Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - MAILBAG: Will Denver Broncos Make RJ Harvey DAY 1 STARTER At RB?

Starting point is 00:00:00 In our latest Denver Broncos mailback, Broncos country wants to know if RJ Harvey will be a starter on day one. I'll tell you why I think he won't. But Sarah will tell you why he think Harvey will get reps day one right away 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. What's happening in Broncos country, welcome into another episode, Lockdown Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network where you know it is yours. team every day for all your Broncos news content coverage analysis more this is the place to be every single day all year long special shout out to everyone in broncos country thanks for tuning in all the every dayers out there for making us your first listen however you choose to do so and if you're not

Starting point is 00:00:50 yet in every day or become one by hitting that subscribe to that follow button and you'll never miss out on what's going on with your favorite team as always i'm your host cody roark broncos credential reporter for mile high sports and i'm sarah bedinger the site expert of predominantly orange dot com. And we've got a lot to break down on today's episode. Broncos country. Here's what you're going to get. We'll go through and open up our handy dandy Broncos mailbag. You sent in your questions and we're going to answer him here today, including is RJ Harvey a day one starter? I'll go into why I don't think he will be. Sarah's going to debate me on saying that he will be. We'll go through that. Plus, how will the Broncos draft impact potential contract extensions with Cortland Sutton, Zach Allen, Nick Benito and others will break that down. We'll also tell you why the tight end position could end up surprising. somebody here this upcoming season. You get all that on today's episode of the show. Brought to you by friends over there at Fandu. And right now, new customers can get $250 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Sarah, we just got a letter. I wonder who it's from. Well, first and foremost, it comes from Nam Deer on Twitter. He asked the question to kick off our mailbag

Starting point is 00:01:55 here today. Do you think RJ Harvey will be a day one starter? You know my thoughts on this. I don't think that he will be on day one. I'll dive into that, but I want to open up with why you think he will be the day one starter for the Broncos here come week one. Yeah, and maybe this isn't exactly what the question is asking, but I think day one and week one, to me, are a little bit different things. Like, we know Sean Payton typically plays kind of the seniority card when it comes to the offseason and training camp. I mean, not even Bo Necks was a day one starter, if you want to go back to that. But I think week one, the top running back on the depth chart or the top running back in terms of touches in terms of, hey, we want to get this guy the

Starting point is 00:02:35 most snaps. I think it's going to be R.J. Harvey. I think he's going to be the one that the Broncos say, hey, we targeted this guy in the draft. We felt like maybe behind just a couple of other guys like Ashton Genty and maybe Trayvion Henderson, we felt like he's a top three back in this class. We are going to get him heavily involved. It was a second round pick at running back. He's got to play.

Starting point is 00:02:55 He's got to get action. And that's no doubter. So I think when it comes to what I perceive to be day one starter, I'm thinking in my mind, Cody, that question goes to like week one. Is he going to be the lead back? And I think that to me, the answer is yes to that question. Well, and I think sometimes what we have seen from Sean Payton in his two years here so far is that he'll go into one game with, let's use for example, he would go into one game with Javante Williams getting the first touch or the first carry of a game, which that right there counts as a start. And then one week it would be Jalue McLaughlin. one week, it would be Audrake's Estimate. So for me, I wonder just knowing how Sean has operated in the past,

Starting point is 00:03:34 is this how we're going to determine who the starter is. Now, ultimately, I think with how I envision the Broncos using RJ Harvey, here's why I don't think he'll be the day one starter or the week one starter, so to speak here for the Broncos. I truly believe when I look at Audrakeesstime and I look at a guy like RJ Harvey, even factor in Julio McLaughlin and any of the other backs here in the situation, I think the goal here for Sean Payton in the run game is to wear down opposing defenses. And look, I think crucial situations last year,

Starting point is 00:04:03 let's go to that Kansas City Chiefs game on the road where we really got to see our first in-depth look at Audrick Estimate. And from that point forward, after that game, you and I came away saying, like, he needs to be the starter for the Broncos the rest of the season. He should be getting the first or the majority bulk of the carries. It didn't work out that way. The Broncos didn't do that. Peyton did not do that. But what you see there, and I thought Audric did a really good job.

