Mile High Monday: The Broncos have to be prepared to be leapfrogged

The Denver Broncos are making sure to go over all the minor details in their draft board before the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday. This could be the wildest draft we’ve ever seen, and every team needs to be ready for the twists and turns in the roller-coaster ride that is coming at the end of the week.

I like this week leading up to the draft. Everything has built up to this moment, and all my work and research will be utilized as I’m breaking down prospects on The Fan.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Leapfrog

The Broncos had better be ready for teams trying to jump in front of them with the No. 9 overall pick. This is a quarterback-desperate league, and teams who want a quarterback that falls is going to have to get past the roadblock of the Broncos.

Mike Reiss, one of the best Patriots beat writers there is, recently wrote about which teams the Patriots are going to have to leapfrog if they want a quarterback in the draft. As highlighted in the feature, the Broncos are the team that every team is focusing on. Not just the Patriots, but teams who are behind Denver know they may not have a chance to get a quarterback if one falls to their spot.

Quick-hit thoughts/notes around the Patriots and NFL (draft predictor/analytics identifies trade hot spot for QB; slot WR options plentiful; DT plan; early chemistry forming at OTAs; Patriots Hall of Fame tales; two BB's featured in Derby preview etc.). https://t.co/w5kQ3RGQVE

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 25, 2021

The draft is all about flexibility, and the Broncos had better not let a team behind them get past them to get any quarterback who falls. The Falcons have the No. 4 pick and it’s up for sale. They need to find a quarterback of the future, but if the right trade offer is made then they’d give up that selection.

The Bengals have the No. 5 overall pick and could still get a player they need (like Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell) if they move back with the Broncos. There are rumblings about the Bengals taking a wide receiver instead of a tackle, but there may only be one wide receiver gone by the time Denver picks.

The Dolphins have the No. 6 overall pick, and they’re the team most likely to select the first wide receiver in the draft. They have moved around this draft already, moving back with the 49ers and then back up with the Eagles. Recent reports indicate the Dolphins would be willing to move around again – and that could be with the Broncos.

Behind the Dolphins sit both the Lions (No. 7) and the Panthers (No. 8). Even though both teams moved for quarterbacks (Jared Goff and Sam Darnold, respectively), there are still rumblings they might consider a passer. That’s unlikely to happen in my opinion, but it’s something worth the Broncos to note.

There’s a chance a quarterback like Justin Fields (Ohio State), Trey Lance (North Dakota State) or Mac Jones (Alabama) makes it to – or even past – the No. 4 pick. If the Broncos want one of those quarterbacks, then they had better be ready to move and move fast – before someone else moves in front of them.

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One Yes, Two Yes or No Yes?

There was an interesting debate on Colin Cowherd’s show that made it online. Joe Bryant, my boss at Footballguys.com, recently tweeted about the debate about if the NFL is a place where a team needs a coaching staff and a quarterback to win a Super Bowl. He was asking about the Steelers, but I wanted to examine the Broncos.

The quarterback is a question mark that seems eternal. Drew Lock has the physical tools, but he needs to improve the mental side of his game. If he gets a chance to prove himself as the starter, we‘ll have to see how well he can perform in that department. If the Broncos add a quarterback in the draft, then it’s going to take a bit of time for the rookie to get up to speed in the pro game.

The answer about the quarterback position being solved is a “no.” Things can change, and change quickly, but right now we can’t make any assumptions and must go on what we know – and their quarterback position isn’t of championship caliber.

The coaching staff is in a make-or-break season. Vic Fangio is a great defensive coordinator – legendary in fact – but as a head coach, he’s a work in progress (if you’re being nice). This year they might actually have the world-class defense we all thought they would when Fangio was hired. The defense has not been as advertised over the last two seasons, mainly due to injuries, and the team is running out of time with this staff.

The answer about the coaching staff is clearly a “no” again. That means in a league when you need both a quarterback and a coaching staff to compete for a Super Bowl the Broncos honestly have neither at this time.

It's a QB/Coach League. Can you say "YES" to the question: "Is the coaching staff and QB good enough to take this team to a Super Bowl?" Loved this conversation on @TheHerd

Pittsburgh Steelers

— Joe Bryant (@Football_Guys) April 24, 2021

So, what can the Broncos do if they have zero answers of yes when it comes to this question? Well, for the 2021 season, we have to wait. If Lock can play better or a new quarterback improves the play of the position, Denver’s answer is solved. If Fangio’s defense can be what we thought it would be then that “no” could turn into a “yes” fairly quickly. Right now, the Broncos have a long ways to go on both fronts, which we all knew anyway.

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Past Impacting the Present… and the Future

The San Francisco 49ers are kicking off the draft. Even though they have the No. 3 pick, the draft really starts with them. We all know the Jaguars are taking Trevor Lawrence first, and the Jets are likely taking Zach Wilson second. That means when the 49ers are on the clock, we truly won’t know which direction they’re going in.

The 49ers want a quarterback, and that’s why they moved up from No. 12 to No. 3 in the first place. It could be Fields, Lance or Jones on their radar, but nobody is really sure at this time. One of those three, and perhaps all three, could be of interest to the Broncos. In a way, the 49ers control who the Broncos are going to have available to them.

It’s interesting to have that viewpoint considering all the connections between the 49ers and the Broncos. 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have connections to the Broncos, and so does their quarterback coach Rich Scangarello.

Even though Scangarello changed the offense in 2019 to fit Lock – and Lock played exceptionally well – it was the Broncos then-offensive coordinator who was fired. After working with the Eagles in 2020, Scangarello returned to the 49ers. Since the 49ers are going to select a quarterback at No. 3 overall, it’s just a bit ironic that Lynch, Shanahan and Scangarello (and assistant general manager Adam Peters – a former Broncos scout/executive) are going to hold the Broncos future in their hands.

#49ers mailbag: Rich Scangarello? Mike Shanahan? Whose voices are going into the 49ers’ colossal QB decision? https://t.co/vyfI9ollct

— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) April 23, 2021

The draft starts at No. 3 overall in my opinion. Instead of sitting at No. 12 and waiting for the draft to fall to them, the 49ers made the power move to get up to the No. 3 pick so they could have their pick of a quarterback not named Lawrence or Wilson. The Broncos are going to have to wait and see who the 49ers get before they see who is going to be available to them.

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Reboot to Launch a Franchise?

On Friday, HBO Max debuted the new “Mortal Kombat” movie. They debuted the first seven minutes of the film on Thursday, and I was excited to watch that. So, when Friday came around, I made sure to make time to watch the new movie.

First and foremost, this is not a movie for kids. “Mortal Kombat“ is true to the legendary video game it’s based on, and that means it’s very violent. The new movie is a reboot of the film series that was originally launched in 1995. Technology and film making has come a long way since then, so this version blows the old version – a cult classic – out of the water.

I love video games, and I can remember spending a mountain of quarters at arcades to play “Mortal Kombat” back in the day. This movie captures the characters of the franchise and builds on them in way that some didn’t think could be possible. It also captures the spirit of the original game. This movie is not for everyone, but if you’re an old school gamer or someone who likes martial arts movies then you’ll love the reboot of “Mortal Kombat.” In fact, it was done so well that we should be seeing a sequel in the works in the near future.

Out of everything that debuted today
only #MortalKombat trended

ALL 👏 DAY 👏 LONG 😎

I bet we get that sequel!! pic.twitter.com/pTOzdsVOne

— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) April 24, 2021

Did you like the new Mortal Kombat movie? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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