Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos EMERGE As Destination Spot With Bo Nix At QB | AFC West On Notice

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

The Denver Broncos have emerged as a destination spot with Bo Nix under center at quarterback. Broncos head coach Sean Payton highlighted how the Broncos offense can improve around Nix in the passing game, and touched on why Denver is becoming a hot-spot for NFL free agents like Dre Greenlaw, Evan Engram, and Talanoa Hufanga. Plus, Courtland Sutton is a priority extension target for the Broncos after the NFL Draft. Cody Roark is a credentialed beat reporter for Mile High Sports and covers the Broncos daily in person. Sayre Bedinger is the site expert for Predominantly Orange. Both bring Broncos Country the most in-depth and objective coverage of the Denver Broncos. WANT MORE DAILY DENVER BRONCOS CONTENT?For all of the latest Denver Broncos news today -- Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBroncos?sid=YouTube Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFL Follow on Twitter: @CodyRoarkNFL and @SayreBedingerFollow the show on Twitter: @LockedOnBroncos Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. 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.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton says that the interior triangle of the passing game is imperative for Bo Nix and the Broncos. They've taken steps to make that a strength this offseason. We'll break that down. And much more on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Broncos country, what's happening? Welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. part of the lockdown podcast network, your team every day.

Thank you so much to the everydayers out there in Broncos country. Thank you so much for making us your first listen. However, you choose to do so. And if you're not yet in every day, or it is easy to be coming. All you have to do is hit that subscriber or that follow button wherever you get your podcast for all your Broncos news, content coverage, analysis, and more that you get every single day all year long,

including throughout the entire offices. We got you covered here. I'm Cody Rourke. Broncos reporter for Mile High Sports, joined as always by Sarah Bedinger, site expert, Promley Orange.com. And look, the NFL annual beating is taking place in Florida. And we got a lot of great insight from Sean Payton about this Broncos offseason and what's ahead for them here.

We'll wrap up today's show by talking about Cortland Sutton reporting for the voluntary offseason program. That is his plan as a sign of good faith in what he hopes to be a contract extension coming his way. We'll also talk about why the Broncos are becoming a destination team for a lot of players and free agents. We're going to kick things off today by highlighting what Sean Payton says the Broncos can do to help boost Bo Nix and the passing game this upcoming season.

Sarah, look, obviously Florida, Eastern Time Zone, it was early for all of us in Colorado, as Sean Payton met with the media around 5 o'clock a.m. Mountain time. And look, a lot of conversation about the Broncos, the direction in which they're heading. But more importantly, Sean Payton has a clear vision and a clear understanding what they need to do as an organization to help surround Bow Nix with everything that he needs around him to succeed,

especially in the passing game where, hey, look, he was the offense. He was the bright spot for them. Now it's about trying to get all the other pieces to align. Yeah, just like Phil Jackson built the triangle offense around Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant once upon a time. Cody and Sean Payton is having to surround his goat, Bo Nix, obviously.

No, but in all seriousness, that inside triangle that he's talking about, specifically he's talking about tight end running back and he said wide receiver a third wide receiver three essentially which i took to mean the slot receiver uh cody you can correct me if i'm wrong on that and assuming that hopefully we'll get to hear that uh press conference from sean payton at some point so we can draw better conclusions there but i think that it's it's so huge with what we saw last year isn't it where it seemed like if the broncos weren't getting something outside or a quick pass to the perimeter or a deep pass

downfield that the passing game really was like kind of trudging through quicksand. And so opening up the middle of the field here is going to just by the very nature of it, open up everything on those, you know, those swing throws, those passes to the outside, the quick throws to Marvin Mims, the quick throws to Troy Franklin, getting Cortland Sutton hopefully available on more slot, you know, or more slant routes because we didn't see enough of that last year. And so I just feel like having these positions to a point where you can say, hey, we're confident in the guys that we have out there. Like last year didn't exude a ton of confidence in getting the tight ends involved

or the running backs involved in the passing game. It was more so of just, hey, by nature of the offense, we kind of have to do these at certain times. Now you have players that you want to put in those positions to really take advantage of what a defense is showing you pre-snap. Well, one of the things that Sean talked about in his press conference was that, you know, you mentioned that triangle there. Look, you look at the Broncos wide receiver room.

