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AFC West Notes: Raiders, Jefferson, Broncos, Massie

June 28th, 2021 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

During an appearance on HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady discussed his reactions to a potential 2020 free agent suitor pulling out of the sweepstakes to stick with their incumbent signal-caller.

“There was a story, in free agency, one of the teams, they were interested and all of sudden they weren’t interested at the very end,” Brady said. “I was sitting there thinking, you’re stick with that [expletive]? Are you serious?

“When I look back I’m like, there’s no [expletive] way I would’ve went to that team. But they said they didn’t want me. I know what that means, I know what that feels like.”

There’s been plenty of speculation about the mystery team and quarterback that Brady was referring to, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com cites multiple league sources who believe the future Hall of Famer was referring to the Raiders and Derek Carr. Las Vegas had been mentioned as a potential Brady suitor during the 2020 offseason, but the organization dropped out of the sweepstakes after balking at Brady’s long list of requests. As Florio notes, Brady had his chance at payback last season, when he tossed four touchdowns in a 45-20 Tampa Bay victory over Las Vegas.

Unless Brady unexpectedly reveals who he was talking about, we’ll never truly know if it was the Raiders. Plenty of other teams and quarterbacks have been mentioned, including the Bears/Mitch Trubisky and the Titans/Ryan Tannehill. The 49ers and former teammate Jimmy Garoppolo have been a popular suggestion, but considering Brady’s lifelong affinity for San Francisco (and his declaration that he was never going to sign with that team in the first place), we can probably cross them off the list.

Here’s more out of the AFC West…

  • Quinton Jefferson has played all over the defensive line during his five-year career, but despite the Raiders depth at defensive tackle, the team is still planning to play their free agent acquisition at his natural position. The 28-year-old will be teaming up with the Raiders main offseason acquisition, defensive tackle Yannick Ngakoue, and Jefferson is excited to form a two-headed monster with his good friend and former college teammate. “Yannick is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL right now and he brings that intensity,” Jefferson told The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “He is going to bring some pressure and help relieve Maxx (Crosby), free Maxx up so that other teams can’t key on one guy. And then hopefully I can bring some interior pressure as well, so we should have a good mix out there. I am excited to see how that all comes together.”
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post explores several Broncos players who find themselves on the roster bubble prior to training camp and the preseason. Atop his list is defensive tackle McTelvin Agim, a 2020 third-round pick who was limited to only 110 defensive snaps as a rookie. O’Halloran notes that it’s troubling that the young defensive lineman wasn’t working with the starters during minicamp despite the absences of Mike Purcell and Shelby Harris. Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson, running back Royce Freeman, safety Trey Marshall, and linebacker Derrek Tuszka also earned spots on the list.
  • The Broncos brought in both Bobby Massie and Cameron Fleming to compete for the starting right tackle spot, and ESPN’s Jeff Legwold believes Massie will get the first shot at the gig. Massie certainly has the advantage when it comes to experience; the 31-year-old has started 110 of his 118 career games, including each of his eight games in 2020. Meanwhile, Fleming has mostly served as backup throughout his career (91 games, 42 starts), although he did start a career-high 16 games for the Giants last season.

Royce Freeman On Broncos’ Roster Bubble?

June 28th, 2021 at 2:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Broncos waived DaeSean Hamilton last month, and it appears another high profile member of their 2018 draft class could be out the door before finishing his rookie deal as well.

Royce Freeman is on Denver’s roster bubble and could find himself let go at final cuts, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post writes. The 71st pick of the 2018 draft, Freeman’s career arc so far is a good reminder of the easy come, easy go nature of the NFL. The Oregon product received a ton of buzz during his rookie training camp, and he was named the team’s starting running back before the 2018 season.

He ended up playing in 14 games and starting eight that year, finishing with 130 carries for 521 yards and five touchdowns. He again played a sizable role in 2019, rushing 132 times for 496 yards and adding 43 receptions for another 256 yards.

He quickly fell into Vic Fangio’s doghouse though, and didn’t play a ton last year behind Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. Even though Lindsay is gone now, O’Halloran notes they just drafted Javonte Williams in the second round and signed Mike Boone in free agency.

Boone got $1.6MM guaranteed from Denver, so he likely isn’t going anywhere. O’Halloran writes Freeman will need to use the preseason to convince new GM George Paton to keep him as a fourth running back, or else he’ll be looking for a new team. Freeman turned 25 in February.

Demaryius Thomas Announces Retirement

June 28th, 2021 at 10:34am CST by Sam Robinson

Although Demaryius Thomas did not play last season, the Pro Bowl wide receiver said during the 2020 offseason he did not intend to retire. The decorated pass catcher has changed his mind a year later.

Thomas announced Monday he will walk away after a 10-year career (video link). The former first-round pick played for the Broncos, Texans, and Jets — with a short stopover with the Patriots — from 2010-19. While the 33-year-old receiver donned four uniforms, he will be remembered primarily for his work in Denver.