Starting point is 00:04:25 of this, he's the type of guy with how big he is, how hard he is to bring down. I think that can wear down defenses. And then you bring in a guy like RJ Harvey who at 205 pounds, I'm sure he'll probably end up being 208, maybe even 210 when it comes to the NFL season. I'm curious to see how the Broncos approach him. But with his speed at 4-4 speed, the vision, the burst, the explosiveness, I just feel like if you have Audra come in and wear down a defense a little bit and you bring in R.J. Harvey, I feel like then that's where he can really gash guys.

Starting point is 00:04:56 And then it opens everything up for the rest of the Broncos offense. To me, that's the reason why I think RJ won't be the weak one starter, but he's going to play a massive role here. And I think that's also something else we have to highlight. Regardless of who starts, whether it's RJ Harvey, Audrick, Estimate, Jaliel McLaughlin. I think it's important to note that there's going to be a plan with how these guys are used in the run game, that it will be determined how it's going to impact the offense as best as it can to give them as much potential on the field as possible. Yeah, they want to make sure they maximize the variance that they have in that room.

Starting point is 00:05:27 And right now, you kind of have to rely on that smash and dash idea, right? With Audric Estime. And then hopefully it is RJ Harvey. I don't know where that necessarily leaves Juliel McLaughlin going forward or Tyler Biday or Blake Watson. I think that there's going to be an intriguing competition between some of those guys. But for the Broncos, it's got to be maybe a bit different than it has been in your past, right? I think that from my seat where I'm sitting, it's got to be a difference of, hey, Sean, you've kind of had an aversion a little bit to getting these young guys out on the field

Starting point is 00:06:00 or sticking with the young guys through some of their mistakes, right? I mean, we know Troy Franklin, either the drops issues or maybe not running the right route or whatever it may be, then you kind of get put in the doghouse. Same with estimate and the fumbles, right? You get put in the proverbial doghouse. So it's got to be one of those situations to where if you're not going to go out and sign a veteran running back or trade for a veteran running back, then you better be willing to live with the growing pains of these guys.

Starting point is 00:06:25 And it's so weird to me that we're willing to do that for Jalil McLaughlin, but not for, you know, Audric Estimate, or you're willing to do that with Lil Jordan Humphrey, but you're not willing to do it with Troy Franklin. So hopefully a shift in that mindset with a guy like RJ Harvey to say, hey, we're going to get him out on the field as soon as possible. Ball security is going to be very important. And look, RJ Harvey at UCF, I believe in each of that two of three seasons,

Starting point is 00:06:50 here the last three years. I believe he has had three fumbles in each of those seasons. So obviously you're going to have to protect the football when you come to the mile high city. That's something that you have to do. I wouldn't say it's a big issue for him, but it's something obviously, you know, he had that on tape, a couple of fumbles. It wasn't like a big glaring issue. I mean, when you factor in the volume of touches and snaps that he played three fumbles out of that large sample size, I mean, it's not necessarily a bad thing. But yes, ball security is paramount in the NFL.

Starting point is 00:07:19 Great question sent in from Nam Deer on Twitter. Our next one comes from a good friend, DeMark, asked the question, is there a significant role that you can see with Q Robinson being used as a weapon as a quarterback spy or in blitz packages? Sarah, I'm curious for your thoughts on this, because when I look at Q Robinson, you can certainly see that explosiveness. You can see the potential that he has there. But part of me is wondering, as we talked about in yesterday's show, kind of recapping the NFL draft, I don't think that he's going to be in a position to play

Starting point is 00:07:47 much on defense, though I think he's got the athletic tour. to be able to do a little bit of this or that. And maybe, look, we talked about the Drake Greenlaw injury scare, is Q Robinson, the type of guy that could play some dropback linebacker, potentially for the Broncos. I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if they found him to be the type of prototype player that can do that. I just don't see that happening.

Starting point is 00:08:08 I don't think that's the vision for him right now in Denver. I think we could see a situation like late last year where, remember Drew Sanders came back from the injury and they kind of just made a concerted effort to get him a handful of snaps. I wonder if you could see something similar to that. I mean, it probably wouldn't be anything more than, you know, like five to eight snaps defensively. And it could depend totally on, hey, we're, we got down early in this game.