I think it's safe to say that they're more confident in that room and they're higher on it. And Sean even told us this back at Radio Row when he was sitting down with Kay Adams, that they believe that they're higher on their wide receiver room than most people think that they are. That doesn't mean that they're not going to be in the equation, maybe adding one in the draft or maybe a veteran option and free agency still maybe being on the table here. But let's talk about tight end being one of the more important ones. That was a dynamic. The Broncos offense did not have enough production from last year.

Adam Troutman, obviously, the leading guy was the tight end one there. He had the most receiving yards at 188. Lucas Crowe, who was just in a rotation role, had the most receptions out of any tight end with 19. And then Nate Atkins had a couple of touchdowns here and there. But that was a position element, Sarah, that outside of the run game being a missing factor last year for the Broncos, the tight end production was also another one.

So when you think about it, you're really condensing the offensive production to the outside, to wide receiver or to, you know, a running back out of the backfield, or your other wide receiver. He was Marvin Mims and Cortland Sutton. And Marvin didn't really come on strong until the second half of the season. So for the Broncos to capitalize the way that they didn't become a top 10 scoring offense last season, with some of the deficiencies that they had personnel-wise and scheme-wise,

that to me is one of the most mind-boggling things. And to me, I think when you look at that, it gives credence to the notion that, hey, if the Broncos go out there and they find a solidified guy running back, and it could be somebody already on the roster. That's something Sean Payton already mentioned there. is that they would like to see maybe how the competition plays out with the four guys that they have in the roster. But we already know they're going to add. We'll get into that a little bit later on here in this show.

But to me, it's like tight end. Evan Ingram's edition is definitely game changing. And once again, Sean Payton confirmed. Ingram is that Joker guy has the Joker traits. We'll play that Joker role here inside of Denver's offense, which to me, you boost that area of the field that you didn't have last year. That makes me excited about what bonus can do here in year number two. 100% and I think everybody in Broncos country should be excited about that as well knowing that Bo is getting better this offseason already. Sean Payton kind of talked about,

hey, there are areas that he has to improve, but he's got that grit and the toughness to be able to do it. And I think that with surrounding him with better personnel, I mean, it's not going to require all of Bo Nix's grit and toughness to necessarily get better on his own. Like he's not going to have to be the tide to raise all boats in the harbor this coming season. Now, will he do that at times? Absolutely. I think he has that trait. And that's something that I think a lot of people disagreed with at the time of the draft, Cody, is that Bo Nix was not a harbor, you know, tide raising type of quarterback.

I think we saw his rookie year. Like, he definitely is that guy. But that doesn't mean that you skimp on surrounding him with guys. You have to go out and get him playmakers. And I think maybe amongst that triangle that Sean Payton talked about, I think they have one guy solidified, that tight end, right? Evan Ingram, he's now in the mix. But I don't necessarily think you have that running back or that wide receiver three.

I know there's options there. I know that Devon Bailey can play that big slot role. Troy Franklin will get snaps. Obviously, Marvin Mims is there. But do the Broncos have that slot player? Like we've talked about with Emeka Eggbuka in the past, our previous mock draft that you and I did together. Do they have that type of guy that can get open quickly in the middle there at that

slot wide receiver position? I don't know if they have that right now. And I think that that could open up an interesting little can of worms here as we get closer to the NFL draft. Yeah. And look, I think there's little pebbles, little amounts of smoke screen here and there that Sean's going to throw out because I felt like he was a little more candid than he normally is.

But then again, I was like, wait a minute, all right. Let's not get fooled by the illusion here. Sean is painting a picture as to, okay, this is where we need to go as a team. What's going to get us there? Well, you look at what the team has in terms of, you know, they have four young backs on the roster right now, a running back. That doesn't mean that they're going to not take a running back in the draft. I mean, George Payton himself even said that they're going to take a back in this year's draft. There's going to be extensive competition there.

