A quiet offseason rolls on, which is just what the Broncos needed

The summer break rolls on for me as I travel around the country getting some much-needed time off. It’s fun to “see some country” and it allows me to ponder what the year in football will bring.

I like finishing up vacation time. I’m a worker, and it feels weird not to work, so it will be nice to get back to the grind when training camp starts here in a little over a week.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler 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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United In Orange

The Broncos are fully behind quarterback Russell Wilson. Some of his former teammates, both with the Seattle Seahawks and even last year with the Broncos, may not have been the biggest fans but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year. Everyone knows that with head coach Sean Payton running the show, Wilson could thrive and have a bounce-back season in 2023. Teammates believe in Wilson, and he’s the only option for the Broncos to get back to the postseason this year. No offense to backup Jarrett Stidham, but he’s more of a nice reserve player rather than someone just waiting for their chance to be a starter.

That’s not the case with the New England Patriots. A recent report from Ben Volin of the Boston Globe revealed what many behind the scenes already knew. There is a split in the building about who should be the starting quarterback.

The owner (Robert Kraft) is behind former first-round pick Mac Jones, while HC Bill Belichick perhaps favors backup Bailey Zappe more. “The Krafts are invested in Jones succeeding,” Volin said. “Belichick, meanwhile, barely wants to say his name in public.”

Jones was a system-specific quarterback who only fit a couple of teams when he came out of Alabama. He was not some sort of generational talent, but instead I saw Jones as a game manager who could be solid in the right system. Well, he went to one of the two teams that could have fit his skill set but has failed to play up to his potential while also becoming one of the dirtiest players in the league. Meanwhile, Zappe can run the offense better and doesn’t become the target of defenders because of his dirty play.

Broncos safety Justin Simmons says Russell Wilson is "hardest worker" he’s seen, credits QB for making him betterhttps://t.co/efiXLu8MF2 pic.twitter.com/pFLGXfjsSC

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 16, 2023

See what the Patriots are dealing with and be thankful that situation is not here in Denver because it can divide a team and cripple a season. Everyone in Denver is behind Wilson, and that’s why 2023 is a make-or-break season for him. He’s either going to bounce back or the team will start making plans to move on in 2024.

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Moving in Silence

What’s the latest Broncos’ news? Nothing. What’s the gossip with the Broncos this offseason? Nothing. What’s the workout regimen for Broncos players in the summer? We don’t know. Gone are the days of Broncos players posting workouts from the beach during the offseason. Payton wanted this team to move in silence as they prepare for the 2023 season, and they’re doing just that.

I cover the news around the entire NFL. This week is a big news cycle for teams with franchise-tagged players. The Las Vegas Raiders are far apart in negotiations with RB Josh Jacobs, and they could be looking at a holdout situation that could last from training camp into the regular season. The New York Giants may not be able to get a deal done with RB Saquon Barkley, but it doesn’t seem likely he stays away from the team when training camp starts.

Even though it’s mid-July, there is still some NFL news out there for teams. There’s news about players getting suspended or arrested. There’s players posting about working out, there’s news about problems behind the scenes. There’s none of that in Denver.

🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/QM5PgtQJim

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 13, 2023

I appreciate how Payton’s group is handling this offseason. Talk is not good enough, and we’ve heard enough talk from this team over the last horrendous seven seasons. Action is what Payton is all about. He wants to win, and he wants the winning to do the talking. There is a quiet rumbling about the potential about this team. We all know Payton is going to build a winner here, but this season is just about finding out who can move in silence and who wants to be part of what should be a bright future for Payton’s Broncos.

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Hopkins Not Going to KC

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the driver’s seat to push for another Super Bowl championship this season, and they are most certainly the team to beat in the AFC West. The Chiefs have one of the league’s most explosive offenses, and last year they could also beat you up on the ground with RB Isaiah Pacheco (don’t get me started here). Now, before the start of training camp, there were rumblings of interest in free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Those rumblings for the Chiefs were quieted when he decided to sign with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Titans wanted more firepower in their passing game, and their HC Mike Vrabel had been around Hopkins before when he was a defensive coach with the Houston Texans. Hopkins proved last year for the Cardinals (after his suspension) that he could still be one of the premiere playmakers in the league. Now, he’s going to bring his game to a Titans’ squad that lacks firepower outside a couple of players.

The most consistent drumbeat this offseason has been the development of former first-round pick WR Kadarius Toney. The Chiefs picked him up from the New York Giants in the middle of last season, and Toney flashed a bit for them when he was healthy. Staying on the field has been a problem for Toney, but if he’s healthy then there’s no doubt, he’s a weapon to contend with. Every report out of Kansas City has been about how great Toney has been in practice. Hopkins would have been the clear-cut no.1 reciever for the Chiefs, but Toney could post career-best numbers this season.

The #Chiefs (including Andy Reid) kept in contact on DeAndre Hopkins’ free agency. But with Chris Jones extension still not done and minimal cap space, Kansas City didn’t have a contract offer to compete.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 16, 2023

Hopkins is in the AFC, but at least he’s not in the AFC West. The Chiefs didn’t have any room to sign him to a contract, and he didn’t land with a contender like he wanted to. I think the Broncos dodged a serious bullet here. It’s already tough enough to beat the Chiefs, and if they got Hopkins, they might push the 1972 Miami Dolphins in terms of a perfect record in the regular season followed up by a championship.

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New Stan Lee Comics!

Stan Lee is a legend in the comic book industry. The former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics was the co-creator of Spider-man, Iron Man, the X-Men and so much more. He passed away back in 2018, but there was news this week that we’d be getting new stories from Lee in the near future.

Legible and Lee’s controlling partner, Kartoon Studios, are teaming up to produce a new line of comics featuring the Marvel icon’s unpublished stories and characters. Lee has characters he created and stories that have not been released to the public. This collaboration is going to let those stories hit the shelves in print and online in digital form.

No release date has been set, but reports indicate this is going to be a 12-issue run of Lee’s characters. It will launch more stories from Lee’s brilliant mind into the universe, and I for one am excited. I’m a lifelong fan of Lee, and years ago when I wanted to be a comic book artist, I felt I would work for him someday. I never got to meet Lee (I was going to see him at Denver Comic Con but his health caused him to miss his appearance), but I feel like I know so much about him because of his stories.

Call me interested.

New Stan Lee Comics Line to Feature Unseen Stories From the Marvel Legend https://t.co/Llgnjt5YrK

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) July 16, 2023

Are you interested in these new comics from Lee? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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