NFL Insider Issues Key Update on Broncos' QB Silence
While a good chunk of the NFL has begun to make some tweaks to their quarterback issues and controversies at the beginning of this free agency period, one team has remained consistently quiet in their efforts to find a new signal caller for next season, that being the Denver Broncos.
After deciding to cut ties with Russell Wilson after two years with the franchise, the Broncos now pivot to finding who will be the next starter to lead their offense in the 2024 season. Speculations of a free agent acquisition or using a first-round pick on a quarterback have surrounded Denver, but the future remains relatively foggy on what's to come next.
With the uncertainty brewing, insider James Palmer of NFL Network dished out an update around the happenings in Denver on Tuesday morning, saying the Broncos have been "monitoring" the moves around the league while remaining conservative in their approach:
"Right now, put them in the category of the group of people that like to watch other people on a carousel from a bench close by with some peanuts, because that's essentially what's happening with the Denver Broncos. Now, my understanding is they've been monitoring a bunch of these situations, but haven't really gotten involved in offers or negotiations with any of these available guys...Just kind of monitoring it, keeping an eye on it, but never really got down the road of making any sort of offers to any one of these quarterbacks."
There's still an abundance of time remaining in free agency, but a flurry of signings has already taken a few key names off the market. Top names like Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield have already signed to their hefty deals, as well as bridge-level players such as Gardner Minshew, Jacoby Brissett, James Winston, and Sam Darnold get scooped up as well.
If the Broncos wanted to add a productive veteran into the mix for next season, they'll have to act sooner rather than later. When investigating the remaining top options left to be acquired, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco, and Carson Wentz are the ones that stick out. With those in mind, it becomes increasingly likely Sean Payton will attempt to take a flier on a rookie QB once this April's draft rolls around.
Denver possesses the 12th-overall selection in the first round, which could end up just out of reach to select the quarterback they have their eyes on. Depending on how the coming weeks shake out around the league, the Broncos might be a prime candidate to facilitate a trade-up into the top ten to select their top choice.
Palmer touched on how the Broncos could approach the upcoming draft:
"There still is the thought that they would add a free agent quarterback during this period, then also look to obviously add one in the draft, but they're sitting at number twelve, and that's why we're still talking about free agent quarterbacks, because there's no guarantee you get the guy you want, or any quarterback for that matter. So, really, just keeping an eye on how they look at both of these situations."
The last time the Broncos selected a first-round quarterback was in 2015 when they selected Paxton Lynch. If Denver opts to try their luck again for a young signal caller, the hope will be that things pan out a bit better than we saw during the last go-around.
Even with the addition of a year one QB, don't be shocked if the Broncos have Jarrett Stidham as a serious option to be the week one starter for this team. Palmer dove into how Denver views their free-agent pickup from last offseason:
"The other part of this is Jarrett Stidham is still on the roster. I think we have to remember at the start of free agency last year, Sean Payton jumped and gave him $10 million for two years. That's how much he likes Jarrett Stidham, who started at the end of the year. Stidham said at the end of the season, 'I'm ready to be the starter in 2024 if that's the way this falls. So, they did make a free agent move at quarterback last offseason, so we're still just waiting to see if they add anybody else to the room.
Things remain unpredictable in Broncos Country around this time, but rest assured that Coach Payton has a meticulous plan in place to get this roster back on track to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
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