Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - STREAK: Denver Broncos UNDRAFTED LB Could Make Or Break Active Roster Streak

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos have a rich history of finding undrafted gems as rookie free agents, but this might be the year it is in jeopardy. You are Locked-on Broncos, your daily Denver Broncos podcast, part of the Locked-on podcast network, your team every day. What's up, Broncos Country? I'm Cody York, joined as always by Sarah Bedinger on today's episode of the show. We're taking a look at whether or not the Broncos streak of finding undrafted gems who make the active roster, if that could be in jeopardy.

Starting point is 00:00:35 are a couple of players who could keep that streak alive. We'll go through and talking about how an FCC, all-American offensive linemen, has a shot to be a developmental option here for the Broncos as they've taken that path over the course of the last three seasons. Plus, Colby Katzis could be a gem here for Darren Rizzy in the return game. And it could free up Marvin Mims to do even more offensively and on punt return. We're going to start things off by talking about Tarin, York, inside line back or out of Texas A&M, who might have an opportunity to turn some head at the NFL level. What's the biggest thing that's holding him back?

Starting point is 00:01:08 Sarah, let's go through this every year. It's always fun after the draft of looking at undrafted, their rookie free agents. It feels like this year for Denver is going to be a little bit different in terms of the widespread group of players who could somehow emerge out of nowhere, right? Because of the roster depth that Denver already has, the strength of that depth that they have,

Starting point is 00:01:27 how they drafted to that, how they drafted and how the roster currently is makes it a lot harder for a lot of these guys. But let's take a look at Texas A&M line. backer, Toreen York, who's obviously a teammate of Tyler Oneyetam. The Broncos had a chance to watch a lot of his tape when scouting One Yetam this upcoming, this past draft process here. Very, very good linebacker.

Starting point is 00:01:47 But what's the one thing that's holding him back that impacted him going as an undrafted guy versus someone who was drafted? Maybe the only thing that's holding him back from being like a first round linebacker. And that's not my words. That's somebody else as we'll get into that later. But maybe the only thing that held him back from that is size, Cody. I mean, obviously, five foot 11. He's got shorter arms for the position.

Starting point is 00:02:08 And of course, as you get to the next level, you kind of have to worry about can you wrap up and tackle NFL players? Can you disengage from blocks against NFL offensive linemen? Because that might play at the college level, but it might not play at the professional level. Although I will say that I think with Tori and York, what you're getting is somebody who understands the game exceptionally well, a two-time captain at Texas A&M,

Starting point is 00:02:32 despite the fact that he's not even, 21 years old yet, Cody. He was at Texas A&M, a three-year starter there. Freshman All-American back in the day obviously has played a lot of football, but also I found out through Dane Bruegler's draft guide. He was a captain three out of his four years in high school. So he was a captain from a sophomore through his senior year and then freshman through junior year at Texas A&M. This guy embodies everything the Broncos look for. And when you talk about playing instinctively, when you talk about being in the right place and knowing your assignment and film study and actually taking that stuff seriously. I think this is a prospect who it's not just, man, he's, yeah, he looks,

Starting point is 00:03:12 he flies to the football. He's a heat seeking missile out there. It's almost like he's two steps ahead of everybody in the way that he plays. He's just, he's not just Johnny on the spot. He's meeting these players where they're at. And I love the instinctive, aggressive, physical way that he plays, man, I definitely wish that even if his arms were just a little bit longer, even if he was 6-1 instead of 5-11, this guy is, I think,

Starting point is 00:03:40 going to make this roster, Cody. And like you mentioned, these undrafted players, they're not going to be given anything. They're going to have to go take spots from players. I think Tori and York is absolutely going to do that for the Broncos. Whose spot do you think he takes? And also comparatively, as we talk about size, Jordan Turner, six foot,

Starting point is 00:03:58 just like half inch, maybe a little bit over an inch taller than Tori in York at this point. But the thing I think about the best way for him to go out there and maybe have a chance to make the roster, special teams right away. Come in, rookie minicamp, get that invite to training camp and come through and just be a special team. The guy who's always at the front of the line that's, hey, he just got this rep. He's coming back down. He's getting another rep. There are some guys that do that.

Starting point is 00:04:24 And this is, I think, for undrafted guys, the best opportunity. to get onto an NFL playing field. Once again, it doesn't matter. Sean Payton says this all the time. It doesn't matter how you got here. It's what you do with the opportunity. So every one of these guys theoretically has a chance to come in and impress, even though that Denver's roster, very solid.

