Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
What's up, Broncos Country.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Welcome back to the Broncos Podcast networking in YouTube for
the latest episode of Broncos Now. As always am, your
host is Sidney Jones, and coming up on today's episode,
Broncos lead writer Eric delala joins the show. We'll discuss
more of the moves the team has made during free
agency and.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Look ahead to the annual league meeting. All that more
coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joining me here inside the Broncos podcast studio for today's
episode of Broncos Now is Bronco's lead writer Eric Delalai. Eric,
thanks for joining me. How's it going.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
It's going good, sod.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
We're about a week in the free agency, so nice
to see some new faces here. I center a health
training center, get some new guys on the team, and
kind of see how they're putting this whole thing together.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Since the last time we talked, Eric, last week's episode,
the Broncos have signed a bunch of new guys. Like
you mentioned safety at Brandon Jones defensive tackle Malcolm Roach.
This week, they signed inside linebacker Cody Barton and tackle
Matt part also resigned wide receiver at Lil Joan Humphrey,
but they've been pretty active since.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Our last episode.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Yeah, you got some guys that I think, you know,
not nobody with a super long deal, right, I think
the longest deal was was three years.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
A lot of one year deals.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
But this team has kind of gone out and found
value guys, good solid signings. They weren't particularly active in
that initial kind of legal tampering period, you know.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I think Jones's name was maybe mentioned during that period.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
But otherwise, as they said, and as we talked about
last week, they weren't going to be super active in
that first wave of free agency. It wasn't going to
be like last year. I think it's about finding guys
you know that the play certain roles that you know,
we hear Sean Payton talk a lot about what's the
(01:48):
vision for a player and like a guy like Malcolm Roach,
for example, a really good interior run stopper, which we know,
based on what George Peyton said a couple of months ago,
that was a kind of an area of emphasis for
the Broncos and that they wanted to get better at
stopping the run. So I think you saw them kind
of address some of those needs obviously with Josie Jewel leaving.
(02:10):
You need an inside linebacker there. We had kind of
heard from George Payton that Drew Sanders might move to
the edge, So that was kind of a need based signing,
it felt like. And then you look at the most
recent signing with part a swing tackling and play in
both spots. His career with New York he kind of
did a little bit of both, did both in college.
You saw Cam Fleming. He became a free agent, so
(02:33):
again that becomes a need there. So nothing flashy, but again,
I think teams that are flashy every year in free agency,
you don't necessarily see it payoff all the time. And
you need these kind of key guys to come in
and be the bread and butter type guys.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
You need to hit on these signings. And so we'll
see how it goes.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
But I think that I'm encouraged by just kind of
the mentality and the strategy so far.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Eric, I want to highlight and look at some of
those guys a little bit more. We'll start with Brandon Jones,
as you mentioned, three year deal, the longest deal that
was signed in free agency so far.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
What do you think we're adding with him in the secondary.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, he's a guy that you know has some experience.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Obviously back there, he's kind of that rangey player that
replaces Justin Simmons. I think I saw stat from week
twelve on he gave up a really low passer rating
at a couple of interceptions. So a guy back there
that again, you want to find these players in free
agency who maybe we talk about a sending players sometimes
(03:36):
said who just need more of an opportunity, and he
has some experience. We'll have to see kind of how
it all works back works out back there at safety.
Obviously PJ locks back, Keen Stearn's coming back from an injury,
some young guys, and the Layry and Turner Yell JAYL Skinner,
So we'll have to see kind of who ends up
as that duo back there.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
But here's a guy that's a veteran.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
You know, I believe a third round pick has that
kind of draft pedigree day two and I think can
just step in if that's what the Broncos decided, step
in and be an immediate contributor there on the back end,
give you that veteran presence. So definitely, you know, as
I look at him, that's kind of what stands out to.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Me, and he is very familiar with some of the
other guys in the secondary too, obviously, PJ.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Locke and Kayden Stearns.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
They all went to Texas together, so should be an
easy transition for them.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah, we've got a lot of Texas guys now, a
lot of Texas and Oklahoma guys, So nice little rivalry
there in the locker room, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
I'm sure as well.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Another Texas guy that we added, Malcolm roach Eric. I
know he's super excited to be reuniting with head coach
Don Payton. Here he said that after he was signed
last week, how is he going to help boost this
defensive line?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, I mean again, I think it's that run defense mainly,
and the Broncos just not for lack of effort, obviously,
but it just it didn't work at times from a
run defense standpoint.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
This is a guy that.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
I believe was near the top of the league in
terms of that runs stop rate in terms of an
interior defensive alignment across the league, and so what that
means as you look at, well, okay, how many runs
are there where this guy had a chance at making
a play and how often was he able to do that.
How many stops did he have that essentially, you know,
blew up an opponent's run play and he was active there. Again,
(05:22):
a guy that Sean Payton knows. And I think anytime
you see John Payton bring in a former Saints player,
I know there's a lot of talk about how many
there are, but I think it's telling which guys he
does choose to bring because he knows what they're all about.
He knows how he wants to build this roster. I
think last year if there was an area where, you know,
(05:44):
maybe the Rockets could have been a little bit more
stout on the defensive line, and we saw them throughout
the season kind of play with different fronts, trying to
be better against the run. And so to have a
guy like this and you have Zach Allen DJ Jones
is on the roster, you just have more bulk there.