But I think wide receiver is definitely the interesting one. And that could that one maybe be a position that is in play for round number one of the NFL draft? I'll be very curious to see what happens. three and a half weeks away from the draft from taking place. And the Broncos, they'll be on the clock pick number 20. Maybe they'll trade up. Maybe they'll trade back. But we don't want things for certain.

They are looking to boost this team a little bit further here. And part of that is because the Broncos are becoming a bit of a destination for a lot of people. Just two years ago, when Nathaniel Hackett had his fingerprints all over this team and it was disastrous, the state of the Broncos was in shambles. Sean Payton comes in and the turnaround from year one all the way to now is impressive in terms of the perception of the Denver Broncos. Why are the Broncos becoming a destination team right now in the NFL? We'll dive deep into the details that Sean Payton shared with us here on today's episode, Lock on Broncos. Today's episode Locked on Broncos is brought to you by friends over there at Fandu.

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Because obviously this team was kind of in shambles just a couple of years ago, Broncos Country. Well, we're going to be talking about a couple of really cool stories and Sean Payton's explanation of why this team is now a destination franchise once again. But before I say thank you to Broncos Country, I think we all say collective thank you to the birthday boy of today's episode, Cody Rourke, the OG, the legendary. the one and only happy birthday to you, Cody. We appreciate you so much for all you do for Broncos Country.

The dude is out here posting videos of Riley Moss late on a Sunday evening, folks. I mean, this guy is a grinder, the ultimate. So shout out to Cody for all he does for Broncos Country. And shout out to you, the everyday listeners of the show. Flood the comment section if you're on YouTube. And if you're not on YouTube, hey, go ahead, go do that right now. But flood the comment section with happy birthdays for our guy here. Thank you so much.

Cody, we appreciate you so much and excited to talk about why the Broncos are a destination team. Obviously, you know, part of the reason is that you cover the team. You're there at practice. You're there in the locker room. I know the players love hanging out with you and getting to chat with you. But other than, you know, getting to rub elbows with Cody Rourke, you know, what are the reasons why the Broncos are a destination team for players? Because there was a really cool story put out there by one of the new guys on the beat in Denver. Luca Evans at the Denver Post posted a cool story.

about Dre Greenlaw, his free agent pursuits, things like that, and how the Broncos honestly didn't even make Dre the best offer in free agency, but he still chose to come to the Mile High City anyway. Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with the allure of having a young quarterback. And I think more so having the key word that I'm about to say here is stability in place. The Broncos right now, you look at them, Sarah, they feel very stable in the direction in which they're going. They got their young quarterback in place.

They have, you know, they don't have to worry about a contract extension for Broncos. ball nicks for quite some time. You know, they got him on a rookie deal. Whereas you look at the opposite, as much as Drake Greenlaw loves San Francisco, as much as his teammate Fred Warner, loves him, as much as Drake Green, I love playing alongside Fred Warner and guys on that defense felt like Denver was a more stable environment in terms of where they were going. And a new start was definitely warranted because, hey, the Broncos, they, I mean, they made

their initial offer. And look, a lot of it is because, hey, Drake Greenlaw had that injury in the Super Bowl. And he came back only played in two games down the stretch. to the season right there. It's like you're not going to offer a big time contract. Even Sean Payton said it at the annual meeting that didn't think like, Drake Greenlaw, if he didn't get hurt, there's probably a strong chance. He doesn't even hit free agency.

The 49ers probably find a way to tag him and retain him up. So I think that factor is huge. I mentioned I teased it right before we got into this segment about how things were with Nathaniel Hackett. The perception of the Broncos as an organization before Sean Payton came in and then how they've handled the Russell Wilson thing, how they've moved on from that and how they've built this team. I mean, Sarah, it's impressive, right?

