ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos’ depth chart and quarterback state of affairs have raised questions round a possible “rebuild” mode this offseason.
“I get that,” Broncos coach Sean Payton stated on the latest league conferences in Orlando, Florida. “I do not perceive — in our league, you regroup and also you get able to play. We’re nonetheless within the midst of assembling our roster. When you paid consideration to [rebuilding talk], there are a ton of various seasons, and I have been part of it, that by no means would have had the success we had relative to the expectations. We now have to get higher in quite a lot of areas, and we’re excited to do this.”
Within the wake of their 8-9 end and the group’s eighth consecutive playoff miss, the Broncos have garnered way more headlines for the departures from the group reasonably than the arrivals.
The Broncos have taken on an $85 million lifeless cash cost over the subsequent two seasons ($53 million this yr) towards their wage cap to launch quarterback Russell Wilson. And that has restricted their capacity to do issues they might have accomplished with out the cost.
It additionally has left the group with out a clear starter at its marquee place.
Add within the launch of veteran security Justin Simmons, a Denver fixture who was the longest-tenured participant on the group, and the lack of free brokers resembling middle Lloyd Cushenberry III and linebacker Josey Jewell, and it has appeared like way more subtraction than addition.
However as the entire group’s prime decision-makers reaffirmed on the league conferences, the Broncos proceed to face by the idea that this all was a part of their plan to navigate via this offseason. The short-term ache is a part of the blueprint, and the group is aware of the route out of it, regardless of what anybody outdoors of its facility might imagine.
“We’re keen about being aggressive,” proprietor/CEO Greg Penner stated in Orlando. “That is each within the quick time period and the long run. You may name it form of no matter you need, however our focus is on placing the absolute best group on the sphere this coming yr. I do not suppose there are any shortcuts or fast fixes. We’ll do that the best manner and have this group be aggressive this coming season, but in addition be ready to construct for the longer term.”
The most important query that also lingers over any discourse in regards to the Broncos is at quarterback. The Broncos sat out the preliminary wave of free company, as most accessible quarterbacks signed elsewhere across the league to be backups with groups that had a longtime starter.
“It felt like we had a extremely good deal with as to who was accessible,” Payton stated. “Definitely, I feel we’re at a spot different quarterbacks wish to come to, and but we weren’t simply going to signal a quarterback to signal one. We will likely be sensible about our ideas relative to who’s coming in and most significantly what the imaginative and prescient is for the participant.”
With the No. 12 choose on this yr’s draft, the Broncos aren’t positioned to pick any of the highest three (or maybe 4, if a run is on) of the highest quarterbacks on the board. At the least not with out surrendering future prime draft capital to maneuver up within the first spherical, which might be a troublesome name for a group with simply two of its personal first-round picks on its present roster and one which hasn’t made a first-round choose since 2021.
The Broncos don’t at the moment have a second-round choose and will not be on the clock once more till choose No. 76 — 12 picks into the third spherical.
Payton has stated Jarrett Stidham, who began the ultimate two video games final season, will “compete” for the beginning job and that “different candidates” will compete with him. Stidham and Ben DiNucci (on a futures contract) are the one signed quarterbacks on the depth chart.
And common supervisor George Paton has stated September continues to be a methods away with the draft nonetheless on the desk and no “closed” signal on free company after the draft.
“I have been impressed with Sean and George,” Penner stated. “They have been very measured and strategic. Our strategy goes to be long-term to construct the roster via the draft, after which be opportunistic with free company and trades and strike after we are in an excellent place to do this.”