And again you talk about, Okay, Mike Purcell's a free
agent now, right, you know, does this does Malcolm Roach
(06:07):
kind of step and.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Fill that that void there? That role for the Broncos.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
So it's all about finding people that can fill specific roles.
It doesn't always have to be a star player, but
I think especially with Malcolm Roach, you saw people on
Twitter kind of being like, oh, this is this is
an underrated signing. I'm so excited to see the Broncos
at some bulk up front and said, we've talked before
(06:31):
kind of when you look at the draft, one of
the areas of need maybe or maybe it could be
an exciting place for the Broncos to target could have
been that that interior defensive line. And that doesn't mean
that they don't go that way now, but you give
yourself more flexibility, and that's what I think free agency.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Is all about.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Definitely, Eric, you mentioned the draft.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I know you just wrote an article on deverbroncos dot
com mock Draft round up. So what are some of
the national analysts that the Broncos could go with that
pick twelve.
Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, well, you look at Daniel Jeremiah, who's obviously really
well respected. He's got four quarterbacks off the board by
the time the Broncos pick at twelve, kind of the
top three, and then JJ McCarthy off as well, and
so he's got the Broncos going with Brock Bowers from Georgia,
and you know he sees him, he sees Sean Payton
(07:23):
be on to use brock Bawers in a really unique way.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I think that that's.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Kind of a consistent theme that if he was here
in Denver, Sean Payton would be able to use him
in that kind of joker role. So that's one you
still see corners there, whether it's Terry and Arnold from Alabama,
you know, Quinnyon Mitchell from Toledo. Those are two guys
that are going to be mentioned in this conversation. I
wonder if you typically Sean Payton is not traded down
(07:51):
as much in his career, but if if you were
to trade down, maybe that's a guy you could get
a little bit later. And again if you take him
at twelve, good football player. And then, as I'm sure
many people are wondering what the Broncs are gonna do
with the quarterback position. They have not signed a quarterback
yet in free agency. Obviously have Jared Stidham, Ben Denucci
on the roster, and so naturally these mock drafts project
(08:13):
quarterback a decent amount. And right now, you know, we
kind of had like the JJ McCarthy phase where people
projected that a lot. He's been kind of tied to
the Vikings a little bit recently, especially they just made
that trade. It feels like they have amo to move up.
So he's kind of maybe being viewed as a top five,
top seven pick that the Vikings are going to go
(08:34):
up and get him. But now bo Nix is kind
of being tied to the Broncos in these mock drafts.
And again, who knows what's going to happen. Who knows
what We have no idea what the Broncos think, where
the Vikings think, any of that. But in these mock drafts,
bo Nix is currently kind of being linked to Denver
and just in terms of being a really fast processor.
You know, one of the kind of these mock draft experts,
(08:56):
I think it might have been mel Kiper said, oh,
maybe Sean Payton sees a.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Little bit of Drew bree in bo Nicks. Not positive.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
I don't want to tie it to mouth because I'm
not positive that's that's who said it. But but but
that's kind of the the sentiment there, and so it'll
be interesting to see what happens, you know, as we
get closer, maybe the I mean, maybe it changes a
little bit, but like we're getting to the point where
a free agency is going to be done and you're
adding kind of some minor signings and so now it's
(09:23):
more about it as a team going to change its
positioning in the draft.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Otherwise, you know, it's just it's it's rumors and so,
uh what, we've got a month Togo sits. It's gonna
feel like a long time until we get there.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
It always quickly approaches them.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
That's true.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
But you know, it got to change your mock draft
a little bit, I think, just to get clicks. So
we'll see if anybody else gets linked to Denver here
over the next month or so.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
That's what makes this time period so fun, though, because
you never know what's going to happen. A lot of guessing,
a lot of guessing.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Yeah, it's fun, and it's also like, Okay, I want
to know who the rock is pick? Are?
Speaker 3 (10:00):
I know?
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I'm the same way Wheeric.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
We're hitting the road to head down to Florida next
week for the annual league meeting.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Excited about that? What are you most looking forward to?
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Yeah, you know, typically we get to hear from some
Broncos executives, decision makers, so that's always exciting to hear
what they have to say kind of you know, the
end of season update and now this update as well.
So it's always good, I think for the fans to
get a chance to hear from those people. But then also,
you know, it's just this is where the rule changes
start to be discussed, and so whether it's this this
(10:31):
fourth down proposal with on site kick or another one,
you know, it's always a little bit interesting to hear
kind of you know, which which direction are people leaning.
Will will a major rule change be passed ahead of
the twenty twenty four season. It's exciting. And then the
commissioner typically speaks, and so to be able to hear
(10:52):
from him just kind of on some league wide issues
and topics, it's also really insightful. So it'll be nice
we get to here in like the last three days
said so, we've been lucky from that regard, but it'd
be nice to go down to sunny Orlando and it'd
be warm and maybe we'll see Mickey Mouse or something.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Let's go to Disney.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Why not? Could be fun?
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It would be fun.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Well, Broncos Country, make sure to follow our coverage down
there at Orlando by staying up today on the Denver
Broncos social media channels and at Denver Broncos dot com.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Eric appreciate you joining the show today.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
You got it said.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
That's going to do it for today's episode of Broncos
Now Broncos Country.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Thanks so much for tuning in.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
We'll meet you right back here on the Broncos podcast
network and YouTube.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
And next week for another episode. I'll see you all done.