Ask Mase: Which under-the-radar Broncos could catch the eye?

Nathaniel Hackett’s first offseason of team-organized work as a head coach is complete. Russell Wilson just completed his first Denver-area session of his eponymous passing academy — called an “academy” in honor of the work of the Manning family, whose Louisiana passing clinic he attended as a high-schooler. The team knows who its next owners will be, barring an unexpected and unlikely snag in NFL approval.

And training camp is just 39 days away.

It’s time to stop, take a breath and dive into the topics that still simmer even as the Broncos scatter for the next few weeks.

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Roger Portillo from Los Angeles:

Excluding Hackett, which coach do feel has established themselves the most? Based on your observations, interviews, building chatter, etc. Thank you!

It’s probably not fair to pick just one — in large part because so much of the staff is new. We’re still at an early juncture, and thus, we’re still learning about plenty of these coaches in their roles.

And as Dwayne Stukes noted when asked about special teamers this week, you don’t want to leave anyone out.

That being said, you notice the presence of the coordinators right away — particularly defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Stukes. Stukes commands a room and an audience — but does so with substance. Offensive-line coach Butch Barry and defensive-backs coach Christian Parker — a holdover from Fangio’s staff — have also drawn notice in their roles.

And passing-game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak has settled into his role well — even though it is a step down from the offensive-coordinator gig he had in Minnesota last year. I would bet on Kubiak moving back up the NFL coaching radar sooner rather than later — and if Wilson and the pass offense flourish, don’t be surprised to see his name on head-coaching searches next winter.

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#AskMase When an owner like Walton is wealthy, he can play "cash over cap," which a less wealthy owner can't. How does this work out regarding the cap rules and their supposed level playing field?

— Daisy Bennett (@DaisyBe19269324) June 19, 2022

All that additional cash — and the liquidity of it — does is provide a reservoir from which an owner can draw money to put into escrow to cover guaranteed money in a contract. Players obviously want the highest guarantee possible, since NFL contracts aren’t like those of other professional sports, which are guaranteed. The cap still limits the amount of money the Broncos can offer, although there are plenty of ways to structure contracts to create room in the moment — while creating additional dead money around which to navigate at some point in the future. The New Orleans Saints are an example of a team that keeps pushing dead money and cap charges into the future; according to OvertheCap.com, they are $57,903,101 over the projected 2023 cap. But they will inevitably make moves and restructures to get into compliance, continuing to push the process down the line.

The cap is highly manipulable, mores for teams with significant cash resources. But it remains very much real. And for teams like the Broncos, they can spend to their heart’s content on aspects other than player salaries that can provide an advantage: facilities, coaching, scouting, resources, etc.

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Colten from Sun Prairie, Wisc.:

Assuming they’re healthy — big assumption, but let’s roll with it — how do you believe snaps are broken up between the receivers? Would seem to be a waste if Hamler is only used in four-receiver sets or gimmick plays, but I also don’t see many plays where Sutton, Patrick and Jeudy are off the field.

Not many, although there are ways that the work can be divided to create more opportunities for Hamler. If he can rotate between the receiver spots and fill in at any of them, he could simply take a smattering of snaps from each of them — say, 10-15 snaps from Jeudy, Sutton and Patrick. Then he ends up with 30-45 plays.

The issue is where Hamler will stand in terms of the ability to play all three spots. While his progress is palpable, Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton have collected team-period reps while Hamler has only watched. (Jeudy joined Hamler on the sideline during team periods the last two weeks because of a groin injury.) And then, Hamler must stay healthy once he is available. After the last two seasons, extreme caution is understandable — and that may put a limit on his play count, anyway.

“Cautious optimism” is probably the best assessment for Hamler and how the Broncos use him.

But the other wrinkle is the tight-end position. If Albert Okwuegbunam can block well and work his way into more reps — and if Greg Dulcich picks up on the progress he made before being limited the last two weeks — could that mean more two-tight sets than originally expected?

The Broncos have plenty of possibilities in terms of how they use their pass catchers … but if they all remain healthy, someone is going to get fewer reps than they would ordinarily merit. That said, injury is the big “if,” and odds are, attrition means that this situation might work itself out naturally over time.

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Josh from Denver:

Could the potential addition of Peyton Manning as a minor ownership stake potentially lead to him being named president of football operations?

Secondarily, if this comes to pass what is the likelihood that Manning is able to get a committee position with the NFL the way Pat Bowlen did with the labor committee? Seems it would be invaluable to the ownership process, and team future value, to have PFM working for in the front office but also actively working on the future for the team via an embedded NFL role.

The key word is “eventually.” None of that is imminent.

