Drew Lock Among Broncos At Workouts
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
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.
[RELATED: 49ers Open To Drafting Trey Lance?]
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
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
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.
[RELATED: Trey Lance To Run 49ers Drills]
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.
Some Broncos Players To Attend Workouts
The Broncos became the first team to take NFLPA president J.C. Tretter up on a proposed boycott of the voluntary offseason program. But some within the team’s ranks do intend to report.
Third-year guard Dalton Risner has trained at the team’s facility this offseason and plans to be there Monday, when the Broncos’ offseason program is set to begin.
“I’ve stayed quiet through this whole process, but yeah, I’m showing up Monday,” Risner said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “I know there’s some other guys who are showing up as well. I’ve been at the facility all offseason. … If there wasn’t an offseason bonus, it wouldn’t matter. I’m coming off my second year. I have a lot of work to do. I want a second contract with the Broncos. I have a lot to prove. I respect my teammates’ decision; I really do. I love all my teammates. But for me personally, I was already in there, and I wanted to continue to work out there.”
Denver’s other starting guard, Graham Glasgow, also plans on reporting at some point. The 2020 free agency addition has a $100K workout bonus tied to his offseason attendance and said he will report when necessary to collect that. Risner and Drew Lock have $75K workout bonuses this year. Von Miller has a $500K workout bonus in the final year of his contract. Several other Broncos are undecided on attending, Klis tweets, and union rep Brandon McManus indicated multiple team calls have taken place since the NFL announced its offseason schedule.
The NFL and NFLPA have not agreed on terms for this year’s offseason. Citing COVID-19 concerns, the latter has pushed for a fully virtual program for a second straight year. While just more than half the league’s teams have released statements indicating all or many of their players will not report, some teams — like the Chiefs, who have 21 players who can collect workout-based incentives — have not. This is set to create an unusual imbalance, and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has advised players with workout bonuses to report.
No on-field work can take place until May 17, when Phase 2 of the offseason program begins. How teams’ respective attendance figures look will be interesting.
Texans Sign DL DeMarcus Walker
Defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker took to Instagram to announce that he has signed with the Texans. The former second round pick will fight for an uptick in playing time after spending the last four years as a rotational player for the Broncos. 
[RELATED: Texans Add Lane Taylor]
Walker has spent some time at outside linebacker, but he’s done his best work as a 3-4 defensive end. Last year, he notched 4.5 sacks, giving him 8.5 combined over the past two seasons. He saw time on 35% of the Broncos’ snaps last year, but the Broncos chose to replace him with former Viking Shamar Stephen this offseason. Meanwhile, Shelby Harris has been re-upped to reprise his role on the line.
Walker will be joined by ex-Broncos teammate Phillip Lindsay in Houston, plus a host of other defensive newcomers like Derek Rivers and Maliek Collins. For his career, Walker has appeared in 36 games (five starts), notching 51 tackles, 10.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Broncos May Trade DaeSean Hamilton
The Broncos have Courtland Sutton coming back from an ACL tear in 2021. They also drafted Jerry Jeudy in the first-round last year, and K.J. Hamler in the second. They also have Tim Patrick coming off a breakout 742-yard season.
Needless to say, the receivers room is a bit crowded at the moment. That surplus of wideouts could lead to a trade around the draft, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network says to keep an eye on DaeSean Hamilton (Twitter video link). The Broncos have “gotten inquiries” on Hamilton, Garafolo reports, and he believes Denver “would move him for the right price.”
Considering Hamilton was a fourth-round pick in 2018 and hasn’t done a ton in the league, it likely wouldn’t take more than a Day 3 pick to get a trade done. As Garafolo points out, new Broncos GM George Paton also has no ties to Hamilton, making him more easily expendable.
Penn State’s all-time leading receiver has had between 23-30 catches and 243-297 yards in all three of his pro seasons. He’s set to enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2021.
He only just turned 26 and has flashed some potential while being buried on the depth chart, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a team that misses out on a receiver in the early rounds of the draft pulls the trigger here.
Contract Details: Conner, Cockrell, Stephen
We’ve compiled a handful of details on recent contracts, including the newest member of the Cardinals offense:
- James Conner, RB (Cardinals): One-year deal. Deal is worth $1.75MM, including $500K signing bonus and fully guaranteed $1.25MM salary. Via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter.
- Ross Cockrell, CB (Buccaneers): Two-year deal. Contract is worth $2.11MM. League-minimum salaries in both 2021 ($990K) and 2022 ($1.12MM). Up to $450K in playing-time incentives each season. Via Greg Auman of The Athletic on Twitter.
- Shamar Stephen, DT (Broncos): Signed. One year, $2MM deal, including $750K guaranteed. $415K signing bonus, $1.075MM base salary (of which $335K is guaranteed), $30K per-game roster bonuses (up to $510K max). Via Mike Klis of 9News in Denver on Twitter.
Falcons, Broncos, Jets, Panthers To Attend Justin Fields’ Second Pro Day
7:05pm: The Panthers will be there as well, per Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter). Carolina holds the No. 8 overall pick and represents a key domino for this draft. Although the Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets, GM Scott Fitterer said they will still consider a quarterback in Round 1. Carolina brass considered trading up for a quarterback but deemed the price too high. Fitterer was there for Fields’ pro day, when the Darnold talks heated up.
