Tight end Howard is the guy
Faced with an NFL team on the decline, Broncos general manager John Elway needs all the help he can get in the draft.
What’s the biggest hole on this football team?
“We need a new GM,” Elway quipped. “Other than that, we’re pretty good.”
And the media gathered Monday at Dove Valley headquarters laughed, because: A) The joke was genuinely funny, and B) Elway owns Denver, so we are all Andy Richter to his Conan O’Brien.
This year, however, might be the toughest for Elway since Dan Reeves tried to run him out of town. With no proven quarterback and a wicked-hard schedule, Elway is in danger of suffering his first losing season since taking over management of the franchise in 2011.
So, all joking aside, what is the biggest hole on this football team?
“Just ask Mark,” replied Elway, looking directly at me. Glad he asked. I’m not here to take Elway’s job, although in exchange for one of those $50,000 pick-up trucks sitting on the lot at his Chevy dealership, I would be happy to hunker down in the war room and serve as a draft consultant.
What the Broncos need most is a play-
maker, a touchdown machine who can take pressure off new coach Vance Joseph, Denver’s young quarterbacks and an overworked defense. Elway is probably going to have to trade up in the draft to get a bona fide playmaker. That’s never an easy task, but Elway has pulled off draft-day deals in each of the last two years to acquire linebacker Shane Ray and quarterback Paxton Lynch.
His target this year for a trade?
Christian McCaffrey would be the people’s choice. As the son of a local football hero and a threat to score whether taking a handoff, catching a pass or returning a punt, I get the appeal and would welcome McCaffrey’s addition to the team.
But my draft-night dream is Alabama tight end O.J. Howard. If trading for him becomes a realistic possibility, it’s a deal Elway needs to make.
Let’s count the reasons why: 1) Howard is the shiny toy that has become all the rage in the NFL, as witnessed by how much New England loves Rob Gronkowski; 2) As a “Y” tight end, Howard not only would create mismatches in the secondary, but his in-line presence alongside a tackle could also help cover for the obvious weakness in Denver’ offensive line, and 3) An offense that has struggled in the red zone needs a legitimate pass-catching tight end to offer an easy target for either Trevor Siemian or Lynch.
How much is all that worth to the Broncos? Now there’s the real question, because trading up in the draft is never cheap. If Howard is among the top nine players selected in the opening round, obtaining him would prove cost-prohibitive. But Buffalo is scheduled to select 10th, and the Bills have only six choices in this draft. Climbing to No. 10 might well force Denver to swap its first-round selection, as well as its pick at No. 51 in the second round.
Too much to pay? Maybe, unless you believe Howard could be a Pro Bowler as a rookie and for years to come.
Other potential trade partners ahead of Denver in draft order include Indianapolis (No. 15), Baltimore (No. 16) and Tennessee (No. 18). If a run on quarterbacks or a reach for an offensive lineman causes Howard to slip to the middle of the first round, then Denver can probably get him in return for a first and a thirdround pick. There are always surprises on draft night, and in the unlikely event Howard or McCaffrey is available in trade at that price, making a deal seems like a no-brainer for Elway.
The Broncos, of course, could stand pat at No. 20, and fill an obvious need by drafting the best offensive lineman available, whether it’s Garett Bolles of Utah, Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin or Forrest Lamp of Western Kentucky.
Although there are far more lies uttered than promises kept in the days before the NFL draft, I believe Elway when he said: “My philosophy has always been when we go into the draft, we want to go in picking the best football players. … My belief is that we fix needs in free agency.”
Settling for the best offensive lineman from a weak pool of talent with his first-round choice would run counter to Elway’s philosophy.
Playing it safe has never been Elway’s nature. Once a gunslinger, always a gunslinger. So I expect Elway to take a shot at scoring big in the draft. It’s impossible to predict whether a trade will happen, but it’s safe to assume the phones will be buzzing with trade talk in Denver’s draft room.