2023 off-season thread

[broncos_fan _from _uk]

18 hours ago, jsthomp2007 said:

Would you do Russ for Lamar, straight up? I would..I'll freak out if Lamar is a Bronco 

Not with that ridiculous demand of a fully guaranteed contract.  (The Watson deal for the browns looking like it was so bad it destroyed the old browns too).

Lamar is an electric player. He’s better than Russ at this point in russ’ career. But he’s not Mahomes. Hell he’s not even Hurts. He’s better than Tebow but that’s a more apt comparison, given the system they had to build around him. When every play becomes a broken play, you can’t win in January (1 playoff win in his career). You need to be able to play timing football in todays game, and he can’t. With Lamar your team will play exciting ball in September and October and make the playoffs more often than not. But you’re not playing in the SB. Then when his athleticism leaves him (like it did Cam) you’ll be left with 3+ years of fully guaranteed elite QB money on the books. No thank you. 

[AKRNA]

4 hours ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

Not with that ridiculous demand of a fully guaranteed contract.  (The Watson deal for the browns looking like it was so bad it destroyed the old browns too).

Lamar is an electric player. He’s better than Russ at this point in russ’ career. But he’s not Mahomes. Hell he’s not even Hurts. He’s better than Tebow but that’s a more apt comparison, given the system they had to build around him. When every play becomes a broken play, you can’t win in January (1 playoff win in his career). You need to be able to play timing football in todays game, and he can’t. With Lamar your team will play exciting ball in September and October and make the playoffs more often than not. But you’re not playing in the SB. Then when his athleticism leaves him (like it did Cam) you’ll be left with 3+ years of fully guaranteed elite QB money on the books. No thank you. 

Your post kind of echo's an adage about QB's that's been around forever. 

That being, an NFL QB has to be able to win games from the pocket to be successful. Russ never could, Lamar can't but Mahomes? That kid will slice and dice you from the pocket. 

Anyway, Sean is a believer. I have a hard time thinking Russ had much of a future here.

[broncos67]

1 hour ago, AKRNA said:

Your post kind of echo's an adage about QB's that's been around forever. 

That being, an NFL QB has to be able to win games from the pocket to be successful. Russ never could, Lamar can't but Mahomes? That kid will slice and dice you from the pocket. 

Anyway, Sean is a believer. I have a hard time thinking Russ had much of a future here.

Payton will put Russ in the best possible position to win. If he doesn't, they're going to cut bait next year and go with Stidham on a 1-year prove it deal in Payton's system and see how things go. I am virtually certain that's the plan here.

[AKRNA]

7 minutes ago, broncos67 said:

Payton will put Russ in the best possible position to win. If he doesn't, they're going to cut bait next year and go with Stidham on a 1-year prove it deal in Payton's system and see how things go. I am virtually certain that's the plan here.

I agree pretty much but with one caveat listed below.

"Payton will put Russ in the best possible position to win within his system".  Seeing Stidham as a starter this year wouldn't  surprise me at all.

[broncos67]

9 minutes ago, AKRNA said:

I agree pretty much but with one caveat listed below.

"Payton will put Russ in the best possible position to win within his system".  Seeing Stidham as a starter this year wouldn't  surprise me at all.

Yeah, that's a fair caveat, and I agree with you on all points. I actually think Denver is going to use Stidham's legs quite a bit this year to keep Russ fresh. Would be very on brand for Payton to do something like that.

[AnAngryAmerican]

12 hours ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

Not with that ridiculous demand of a fully guaranteed contract.  (The Watson deal for the browns looking like it was so bad it destroyed the old browns too).

Lamar is an electric player. He’s better than Russ at this point in russ’ career. But he’s not Mahomes. Hell he’s not even Hurts. He’s better than Tebow but that’s a more apt comparison, given the system they had to build around him. When every play becomes a broken play, you can’t win in January (1 playoff win in his career). You need to be able to play timing football in todays game, and he can’t. With Lamar your team will play exciting ball in September and October and make the playoffs more often than not. But you’re not playing in the SB. Then when his athleticism leaves him (like it did Cam) you’ll be left with 3+ years of fully guaranteed elite QB money on the books. No thank you. 

It’s why Baltimore - as smart and as professionally run an organization as there is in the NFL - only what’s the short term. 

If Lamar had done the smart thing and hired an agent, a real agent, instead of his mom, he’d have been talked into taking a better deal and while ago and the Ravens probably would have bit the bullet and paid him.

I like Lamar but, oof, that statement released yesterday and was scrolled across the NFLN ticker all day long was embarrassing, for everyone involved. 

[AKRNA]

16 hours ago, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

Not with that ridiculous demand of a fully guaranteed contract.  (The Watson deal for the browns looking like it was so bad it destroyed the old browns too).

