Adjustments Broncos can Make to Salvage Russell Wilson in 2022

There's no question that the Denver Broncos have a lot of soul-searching to do if they want to make the playoffs. Between the offense's struggles, head coach Nathaniel Hackett's questionable decisions, and the injuries piling up, the season appears to be lost already.

I previously wrote that this Broncos team would never be a Super Bowl contender, though they still had a chance to be a good team. After the Thursday Night Football loss to the Indianapolis Colts, I imagine plenty of fans are wondering whether this team will even be good.

The Broncos do have some tough choices to make, and while it was one thing not to make changes on a short week, they don't have those limitations now. But we also need to understand where this team is really at and what general manager George Paton may have had in mind for the Broncos.

Once I got the Colts game out of my system (and I'm as guilty as anybody of griping about that game), I took the time to look at what others are saying about the Broncos and that there might be a bigger picture that Paton has in mind, which some may not have considered.

Let's go over the state of the Broncos, what might be at play, and what adjustments can be made to salvage the 2022 season.

Why Hackett Is Really Getting Scrutinized

I write a Substack and published a piece about Hackett, noting that he has arguably entered the highest profile situation of any first-time NFL head coach — in that his team acquired, in trade, a veteran QB considered one of the best in the game.

Here are a few tidbits from my Substack post :

Bruce Arians may have started with Carson Palmer, but Palmer was acquired for a sixth-round pick when his stock was low.
Kyle Shanahan did acquire Jimmy Garappolo in a midseason trade, but before that, the Niners filled the QB room with free agent Brian Hoyer and fifth-round pick CJ Beathard.
Dan Campbell did have new arrival Jared Goff from a trade, but the purpose of the trade was to move Matthew Stafford, with the Lions taking Goff because the Rams couldn't afford to keep both Stafford and Goff on the roster.
Steve Wilks did get new arrival Sam Bradford, but Bradford was by no means considered a top QB. Furthermore, the Cardinals traded up to draft Josh Rosen.

It's hard to find a situation comparable to Hackett and Russell Wilson, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade. And there are more cases of first-time head coaches being paired with either a drafted QB, a young signal-caller who hasn't looked good, or a veteran who was already on the roster.

There's no guarantee that if the Broncos hire a different head coach, and leave everything else equal, they'll have success. Denver paired a first-time head coach with a top veteran QB, who was new to the team and who was used to doing things a certain way, particularly because he had success with it.

Compare that to a first-time head coach being paired with a young QB who analysts consider to be a bust. A QB like Daniel Jones, for example, isn't going to be able to lean on "what works for me" all the time because he hasn't had a high level of success.

Now, imagine if you take other first-time head coaches and give them a high-profile trade. If, for example, Shanahan started with Kirk Cousins acquired in a blockbuster trade, he would get a bigger spotlight.

On the other hand, take Hackett and put him in a situation that Brian Daboll has. Expectations are certain to be lowered for Hackett, because few fans will expect him to get a playoff trip out of, say, Drew Lock and Tyrod Taylor.

None of that is an excuse for Hackett's coaching mistakes. But it's important to remember that the spotlight on Hackett was always going to be large and bright, regardless of his coaching decisions.

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Hackett & Wilson Needed Time to Adjust

I will now refer you to Football Outsiders' Cale Clinton, who wrote about Wilson and Hackett prior to the Colts' game. Clinton does a good job of breaking down when Hackett is at fault, when Wilson is at fault and when both do a good job on a play — and in the last case, that's when you see results.

Many of the struggles that both Hackett and Wilson are going through are due to what Hackett wants to do as a coach, and Wilson not grasping some of it, particularly when it doesn't play to his strengths.

On one hand, Hackett isn't wrong to want an offense that can move the chains in chunks rather than through big plays. On the other hand, Hackett is trying to install concepts that work for Wilson based on plays that are from the Green Bay Packers' offense, some of which involve shorter passes that Wilson isn't comfortable with.

Clinton notes that we get glimpses of what Wilson can do in Hackett's offense and how well it works. And while I don't know what Clinton thinks now that the Colts game is out of the way, he does believe things will work given time.

With that said, it's fair to ask whether Hackett should dial down the plays that Wilson isn't comfortable with and do more of the plays that fit the QB's style. Hackett doesn't need to abandon everything from the Packers' offense, nor does he need to just let Wilson throw long bombs all the time. But some adjustments could help with Wilson's comfort level and take some pressure off his shoulders.

Another thing to remember is that Wilson is new to the Broncos and, thus, still needs to find a comfort zone with his teammates. He's not like Kirk Cousins, who has a new head coach in Kevin O'Connell, but has played with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen for several years.

Thus far, Courtland Sutton is the only receiver Wilson seems to trust, perhaps to a fault. Wilson hasn't looked KJ Hamler's way enough, and he may not trust Jerry Jeudy much given his drops. It's also fair to ask whether Tim Patrick's absence hurts because he would have given Wilson another receiver who is a good fit for what the QB likes to do.

O-Line Needs a Change, But Not the One You Think

Right tackle has been the subject of Broncos fans' ire for some time. But while Cameron Fleming has his issues, he is not the weakest link in the offensive line.

The weakest link is the interior, which starts with Lloyd Cushenberry III. The third-year center has shown minimal improvement and the Broncos can't rely on him any longer.

