Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody, and welcome to Power two of Broncos Country
Tonight on KOA, filling in for the Colorado Rockies and
Benjamin Albright. I'm your host, Sax Segers. Joining me is
Nick Ferguson. And now it's time to head out to
the KOA Common Spirit Health hot Line for our special
guest with the Denver Post, Parker Gabrielly covers the Denver
(00:20):
Broncos for the Denver Post, Parker, how are.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You doing tonight?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm doing good, guys, how are you doing?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Doing great?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Next time Broncos Country Tonight will be on the air,
will be Monday night. That negotiating window that effectively might
as well be the startup free agency will be underway.
And I'm curious between now and Monday night, what moves
either resigning guys currently on the roster or adding someone
from outside the organization, what moves do you expect the
Broncos to make.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Yeah, it's going to be I mean, it's gonna be
fascinating to see you right, Like I think obviously with
where the Broncos are salary cap wise, they've got more
than forty million in space and that's sort of a
starting point.
Speaker 6 (01:00):
They could make, you know, quite a bit more space,
and that if they've wanted to, they don't have to.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So I think that they'll be.
Speaker 6 (01:08):
Aggressive, you know, I don't I don't know that at
the end.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Of the day, you know, you'll see them with a
total like two years ago when they they led the
league in free agent spending. But you know the thing
about Sean Payton and George Peyton not like every team,
but they are. You know, there's some teams that will
sort of watch the first wave go by and the
big money go out, and then they'll sort of see where,
(01:33):
you know, the second wave settles after a couple of days.
That's not how the Broncos.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
Have operated the last two years.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
They've been aggressive, whether they're spending a lot of money
or just a little bit of money.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Like last year, they've been aggressive.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
They've gone out, they've they've had their targets, and they've been,
you know, really forceful in pursuing them, you know, from
the jump. And so you know, is that an inside linebacker,
is it a safety, is it a tight end? Is
it you know, a defensive line in the maybe CJ. Jones
as a as a returning player, are the.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You know, the one thing that I would bet is
that they.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Don't sit on their hands and you know, watch and see,
you know, where money's flowing before they start making moves.
Speaker 7 (02:16):
Party before you joined us, Zach and I were talking
about guys that you know, we would think or we
would white for the Broncos to pick up, and I
tossed it out on Twitter, but I definitely want to get.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Your euro opinion.
Speaker 7 (02:28):
One of the guys I tossed out is six four
one pound mac Hollins, who formerly of the Buffalo Bills,
who is now a free agent. What do you think
about the Broncos adding him? But let me preface that
by saying when I'm not suggesting like the first day
of free agency they.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Go after mec Hollins. But I'm just saying, at some.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Point during the free agent period, adding a guy like
mec Hollands to the wide receiver room.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Yeah, I'll give you another name too that I think
is maybe in a similar vein. I totally agree with
nickol like, I think there's definitely I.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Think they'd like to add a wide receiver. And then that's.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Where you know, you're not probably talking about the top
of the market obviously, at some point this offseason. The
way that the way that George Payton Sean Payton talked
to the combine, like, we think an extension.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
With Coroland Sutton.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Obviously they've been talking with his agent about it. You
know that that seems like they think it's heading in
a direction where that's gonna get done at some point.
You know, Mac Collins is a good name. That's the
kind of skill set I think they're they're looking for
a guy like Nick Westbrook, a Kine from from Tennessee,
you know, fits a similar mold I think where it's
(03:36):
some down the field ability.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
He's six to two, he's.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
A willing blocker.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
I actually I wrote today in the post it'd be
kind of liked be kind of like a souped up.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Version of the Josh Reynolds signing last year, a veteran presence.
So you know, whether it's a Matt Collins and Nick
Westbrook a Kine like, I think, I think that there's
a lot of options to sort through a wide receiver,
and that there are guys that can be productive and
fit what Champion's trying to do offensively, you know, without
breaking the bank in that regard.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Another Buffalo Bills receiver has been tied to the Denver
Broncos these past couple of days with I belue Mike
Jones of the Athletic, I'm pairing the Denver Broncos and
a MARII Cooper together. I know it doesn't seem likely
they dip into the bigger ticket items in free agency there,
but do you think Amari Cooper or one of these
(04:26):
other big name wide receivers could make sense for the team.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Yeah, I mean I think that.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I mean, obviously Amari Cooper can still play, and you know,
there's a lot of teams that, like when you look
at it in theory, you know, could use them. The
one thing I think about the Broncos a wide receiver
is I'm not saying it's impossible they signed to but
I just I think they really like the young guys
right Like they they are confident in Marvin Mims taking
(04:52):
a jump in year three and in what Devon Veley
can do. And then you know, I think you're you're
probably still of factoring in a relatively long developmental arc
with Troy Franklin, but obviously, like it's important for him
to take a step forward in his second year. So
if you and again this is all assuming that it
all goes relatively smoothly with Courtland Sutton in an extension
(05:14):
and all that, although he's under contract for twenty five anyways,
Like if.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
You're if you're telling me, okay.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
You've got you know, Courtland.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Sutton, Marvin Men's, Devon Vley, and Troy Franklin, Like how
many are we talking about adding? And that's before you know,
you're you're talking about young guys like maybe at Perry
about a draft pick and whatever, and so you know, as.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
It possible they go after a guy like Mark Cooper. Sure,
but I just I think, you know, I think it seems.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Logical to me that they'd be after one guy.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
In free agency.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
And whether you're looking for a guy like Cooper or
maybe you know, a bigger, more physical guy, you know,
time will tell.
Speaker 8 (05:53):
Well, I guess there was some breaking news before we
came on, and that was the ANC West has a
new quarter back joining the ranks, and that was Geno Smith. Obviously,
when you look at the ANFC West, it's always competitive.
But now we have Gino, we have Herbert, we have
homes and we have our own bow knicks.
Speaker 7 (06:11):
How do you think the edition of Geno Smith, if
at all changing changes things as far as the season
results for the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Think obviously a lot of people will still pick them
the finish last in the division.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
They have a long way to.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Go, they have a big they've got a big roster project,
you know, to ahead of them.
Speaker 6 (06:34):
But I think I think.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
You would also say that it feels like they've maybe
calmed the waters a little bit over the last few weeks.
Speaker 6 (06:41):
When you hire a veteran guy like Pete Carroll, you know, you.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
You convince Max Crosby to stay there long term and.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
Sign the big extension.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
You know, now you've got a veteran presence at quarterback
in Geno Smith.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
So that's that's not that's not to say they're going.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
To win ten games this coming year. But I think that,
you know, for a franchise that has sort of gone
gone through it a lot and that has not got
the rebuild right here, you know multiple times to me
like this is not this is not the same thing.
You know, with with with Pete Carroll, with crosbyb in
(07:16):
their long term and now with a veteran quarterback, you've
at least got some stability in place that you can
work from and so and now also you know, maybe
they'll still take a quarterback at number six, but now
you can add a real, you know, difference maker type
of player there, and you've at least it feels like
maybe you've got at least the starting point for a foundation,
(07:38):
even though it's still going to be a long.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
Road prem here.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
With the Raiders adding that foundation, you know, looking at
least serviceable at quarterback and head coach. Now, for the
first time in a long time, you've got the Chargers
turning it around.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You've got the Broncos turning it around.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That Chiefs had a lot of free agents and problems
of their own to try and.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Solve this offseason.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
They've also won nine straight division titles, which is just
too shy of the Patriots record of eleven.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Do you think this.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Is finally the season someone from the AFC West other
than the Chiefs wins that division crown?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Where do you think the Chiefs awad number ten this year?