Lamar is an electric player. He’s better than Russ at this point in russ’ career. But he’s not Mahomes. Hell he’s not even Hurts. He’s better than Tebow but that’s a more apt comparison, given the system they had to build around him. When every play becomes a broken play, you can’t win in January (1 playoff win in his career). You need to be able to play timing football in todays game, and he can’t. With Lamar your team will play exciting ball in September and October and make the playoffs more often than not. But you’re not playing in the SB. Then when his athleticism leaves him (like it did Cam) you’ll be left with 3+ years of fully guaranteed elite QB money on the books. No thank you. 

You got me laughing here. Thanks!

You could basically swap Lamar's name for Russ Wilson, repost and be completely accurate.

[jsthomp2007]

On 3/28/2023 at 9:16 AM, broncos_fan _from _uk said:

Not with that ridiculous demand of a fully guaranteed contract.  (The Watson deal for the browns looking like it was so bad it destroyed the old browns too).

Lamar is an electric player. He’s better than Russ at this point in russ’ career. But he’s not Mahomes. Hell he’s not even Hurts. He’s better than Tebow but that’s a more apt comparison, given the system they had to build around him. When every play becomes a broken play, you can’t win in January (1 playoff win in his career). You need to be able to play timing football in todays game, and he can’t. With Lamar your team will play exciting ball in September and October and make the playoffs more often than not. But you’re not playing in the SB. Then when his athleticism leaves him (like it did Cam) you’ll be left with 3+ years of fully guaranteed elite QB money on the books. No thank you. 

That sounds more right...UK's thinking is clearer than JS's thinking.

[paul-mac]

It’s pretty surprising to me that Dalton Risner still hasn’t been signed. I know he wasn’t great for us but I’d have thought he was at least a serviceable starting guard for someone. 

[Broncofan]

3 hours ago, paul-mac said:

It’s pretty surprising to me that Dalton Risner still hasn’t been signed. I know he wasn’t great for us but I’d have thought he was at least a serviceable starting guard for someone. 

The league' s move to more power-based run games (remember all those blocking TE signings and FB signings early in FA?  No coincidence, it's the main counter to the Cover-2 D's coordinators are using nowadays), combined with Risner's injuries in 2022, and his likely top-of-the-market expectations, are the 3 circumstances that led to Risner's situation.   

He's almost certainly going to have to take a prove-it 1 year deal and bet on himself next season.     Given all the early signings at big $ we made in FA, we were never getting any comp picks back, so nothing lost on our end.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Broncofan

[paul-mac]

On 4/17/2023 at 4:34 PM, Broncofan said:

The league' s move to more power-based run games (remember all those blocking TE signings and FB signings early in FA?  No coincidence, it's the main counter to the Cover-2 D's coordinators are using nowadays), combined with Risner's injuries in 2022, and his likely top-of-the-market expectations, are the 3 circumstances that led to Risner's situation.   

He's almost certainly going to have to take a prove-it 1 year deal and bet on himself next season.     Given all the early signings at big $ we made in FA, we were never getting any comp picks back, so nothing lost on our end.

If we can’t find a good OL in the draft I’d be tempted to bring him back and move Quinn Meinerz to Center. I don’t want LC3 starting again this year. 

[broncos67]

14 minutes ago, paul-mac said:

If we can’t find a good OL in the draft I’d be tempted to bring him back and move Quinn Meinerz to Center. I don’t want LC3 starting again this year. 

That would make no sense. Has Meinerz played center recently? Why would we move a guy out of a position he's been good in just so we can bring back a guy no one wants? Doesn't seem to make much sense.

[paul-mac]

1 hour ago, broncos67 said:

That would make no sense. Has Meinerz played center recently? Why would we move a guy out of a position he's been good in just so we can bring back a guy no one wants? Doesn't seem to make much sense.

Other option would be to bring back our old player Connor McGovern to play Center 

[broncos67]

2 hours ago, paul-mac said:

Other option would be to bring back our old player Connor McGovern to play Center 

I'd do that for a one year deal if they can't find a longer term solution this draft. LC3 is not the long term solution - that is abundantly clear to me, no matter what Payton says.

[AKRNA]

4 hours ago, broncos67 said:

I'd do that for a one year deal if they can't find a longer term solution this draft. LC3 is not the long term solution - that is abundantly clear to me, no matter what Payton says.

Good centers have almost a sixth sense regarding the position. They are always in the right place! If a guy doesn't have that at this level he never will. 

LC3 is a perfect example. He really has no feel for the game, double teams guys that don't need it while a stunting DT blows right past him. He's just really hard to watch. Nalen is a perfect contrast to LC3. He blew up more blitzes than any center I've seen and left you wondering, "How'd he do that?"

We really need our next Nalen!