Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - PROCESS: Denver Broncos Patient vs. Aggressive Offseason

Starting point is 00:00:00 What is the difference between being aggressive and NFL free agency and being methodical and patient? We'll break it all down here on today's episode, Locked on Broncos. You are Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Week two of NFL Free Agency is here. Welcome into another episode of Locked on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network, the country. Thanks to all you every dayers out there on Broncos country. Thanks for tuning in,

Starting point is 00:00:38 making us your first listen. However you choose to do so, today's episode is a mailback. So many members of Broncos country sent in some amazing questions. We'll answer one about the Broncos patient approach versus aggressive. What does that look like? And where has it bit the Broncos in the past? We'll take a look at some examples there. Plus, we've analyzed some moves that the Broncos could make before the NFL draft that maybe could redeem the perception of the offseason on top of that. We'll talk about the Broncos process at running back this, offseason and why it could change as the offseason continues. Get all that on today's episode of the show.

Starting point is 00:01:11 Brought to you by our friends over there at Fandu. Fandu is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential win with a college of basketball, parlay profit boost head of fandu.com to get started. I'm Cody Rourke, credential Broncos reporter for my high sports. Doing as always by Sarah Beninger, site expert of their predominantly orange.com. Sarah, we got a lot of great mailbag questions sent in from listeners of Broncos country. So many great ones, right?

Starting point is 00:01:32 But we got to choose the best three for this show. We'll do some bonus episodes this week to answer some of these great questions more in depth. But a great first one to open up the show here. Trip Nibs on YouTube who sent in the question, Do you think patience or aggressiveness pays off more when it comes to NFL free agency? How do you feel about this one, my friend? I think it can work both ways. And the Broncos have really proven this in their history.

Starting point is 00:01:57 And maybe the most notable example is that 2014 offseason, right? when John always like bullying his way through everybody else to go and sign Akeb to leave, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Emmanuel Sanders, even calling up Emmanuel Sanders while he's on a visit to the division rival Kansas City Chiefs and pulling him out of that building essentially and signing him to replace Eric Decker. The aggressiveness, it was felt. And frankly, Cody, I think that's what we all, many of us in Broncos country, at least those who resonate with me and I know you as well, we're really hoping to see. when the Broncos talked about being aggressive this offseason was just, you know, this mentality of,

Starting point is 00:02:37 hey, we're going after a Super Bowl no matter what. But there are dangers to that, like the 2019 off season, when John Elway was really nearing the end of his time as general manager for the Broncos. And he hired Vic Fangio as the head coach. And, you know, we saw the aggressive mindset. You go out in free agency, you get Joanne James, a former first round pick, right, for the Miami Dolphins. And you go get Bryce Callahan, who was in Vic.

Starting point is 00:03:02 Fangio's defense and ultimately, I mean, where are those guys at? You get aggressive to get weapons for your guy. I know this is the draft, but well, fan, first round. And, you know, you really want to be aggressive in surrounding your quarterback or your new head coach. And it just ultimately, none of those moves worked out. And so I think that you can see both sides of the coin in this organization's own history. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:03:25 And even like I would say examples in the NFL draft, too, like remember when Drew Locke was the quarterback and what do they do? They went out there and they got obviously Jerry Judy, round one. Then round number two, what do they do? They double dipped KJ Hamler. So I'm with you on this. I do feel like both can pay off. The question is like, what did the Broncos determine in these meetings that they've had this off season,

Starting point is 00:03:49 sitting there collectively, not just Sean and George, but Sean, George, and CEO, Greg Penner, when they've all sat down because after the AFC championship game, the idea was, hey, we're going to be aggressive. We know we have a window here. We're going to push the chips in. Instead of, you know, we're going to, if you have 50K to renovate versus 250K,k, well, 250K is going to allow you to do this, this, this, and this. Something has changed in between that.

Starting point is 00:04:12 But I don't necessarily think it means that the Broncos decide, hey, you know, we're not going to be aggressive. There has to be some sort of plan in place. I'm wondering what came up in these conversations in these meetings that they had behind closed doors that maybe shifted the perception saying, hey, instead of going and spending big here in NFL free agency, how can we still be aggressive? And will they be aggressive here?

