Do Joe Flacco, Ju’Wuan James and Kareem Jackson make the Broncos better? By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post March 13, 2019 Fifteen things about the first two days of the NFL’s free agent negotiating period: 1. The “legal tampering” window should be abolished. First, the name is stupid. Second, it serves no purpose. The league should announce the date and time when signings and trades can be executed and every team can start from there. No negotiating window. No players potentially backing out on verbal agreements (like linebacker Anthony Barr did Tuesday, returning to Minnesota after committing to the Jets). No having to talk about “intends to sign with,” “agree to terms,” and other mumbo jumbo. 2. Did the Broncos get better by trading for quarterback Joe Flacco and agreeing to terms with right tackle Ju’Wuan James and cornerback/safety Kareem Jackson? Easy question. Tough answer. 3. The Broncos did upgrade at quarterback — we’ve made that clear. They definitely got better at No. 2 cornerback (Jackson instead of Bradley Roby). Right tackle is a tough one. When healthy, Jared Veldheer was more than serviceable. But in making James the league’s highest-paid right tackle (four years, $51 million), general manager John Elway is expecting improvement for at least the next three years. 4. OK, the Broncos are better at three positions. But does that move them up a rung into the AFC West and into wild-card contention? Not yet. Unless something develops out of thin air, they’re waiting to address tight end until the draft and should also add a cornerback, a cover linebacker, a safety and multiple offensive linemen. 5. About the offensive line: James (right tackle), Ron Leary (left guard) and Garett Bolles (left tackle) are locked in. The Broncos made the correct decision in letting center Matt Paradis leave for Carolina. He has had three major injuries — surgeries on both hips after the 2016 season and a broken leg last year. Buyer beware. Connor McGovern finished 2018 as the center but had issues with his shotgun snaps. At right guard, converted tackle Elijah Wilkinson finished the year there. The draft will be critical. 6. The Broncos lost guard/tackle Billy Turner to the Green Bay Packers for a reported four-year $28 million deal. The Packers are taking a risk if they want Turner to play right tackle. Last year for the Broncos, per the Denver Post’s game charting, he played better at right guard. We booked him for 18 1/2 “disruptions” in pass protection (including 3 1/2 sacks) and 13 1/2 “bad run” plays (gain of three or fewer yards). His two poorest games were at right tackle – two sacks allowed against the Jets and 1 1/2 sacks by Kansas City. 7. Roby became the latest Broncos first-round pick to depart, agreeing to a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. We were underwhelmed watching Roby play in 2018. We booked him for 10 missed tackles, eight completions of at least 20 yards and six touchdowns. A wise decision by Elway to move on from Roby. 8. So much for the depth of the safety market bringing down the prices. Landon Collins ($14 million average with Washington), Tyrann Mathieu ($14 million with Kansas City) and Adrian Amos ($9 million with Green Bay) hit the jackpot. Even recently released Tashaun Gipson got a $7.33 million average with Houston. Mathieu joining the Chiefs merits an A-plus grade for general manager Brett Veach. Mathieu will be trouble twice a year for the Broncos. 9. Teams that will sign at least two free agents to multi-year contracts averaging at least $10 million: The Broncos (James/Jackson), Green Bay (linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith) and Oakland (left tackle Trent Brown and safety Lamarcus Joyner). 10. The league executive we spoke to last week hit guard Rodger Saffold’s average salary on the head — $11 million average (four years, $44 million) to join the Tennessee Titans. As of Tuesday afternoon, the guard market was tepid, teams likely unimpressed by the available players and confident they can find good players in the draft. 11. For years under general manager Ted Thompson, the Green Bay Packers were mostly free agent spectators, adhering to a draft-develop-and-keep strategy. But in his second cycle, Brian Gutekunst is spending. Wednesday, the Packers are expected to lock up Turner, Amos, Preston Smith (four years, $52 million) and Za’Darius Smith (four years, $66 million). 