Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos Focus After Bye Week Is Maintaining Pace, Courtland Sutton Extension Coming?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton met with his team on Monday following the biweek and his message was simple. Maintain the pace. How can the Broncos do that? We highlight what we learn from Sean Payton and much more here 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. What's happening in Broncos country? Welcome into another episode of Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown.

Starting point is 00:00:35 podcast network where you know it is your team every day. Thank you so much to all the everydayers and first listeners out there in Broncos country for tuning into the show. However you do, we appreciate you. We have it covered every single day all year long. I'm Cody Roark, Bronco, who's reporter for Mile High Sports. You can check out my written work over there, Mile Highsports.com, as well as joined by Sarah Bedinger, the site expert, predominantly orange.com, and also a writer over there at NFL SpinZone.

Starting point is 00:01:02 Look, we got a chance to catch up with Broncos head coach Sean Payton on Monday. That's one thing we'll highlight here on today's episode of the show. But you know, here's what Broncos country can expect. There's some big contract decisions coming up for this team here in these final four games of the season, also going into the offseason. What does that look like? Is Cortland Sutton, a candidate for an in-season extension here? Should they look at that? More importantly, what were Sean Payton's thoughts after the Bible? We'll break all that down here on today's episode show, which is brought to our friends over there. Price Picks. Go topricepix.com slash locked on NFL.

Starting point is 00:01:33 use code all overcase, locked on NFL for $50 instantly when you play $5. Sarah, usually coming out of the buy week out. I was looking for the Monday Zoom press conference here from Sean Payton. And I was hoping that we were going to be able to get to a point to ask some questions about, hey, Sean, what were your thoughts in the evaluation of how to get the run game going in these final four games? You're going to see Levi Wallace again. Instead, we didn't get too much here because to be honest with you, not a lot of people thought of those questions there.

Starting point is 00:02:00 You need to figure out about this team in these final four weeks. John gave us some things, but unfortunately we didn't have a lot of great questions to be able to open things up. Yeah, obviously you want to find out a little bit more coming out of the by week when you have lots of questions, specifically like you mentioned, Cody, with the running game, with how poorly Levi Wallace played and what the plan at corner is going forward. We know that Sean Peyton keeps it pretty hush, hush when it comes to the injury department and things like that. But you're right, he did give a few nuggets here or there. I think one of the most interesting things that he pointed out is like, hey, if you could go, back and do things differently. What would you do against the Browns? And Sean Payton said what we said

Starting point is 00:02:38 after that game. It's like, why was Pat Sertan not covering Jerry Judy more in that game than he was? And so you and I have talked about this before, Cody, obviously it's, it's never, you're never able to get to 100% of the time just having one guy cover a specific player. Like, you know, offenses make it impossible for you to do that. But Sean Payton said at least like, you know, at least a 6040 kind of a thing, right, where you could get Jerry Judy matched up against Pat Sertan, your best player defensively, as opposed to continually putting Levi Wallace in bad situations, which ultimately leads to kind of like, you know, the thoughts on Chris Abrams Drain and how well he responded and things like that. But at this point, obviously, we still don't know,

Starting point is 00:03:19 like, what can we expect against the Colts and who's going to play corner? And, you know, what are you going to do about Levi Wallace? Like, is he going to play? Is he going to be in dime? Is he going to be out there starting? You're going to give him a chance to rebound. Or you're going to go with the young guy? Those things are all still missing. even after Sean returned to speak with the media. Yeah, we'll find a way to get maybe Sean Payton to get some insight on that and Wednesday's practice. Obviously, I'll be there for the press conference.

Starting point is 00:03:42 We'll see what the vibe is here as the team comes out of their biweek. But in terms of Chris Abrams drain, Sean Payton did touch on. He was asked about what he's seen from him in the last couple of months in practice. Obviously, Monday night football was his first regular season career game. And so for him, he got thrown in the fire late. But throughout that entire game, he played on special teams in the kicking game. and Sean said that he's done a really good job in practice. He's been a guy that has challenged them a little bit.

