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Home , Bucky Brooks, Greg Roman, Justin Hollins, Kellen Moore, Linebacker, Mike Maccagnan

Despite inexperience, Broncos confident in rookie linebacker Justin Hollins’ versatility By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post May 19, 2019

He appeared in 52 games for Oregon. He was an outside linebacker, a defensive , and an outside linebacker again. He played for three head coaches and three defensive coordinators.

Justin Hollins saw a lot during his five years on the Ducks’ campus, but not what he experienced during the Broncos’ rookie camp last week.

A chance to play inside linebacker.

“It was mainly during the (East-West Shrine Game) that I played inside,” Hollins said.

And that’s it.

Hollins was the Defensive MVP of that game, one reason that the Broncos drafted him in the fifth round last month. He is working at outside linebacker in the Broncos’ base and inside linebacker in nickel. Outside, he can serve as a rotational player behind and . Inside, he could join Todd Davis, Josey Jewell or an extra safety in covering the intermediate-to-deep middle part of the field.

So how did this come about? The Broncos credit outside linebackers coach .

“(Staley) came to us with the idea,” said. “He thought he (Hollins) could get it done. He’s done a great job getting him ready. … Certainly, he can do both. But he might only do parts of each — maybe one full time and part of the other.”

That’s why the Broncos view the experiment of moving Hollins around as reasonable.

As Donatell said, they aren’t force-feeding Hollins the entire playbook at multiple positions and he is being taught the roles by the same person (Staley). No need for the Broncos at this point to figuratively drown Hollins’ mind with too much information. And, having one voice in front of him every day could mean the message is processed easier.

“That’s not the first time that’s ever happened,” said. “We have outside linebackers that play in nickel all of the time yet the outside linebackers coach coaches the end in nickel.”

But does the Broncos’ plan also feel like a square peg in a round hole?

Hollins is listed at 6 feet, 5 2/8 inches, which made him the tallest inside linebacker at the NFL Combine (only three were taller than 6-foot-3). And playing in the sub-package defense as a rookie at a new position is a big ask.

The biggest adjustment is playing in a high-traffic area.

“There’s a lot more going on that you have to be involved in,” Hollins said. “Outside is more an on-the- edge type of thing. Inside, you have to know where two or three (players are). You have to see where the (running) is. You have to know what the guard does on the snap of the ball. You have to key people.”

But a change of positions, even on a situational basis, is nothing new.

“The amount of football he’s seen has added up,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal told reporters last year. “He knows not only what he needs to do, but also what those guys around him have to do as well. His instincts allow him to get better and better.”

Hollins was a special teams player as a true freshman in 2014 when Oregon lost to Ohio State in the national title game. A torn Achilles kept him out in 2015.

In 2016, new defensive coordinator Brady Hoke switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 front and Hollins became a defensive end (three sacks). After head coach Mark Helfrich was fired, Willie Taggart replaced him and hired Jim Leavitt as defensive coordinator and he moved back to a 3-4 and Hollins returned to linebacker.

Hollins had a career-high 64 tackles, 14 1/2 for lost yardage, 6 1/2 sacks, five forced and eight pass break-ups last year at Oregon.

In an overtime loss to Stanford, Hollins showed good discipline and strength when setting the edge, and the Cardinal generally ran away from his side of the field. He also dropped into zone coverage. All of that work, though, was on the boundaries. If the Broncos make him a starting nickel linebacker, his coverage area will expand laterally and vertically.

Hollins followed up the Shrine Game with an impressive Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds, second-fastest of the 19 edge defenders (Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat ran 4.41 and was drafted in the first round by Washington).

There is a playing-time opening for Hollins. He can spell Miller/Chubb in the base defense and if he proves to be a quick study, he can challenge Davis/Jewell for sub-package playing time.

“It’s a credit to the type of kid he is,” Donatell said. “You usually don’t do this with a young player.”

Broncos to host graduation for school in mass shooting By Arnie Stapleton Associated Press May 19, 2019

The will host graduation ceremonies at its Colorado training center for students from a school where one student was killed and eight others injured during a recent shooting.

