March and April have been busy for the Denver Broncos brain trust, which includes general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton. With the NFL Draft approaching next week, they’ll meet with the media on Thursday for their pre-draft press conference, and their collective vision is something Broncos Country is interested in knowing.
Denver Broncos vision aiming to become clearer after NFL Draft
Both Payton and Paton use the term ‘vision’ quite a bit when they discuss how they view team building. This offseason has featured a Moneyball approach after the team moved on from Russell Wilson and his massive contract, leading to the release of veteran safety and former team captain Justin Simmons as well.
For Broncos Country, the latter move was a tough pill to swallow, and they want to understand what the vision is for this team going forward if the team isn’t rebuilding as Paton and Payton both suggested.
Both will meet with local media on Thursday at the Centura Training Center at 12:00 p.m. MT. What is the overall vision of the roster heading into the presser?
What is the vision for several players on this roster after personnel changes?
Payton and Paton will both be asked about the quarterback position on Thursday, but they won’t be able to give us much insight into their plans, so our focus is going to shift to player personnel.
Payton shared some insight into the vision for players like Malcolm Roach and Brandon Jones, two of Denver’s key off-season acquisitions, but what about some players who are already on the roster?
Drew Sanders is entering his second season with the team and was initially drafted last year as an off-ball linebacker, but midway through last year, he was moved to the edge. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Payton said that he and the coaching staff were working with Drew to determine where he was going to play this season.
On paper, it feels like Sanders’ best opportunity to compete for playing time will be at inside linebacker after Josey Jewell’s departure. While Denver signed Cody Barton in free agency, there should be a wide-open competition at the position that features Barton, Justin Strnad, and Jonas Griffith.
Will Sanders move back to the position he was drafted for and have the chance to compete for the starting job next season next to Alex Singleton?
Earlier this week, the Broncos signed veteran defensive tackle Angelo Blackson, which prompts the question as to whether or not the signing will eliminate them from considering defensive tackle as a high-pick option.
How about Greg Dulcich? Last season, Payton had big plans for the flashy and athletic tight end, but injuries dampened those expectations. With Lucas Krull returning to the mix, has this shifted Payton’s potential planning for the team’s ‘Joker’ role that didn’t have a chance to develop last year?
Lastly, the cornerback position opposite Patrick Surtain II is wide open, and on paper, it appears that Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis will compete for the starting job in training camp. With the team’s previous interest in some veteran free agent options, could they still look to add a body to the cornerback room before training camp?
Nobody knows how the draft will go or how the board will fall, and the Denver Broncos brain trust won’t let any details out about their potential plans to us on Thursday, but they can address these in-house player personnel questions.