Starting point is 00:04:08 But more importantly, like when he got on the field on Monday, I think those reps they're proving, like not only just like, hey, you know, you get in on defense, you know, you need to step up in that type of position, but more so like, hey, he jumped into special teams and he played well in those aspects in the kicking game and punt return as a jammer, as, you know, those are things that you want to see like, all right, hey, now with some of the other areas, like what does he offer that maybe a guy like, Levi Wallace doesn't. I think primarily the special teams aspect gives him a boost.

Starting point is 00:04:37 He's a younger guy. And ironically enough, his first game in his NFL career came against the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason where we all came away from that game saying, wow, all right. Hey, really liking what we're seeing here from Chris Abrams drain. So, I mean, there is that to kind of highlight and maybe pinpoint where you're at. But I think the game plan is clear. Whoever the Broncos believe is the number one receiver for the Colts this week, Pat Sertan will be on that guy primarily a majority of the game. Very curious to see how they maybe change up some of the miscommunication issues that they certainly had there pre-snap on the back end, especially at times when they were blitzing.

Starting point is 00:05:11 It seemed like guys didn't know, like, who to replace in coverage at certain times. So that's going to be a big element to see. But in terms of, you know, Sean Payton was asked the question, you know, what was your message to the team coming out of the biweek? And John simply responded, like, you know, hey, we met here Monday morning. We just talked about what we need to do. He said, there is no grand message. And really, he's like, we just got to keep playing our game. we got to improve and we got to avoid making mistakes that had been hurting us in the first half of the season. And really what he meant by those mistakes and he highlighted it, he said penalties have been something that's been killer for us this season. He said, if we don't find a way to minimize the mistakes in terms of penalties in these final four games, it can cost us.

Starting point is 00:05:51 And I think that is very, very true. I mean, Sarah, how many times are we seen in the offense, for example, them playing behind the chains a little bit because of a holding penalty because of a false start? like you know you get a nice run by audrick estimate in one game it's called back due to unnecessary roughness on garret bulls you know in that falcons game and then you know you get a you know a nice little run here against the browns on monday night football it gets called back due to a holding call it's just like those things right there positive plays instantly negated and impacted by a negative play that's something that sean peyton says hey it's the most problematic thing for us we have to find a way to minimize that in our final four games not just wiping out good running gains as well, Cody, but also kind of just getting a little sloppy on the back end in the secondary where there's been quite a few penalties this year. And I think that that's, you know, that's one of those things that's kind of, okay, you've got aggressive guys out there. They want to go make plays on the football, but you've got to be in position. You've got to get your head around. You can't get there too early. I thought the Broncos did a good job in

Starting point is 00:06:50 key moments of making clean plays against the Browns. But at the same time, I mean, if you're getting called for big downfield penalties, like it's just playing better technique. playing the ball, that kind of stuff, maybe shifting momentum in an entire game. Like, that's the last thing you need against the Colts is to be giving away free deep downfield plays. You need to be playing tight coverage. You need to be playing aggressive, but you don't need to be bailing out Anthony Richardson in this offense. But what they already, that's kind of really what they do well anyway, is attacking deep down field and hitting those shot plays. And so the last thing the Broncos need to do in a game like

Starting point is 00:07:28 this coming up here on Sunday, Cody, is really just give away free yardage. And that's the thing, like, that's really affected the running game. It's affected, you know, the overall output of the offense, which even as we've seen them still struggle with penalties, they've been able to improve. But it can be backbreaking at this time of year. And you don't want to be looking back on one or two games and saying, man, if there hadn't been past interference here, man, if they hadn't got holding called here and been backed up to first and 20, that they would have been in position for a field goal in a game that was decided by two. That's the last thing that you want at the end of the season is to be looking back

Starting point is 00:08:05 at a couple of penalties here and there, sloppy plays and being like, man, how different could the season have been if this play hadn't happened? Yeah, and look, I think that there are some things that, you know, like, hey, is it a technique thing? It's coaching up and saying, hey, you know, officials always have, like, did their own different views, right? Like, for example, the back judge may see the offensive lineman kind of pinning like this, but it may look like a hole and they're going to call it. Unfortunately, there's no review process for it.

