Tag: bo nix

Report: Giants passed on second-tier QBs because of lower draft grades

The New York Giants reportedly wanted to grab a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft but passed on the second-tier QBs

By many accounts, the New York Giants came into the 2024 NFL draft hoping to land a new franchise quarterback to unseat Daniel Jones.

They apparently had their eyes set on one player — North Carolina’s Drake Maye — and were willing to trade up to obtain him. Unfortunately, the teams at the top of the draft were not budging. Maye was eventually selected third overall by the New England Patriots.

Many thought the Giants would then look elsewhere, such as Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington or Oregon’s Bo Nix.

Nothing doing. They passed on all three in the first round and would not get a chance at any of them in Round 2 as they were all gone by the 12th overall pick.

As the draft went on, it was thought that general manager Joe Schoen might add a “quarterback of the future” to develop (as the Jets did with Jordan Travis), but Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports none had a high enough grade for him to use a draft pick on.

When Patriots owner Robert Kraft said at the NFL’s annual meetings last month that “one way or another, I’d like to see us get a top-rate, young quarterback,” that should have been a sign. The teams with the first three picks — the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and Patriots — were going to land Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Maye, the top three quarterbacks in this draft.

At that point, Plan A for general manager Joe Schoen and Co. was to stay at No. 6 and select explosive LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, which they did. The Giants didn’t have high enough grades on the second tier of quarterbacks — J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix — and grabbed a No. 1 receiver, which Jones has never had.

After the draft, Schoen — trying not to look defeated — reminded reporters of what he told them a few months back.

“Yeah, for me, I said it in January after the season. The expectation was Daniel would be our starter and we brought Drew Lock in to be his backup and Tommy (DeVito) has been the backup,” Schoen said. “So that’s where we are and that’s how we’ll move forward this season. Daniel is still under contract for three more years.

“As it sits today, that is where we are.”

Instead, the Giants used their six picks to fill in immediate needs. They grabbed a top playmaker for Jones in the first round in LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers and then addressed holes in the secondary on Day 2 with Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin and Kentucky cornerback Andru Phillips.

The final three picks were spent on a tight end (Penn State’s Theo Johnson), a running back/wide receiver/returner (Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy), and a linebacker (Darius Muasau of UCLA).

The swing-and-miss for a new franchise quarterback won’t really hurt the team in the short term. But after this season, with Jones’ contact winding down to the point where they can equitably part ways, Schoen will have to hit on that big deal.

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Peyton Manning has been a ‘great resource’ for the Broncos

“He’s always been like three steps ahead,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Peyton Manning. “He’s a great resource.”

When the Denver Broncos were sold to the Walton-Penner family in 2022, there was speculation that Peyton Manning might join the ownership group. That hasn’t happened. However, despite not having an official role with the team, Manning continues to be an invaluable resource for the club.

Manning has helped mentor quarterbacks across the league since his retirement, and he quickly reached out to Bo Nix after the Broncos picked the Oregon prospect in the first round of the NFL draft last week.

“[It’s great] especially for a quarterback, [to have] someone like Peyton, his status, legend,” GM George Paton said after the draft. “He has his [quarterback] camp, I think Bo went to the camp. It’s huge to have someone like that here who’s close to the organization.

“I think it’s great for all of our players and everyone in the organization. He comes by all the time, and we have dinner so it’s outstanding to pick his brain, obviously he knows all the quarterbacks.”

Peyton’s trait of giving input and advice everywhere he can seemingly comes from his father, Archie. Denver coach Sean Payton said he frequently hears from both of the former quarterbacks.

“Archie, it’s interesting because sometimes you wonder how does he have time?” Payton said. “Meaning those are just a couple of examples [of him reaching out to players], but something will happen and Archie will send a text or Peyton, and he’s always thinking.

“I think when he watches an NBA game and sees something, it’s one of those unique traits that he has. He sent me a text after Zach [Wilson] and then after Bo and he’s always been like three steps ahead. He’s a great resource.”

Manning, 48, has also stayed busy running Omaha Productions. Nine years after hanging up his cleats, Manning seems to be busier than ever. That’s just his mentality, and the Broncos have benefited from it.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix motivated to prove Sean Payton right: ‘I can’t take lightly’

“He could have picked anybody else in this draft, and he chose me. … I won’t take it for granted,” Broncos QB Bo Nix said.