Starting point is 00:04:42 All the starting jobs are filled. Your depth, your backup jobs are pretty much set in terms of who's competing for those spots. But all it takes is one play, one game or a consistent trend. And this is how Sean views it. They look at the body of work from practice. rookie minicamp, OTAs, mandatory minicamp and training camp plus preseason games. They factor in the large body of work when determining how to build this roster.

Starting point is 00:05:07 York could be one of those guys that maybe they feel like can fit in well, especially as we mentioned, you watch Tyler O'Neatham. They're also watching him where he's playing because on that defense, it's almost simultaneous. He is the type of player that you can send after the quarterback. He's a blitzing type linebacker, good instincts. And you know what? You can make up for a lot of that stuff, what you may like, lack in size or speed by being one of the smartest guys on the field.

Starting point is 00:05:32 Absolutely. And I think that is going to help him as he, you know, you, you have to overcome the size deficiency in some way, right? It's not like it's just going to, well, we'll just ignore it and, you know, it'll be, it'll be totally fine. You have to overcome it in some way. And you have to deploy him in the right way. So I think the Broncos will be able to do that. I think this guy's going to give them just a great book every day in practice. You remember the story that Peyton Manning told about, I know it's not the same type of player, not the same size, but remember Brandon Marshall was on the practice squad and Peyton Manning is basically like, hey, you're going to have to call this guy up off the practice squad because he's killing us in practice,

Starting point is 00:06:07 essentially. And then the rest of this history where Brandon Marshall became such a really, I mean, just a really great solid player for the Broncos. I think Tori and York is going to be similar in that he's going to, he's going to give these guys a lot of really good looks on the practice field. And he's going to make sure that he's not out of place. Like, that's one of the ways that you overcome a deficiency is you're never in the wrong spot. Like if you're on assignment, you can make up for a lack of size. If you're in the right spot in zone coverage, I mean, nobody's going to notice that you're 511 unless they throw it over the top of your outstretched arm jumping as high as you can, right? That's the only way that's going to be noticed. So I think that there's ways to

Starting point is 00:06:46 overcome it. And like you mentioned, Cody, special teams is going to be absolutely critical for him. And you know what? In addition to being a three-year starter for that defense of Mike Elkin in Texas A&M for the last three years. He also led Texas A&M in tackles on kickoff coverage in 2024. So he's not like one of those guys that a lot of times at the college level, if you're starting on offense or defense that you're not playing special teams. No, no, this guy was playing special teams and excelling at it. So I think he's going to be able to make an immediate impact there for the Broncos. I think his film study is going to be off the charts. We know how complicated advanced Joseph's defenses. I hope somebody tells Tori and York like, hey,

Starting point is 00:07:28 Drake Greenlaw said like this was one of the hardest defenses to learn last year when he came to Denver. And I hope that he finds out all the talk out there about, man, it's difficult to play in Vance Joseph's defense. If you're an off ball linebacker, there's just so much you've got to learn and understand. And, you know, in order to wear the green dot, which he did at Texas A&M. But I think if somebody tells him that, I feel like he's the type of player who's going to take that information and be like, okay, bet, you know, watch me learn and master this defense so fast that they can't keep me off the field. A lot of people, too, and I've even seen our former friend Trevor Sycambe talking about the fact that he had him as LB1,

Starting point is 00:08:06 but like prior to the season, but the size, that's really the one thing there. So, unfortunately, that's been held against York, but now he's got an opportunity to come in and make some hay right away here. And I think showcasing that too, they do say he is one of the smartest players on the field and the way that he prepares. He said, you know, I was catching the clip that you sent me the other day of Trevor talking about it where basically he was talking to somebody that knows Texas A&M or that knows of York and they say, hey, like this is a guy who he doesn't just watch film. He watches film.

Starting point is 00:08:37 He knows what his responsibility is. He knows where his assignment is and he knows how interchanges within the entire complexity of the defense. There's a guy with the chip on the shoulder. It's about the opportunity. So let me ask you this question. You are planting your flag here today saying, hey, Tori. in York is going to be a guy

Starting point is 00:08:53 a steal for the Broncos and he's going to make the roster. You're planting your flag on that? Yeah, absolutely. 100%. All right. All right. And if it happens, Sarah said it here first, Broncos country. We're with you on that. And obviously, this is a player that many people in Broncos country after Denver released their list of undrafted

Starting point is 00:09:09 rookie freedoms that they signed or players that got invited to rookie minicamp that they were talking about this guy more so than anybody else. But there's some buzz coming out of some of Denver's undrafted rookie class, including Darren Rizzy, really liking Colby Katzis as a potential return option here for the Denver Broncos. We'll highlight him coming up on today's episode of the show.

