Mile High Monday: A new mock has the Broncos going in another direction

With the first and second wave of free agency done, it’s time for everyone to turn their attention to the draft. The 2021 NFL Draft is less than a month away now, and I’ve been feverishly grading almost 300 prospects over the last three months. The Denver Broncos are putting together their draft board for the first time under general manager George Paton, with the idea that his guidance will help turn things around.

I like when the draft is drawing near, as we get a better idea of team’s plans as they prepare for the incoming class of college prospects. Making the right decisions in this process can get a team on track, get them in contention for a playoff run and even build a dynasty in the NFL.

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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A Blockbuster Move

The NFL offseason is full of a bunch of surprises. Last week, the San Francisco 49ers set the NFL world on fire with a huge deal to move up in the draft. The 49ers made a deal with the Miami Dolphins to secure the No. 3 overall pick. They had the No. 12 pick, but the quarterback they liked was never going to make it that far, so that’s why they made the move.

It’s not a quarterback-driven league, it’s a quarterback-desperate league and the 49ers know that starter Jimmy Garropolo is not their future. Their general manager John Lynch has previously stated the team believes in Garropolo, but that they need to find a better backup. No matter how the first two picks unfold, the 49ers are going to be able to get a quarterback they’ve identified as a future starter (likely 2022). I would guess that they made this move for North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.

Recapping a wild day:#49ers get: 3rd overall pick in 2021.#Dolphins get: PHI’s No. 6 overall in 2021, PHI’s 5th rounder in 2021, SF’s 1st and 3rd rounders in 2022, SF’s 1st in 2023.#Eagles get: SF’s No. 12 overall, MIA’s 4th rounder in 2021, MIA’s 1st in 2022.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 26, 2021

So, what does this move mean for the Broncos? The 49ers were behind the Broncos, making them interesting trade partners if a guy like Lance fell to them. Now, that’s not going to be the case so the move has to be seen as a negative for Denver.

Other teams are making moves to get their quarterback. The Broncos have tried (Matthew Stafford), but have not yet pulled anything off to improve the position. We’ll see what they can do now that they’ve been leapfrogged by the 49ers and a player they could have been interested in is now off the board. In fact, don’t be surprised if the first three picks in the draft are all quarterbacks.

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Not a Fan

The NFL is going to move to a 17-game schedule for the 2021 season – at least that’s the way things are shaping up in the near future. Owners are scheduled to decide on whether to approve the expansion during their virtual league meetings Tuesday and Wednesday.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara took to social media to let everyone know what he thinks of the new schedule format in the NFL. Kamara’s statement was short and… to the point, but he’s not the only player who has a problem with playing another game.

Alvin Kamara isn't a fan of the NFL's reported 17-game schedule change 👀 pic.twitter.com/5rgYg1YUq6

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 28, 2021

It’s going to take some time to get used to this new schedule. Gone are the days of going .500 as a football team as there will be no more 8-8 seasons. So, you’re either a good team (9-8 or better) or you’re a bad team (8-9 or worse) with this new format.

The NFL doesn’t have historic numbers like Major League Baseball, but there will be some records which will be broken with an extra game played. If a running back is having a special season, then the record of 2,105 yards rushing (Eric Dickerson, 1984) is in danger of being broken. A quarterback who is playing at a hot clip could pass the 5,477 yards (and 55 touchdowns) that Petyon Manning posted for the Broncos in 2013.

Perhaps adjustments will be made to the offseason schedule so that players don’t wear down during a 17-game season. There has also been talk about limiting players to just 16 games each year even though the team will be playing one more game. No matter what happens, players should have known this was going to happen and now it’s up to the NFLPA to figure out how to help the players stay healthy as the league goes for more money with more games.

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Thinking Tackle Instead

The Broncos are searching for quarterback help. The first move that Paton tried to make with the Broncos was trading for Matthew Stafford. That deal didn’t come to fruition, so the Broncos are left to look at other avenues to improve the quarterback room. They were interested in free agent quarterbacks like Ryan Fitzpatrick (Washington Football Team) and Mitchell Trubisky (Buffalo Bills), but those guys signed elsewhere.

The team could still be interested in trading with the New York Jets for a quarterback like Sam Darnold or with the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson (legal situation pending). They could also look to the draft. However, with the 49ers big move, it seems like all the good quarterbacks could be gone by No. 9 overall. That means the Broncos might have to be considering other positions with that pick.

Chad Reuter, from NFL.com, released his latest mock draft (post 49ers blockbuster move) and it has a player who has yet to be mocked to the Broncos. With the No. 9 overall pick, Reuter had the Broncos taking Rashawn Slater, offensive tackle from Northwestern. Slater is one of the smartest and most versatile offensive linemen in this draft class and would make a great bookend tackle on the right side with Garett Bolles on the left. It’s an interesting take with a position of need the Broncos may address early in the draft.

Four-round 2021 NFL mock draft 2.0: See who @chad_reuter has going No. 3 overall to the 49ers after today's tradeshttps://t.co/TZ0iF730CF pic.twitter.com/09oEaKc4YC

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 27, 2021

I know Reuter, as he’s one of my best friends, and he’s one of the most well-respected NFL draft analysts out there. The move to get Slater would be a great one for the Broncos in the first round.

They have spent most of the offseason constructing a quality defense. It’s more than just “rush and cover” in the NFL, as any team with a great defense must also run the ball effectively. Running the ball uses up time of possession which keeps your defense fresh. It helps to wear down an opponent with your rushing attack, so that when an opponent gets the ball their time is limited, and they’ll try to force things through the air – playing right into the hands of your defense. Slater would be a great right tackle and help road grade the way for Denver’s running back corps.

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One and Done

The executives at Warner Bros did not plan on the Zack Snyder universe (aka the Snyderverse) to continue after last week’s release of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” The movie studio gave fans a rare mulligan with the release of ZSJL as the original movie “Justice League” was released in 2017. That movie was an abomination of Snyder’s original vision, so HBO Max and Warner Bros decided to give fans what they were asking for – a proper movie with Snyder’s ideas.

The fans got that, but reports indicate they won’t get more. Last week in an interview for Variety, on the heels of a massive week for ZSJL on HBO Max, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff called the smash hit the end of Snyder’s trilogy.

“We’re very happy we’ve done this,” she said. “But we’re very excited about the plans we have for all the multi-dimensional DC characters that are being developed right now.”

That is not exactly a ringing endorsement of the future of the Snyderverse. The trilogy of movies may be done, but ZSJL ended with a “Knightmare” sequence that shows an alternate future for Batman and our heroes. I won’t spoil the ending if you haven’t seen it, but it’s an incredible piece of cinema, which opens up so many possibilities for the studio. Even though they are not considering a continuation of this story, I hope we one day see this series or movie on HBO Max.

I've watched the #SnyderCut 4X….I've watched the Knightmare epilogue 10X on top of that. I'd love to see this continue! #RestoreTheSnyderVerse https://t.co/7M6YMfTOm8

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) March 26, 2021

Would you like to see the Snyderverse continue? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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