Starting point is 00:08:31 I will say Denver's just got to be better in that regard, but you just have to avoid that. The penalties have been problematic. And look, I think it's not just a Broncos issue. I think it's a league-wide issue. I don't know how, Sarah, I don't know how many games we tuned into on Sunday, especially even watching even on Red Zone. How many times have we seen flags just litter the field here in the NFL product the last couple of years?

Starting point is 00:08:52 Every game is just, I feel like there's an average of 18 to 20 flags combined. in a game like that right there slows down the game, which is what the NFL doesn't want. It becomes a little too frustrating. Here we are. We're nitpicking at this point. But yes, Denver has to be cleaner on the penalty side of things. Some calls that have gone against Denver this year defensively, you know, in terms of some pass interference, have been tic-tack, been a little subjective there, but they have to get better on the offensive side of the ball. I think that's going to be their biggest key. I'm not worried about the defense. I'm worried about the offense, you know, especially if they can't get the run game going,

Starting point is 00:09:24 you have to find a way to avoid penalties playing behind the sticks because then that makes it easier for opposing defenses to game plan for you. And how long can Denver sustain that? I don't know. That's the question we're going to have here in these final four games of the regular season. One question we do have here for the Denver Broncos is could they extend Cortland Sutton either in season or in the off season? What's the likelihood of that? Well, we talked to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapporteur shared some insight on that. We'll share that and much more here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos.

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Starting point is 00:12:25 $50 instantly when you play just $5. Prize picks run your game. The comeback has been on for Cortland Sutton this year who looks well on his way to a Pro Bowl campaign, the first one since 2019. But the question is, how much longer will he be a Denver Bronco beyond this year? The discussion has shifted from could Cortland Sutton be traded to Cortland Sutton holding out? getting his contract reworked. Broncos Country.

Starting point is 00:12:52 We're going to be talking about whether or not the team's going to keep Cortland Sutton, who appears to be Boe Nix's favorite target here in 2024, as well as a number of his other teammates. But Broncos Country, thanks so much for rocking with Cody and I every single day here at Lockdown Broncos. We appreciate you so much, especially all of you, every dayers out there that make Lockdown Broncos your first listen of the day every single day.

Starting point is 00:13:16 If you haven't already done so, hit subscribe wherever you live. listen to podcasts as well as on YouTube. Cody, let's break this down because Corland Sutton has obviously, I would say, exceeded expectations this year, especially based on the way the year started. He leads the team in receiving, obviously, but he's kind of

Starting point is 00:13:35 become a force the last handful of weeks here. I mean, he's really dominating the target share. He's making plays. He's making clutch plays on third down in the red zone. The chemistry is there between he and Bo Nix. We know the Broncos have messed with his contract a couple of times this year,

Starting point is 00:13:53 which raises questions about his future with the team because you load things up into next year to kind of set yourself up in order to cut, trade, do whatever with one year left on the deal. Do you think there's a chance Cortin Sutton gets extended by the Denver Broncos at this point? I think there's a good chance. Last week, I had a chance to jump on with Dave Logan and Ryan Edwards of K-OA sports and hosts with them for three hours. And we had Ian Rappaport on. And one of the questions I asked Ian was, you know, with the chemistry and what we've seen as of late with Cortland Sutton, we all know he, you know, they redid his deal in the offseason.

Starting point is 00:14:28 A lot of it was incentive laden there. Could we see an extension with the Broncos in Cortland Sutton? And the one thing that Ian said is he can see it happening here. And he believes it could more than likely happen based on the chemistry we've seen with him and Bo Nix. There's, you know, obviously some influence on Sutton side. He wants to stay in Denver. He's become Bo Nix, his number one target. so far this season and Denver's heading in a really good direction.

Starting point is 00:14:52 He said one thing that also stood out. He said the Broncos over the last three years, they have had, I mean, handfuls of opportunities to trade away Cortland Sutton where teams made offers for third round pick, where teams made different offers like aggressive officers say, hey, we'll take Cortland. The Broncos have not budged on that. Sean Payton is not budged on that, which I think is very, very, I'd say a promising development at this point.