And with Greg and Carrie Walton Penner assuming day-to-day stewardship of the team and George Paton firmly in charge of football operations, there isn’t a clear place for Manning to have any sort of role beyond being an advisor.

Consider this for a moment: What has Paton done to need another layer of management between himself and ownership? His seventeen months on the job yielded the following results: a 2021 draft class generally regarded as top-shelf, a fortified roster that has depth it didn’t possess in 2020 and a quarterback situation transformed from one of the NFL’s worst into one capable of yielding a contender. If anything, Paton is closer to deserving more power than having someone else thrown in one level above him.

And another thing with Manning to note is his job guiding Omaha Productions, which is extensive and continues to grow. Doing justice to that and the Broncos in the kind of position you suggest would be difficult, if not impossible. Further, for Manning to be in a position to someday own an NFL team, building up Omaha and increasing that company’s net worth to the point where he could reach a point where he could finance the 30-percent share required to be managing partner of a group buying a team appears to be the clearest path.

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Scotty from New York:

Is there an under-the-radar player who you think will surprise come training camp and the preseason?

A few:

Wide receivers Brandon Johnson and Travis Fulgham: They kept making plays during the five practices that were open to media in recent weeks. Fulgham is a bit more of a known commodity from his midseason explosion with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Safety P.J. Locke: He got quite a bit of attention early in OTAs when he filled in well for Kareem Jackson. Locke’s steady development bears monitoring. After playing cornerback at Texas, his gradual adjustment to safety is now bearing fruit.

Cornerback Damarri Mathis: The fourth-round pick made multiple plays on the ball during minicamp and improved at reading the quarterback’s intent and anticipating passes.

Defensive end DeShawn Williams: I’m not sure that you can call someone who started 19 Broncos games the last two seasons “under the radar.” But it seems like Williams gets lost in the shuffle, and he shouldn’t. Whatever the Broncos ask him to do, he does it and fares well. At age 29, he’s a classic late bloomer and the latest of the many successful players from Bill Kollar’s tutelage.

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Craig from Bromsgrove, England:

Mase, you’ve had a great career so far as a journalist, you’ve achieved a lot, and seem very well-respected by all media and fans. As you start this new chapter in your life, what are your professional goals you’d like to achieve? I know you’ve talked about writing more books, is that still in the future?

It’s funny that you mention books, because I received that exact query from my wife and daughter this week. I have a couple of ideas I would like to explore, including writing an encyclopedia of Broncos history. The recently retired Ray Didinger wrote a similar tome about the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the reasons I want to tackle this sort of book is because it would lend itself to occasional updates over the years. Another is that I think there could be a digital element to it.

Also, hopefully the Broncos will have a big year — big enough to where I can compile the daily stories I compile into a book about their anticipated return to glory.

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Mark from Goffstown, N.H.:

Coach Evero’s experience with such great defensive coaches is exciting and poses the question, do you think the defense will be more like Fangio’s, like Phillips, or a combination of both that will use disguise and pressure.

The majority of it will be familiar. This scheme is built upon the Fangio foundations. Expect plenty of zone looks. You should see edge rushers drop into coverage at times when safeties, slot corners or off-ball linebackers provide a supplemental pass rush.

But Evero wants to craft a defense that can adapt to counter its opponent’s strengths, which is where his experience under Wade Phillips — and former Tampa Bay coordinator Monte Kiffin, who championed the “Tampa Two” scheme in the 2000s — will bring wrinkles that will likely reveal themselves as the season evolves.

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Bernard from York, England:

I know you’re a big Man City fan, so who would you compare the broncos to if they were a EFL premier League side. I’m thinking in terms of support, location, importance to community values, supporters sense of entitlement etc.

I’ve been a Broncos fan for 40 years and for my sins a Sunderland A.F.C. fan since birth.

Wow, that’s tough. Even with the wealth of new ownership, it won’t be Man City. The Broncos accomplished too much in the last 50 years to have that parallel. (If anything, the New England Patriots’ rise in recent decades has more parallels to City. Before Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994, the Patriots had a predilection for self-destruction, highly-questionable management and losing in bizarre fashion.)

I think a club like Tottenham Hotspur would be fair. The Broncos’ history and success is notable, but trails that of others. So, you can’t put them in the Liverpool/Man United class. Chelsea seems a bit too cynical for a fair comparison. Arsenal, with its history, is more like one of those teams that has been around since before the Second World War and has some massive success in its past, but underachieves a bit in the present. Maybe Arsenal is Green Bay or San Francisco. Clubs like Everton and Newcastle United — I think you could argue the Broncos have more success and prominence, especially when they’re rolling.

So, I’ll settle on Spurs, although there really isn’t a good one-for-one comparison, and you could make arguments for a slew of clubs.

Feel free to make those using the form below.

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