Tag: Broncos Buzz

Bears select QB Caleb Williams with 1st pick in 2024 NFL draft

With the first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Bears picked USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

The Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit on Thursday evening.

Williams (6-1, 214 pounds) was widely considered the top quarterback prospect in this year’s class. He spent one year at Oklahoma, completing 64.5% of his passes for 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns, before transferring to USC ahead of the 2022 season.

Williams had a breakout year in his first season with the Trojans, completing 66.6% of his passes for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns against five interceptions. He then threw for 3,633 yards and 30 touchdowns last fall while adding 11 scores on the ground.

In 37 college games, Williams totaled 11,061 all-purpose yards and scored 120 touchdowns.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Williams to Kyler Murray, who was the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Murray has earned two Pro Bowl nods since winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season.

As the top QB in this year’s class, Williams will be the early favorite to win the OROY award in 2024.

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Broncos are ‘always looking’ for cornerbacks and pass rushers

“You’re always looking at those type of positions. They’re hard to find. If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”

There’s been much speculation that the Denver Broncos could trade up for a quarterback during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

If trading up proves to be too costly, Denver could attempt to trade down and acquire more picks. It takes two parties for a trade, though, and there’s no guarantee the Broncos will be able to generate interest in pick No. 12.

If the team ends up staying put, there will be talented options on the board at pick No. 12, including a few notable pass rushers and cornerbacks.

“You’re always looking for corners and edge, value-type positions,” general manager George Paton said during his pre-draft press conference last week. “We like our corner group. We have one of the best corners in the league. We like our nickel in ‘J-Mac’ [Ja’Quan McMillian]. We have two young outside guys, Riley [Moss] and Damarri [Mathis] and Tremon [Smith]. We have a good, young group. They’re younger, so we like the group, [but] you’re always looking to add at those type of positions.

“The outside ’backer group, we have three that are really talented: [Nik] Bonitto, [Baron] Browning and [Jonathon] Cooper. We have a young Drew Sanders, if he stays outside. So we like the group, but you’re always looking at those type of positions. They’re hard to find. If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”

Paton was careful to note that the team “likes” their current corners and pass rushers, but he admitted the team won’t pass on a top CB or OLB if one of the elite prospects in this year’s draft falls to them at the right spot.

The top cornerbacks in this year’s class are Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold. The top pass rushers are Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu and Jared Verse. The first round of the NFL draft will begin tonight in Detroit.

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Broncos have picked 12th overall three times since 1971

If the Broncos stand pat and don’t make a trade, Thursday will mark the fourth time they have picked 12th overall in the NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos will pick 12th overall in Thursday’s NFL draft, where they hope to select a game-changing player that will help this franchise back into relevance.

Denver has drafted in the 12th overall slot three times since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Each of those three players went on to have a significant career with the Broncos.

  • 1971: OT Marv Montgomery

Montgomery was an offensive lineman at USC before being selected by Denver at 12th overall in the 1971 NFL draft. Montgomery spent five years and three games in 1976 with the Broncos before moving onto the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons prior to the finishing of his career in 1978.

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  • 2008: OT Ryan Clady

Clady made the transition from college to the NFL the way not many other players do — by staying with a team with the same nickname and similar colors. Clady was an offensive tackle from the Boise State Broncos, and he made a key block on the famous Statue of Liberty play from the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Clady went on to have a great career with the NFL’s Broncos — he was a four-time Pro Bowler (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014) and a two-time first-team All-Pro (2009, 2012). Clady finished his career in 2016 with the New York Jets.

  • 2009: RB Knowshon Moreno

One of the most recent Georgia running backs that was selected by the Broncos was Knowshon Moreno, who was also picked 12th overall. Moreno was a five-year starter with the Broncos, only recording one 1,000-yard season (2013). Moreno finished his Denver stint with 4,869 yards and 35 total touchdowns in five years.

It will be interesting to see who Denver picks with the 12th selection in 2024 (if they don’t make a trade).