Starting point is 00:15:14 I think more so now as we're seeing the offense evolve and Cortland, Sutton's role start to amplify a little bit more. He has truly become the security blanket here in this offense for Bo Nix. He's got 63 catches on the year on 104 targets. 44 of his 63 catches this season setter have been for a first down. So chain movers. You mentioned obviously third down. That's been a growing trend we've seen from these guys in the last handful of weeks.

Starting point is 00:15:38 And that's where you're going to need other younger guys to start stepping up because teams I imagine are going to start allocating different resources against Cortland Sutton here. And I think if you have a run game that's effective, I think that Denver's going to find a way to maybe take some shots here with Cortland in the second half stretch here. But the one thing we also want to talk about as well, you know, passer rating for Bo Nix when looking Cortland Sutton's way is 90.5. Good things are happening.

Starting point is 00:16:00 And that number has grown, obviously, since the beginning part of the season here. I just think you look at the impact of Cortland. He's the number one receiver in terms of overall snaps played, targets, volume, production. He is their guy. And look, another thing I would say is promising in between the connection areas. Like Cortland Sutton's obviously having one of his better years of his NFL career back in 2019 he had his first career thousand yard receiving season i think he had 1100 that

Starting point is 00:16:22 year right now he's at 846 yards receiving he's well on pace to surpass that to hit 1,000 yards this season he could do it in the next game next two games if he continues on the trend that he's had here but i'd also say at this point too just the value in which he's kind of grown here and i think he's evolved a little bit more like when i'm watching the film so the thing i see about courtland is how he i think he's evolved as a route runner right i don't think it's talked about enough here. A lot of people say, oh, he's just the 60, 40 jump ball guy. Corlin has done a really good job moving around, not just on the outside, but as the inside number two receivers, the inside number three receiver, and his route tree has expanded exponentially. He's knowing

Starting point is 00:17:00 how to attack different coverages, and now he's got a quarterback that can get him the football consistently. I think that's game change, and I think that amplifies the volume in terms of the magnitude of like, this is why Cortland Sutton is valuable here to Sean Payton. You can add other playmakers obviously in the offseason, but Corlin has, I'd say significant value here to Bo Nix and this offense going forward. I think they should absolutely extend him. And here's the sticky part of this situation, right? It's like, okay, what's his cap situation in 2025?

Starting point is 00:17:31 Well, he counts over $20 million on next year's salary cap. So instantly your thought goes to, well, the Broncos could probably save a lot of money by cutting him. Well, not so fast on that one because Cortland only would save the Broncos about six. seven million if they would cut him before June 1. If they make him a post June 1 cut designation, then it would save them a little over 13 million on the salary cap. But again, that would be post June 1 that you would see those savings. So you wouldn't even be able to utilize that savings in regular free agency. So you're in a situation here where cutting Cortland Sutton before free agency and all that stuff. It saves you minimally. You're eating over

Starting point is 00:18:17 13 million in dead cap with already having Russell Wilson accounting for what 35 million in dead cap money and and to me Cody that's just a terrible use of such a significant chunk of the salary cap pie I'd much rather have Cortland Sutton back on a renewed contract or even at his current deal where the Broncos they still are very flush with cap space next off season like their top 10 in the NFL and overall cap space with Cortland accounting for 20 plus million on the cap. So just imagine Cortland gets a contract extension two, three years, give him some more guaranteed money, this, that, and the other, you know, a contract that runs through his age 32 season, something like that. And you get cap relief that way. That's how you

Starting point is 00:19:02 get cap relief. And a lot of situations in today's NFL is you extend guys, get that cap hit down and push the money forward into future years. And I think we will see the Broncos try to do that because Cortland's become such a valuable piece to this team. And like you mentioned, I think if they hadn't, if they'd maybe thought about trading him, if they'd been like, you know what, yeah, we could live without him, but the offer's not good enough. That doesn't seem to be the case. It seems to be the opposite. It seems to be like we can't live without this guy.