Administrators from STEM School Highlands Ranch had reached out to the football team about the possibility of using the facility following the shooting on May 7, just days before graduation.

Broncos executive vice president Patrick Smyth says the organization wants to help the school, students and their families in any way possible. Graduation ceremonies are planned for Monday night at the Bronco's UCHealth Training Center in Dove Valley.

Two teenagers face charges including murder and attempted murder for the shooting. Eighteen-year-old Kendrick Castillo, who was killed trying to stop the gunmen, was laid to rest Friday.

One way or another a Rypien is with the Denver Broncos By Woody Paige Colorado Springs Gazette May 19, 2019

The Broncos seem infatuated with the sons and nephews of former .

Brett Rypien becomes the fourth of that category.

But it’s all relative.

Brian Griese was first. Dad Bob was starting quarterback in two championship games. Griese The Younger was selected by the Broncos in the third round of 1998’s draft to possibly become ’s air apparent. Brian did start 51 games in an injury-laden span of six years with the Broncos, but never started a playoff game.

Next was , signed as a veteran free agent in Denver in 2009. The son of Phil, MVP in the Super Bowl XXI victory over the Broncos, started one game before being dumped.

The third was Chad Kelly, the nephew of four-time Super Bowl starter . After sitting out a season with injuries, “Mr. Irrelevant’’ was elevated to backup last year and likely would have started before season’s end if he hadn’t become “Mr. Inconsequential.’’

I asked Rypien how familiar he was with Kelly and his episode of 2018.

“Not very,’’ he replied.

Rypien is the fourth with a QB kin connection to join the Broncos. His uncle is , Super Bowl 26 MVP as Washington’s quarterback.

The Broncos signed Brett as an undrafted free agent to a three-year, $1.765-million contract, although only $146,000 in the first season is guaranteed.

According to his agent, Kyle McCarthy, Brett chose the Broncos over 10 other offers. McCarthy knows. The ex-Notre Dame safety was an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2010-11, but suffered a pair of knee injuries.

The Cowboys — whose former reserve quarterback and new , is , Rypien’s predecessor at Boise State — obviously were trying to grab him. Rypien surpassed Moore’s Washington state prep records and eclipsed the all-time passing yardage mark (13,578). Known in Boise as “Mr. Deliver,’’ Rypien threw 90 passes.

He didn’t even have to change nickname monogram on his towels.

“Honestly, I didn’t even think about being a ‘Bronco’ again until it was official. He still wears the No. 4 jersey. Guess who else was a “4”? Another Brett. This Brett was born in July 1996, six months before That Brett was Super Bowl MVP with the Packers.

“’’ is a quarterback name. But, does he have their quarterback game?

I asked Brett if he wants a “mentor,’’ a topic of controversial conversation lately at Broncos’ OTAs. He got my drift. “I’ve read about that,’’ Rypien said with a chortle. “My main job is to learn and absorb as much as I can from everybody, especially from coach (Rich) Scangarello (offensive coordinator) and (quarterbacks) coach (T.C.) McCartney. I have to prove I belong here.’’

Rypien was convinced to continue as a Broncos’ quarterback based on his NFL combine meeting with Scangarello, the Broncos’ interest in him since they interviewed at the East-West Shrine game, and the tradition of Broncos Super Bowls and quarterbacks Elway and .

However, he is the four man on a match — behind Flacco, Kevin Hogan and .

Lock and Rypien have been inseparable, but not insufferable with each other. “We live close in the hotel and come to the facility together. I’m around him almost all the time. We’re helping each other.’’

The actual mentor for Brett was Uncle Mark. “Almost from the time I started playing football in the fourth grade he gave me advice and worked with my fundamentals.’’ They starred at the same high school in Spokane, Wash., 30 years apart. Mark’s was retired in three sports. Brett was the valedictorian (4.0), but graduated early to enroll at Boise State and participate in spring practice.

He was redshirted as a freshman. But in the Broncos’ third game, starter Ryan Finley was taken away with a broken ankle. Brett suddenly was active and in. He led the Broncos to four straight scores. The next Saturday, at Virginia, Brett started.