5:02pm: The key figures in the Falcons’ new power structure each attended Justin Fields‘ initial pro day late last month. The team will send three staffers to Columbus for the quarterback’s second pro day Wednesday, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
GM Terry Fontenot, HC Arthur Smith and OC Dave Ragone each trekked to central Ohio to watch Fields throw two weeks ago. The Falcons are set to join the 49ers and Patriots at the second Fields showcase, though select other teams should be expected to be represented as well.
The Jets and Broncos will also have reps on hand in Columbus, Breer adds (via Twitter). Gang Green’s presence may be academic, with the team locked on Zach Wilson with its No. 2 pick. The Broncos, who hold pick No. 9, pose as a more interesting team regarding Fields. But the Falcons will have first dibs for the decorated passer.
Both Fields and Trey Lance moved to schedule second pro days, doing so after 49ers bigwigs Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch did not attend their first workouts. The 49ers did not have the No. 3 overall pick when Lance threw early last month, and Lynch and Shanahan opted to attend Mac Jones‘ workout instead of Fields’ two weeks ago. Holding pick No. 4, the Falcons will continue to be linked to quarterbacks as well. They could go in a few directions with their highest draft choice in 13 years.
The Falcons could also use their No. 4 pick to draft this year’s top non-quarterback prospect. Several execs around the league expect them to do just that and grab Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. They could trade the pick or select Ryan’s successor. With the 49ers linked to Jones or Lance at No. 3, Fields is expected to be available at 4. Atlanta, however, restructured Matt Ryan‘s contract earlier this offseason. That decision will make moving the 13-year starter’s contract in 2022 difficult.
Like Trevor Lawrence, Fields is a Georgia native. He transferred from Georgia to Ohio State and succeeded Dwayne Haskins as the Buckeyes’ starter, enjoying a dominant two-year run in this role. The Falcons have not picked in the top five since drafting Ryan in 2008, and a recent report indicated Fontenot was in favor of drafting his successor while Smith preferred to add an impact talent to complement Ryan. The head coach and GM are now believed to be in agreement on how the team will proceed at 4.
Broncos GM George Paton was at both Lance and Fields’ first pro days. After insisting the Broncos will add a notable QB this offseason, Paton has shown considerable patience. The Broncos made an offer for Matthew Stafford and inquired about Sam Darnold. But Stafford, Darnold and Carson Wentz went elsewhere, joining the top free agent passers available in that regard. This would seemingly point the Broncos to a first-round QB pick, but given the way this draft is shaping up, the team may need to trade up from 9 to even land the fifth of this year’s coveted passing prospects.
Broncos, Seahawks, Bucs To Skip Onsite Offseason Workouts
6:33pm: Add the Buccaneers to this list. The defending Super Bowl champions will follow the Broncos and Seahawks, with players voting to skip onsite workouts (Twitter link). They will move forward virtually.
6:01pm: Absent an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA on how this offseason will be structured, teams can begin holding voluntary workouts April 19. As of Tuesday, at least two teams are not on track to do so.
Broncos and Seahawks players voted to skip the voluntary portion of this offseason’s workouts — which covers everything except the yet-to-be-scheduled June minicamp — due to COVID-19 concerns.
“With offseason programs starting in less than a week and without adequate protocols in place in order for us players to return safely, we will be exercising our right to not participate in voluntary offseason workouts,” Broncos players said in a statement (Twitter link); Seahawks players’ statement can be read here (Twitter link). “COVID-19 remains a serious threat to our families and to our communities, and it makes no sense for us as players to put ourselves at risk during this dead period.”
[RELATED: NFL Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine For Team Employees]
This comes shortly after NFLPA president J.C. Tretter urged players to boycott OTAs. Broncos union rep Brandon McManus notified Vic Fangio of this decision to begin the offseason virtually Tuesday morning, Troy Renck of Denver7 notes. Thus far, 22 Broncos players have worked out at the team facility this offseason, per several reports, though McManus added most of the players that have done so are rehabbing injuries. Broncos players have not received an outlined plan regarding protocols for an onsite offseason program, according to McManus. Testing is an issue for many players, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, with workouts going Monday through Thursday and players receiving the other three days off.
The league and the union have spent several weeks negotiating offseason parameters, as the sides did last year, but no deal has been reached. Suspicion exists in NFLPA ranks that the NFL is running out the clock until April 19 to create a scenario where teams can begin holding workouts with no agreement in place, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Last year, the NFL conducted an entirely virtual offseason. Some onsite work is expected this year, but barring an agreement between the league and the union, the Broncos, Seahawks and perhaps other teams may hold fully virtual offseasons again.
It will be interesting to see how other teams proceed. (Raiders players will discuss how they plan to navigate this issue Wednesday, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore.) Hundreds of players have workout bonuses at stake, and the prospect of certain teams conducting onsite workouts while others meet virtually would create a historically unusual dynamic that could create a potential advantage for certain squads.