When it comes to previewing the Denver Broncos’ Week 3 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, it’s difficult to narrow it down to just three keys. With Jimmy Garoppolo back in the fold, the Niners represent a very different challenge than they may have last week.

The Broncos don’t seem like a bad team per se, but a lot has to go right to have a chance of beating the Niners. It would be remiss to not discuss a talented Niners’ pass rush, but it goes without saying that Broncos offensive tackles Garett Bolles and Billy Turner, or Cameron Fleming, have to win against Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam.

The Broncos have had a lot of success, albeit against lesser on-paper defenses, in moving the football. The Niners present a stern challenge for this Broncos offense, despite Russell Wilson’s steller record against them.

So what are the keys to a Broncos victory in Week 3? Let’s dive in.

Clean up the Self-Inflicted Miscues

Ron Chenoy USA TODAY Sports

It’s inexcusable for the Broncos, in two games, to be flagged 28 times, with 25 accepted penalties against them. It’s the first time in franchise history that the Broncos have had 25 accepted penalties in any two-game span, and it’s juxtaposed against the Vic Fangio-coached teams that had a relatively low number of penalties called against them.

After the Houston game, Wilson said, “We have to quit hurting ourselves… We have to quit getting penalties as players. That’s on us. That’s discipline.”

The good news is that cleaning up the penalties is fixable. The not-so-good news is that Shawn Hochuli’s crew generally calls for a higher number of penalties than the league average. That puts the onus on the Broncos’ players and coaching staff to show improvement and more discipline, as the last thing they’ll need is to give the Niners free yardage or more chances to beat them.

In addition, it also means the Broncos’ offensive hive needs to get the play calls in quickly and Wilson needs to break from the huddle much faster. Often, through two games, the Broncos’ offense is breaking from the huddle with around 10 seconds left on the play clock, and therefore, most snaps feel rushed, and that’s when negative plays happen, or else the coaching staff has to call a time out.

Nathaniel Hackett also has to have more trust in his scheme and coaching decisions, as his scheme is the principal reason why the Broncos made him the 18th head coach in team history. That means not over-correcting, like not running the ball in goal-to-go situations against the Houston Texans because of miscues in rushing the ball in goal-line situations against the Seattle Seahawks, for instance.

Finally, it’s frankly embarrassing that the fans at Mile High had to count down the play call last week. It goes without saying this is something that the Broncos’ offense should want to avoid.

First, it keys to the defense when the snap comes in, and with teams utilizing every advantage, the last thing the Broncos’ offensive line needs is Bosa timing the snap perfectly. Second, it also takes away from the Broncos’ ability to audible and exacerbates the communication difficulties especially prevalent on the offensive line through two games.

Imagine the crowd counting down for Peyton Manning. It’s unthinkable.

Having so many difficulties getting the play calls in on time is inexcusable. To his credit, Coach Hackett has suggested that the process of getting in the plays will be tightened up, so in front of a national prime-time audience, it’s time the Broncos show it.

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Stop the Niners’ Short Passing Game

Ron Chenoy USA TODAY Sports

This is one aspect of the Niners that has changed significantly since last week. Firstly, Garoppolo, while he has a lower ceiling than Trey Lance, has a significantly higher floor at this stage of their respective NFL careers.

Garoppolo has shown to be dependable and accurate when throwing short, timing-based routes, and he has significant experience running this offense. It would be nice to see the Broncos’ cornerbacks line up closer to the receivers because allowing eight-yard cushions consistently is a recipe for disaster as it limits their ability to be physical at the catch point, limits their ability to turn to run with the receivers, and limits their functional change-of-direction ability.

Garoppolo can fit it into the soft spots in zone coverage, and will feast on the off-man coverage, which Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero seems to utilize at a much higher clip than Fangio did on all downs, but especially the money downs.

The Broncos must also be aware of Niners WR Brandon Aiyuk, who’s in his third season and showing more glimpses of why he was so highly rated in the 2020 NFL draft. He has elite length and wingspan and is a dangerous yards-after-catch (YAC) specialist who is hard to bring down with the ball in his hand.

It’s another reason why the Broncos should make their coverage tighter, for example, with their cornerbacks lining up closer to four yards off the line of scrimmage rather than eight yards. If the Broncos can keep the coverage tighter, it will present chances for the pass rush to get home.

