Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio walked back comments he made addressing the level of discrimination people of color face in the NFL.

Following the killing of George Floyd, many have taken to the streets of cities across the nation to protest and call for reforms addressing police brutality and systemic racism.

In a Tuesday conference call with reporters, Fangio acknowledged the larger work needed to address social injustice but downplayed the extent to which it impacts the NFL, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold:

"I think our problems in the NFL along those lines are minimal. We're a league of meritocracy. You earn what you get, you get what you earn. I don't see racism at all in the NFL, I don't see discrimination in the NFL. We all live together, joined as one, for one common goal, and we all intermingle and mix tremendously. If society reflected an NFL team, we'd all be great."

On Wednesday, Fangio said in a statement he had missed the mark.

"After reflecting on my comments yesterday and listening to the players this morning, I realize what I said regarding racism and discrimination in the NFL was wrong," he said. "While I have never personally experienced those terrible things first-hand during my 33 years in the NFL, I understand that many players, coaches and staff have different perspective."

“After reflecting on my comments yesterday and listening to the players this morning, I realize what I said regarding racism and discrimination in the NFL was wrong."

A statement from Head Coach Vic Fangio: pic.twitter.com/5yNNDn9VzY

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 3, 2020

In recent years, many have highlighted the lack of diversity among NFL coaching and front-office ranks.

Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins) and Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns) are the only black general managers, and there are four minority head coaches: Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins), Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers) and Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins).

ESPN's Mina Kimes pointed to a January 2016 study that found white position coaches and assistants were "more than twice as likely" to receive a coordinator job compared to black coaches with similar resumes.

The NFL amended the Rooney Rule in May to give minority candidates more opportunities to land the most coveted jobs. 

Teams have to interview two minority candidates for a head coaching role and one for a coordinator opening. One minority candidate is also required for a general manager vacancy or similar title.  

Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said Tuesday he doesn't believe there is any racism in the NFL. 

The 61-year-old provided his thoughts in a Zoom press conference with reporters:

Vic Fangio: “I don’t see racism at all in the NFL...if society reflected an NFL team we’d all be great.” @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/gV635jqgHy

— Michael Spencer (@MichaelCBS4) June 2, 2020

"We're a league of meritocracy. You get what you earn," Fangio continued, per Andrew Mason of DNVR. "I don't see racism at all in the NFL. I don't see discrimination in the NFL. ... If society reflected an NFL team, we'd all be great."

Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic provided the coach's full statement:

Vic Fangio's full statement before opening his Zoom press conference today to questions: pic.twitter.com/KFOqiuMsX3

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) June 2, 2020

The comments come amid nationwide protests calling for an end to racial injustice and police violence. 

The Broncos' official Twitter account posted messages from multiple players Tuesday, eight days after George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.

The NFL has a lot of diversity among players, with minorities making up 72.6 percent of the league as of 2016, per The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport. 

There has been more discussion about the lack of people of color in coaching and leadership positions.

Going into 2020, there are only four minority head coaches in the NFL while only two—Miami Dolphins' Brian Flores and Washington Redskins' Ron Rivera—have been hired in the last two years out of 13 openings.

An NFL report on diversity inclusion showed only six men of color were hired in 2018-19 as a head coach, offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator out of 36 filled positions.

People of color represent 12.8 percent of team positions listed as vice president or above, per Richard Lapchick of ESPN. 

Fangio is heading into his second season as head coach of the Broncos after an extensive career in the NFL as an assistant, working as a defensive coordinator for 19 seasons across five organizations.

Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons was among those participating in protests around the country following the death of George Floyd and offered thoughts on the movement to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.

"We're not saying other lives don't matter. We're saying all lives can't matter until black lives matter," Simmons said.

Simmons spoke to protesters in Stuart, Florida, which could be seen in a video that was posted to social media by his mother:

Today in Stuart Proud of him! pic.twitter.com/TUgWJw7WD8

— Kimberly Simmons (@kdhs711) May 31, 2020

"I understand the pain and the grief, but this has not just been an act of George Floyd," Simmons said. "It's been an act of 300 and more years that we have been oppressed from the system. It will not change with violence. So today, we are not going to have any violence out here. We will not. We will be the difference."

