Too early to predict Broncos’ record

Readers talk and columnist Mark Kiszla responds

Hold your horses. OK, smart guy, how do you think the Broncos will finish in 2017? Josh, Denver

Kiz: Let’s see, we don’t know who the starting quarterback or left tackle is going to be for the Broncos. We don’t even know the identity of their first-round draft choice. But because we do know the schedule, let’s predict the Broncos’ record. Just because everybody else does it, doesn’t stop it from being dumb. Regardless of when the Broncos play New England, if John Elway doesn’t find a legitimate left tackle and Paxton Lynch is not the real deal, then it’s unlikely the team’s record this year will be better than the 9-7 mark of last year.

Five or six wins. Sadly, this appears to be a Broncos team that wins five or six games because of the quarterback situation. Didn’t Denver finish 3-5 down the stretch last year, with one of those victories the result of a blocked extra point? That’s what scares me. We need offensive playmakers to get to .500 this season. Todd, Denver

Kiz: Every year, Pat Bowlen used to automatically predict the Broncos would go 19-0. It was never accurate, but time efficient. Well, Denver isn’t going to go undefeated this year. But I will be shocked if the Broncos do not take a skill position player in the first two rounds. With the 51st overall choice, the Broncos might well have the chance to grab either Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara or controversial Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon.

Good grief. What’s your reasoning for advocating the Avalanche to replace coach Jared Bednar with DU’s Jim Montgomery? It seems like Bednar’s systems worked; he just lacked talent everywhere on the roster. Watch the NHL playoffs; other teams do the same things the Avs did in the regular season. It’s hard to win when you have hardly any good players. Graham, Denver

Kiz: If the Avalanche has hardly any good players, what are Francois Beauchemin, Carl Soderberg, Tyson Barrie, Gabe Landeskog, Semyon Varlamov, Matt Duchene, Erik Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon doing with annual salaries ranging from $4.5 million to $6.3 million? Who is responsible for constructing the roster and salary structure? General manager Joe Sakic, also the man that hired Bednar. Let’s hit the reset button.

Harden vs. Westbrook. You think James Harden is better than Russell Westbrook? Stick to football, Kiz. You know nothing about basketball. Mike, Dakota Territory

Kiz: Harden was better than Westbrook when they were teammates. Harden is better than Westbrook now that they are foes in the NBA playoffs. If you voted for Westbrook over Harden for most valuable player, I forgive you. I’m smart enough to know basketball is a team game. Maybe Westbrook should be a golfer, where he could be concerned only about his own score.

Flagrant fan. And today’s parting shot is a ringing endorsement of my incessant nagging to wear a Nuggets uniform and sit on the team’s bench for an NBA game:

Every fan would be hoping for a flagrant two foul that plants your butt into the ground. Steve, Fort Collins