Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos, Nick Chubb Could Be PERFECT RECLAMATION Project For Sean Payton

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

The Denver Broncos and Nick Chubb could be a perfect reclamation project for head coach Sean Payton with NFL Free Agency still fresh ahead of the NFL Draft. Ryan Edwards joins the show to discuss the Broncos offense and defense. 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.

The Denver Broncos have already spent big in NFL free agency, but diamonds in the rough might be up next. What are some reclamation projects that Sean Peyton and George Payton could look for in NFL free agency to boost this roster even further? We're going to discuss that in a special episode today, Locked on Broncos with Ryan Edwards. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day.

Broncos Country, thanks so much for joining the episode today. We appreciate you so much, especially those of you who are everyday listeners of the show. Thanks for making Lockdown Broncos your first listen of the day every single day. We appreciate every single one of you. Today we're going to be talking about reclamation projects. The Denver Broncos could look at an NFL free agency. Do any guys make sense offensively, defensively? And of course, we have a special guest co-hosts here today, Ryan Edwards,

who's going to be taking us through his top three. picks in the 2025 NFL draft, which is fast approaching and really excited to have Ryan here. If you're a first time listener of the show, you know it's usually your boys, Cody and Sarah, but Ryan is an absolute legend in Denver Broncos media right now.

One of the best guys, I think, just in general, Ryan, just to compliment you and to build you up here a little bit. I know the listeners listen to you, obviously. Everybody knows who you are, but just truly one of the most genuine guys reaching out to encourage. And so thanks so much

for being on the show today and being willing to kind of put on your GM hat with me. Hey, man, that's what we get to do as sports fans, as Broncos fans. We all get to play GM every single day, especially on Twitter. And that's always a lot of fun. But no, man, I'm a big fan of both you and Cody. Love what you guys do on locked on. I was truly honored that you reached out. Heck, yeah, it's going to be awesome.

And like I said, we're going to be talking about reclamation projects today. But before we talk about that, got to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code locked on NFL for $20 off your first purchase. Ryan, when it comes to reclamation projects, I thought Sean Payton had a funny quote last year when he was talking about Zach Wilson and, you know, some of the quarterbacks. Well, really a couple of the quarterbacks that he had on the team last year, he called them orphan dogs, you know, and really wanting to help elevate their value. I feel personally like the Broncos have built an environment under Sean Payton where they might be more inclined toward the reclamation projects. Now, as opposed to a couple years ago when they're building culture. So let's talk about the offensive side of the ball here for a bit.

Any position offensively, is there anybody out there, former high draft pick, anything like that that you feel would be a good reclamation project for the Broncos to take a shot on here in NFL free agency? Yeah. And I think it's a combination, right? You're talking about what Sean Payton said there and then what George Payton has done. And one of the strengths, I think, that he has been able to mind talent, whether it was free agency, getting on these one-year contracts like last year with Cody Barton and Justin Serrnaud, late in the process, or getting college free agents like Jaquan McMillan. You know, I mean, that's so valuable to your team to be able to sort of fill the gaps with these kind of players

that a lot of teams maybe overlook or decide to move. on from and then you bring them in and lo and behold they're a big time contributor for you i mean ilex singleton was a one-year contract guy and look what he ended up turning into is a starting caliber inside linebacker so on the opposite side of the ball i mean i think you's right to have to start at running back because that's the one position that seems to be the the biggest glaring hole and as you approach the draft you'd like to not be desperate to have to take a running back at the top of the draft though there's one at 20 that would probably be available i think most broncos fans want. But, but, you know, J.K. Dobbins' name keeps coming up. And I, I honestly don't know

why he's still out there considering the year he had. He signed relatively vet minimum contract with the charges last year, put up over 1,000 all-purpose yards, was truly looked like vintage J.K. Dobbins looked like he was back. I know he missed a little bit of time there in December because of a knee injury, but the fact is, is he still came back. He looks like he's relatively healthy. still pretty young. I think he's like 26 years old. So for me, and I don't even know if it goes full reclamation, but I think you can get him on a one-year contract. And if you're getting J.K. Dobbins on a one-year contract, it gives you some flexibility in that running back room. It gives you some options there to a guy that also can catch passes out of the backfield,

