Broncos Bring Kareem Jackson Back

 Kareem Jackson is coming back to Denver after all. After releasing Jackson last week, Denver re-signed Jackson on a 1 year deal worth $5 million. This is a paycut for Jackson, but ultimately he ends up back in Denver and paired in a secondary with Justin Simmons and newly signed members Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby. Jackson has been a very good player for the Broncos for two years, and this move makes a ton of sense for the Broncos. George Paton re-signs a starter in the secondary and the Broncos get him at an affordable price. 

Broncos Sign CB Kyle Fuller

 The Broncos made a big move in free agency when they signed former Bears CB Kyle Fuller to a 1-year deal for $9.5 million. This is a great move for the Broncos as they add a Pro Bowl level CB in Fuller, who had success with Vic Fangio in Chicago. Now, the Broncos have Fuller and newly signed Ronald Darby on the outside at CB and Bryce Callahan as the nickel and slot corner. It also gives them flexibility in the draft and they can look to add at other positions and don't have to fill a need at CB. This was a really good move for the Broncos and give credit to George Paton for jumping all over Fuller when he became available. 

Broncos Free Agency Moves

 Let's take a look and break down the moves the Broncos have made in free agency during the first week of the official signing period......

Acquisitions

-Re-signed DL Shelby Harris: The Broncos were able to sign Harris to a 3-year deal right at the start of free agency. This was a great move and the Broncos really needed to bring Harris back. He is a very good player on that defensive line, and he is a good team leader and locker room guy. This was a must move for new GM George Paton.

-Signed CB Ronald Darby: The Broncos needed a veteran CB after letting A.J. Bouye go this offseason. Getting Darby to come in and fill in as the #2 CB was an important move to make. He had a very good season last year in Washington and hopefully this move works out as the Broncos try to solidify their secondary. 

-Signed RB Mike Boone: Boone comes over from Minnesota and he will add depth at RB and he is a special teams contributor. Boone is a depth move at this point.

-Franchise Tag on S Justin Simmons: The Broncos placed the franchise tag on Simmons for the second straight year, and it looks like they will get a long-term deal done with him before next season. Simmons staying in Denver is a priority and it looks like both sides want to make it happen.

-Exercise Option on LB Von Miller: Denver picked up Von Miller's team option and he will be back in Denver in 2021. He is the face of the franchise and missed all of last season with a freak, ankle injury. It will be nice to see him back in Denver next year and see him back to the pass-rushing force he once was. 

-2nd Round Tender for WR Tim Patrick: Denver set a 2nd round tender for Patrick, which means he will be back helping the WR unit once again. Patrick has developed into a solid player and bringing him back will only help this offense grow.

-2nd Round Tender for LB Alexander Johnson: The Broncos set a 2nd round tender for Johnson, so he will be back next year as well. A leader and solid player on defense, Johnson will be a starter once again in the middle.

Departures

-S Kareem Jackson: The Broncos declined to pick up his option, so that makes Jackson a free agent. Jackson was a really good player in Denver the last two years. He teamed up with Justin Simmons to be a really good tandem at the safety spot. I understand the thought about paying Jackson and Simmons big deals, but Jackson was really good, and I don't like the gaping hole that now occupies the back end of the secondary. I think this is a mistake.

-RB Philip Lindsay: This one hurts the most. Lindsay was given the original round tender by Denver instead of the 2nd round tender. Then, Denver rescinded the tender to let Lindsay go free and become a free agent. I am really surprised the Broncos don't value Lindsay. I don't want to hear about his pass protection and if he fits in this offense. He is a really good football player, who provides a spark whenever he touches the football. You need good players on your team. You don't just let them go. This was a huge mistake by Denver. To let Lindsay go like this is really disheartening and it is a shame because he is a type of player you want in your backfield and on your roster. 

 

Broncos 2021 Offseason Preview Mailbag

 With free agency and the new League year starting in a few weeks, this is a good time to preview the Broncos potential moves via free agency and trades for this upcoming offseason. With new GM George Paton, it will be interesting to see what moves he will make in his first offseason. Here are some key questions the Broncos will have to answer this upcoming offseason....

