Seahawks QB Drew Lock Laments how Broncos Misused TE Noah Fant
The Denver Broncos are in the process of shaking off the depredations of the past six seasons. With Russell Wilson now in the fold, some Broncos fans don't want to hear anything about Drew Lock, or Noah Fant, or Shelby Harris — all three of whom were dealt to the Seattle Seahawks, along with a grip of premium draft picks, in exchange for the nine-time Pro Bowler.
But it's the offseason, and the deepest, darkest stretch of it at that. So when Lock says something that (albeit) inadvertently slams the Broncos, Mile High Huddle takes notice.
In discussing Fant's 2022 outlook with the Seahawks, Lock lamented how the Broncos used the former first-round tight end to ESPN's Brady Henderson.
“I think what’s cool for Noah in this offense is, I think you’re going to get to see a little bit more of just his feel for football in general,” Lock said via ESPN. “His savviness, his whereabouts of bodies around him, how he feels defenses … I think we could have maybe pressed the field with him a little bit more in Denver, but he’s going to have the opportunity to do that here, and I know he’s pumped about it.”
Before you lambast Lock for speaking the truth, Fant himself decried his usage in ex-Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur's scheme. You know, the least-exciting aerial display (if you can call it that) in the NFL over the past two years.
"I feel when I came into the league, that's what I was drafted to do, right? Get down the field," Fant said on 104.3 The FAN in Denver after his the dust from trade to Seattle had settled, "make those explosive plays, and kind of be that pass-catching tight end. Over my time in Denver, I felt like that narrative kind of got muddled down a little bit where it was more of a focus of me catching flat balls, or whatever it may be, and then trying to be a shifty guy, an elusive guy and try to break as many tackles as possible to get my yards, whereas, I viewed myself as a downfield threat. Get in open space, then I can make things happen. It was a little frustrating being used in the short field. Obviously, that's a part of the game and those intermediate routes are important which I can do also. But definitely, with my speed and things like that, I was drafted to get more down the field. Hopefully, that works out in Seattle."
I echo Fant: how Shurmur used the Broncos' tight ends was frustrating to watch. Shurmur schemed the tight ends with short routes underneath and hoped against hope that Fant, or Albert Okwuegbunam, could break a tackle and pick up plus-yardage.
Albert O was pretty good at doing that. Fant? Not so much.
In Seattle, perhaps the coaching staff will be wise enough to recognize Fant's unique height/weight/speed combination and utilize it vertically in the Seahawks' passing game. Time will tell.
As for Lock, he surely breathed a sigh of relief when all the Baker-Mayfield-to-Seattle trade rumors turned out to be unfounded and the Cleveland Browns instead dealt him to the Carolina Panthers. In no way did Mayfield landing in Carolina guarantee Lock a starting job in Seattle, but it at the very least ensures that Geno Smith will be his only true impediment this year.
If Lock can't beat out Smith this summer in a Seahawks' QB competition, his fate as an NFL starter will likely be sealed. In the meantime, as he settles into his new football environs, at least Lock has two familiar Broncos teammates, one of whom was also his 2019 draft-mate.
It wasn't all that long ago that Fant went to bat for Lock when the young QB was being pilloried by critics. Lock is simply reciprocating by speaking the truth, even if it came at Shurmur's expense.
Thank goodness for Nathaniel Hackett.
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