How patient will Sean Payton be with Russell Wilson?
Last Updated on June 6, 2023 by Admin
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Denver Post Broncos writer Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag periodically during the offseason. Click here to submit a question.
The Broncos could conceivably enter Chiefs Week 6 with a 5-0 record. Do you believe, as I do, that less than that and certainly a losing record will mean a change at quarterback. I also believe yanking Russell Wilson for the first time will also be for the last time. What are your thoughts on Sean Payton’s patience level, (or lack thereof), at QB?
— A Referee, Greeley
Ref just ruled the ball out of bounds off of Nikola Jokic. Again.
To your question, stripes, a 5-0 start for the Broncos is conceivable since it’s June and no games have been played yet. Getting to that point means ending a long losing streak against the Raiders, winning at Miami and knocking off a Jets team that won in Denver last year and has Aaron Rodgers now, plus winning at Chicago and at home against Washington.
Do I think that at 3-2 they’re going to bench Russell Wilson going into a short week’s prep for a Thursday night game at Kansas City? No, I do not. What if they’re 2-3 or 1-4 but scoring 28 points per game? Heck no.
A decision of that magnitude is not going to be made because of one or two games and it’s also not going to be made based solely on win-loss record — unless you’re talking late in the season, injury related, etc. But c’mon — 5-0 or bench Wilson?
Sean Payton does like Jarrett Stidham. He’s said as much, calling him “a pretty crystal clear” evaluation. I’d doubt if OTAs has changed that stance. The Broncos made it, quietly, a priority to get him and gave him $5 million guaranteed over two seasons. It also stands to reason that Payton won’t have an unlimited reservoir of patience when it comes to Wilson.
But — and it’s a major but — the best path forward for the Broncos is if Wilson regains some semblance of his past form for at least the next couple of seasons. It’s the simple reality of his contract status and of the fact that Denver gave up a massive amount to get him. There’s really no reason (other than offseason fodder, of course) not to at least see if he’s got a bounceback season in him before trying to pinpoint the week he gets benched.
Hi Parker, I know many in Broncos Country drank the Kool-Aid last season and thought we were a playoff team at the minimum, myself included. I’m not ready to go down the same road this season but I do like how things are setting up that might not have happened if last year wasn’t a dumpster fire. For example, I believe Russell Wilson is now self aware of his limitations and should be more willing to accept a run-first mentality. He’s also lost some weight, which should improve his elusiveness that was clearly missing and prevented him from being the QB we thought we were getting. Finally, it led to Denver landing a top-five coach in the league.
Am I wearing orange-colored glasses or is it fair to say the Broncos should be in contention for a playoff spot in December? Thanks.
— Brandon, Rogers, Minn.
Hey Brandon, thanks for writing in. I know readers don’t like this answer, but it’s still too early to say.
The easiest call to make is that Payton will represent an upgrade. That counts for something. Maybe a lot. Multiple wins? Wouldn’t rule that out. If you’re looking for more reasons to be optimistic, Denver went 4-9 in one-score games last fall. Perhaps some change in fortune on that front is in store. After that, Wilson’s play is probably the single biggest factor among many.
It’s difficult to make real judgements before camp — and rosters are still moving and shaking some — but as I said last month, I’m not sure that this roster is much better or worse than last year’s. Improved on the OL? Yes, and maybe a lot if Garett Bolles is healthy and plays well. But the pass-rush dried up almost entirely after Bradley Chubb was traded last year and who’s going to make up for his production?
Every question on the roster at this point will eventually be answered. Some will be expected and some will turn into surprises. That’s the beauty of all this! Currently, I’d say there are reasons for optimism and also real questions about just how much upside this particular group has. Subject to change between now and September, of course.
Hi Parker, really love your writing and coverage since you took over. Always enjoy your attitude, insights and general enthusiasm for your job — it comes through!
Brandon McManus’ release got me thinking about special teams coaches, and how teams evaluate their kickers/punters. Do the Broncos have a coach specifically for kickers/punters to help them with their “swing,” etc.? If so, I’d be curious to know how they approach that, and if not, I’m curious about what tools kickers/punters use to stay on top of their game. I vaguely remember reading an interview with some kicker a few years ago about how most teams don’t have kicking coaches, and that seemed insane to me since nobody else on a coaching staff typically has any experience doing what they do. Thanks!