Do you think Justin Simmons will be signed long term? Yes, I think the Broncos will prioritize Simmons and eventually get him to sign a long-term deal with the team. If they have to place the Franchise Tag on him again, then I think they will, but I they should and will sign Simmons long term.

What are the other free agents for the Broncos this offseason? The Unrestricted Free Agent list includes:

Elijah Wilkinson, Shelby Harris, Jeremiah Attaochu, Will Parks, Demar Dotson, Demarcus Walker, Sylvester Williams, DeVaunte Bausby, and Joe Jones. 

The Restricted Free Agent list includes: Tim Patrick, Alexander Johnson, and Philip Lindsay

Which of those free agents would you bring back to Denver? I would try to sign Shelby Harris to an extension. Harris had a really good season, and he is good character guy, who brings a lot of production to that defensive line. I would make him my highest UFA priority. I don't know if they will be able to re-sign him because I think he has a bigger market out there than last offseason, but I would try really hard to lock him up. The other UFAs that the Broncos should try to bring back are Elijah Wilkinson and Will Parks. I think both have a role on this team, and you can probably get them to come back at an affordable price. I know that Joe Jones is special team guy, but I think all the other UFAs are all expendable. On the restricted side, I think you have to 2nd round tender all three: Lindsay, Patrick, and Johnson. I would hope that the Broncos do that because I think each guy is valuable enough to return and contribute next year. I wouldn't want to risk losing any of those three RFAs. 

What current players are in danger of being cut for salary cap purposes? The biggest name is Von Miller. He is 32, coming off an injury year, and he is being investigated in a domestic dispute claim, so it is easy to see why the Broncos could potentially let him go and free up more cap space. I hope they try to extend his contract to lower his cap number and allow him to come back to the Broncos, but from the sounds of it in Denver, that could be a 50-50 chance at this point. I want him to come back to Denver-provided he is cleared of all charges-which is something many people in Denver believe will happen, and I think he can still be a valuable piece to this defense and continue to add leadership. The next name that could be let go is DL Jurrell Casey. Casey got hurt in the third game last year and he missed the rest of the season. It looks like he could be a cap casualty this year as well. You could also possibly include RT Juwan James to the list of potential cuts, but it looks like the cap hit and dead money would be counter productive and it might just be better to see if he can come back and win that RT spot and play well next year.

How should the Broncos handle the QB situation this offseason? There is a lot of talk about if the Broncos should move on from Drew Lock or not. First, I like Drew Lock. I believe that he can grow and develop into a winning, solid QB for the Broncos. I'm not saying he is going to be Pat Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers, but I think he can be a good QB in this league and win some games for the Broncos. Secondly, I understand that he needs to play better and more consistent for the Broncos to win some games and be a playoff competitor. I think the talent on Denver is ready to start winning and I think more consistent QB play is going to put them over the top. I think you bring Lock back next year, but also sign a legitimate veteran as the "hedge" QB in case Lock falters and you need someone to come in and save the season. A veteran like Nick Foles or Andy Dalton would be a good choice, but I would also look at trading for someone like Gardner Minshew. Each of those could push Lock, and if they are the backup, they can come in and win a few games or help turn the tide if Lock fails and the team is losing. 

Should the Broncos pursue Deshaun Watson if he becomes available? There is no doubt in my mind the Broncos should be in the mix and pursue Watson if he is available for trade. He wants to be traded from Houston but right now the Texans are not going to put him up for trade, so we will see how this standoff plays out. If he is available for trade, the Broncos have to go after him. Give up players, picks and whatever it takes to get Watson.

What free agents should the Broncos look to add via free agency? It is hard to say which players are going to get cut from teams and be available but looking at the current list of free agents, the Broncos should focus on these positions: OT, CB, and DL. At Cornerback, they could target guys like Mike Hilton from Pittsburgh, Bashaud Breeland from KC, and Xavier Rhodes from Indy. At Defensive Line, they could target guys like Daquan Jones from Tennessee, Johnathan Hankins from Las Vegas, and Sheldon Rankins from New Orleans. All of these guys are rotational, affordable players that could help bolster the depth on the roster.