The Broncos can win against the Niners’ tackles. While they are very good, they have shown some weaknesses thus far in the early season in pass protection, and RT Mike McGlinchey has usually been susceptible to edge rushers who can convert speed-to-power. The play of OLB Randy Gregory, in particular, has been one of the highlights for the Broncos in the early season, especially with his freaky size and athleticism.

The Broncos will need to win against a young Niners interior offensive line, push the pocket and flush Garoppolo. Garoppolo can pick apart the Broncos’ secondary if he has a pocket to step into.

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And then, because the Broncos have not struggled against tight ends enough already, they have to slow down George Kittle making his season debut. He will be healthy, and the Broncos will not have the luxury of slowing him down with Justin Simmons, out for the season.

The last time Kittle faced the Broncos, he cut through the defense with seven receptions for 210 yards, with a long of 85 yards and touchdown. The Broncos may be able to call on the services of CB Patrick Surtain II, who participated in full on Friday and is officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

LB Josey Jewell would be a welcome return but is also listed as questionable. At safety, Kareem Jackson has lost a step, and Caden Sterns has a lot to prove overall, but slowing down Kittle somehow will be critical.

Defensive Integrity Against the Run

Kyle Terada USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Shanahan’s offense runs through a talented running game. While the outside zone is a staple of the Shanahan system, the rushing schemes are multifaceted, making it difficult to prepare for.

Niners RB Jeff Wilson, elevated to a feature role, had 18 carries for 84 yards last week, at 4.7 yards per carry, although he had a long of 16 yards, and was held to zero touchdowns. However, WR Deebo Samuel, is a multifaceted offensive superstar who will get his fair share of rushing and receiving opportunities. Samuel exploded for a 51-yard rush against the Seahawks, and he has made the Niners’ running game very difficult to stop.

Kittle’s return will also be felt in the running game with his physicality and blocking ability. Again, Jewell is listed as questionable, but if he can play, he is the straw that stirs the drink of the Broncos’ defense.

Jewell is the defensive field general and leader in the absence of Simmons, organizes players to line up in the right place, and gets the plays in. The Broncos must limit the missed tackles and keep defensive integrity against the run.

The defensive line cannot be pushed back in the run game, and as such, the Broncos may benefit from limiting the snaps in obvious running situations given to DL DeShawn Williams, who, while he has shown flashes in previous years against the pass, has given up almost an 85% rushing success rate when teams run in his direction.

Fellow D-linemen Dre’Mont Jones, Mike Purcell, and DJ Jones are important to slow down the running game, while the Broncos’ linebackers must read their keys, attack the correct gap and not miss their tackles, but Dre’Mont Jones is trending down and is likely to miss the Niners game, and Purcell is also listed as questionable.

It would be interesting to see rookie Matt Henningsen get a chance to play after impressive in the preseason. The edge rushers must not over-pursue because that will create numerous cut-back opportunities on the backside of the play.

The Broncos’ secondary must show the requisite physicality, with fewer ankle-biting tackles, greater urgency in getting off their blocks, and turning tackles into stops short of the sticks.

Wilson Must His Receivers & Utilize the Whole Field

Wilson’s heat map so far this season is quite interesting. Through two games, he has heavily targeted the left side of the field, which is not surprising given that Courtland Sutton usually lines up on the left, and the Broncos’ receiving corps has been injured.

Wilson has done a good job going through all of his reads but will often work through his progressions, go to his checkdown, go off his checkdown, go through more reads, and miss the checkdown opportunity because it becomes covered. He has historically had a very high percentage of pressures and sacks given up that are attributable to the quarterback.

Not trusting the receivers, not taking the checkdown option when that is what the defense is giving him, further exacerbates that situation. Wilson is not moving like he used to, and through two weeks, it’s clear that he is still facing a significant adjustment to the new offense and is not yet comfortable in the scheme or throwing to receivers not named Sutton.

Tyrie Cleveland is trending down on the injury report, but there is hope that Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler can play, after being listed as limited and full participants, respectively, in practice. Wide receiver depth is an issue for the Broncos, but it will be a significant shot in the arm for the Broncos offense if Jeudy and Hamler are both able to play.

In particular, Hamler can create more opportunities for offensive spacing, and Jeudy is an easy separator that was much missed in the second half of the Texans game, although the set-up for his moves would indicate that he should not be the first read on most plays.

