Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos' Wide Receiver Dilemma: Develop or Sign Big Name?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Will the Denver Broncos look to make a splash on the outside at the wide receiver position in free agency or the NFL draft? Or will they focus on their in-house development? We'll take a look at that much more here on today's brand new 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 up, Brackos country? Welcome into another episode of Locked-on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast. part of the lockdown podcast network where you know it is your team every single day. I want to give a special thank you and a shout out to all the everydayers out there in Broncos country,

Starting point is 00:00:43 all the first listeners. Thank you for making us part of your day every single day all year long because for the true fan, there is never in off season. I'm Cody Roark, Broncos credential reporter for Mile High sports. Joined as always by Sarah Bedinger, longtime side expert of their predominantly orange.com, also rider over there, NFL spin zone. He does it all. And we've got a lot to break down.

Starting point is 00:01:03 here on today's episode of the show as we continue our position recap and preview series from 24 at the wide receiver position. We'll wrap things up by asking a question. Will the Broncos add a big name wide receiver in the NFL draft or free agency? We'll also take a look at whether or not anyone in-house can emerge for the Broncos at that position opposite of Cortland Sutton. But in order to look forward, you got to look backwards. And we're going to kick things off on today's episode of the show by talking about the

Starting point is 00:01:30 Broncos, wide receivers that they already have in developmental. mode and where they could go next. That's what 2024 was for this Broncos team. Sarah, I mean, when we look at this position, when we look at this room and all the things that made up Denver's offense in 2024, the wide receiver position might have been a saving grace outside of Bow next to this offense. But even though that was the case, there's still so many question marks about several players.

Starting point is 00:01:57 And really, Cortland Sutton was the alpha dog once again. Yeah, it was a really odd year from that perspective. It was like maybe one of the best years, Cortland Sutton has had, obviously on the heels of the season that he had in 23, where he set a career high and 10 touchdowns. And you had these young guys emerging at different times throughout the season, right? I mean, Devon Velae had his moments, Marvin Mims, certainly in the back half of the season. I think maybe the most consistent production outside of Cortland Sutton, but that was the sample size after the trade deadline. So that's kind of what we had.

Starting point is 00:02:31 And then there was the occasional Troy Franklin game where he'd be gaining yards after the catch or he'd make, you know, a play here and there. And then we finally got that big play from him in the playoffs that we'd all been hoping for and trying to manifest throughout the season. But other than that, it was just kind of the occasional play from little Jordan Humphrey and not much else from this wide receiver room. And I think that a lot of fans would agree, Cody, that the Broncos kind of, you know, shot themselves in the foot a little bit by cutting Tim Patrick. you had Josh Reynolds and I think they kind of figured, well, we'll have Josh Reynolds on the team. He can kind of do what we thought maybe Tim Patrick could do, but with a little more juice deep down the field. Ultimately, they end up cutting Josh Reynolds and paving the way for the young guys to take all those snaps. And so that's the part of me that right now, as we kind of look back at last year,

Starting point is 00:03:19 it really indicates to me maybe what the future holds for the Broncos in terms of them prioritizing player development. Well, and I know one thing, too, like Sean Payton said it last year, even at the beginning, our goal is to go out there to compete and win. Like, we just don't want to be satisfied with, you know, looking okay in certain spots. He says, we want to win the division. We want to get to the playoffs. That was the team's goal there. But, I mean, I think when you look at their roster, the personnel decisions, you mentioned, obviously for them, they brought in Josh Reynolds in free agency to move on from him in season. I think says something about, okay, we need to see where our development with these other guys, like Detroit Franklin's, the Devon Val. the Marvin Mims is going to come into play.

Starting point is 00:03:58 And yeah, to your point, too, even about Lowe Jordan Humphrey, like Lowe Jordan Humphrey, I'll say this, underrated in a sense in terms like, okay, he's a good blocker on the perimeter. He'll catch, you know, a couple of passes here or there for you. But in terms of him being really widely featured, I definitely think that impacted a little bit of the early on development of Marvin Mims. I think it impacted Devon Velae. I think it impacted Troy Franklin this season. And certainly, Sean Payton's got his allegiance to guys that he knows.

