What a terrible decision on Justin Fields impact on the Broncos plans at QB
The NFL concluded the Super Bowl last week, and the NFL Scouting Combine will begin in one week.
This week’s news from the league was a little slow, but that’s great with me because I’m heading to the Combine.
I enjoy the brief pause in the action. The NFL is slow right now, so I was able to take a day off, which was my first since July.
I also enjoy driving my ancient Jeep Wrangler TJ with the top down and thinking about life and sports!
The outcome of those weeklong travels is as follows.
Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.
Steelers Blocking Broncos?
Nobody yet knows what’s going to happen with Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Bears have Fields, a former first-round pick who has yet to fully develop, and they’ve got the No. 11 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That pick is very likely to be used on USC quarterback Caleb Williams – we just don’t know if the Bears or
another team will be making that selection.
What the Bears think of Fields, or what they could acquire in return for him, will determine whether or not they move off the pick (perhaps with the Broncos?).
Although it has been stated that Chicago will not trade Fields (since that is what they have to say),
there has recently been conjecture that Fields might end up in Pittsburgh.
Fields is apparently a favourite player of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, and the team ought to consider upgrading from Kenny Pickett.
Chicago might not be able to refuse Fields’ asking price if the Bears offer them a first-round selection in exchange.
There are still moves like Fields that need to happen before we can predict what the Broncos will do.
Fields doesn’t suit the characteristics that head coach Sean Payton is looking for in a quarterback (rhythm, timing),
thus I don’t think the Broncos are interested in him. But if the Bears cut him go, they’ll select Williams first overall.
The clubs behind them (such as the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots) will either select one of the other
“big three” college quarterbacks or demand even more for the selections if they stay and select Williams.
In either case, the Steelers may decide to alter their game plan against the Broncos.
Win with Winston
Fans are just not on board with the Broncos adding veteran quarterback Jameis Winston this offseason.
The New Orleans Saints quarterback knows Payton, and he looked good under the veteran coach.
Coming off a season where he threw 30 interceptions, Winston turned his game around and was incredibly safe with the ball under Payton.
We’ll see if the Broncos, as most in the league anticipate, can make a strong push up into the top five of the NFL Draft.
If so, there won’t be much of a need for a man like Winston.
However, Denver will require a player similar to Winston if they wind up selecting a quarterback in the second or third round.
If the team drafts a passer who takes time to develop, Jarrett Stidham needs to be upgraded because he didn’t
demonstrate last year that he could be a productive starter.
One of his teammates’ favourites, Winston can take Payton’s strict teaching. His easygoing manner meshes well with Payton’s
traditional methods. Winston may take over and prevail.
Winston, in my opinion, is misunderstood by some. The Broncos might use him as a bridge quarterback, but I’m curious about his target.
How long a bridge quarterback is needed will depend on the kind of young quarterback the Broncos select in the draft.
The bridge won’t be required for very long, if at all, if they go up for Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or Williams,
since those guys ought to be prepared to play in Week 1.
Cobra Commander
While many fans don’t want Winston, even fewer seem to want Sam Darnold. The San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback,
and former first-round pick, is not a popular option when fans are considering who could be a bridge for the Broncos.
Darnold has been inconsistent (at best) so far in his pro career.
Most would call him a bust, but Darnold might have rejuvenated his career working under 49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan.
The opinions of Darnold in the fan base are not high, but executives, scouts, and other analysts like me seem to have a higher opinion on him.
Some fans wouldn’t mind Spencer Rattler, the quarterback for South Carolina,
as a future quarterback if they really wanted Darnold. Rattler, who is arguably the most reliable quarterback at Senior Bowl
practices, is feeling a little more confident as he approaches the Combine the following week.
Rattler may advance to the second round of interviews if he performs well on exams and makes an impression throughout the team interview process.
Right now, I think Rattler might blow up in the third or fourth round. Rattler ought to draw more notice if he has a strong Combine.
Rattler is a talented quarterback, and I admire the struggles he’s overcome to get this far in his football career.
While many athletes would have given up or pointed the finger at others for their career’s stagnation,
Rattler persisted in working hard despite transfers, setbacks, and other obstacles.
If there’s a clearer sense of Rattler’s direction in this draft after the Combine, we’ll find out.
Don’t Screw It Up
Nerds like me got some disturbing news over the weekend. Several reporters have gone back-and-forth about Sony’s
plans for the upcoming fourth Spider-man movie with Tom Holland as your friendly neighborhood webslinger.
Initially, “Spider-man 4” was supposed to be a street-level story under the guidance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, rumors and reports are swirling that Sony wants to do a multi-verse movie that could tie into the next Avengers movie.
For those less nerdy than me, the next Avengers series will be the “Secret Wars” story from the comics
which is a huge crossover multidimensional story.
Both Sony and Marvel need a hit after several movies that missed the mark (most recently Madame Web for Sony and The Marvels in the MCU).
According to reports, Marvel is interested in a street-level plot in which Spider-Man teams up with Daredevil and faces off against the Kingpin.
Additionally, Marvel wants to wait until 2026 to release Spider-Man 4. The next Spider-Man movie is scheduled for release by Sony,
the company that controls the film rights, in 2025. Marvel ultimately has little control over what Sony can do,
even though this is the ultimate starring competition.
Sony is free to act as they choose, but siding with Marvel might result in the exclusion of Holland (as well as other Spidermen
like Tobey Macguire or Andrew Garfield) from the upcoming major Avengers film.
Are you worried Sony is going to screw up the next Spider-man movie? Hit me up on social media and let me know!
Leave a Reply