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Starting point is 00:10:12 dot com and get 15% off your ED treatment. That's RUG, IET.com, slash locked on NFL for 15. percent off Ruggiat performance medicine for men. One Denver Broncos undrafted free agent is giving a whole new meaning to this whole pet cat concept that George Payton introduced to us last off season. Colby Katzis, FCS, All-American and possible Denver Broncos kickoff return. And we're going to tell you about one of the hidden gems of this year's undrafted free agent class on today's episode, Locked on Broncos.

Starting point is 00:10:45 And Broncos country, we appreciate all of you so much. If you're an everyday listener of the show, Cody and I, want to let you know. Like seriously, we appreciate you so, so much. And if you are looking for another way to support the show, it would mean the world to us if you would sign up for the everyday club, which, Cody, there's lots of bonus content on there from the NFL draft already. Plenty more to come with your, you getting your hands on the All-22 film and things like that. We've got two up already. We've got a Jonah Coleman film review up. We've got a Justin Jolie film review up against Flores State where he was an absolute dog. And that is available to everybody on the

Starting point is 00:11:19 every day or club, folks. So make sure, hey, if you want to check it out, we would appreciate it. Absolutely. I mean, and the Justin Jolie thing

Starting point is 00:11:28 gets me really excited too. I know we're working backwards in our bonus episodes too. So for folks that are wondering, like we're kind of going backwards from the end of the draft class to the front with bonus shows on each prospect. So if you want an early view on Cody's take on Justin Jolie,

Starting point is 00:11:42 I mean, there you go right there, the everyday or all access club. Link will be in the show notes, lockdownbroncos. Dot supercast.com. And let's talk about this year's maybe a pet cat of the draft class, Cody Colby Katzis. It's in his name.

Starting point is 00:11:54 So we got to use that term. I really like the, well, let's just back it up for a second here because going into this draft process, I think one of the things that you and I included in almost every mock draft scenario that we did was at least one guy who had kickoff return abilities. And the reason for that is is because like the Broncos literally took Marvin Mims off of kickoff return late last season. he had multiple concussions when he was on kickoff return. And he was one of the only guys in the NFL.

Starting point is 00:12:24 The Broncos, I think, were excited about all the rule changes and hopeful that Marvin could do his thing out there. But they end up ranking, you know, in the bottom half of the league in terms of overall kickoff return average, even with the modifications to how that is, you know, that play is run. I think that the Broncos know there was a lot of meat left on the bone in the kickoff return game. Colby Katzis, dynamic return man, FCS, All-American.

Starting point is 00:12:49 And the special teams coordinator, he likes him a lot. Yeah, and it's an opportunity for him because this is, I feel like, a position the Broncos have been trying to figure out, right? I mean, Marvin solves a lot of problems, right? Like, you can put Marvin back there. You're fine. But the issue, as you just mentioned there, Marvin took a couple of shots to the head on this return unit to the point, the NFL going back. And this was Darren Rizzy kind of leading this effort saying, we need to figure out how to make this safer. We like the return.

Starting point is 00:13:15 But how can we keep this a little bit safer? So now they're adding it to where there's an extra blocker that's in front of the returners that might help mitigate the big time helmet-to-helmet collisions or the untouched guys. So it gives you an extra lead blocker, so to speak. But this is one I feel like we've been trying to figure out how Denver could upgrade this while keeping Marvin Mims on punt return, focusing him on offense. You typically look at running backs. RJ Harvey got put back there a few times last season.