Starting point is 00:04:34 And what does that look like? Greg Penner said we need to be strategically aggressive. We will be strategically. So whatever that means, I'm very curious. Is that something that's looking at 2026 right now? Or is that factoring in maybe stuff that is coming up here in 2027, 2028, right, the next couple of years with one of the biggest things, arguably being Bo Nix's contract extension more than likely it is going to come up.

Starting point is 00:04:56 He will be eligible after this season. This is where I really wonder what changed in terms of the conversation there. Or did they identify whether or not, hey, you know, we like these guys, but we're not going to pay this price for this player or this player. That's where I think the hang up is here in Broncos country. I'm curious for your thoughts on that too, because you mentioned a lot of great examples in prior history and NFL free agency about aggressiveness.

Starting point is 00:05:21 But even looking at the Broncos and Sean Payton when he first came in, I don't even know if I would say it was aggressive. I mean, signing Ben Powers and Mike McGlenshey to big deals, I don't know if that was necessarily aggressive. I think that was, hey, strategic, we need this. And then the other additions that they made like Malcolm Roach, Zach Allen, I mean, Sarah, these guys weren't necessarily aggressive additions. These were just like, hey, they're making this decision.

Starting point is 00:05:44 They're bringing in Malcolm Roach. What does this mean? Now these guys have grown into developmental impact players here for this team that have now become cornerstone pieces of the franchise. That's where I feel like they're such a different. and how we maybe view this. Yeah, and the 2023 off season, it's important to remember that they had to go out there

Starting point is 00:06:02 and get those guys because they didn't have first round picks in 2022 or 2023. So effectively, Mike McGlenshy and Ben Powers kind of took the place of that, as well as Zach Allen. And remember, the Zach Allen signing was a response move to Draymont Jones leaving. And so the Broncos, they had like the desperate need for players just to be, the roster at that time. But it was very, it wasn't as much of a measured like approach as the 24 off season where, you know, that's the word George Peyton uses all the time as measured.

Starting point is 00:06:35 In 2024, you know, you're signing somebody like Brandon Jones and saying, hey, this guy's going to come in and start for us. And half the fan base is like, who the heck is Brandon Jones? I've never heard of this guy, right? And that's where your pro scouts are, are really getting Ws, right? And Malcolm Roach, who has a history with Sean Peyton and, you bring Cody Rager into the front office and you can say, hey, this guy really fits our culture and what we do. And sure enough, he's already got a second contract from the Broncos. So, I mean, those are two vastly different approaches.

Starting point is 00:07:07 Like, 20, 23, you're going out there and you are loading up a roster. Like, I don't want to compare the Broncos necessarily to the Raiders. But when you look at what the Raiders did this year, a lot of what the Raiders did is because just out of pure necessity, they need it, like they need starters on the roster. You can't fill it all in one draft. And they won't even be able to fix it all in one off season. That's where the Broncos were at back in 2023 is we're not even trying to just fix everything. We know that if we can raise the level of play in the trenches, we can be competitive.

Starting point is 00:07:40 And they absolutely work. You improve the offensive line. You improve the defensive line. Your whole team, go figure, got a lot better. And then 2024, you're really strapped for cash because you cut Russell Wilson. And so you have that, or not maybe. not cash. Obviously, the Walton-Penner ownership group ain't strapped for cash, but cap space, right? You had the $53 million, I think it was in 2024. So you can't go out there and go get big money-free

Starting point is 00:08:06 agents. You have to sit back and say, hey, let's let our pro scouts come up with some clutch Ws, find some diamonds in the rough. But at least that would have been nice this offseason, Cody. I mean, no external additions. As the time you and I are recording this, zero external additions, 71 players on the roster out of a 90-man roster that was on the team last year. That's insane. Yeah, I mean, you talk about continuity. That is the ultimate theme of that. And factoring in how many draft picks right now, Denver's got nine,

Starting point is 00:08:37 maybe nine of those, you know, or there. Then you have your undrafted rookie for a reading. So when you really think in the grand scheme of a 90-man roster, if you're at 71 now, I mean, there's not a lot of room left to make a few moves. So that also boils down to maybe Denver. Maybe they do make a big splash, right? Maybe it has something to do with the NFL draft. And certainly I could see them making a draft a trade.

