Kiz: You don’t pay $4.65 billion for a football team to finish in last place. I trust Greg Penner and the crazy-rich Walton family got into this sport to win. And if new Broncos ownership wasn’t in a hurry to win now, why go to the trouble of hiring veteran coach Sean Payton, who will be one grouchy old man if this team makes him look bad on Sunday? So, in my mind, anything less than a playoff berth for Denver this season must be considered a failure. Is that fair? Or unrealistic?
Gabriel: Whoa, Kiz, welcome back! Summer break is over. Football season is here. Or, at least training camp season. But you need no ramp-up. Right back into it. Not only is the franchise acting like one that expects to win, but every year there are teams that make the jump from bad to at least good enough to nab a wild card bid. Such is life with the kind of parity the league touts (OK, Kansas City not included). So while I think Denver could have a productive year under Payton and narrowly miss the postseason, it would still be fair to call such a season a failure.
Kiz: Call me crazy, but I don’t think Russell Wilson is washed. While I’d be surprised if he’s ever a truly elite NFL quarterback again, I think DangeRuss can still be better than Chargers QB Justin Herbert on any given Sunday. I’m betting Payton will get the best out of Wilson. But if he’s no longer a QB who can carry a team to the playoffs on his back, did general manager George Paton improve the roster enough during the offseason to give Wilson a fighting chance to earn 10 victories and an invitation to the Super Bowl tournament?
Gabriel: Sure, as long as key contributors don’t drop like flies as they did throughout the 2022 season. The Broncos did major work on their run game — not only by shelling out big dollars for Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers but also by getting tight end Chris Manhertz — and didn’t deal from their crowded receiver room. I’m not entirely convinced that the overall roster depth is substantially better than it was a year ago. Better up front on offense? Yeah. Defense and specialists? Time will tell.
Kiz: I love the addition of McGlinchey. While he’s probably not a Pro Bowl caliber player, he talks the talk and walks the walk of a glue guy who can infuse the locker room with a winning culture. I’m not so crazy about the addition of edge rusher Frank Clark, because he and Randy Gregory are going to have to make me a believer that they are the guys capable of giving Denver a consistently dangerous pass rush. I will give Denver a solid “B” on its offseason moves, largely because I regard Payton as a major upgrade over Nathaniel Hackett. I’ll go so far as to predict a playoff berth for the Broncos, but that’s far from a guarantee.
Gabriel: I can get on board with a “B” if you’re including the coaching turnover. Roster-wise, I’ll say B-minus. They certainly upgraded some areas and it came at a steep cost. A homegrown tackle or disruptive edge man is going to be critical in 2024 and beyond. But why worry about that or silly salary cap math at this stage in the calendar? Hope springs eternal on the eve of training camp. But for the moment I’m thinking improvement still ends with disappointment and vacation plans in the first half of January for the Broncos.
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