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The Denver Broncos spent a lot f
money this offseason to shore up
specifically their offensive li,
and they ended up doling out
about $235 million worth of
contracts this free agency peri,
by far the most of any NFL team.
Broncos really addressed their
offensive line as mentioned,
in particular signing right tace
Mike Mcglinchey to an 87 and a ,
$1,000,000 contract and left guard Ben
Powers formally of the Baltimore Ravens.
They also signed defensive.
And Zach Allen and running back
Samaji Pierine, amongst other players.
Now for a bit more on what the Broncos
did and what else they might do.
We're now joined by 9 News
Broncos insider mikelis.
Mike, thanks so much for joining us here.
90s Plus
right now, Chris, always enjoy the show.
Always enjoy having you on. Now.
Mike, first of all, what's your
overall view on what the Broncos
did during this free agency per?
I have a couple thoughts on it .
What I really liked about it.
Are there's there's a couple points here.
You have new ownership,
right Greg Penner and Rob Walto?
And they're the richest owners n
sports and they showed it right away.
They showed it a couple times.
What are they put?
400,000 in the new side
or something like that.
40,040 thousand I think in the new side
for one game at the end of the r
because of the high school play.
I had chewed up the field and for safety sake
they they got the field going and then they,
like you said,
they spend way more than any other team,
by 33% over the second most spending team,
which was the New Orleans Saint.
So that's impressive, the Bronc.
You know, there are four pillars, Chris,
to an NFL franchise, that are very important.
One is ownership.
2 is a head coach.
Three is a quarterback.
Four is the general manager.
The owner is really the least
important unless there's troubl.
The owner comes in when you need a new
head coach and you got to hire ,
you need a new GM, you got to hire one,
you got to pay for players.
That's where the owner comes in.
So the Broncos are in
good hands with the owner.
Now what about the other three pillars?
That's the question.
Sean Payton I think is was an excellent
hire for the Broncos this offse,
but as far as you know,
the the free agency itself.
You don't want to be in
this position all the time.
You know you want to balance ben
draft picks and free agency.
You don't want to be lead the
league in spending every March.
That's not good.
That means you've got too many holes.
You've got to fortify that roster up and
down from from 1 to 53 with the draft,
and the Broncos didn't have a
first and second round draft pi.
So because they didn't,
because they had that gaping hoe
at first and second round for
the second year in a row.
They had to spend in free
agency and spend they did.
As for what they spent on,
I like it because it was substae
over surface substance over fla.
Substance is up front.
That's what Sean Payton believe.
Two offensive lineman,
Mike Mcglinchey and Ben Powers.
Together they're making 31 million cash,
31 million on average in 2023.
That's,
that's putting money behind what has been.
A weakness for the Broncos,
especially at right tackle.
I kind of disagree that they
had a weakness at left guard.
I I I think Dalton Reisner was a fine
left guard for four years for the Broncos.
But our right tackle?
That's been a whole no doubt about it.
And then and then also on the defensive line,
they chose Zach Allen instead
of Draymond Jones.
Which was a peculiar decision,
because most people would agreet
draymond's a better athlete,
has higher skill set.
But but Zach Allen for
$2,000,000 a year less is a.
Probably tougher against the ru,
more consistent.
Draymond can make plays against the run,
it's just he's just a
little inconsistent on it.
And Zach Allen more consistent,
more more a tougher guy inside,
so the upfront.
Both sides their top three spen?
Zach Allen, 15 and a quarter million.
That's where they put their money up front.
Men, they want, men they want t.
Sean Payton wants to be bigger
than the other team up front,
and they did that through free agency.
And they brought Alex Singleton back.
At 6 million a year,
he was their fourth biggest guy.
I thought that was key because x
Singleton is just one fine insie
linebacker images people togeth.
They they're going to be able to stop
the run, I think better in 2023.
So I like what they did in free agency.
But they don't have much to folw
that up with as far as the draf.
They do have two picks in the third round.
Gotta hit on both. And.
But otherwise, Chris,
it's still about #3,
Russell Wilson and see,
see what he's got here with hisw
head coach and fortified offensive line.
You said it there, Mike.
It's all about #3 at the end of the day.
Now in a sense, with Sean Payto,
you get Tim Patrick back as wel.
Jerry, Judy, Courtland, Sutton,
you got a good receiving core.
There's no real excuses now
for Russell Wilson, are there?
Correct. By the way,
I hope Mike Mcglinchey.
6 foot eight. I hope he can
block and duck at the same time.
So bus can get the ball,
so Russ can get that.
So Russ can get that ball
out to the right flat.
Yeah, or or or the the right sc.
But yeah, you're right.
I mean, there's not.
And you know, there was 55 sacks that
Russell Wilson took in 15 games.
He missed two games and he's
still tied for first in the NFL
with 55 sacks with Justin Field.
Another guy who's in athletic,
kind of a scrambler.
And and fields, you know,
Russ is supposed to be able
to read a little quicker and
he's going to have to do that.
That's where Sean Payton comes .
