Dalton Risner Will 'Miss' Lock, Fant & Harris but Knows Russell Wilson's Arrival 'Is Going to be Big' for Broncos

Not long after the Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson via trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the veteran quarterback reached out to his new receiving corps to break the ice and start spit-balling plans for offseason throwing sessions.

Wilson was also quick to get on a FaceTime chat with his new offensive line as Broncos starting left guard Dalton Risner detailed this past week to the Nick and Cecil show on 104.3 The FAN in Denver. As excited as Risner is for Wilson's arrival, the move was bittersweet as he had to say goodbye to his 2019 draft classmates and friends in Drew Lock and Noah Fant, as well as Shelby Harris.

“You guys asked me what it was like when I first got the news yesterday," Risner told Nick and Cecil. "One, it was awesome. You hear about a guy like Russell Wilson, not only a great quarterback, nine-time Pro Bowler, but an amazing dude off the field. An amazing representation of a man, husband, father, teammate—all that good stuff... I’m also going to miss my boys Noah, Shelby and Drew. I know it’s a part of the business, but especially Drew and Noah, they were a part of that draft class with me. So, I’m going to miss those boys and I know they’re going to have a lot of success in their careers."

Time will tell what the future holds for Lock, Fant, and Harris in the Emerald City. For the Broncos, that's water under the bridge.

“This is going to be big, man. I think this is the most excited Broncos Country has been for awhile,” Risner told The FAN.

Wilson is now a Bronco and his push to quickly connect with his new O-line seemed to make an impression on Risner.

“He was telling us how excited he was to be a part of the team and how he knows we’re going to protect for him," Risner told hosts Nick Ferguson and Cecil Lammey. "We were just chopping it up and getting to know him. I think that says a lot about a guy’s character—the fact that he takes the time out to text the offensive line and hop on a joint FaceTime amidst I’m sure his life is very busy with his kids and his wife and this big trade."

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One of the reasons Wilson wanted out of Seattle, purportedly, was due to a lack of investment in the offensive line to protect him. After being sacked a whopping 394 times over his Seattle career, he eventually made his displeasure public.

"I'm tired of getting hit too much," Wilson said.

The Broncos have made big investments — both in salary-cap dollars and draft picks — to build their O-line in recent years. 2017 first-rounder Garett Bolles earned a big contract extension following his break-out fourth-year campaign, while Risner himself was a 2019 second-round pick.

Throw in recent third-round center Lloyd Cushenberry III and the prized free-agent pickup Graham Glasgow in 2020 and the Broncos have been building the nest upfront in hopes of it one day providing a soon-to-be-revealed franchise quarterback with the foundation necessary to thrive. Wilson steps behind that wall now and on the surface, Denver's group is a significant upgrade over what the QB had in Seattle in recent years.

The Broncos still need to figure out right tackle as last year's starter, Bobby Massie, is set to be a free agent next week, as is depth tackle Cameron Fleming. It wouldn't be surprising to see Broncos GM George Paton pay a right tackle in free agency and draft another with one of Denver's three remaining picks in the top-100.

Risner will take time to lament his friends getting traded while capitalizing on the arrival of a nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback. It's now incumbent upon Risner and his O-line compadres to keep the first franchise quarterback the Broncos have had since Peyton Manning upright and free from "getting hit too much."

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.

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