The Denver Broncos opted to stay put at pick No. 12 in the 2024 NFL draft and select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix instead of attempting to trade down and draft him later, a scenario that many pundits thought was possible.

The Broncos didn’t want to risk missing out on Nix, though, especially with the QB-needy Las Vegas Raiders picking right behind them. Nix was coach Sean Payton’s “guy,” and he got him. Now the QB aims to prove the coach made the right decision.

“First and foremost, it’s just a huge honor,” Nix said during his introductory press conference on April 26. “He could have picked anybody else in this draft, and he chose me. With that comes great responsibility and it’s one that I can’t take lightly, and I won’t take it for granted. It starts with the next best thing I can do. I’m about to finish this press conference, and then go finish up the [facility] tour and then have a few weeks before the rookie minicamps.

“I have a lot to learn before then, so I’m glad there are two weeks of buffer time so I can get a lot of that in. I’m just excited to be his guy. It’s not lightly said. But again, it goes back to I don’t want to just be a draft pick. I want to be able to show my improvements and show that I can do what he picked me to do, and that’s go out there and win games or help win games or do whatever I can to put this team in a better situation.”

Nix certainly has the right mentality. Now we’ll wait to see if that translates to on-field success. The young QB will report for the start of rookie minicamp next week, later followed by organized team activities. Payton put his faith in Nix, now it’s up to the QB to reward that faith.

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Adam Schefter: Broncos, Falcons had most interest in Spencer Rattler

The Broncos and Falcons had the most interest in Spencer Rattler leading up to the NFL draft, but they both picked QBs in the first round.

South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler fell to the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft last week.

Why did he fall so far?

During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested that the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons had the most interest in the quarterback. After the Broncos and Falcons picked other QBs in the first round, Rattler had to wait four more rounds to hear his name called.

“You know what I think it was with Spencer Rattler more than anything else? The two teams that liked him most in my mind, based on the people I spoke to, were the Denver Broncos and the Atlanta Falcons,” Schefter said, via Wes Mitchell of on3.com.

“I think they had a mid-second to early third-round grade on him. Spencer Rattler’s big problem there was that the Broncos went with Bo Nix at 12, and the Falcons went with Michael Penix at 8, and his two best options closed up immediately, which left him sitting on the board longer than a lot of people [expected].”

Whether or not the Broncos had serious interest in Rattler is a moot point because Denver ultimately decided on Nix. It will be an interesting conversation in a few years to see how their respective careers pan out after Nix went 12th overall and Rattler went 150th overall.

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Will the Broncos cut a quarterback this summer?

If the Broncos opt to carry just two QBs on the 53-man roster in 2024, they could save $5 million if they cut QB Jarrett Stidham.

The Denver Broncos opted to keep two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster last season (Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham) while stashing a third (Ben DiNucci) on the practice squad.

It remains to be seen if coach Sean Payton will take the same numbers approach in 2024. If Payton opts to again only carry two QBs, at least one of Bo Nix, Zach Wilson or Stidham will be released this summer.

Nix is obviously safe. He’s a first-round pick and the future of the franchise. He’s the only lock to make the 53-man roster in the quarterback room.

Wilson, believe it or not, is probably relatively safe as well. Payton has described Wilson as a young, talented QB, and the coach “really likes” Wilson’s traits. There’s no guarantee Wilson will turn his career around, but he’s only 24 and costs the team just $2.72 million this season.

Stidham, on the other hand, is a 27-year-old journeyman with a $7 million cap hit in 2024. At this point in his career, Stidham is who he is. Denver will not hold out hope of Stidham suddenly reviving his NFL career.

The Broncos could save $5 million if they release Stidham this fall, seemingly making him the most likely candidate to be cut (if the team only carries two QBs). Denver could try to trade Stidham to a QB-needy team leading up to roster cuts, but he probably wouldn’t draw much interest.

If Stidham is cut and signs elsewhere, DiNucci would presumably be the favorite to once again fill the QB3 role on the practice squad. All of this, of course, is merely speculation at this point. With that said, the numbers — and the money — suggest the Broncos might cut a quarterback in August.

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Broncos were Bo Nix’s preferred landing spot in the NFL draft

“I truly can tell you this: If I could pick where I wanted to go, I was going to pick Denver,” Bo Nix said of being drafted by the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos used their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix last week.

The quarterback now joins coach Sean Payton, a quarterback guru, and a team that was his preferred landing spot going into the draft.