Starting point is 00:08:57 I'm not sure what that would look like right now. But I think this is where the hangup is about aggressive, right? Because in some of those situations in 2023, the Broncos, as you mentioned, didn't have that draft capital to make moves essentially. They had to wait their turn. Now, look, obviously they moved up to get Marvin Mims, end of round two. My thing, what I'm looking at is like, Denver's got the assets now. They have nine draft picks.

Starting point is 00:09:20 They have their first round pick this year. They have their first round pick next year. I think that's where fans are looking at and saying, hey, if we wanted to make a big splash, we could, how come we're not doing it? There are a lot of questions about the Broncos approach, and I'm curious to see if we get some of those questions answered before the NFL draft comes up here at the end of April.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Broncos country, let us know your thoughts on the Broncos' patient approach here in NFL free and see why you can see maybe they're taking their time, where do you think that's just an excuse from them? Let us know your thoughts on today's episode of show. But coming up next, Sarah and I are going to talk about some moves in our opinion that maybe could redeem the perception of the offseason. We'll dive into that on today's episode of the show. Today's episode of the show was brought to my friends over there at Fandu.

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Starting point is 00:10:52 you go ahead and do something like this and totally redeem yourself. That's what the Broncos need to do, right? Broncos country, they need to redeem themselves here as we get into the second week of free agency. We're going to break down how they can do that exactly on today's show. But we appreciate all of you so much for making lockdown Broncos part of your day every single day. And for all you everyday listeners out there, we want to invite you to join the Everydayer Club right now with the code March and get your first month free. That's the code March. And if you sign up before the NCAA tournament tips off on Thursday,

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Starting point is 00:11:55 The link will be in the show notes, and you can go to lockdown broncos. com. Cody, I am really excited about just the renewal of possibilities once again. I mean, the Broncos can redeem themselves. It won't take much at this point, will it?

Starting point is 00:12:09 I mean, one decent, like, name on a free agent contract, even if it's a one-year deal, somebody with even a slightly big name out there coming on to this roster, I think it's going to totally shift the vibe for everybody in Broncos country if that does end up happening. No, I think it will. I mean,

Starting point is 00:12:29 you want to have some additions, right? And I think that the common theme right now in Broncos country, just hearing people in my replies on Twitter, obviously in our comments on the show is that, you know, Denver, they're bringing everybody back, but they've lost two guys.

Starting point is 00:12:44 Arguably, they've lost one of the more important players. and John Franklin Meyer. So in theory, when you look at the rest of the NFL, the league and the movies that other teams are being made, you know, are making or that have been made, you know, I did. You look at it on paper, it's like, yeah, Denver has gotten worse because they lost JFM. Okay, that's true to an extent, right?

Starting point is 00:13:00 But I also think the context of this team here specifically, Sarah, you have so many all pros. You have guys that should have been all pros on this team as well. You have your core nucleus of this roster intact. That's exciting, right? You do have young playmakers, but you need to have a better run game. You need to have more involvement in the past. catching aspect of the tight end position here.

Starting point is 00:13:18 We know how good the defense was, the pass rush. Replacing JFM is going to be a big thing here. But yeah, you can make the argument that Denver got worse on paper for that. But a couple of moves could certainly change that perception here, especially at positions of need. Now, I doubt that they're going to add a free agent running back at this point. I don't think there's anyone out there that's going to necessarily move the needle for you. But there are a couple positions, particularly at wide receiver, which Denver, I mean, at this point, They had the same exact room that they had last year.