Speaker 5 (08:12):
I'll think that someone else is going to knock the
Chiefs off from the division crown when someone's got like
a three game lead with four games to play, and
that or something like that. You know, it's just like
it's just they've just found ways to do.
Speaker 6 (08:24):
It over and over again.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I mean they were whatever six and oh this last year,
and everybody was saying, oh, well, they're not as good,
they're not as good, and maybe they weren't. You know,
in some ways they weren't. It wasn't the most fearsome
Kansas City team that we've seen during this run. And
yet you know, they they lose one game up until
you know, Week eighteen against Denver and they end up
(08:45):
playing in the Super Bowl again.
Speaker 6 (08:46):
So they've got retooling to do.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
They've got a big, big, you know project ahead obviously,
like they've got to address a bunch of things on
their offensive line. I think that much became clear. And
then they send Joe Thoney to Chicago, so you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Know, so that they've got they've got a longer.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
To do list than normal, I think this offseason and certainly.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Like Denver or the Chargers could challenge them for the division.
But you know, I can tell someone actually shows you know,
they're capable of doing it. It would be crazy, I think,
to say, Okay, yeah, this is the year that that
someone will knock them off.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
We're talking to Parker David from the Denver Pos to Parker.
Earlier this week, the Broncos made some changes on their staff,
and one of one of them they did make based
on some kind of alleged controversial situation that happened at
the airport with Michael Wilholt. What does it say to
you to know that the team moved this quickly to
(09:44):
dissing themselves from coach Wilholm.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Yeah, I think, I mean, I think it had to
be done basically, you know, it's it's an unfortunate situation.
I mean, certainly, certainly it's not what you know, Sean
Paygner or the Broncos had in mind the week before
the combine. Obviously, like was going to be back, he
was going to be coaching linebackers in some.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
Capacity and all of that, and so you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
One of those things where obviously it's at the airport,
there's cameras all over the place, and it was it was,
you know, an unfortunate situation obviously, but it's something that
you know when you're you know, as an organization. I
think they looked at it and said, you know, we
just cannot have our brand and our organization associated with
with something like this, and so I don't think the
(10:26):
outcome was surprising. I think they got to the outcome
relatively quickly after going through after going through the process,
and it's one of those things where like every interaction
I had with with Michael Wilhoyt was was great. I
found him to be interesting and engaging and all of that.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
But that's the kind of thing that comes with consequences,
and so you know, now he sort of starts, you know,
back from from square one in terms of coaching, and
the Broncos move forward and we all will see I mean,
they named they elevated Isaac Schoemaker to coaching linebackers, and
then we'll see it.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
I think it's very possible they'll still hire an another coach,
whether that's inside or outside linebackers.
Speaker 6 (11:04):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Earlier, when we were talking, Parker, you listed DJ Jones
is maybe a name to watch over these coming days.
I feel like the Broncos have done such a great
job retaining their talent before it exits. Me a free agency,
and DJ Jones seems like far and away the best
free agent they have is still unsigned. How confident are
you that we see DJ Jones in Orange and Blue
(11:27):
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Well, I think the thing about it is just there,
you know, look at the one thing that you learn
about Champaige And I think you saw this over the
course of time in New Orleans, and I think you
started to see it last year, like let's say, with
Jonathan Cooper signing the big extension, then especially with Garrett.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
Bowles and now sort of talk about Quurtland Sutton, like
there were.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Guys that they knew right away, Hey, this is a
part of These guys are part of our future, right,
Quinn Minors, Patzertan easy Ones. There were guys that really
had to prove it that they were part of the
long term solution, Garrett Bulls, Quotland sat and so on
and so forth. There were guys that did not prove it,
justin Simons, Jerry, Judy, Russell Wilson obviously. And so you know,
(12:07):
to me, DJ Jones, that defensive line was so good
and they had such good chemistry that he sort of
played his way into the bucket of like, yeah, we
would love to have him back.
Speaker 6 (12:18):
Now. Listen, if teams start calling.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
On Monday morning and saying, you know, fourteen fifteen, sixteen
million out as that that's going to happen. But if
that were the case, like, I'm sure there's a limit,
it's it's not all together.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
Dissimilar to Lloyd Kushenberry a couple of years ago, where.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
I think the Broncos, like in theory they wanted him back,
and then his.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Market was just so strong that there was a point
at which they.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Said, yeah, listen, that's just like we love him.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
We in theory we'd love to have him back. That's
just flat out too rich for us. Like that could
happen with DJ Jones, although he's you know, he's thirty
and all of that. He played quality football, so you
never know.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
I just to me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right, Like,
if you can roll it back with a very sick
group that you had up front last year and then
maybe add a young guy in the draft as a
future at that position, that that to me seems like
a pretty natural way to go.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Well, make sure to keep our eyes and ears peeled
for all those potential Broncos happenings.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Parker, thank you very much for the time.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
If you want to check out his work, everybody and
you absolutely should.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He's one of the best in the biz.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Find his Broncos reporting over at the Denver Post or
over on Twitter at Parker J.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Gabriel. Parker, thank you very much again for the time.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yeah, have a good night.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Thank you too.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
That was Parker Jay Gabriel with the Denver Post providing
some great insight as to what the Broncos might do
in free agency.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Nick, what did you take away from that?
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Well, one of the things that took away looking at
the wide receiver group and the idea is that, Okay, well,
the team might like their young guys, and yeah, we
got a bunch of young guys who played well last year.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
We definitely need to step it up in year two
and year three.
Speaker 7 (13:57):
But for me, I come from the school of thought
that every training camp you want to make sure that
you get the best of the best. Right whatever six
to eight guys you have at the wide receiver position,
that you want to make sure that they are the
best guys. What I love for the team to kind
of reach an extension with all of a sudden, absolutely,
(14:19):
but I definitely think that the team needs to add
more competition, more depth, because if you don't do that
guys go look around the room like, hey, were good, right,
we can go out there and we can kind of
to like just a little. And to me, it's like, no,
you got to the playoffs. The idea is restoring the standard,
and the only way you get back to the standard
(14:40):
is that you have to make sure inside the building
there's always competition. Every single guy has to know practice
or a game.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
You are competing for a job.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
And the Broncos to my standard, Zach, when I used
to just getting to the playoffs and everyone being happy,
no no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
We're used to getting to the playoffs and making noise.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
The only way you can do that is by adding
more depth, and you have to make that wide receiver
room more competitive.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I agree, you know, I think you can look at
another instance of a team trying to get the most
out of a young player and it's been more disappointing.
But the Colts and Anthony Richardson at the Combine, they
explicitly went out and said, hey, we're trying to get
the most out of Anthony Richardson, and to do that,
we're going to hire a competent veteran who is a
real threat for that starting job. To push Anthony Richardson
(15:26):
and help progress his development a law.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Well, these are the.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Things that you have to do, because that's what the
NFL is. It is competition. When you start to settle
and you watch complacency set a win, you might as
well get yourself ready for a.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Long line of losing. And I love this organization, I
love this fan.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
Base, and I want to see them start to trend
in the right direction. And the only way you can
do that adding more competition.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Speaking of competition, we'll have a confrontation to get to
here shortly. You're listening to Braunco's Country Tonight on KOA. Buddy,
welcome back to some more Broncos country tonight. The Zach
Sear's filling in for Benjamin Albright and Nick Ferguson, the
(16:15):
immensely talented former safety and radio co host here for KOA.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Joining me alongside me here.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Nick, what did you think about Parker Gabriel's reaction to
what the Broncos could do in free agency?
