Denver Broncos Coach Sean Payton provided commentary at the spring NFL meetings, and he was at the top of his game.
The Denver Broncos had plenty of business to account for at the spring NFL meetings in Arizona, and Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post tracked them all. He organized them into a series of takeaways, so let’s see what he came up with and what some of the comments were from coach Sean Payton.
The Broncos know they’re on Bo Nix’s rookie contract
This topic is intrinsically contentious, as you might expect. The expectation is that the window to win it all occurs during the quarterback’s initial contract, and Payton was quick to respond when he was asked about Bo Nix’s hypothetical window of opportunity.
“Everyone would say, ‘Hey, you’ve got Bo on his rookie deal’” Payton said. “Well, no kidding.”
There’s a takeaway that has the Broncos not doing enough to build around Nix, and according to Gabriel, Payton’s PG response to that was, “baloney.”
In Payton’s mind, the Broncos had already done much of their building by re-signing everyone in sight. He also doesn’t have a high opinion who claims Denver’s offseason was largely wasted before the trade for receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Payton sees Jaylen Waddle as a force multiplier
While there are some experts and fans who look at the Waddle trade and see overlapping roles and potential trouble on the horizon, but Payton looks at that part of it and sees a player who will make those around him better.
“Whenever you get into a big-name free agent or a trade of this magnitude, the all-the-other-stuff is important research,” the coach commented. “When it comes to Waddle’s all-the-other-stuff, it was 10, 10, 10, 10. Obviously, he will help us.”
The details include Waddle’s ability to play inside and outside, along with what Payton called his “extensive” route tree.
The Broncos have a creative option at inside linebacker, and a breakout candidate on the edge
Denver’s situation at inside linebacker has been a secondary issue after the controversial Waddle trade, but Payton mentioned an option that hasn’t been considered much to date.
“You’re going to see (Jonah) Elliss take some snaps inside,” he said. “That’s something we’ve discussed relative to our depth on the edge.”
The other player involved in this is Que Robinson, a fourth-round linebacker who’s a virtual unknown after being taken in the fourth round in last year’s draft. Payton made some comments about Robinson possibly being a breakout pass rush rusher, which would be a surprising addition.
Payton isn’t the warm and fuzzy type
Shocking, right? Payton does have a great sense of humor when he chooses to use it, and this was one of those occasions.
“I don’t have anything warm and fuzzy in my golf bag,” he said. “Except my towel.”
The “warm and fuzzy” part was about his interactions with Nix, some of which don’t look all that friendly. According to Payton, though, that’s where Nix’s new quarterback coach, Logan Kilgore, comes into play.
“Bo is in there with (new quarterbacks coach) Logan Kilgore now,” Payton said, referring to the planning process that’s already started for this season. “Logan will be his warm and fuzzy.”