Mile High Monday: The Broncos have a surprising need at one position

The NFL world is about to be turned upside down with free agency kind of starting on Monday. It’s the time when teams can choose to keep their own free agents, so there should be activity for players who get to stay put. It’s also the “legal tampering” period, meaning that teams are allowed to contact or enter contract negotiations with agents of players who will be unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins on March 17.

I like when we start to see how teams are building for the upcoming season. We are going to get to see a glimpse of what a team wants to be and who they add – or subtract – to make that a reality for the 2021 season.

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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Canton Bound

There are only a few quarterbacks who come around like Drew Brees. Ever since he came into the league as a second-round pick (2001) out of Purdue, I’ve been a fan of his game.

Brees is not your traditional NFL quarterback. First, he’s under six-feet tall when most teams want a much taller passer. Second, Brees has never had a rocket arm in a league that loves passers who can fire the ball all over the field.

On Sunday, Brees announced his retirement from the NFL after 20 seasons. To be able to put up the numbers he’s done for two decades has been phenomenal to watch. Brees moved around in the pocket better than almost any quarterback in NFL history. This movement allowed him to move the pocket and overcome his height limit.

Brees also plays with great anticipation as a passer. This high level of intelligence helped him overcome the lack of arm strength and throwing on time and in rhythm helped him excel with both the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

Drew Brees retires after 20 seasons in the NFL.

He is the league's all-time leader in passing yards, completions and completion percentage. pic.twitter.com/eMvNy0QA6V

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 14, 2021

We’re saying goodbye to one of the NFL’s best this week. The league won’t be the same without him, and the Saints are now looking for a new starter.

Without Brees, they have Taysom Hill on the roster – and he restructured his contract over the weekend in order to create cap space for the team. There is a thought the team will try to keep unrestricted free agent Jameis Winston, and that would make sense because he was there last year and learned behind Brees.

***

Dropping Dimes

The Broncos wanted to get up close and personal with North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, and that’s why general manager George Paton traveled for his pro day on Friday. Paton said in a recent press conference that he really likes last year’s starter Drew Lock, but he has yet to see him in person (during a game). All Paton has done this offseason is try to replace Lock as the starter, and now he’s gone to a pro day for a quarterback who should be a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lance is one of the best quarterbacks in this top-heavy draft class. He’s smart, mobile, has a big arm and worked in a pro-style system for the Bison. Several NFL teams are interested in the rookie even though he only played one season and one game against FCS competition. Without the Scouting Combine, Lance needed to have a great workout at his pro day to lock in his draft stock.

On Friday, Lance wowed NFL scouts, coaches and executives in attendance. Lance has a big arm, but he threw with improved touch in his workout. It’s clear that Lance has been working on his mechanics, especially his lower-body mechanics, in order to be a better passer. He only played in one game for the 2020 season and then got to work as he prepared for the NFL. His hard work has shown through in what he was able to do in his workout.

Yes, I know it was in shorts and a t-shirt, and not against a pass rush with defenders in coverage. A pro day is usually a good performance for the quarterback, although Lock didn’t have a great pro day when he came out of Missouri. Pro days should make up about one percent or less of a player’s overall grade. It’s good that he was dropping dimes, but it doesn’t equate to guaranteed NFL success. It’s a note, and it’s the only note we get on Lance due to the changed offseason schedule – so I’ll take it.

Trey Lance was dropping dimes throughout his @NDSUFootball Pro Day. @treylance09 | @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/su6FFrtEQu

— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2021

Could the Broncos be interested in moving up for Lance? They have the No. 9 overall pick and there’s very little chance that he’s going to be on the board by the time the Broncos select. I’m all for NFL teams falling in love with a guy. If you love a quarterback, then move up and get him without question.

Nobody remembers what the Kansas City Chiefs gave up moving up for Patrick Mahomes. Nobody remembers what the Buffalo Bills surrendered to move up for Josh Allen. If Paton fell in love with Lance, then he should do what it takes to secure his services – and that is likely move up to a top-three pick.

***

Bigger Need Than Some Think?

The Broncos have a lot of needs, but most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. On the offensive side of the ball, the quarterback gets all of the attention. Yes, the team needs to look for an upgrade at quarterback, but it’s not the only spot on offense that needs help. There is one position that may surprise some out there, but it’s a bigger need than some think.

They need to look for a tight end. They have Noah Fant as a starter, and he could continue to progress and end up being a top-10 or top-five tight end in the 2021 season. However, they need to upgrade the depth in the room behind Fant. They need this extra tight end for a couple of reasons.

First, second-year pro Albert Okwuegbunam may not be ready for the start of the regular season. He injured his knee last year and is working his way back. Okwuegbunam flashed in the few games he was on the field as a rookie, but he might not look like his old self until the 2022 season.

Second, veteran Nick Vannett is a replaceable-level player. He’s okay, but he’s not outstanding as a receiver or as a blocker. The team needs a more reliable tight end behind Fant so when they go to two-tight end sets, they will have a dangerous combination.

There is a chance that Paton could get a player he knows quite well. Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph was released a couple of weeks ago, and he’s the perfect mentor for a guy like Fant. He could join the Broncos and help move the chains when called upon. Rudolph also has a nose for the end zone and could be a factor when the team is close to pay dirt.

Most Receptions since 2016

1️⃣ Travis Kelce: 473
2️⃣ Zach Ertz: 392
3️⃣ Kyle Rudolph: 271 pic.twitter.com/sCUcd579Az

— RotoUnderworld (@rotounderworld) March 15, 2021

Should Rudolph be on the Broncos radar? Paton is familiar with him from their days together with the Vikings and Rudolph still has some game left in the tank. It’s a bit unusual to think the Broncos need a tight end but when you examine the room closely that need becomes more evident.

***

Looking Forward To It

This week we get to see something we rarely see in Hollywood. It’s a rare “do-over” in the movie world when HBO Max releases “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” on Thursday. Snyder started the film, but a family tragedy meant he had to leave the project and Joss Whedon took over to finish the film. It was released back in November of 2017, and the amalgamation of a movie failed to reach box office expectations.

This was the greatest collection of superheroes on film at the time, yet “Justice League” only made around $650 million instead of crossing the $1 billion mark like most expected. Not only was it a disappointment at the box office, but the movie was also disjointed and really didn’t make sense as it was two movies crammed into one – now with more Whedon jokes! I was upset the movie didn’t live up to the hype surrounding it.

About a year or two ago, there was buzz that a rough version of the “Snyder cut” did exist and Warner Bros executives were the only ones to see it. There was a push from the fan base to get the “Snyder cut” released in theaters. After a huge push on social media, the studio decided to let Snyder finish what he started. Movie reviewers have already seen the movie, and almost all of the reviews are incredibly positive. This makes me incredibly excited for the 4-hour movie coming up later in the week.

The #SnyderCut is a master class in what a difference a filmmaker makes 🤯😎

Joss Whedon DID do a hack job on #ZackSnyder's vision
and it IS heartbreaking – and fascinating – to see.

The film is a true #JusticeLeague story
and Snyder's best film to date.

Review tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/0aqx7o3Fbz

— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) March 14, 2021

How excited are you for this movie? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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