but also really does run tough between the tackles. You know, you're starting to see some of the running backs come off the board, but the contracts have not been overwhelming, like not at all. So I sort feel like you're not in a position where you're jumping into the market and you're going to have to offer a lot to get him. So for me, that would be one of my top ones. I would kick the tires on Nick Chubb, like just throwing that out there because, you know, we had Shelby Harrison Studio and he just raved about his leadership. And you think on the, on the offensive side of the ball, your leadership really is on your offensive line. But with the skill position players, other than Cortland Sutton, it's a lot of youth. So I wouldn't really hate having him in the room and understanding that he's in a running

back by committee and that's best way to use him. But yeah, for me, I'd start with a running back. So what about you? I really love the idea of Nick Chub there. And I've, I've come around on the J.K. Dobbit's idea, especially because like you said, he's not a full on reclamation project based on the fact that last year there's proof of concept that he can still play. Like I think a lot of people questioned the Chargers bringing him in. Like, what's he really going to do for you? How many games is he actually going to give you and like you said gave them over a thousand all-purpose yards with somebody like nick chub i wonder if you know based on your conversations with shelby harris is that a type of thing to where i hate to always go back to this because it can seem like such

hyperbole things like that but young guys in the nfl i don't think it can be overstated how important those veteran voices are at times like with von miller and demarcus where like that was tender time in vons career to be able to have that mentor around him to show him how to be a pro. Is that something that there's only so far coaching can go, right? When it comes to Sean Payton and his staff experience, I think that's partly why he's bringing in some former players too. But a guy like Nick Chubb could really help elevate a lot of players

in that Denver offense, regardless of if they're wide receivers, tight ends, just because he's going to show everybody how to come in and be a pro. I think that's exactly right. And so say you take Nick Chubb, you bring him in, it's a one-year contract, he understands that he's trying to work his way back. And then you draft O'Marian Hampton. And think about having Nick Chubb and Omarian Hampton and really having O'Marian been able to learn how to be a pro from Nick Chub.

I just, I don't see a downside in that. I know some people would say, oh, I don't know if he has much left in the tank. Okay, well, it's a one-year contract. And honestly, if everything works outright anyways, Omarian's going to be your starter. And you're going to have a couple of change of pace guys anyways. It's good to have options. It's good to have options going into training camp.

And once again, if he's signing for relatively vet men or even a $2 million contract or he do a two-year deal where he gets maybe two, two and a half guaranteed with incentives, I sort of think that there's really no downside in that scenario. And once again, like I said, it's another leadership voice in the locker room. And like I said, Shelby described it when he came back last year, even though they all could see he wasn't quite back to his normal self. It gave the team such a lift because of what he represented to that organization and that team. that would be a guy. Another one I just throw out very quickly if you're going to go receiver. And again, it doesn't sound like the Broncos have been very heavy on the receiver. But I've heard nothing but great things about Tyler Lockett as another like sort of leadership guy. Now he's on the older side. So it is kind of more in that reclamation area.

Very productive player though. And even though he's had a few dings here and there, he tends to play through a lot of that. He may not have the full straight line speed that he used to, but he's still pretty fast. And in my opinion, anytime you're adding speed to the team, you're really not doing anything wrong. If Marvin Mims may continue to share time on special teams, I think you're going to want to have another speed option out there on the field. I like that pick as well. We haven't talked a ton about Tyler Lockett on this show,

but I do think that he's a name worth watching the deeper that we get into the offseason. Another one, I guess we talk about a few former Browns here. How about Elijah Moore? What are your thoughts on him? I mean, he kind of was, you know, I think they kind of tried to force feed him in Cleveland to live. little bit too much. And he had a huge game against Denver last year. But then again, I think the water boy could have come in potentially and had a huge game in that Cleveland game. What are your