Starting point is 00:08:33 And the opposing team played way more snaps than we anticipated. So we had to get some more guys out there because they're just playing too many snaps. The offense for the other, or you got down early. You had to rush the passer way more than you thought you would have to or whatever the case may be. So I could see situations like that where he's getting on the field more defensively, Cody. But otherwise, I think you want to see those next steps taken by guys like Nick Bonito, Jonathan Cooper.

Starting point is 00:09:00 And then obviously you have Jonah Ellis and Dondrey Tullman. Maybe he still snaps from Dondre Toulman, not to sell Dondre short or anything, but maybe he still snaps from him. Maybe there's a competition in camp at the preseason. And if the guy does well enough, you can't keep him off the field. Those are the situations you love to have. So I could see maybe something like that going down. And if there is an injury at the edge rusher position, certainly I think it elevates Q's status to be able to play a little bit more.

Starting point is 00:09:27 Hopefully that's not the case. We know Jonah Ellis coming off their shoulder surgery. From what I understand, he's at the team facility. You know, he's been taking part of workouts and also receiving treatment going through the rehab process still. But he should be good to go from training camp for, you know, from what I've been told and what I'm hearing there. So something definitely to monitor. That's a great question sent in. obviously from our friend, Demark, on Twitter.

Starting point is 00:09:49 But Broncos Country, we're not done yet. We still have some more mailbag questions sent in from you, the avid listeners of the show. And Broncos Country wants to know how their draft impacts the contract extension status of guys of Cortland, Sutton, Nick Benito, Zach Allen, and John Franklin Myers. We'll debate and discuss that on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's episode of the show is brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu.

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Starting point is 00:11:14 Some guys, they're ready to get paid. So how does the NFL draft impact players like Cortland Sutton, Zach Allen, John Franklin Myers? It might actually have an extremely positive impact for those guys. And we're going to tell you about that on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. But Broncos Country, thank you so much for making us your first listen of the day. Thanks for rocking with us throughout the NFL draft and the off season here. And you know your boys, Cody and Sayer. We're going to have you covered all off season long.

Starting point is 00:11:41 There is no off season here at Lockdown Broncos. So go ahead. hit subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts as well as on YouTube so you don't miss a single episode of the show. Let's talk about contract extensions, Cody. This is a big deal because George Payton said that these were going to be tabled until after the NFL draft. It is now after the NFL draft.

Starting point is 00:12:01 And we are eagerly anticipating seeing which players, if any, and we assume there will be, get contract extensions. This one from today's Melbaugh comes in from Broncos for six on Twitter. how does the Broncos draft impact potential contract extensions for Cortland Sutton, JFM, John Franklin Myers, right? Zach Allen and Nick Bonita. So I want to throw it to you, get your thoughts on that one. Yeah, this is a great question from Carson or Broncos 4-6 on Twitter.

Starting point is 00:12:30 Always interacting with the show. We appreciate you. He's in every day you're out there. And look, I feel like the timeline here when George and M said after the draft will focus on that. I don't know if we're going to see our first extension happened in the next week or so, right? for me, I anticipate a Cortland Sutton contract extension to potentially happen, you know, once training camp starts before training camp or a little bit during that. But that's going to be something that takes some time, right?

Starting point is 00:12:53 But what does that mean for guys like Nick Benito, Zach Allen, John Franklin Myers? I think them adding Pat Bryant, you know, that was another question thrown out there that I received on social media. Does the addition of Pat Bryant impact Cortland Sutton at all in terms of his extension? No, I don't think that it does personally on my end. I know that the Broncos want Cortland to be a big part of it. You know, they believe that he's Bo's number one weapon. They're not going to take away that option, even though they love the younger guys that they have. They want to be able to have a very good, well-rounded, wide receiver room.

Starting point is 00:13:25 And so I don't think that's going to impact it in any way, shape, or form. I still think they're going to come to terms on an extension at some point with Zach Allen. That could be in season. Nick Bonito's, I think, might drag a little bit into the off season, potentially, which is definitely something to monitor here. I think if the draft impacts anyone and a potential contract extension, Sarah, as much as I hate to say it, I think John Franklin Myers could be the one impacted the most by this

Starting point is 00:13:49 because they went out and they got Savian Jones, you know, another defensive end prospect. Can Q Robinson play some defensive end for the Broncos? Sure, it's possible. But, you know, you got Jordan Jackson right now is one of those key guys. The Broncos really, really like. And then you have obviously Sabian Jones who had 43 quarterback pressures last season at LSU combined with the sacks that he has got a high motor.