Buccaneers and Tom Brady Win Super Bowl LV in a Blowout Win over the Chiefs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl LV Champs after a dominating 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The game was a great game as the Bucs and their defense handled the Chiefs and their offense, but I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Seeing the Chiefs and Pat Mahomes get hammered was a delight, and it was fun rooting for Tom Brady. This game will long be remembered for Brady getting his 7th Super Bowl ring, the Bucs defense, and Mahomes proving he is actually human after all. Here are my thoughts one the game.

1) The Bucs defense was awesome in this game. They harassed Pat Mahomes, pressured him 29 times, sacked him 3 times, forced 2 ints, and made him have the worst game of his life. Their pass rush and defensive line destroyed the Chiefs depleted offensive line. They got there with four rushers all game long and just made Mahomes' life miserable. Give Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles credit. He had a great game plan and did a phenomenal job executing this game plan. Devin White and Shaq Barrett were all over the field and they snuffed out everything the Chiefs were trying to do.

2) Tom Brady wins his 7th Super Bowl and he was really good and efficient all game long. He won the Super Bowl MVP and he deserved it. He finished 21-29 for 201 yards, 3 TDs and no INT. He did what he had to do and the Chiefs had no answer at times for him. He is the greatest QB of all time and there is no debate.

3) Give Bruce Arians and his staff credit. The Bucs and their coaching staff completely outcoached Andy Reid and his staff. This was a complete drubbing in that department. This was not Reid's finest hour.

4) To me this game was over during the following sequence. Up 14-6 right before the half, TB got the ball back with 1:01 left on their own 29 yard line. The Chiefs took two timeouts and it killed them. It gave Brady time and the Bucs moved the ball. A big pass interference call moved the Bucs to the Chiefs 24 yard line. Then, Tyrann Mathieu, who had a bad game, got called for a pass interference in the end zone.  Brady hit Antonio Brown for a 1 yard TD and that made it 21-6 with just seconds to go in the half. After halftime, the Chiefs put a drive together but had to settle for a field goal to make it 21-9. On the next drive, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a big pass down the middle and then Leonard Fournette burst through for a 27 yard TD run to make it 28-9. That is when you felt like the Chiefs were done, and the Bucs were going to win this game.

5) Pat Mahomes played the worst game of his NFL career, but his offensive line just couldn't protect him. Mahomes was running for his life the whole game, and he looked skittish out there and just was out of sorts. I'm sure the turf toe injury didn't help either. It proved that Mahomes can't do it all by himself. He had a rough day and got the crap kicked out of him by the Bucs. It was also the worst defeat of his NFL career, and the most humbling.

6) You could just tell in the first half that this game was just not going to go the Chiefs way. They had an amazing throw by Mahomes that went off Tyreek Hill's facemask that would have been a TD, so they settled for a field goal. They had numerous pass interference calls, a defensive holding call that negated a Mathieu interception, and an offside that negated a Bucs field goal. If there is no penalty for offside, then the Bucs lead 10-6. Instead, the penalty gave the Bucs a first down and Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown and that made it 14-6. Everything just fell apart for them in this game. Even Hill and Travis Kelce had big drops in the game. It just wasn't their night.

7) Gronk played great. He scored two touchdowns and it felt like him and Brady were just going to take the game over as old Patriots and steer the Bucs to victory. His second TD was a play where he broke off his route to the corner of the endzone and turned backed in, and Brady connected with him for a wide open TD. Their combination was huge in this game.

8) This game was fun to watch for me personally. I loved watching the Chiefs get killed. It has never happened so far in Mahomes' career, but it happened on Sunday. The Chiefs have beat up on the Broncos and the rest of the AFC for three years now, so for them to get embarrassed in the Super Bowl and watch them lose in a bid to repeat was just enjoyable for me. The image of the Chiefs and their fans sitting through an embarrassing blowout in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl will warm my mind all offseason.