thoughts on Elijah Moore as somebody? Like, do you think he's maybe still got that untapped potential that Cleveland thought they could get out of him? I like the traits, right? I mean, the speed is certainly there. He looks like he should be a dynamic wide receiver. Personality is my only question with Elijah Moore and is fit with this locker room. That's the only stuff that's ever come up about Elijah Moore and whether or not he would be a fit. And I think you are thinking culture fit. And so the reason why I started with a couple of guys is because I know for a fact, those are great culture guys. Tyler Lockett, Nick Chubber, great culture guys. And Elijah Moore, that's the one question I'd have about him is I'd want to vet that. And I'd want to be able to talk to some people

about him and find out, okay, is this a guy that really kind of fits with what we're trying to do? because Sean Payton made a point when he got here to sort of clear out a bit of the culture that had kind of plagued this team with losses. I'm not saying those guys were losers or anything. I'm just saying that there was a certain mindset in that locker room. Sean Payton had to sort of help move some of those guys along. That way he could bring in some fresh ideas, some fresh perspective, and some guys that really weren't so accustomed to losing.

Elijah Moore, unfortunately, has done a lot of losing over his time. And plus again, I've understood that there's some things about his personality that may not fit. Very, very interesting. You have to have buy-in from everybody that's coming into the organization and the Denver Broncos trying to build a winner. So they've got to get the right people in the building, not just the highest overall players on Madden, right, obviously. And so free agency, it's all about risk. It's all about potential reward. And that's exactly what we're talking about on today's episode.

But after looking at a couple of offensive players who could be interesting risk, reward propositions. What about on the defensive side of the ball? We're going to talk about that coming up next on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. Today's show is brought to you by Game Time. And can you imagine watching your favorite team live, feeling the energy of the crowd, witnessing unforgettable moments?

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Download game time today. Last-minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed. You just never know when you take a risk on somebody in NFL free agency. you might be getting the next Zach Bonn, who finished the top five of the defensive player of the year voting. That's why taking calculated risks is important. And that's exactly what we're talking about on today's episode. Locked on Broncos with me,

obviously, but Ryan Edwards, you usually see Cody Roark in the other seat, but Ryan Edwards is here. We're honored and privileged to have you here, Ryan. And I think I speak for all the listeners when I say, thank you for what you do. And thank you to all the listeners as well,

for making us your first listen of the day every single day here at Locked on Broncos. And let's talk about defensive side of the ball because the inspiration for this kind of a subject is obviously a guy like Zach Bond, Ryan, where you sign a guy to a relatively low risk deal and free agency. You say, hey, at worst, you can come in and help our special teams, right? But I guess you never know when somebody can potentially emerge. And the fit, like you mentioned in the previous segment, that culture fit is just perfect defensively. Is there anybody that you kind of have your eye on as, hey, this guy could be interesting. maybe the Broncos should take a shot on him.

You know, it's such a good question because it feels like there aren't really a lot of glaring holes on the defensive side of the ball with the addition of Havanga and Greenlaw. And of course, signing back to E.J. Jones. But if there's one position that I would probably want to take a look at maybe a vet would be a cornerback. I think you could never have too much depth there. James Bradbury still sort of hanging out out there.

Stefan Gilmore, another name that's just sort of out there. Chedobio Ouzier. former CU standout, play with the Titans. I would sort of kick the tires on those guys. And again, it's not to say that, hey, Riley Moss is not going to be my starter. I still think you lean that direction. But I think that, you know, you bring in a vet, you give yourself a little bit of a hedge there because Riley Moss was able to do it for the majority of a year.

