With the 2023 NFL draft now just two weeks away, we have a new Broncos Wire podcast episode today featuring trade talk, brief injury updates and Phillip Lindsay’s return to football.
This week’s episode (No. 76) with host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary on Twitter) can be heard below:
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Ryan and I will return next week to give our top needs for Denver in the NFL draft. If you enjoy this podcast, you can check out previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on your podcast service of choice. Please consider giving the podcast a positive rating and review!
Our unedited notes for this week’s pod can be seen below.
The Broncos are not trading a WR! We promise! Really! Believe us!
- After a lot of reporting that Denver was listening to trade calls for WRs, Sean Payton has since said the Broncos will NOT trade Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton. Pinky-promise a trade won’t happen.
- I suspect that Denver held firm in its asking price (1st for Jeudy, probably a 2nd for Sutton) and nobody will meet that, so it makes more sense for the Broncos to keep them both than to trade them for less than what they believe they are worth on the team.
- There is no doubt, however, that Denver was considering shaking up the WR room this offseason — the Broncos tried to sign Adam Thielen and Allen Lazard during free agency, and they eventually landed former Saints WR Marquez Callaway.
- Even though the Broncos insist they won’t trade a WR, I still think it could happen around or during the draft if a team offers what Denver is asking for. But maybe they already know teams won’t budge. I’m sure fans would rather keep both Jeudy and Sutton than trade them for a mid-round pick.
Injury updates: Russell Wilson, KJ Hamler undergo surgeries
- Wilson had arthroscopic right knee surgery to clean up some lingering pain that he’s had for a few seasons. He should be fully recovered soon.
- Wilson also battled through a right shoulder injury, a hamstring injury and a concussion last season. Add those injuries to the list of reasons why last season was a disaster. Hopefully Wilson can move beyond those injuries and bounce back in 2023.
- Hamler, meanwhile, continues to be plagued by injuries. He underwent pectoral surgery and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after hurting his pec while working out away from the facility.
- Hamler missed 3 games in 2020, 14 games in 2021 and 10 games in 2022 with various injuries. Entering a contract year, if he doesn’t recover and have a big season, this is probably Hamler’s last year in Denver.
Just another reminder that this is Sean Payton’s show now
- Payton bought a $4.5 million home in Denver and then went to the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona and declared to the media that the Broncos will tackle in practice this summer and play their starters in preseason (something Nathaniel Hackett did not do in 2022).
- These statements from Payton come after he previously kicked Russell Wilson’s personal QB coach out of the facility. (Hackett let Wilson do whatever he wanted, including having his personal staff in the building.)
- Payton has made it clear things will be different in 2023. He seems to believe things like tackling in practice, playing in preseason and overhauling strength and conditioning and nutrition could help cut down injuries.
Put some respek on Caden Sterns’ name
- I had safety as a position of need for the Broncos, and they tried to sign Nick Scott and C.J. Gardner-Johnson during free agency before those players joined the Bengals and Lions, respectively.
- After CJGJ signed with the Lions and Denver fans were moping about it on Twitter, Caden Sterns first tweeted laughing crying emojis (🤣🤣🤣), then he tweeted this: “Keep that same energy. Still love you guys though.”
- He later deleted the tweets.
- This is apparently a weak safety class, so after not signing a safety, the Broncos are expected to start Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns this year. Sterns has been really solid when called upon, but he’s missed a bunch of time with injuries since college.
- If he can stay healthy, Sterns is a starting-caliber safety. Denver might want some fallback depth, though, so maybe re-signing Kareem Jackson to another one-year deal could be an option.
Miscellaneous: Phillip Lindsay in the XFL and a question — Can you throw for 10 yards in an NFL game?
- That’s a popular question on social media. Kendall Hinton had a perfect response: no. (No screens or shovel passes allowed.)
- Phillip Lindsay made his XFL debut on Sunday night and scored a touchdown.
- There are two more regular-season weeks of XFL this spring followed by a round of playoffs and a title game in May. The USFL season also starts this weekend. What do we think of spring football?
- NFL draft: April 27-29: We dive in next week with positions of need.
You can listen to every past episode below or at this link.