Every move that they've made, look, it's all on paper right now. This team is that sleeping giant that George Payton was talking about. He said that we, I feel like I see that this team could be a sleeping giant when he came in. Well, who would have thought I would have taken all the way from, you know, that time to now 2025. It's like, hey, that sleeping giant, it's awake and it's here and it is the Denver Broncos.

That's the appeal, I think, for why Drey Greenlaw came here to the Ma'i City. And not to mention, I mentioned the ties of town. Al-Anoa Hufanga. Those two guys having that bond that they have helped sway that a little bit, not to mention DJ Jones, who used to be teammates, obviously with the Green Law as well. That was definitely a big factor there. But, I mean, Sarah, I think that you look at it becoming a destination. Sean Payton mentioned it as well.

There are a handful of players on this roster already that have been staying in Denver, that have been training at the team facility all off season long. And that is a selling point that Sean Payton said. He says, we feel like we reduce injuries. You train here at altitude versus going training somewhere else and then coming here. There's a correlation there in terms of some injuries that they feel like was happening with players. That right there is also like we'll give you access to everything that you need to be successful. This organization is in a position where they are trending upwards and they are growing.

And this is a place to be. And now you got names. You got the young quarterback. You got a defensive player of the year in your roster. Right now, it's a great time. If you're a Broncos fan, it is a great time to be a member of Broncos country. It really is. I mean, we said a couple of years ago, I mean, the Broncos are just a quarterback away, right? And obviously, you know, that quarterback wasn't Russell Wilson, which is, you know, a bummer because you hoped things could work out there. But I think Bo Nix is kind of proving that idea correct. I know it's vastly different roster than it was a handful of years ago. But this team has kind of just felt like, man, it's just a quarterback away from being something, right? And from being maybe even a contender in the AFC West, which I know Sean Peyton talked about, like, nobody's going to be, you know, crying for us, no, on our behalf.

Like, we've got to go and kind of take care of this on our own. And Bo Nix is the reason why I think that this team is a destination. Like, I know that it's not all him. I know that he had the backing of a really good defense last year as a rookie, but the guy put together, if not for Jaden Daniels, would have been the most historic rookie year for a quarterback ever. And it just so happened that another guy in his same class had, you know, a similar type of season there.

And so with Bo being as good as he is, you know, in this early in his career, and the Broncos having flexibility. They get out of the Russell Wilson deal as of next year. No more dead cap on their salary cap. And you have all this flexibility. You've got the new facility coming in. You've got the cash rich ownership group. I mean, all these things work together.

And I saw that I think it was Jeff Duncan, the guy who covers the New Orleans Saints and has covered them for a really long time. I think he posted out there, Cody, in regards to that. Gray Greenlaw story that Sean Payton is an elite recruiter. Like if he wants somebody, he's going to get him. And have we not seen that in spades already? Not just this offseason, but dating back. I mean, this off season alone, you have the Dre Greenlaw story now,

but you also have Evan Ingram who the Broncos, I think it's an underrated piece of that story that they stole him basically from the Chargers. He left Denver to go visit the Chargers where they had a literal college coach. You know, Jim Harbaugh has been. recruiting guys better than most for the last 10 years. And Sean Payton outdid him and got Evan Ingram into the building in Denver. So I love that there's this difference of opinion out there that some people are jumping ship to get out of Denver.

And then there's other guys that just really want to be there. And like many people that really want to be there and literally aren't leaving. They had to pry bow knicks out of the facility after the Buffalo playoff game. So I just think it's funny, the perception of things. but Sean Payton knows how to sell people on vision. And I think that's maybe the biggest reason, Cody, why we're seeing the Broncos become a destination team right now. Well, and I think you look at Kansas City as well,

for as talented as they are, and they got Patrick Mahomes. They got Andy Reed. And obviously, they keep that core nucleus together as much as they can. Look, they're still always going to be the biggest threat to the Broncos' dreams and goals. And look, obviously, one of the topics at the NFL annual meeting is maybe voting on playoff restructuring.

