Clayton: McDaniels in Vegas makes Broncos getting Rodgers vital

Despite his failure as head coach of the Broncos, Josh McDaniels is getting good reviews in his early days as the Las Vegas head coach.

He seems to be embracing Derek Carr until like how quickly he got rid of Jay Cutler. Early word is his coaching staff is looking pretty good. That was a good hire getting Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator.

For the moment, that has to be a concern for the Broncos. They are currently in fourth place in the AFC West. If the Raiders don’t drop from their 10-win playoff season, the Broncos might not be able to move up in the division standings. They are in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Carr.

That is why it is vital the Broncos trade for Aaron Rodgers. The AFC is loaded with great young quarterbacks. There are 10 former first-rounders who are 26 or younger. The only one who is shaky is Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. They need Rodgers to stay with these quarterbacks and try to advance.

The waiting game is getting shorter. Rodgers said he would make his decision whether to stay or go when the franchise tags come out. He’s waiting to see if Davonte Adams is franchised. That day is coming soon. Franchise tags can be handed out on Feb.22. That’s nine days after the Super Bowl.

General manager George Paton is good enough to make an offer to the Packers that could work. He also has Nathaniel Hackett as the head coach and that should appeal to Rodgers because they worked together at Green Bay and Rodgers likes him. The Packers could delay making their decision about Adams, but they are $40 million over the cap. It will be tough to franchise him and Adams isn’t going to sign a long-term deal until he knows about Rodgers.

Stay tuned. Times are getting interesting.