9) Are the Chiefs and Pat Mahomes going anywhere? No. Are they still the favorite to get back to the Super Bowl next year? Yes. The Chiefs will be back. I know that, but it was really sweet to see get them thwarted in their attempt to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Maybe this loss derails their dynasty plans a little bit. Sometimes losses like this can have a lingering effect. Russel Wilson hasn't been back to a Super Bowl since his third loss. Aaron Rodgers hasn't been back to a Super Bowl in 10 years. You just never know for sure if you will get back and win one. 

10) Tom Brady signed with the Bucs in the beginning of the free agency period in March, and I thought that it was going to translate into a playoff season for the Bucs and maybe one playoff victory. I am surprised that he got the Bucs to the Super Bowl and won it. It is a remarkable story and amazing how in one year, Brady took this team to this level. Just incredible at 43 years old and after spending his whole career with the Patriots. I wonder how Bill Belichick felt about that after watching Brady win Super Bowl MVP honors.

11) The NFL got through Super Bowl LV and they played their entire 2020 season. This will always be remembered as the Covid season. Yes, there were some hiccups along the way. The Broncos got screwed and played without a QB against the Saints. The Browns had to play a playoff game without their head coach. Teams had to move games to Monday afternoons, Tuesdays, and even Wednesdays. Teams missed some key players at times, and their bye weeks got moved around. In the end, the NFL was able to play their 16 games for each team in 17 weeks and all of their playoff games on schedule. The playoffs weren't compromised by missing any key players due to Covid and the Super Bowl was played on schedule. Give the NFL credit. No one thought they would be able to play this season on time. Dr. Fauci said in June that there was no way they would be able to play an entire season outside of a bubble, but they did. It was an amazing accomplishment considering the circumstances. Although the Broncos had a shitty season, at least there was NFL football to look forward to each week. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing a normal NFL season come the fall of 2021 and getting this pandemic behind us. 

12) Now, that the season is over, I am looking forward to taking some time away and then I'll be back at some point with preview of the Broncos offseason before free agency starts. If there is any news regarding the Broncos, I will comment on it. Until then......Go Broncos!

Super Bowl LV Preview and Prediction

Super Bowl LV is here and the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kickoff on Sunday for a right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. I also like to look at the game through the lens of the storylines heading into the game. There are enough strategic breakdowns of the game all week, so I like looking at the angles leading up to the game. There are plenty of storylines heading into this game. . This game will always be known as the Covid Super Bowl. For the first time in my life, the Super Bowl just feels like a normal game this year. There was no big media night, radio row was basically empty, there was not a lot of media members down in Tampa all week, and even the Chiefs flew in on Saturday like a normal road game. You just didn't get the feel of the Super Bowl atmosphere all week. In any event, here are the storylines for this matchup before I get to the preview and prediction) 

I)The GOAT against the new GOAT: Tom Brady vs. Pat Mahomes is the QB matchup for this Super Bowl and it might be the greatest QB matchup of all time in a Super Bowl. You have the greatest QB of all time going up against a guy that could be on his way to challenge that. It is a passing of the torch type of matchup.

II) The Chiefs Attempt to Become the Next Dynasty: After winning last year's Super Bowl, the Chiefs are now looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls for the first time since the 2003-2004 Patriots. The Chiefs have a chance to establish their own dynasty by grabbing back-to-back Lombardi Trophies. 

III) Tom Brady Going for #7: Brady is playing in his 10th Super Bowl and he going for his seventh Super Bowl title. That is such an amazing stat and his legacy is further cemented by taking Tampa Bay to this Super Bowl. If he can pull off his seventh Super Bowl title, with a new team no less, it will put Brady up there with some of the greatest athletes of all time.

IV) Bucs Playing a "Home" Super Bowl: This is the first time ever in Super Bowl history that a team is playing in its' home stadium. The Buccaneers are playing in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and you have to wonder how much of an advantage that will be for them. It will be interesting to see for the first time how this will affect both teams.

