Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos Special Teams IMPACTED With Riley Dixon's Departure | Replacement Options?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Special teams will be a huge emphasis for the Denver Broncos in 2025, but they're going to be in a market for a new punter. But the market looks very thin. What will the Broncos do? We'll break that down and much more here on today's episode, Lockdown 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 of Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. part of the Lockdown podcast network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:38 Thank you so much all the everydayers out there in Broncos country. Thank you so much for tuning in, making us your first listen. However, you choose to do so. And make sure, if you're not yet in every day, you become on by hitting that subscribe or that follow button, wherever you get your podcast. So you never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team every single day all year long, including the offseason. Look, NFL Free Agency is still heating up across the league.

Starting point is 00:01:01 We had a wild day yesterday. So make sure if you missed any episodes, you go check it out. wherever you get your podcast here. But we're talking about special teams here today, Sarah. The lack of offensive moves has us talking about punters of all things here. I'm Cody Roak Broncos reporter for my high sports. Join, as always by Sarah Beninger, site expert of their predominantly orange.com. Here's what you're going to get on today's episode show.

Starting point is 00:01:20 What's the latest around Broncos free agency has their focus on several positions now changed after they were active on day one? How will the Broncos replace special teams ace Tremont Smith? and could it be with the help of a young player who's already on the roster? And more important, we're going to kick things off by talking about, yes, punters, folks. The Broncos losing Riley Dixon to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now they are in the market for a new punter. And Sarah, I can't help but look at the market and think,

Starting point is 00:01:49 wow, not a great market overall for the Broncos to be in need of a punter at this point. Yeah, it's not exactly the murderer's row of punters and free agency there. And for those who don't understand that reference, that's about like the 1927 Yankees, the best lineup of baseball history. So what I'm referring to is that there's not a lot of great punters out there. And, you know, we always like to joke around punters or people too. But I think the Broncos are a great example of what having a disastrous punting situation can do to your team over the last handful of years. Remember the year where Corliss Waitman was the team punter, Cody?

Starting point is 00:02:26 I mean, it was not pretty for the Denver Broncos. There's a reason why they've shuffled so many different guys. at this position. So I guess the revolving door at punter continues. And I don't know exactly what that means for the team. But look, you heard me talk about this earlier in the offseason when the Broncos fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwika that I thought like Riley Dixon's performance down the stretch of the season was a huge reason why the Broncos were kind of, you know, suffering from anxiety about the playoffs. So, you know, when it comes to, they had to win one game over the final three or four. And all of a sudden, you're like, okay, well, hopefully the chiefs bench their

Starting point is 00:03:04 starters or else we're facing the, you know, the real scenario of missing the postseason after having a clinching scenario with about a month to go. And the punting was a big reason why, especially against Cincinnati. So while the overall body of work from Riley Dixon was not bad by any stretch. And I think the punting for the Broncos got substantially better with him out there, I think there's a chance here that they could really upgrade. But who? I don't know. That's the question.

Starting point is 00:03:34 Yeah, look, I think Denver's punting unit, Riley Dixon, for you mentioned, he was good for Denver. He just wasn't good down the stretch for them in those big moments in which they really needed. Hey, you don't want Joe Burrow to start at the 45, 50 yard line and give him T. Higgins, Jamar Chase, an easy field to work with. That's not something you want any way, shape, or form here. So that was there. And I mean, here's the thing with Riley, too, where he was kind of what, and we saw the fake punt. Obviously, he's an athlete.

Starting point is 00:03:58 He can throw the football through it. Marvin Mims there. And Riley had several punts this season. I felt like were impactful in terms of flipping field position. Now he punted the ball 77 times. This year he averaged 46.7 yards per punt according to our friends over there at pro football reference. But a lot of those some of those punts, right? You look at the overall number, 33 of them were down inside the 20 yard line, which was a career high for him this past season. He had five total touchbacks all season long. And his longest punt was around 65 yards. But there were several puns that he had. And Obviously, this is a testament to Denver's special teams unit as a whole.

Starting point is 00:04:32 Riley Dixon for his punt placement, Tremont Smith for being able to get downfield, J.L. Skinner for being able to get downfield. I remember several times, and even the Colts game was a great example of it, where the Colts had a lot of momentum early on. We know the lead that they had, and Denver couldn't do anything with it, but Riley Dixon has a punt. It gets pinned inside the one yard line and the Broncos almost force a safety. You know, Seattle Seahawks situation early on in the season.