“Mark was there for me and calmed me down.’’ The Broncos averaged 50 points in Brett’s first three starts. Finley, who transferred to North Carolina State after the season, was selected in the fourth round of the recent draft by the Bengals. Meanwhile, Brett spent three draft days in a nightmare rather than a dream. “It turned out great because I got with the team I really wanted to play for.’’

I finished the discussion with the bright, 22-year-old prospect, who will end up with the Broncos as a third or practice squad quarterback by telling him the tale of how once upon a time his uncle almost became a Broncos quarterback.

In the summer of 1991, Denver coach and Washington coach negotiated a bombastic Elway-Rypien exchange. The Broncos were coming off a 5-11 season, and the Reeves-Elway relationship had totally deteriorated. Rypien, the Washington starter, sought a significant raise.

The two coaches were close on a deal.

Pat Bowlen shut down the trade.

That season Washington, 14-2, won the Super Bowl, and Rypien was MVP. The Broncos, 12-4, lost to the Bills in the AFC Championship Game when Elway was injured and three field goals were missed.

NFL history’s course was not changed.

Yet, 28 years later, a Rypien finally has been brought to the Broncos ... by Elway.

Peculiar.

Floyd Little still leading after more than 50 years By Jim Saccomano DenverBroncos.com May 19, 2019

Floyd Little signed with the Denver Broncos on May 17, 1967, and that pen-to-paper action set the stage for how this illustrious franchise is viewed more than 50 years later.

Little was a three-time first-team All-American halfback at Syracuse.

And this weekend, 52 years since Little first signed with Denver, he is being honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the university on Friday and an honorary doctorate degree at the commencement ceremonies at the law school on Saturday.

Little long ago received a master's degree from the DU law school, after his "graduation" from pro football at the age of 34.

At that time, he put things into great perspective about life and leadership when he told me, "People have the perspective of post-athletics all wrong. Retirement from pro sports is not the end of anything other than that career. I am just 34 years old. I have all the rest of my life in front of me, and it is up to me to do something with it."

Indeed, his words defined his goals, but his actions said even more.

Little went on to get that master's from DU, work for the Adolph Coors Company, open a successful string of car dealerships on the West Coast and continue to act in every way like the guy who was named team captain of the Broncos in each of his nine seasons.

He was one of the four inaugural inductees into the Ring of Fame when Broncos owner created it in 1984, and of course he is now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with Bowlen, as well.

And still he leads the way.

There is a statue of Little at Syracuse University, his alma mater, which he attended despite being personally recruited to attend West Point by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Floyd attended Syracuse in large part because he had given his word that he would do so to the great Syracuse player Ernie Davis.

Davis passed away before he could have his own pro career, and to Floyd Little, his word was bond.

Truly, we have never had another like him, a single player carrying the hopes and dreams of a time zone on his back when the Broncos were the first major league team in the Mile High City.

He led by example and left big footprints for all those who would follow.

"You don't just do one thing, then stop, and say you have done enough," he said.

"You keep doing, and maybe what you are doing will change, but hopefully others will observe you and follow along, in their own paths, and all of society is elevated by these actions."

Floyd Little already has an honorary doctorate from Syracuse, and it is so fitting that DU should give such as award to one of its most accomplished and favorite sons.

The sun never sets on the leadership that Floyd provides for generations of youth, Broncos and NFL players in general.

Congrats to The Franchise on continuing to show everyone the way more than 50 years after that great moment for Denver when you first signed that Broncos contract.

Joe Flacco is no different than any other hard-working American By James Merillat 1043 The Fan May 19, 2019

The stories are out there, happening every day in corporate America. Two companies merge, jobs get consolidated and people are laid off. New ownership takes over, costs get cut and people are terminated. Revenues fall, stockholders get antsy and less-expensive staffing options are implemented.

All of these scenarios, and the hundreds of variations like it, are a bummer; they stink for the folks who suddenly find themselves out of work. But nobody gets too upset by them anymore; they’re the nature of the beast, an understood part of the 21st Century economy.

