How will the Broncos replace Russell Wilson? | The Exempt List
Yahoo Sports NFL writer Charles McDonald is joined by the Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden to discuss Denver’s quarterback situation without Russell Wilson and what paths the Broncos can take to find their next signal caller. Hear the full conversation on “The Exempt List with Charles McDonald” - part of the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
CHARLES MCDONALD: What do they actually do at quarterback for this season? Do you draft someone? Do you roll with JJ McCarthy? Because the problem to me with drafting someone is it seems OK right now, but you have to think about what that roster is going to look like by the time the draft rolls around. It's going to be pretty thin. And I'm not sure that that's a situation that a rookie quarterback can survive in. What would you expect them to do at quarterback?
RYAN MCFADDEN: No matter where they go, Sean Payton is going to look himself in the mirror and say, I'm going to have to have patience. This is a guy who came in and says, if I don't make the playoffs, I'm going to be really disappointed. But you didn't make the playoffs. And now, you're probably not going to make the playoffs for the next two years the way it's looking like. Let's say you draft a quarterback, you let Russell ride-- ride it out 2024, maybe 2025, and then let your guy you just drafted take over. Boom, perfect scenario.
You have Russell Wilson can keep you in games while you have a guy you can develop in the process. So that's not-- that's not going to happen. I think there's two quarterbacks in mind that kind of fit with Sean Payton once. And I think that's Bo Nix and JJ McCarthy. If JJ McCarthy follows at 12, and they love him, I think that's the key. Then I can see them doing that. But to let's say trade up to a few spots to get him, I don't know. It's like, I think-- I think they can't afford to keep affording to trade up and it doesn't work again.
Getting a quarterback is just one step. You got a lot of issues on this team to figure it out and to put the right pieces around him. And that's why I said, like, I like Bo Nix. I like JJ McCarthy for what they can bring to Denver offense. But now it's up to them to build around those guys. And that's just not going to be-- that's not just going to happen in one off season. That's like-- literally, it's impossible right now for what they're going to do.
Your best path is getting a rookie quarterback. But at the same time, you want to make sure that if you do bring in this guy, that you don't screw up the process because you want to go out there and compete for the Chiefs in his first year. That's-- at the moment, that's not going to-- that's not going to work.
CHARLES MCDONALD: It's not possible.
RYAN MCFADDEN: They don't have the roster for that.
CHARLES MCDONALD: So I want to throw a hypothetical at you, the sneak peak of a top 10, which we have kind of dubbed the after-Broncos mock draft. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Jayden Daniels all off the board in the first eight picks of the draft. Where would the Broncos go from there?
RYAN MCFADDEN: If that scenario where, do you take Bo Nix at 12? Or could you-- could you trade back, get more capital, and then take Bo Nix later in the draft? Now, I-- would I take Bo Nix at 12? Probably not. Just if you're at 12, but let's say you trade back, you get some picks, maybe in the 20s, late teens, and you get Bo Nix and you get-- add some more picks to your arsenal, boom. I think that's-- to me, that would probably be the next step for them.