Thread: 2021 Broncos Draft Thread: 04/29/21-05/01/21

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

The whole thing just reeks of a setup for a Rodgers/Watson acquisition. A lot of things have to play out before we get to that point, but if either or both are clear and available...what team has more to offer? Denver will have a top 5 defense and one of the better young offenses in the NFL and we'll be very attractive to any QB. So, it seems like Paton is setting the table to be able to make a move on either of them depending on how their situations unfold.

I don't know...I just don't get the vibe that Paton plans on either Drew or Teddy being the starting QB this year.

I doubt the Watson legal stuff will be worked out before this season. Maybe it's an option next year if it's all sorted out at that point.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I might be a minority here, but I like that we have Teddy to push him in a competition type setting. If Lock REALLY is the guy his biggest fans here think he is, he should have no problem beating out Teddy who is a known mediocre to average quantity. And if it's just a messy back and forth thing all season where we never have a clear answer at the position, that gives us an answer too and next offseason can be all about making a legit push for the next QB.

I don't necessarily think they were all-in on Watson, I believe the reports that they never actually negotiated terms with Houston. However - I do think Paton's desire as a new GM with a 6 year deal is to stop Elway's cycle of throwing shit against the wall and hoping it sticks at the QB position -- and the prospect of acquiring a superstar QB via trade is not an option for most teams because of their salary cap.

He has very little personal upside gambling on a QB who may or may not be better than Lock/Teddy (e.g. Fields) with a top 10 pick.

Bridgewater is about optionality. He is cheap, he is experienced, and he buys Paton some time. He provides competition for and insurance against Lock -- and then you hope to stumble into a no-brainer like Watson or Rodgers in the meantime, or you figure it out next year. But in the meantime, he has freedom.

From Paton's perspective, the worst thing he could do is saddle himself with a QB he's not sure about for the first several years of his contract. At least in that regard, I agree with his approach -- I don't view Teddy as the same type of overpaid half measure as Flacco or Keenum...

The downside of Paton's strategy of opportunism is that it requires patience with no guarantee that it ever pays off. The upside is maybe you end up with Manning v 2.0.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I doubt the Watson legal stuff will be worked out before this season. Maybe it's an option next year if it's all sorted out at that point.

Either way...I still think the plan is to go big when the opportunity arises.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I might be a minority here, but I like that we have Teddy to push him in a competition type setting. If Lock REALLY is the guy his biggest fans here think he is, he should have no problem beating out Teddy who is a known mediocre to average quantity. And if it's just a messy back and forth thing all season where we never have a clear answer at the position, that gives us an answer too and next offseason can be all about making a legit push for the next QB.

I'm fine with Teddy there putting heat on Lock as a presence. I don't like the split reps. Hopefully they don't actually do that. If Teddy is taking #1's to start the year, might as well find something better to do on Sundays.

Originally Posted by Buff

I don't necessarily think they were all-in on Watson, I believe the reports that they never actually negotiated terms with Houston. However - I do think Paton's desire as a new GM with a 6 year deal is to stop Elway's cycle of throwing shit against the wall and hoping it sticks at the QB position -- and the prospect of acquiring a superstar QB via trade is not an option for most teams because of their salary cap.

He has very little personal upside gambling on a QB who may or may not be better than Lock/Teddy (e.g. Fields) with a top 10 pick.

Bridgewater is about optionality. He is cheap, he is experienced, and he buys Paton some time. He provides competition for and insurance against Lock -- and then you hope to stumble into a no-brainer like Watson or Rodgers in the meantime, or you figure it out next year. But in the meantime, he has freedom.

From Paton's perspective, the worst thing he could do is saddle himself with a QB he's not sure about for the first several years of his contract. At least in that regard, I agree with his approach -- I don't view Teddy as the same type of overpaid half measure as Flacco or Keenum...

The downside of Paton's strategy of opportunism is that it requires patience with no guarantee that it ever pays off. The upside is maybe you end up with Manning v 2.0.

I was thrilled about the Bridgewater acquisition because of that precise optionality you describe--it's the due diligence checkbox you can show to the 'Board' when they look over your shoulder after you fully vet Lock (this assumes he doesn't mature). Getting Teddy does important and real things, but winning NFL championships is not one of them. Then again, Paton was there for Keenum, so maybe he thinks 'this is the way'.

At some point, he's going to need to pull the trigger on his own Cousins deal. I hope it's Rodgers and I don't see Rodgers walking away from the game if he's still balling. This team is ready-made for a dude like him. I'd go big, personally, trying to land him.