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Peyton Manning says Broncos are ‘very interested’ in J.J. McCarthy

“I know Denver is very interested in him,” Peyton Manning said of J.J. McCarthy during an interview on 104.3 The Fan.

Speaking with old teammate Brandon Stokley and 104.3 The Fan co-host Josh Dover on Tuesday, former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning endorsed the team’s trade for quarterback Zach Wilson.

Manning also might have given a hint about Denver’s draft plans.

Manning recalled a texting mishap he had with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who thought somebody was pranking him pretending to be Manning. When McCarthy realized it was truly No. 18, the QBs connected and Manning gave some advice to the 21-year-old prospect.

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After recounting that phone call with McCarthy, Manning added this: “I know Denver is very interested in him and it sounded like a place he’d love to come to but it’s a little bit out of his control.”

It’s unclear if Manning has inside information or if he’s merely referencing the many reports that the Broncos are believed to be big fans of McCarthy.

Denver is not scheduled to pick until 12th overall in the first round and McCarthy is not expected to fall that far. If the Broncos want to land the Michigan quarterback, they will likely need to trade up. Denver coach Sean Payton has said moving up is a realistic option.

Whether all the buzz was genuine or just a smokescreen remains to be seen, but Manning added fuel to the fire just before the draft.

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Report: NFL teams think Broncos could trade Pat Surtain

The Athletic reports that some NFL teams think the Broncos might be willing to trade CB Pat Surtain in order to trade up for a top QB.

With the start of the 2024 NFL draft just one day away, smokescreen season has kicked into high gear. Everything reported at this time of year should be taken with a grain of salt because it’s hard to gauge what’s real and what’s posturing from teams hoping to influence who falls to them on draft day.

With that said, there have been rumblings for months that the Denver Broncos might attempt to trade up during the draft to land one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class. Moving up from pick No. 12 into the top five would be costly, and teams moving down will likely ask for Denver’s most valuable trade asset: cornerback Pat Surtain.

Speculation intensified on Wednesday when The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini wrote that “[m]ost teams picking in the top five believe the Broncos could make a big swing with a package that could even include star cornerback and fifth-year option pickup Pat Surtain II and more players on expiring deals if Payton’s true love is there.”

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It’s important to note that Russini is reporting what other teams think Denver might be willing to do. She’s not reporting that the Broncos are planning to trade Surtain, but other clubs think such a scenario is a possibility. Indeed, such a scenario is possible, but the suggestion that Surtain could be traded is just speculation at this point.

We’ll find out for sure when the draft begins tomorrow night.

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Peyton Manning endorses Broncos’ trade for Zach Wilson

“I think [this trade] might be just what Zach [Wilson] needs,” Peyton Manning told Denver Sports after the Broncos acquired the QB.

After the Denver Broncos traded for New York Jets backup quarterback Zach Wilson on Tuesday, Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning went on 104.3 The Fan (Denver Sports) to speak with Josh Dover and Brandon Stokley about the move.

“The change of scenario for Zach Wilson, I think, is going to be a good one,” Manning said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. Manning went on to note that Wilson had two different offensive coordinators in three seasons with the Jets, perhaps hindering his development.

“The best way to really screw a young quarterback up is to change coordinators on him every single year, and it drives me crazy,” Manning said.

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Wilson will now have to learn yet another offense after joining Sean Payton’s squad, but Manning believes the “reboot” will be good for the young quarterback.

“I think for Zach, I think a reboot actually is good,” Manning said. “Let’s just sort of start over, right? And let’s just let Sean Payton and his staff coach you and kind of start from ground zero, which I think might be just what Zach needs.”

Manning said he got Wilson’s phone number from the Broncos on Monday and reached out to the quarterback after the trade news broke.

“[I] welcomed him to Denver and was excited with this new chapter. He sounds excited to be here, so hopefully it’ll be a good fit.”

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12 prospects for Broncos at pick No. 12 of the 2024 NFL draft

The Broncos are set to pick 12th overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are 12 players who could fall to that spot.

The 2024 NFL draft is set to begin on Thursday and (barring a trade) the Denver Broncos will select 12th overall in the first round. 