V) Andy Reid's Legacy: Andy Reid was always considered one of the best coaches to never win a Super Bowl. Then, last year he broke through and won his first Super Bowl. Now, Reid has a chance to win his second Super Bowl and that could put him in a tier of some of the greatest coaches of all time.

VI) Covid Super Bowl:  As I stated earlier, the Super Bowl will look different this year. There will only be 25,000 fans in the stands. There won't be all the media and usual weekly Super Bowl activities leading up to the game. The Chiefs will be arriving only a few days before the game. It will feel like a regular game instead of the event that the Super Bowl has become. Plus, you are playing the game on the backdrop of a pandemic that is still taking a toll on our country. 

Now, onto the picks for Super Bowl LV....

Last Week's Record (1-1)

Playoff Record: (5-7) 

Overall Season Record: 131-130-12)

Super Bowl LV

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A Case for the Chiefs: How can you bet against the Chiefs? They have lost only one game when Pat Mahomes was starting the last year and a half. They are pretty much unstoppable on offense with Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. No one can guard these players. They ripped through the Tampa Bay defense in November when they played in Tampa Bay. The Bucs had no answer early in that game and the game was not as close as the score indicated. The Bucs secondary might also be banged up for this game. If they are down a few players in the secondary, then the Chiefs will exploit them and take advantage. Plus, one of the few bad games that Mahomes has ever played in was in last year's Super Bowl, and the Chiefs still won the game. I can't see him playing poorly in another Super Bowl. I can see him having his usual big day. The homefield that the Bucs would normally have playing in their home stadium might not mean much at all because there will only be 25,000 fans at the game. We are in the Pat Mahomes era right now in the NFL. The Chiefs are the best team, Mahomes is the best QB, and Andy Reid is the best coach. They are the new dynasty in the NFL.

A Case for the Bucs: The Bucs are the underdog but have a legitimate case to make on why they can win this game. Their defense has guys playing at a big time level: Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, Devin White, and Lavonte David have all had strong postseasons. If they can keep it going in this game, they can give themselves a shot. Also, Vita Vea came back from injury for the NFC Championship Game and played really well. He could be a factor as well. Plus, with both KC offensive tackles out of the game with injury, then maybe the Bucs pass rush can disrupt Mahomes just enough. I like what Todd Bowles has done as far as a defensive coordinator and I think he could potentially formulate a plan to somehow slow Mahomes down. I think the home crowd won't be a factor in terms in crowd noise, but I think playing at Raymond James Stadium and being home all week just like a regular home game could help the Bucs in preparation for this game. Finally, they have Tom Brady at QB. The greatest QB of all time is still playing at a high level and he brought this Bucs team to this point. Anytime you have Tom Brady, especially in the Super Bowl, you have a great chance to win. 

Prediction: Kansas City (-3) over Tampa Bay: The Chiefs will win their second straight Super Bowl and their third overall in franchise history. Pat Mahomes will win the Super Bowl MVP award as KC builds a big lead and holds off Tom Brady and the Bucs to win by 10.

Final Score: Chiefs-34 Buccaneers-24

Championship Sunday Recap

Super Bowl LV is set as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs punched their tickets to the Tampa. We will have plenty of time to preview the game and matchup, and before we get there, we have to take a look back on how these two teams got there.

NFC Championship Game

(5) Tampa Bay-31 (1) Green Bay-26

1) There is a lot to unpack here in this game. Let's start with the beginning of the game. Tom Brady was lights out in the first half. He led a touchdown drive on the opening drive of the game and hit Mike Evans with a TD pass to make it 7-0. From there, you knew Brady was locked in and this was going to be a game.

2) The game was fun in the first half and it was going back and forth. The Packers tied it up on an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to make it 7-7. The Bucs answered with a Leonard Fournette TD and it was 14-7. The Packers countered with a field goal, and it was 14-10. This has all the makings of a shootout and a classic based on the first half.