Starting point is 00:04:24 And with Lord Jordan Humphrey, here's what Sean Payton will tell you. You know what you're getting almost every single time. And I understand that. But, you know, when you've got a guy like Troy Franklin, who you trade it up for in the NFL draft because you want to see, like, you've got the speed. He's got the size. He's got the yard after the catchability. You've got to give him more opportunities.

Starting point is 00:04:42 I think we saw that down the stretch here. Marvin Mims, they found a little bit more of an established role for him. And I think they're going to continue to build on that. Devon Valey, at times, like there was a stretch of the season where he was. was Denver's wide receiver too. And that wasn't a bad thing because he's got the size, the athleticism. He can make those big catches with this catch radius, can box out smaller defenders. But ultimately, with the Broncos trying to figure out, hey, can Bo Nex lead us as a rookie?

Starting point is 00:05:10 Can he showcase that he's the guy being really the goal that you had going into 2024? Now it's like you could take that risk with, hey, we're going to get these younger guys more playing time here during the second half of the schedule. so we can maybe see where we're at going into 2025. To me, that's all about player development. But man, I agree with you, Sarah. You want to see more of it. You want to see more consistency. And I think one of those things that got in the way of the Broncos,

Starting point is 00:05:36 I'd say further developing some of these guys was maybe an allegiance to some guys that Sean Payton has worked with previously, like a little bit of a pecking order. No matter what, I would have wanted to see more Devon Valle, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, Cortland Sutton as the primary four receivers. 100% especially because that's kind of what ended up happening anyway over the course of the season. It's like, why not just dive head first into that at the beginning of the year? And so, I mean, I guess all things, you know, kind of ended up being what they should have been, these young guys getting as many reps as possible, Marvin Mims finally getting involved after we had

Starting point is 00:06:12 so many episodes during the beginning of the year where we were like, what the heck is this coaching staff doing with Marvin Mims? Like, we were wondering, were they hiding him during? training camp in the preseason because he was so not involved. And so getting him involved was huge. But you mentioned it, Cody, trading up for Troy Franklin, who they said, Sean Peyton specifically said, we got a, we had a second round grade on him going into the draft. And so you trade up to get him. You trade it up for Marvin Mims in 2023. These are guys that you have prioritized from the brain trust, like the scouting department, the front office, the coaching staff, like you targeted

Starting point is 00:06:48 these guys to be in this offense. And you've also rejected offers for day two picks for Cortland Sutton. And so I don't know. To me, as we get into this offseason, I can see the Broncos going so many different ways at receiver. But my gut is telling me that the guys that are currently on the roster are going to be the primary guys that they roll with going forward. And look, I think you can also make some cases.

Starting point is 00:07:15 That can help you if you address other areas of your offense, right? If you have a legitimate run game, you've seen it. And look, Josh Allen's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But his supporting cast a wide receiver isn't necessarily the greatest. Is it better than Denver's? Maybe. Probably there's a little bit of an edge there because you've got Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, Kalil Shakir, who's obviously a talented player,

Starting point is 00:07:35 and then Matt Collins, who does the dirty work for you. But I think like the upside with Denver, with Cortland Sutton as their main guy, with those three other guys that we'd mention, I think that there's a little bit more chance of there being a little more upside with these guys, if they can get to a point where their player development, according to the front office, gets to where they think it can. And that's something even George Payton acknowledged

Starting point is 00:07:54 in the end of the year press conference. He talked about how important it is to develop players and how Sean Payton's a big believer in that and how the front office, the scouting department, they believe in development. So it's not necessarily about, all right, we're going to get this guy and he's going to be an instant stud right away.