Protests have erupted nationwide over the past week after an unarmed African American man, Floyd, died while in the custody of Minneapolis police. One of the officers who arrested Floyd, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Some protests have turned violent with riots, leading to curfews in over 40 United States cities.

Simmons specifically called for a non-violent event in Martin County.

The 26-year-old is entering his fifth season in the NFL, starting every game for the Broncos over the past two years while totaling 190 tackles and seven interceptions in that span. His team used the franchise tag on him this offseason, allowing him to earn $11.4 million in 2020, per Spotrac.

Simmons was also the Broncos' 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee thanks to his numerous charitable initiatives.

"I feel like I have an obligation to use my platform to effect change positively," Simmons said.

Denver Broncos legend Floyd Little has been diagnosed with cancer, according to one of his former college teammates.

Pat Killorin talked to Syracuse.com's Nate Mink, who wrote Little has a "treatable but aggressive form of cancer." Killorin set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover medical expenses.

Little was named an All-American in each of his three years at Syracuse from 1964 to '66. He scored 44 touchdowns.

The Broncos selected Little sixth overall in the 1967 NFL draft. He spent his nine-year career in Denver and ranks second in franchise history with 6,323 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns. The Connecticut native led the NFL in rushing yards (1,133) and yards from scrimmage (1,388) in 1971.

In 2005, Syracuse retired the famous No. 44 jersey worn by Little and others, including Jim Brown. Denver also retired the number, in 1984. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

New Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon believes second-year quarterback Drew Lock has major potential. 

Appearing on Ian Rapoport's Rapsheet and Friends podcast Monday, Gordon said he believes Lock will be "a monster" once he develops (h/t Garrett Stepien of 247Sports.com):

"I think he can be a really good player. He makes some really good throws. I think when he gets full control of the offense, when he's really out there dictating and telling guys what to do and how to do it, I think when he gets that control and his confidence gets to that level, he's going to be a monster. Obviously, the last couple of games, he built that confidence. ... But just more games under his belt with that confidence, it'll just flourish. And when he walks and talks, you can just see it come out. I think he's going to be a bad man."

Lock, 23, started five games for the Broncos in 2019, throwing for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 64.1 percent of his passes. The Broncos went 4-1 in those starts, and Lock heads into the 2020 season as the team's starter after Joe Flacco was released in March.

Gordon isn't the only one to sing Lock's praises this offseason. Guard Dalton Risner called him "one of the biggest competitors that I've ever met" last week:

"My guy @DrewLock23 loves his macaroni and cheese and his chicken tenders."

That's my quarterback!@Dalton_Risner66 on#NFLNow @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/4648kZC2gy

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) May 15, 2020

"I think that Drew brings a special edge to the game," he added. "When he gets out on the field, we all get excited. We all believe that when it's third down and long, Drew can still make something happen—especially with Courtland Sutton out there on the edge and now Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler. We have the guys to make it happen."

While practicing social guidelines, #Broncos QB @DrewLock23 has thrown to a few receivers recently. Hope is to amp it up when allowed. But Drew is doing everything permissible to get ready for the upcoming season. #Denver7 pic.twitter.com/d6MT7BE8J0

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) May 18, 2020

Not everybody is buying stock in the second-year quarterback, however. Former NFL quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner believes Lock has a long way to go before he can be considered a franchise player (h/t Jon Heath of Broncos Wire):

"Do I believe he is definitely a franchise quarterback? I don't have the answer to that quite yet. We saw moments. We saw the big-time throws that we knew he could make at this level. I didn't see the consistency. I didn't see the decision-making top to bottom, week in and week out that I want to see from a franchise quarterback.

"So, there was enough to see moments and go, 'Man, if we can build on this and he can become more consistent and we can put players around him,' as John Elway did, then he's got the potential to possibly be that guy. But I'm not a believer that he is there yet or will be there this year. I think there's a lot of work to be done."