Starting point is 00:13:47 Their top five wide receivers essentially back on the room, including Lil Jordan Humphrey, who re-signed last week. You want to make moves to this so you can add more competition to that room, right? That's one of those things. Or even tight-in as well. It's the entirely same room. In my opinion, if Denver were to add a guy like Cam Jordan,

Starting point is 00:14:04 so to speak, to replace JFM, I would be happy about that. I feel like, and he's not going to play 50, 55% of the snaps. It's going to be him plus Savion Jones, plus Ennio Morizuaziriki. You're going to have a three-man rotation there to try to replace Jafm. Or I'd be happy with a tight end like David Najoku or a wide receiver like Joanne Jennings. You know, Dallas Goddard was in the wishhouse of a lot of people,

Starting point is 00:14:25 but he signed an extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. So that's not happening. In your opinion, what moves, whether it be player name specific or even positions, would you feel like kind of redeem the perception of this offseason if they make it? Yeah, you mentioned a lot of them. I would love to see a Cameron Jordan edition. I think with that defensive, line. I mean, even somebody as great as John Franklin Myers, he only played just over 400 snaps,

Starting point is 00:14:50 right? So, I mean, 46 percent, I think is roughly what he was at last year. So it wasn't like he played a ton of snaps. He was obviously effective when he was out there, but that's part of maybe the appeal for somebody like a Cam Jordan to come to the Broncos is, hey, you don't have to play for but 400, maybe 350 snaps. We want to rotate all these guys on the defensive front. keep you guys fresh and let you be effective at what you do best. So I think I could see the appeal of that. I personally, Cody, I know that a lot of fans don't really care about this. I would love a reunion with Von Miller. I mean, to see him finish out his career with the Broncos, bust the old number 58 out of retirement, do it for a year. He had nine sacks last year. I mean,

Starting point is 00:15:34 people don't realize that von Miller had nine sacks last season for the commanders. Cam Jordan, by the way, had 10 and a half sacks for the saints. So like these guys, I mean, And shoot, us geriatric millennials, we can still get it done, baby. So don't worry about us, old folks. But I think those would be fun moves. You mentioned Njoku, Joanne Jennings. I think those guys would move the needle for me. How about Christian Roseboom, a free agent linebacker?

Starting point is 00:15:58 He's 29 years old. He's been very productive for the Rams, for the Panthers, somebody who could play a lot of special teams for you, really quality depth. I think he would be a nice signing at this stage of free agency and probably relatively inexpensive and somebody who brings that experience that you need and the safety position with PJ lock now gone i could see some guys like kyle dougar jabrille peppers if fatu melifan woo those guys would be interesting and i kind of like the idea of a gibriel peppers because i don't know if he still returns kicks and punts i don't know if he still does that i remember i know

Starting point is 00:16:33 he's not at michigan anymore i know those days are are long gone but um certainly you know bringing that value on special teams and just the athleticism. So there's a lot of names still out there in the next wave of whatever wave we're on, Cody. I don't know what anybody would consider this wave. Wave two. All right. We're on week two and wave two of free agency.

Starting point is 00:16:56 There could be some bargains even. If the price on wide receivers has gone down, maybe Joanne Jennings could be the best bargain at this point. But if he signs with the chargers and reunites with Mike McDaniels, obviously there's a great reason why he's still available in free agent. and, you know, he would be a terrible pickup for any team. If he signs with the Chargers, but if he signs with the Broncos, I mean, we're talking about a real weapon added to this arsenal for Bo Nix.

Starting point is 00:17:21 You know, one thing I just thought of, too, is we're, you know, we're kind of reminiscing a little bit about Vaughn Miller. I forgot. I think it's this upcoming week or next week. Sean Payton's going to actually be involved with some sort of flag football thing. And Vaughn Miller is going to be part of that. So I imagine Vaughn is going to be all around Sean Payton. I would bet money that that's probably going to be the case.

Starting point is 00:17:41 But I mean, he wanted to last year. They're five deep at outside linebacker. Would Vaughn be open to playing some defensive end rotationally? Maybe. I don't know. But it's nice to theorize on paper. Or if the Broncos look at it and, you know, trading one of their pass rushers for another big move at another position potentially, could they maybe reunite the veteran back here in the mile high city? Definitely something to ponder here.