But when he got hurt, he came back. He obviously wasn't quite the same player. It's also to say that what if one year, that was a one year, wonder in some respects, right? Maybe year two or year three in this case for him. He doesn't quite perform at that level. Then all of a sudden, that is a massive hole in your defense, because you obviously have to have somebody really strong at the opposite side of Pat Sertan. And again, you need some options maybe at Nickel, too. I mean, I think there were some times, maybe it's not all his fault, but Jaquine McMillan had a couple of rough patches in there, too. So I think that

there's it's not a glaring hole right now, but having a vet presence there would be something I'd be intrigued by. That is really interesting, especially because like you said, I mean, I think we do have to be critical of Riley Moss's finish to last season, as good as before the injury was, even up to the point that he got hurt in that Raiders game. I think it's fair to say that the lapses down the stretch defensively and there was a lot of dirty hands there nearly cost the Broncos, they're shot at making the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50. Last offseason, the Broncos did try to sign Christian Fulton, who I believe signed with the Chiefs this year. Here's a name I want to throw at you and get your reaction to this.

The Broncos already have one legacy guy, right? Pat Sertan, his dad obviously was great in the NFL. What about Asante Samuel Jr., who I think is still a free agent, unless as of the time we're recording, he just signed somewhere. he played for a division rival, had some injuries, you know, obviously the inconsistency, but you feel like you've obviously got a great defensive backs coach in Jim Leonard who can elevate those guys. What do you think about Asante Samuel Jr. as a possible reclamation project? Yeah, I like him. I've heard nothing but good things, but you're also right. It is totally in that reclamation project kind of range. And, you know, once again, when you get to a certain age in the

league, you start to worry about their straight line speed, their quicks, and if they can hanging there. I think Asante Samuel still can play in this league. And again, we're at that point in free agency where a lot of these guys are going to be signing one two-year contracts because they didn't quite get the market that they were looking for in the first wave, maybe even in the second wave. And now they're thinking, you know what, Cap's going to go up again next year. I'm going to go in, in this case, the Broncos are an attractive destination, especially on the defensive side of the ball. So go in, play opposite Pat Certan, maybe have a really good bounce back year and I can hit free agency next year and get a much better contract. I think most

players at this point are thinking along those lines and that's what their agents are advising them. Hey, don't stress about it. We didn't get what we wanted this year. Go play somewhere. Ball out. Go play with a contender. The Broncos are absolutely a contender this year. So put yourself in that position and see what you can make of it and then you'll hit free agency next year. So I like that one. Yeah, that would be an interesting situation. And you, mentioned the Broncos being a destination team. Let's let's kind of pivot into that realm for just a second here because a report recently came out that Drey Greenlaw was getting called by the 49ers amidst his agreement or after his agreement with the Denver Broncos. I think that speaks not only to

the fact that Broncos country should be excited that he's probably fully healthy at this point or is expected to be fully healthy in the near future. But talk about that and what you're hearing, what your perception is as far as the Broncos being a destination team. again because I think for fans like fans want to believe that. Like I want to believe that, but I don't know it for a fact. But I feel like we're seeing the evidence of it. So let's speak into that for a second. The Broncos being a destination team again.

Well, yeah. I mean, so the report is that from Madam Schefter at the 49ers, once they heard that he agreed to a contract with the Broncos, because it was in the legal tampering period and contracts are not official. The 49ers tried to convince him to stay. And, you know, that would have been an interesting world to live in for a moment because certainly for the Broncos, John Lynch is a ring of famer. And again, it's a business of the NFL.

So I guess at some level, you just sort of accept that that's part of it. I know Randy Gregory ended up coming here after there was a tacit agreement down there in Dallas, though there was still some haggling over the contract details. So it wasn't exactly the same. But in this case, Greenlaw agreed to it. And it would have been fascinating to live in a world where the Broncos didn't get Dre Greenlaw. And now they have a pretty significant hole there at inside linebacker.

But he chose the Broncos. He had an opportunity to go back to the 49ers, the success that they've had over the last several years, the two Super Bowl trips that he's been a part of. He said, no, I'd rather go to the Denver Broncos. I'd rather go play with that defense on that team because they clearly are an ascending team. And yeah, I mean, I think proof of concept is everything.