Drew lock gon be good but he better stop playing with me. https://t.co/6XmBMuyhED

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) May 18, 2020

Still, there is excitement in Denver when it comes to Lock, from both his teammates and fans. His development in year two is the biggest storyline for the team. If he plays well, the Broncos will have a very exciting, dangerous offense given the amount of playmakers they surrounded him with this offseason. 

If he struggles, however, the team's entire rebuilding timeline could be pushed back even further. 

Melvin Gordon is happy to be with the Denver Broncos after playing in a Chargers offense that wasn't well-suited to his game. 

"It really didn't play out to my strengths, especially the first couple years there," he said on RapSheet and Friends (conversation starts at 22:00). "I kinda just had to adjust and make it work. It kinda wasn't a system built for me. But I feel like Denver kinda runs my style of football, and I think it's a great fit."

The running back signed a two-year deal with the Broncos this offseason following a five-year stint with the Chargers that included two Pro Bowl selections. 

Gordon had a quiet rookie season after being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, totaling just 641 rushing yards on 3.5 per carry with zero touchdowns.

He explained that the team "did a lot of stuff out the 'gun," which made sense with an established quarterback in Philip Rivers. The veteran led the NFL in passing attempts during Gordon's rookie year.

The next four seasons saw significant improvements from Gordon, who averaged 1,320 yards from scrimmage and 11.8 total touchdowns per year.

The 27-year-old admitted to Ian Rapoport the Chargers system helped him become a "better player all-around" but said the Broncos' strategy can better play to his strengths. 

"They run a lot of inside zones, and that's what I did a lot at Wisconsin," he said. "It's going to really help me get back in the feel of what I do best. I'm an inside-zone runner."

Gordon led the nation with 2,587 rushing yards during his final year in college.

A similar style in Denver could allow him to thrive in 2020, improving a rushing attack that ranked just 20th despite the presence of a pair of quality young runners in Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles can move forward with Austin Ekeler, who seemed to fit better within the pass-heavy offense with 92 catches for 993 yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 2019. He also added 557 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground during a breakout third season.

Courtland Sutton was the only Denver Broncos wide receiver with more than 400 yards through the air last year. He's ready for that to change. 

On a conference call with reporters Thursday, Sutton said playing alongside Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler "is going to be exciting" after the Broncos selected the rookie playmakers in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL draft.

He also said having all three of them on the field means offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur "can pretty much pick and choose who he wants the ball to go to because we have that many weapons."

Sutton finished the 2019 campaign with 72 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns as a first-time Pro Bowler. He was Denver's clear-cut No. 1 option in the passing game, especially after it traded Emmanuel Sanders to the San Francisco 49ers.

However, that type of production means double teams and additional defensive attention, which is why landing pass-catchers like Jeudy and Hamler in the draft was so important.

While Jeudy is a precise route runner who torched opposing defenses at Alabama, Hamler is the speedster who can easily take advantage of single coverage when secondaries are focused on Sutton and his fellow rookie.

Their presence will also help the rushing attack during the upcoming season.

The Broncos signed two-time Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon this offseason, and he will join Phillip Lindsay in the backfield. Lindsay topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons in the league and has quickly established himself as a dangerous option in the offense.

It is not difficult to envision a scenario where defenses doubled Sutton and stacked the box with the rest of its personnel when playing against the Broncos in 2020 if they did not add more weapons to the passing attack.

Enter Jeudy and Hamler, who will look to help Denver reach the playoffs for the first time since it ended the 2015 season with the Lombardi Trophy.

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has recovered after testing positive for the coronavirus in April, but his symptoms were significant, especially with a history of asthma.

Miller revealed the worst of the symptoms in an interview with Kent Babb of the Washington Post:

"Not being able to breathe. I got asthma, but it was past the asthma attack—like my lungs were constricting. My asthma nebulizer helped, but it still didn’t feel like it was supposed to. That was the most frightening part. Just going to sleep knowing that my oxygen level could drop and I could wake up and have to go to the hospital.

"You can’t really taste. You can’t really smell. That in turn kind of messes with your appetite, so you’re not really eating like you’re supposed to. The first four, five days I was honestly nervous. I wouldn’t say that I thought I was going to die or anything like that, but it did cross my mind a little bit."

