Mile High Monday: Don’t alter the plan when it comes to Rodgers

This part of July is what everyone in the NFL calls “vacation time.” Like everyone in the league, I’m taking some time off to travel and clear my mind before the hectic part of the year, which is called the regular season. The draft season is my favorite time of year, and I do enjoy the regular season, but it can be a grind. Now is the time to take a break before the madness begins.

I like taking some time off, although I don’t get to do it that often. Once my vacation is a wrap, I won’t get a day off until the day after the Super Bowl.

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.

•••

Don’t. Alter. The. Plan.

Everyone is still fascinated by the Aaron Rodgers saga. ESPN is making a fake “breaking news” video about Rodgers where celebrities and other athletes guess where Rodgers is going. Fans are constantly tweeting about Rodgers, and every time I run into a Broncos fan they always ask me if Denver can get Rodgers. The superstar quarterback himself is probably getting sick of questions about his future, but we have gotten a new clue as to when (not what) his answer will materialize.

Last week, during the made-for-TV golf event “The Match” Rodgers was asked about Sept. 12, which is the Packers opening game. Rodgers didn’t know the significance of the date, then, when it was explained to him, he said “Oh. Yeah, I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll see.”

At another golf tournament this week, Rodgers was tracked down again. During the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Tahoe on Saturday, Rodgers was asked about his future. “I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week, and then I’m going to get back to working out and figure things out in a couple weeks.” Rodgers said.

Like I said, everyone is still thinking about Rodgers, including potential future teammates. Before the Celebrity All-Star Game on Sunday, 9News Insider Mike Klis caught up with Broncos pass rusher Von Miller, who had this to say about Rodgers coming to Denver:

“First and foremost, I’m comfortable with Drew. I’m comfortable with Teddy. G.P. (General Manager George Paton) and (president of football operations) John Elway. If A-Rod is out there for us to get him, those are the two guys to have on the job. Miller said.

Excellent plan. https://t.co/cB3gZZprRa

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 11, 2021

As arguably the greatest movie villain of all time, Hans Gruber, said in “Die Hard,” don’t alter the plan. Rodgers has his plan. The Packers have their plan. The Broncos have their plan. We’ll see if plans change for either party when training camp begins.

•••

Do RBs still matter?

The ground game isn’t what it used to be in the NFL. Gone are the days of lone running backs who would carry the load for a team. Very few backs get more than 300 carries (only two did in 2020 — Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook), and now teams see the RB position as a specialized one where different players are used for different situations. It’s all about running-back-by-committee in today’s NFL, but the Broncos may be using their backs a little bit more than some think in 2021.

Expect Javonte Williams to take the league by storm this year. Now, Williams won’t have as large a role as he could because veteran Melvin Gordon III is still here. The Broncos are going to use a RBBC this year that features both.

Williams is a power back who can grind you down as the game goes on. A converted linebacker, Williams runs with a punishing style and always keeps his legs churning after contact. He’s tough to bring down and can be an intimidating player for defenses to deal with.

Gordon looked different at mandatory minicamp. He seems leaner with a stronger and bulkier upper body. I’ve always thought he’s great in space, and Gordon backed that up at a couple of days of minicamp. While Williams can live — and thrive — between the tackles, I think it’s best if the Broncos use Gordon outside the tackles and as a receiver out of the backfield.

Defenders are getting lighter and quicker as they try to keep up with more athletic players. Linebackers are really getting smaller so they can stay on the field to cover tight ends, which are basically super-sized wide receivers. This means a strong rushing attack can thrive and “zig” while the rest of the league “zags” in terms of the way their team is built.

New on @TheNFLWire: Do running backs still matter? Yes.

Is high-level survival more important than relevance at the position? Also, yes.

Here are the NFL’s 11 best running backs… at least, for now. https://t.co/lyCEwWFs8t

— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 8, 2021

The Broncos should be among the most run heavy teams in the NFL this season. While I think Williams is the better back and should finish with more rushing yards, there is no question that Gordon can get a ton of work. The rest of the NFL may want to be pass happy, but the Broncos can’t do that unless Rodgers is their quarterback. With their strong defense, a strong rushing attack — especially with average-at-best quarterback play — is the order for the 2021 season.

•••

Hard work pays off

There is no doubt that Broncos tight end Noah Fant is a rising star in the game. I believe that we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Fant can be in the pro game. The tight end position is a weapon in today’s NFL, and Fant fits the bill of the modern player.

Fant is big, fast and strong. He can run past you as easily as he can run through you. Fant is too big for safeties or slot corners tasked with covering him, and he’s too fast for linebackers to keep up with him over the middle of the field. The Broncos would be wise to utilize Fant as a primary weapon in the passing attack, no matter how many other weapons they have — and they have a lot.

Recently, Fant posted a video of himself running the stairs at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It’s your offseason hype video, but it was still cool to see nonetheless.

Still workin. Just me and the stairs spending some quality time together 😭 pic.twitter.com/3wqhbytrqv

— Noah Fant (@nrfant) July 8, 2021

As someone who has run up those stairs at Red Rocks … well, at least a few of those stairs … I can tell you that is a chore. It’s one thing to see players working out in sand or in a gym or in the mountains; you can find anything to push yourself with physically. I just think it’s cool that Fant has taken to Red Rocks as part of his workout regime, as it is quite the workout. I look forward to Fant posting career-best numbers in 2021.

•••

Movies are back!

I was excited to get back to the movie theater this week to see the latest film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Black Widow.” The COVID-19 pandemic shut down many theaters, with many going out of business. With more things opening around the country, people are starting to go back to the movies. While some movies have done OK, there was no MCU movie until “Black Widow” hit the theaters on Thursday, and I was anxious to see what kind of reception it had in terms of tickets sales. The theater I saw the movie in was about 50 percent full on opening night.

Disney released a statement about how “Black Widow” was doing on opening weekend, and the results are encouraging. The estimate is that “Black Widow” will make $215 million globally over the opening weekend. This is a total from the box office and from Disney+ purchases, and that number includes the worldwide totals.

If you look at the domestic (U.S. only) numbers, things look good as well. Combining both the box office and Disney+ purchases, “Black Widow” comes in over $100 million for the first few days of the release. That puts it No. 14 out of 25 MCU movies, a rate that’s fantastic given we’re all just getting back to “normal” in society.

Had fun watching #BlackWidow tonight with my dude Davin – good movie, not great. Felt good to be back to the movies. #MCU pic.twitter.com/EV6UBDODlQ

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 9, 2021

Did you go see “Black Widow” in the theater, and, if so, what did you think? Hit me up on social networking and let me know.

•••

Follow Cecil Lammey on Twitter and Instagram: @cecillammey

 

Follow @CecilLammey