Sean Payton's going to have
an offense and say Russ,
you got to do this and Russ
has got to do that and so.
Ah, Riley Dixon is coming to the Broncos,
back to the Broncos as as a pun,
by the way.
So that's, that's breaking as we speak.
Umm so anyway.
Your former punter of the Broncs
and now coming back. So that's .
You want with the Giants,
and he was with the LA Rams last year.
We had them on our list of possibilities in
the top 9 possibilities there for free agent.
So a cordless Whiteman looks lie
he's in trouble to keep his job
with the Riley Dixon coming bac.
Umm. So there you go,
Chris and then but yeah,
Russell Wilson, he's got his co.
He's got his offensive line.
You're right about the receiver.
They tried to maybe upgrade a
little bit with their receivers.
A key is KJ hamler coming back healthy.
They need speed out there
and with Sean Payton,
who if you look at him statistiy
has been a top ten offense,
not only a good head coach where
he averages a 1011 wins a year,
but offensively they rank in the
top ten almost every year.
So yeah, got it.
They got to have a bounce back year from.
As
well, no doubt about that.
And one thing that may potentially help,
at least in the long term,
is Jerry Judy's fifth year option is up.
I think the due date is in early May.
As to whether or not the Broncos pick
up that fifth year option for 2,
have you heard anything on what
the Broncos might do there?
Yeah, they're probably going to pick it up
that that that would be the expectation.
It's 12.987 to be exact. So call it 13.
And yes, with the way Judy
finished right now, it's May 2n.
Which is UH-10, uh, 12 days awa.
The deadline and all indicationI
get is the Broncos will pick it.
See what happens.
You know, New England really gae
the Broncos a good offer for Ju,
I think a second round and and
and and maybe a fourth and.
But then the Broncos were what
would they do without Judy?
He was a first round pick,
#15 overall, coming into his ow.
So he's still a Bronco and I
anticipate he will be a Bronco.
And 2023.
See if he can build on those
last six games where it really
came on as a #1 receiver.
No doubt
about that. What other moves
like the Broncos make.
You mentioned obviously the the key or
the kind of core part of free agency,
probably over and done with,
but any other moves that you
might see the Broncos making
here? Well, they got a there's a safety
position opening and from what I understand,
they had like Kareem back.
Sean Payton likes Kareem the way he plays.
He's 35. So, uh, you know the legs aren't 25,
which is what you prefer at saf.
You know, like everything else t
the Kareem's game and his leadership,
his locker room presence.
So we'll see if they can bring cream back.
Broncos trying to get them back
on on the you know they got him
back for 2,000,000 last year.
I'm sure they'd like to get them
for two or three million again,
Kareem probably looking at
5,000,000 with the way he's plag
we'll see how that shakes out.
But I think another safety theye
Kaden Stearns but he's coming off that
hip surgery and I'm not sure hes
quite ready to be a starter ande
finished the season healthy last year.
I think he would have been
the starter but because.
He had that hip surgery and really only
played about five games last ye.
Stuff to count on him to be the starter, so.
Safety I think is the big one.
Riley Dixon fills the planner
deal and and he'll be the holde.
McManus likes him, so I think they're.
I think they're all but set.
When you spend the most.
That's enough.
So that's where they're at right now.
That's
interesting. It gets to kind
of wrap things up here, Mike,
from a broad perspective.
Let's go back maybe two
months to the OR 2 1/2 months,
the end of the 2022 season and
where the Broncos were then
and where they are now.
How much better of a team would
would you say the Broncos
are now compared to then?
They're better?
No doubt about it, they're bett.
You know that they're better up front.
At least they they they're
the way they evaluate.
I I think especially at right te
if Mcglinchey is getting paid 17
1/2 million a year if you know,
if he comes through and
finally ends that's a cycle.
He'll be the 11th starting right
tackle to open a season in 11 y.
That has to stop.
And Mcglinchey they they're coug
on him to be the answer there.
So we'll we'll see if he is.
But they they are better and and
the biggest offseason acquisiti.
Chris was Sean Payton.
And they paid a pretty penny for him.
I understand, too,
a coaching salaries aren't available,
but it's.
You know,
it's north of 15 million a
year from what I understand,
and he's up there as as
the highest paid coach,
if not the highest close to it.
So I think Sean Payton and and
better up front is where the Brs
really made hay this offseason.
Still some question marks.
You're still talking about a
5 and 12 team you still got.
The Chiefs and the division
got to end that 15 game losing
streak against the Chiefs.
Somehow, someway,
I think Sean Payton will do it if they
can beat the Chiefs at home this year.
You know,
I I think expectations are 10
and 711 and six.
I think those are realistic
and making the playoffs.
I think that would be a big step
compared to what happened a year ago,
but well, Mike, we really appree
a few minutes of your time lending us
your expertise and your insight about
a pretty eventful offseason ande
agency period for the Denver Broncos.
But 90s Broncos insider Michael,
thanks so much for joining us
here on 90 plus today.
Thank you, Chris. Go get them.