Starting point is 00:04:55 They force, I think, what was it, two safeties because of field position and punts and stops like that. You want that. It's complimentary to your offense. It's complimentary to your defense. And ultimately, it's going to have to be, you know, large body work. Darren Rizzy's now coming in as the next special team's coordinator. So part of me is wondering what does the market look like? Well, Sarah, I can tell you this this year. If you look at spot track and you look at free agent punters right now, there aren't many available options. And any option that there is, a lot of these guys are old. Former Bronco, Sam Barton, who went obviously to the Buffalo Bills after, uh, Denver moved on from him. He obviously, I think has the ability to still boom it. I don't know if you want to

Starting point is 00:05:34 bring him back. I don't think that's on the table here. Brian Anger formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, he's 36 years of age. Johnny Hecker of the Carolina Panthers, 35 years of age. Pat O'Donnell, the 49ers, 34 years of age, there. Michael Polarty, the Arizona Cardinals, 32 years of age there. I think if you're looking at any of those veteran options here, the guys that probably make the most sense for Denver or Johnny Hecker, if you can find a way to get him over there. And Pat O'Donnell, the 49ers. Why not? You sign Talanoa Hufanga. You get Dre Greenlaw. Bring over Pat O'Donnell is the next 49er to become a Denver Bronco at that point. But there's one, Sarah, there's one name who is a restricted free agent that is a little interesting? Ryan Stonehouse of the Tennessee Titans. They have yet to tender him. So part of me is wondering, is he going to hit the market? Is he going to test things here? If he becomes available, that's an automatic, your alert, your spider senses tingle a little bit. That's the guy you would want, especially here in Denver, boom. I'm going to get at the altitude. Yeah, he played his college football at Colorado State.

Starting point is 00:06:32 I've seen a number of Broncos fans who are also fans of, you know, the Colorado college football scene, whether it's Colorado State or the CU buffs. Like they've been sharing clips of him. And I can't imagine, Cody, can you imagine being fans of those teams? I can't. I can't do it. But at the same time, look, they might have some quality NFL talent coming out of those programs lately and obviously even at the special teams level.

Starting point is 00:06:56 So if you can bring a guy. like this in. He's 26 years old. He's punted in state before. The Broncos should have a good idea from their pro scouting department who's going to work well in their environment. And obviously, Darren Rizzy coming in, he should have his pick of who he wants. And it's clear that the Broncos drew a line in the sand with Riley Dixon because it was reported by Mike Cliss a couple of days ago that they were trying to bring Dixon back. So there's real interest from the Broncos and bringing him back to the team. And I believe that Cliss even said, there was an offer on the table to bring him back.

Starting point is 00:07:30 But again, when it comes to NFL free agency, there's an unfair advantage that the Florida teams and the Texas teams they have, the Las Vegas, what's the unfair advantage? No state income tax. So, I mean, Riley Dixon probably, you know, if it was me, Cody and getting similar offers, if I had the exact same offer on the table from both teams, I mean, you make as much money as you can in the NFL to get $6 million from the bucks, income tax free, that's not bad.

Starting point is 00:07:58 That's not a bad gig, especially because now he's going to be closer to Disney World, which we all know is a great, great factor at play. Well, and, you know, look, warmer weather, too, you know, you do have to worry about maybe some rain delays. You have to worry about, you know, monsoon weather there, keeping the ball dry. That's obviously a problem down there in Tampa Bay when it's not sunny there. But, I mean, obviously good for Riley Dixon here. But I think this puts the Broncos in an interesting position because how do they approach it?

Starting point is 00:08:25 Right. I think what we will see, and we've seen this last couple of years, even with Riley Dixon on the team, the Broncos have always kind of had two punters that they've brought in to be able to, you know, maybe have some competition. And it's not like one of those positions like, hey, you know, you're a punter. You just get to relax. You get to have the easiest part of practice. And then you get to come in. It's like, hey, let's keep you guys honest. But for me, there's also something that the Broncos could look at. I mean, they could look after the NFL season concludes. I know there's a handful of names. There's a couple former Broncos actually punting, by the way. Colby Wos. I don't know if you want to reunite with that. And Marquette King, who's still booming it at the UFL level. I mean, there's a chance that the Broncos look at some of those guys that are punting in the UFL. We'll see what the college aspect looks like for punters, but you're never going to use, unless there's a guy who's ridiculous. Even then, I still think you wouldn't do it. But you never want to use a draft pick on a punter.