That said, there is a wrinkle that occasionally gets thrown into the mix that almost universally gets people in an uproar. When this happens, things just don’t seem right; it feels like the situation is no longer “just business,” but instead has gotten a little too personal.

What’s the magic button? When those who are losing their jobs are asked to train their replacements.

The Greeley branch is closing in two weeks, so make sure the folks from Fort Collins are up to speed and can hit the ground running. The couple who bought the small business doesn’t believe in middle management, so make sure the former direct report knows how to do all of the tasks he’ll be inheriting once this position is eliminated. Quarterly earnings are down, so the computer files need to be sent to the folks overseas who’ve been outsourced to do all the graphic design for pennies on the dollar.

If any of us were given these directions, there’s a pretty good chance we’d dig in our heels and refuse. And if we told the story to friends at a dinner party, they’d wholeheartedly agree with our choice.

Sending someone packing is one thing. Asking them to train their replacement is a whole other ballgame.

But apparently, that mindset doesn’t apply to sports. Or at least that was the contention this week in Broncos Country.

During a press conference following the first OTAs of the season, was asked if was planning on being a mentor to Drew Lock. The veteran quarterback gave a thoughtful answer, choosing his words carefully, about how he planned to interact with the Broncos second-round pick.

“You have to be careful with how you answer that, but I think it’s kind of (offensive coordinator) Rich (Scangarello’s) job,” Flacco told the gathered media. “Be in that quarterback room and watch; that is how you can develop.”

Fair enough. In essence, the quarterback was saying it was the coach’s job to teach a young player how to succeed at the professional level, not his. And it was Lock’s responsibility to soak up as much information as he could. But Flacco didn’t stop there.

“Listen, I have so many things to worry about,” he continued. “I’m trying to go out there and play good football. I’m trying to go out there and play the best football of my life. I’m not worried about developing guys. I don’t look at that as my job. My job is to go win football games for this football team.”

Again, fair enough. Flacco was acquired during the offseason to upgrade the Broncos at the most- important position in sports, primarily because his predecessors – and – had steered the franchise off the proverbial path; for the first time since 1972, Denver posted a losing record in back-to-back seasons. So without a doubt, the new quarterback’s primary job is to win football games.

That being said, it’s hard to imagine that anyone took issue with Flacco’s answer. But that was hardly the case. Everybody seemed to have an opinion on the matter, most of which were negative.

Kurt Warner ripped Flacco for his stance.

“I don’t understand that mentality at all,” the Hall of Fame quarterback said on The Show. “I believe your role is to help your team be as good as it can possibly be.”

LaDainian Tomlinson agreed.

“He looks like a bad teammate,” the former said on NFL Network. “Our job as veteran players is to mentor the younger players.”

Heck, even TMZ got in on the action, cornering Lock at LAX to ask about the situation. To the rookie’s credit, he took the high road when answering the paparazzi’s question.

“He’s taught me a lot so far,” Lock said when asked about his relationship with Flacco. “He’s been great to me.”

This is all a bit perplexing. At best, it’s much ado about nothing, searching for football-related content in mid-May. At worst, it’s hypocritical, applying a different standard to an NFL player than would be used in any other walk of life.

Last year, Flacco was replaced as the Ravens starting quarterback midseason by . The rookie came in when the veteran was injured and never relinquished the job. As a result, the QB set to earn $18.5 million this season was sent packing.

Despite helping to bring a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore, Flacco was forced to find work elsewhere. Denver seemed like the perfect place, given their quarterback woes in recent years. So the house was sold, things were packed up and the family was moved across the country.

But before he could figure out whether he wanted to shop at King Soopers or Safeway, Flacco found himself once again in a situation where a younger, cheaper quarterback had been brought in to eventually replace him. That’s a déjà vu moment that would send anyone reeling.

Yet for some reason, people expect Flacco to be unaffected by the Broncos drafting Lock. In fact, they seem to want him to embrace it.