I know I'm in favor of it. The Broncos are not. The Broncos, Sean Payton said that we believe winning the division is important to what we want to do. And so, you know, even if you, you know, you don't win your division, but you have a better record, you're not going to necessarily have that advantage. So I think it is win your division, have the chance to get a home game. Okay, then go take care of business there. That is the goal here.

But I feel like the window for Kansas City is closing. And the Broncos, they have this perfect window right now, this perfect timeline to go through and to dent that armor as much as they can. And we've seen that the Broncos can compete with Mahomes, with the Chiefs. They've got to avoid those things that, you know, you can't make some of the mistakes that you made necessarily against Kansas City. Like an arrowhead, you have a block field goal because you had a tendency on film that showed up a little too often on special teams. You know, a third down, you know, you broke and Tain a little bit on a couple of times

where Patrick Mahomes made a play that extended a drive there. Denver's close. Denver's very close. And I feel like 2025, this is the perfect opportunity for them to kick down the door and take back the AFC West, which has been in Kansas City's hands for way too long. And obviously, the Chargers are making moves as well. That's going to be another tough team. The Broncos didn't beat the Chargers at all last season.

You have to find a way to do that. But now I'm excited about it. The optics right now for this Broncos team are very high, not only from our perspective. And look, obviously, I get a close look every day in person during the season. But the players inside that locker room love the direction which the team is heading. And they got rid of a lot of guys in that locker room. And that was the vibe there is like, hey, we have a lot of young voices now that aren't afraid to speak up.

And they aren't afraid to challenge the status quo. You know, guys were apparently content with one, two, three, Cancun in previous years, whereas new guys are like, no, I'm not used to this. This isn't who we are. And so I like the mentality shift that the Broncos have had. It starts with the young guys in place. And hey, look, the sleeping giant is here. So NFL, you better wake up because the Broncos, they're coming.

There's a lot of excitement, a lot of optimism about where. they're at right now, and I think it's very valid for Broncos fans to be feeling that way. We'll see if the rest of the NFL world catches on here. But we're not done yet. Broncos country still got a lot to break down here on today's episode of the show as it pertains to contract extensions. We all know that Cortland Sutton is looking for one, and he's actually going to be attending the team's voluntary workout program as a sign of good faith. What does that mean for a timeline regarding his potential extension and what that may look like?

We'll break that down much more here on today's episode, locked on Brockos. As we dive at a fourth-core action of today's episode of the show, we'll talk about Cortland Sutton, his pending contract extension that he is looking for, what that means for the team. And certainly, when is the timeline going to be here for the Broncos to open up those discussions? We'll break that down here on today's episode of the show. Broncos Country, thank you so much for tuning in, making us your first listen of the day. Every single day, however you choose to do so, if you're not getting every day,

as I said, it's easy to become on, subscribe or follow wherever you get your podcast for daily, Broncos news, content coverage, analysis, and more. Sarah, obviously some big news here, you know, following the NFL annual meeting, it was reported early on Sunday morning that, I'm not Sunday morning, late Sunday night, that Broncos wide receiver, Cortland Sutton, does plan on attending the team's voluntary off-season program,

whereas last year he did not. He spent his time in Florida working out, going through some rehab because he did have ankle surgery in the off-season that year. But now he will be in the building for voluntary team workouts as he's looking to get a new contract extension. And I think there's a lot of differentiating factors about maybe what he's looking for in terms of a contract, but also the Broncos, they have a timeline as well as to when they maybe start looking at contracts for players who need an extension.

Yeah, George Payton said pretty clearly at the NFL owner meetings that it's going to be after the draft. And so there's no gray area here that, hey, before the draft, could we see something? No, it sounds like the Broncos are putting these things on the table. until after the 2025 NFL draft. And from what Mike Cliss reported, Cody, our good friend over there at 9 News, it sounds like there hasn't even really been like, I can't remember the term that he used to describe it, but there hasn't even really been like a, hey, we're at the negotiating table for some serious discussions right now.

