Mile High Monday: Drew Lock’s pre-draft call got the QB what he wanted

With the NFL draft more than a week in the rearview mirror, the NFL moves into uncharted territory with a virtual offseason program implemented by most teams. Players aren’t going to have a minicamp or offseason training activities this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, players are going to join their coaching staffs via Zoom or other online video conferences to learn about the playbook and the install that happens during this time.

I like the things we’ve been hearing out of the Broncos front office. This team seems together and cohesive at all levels, from the players to the coaches to the scouts to the executives. That type of teamwork and chemistry can get this team back on track faster than some would think.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ – and loving this great weather in May! 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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Quarterback and Consultant

The Broncos reached out to Drew Lock before the draft just to check in. That phone call with new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur led to Lock just throwing out some ideas for the Broncos in the draft.

Last week, Lock was a surprise guest on “The Drive” and revealed some of his pre-draft wish list.

“The night before the draft, it might have been two nights before the draft, I just had my weekly call with Coach Shurms, saying ‘Hey, what’s up? How’s everything going?’ Just checking in on how my family is and whatnot,” Lock continued, “And he was like, ‘Going into the draft, man, what are you thinking?’ I was like, ‘You know what, when you look around the league, when teams have speed, they tend to score a lot of points.’ I was like, ‘You know what, if you could just grab some speed here and there, I think we’re going to be pretty.'”

This is an important indicator of how the team has built the team around Lock. It’s incredibly telling that they would listen to a second-year quarterback who only played in five games as a rookie. The Broncos made a good move in listening to their young quarterback.

A bad team would shut off their draft room to just a handful of people. It’s not like Lock was in the virtual war room with the Broncos, but just reaching out to see what he was thinking is a big indicator of what they think about this young man.

A good team, like the Broncos, will listen to all trusted voices on the roster and in the coaching ranks. The scouts will do their job, coaches like Vic Fangio will chime in and the executives like John Elway and Matt Russell will then make the final call.

The Broncos had some down years drafting after Super Bowl 50 and there is no denying how those poor draft classes robbed this team of depth and held them back. However, during the last three drafts, there has been a change in philosophy and the results look to be much, much better. Part of that process is being cohesive, having clarity and being on the same page as to what it will take to get this team back in the playoff conversation.

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Tight End Headache

In 2020, Broncos tight end Noah Fant is going to emerge as a “headache for defensive coordinators and show his more game-changing talent on a far more frequent basis,” according to Aric DiLalla of the team’s web site.

Fant turned in a fine rookie season, including a couple of 100-yard games along the way. He was not consistently productive in his first season, but that’s to be expected at that position. Tight end is one of the positions that takes the longest to transition from college to the pros because a player is asked to learn blocking assignments in addition to what they do as a receiver.

"I think he's going to emerge as a headache for defensive coordinators."

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 3, 2020

The weapons around Lock are just incredible, and we cannot forget about Fant when discussing and projecting some of his favorite targets for the 2020 season. Fant has practiced with Lock last year and the two should just build on the chemistry they started in 2019.

Speaking of chemistry, rookie fourth-round pick Albert Okwuegbunam and Lock were college teammates at Missouri. The athletic tight end is a little faster than Fant and I do not hesitate when saying that he’s better in the red zone right now than Fant. “Albert O” should take away some targets from Fant this year, especially when the team gets into the red zone.

Depending on how much Okwuegbunam cuts into his targets will determine how much of a leap Fant can take in his second season.

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London Calling

The NFL schedule is set to come out at some point this week. You hear varying dates, but a league announcement said it would come no later than May 9.

The league is so popular that the schedule release leads to TV shows and radio shows dedicated just to seeing who teams are going to play and when. It’s not as huge as the NFL draft or Scouting Combine, but the schedule release is still a big deal on the sports calendar. With the pandemic going on right now and all sports shut down, this schedule release should be larger than ever.

Will there be NFL football in 2020? Most likely, yes https://t.co/XXy2ZcUk5L

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 2, 2020

It’s early, but things are trending in the direction that NFL games are going to be played as scheduled this fall. However, the international series of games is unlikely to be played this season.

The Broncos were supposed to play in London this year against the Falcons. That was a game and potentially a trip I was looking forward to. Now, that is unlikely to happen for the 2020 season. I’m sure when international games are allowed to happen, the Broncos will be at or near the top of that list to take a trip overseas.

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Quarantine Hair Don’t Care

I’ve been blessed with a thick head of hair that is at times difficult to manage. During this stay-at-home time, I have been letting my hair go. Sure, I’ve thought about calling my barber and having him over to my house. I’ve even considered just shaving my head myself. But at the end of the day, I’ll just let this grow likely until the start of training camp.

I’ve grown my hair out before, in fact there was a time when I was in my 20s when I had hair so long it went past my shoulders. I don’t grow it that long now, but when it grows out like it has currently, I start looking like Giorgio Tsoukalos from Ancient Aliens.

Love ya Cecil! pic.twitter.com/ZSGDIDCESF

— Todd Cotton (@topnation11) April 29, 2020

Send me a pic of your hairdo as we all wait to get back to the barber or the hair salon. Hit me up on social media with your quarantine hair that don’t care.

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