Drew Lock
The Broncos have made it clear this offseason that they’re not going to hand anything to QB Drew Lock in terms of the starting job. Lock’s talent has never been in question, but he has yet to put it together in ways that can raise into question if he’s doing the work off the field and not just relying on his raw ability. However, his teammate, Broncos WR Tim Patrick, says Lock appears to have used all the speculation as motivation.
“I love Drew,” Patrick said via KUSA’s Mike Klis. “Going forward I think he understands what he needs to do. And he understands it doesn’t have anything to do with his football skills. And it’s good to see. I’ve been in Denver for a couple of weeks and his approach to the game has been 100 percent different than it was during the season. He’s one of the first guys in the building. One of the last guys to leave. He’s doing the small things to be a great player in this league. And understanding what you’re not good at and getting it up to where your talent is. I think he understands it. I think this talk about bringing in other quarterbacks has motivated him. And I think he should have a big season this year.”
Broncos
Broncos GM George Paton said he’s had “positive conversations” with CB Kareem Jackson and his representation about his contract situation. Jackson has a $12.882 million option for next season.
“I’ve spoken with Kareem and I’ve spoken with his agent Jason Chayut,” Paton said, via BroncosWire. “We have to work through some things, but we’ve had positive conversations. We would like Kareem back. He’s a good football player and a good leader. We’ll see if we can do that.”
Regarding Broncos RB Melvin Gordon‘s arrest in October for suspicion of DUI, Paton said the issue is “out of our hands” and any disciplinary action is at the league’s discretion. Gordon could face a suspension if found guilty in next month’s jury trial.
“We’re gathering information,” Paton said. “It’s kind of out of our hands. It’s in the league’s hands. It’s a legal process. He is a good football player. Not sure what is going to happen with him, but we like him as a player.”
Raiders
Raiders GM Mike Mayock admitted that it was unfair of them to convert former third-round WR Lynn Bowden into a running back during last year’s offseason.
“If you look back at it and you think, should you be picking guys that perhaps were a projection from one position to another?” Mayock said, via RaidersWire. “You know, we took [Bowden] in the third round and ended up trading him to Miami before the seasons started. He was a college slot receiver and a quarterback and we tried to move him to running back in a pandemic year. And to be honest with you, I don’t think it was fair to the kid. We don’t even see him face-to-face live until training camp in July.”
Mayock believes the global pandemic forces front offices to learn on the fly and mentioned that he must “leverage the draft” for value.
“Basically, what I’m saying is that I think in a COVID year, you have to be nimble and you have to learn lessons,” said Mayock. “And you have to try to leverage the draft for whatever you can.”
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