Starting point is 00:19:33 And therefore, I think you have to find a way to keep him around. Yeah, they don't want to move on from him. They really like what he's done. He's a good leader inside that locker room, specifically for those younger receivers. I mean, I talk to guys like Troy Franklin, talk to Devon Bailey. I mean, you even talk to other guys in a past that were on the roster like Jalen Virgin, like Cortland has been so valuable to us. Like his leadership presence for the team is very big right now.

Starting point is 00:19:55 And I don't even say, too, you look at free agency, like guys like Keenan Allen, Chris Godwin, we all know T. Higgins are all going to be available. Mari Cooper, but, you know, T. Higgins are going to probably command a large market deal at this point. You look at Keenan Allen. He's going to leave Chicago after the season. There's a possibility there, but what's he going to bring to Denver right now? I don't know. That could still be something in the works for Denver. But you can't just move on from a guy like Cortland Sutton and then just maybe think like,

Starting point is 00:20:19 okay, we're going to replace him with one of these guys when that's probably not going to be the likely factor. Like you need a guy like Cortland Sutton. He's proven to be valuable. And also for a guy like Chris Godwin, who I know a lot of Broncos fans really, really want, he's likely going to return to Tampa Bay. He loves it there. I know they've been banged up with injuries this year. But if that wasn't the case, it'd be a very scary team. And I think they're looking forward to building something special down there in Tampa Bay.

Starting point is 00:20:40 So the solution is to continue to develop and progress with your younger guys. We even talked about on yesterday's episode show. Maybe A.T. Perry is in line for some more run here in 2025. But Cortland Sutton, you need him. And I think the Bronco is going to find a way to keep him part of the mix, especially if it means Bo Nix is going to continue his ascension with Cortland Sutton. That obviously has been the case here. But Broncos country, we're also going to play another game here on today's episode show.

Starting point is 00:21:02 We're going to take a look at some of the bigger contract decisions that are looming here for the Broncos, which players could be in-season candidate extensions, or, who's going to have to wait until the off season. We'll break that down much more here on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. Broncos country, today's episode of show is brought to my friends over there at Fandu. And as you'll know, a Fandu was America's number one sportsbook in week 15 of the NFL season. Yes, week 15, it's been that long and it's already here that quickly here.

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Starting point is 00:22:14 Never waste a hunch and make every moment more with Fandul, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. It's time for the fourth quarter here on today's episode. Lockdown Broncos. I want to say thanks once again to all the everydayers and first listeners out there in Broncos country. We got you covered every single day all year long. There's never an off season for the troop fan. But right now the Broncos, they're not focused on the off season.

Starting point is 00:22:36 We are a little bit, a little bit forward thinking here. as it comes to some of the contract extensions, decisions coming up here with this team. Several key Broncos set to become free agents, Sarah, and obviously there are some in-season extension candidates here. I think a lot of people have kind of asked the question, can the Broncos extend Nick Benito during the regular season right now? They cannot because he obviously was drafted. They can do it after the season, right?

Starting point is 00:23:00 After his third season has concluded, that's when it opens up. They can't do it in the middle of his third season, though. Your thoughts on Nick Bonito? I mean, obviously he's going to get a contract extension with the way that he's playing two years in a row, and now he's ascending into a potential defensive player to your candidate. You're going to want to take care of him sooner rather than later as the price as we talk about pass rushers, it may go up. Absolutely.

Starting point is 00:23:21 The price is going to only continue to rise and rise when it comes to pass rushers in the NFL. That's one of the most valuable positions in the game today. And Nick Benito, he's producing, Cody. And I feel like, you know, the Broncos have set themselves up to really be able to make him a focal point in the defense. Now, the question is, do you buy in after year three or do you wait until after year four when, I mean, you would be really risking? You'd have to put the franchise tag in play, things like that. Market value, is it going to go up and up and up? Most likely as the salary cap continues to rise, right? So it's one of those discussions that's similar in this

Starting point is 00:24:00 offseason as, you know, the likes of Quinn Miners and Jonathan Cooper and things like that. It's, or or is Benito on tier with, you know, a Pat Sartan in terms of his value to this defense. I know that Pat Sartan is obviously the best corner in the game, and he's proven that over a longer period of time. This is Benito's breakout, well, I guess kind of like breakout into stardom season. He had a good year productivity-wise last year. But as you can see here, I'm buying in, Cody. I'm all in on the Nick Benito hype train. I'm ready to go.

