Tag: Broncos

Bo Nix says it would be an honor to play for Broncos coach Sean Payton

“I’m never going to argue if I get to play for one of the better coaches of all time,” Bo Nix said of potentially playing for Sean Payton.

The NFL draft will begin on Thursday, April 25, and the uncertainty of who some teams will draft looms large. Although the Denver Broncos just traded for Zach Wilson via the New York Jets, could head coach Sean Payton also aim for Bo Nix?

If so, the NCAA’s single-season completion percentage leader appears to be attractive to the possibility. The former University of Oregon quarterback appeared on the Up And Adams show this week and said “it’d be an honor” to play for Sean Payton and the Broncos, alluding to the HC’s legacy with legendary quarterbacks like Drew Brees.

“I’m never going to argue if I get to play for one of the better coaches of all time,” Nix told Adams.

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While Wilson could become Payton’s next rehabilitation project, Nix knows his pedigree from college would make him an intriguing target. We will find out on Thursday evening if Nix joins Wilson in Denver.

Check out the clip of Nix and his comments on Payton below.

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Mike Lombardi: Sean Payton wanted Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in 2017 NFL draft

Mike Lombardi told Pat McAfee that Sean Payton tried to select #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL draft.

The tale of the Kansas City Chiefs trading up in the 2017 NFL draft to select Patrick Mahomes has been told from many different angles. According to another source, the franchise-changing and league-altering moment could’ve gone a different way.

Front office veteran Mike Lombardi appeared as a guest on Wednesday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” to share his thoughts on this year’s NFL draft. He provided an example of Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s mindset in evaluating quarterbacks in the draft process.

“Let’s just say that Sean Payton has really done a good job in his career of evaluating quarterbacks when he was with Bill Parcells in Dallas,” said Lombardi. “He wanted Tony Romo, so they signed him as a college free agent.”

Lombardi pointed out a specific example of Payton’s plans from the 2017 draft. As head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he sought a deal to move up and select Mahomes.

“Some of these teams see some things in the quarterbacks that they can make them better players,” Lombardi said. “Remember, Sean Payton wanted to draft Mahomes; he lost out. Think about how the league would have been dramatically different had the Saints made that trade and not the Chiefs.

“I don’t think if Sean likes a quarterback, and I don’t know if he likes to go next or not, I have no idea. But if he likes one, you [have got to] believe he likes them for a reason. He’s going to develop them.”

The Chiefs landed one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history and haven’t looked back. Payton and the Broncos are evaluating many options in this weekend’s draft to try to score a franchise quarterback.

Check out these highlights of new Broncos QB Zach Wilson

Zach Wilson has an impressive arm. Here are some of his top plays in the NFL so far.

Zach Wilson is the new quarterback for the Denver Broncos as of Monday. The former first-round pick from the 2021 NFL draft received his trade papers from the New York Jets, and unless the Broncos draft a quarterback, Wilson might have a legitimate chance to start in Denver.

Wilson’s three years with the Jets were tumultuous — he finished 11-21 as a starter, had knee surgery in 2022, and got benched twice that season. Then Aaron Rodgers arrived, but Wilson got his job back after Rodgers went down with an injury.

With the Broncos, though, Wilson will get another chance to become a starter and a productive player in this league. And with Broncos head coach Sean Payton in tow, Wilson has a chance to prove NFL pundits and fans wrong.
To prepare for the arrival of Wilson, check out some of his top highlights from his time with the New York Jets.

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Broncos select pass rusher Laiatu Latu in 2024 NFL mock draft

Peter Schrager’s first-round NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 12.

In his first 2024 NFL mock draft, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has the Denver Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the 12th overall pick.

Schrager has quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy going off the board with the first four picks. With none of the top QBs available, the Broncos pick Latu.

“Viewed by many as the best pure pass rusher in the draft, Latu absolutely could end up in Denver if the board falls this way,” Schrager wrote on NFL.com. “The Broncos would, of course, love to move up and get a top-four quarterback, but I just don’t think they have the ammunition. They’d have to really love Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. to take either at No. 12 overall. (Like really, REALLY love.) So Latu’s the prediction here.”

While many would state that the Broncos should draft a QB, continuing to load up on defense isn’t a bad idea. Latu’s 13 sacks last season with UCLA proved that he can provide the need to get to the quarterback. The Broncos’ defense slipped last season: their rush defense finished 30th, and their total defense was 29th. Using a first-round pick to retool the defense can help it get back to the level it was at in 2022 if it works out.

Nix gets picked at No. 23, for what it’s worth, but Penix falls out of the first round in Schrager’s mock.

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Broncos Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware performs on ‘The Masked Singer’

It’s DeMarcus Ware!

Demarcus Ware has a belt in two classes.

As a football player, he dominated the trenches en route to a Hall of Fame career.  Apparently, he can dominate the microphone, too.

Ware recently appeared on the hit TV show “The Masked Singer” and performed as “Koala.” Ware performed the 1980’s song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.

Everyone was surprised when Ware revealed he was behind the mask.

“It was awesome,” Ware said. “All my life I’ve always wore a mask, but I sacked quarterbacks doing that. And now I put on the koala mask and no one knew who I was, and so the personality of me actually came out. I got to have fun.”

Ware previously sang the national anthem before the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game in 2023. Check out the reveal below of Ware unmasking himself:

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Broncos land QB, OLB and OL in 3-round NFL mock draft

This three-round NFL mock draft has the Broncos going quarterback, pass rusher and offensive line. Sounds good!