3) The key part of the game was near the end of the half. Down 14-10, the Packers were moving the ball near midfield when Rodgers got picked off and Tampa Bay took over. They converted a 4th and 3 on the drive (Ballsy move by Bruce Arians) and then somehow Brady hit Scotty Miller for a 39 yard TD with only 1 second left in the half and take a 21-10 lead into halftime. How in the hell do the Packers give that up? That was so inexcusable and at that point, I thought the Packers were in real, real trouble. 

4) The next sequence that turned the game was on the first drive of the second half, the Packers fumbled and Tampa Bay took over deep in GB territory. Brady hit Cameron Brate for a TD and it was 28-10. At that point, it was going to be hard to see the Packers coming back.

5) Green Bay did rally and Rodgers almost pulled off the comeback. Brady ended up throwing three picks in the second half. The Packers picked off Brady on back-to-back drives but the Packers didn't get a first down either time. After TB extended the lead to 31-23, the Packers drove down to the TB 8 yard line. This is the decision that will haunt the Packers all offseason. On 4th and goal, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFluer decided to kick a field goal and make it 31-26 instead of going for the TD with 2:05 left. I was shocked at the decision at the time and it was the wrong one in my opinion. GB kicked the field goal and Rodgers never got the ball back again. Bad move on LaFleur's part.

6) The Bucs ran out the clock and the big play was when the Packers got called for a pass interference on 3rd and 4 with 1:46 to play in the game. It was definitely an interference call, but the problem was that the officials weren't calling anything all game long and then they made this call in this spot that could have decided the game.

7) This is a bitter defeat for the Packers and Aaron Rodgers. To lose this game at home with their best shot to go to the Super Bowl is a very disappointing outcome for them. Rodgers looked gutted after the game. The Packers got outcoached, outplayed, outschemed in every unit. Rodgers played well but he wasn't great. This loss with sting this franchise for a long time.

8) Give the Bucs credit. I thought they would be a 9-7/10-6 Wild Card team with Brady, but I never thought they would go to the Super Bowl, and I did not think they were going to beat the Packers in Lambeau Field in this game. Give Bruce Arians credit for doing a good job coaching this game and this team with Brady and all the other vets that were brought in. Give Todd Bowles credit for doing a really good job with the defense in this game. The Bucs defense was better than the GB offense and when you have Tom Brady as your QB, you can win any game-no matter what the situation or where it is played. The Bucs head to their second Super Bowl appearance and become the first ever team to play in the host city and their own stadium. 

AFC Championship Game

(1) Kansas City-38 (2) Buffalo-24

1) The Bills had some hope in the beginning when they got a field goal, forced a three and out, and got a fumbled punt inside the five yard line. A TD pass from Josh Allen to Dawson Knox made it 9-0 after the missed PAT, and there was a thought that maybe this could turn the Bills way. From that point, the Chiefs went on a 38-15 run and ran away with the game. Even when you get an early, two-score lead on them, it is just too hard to hold it.

2) Kansas City was just too much for Buffalo. It is the same story with KC every single week. The Bills couldn't stop Travis Kelce and had no answer for Tyreek Hill. Then, when they had them covered, Pat Mahomes makes a great play and keeps the drive alive. Once they got that first TD and were down 9-7, you knew it was going to be hard to stop them.

3) The Bills needed an amazing, Earth-shattering performance by Josh Allen to win this game, and he couldn't pull it off. He didn't play horrible, but he certainly didn't play as good as he needed to in order to pull out this game.

4) This game was pretty boring once the Chiefs took the lead and got in control. The Bills were settling for field goals while the Chiefs were putting up touchdowns. The Chiefs handled the Bills convincingly twice this season-once in October and in this AFC Championship Game. They are just too good for anyone in the AFC at this point.

5) The Bills had a dream season. They won 13 games, won the AFC East, and won a playoff game for the first time since 1995. The gap is still far between them and the Chiefs, but with Josh Allen at the helm, the Bills have to be excited that they will have a chance to make a run next season and beyond.

6) These are salad days for the Chiefs. Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes have put them in elite status in the NFL. They have won their 6th playoff game in the three years that Mahomes has started, and they are heading to their second straight Super Bowl. The Chiefs are looking to become back-to-back Super Bowl champs for the first time since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots.