Denver Broncos Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos GM George Paton On Bradley Chubb, Courtland Sutton

April 25th, 2021 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Much of the coverage of the Broncos this offseason has focused upon what the club will do with respect to its quarterback position, but new GM George Paton also has non-QB business to handle. That includes the contract situations of OLB Bradley Chubb and WR Courtland Sutton.

During his first pre-draft press conference, Paton told reporters, including Zack Kelberman of SI.com, about his desire to keep both players in the fold for the long haul. “They’re two of our core guys, and we want them here a long time,” Paton said. “We’re not going to address that until after the draft. We’re strictly focused on the draft, but those are two of our guys.”

As a 2018 first-round choice, Chubb’s rookie contract carries a fifth-year option that Paton must exercise by May 3. Though he has not explicitly said so, the rookie general manager will doubtlessly pick up the option, which is valued at a fully-guaranteed $12.7MM. That will buy player and team plenty of time to work out a contract extension.

Chubb posted 12 sacks in his rookie year, but he suffered a torn ACL early in the 2019 season. He rebounded from that injury to tally 7.5 sacks last year, to go along with 19 QB hits. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 30th-best edge defender out of 109 qualifiers, but his pass rushing score of 79.4 was actually a top-15 mark, and he earned his first Pro Bowl bid for his efforts.

It’s unclear if Paton will pursue an extension for Chubb immediately after the draft, though it would make sense for the two sides to at least have exploratory conversations. The same can be said of Sutton, but his situation is a little murkier.

Like Chubb, Sutton is a 2018 draftee, but because he was selected in the second round that year, his deal does not have a fifth-year option. So he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2021 season, and given that he sustained a season-sending ACL tear in his first game of the 2020 campaign, Paton may want to make sure he returns to form before getting too aggressive with extension talks.

Plus, the Broncos invested heavily at the wide receiver position last year, drafting Jerry Jeudy in the first round and KJ Hamler in the second. That could limit how far Paton is willing to stretch himself on a new contract for Sutton, but if Sutton picks up in 2021 where he left off in 2019 — he earned a Pro Bowl nod that year after posting 72 catches for 1,112 yards — it will be difficult to let him walk.

Poll: How Will Broncos Address QB Need?

April 24th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The only two starting quarterbacks to retire after winning Super Bowls played for the same franchise. While the Broncos made the playoffs multiple times in the five years following John Elway‘s retirement — with the likes of Brian Griese and Jake Plummer operating as the team’s primary starters — they have hovered off the contention radar for most of their post-Peyton Manning stretch. No team has started more quarterbacks than Denver’s 10 (counting the Kendall Hinton game) since 2016.

This stretch has placed the Broncos back on the quarterback radar. Although their last foray into the first-round market careened off course quickly (Paxton Lynch in 2016), the Broncos’ three subsequent QB investments — Case Keenum, Joe Flacco and Drew Lock — largely struggled. Will this run of futility at the NFL’s premier position force the Broncos to acquire one of this year’s top QB prospects?

New GM George Paton has said multiple times this offseason the Broncos will acquire a quarterback to push Lock, but it is not certain that will be a rookie. Denver brass, however, did extensive work on this year’s top passer crop. Paton was at Justin Fields and Trey Lance‘s initial pro days, while offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur trekked to the second workouts held by the Ohio State and North Dakota State QBs. Other teams have viewed Denver as a stealth quarterback seeker as well.

Only two of the draft’s top five passing prospects will be available to teams picking after No. 3, with the 49ers moving up for a quarterback. Considering the needs of some teams picking outside the top 10 — the Patriots, Washington and Bears have been linked to trade-up maneuvers — and the not-impossible prospect of the Lions (No. 7) or Panthers (No. 8) jumping into the fray, it is possible the Broncos will be left out if they stand pat at No. 9. They are believed to have inquired about trading up, though Paton denied this. The Falcons (No. 4), Dolphins (No. 6), Lions and Panthers are all open to trades, creating opportunities for the Broncos and teams eager to trade in front of them.

Given the Broncos’ above-average defense and bevy of skill-position weapons, going into another season with Lock (29th in 2020 QBR) could lower the team’s ceiling — in a hot-seat year for Vic Fangio. But Fangio’s status could also push the team to trade for a veteran instead of hoping this year’s fourth- or fifth-best QB prospect can make an impact right away. Although the Broncos sat out the free agent market and passed on trades for Carson Wentz and Sam Darnold — after falling short for Matthew Stafford — veteran arms remain available.