And showing proof of concept to the rest of the league last year, we knew that might, we hoped that it might pay dividends into free agency this year. And certainly it has. You nailed two of the top defensive players. that you could have acquired. You had to hold safety. You had a hold inside linebacker.

You were able to bring you back DJ Jones. That was a great start. And then Evan Ingram, he came here first. Like that, I mean, whatever you want to spend about him leaving the building, going to the chargers for a minute, that's fine. The Broncos offered him similar money,

and he chose the Broncos. He came here first because he knew this was a destination. And I think the rest of the league is starting to catch up to that idea. Dare I say the Denver Broncos are more than officially back. There's also reports that Devo Samuel was interested in being traded to Denver, potentially Cooper Cup had interest in coming to Denver on the player side of things, which is really cool to think about.

So, hey, Bo Nix effect, I suppose, Ryan, is taking place here. I really love that aspect of NFL free agency and the entire offseason in general. And what makes the 2025 NFL draft as exciting as can possibly be is that the Broncos are building around a franchise quarterback. So I'm going to get Ryan Edwards' top three ideal picks for the Denver Broncos in the 2025 draft. Coming up next on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. The NCAA tournament is here, and so is the bracket breakdown. Lockdown Podcast Network and Amazon Fire TV channels are teaming up to deliver NCAA tournament coverage like never before.

Watch studio shows featuring former players and Lockdown's local experts as they guide you through every upset, buzzer beater, and bracket matchup. Stream it all for free on Amazon Fire TV. channel. Search bracket breakdown to see it all for free. It's your team every day. We are putting Ryan Edwards in charge of building the top three ideal picks of the Denver Broncos here in the 2025 NFL draft. As we jump into the fourth quarter of the show, though, mile high salute to every single one of you that makes lockdown Broncos your first listen of the day. We appreciate all you everyday listeners so, so much. And Ryan, I'm excited to hear your thoughts on this because I know you love the NFL draft and know you love the off-season.

and it's one of the things we've consistently bonded over. And it's certainly the listeners of our shows, respectively. I think it's one of the busiest times of the year for all of us because it's so fun to speculate on what could be. Now, I want to hear from you. You're George Payton right now. You're in, well, it's George and Sean. You're putting on two hats here.

I want to know from you. What's the top three ideal picks for the Denver Broncos in the 2025 draft? Well, thrilled to be here. thrilled to be George and Sean at the same time. There's no conflict whatsoever. We get along great for all the people out there that want to continue to say that Sean's in charge and George is just happy to be there. Not the case.

But yeah, listen, I will tell you my three picks, but I will say, to preface it, I think the first pick, there's a lot of directions you can go. And I don't think there's really a wrong answer here. So we're sitting in the now. We're sitting in a world where they don't have a running back in free agency. and we just had that running back room. So I'm going to take O'Mary in Hampton pretty easily there pick number 20. It's not to say that I won't consider D-Line. There's certainly some players that I like in that range. I think Walter Nolan's a guy that I've been a huge fan. Kenneth Grant is another

guy that I'm a huge fan of. I think building through the trenches is always a good thing. But in this case, it's a pretty glaring hole. And I do think that there's an argument that he should be in the same tier as Ashton Jannie when it comes to running backs in this draft. It's a great draft for running backs. And I'd even look at taking another one in day three. But as I'm sitting there, pick number 20, I can't help myself. I think he's a starting caliber three now. I'm back day one.

And we got better. If we had him, we got better. We get to the second round. That's probably where I'm going to take a look at the, you know, see what the tight ends are doing. I think I might be able to wait to the third there. but I'm going to say if we get to the second round and say Alfred Collins is sitting there, you know, interior defensive lineman out of Texas, I think I'm probably looking at him.

