Paton, Broncos need leadership from Harris, Simmons

The Denver Broncos are moving into the future with general manager George Paton. His team is being crafted right now and after one week of free agency things are looking up in the Mile High City. Paton has done a good job adding quality players to the defense and strengthening some of the biggest weaknesses on the team.

Not only is Paton adding talent from the free agent pool, but he’s also keeping some of his best players on the roster. These players, mainly safety Justin Simmons and defensive end Shelby Harris, are set to be leaders for the team in 2021 and beyond. In fact, it seems like Paton has hand-picked these two veterans to help lead the way.

At a press conference on Monday, Paton opined about what he liked most about Simmons.

“I believe he’s a top safety in the NFL, but it’s everything else he brings to the table within the locker room and out in the community. It’s hard to find a really good football player, but it’s really hard to find someone that’s out in the community like Justin, and [someone] who’s a leader in the locker room. That’s why it was a priority since the day I arrived to get Justin locked up.” Paton said.

After Paton spoke, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio followed up with his comments about Simmons which also included talk about leadership.

“I think everybody knows about his good play on the field. That speaks for itself. He quarterbacks our secondary and plays a major role in our entire defense from an on-field leadership job and does very well. He’s here on a daily basis and shows up and plays every game. Those are things that you sometimes take for granted, but we, as coaches, do not. That’s played a big part in his success.” Fangio said.

Here are the ways the new-look Broncos need Harris and Simmons to be some of their top leaders on the team.

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Constant fire

Harris is a player who doesn’t back down from an opponent. That’s what has made him into one of the most important Broncos on the entire roster. Harris will not be intimidated by an opponent and he will always play with a chip on his shoulder.

He will also speak his mind. Harris has a history of getting into verbal arguments with Fangio and last year there was one time where he lunged at his head coach on the sideline. That fire Harris plays with does not go away when he’s dealing with coaches. Harris uses his intensity to match the competitive nature of his opponent but also to call out his coaches if need be.

Last week at his press conference, I had a chance to ask Harris about his relationship with Fangio. I know the relationship has been complex, but I wanted to hear from Harris what he thought of his coach. His answer was quite revealing.

“Me and Vic’s relationship has changed. It’s evolved. We’ve gotten to get to know each other a lot more. We’re so lucky to have a guy like Vic out there who understands this league and is so respected around the league and in this locker room.” Harris said.

Not only Fangio, but defensive line coach Bill Kollar – known for being quite outspoken – has butted heads with Harris.

“I would say Bill has had the most impact on career. You know, I’m lucky. Bill is a great coach. Honestly, we didn’t get along at first, but that’s my guy. He pushes us every day and I respect the hell out of him for it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Harris said.

The constant fire from Harris makes him the type of player his teammates want to follow – and his coaches respect him and listen to him when he speaks.

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You support your own

A big message from Paton this offseason has been that if you play well for the Broncos, you will get paid well by the Broncos. He’s not been able to do that with every player, specifically running back Phillip Lindsay – but signing Harris and Simmons to long-term contracts shows younger players on the roster a path they may want to follow.

Former general manager John Elway did not sign his own players back that often. Elway had some bad draft picks but some of his good picks ended up playing for another team when their rookie contract was up. That message was received loud and clear in the locker room. In fact, you could easily say that in 2020 players were playing for themselves more so than the team because they felt with Elway in charge they would not be retained – no matter what level they produced.

Simmons went out of his way to praise Paton for helping to get this deal done, and he highlighted how other players can now see how to follow in his footsteps.

“It’s great for multiple reasons, obviously. We’ve got guys here that I think can really play—younger guys. Guys like [WR] Courtland [Sutton], guys like [OLB Bradley] Chubb, guys like [TE] Noah [Fant]. I think it’s important for them to see that they’re going to be taken care of if they play to the level they’ve been playing at. Just make sure they keep doing the things they need to do, and they’ll be taken care of. That’s always important because a lot of the game is a lot more mental than I think a lot of people tend to believe. For those guys going out there week in, week out and knowing they’re putting their bodies on the line and knowing that whatever happens, I’ll give 100 percent. That work is showing in my productivity on the field and I’ll be taken care of. I think that’s just a reflection on both [DE] Shelby [Harris] and I, and guys like [NT] Mike Purcell as well.” Simmons said.

Simmons himself is a perfect example. Last year, Elway franchise tagged the star safety and couldn’t get a long-term deal done before the mid-July deadline. Paton also tagged Simmons, but it took him just a little over a week from the tag to get a big contract done. It’s important for Paton to send this message and consider it received by all whose contract are coming up next.

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Quarterback void

The Broncos are looking to upgrade the quarterback position. Paton has publicly supported last year’s starter Drew Lock but the first thing he did was almost trade for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. Last week, Paton admitted that he would be attending more college pro days and looking specifically at quarterbacks. He also suggested that quarterback was in play at no.9 overall in the 2021 NFL draft.

The team has not had a quarterback to lead this team since Peyton Manning retired after Super Bowl 50. They’ve tried multiple starters, veterans, rookies, journeymen and none of them have been ‘the man’ for the Broncos. A great quarterback is the natural leader for an NFL team, and without one there is a void that can be difficult to overcome.

While Paton has sent mixed messages about his belief in Lock, players like Harris have come to his defense multiple times this offseason.

“Drew has all the tools—great arm and he can put the ball in some crazy places. [He’s] mobile and smart. He needs the reps. You expect instant results and that’s the problem with the world today. You expect instant results and things take time. With Drew, he struggled at times, but you see the flashes that make everyone excited. He’s my quarterback and I’m going to ride for my guy. He can be great. We believe in him. I really believe that he is going to take that next big step this year.” Harris said.

Until Lock – or some other quarterback – takes over as the clear-cut leader guys like Harris and Simmons need to be at the forefront.

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Winning ways return

Simmons has not had any winning seasons during his pro career outside of his rookie year of 2016 when the Broncos finished with a 9-7 record. Since then, there has been a lot of losing for his team and that needs to turn around as quickly as possible.

This team went 40-plus years without posting back-to-back losing seasons. There was a time not long ago when the Broncos had more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons since Pat Bowlen purchased the team in the mid-80s. All those great marks are in the past because they haven’t been able to win with Fangio or former head coach Vance Joseph since Simmons was a rookie.

On Monday, Simmons talked about how his Pro Bowl selection and All-Pro designation is great but it’s nothing compared to what winning football games would mean.

“Having the individual accolades is great, but this is a team effort, a team game. What I’m really looking forward to is finding a way for the team’s success. Individually, there are things that I can do to get myself better, but what can I do from a team aspect defensively? How can I push guys offensively? How can I make sure we’re competing to the highest level every day and making sure that we’re doing the things week in and week out? When it comes to it, we’re winning those close games instead of just being close. I think that’s where we’ve been the past couple years. I’m just excited because I know that kind of falls on my shoulders as a leader on this team and on the defense.” Simmons said.

Simmons is on the right track here, and his mindset is where it needs to be. If the team can play up to their potential in 2021 then perhaps the winning ways – and a playoff run as a Wild Card team – could be in the cards for the Broncos.

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