Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the first wave of free agency ended, Broncos Country had plenty of questions.
In this edition of "Ask Aric," we take a look at how recent moves impact the roster, what could come next for Denver, if the Broncos are contenders and much, much more.
If you want to leave a question for the next mailbag, click here!
With the signing of Vannett, where does that leave Heuerman? - Nick Henson
The Broncos added a veteran tight end Saturday when they reportedly agreed to terms with Nick Vannett, who has played for both the Seahawks and Steelers during his four-year career. Vannett's strength comes largely as a blocker, which overlaps with Jeff Heuerman's skill set. The two players were teammates at Ohio State, and they've put up similar numbers during their careers. Vannett has 61 career receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons; Heuerman has caught 63 career passes for 678 yards and five touchdowns in the same time frame. Where Vannett holds an edge is his availability. Heuerman missed his rookie season in 2015 with a torn ACL, and he's missed at least two games in each of his four healthy seasons. He's appeared in 51 of a possible 80 games since entering the league. Vannett, meanwhile, has appeared in 55 of a possible 64 games and has missed two games over the last three seasons. But the addition of Vannett does not mean Heuerman cannot play a role for this team. The rest of the tight end group also features a lot of uncertainty, as Jake Butt, Austin Fort and Troy Fumagalli have all dealt with serious injuries. Heuerman, though, will seemingly have something to prove as the Broncos move toward the season.
Do we try to go after one of Cam, Dalton or Jameis on a short-term deal or is it time to hand Lock the keys and see what he's got? - Anonymous
I think you've got to roll with Drew. After so much turnover at quarterback the last few years, it's time to see if Lock can be the long-term guy. That may mean going through some bumps during the upcoming season, but that's worth it if Lock can develop into a franchise player. Plus, with Lock on a rookie contract, the Broncos are more able to fill in quality pieces around him. If you pay a veteran, you may lose the opportunity to sign several key players. Most importantly, I think Lock has earned this chance. He went 4-1 in his five starts, energized the team and played decent football. That should be more than enough to ensure No. 3 is under center for at least 2020.
How many corners are enough? Should we try to get a few more in free agency or just draft one or maybe even [two]? Or get lucky like we did with Chris Harris Jr. - Chris Ohearon
Chris, you can never have enough good corners. And as a defensive-minded head coach, Vic Fangio likely shares that opinion. With Bryce Callahan and A.J. Bouye in the fold, the Broncos have a solid starting duo. That said, I think it would be wise to find a third starting-caliber corner (either in the draft or later stages of free agency) to complement Bouye and Callahan. If that's a slot corner, great. Callahan can stay outside. If that's an outside corner, shift Callahan back to the slot where he played in Chicago. Having options, though, is extremely important. Over the last few years, we've seen the Broncos have to piece together secondaries at the end of a season because of a rash of injuries. That will also be a concern, but adding another quality player would help calm it a bit. As you're looking to do that, I don't think you can count on finding another undrafted All-Pro. That might be pushing the team's luck.
With the first wave of free agency having passed, and the front office has made some low-key quality additions that address the glaring holes in the roster, what are some options to address our deficiency at middle linebacker? [Alexander] Johnson is great, but i feel we still could use a better coverage backer. Thank you. - Kyle Orr
The Broncos were never seriously linked to the top inside linebackers in free agency once the legal-tampering period began. There was speculation that Nick Kwiatkoski could rejoin Fangio, who coached him in Chicago, and some floated the idea of Cory Littleton. Neither option developed for the Broncos, who prioritized other needs and picked up Todd Davis' option before free agency began. If the team still wants an upgrade, the draft could be the way to go. Isaiah Simmons feels like a pipe dream unless the Broncos trade up into the top 10, and even that may not be enough to have the chance to select him. Patrick Queen from LSU and Kenneth Murray from Oklahoma could be more realistic options, and it's reasonable to suggest the Broncos could trade down a few spots and still be able to select one of these two players. Queen is a smaller player (6-foot, 229 pounds), but both are known for their coverage ability.