“Yesterday afternoon and yesterday evening, it started to become real to me,” Nix said during his introductory press conference last Friday. “I had everybody at the house. I had a great group show up, a lot of friends and family. It was an exciting moment for me and the entire family. Then as the draft started, it got intense. We knew how the first part of the draft was going to go, and then as it went you just never know how things were going to shape up. Right there at pick 12 I got a phone call, and I was just extremely excited and honored for it to be the Denver Broncos.

“I truly can tell you this: If I could pick where I wanted to go, I was going to pick Denver because of the relationships that we had built throughout the process. I just felt like it was a great fit for me, and I was just excited to get that phone call. Then after that, that’s when everything really started happening fast. It takes a long time for the draft to get here, but once it does, it happens quickly. Now I’m in Denver, and I’m speaking with you guys. So I’m excited. Already love the city, it’s a pretty day outside and I’m just excited to be here.”

Nix, 24, is a quick processor with efficient passing numbers, two traits that have drawn comparisons to Drew Brees. Payton, of course, won a Super Bowl with Brees, and the coach’s past success with that style of QB likely played a role in Nix wanting to land in Denver.

Nix was the Broncos’ top choice and they were his preferred choice. It’s a perfect match on paper. Now we wait to see how it looks on the field.

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Bo Nix has heard from Peyton Manning, hopes to connect with Drew Brees

Bo Nix has already heard from Peyton Manning. He hopes to also connect with Drew Brees as he begins his career with Sean Payton’s Broncos.

The Denver Broncos were a perfect landing spot for Oregon quarterback Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL draft.

In Denver, Nix will be coached by Sean Payton, a quarterback guru, and he’ll have Peyton Manning available at a moment’s notice.

“I got a text from Peyton Manning last night from our past at the Manning Passing Academy,” Nix said during his introductory press conference last Friday. “He’s always been so willing to reach out to me. He’s very good at being available to those young guys. He’s like that at the camp, he’s obviously like that with the Broncos players. I’m excited to seriously be around him and spend some time with him.”

Manning has been a great resource to the Broncos — and quarterbacks across the league — since retiring in 2016. He will continue to help in any way he can as Nix transitions to playing in the NFL.

Another retired quarterback, Drew Brees, had not reached out to Nix before the QB’s press conference last week, but the rookie hopes to also connect with Payton’s former QB.

“[W]ith Coach Payton and his background with Drew Brees, I’d love to get connected to him just because he’s been through it, he knows what it’s like and maybe I can take something from all those guys to where I can be the best version of myself,” Nix said.

Nix has a QB guru for a coach, a willing mentor in Manning and a play-style role model in Brees. He’s been set up for success in Denver. Now fans hope to see Nix take advantage of his opportunity.

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Sean Payton comments on Broncos trading for QB Zach Wilson

“We saw talent with a player that just three years ago was the No. 2 pick … We really like his traits,” Sean Payton said of Zach Wilson.

Just three days before the 2024 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos agreed to trade a sixth-round draft pick to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Zach Wilson and a seventh-round pick.

Shortly thereafter, the Broncos used their first-round pick in the draft to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix on Thursday night. Denver coach Sean Payton was asked about the timing of the trade and status of the QB room on Thursday night.

“These guys are all going to compete,” Payton said of the QB depth chart. “We were really happy to bring Zach on board. There was no specific timing, that just took a little bit of time. In other words, George [Paton] and Joe [Douglas] with the Jets have been working on that. So it wasn’t a smoke screen. I know when we signed him it was closer to the draft. It very well could have been three weeks ago.

“We know we wanted to add into the room, and I think I said that much even at the owner’s meetings. We really liked that opportunity. There were a number of veteran backups that signed contracts, and yet we saw talent with a player that just three years ago was the No. 2 pick in the draft. We really like his traits. Of course, we [also] have Jarrett Stidham here and Ben [DiNucci]. So Bill [Parcells] taught me a long time ago [to] just let them play. We have to maximize the reps that we have, and let them develop, and that stuff will sort itself out.”

It seems that the Broncos are now set to go into the summer with a huge quarterback competition. Wilson will be competing with Stidham and Nix (it’s hard to imagine many reps being leftover for DiNucci). May the best QB win.

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New Broncos QB Bo Nix flattered by the Drew Brees comparisons

Bo Nix is flattered by the Drew Brees comparisons, but he knows he needs to back it up on the field. “I’m excited to just play football.”

Leading up to the 2024 NFL draft, many pundits linked Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to the Denver Broncos for a simple reason: he plays like Drew Brees.