Starting point is 00:13:42 And that was also something. It's like, wait a minute, this guy's too valuable to our offense to be out there on special teams. returning kicks. And he also did make a couple of mistakes in the kick return game last year. He caught one and ended up going out of bounds. I think at the one or two yard line, it kind of put the Broncos offense in a tough spot. But, you know, he was a young guy. He's learning. Tyler Badegh, I mean, we know he's fast, but it never materialized into some explosive play in the kick return game. Denver's average starting field position wasn't necessarily the greatest when it came to the kick return game. Teams were okay with kicking it to Denver's returners last

Starting point is 00:14:14 season because it wasn't as dynamic as many people had thought. And often at times when they were kicking it, they were not kicking it to Marvin Monside. They were kicking a to Tyler Badez or whoever else was back there. It doesn't hurt to get a guy who's got speed. And obviously, cats is he's 6 foot 1, 185 pounds, played at Northern Arizona University. I mean, that's not necessarily Division 1 football, but it's not about looking at that. It's about, hey, what does this guy have? He's got legit speed. You mentioned he was a first team receiver, first team kick return guy. He had 100-yard kick return last season, Sarah, and he had one of the best returns in that entire conference

Starting point is 00:14:50 that they had in terms of return average, 30.6 yards per return last season. Sarah, if that were to somehow translate to the NFL, that would be very good. That would be arguably one of the top return games in the league if you're averaging around 30 at that point. His vision, his speed, those are things that help him, and that gives him a path to the roster.

Starting point is 00:15:11 It does, and I think that's something that makes him one of the most intriguing undrafted free agent pickups is because he's not the only kickoff returner amongst this group. I believe Cam Ross is another one who was a kickoff returner. I'll have to do some more digging on the other guys. But Colby Katzis, I mean, he returned one for a touchdown last year, like you said, also had a return touchdown back when he was at Pittsburgh State where he followed the head coach from Pittsburgh State to Northern Arizona. So he's liked by his coaches and he's trusted by his coaches, which is an important trait, even if you are coming up from the FCS level.

Starting point is 00:15:44 I think that's one of the interesting things about this overarching discussion here is like you're seeing so many less FCS guys getting drafted high by NFL teams because a lot of those guys are taking the NIL money and going to bigger schools. So Colby Katzis has a lot to prove like this off season, of course, like he's not just going to come in and immediately be the top kickoff returner. He's got to prove that that skill will translate to NFL speed against, you know, NFL special teams guys and, you know, scheming. against him and it's obviously different at the pro level than it is at the college level.

Starting point is 00:16:17 So I'm fascinated by his projection. This is where it gets interesting though, Cody is if he just let's just let's be optimistic for a second here and say, man, Colby Katzis comes out in the preseason and has, let's let's say he even has one kickoff return for a touchdown. I was going to say like two, but let's just say he has one kickoff return touchdown in three preseason games. Where did you keep him on this roster? like Sean Payton doesn't typically keep six receivers,

Starting point is 00:16:47 not saying he can't or wouldn't, but how do you make sure that you have a dynamic kickoff returner on the roster if in fact you've discovered one here? That's that part of it. The roster gymnastics could be the most difficult part about an otherwise very exciting addition to the team. Especially with Denver's wide receiver room as is. The top five of that room is very good.

Starting point is 00:17:08 And then you factor in low Jordan Humphrey, who's like, though I think a little Jordan Humphrey, I feel like he'll probably be more in life for a practice squad, especially after what I watched on film with Justin Jolie. I can't wait until we get to that episode on Jolie and what he brings to the table here for Denver. I liked what I saw there. But I mean, it's tough.

Starting point is 00:17:24 And it's unlikely. Like when you look at it from the standpoint of what Sean has done since he's come in, really he's kind of dedicated these spots to either a running back, right? Jolulim McLaughlin's emergence out of nowhere. Has it really been one of these other wide receivers? And look, Denver has brought in at times in the last three seasons at training camp, undrafted rookie for agent wide receivers that have looked incredible, right? And who was the guy last year that everybody was saying,

Starting point is 00:17:50 hey, like from a special team standpoint, Denver can't let this guy go. It was Courtney Jackson. And he ended up, the Broncos ended up not offering him and he ended up going to the Seattle Seahawks. I wonder if he stuck with the Seahawks all season long on their practice squad. That would be something that I would be interested in here because this role kind of became redundant after they traded for Rashid Shaheed in the return game. But something worth monitoring here. He's not on the roster, Cody.

Starting point is 00:18:14 He's not on their roster right now. So he didn't stick. And he might even be in the UFL maybe. But it's hard. It's hard for guys. And it's hard for guys at these smaller schools like Northern Arizona to be able to stick on an NFL roster. But here's where the advantage is also for Denver.