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

I'm fine with Teddy there putting heat on Lock as a presence. I don't like the split reps. Hopefully they don't actually do that. If Teddy is taking #1's to start the year, might as well find something better to do on Sundays.

Look at it this way. If Vic says "Lock will take more reps" then he's being anointed as de facto starter. At his end of year presser, he said that Lock has to get better to remain the starter. This is the organization applying some heat. Whether it works or not, we will see - but they're deliberately taking a tact 180 degrees opposite what they did with Lock last offseason when they cleared the deck for him.

Originally Posted by Buff

Look at it this way. If Vic says "Lock will take more reps" then he's being anointed as de facto starter. At his end of year presser, he said that Lock has to get better to remain the starter. This is the organization applying some heat. Whether it works or not, we will see - but they're deliberately taking a tact 180 degrees opposite what they did with Lock last offseason when they cleared the deck for him.

I like that they are putting all this heat on him. Put him through the ringer and make him prove it this year. If he's really a stud that you can build a franchise around, it should be no issue for him. Either way, we need clarity for what to do at the QB position after this season. If it's a muddled, split reps thing where neither Lock nor Teddy can really establish themselves all season, that tells me it's time to clean out the QB room and make it priority 1 next offseason. Either find a guy you like in the draft or go all in on whatever star is disgruntled a year from now.

Originally Posted by Buff

Look at it this way. If Vic says "Lock will take more reps" then he's being anointed as de facto starter. At his end of year presser, he said that Lock has to get better to remain the starter. This is the organization applying some heat. Whether it works or not, we will see - but they're deliberately taking a tact 180 degrees opposite what they did with Lock last offseason when they cleared the deck for him.

You've been doing well bringing out some of the important unspoken nuance of the situation. It's good management to take all these steps. I won't lose any sleep about it prior to camp.

here's an interesting little nugget. . .

After the Broncos took cornerback Patrick Surtain II with the ninth overall pick, they wanted to add another piece to their defense and tried to trade back into the first round for [Jaelen] Phillips, according to Mike Klis of 9 News in Denver.

The Broncos didn’t have enough trade ammunition to move up ahead of the Dolphins, who took Phillips 18th overall. But if Phillips had fallen into the 20s, Denver General Manager George Paton was ready to make a move up.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...d-him/#respond

Originally Posted by dogfish

here's an interesting little nugget. . .



https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...d-him/#respond

Saw that...what did you think about it?

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

Saw that...what did you think about it?

i wish they could've made it happen. . . as it is, it's cool to know that patton was looking at it, 'cuz i think philips is a big-time talent. . .

Originally Posted by dogfish

here's an interesting little nugget. . .



https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...d-him/#respond

They could’ve moved in front of Ravens for Oweh.

Originally Posted by Hawgdriver

I was thrilled about the Bridgewater acquisition because of that precise optionality you describe--it's the due diligence checkbox you can show to the 'Board' when they look over your shoulder after you fully vet Lock (this assumes he doesn't mature). Getting Teddy does important and real things, but winning NFL championships is not one of them. Then again, Paton was there for Keenum, so maybe he thinks 'this is the way'.

At some point, he's going to need to pull the trigger on his own Cousins deal. I hope it's Rodgers and I don't see Rodgers walking away from the game if he's still balling. This team is ready-made for a dude like him. I'd go big, personally, trying to land him.

Scary thought? Paton already made his Cousins deal.

Don’t get it twisted, trading for Rodgers is far and away nothing comparable to signing a scrub QB and pretending he’s not a scrub QB.

My buddy made a great point today; don’t look now but the Broncos are currently Vikings 2.0; putting all their assets into CB’s and pretending you can win SB’s with a scrub QB.

This isn’t by accident, they had a chance at an impact “Face Of The Franchise” QB ... and took a CB instead.

So, scary thought? This is exactly what Paton wants, and Lock is dead man walking.

It’s a relief to know that Paton isn’t under the ridiculous impression that the Broncos don’t need an Edge rusher. But hey, at least they’re 6-deep at G.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

I might be a minority here, but I like that we have Teddy to push him in a competition type setting. If Lock REALLY is the guy his biggest fans here think he is, he should have no problem beating out Teddy who is a known mediocre to average quantity. And if it's just a messy back and forth thing all season where we never have a clear answer at the position, that gives us an answer too and next offseason can be all about making a legit push for the next QB.

When did Teddy become average?