It's really more so been of the preliminary like talk variety. But I think parameters are kind of out there already. If you want to look at other veterans that have signed deals that Cortland's, Sutton's would be comparable to. I think one of our good friends pointed out like, hey, Calvin Ridley has kind of the ideal potential contract to look at at four years, $92 million. He signed the deal when he was 30 years older, going into his age 30 season. He got $50 million and guaranteed money.

So that's a total of $23 million per year, $50 million in guarantees. And I feel like Cortland Sutton is probably going to get something very similar to that. And Mike Cliss did report, Cody, that the extension is expected to be north of 20 million. He basically just kind of threw out the question. The question is how much more than 20 million average annual value is it going to be? And how much in guaranteed money is Sutton going to get? Those are the big questions that we're looking at right now. But it does feel, especially the way Sean Payton was talking about it too,

it feels like Cortland getting an extension is a foregone conclusion at this point. I don't know how much the NFL draft is really going to change that, but certainly the market value for him is kind of out there already. Well, yeah, and you look at his production too. The NFL is always a what have you done for me lately business. In the last two years of Cortland Sutton's play, I mean, has been incredible to watch. 18 total touchdowns, Sarah.

I mean, he's been the primary go-to guy. You need a clutch catch on fourth down. And it's like fourth and however long, and you get your toe, you two feet in on a toe tap with just an inch to spare is what was NFL next gen stats most improbable reception, I think, and since they've been tracking it, and obviously what he had against the Buffalo Bills a couple years ago on Monday night football, Cortland's just a guy that comes up big. And of course, you look at, I think, the large volume of targets that Cortland has had in the last couple of years.

And of course, like, he has struggled with drops from time to time. But he's also making more plays than he is making more negative plays that harm you, right? And I think Cortland is a guy who has been through so much change here in this organization, so much instability. He has grown into becoming that Broncos number one wide receiver. Now, I think there's a debate to be had there, especially when you look at like other wide receivers running you, like an AJ Brown. Cortland's skill sets a little bit different than a guy like AJ Brown, who's a true

wide receiver one for that team. So I don't know what the classification will be here for the Broncos. 23 million a year sounds like the ideal spot. 23, 24. I'm okay with the Broncos paying out. Once again, it's not my money. But I understand and I want to. emphasize here how important Cortland Sutton is for Bo Nix.

These two guys spend so much time together with their wives. You know, they hang out by themselves together, you know, just away from the team facility. They've got that chemistry. They've got that rapport. And you obviously saw that last year in a couple of big moments. I remember the Raiders game in Vegas where Bo Nix suffered those transverse process fractures in his back.

And, you know, you needed a big play. He fires up a shot to Cortland Sutton who catches a crazy touchdown there. Those guys have such an important dynamic together. You look at the numbers of third down. Bow was obviously favorite target to go to Cortland on third down. That right there is so big. But obviously you need other guys to start stepping up a wide receiver to take that pressure off. The addition to Evan Ingram will certainly help.

Marvin Mims certainly helps. We'll see about Troy Franklin, Devon, Valey, and whether or not they add a receiver. But Cortland is that guy. And I think taking him away from Bo for everything that Sean Peyton and George Payton are talking about building this team around him, getting him the best players, that would be counterintuitive to that if they took him out of the equation and said, we're not going to extend him. And then this is going to be the last year we have with him and we're going to move on.

I don't think that would be the move here. But I'll sign's point to Cortland getting that extension, which I think is deserved. And this may even be a hot take, Sarah. I feel like what we have seen from Cortland, I feel like he still has his best football to be played ahead of him. Look, I think the injury early on the ACL threw things off. He came back, you know, tried to get his feet on him, you know, the year or two afterwards. I think that Cortland is going to be playing his best football for the next two to three years. And I think that is why the Broncos should maximize this window here with him and Bo Nix.

I do too. I think that it's justified to extend him. I think that he's, Cortland, when he gets this extension, because it seems like a matter of when, not if, he's going to face a lot more scrutiny from the fan base.