Paton was with the Vikings when they drafted Teddy Bridgewater in the 2014 first round; Carolina has since given Bridgewater permission to seek a trade. Given Paton’s history with the 28-year-old QB, it would make sense if the Broncos were one of the teams interested. Gardner Minshew figures to be available — even though Urban Meyer denied it. The 49ers are holding out for a big offer to part with now-lame-duck starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Lock has not been blessed with great circumstances, despite Denver drafting Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in the first and second rounds last year. The pandemic nixed the young passer’s first offseason with Shurmur, and No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton went down in Week 2 last year. But the 2022 quarterback class, as of now, has received far less hype than the past two drafts’ QB crops generated. The Broncos not making a move for Fields, Lance or Mac Jones next week could limit their options going forward.

How do you think the Broncos will play this? Will they prioritize acquiring another quarterback by trading up or hope one falls to No. 9? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this situation in the comments section.

How will the Broncos address their quarterback situation?

They will trade up for one in Round 1 27.75% (351 votes)

They will select one at No. 9 26.80% (339 votes)

They will trade for a veteran 24.43% (309 votes)

They will draft one in the second round 21.03% (266 votes)

Total Votes: 1,265

Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1

April 23rd, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.

As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Broncos GM Paton: Haven’t Called About Moving Up, Will Bring In QB Competition

April 22nd, 2021 at 1:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard just a couple of days ago that the Broncos were a team potentially looking to move up in the draft. Speaking to the media today, new GM George Paton made it sound like that’s not something he’s planning on as of right now.

Paton says the team has not made any calls about moving up in the draft from their current ninth spot, James Palmer of NFL Network tweets. Paton also said has received calls from teams looking to move up next week. If Denver truly does stand pat at nine, they likely wouldn’t be able to draft one of the true top passers.

That’s relevant, because notably Paton did confirm bluntly that the Broncos are going to bring in a new quarterback to push Drew Lock. “We want to bring in competition at the quarterback position,” Paton said, via Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link).

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Lock certainly can’t be considered etched in stone as the Broncos’ Week 1 starter at this point. Paton also didn’t rule out moving up in the draft, saying something could materialize on draft day, only that nothing is in the works right now. If the team doesn’t draft a quarterback early it’s unclear what kind of competition they’d bring in, since the veteran market has mostly dried up. Paton did refer to a “trade market,” so maybe they could swing a deal for another team’s veteran backup.

It’s possible that if the Broncos don’t trade up and miss out on the first-round guys, they could draft a quarterback on Day 2. At that point, Davis Mills of Stanford, Kyle Trask of Florida, and Kellen Mond of Texas A&M would all be realistic options.

T.J. Ward Announces Retirement

April 21st, 2021 at 8:16am CST by Sam Robinson

T.J. Ward caught on with the Cardinals’ practice squad for a bit last season, doing so after being out of football for a lengthy stretch. The former Pro Bowl safety will not attempt to play in 2021. Ward announced his retirement Wednesday morning, Troy Renck of Denver7 reports.

Best known for being part of the Broncos’ No Fly Zone secondary, which played a major role in the franchise’s third Super Bowl championship, Ward was a regular for eight NFL seasons. He also spent time with the Browns and Buccaneers, last suiting up for a regular-season game in 2017.

Ward, 34, will wrap his career as a two-time Pro Bowler. The Browns selected Ward in the 2010 second round and used him as a starter throughout his four-year tenure in Cleveland. In 2014, Ward signed a four-year, $22.5MM contract to join the Broncos. This move elevated Ward’s profile and bolstered a Broncos defense that was coming off a rough outing in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The ex-Oregon Duck spent three seasons with the Broncos, joining DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and Emmanuel Sanders as part of the franchise’s quality 2014 free agent class. An intimidating presence on the back line of a dominant Broncos secondary, Ward joined Talib, Chris Harris, Darian Stewart and Bradley Roby in helping the Broncos rank first in pass defense DVOA in 2015 and ’16.

Ward intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble in Super Bowl 50, playing a pivotal part in Denver’s upset victory, and continued as a starter in 2016. The Broncos gave Stewart a long-term extension that season and used two 2016 draft picks on safeties — Justin Simmons and Will Parks. Simmons ended up replacing Ward in 2017. The Broncos released Ward ahead of that season, leading to his one-year, $4MM Bucs deal.

