Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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After four trades in last year's draft, the Broncos made no trades this year. Was this caused in part by the virtual nature of the draft, or was the team just happy with how the board fell? – Ben F.
John Elway mentioned that the Broncos tried to trade back up into the first round, but they weren't able to get a deal done. Sometimes, it just falls that way. It doesn't mean the Broncos weren't working the phones, but there have to be two willing teams to compete a trade. We sort of brush that off when we hear Elway say that every year, but it turned out to be true in 2020. As you mentioned, the virtual draft may have had an impact, especially in the early rounds. There wasn't a single trade until the 49ers and Buccaneers swapped picks at No. 13. Based on Elway's history — he's made a trade in each of his previous nine drafts — I wouldn't expect the trend to continue in 2021.
Can the players of the OL, as Jake Rodgers, Calvin Anderson, and others who are not the starters, make it to the starting group, considering the LT situation? And what about the UDFA OT Hunter Watts, can he make it to the roster? – Oscar J.
Of the three players you mentioned, I think Rodgers has the best chance of making the roster. He made a pair of starts last season and earned a game ball for his performance against Detroit. The Broncos brought him back as an exclusive rights free agent, so it's clear they like what he could bring to the roster. He has very limited left tackle experience, though, which makes me think it's unlikely he'll be able to push Garett Bolles or Elijah Wilkinson for the starting left tackle job. As a backup tackle, though, he would provide value. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos carry 10 offensive lineman and have Rodgers, Wilkinson, Netane Muti, Patrick Morris and Austin Schlottmann as reserve options. Watts may have to battle for a practice squad spot.
Do you think the Broncos will have Sutton and Jeudy as the true number 1 and 2 and have Hamler as the slot? Tim Patrick has high end receiver potential and I think Hamilton will have a big jump this year. So are the Broncos leaning towards having an active rotation with all five to keep them fresh? - Cody S.
Yes, ideally I think the Broncos would want Sutton and Jeudy to emerge as the two outside receivers and for Hamler to fill the slot role. In four-receiver sets, I'd expect Jeudy to slide inside to the slot and let Patrick take the outside spot. If Hamler needs time to develop, I think Jeudy would start as the slot receiver. It's hard to project a rotation at this point, but I would expect Sutton and Jeudy to be on the field at all times — give or take a few snaps. Sutton played 92 percent of the snaps in 2019, and I'd expect something similar for both players next year. Hamler and Patrick will also carve out roles, but I don't think they'll get the same amount of run. Hamilton, meanwhile, will have to battle to make the roster. As I mentioned last week, I think he'll grab a roster spot.
How is Von Miller doing? — Marilyn C.
Marilyn, since you submitted your question, Miller announced that he tested negative for COVID-19. For more on Miller, you can click here.
How many touchdowns do you think Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy will have in 2020? – Dillan H.
If we extrapolate Lock's 2019 performance out to a full 16-game schedule, he would wind up with 22 touchdowns. I think his added weapons and increased experience should give him a slight bump, but it also seems likely that the offense takes some time to get going in a new system. I think 25 touchdown passes is a reasonable goal, and that would've ranked 13th among quarterbacks in 2019. If Lock throws 25 touchdown passes, it would best the Year 2 outputs from Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. Lamar Jackson led the league with 36 touchdown passes.
Of the 25 touchdowns, let's say Sutton and Fant both get seven, Jeudy gets five and Hamler gets two. That leaves four passing touchdowns to be doled out between Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay and a number of other players.