Starting point is 00:08:09 You'd love to see those cases certainly happen. I mean, it happens for other teams around the NFL, but it's hard. You know, and it's like, can you develop that player, to get to that point. I think when you look at the traits of Velae, Franklin, Mims, yeah, they can get to that point. But it also comes with grueling pains, too. As you've talked about in the playoff game, sir, we saw a drop from Troy Franklin,

Starting point is 00:08:29 but we also saw the, you know, the long touchdown catch, right? You know, it's something that Troy's, that was a, I would say a gripe against Troy, you know, throughout the entire season was drops or some missed opportunities or those times where Bo Nicks overshot him. But for Devon Valey, Devon Valey struggled with drops in the playoff game. He had three of them against the Buffalo bills. And so it's like when you're going through the development process, you love to see the good things. But you also have to acknowledge, hey, these guys are going to make mistakes.

Starting point is 00:08:54 They are going to have rough patches. That's part of player development. And now I'm excited to see how it carries forward. But realistically, it opens up, as you mentioned, opportunities and possibility for Denver to look at any and every option to continue to build this offense around Bo Nix while he is on a rookie deal. And that really is going to set up the question here. Broncos country can can there be somebody in-house that emerges as a true wide receiver two threat that can impact and take their production to the next level here in 2025 or are the Broncos going to look at the free agency route to be able to do just that.

Starting point is 00:09:28 Maybe T. Higgins will break that down and much more here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos podcast is brought to you our friends over there at Talk Space and Therapy. It's a game changer and it can help manage stress. It can help you improve your sleep and it can help you communicate more. effectively with those around you, but finding the right therapist and fitting sessions into a busy schedule, it can be a challenge. And that's where Talkspace comes in handy. Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider makes getting the help that you need easy, accessible, and best of all, affordable. With Talkspace, signing up is simple. You can match with the licensed therapist who fits

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Starting point is 00:11:06 What is going on at this position going forward? Well, that's what we're going to talk about on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Broncos country, don't be surprised if you see the Broncos. bank on their young guys making more plays in 2025. But we're going to talk about all that and more on today's episode. I want to say thank you to every single one of you that makes Lockdown Broncos, your first listen of the day. Every single day, we appreciate you all so much.

Starting point is 00:11:30 And hey, if you don't have us at the top of your algorithm already, if you don't have us at the top of your podcast feed already, hit subscribe so that that happens. So you can become an every dayer here at Lockdown Broncos. Cody, let's talk about this because last year, this is kind of where I'm basing my logic, right? And it's not always going to be the same. But last year, the Broncos really banked on Jaquan, Jack Juan Macmillan, excuse me, and Riley Moss being their guys at the out, at the cornerback positions opposite Pat Certan. And I think that surprised a lot of people.

Starting point is 00:12:04 Like a lot of folks thought, well, the Broncos need to go out and they need to either draft somebody to play corner or they need to sign somebody or trade for somebody. there were not a lot of fans that were saying, hey, Riley Moss, he's guaranteed to be the guy out there. The Broncos really banked on him being the guy. And they've done that at a number of positions. You could talk about Edge as well, where they cut a number of veteran guys or traded some guys. I don't know.

Starting point is 00:12:27 I just have this sneaking suspicion that Sean Peyton believes that wide receiver two, maybe even one, maybe even three. If you want to go all up and down the depth chart, I kind of feel like he might try to run it back at this position group. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. And certainly, like, to your points about the cornerback position last year and how we can make that parallel here for wide receiver, maybe going into the 2025 off season, yeah, look, I think that the front office, I think that the coaching staff, they're far more patient with their vision and understanding where they're going than sometimes maybe you or I can or listeners in Broncos country feel about what they should or shouldn't do.

Starting point is 00:13:04 But I think that's the process of it, right? We sit here and we're like, all right, hey, we're talking about how can they get better? How can they improve? Is it in-house? Is it out of house? Is it, you know, with the NFL draft where you're trying to, you know, make guys homegrown players, get them to second contracts? Or is it just like, you know what? Let's let the process play out because most of the time there's not just an easy button, a one-step solution that's going to solve all the problems. Though I think when you add certain pieces to the equation, offensively, defensively, from a personnel standpoint, that's when you maybe start to build momentum in terms of roster building or competing. and getting stronger in areas you were weak in at wide receiver, man, you know, you got the speed factor of Marvin Mims. You've got the size and the speed factor of Troy Franklin. You've got the size and the catch radius there of Devon Valey.