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus released a three-round mock draft last month, and he has the Denver Broncos loading up with two offensive players and a defensive pass rusher.

Sikkema believes the Broncos will trade down from pick No. 12 with the Eagles to select QB Bo Nix at No. 22. 

With their second-round pick they acquired from Philadelphia, the Broncos select Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland at No. 53. 

Lastly, in the third round, Sikkema has Denver landing another Oregon byproduct in center Khyree Jackson in the third round at pick No. 76. Center has since become less of a pressing need after the team signed Sam Mustipher.

Of all the selections, Nix perhaps is the best fit for the Broncos moving forward. Denver will be looking for a quarterback after the Russell Wilson debacle. With Wilson gone on to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a seasoned college QB such as Nix, who holds the NCAA record for pass completion percentage in a season, could be an ideal fit for Payton’s precision-based offense.

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Yet another former Saints player joins Sean Payton’s Broncos

Yet another former Saints player is teaming up with Sean Payton on the Broncos. Calvin Throckmorton has landed in a good place to compete:

Sean Payton might be building the whole plane out of former New Orleans Saints players, or at least his entire Denver Broncos roster. The ex-Saints head coach brought in yet another ex-Saints player to compete for a roster spot — the Broncos announced on Monday that Calvin Throckmorton had signed a one-year deal with the team.

Throckmorton, a former guard the Saints signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, was waived during roster cuts last summer and initially landed with the Carolina Panthers. They later waived him, too, and he ended the 2023 season with the Tennessee Titans. Throckmorton started most of the 2021 season at right guard (five games) or left guard (10 games) under Payton before being demoted to a backup role in 2022.

It’s possible Throckmorton could compete at center in Denver, but he’s likeliest to back up Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers at guard. He also played a lot of snaps at tackle in college, so he has options. We’ll see if he’s in the lineup when Payton and the Broncos visit New Orleans for a game at the Caesars Superdome in the fall.

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Eagles sign another player from the Saints’ 2023 practice squad

The Philadelphia Eagles signed another player from the New Orleans Saints Saints’ 2023 practice squad, joining Shaquan Davis:

The Philadelphia Eagles signed another player from the New Orleans Saints Saints’ 2023 practice squad, joining second-year wide receiver Shaquan Davis. Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, another second-year pro, was not retained when the Saints signed most of their practice squad to reserve/future contracts after the season ended. Now he’s going to Philly.

Mustipher, 25, was an undrafted free agent pickup for the Denver Broncos last summer (turning pro out of Penn State) who spent most of the season on their practice squad. The Saints poached a player from Denver, for a change, by signing Mustipher to their 53-man roster once injuries hit the position. Ironically, the Broncos ended up signing one of the players Mustipher was replacing in New Orleans — Malcolm Roach. He was later moved down to the practice squad, where he finished the 2023 season.

Now he gets a new opportunity in Philadelphia. Life for young players like Mustipher and Davis can be hectic as they’re tasked with moving from one city to the next, sometimes in the space of just a few months. Good luck to them both on the Eagles.

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ESPN says Michael Thomas should reunite with ex-Saints coach Sean Payton

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell sees a “perfect fit” for Michael Thomas on the Broncos. Can he and Sean Payton get back on the same page?

It would be surprising to see Michael Thomas and Sean Payton wearing the same team’s colors again, but you never know. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell made the case for the former New Orleans Saints wide receiver to work with the ex-Saints head coach, saying that the Denver Broncos could be a perfect fit for Thomas as he searches for a new team.

“Denver’s roster is in flux as it rebuilds post-Russell Wilson,” Barnwell wrote, “but after trading Jerry Jeudy, it looks like it will run with Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims as its top two wideouts. Tim Patrick took a pay cut to return, but he has missed each of the last two seasons with injuries. Thomas could reunite with former coach Sean Payton and compete with Patrick for that third wideout role.”

From a pure personnel perspective, it makes sense. The Broncos need a receiver. Thomas is a receiver. That’s a match, right?

Not so fast. Thomas’ relationship with Payton fractured over the years, with Thomas blaming Payton for the ankle injury that started his long-lasting medical issues; Thomas was asked to go out and block late in a blowout win, and to return quickly in order to help Drew Brees in the last year of his career. Thomas was set to leave the Saints after Payton stepped down from his post until Dennis Allen flew out to California to recruit him back to the team.

Payton also benched Thomas and fined him for fighting with a teammate in practice at one point, and there had been other pressures building behind the scenes. So it would be surprising to see the two of them together again. Still, if Thomas isn’t seeing many offers in free agency, this isn’t a possibility we should rule out.

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Sean Payton is signing away yet another Saints free agent

Sean Payton is bringing more of his former players to Denver. NFL Network reports the Broncos plan on signing Saints free agent Malcolm Roach:

Sean Payton is bringing more of his former players to Denver Broncos. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the Broncos plan on signing New Orleans Saints free agent Malcolm Roach at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, ending his four-year run with the team.

A former undrafted free agent out of Texas, Roach developed into an active run stopper for the Saints while averaging about 28 snaps per game last year at the bottom of the defensive tackles rotation; he was sidelined with an injury for the final five games in 2023 but still finished the year with the fifth-most tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage (10). For comparison, Bryan Bresee and Nathan Shepherd each had 11 in 17 games.

Pelissero adds that Roach’s contract is valued at up to $8 million on a two-year deal, so he may qualify for a compensatory draft pick in 2025. We’ll have to wait and see how the rest of the Saints’ moves in free agency shake out.

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