Iknowftbll weighs in

[iknowftbll]

Finally, the thread you've all been waiting for! Your self proclaimed in-house expert on all things Broncos is gracing the board with his presence in order to provide you all with expert insight into what's really happening with this team.

(Allows the applause to subside.)

Wait, maybe that wasn't applause but everyone laughing at me?

Anyway, some thoughts...

I love what this team has done this off season. I love that they are taking the bigger hit on Wilson's cap hit this year. I LOVED the Jeudy trade. Sure that may not seem like good value for a former #1 pick but getting an under-performing diva out of the locker room and getting some late rounders in return, in a year when the team didn't have a lot of picks, is huge.

Right off the bat we have two players who won't be missed.

I don't think the defense is going to be too much worse off with the departures of Simmons and Jewell. It's definitely not going to be a top-10 unit, but I think we all already knew that.

All signs indicate this team is going after their QBOTF and while I have no idea who that may be, I love the way this is shaping up. Let a rookie come in and start in a rebuild year when the team is limited in cap space. The expectations for this team should be low, so for a rookie that's a great situation to waltz into, learn the offense and the league, and some valuable lessons for the future.

We have the makings of a decent O-line. We have some good pieces on offense at WR, RB, and TE. We need to go all in now on our rookie in a year when expectations are low and we don't have the cap space to be active in the FA market.

We have to be okay with 6-7 wins. It'll suck, but we have to be okay with it for now.

I really feel like 2025 is going to be a break out year for this team. We'll have significant cap space, and likely be in a good place position-wise for the draft. We'll have a second year QB and likely be in a place to bring in the pieces to round out the roster through FA.

And let's not discount the possibility we are one of those teams that a rookie leads into the playoffs. Andrew Luck inherited a 2-14 Colts team and took them to 11-5 and the playoffs. Joe Flacco inherited a 5-11 Ravens team and took them to 11-5 and the AFCCG. Even Mark Sanchez...Sure he inherited a pretty functional 9-7 team, but as a rookie he did lead the Jets to 11-5 and an AFCCG appearance. If our rookie QB, whoever he may be, can somehow get this team to 9-8 or 10-7 and a playoff appearance, the Broncos are going to be a prime FA destination in 2025.

So I'm not writing off 2024. I don't really have high expectations, but I like the approach the team seems to be taking. It really does make sense to go all in now instead of next year given the cap situation and making this the transitional year instead of drafting a QB next year and making this a 2 year turn-around.

This is the NFL. Overhauls can be done very quickly and by all appearances the Broncos look to be doing just that in 2024.

 

[SpiritOf77]

I love the positivity ...

Although our defense had a "meme level" game last season vs Miami, they turned it around and played some great football from there on out

This defense did not allow KC a TD in 8 quarters ... The SUPER BOWL champions did not get into the EZ on our defense in two games .. Even if the talent isn't quite there yet ( which can change in an offseason ) the fact that the defense did not lay down and die is a good sign as far as character and grit ...

Our offensive minded HC is definitely one for having a intimidating and dominant defense, and I think we will actually get closer to that on the defensive side with a year under the belt ..

I think our D will be more consistently good .. Perhaps not a double shutout vs KC, but the bumps in the road won;t be as severe

And the more we become removed from Russell Wilson, the more think about how he was holding the offense - and team - back ..

The 3-and-outs were killing us ... For a guy whose game is based on making plays and improv, Russ became completely predictable ...

The strongest link on any team with Sean Payton as the HC is the offense and the play calling .. and I think Russ' one dimension was killing the team .. So take the strongest link the team has and break it, the entire thing falls apart ...

You cannot win with constant 2nd and 15s and 3rd and 12 .... Holding the ball and not seeing the field kept us out of the playoffs .. Teams knew exactly when the run was coming, not because of Payton, but because of Russ' limitations ..

Russ' best moments came on prayers that were answered by Courtland Sutton

And as much as I wanted to like him and root for him, in hindsight, Russ is a unlikable poser whose dedication to himself seemed to overshadow his dedication to the team .... Sure, he kept his mouth shut and said all the right things during the benching, but was that because he'll do anything to keep his PR clean and options for 2024 open ?

Russell Wilson and his wife are typical phony celebrities

Losing Jeudy was addition by subtraction ... Lil'Jordan Humphrey gave us more to be excited about on that one catch ( you know the one ) than Jeudy did in 4 years ...

I'm loving Sutton, Mims, Humphrey, Patrick and Johnson at WR ... and that's before any new additions

I loved Justin Simmons, however, he is right at the age where the decline starts .. Nagging injuries, a step or two slower, huge cap hit .. I understand

I have not had this much trust and faith in a Bronco HC since Shanny of the 90s ...

I think this team shuts a lot of the critics up in 2024

If we get JJ McCarthy, I'll be more excited about this team than I have in 25 years

 

[MileHigh64]

Finally, the thread you've all been waiting for! Your self proclaimed in-house expert on all things Broncos is gracing the board with his presence in order to provide you all with expert insight into what's really happening with this team.