Starting point is 00:18:29 There isn't as much widespread notion as to like, hey, teams may not invest as much in looking at these schools or these players, there is a more likely path that he could be a practice squad guy with the elevation status there. And eventually as the season goes on, right, let's say injuries pop up here and there with there was like, hey, we really have a needle. Let's say this guy turns heads and is a stud in the return game. Well, hey, even though he's on a practice squad, we get the three elevations.

Starting point is 00:18:54 And then if there's an injury, if it's truly a game changer for us, we'll find a spot for this guy, but it won't necessarily impact your wide receiver depth or the rotation there. Yeah. And how bad do you want to spot? Like are you going to go down on coverage like punk coverage unit and, you know, just go into dog mode and say how I'm going to knock somebody out. That's what you got to do. Like that's the old Terrell Davis story, right, of the game in Japan where Terrell Davis just laid somebody out on kickoff. And it was like, man, okay, like this guy's making the team, you know, because what is that?

Starting point is 00:19:26 I love it, man. I love that type of stuff. Those type of origin stories are the best. And so how does Colby Katzis create his origin story beyond what is. his known skill as a kickoff return man because if he can do that at a high level, that's a huge asset in his favor. But how else can you help the team? How can you get on special team?

Starting point is 00:19:46 Otherwise, I think that'll be a huge factor for him. Like you said, seems like the more likely road or path for him is the practice squad and maybe a call up at some point during the season, which then raises other questions about the kickoff return game for the Broncos, because we're trying to piece all that together. And it seems like maybe a foregone conclusion that Marble.

Starting point is 00:20:05 Marvin Mims won't do it. But, I mean, at this point, who else is going to do it? Like, I don't know. I mean, it's got to be Marvin right now. So you need somebody to come in there and provide that extra spark, but in other ways than just, I mean, you're not necessarily going to keep a guy on the roster because of his kickoff return abilities unless it's like, you know, Devin Hester. So you have to be good in other areas to be able to make this team. And there aren't really any guys like Devin Hester anymore, man. And he changed the whole dynamic of the return game.

Starting point is 00:20:38 And it's crazy to see how talented it was like, I feel nostalgic every time we get to see some Devin Hester highlights. I know. Marvin is great. But man, nobody was like Devin Hester. I can't even remember who the next most dynamic return guy was. Was it Cordarelle Patterson?

Starting point is 00:20:54 Maybe it was one of those guys? Chris. Remember Josh Cribbs? Oh, man. His name right there. Imagine those guys in this rules. Yeah. Oh, to the Cribs.

Starting point is 00:21:02 I mean, unfortunately, he played for the Browns. Right. Yeah, no, and he stuck with him too. Imagine those guys in today's NFL with the rules the way that they are now. Like, I don't know. I just feel like Devin Hester would have had double the amount of return touchdowns than he did because, I mean, yeah, now it's it's like, I don't know, it's easier in a way. I mean, so I don't know.

Starting point is 00:21:24 The rules are different. The rules are different. And certainly, and we mentioned to like, you know, Darren Rizzy really likes this guy. That came from Chris Thomason. So I think that that's a note that we just want to make sure, hey, we weren't just throwing that out there. Like, hey, Devin, Darren Rizzy really likes Colby, Kansas. Somebody reported that. So that was something that I think is important to note there.

Starting point is 00:21:46 But that's a huge factor is like, okay, if you got a special teams coordinator pounding the table for a guy, that can really work in his favor now as the offseason progresses because we also know, I mean, who was Darren Rizzy pounding the table for last year? He's pounding the table for Jeremy Croshaw. So, I mean, if it's happening for Colby Katzis, there's a chance. Yeah, no, 100%. And Sean has a lot of investment in things that Darren has to say. And if Darren says, hey, I need this.

Starting point is 00:22:12 I think this guy can make a difference for us. Sean's going to listen. Like, that's where things are at. So I'm curious how this new collaborative delegating Sean Peyton is going to work within the whole scheme of building this team with a new look here for him as he enters his first trek without calling plays. That's going to be a very interesting development this offseason. But Broncos country coming up next, we're going to be talking about the Broncos have one key.