The Niners have a very good front seven, with linebackers who are exceptional in coverage and a secondary that is not to be overlooked. They play a physical brand of football and mix up their pressures quite well.

The Broncos have to match that physicality on offense, with the receivers doing a better job at run blocking, getting open, and winning the trust of Wilson. If the Broncos’ wideouts can step up and make plays, they will win Wilson’s trust in critical situations, especially in the red zone.

bottom line

The Broncos do not seem to be a bad football team, and they are fully capable of putting things right and executing a complete game that can beat the Niners. It would certainly be a statement win if the Broncos can pull it off in prime time.

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the Denver Broncos (1-1) are considered 1.5-point underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers (1-1) in Week 3, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

Despite the Broncos playing at home, oddsmakers don’t seem to have much confidence in Denver after the team’s shaky start this season.

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Last week, the Broncos were considered 9.5-point favorites against the Houston Texans and Denver won by seven points. The 49ers were considered 9-point favorites against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 and San Francisco won by 20 points.

The 49ers lead the all-time series against the Broncos 8-7, including a 20-14 home win in their most recent meeting in 2018.

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The Denver Broncos are still settling into the new Nathaniel Hackett era.

The brand-new head coach has already made a few momentous coaching hires, installing former Green Bay tight ends coach Justin Outten as offensive coordinator, former Minnesota OC Klint Kubiak as QBs coach/pass game coordinator, and former San Francisco assistant Butch Barry as offensive line coach.

In hiring Barry, Hackett opted to move on from Denver’s venerated O-line coach Mike Munchak, which came as a bit of a shock to many in Broncos Country, considering his reputation and resume. Over the last few days, Hackett hasn’t stopped at Munchak.

9NEWS’ Mike Klis has reported that Hackett has notified multiple Vic Fangio holdovers that they won’t be retained. Those coaches are: DC Ed Donatell, LBs coach Reggie Herring, defensive pass game coordinator Chris Beake, TEs coach Wade Harman, assistant DL coach Mike Heistand, and offensive quality control coach Chris Cook.

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Two of those coaches were on Denver’s Super Bowl 50 championship staff — Herring and Beake. Some fans will have misgivings over those two dismissals, especially Herring, whose resume coaching linebackers in Denver speaks for itself, elevating relative no-namers like Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall in days of yore and recently, Josey Jewell and Alexander Johnson, to say nothing of 2021 rookie Baron Browning and Jonas Griffith.

Hackett is moving to install his own hand-chosen guys, and for the most part, that is par-for-the-course for a new head coach. Hackett is mostly keeping his hires thus far within the Shanahan/Gruden coaching-tree family.

Hackett informed former OC Pat Shurmur that he would not be retained. The Broncos also let former special teams coordinator Tom McMahon hit the bricks.

It’ll be interesting to see whether D-line coach Bill Kollar is retained by Hackett, along with WRs coach Zach Azzanni and RBs coach Curtis Modkins. All three have created a lot of production within their respective position groups, even though it hasn’t come out in the wash relative to team success.

As much as these coaches’ departure might sting a little, it’s important to remember that this collection of coaches hasn’t been able to cut the mustard over the last few years. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since hoisting the Lombardi Trophy six years ago and haven’t even sniffed the postseason since Gary Kubiak’s final season in 2016 where the team finished 9-7 and narrowly missed out on the tournament.

The Hackett hire signed GM George Paton’s resolve to really shake things up in Denver and rebuild this team — starting with the coaching staff — in his image. Out with the old, in with the new.

At this point, the Broncos have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain from hiring younger, hungry coaches still championing at the bit to make their mark in the NFL. let it happen

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Can we just move on already? I’m so tired of reading the spin in and around the Denver Broncos year after year.

Paxon Lynch is the future.

Trevor Siemian is just what Gary Kubiak is looking for in a quarterback.

Joe Flacco is going to help the Broncos return to greatness

Case Keenum is the first franchise QB the Broncos have landed since Peyton Manning.

John Elway has just had bad luck drafting.

Joe Ellis is doing exactly what Pat Bowlen would have wanted.

(Feel free to add your favorites in the comments below because I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch)

Enough with the horse shit, Denver Broncos. Please just sell the team already and bring in an owner who will kick the overpaid, overindulged, unaccountable leaders of this franchise to the curb so this team can get the ship steered back to winning waters.

