Denver Post Broncos writer Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season. Submit questions to Parker here.
Is there any chance that the Broncos will re-sign TE/FB Andrew Beck? He plays hard, and he seems like a good dude and teammate.
— John Brown, Bozeman, Mont.
Bozeman! My old stomping grounds. Thanks for writing, John.
There’s a chance, but it’s going to depend on what new head coach Sean Payton wants to do with the tight end position. He’s used unique hybrid players in the past. It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, but a guy like Taysom Hill comes to mind. Regardless, guys like Beck are always the kinds of players in the NFL you can appreciate. Signed as an undrafted free agent with New England, he got cut, signed in September 2019 with the Broncos off waivers and has been in the league since.
When I talked briefly with him on locker room cleanout day, Beck knew he’d have to wait and see on the new coach and what kind of offense Denver would end up running before knowing what his prospects of returning are. He said he’d love to stay, for what that’s worth. Several in the tight end group are in the same boat and Eric Saubert and Eric Tomlinson have been through it before. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m a little confused about the hiring of Vance Joseph. The Cardinals’ defense was hot garbage last year and allowed the second-most points in the league. He comes with a fair amount of baggage from his first tenure here. If we went after a former Denver head coach, Vic Fangio was around. Heck, I’d still take Wade Phillips if he wanted to do it.
— Mark, Arvada
Hey Mark, it’s easy to look at last year in Arizona and have doubts about Joseph. But before that, he had the Cardinals on the upswing over his first three seasons in the desert. Not perfect, but certainly improved from where they were before Joseph arrived.
As for Fangio, he was available, but it was always a longshot he’d end up back in Denver just one year post-firing. Joseph has a lot more water under the bridge — not to mention a new regime in place — compared to Vic, who was fired while George Paton was the general manager.
Had Joseph been hired as a defensive coordinator anywhere else, I don’t think there’d be a lot of doubt cast about his credentials. It’s a unique situation in Denver given his history, no doubt, but there’s also plenty of reason to think he can keep the Broncos’ talented defense headed in the right direction.
Are you hearing any word if the team’s going to induct someone new into the Broncos Ring of Fame? Guys like Steve Foley, Ed McCaffrey and Al Wilson have long been overdue for induction. Demaryius Thomas, too.
— Ron, Parker
Not so far, but those are all good candidates. The Broncos, remember, did not induct anybody into the Ring of Fame in 2022 because of the incoming new ownership group and also a desire to honor the 1997 Super Bowl championship team, which happened Week 7 against the Jets. We’ll see what comes for 2023. In the meantime, how long ago does Week 7 feel? It’s been an interesting stretch, for sure.
Alex Singleton has to be a no-brainer to be re-signed, right? The guy was everywhere on the field for us last year. Him and Josey Jewell could be running the middle of the defense for years to come.
— Marshall, Parker
Marshall, great question. I think it’s a no-brainer that the Broncos try to find a way to get Singleton back into the fold for 2023 and perhaps beyond, but they won’t be the only team interested in his services. And Singleton, who has bounced around the league after years in the CFL and has never signed a multi-year contract, probably views this as his best chance yet at securing a nice payday. Are the Broncos willing to pay Singleton roughly what Jewell makes? Don’t forget, he’s also an impact special teams player, but many teams are also reluctant to sink extensive resources into the inside linebacker position. I’ll be interested to see how strong his market is.
As an aside, looking through the guys in line to potentially become free agents in a couple of weeks, ILB is a group with some interesting names. More on that over the next several days/into the weekend in The Post.
A belated welcome to Denver from the hometown of Pat Bowlen. I love looking at the draft for “sleepers” and that is what is especially needed with the Broncos this time around with their lack of draft capital. As such, I would like to put forward and get your opinion on Jaxson Kirkland of the Washington Huskies. In our greatest area of need, this mammoth player can excel at tackle or guard and only last year was a top-20 projected pick until he sustained an injury and went back to the Huskies and had a stellar year with a program that led the nation in offense. Any comments? Cheers.
— Allan Tremblay, Edmonton
Allan, much appreciation from way down here in the south.
I’m penning this mailbag from Indianapolis, where Kirkland will be one of 300-plus players at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. He missed time in three collegiate seasons due to injury, as you said. One thing that’s clear considering the Broncos don’t currently have a pick until early in the third round: They’re going to have to do work in the middle rounds of the draft. If you find a starter at any position on Day 3, especially, you really bolster your roster. And there are always linemen to be found in that range. Perhaps Kirkland is one of them.
Call me crazy, Parker, but I’m most excited about our new strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple. I forgot where I read it, but the Saints had the fewest number of torn ACLs in the league over the last decade and the Broncos were on the opposite end of the spectrum. Fewer injuries mean your best players stay on the field longer. If they stay healthy, do you think Denver could make a push for a playoff spot?
— Phil B., Las Vegas
Phil, thanks for writing in. If injuries were predictable, the big casinos in your town would probably be rolling in even more cash than they already are.
Even still, the Broncos have been among the league’s most injured teams for several years and CEO Greg Penner vowed late last year to scour the league for answers. Payton, obviously, had a part in bringing in people like new vice president of player health and performance Beau Lowery and head strength coach Dan Dalrymple.
Consider what Drew Brees said in a statement about Lowery: “Beau Lowery added years onto my career. His vision, leadership, character and process for sports performance and physical therapy are second-to-none. There is no better person you will find in this role to equip the team for health, recovery and success.”
In my years covering college football, there was a joke you’d hear that everybody in the country always says they have the best strength coach in the country. It’s a tough thing to measure — a lot of players loved Loren Landow — but there is no doubt that it’s critical the head coach and those types of people are aligned on what they want to do and that they trust each other. That clearly won’t be an issue for Payton, Lowery and Dalrymple.
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