Starting point is 00:22:36 But what if they got Key's brother? Devon Key's brother, Dane Key is on the roster. Plus we'll take a look at an FCS All-American Offensive line who could also be a developmental prospect for this Broncos team. The Debra Broncos have one key that's opened up many doors on the special team side and also opened up a contract renewal for him coming into this season after securing a first team all-pro selection last season. But Devin Key, folks, he has a brother. And his brother will be joining the Debra Broncos, at least for a rookie mini-camp invite as the Broncos look to fill out their 90-man roster to figure out what is the best

Starting point is 00:23:12 group of guys going into training camp. And Devin Key's brother could be one of those guys. Sarah, let's talk about Dane Key. Now, obviously, played in Nebraska this past season in your neck of the woods here. Very, very talented family. Obviously, Devin Key, Dane Key, their father played college football. he was a really good athlete. And now that's translating over

Starting point is 00:23:34 where Dane Key is getting this invite extended to him to Broncos rookie minicamp as an opportunity he signed as an undrafted rookie free agent. And ultimately he'll have to turn heads in minicamp to see will they keep him on the training camp roster this summer. Your thoughts on Dane Key. Yeah, Dane Key, obviously, you know,

Starting point is 00:23:51 transferred from Kentucky was actually at one point, Cody, one of the favorite targets of Will Levis out there in Kentucky, a deep ball player for the Wildcats and played three really good seasons for Kentucky and kind of established himself as like a contested catch stud. Like that was his thing. That was where he really made his hay,

Starting point is 00:24:10 is stretching the field vertically and going up and winning at the catch point. That was where he was really effective. Going to Nebraska, it's, you know, I could joke all I want. Everybody who's listened for a long time knows

Starting point is 00:24:24 I love the Iowa Hawkeye. So I, you know, I've got to really like, okay, I've got to take off my Hawkeye head and I've got to take off the black and gold overalls here for a second to talk about Nebraska guys. But what Dane Key brings to the table is somebody who I think is going to offer you a physical and willing blocker on the outside.

Starting point is 00:24:43 You know, Nebraska, a lot of issues at the quarterback position. You know, everybody knows that saga, you know, with the way that Dylan Ryola goes about his business. So now he's a duck. Now he's a duck. You got to, now you got to root for him, Cody. We'll see what happens there. John. Cody's good on. But, you know, when you watch this guy play, I think that you see the willingness to block. And I think if you go back to the Kentucky stuff, you'll see the contested catch.

Starting point is 00:25:12 He needs to learn from his big bro, though, like, how can I make the NFL as a special teams player? Because he didn't play a lot of special teams, if any, at the college level. So I think that's going to be crucial for him. But it is interesting. I mean, you've got the, you know, you've got the brothers on the roster. I don't know if the Broncos have done that since the Bailey brothers. once upon a time. So it's kind of a cool little nugget there with this guy. Actually, they had a, remember, Caden Stearns and his brother? Oh, that's right.

Starting point is 00:25:39 I forgot about that one. But I think that was just a rookie mini-camp invite. I don't think he stuck on in the training camp roster. Yeah, you're right, I think. So we'll see how it works out for these two guys. I think once again, the path is practice squad. Receiver is going to be a very, very difficult position to crack. But you've got to show the Broncos something during the off-season program,

Starting point is 00:25:58 training camp preseason that says, hey, we have to keep him on our practice squad because he's going to give us a good look every single day on scout team. He's going to help us in, you know, XYZ. And I think that's where Dane K can really make this team. Well, let's talk about the offensive line now

Starting point is 00:26:14 as well here for the Broncos as they've gone out. They've drafted Cage Casey. Last year, they signed Frank Crum. Well, two years ago, they signed Frank Crum as an undrafted rookie Fridge. And he stuck on the 53, essentially redshirted, and then he got more playing time last year a couple of years.

Starting point is 00:26:29 Prior to that, it was Alex Paucheski. Is there anybody in this year's undrafted rookie free agent class, in your opinion, that might have an opportunity to turn some heads or that. If you're looking at the undrafted path, who is a guy that you're wanting to see produced during minicamp, OTAs, and obviously training camp? Yeah, I think Gavin Ortega from Weber State, Cody, or Weber State, however the heck you say that, I know. I'm sorry to anybody who's in a loan.

Starting point is 00:26:54 I apologize. guys. But an FCS, All-American and a 9.48 on the Rast scale when you move him inside to guard, he played left tackle at the college level. So he's going to be moving inside to guard at the NFL level. But a lot of the NFL drafts analysts who specifically scout the FCS level, watch this guy and they see the explosiveness, the movement skills, the athleticism, translate to the way that he plays. I think he's, he's six, five, three hundred five pounds, 33-inch arms and a 9.48 in the Rass department. So, I mean, you look at those skills athletically that you can't teach and you kind of wonder,

Starting point is 00:27:33 like, what can Zach Streif do with this guy? Because, I mean, he might have the potential to flex inside to center or he can obviously play tackle. He played it at, you know, in college. So there's a lot of interesting projection there. A lot of folks are also talking about the Iowa State kid that the Broncos picked up, Cody, which I think is fun also. I think he had a 9.49 or 9.5 something on the Rast scale.