Perhaps it’s because he earns a lot of money playing a game. Maybe it’s because the “job” is in sports, so it doesn’t seem like real life. Whatever the reason, it seems like an odd response, especially when juxtaposed with how most people would react in real life if the situation was similar.

Nobody wants to train their replacement.

John Elway didn’t mentor Tommy Maddox. Peyton Manning would hardly let take a snap. And Joe Flacco isn’t the least bit concerned with making sure Drew Lock is ready to take his job anytime soon.

That’s the way it ought to be. That’s how everyone would react.

Like it or not, PED suspensions could hurt NFL players' Hall of Fame chances By Jarrett Bell USA Today May 19, 2019

Patrick Peterson insists that he’s “definitely sorry” for the stain suddenly attached to his name.

Busted. Performance-enhancing drugs … with a masking agent that didn’t quite cover it up.

The star — arguably the best NFL of his era, but now facing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s steroids policy — might someday also feel some additional shame if this week’s revelation costs or delays his chance of getting the right kind of bust in Canton.

It’s a debate waiting to happen: What’s the penalty for trying to game the system for an unfair advantage?

I mean, Terrell Owens never had any sort of suspension for PEDs or street drugs and it still took three years for the once-dominant-but-controversial receiver to get voted into the Hall.

Then again, Peterson might be lucky that we’re talking Canton … and not Cooperstown.

Assuming this suspension is a one-shot deal for Peterson and he picks up his pattern of shutting down lethal receivers, which has earned him eight selections and three All-Pro credits, history suggests that it probably won’t be the final factor in weighing his Hall worthiness.

But he won’t – and shouldn’t – get a free pass.

Sure, there are several busts with blemishes on display. and had well- documented drug issues. Paul Hornung served a one-year suspension for gambling. Fred Biletnikoff used stickum – which in the 1970s was a legal way to gain an advantage. And it’s fair to wonder how many linemen from back in the day powered themselves up with one substance or another.

Nobody’s perfect. Yet in this age of intensified scrutiny (and you can ask Owens about that), issues with PEDs could loom as a serious demerit. A suspension could be the swing factor when weighing candidates with otherwise similar credentials.

Tell me about it. I’ve been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for more than 20 years, in the room for those marathon meetings before the Super Bowl when we’re able to hash out pros and cons of finalists – a neat, unique feature for football’s process, once you sift through the home- team biases and politicking – and it can get so tight when you’re splitting hairs between, say, four safeties, three defensive linemen and two guards on the ballot.

The Hall’s bylaws instruct us to only weigh what happens on the field. But that policy still lends itself for interpretation, when considering the effect of a player not being available to be on the field or, say, what impact a player had on his team due to chemistry issues. This policy can be a moving target.

After all, the votes don’t come from computers and extend beyond just stats. Like it or not, human beings make the call.

A squeaky-clean candidate vs. a player with a PED suspension?

Hey, there are only so many slots.

Consider the effect the steroids era has had on baseball’s Hall of Fame. There’s a who’s who list of would-be Hall of Famers, if not for their link to performance-enhancing drugs: Barry Bonds. . Mark McGwire. Sammy Sosa. Rafael Palmeiro. Manny Ramirez. With Alex Rodriguez on deck.

Football hasn’t had such a death penalty to this point, and I’d suspect one of the reasons is the brutality and physical sacrifice of the sport.

When Rodney Harrison – named recently to the ’ Hall of Fame, but never a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist — was suspended in 2007 for violating the NFL’s PED policy, his explanation was at least plausible. He maintained that he never took steroids but admitted to using human growth hormone as a means to accelerate the healing process in recovering from several injuries.

When you think about how so many football players wind up with busted-up bodies, sacrificed for their chosen professions and seven-figure salaries, their desires to heal quickly or otherwise mitigate the pain from what is often described as “weekly car crashes” can resonate as an alternative.

In many cases, though, football players blame their suspensions on tainted supplements.

That was Antonio Gates’ explanation a few years ago when the Chargers was slapped with a four-game ban for violating the substance-abuse policy. Buy it? More recently, there was the case of Julian Edelman.

