Mile High Monday: The first key moment of the Broncos QB battle is here

The Denver Broncos continue with OTAs this week and things are getting ramped up. There will be 11-on-11 work this time around, which is the closest thing we’ve seen to real football since the regular season ended for the Broncos last year.

I like how things progress over the course of the offseason. Drills are getting more intense as time goes on, and up next is mandatory minicamp – which is as close to training camp as possibly can be.

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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Quarterback Battle Heating Up

The Broncos are not yet in mandatory minicamp, but the third week of OTAs do feature drills that can better show where players are at. All the players will be out there performing and trying to impress the coaching staff, but most of us media types will be solely focused on what is happening at the quarterback position.

For the third week, Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock will continue their 50-50 split of the reps in practice as they work to establish a pecking order on the depth chart. In previous OTAs, we didn’t get to see too much from either quarterback.

Each made some good plays – like the way Bridgewater and Jerry Jeudy hooked up on a deep touchdown. Each made some bad plays – like a dropped interception that Bridgewater threw to rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain or an interception Lock threw to superstar safety Justin Simmons.

We haven’t seen too much to differentiate one from the other. That could start to change this week. Team drills, specifically 11-on-11 drills, are a much different animal for quarterbacks. Instead of throwing against air, or throwing against single coverage in drills, a quarterback will have to process the entire field and read what a defense is showing pre-snap. Not only will Bridgewater and Lock have to read the defense – they’ll have to read a Vic Fangio defense. That’s a tough order for the best starters in the league, let alone two guys trying to win the starting job.

KJ Hamler says of the quarterback competition that Teddy Bridgewater is more of a "timing thrower" while Drew Lock is "more of a gunslinger."

"Both of those guys are doing tremendously. We always get extra throws with both of them."

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) June 3, 2021

We are gathering clues this offseason as to who is going to emerge as the starter for the Broncos at the quarterback position. Nothing that happens in drills this week will cement one or the other as the starter. However, we will get an idea of how close this competition will be – and what both quarterbacks need to work on. Mandatory minicamp will show us more, but this is an important week for the quarterbacks.

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Titan Up!

As anticipated, the Tennessee Titans have traded the Atlanta Falcons for superstar receiver Julio Jones. The Falcons had been shopping Jones for some time, and as I reported last week in this column most expected the Titans to pick him up.

In exchange for Jones, the Titans will send a 2022 second-round draft pick and a 2023 fourth-round selection to the Falcons. Along with Jones, the Falcons will send a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Titans. The deal is pending a physical, but it should become official ASAP.

Jones takes the place of Corey Davis, who left in free agency to play for the New York Jets. The Titans will likely be getting a third-round compensatory pick for Davis, so that further lessens the price they had to pay for Jones. This is a great move for the Titans, and now they have one of the best wide receiver duos in the league.

Their top receiver, A.J. Brown, has already cemented himself as one of the best young receivers in the game today. Adding Jones to start on the opposite side of Brown will only open things up even more for their offense. Throw in superstar running back Derrick Henry punishing defenses up the gut, and you can see how dangerous the Titans offense will be for the 2021 season.

"Having another dominant guy on the other side, everybody has to be honest. Now, you don't know who's going to hold who. I may get CB1 or Julio may get CB1. Whoever CB2 gets, CB2 is going to be in trouble." #Titans A.J. Brown on acquiring Julio Jones. https://t.co/wMoZsvIQoO

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) June 6, 2021

The Titans have made a power move to push for a Super Bowl run. The internet was buzzing about this move on Sunday, and the Titans fan base is certainly over the moon with this addition. Jones still has a ton of ability, but he’s got to stay healthy as he’s battled foot problems over the past few years. His addition is a clear message that the Titans feel they can go toe-to-toe with high-powered offenses like those of the Chiefs and the Bills. We’ll see if they can make a deep postseason run in 2021.

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Mandatory Rodgers Update

The Packers have their mandatory minicamp coming up this week. From June 8-10, Green Bay will have workouts at the facility that all players are required to attend. This is the next checkpoint when it comes to determining how serious superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers is about his disdain with the franchise.

With the June 1 deadline behind us, the Packers can trade Rodgers with a smaller salary cap penalty than they would have had if they’d dealt him before the start of this month. I know Broncos fans have been on the edge of their seats ever since the calendar turned over, but patience is a virtue in this situation.

It’s officially June 1st

Broncos fans right now: pic.twitter.com/UFoZHxygym

— Barstool Denver (@bsdenverdylan) June 1, 2021

Rodgers is unhappy with the current front office staff of the Packers, most likely his disdain is for general manager Brian Gutekunst.

“It’s all about the people.” Rodgers proclaimed in a recent interview with Kenny Mayne on ESPN.

He says that he does not have a problem with 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love, the quarterback drafted to one day replace him. Rodgers also insists that he does not have a problem with the current coaching staff. He loves the fan base, and he loves his teammates – and they love him, as five wide receivers have been staying away from voluntary workouts as a show of solidarity for their quarterback.

This seems personal between Rodgers and Gutekunst. Not only does it seem personal, it seems like there is no end in sight. While Broncos fans want Rodgers now, he may not be available until well into training camp – and there’s a chance this goes into the regular season if both sides stubbornly stay on their current positions.

If Rodgers is a no-show for mandatory minicamp, then things will heat up even more. The Packers are adamant they won’t trade Rodgers, but he could force their hand by staying away and showing the threat that he’ll stay out of training camp later this summer too. As with every Rodgers update – stay tuned.

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Mischief is Timeless

On Wednesday, Disney+ is releasing their new series “Loki” and it looks fantastic. Loki was first introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first Thor movie.

Actor Tom Hiddleston has done a great job as Loki over the last decade, and now we get to take a deeper look at who he is and what are his motivations. He’s Thor’s half-brother and certainly one of the most popular villains in the MCU.

Now, Loki is getting his own series and it looks fun and interesting. No spoilers here, but Loki is going to deal with time travel and how that impacts the events that have unfolded – and will unfold – with our favorite superheroes.

We’ll also get to see Loki’s powers in a new way. There are so many things in the comics that Loki does (like shapeshifting) which we have yet to see fully explored in the MCU. With his own series, I fully expect all aspects of Loki’s powers to be explored. Fans are in for a treat when it comes to learning more about Loki.

We're in the final countdown ⏳ Marvel Studios' #Loki arrives this Wednesday on @DisneyPlus! pic.twitter.com/3MTELEFFDs

— Loki (@LokiOfficial) June 6, 2021

Are you excited about Loki on Disney+? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

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