Starting point is 00:14:11 This could be a guy that they're saying very much maybe going into his rookie season. He'll rotate in. But this could be if they like him enough, this could be something that they look at saying, hey, we just can't pay Zach Allen probably 23 or 25 million per year. And then whatever John Franklin Meyer is going to command. John Franklin Myers is like, this is the thing that frustrates me about it, Sarah. He's a damn good player. He adds value to the Broncos defense.

Starting point is 00:14:34 he's also a player who generates a ton of pressure, but can you pay Nick Benito, can you pay Zat Gellon, can you pay JFM after you just paid Pat Sertan, after you just added Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa, Hufanga. I mean, there's going to have to be some serious wheeling and dealing and moving cap

Starting point is 00:14:51 and altering that, giving out signing bonuses to create additional space. If the Broncos are, in fact, going to extend all of these guys, I just see it being hard to extend all four of these players. Where are your thoughts on this? Do they differ? Do you think that the draft impact?

Starting point is 00:15:04 some of their extensions with other players. I think it gives them some leverage with guys like John Franklin Myers because like you mentioned with Zach Allen, I feel like that's kind of just a foregone conclusion at this point that he's going to get a big money deal. I mean, when you make all pro, I mean, that's whether first or second team, doesn't matter. The Broncos know what he brings to the table on the field and I think he'll be compensated appropriately in the very near future. I will say, though, I was surprised that the Broncos re-signed D.E.

Starting point is 00:15:34 Jay Jones for as much as they did. I don't think that necessarily you can say, hey, you're shelling out 50 million a year to both John Franklin Myers and Zach Allen, right? I don't know that the Broncos would necessarily do that. But I was surprised enough at the team's decision to resign DJ Jones at 13 million a year that would it shock me if they said, you know what? We're going to pay Zach Allen 20, like you said, 23 to 25 million a year. And then we're going to give JFM 18 million a year. Would that surprise me? No. I, I think that I would be, I'd be for it, right? I mean, I know you would be as well. And I think the biggest question mark, though, is Nick Benito, right? Because they've now spent the back-to-back third round picks on edge guys in the NFL draft with Jonah Ellis. And now obviously, oh, sorry, they use a fourth-round pick on Q Robinson. So third-round pick last year, fourth-round pick this year, but felt like Q was kind of a priority guy for them. So I'm fascinated by that.

Starting point is 00:16:32 I wonder, are they going to make Nick prove it? this season a little bit. So I'm interested to see what happens with that situation in particular. Yeah, and I feel like they don't have, they shouldn't make Nick prove it because I feel like in back to back years, he really did prove it because he didn't start the beginning of this year and put up the numbers that he did. He didn't start the beginning of last year and put up the numbers that he did from a pass

Starting point is 00:16:52 for a standpoint. And just he's a player that's continued to evolve. He's gotten better as an outside contained guy against the run. I mean, that was one of the bigger critiques. I think of Benito was, okay, he's got to be better against the run. I felt like he was last season. When we talk about TFLs in back-to-back years, he's been so good in terms of you look at his TFL numbers. I believe 2023, he think he was at 11 or 12.

Starting point is 00:17:12 I think last year was around 9 or 10. So for me, you're looking at a player who's an impact guy that has gotten better year over year. I don't think he has to prove it at this point. But we'll see where the team stance is on that. I think that's a great question sent in from Broncos for 6 on Twitter. Our next one comes in from J.P. Rug on Twitter. And Jason asked the question, are the Broncos looking to add a back? a running back in free agency.

Starting point is 00:17:35 If so, and it's J.K. Dobbins, do they not see that he's missed 40 games in four years? Why go after perennial injured guys? Sierra, I think he's got a point here. I mean, when we look at where the Broncos are at, has Sean Peyton brought in guys? And, you know, in the two years he's been here that have had a substantially large injury history in terms of like where we're talking about 40 games in four years. I don't think he's done that. Do the Broncos need to bring in a guy like him? Or I'm starting to feel like now if they do bring in a veteran back,

Starting point is 00:18:06 Chubb to me, Nick Chubb seems like the spring is right now when you see how he's moving, coming off all the injuries that he's had. Obviously, that's a question. I don't personally think the Broncos need to add a back following the NFL draft.