Starting point is 00:13:52 And I can't help but think to myself as well. If Denver adds a very good running back, which has been a subject of discussion here on the show for the last handful of episodes here, if you add that and if you add a legitimate past catching tight end, does it allow those guys to grow even further? But then we've also thrown out the idea here, Sarah, on this show, and certainly I think it would open up opportunities for these guys to develop even more, but going out in free agency and maybe making a little bit of a big splash, right? Going out there and adding a guy.

Starting point is 00:14:20 Look, I know there's some big names. I don't think there's a ton of big names necessarily. They're going to come in and be game changers for you. But I think there are two names that would probably be the best fit in terms of, A, you're going to go in free agency and try to sign a wide receiver. The big fish, this offseason is going to be T. Higgins, depending on what Cincinnati does to him, because obviously they got to choose between Jamar Chase, T. Higgins,

Starting point is 00:14:40 and they got a whole bunch of decisions. Do you franchise tag one and try to lock up another guy with an extension? I mean, that's certainly a possibility. T. Higgins is going to be the big fish. Chris Godwin, another available option, but all signs point to him going back to Tampa Bay. He loves it there. He loves Baker-Mayfield.

Starting point is 00:14:54 They're building something special in Tampa. So for me, it's how do the Broncos maybe add to this position without sacrificing the development of your young guys who you obviously think so highly of? I think that's one of the biggest questions here. That is because you don't want to sacrifice their development. Now, year to year in the NFL, I think everybody assumes that like these teams, including the Broncos, are just looking to just instantly slap the upgrade button on every position that wasn't amazing in the previous season.

Starting point is 00:15:25 And that's not the case. Like you and I talk about how development in the NFL is not always linear. And not every rookie is going to be Malik neighbors. I mean, shoot, not even Marvin. Harrison Jr. was as good as Malik neighbors, the guy that was taken before him. So we're expecting Troy Franklin and even Devon Valle, who I know is 27 years old already. He'll be 28 late next season, obviously, and that's always a topic of discussion. So I think the Broncos will add to the position, like, and they should, but you have two younger guys in Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin

Starting point is 00:16:01 that I think this team obviously really likes. They trade it up to get both guys. And so I just, to me, Cody, you either are going deep sea fishing this year as in like, hey, let's go out and let's get a, let's get something big. Like, we're going for the Marlin. We're, we're going big game hunting, you know, or you're staying back at the resort and like, we've got plenty of options here. Let's just see if we can't find something that we like within what we already got. But you're going to do one of those two things.

Starting point is 00:16:29 I don't think you're going to say, hey, let's go on the, you know, let's go try to get at least a little bit of something. And like enough with the Josh Reynolds type stuff. As much as would have loved to have seen him contribute to the offense, there's a reason that he was cut when he was healthy, right? Because the Broncos wanted to see what more of Troy Franklin. They want more Vailet. They wanted more Mims.

Starting point is 00:16:48 Don't be doing that kind of stuff. Don't be going after the Juju Smith Schuster's of the world and things like that. That's a waste of time. Either draft somebody and go with your internal guys or let's go deep sea fishing or big game hunting and go after the T. Higgins or, the Chris Godwin or if you want to get real crazy, I mean, trade something for Devante Adams for a year or something like, I mean,

Starting point is 00:17:10 Garrett Wilson. Like, go for a big type of move as opposed to saying, well, let's just sprinkle this veteran here and this bet. There could be some guys that could maybe help, but I just think either this team needs somebody who's proven, consistent, very good, going to immediately raise the floor or they need to develop the guys that they have in house and maybe make a splash in the NFL draft. I think when you look at the numbers two of Denver on third down and the fact that Boe Nix's favorite go-to guy on third down was Cortland Sutton,

Starting point is 00:17:39 I think screams from the rooftops say, hey, we need to at least maybe bring somebody else in to help in that situation. Or like I said, a tight end maybe solves that a good run game and a good runback solves that dilemma a little bit there. Because how pass happy Denver really was this season without an effective run game. You get one of those guys, I agree, it moves the needle for you and it opens up more opportunities because Look, what do we see down the stretch here from defenses? You know, for Cortland Sutton, he'd get press coverage from a corner who'd play most of the time outside leverage, and there would be a safety over the top. They would bracket Cortland consistently, and especially on third down, down the stretch.

