesson, too, about the gross of being a play caller. Like, Sean, we all believe is a great play caller, great play designer. But over the course of a game, there's times where we've aired our thoughts and our frustrations about how he calls certain games,

Starting point is 00:23:27 his approach to the run game, the past balance, all of that stuff. Is that something that maybe we get into this season? We're like, you know what? Maybe that's where Sean has the upper hand. Maybe there's things that we don't know about that. And that's also an area where maybe Davis as a young coach is going to figure things out himself, right? He's got to go through the growing pains there, right? We always say there's a saying.

Starting point is 00:23:48 It's from Denzel Washington, the Equalizer. When you pray for rain, you got to deal with the mud to. We've been praying for rain. But there might be times where it gets a little muddy out there, Broncos country. I agree with you. I think that is one of the biggest questions surrounding the off season. Obviously, you and I were in sync. So I had to change my answer.

Starting point is 00:24:03 But it's almost kind of very. similar in the light of how does Sean Payton manage not calling the plays here for the Broncos this upcoming season? Sarah, I can tell you this. When you become a coach, and I coach football for many, many years, and there were times where, you know, under one staff, I may have a different job. Under another staff, I may have play calling responsibility defensively. I had that, but then when things change, everything else changes.

Starting point is 00:24:31 And so I've coached with coaches and I've certainly had to do it myself where, hey, we're giving up play calling to this guy. He's coming in with a clear vision, new head coach. This is how he wants to do things. So we have to do it that way. I've been in that position. But as a head coach, when you voluntarily and you willingly give away something that is your baby, that is something that we feel like, and that's, Sean's never going to do that. But he does? Is there going to be a moment during a game this season where the offense is in a funk?

Starting point is 00:25:00 Does Sean have that itch to say, just give me that. Just give me the clipboard. I got the headset. I'm calling the place. I don't want that to happen. I think that would be negative for Davis Webb. I feel like that doesn't help him as a coach. However, I think Sean in that role, if the offense is struggling, I think Sean is this new CEO, a guy who's now showing that he's willing to delegate.

Starting point is 00:25:20 He goes to Davis, say, hey, what's going on? Here's what I'm seeing. And those two can collaborate. That's where I feel like maybe the biggest question with Davis and through the ups and downs of potential struggles. I actually have a little bit of faith and belief that, hey, like, Sean is going to be great for him in this regard. Now, 100%.

Starting point is 00:25:39 I do too because I feel like the Broncos understood when all these other big time teams wanted Davis Webb. Not all of them are trying to hire him as their head coach, like the Raiders, it seemed like wanted to maybe zero in on him, but you're getting looks at, you know, from the Baltimore Ravens and you're getting a look from the Buffalo Bills. And like those are teams with MVP. at the quarterback position. So that's not a small deal.

Starting point is 00:26:03 And for the Broncos to keep him, especially with as much as is at stake this coming season, Cody. I mean, this is a big time risk for Sean Payton. This is a big time move for him at a point in his career where, well, what's at stake for Sean Payton? Let's just, let's just paint it out there. What's at stake is becoming the first head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.

Starting point is 00:26:25 And so it seems like the, in many ways, in that particular way, I guess, the worst time for you to give up play calling because ultimately you're no longer the puppeteer of the offense. You are giving that over to a first year play caller, one of the youngest prospective head coaches in the NFL and somebody who's never done this at the NFL level other than a preseason game.

Starting point is 00:26:48 And you're giving that over to him with the Super Bowl at stake. So like you can pull holes in it all you want to. But I think for Sean, it represents a risk that is worth taking because you believe in what Davis can do to elevate the offense. And ultimately, that is what this is all about is winning football games. Elevating the offense will help win football games because ultimately, if the Broncos, how many times did we say it last season?

Starting point is 00:27:12 If the Broncos offense could play at as high of a level as the defense played for most of last year, that team's going to be unstoppable. And so just if Davis can help unlock that, especially because the players do have experience, to your point earlier, Cody, because you have the experience on the roster, you have the ability as a head coach to delegate the play calling to a young, inexperienced play caller

Starting point is 00:27:35 because you know that the players are going to be capable of going out there and executing. I don't think Sean's going to have a short leash on Davis. I think it's like, remember last year, when you have a rookie punter coming in, you say, hey, we're going, we're just going with this guy. Like, I know we have alternatives. We can go to free agency.