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Here?
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Well, I mean, listen, I thought it was interesting.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Parker made some you know, really key point and once
again we saw it with the wide receiver room and
looking at the direction of what they need to do
in that particular apartment. Obviously, what they have right now
isn't going to be enough. Being competitive is very important,
(16:56):
and you need to continue to bring in competition at
every single position. Now, the interesting part is what's happening
with DJ Jones right that.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
That's going to be.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
Interesting because if DJ isn't here, and every team goes
through this, if a player is removed because because of
injury or the money that he's being paid, you need
to make sure you have someone to put in that place.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
You need someone to de plug and play.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
Knowing as though linebacker is a huge concern building out
that front interior along with Zach Allen, Now you.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Protect your linebacker.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
So now let's just say if you don't have superior talent,
because everyone's hoping that Zach Baum is going to be
that guy.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Now he's either pitcher.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
But if you fix that front line, you can actually
get a guy who's probably maybe a second tier guy
because now he's protected and all you need to do
is just have a guy that's able to scrape me
run from saleline and sideline. But I still like the
idea that in hopes that the Broncos can get a
guy like Nick Bolden.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I fully agree.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
DJ Jones, you know, is going to be an interesting
one to see whether or not he returns, and losing
him would be bad for this Broncos run defense that
got bullied the last time we saw them. And DJ
Jones is the only guy weighing over three hundred pounds
that played in that game for the Broncos defense, and
Lasriquez the only other one on the roster, and his
future seems a little dubious. So if you let DJ
(18:23):
Jones out that door, you're going to have one of
the lightest defensive fronts in the league. You're going to
be outsized a lot in a lot of your matchups.
And speaking of being outsized, we saw that happen on
a national scale or make some national headlines. I should say,
maybe last night when Lebron James outsized and confronted steven
(18:44):
A Smith court side about what steven A had said
about his son.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Well, Joe is very.
Speaker 7 (18:50):
Interesting and that you've phrased it and framed it in
that particular way as far as size, because stephen A
played basketball in college and he's pretty decent, you know, hype,
but in comparison to standing next to Lebron James, who
is sixty nine about two hundred and sixty five pounds,
(19:10):
a guy with broad shoulders. I mean he made stephen
A look like a preschooler, right, he made him look
a preschooler.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
But to be confronted by another man live.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
And be looking up at him like that.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
Yeah, it's just like, okay, you want to look eye
to eye to another man. Because I was always sold
when you shake a man with a firm, hanging shake
and you look him in his eye, and in case
of stephen A, he can't really look him in his eye.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
He needed a steps to him, right.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
But for me, stephen A had that coming, right, He
had that coming not because of Lebron's situation and the
conversation associated with Lebron and Bronny, but just on certain
things he had done in the past.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
But I don't think.
Speaker 7 (19:55):
Lebron handled a situation the way that he needed a
handle from an athlete standpoint, From a parent standpoint, you're
always going.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
To protect your kids.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
But from a professional standpoint, you could have confronted him
in the tunnel, you could have called him, there could
have been other ways to do this, but you confronted
him on the court, which told me you wanted somebody
to see it, right, you wanted people to see what
was gonna happen. And guess what, you go on social media?
Everyone had their phone, right, everyone has a people, yes,
(20:27):
who's not going to have their phone? Knowing as though
that there's been conversation and narratives from steven A about Brianni.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
And I'll say this.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
For me, when I talk about individuals, I try to
keep it one hundred, never make it personal.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Just talk about the play, not the play.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
You're right, But in this case, I can understand Lebron's point,
but steven A has a job to do. There's no
way that you can tell me and feel free, feel
freeze act to change my mind.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
But there's no way that you can tell.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
Me that Bronnie James deserves to be Excuse me, let
me row use of words. On the right to be
drafted in the first round by the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
We all know how and why that happened.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, Lebron told everyone, Hey, if you want me to
play for you in twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five,
draft my kid, and that's where I'm going to be playing.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Exactly, and Bronni wasn't even starting at USC. The Lakers
didn't draft Bronnie, they drafted Lebron. Exactly, there we go.
That's what it was, and that is what steven A
was talking about. So stephen A puts not Bronnie on
Front Street, he put Lebron on Front Street. So Lebron
should have stepped to stephen A as a man to say, well,
(21:42):
don't talk about me that way, because this conversation wasn't
truly about Bronni, even though someone looking at it this way,
it was.
Speaker 9 (21:51):
No.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
It was about stephen A.
Speaker 7 (21:54):
Having a large platform to criticize Lebron himself.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
And I fully agree, like, if you're going to talk
about these places, it's part of our job. I think,
in the same way people in our chair say, oh, well,
these athletes have to be open to criticism. It's part
of the gig cuts both ways. You know, if you
say something that offends an athlete, or that an athlete
thinks is unfair or just makes yourself look like an idiot,
(22:19):
athletes can call you out for that.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
It's in the.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Same way we want to be able to hold our
athletes accountable, the athletes can hold us accountable.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
It's a two way street.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
That said, if you are so, I think Lebron was
right to hold steven A accountable. That said, if you're
going to go out on the center court of the
Staples Center and decide to do your confrontation there, you
are giving steven A a lay up opportunity to go
on to his show, go on to his own podcast,
the steven A Smith Show or whatever it's called.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
And make it about him.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
And I bet there were more eyeballs on First Take
today and on The steven A Show today than normally
are and ultimately you're kind of playing into.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Steven A's by doing that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
That'd be my one thing on agreed, Yeah, I just
don't think Lebron handled it right. But I don't think
he did anything wrong from like a moral standpoint or
oh you can't do that.
Speaker 7 (23:10):
Well, you know what, It's funny you say that because
after the conversation confrontation, you bet everyone couldn't wait to
watch and fall.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
At a network the next morning and go, oh, here
we go. You know what it was like?
Speaker 7 (23:22):
It was like when I was a kid and kids
wanted to start fights. They would go the baddest one
hit my hand and he would hit another kid. It
was like, I didn't hit you, he hits you right
and started the altercation. That's what individuals were waiting for.
They were waiting to see how stephen A responded. But
stephen A came out originally a little soft at the
(23:44):
very beginning, you know, very.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Calm and rarely soft in his communication.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And then as he started to go along, it started
to kind of rev up a little bit because I'm
sure steven A didn't anticipate being confronted by a man
that side, because usually stephen A says a lot of
things and no one really confronts him because he's got
his box he could stand on and he could kind
(24:09):
of talk about how he's the man for the four
Letter Network.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But but you're absolutely right.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
The sword cuts both ways for both players and those
in the media. And I always say, well, don't say
anything about a player that you wouldn't say to his face.
Don't don't hide behind that what is one hundred what
is one hundred and eighty whatever?
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Too?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Eighty characters on X?
Speaker 7 (24:31):
No, No, no, no, don't don't don't say something on
X that you wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Say to someone's face, because once they confronts you.
