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Fansided

5 players the Denver Broncos gave up on way too soon

By Lou Scataglia

2023 NFL offseason; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) rolls out in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
2023 NFL offseason; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2) rolls out in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 08: Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to facing the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 08, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 08: Drew Lock #3 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to facing the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 08, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

5 players the Denver Broncos gave up on way too soon

Drew Lock, QB

Drew Lock was one of the most interesting athletes to ever play for the Denver Broncos.  He was a second-round pick of the team back in the 2019 NFL Draft and ended up getting five starts at the end of that season, leading the Broncos to a 4-1 finish.  Lock threw for seven touchdowns against three interceptions and very much looked the part of a franchise passer.

Then, the Broncos dumped their OC from that year, replaced him with Pat Shurmur, and then had to endure the issue of implementing a new offense during the NFL’s various COVID restrictions.  This led to Lock regressing in year two, alienating the fanbase.  Some thought this was unfair to Lock, and others thought this was his true play.

In the 2021 season, Teddy Bridgewater was brought to Denver and proceeded to “beat” out Drew Lock in the offseason QB competition.  Many who were close to that battle said that Lock was much better than Bridgewater, and there was reason to believe that then-Broncos’ head coach Vic Fangio simply did not like Lock.

He was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade, and I’m afraid Lock may get a chance to be the starter like Geno Smith did and run with it.  Could Lock, in a couple of years, do what Geno Smith did in 2022?  That would be a disaster for the Broncos, especially if Russell Wilson is cooked.

Ronald Darby, CB

I definitely get why Ronald Darby was cut, but I also don’t get it.  The team signed him to a three-year deal for the 2021 season.  He played in 11 games that year and was very good in coverage.

He played in just five games in the 2022 season because of a torn ACL he suffered against the Indianapolis Colts.

Darby isn’t going to fill up the stat sheet, but he’s one of the very best in the NFL in coverage, and the Broncos don’t have a whole lot of CB talent on the boundary outside of Patrick Surtain II.  I think the right move should have been to agree to a contract restructure with Darby to keep him in town.

Second-year CB Damarri Mathis is in line to start opposite Surtain, but he’s a young CB and there is no guarantee that he can be nearly as good as Darby was when he was with the Denver Broncos.

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