Starting point is 00:27:51 We could bring somebody in and hoard somebody on the practice squad. no, they let Jeremy Croshaw sink or swim as the punter. And I think, I mean, it might not be the same exact thing. It's apples to oranges in some ways, but it's going to be very similar, in my opinion, with Davis Webb. This is his year to get the job done unless the Broncos are, let's say, I mean, competing for a spot for, you know, the playoffs or the number one seed or whatever it may be, home field advantage and the offense is just on a streak of bad games.

Starting point is 00:28:20 That would have to be, you know, worst case scenario for Sean to take it. but I think otherwise this is Davis's year. Let me flip the question here for you just a little bit. If the Broncos didn't return as much roster continuity as they did, and let's say there were some wholesale changes, let's say you had maybe seven or eight different players departing free agency, and you've got three or four new faces that are half to step in on the offensive side, even the offensive line, maybe receiver a tight end.

Starting point is 00:28:47 You had new faces here. Does Sean Payton give up play calling if you don't have as much roster continuity? That's honestly, That's a great question because my whole thought is that this move sort of centers around Bo Nix, right? I don't know what your thoughts are on that, Cody. But ultimately, I think that because Bo and Davis have such a great relationship, that move really hinges on Bo because you are adding, I mean, you're adding Jalen Waddle to

Starting point is 00:29:13 the mix. You're adding a new running back and Jonah Coleman, who figures to be in the mix, Justin Jolie, who figures to be in the mix at tight end. I mean, you're adding new pieces. And ultimately, I mean, that's. you trade for Jalen Waddle and Sean's probably thinking to himself, man, we get Jalen Waddle in, I gave up play calling a couple months too early.

Starting point is 00:29:31 You know what I'm saying? So that aspect of it is almost kind of funny to me. But I think, you know, what are your thoughts? Because ultimately I think this move really does center around Bo Nix. No, I think I think everything does.

Starting point is 00:29:43 I mean, Bo is kind of the middle point here for all of this. And to your point, I never thought of it that way when you mentioned Jalen Wadle and Sean being like, wait a minute. I gave up play calling and now he traded for Jalen Waddle. Now it's like, okay, maybe the Broncos offense is going to be ran by Davis Webb,

Starting point is 00:29:58 sponsored by Sean Payton at this point. He's going to be the title sponsor of the Broncos offense. Or he's going to be like, all right, Davis, run this play. And Davis can be like, all right, we're running this play. It doesn't necessarily hurt. I think Sean at times is going to give some feedback, hey, like, maybe this play will be here. I think with Sean being able to evaluate the game and being able to watch the defense, the flow of the offense while not having to worry about all the other stuff that comes into it,

Starting point is 00:30:22 while Davis calls the play, gets the personnel going. I guarantee you that's going to maybe help Sean see things that, hey, they come out on this, Davis, let's go here. Let's call this play. Let's get this. And Davis is going to be like, all right, let's do it. Like that collaboration, I think is going to be big. And more importantly, maybe it's allowing Bo Nix to say, hey, I'm seeing this.

Starting point is 00:30:39 This is what they're doing. I want this play. I think we're going to score on this play. Davis will be like, yes, go ahead. Like, I think that's where kind of things are going to accelerate here for this Broncos offense, knock on wood, hopefully. Very excited about that. I know, I know Bo is not concerned.

Starting point is 00:30:54 know that Bo kind of put his own social media post out over the week, kind of showcasing just like, I'm going to control the narrative on me, which I love that about him. And I love that he wants to take control because there are a lot of conflicting things out there, concern about the ankle. Bo himself doesn't seem concerned. Obviously, with the clip he posted on Instagram of him running, that obviously could have taken place before the cleanup, but it's clear that Bo, he's good. He's not worried at all.

Starting point is 00:31:17 And Broncos Country, neither should you. But with that said, that'll wrap up today's episode to show here. Whiteboard Monday, Broncos Country. hope you joined in on the debate club with us. Send us your responses to biggest roster strengths, weaknesses, and the biggest question surrounding the offseason for this Broncos team. We got a lot coming at you here this week. Catch the bonus episode with Justin Jolie's tight end coach from NC State coming up here today.

Starting point is 00:31:38 But more importantly, we got Broncos rookie mini camp. Obby there, there's so much fun buzz surrounding this team. And we'll have you covered every step of the way. We'll see you tomorrow for a brand new episode, Lockdown Broncos.

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