Starting point is 00:09:16 Why would you ever want to do that at that point? It's just wasted capital at that point. So we'll see what the younger market looks like. I just part of me doesn't see Sean Payton going into 20. 25 with a rookie punter. That just seems a little too risky for everything that they're doing on the progress they're trying to make. So I imagine maybe some of these veterans might be in the mix.

Starting point is 00:09:34 Patel Donald probably makes the most sense right now if I'm looking at it from a tea leave standpoint and maybe who's the best overall fit. If Stonehouse becomes available, I'd expect the Broncos to have immediate interest in him here. But Broncos country, what are your thoughts on the punter situation in the Mile High City? Do you think that the Broncos losing Riley Dixon makes them worse on special teams right now? Make sure you let us know here on Lockdown Broncos, but we're not done yet, Broncos country.

Starting point is 00:09:58 We still got a lot to break down on the special team side of things. How were the Broncos replace one of the better special teams, aces who departed an NFL free agency with Tremont Smith going to the Houston Texans? How does this open up the door for guys like Damari Mathis and Chris Abrams Drain? We'll tell you how here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. This show is sponsored by Better Help. And taking care of your mental health can feel like a big investment, but it's just as important as taking care of your body.

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Starting point is 00:11:25 H-E-L-P.com slash locked on. The Denver Broncos are going to need some help for their special teams unit after the departure of Tremon Smith. Tremon, he decided to go back to the Houston Texans where he's previously had success in his career, but that does leave a gaping hole where he used to be in the Denver Broncos special teams unit. We're going to break down exactly who could replace him and what roles he's actually being replaced in on the special teams because not a lot of fans out there know the contributions of a guy

Starting point is 00:11:58 like Tremont Smith on an every single week basis. And speaking of every single week or every single day, shout out to all of you that make Lockdown Broncos your first listen every single day right here. And if you're not already, hey, take a couple of seconds. Help out your boys. Cody and Sarah, hit subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts as well as on YouTube. It'll take you a couple of seconds. It'll give us the opportunity to get this show out in front of more members of Broncos country. We're covering every move in the offseason, Cody. We're making good on our word right here because, look, we're talking about departed

Starting point is 00:12:30 punters. We're talking about departed special teams players. Tremont Smith, one of the most valuable special teams players in Denver the last couple of years. I think that there's a misconception out there about Tremont, isn't there? I mean, are you gleaning the same thing? I mean, obviously, he doesn't really play cornerback. He's listed as a cornerback, but he doesn't really play cornerback.

Starting point is 00:12:52 He's more so one of the best special teams guys in the league. And fans will hear that. And I see a lot of people saying, well, he doesn't have a lot of tackles or he doesn't have a lot of this, that, and the other. Tell us why this guy is one of the best special teams players in the league and why the Broncos actually did try to bring him back. Yeah. I mean, look, you talk about the impact, the stuff that you don't necessarily see on the

Starting point is 00:13:13 stat sheet there. It's okay, when Tremont Smith is a gunner, he's beating a jammer, which is obviously the guys who are prohibiting the guys who are on the outside. you can say receiver corner, whatever may be, from getting downfield to attack your punt returner there. Tremont is the one guy who's always attacking and getting right in the face of the returner, forcing that guy to fair catcher, right? How many fair catches can a guy like Tremont Smith force? Well, you go back and you watch last year's film. He did it a ton last year.

Starting point is 00:13:41 He was one of the Broncos' best core four specialists. And look, you know, we call those guys aces. An ace for special teams is a guy who is your core four guy who can impact for it. different levels of your special teams play. And it's not necessarily going to show up in the numbers there. So I was in an argument on Twitter, whatever the hell, people call it these days, about his impact there because people are like, oh, he was made. He wasn't, he wasn't going to help you a corner, but he was your best special teams guy.