Starting point is 00:24:31 And I think the Broncos will be as well. I think that they'll be willing to get to the negotiating table. this off season and make him one of the highest paid players on this team. I think one of the obstacles is like, okay, what does your salary cap look like? I think it's going to be in a better position because Denver did take care of some of those extensions. You talk about a lower cap hit, obviously on the first year of that deal. Some guys' deals aren't even entering their first year of the deal just yet.

Starting point is 00:24:55 So that's also good news here for Denver. But you look at some of the other guys that are going to be unrestricted free agents here. Garrett Bulls is one of them. Obviously, we'll talk about him. DJ Jones, another valuable player. you know, look at that. Other guys on the defensive side of the ball. Justin Sternad, who's starting at linebacker right now, is proven to be valuable.

Starting point is 00:25:13 He'll be a free agent. I think the bigger question is when I look at this too, right? We're going to add quarterbacks into it. Zach Wilson and Jared Stidham, the backup quarterbacks for Denver right now, they're also going to be free agents. When it comes to priority here, I think you have to look at the conversation here with Garrett Bowles and I think DJ Jones primarily. For me, Garrett, I think is proven to be valuable here,

Starting point is 00:25:35 to what the Broncos want to do physically. He still has, I think that traits and attributes that are going to help you win games. I think it's a huge gamble to maybe move on from Garrett and say, all right, that's it. You know, Garrett, thank you for everything in your Broncos career. Now you're going to go elsewhere here. And then let's say Denver drafted a rookie offensive tackle. Going into, I think, Bo Nix's second year with a rookie offensive tackle on the left side, unless it's a true blue chip, blue collar prospect, man, that's a gamble.

Starting point is 00:26:00 That's a risk. And also it's like, are you going to make Mike McGlinchie switch from right tackle to left tackle and then play Alex Paucheschi at right tackle. Well, then what does the depth behind those guys look like if there's an injury? So for me, it's a multifaceted problem. I think you got to bring back Garrett Bulls. I think you absolutely have to find a way to bring back DJ Jones as well. When it comes to these two players, are you yay or nay on them coming back?

Starting point is 00:26:21 I think with Garrett Bulls, I would definitely be open to having him back. We know that Bowles was older when he was drafted back in 2017. So that does kind of complicate the discussion just a little bit in terms of, okay, you're starting to look down the road for a contract extension that you're giving. How many years? How much guaranteed money is going on that? Would Bowles be willing to, you know, say yes to a short-term extension with, you know, the first two years, you know, basically guaranteed.

Starting point is 00:26:48 And then beyond that, you kind of get to play, wait and see type of game. Is he going to be willing to do that? I think you definitely have to make an offer if you're the Denver Broncos because you have other fish to fry in the NFL draft, quite frankly. I would love to see the team finally draft another offensive tackle to develop behind Bowls and McGlinchie because both of those guys are north of 30. And so you need to have somebody waiting in the wings. And I think Paucheski could maybe be that guy on the right side. But then I would love to see the Broncos draft somebody that could eventually be a starter at left tackle or left guard.

Starting point is 00:27:22 As we know, versatility is so crucial in these prospects coming out. But at that point, it would allow you two years from now some second or third round pick could come in and say, hey, I could be your starter at this point, you know, for either Bulls or Ben Powers and replace one of those two guys. So you kind of just get into this long-term game of playing there with DJ Jones, Cody. He plays less than 45% of the snaps most of the time. Can you replace his production with somebody else? He does make a few plays every game. It feels like where he's pushing the pocket, where he's creating opportunities for other guys.

