BRONCOS

Broncos are a top candidate to make debut on “Hard Knocks”

Feb 24, 2021, 12:45 PM

As “Hard Knocks” enters its 16th season the Denver Broncos are one of the top six candidates to star in the HBO show according to NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus.

The Broncos rank fifth in Hanzus’ possibilities for the 2021 season.

“We have name brands on both sides of the ball, a curmudgeonly coach in Vic Fangio who could make for good social content and, of course, John Elway — who’s no longer the GM but still casts a long shadow over the organization in his top executive role,” Hanzus wrote. “Incumbent starter Drew Lock might (or should) have competition for his job come training camp — QB battles are naturally fertile soil for Hard Knocks … it’d be no shame if they were the choice in 2021.”

Hanzus’ article is a ranking of teams with the most entertainment potential, from most compelling to least.

The Dallas Cowboys came in at the top spot with the most compelling storyline.

“There’s no dearth of quality storylines to unpack. Dak Prescott looking for a new contract and coming back from an ankle injury, the suddenly unsure place of Ezekiel Elliott in the team’s future, an electric trio of wide receivers in Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb, and intrigue on the sidelines with Mike McCarthy in win-or-else mode after last year’s 5-11 campaign,” Hanzus wrote. “Some people might complain if “America’s Team” is on premium cable come August, but they’ll be watching it anyway.”

The New York Giants are ranked second followed by the Carolina Panthers in third and Arizona Cardinals holding down the fourth spot.

Hanzus goes on to write that he believes the Jacksonville Jaguars will get the nod to star in Hard Knocks this season.

“The Jags are the only team that’s publicly stated a desire to be the focus of a Hard Knocks season. They’ve never been selected because — we surmise — there’s never been enough buzz around the team to merit serious consideration,” Hanzus wrote. “That’s no longer the case. The arrival of Urban Meyer as head coach and (presumably) Trevor Lawrence at quarterback as the No. 1 overall pick gives the organization a level of juice it’s never had in its 25-year history.”

The Broncos were ranked second in this same exercise a year ago, so could this finally be the year Denver makes its debut?

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Broncos are a top candidate to make debut on “Hard Knocks”