Brees, of course, broke records and won a Super Bowl playing for the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton, who now coaches in Denver. After the Broncos used their first-round pick to select Nix, the quarterback was asked about the Brees comparisons during his introductory press conference.

“I grew up watching Drew Brees, I grew up watching Coach Payton coach,” Nix said on Friday. “I watched their Super Bowl. … Whenever you’re compared to a guy like Drew Brees, it’s an honor just because of the success he had and the career that he had. So all it is just talk. I have to go out there and continue to do things just for the respect of that comparison. I think that’s what excites me the most. I’m excited to just play football, I’m excited to go out there and compete.

“I saw the sign out there on the practice field that says, ‘Compete Street.’ I think that’s the best thing that you can have going out to the practice field because that’s all you’re doing. You just compete and compete to be the best for yourself because when you put your team together — it’s a team game. You have to rely on each and every individual. So watching those guys compete at practice, and then knowing that I’m going to compete as well, that’s what I’m really excited to do.”

Nix certainly has the right mentality for success in the NFL. He knows that the comparison means nothing if he doesn’t deliver on the field. Now teamed up with Payton, he aims to follow in Brees’ path.

“I knew the efficient offenses that they had and how well they worked together,” Nix said of the coach-QB duo. “Honestly, in college you learn with so many different coaches, that relationship is so important. So it’s one that every quarterback and play caller and head coach need to have together. I’m excited to be around him [Payton]; I’m excited to learn from him. Everything he tells me is something that I’m probably not going to know. So I’m going to do my best to take it all in and apply it to the field.”

Nix will report for rookie minicamp next month followed by mandatory minicamp in June and the start of training camp in late July. He’ll make his live debut when the Broncos begin preseason in August.

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Can Texas learn from first round QB Bo Nix in optimizing Ewers?

Can Steve Sarkisian set up Ewers to have a breakout season like Bo Nix did?

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers shares a few things with former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Both Ewers and Nix began their career with high expectations before early struggles left a defining first impression.

Quinn Ewers famously struggled in his first season completing just 58.1% of his passes. The lowlight came against Oklahoma State where Ewers went 19-for-49 for 319 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Nix had a similar game as a freshman.

Prior to transferring to Oregon, Nix faced the Ducks as a member of the Auburn Tigers in 2019. His first start wasn’t much more efficient than Ewers’ worst performance. Nix went 13-for-31 for 177 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He went on to complete 57.6% of his passes. That completion rate was just below Ewers 58% freshman season.

Unlike Ewers, who completed 69% of his passes in his second season as starter, Nix didn’t improve much in his second year in 2020. Nix completed 59.9% of his passes and threw for less yards, less touchdowns and more interceptions in his sophomore campaign. Eventually the highly touted prospect was benched and transferred to Oregon.

Four years after completing less than 58% of his passes, Nix set college football’s single season completion percentage record (77.4%) throwing for 4,500 yards, 45 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The once inefficient prospect became a Heisman candidate and the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

What seems clear is that accuracy can be improved dramatically over a few seasons. In just one season, Ewers improved his by 11%. What is still lacking is the touchdown total which likely needs to improve from 22 touchdown passes in 2023 to around 30 for the Longhorns to contend.

Bo Nix made highlight throws as a downfield passer at Oregon, but the Ducks helped him out in the same way Texas has aided Quinn Ewers. Oregon gave Nix easy throws. That’s the path the Longhorns need to continue to take to ensure Ewers succeeds moving forward. It could all but secure his draft stock.

There are several ways in which Texas can give Ewers easy completions. Oregon put up high scoring totals with offensive explosion led by Nix at quarterback. The Longhorns could duplicate those scoring totals by employing more tempo and catching opponents off balance. The approach greatly aided current Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma and could help Ewers.

The bubble screen and run-pass option (RPO) have given Ewers open throws, but Sarkisian might get more innovative to create more yards of separation in 2024.

The downfield passing game has been a struggle for Ewers at Texas. While it has improved he will need to take another step to put up title caliber production at quarterback. Even so, with continued improvement in short and intermediate passing, where Ewers made the most strides in 2023, Ewers can go from a good to elite completion rate in the upcoming season.

Time and experience can help a quarterback improve, but Oregon was partially responsible for Nix’s breakout 2023 season. The Longhorns can set Ewers up for success by finding ways to make the game easier for the former five-star prospect.