Starting point is 00:18:04 But yeah, I think right now, I think the idea is, hey, can the Broncos just do something? And maybe they could redeem it in the NFL draft as well, sir. I think depending on what kind of approach we see from them come, was it April 23rd, depending on what they decide to do, right? I think a lot of Broncos fans will be disappointed if they're sitting there. They don't trade up in the NFL draft or if they decide to sit there at 30 and then trade back. I think that would really set off a lot of fans of Broncos country in terms of that approach. And that would not be very popular, I think, for how the off season has certainly gone.

Starting point is 00:18:35 But I think there are a lot of fans are actually on board. Denver had to get rid of their 30th overall pick this year to acquire a big name player. I think that they'd be on board for that more so than the latter at that, the other side of that decision there. So a lot of different things that could go on here. But yeah, I think, you know, Broncos country, I believe it was Darien and a handful of others even asked us this question. I think that's a great way to kind of look at things is that, hey, there are some moves that they can make that can still make this team better. I mean, this was a good team last year in terms of the roster.

Starting point is 00:19:04 Sean Payton believed last year in Trent Camp that this roster, in particular was good enough to win a Super Bowl. That could win a Super Bowl. They were a few plays short of it. They were a bonnics injury away from it. I understand that. But now it's about time, hey, can you,

Starting point is 00:19:17 this roster develop even further? Can they get even better? I think they can, but you also need to sprinkle in a couple of moves here and there, and that has not yet been the case here for this team. And that is where the root of the frustration is for Broncos country. But you know what? We can ponder potential moves.

Starting point is 00:19:32 We can look at things. We're all about finding solutions here. And that's always what you're going to get here, locked on Broncos. But Broncos country coming up next. We're going to answer the question about the Broncos process at running back this offseason and why it could be entirely different by the time the season even rolls around. You'll get that more here on today's episode of the show.

Starting point is 00:19:49 Today's episode of the show is brought to our friends over there at TurboTax. It's tax time. But for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot. Trying to book an appointment that's not the most convenient, sitting in a waiting room with a stack of papers, emailing back and forth and wondering if they really get your situation. But this year, you're getting a major upgrade into it, TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. You can meet face-to-face with a real tax expert

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Starting point is 00:20:46 Just want to say thank you once again to everyone at Broncos country. Thanks for making us your first listen to here. Sarah, this question comes in from Beckett 2943. And he asked the question here, did the Peyton and Peyton's choice to not aggressively pursue a running back in free agency stem primarily from a belief in J.K. Dobbins' health, a belief in R.J. Harvey's development, or could it signal a potential high draft pick at running back? I think this is a fair question. The one thing we do know is that the Broncos, they weren't out on running back prospects in free agency. As we know, Travis A. Chan, as he's now going by, that was their top target, essentially in terms of, hey, we were in serious considerations there at his press conference in New Orleans.

Starting point is 00:21:27 He actually said, hey, like the chiefs, the Broncos were the other two. teams that were strongly interested. So for me, it's not like they weren't aggressive in that. They're just like, hey, this guy we're going to take a look at. There was a price point they certainly didn't want to play. And I mean, maybe they wanted to pay $13 million, right? But maybe for Travis, it was, hey, I want to go play closer to home. Maybe Denver didn't really have much leverage in that situation.