Starting point is 00:27:57 So the Broncos go after those ultra athletes on the offensive line and they use those traits that you can't develop and they put, you know, Zach Streif on those guys and they're like, okay, we're going to develop your skills as an offensive lineman and then you do your athletic stuff. And with that too, was Zach Streif now transitioning, not having the title offensive line coach where he's focused on just now the run game

Starting point is 00:28:19 corner. I wonder how much of a hand, Streif is now having them in terms of hands-on working with the offensive line versus they have a new offensive line coach who was their assistant last year that just got promoted. I've just got 27 plus years coaching experience in the NFL. Who is in charge of that? Does this allow Streif to maybe look at more of these prospects that they bring in and say, you know what we can evaluate?

Starting point is 00:28:40 This is a guy that we feel like, if we stash him on the practice squad, we like what he can work with. Now, Streif, obviously, because he's had a path of coming up, not being a premier pick, but working his way and working as hard as he can to establish, have a nice NFL career for himself. And now he's in this role with Sean Payton, where he's also viewed in league circles as one of these exciting young, new coaches. And granted, I think we have to remember,

Starting point is 00:29:04 Streif, this is all new for him still. He was brought on initially. His first year coaching was in 2023. For him to accelerate to this point of where he's at right now, I'm very curious to see how that continues on here. Or if he has much say in the developmental process, of players at all because he's not the title offensive line coach anymore. That to me is something I'm curious about as the Broncos look to get their run game scheme

Starting point is 00:29:27 fixed. It's very apparent that they viewed the scheme as a little bit of a bigger issue than their personnel and especially with how the scheme meshed with the roles of the running backs is now we've kind of seen how the draft is folded out with J.K. Dobbins. They've expressed that really with RJ Harvey. RJ couldn't play in that previous role that he did while J.K. was healthy when jk went down with the injury now he had to kind of encompass jk's role there so all of this has to do with everything being in sync from a scheme and a system standpoint these offensive line i just feel like we're with where Denver's at right now sarah i feel like it'll be harder

Starting point is 00:30:03 this year for the broncos to find one of these offensive linemen that would make the roster kind of in similar breath that frank crumb and alice pauchesky did just a few years ago especially because you just drafted cage casey right i mean you talked about that earlier And I think that's a big deal. And the Broncos had, we went going into this draft, you and I talked about, they probably got eight guys at least on the offensive line that they feel like they could take into the regular season. And I don't think that list included Matt Parrott or Nick Garzulo or Calvin Throckmorton. So, I mean, it's going to be a tough, tough competition. But that's where you invest a lot of money in these offensive linemen.

Starting point is 00:30:41 I believe it was Mike Kliss who reported that the offensive tackle from Ohio or from Iowa State. and then this guy, obviously, Ortega from Weber State, those two guys got two of the highest signing bonuses of any of the undrafted players. Follow the money. Follow the money when it comes to UDFAs, but also you invest in those guys now and you say, hey, like our plan for you, just be up front with them. Just say our plan for you is to get you onto the practice squad.

Starting point is 00:31:08 We're loaded on the O line. So set that expectation right away of like you're going to be on this team, but you're going to have to work your way up, you know? And so I think those guys probably signed knowing that was likely the, you know, path for them. Also, what better opportunity than that itself. Granted, it's not, it's not a lot of money. It's not like what you see your average practice squad guy make throughout the course of an NFL season. But to sign initially, what is it, $325,000 total for these guys, I would guess, hey, you know what?

Starting point is 00:31:40 Worst case scenario, it doesn't work out here, but you get $325,000. $5,000 for a few months, and then you can continue to work and maybe get tryouts or opportunities. I'm curious to see how it all goes here. And obviously, we'll be at rookie minicamp on Mother's Day weekend here, Broncos Country. And in the meantime, we're going to go through and recap the draft. Talk about how every prospect fits in. And the latest in Broncos country will continue that conversation on tomorrow's episode of the show.

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