I really like him a lot. So if I don't go D-Line in the first round, I'm probably looking at the trenches in the second round because I think that there's a bit of a drop-off after that. And then I'm going to address my tied end in the third. I'm looking at Mason Taylor out of LSU. I'm looking at Terrence Ferguson. I might be able to wait on Terrence Ferguson or Gunner Helm until day three, but I love Mason Taylor. if you watched his gotlet at the NFL Combine,

that is one of the coolest football, like, geek out moments. If you just like football, that's pretty much gold right there. So my top three picks will be, Marron Hampton, Alfred Collins, and Mason Taylor. I absolutely love it. I think if Hampton becomes a Denver Bronco, I think even the stingiest of those who have been handing out backhanded compliments as you and I have fought the great fight over the course of the last year, amongst the national media,

I think even those folks would start to be like, all right, the Broncos might be for real with this guy in the fold. That might be the missing piece offensively. And yeah, you don't, like you said, you can go into the NFL draft this year with an extremely open mind in round one, but being able to get a playmaker like that. I mean, we saw what difference it made for the Packers to have Josh Jacobs,

what difference it made for the Ravens to have Derek Henry, and obviously the Eagles, with Sequin Barclay, not to put that kind of pressure on a first round rookie, but that's the type of impact that newcomer backs are having around the league. Let's speak to this idea of a D-Linman early for the Denver Broncos, because a lot of folks might be saying, well, what the heck? Like the Broncos, didn't Sean Payton and George Payton just say that D-Line was one of the top two units on the team last year?

What do you think it is about the defensive line that the team needs to go with a premium selection at that position group? Well, I mean, I'm going to look at the parody of what the Eagles have been doing, right? I mean, that's number one right there, is you continue to load up in the trenches, especially in the first round. And as guys start to age out, or maybe there's injuries, it's a rotating position. Simply put, you want to be able to rocate guys in there. I always crack up when people put out, well, this guy only played 46% of the snaps. I'm like, that's exactly what you want.

If you have a deep room, then you have an opportunity to cycle those guys out and they stay fresh throughout the entirety of the game. And then you're good against the run. You're good against the pass. And you're not exhausting any one of them. You know, I do think they're going to extend Zach Allen, think they're going to extend Nick Benito. I'm not, this isn't any kind of indication of any of those kinds of things. It's just an acknowledgement that it's good to load up at that position.

And, you know, maybe you can't afford everyone. So JFM, for example, who's been very public about how he wants a new contract. Well, I mean, you'd like to be able to keep him. Certainly, he's very valuable. But maybe adding a premium defensive line. gives you a little bit of leverage in that conversation. So I just think that it gives you so many options there. Look, we could even have the conversation about the offensive line.

You know, after this year, you could move on from Ben Powers and get a little bit more affordable there at offensive guard. We're banking on Luke Wattenberg being the starting caliber center that he showed at times last year, but that's also a position that you can potentially look at if you're going a true trenches conversation. I'm not saying to do that at your first pick, But again, you understand that continuing to add those positions tends to work out better for most teams involved.

Now, 20 overall, you might be able to get the best interior linemen on your board offensively, potentially. In this year's kind of a draft. So is there a position in round one that you'd go on the air after the first round and you'd be like, I honestly don't know what they were doing there? Like outside of quarterback or special teams guys, you know, is there a position that you would be like, I don't know what's the, I don't know why. Like, why? Why did they do this?

And it might not be a specific player, but maybe a specific position. Yeah, it'd probably be like offensive tackle or something along those lines. And again, it's not to say that I couldn't sort of talk myself into the long view of that. It's just to understand, like, if you're a team that you think you're in a contending window right now, adding a player that maybe is more like a two to three year out from playing for you, unless you view him as a versatile guy, they can play interior. But I still think you can find those guys into day two and day three especially. So I would be a little surprised at that position.

But almost everything else. Maybe safety, I guess, you know, like I'm a big Nick and the Worry fan. But also that might be one where I'm kind of like, okay, well, you added Hifanga. Brennan Jones played great last year for you. so you clearly have some kind of mindset about what his role is, especially because he plays up in the box as well. He has these great coverage linebackers. So safety, sorry, but can play up in the box like a linebacker.

