Mile High Monday: Broncos have to be ready to move up in the draft

There is a tiny lull in action around the NFL as the league waits for the start of free agency on March 18. This is a bit different from years past where the start of free agency almost came directly after the NFL Scouting Combine.

Even with this lull, there is still plenty of news items from around the NFL – including the Broncos. Last week, Denver shored up one of its biggest needs by trading the Jaguars for cornerback A.J. Bouye.

I like the proactive move the Broncos made to add talent to the cornerback position with Bouye and it keeps them out of a wild cornerback market. The Broncos have plenty of money to throw around in free agency, but there are going to be some prices for players which could give any team sticker shock.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ – even in March! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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Ekeler-like Deal?

Last week, the Chargers signed running back Austin Ekeler to a four-year, $24.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. After three years, Los Angeles is deciding to hand the running back position over to the undrafted free agent from Western Colorado University (Western State when he played there). Ekeler is from Eaton, Colo., and draws comparisons to Broncos fan-favorite Phillip Lindsay.

Last year, Ekeler rushed 132 times for 557 yards compared to Lindsay rushing almost 100 times more (224 carries) for 1,011 yards. However, Ekeler caught a whopping 92 passes for 993 receiving yards while Lindsay only caught 35 passes for 196 yards. Ekeler scored 11 touchdowns combined, while Lindsay scored seven in the 2019 season. People make comparisons between the two backs because they’re both somewhat undersized and from the state of Colorado.

Will the Broncos try to build a contract for Lindsay later this summer that matches what Ekeler just got from the Chargers? That could happen, even though some NFL fans may believe that Ekeler is the superior back.

Ekeler is clearly the better receiver between the two and it’s not close. Perhaps it’s closer when comparing rushing skills, but I prefer Lindsay’s hard-charging style in between the tackles over Ekeler’s dancing style and mostly outside the numbers carries.

Austin Ekeler in 2019:
* Led ALL NFL players in catches without a drop (92)
* 993 receiving yards (12th most by a RB ever)
* 10 games with 5+ catches
* 1 of 5 RB with 1,500+ total yards and 10+ total TD
* 4th in fantasy points amongst RB

Such a dynamic player.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 6, 2020

No matter where you come down on the Ekeler/Lindsay debate, the numbers that Ekeler got will at least be a target for Lindsay’s camp. After free agency and the draft, the Broncos are expected to address Lindsay’s contract. Sometime later this summer, we may see Lindsay get a similar deal.

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Bye Bye Backs

While the Broncos could be looking to get Lindsay a new deal, we know there are two running backs who will not be returning to the team this offseason. Devontae Booker and Theo Riddick were both on the roster last season, but recent buzz has been building that neither one would be back for the 2020 season.

This news shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone out there.

Booker was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and he was supposed to supplant C.J. Anderson as the team’s starter. That didn’t happen and Booker failed to impress as a running back even after Anderson went down during Booker’s rookie season. He did make a few plays here and there as a receiver out of the backfield, but he barely saw the field in 2019, only playing 26 snaps on offense.

Mike Klis, our 9News Broncos insider, did report on Twitter that Booker could have a few teams interested but I can’t believe the list would be that big. Running back is a young man’s position and Booker is already 28 years old after his first contract expires.

Riddick was picked up by the Broncos last year on a one-year deal, but he didn’t play a single snap for them in 2019. Instead, Riddick went down with a shoulder injury and was placed on Injured Reserve for the entire season. Riddick has been medically cleared and is going to test the open market.

His game was declining during his last season with the Lions in 2018, so I’m not expecting many teams to give Riddick much of a look. His ability to catch passes and play slot receiver should get him a look somewhere on a one-year deal, but his chances of making a 53-man roster at this point in his career is not guaranteed.

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Always in Motion is the Future

We are going to see quite a bit of movement in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Broncos are sitting at the No. 15 overall pick in the first round and there might be a healthy group of quality players available to them. If four quarterbacks go in the top 12 and four offensive tackles in the first 10 picks, then quite a few top-tier players could get pushed back in the range of the Broncos.

However, they cannot just rest on their laurels and expect the talent to fall to the middle of the first round. The Broncos need to be ready to move up in the draft. Talking to teams around the league, I’ve learned that quite a few teams are looking at leap-frogging the Broncos to get the talent they covet.

The Falcons are one of those many teams. On a radio interview with 92.9 The Game on Friday, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff gave us some clues about the activity we may see in the draft.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of really interesting action between 10 and 20,” Dimitroff said. “And again, I would never count us out because again we’re a team that has been active.”

I’ve talked about and written about teams behind the Broncos (like the Falcons) who want to make a move up above 15 – usually for one of the big three wide receivers (Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III) in this draft. However, there are teams in front of Denver who are seriously interested in these top wideouts.

From the people around the league I talk to, the Cardinals at No. 8 overall may take Ruggs off the board if he’s there. The Jaguars at No. 9 overall like him too, even though they have a nice group of young/speedy wide receivers already.

The Giants could use a wide receiver at No. 4 overall, but they’re likely to go with an offensive tackle or perhaps Clemson inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons. The Broncos could have some great talent fall to them at 15, but they need to be ready to move if they want someone like Ruggs.

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We Can Finally Rent a Car!

The Fan turned 25 years old last week. On Friday, we celebrated our anniversary on the airwaves and it was great to hear some of the great voices from the past on the station.

I grew up listening to The Fan. When the station debuted in 1995, I was still a farmer living in the country. I could pick up the signal out in the sticks and would listen to sports talk while swathing hay or tilling fields while driving a tractor.

25 years! I've always loved this station and it's an honor to be part of the Fan family. Thank you all so much for making us one of the most-listened sports stations in the country! https://t.co/DMpRTmeGIA

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) March 6, 2020

It is such an honor to be a part of The Fan. It’s the station that everyone in the market wants to work for. While some think there’s “tension” in the Denver sports radio market, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Fan is where you strive to be. I’ve been in this market from the first day I started on the radio (2003) and I’ve been around to multiple stations. I’m currently on my second stint with the Fan and I never want to go anywhere else.

My first paid radio gig was when I was hired by The Fan back in 2007. I was with The Fan until 2010 when I left to start ESPN Denver. I was there from the opening day of that station and I hosted the last show ever on those airwaves (2016). While I was proud of our effort, we could not make a dent in The Fan’s numbers.

That incredible standing with the listeners is now stronger than ever before. We’re at the top of the mountain, but that is because of the listening audience. We couldn’t do this without you and we all appreciate you more than words can express.

Let’s make it another 25 years (and more!) of bringing you the best Denver sports coverage on the radio dial. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for listening to The Fan.

Follow @CecilLammey