Starting point is 00:21:49 Yeah, I could see that being the case because he's also made comments of the past about, you know, wanting to play in a warm weather climate still after if he would leave Jacksonville, right? So you get to play indoors. Now you get to play in a climate controlled environment, as well as the NFC South, where every road game in your division is a warm weather game, basically. So I think it'll be interesting to see how the Broncos do rebound from that. But yeah, I think that to answer the question to all those questions that were asked within the question about,

Starting point is 00:22:20 is it a belief in Dobbins' health? Yes. Is it a belief in R.J. Harvey's progression? Yes. could they go after a early round running back? Yes, I think those are all realistic possibilities. And here's what I wanted to point out too about the J.K. Dobbins contract, Cody, because as reactive as it may seem to everybody,

Starting point is 00:22:41 and perhaps it was reactive. Perhaps Travis A. Chan was their top target at running back. Let's just say like, hey, if we had it our way, it was him at number one. But here's the thing about J.K. Dobbins contract that I find interesting. I believe that J.K. Dobbins contract indicates the Broncos do feel extremely good about his health. Number one, because he got a two-year contract. Number two, because he signed early and free agency, not late. And number three, because they paid him, if all goes well, 10 million average annual value on that deal.

Starting point is 00:23:16 So a two-year deal worth up to 20 million. Of course, having a two-year deal also helps in terms of getting the year one cap hit down. but the Broncos also guaranteed him basically half that contract to say 8 million guaranteed right so that's a pretty substantial investment in a guy who what everybody's saying is while he's injury prone right and i get that he's had a lot of injuries in his career he takes exception to the idea that he's injury prone but certainly he hasn't been available all the time i just think that those facts right there that were laid out are indicative that this franchise believes that he is helpful

Starting point is 00:23:54 and is going to stay healthy based on while they got to oversee his entire recovery over this last six, seven months. Yeah. No, I think, and they love him. They love what he brings to the table in the locker room. I understand the fans' skepticism, so to speak, about, well, you know, he hasn't been available. What happens if there is another injury to he or to RJ Harvey? Harvey? Like, what does that running back room look like if there is just one dent in the armor, right?

Starting point is 00:24:17 And I think it's fair to ask that question. The Broncos are banking on the belief in their training staff. and obviously their sports science to be able to keep guys healthy. That's one thing that Sean Payton since coming in, since bringing him Bo Lowry has really kind of driven home. And it may not be the popular move in the eyes of Broncos country, but also keep in mind this. So while they did talk about Travis A. Chan,

Starting point is 00:24:38 we know that the Jets, they franchise tag Breece Hall, specifically to avoid the Broncos being able to get him. Darren Mucci probably knew this intel better than anybody, considering he was a part of George Payton's staff just about a year and a half ago. they think very forward in terms of like, hey, this guy could be a potential target. There might have been conversations like, hey, maybe we want to trade for this guy at the deadline when Mugi was here as the assistant GM, right? So, of course, that's one reason.

Starting point is 00:25:04 And they got widely reported too by by national reputable sources that the Jets franchise tagging was a big reason because of the Broncos. They didn't want him to go to the Broncos. So that would have been a big swing for Denver there. So it's like, all right, hey, since we lost out on this and that, like our best option here, we're going to run it back with J.K. Dobbins. We believe that R.J. Harvey is going to take a step forward. And we're also going to add to this room here, potentially in the NFL draft, because there are a lot of talented backs.

Starting point is 00:25:31 Who has the most developmental upside? Who can step in and maybe help us in the special team side right away, right? They're probably going to look at all of these things here. And then they've also brought back guys that were part of the equation last year. We talked about Jalil McLaughlin resigning. We did a bonus episode of that last week. Tyler Badez back in the mix. You have Cody Schrader who signed a futures conference.

Starting point is 00:25:51 And you got Deuce Vaughn, who was on your practice squad all of last season. Denver has a stable of backs right now. It's just not the big names. I think everyone in Broncos country wanted. And I understand that. But it seems like, you know, hey, we tried for that. We would have tried for Brise Hall. This happened.

Starting point is 00:26:07 We tried for A. Chan. He stayed home. He went to a place where it was more familiar for him, more closer to home. Okay. So now our best bet here. Our best option is J.K. Dobbins. I think if that was the process, Sarah, there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion. No.