12. Quarterback Nick Foles joining Jacksonville was assumed for several weeks. But at four years and $88 million (franchise-record $50 million guaranteed)? Puzzling. The Jaguars were basically bidding against themselves. We thought a two-year, $40 million deal made sense because it meant they could consider a quarterback with the seventh overall pick. Not now. 13. We ranked the top 25 available players Monday. As of Tuesday afternoon, the remaining players available were safety Earl Thomas (No. 3), running back Le’Veon Bell (No. 4), cornerback Bryce Callahan (No. 13), receiver Golden Tate (No. 15), receiver Tyrell Williams (No. 16), linebacker K.J. Wright (No. 20), cornerback Ronald Darby (No. 21), cornerback Pierre Desir (No. 23) and defensive end Ziggy Ansah (No. 24). We had Jackson and James rated Nos. 18-19. 14. It’s a good year to be a tight end. Jesse James (Pittsburgh to Detroit), Tyler Kroft (Cincinnati to Buffalo) and C.J. Uzomah (stayed in Cincinnati) will sign deals averaging at least $6 million a year. 15. The signing and trading period begins Wednesday at 2 p.m. Denver Broncos to play Atlanta Falcons in Pro Football Hall of Fame Game By Ryan O’Halloran Denver Post March 13, 2019 What was expected for more than a month became official Tuesday when the Broncos announced they will play in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game ahead of the induction of owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey. The Broncos will face the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio. The Broncos will play five preseason games. In a statement, Broncos coach Vic Fangio said: “Football-wise, it gives our team an extra week of training camp and additional practices that we’ll use to our advantage.” The Broncos will be allowed to report to training camp two weeks ahead of the game. The Broncos will play in the Hall of Fame Game for the fourth time and the first time since 2004, when it lost to Washington 20-17 in a weekend that included the induction of quarterback John Elway. Tickets for the game and the induction ceremony go on sale Friday at 8 a.m. at profootballhof.com/tickets. Hall of Fame president Baker says Broncos playing in HOF game was nod to Pat Bowlen By Mike Klis 9NEWS March 13, 2019 The Pro Football Hall of Fame has sent an invitation to Broncos fans. Come on in. Take over our fair city of Canton, Ohio come the first weekend of August. “We are inviting them to be our honored guests for something that is incredibly special,’’ Hall of Fame president David Baker said in a phone interview with 9News. “Not only for the Broncos, and for Champ Bailey, but especially for Pat Bowlen.’’ Bowlen, the Broncos’ owner since 1984, and Bailey, the team’s standout cornerback for 10 seasons, already had their dates set in Canton – Friday, August 2 for the Gold Jacket ceremony and Saturday, August 3 for their formal induction into the Hall of Fame class of 2019. Now add what had been expected since Bowlen was elected as a contributor on February 2: The Pro Football Hall of Fame announcing Tuesday his Broncos will kick off enshrinement weekend by playing in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night, Aug. 1., against the Atlanta Falcons. “I think the greatness of a man like Pat Bowlen and his contributions is clearly league-wide, it’s national,’’ Baker said. “But to me, Pat Bowlen is synonymous not just with the Broncos and the NFL, but with that city.’’ Baker then cited examples of how a team catapult a city. Vince Lombardi turned Green Bay into Titletown, USA. Steel plants were closing in Pittsburgh but then came Mean Joe Greene, the Immaculate Reception and four Super Bowl wins in the late-1970s. “All of the sudden Pittsburgh reinvents itself as this wonderful city of art and technology,’’ Baker said. San Francisco was a culturally divided city and then 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. hired Bill Walsh and drafted Joe Montana and the city bonded together in the 1980s and ‘90s. Dallas went through a horrible recession and then the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the early 1990s. Then there is what the Saints meant to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Drew Brees and Sean Payton helped make the music play again. “Hope is a powerful economic tool,’’ Baker said. “And I think Pat Bowlen made the people of Denver feel like they were winners, they were champions. Six Super Bowls, winning three -- there are special cities that are so identified with the NFL that you can’t imagine them without that team. Denver is one of those teams. “And I know you have a great baseball team and a basketball team and a hockey team there. But, respectfully, every time I pass through, it’s a football town.'' The Hall of Fame game will be added to the Broncos’ preseason schedule that will eventually include four other games. The HOF game will make five.