Olx Praca Broncos writer Ryan O’Halloran posts periodically to his Broncos mailbox during the off-season. Ask questions to Ryan here.
Ryan, if Mike Boone is healthy, will he be the second runner this year? I enjoyed watching him play when he was with the Vikings.
— Don Smith, Loveland
If the Broncos had to play football until Thursday, Boone would be their number two running behind Javonte Williams.
General manager George Paton needs to cook something up because Boone has never scored more than 49 times in a season and the organizational challenge will likely be to not overuse Williams.
Boone never made it out of the blocks last year. He suffered a four limb injury in a joint training session in Minnesota and missed weeks 1-5. He then got a healthy scratch in two of the next six games, carried four times for 35 yards to Kansas City, but tested positive for COVID-19 a few days later.
I expect the Broncos to take a back draft run this weekend, but don’t rule out Boone playing a small role on offense.
Who do you think is in line for the season’s breakthrough? Javonte Williams looks like he’s ready to run 1,000+ yards. What do you think of people like Jonathan Cooper? Given the injury history of our starting forwards, do you think he could surprise anyone?
— Ron, Parker
Can we even consider Williams a breakthrough candidate? I say no, because last year he hit 203 times.
Cooper? Possibly, but he may not have enough playing time to deserve a breakthrough.
Several variants:
Receiver KJ Hamler if fully recovered from a left anterior cruciate ligament tear sustained in late September. (I think I said it last year as well.) Tight end Albert Okwuegbunam will also get a chance after the Noah Fant trade.
On defense, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb could be a re-breakout player, while defenseman Dre’Mont Jones would be a good choice.
Do you see the Broncos trading back into the first round on Thursday? And if they do, is there anyone they could target? Maybe protective equipment?
— Marshall, Parker
I would be shocked if the Broncos were willing and found a way to go from 64th to 32nd on Thursday night. Two reasons: They don’t have a ton of draft capital at their disposal (no first or second round picks in 2023). And these big moves are usually made to protect the quarterback, and obviously it’s not a problem.
I ask Marshall a question: will the Broncos rise from 64th in the second round? I think it’s far from it, but if they do, it will be for a position like a tight end (CSU’s Trey McBride) or an wing rusher.
Russell Wilson has two years left on his contract. Is there any concern that he might just get up and go into free agency after next year?
— RP, San Diego
The Broncos don’t have to worry; if they had done so, the trade would not have taken place. It was Wilson’s only luxury with a no-trade clause. Once negotiations with Seattle were far enough advanced, the Broncos were allowed to speak to Wilson and sell him their franchise, their program, and their championship aspirations. He liked the message and agreed to the exchange.