Speaker 7 (24:37):
Now you're calling the cops. Now you gotta call the cops.
You should have thought about it before your fingers started
getting moving.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I have been there. I remember a training camp.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
I was treating. Now you got confronted by DJ.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Jung that he was like I treated out that he
fell over and he was like, I did not fall over,
and uh, you know I I was like, hey, maybe
from my angle, I got a I read on things,
but that is how I stood on my business. I said,
you know, that's how it looked to me, but I
obviously don't know it as well as you, and I
kind of just backed out of that one.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
It wasn't worth ying on that though.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
So it's okay.
Speaker 7 (25:12):
Now you gotta be thinking, So Lebron confronting stephen A
in public?
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Which one is more accurate? Right here?
Speaker 7 (25:21):
Is it more accurate to say that you were being
confronted by DJ or how you confronted bout.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Bre messis Which which one is more accurate?
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
I mean Bree's physical violence.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
No, DJ Juddes, I think just cares about accuracy and reporting.
DJ pre Nacist is an enforcer. If you've been watching
Daredevil season two, I know that's going ruder.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
It don't tell me. I'm to watch it tonight. All right, Well, you.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Saw the original Daredevil, of course, Uh, what's his name?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
The Pleasure, the Fisk.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
The big guy based on Bree naisis not that it's real,
real deal inforcer.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
But I'm curious with the stephen A Lebron thing.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It did seem like Lebron took what he said about
BRONI very personally, even if it was more about Lebron.
Do you think that interpretation had anything to do with
steven A and Lebron's past relationship? As Dave Logan was
talking about during KA Sports, there's no love lost between
those two. It's been an icy relationship, I guess between
steven A and Lebron for a while. Steven A even
(26:22):
alluded to that during his explanation of events. Do you think,
I don't know, Lebron maybe saw a shot where there
wasn't a shot because of that trained relationship.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Well, the opportunity to present it though, space an opportunity, right,
that's what we're saying, space an opportunity. And to know
that Steve there was a game against the New York
Knicks that steven A was going to be there, right,
there was a prime opportunity to pro steven A and
let him know how he feel whether that was the
right place.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Or not.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
But once again, this is why one individuals you have
to be careful, especially when you're working in the world
of social media. Sometimes you think that maybe your words
don't really cut the way that.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
They will. But in this case, that kind of cut
Lebron deep.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
Even though I think in heart of Hearts that wasn't
about Bronni.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
That was about Lebron and.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
Whatever beef that Lebron has with steven A, it came
out and understanding from steven a standpoint, he played basketball
long time ago, and I think he might have played
maybe at an HBCU, but he's never had an opportunity
to play on that level. And I can personally tell
you that there's certain media members who may get uncomfortable, right,
(27:47):
That's a solful way of saying it with players who
are doing something that they thought that that individuals wanted
to do.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Because I've had someone tell me that from the different market.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
You know, hey, stay in right, I've covered this game
longer than you've been playing, right, But that person never
really understood the point that, Yeah, you're right, you've covered
the game. I played the game, so it's entirely different.
But some guys in the media take issue with it.
Just like when you get a former player going into
(28:21):
the media and someone spent I don't know, four or
five six years in broadcast school, they get upset with
that player.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Why is that player getting an opportunity to leap frog me?
Speaker 7 (28:33):
So I can see it's slicing both ways for both
Lebron and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I think that's a good way of looking at it.
This wasn't the only time today that ESPN, the Four
Letter Network, and the Lakers found themselves in the headlines,
though as last night, I guess I should say last.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Night they found themselves in the headlines.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
As Charles Barkley went out of his way to take
some shots at the two of the Four Letter Network,
that is in the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Here's what you had to say.
Speaker 9 (29:00):
I saw a food idiot on TV talking about the Lakers,
save the NBA save. Yeah, yeah, he's an idiot the
food But you know he is what's his name, Shaq,
which when you're talking about Kendrick Perkins. He said the Lakers,
first of all, the Lakers. I had a great two weeks,
he said. The Lakers save the NBA season. That's about them.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Foods on the.
Speaker 9 (29:19):
Other network, which we're gonna be working for the next year,
that's all they talk about. Let me tell y'all something, hey,
And first of all, I want all to smoke ies.
I don't whistle when I walked by the grave yard
or anything like that. I don't whistle what I want
by the great like that man steal in that one.
The Lakers are doing great, got a long way to go.
But the reason the season has been going great for
(29:40):
the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City of thunder, y'all
just want to talk about the Warriors and the Lakers.
They're both doing great. Don't get me wrong. If I
turn out to be wrong, I got no problem with that.
But y'all are idiots because y'all talk about the Lakers
and the Warriors all the time. Y'all know the Cleveland
cavin is the one in twelve straight games. So Oklahoma
(30:02):
City got the MVP and they all own fire. Y'all
wanna talk about who's in second place. That's the reason
I get pissed. Hey, the Lakers are doing great. I
don't mind being wrong. Walks are doing great, but that's
called you fools. Another network which were gonna become become
fools next year. We've been working on that network. But
(30:23):
Oklahoma City and the Calves been bawling for six months.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
What do you think about those comments about ESPN giving
too much left to the fourth or sorry, ESPN giving
too much left to the Lakers and not enough left
to teams at the top of the conference, like the
Calves and of course the Thunder.
Speaker 7 (30:44):
Well that would definitely fall in line with what Charles
is saying. And it goes back to I guess how
stevin A feels about Lebron right, because.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
The league has had a face of the league. I
mean since I was a kid.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
One point it was Bird and Magic, then it transitioned well,
let me back up for a second. First it was
doctor j Julius Urban, then it transferred to Magic and Bird,
and then it went to Michael Jordan, then it went
to Kobe, then it was handed off to Lebron. So
now the idea is that you got to talk about
your stars. Even when the Lakers were not playing well,
(31:21):
they had a lot of nationally televised games on either
ABC or ESPN.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
That was by design.
Speaker 7 (31:27):
Adam silver knew exactly what he was doing, so it
rubbed some people the wrong way, and they rubbed Chuck
the wrong way being one of those old school throwback
guys when they really played basketball, right, they played basketball now,
But to me, you just want to call it just basket,
not ball because it will play defense.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Right.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
So this is why Charles took issue with what Kendrick
Perkins was basically saying, because you had all these other
teams playing great basketball in the West, but you're constantly
talking about the Lakers as though they're the only team.
But to sell your guy and Lebron being that guy,
which is why Lebron really confident in approaching Steven A
(32:08):
and saying what he said to him.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I think that's a dead on. Coming back. At the
top of next.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Hour, we're going to be talking about how the.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Denver Broncos can maybe fix that linebacker position. What do
they need to be looking for as they hope to
fix that linebacker position. Going to pick your brain as
a former defensive player on that. Listening to Broncos Country
Tonight on KOA ninety four one FM eight fifty am,
Hello everybody, and welcome to Power two of Broncos Country
Tonight on KOA, filling in for the Colorado Rockies and
Benjamin Albright. I'm your host, Sax Segers. Joining me is
Nick Ferguson. And now it's time to head out to
the KOA Common Spirit Health hot Line for our special
guest with the Denver Post, Parker Gabrielly covers the Denver
(00:20):
Broncos for the Denver Post, Parker, how are.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You doing tonight?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
I'm doing good, guys, how are you doing?