Yes, Vic Fangio needed to move along. But that’s just a symptom. That’s putting a cold washrag on your forehead when you have a fever. The sickness is much deeper…it has to do with the leaders at the very top of the organization saying a lot, but taking very little real action or responsibility.

All the coaching changes, the finger-pointing, and the “quarterback” hype about guys who are backups at best honestly are mostly just public relations moves meant to keep fans happy.

I for one am so excited that the team has finally reached the breaking point with the leadership of Joe Ellis and John Elway. Hopefully, the team gets sold and we get to stop hearing from either one of them.

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An underrated WCC matchup goes down Saturday night when Santa Clara travels to face San Francisco.

San Francisco was on the wrong end of a 23-point collapse on Thursday night at the hands of St. Mary’s while Santa Clara won in the final seconds as home underdogs to BYU. Now, they meet as two teams trending in opposite directions.

The Dons look to get back off the mat after a tough, emotional loss, and are laying a big number against Santa Clara, but can they cover?

Let’s answer the question by first looking odds from WynnBET Sportsbook.

Spread:

Money line:

Total: 149 (Over -110/Under -110)

Santa Clara’s high octane offense can cause some issues against San Francisco, as they are capable of going five out and moving the San Francisco bigs out along the perimeter, opening up driving lanes for PJ Pipes.

The Broncos are 27th in the country in effective field goal percentage and can cause issues for USF big man Yauhen Massalski on defense. The Dons are elite at running teams off the three-point line, allowing a bottom 10 three-point percentage to opponents and also are great at defending the rim, top 30 in the country. However, Santa Clara can combat that with their mid-range offense, they are top third nationally in that metric, per Haslemmetrics.

Of course, banking on the mid-range may not sound like an effective strategy on the road, but given the Dons 67% free throw shooting and the possibility of an emotional letdown following a blown lead, I’m siding with Santa Clara staying close .

PICK: Santa Clara +8, play to +7

All of Reed’s college basketball plays can be tracked here, his best bets column for college basketball is 27-36-3 for -11.5 units.

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This would not have been expected at the beginning of the season.

Things are changing, however, and flexing gives the NFL the option to postpone a game from the Sunday Night Football slot, and that is what the league does on December 5th for NBC.

The league has postponed the Seattle Seahawks game against the San Francisco 49ers to kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.

In the evening, the Kansas City Chiefs will visit the Denver Broncos.

The Chiefs won four straight wins in week 12, which will be after their week of bye.

The Broncos are 5-5 and will play against the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday.

The NFL switched Chiefs-Broncos to Sunday Night Football in week 13.

Seahawks-49ers transition to 4:25 p.m. ET.

– Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 23, 2021

For those who love star quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes was granted while you lost to Russell Wilson.

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Just like that, the NFL world changed.

Much like the NFL design landscape completely changed in 2018 when the New York Jets skipped the Denver Broncos to switch from pick # 6 to pick # 3 in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts – back when John Elway called “heart eyes” owned by Sam Darnold – The San Francisco 49ers just made a deal with pick # 12 on # 3 on the 2021 draft in a deal with the Miami Dolphins.

The Niners advance for a quarterback.

The Dolphins went 12th and back 6th with an escort deal with the Philadelphia Eagles after they recently made a top 5 pick for QB Tua Tagovailoa in 2020 and everything stalled regarding Deshaun Watson ( Allegations of sexual misconduct).

When you get from # 3 to # 12 and back to # 6, the Dolphins are back within reach for blue-chip talent like Oregon OT Penei Sewell, Florida TE Kyle Pitts, or one of this year’s Big 3 to select. at Wide Receiver in Alabama’s Jalen Waddle, Devonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase from LSU.

Where do these tectonic businesses leave Denver?

It depends on how the Broncos really see Drew Lock. Denver is now in the weird position of not having immediate, urgent roster requests while being a team that is little more than an afterthought into the NFL landscape.

The national perspective on the Broncos is determined in part by their quarterback position, especially when compared to the division enemies of Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. The Broncos could still opt for a quarterback, however.

The first three picks of the draft are now written in pen form, with Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence 1st in the Jacksonville Jaguars, Zach Wilson 2nd in the New York Jets and Trey Lance 3rd in the Niners QBs like Mac Jones of Alabama or Justin Fields of Ohio State may also be considered, but given the current league consensus, Lance should be the favorite.