Graham Glasgow hasn't been great, but he hasn't been terrible, either. He has experience at center and is the Broncos' best option there, to bring some stability to the interior.

Dalton Risner has regressed at left guard, but it may be worth asking if this comes from playing alongside Cushenberry. As a rookie, Risner played alongside Connor McGovern, who left the Broncos in free agency the next spring.

It's possible that moving Glasgow to center will help Risner. And while it's true that losing Garett Bolles doesn't help, Calvin Anderson has shown he can manage the left tackle position more so than the right. The hope is that Anderson will handle the load and, if he does, that could help Risner as well.

As for Billy Turner, whom the Broncos have said would have been able to play against the Colts, it's understandable they wouldn't start him on a short week. If Turner stays on course, of course, he should be in the lineup.

However, some of that hinges on Quinn Meinerz's health. Hopefully, Meinerz can start against the Los Angeles Chargers, but if not, then put Turner at right guard for the time being. But whenever Meinerz is ready to start again, Turner should go to right tackle.

Switching up the Broncos' interior offensive line should help the run game, which will take pressure off of both Wilson and Hackett because they won't have to throw the ball as often and might not face as many third-and-long situations.

Paton's Playing the Long Game with Wilson

Before the season, I wrote that it was best for the Broncos not to offer Wilson a contract extension right away. Given that he was being paired with a first-time head coach, it was best for the Broncos to play "wait and see," similar to what the Los Angeles Rams did with Matthew Stafford.

But Paton made the decision to extend Wilson, so I won't pound the points I made any longer. What is clear is that Paton believed that Wilson is the guy to build around and, thus, Broncos fans will need to be prepared to ride it out with Wilson for at least the next couple of seasons.

The Broncos structured Wilson's contract so that he has option bonuses due for the next couple of seasons. Those option bonuses are treated as signing bonuses when exercised, which explains the pro-rated bonus you see in the contract breakdown.

Next season, it won't be possible to trade Wilson, but it could be done in 2024, provided a trade happens before the option bonus is due. Regardless, the Broncos are sticking with Wilson for this and next season, no matter what else happens.

While it's true that a blockbuster trade like that for Wilson gets people thinking about instant success, Paton may not see it in only that sense. That doesn't mean he didn't expect playoffs this year, but it does mean he knew there was more work to be done than addressing the quarterback position.

We've already discussed the offensive line, which still needs work. Tight end hasn't been resolved yet, and even with Javonte Williams' injury, running back depth would have to be addressed. It's also not a given that Paton will stick with every draft pick remaining from John Elway's tenure.

Players such as Bradley Chubb, Dre'Mont Jones, Risner, Jeudy, Hamler, Cushenberry, and Michael Ojemudia were Elway draft picks, meaning Paton has no loyalty to them. They'd become a Paton player only if he re-signs or extends one of them. In other words, Sutton has become a Paton player, but Noah Fant and Drew Lock did not because Paton traded them away in the Wilson package.

It's still possible Paton could keep some of those players, but others are likely to be gone. It wouldn't surprise me if Paton trades away at least one of those players to get 2023 draft capital, given that he has just five picks at this time.

And while Paton's free agent foray has had question marks thanks to injuries (Ronald Darby lost for the season, Randy Gregory set to miss time), his draft choices from 2021 are looking better, with Patrick Surtain II, Baron Browning, and Caden Sterns looking good, Meinerz with potential and even Williams might be able to contribute next season. The jury is still out on 2022, though there have been glimpses of what might be yet to come.

Getting a quarterback was certainly on Paton's docket, but it was far from the only thing. The roster as a whole needed tinkering. Paton no doubt believes Wilson can be a part of the long term, but we don't know who else he sees that does.

Bottom Line

The Broncos do need to make adjustments during the 10 days in between the Colts loss and the Monday Night Football game against the Chargers. Moving forward, the best way to do that is for Hackett to adjust the plays that Wilson runs and to get the interior offensive line switched.

If Hackett shows growth over time, he's worth keeping another year, but if he doesn't or he regresses, the Broncos will need to move on. Any such decision would have to happen after the season, though, because there isn't a quick fix on the current coaching staff.

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If the Broncos do move on from Hackett, it may be worth asking whether it's better to go with somebody with head-coaching experience, who might be able to do a better job of managing the game while finding somebody who can call offensive plays.

Don't count on that being the oft-mentioned (by Broncos fans) Sean Payton, because the New Orleans Saints still hold his rights in 2023 and if he wants to coach again, the Saints are certain to demand a 2023 first-round pick in a trade package. The Broncos have no 2023 first-round pick, so you can rule that dim possibility out.

Coaches with head-coaching experience who could be available in 2023 include Dan Quinn, Leslie Frazier, Jay Gruden, and Mike Zimmer. Those may not be the first choices of Broncos fans, but they might provide some stability.

Of course, we first need to determine whether Hackett can take steps in the right direction. He has more days between games to think about what he needs to change and to make those adjustments. If we see some adjustments, it's a sign he's learning. If not, then the questions surrounding him won't go away.

And while Broncos fans were hopeful for a playoff trip this season, remember there is the short game and the long game. The short game may have been playoffs this year, but the long game is playoffs in years to come.

We won't get a better idea about how Paton's long game is working, though, until the next couple of years are in the books.

Follow Bob on Twitter @BobMorrisSports.

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