Starting point is 00:14:07 I can tell you there, look, now that the season is over, every day you walk into that building, you go to the locker room, there's a board on the wall. And it has grades. Like, it has like the rankings of whoever scores the most points in terms of how the team grades that player on special team. specifically with how they do. Tremont Smith for two years, Sarah, was the top guy on that board with the most points,

Starting point is 00:14:29 doing his job and having a high impact, you know, in terms of that grading. J.L. Skinner is another one of those guys. I'm very excited about him. So, yeah, you know, you're losing a guy like Tremont Smith. And obviously, I think when you talk about his lack of impact as a corner, like, you know, if there was an injury,

Starting point is 00:14:44 he was never going to be a guy you were going to rely on on the defensive side of the ball. Now, because he departs, it does open up the office. opportunity for two guys, at least on this roster right now, and maybe even a third under the radar name that we'll get to here in a minute. But first, obviously, guys I think are, you know, are going to be heavily in the mix here in terms of cornerback this year. Second year player, Chris Abrams Drain, got a lot more playing time on special teams down the stretch for the Broncos. And Sarah loved what I saw from him as a jammer. Loved what I saw from him as a gunner.

Starting point is 00:15:15 And really, it focused because Riley, Riley Moss won the starting job at Corner. he used to be the gunner, right? But now he's a corner. You need other guys, your backups to play those roles. Kind of like how you need your backup inside linebackers to play key roles like personal protector, things along that line there. So it opens the door for guys like Chris Abrams drain to go out there and get more playing time on special teams, though I do think that he's going to factor in on some

Starting point is 00:15:40 defensive stuff this year. Damari Mathis, who's obviously going to try to come in and compete and try to get some playing time on defense, he's going to play a lot of special teams as well. And then I think an under-other-radar name to keep an eye on here is Reese Taylor, who is an undrafted guy. Kedron Smith, another guy who is an undrafted guy. You open up the door for two of these known names and two of these unknown names right now in the NFL. And I think that's what the Broncos prefer to do internally. And then, of course, you go out in the draft.

Starting point is 00:16:06 You go out and you get your undrafted rookie free agents this upcoming year. But ideally, you want to get these guys who have been in your building before that can maybe step into those roles. Who was one guy that did that last season? it was Devin Key initially who really just kind of sat and learned and watched behind the scenes. Then he got his opportunity to play as a core four special teams guy. That's what the Broncos want to do with these guys that are already on the roster. And that's what they should do, right? Promote from within you want to get those guys,

Starting point is 00:16:32 especially if you're going to use a late round draft pick maybe on somebody. Maybe DeLarian Turner Yel, Cody comes back healthy this year, he plays another special team role. No, that's all right. I mean, I think because he didn't play this past year, He's another guy who kind of flies under the radar for his special team's ability, but he can certainly be in that mix as well. How long was Nick Casario part of the front office in New England?

Starting point is 00:16:55 I don't know exactly how long it was off the top of my head. He's now the general manager of the Houston Texans, and he's the guy who won the bidding war to get Tremont Smith from the Denver Broncos. And not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here, Cody, but Nick Casario was in New England for a really long time. Guess who they had in New England for basically two full, decades playing elite special teams, Matthew Slater. I mean, Nick Casario knows good, good special teams guys when he sees it.

Starting point is 00:17:22 He's going to be able to pick those guys out of a bunch rather easily. So I think it speaks volumes to Tremont Smith's ability that he signed a two-year, $7 million deal to leave Denver. And again, the unfair advantage of those Texas teams, dang it. I mean, they don't have income tax there. So he was able to go get a nice payday for what he does. And like you said, you're getting recognized. in the locker room. You're getting recognized by the way that you're being paid and teams kind of

Starting point is 00:17:49 battling it out for you. The Broncos beat out the Texans for Drey Greenlaw, couldn't do it for Tremont Smith. And I think that's a W the Broncos will take over the long haul, you know, of this coming season. But certainly Tremont Smith's value in that phase of the game shouldn't be diminished based on the number of total tackles that he had. I know when he came to Denver, we were kind of excited because he forced a couple of fumbles on punts. Like he's able to jar the ball loose. We saw a lot. that aggressiveness get the better of him this past season against Los Angeles Chargers late in the year in Los Angeles when he had the penalty that was really costly. So he's just that type of player, though.