Starting point is 00:18:16 And so that's where you need another guy. And of course, you know, you're putting a lot of trust into guys like Troy Franklin, Devon Valet, Marvin Mims out of the backfield, where it's like, all right, you know, when you line Marvin up as a running back in the backfield, you get him in a matchup more than likely with an inside linebacker who's got to get out there to the flat, especially if you swing him out, right? But then we start to see teams know, like, hey, third down, Marvin Mims in the backfield. All right.

Starting point is 00:18:38 Each side, alert, alert that, hey, if he goes to your side, it's probably going to him at this point versus I would like to see that evolve to Marvin, then moving him to the slot, close to the, you know, tight end or the offensive tackle run routes, like short yardage routes, as you and I were talking about, instead of just the deep routes, get him the ball in three to four yards with a slant or a drag and then let him get yards after the catch here. Marvin's got the speed to be able to do that. Don't go with the end-round handoff reverse that we've consistently seen.

Starting point is 00:19:07 You know, there's got to be variance here to it. And I think that one personnel move here, you add a big fish to the market. I think it helps the Broncos. I think it helps Mims because then teams are no longer sitting there double team in Cortland Sutton. Or if they are, now you got another guy, as we've seen with the Broncos, when they took on the Bengals, you try to take away, you know, Jamar Chase. Well, okay, there's T. Higgins there for you. Like you need that type of threat in today's NFL.

Starting point is 00:19:34 And look, even the chartered a couple years ago, I had that with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams together. I mean, that's a dynamic that you see in today's NFL. You got A.J. Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles granted, you know, in Devante Smith. You got two guys there. You know, I'm trying to go through all the teams. I mean, Kansas City might be the anomaly. They got Travis Kelsey, but he's not like, you know, those wide receivers that we're talking about.

Starting point is 00:19:54 But he's consistent. He's reliable. You look at Buffalo. I mean, they've got Amari Cooper, Keon Coleman, but those guys aren't. like some of the other top guys there, but they can contribute. But those other teams have other elements sprinkled in that allow them to have success and to thrive. Jaden Daniels has Terry McLaurin, you know, and he's got Zach Hertz at the tight end position

Starting point is 00:20:13 and you got two running backs there in Washington that can do certain things. It all helps the offense flow together. And getting that for Bow Nicks, I think is going to help the offense be more efficient next season. And so really, Broncos country, that's going to lead us to our next biggest question here. Will the Broncos, will they add a big name wide receiver? But we'll take a look at that. Or is the NFL draft the best path?

Starting point is 00:20:34 We'll tell you why they should be looking to broaden their horizons here on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's Lockdown Broncos podcast is brought to our friends over there at Fandul. From the first whistle to the final drive, Fandu makes the NFL playoffs even more exciting. And especially with the big game that's coming up, they got the kick of destiny. It's going to feature Peyton Manning and Eli Manning on there to see who's going to make that

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Starting point is 00:21:54 The fourth quarter action of today's episode, Lockdown Broncos is here. And once again, I want to say thanks to all the everydayers out there. in Broncos country. Thanks to the first listeners for making the show exactly what it is. And don't forget, we literally have a show for you every single weekday, Monday through Friday, all throughout the entire offseason, because for the true fan, guess what, there is never an offseason. You want fresh objective Broncos news content coverage analysis more. Lockdown Broncos, you get there with Sarah Bediger and myself here. All right, as we dive into the final portion of our wide receiver overview for the 2024 NFL season,

Starting point is 00:22:25 now we're looking ahead here to 2025. We've talked about what the Broncos offense certainly needs at this position to be able to produce and go a little bit further in the NFL playoffs this upcoming season. If the Broncos do, in fact, get back there. That's going to be a big part of it. But how do the Broncos go about adding to this position, right? We've talked about player development and the guys that are in-house. We've talked about adding guys.