The hard-hitting safety finished his career with two 100-plus-tackle seasons — both with Cleveland — and 29 tackles for loss. He added 10 forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns — both of which came in 2013, when he earned second-team All-Pro recognition.

Panthers Discussing Trading Down From No. 8 Slot; Broncos Exploring Move Up

April 20th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

New Panthers GM Scott Fitterer comes from a Seahawks organization that has made some notable trade-down maneuvers. Carolina is now interested in moving back.

The Panthers have held discussions with other teams about trading out of their No. 8 overall draft slot, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Carolina has been linked to a possible quarterback pick, with Fitterer indicating the team’s trade for Sam Darnold would not impede such a move. However, the Panthers could also deal the pick to a team with a greater QB need.

With the Broncos picking ninth, a team moving up to the Panthers’ No. 8 spot would make sense. Teams are viewing Denver as a stealth quarterback seeker, though given the Broncos’ glaring need, it is rather obvious to see why teams would be interested in trading into the Panthers’ position.

The rebuilding Panthers are interested in accumulating more draft capital this year, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Carolina currently holds seven picks. Interest in adding to that total may result in the Broncos being dealt a blow, one that would possibly make them attempt to trade up. Denver has indeed discussed moving up, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). The Broncos hold nine picks in this year’s draft, but the only additional selections are seventh-rounders. A move up would surely cost at least one high pick in 2022.

Washington, the Bears and the Patriots have been linked to potential trade-ups for quarterbacks. It is possible the No. 8 spot could be where the fifth quarterback goes, should the Panthers move down. Of course, the Falcons’ decision at 4 will play a big part in determining what the QB situation looks like at 8. Plenty of moving parts exist going into this year’s top 10, and it seems the Panthers are willing to help another team’s cause — for a likely significant price.

The Panthers are not the only team connected to a possible trade-down maneuver. The Dolphins, Lions and Giants — who hold Nos. 6, 7 and 11, respectively — have expressed interest in accumulating more picks as well. All three would represent spots for teams with designs on acquiring one of the top five quarterbacks. The Panthers may well have thrown their hat in this ring as well.

Drew Lock Among Broncos At Workouts

April 19th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos were the first team to go along with the NFLPA’s proposed boycott of the voluntary offseason workout slate, several of their players were present for the first day of workouts Monday. Drew Lock was among the 20-plus Broncos in attendance for Phase I of the team’s offseason program, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Lock has a $75K workout bonus in his contract, joining fellow 2019 second-round pick Dalton Risner in that regard. Risner said Saturday he would attend regardless of the bonus; Denver’s other starting guard, Graham Glasgow, said he would attend as well. While many Bronco veterans are following through with the boycott, Klis notes this only applies to the onsite workouts. All were present for the virtual meetings Monday. It would certainly behoove Lock to attend, given his uncertain status. The Broncos are expected to add a quarterback; it just is not known if it will be a veteran competitor or a first-round replacement. Agents have encouraged other young players to attend workouts as well, Klis tweets.

Latest On Trey Lance, Justin Fields

April 19th, 2021 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Lance conducted his second pro day Monday in Fargo, North Dakota. A few notable teams attended the event. While previous reports indicated the 49ers, Falcons and Broncos were to have personnel at the showcase, the Patriots were there as well.

The Pats sent Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Dave Ziegler to observe Lance, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The Panthers and Bears are not believed to have sent representatives to watch the North Dakota State prospect throw this time, Breer adds, though both teams were at his first pro day. Washington, which has been linked to Lance recently, did have a contingent present, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets.

Lance ran 49ers drills at the workout. The idea of working in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense appeals to Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, according to Breer. Lance and Fields opted to go through with second pro days in order for Shanahan and John Lynch to be on-hand. Lance has worked with QB guru John Beck in recent weeks and, per Graziano, did so at Shanahan’s request (Twitter link). San Francisco’s staff gave Beck a set of drills for Lance to work on during the leadup to his second pro day. Shanahan coached Beck when he served as Washington’s OC in the early 2010s.