Starting point is 00:18:18 I'm curious for your thoughts here on Jason's question. Well, specifically in response to the idea of J.K. Dobbins, Cody, as the NFL world turns, you know, you and I were always reacting to stuff live while things are going on, literally just five minutes ago. less than five minutes ago, the Chargers applied a rare, unrestricted free agent tender to

Starting point is 00:18:39 J.K. Dobbins, which he remains eligible to sign with other teams, but now the Chargers kind of have exclusive negotiating rights with him. I think the Packers used this last year with A.J. Dillon as well, if memory serves me correctly, it's a rare situation to where a player is kind of guaranteed a little something, but at the same time can kind of still float his services out there. I'm, I, I think the Broncos kind of made things clear here. You know, we talked about, I think, Chris Evans a little bit on yesterday's show and how he's coming in for a tryout. I think a lot of Broncos country is, is underwhelmed by the team's approach to the running back position this offseason. But I agree, like, J.K. Dobbins isn't the guy that I'd be bringing

Starting point is 00:19:22 in. What do you want to, do you want to come in and steal carries from a player that this team drafted and had a high draft grade on? I just don't like that idea. Now, I think maybe his name or other names out there make a little bit more sense when you consider the fact that, hey, you didn't draft two guys. Like you and I talked about the idea of drafting two guys and the Broncos didn't do that. They didn't even sign any undrafted running backs, which was shocking to me. So could I see a scenario? I think you're more looking for trades at this point, right?

Starting point is 00:19:52 A Breeze Hall trade would move the needle a little bit. A Tyler Algier trade with the Falcons would move the needle a little bit. But none of these free agents that would come in, I wouldn't want any of these guys stealing carries from who the Broncos already have. Yeah, I'm with you there, and I'm looking at some veteran free agents that are available right now. Jamal Williams would be an interesting name that's still available right now. Obviously, he's going into his ninth season.

Starting point is 00:20:13 He's 30 years old. Gus Edwards probably wouldn't go that route, considering his injury history is up there, kind of very similar there to J.K. Dobbins, Jeff Wilson of the Miami Dolphins going into his eighth season. Nick Chub going into year number eight for him. Nyheim Hines is also another guy that is still available on the market. at this point, I would rather Denver just go in with the room that they have and try to establish continuity there.

Starting point is 00:20:38 They like Blake Watson. They like Tyler Badey. They love Julio McLaughlin. They've got a running back room that they want to see guys do stuff. But if you bring in a veteran guy that ends up taking carries away, are you really going to give those guys a chance to really showcase their full potential? I think having a veteran guy is usually a coach is safeguard. I don't know if the Broncos are going to do that at this point.

Starting point is 00:20:59 But that's a great question sent in from Jason on our Broncos Melbeth. here on today's episode of the show. But we're not done yet. Broncos country. Still some more mailbag questions coming our way, including which position is the biggest weakness post-Broncos draft. And we'll go through why the tight-in position is that. And is there a player at that position who could potentially surprise and turn this into a strength?

Starting point is 00:21:19 We'll debate and discuss that much more on today's episode, Lockdown Broncos. Today's episode of Lockdown Broncos is brought to my friends over there at Monarch. And if you're like me, you ever check your bank account and wonder, where did all my money go? I do that all the time. Between dining out, online shopping and entertainment, subscriptions, it's easy to lose track. That's where Monarch Money comes in, your personal CFO, giving you full visibility and control over your finances. And Monarch Money isn't just a budgeting app.

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Starting point is 00:22:49 The fourth quarter action of today's episode, Locked on Broncos is here. And we still have more of your mailbag questions that we're going to answer. But we want to say thank you once again to everyone in Broncos country. Thanks for tuning in making the show exactly what it is. You make this the best Broncos podcast that's out there. We couldn't do it without all of you every dayers out there in Broncos country. Thank you so much here once again. Continuing on with our Broncos mailbag on today's episode of the show.