Starting point is 00:18:24 He believes that he can make the big play on special teams. And he takes that role very seriously. So I think that he's one of those guys that he's going to do exceptionally well in his new role in Houston. Well, and the thing too, like I think if you want to measure special teams impact, like big goals, lofty expectations, like you can measure it with tackles. but ideally like special teams guys, those guys specifically, they're in line to maybe get, you know, up to 10 tackles on that unit. But it's like if you are like, and this is the case here,

Starting point is 00:18:53 like with the amount of kickoffs that we did not see returned this season, that diminishes so many of those opportunities go out there and make tackles on one facet of your core four. You know, punt, Tremont, as I mentioned, you go back and you watch the film, okay, hey, he's got three tackles on the year, but go watch how many times he's beating the jammer to get in front of the return to force that fair catch. That to me, in my opinion, counts as a stop.

Starting point is 00:19:15 It counts as a tackle. That's not going to show up in the statute, right? So that's how we measure the impact of special teams players. Don't let these Twitter guys that don't know what they're talking about for you. Otherwise, this is a big loss for the Broncos on that side of the ball. Not saying like, oh, my gosh, they're never going to recover for it. It opens up the opportunity for these younger guys to go do it. But this is an under the radar big loss here for the Broncos on that unit specifically on special teams here.

Starting point is 00:19:40 So Broncos country, who would you like to see step up in play? where Tremont Smith was. Does this mean that J.L. Skinner is going to have a bigger role? Could it be Delirian Turner Yale? Demari Mathis, Chris Abrams, Drain. Who do you want to see step up into that role that Tremon had for the last two seasons in Denver? Make sure you let us know here. But Broncos Country, we're not done here on today's episode of the show. Up next, we're going to discuss whether or not the Bronco strategy for the rest of free agency has changed and how it shifts their focus on the offensive side of the ball, maybe to the NFL draft. We'll debate that and much more here on today's episode of the show.

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Starting point is 00:21:08 Once again, that's Fandul. dot com America's number one sports book. The fourth quarter action of today's episode, lockdown Broncos is here. NFL free agency is still ongoing, but so far Tuesday was not necessarily a busy day around the league, and it certainly wasn't as busy of a day here for the Denver Broncos as they're looking at all their options here as they're preparing not only for maybe

Starting point is 00:21:31 waves to a free agency. They made their big splash moves on the first day initially with Tala Noah, Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, and for all you every day, it's out there in case you miss those episodes. So it's that coverage of that. Make sure you go check it out wherever you get your podcast for all the recap and what impact the additions. Those guys are going to bring to the table here. But now our gear kind of shifts, folks, as to, okay, how will the Broncos approach the rest of free agency,

Starting point is 00:21:54 especially when you look at some of the positions, Sarah, that they're still needing to address running back tight end specifically. How does Denver approach this stretch here before the NFL draft? Well, if it's up to me, Cody, with the running back position in specific, I'm saying, like, Just say no. Just say no to whatever it is. Like I know I, you see these other teams signing guys like Aaron Jones, $20 million over two years. I mean, Najee Harris getting a one year deal worth close to $10 million with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Starting point is 00:22:26 That's just not something I think the Denver Broncos, it's not a, it's not a sandbox they need to be playing it right now. This is one of the best draft classes that I've seen in recent memory at the running back position. Let's go draft two of those guys. We've already got four players on the roster that can compete for carries legitimately and compete for roles on the team in 2025. Yes, the Broncos need a new featured back in the offense.

Starting point is 00:22:50 So that's why I say go grab two of them out of this draft class. Don't screw around with we don't need to be wasting time giving the ball to any of these other veterans that are out there. I would have I would have not even been in on Aaron Jones or Najee Harris for that matter, two of the best backs in free agency this year. It's different when you're talking about Derek. Henry, Saquan Barkley, Josh Jacobs. Those guys are a different tier of player, but you can't just, you don't just go sign a free agent, just to sign a free agent, because that means ultimately it shifts your draft plan a little bit. I know that signing somebody doesn't preclude you from drafting somebody, but signing somebody

Starting point is 00:23:28 might preclude you from drafting two guys. And if that's the case, then you might be missing out in an absolute stud from this draft class just to have the temporary fix of one of these veteran guys. that's not even going to be on the team next year. So this is where I draw the hard line in free agency is with a situation like this, where you already have a couple of backs on the roster. The draft class is loaded.

Starting point is 00:23:51 Let's not even screw around with the veterans in this free agent market. Let's just stay put until the draft, avoid the temptation. No, I'm with you there too. And look, if the Broncos were in a position where, let's say, they had two running backs on the active roster going into right now, free agency, right? Javante obviously signs with the Dallas Cowboys. He was never coming back.

Starting point is 00:24:11 But if Denver only had like two backs and let's say it was like Audrake estimated Jolulam McLaughlin, then I would say, hey, go out there and get a veteran back. Sean and George specifically mentioned at the NFL Combine that they like the young backs on their roster. They mentioned Tyler Badeh, Audrake estimate, Jolulam McLaughlin. And they also have Blake Watson as well who has some, you know, potential to become a Joker down the road.

Starting point is 00:24:31 It's going to be 2025. I don't know, but he's going to be a guy that I feel like will be a little bit of a game change. We just talked about special teams, and I just thought about this as well. Who's going to be the other return guy next to Marvin Mims on kick return? Blake Watson, in my opinion, becomes the odds on favorite on paper right now. We'll see where things kind of go with that. But for me, Denver's got four backs right now, four young guys that they really like,

Starting point is 00:24:53 that they feel like and have an impact for them. Are they proven? No, not necessarily, but it doesn't change your approach. I think this is the one position, Sarah and I agree with you. You're already young there. It's okay to go younger by going out there. and maybe double dipping in this year's NFL draft. Look, we've talked about the names, the Omari and Hamptons,

Starting point is 00:25:12 the Trayvionn, Henderson, the Quishon Judkins. Like, there are so many backs in this draft that I would be happy with if Denver landed any of those guys. I'm not as worried about this position. Now, tight end is the one where I am a little concerned in terms of the free agency market. As of the time that we're sitting down here recording this, this is on Tuesday afternoon. Nothing has come about the Evan Ingram news just yet.

Starting point is 00:25:36 At this point, obviously, we know the Broncos let him leave the facility without a deal. And maybe there's going to be some meetings with some other teams. And hopefully Denver can find a way to bring Ingram into the mix because I think you'd be more of a needle mover than anybody else right now at that position. And adding a guy like Ingram, in my opinion, as you mentioned, it doesn't preclude you from going out there and getting another tight end in the NFL draft. You want to double dip with the value there. That's something that I would take a look at here in terms of the tight end market. Juan Johnson, I think you and I've talked about this. I'm not as high on him, I think, as a lot of other.

Starting point is 00:26:06 other people are. And I don't like when you watch the tape of him and you watch the tape of Evan Ingram side by side, Ingram just has a little more juice in my opinion. That excites me that looks like things that Sean Payton could use as a potential joker. Right. And there's a reason why the Broncos went after Evan Ingram, why they brought him in for

Starting point is 00:26:25 a visit, why they took him to dinner on Sunday night and brought him to the team facility and sat him down with the coaches and talk shop, talk ball, all those sorts of things when they could have agreed to a deal already with Juwant. Johnson. Like the familiarity, that's, that's there. That's that that didn't change just because Evan Ingram left the building without a deal. So if the Broncos were so keen on adding Joanne Johnson and they felt like he was a better option than Evan Ingram as some people are trying to convince me on on Twitter, Cody, I just think that's kind of ridiculous because the Broncos brought Evan Ingram to the building and said we'd prefer to have this guy instead of Juwan

Starting point is 00:27:02 Johnson. We'd, we'd like to get a deal done with this guy. That's what might. Clayclist said that there was hopes of a deal getting done between those two parties, and it didn't happen. So we hold out hope now that that can happen because Ingram is clearly the top tight end on the free agent market, and there's not a clear, even close second. It would be the NFL draft beyond that. But the Broncos do need floor raisers. They need floor raisers at tight end.