Starting point is 00:26:20 And there's going to be teams that are selling at the NFL trade deadline. So the Broncos hopefully learned a lesson last year where, hey, if you've got an opportunity to go get somebody at the deadline who can upgrade your depth, that's something that they have to look out for and not just looking at, okay, we need to trade for somebody who can address a serious need for us right now. Go get somebody who can help your depth because last year, I think it was the very next week or two weeks after the trade deadline that jk dobbins got hurt i'm pretty sure that's when it was or it was right around there so they're like

Starting point is 00:26:53 just missed an opportunity to trade for somebody when he went down with an injury so i think what you do is you look at which teams are going to be selling at this year's deadline could breeze hall still be you know on the one year deal the franchise tag and at that point maybe your best option is to trade for him maybe for the broncos they're thinking we're getting jk dabbins back we feel good about his health We feel good about the progression of RJ Harvey. So that's your one-two punch. And even if you sign Travis A-Chant or even if you do go make the home run splash of Breece Hall, I mean, you're still one injury away from the same predicament that we're all

Starting point is 00:27:31 talking about with J.K. Dobbins at the top of the depth chart. And Dobbins was top five in just about every category that you can be, you know, relevant in or that you want to be relevant in as a running back when he got hurt last year. So it's not like the Broncos have a hack at running back one. We know you and I acknowledge. Like as much as we've been complaining this off season about the approach, like none of, neither of us said J.K. Dobbins was a bad signing. Neither of us said that. We said, hey, fortify that signing by adding to your depth.

Starting point is 00:28:01 And ideally, I would have liked Tyler Algier or somebody, but the draft awaits and trade deadline during the season awaits. Those options are viable for the Broncos absolutely after what's kind of transpired. They can't get Breeze Hall. They couldn't get him. Couldn't do it. Travis A. Chen wanted to play for his home state saints, right? So your S.O.L. when it comes to that, you've got J.K. Dobbins back. How do you continue to add to that position? Because I don't think it can be McLaughlin and Bidde. No, and here's the thing. If Harvey and Dobbins stay healthy, you're a really good spot because they complimented each other well as kind of like this.

Starting point is 00:28:39 J.K.'s the patient runner that could, you know, you could pull Ben Powers and he's going to stay right behind him, find the scene, get skinny. boom, all of a sudden, now you have 12-yard run, right? He really found momentum right before he got hurt, unfortunately. And the fact that he even finished that game against the Raiders broke off a couple of first-down runs, despite the Liz Frank injury, I think we forget about that sometimes, right? But the idea is that the Broncos are banking on the health. They'll probably invest in some insurance policies as obviously things go forward here throughout the summer. We'll see how it all plays out here.

Starting point is 00:29:08 But I even think, too, how much of the run game will change? how much of it will be better this upcoming season with Davis Webb as a play caller, where I think we can all assume Davis will probably have a better pass run balance as a play caller. At least that's our hope here. But how does the scheme change potentially here? Because that is something Sean Payton has talked about. And he said, look, we've got to look at our scheme. We've got to look at our rushers.

Starting point is 00:29:31 Well, they brought back the same group of rushers. So is it a scheme issue? That could be the question or the answer to this whole entire dilemma here. but I think the Broncos will add in the NFL draft. I would be shocked if they didn't at this point here, but there is going to be a lot of competition. And I think it's going to raise the level of expectations for this team that are already so high as is.

Starting point is 00:29:53 You made at the AFC championship game last year. The expectation is you got to get back. The expectation is you got to get to a Super Bowl. And I think right now the Broncos lack of movement for fans, and they're freaking out about it. And I think rightfully so. They're like, well, hey, how can you get back if you're not getting better? I think it's 100% valid.

Starting point is 00:30:10 but I think it is fair here. So the Broncos country, buckle in. Stay tuned. It's going to be a crazy off season. You know, Sarah and I, we got you covered every step of the way here. Thank you so much to everyone for sending in your mailbag questions. We'll do these every Monday. So we'll put out the prompt.

Starting point is 00:30:24 We got some other great questions, too, the Broncos country asked us. So we'll turn those into some bonus episodes this week here. Lockdown Broncos, Sarah and I. We will see you tomorrow for a brand new episode of the show.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - PROCESS: Denver Broncos Patient vs. Aggressive Offseason

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