Do Broncos or Browns have a more promising future as an NFL playoff team?
Kiz: The Broncos are the pride of the Rocky Mountains. The Browns are the mistake by the lake. Denver won Super Bowl 50, while Cleveland hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1994 season, when Bill Belichick was the coach. But as we watch the Broncos and Browns meet this weekend, which team would you rather own stock in? Let’s start, as all NFL discussions do, with analysis of the quarterback situation.
Baker Mayfield all the way. That should give Browns fans hope. It should make the head coaching job attractive to a variety of candidates. And it’s why the Browns’ future is better than the Broncos’. New general manager John Dorsey used the first overall pick on Mayfield, equal parts gunslinger and leader, who has command of the offense and the locker room. The Broncos have been chasing their tails at the position since Peyton Manning retired.
Right now, the Denver combination of Case Keenum on offense and Von Miller on defense is more imposing than Mayfield and Myles Garrett. (Thank you, Vonster.) But by next year, and certainly by 2020, I think most NFL general managers would rather have Cleveland’s headliners. My question: Is Denver’s rookie class strong enough to get the Broncos back in playoff contention in 2019, or are we looking at a lengthy rebuild? O’Halloran: Find the right quarterback in 2019 and then, for sure, the ’18 draft class can help a quick turnaround. The members of the Broncos’ class should benefit greatly from the playing time they are getting down the stretch in important games. But how many are stars? Bradley Chubb is and will be a doubledigit sack guy. Courtland Sutton is and will be a downfield receiving threat. But the rest right now are worker bees/complementary players — which is fine, but they need help. Kiz: It’s my belief the Broncos need an upgrade at both coach and quarterback. That’s easier said than done, though. And I’m not sure Denver general manager John Elway wants to take on both big tasks in a single offseason. But does Elway really have any choice? As it stands now, the Browns appear to be stronger playoff contenders than the Broncos in 2019. Imagine that.
If I’m ol’ No. 7, I would embrace the task of replacing both coach and quarterback in the same year. Hire a coach with an offensive/quarterback background, and then tell him to identify the passer he wants drafted in the first round. And start the rookie right away. New Coach will be linked with New Quarterback. But here’s the kicker: Elway is a year too late. Last year was the time to do it. The quarterback class isn’t as eye-popping, and the play-calling assistant coach cupboard has been picked clean.