— Geoffrey, Maryville, Mo.
Thanks for the kind words, Geoffrey.
Interesting question. We haven’t had a chance to talk with special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica or assistant head coach Mike Westhoff yet, so exact duties are still a little unclear. I don’t think a ton of teams have coaches dedicated specifically to the “swing.” Some are going to be more comfortable than others, certainly, talking about the minutiae of technique for kickers and punters. Most will have a variety of punts they want their punter to be able to execute and likely some tips on how to go about hitting the ball in certain situations.
Also, though, if you’re going to make an NFL roster and have staying power in either position, you’ve got to be able to have a handle on your own technique, what you do well, where your process goes awry and how to fix it. Coaching matters and can help, of course, but they’re called specialists for a reason.
It was a bit shocking to see the Broncos release Brandon McManus. He’s the last member of the Super Bowl 50 team still on the roster, right? I thought he had a shot at being a lifer and possibly approach Jason Elam’s longevity record in Denver at the position.
So what’s next? Elliott Fry doesn’t come off as the next big thing at kicker. Are we bringing more guys in to compete? Personally I’d love to see Mason Crosby get a shot.
— Ron, Parker
Thanks for writing, Ron. Yeah, I wondered early in the offseason if the Broncos would bring in competition for McManus, but the timing of his release was a bit surprising.
As for what’s next, Elliott Fry has the first shot at the job. I wouldn’t feel that comfortable if I was him, though, considering the first question Sean Payton got about him led to a story about how they once had a kicking competition through camp between two guys in New Orleans and neither got the job. Denver will be keeping an eye on the market, just like many teams around the league. And if somebody they really like comes available over the next two months or even at the end of the preseason, another move wouldn’t surprise me.
Any word if the Broncos are going to trade one of their bigger-name receivers before the season starts?
— Mark, Arvada
Hey Mark, seems less likely by the day, doesn’t it?
Never say never, but 2024 draft capital is a long way from helping you at this point. It seems they’re willing to head into the season with what they’ve got, take 2023 to figure out who the priorities for the future are and go from there.
They don’t need the cap space at this point — they’re sitting around $10 million as-is, with the draft class signed and most of free agency obviously completed — and can clear more for 2024 and beyond after the season.
The caveat’s always out there that if someone makes a great offer, they’ll listen. That hasn’t happened yet. The next best chance is probably if somebody has a run of injuries and gets desperate during training camp.
Hello from Finland! If, for example, Justin Simmons or Pat Surtain II would like to keep certain defensive plays from Ejiro Evero’s scheme from last year, would they have any say in the matter at the meetings? Do coaches absorb plays from other coaches’ schemes?
— Jude, Lahti, Finland
Great question, Jude. Last part first: The NFL and football in general is full of pilferers. If a team runs something sweet one week in the AFC North, somebody else is running it in the NFC South or the Big Ten West or Cherry Creek High the next week. Good ideas filter up, down and across levels. So yeah, Vance Joseph deciding he likes a couple things Ejiro Evero ran last year would come as no surprise at all. Simmons and Surtain are the kind of players who can have that conversation with Joseph, too. Heck, Simmons played for Joseph previously. He was asked Thursday what that process — retaining stuff that worked from Evero, putting in Joseph’s system, etc. — looked like and he said they’re still working through it. So there’s bound to be some carryover.
Even Sean Payton talked last week about finding a balance more in terms of terminology on some core concepts that everybody has installed in order to provide at least a little continuity. He’s likened it to a Mac vs. a PC in the past. Maybe iPhone and Android is the updated comparison. They do similar things in different languages.
To continue on that metaphor, if you’ve used one for a long time and switch, the first impression is that it’s entirely foreign. But before too long, it’s second nature. That’s what new right tackle Mike McGlinchey said going from Kyle Shanahan’s playbook to Sean Payton’s has been like.
“I think a lot of it is based in the old, historic West Coast stuff and the outside zone and stretch game. A lot of it is similar,” he said. “It’s kind of funny, it feels a little bit like Rosetta Stone right now just with the translations and different words and different calls. But there’s only so many different things you can do when there’s 11 guys on the field. Until they change that rule, football’s pretty much the same regardless of what it’s called. There’s a lot of similarities — I’m not sure how they call the route trees and that stuff — but in terms of the run game install a lot of it is pretty similar.”
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