Starting point is 00:22:47 But if you're going to add a name, is the NFL draft more appealing or is it NFL free agency? Well, Cody, to me, the strength of this NFL draft is, at tight end, running back, defensive line. I would love to see the Broncos open themselves up to those three positions with their top three picks. However, there's some guys in this draft class that I think you could fall in love with pretty easily at wide receiver. And we're still in the very early beginning stages of draft evaluation, things like that.

Starting point is 00:23:20 But you watch the national championship game, heck, you turn on any Ohio State game this year, you're always going to notice their wide receivers. Right. and that's just annually at this point. Brian Hartlined, the wide receivers coach there at Ohio State. I mean, the dude is printing out wide receivers like it's, you know, it's just easy. You know, he's just making it rain out there with these NFL caliber guys. And Egbuka, the wide receiver from Ohio State, looks like the ideal kind of fit for what the Broncos need can play inside and out, loves to block, you know, all those sorts of things, has strong hands, really good in the red zone.

Starting point is 00:23:55 that's the kind of guy that I would spend a first round pick on. Obviously, Luther Burden from Missouri is another top tier name. Don't think the Broncos are going to be able to get McMillan from Arizona. He's probably going to be way off the board by the time they pick. But there's some options, I think, in the draft that, okay, you want to go with this youth movement. You want to bank on Troy Franklin. You want to bank on Marvin Mims. I think those guys could be a dynamic group with a first round receiver.

Starting point is 00:24:22 And then obviously, Cortland Sutton, as time, goes along you move on from him or do you replace sutton this year with somebody like a t higgins like cody if you like i said before if you can get t higgins and it costs you courtland sutton are you doing that like if you have to pick one or the other are you taking t higgins or are you taking the guy that built chemistry with bow nicks like that's a big question mark or are you taking chris godwin coming off another acel injury right and so those those guys could fit those guys could be exciting they would sell a lot of jerseys. But at the same time, is it exactly what the Broncos need right now?

Starting point is 00:24:58 Or does it help them in the NFL draft? It's a great question. And there's so many different things to ponder. Like if Denver were to look at bringing in an outside name, look, I think T. Higgins is the only option that I would be interested in pursuing, you know, in free agency. Or if you're going to try to trade for a guy, I would like to trade for a guy like Garrett Wilson, if he's available.

Starting point is 00:25:17 But then again, you know, they've got a brand new head coach now in Aaron Glenn. and I'm sure he's going to want to keep some of those guys together, the playmakers. You brought up Devante Adams. I don't know how that would work in the Broncos locker. I don't know. Like is Devante Adams a prima don't know at this point? And we go back to a Sean Peyton and Bo Nix said, we don't have a lot of prima donnas in our locker room.

Starting point is 00:25:36 Greg Panter even came in and said, if you're a prima donna, you're probably not going to do well here in this situation. So for me, those would be the options, either trade for a guy like Garrett Wilson, if he's available, or go out and try to make an aggressive push to sign T.

Starting point is 00:25:50 I would not give up on Cortland Sutton though. I would not get rid of him just because of the fact that what did Bo Nix do? He developed important chemistry with him. And you certainly need that. And you need that amongst multiple guys, right? And I think sometimes Bo relied a little too much on his chemistry with Cortland, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you want to see those other guys get those opportunities to maybe spread out and have that chemistry established with one another.

Starting point is 00:26:12 I think Cortland Sutton and having another wide receiver there is what is going to ultimately be the best factor for the Broncos to compete to win. win the AFC West. And look, I think that's where you maybe look forward thinking. If you are looking at the NFL draft, there's even another name, Jeremiah Smith, not sure he's going to be available at 20 when the Broncos picked there at Ohio State. You mentioned all those guys there from Ohio State. Smith is the one that's very intriguing because he honestly can be a joker at the

Starting point is 00:26:37 wide receiver position with how he was used in Ohio State. But for me, you have to weigh the opportunity costs, right? If you were going to go younger, you need to get a playmaker that's like, all right, you have to factor in. You're going to extend Cortland Sutton or, here in a year or two, Cortland Sutton's not going to be on the team. And now you're truly embracing the youth movement for Bo Nix as he's continuing to grow and play out on his rookie deal here in the Mile High City.