Miller had previously said he was taking the virus seriously and making precautions but still contracted the disease.

"I wasn't out and about. It hit me right here in my house," he told NFL Live, via ESPN's Jeff Legworld.

Miller now wants to pass what he's learned to his teammates and others around the league.

"They don't even think it's real," he said, per Babb. "That's the craziest part. I told them to take it serious. Take all of this serious. Take social distancing serious."

The coronavirus has led to more than 80,000 deaths in the United States as of Wednesday, per CNN.com.

Miller said he has returned to training after a 17-day absence.

For only the second time in 40 years, the Denver Broncos have missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons.

The expectation is for that to change in 2020, mainly because it looks as though Denver finally has a potential franchise quarterback in place. 

With 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock under center, the Broncos won four of their last five games in 2019—with the only loss understandably coming on the road against the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

In that span, Lock completed more than 64 percent of his passes and threw seven touchdown passes to three interceptions. He finished the year riding a streak of 79 consecutive throws without a pick, and he was sacked just once per start on average. 

He did that despite the fact that the Broncos traded veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders before Lock took over as the starter, forcing him to rely heavily on unaccomplished targets DaeSean Hamilton, Tim Patrick and Noah Fant. 

This offseason, it was obvious Denver general manager John Elway was out to upgrade Lock's supporting cast. 

Elway used his first two draft picks on wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler and then spent a third-rounder on pro-ready center Lloyd Cushenberry III.

As a polished product of the SEC with superb route-running skills, Jeudy has the making of an elite NFL pass-catcher, while Hamler looks primed to contribute right away in the slot. Those two should benefit from the fact incumbent No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton already looks like a star, while Fant—who was a first-round pick last year—became one of the most productive tight ends in the league during the second half of his rookie season. 

And those moves came after Elway essentially traded in interior offensive lineman Connor McGovern for the more accomplished Graham Glasgow and signed two-time Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon III to work with standout Phillip Lindsay and 2018 third-round back Royce Freeman (who shined a bit in the passing game while working with Lock late last year). 

Add it all up, and it's now hard to find a weak spot on offense for a team that will get 2018 top-five selection Bradley Chubb back from a knee injury and otherwise spruced up the defense by adding veterans A.J. Bouye and Jurrell Casey. 

At quarterback, they let Joe Flacco go and didn't replace him with a realistic potential threat to Lock's job. 

This is all about No. 3. 

"The moves say that they saw something positive in the way I played those last games, potentially being a guy who can stay here a long time and help the Broncos win as many games as possible," Lock said in a conference call with the media this week, per Denver7's Troy Renck. "It means a lot to me. It puts a little extra confidence on my back. At the same time, those expectations do rise when you have so many weapons around you."

Lock suggested that pressure is a good thing, and it's easy to buy that considering how he continued to improve and perform despite constant scheme changes and a lack of relative talent at Missouri. He has ideal size, strength and intelligence, along with a booming arm that can make every throw. 

And said cannon should be on display a lot more in 2020, because fresh support for Lock spans beyond the field. Elway also hired veteran coordinator Pat Shurmur to run the offense alongside quarterbacks coach Mike Shula—moves certainly made with Lock's progress in mind. 

Shurmur has had a lot of success grooming and coaching quarterbacks over the years, and he won't likely shy away from letting Lock loose. He's likely excited to get his hands on a guy who was widely projected as a potential top-10 pick during last year's predraft process before slipping into Round 2. 

"There's definitely more possibilities for us to press the ball downfield, which I definitely think plays into my strengths and the receivers we have on this team," Lock said of the new offense, per Renck. "We have guys who can fly down the field. It gives me the option of changing a curl route to a go route if we get man (coverage). I think we will press the ball downfield more than we did last year."

We're yet to get an in-depth look at Lock unrestrained. He completed 10 of 13 passes in the fourth quarter of one-score games, but he averaged just 4.4 yards per attempt on those throws. He also completed just six of his 23 throws that traveled 15-plus yards.