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All eyes will fall on the Atlanta Falcons at pick # 4

Will the Falcons take a quarterback or rather move from fourth place to a team that wants to move up? Given that the Falcons have just restructured longtime QB Matt Ryan’s contract, some might suspect that it doesn’t make sense for Atlanta to opt for a signal caller.

Given how rare the top of this class of quarterback is talented and how valuable it is to have a cost-controlled quarterback in today’s NFL, maybe Atlanta will make a big picture of adding a quarterback under a new combination of general manager and head coach The team wouldn’t have a chance in the future.

Is it possible for quarterbacks to pick 1-2-3-4 for the first time in NFL history? Not only does this seem possible, it is also becoming more and more likely. The teams selected mid-to-finish in the first round of this draft essentially threw in the towel in the form of the Chicago Bears that Andy Dalton and the Washington Football team signed up with Ryan Fitzpatrick and them in some way Leaving quarterback purgatory behind.

The Purgatory teams are a fair warning to the Broncos given the strength of the current roster for 2021, even if Lock is back to a bottom 5 quarterback in the NFL next season. Given that teams are beginning to understand the value of a cost-controlled rookie quarterback, it cannot be ruled out that signal callers who get off the board earlier than in previous years and form more clusters at the top may not become a trend .

Any doubts about the incumbent? Get your QB

If you are at the top and have questions about your QB, now is the time to level up as there is no guarantee that you will be close enough for the next year. Denver may already have missed this boat due to Friday’s spate of blockbuster draft trades.

Given the price the Niners just paid, the Jets are turning down the trade offers for the number 2 altogether (they go on QB). All indications are that the 2022 NFL quarterback class is decrepit compared to the top of their 2021 class.

What is Denver doing now? It really comes down to what happens to Atlanta in fourth place overall. If a quarterback Denver likes from the Big Four (or the Big Five, depending on who you ask) is there with Atlanta’s current draft slot and the Falcons are ready to act, the Broncos could get a big boost do.

One of Fields, Lance, or Jones within Denver’s reach

USA TODAY Sports

In essence, Denver can take Lawrence and Wilson off the board, but either Fields, Lance, or Jones will be in fourth place. If Atlanta isn’t ready to leave in 4th place, or Denver doesn’t think the price is reasonable, the Broncos should hope and pray that either Sewell or Pitts will be the only blue-chip prospects in this class to drop 9th.

That’s unlikely, but given Sewell’s year-long bond in Oregon and some in the league favoring northwestern OT Rashaun Slater, as well as the tight end Pitts is playing a “devalued” position, those two could be pushed further down. If both are there, choose # 9, Paton shouldn’t overthink it.

Expect a trade down when the Big Four are gone

What fans are more likely to see, however, is the decline in the Broncos, provided GM George Paton can find a willing partner. That would take another team trying to trade for it, and Dever trading is more workable in theory than it is in reality, but that’s what Paton should hope for in this scenario.

If traded down, the Broncos are unlikely to get the value the Dolphins just received, especially if the trade doesn’t involve a team moving up for QB (unlikely given how much Carolina you have on pick # 8 would like to). What would the Broncos’ goal be in a trade down?

Focus on the future

Given how well Paton has filled out the roster for 2021, eyes should be on 2022 where the Broncos have a number of players eager to choose. Veterans like Von Miller, Bryce Callahan, Kareem Jackson, Kyle Fuller, Josey Jewell, Alexander Johnson, Melvin Gordon and (most likely due to his injury history and contract structure) Ja’Wuan James could continue next year.

This means that in the event of a trade down, the Broncos can plan for the future by targeting value positions and pegging preventive holes a year prior to exposure. The goal is edge rusher, offensive tackle, and cornerback as these are three of the highest paying positions in the NFL. It usually takes a year for potential players to play these spots.

It’s just a good long-term rostering strategy not to have to rely on an edge rusher, tackle, or corner in your rookie year and have them up and running (and cheap when there are four years of control left) . In reality, the Broncos are now in a place of concern.

Despite statistical improbability, Lock could still go around the corner

It would take a historic turnaround and runaway start in his career for Lock to develop and eventually become the quarterback the Broncos need to be real contenders. Sure, the Broncos could be good for a year on this defense, but the year-to-year defense is volatile.

Look no further than how the years after the Bears 2018, the Jaguars 2017 and the Niners 2019 turned out for you. Large defenses quickly return to the mean.