Speaker 4 (00:26):
Doing great?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Next time Broncos Country Tonight will be on the air,
will be Monday night. That negotiating window that effectively might
as well be the startup free agency will be underway.
And I'm curious between now and Monday night, what moves
either resigning guys currently on the roster or adding someone
from outside the organization, what moves do you expect the
Broncos to make.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Yeah, it's going to be I mean, it's gonna be
fascinating to see you right, Like I think obviously with
where the Broncos are salary cap wise, they've got more
than forty million in space and that's sort of a
starting point.
Speaker 6 (01:00):
They could make, you know, quite a bit more space,
and that if they've wanted to, they don't have to.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So I think that they'll be.
Speaker 6 (01:08):
Aggressive, you know, I don't I don't know that at
the end.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Of the day, you know, you'll see them with a
total like two years ago when they they led the
league in free agent spending. But you know the thing
about Sean Payton and George Peyton not like every team,
but they are. You know, there's some teams that will
sort of watch the first wave go by and the
big money go out, and then they'll sort of see where,
(01:33):
you know, the second wave settles after a couple of days.
That's not how the Broncos.
Speaker 6 (01:38):
Have operated the last two years.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
They've been aggressive, whether they're spending a lot of money
or just a little bit of money.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Like last year, they've been aggressive.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
They've gone out, they've they've had their targets, and they've been,
you know, really forceful in pursuing them, you know, from
the jump. And so you know, is that an inside linebacker,
is it a safety, is it a tight end? Is
it you know, a defensive line in the maybe CJ. Jones
as a as a returning player, are the.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
You know, the one thing that I would bet is
that they.
Speaker 5 (02:09):
Don't sit on their hands and you know, watch and see,
you know, where money's flowing before they start making moves.
Speaker 7 (02:16):
Party before you joined us, Zach and I were talking
about guys that you know, we would think or we
would white for the Broncos to pick up, and I
tossed it out on Twitter, but I definitely want to get.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Your euro opinion.
Speaker 7 (02:28):
One of the guys I tossed out is six four
one pound mac Hollins, who formerly of the Buffalo Bills,
who is now a free agent. What do you think
about the Broncos adding him? But let me preface that
by saying when I'm not suggesting like the first day
of free agency they.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
Go after mec Hollins. But I'm just saying, at some.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Point during the free agent period, adding a guy like
mec Hollands to the wide receiver room.
Speaker 5 (02:53):
Yeah, I'll give you another name too that I think
is maybe in a similar vein. I totally agree with
nickol like, I think there's definitely I.
Speaker 6 (03:00):
Think they'd like to add a wide receiver. And then that's.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Where you know, you're not probably talking about the top
of the market obviously, at some point this offseason. The
way that the way that George Payton Sean Payton talked
to the combine, like, we think an extension.
Speaker 6 (03:15):
With Coroland Sutton.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Obviously they've been talking with his agent about it. You
know that that seems like they think it's heading in
a direction where that's gonna get done at some point.
You know, Mac Collins is a good name. That's the
kind of skill set I think they're they're looking for
a guy like Nick Westbrook, a Kine from from Tennessee,
you know, fits a similar mold I think where it's
(03:36):
some down the field ability.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
He's six to two, he's.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
A willing blocker.
Speaker 6 (03:41):
I actually I wrote today in the post it'd be
kind of liked be kind of like a souped up.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Version of the Josh Reynolds signing last year, a veteran presence.
So you know, whether it's a Matt Collins and Nick
Westbrook a Kine like, I think, I think that there's
a lot of options to sort through a wide receiver,
and that there are guys that can be productive and
fit what Champion's trying to do offensively, you know, without
breaking the bank in that regard.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Another Buffalo Bills receiver has been tied to the Denver
Broncos these past couple of days with I belue Mike
Jones of the Athletic, I'm pairing the Denver Broncos and
a MARII Cooper together. I know it doesn't seem likely
they dip into the bigger ticket items in free agency there,
but do you think Amari Cooper or one of these
(04:26):
other big name wide receivers could make sense for the team.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Yeah, I mean I think that.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
I mean, obviously Amari Cooper can still play, and you know,
there's a lot of teams that, like when you look
at it in theory, you know, could use them. The
one thing I think about the Broncos a wide receiver
is I'm not saying it's impossible they signed to but
I just I think they really like the young guys
right Like they they are confident in Marvin Mims taking
(04:52):
a jump in year three and in what Devon Veley
can do. And then you know, I think you're you're
probably still of factoring in a relatively long developmental arc
with Troy Franklin, but obviously, like it's important for him
to take a step forward in his second year. So
if you and again this is all assuming that it
all goes relatively smoothly with Courtland Sutton in an extension
(05:14):
and all that, although he's under contract for twenty five anyways,
Like if.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
You're if you're telling me, okay.
Speaker 6 (05:19):
You've got you know, Courtland.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Sutton, Marvin Men's, Devon Vley, and Troy Franklin, Like how
many are we talking about adding? And that's before you know,
you're you're talking about young guys like maybe at Perry
about a draft pick and whatever, and so you know, as.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
It possible they go after a guy like Mark Cooper. Sure,
but I just I think, you know, I think it seems.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Logical to me that they'd be after one guy.
Speaker 6 (05:45):
In free agency.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
And whether you're looking for a guy like Cooper or
maybe you know, a bigger, more physical guy, you know,
time will tell.
Speaker 8 (05:53):
Well, I guess there was some breaking news before we
came on, and that was the ANC West has a
new quarter back joining the ranks, and that was Geno Smith. Obviously,
when you look at the ANFC West, it's always competitive.
But now we have Gino, we have Herbert, we have
homes and we have our own bow knicks.
Speaker 7 (06:11):
How do you think the edition of Geno Smith, if
at all changing changes things as far as the season
results for the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Think obviously a lot of people will still pick them
the finish last in the division.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
They have a long way to.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Go, they have a big they've got a big roster project,
you know, to ahead of them.
Speaker 6 (06:34):
But I think I think.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
You would also say that it feels like they've maybe
calmed the waters a little bit over the last few weeks.
Speaker 6 (06:41):
When you hire a veteran guy like Pete Carroll, you know, you.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
You convince Max Crosby to stay there long term and.
Speaker 6 (06:48):
Sign the big extension.
Speaker 5 (06:49):
You know, now you've got a veteran presence at quarterback
in Geno Smith.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
So that's that's not that's not to say they're going.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
To win ten games this coming year. But I think that,
you know, for a franchise that has sort of gone
gone through it a lot and that has not got
the rebuild right here, you know multiple times to me
like this is not this is not the same thing.
You know, with with with Pete Carroll, with crosbyb in
(07:16):
their long term and now with a veteran quarterback, you've
at least got some stability in place that you can
work from and so and now also you know, maybe
they'll still take a quarterback at number six, but now
you can add a real, you know, difference maker type
of player there, and you've at least it feels like
maybe you've got at least the starting point for a foundation,
(07:38):
even though it's still going to be a long.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
Road prem here.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
With the Raiders adding that foundation, you know, looking at
least serviceable at quarterback and head coach. Now, for the
first time in a long time, you've got the Chargers
turning it around.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You've got the Broncos turning it around.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That Chiefs had a lot of free agents and problems
of their own to try and.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Solve this offseason.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
They've also won nine straight division titles, which is just
too shy of the Patriots record of eleven.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Do you think this.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Is finally the season someone from the AFC West other
than the Chiefs wins that division crown?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Where do you think the Chiefs awad number ten this year?