Starting point is 00:27:27 They need it at wide receiver. And I think they need it ASAP. So it's going to be very, very interesting to see what transpires as the week goes along, when teams officially cut guys because right now that's the big hang up is you can't officially cut some of these guys until the new league year starts at what uh 3 p.m. mountain time or 2 p.m. mountain time here on Wednesday. So that's when the deals can officially begin to happen. And that's when things can start to the ball will really start getting rolling on some of these other veteran roster cuts, which is possibly what teams are waiting for right now.

Starting point is 00:28:01 Yeah. And who knows what doors open up for the Broncos in that situation here? And look, I even think another thing as well is I think we've seen some fan frustration here. Well, the Broncos, they haven't gone out there and they've gone offense yet. I think it's just about being patient at this point. I think I would much rather Denver address their defensive needs and free agency. And then you go out there in the NFL draft and you get playmakers. You get young guys who you have cost control over for the next four, five, three or four, five years at this point. That's me, I think is where you can maximize your window here with Bow Nix.

Starting point is 00:28:33 And I think we've done, I think we've seen Sean and George Payton do a really. good job of identifying young guys, explosive guys on offense at wide receiver, at running back. To me, that's what I want to see them continue to do. And I think this year's class for those positions specifically, open things up for them, not necessarily wide receiver. Denver doesn't, I don't think Denver needs to go wide receiver in this year's draft. I think if you decide to do that in round one, look, there's some good options out there. But for me, it's tight end running back, D line.

Starting point is 00:29:02 Those have to be the three priorities here for that. but I think you address the offense here in the NFL draft. Maybe you add in a couple of guys here in free agency. But really, I think the Broncos aggressive run on players. I think that was Monday. That was, hey, we're in on Hufanga. We're in on obviously Greenlaw. We're going to try to get something with Evan Ingram.

Starting point is 00:29:22 That was them being active. Tuesday has been slow. Doesn't mean that the Broncos approach is done. We'll see what Wednesday brings to the table for them as well. And we'll see what moves. Kind of domino effects go on around the NFL. Like keeping an eye on the Cooper Cup situation. as well. If he gets released by the L.A. Rans, which is expected at this point on Wednesday,

Starting point is 00:29:40 that could change maybe how the Broncos approach, maybe getting an offensive guy here for Bonnick. So I'm not necessarily as worried, Sarah. I mean, where are you at in terms of, okay, hey, we've seen 24 hours of free agency. We're going on 48. Where do you feel with the Broncos comfort level right now? I feel like if guys start coming off the board to other teams and the Broncos aren't getting any deals done with some veterans who could actually help this team, I'll be really disappointed. And I can resonate with the fans that are already like pre-disappointed or they're already kind of scolding the Broncos for not doing something because you see all the other teams with young quarterbacks, they're making moves for their guys. They're going out and

Starting point is 00:30:20 getting players for their guys. And I just, I mean, you want the Broncos to do that. There's nothing against, you know, developing players. There's nothing against having young guys that you're high on. We saw that last year with Riley Moss, and that worked out. And he's going to be the cornerback, too, opposite Pat Sertan. So there is a degree to which, yes, you want to put faith in your young guys, player development, things like that. But if you have a clear opportunity to upgrade your roster in a certain way, it's not, it's, you know, we're done with the Levi Wallace, the Josh Reynolds, those types of signings. Go get me somebody who can actually help this team compete in the AFC because the Broncos have to believe that their window right.

Starting point is 00:31:01 right now is open. Well, and look, you have to find a way to maximize, you know, the time that you have. And I think that the Broncos, their approach, I like it. It has been measured. I also think they have been aggressively measured at that point, going out with Hufanga and Greenlaw, which once again, I just can't hide my excitement when watching film on these guys, if fully healthy. They're going to be game changers for the Broncos defense this upcoming season. But we'll see what their plans are here for obviously the Wednesday free agency period. And look, folks, lockdown Broncos is the place to be for all your Broncos news. content coverage analysis and more for all you every dayers out there. We appreciate you for making us your first listen. Here's what you can expect on tomorrow's episode of the show. The new league year becomes officially official at 2 o'clock p.m. Mountain time. There could be some veteran releases around the league. Cooper Cup expected to be one of those.

Starting point is 00:31:48 Does that open up an opportunity for the Broncos to come in and get him? Is there interest there? We'll break that down. And any moves the Broncos make on tomorrow's episode, Lockdown Broncos.

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