Starting point is 00:23:11 Obviously, one of the bigger questions coming out of the NFL drafts there that Broncos fans want to know is which position is the biggest weakness post-draft. And our question comes in from Brian Beasie on Twitter. He says, post-draft, what is the Broncos biggest position of weakness? and who on the roster might surprise and turn that position into a strength, right? So obviously knowing what we know about the Broncos tight-end position, at least that's it for me. I'm choosing tight-end as the weakest position.

Starting point is 00:23:39 Are you on par with that or is there another position as well? I think tight-end is right up there, which it's good news for the Broncos because tight-end is also arguably the most improved position on the roster with the addition of Evan Ingram. So you get a guy like that in there that's proven. So I think that's fair to say. because last year, I mean, we're talking about the tight end position being a weakness. It's like, well, your leader last year had 188 receiving yards.

Starting point is 00:24:06 Your leader last year had 19 catches. So it's all about the passing game. I know Adam Troutman adds value in other ways. Maybe that'll be more highlighted or amplified with the addition of Evan Ingraham. I think the only other position, Cody, that to me really stands out is off ball linebacker where the disaster grade of a Dre Greenlaw injury would have been Astro. astronomical for the Denver Broncos. Like that's what everybody was in panic mode after hearing that he had potentially,

Starting point is 00:24:33 you know, heard his quad to the point that he might miss time this season. Thank goodness. He's not going to be. But that position group with Alex Singleton coming off injury, we don't know what Drew Sanders is going to bring to the table or if the Broncos are even banking on him bringing anything to the table. Justin Sernaud played well last year.

Starting point is 00:24:50 But is he a guy that they really want to start? Like, are they trying to have him in the lineup? I think that's a, that's the only other contender for me. But I do believe that it's tight end and also exciting because that might be the most improved position on the team. Yeah. And to go back on your thoughts there on the tight end position, you mentioned Adam Troutman.

Starting point is 00:25:10 I mean, really the issue the Broncos have had on the last couple of seasons under Sean Peyton at tight end specifically is that they really did put all of their eggs in the basket of Greg Dulcich being healthy or being able to produce. That never happened. Obviously, first year of Sean being here, Dulcich suffered an injury that. kept them out pretty much all season long. He only appeared, I think, in under 10 or 12 snaps and just two total games, the entire 20, 23 season, didn't fit the mold for what they wanted to do in 24 and kind of got phased out of the offensive game plan. So really, because of that,

Starting point is 00:25:41 the Broncos were put in a position where Adam Troutman had to be their tight end one. And they trusted him because he's their most reliable blocking tight end from that standpoint. And because they had a deficiency there at that position, whereas Troutman, you know, is not a guy who's got speed or anything that you really have to worry about in the offensive game plan from a passing standpoint. Now that he's not going to be the featured number one guy in terms of your receiving option with the addition of Evan Ingram where they can move him around as that joker. For me, I think Adam Troutman, opportunities are going to open up, I think even more for him in the passing game to be able to move the chains for a first down, maybe even in the red zone

Starting point is 00:26:17 here, right? But then you look at other guys there, Nate Adkins, had that surprise role as well where he got involved in the passing game a little bit. You know, Lucas Crowe, can he continue to take a step forward in his development? That's something that Sean Peyton, the Broncos want to see from him. And then you've got Caleb Loner, the guy that you took in the seventh round, who really, I think taken for that type of pick, I think it's low risk, high reward potential. It's a shot in the dark. It may work.

Starting point is 00:26:42 It may not work. But regardless, if it doesn't work, you're not going to cry over spilled milk. If it works, you're going to be like, wow, Sean Payton, the Broncos, their geniuses with how they've been able to manage this and how this guy's been able to come forth. I think the tight end position right now when you look at how Denver is, sure you can make the argument. It's the biggest position of weakness, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, considering this is an improved position group. And the Broncos, they've gotten stronger all across the board. When you talk about depth, we already made the mention of it going into the draft.

Starting point is 00:27:12 The Broncos offense was set in terms of starters on offense and defense in pretty much 10 out of 11 positions on both sides of the ball. Now it's just about adding depth. Is your depth good enough to give you, you know, competency at that position or sustainability? I think that the tight end position could end up surprising people the most. And I think probably Adam Troutman might be aligned for a little bit of a bigger role in the passing game compared to how he has in and obviously years past. Yeah, because he's no longer going to be the focal point at that, right, when you're talking about the past. I mean, that's kind of crazy to even say. It almost makes me chuckle a little bit because it's not his game.