Starting point is 00:27:00 That to me, I think, is where things kind of, you know, get a little interesting. But we have seen the pipeline is there, the Broncos, they like Ohio State players. They like the University of Missouri players. They like Alabama players at this point. This wide receiver class is going to be very interesting because, and obviously, you can check out our good friends over there at the Locked-on NFL draft podcast. they're doing a great job previewing everything. We've got the senior bowl coming up as well next week.

Starting point is 00:27:24 So there's so much going on. And maybe we're going to gain some more clarity. Maybe we're going to see some guys rise and fall. I wouldn't be opposed. I do think that the Bronco should add a receiver in the straft is going to be round one. I don't know. It depends on what they do at running back. It depends on what they do at Tidea and Free Agency.

Starting point is 00:27:38 If those positions don't get addressed, I'm going to be very curious to see how they really approach us. But with all this series, you and I are talking, we're outlining all these scenarios. It feels like it's kind of a good thing, too. it's bittersweet because Denver at least has options versus it could be an it's either this or bust like Denver's not in that situation here no they're not which is great to be in that type of scenario although I think they do have a number of avenues that they can and potentially will take that will tick off a lot of fans because I think the fans want to see the all right let's let's cast our you know bid for somebody like t higgins or if you don't get t higgins

Starting point is 00:28:15 you better sign chris godwin and if those don't happen like we're going to be a upset with however much those guys signed for because there's no way the Broncos can't afford that price. I mean, and it's it's understandable based on how many drops the Broncos had this past year. But at the same time, again, do you bank on player development? Absolutely. And the Broncos were in a unique situation this last year where they almost kind of had to rely on player development, right? I mean, nearly 90 million in dead cap. You really don't have much of a choice, but to say, we're going with the young guys. Like, we're going with the rookie contract. guys and we're going to see what they can do.

Starting point is 00:28:51 And I love that they did that because maybe it provides a bit of a launching off point going forward to say, we don't need to go spend $4 million on Josh Reynolds. We don't need to go spend X million on, you know, whatever other guys you want to kind of name from any group like that. We can bank on drafting and developing guys within the first couple of years. And I think that that's, I do think that we will see that this year. I think we're going to see this. team developing and banking on Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, Devon Valet, maybe in the NFL

Starting point is 00:29:25 draft, you get somebody like, I know he's not the exact archetype of a Sean Payton receiver, but like Tess Johnson, who has chemistry with Bow Nicks already, is his little brother, right, is, you know, played with him at Oregon, things like that, or you go after somebody that that David Shaw really liked when he was working with Stanford in the PAC 12 and things like that or somebody that he recruited, somebody that has ties within the organization already. I don't know. I just feel like that's kind of the route that we're going to see. So not to pour cold water on the T. Higgins idea or the blockbuster trade ideas because I think they are possible.

Starting point is 00:29:59 I just think it's more likely right now the Broncos will go with in-house player development and see if these guys can't take that next step in 2025. Broncos country, we want to hear from you sending your thoughts on how the Broncos should approach the wide receiver position here going into the off season, here in 2025. That'll wrap up today's episode of the show. Once again, thanks to all the everydayers first listeners out there in Broncos country for making the show exactly what it is. If you want to know what you're going to get on tomorrow's episode of the show,

Starting point is 00:30:25 our position overview series is going to continue. And it's one of the bigger positions the Broncos need to address here this off season, tight end. How can they grow from it? And who are some options that they should heavily consider? We'll take a look at that and much more on tomorrow's brand new episode, Lockdown Broncos.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos' Wide Receiver Dilemma: Develop or Sign Big Name?

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