So I think that there would be a couple positions. How about you? Would there be anything that you would probably like be kind of stumped on? I agree on those two right there. I don't think there's, I don't think there's any inside linebacker in particular that I would say, hey, Broncos take this guy in round one, because Campbell, from Alabama kind of floats positions and he could be, I don't know, redundant in ways of Drew Sanders,

although it might be kind of like a redo with Drew Sanders in other ways. So that would really interest me. But yeah, other than that, like you mentioned, D-line, I mean, even wide receiver, running back, tight end even. And after the Evan Ingram signing, still would not be opposed to Colson Loveland if he's there in round one either. So very interested to see what happens there. My last question for you, Ryan, is your vibe from the Denver Broncos side of things.

Do you get the impression that the team, like you mentioned, I mean, the perception could be from others on the outside that this team is like back, that they're ready to contend. Do you, are you feeling like George Payton and Sean Payton are having that approach to the offseason? Like, are they taking a, hey, we're in a competitive window approach based on the moves that they've made? I absolutely believe that. and whether sourcing or just, you know, being around the team as much as I get a chance to be,

yes, they absolutely view that. They, you know, they still have around $32 million, $33 million of the Rust contract. So they had to be a little bit judicious with their spending here in free agency. But they went out and they just sort of attacked the exact positions they needed to. And they said, and I give them credit for this because, you know, sometimes, you know, Sean out there, he kind of, he kind of gives away the plan, you know, to Kay Adams. he told her basically, hey, we're going to build this thing, you know, from the inside. We're going to be looking at linebacker.

We're going to be a D-line. We're going to look at safety. He told her all those positions. She said, what about a vet wide receiver? And he's like, no, probably more like a tight end. That's exactly what they did. So I do appreciate the transparency. But the fact is, I think that there's some value to that because you said this is what you're going to do and you accomplished it.

And you got guys that can play right away, that can be starters for you. And that made you better. And so if you approached it that way, you accomplished it that way, you accomplished. your goals. So whatever they do at free agency, they could be done at this point. I think most Broncos fans would be pretty amped. I know that the team is amped about adding these players. And then now you look to the draft where you have your first, second, third, fourth, and you got three six round picks. I mean, you could do a lot of damage there. And they've been so good over the last couple of years with George and Sean, with that continuity of the coaching staff, knowing exactly

what they're shopping for when they get to the draft. There's just got to be a lot of excitement about what they're going to be able to add. And the fact that they've been just each of these draft classes have had guys that produce in year one. And so, and that's on top of the guys that continue to sort of add. You know, Marvin Mims was Sean Payton's first pick and he's been nothing but a pro bowler and all pro as a special teamer. I think most of us would take that and then they think they can add more to him as a wide receiver in the offense.

So, yeah, I get the sense from them. They approach this thing with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about what's to come. And I think that's justified, right? amongst the fan base. Broncos country is pumped seeing the moves that are being made in NFL free agency and certainly excited for the NFL draft. And it's so awesome to have people like Ryan in the Broncos media sphere who get us all excited about what's going on every single day.

So if you're not already following Ryan on Twitter, by the way, it's probably because you don't have an account, you know, and so make sure you're already doing that. But Ryan, we really appreciate you coming on today. And Broncos Country, obviously, we'll be covering every single bit of news analysis, content coverage, all that good stuff on lockdown Broncos going forward. You can find Ryan over there at 850K away.

It does great work and has done great work, obviously. I think the term goat gets thrown around a little too loosely these days, Ryan, but truly you are one of the goats in a Broncos country and in the, just the NFL media sphere. I can't imagine if every team didn't have a Ryan Edwards, they're missing out. So appreciate all that you do in this arena. Broncos country. We appreciate you all so much. We'll catch you on tomorrow's episode, Locked on Broncos.