MILE HIGH MONDAY

The Broncos still need to find ways to improve their pass rush in 2023

Mar 27, 2023, 6:36 AM

This week is the NFL owner’s meetings in Arizona. We’ll be hearing from coaches, general managers and owners during the week as the league decides on rule changes and other business for 2023 and beyond.

I like the way the league is responsive to potential rule changes. While other leagues are slow to change, the NFL will make the necessary changes based on the votes of the ownership.

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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More Rush Needed

The Broncos need to maintain their strong defense. That’s going to be mostly on the shoulders of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. The defense was the best part of a bad team in 2022. Now that the offense should be better under the guidance of head coach Sean Payton, the defense will be in more positions to make plays.

In order to do that, the Broncos need to build a strong pass rush. Randy Gregory is a fine pass-rusher when he’s healthy. The problem is the Broncos should not be relying on Gregory to be healthy for more than 10 games or so.

Opposite Gregory, the Broncos have Baron Browning – an up-and-coming player who has an unknown upside. Is Browning a rising star? He could be, but his play leveled off last year at times and he needs to show that he can take the next step.

To help the rushers play up to their potential, the Broncos hired Jamar Cain as their pass rush specialist. Cain has had several coaching stops along the way in his coaching career which began after he was done playing college football at New Mexico State (2002). During those stops, Cain has proven to be a quality coach who knows how to really teach the game. In the 2021 season, Cain was coaching for the Oklahoma Sooners where Nik Bonitto became one of the best rushers in college football. Now, Cain gets to coach Bonitto again – and he’s the type of player who could flourish the most with this coaching change.

Joseph is going to get creative with his defense. Gregory will be great when he’s healthy, but he won’t be able to stay healthy. Browning has unknown upside, but the talent is there for him to be a Pro Bowl player. Bonitto might be the greatest mystery this season. Perhaps Cain will get the most out of him and the rest of the rushers on the team.

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Gathering Talent

Broncos head coach Sean Payton created waves over the weekend when talking about potential trades of WR Jerry Jeudy and WR Courtland Sutton. Payton fired up Broncos Country when he said that the team is in the business of “gathering talent” and that he’s not going to trade those players.

This is a great sound bite, but the business of football is a bit different. Sure, Payton is correct, and the team is assembling talent – but that doesn’t mean a trade of Jeudy or Sutton won’t happen. To me, his statement just says the Broncos have not received an offer that is good enough to deal one or both of those players. Payton sounds good with his statement, but the fact is if an offer came in they could not refuse they would take it.

I’m no fan of trading away Jeudy, and I don’t think you’d get much in return for Sutton. I think the Broncos should use Jeudy as their no.1 receiver and make sure to have him under contract for the 2024 season by picking up his fifth-year option. I hope Sutton stays healthy and begins to show the flashes he used to years ago, but after waiting for a couple of seasons that doesn’t seem to be happening.

Never say never in the NFL, and deals get done at deadlines. There’s no need for a team to offer the Broncos a fair deal. The Broncos could see that change when the 2023 NFL draft gets here and teams get a bit more pressure on them to build their roster properly. I don’t think Jeudy or Sutton gets traded at this point, but anything can happen.

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Bye Bye, Blake

The Broncos have done a lot of work to their offensive line this offseason. I think the best move GM George Paton has done was the addition of OG Ben Powers. That’s a great move that brings a powerful player to Denver for a good price, and he can establish a new attitude for the players up front. Signing OT Mike McGlinchey was necessary, and hopefully he is the right tackle the team has been looking for.

Those two moves were signs of what was needed most by this team, but there was another move I wanted them to make in the trenches. Earlier this year at the Senior Bowl, I was impressed by BYU OT Blake Freeland. He’s a huge prospect who moves well and plays with power. Freeland was seen as a third-round pick entering that All-Star Game, and he showed the type of talent that scouts covet.

At the NFL Combine, Freeland continued to rise up the draft board. Then last week at the BYU Pro Day, Freeland put on another show in the pre-draft process. Freeland has the film to back up his performances in drills, and he’s no longer an under-the-radar prospect. In fact, Freeland has been making such an impression he’s become a darling of draft analysts and certainly has the attention of teams.

In the pre-draft process, Freeland has cemented himself as a top-50 pick. That means he’s going to be out of range for the Broncos unless they move up into the second round. With their lack of draft picks, I’m not sure how much moving they’ll do. That means Freeland could be playing for another team in 2023.

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See It Now!

I was excited to see “John Wick: Chapter 4” this weekend. The movie going experience is one of my favorites, and there have not been as many “must-see” movies as there used to be. However, when there is the right movie in theaters, I will go again and again. I believe John Wick movies are that for me.

I love the universe the movie franchise has been set in. Watching John Wick run through his world of assassins is an exciting journey. It’s not just Wick or the action in the movie, I appreciate the world building that has gone on in that universe. Keanu Reeves is fascinating as John Wick, but all the supporting cast helps sell the fantasy world.

The fourth installment of the franchise does not disappoint. I’m not going to spoil anything, but this feels like an amusement park ride. There is so much action in this movie, and there are thrills and chills along the way. It’s a great movie, and it’s the type of blockbuster that needs to be seen in theaters.

What did you think of the new John Wick movie? Hit me up on social networking and let me know!

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