And I think the Broncos have to protect him from that in a way. You know, like as best they can, this may sound super obvious, but like you've got to get Cortland Sutton. as many one-on-one opportunities as possible. That's not to say, hey, chuck the ball up to him and see if he can come down with it as many times as you can every game,

but get him single coverage as often as possible. And how do you do that? Well, adding Evan Ingram, like you said, Cody, that's going to help. But it might necessitate a wide receiver earlier in this draft if it's somebody that you feel can create separation and draw attention early on in plays. Because if you're paying Cortland a bunch of money, the expectation from the fan base is going to be, hey, he's getting paid what quarterbacks used to get paid, right?

And so now the perception of him is he can't lead the team in drop percentage. He can't be inconsistent for stretches of time during the season, you know, and that expectation, I think is going to be justified because Cortland does make ridiculous catches. And he does have stretches of, I don't want to say dominant play because I don't know that we've seen dominance from him, but we've seen some like, man, the dude is on a heater, you know, sort of a situation. If he's going to be getting paid upwards of $23, $24 million per year, it ain't our money, but the expectations will rise from the perception of the fans, no doubt. And that doesn't mean necessarily anything like the Broncos are going to do business as they want to do it.

But at the same time, you have to, if you're making that investment in Cortland, you have to maximize what he does best. And what he does best is dominate single cover. And when he's able to get single coverage consistently, I think this offense is really going to start taking off. And so that's where I feel like, okay, you've got to plan a couple steps ahead if you're the Broncos. You know, you want to extend Cortland. You want to maximize him in his early 30s because we know he's not a 4-4 guy. He's not a 4-3 guy. He is a ball dominant, big body, you know, contested catch receiver. How do you maximize a guy like that in his early 30s? You have to get players who

draw attention away from him. So that's what I would say is like the only, it's not even an issue that I have with extending Sutton because again, it's not our money. I don't care what the Broncos do. They're in a window right now. Go for it. Do what you think is best for your team, for your locker room. We love Cortland Sutton. He's a Jersey guy for sure. But at the same time, if you're going to make that investment in him, you better find a way to maximize that investment by putting guys around him to make him better as well. Yeah, and I think that's the direction which the Broncos are heading. And I understand the gambles of looking at some of your younger receivers saying,

hey, we hope that this guy could take over. But let's be honest. And this isn't a shot at Devon Valey, but it's like I see a lot of conversation about Devon Valey and that, you know, hey, they got Devon Valy. They don't need to go out and get another wide receiver. Devon Vailay is 27 years old if we're looking at it. And obviously has some very impressive athletic traits to him, good size to him. but the expectation that you're going to have seventh rounder, Devon Valey,

all of a sudden just jump and become wide receiver two or wide receiver one. If Cortland wasn't here, I think is a wild assumption for a lot of people to say, hey, that, you know, that's a reasonable expectation. Devon Valey can be a very good role player inside of this offense here for Sean Peyton. And a lot of people make the Marcus Colston comparison there to him. Okay, let him become that. Let him get into that role. But to expect that he's going to be that right away is wild to me.

It's a little asinine. to think that. So I'm all on board with the Broncos extending Cortland, adding another receiver here while still developing their other guys because you have to have an insurance policy in place in case the development or what you expect of those guys doesn't get to where it needs to be. Or if there's an injury, I think Denver's one injury way, a wide receiver from being like, oh, no, what's going to happen? I think that has to also be heavily under consideration here as the Broncos maneuver the rest of the off season where they can still add a veteran running back. I think it's still at potentially a veteran wide receiver at this point before the draft after the draft.

Everything is on the table here. But Broncos country, that'll wrap up today's episode of the show. We appreciate you so much for tuning in, rocking with us here for another episode. Lock on Broncos for all you, every dayers out there. Here's what we're going to break down. You sent in your mock drafts. And we had one Broncos fan who was orange crushing it with their latest mock draft. We will break that down.

Share our thoughts and our analysis on their selections as well. did it move the needle for the Broncos on offense and on defense. We'll break that down much more on tomorrow's episode of the show.