Starting point is 00:27:48 But to be an outlet in the passing game, that is his game. So I do like that aspect of it. Speaking of, you know, dart throws in the seventh round, Cody, I think it's worth mentioning that the Broncos were awarded a 2026 compensatory seventh round pick for next year's draft. A little bonus sprinkling in there as we're talking about a seventh round dart throw that's worthwhile. Now George Payton and Sean Payton, they've got an extra little dart to work with in next year's draft. So you'll always take that. But I love somebody commented. I wish I remember I didn't look up who commented this on yesterday's episode.

Starting point is 00:28:21 but not only did Caleb Loner have the four catches for four touchdowns last year, but somebody commented on our episode that he had a fifth catch that was a two-point conversion. So the guy is like the, he's like the kid who only hit homers. I don't know if anybody else read that book as growing up, but I love this guy. I'm so interested by this player. I don't know if it's just the fact that, you know, he's got the basketball background, super athletic, didn't even play 60 snaps last year at the college level,

Starting point is 00:28:49 but he's obviously got some strong hands and he's pretty reliable when the ball goes his way. So fascinated to see what he can do with NFL training camp and preseason reps. I was going to say, isn't it a little interesting too? Like Thomas Yasmin, who's still on the Broncos roster, didn't he at college have a certain amount of catches but like had production from like a certain, you know, a number of touchdowns, like his on-field production was pretty efficient. I think if I'm not mistaken, as you pull up those stats there, I remember that kind of being something we talked about last year after the Broncos out at

Starting point is 00:29:19 Yasmin into the mix here. Another development. There's something about them Utah players that the Broncos and their scouts seemingly like. But what were you able to find? Yeah, he had only 23 catches or 22 catches, excuse me, at the college level. Seven of those went for touchdowns. And I'm trying to see, I just make sure now because we've got to check the two-point

Starting point is 00:29:39 conversions. I don't see any two-point conversions on there. So just the seven touchdowns on 22 catches, but still rather impressive for these guys. I mean, we're talking about for these two players alone that are on the back end of the Broncos roster, they only had 26 combined catches at the college level. But how many, I mean, 11 of them went for touchdown. That's pretty insane. That's efficiency.

Starting point is 00:30:02 So there must be something in the water over there at Utah for that. So, I mean, obviously something we'll keep an eye on. I know Broncos rookie minicamp is going to come up next weekend. I'll be there. We'll get our first look at Caleb Loner and some of the Broncos rookies. They're undrafted rookie for agent class, some tryout players like Chris Evans, and even some former, some other Broncos, we don't know who yet that were maybe in their first year with the team last year. I imagine Blake Watson's going to fit into that.

Starting point is 00:30:26 Will we see Tyler Badee in that mix as well? I don't know. I mean, the Broncos, they want to maybe see something from certain guys. I'm trying to think of the other players. We can see Devon Valey and that mix as well. I mean, wouldn't shock me or surprise me, even though we know that Valey's got an important role. But the Broncos like to be able to, I think, get as many practice reps and looks as well. We're going to see Pat Bryant as well.

Starting point is 00:30:46 So there's going to be a lot of Broncos country that will break down. Obviously, you know, in the buildup there going into next week's rookie mini camp at Broncos Park powered by a common spirit. But with that said, Broncos, that will wrap up today's episode of the show here on lockdown Broncos. Thanks for all your mailback questions to all you every dayers out there. Thank you so much for making the show exactly what it is. We just recently surpass 17K on YouTube. We couldn't have done that. So make sure you share the show with someone that you know who's a member of Broncos country to keep it from, you know, going out there.

Starting point is 00:31:15 Keep going, keep growing, keep exploding. A big year ahead. And we're so grateful you make time to make Sarah and I a big part of your day every single day. Tomorrow's episode of the show, we're going to begin our series where we start to take a look at every individual player of the Broncos draft. We'll look at the pros, the cons, the strengths, the weaknesses, and projected fits for every player. We'll kick off with Jaaday Barron, cornerback out of the first round here for the Denver Broncos in the 2025 NFL draft.

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