We already have a pretty good idea of which players will be picked before the Broncos go on the clock. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are all expected to go early, followed by receivers Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. Offensive lineman Joe Alt is also likely to go off the board before Denver picks at No. 12. 

So, who will be left for Denver? 

We’ve put together a quick list of 12 players who — hypothetically — have a chance of falling to the Broncos. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and the draft always features multiple surprises, but at least half of the players on this list should be available when Denver is set to pick at No. 12. 

The two most “unrealistic” options included are Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner, but there are scenarios in which one or both of them could fall to the Broncos. 

Check out our full list of 12 potential targets for Denver below. 

2024 NFL draft order and trade value chart

Here’s a look at the complete order of the 2024 NFL draft with trade values assigned to each pick.

The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit this week from April 25-27. It will be a busy time for Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton.

The Broncos have already made several trades this offseason. They acquired quarterback Zach Wilson from the New York Jets and sent wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns. More trades could be on the way — teams have called Denver about the status of receiver Courtland Sutton, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos make a few moves during the draft.

Courtesy of the NFL Wire’s Coley Cleary, we have a graphic of the complete order of the 2024 NFL draft that includes trade values for each pick.

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The values assigned to each pick are from Rich Hill‘s trade value model. Using this chart, fans can have some fun creating hypothetical trade scenarios for Denver during the draft. Here’s a look at the trade value chart:

(Coley Cleary, NFL Wire Network)

(To view a larger version of the image, click here.)

The Broncos currently hold pick No. 12 overall in the first round. Based on trade this chart, that pick is worth 347 points. Denver’s picks in the first and third (61) rounds equal 408 points, which would be — in theory — the compensation required to move up to pick No. 8 in a trade.

The Broncos hold eight total draft picks, including the second-to-last pick of the draft at the end of the seventh round on Saturday.

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Zach Wilson’s family was pumped up after his trade to Broncos

Zach Wilson’s mom said she’s excited for the QB to have a “fresh new start” with the Broncos.

After the Denver Broncos agreed to trade a sixth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Zach Wilson and a seventh-round pick on Monday, the quarterback’s family quickly took to social media to celebrate.

Wilson’s mom, Lisa, shared videos on her Instagram story showing multiple Broncos flags in their front yard alongside orange and blue balloons. The family likely knew about the possibility of the trade and had time to prepare — they also live in Utah so they might already be fans, and it’s likely easy to find Broncos gear at their local stores.

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“Excited for a fresh new start,” Lisa captioned one of her Instagram stories. “Let’s go!”

In another post: “Surround yourself with People the love you, cheer for you and want you to succeed.”

Later in the day, Lisa posted a video showing friends and family celebrating the trade with Broncos gear and flags at what appears to be a frozen yogurt shop.

Welcome to Denver, Zach Wilson. Judging from the social media posts, the QB’s family seems to be fired up about his new opportunity with the Broncos.

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Broncos exercise Pat Surtain’s 5th-year option for 2025 season

The Broncos have picked up Pat Surtain’s fifth-year option. He’ll now earn about $19.8 million in 2025.

The Denver Broncos have picked up cornerback Pat Surtain’s fifth-year option for the 2025 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Next week (May 2) was the deadline to exercise the option.

Surtain, 24, had one year remaining on his rookie contract before Denver exercised the option for next year. Surtain is set to earn about $3.5 million in 2024. He’ll get a big raise in 2025 as the fifth-year option is projected to be worth about $19.8 million.

Every player picked in the first round has a team option for a fifth season. The cost of that option depends on the player’s position, playing time and Pro Bowl selections.

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Surtain’s basic salary would have been around $12.4 million if he did not meet any of the following incentives: playing time ($13.3 million), one Pro Bowl ($17.2 million) or two Pro Bowls ($19.8 million), according to NFL Network.

Surtain maxed out his potential earnings by playing 95% of the team’s defensive snaps and earning two Pro Bowl nods in his first three seasons. The star cornerback is now under contract for at least two more years, and the Broncos will likely work on a long-term extension next.

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