Among 36 quarterbacks who attempted at least 10 third-down passes during Lock's five-week stretch as a starter last season, only two had higher completion percentages, and only three had better passer ratings than the 23-year-old. But 22 had stronger yards-per-attempt averages.

Sometimes, that was on offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello. Other times, Lock seemed gun-shy. As he becomes more comfortable in a more aggressive offense, that should change. 

Lock passed for more than 12,000 yards in 50 games in college, throwing 99 touchdown passes to 39 interceptions, only eight of which came in a phenomenal senior season in which he completed 62.9 percent of his passes.

That completion percentage rose significantly throughout his career years with the Tigers, and then again in his debut season with the Broncos. 

The progress is hard to deny. His grades from Pro Football Focus shot up in all four of his seasons at Missouri, and he is under the impression that—even with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing him and his teammates to learn and jell from afar—he's again evolving significantly this offseason. 

"I think this being my second year is benefiting me in a lot of ways I didn't necessarily expect, as far as learning a new offense," Lock said Tuesday, according to Aric DiLalla of the team's official website. "There's similar carryover from the last one to where you can pocket that. You don't necessarily have to study that as much because you've kind of already got that mindset down and know what they're talking about as far as older stuff. But even the newer stuff I'm getting taught, it's easier for me to learn because I've found the way that fits me best, as far as learning a new offense goes. Picking this one up has happened a little [faster]—I'd say, 10 times as quick as I did the first time."

At that rate, both Lock and the Broncos should earn a lot of respect in 2020. 

     

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter. Or don't. It's entirely your choice.

The Denver Broncos will open an NFL campaign with a new starting quarterback for the fourth straight season, but they are doing what they can to avoid watching their playoff drought extend to five years.

Denver acquired Jurrell Casey and A.J. Bouye while signing Graham Glasgow, Melvin Gordon III and using the franchise tag on Justin Simmons.

As much as the Broncos did right, their record will likely hinge on the performance of quarterback Drew Lock. The 2019 second-round pick threw for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts.

If the 23-year-old improves, then Denver could be looking at the postseason. If his development hits a snag, then erratic quarterback play could again doom the franchise's hopes of a winning record.

Here's a look at the Broncos' 2020 regular-season schedule, per the team's official site.

          

Broncos 2020 Schedule

The full #Broncos schedule. @CBSDenver #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/XDyT8rQ7vj

— Michael Spencer (@MichaelCBS4) May 7, 2020

 

          

Analysis

Tom Brady may no longer be a member of the New England Patriots, but he'll still match up against the Broncos as the AFC West is paired with the NFC South.

The good news for Denver is that its two trickiest games with NFC South teams are both at home, with Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints forced to make trips to Empower Field at Mile High. 

The Broncos will be underdogs against the Bucs and Saints but have a puncher's chance at altitude.

Denver was also fortunate to draw the Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills at home. The Bills addressed one of their biggest needs when they traded for Stefon Diggs, and the Titans are effectively running it back with last year's roster. They lost Jack Conklin but re-signed Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.

If ever there was a year to play the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, this is it. Rather than pursuing a star passer such as Cam Newton or Jameis Winston, the team penciled in Jarrett Stidham as the starter. Bill Belichick appears to be taking a long view as he embarks on the post-Brady era.

           

Pivotal Matchups

It's safe to assume the Kansas City Chiefs will be the class of the division in the AFC West, but the battle for runner-up will be a crap shoot.

Although that might not seem like a significant distinction, nine wins was enough to claim a wild-card spot in the AFC in two of the last three seasons. A second-place finish in the West could feasibly put the Broncos in the playoff hunt.

It's also an attainable goal.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers are in a position somewhat similar to Denver. They have solid rosters yet large question marks at quarterback. 

The Raiders signed Marcus Mariota to potentially be this year's version of Tannehill if Derek Carr starts slowly, while the Chargers will have a new signal-caller (Tyrod Taylor or Justin Herbert) for the first time since 2005 following the departure of Philip Rivers.

The Broncos' path to the postseason will probably require picking up at least three wins from their meetings with Las Vegas and Los Angeles.