He’s the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Yet some will contend that he never should have been on the field for to target, if the NFL had a stricter policy for PEDs. Edelman started last season with a four-game suspension for PEDs.

He owned up to it, but with scant details … and a lot of gray area.

“I don’t know what happened,” Edelman said last fall.

Bottom line, tainted supplements or not, players are responsible for what goes in their bodies.

It’s a bit premature to suggest that Edelman will ever be a Hall of Fame candidate, yet there’s no doubt that Gates will someday be a likely Hall of Famer. Same for Julius Peppers, the just-retired defensive end who was suspended four games during his rookie NFL season for what he explained as an honest mistake: he took a banned dietary substance.

At the time, Peppers pledged that it would never happen again. His word was good. He was never suspended again. He wound up playing 17 seasons and his Hall of Fame credentials are built on 159 ½ sacks, which ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time list. The only other question about PEDs surfaced in 2015, carrying over to 2016, when Peppers was among several players threatened with a suspension after their names surfaced in an Al Jazeera report that alleged they received steroids. In the wake of strong denials from all accused, the matter was ultimately resolved without any violations.

The one-time cases hardly doom the chances for Gates and Peppers, but that doesn’t mean they won’t add a layer to the ultimate Hall of Fame discussions.

As for Peterson, there’s a different twist. His reported use of a masking agent wipes out any “tainted supplement” defense. That, too, will likely be part of the debate for his Hall of Fame case.

A suspension – especially if compared to candidates who never failed a drug test — might not be the only price he pays.

NFL's top 5 rookie-veteran passing duos; did Jets miscalculate? By Bucky Brooks NFL.com May 19, 2019

The league is in the midst of ushering in a new generation of playmakers at quarterback and pass catcher (/tight end). As these youngsters set out to make their mark in the pros, we'll see a number of veteran quarterbacks unite with dynamic young receivers to add a spark to their respective offenses. In addition, we expect to see some clubs call on a young QB1 to team with a veteran pass catcher to spice up an that had grown stale without the right trigger man to lead the unit.

With offseason workouts underway, I thought this was the perfect time to look at some of the rookie- veteran passing duos that could take the league by storm. Here are the five new pairings I'm most excited to watch this season.

1) Lamar Jackson and Marquise Brown, : The old-school, run-heavy offense employed by coordinator creates one-on-one situations for pass catchers on the perimeter. This sets up perfectly for first-round pick Marquise Brown, who has the speed and explosiveness to blow past defenders on vertical routes and catch-and-run plays with the ball in his hands. Jackson is at his best as an isolation passer tossing go routes, post routes, digs and slants inside the numbers. With Brown being likened to a DeSean Jackson-like playmaker, the Ravens' new pass-catching connection could produce fireworks even if the team keeps its young quarterback on a low pitch count.

2) and Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: 's version of the Air Raid offense will create easy opportunities for quarterbacks and pass catchers to deliver. I expect Murray to produce big numbers making quick-rhythm throws to the Cardinals' receivers on the perimeter, particularly Fitzgerald. The veteran receiver is arguably the most dependable pass catcher in the league with strong hands and a detailed-oriented approach to route running. Given that the Cardinals are set to air it out with the No. 1 overall pick under center, Fitzgerald could make 100 catches this season.

3) Joe Flacco and , Denver Broncos: The Super Bowl XLVII MVP gets a chance to rebuild his career in Denver in an offense that closely resembles the scheme that helped him play at his best during the 2014 season. Flacco is a middle-of-the-field thrower who is at his best targeting tight ends between the hashes. Fant is a dynamic pass catcher with the speed and athleticism to overwhelm linebackers and defensive backs, particularly on vertical routes down the seam or on deep crossers running diagonally across the field. Should offensive coordinator , formerly the 49ers' QBs coach, successfully use some of the concepts that helped Pro Bowl TE George Kittle rise to prominence in San Francisco during his time there, the Broncos could see Fant emerge as a difference maker in Year 1.