Despite coming out of a run-heavy system at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-3 wideout became one of the NFL’s top receivers in the 2010s. Thomas made four Pro Bowls while with the Broncos and operated as the team’s No. 1 receiver throughout Peyton Manning‘s time in Denver. Thomas reeled off five straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2012-16, and that period doubled as the second-highest peak in Broncos franchise history.

Shortly after trading Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins, the Broncos drafted Thomas in the 2010 first round. Injuries slowed the big-bodied target to start his career, but he did not miss a game for six full seasons after starting the 2011 slate late because of an offseason Achilles tear. Thomas proved essential for Denver’s unorthodox Tim Tebow-directed attack in 2011, and his 80-yard walk-off touchdown — to cap a 204-yard performance — against the Steelers in the wild-card round doubles as one of this era’s signature plays.

Following Manning’s 2012 arrival, Thomas played a centerpiece role for a Broncos team that earned three No. 1 seeds in four years. He teamed with Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas on a talented pass-catching corps in 2013, when the Manning-piloted offense set the NFL single-season scoring record (606 points) en route to Super Bowl XLVIII. Thomas led that team in receiving and caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes. In 2014, he posted a career-most 1,619 yards. This drove the Broncos to give him a five-year, $70MM extension — which occurred within minutes of Dez Bryant‘s identical deal at the 2015 franchise tag deadline. That season, which featured a noticeable Manning decline, Thomas’ 1,304 receiving yards paced the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos.

Thomas played four seasons on that deal, finishing it out in Houston. The Broncos ended Thomas’ eight-plus-year tenure at the 2018 trade deadline, sending him to the Texans. Later that season, Thomas suffered another Achilles tear — which preceded his release from Houston. Thomas finished his career with former Broncos OC Adam Gase, playing an auxiliary role for the 2019 Jets. Thomas’ 9,055 receiving yards and 60 touchdown receptions rank second in Broncos history — behind only Rod Smith.

Melvin Gordon Discusses Broncos’ RB Depth, Role

June 24th, 2021 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos have done some work revamping their running back depth chart this offseason. That means former Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon will find himself competing for carries (and, potentially, a roster spot). However, the veteran isn’t all that worried about his projected role.

“I’m very confident, man,” Gordon said (via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold). “I’m just going to go out there and just do my job and compete. Wherever the cards fall, they fall. I can’t really worry about that too much. I know that’s kind of the talk. The media is making it Javonte versus Melvin. Who’s going to start? This and that. It’s not really about that.”

Gordon is referring to rookie Javonte Williams, who the Broncos traded up to select in the second round (No. 35). The organization also brought in free agent Mike Boone, who previously played for new Broncos general manager George Paton during their time in Minnesota, and they’re still rostering former starter Royce Freeman. As a result, Gordon will have to battle for every carry once the regular season rolls around.

It’s not a surprise that the Broncos have been focused on adding depth at the position. Gordon may have led the Broncos with 986 rushing yards in 2020, but he had four lost fumbles and was forced to miss a game after getting arrested for DUI. Plus, Paton doesn’t have any attachment to the 2020 free agent signing, and Gordon didn’t do much to endear himself when he skipped OTAs.

While Gordon will likely see a reduction in carries, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be jettisoned off the roster. While the Broncos would save around $2.5MM by cutting the 28-year-old, they’d be left with $6.5MM in dead cap. Unless the organization desperately needs the cap space, it could make more sense to just keep Gordon as some high-level depth. Perhaps most importantly, it sounds like Gordon is embracing the team’s running backs corps, indicating that himself, Williams, and Boone could form a three-headed monster.

“We’re competing, but it’s early, and we still have a lot of work to do,” Gordon said. “I think both of them have really good feet and good hands. I think they’re going to be — we could all be special. We’re definitely going to come out here and compete. … You can tell Boone been in the league for a while, and you can tell that Javonte has potential. We’re going to grow as a group, and we’re looking to be the best running back group in the league.”

Poll: Who Will Be Broncos’ Primary QB Starter In 2021?

June 23rd, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the key points in this year’s draft came at No. 9, when the Broncos — who did extensive work on quarterbacks coming in — passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones to select Patrick Surtain II. Denver passing on potential long-term starters transpired shortly after new GM George Paton acquired Teddy Bridgewater from the Panthers.

With the Broncos choosing Surtain, Bridgewater and Drew Lock reside as their quarterbacks. They split reps down the middle this offseason and will continue this competition during training camp, when chapter six in the franchise’s post-Super Bowl 50 quarterback saga commences in earnest.

The Broncos have started an NFL-most 10 players at quarterback — counting Phillip Lindsay‘s wildcat snap in the COVID-19-created Kendall Hinton game last season — since Peyton Manning‘s March 2016 retirement. Denver has tried free agency (Case Keenum, the second Brock Osweiler acquisition), the trade market (Joe Flacco, Bridgewater) and the draft (Lock, Paxton Lynch) to fill this spot. The Broncos’ most successful post-Manning season — 2016, when the team went 9-7 — came with 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian at the controls.