Starting point is 00:27:57 But the TFL numbers aren't what they were in San Francisco. I know that's not the end-all be-all. He was never a big sack guy when he was with the 49ers. That's continued in Denver. So he's getting paid an average of $10 million per year on his current deal. I feel like you could get the production that he brings at a much lower price tag than what we have right now. I just don't see who that guy is going to be. Look, I think Malcolm Roach, like obviously if you moved on from DJ, that means Malcolm Roach is the starter.

Starting point is 00:28:24 But who's coming in from behind Malcolm Roach? You know, right now I would say the one thing I see is when DJ Jones goes out, Malcolm Roach comes in, and you maintain the same level of production. There's no drop-off, right? I don't think Denver has a guy in the roster right now that can do that. Like if it was just Malcolm and he has to come out for a breather because he's not an every-down guy. I don't think Denver's got that guy.

Starting point is 00:28:43 I don't think that's in Yoma-uazerike. I don't think they have that guy in the roster right now. So that I think is maybe the challenge of that. I want to ask you this as well. Like if you had to choose to extend either, not extend, but essentially resign, Jared Stidham or Zach Wilson to be the backup, who would have to be at this point? I'm going to go with Zach Wilson.

Starting point is 00:29:02 I think for what Peyton is looking for. He's got some things that maybe he's like, all right, hey, I like these from the athleticism standpoint. You talk about the arm when you talk about you needing a guy to be a good backup for you. I think Zach Wilson can be that guy. Yeah, I think so too. The upside is definitely there with Zach Wilson, as we've seen with so many other quarterbacks nowadays that are having revivals later in their careers.

Starting point is 00:29:25 Or they've got the bust label after four or five years with a certain team. and then they, you know, play well for somebody else. It's coaching matters, situation matters. I think the Broncos situation is only going to continue to get better. And as Zach Wilson continues to develop his craft under Sean Payton, Davis Webb, all these coaches in Denver, I think his value is going to skyrocket. Sean Payton said it. We want to make the sky millions, whether in Denver or somewhere else,

Starting point is 00:29:52 I think he'll be well paid in Denver for another year, and then he'll get a contract offer somewhere else in 2026. but I would bring back Zach Wilson for sure. We'll get to our EF, ERFA standpoint here. Lucas Crowe, J-Quam Macmillan, Jordan Jackson, and Devin Key are all players who are ERFAs. Key will be back, I believe, because of his value on special teams, he's developing as a safety. Jordan Jackson, they love the progress they've seen from him. But I think it's pretty clear that if anyone's going to get a bag out of anybody in this group,

Starting point is 00:30:21 it's going to be Jayquam Macmill for what he's been able to do inside the nickel. Absolutely. And using that benefit of the team-controlled, contract. The ERFA status. The Broncos will likely tender him, make sure that they bring him back as low a price as they can for as long as they can and extend that out.

Starting point is 00:30:40 Eventually, you take care of your guys who are producing at the highest level, obviously, but it's a no-brainer to extend a guy like him and offer to come back and to keep as much of this band together because these guys have galvanized, Cody, and they're playing some good football, got the Broncos on the cusp of making the playoffs here in 2024.

Starting point is 00:30:56 That they do. And Broncos Country, want to know your thoughts. If you've taken a look at the 2025 NFL free agency picture here for the Broncos in-house, what decisions would you make surrounding Garrett Bulls, DJ Jones, the backup quarterback job maybe going into 2025. And of course, would you extend Jaquam Macmill and Cortland Sutton? We want to hear from you, Broncos country, as always here on the show.

Starting point is 00:31:15 Thank you to all the everydayers for making us your first listen of the day. Sarah and I, we're going to have you covered this week. He's going to sit down with the locked on Colts guys for a crossover preview. We'll have our in-depth game preview as well, plus news and notes of what we get coming out of. of practice on Wednesday in DeValley. On top of that, the AFC Squad Show, you're going to get that as well. It's a jam-packed week over here on the Lockdown Broncos podcast.

Starting point is 00:31:36 Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network where you know it's your team every day.

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