Speaker 5 (08:12):
I'll think that someone else is going to knock the
Chiefs off from the division crown when someone's got like
a three game lead with four games to play, and
that or something like that. You know, it's just like
it's just they've just found ways to do.
Speaker 6 (08:24):
It over and over again.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
I mean they were whatever six and oh this last year,
and everybody was saying, oh, well, they're not as good,
they're not as good, and maybe they weren't. You know,
in some ways they weren't. It wasn't the most fearsome
Kansas City team that we've seen during this run. And
yet you know, they they lose one game up until
you know, Week eighteen against Denver and they end up
(08:45):
playing in the Super Bowl again.
Speaker 6 (08:46):
So they've got retooling to do.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
They've got a big, big, you know project ahead obviously,
like they've got to address a bunch of things on
their offensive line. I think that much became clear. And
then they send Joe Thoney to Chicago, so you.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Know, so that they've got they've got a longer.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
To do list than normal, I think this offseason and certainly.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
Like Denver or the Chargers could challenge them for the division.
But you know, I can tell someone actually shows you know,
they're capable of doing it. It would be crazy, I think,
to say, Okay, yeah, this is the year that that
someone will knock them off.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
We're talking to Parker David from the Denver Pos to Parker.
Earlier this week, the Broncos made some changes on their staff,
and one of one of them they did make based
on some kind of alleged controversial situation that happened at
the airport with Michael Wilholt. What does it say to
you to know that the team moved this quickly to
(09:44):
dissing themselves from coach Wilholm.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Yeah, I think, I mean, I think it had to
be done basically, you know, it's it's an unfortunate situation.
I mean, certainly, certainly it's not what you know, Sean
Paygner or the Broncos had in mind the week before
the combine. Obviously, like was going to be back, he
was going to be coaching linebackers in some.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
Capacity and all of that, and so you know, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
One of those things where obviously it's at the airport,
there's cameras all over the place, and it was it was,
you know, an unfortunate situation obviously, but it's something that
you know when you're you know, as an organization. I
think they looked at it and said, you know, we
just cannot have our brand and our organization associated with
with something like this, and so I don't think the
(10:26):
outcome was surprising. I think they got to the outcome
relatively quickly after going through after going through the process,
and it's one of those things where like every interaction
I had with with Michael Wilhoyt was was great. I
found him to be interesting and engaging and all of that.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
But that's the kind of thing that comes with consequences,
and so you know, now he sort of starts, you know,
back from from square one in terms of coaching, and
the Broncos move forward and we all will see I mean,
they named they elevated Isaac Schoemaker to coaching linebackers, and
then we'll see it.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
I think it's very possible they'll still hire an another coach,
whether that's inside or outside linebackers.
Speaker 6 (11:04):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Earlier, when we were talking, Parker, you listed DJ Jones
is maybe a name to watch over these coming days.
I feel like the Broncos have done such a great
job retaining their talent before it exits. Me a free agency,
and DJ Jones seems like far and away the best
free agent they have is still unsigned. How confident are
you that we see DJ Jones in Orange and Blue
(11:27):
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
Well, I think the thing about it is just there,
you know, look at the one thing that you learn
about Champaige And I think you saw this over the
course of time in New Orleans, and I think you
started to see it last year, like let's say, with
Jonathan Cooper signing the big extension, then especially with Garrett.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
Bowles and now sort of talk about Quurtland Sutton, like
there were.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Guys that they knew right away, Hey, this is a
part of These guys are part of our future, right,
Quinn Minors, Patzertan easy Ones. There were guys that really
had to prove it that they were part of the
long term solution, Garrett Bulls, Quotland sat and so on
and so forth. There were guys that did not prove it,
justin Simons, Jerry, Judy, Russell Wilson obviously. And so you know,
(12:07):
to me, DJ Jones, that defensive line was so good
and they had such good chemistry that he sort of
played his way into the bucket of like, yeah, we
would love to have him back.
Speaker 6 (12:18):
Now. Listen, if teams start calling.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
On Monday morning and saying, you know, fourteen fifteen, sixteen
million out as that that's going to happen. But if
that were the case, like, I'm sure there's a limit,
it's it's not all together.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
Dissimilar to Lloyd Kushenberry a couple of years ago, where.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
I think the Broncos, like in theory they wanted him back,
and then his.
Speaker 6 (12:37):
Market was just so strong that there was a point
at which they.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Said, yeah, listen, that's just like we love him.
Speaker 6 (12:44):
We in theory we'd love to have him back. That's
just flat out too rich for us. Like that could
happen with DJ Jones, although he's you know, he's thirty
and all of that. He played quality football, so you
never know.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
I just to me, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right, Like,
if you can roll it back with a very sick
group that you had up front last year and then
maybe add a young guy in the draft as a
future at that position, that that to me seems like
a pretty natural way to go.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Well, make sure to keep our eyes and ears peeled
for all those potential Broncos happenings.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Parker, thank you very much for the time.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
If you want to check out his work, everybody and
you absolutely should.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
He's one of the best in the biz.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Find his Broncos reporting over at the Denver Post or
over on Twitter at Parker J.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Gabriel. Parker, thank you very much again for the time.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
Yeah, have a good night.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Thank you too.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
That was Parker Jay Gabriel with the Denver Post providing
some great insight as to what the Broncos might do
in free agency.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Nick, what did you take away from that?
Speaker 7 (13:42):
Well, one of the things that took away looking at
the wide receiver group and the idea is that, Okay, well,
the team might like their young guys, and yeah, we
got a bunch of young guys who played well last year.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
We definitely need to step it up in year two
and year three.
Speaker 7 (13:57):
But for me, I come from the school of thought
that every training camp you want to make sure that
you get the best of the best. Right whatever six
to eight guys you have at the wide receiver position,
that you want to make sure that they are the
best guys. What I love for the team to kind
of reach an extension with all of a sudden, absolutely,
(14:19):
but I definitely think that the team needs to add
more competition, more depth, because if you don't do that
guys go look around the room like, hey, were good, right,
we can go out there and we can kind of
to like just a little. And to me, it's like, no,
you got to the playoffs. The idea is restoring the standard,
and the only way you get back to the standard
(14:40):
is that you have to make sure inside the building
there's always competition. Every single guy has to know practice
or a game.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
You are competing for a job.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
And the Broncos to my standard, Zach, when I used
to just getting to the playoffs and everyone being happy,
no no, no, no.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
We're used to getting to the playoffs and making noise.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
The only way you can do that is by adding
more depth, and you have to make that wide receiver
room more competitive.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I agree, you know, I think you can look at
another instance of a team trying to get the most
out of a young player and it's been more disappointing.
But the Colts and Anthony Richardson at the Combine, they
explicitly went out and said, hey, we're trying to get
the most out of Anthony Richardson, and to do that,
we're going to hire a competent veteran who is a
real threat for that starting job. To push Anthony Richardson
(15:26):
and help progress his development a law.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Well, these are the.
Speaker 7 (15:30):
Things that you have to do, because that's what the
NFL is. It is competition. When you start to settle
and you watch complacency set a win, you might as
well get yourself ready for a.
