2021 Broncos' Season, Off-Season Questions, Phillip Lindsay

 


For the Broncos, the off-season is here. George Paton was hired to serve as GM and Vic Fangio is staying as coach, but there are plenty of other questions to answer. As we head into the off-season, I'll be considering these topics each week.

The next off-season topic is one close to my heart, Phillip Lindsay. Since coming to the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, Lindsay has been one of my favorite players. As a rookie, he rushed for 1,037 yards and nine TDs, making the Pro Bowl. He followed it up with 1,011 yards in 2019, but in his third season, an injury-marred campaign, he was limited to appearing in just 11 games and running for 502 yards. 

Now, Lindsay is a restricted Free Agent, presenting one of the big questions Paton will have to tackle. Aside from Lindsay, the Broncos have veteran Melvin Gordon, fourth-year player Royce Freeman and a handful of other backs on the roster. Gordon, who could be facing potential discipline over missed games, will be entering his second year with the Broncos. In 2020, Gordon led the team with 986 yards and nine TDs. He also carries a bloated contract. The Broncos will likely want to use more than one back, and even in his limited work Lindsay often provided a spark.

This is a big decision for Paton, who'd be foolish not to tender Lindsay to ensure at least a return if he goes elsewhere, or dissuade teams from betting big. John Elway faced a similar decision with C.J. Anderson a few years ago and gambled, ending up forced to match a big contract offer from the Miami Dolphins.

Lindsay is a popular player among the Broncos, much more popular than Gordon or Freeman, with whom he entered the league. While Denver could use Freeman as the second back to Gordon, or go the route of the draft, Lindsay is a good player, home grown, who has played three seasons at a discount. The Broncos would be wise to lock him up long-term and keep him as a part of the young core. But there's always the question of money.

Those that argue Lindsay isn't built to handle the rigors of an NFL workload will point to his third year. However, we've seen him produce well for Denver, rushing for more than 2,500 yards and adding 17 TDs for the Broncos. 

I'm not exactly impartial, as I love Lindsay as a player, but I hope Paton does the right thing, tenders Lindsay at a decent level and comes up with a three to four year deal that keeps him in Denver.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve
Read more