4) and Parris Campbell, : After adding the ultra-explosive Campbell to the lineup to create an explosive trio on the perimeter with T.Y. Hilton and , the Colts' offense looks like a top-five unit with Andrew Luck at the helm. With defensive coordinators opting to use double-coverage tactics on Hilton and Ebron, Campbell could become Luck's security blanket as an outlet. The Ohio State product will run past nickel or dime defenders in one-on-one matchups, creating opportunities for Luck to dial up the deep ball early and often in games.

5) Jimmy Garoppolo and Jalen Hurd, : has upgraded the weaponry around Jimmy G. with a young set of versatile pass catchers coming on board to add some spice to the passing game, including second-round pick Deebo Samuel, who was selected a round earlier than Hurd. However, I'm choosing to highlight Hurd here because of his unique game. He's a Swiss Army knife-like playmaker with the capacity to align at wide receiver, tight end or running back in any formation. As the 49ers retool their offense to generate more explosive plays, Hurd could be a featured playmaker in an offense that takes advantage of mismatches on the perimeter.

CAM NEWTON: PANTHERS QB SMART TO STAY TRUE TO HIS GAME Some people might have cringed when they heard scoff at the notion of changing his playing style as he enters his 30s, but I absolutely loved hearing the former MVP commit to remaining a dual-threat quarterback. Sure, the 6-foot-5, 245-pound playmaker is still recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder and limiting the hits he takes sounds like a fine idea, but keep in mind that he's only missed five games in his eight-year career, including two in 2018.

Most importantly, Newton has repeatedly shown the football world he is capable of playing at an all-star level when he bludgeons opponents as a dominant force with the ball in his hands. The three-time Pro Bowl selectee has the most rushing for a quarterback in NFL history (58) and ranks third all- time in rushing yards by a quarterback with 4,808 yards, trailing only (6,109) and (4,928). In addition, he holds the NFL record for most career games (39) with at least one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

With that in mind, I don't believe Newton would be a more effective weapon for the Panthers as a traditional pocket passer. He posted a career-best 67.9% completion rate in 2018, but Newton is still a streaky passer prone to random misfires on short and intermediate throws. Newton's inconsistencies can be attributed to his shoddy footwork and fundamentals, which is why he struggles to string completions together on the perimeter. As a result, Newton has posted a 59.7% completion rate for his career and has topped 60% in just two of his eight seasons.

Those numbers aren't good enough to convince me Newton will ever be a passer with a high completion percentage from the pocket. He wasn't a "connect the dots" passer during his time at Auburn, and he's not likely to become a Tom Brady-like surgeon from the pocket as he gets older.

That said, Newton is still an elite playmaker with a unique game that makes him one of the most difficult players to defend. Although his lack of discipline and attention to detail inhibits his efficiency as a passer, there's no denying his spectacular arm talent. Newton is more than capable of making every throw in the book, particularly deep throws following play-action fakes.

That's why it's important to understand how he thrives as a playmaker for the Panthers. Newton is a play-action passer who needs the threat of the running game to create bigger voids in the coverage. With play-action fakes luring linebackers and defensive backs to the line, Newton connects with receivers on in-breaking routes at intermediate range (slants, digs and skinny posts). He is capable of making isolation throws outside of the numbers (speed outs and deep comebacks) but his inconsistent footwork leads him to spray the ball around a little bit.

In Norv Turner's offense, Newton is a perfect fit as a big, athletic passer with the arm talent to make the required throws. In addition, Turner is the ideal teacher to hold Newton accountable for his performance, particularly when it comes to utilizing proper footwork and fundamentals. The wily coach, who's entering his second season with Carolina, is a highly regarded quarterback developer with an impressive resume that includes work with and . Considering Turner's track record and Newton's athletic gifts, the Panthers' QB1 could continue to make progress as a passer without radically overhauling his game.

With a contract negotiation on the horizon (his deal is due to expire after the 2020 season), Newton needs to remind the football world of his greatness with a strong performance in 2019. He should do that by showcasing his effectiveness as a veteran dual-threat playmaker, rather than trying to be something he's not.

