Buckled Up Broncos
By Peyton Schultze
Adding Bridgewater gives the Broncos some much-needed insurance at the quarterback position (via USA Today).
In some shocking last-minute news out of the Mile High City, the Denver Broncos made a big move in trading for former Panthers’ quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. There are many interpretations of what this move signals for the Broncos on draft night, but it is clear that first-year general manager George Paton is all-in on being aggressive in the leadup to what figures to be a thrilling draft.
With that said, following the Bridgewater trade, here are Denver’s options for tomorrow night at the ninth overall pick:
Take Justin Fields or Trey Lance, Trade Lock
The ever-so-talented Fields appears to be a real option for the Broncos with the ninth overall pick (via The Spun).
Now that the Broncos have Teddy Bridgewater on their roster, they are in a position to have a quarterback room full of two decent options at the very least heading into next season. But even though the Broncos appear to have some insurance on deck with the trade for Bridgewater, the race for a franchise quarterback may not be over just yet in Denver.
Bridgewater is a very solid player and could very well be the best potential quarterback in the Mile High City since Peyton Manning, but he does not appear to be the long-term starter for the team. This seems to point toward the Broncos looking to groom a young quarterback in this year’s draft to learn under Bridgewater for a year, which could be well-suited for both players on their roster. By the time the Broncos are on the clock, it appears like there will be a chance for Trey Lance or Justin Fields to be available on the clock for Denver to draft. Although it is unclear which signal caller that the Broncos prefer, rumors around the organization have stated that they really like both players and would welcome the addition of either player.
All of this was said before Bridgewater was even traded to Denver, which must make you wonder if the Broncos have had something planned all along regarding a quarterback. In drafting either Fields or Lance to learn under a starting-caliber quarterback like Bridgewater for a year, the Broncos would be setting a foundation on offense for the game’s most important position. This does mean that the Broncos would likely have to trade incumbent quarterback Drew Lock for a fourth-round pick, but there is no doubt he could have a fair amount of suitors on teams that could be interesting in touching upon his impressive skillset. If that is the case, look for teams such as the Seahawks, Steelers, Texans, Bears, Eagles, and Giants to potentially be interested in Lock’s services, although his trade value over time could only continue to decrease over time if Denver decided to hang onto him. Bronco fans will like the idea of this, and things could get very interesting in the next 48 hours.
Trade Down in the Draft
The Broncos face some key pressure in this draft to make the right move in the first-round to put themselves in a position to contend for a playoff spot in 2021 (via Mile High Report).
With the Broncos now claiming that they are not out of the market for a quarterback in the first-round, general manager George Paton has a certain amount of leverage when it comes to a potential trade for the ninth overall pick.
This is another quarterback-crazed draft, and there looks to be a real chance that any one or two of Mac Jones, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance will be available when the Broncos are on the clock at #9 overall. This means that the Panthers and the Broncos at the 8th and 9th overall picks now become the most intriguing trade slots in this year’s first-round, especially now that reports are trickling in about Kyle Pitts to the Falcons with the fourth overall pick. The Broncos would be wise to explore the trade market if they are bluffing regarding drafting another quarterback in this draft after the acquisition of Bridgewater, which means that they could have several suitors right on deck. With the Broncos getting Bridgewater, several teams around the league have some hope about being able to reach up for one of these rookie quarterbacks in a trade for the ninth pick, including:
Washington Football Team
New England Patriots
Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
This is not to say that any one of these teams will trade with Denver at #9, but the prior notion that the Broncos are only looking at taking a quarterback with their first-round pick has been suddenly tossed out the window. If Paton does decide to trade down in the draft, the Broncos could likely receive a bigger-than-usual haul for the ninth pick in comparison to past years, especially considering the need for a quarterback to groom for the future for many contending teams. A lot of this comes down to who is available by the time the Broncos are on the clock, which means that the trade may not be moved until the very last minute. This may be the most interesting of Denver’s options, and things could get crazy in this draft if they move down and switch spots with a contending team.
Keep Bridgewater/Lock, Draft a Defensive Player
Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II now appears to be a real option for the Broncos with the ninth overall pick (via Alabama Crimson Tide).
Luckily, Denver has put themselves in a position where they no longer have to take a quarterback in the first-round in order to walk away with a successful night.
Although Bronco fans may have short leash when it comes to Drew Lock, the insertion of Teddy Bridgewater to the quarterback room adds some key stability that has been missing on offense since Peyton Manning’s retirement. At the very least, Bridgewater is a veteran presence who will push Lock in training camp to get the best out of Denver’s young gunslinger. And if Lock does happen to fall short and make any sort of positive noise in training camp, the Broncos can now fall on the veteran Bridgewater to lead the team as their starter for the 2021 season, which is a huge transitional year for an organization that has not made the playoffs since they won the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.
With that said, Denver could focus even more on adding one of the top defensive players in this year’s draft to a Vic Fangio-led defense coming off a phenomenal free agency period that saw the team address some key needs. With Justin Simmons returning to the Mile High City on a long-term deal and Von Miller set to return this season after an injury wiped out his 2021 season, the Denver defense appears like a unit that could be one of the better groups in the AFC. So how could they add to it in this draft? General manager George Paton did a nice job of adding some cornerbacks like Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in free agency, but several big-time names in this year’s draft could be very attractive for the Broncos. This includes, but is not limited to, cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn, Caleb Farley, and Greg Newsome, all of whom would be a great addition to the Broncos’ defense. On top of that, if he happens to still be available at the ninth overall pick, linebacker Micah Parsons could be a huge addition to the Broncos’ defense. Similar to the slide that saw Bradley Chubb end up with the Broncos several years ago, a flurry of offensive talent taken in front of Parsons could help him fall to a team like Denver, which would instantly make him one of the centerpieces of an already-talented group.