(Allows the applause to subside.)

Wait, maybe that wasn't applause but everyone laughing at me?

Anyway, some thoughts...

I love what this team has done this off season. I love that they are taking the bigger hit on Wilson's cap hit this year. I LOVED the Jeudy trade. Sure that may not seem like good value for a former #1 pick but getting an under-performing diva out of the locker room and getting some late rounders in return, in a year when the team didn't have a lot of picks, is huge.

Right off the bat we have two players who won't be missed.

I don't think the defense is going to be too much worse off with the departures of Simmons and Jewell. It's definitely not going to be a top-10 unit, but I think we all already knew that.

All signs indicate this team is going after their QBOTF and while I have no idea who that may be, I love the way this is shaping up. Let a rookie come in and start in a rebuild year when the team is limited in cap space. The expectations for this team should be low, so for a rookie that's a great situation to waltz into, learn the offense and the league, and some valuable lessons for the future.

We have the makings of a decent O-line. We have some good pieces on offense at WR, RB, and TE. We need to go all in now on our rookie in a year when expectations are low and we don't have the cap space to be active in the FA market.

We have to be okay with 6-7 wins. It'll suck, but we have to be okay with it for now.

I really feel like 2025 is going to be a break out year for this team. We'll have significant cap space, and likely be in a good place position-wise for the draft. We'll have a second year QB and likely be in a place to bring in the pieces to round out the roster through FA.

And let's not discount the possibility we are one of those teams that a rookie leads into the playoffs. Andrew Luck inherited a 2-14 Colts team and took them to 11-5 and the playoffs. Joe Flacco inherited a 5-11 Ravens team and took them to 11-5 and the AFCCG. Even Mark Sanchez...Sure he inherited a pretty functional 9-7 team, but as a rookie he did lead the Jets to 11-5 and an AFCCG appearance. If our rookie QB, whoever he may be, can somehow get this team to 9-8 or 10-7 and a playoff appearance, the Broncos are going to be a prime FA destination in 2025.

So I'm not writing off 2024. I don't really have high expectations, but I like the approach the team seems to be taking. It really does make sense to go all in now instead of next year given the cap situation and making this the transitional year instead of drafting a QB next year and making this a 2 year turn-around.

This is the NFL. Overhauls can be done very quickly and by all appearances the Broncos look to be doing just that in 2024.

Great post. 2024 might be rough but the full rebuild is finally on. Just have to find our QB!!

 

[nflbronco]

This might be a stupid question but, I thought I heard this. On a post june cut over 2 seasons. The total available cap of 25 isn't available til after June 1st 2025. Or something to that effect.

 

[Mingo]

From my viewpoint - here is the best scenario for the Broncos:

1) Broncos trade down - pick up picks
2) Broncos time it just right and take Bo Nix for future QB
3) This coming year the Broncos break in Nix and build their core team.
4) Next year Broncos head into Free Agency with $100 million to spend on the right FAs.
5) Mingo happy!

 

[nflbronco]

From my viewpoint - here is the best scenario for the Broncos:

1) Broncos trade down - pick up picks
2) Broncos time it just right and take Bo Nix for future QB
3) This coming year the Broncos break in Nix and build their core team.
4) Next year Broncos head into Free Agency with $100 million to spend on the right FAs.
5) Mingo happy!

This is my favorite route except I'm not sold on Nix but, hey I'm not SP. I want to bolster the overall roster and bolster draft ammo to get a QB we really want in next 3 drafts. I know we all want quick fix at QB but, I also want to add overall talent at T and Edge WR to support a young QB. We rushed with RW and while it seemed like a home run move it failed miserably. I think Denver needs to trade down and get a 24 2nd and 3rd or 25 1st step one.

6. FO don't say roster is bad in Dec but, come April act like its good imo that's how we got here partially. Just my 2 cents

 

[SpiritOf77]

Just some food for thought

Sean Payton and the Saints had scouted and met with Patrick Mahomes, and were poised to take Mahomes before KC traded up and drafted him

The fate of Sean Payton's career and the entire Saints' organization - not to mention KC's legacy - hinged on one trade in the draft ..

Sean Payton knows the importance and life altering consequences of being able to draft the QB you want ... Now, I am not suggesting that any of the QBs in the 24 draft pop off the tape like Mahomes did, however, if Sean Payton believes that one of the QBs in this draft will change the course of the Broncos' organization, he might want to pull out all the stops to move up ..

A replay of missing out on Mahomes and subsequently leaving the Saints might still haunt Payton

Sean Payton:

"When we evaluated him, he was clearly an elite player, the best quarterback I'd ever seen on college tape," Payton said. .. "it was gonna happen. And then it didn't happen."


Mahomes on Sean Payton:

"That was the first thing you kind of see I mean, the way he talks to you, the way he coaches you can tell he truly cares about the guys he coaches and he wants to make them better," Mahomes said. "That day he wanted to get it out of me and see where I was at and also help me improve in every way possible. You can see how he coaches, I mean, obviously he's an offensive genius, but he also really is respected by his guys in his locker room. "