Without a quarterback, a team’s window closes in a flash, which is why the Niners originally ranked 12th in a top-heavy quarterback class and were willing to pay such a high price to trade by age five and get an elite perspective of cost control at the position.

Bottom line

Paton has done a great job so far this offseason filling out the Broncos roster, but living in today’s NFL without a top 5 quarterback (or a top 10-15 quarterback on a rookie contract) is the equivalent of soccer -Nihilism. Without the quarterback crossing a certain threshold, your team is not considering the big NFL picture.

It’s a league where you have quarterback or not, and if you don’t have The Guy, good luck.

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The Phillip Lindsay era with the Denver Broncos is over after just three seasons.

It seems insane to even tap that, considering it feels like yesterday, the Colorado Kid is ripping apart opposing defenses and looking like a long-term star on the Broncos return position.

In his historic rookie season, Lindsay rushed for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had his first and only touchdown as Bronco in his first NFL game (against Seattle) and was elected to the Pro Bowl.

He was the first uncovered rookie to run back to make the Pro Bowl in NFL history. He followed that massive rookie season with another 1,000 yards in 2019 and added another seven touchdowns.

Unfortunately, after the addition of Melvin Gordon and a battle with injuries in 2020, Lindsay’s role with the Broncos came under serious scrutiny and ultimately led us to where we are today – goodbye.

I am very grateful for my time with the Denver Broncos. As a kid from Colorado, I was able to fulfill my dream of playing for my home team. I would like to thank my teammates, coaches, staff and everyone involved in the Broncos organization for making this possible. https://t.co/drjm9qep4E

– Phillip Lindsay (@I_CU_boy) March 18, 2021

Lindsay’s three seasons with the Broncos have been mostly amazing, but the era is over. Lindsay will now be an unrestricted free agent after the Broncos and his agency reached an agreement to lift the restricted free agent offer (just over $ 2 million) that the Broncos recently placed on him.

This means that the Broncos had no intention of comparing offers that Lindsay had received in the free agency anyway. Now he can do this free agency process without being tied to Denver.

What’s next for Phillip Lindsay? The San Francisco 49ers – who could lose both Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon to the free hand – may seem like a good fit, but there should be other contenders. The New York Jets also make a lot of sense.

Any number of teams carrying out the Shanahan / Kubiak crime would be a tremendous fit for Lindsay.

What’s next for the Broncos?

The team signed an uncovered colleague from 2018 on Wednesday night who ran back Mike Boone.

Boone was a great special team player for the Vikings but obviously doesn’t have two seasons with 1,000 yards on his resume at this point.

At 5-foot-10, 206 pounds, Boone is considerably taller than Lindsay, and he’s no fool compared to Phil in the sports department.

On Cincinnati Pro Day in 2018, Boone ran a 4.44 (Lindsay ran a 4.39 on CU Pro Day), benched 25 at 225 pounds, did a 42-inch vertical jump, 11’7 “long jump and a 6, 95 in the three-cone drill. Those test numbers would put him in the top percentile in his position group and likely across the NFL in just about every category.

In three NFL seasons, Boone has certainly maximized his chances on the field for the Vikings. He only carried the ball 71 times, but averaged 5.3 yards per carry with four touchdowns and 13 first-down carries. He also has eight tackles and over 450 special teams in the past two seasons.

That should be valuable to the Broncos as Joe Jones, a key player on a special team, is also a free agent.

In addition to Boone, the Broncos also have Royce Freeman from the third round in 2018 under contract. Can Freeman regain his early 2018 form?

Prior to an ankle injury he sustained in the 2018 season, Freeman looked like he was light, at least 1b to Phillip Lindsay’s 1a. Throughout the camp and preseason game that year, Freeman was the best player on the team.

He has better third-down skills and could potentially be considered for RB2 roles in 2021.

With all of that in mind, it would be a bit shocking at this point if the Denver Broncos didn’t draft a rewind, and the chances are they could hit a pretty high value.

Some of the top backs in the 2021 NFL Draft include Alabama’s Najee Harris, Clemson’s Travis Etienne, and North Carolina’s duo of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter.

Any of these guys would have the ability to be an RB1 of the future type with the Denver Broncos.

No matter what the Broncos do in the rest of the free agency or the 2021 NFL draft, Phillip Lindsay’s chapter with the team has come to an end.

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