Schlereth: Despite exceptional rookie class, Broncos in ‘talent drought’
Dec 12, 2018, 10:24 AM | Updated: 10:25 am
The Denver Broncos have received extraordinary contributions from its rookie class in 2018, including offensive weapons Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, and Courtland Sutton, who have combined for the third-most yards from scrimmage (2,209) through 13 games by a rookie trio since the NFL merger in 1970.
But despite the success of the Broncos rookie class, which includes six current starters, “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mark Schlereth believes Denver needs another one or two draft classes of a similar caliber to be competitive moving forward.
“They are still in a talent drought,” Schlereth said on Wednesday. “As good as this rookie class was, and this rookie class has been exceptional, you still need another rookie class or two more like the one you got this year for you to be consistently competitive …”
It is vitally important the Broncos build up their roster, Schlereth said, to be more competitive next year, especially with Case Keenum under center.
“You’re going to have to continue to develop your players, and you’re going to have to continue to go after free agents,” Schlereth said, “and you’re going to have to continue to go after draft picks, and you’re going to have to build your roster to help take some pressure off Case Keenum.”
A glaring mistake leading to lack of roster talent for the Broncos, said Schlereth’s co-host Mike Evans on Wednesday, was not drafting a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“My feeling going into the draft was you have to be, until you clearly know you have the guy, in the quarterback development business,” Evans said. “That means you draft a quarterback every single year until you find that guy.”
Evans blamed the Broncos inability to move on from former first-rounder Paxton Lynch last offseason as the reason why they missed in the draft by not picking up a quarterback.
“The biggest mistake they made was they let Paxton Lynch screw them over twice,” Evans said. “One was him not living up to his billing. Two was them clinging to the hope, the dream, the possibility that he could still turn out to be that guy.
“And rather than going out and drafting a quarterback, they clung to the idea that, well, we still have Paxton. Huge mistake”
But Evans cautioned the Broncos not to be gun-shy about drafting a quarterback this offseason, that they have to “step back out there.”
“That does not mean that you overdraft for a quarterback,” Evans said. “… This is still a team that has holes to fill. The last thing this team can do is chase a quarterback. But that doesn’t mean you don’t draft a quarterback.
“There are going to be plenty of quarterbacks that are going to be available in rounds 2, 3, or 4. Draft them.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
