Mile High Monday: A Broncos free agent may not hit the open market

Things were a little slow this last week in the NFL. Everyone under the sun is waiting for Aaron Rodgers to decide on his future, and other than that, there weren’t that many news items the week before the Scouting Combine.

I like the Combine because it’s the last time we can get good information. What I call the “season of lies” is coming up soon when teams and agents put out misinformation (that so called “insiders” run with) which changes the fortune of players and teams involved. The Combine is the last time we get good information, and it’s the time to confirm information we’ve heard earlier this year (at the Shrine Bowl and Senior 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.

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Yes, for the Right Price

On Sunday, 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis (#9sports) reported the Broncos and inside linebacker Josey Jewell had interest in getting a new contract done. Jewell, per Klis, is the only free agent interested in signing with the Broncos before exploring free agency. Other players who are unrestricted free agents want to see what kind of opportunity is out there with a potential to return.

Jewell, a fourth-round pick out of Iowa in the 2018 NFL Draft, has been a good special teams player and an average starter on defense during his time with the Broncos. He’s more of a throwback inside linebacker as Jewell is not built to cover tight ends in the middle of the field. Jewell does have elite level instincts, and that helps him stay ahead of the play and helps make up for his lack of speed and length.

If the Broncos want to get Jewell a new contract, and they are set to talk to his agent this week at the Combine, determining the price tag will be a little complicated. First, Jewell is just average as a starter. Yes, he compiled a bunch of tackles as a starter in 2020 but he still struggles in coverage – in a pass-happy league. Second, Jewell missed almost all of the 2021 season with a pec injury he suffered in Week 2. The going rate for a player like Jewell on the open market is around $3 million per season, and that’s a price tag I’d like the Broncos to aim for.

Broncos, Josey Jewell have mutual interest on return https://t.co/gJzBd4Qqll via @9NEWS #9sports

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) February 27, 2022

I like Jewell but feel like he’s reached his full potential as a pro. He’s smart, loves football and is the type of player every team wants on their team. However, signing Jewell should not take them out of the running to find an upgrade at the inside linebacker position. I’d still like them to draft a young ILB to one day start alongside Baron Browning. If Jewell is signed to a new deal with the Broncos, taking ILB in the first round (a popular pick in recent mocks) is likely out of the question.

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How to Build a Championship OL

The Broncos can be in a Super Bowl window if they trade for a superstar quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson. This is a controversial opinion, but it really shouldn’t be. Yes, adding a superstar quarterback changes the fortune drastically for the Broncos – but it’s not the only move they need to make.

The Broncos still having figured out their offensive line. It’s paramount for Broncos general manager George Paton to find a franchise quarterback, but at the same time he’s got to build a roster that can properly protect that valuable asset. I believe left tackle (Garett Bolles) and left guard (Dalton Risner) is set for the Broncos, but starting at center, right guard and right tackle they have question marks.

Daniel Jeremiah, former scout and lead draft analyst for NFL Network, recently tweeted about the makeup of the offensive line for the last five Super Bowl champions – and the results surprised some. You can see from his tweet below that 10 of the 25 qualified players were added via trade or veteran free agency while only three were first-round picks. Does this mean the Broncos should be working the free agent class more than targeting offensive line help in the draft?

Here’s an interesting nugget on SB champ OL’s of the last 5 years 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/lOg2TAx5ON

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 26, 2022

We’ve looked at the free agent class of offensive tackles here on DenverFan.com, and I have a few favorites I think the team should add. Terron Armstead (Saints) is arguably the best available, but I’ve heard the Cincinnati Bengals are going to make a run at him to better protect Joe Burrow. Orlando Brown is one of the best available, but recent buzz out of Kansas City is that they’ll franchise tag Brown to give them more time to work out a big deal. I think that makes former no.1 overall pick Eric Fisher as the best move for the Broncos.

Fisher is not a bust, even though he’s never played like a top pick, and I see him as a solid and consistent starter. He signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Colts last year but struggled in pass protection (gave up seven sacks) as he came back from the Achilles’ injury that cut his 2020 season short. Fisher is not great, but his price tag will be good and he’s versatile enough to play on either side of the line. If not Fisher, then the Broncos might want to further explore veteran free agents or trade targets to shore up their offensive line.

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Changes to Overtime Coming?

The NFL does a great job of adjusting their rules when needed. Yes, sometimes they change things that don’t need to be changed. However, they are quick to react when fans outrage over rules in place. That outrage was in place during the playoffs when the Buffalo Bills lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs. Fans wanted to see the Bills get the ball, but they weren’t able to do that as the Chiefs marched down after winning the coin toss and scored a touchdown to end the game.

On Sunday, Mark Maske from the Washington Post reported the NFL is considering a change. The NFL competition committee is meeting Sunday in Indianapolis, the home of the Combine. Maske reports there is at least some sentiment within the committee for modifying OT rules for the postseason to ensure that each team gets one possession. In order for the rule to be changed, there needs to be 24 votes among the 32 teams.

Since playoff games can’t end in a tie, this seems like it would only be a postseason rule. The NFL has a balance to maintain with player safety and the length of the game to monitor. They don’t want players exposed to more injury risk, and they don’t want games to drag on in order to get to an outcome. Games can be tied in the regular season but in the postseason, I think every NFL fan would take a back-and-forth game to win and advance.

NFL competition committee is meeting today in Indy. There is at least some sentiment within the committee for modifying OT for the postseason to ensure that each team gets one possession. But such a measure still would need to get 24 votes among the 32 teams to be enacted.

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) February 27, 2022

We’ll see if this change happens. I’m of the mind that teams have regulation to win the game. I wanted the Bills to win, and I wanted the Bills to win the Super Bowl (my best friend is a Bills fan), but I wasn’t upset when they lost in overtime. If they wanted to win, then perhaps a different strategy against the Chiefs offense was needed. No matter my opinion, the NFL may be swayed by a majority of fans who were upset the Bills didn’t get to touch the ball on offense in overtime.

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The Batman is Here

Time flies by when you’re having fun. Time also flies by when you’re having fun covering the NFL. After the Super Bowl, I turned around and noticed the latest Batman film is already here. Coming up this week, “The Batman” is hitting theaters and I couldn’t be more excited.

You could say I’m a big Batman fan. I have every Batman comic book from No. 77 until now (almost 1,000 issues that goes back to 1953). I loved the 1989 film “Batman” with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, and that movie may be in my top-5 of all time when it comes to comic book movies. I loved what Christopher Nolan did with his Batman trilogy, and “The Dark Knight” with Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker. As you can see, if there’s a new Batman movie, I’m going to go to the theater to see it at least a few times.

This movie, simply titled “The Batman” features Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. The faux outrage that makes up most of the internet initially took issue with this casting as Pattinson was most famous for the teenager romance vampire films in the “Twilight” franchise. I could give a damn about that, and I’m old enough to remember when people didn’t like Keaton as Batman because he was best known for “Mr. Mom.” Maybe Pattinson’s Batman is more George Clooney than Ben Affleck (who I thought was great), but I’m going to watch with great interest.

Vengeance comes to Gotham in @TheBatman. 🦇 Prepare yourself with comics, merch, and more on #DCUniverseInfinite: https://t.co/zwYiudoMBx #TheBatman pic.twitter.com/BhYoX3giPt

— Batman (@DCBatman) February 21, 2022

Are you looking forward to this latest Batman movie? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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