Now on his fifth team, Bridgewater is still just 28 and has a history with Paton. The Vikings drafted the Louisville alum in the 2014 first round, when Paton was working as GM Rick Spielman‘s top lieutenant. The former Jets (briefly), Saints and Panthers quarterback has developed a reputation as a risk-averse passer, and Carolina was eager to jettison him after authorizing a three-year, $63MM deal in 2020. The trade agreement knocked Bridgewater’s 2021 cap hit down to just $4.4MM and made him a 2022 free agent. But Bridgewater makes sense for a team with high-end defensive capabilities, which a healthy Broncos iteration possesses.

Bridgewater finished 17th in QBR last season; Lock ranked 29th. The 2019 second-round pick was often erratic during his second NFL season, tying for the NFL INT lead (15) despite missing three games. Lock, however, was thrust into an unusual spot in 2020 — learning a new offense in a virtual offseason — and lacked top receiver Courtland Sutton for most of the season. But, with longtime GM John Elway ceding the reins to Paton, Lock’s grace period is over.

The elephant in this room: will the Broncos’ interest in Aaron Rodgers be relevant soon? The Broncos have lapped the field in Rodgers rumors, with the Raiders — another team Rodgers is open to joining — comfortable with Derek Carr for the time being. Depending on which skill-position players would be left in Denver after a trade, Rodgers would be equipped with a host of young weapons and a defense positioned to be one of the league’s best.

Even as some around the league wonder if the Packers are bracing for the reigning MVP’s exit, they are holding firm and possess leverage. Despite a return that could feature two or three first-round picks and one or more established young starters, Green Bay is understandably clinging to hopes this situation can be salvaged. The Bengals traded disgruntled QB Carson Palmer in October 2011, after the incumbent had staged a retirement in an effort to leave Cincinnati, and Palmer made nine starts for the Raiders that year. The Broncos likely would be open to a Rodgers in-season arrival, but ideally for them, the Packers begin trade discussions before the season.

Denver passing on Fields also leaves the door open, albeit narrowly, for Deshaun Watson. Twelve years younger than Rodgers, at 25, Watson is believed to be interested in being traded to the Broncos. The team had Watson on its radar as well. Kareem Jackson, conflict of interest notwithstanding, said his former Texans teammate has Denver atop his destination list. The Broncos are believed to prefer Rodgers to Watson, with the latter’s off-field issues undoubtedly factoring into this equation. Watson faces an uncertain future, with the Commissioner’s Exempt List and/or a suspension potentially looming. But if clarity emerges here before the trade deadline, the Broncos — assuming they do not acquire Rodgers — may be back in play for the three-time Pro Bowler.

Will the Broncos end up swinging a trade this year, or will 2022 be the window for such a transaction? Can Bridgewater or Lock seize the job and halt Rodgers and Watson rumors for good? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section.

Which QB will make the most starts for the Broncos this season?
Teddy Bridgewater 39.98% (826 votes)
Drew Lock 28.17% (582 votes)
Aaron Rodgers 27.35% (565 votes)
Deshaun Watson 4.50% (93 votes)
Total Votes: 2,066

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/21/21

June 21st, 2021 at 6:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived from IR: WR Donte Sylencieux

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Sutton, Chubb Set To Avoid PUP List

June 19th, 2021 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Numerous key players missed extensive time for the Broncos last season, but the team received good news as it prepares for its next training camp. One of the biggest names to miss Denver’s 5-11 2020 slate, Courtland Sutton is not expected to start camp on the team’s active/PUP list, Vic Fangio said this week. The Pro Bowl wide receiver suffered an ACL tear in Week 2 of last season. Neither Sutton nor Bradley Chubb, who is rehabbing offseason ankle surgery, are likely to miss camp time, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. Chubb needed bone spurs removed from his ankle.

Broncos Won’t Sign Shaquem Griffin

June 17th, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Shaquem Griffin will have to wait a little longer to find a new home. The inspirational linebacker who lost one hand at the age of four recently received an invitation to Broncos minicamp as a tryout player.

Griffin spent the past few days in Denver, but the team will not be signing him at this time, Mike Klis of Denver 9 News tweets. Klis does note that Broncos “coaches/front office were impressed with his minicamp work,” so perhaps he could still be signed down the line.

We heard back in May that multiple teams had expressed interest in signing the twin brother of Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin, but nothing materialized. Both Griffin brothers have played their entire pro careers up until now with the Seahawks. Shaquill landed a big deal from Jacksonville earlier this offseason.

Shaquem mostly played as a special teamer, or regular linebacker when on defense, with the Seahawks. But it was also reported earlier this offseason that he was looking to transition into a full-time pass-rusher.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/17/21

June 17th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: OL T.J. Wheatley Jr.

Denver Broncos

 

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