The Panthers sent their top brass to Lance’s first pro day March 12; Matt Rhule, GM Scott Fitterer and OC Joe Brady made that trip, Breer adds. The Bears sent Matt Nagy to watch Fields’ second pro day last week, with Washington having director of college scouting Tim Gribble at that event. Nagy and GM Ryan Pace made the trip to watch Lance last month but were not believed to be at Lance’s second throwing session, which, like Fields’ workout sequel, was closed to media.

Denver OC Pat Shurmur was at both Fields and Lance’s second sessions, and while the Broncos are not a lock to draft one of this year’s top five passers, teams believe they are lurking as as stealth QB suitor, according to Breer. The Broncos are set to pick ninth. One of those QBs could well fall to them, but the Broncos have also been linked to a possible trade-up for a quarterback. The team last drafted a first-round quarterback in 2016 (Paxton Lynch) but has never selected one in the top 10. If the 49ers take Jones, the Broncos would stand to be in play for Lance or Fields.

Falcons “Open To All Options” With No. 4 Pick

April 18th, 2021 at 1:51pm CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons are open to all options with respect to their No. 4 overall pick, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (video link). The teams holding the first three picks in the draft — the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers — are going to select quarterbacks, so the Falcons are the first club that could go with a non-QB or trade down. As such, there has been plenty of speculation about what Atlanta might do.

Our own Sam Robinson nicely recapped all of the reports regarding the No. 4 pick in a recent PFR poll (most of our readers presently think that the Falcons will keep their pick and select Florida TE Kyle Pitts, while a smaller but still significant contingent thinks Atlanta will trade down). Essentially, while new GM Terry Fontenot and new HC Arthur Smith were previously said to be split on what do to with the selection — Fontenot wanted to use it on a QB, while Smith wanted to use it on a player who would make more of an immediate impact — the club’s top power brokers are now reportedly in lockstep.

But that could just mean that they are in agreement on the QB vs. non-QB issue. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they have decided which prospect, quarterback or otherwise, they want to select — though some league sources believe the club is targeting Pitts — and if another team puts together an enticing trade package, a move down the board remains on the table.

In the meantime, the Falcons continue to do their due diligence on the quarterbacks that could be available. They will have reps at Trey Lance‘s Pro Day tomorrow, and they had eyes on Lance at his first showcase as well. They were also in attendance at both of Justin Fields‘ Pro Days, and if nothing else, the idea that they are seriously considering one of those two passers will only help their asking price in trade talks. As Fowler notes, Atlanta could certainly use some additional draft capital to shore up its defense.

Fowler confirms previous reports that the Broncos — whose hunt for a QB upgrade has been well-documented — could be looking to move up from No. 9 to No. 4, while Atlanta’s division rivals, the Panthers, might be another team looking to trade down now that they have landed Sam Darnold.

Broncos To Attend Trey Lance’s Second Pro Day

April 17th, 2021 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of a critical draft decision, the Broncos plan to keep looking into quarterbacks who could potentially be available when they go on the clock at No. 9.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is expected to attend Trey Lance‘s second pro day, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The second-year Denver OC attended Justin Fields‘ second workout last week. Lance’s second pro day is set for Monday.

Broncos GM George Paton was at Lance’s first pro day, which occurred more than a month ago, but did not attend Fields’ second. Shurmur and Broncos director of pro personnel A.J. Durso trekked to Columbus for that workout. The Broncos will join the 49ers and Falcons, with select other teams likely set to attend the North Dakota State-hosted event as well, at Lance’s workout Monday.

Shurmur was not in Denver when the team drafted Drew Lock and saw the 2019 second-round pick tie for the league INT lead despite only finishing 12 games. The Broncos have been linked to both Lance and Fields in mock drafts, with quarterback being the team’s runaway top need. Paton has said the Broncos will add to their quarterback room, but they are not certain to do so via the draft.

Denver has added two starters to a promising defense this offseason, signing Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller, and has an intriguing array of skill-position targets on offense. But the franchise has started an NFL-high 10 quarterbacks since Peyton Manning‘s 2016 retirement, holding back ascension efforts in that span.

If nothing else, they represent a team that could take a quarterback. That could induce another franchise to trade in front of the Broncos or perhaps offer them an enticing trade package to pass on addressing their need at No. 9. Washington and Chicago are on this radar, and New England may well be. Washington is believed to be high on Lance but perhaps not so big on trading into the top five for him. Moving ahead of the Broncos could then be key in this pursuit.

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