Will Tim Patrick start over KJ Hamler at wide receiver to start next season?
Third-year pro trying to bounce back from 2019 slowed by injury
Q: Do you think Tim Patrick will start over rookie KJ Hamler to start the season considering how well he finished the season under Drew Lock?
— Joe Hollands, Pocklington, England
RO: A cop-out answer is it depends on the personnel package that offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur likes. He could like a bigger body like Patrick in certain situations. But if after the first game (Sept. 14 vs. Tennessee) ends Hamler doesn’t play more snaps than Patrick, that would be a surprise.
Patrick should have a role on this team as the No. 4 receiver and as a core special teams player. His 2019 was derailed when he broke his hand in the opening game and missed half the season. But his ability to go up and get 50-50 passes makes Patrick a valuable role player.
Q: It sounds increasingly likely stadiums will start the season empty or with only partial capacity. With lost ticket revenue and more fans watching from home, has there been any buzz about the league finally catching up on streaming or a pay-pergame platform?
Almost every other major sports league allows fans to buy packages specific to their team and/or purchase a single game to view while the NFL has kept its heels dug in and makes you buy all the games or watch what’s local. Why is the NFL so stubborn with their TV contracts?
— Steve, Forks, Wash.
RO: I agree that teams will be able to host only a small number of fans for the first part of the regular season. The NFL has a streaming deal with Amazon for the Thursday night games, but after that, a fan’s options are 1. Local television; 2. RedZone Channel; and 3. Sunday Ticket (full schedule of non-prime time games). Because there are so few games (256 games over 17 weeks), the NFL offering a pay-per-game option probably isn’t an option.
What the NFL should do is not panic, realizing that the next television deal will help make up for the anticipated financial short-fall coming up this year.
Q: Colin Cowherd was gushing about Drew Lock’s potential for 2020 last week. Can he become the next Carson Wentz, Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes?
— Mike Phelps, Chicago
RO: Cowherd is all about the Broncos and Lock, and good for him: Going against the grain makes for good radio. As for Lock, I do think he has a chance to become better than Wentz, but it’s a big jump from there to Jackson and an even bigger jump from there to Mahomes. Lock shouldn’t waste time trying to measure himself against those players. Instead, his focus should be on showing consistent progress.
Q: With our running backs, it’s Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay and the rest. How does the depth chart shake out?
— John T., Northglenn
RO: Going into camp, the order will be Gordon, Lindsay and then things get interesting. Does Shurmur see enough in Royce Freeman to keep him around as an insurance back? Or do the Broncos feel two years of Freeman was enough and instead go with Khalfani Muhammad or rookie LeVante Bellamy? Preseason will be important for Muhammad and Bellamy.