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Long line of losing. And I love this organization, I
love this fan.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
Base, and I want to see them start to trend
in the right direction. And the only way you can
do that adding more competition.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Speaking of competition, we'll have a confrontation to get to
here shortly. You're listening to Braunco's Country Tonight on KOA. Buddy,
welcome back to some more Broncos country tonight. The Zach
Sear's filling in for Benjamin Albright and Nick Ferguson, the
(16:15):
immensely talented former safety and radio co host here for KOA.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
Joining me alongside me here.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Nick, what did you think about Parker Gabriel's reaction to
what the Broncos could do in free agency?
Speaker 6 (16:29):
Here?
Speaker 4 (16:30):
Well, I mean, listen, I thought it was interesting.
Speaker 7 (16:34):
Parker made some you know, really key point and once
again we saw it with the wide receiver room and
looking at the direction of what they need to do
in that particular apartment. Obviously, what they have right now
isn't going to be enough. Being competitive is very important,
(16:56):
and you need to continue to bring in competition at
every single position. Now, the interesting part is what's happening
with DJ Jones right that.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
That's going to be.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
Interesting because if DJ isn't here, and every team goes
through this, if a player is removed because because of
injury or the money that he's being paid, you need
to make sure you have someone to put in that place.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
You need someone to de plug and play.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
Knowing as though linebacker is a huge concern building out
that front interior along with Zach Allen, Now you.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Protect your linebacker.
Speaker 7 (17:32):
So now let's just say if you don't have superior talent,
because everyone's hoping that Zach Baum is going to be
that guy.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Now he's either pitcher.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
But if you fix that front line, you can actually
get a guy who's probably maybe a second tier guy
because now he's protected and all you need to do
is just have a guy that's able to scrape me
run from saleline and sideline. But I still like the
idea that in hopes that the Broncos can get a
guy like Nick Bolden.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I fully agree.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
DJ Jones, you know, is going to be an interesting
one to see whether or not he returns, and losing
him would be bad for this Broncos run defense that
got bullied the last time we saw them. And DJ
Jones is the only guy weighing over three hundred pounds
that played in that game for the Broncos defense, and
Lasriquez the only other one on the roster, and his
future seems a little dubious. So if you let DJ
(18:23):
Jones out that door, you're going to have one of
the lightest defensive fronts in the league. You're going to
be outsized a lot in a lot of your matchups.
And speaking of being outsized, we saw that happen on
a national scale or make some national headlines. I should say,
maybe last night when Lebron James outsized and confronted steven
(18:44):
A Smith court side about what steven A had said
about his son.
Speaker 4 (18:49):
Well, Joe is very.
Speaker 7 (18:50):
Interesting and that you've phrased it and framed it in
that particular way as far as size, because stephen A
played basketball in college and he's pretty decent, you know, hype,
but in comparison to standing next to Lebron James, who
is sixty nine about two hundred and sixty five pounds,
(19:10):
a guy with broad shoulders. I mean he made stephen
A look like a preschooler, right, he made him look
a preschooler.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
But to be confronted by another man live.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
And be looking up at him like that.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
Yeah, it's just like, okay, you want to look eye
to eye to another man. Because I was always sold
when you shake a man with a firm, hanging shake
and you look him in his eye, and in case
of stephen A, he can't really look him in his eye.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
He needed a steps to him, right.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
But for me, stephen A had that coming, right, He
had that coming not because of Lebron's situation and the
conversation associated with Lebron and Bronny, but just on certain
things he had done in the past.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
But I don't think.
Speaker 7 (19:55):
Lebron handled a situation the way that he needed a
handle from an athlete standpoint, From a parent standpoint, you're
always going.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
To protect your kids.
Speaker 7 (20:05):
But from a professional standpoint, you could have confronted him
in the tunnel, you could have called him, there could
have been other ways to do this, but you confronted
him on the court, which told me you wanted somebody
to see it, right, you wanted people to see what
was gonna happen. And guess what, you go on social media?
Everyone had their phone, right, everyone has a people, yes,
(20:27):
who's not going to have their phone? Knowing as though
that there's been conversation and narratives from steven A about Brianni.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
And I'll say this.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
For me, when I talk about individuals, I try to
keep it one hundred, never make it personal.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Just talk about the play, not the play.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
You're right, But in this case, I can understand Lebron's point,
but steven A has a job to do. There's no
way that you can tell me and feel free, feel
freeze act to change my mind.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
But there's no way that you can tell.
Speaker 7 (20:59):
Me that Bronnie James deserves to be Excuse me, let
me row use of words. On the right to be
drafted in the first round by the Lakers.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
We all know how and why that happened.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, Lebron told everyone, Hey, if you want me to
play for you in twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five,
draft my kid, and that's where I'm going to be playing.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Exactly, and Bronni wasn't even starting at USC. The Lakers
didn't draft Bronnie, they drafted Lebron. Exactly, there we go.
That's what it was, and that is what steven A
was talking about. So stephen A puts not Bronnie on
Front Street, he put Lebron on Front Street. So Lebron
should have stepped to stephen A as a man to say, well,
(21:42):
don't talk about me that way, because this conversation wasn't
truly about Bronni, even though someone looking at it this way,
it was.
Speaker 9 (21:51):
No.
Speaker 4 (21:52):
It was about stephen A.
Speaker 7 (21:54):
Having a large platform to criticize Lebron himself.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
And I fully agree, like, if you're going to talk
about these places, it's part of our job. I think,
in the same way people in our chair say, oh, well,
these athletes have to be open to criticism. It's part
of the gig cuts both ways. You know, if you
say something that offends an athlete, or that an athlete
thinks is unfair or just makes yourself look like an idiot,
(22:19):
athletes can call you out for that.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
It's in the.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Same way we want to be able to hold our
athletes accountable, the athletes can hold us accountable.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
It's a two way street.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
That said, if you are so, I think Lebron was
right to hold steven A accountable. That said, if you're
going to go out on the center court of the
Staples Center and decide to do your confrontation there, you
are giving steven A a lay up opportunity to go
on to his show, go on to his own podcast,
the steven A Smith Show or whatever it's called.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
And make it about him.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
And I bet there were more eyeballs on First Take
today and on The steven A Show today than normally
are and ultimately you're kind of playing into.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
Steven A's by doing that.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
That'd be my one thing on agreed, Yeah, I just
don't think Lebron handled it right. But I don't think
he did anything wrong from like a moral standpoint or
oh you can't do that.
Speaker 7 (23:10):
Well, you know what, It's funny you say that because
after the conversation confrontation, you bet everyone couldn't wait to
watch and fall.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
At a network the next morning and go, oh, here
we go. You know what it was like?
Speaker 7 (23:22):
It was like when I was a kid and kids
wanted to start fights. They would go the baddest one
hit my hand and he would hit another kid. It
was like, I didn't hit you, he hits you right
and started the altercation. That's what individuals were waiting for.
They were waiting to see how stephen A responded. But
stephen A came out originally a little soft at the
(23:44):
very beginning, you know, very.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Calm and rarely soft in his communication.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
And then as he started to go along, it started
to kind of rev up a little bit because I'm
sure steven A didn't anticipate being confronted by a man
that side, because usually stephen A says a lot of
things and no one really confronts him because he's got
his box he could stand on and he could kind
(24:09):
of talk about how he's the man for the four
Letter Network.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
But but you're absolutely right.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
The sword cuts both ways for both players and those
in the media. And I always say, well, don't say
anything about a player that you wouldn't say to his face.