TWO-POINT CONVERSION: Quick takes on developments across the NFL 1) Gase biting off more than he can chew amid Jets upheaval? I don't know how an NFL head coach with a 23-25 career record coming off a firing suddenly gets the keys to a new franchise's kingdom, but that's the situation with , who's suddenly the ' interim general manager after the front-office purging of GM Mike Maccagnan and vice president of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger.

Although I'm not surprised by this development, based on the Jets' underachievement and flawed roster, I'm miffed by the timing of the move in today's football climate. Typically, a team wouldn't allow a decision-maker on shaky ground to reshape the roster through free agency and the draft if it's likely that he won't be there to see the project through to completion. Yet, the Jets allowed Maccagnan to ink Le'Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley to big-money deals, while also letting him restock the roster with his own draft picks.

While Maccagnan has certainly hit some doubles and triples (SEE: the selections of Jamal Adams, Leonard Williams and Sam Darnold), he also has plenty of misses that have left the team without sufficient depth at several key spots. The Jets' refusal to invest in the offensive line and their inability to identify explosive playmakers rendered the offense punchless last season, despite the presence of a young QB1 with loads of potential. Evidently, that's a fixable offense in 2019, with the game becoming more quarterback-centric by the day.

Now the Jets are leaning on Gase to not only orchestrate the on-field turnaround, but also change the culture of the organization. That's a lot of heavy lifting for a coach with a reputation for struggling with star players, based on his interactions with Jarvis Landry, Ndamukong Suh and Jay Ajayi, among others in Miami. Not to mention, Gase is attempting to manage a coaching staff loaded with strong personalities and big egos. Sure, coaches always have to juggle a lot of responsibilities, but adding personnel duties in the middle of an orientation period seems like a lot to manage when a coach is attempting to repair his reputation as a quarterback whisperer/offensive guru.

During my time as a scout with the , I watched Mike Holmgren attempt to run the organization as the executive vice president, general manager and head coach. It was an overwhelming experience, even for a guy with a Super Bowl ring and extensive experience on championship staffs. While Holmgren eventually handed most of the personnel duties to , the all- encompassing nature of the vice president/general manager job took away from his expertise as a coach.

Considering how Gase has fared in the past with just head-coaching duties on his plate, I don't know if more responsibility is the best thing for a 41-year-old hoping to engineer a team turnaround and reputation repair in New York.

2) Flacco's focus is exactly where it should be. The Denver Broncos' new starting quarterback is right that it's not his job to mentor Drew Lock. The 12th-year pro needs to concentrate on mastering the schematics of the offense while also earning the respect of his teammates through his work ethic and performance. Although team executives would love to see the veteran share some wisdom with the rookie passer, mentorship can't be his priority at this time.

"[Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello] does such a good job in those meeting rooms," Flacco told reporters after practice on Monday. "Drew is going to learn from listening to him talk and then us getting the reps on the field and seeing how we all do it as a collective group of quarterbacks. Listen, I hope he does learn from me because that means we're out there and we're slinging it around and having a lot of fun.

"Because he's going to learn by watching us do it and watching us do it well. That is how he is going to learn the timing and all of those things is to be able to see it on film and hear Rich talk about it with me and digest as much of that as possible. Like I said, I hope he does learn from me because that means we're out there lighting it up."

I know that answer didn't necessarily endear Flacco to Broncos fans, but the veteran is actually doing Lock a favor by leaving the teaching to the coaches. Veteran players with pedigree are routinely allowed to take shortcuts or make amendments to plays or progressions based on their talents or experience. Those modifications are earned through trust, and young players need to learn the scheme in its purest form to understand all of the details behind the progressions.

That's why Lock needs to go straight to the source (Scangarello) when he has a question or concern about a play. After all, the offensive coordinator is the one installing the scheme (his own version of Kyle Shanahan's complex system), so he should be the main voice in Lock's ear. Sure, it would be great for Flacco to offer some insight and wisdom, and by Lock's own account, the veteran has been doing so. But it's ultimately the coaching staff's responsibility -- not the QB1's -- to make sure the young quarterback develops at the position.