Don't don't hide behind that what is one hundred what
is one hundred and eighty whatever?
Speaker 6 (24:29):
Too?
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Eighty characters on X?
Speaker 7 (24:31):
No, No, no, no, don't don't don't say something on
X that you wouldn't.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Say to someone's face, because once they confronts you.
Speaker 7 (24:37):
Now you're calling the cops. Now you gotta call the cops.
You should have thought about it before your fingers started
getting moving.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
I have been there. I remember a training camp.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
I was treating. Now you got confronted by DJ.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Jung that he was like I treated out that he
fell over and he was like, I did not fall over,
and uh, you know I I was like, hey, maybe
from my angle, I got a I read on things,
but that is how I stood on my business. I said,
you know, that's how it looked to me, but I
obviously don't know it as well as you, and I
kind of just backed out of that one.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
It wasn't worth ying on that though.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
So it's okay.
Speaker 7 (25:12):
Now you gotta be thinking, So Lebron confronting stephen A
in public?
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Which one is more accurate? Right here?
Speaker 7 (25:21):
Is it more accurate to say that you were being
confronted by DJ or how you confronted bout.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Bre messis Which which one is more accurate?
Speaker 6 (25:30):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
I mean Bree's physical violence.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
No, DJ Juddes, I think just cares about accuracy and reporting.
DJ pre Nacist is an enforcer. If you've been watching
Daredevil season two, I know that's going ruder.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
It don't tell me. I'm to watch it tonight. All right, Well, you.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Saw the original Daredevil, of course, Uh, what's his name?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
The Pleasure, the Fisk.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
The big guy based on Bree naisis not that it's real,
real deal inforcer.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
But I'm curious with the stephen A Lebron thing.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
It did seem like Lebron took what he said about
BRONI very personally, even if it was more about Lebron.
Do you think that interpretation had anything to do with
steven A and Lebron's past relationship? As Dave Logan was
talking about during KA Sports, there's no love lost between
those two. It's been an icy relationship, I guess between
steven A and Lebron for a while. Steven A even
(26:22):
alluded to that during his explanation of events. Do you think,
I don't know, Lebron maybe saw a shot where there
wasn't a shot because of that trained relationship.
Speaker 7 (26:36):
Well, the opportunity to present it though, space an opportunity, right,
that's what we're saying, space an opportunity. And to know
that Steve there was a game against the New York
Knicks that steven A was going to be there, right,
there was a prime opportunity to pro steven A and
let him know how he feel whether that was the
right place.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Or not.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
But once again, this is why one individuals you have
to be careful, especially when you're working in the world
of social media. Sometimes you think that maybe your words
don't really cut the way that.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
They will. But in this case, that kind of cut
Lebron deep.
Speaker 7 (27:16):
Even though I think in heart of Hearts that wasn't
about Bronni.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
That was about Lebron and.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
Whatever beef that Lebron has with steven A, it came
out and understanding from steven a standpoint, he played basketball
long time ago, and I think he might have played
maybe at an HBCU, but he's never had an opportunity
to play on that level. And I can personally tell
you that there's certain media members who may get uncomfortable, right,
(27:47):
That's a solful way of saying it with players who
are doing something that they thought that that individuals wanted
to do.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Because I've had someone tell me that from the different market.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
You know, hey, stay in right, I've covered this game
longer than you've been playing, right, But that person never
really understood the point that, Yeah, you're right, you've covered
the game. I played the game, so it's entirely different.
But some guys in the media take issue with it.
Just like when you get a former player going into
(28:21):
the media and someone spent I don't know, four or
five six years in broadcast school, they get upset with
that player.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Why is that player getting an opportunity to leap frog me?
Speaker 7 (28:33):
So I can see it's slicing both ways for both
Lebron and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
I think that's a good way of looking at it.
This wasn't the only time today that ESPN, the Four
Letter Network, and the Lakers found themselves in the headlines,
though as last night, I guess I should say last.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Night they found themselves in the headlines.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
As Charles Barkley went out of his way to take
some shots at the two of the Four Letter Network,
that is in the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Here's what you had to say.
Speaker 9 (29:00):
I saw a food idiot on TV talking about the Lakers,
save the NBA save. Yeah, yeah, he's an idiot the
food But you know he is what's his name, Shaq,
which when you're talking about Kendrick Perkins. He said the Lakers,
first of all, the Lakers. I had a great two weeks,
he said. The Lakers save the NBA season. That's about them.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Foods on the.
Speaker 9 (29:19):
Other network, which we're gonna be working for the next year,
that's all they talk about. Let me tell y'all something, hey,
And first of all, I want all to smoke ies.
I don't whistle when I walked by the grave yard
or anything like that. I don't whistle what I want
by the great like that man steal in that one.
The Lakers are doing great, got a long way to go.
But the reason the season has been going great for
(29:40):
the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City of thunder, y'all
just want to talk about the Warriors and the Lakers.
They're both doing great. Don't get me wrong. If I
turn out to be wrong, I got no problem with that.
But y'all are idiots because y'all talk about the Lakers
and the Warriors all the time. Y'all know the Cleveland
cavin is the one in twelve straight games. So Oklahoma
(30:02):
City got the MVP and they all own fire. Y'all
wanna talk about who's in second place. That's the reason
I get pissed. Hey, the Lakers are doing great. I
don't mind being wrong. Walks are doing great, but that's
called you fools. Another network which were gonna become become
fools next year. We've been working on that network. But
(30:23):
Oklahoma City and the Calves been bawling for six months.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
What do you think about those comments about ESPN giving
too much left to the fourth or sorry, ESPN giving
too much left to the Lakers and not enough left
to teams at the top of the conference, like the
Calves and of course the Thunder.
Speaker 7 (30:44):
Well that would definitely fall in line with what Charles
is saying. And it goes back to I guess how
stevin A feels about Lebron right, because.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
The league has had a face of the league. I
mean since I was a kid.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
One point it was Bird and Magic, then it transitioned well,
let me back up for a second. First it was
doctor j Julius Urban, then it transferred to Magic and Bird,
and then it went to Michael Jordan, then it went
to Kobe, then it was handed off to Lebron. So
now the idea is that you got to talk about
your stars. Even when the Lakers were not playing well,
(31:21):
they had a lot of nationally televised games on either
ABC or ESPN.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
That was by design.
Speaker 7 (31:27):
Adam silver knew exactly what he was doing, so it
rubbed some people the wrong way, and they rubbed Chuck
the wrong way being one of those old school throwback
guys when they really played basketball, right, they played basketball now,
But to me, you just want to call it just basket,
not ball because it will play defense.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Right.
Speaker 7 (31:47):
So this is why Charles took issue with what Kendrick
Perkins was basically saying, because you had all these other
teams playing great basketball in the West, but you're constantly
talking about the Lakers as though they're the only team.
But to sell your guy and Lebron being that guy,
which is why Lebron really confident in approaching Steven A
(32:08):
and saying what he said to him.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I think that's a dead on. Coming back. At the
top of next.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Hour, we're going to be talking about how the.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Denver Broncos can maybe fix that linebacker position. What do
they need to be looking for as they hope to
fix that linebacker position. Going to pick your brain as
a former defensive player on that. Listening to Broncos Country
Tonight on KOA ninety four one FM eight fifty am,
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