The Denver Broncos are .500 heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Following Denver’s successful two-game road trip, Broncos fans had plenty of questions for this week’s mailbag installment.
Denver Broncos Week 5 Mailbag
If you want to get involved in our weekly mailbag, keep your eyes peeled on social media @CodyRoarkNFL for the prompt on Monday following Sunday’s games.
Do you see Kwon Alexander getting reps at linebacker when he’s ready if Cody Barton and Justin Strnad continue to play how they did Sunday? – Kinlay on Twitter.
At this point, I don’t see that happening unless there’s an injury. Kwon Alexander is obviously a veteran guy who can provide you with good depth, but he hasn’t played yet since he tore his Achilles last season. I feel like Strnad and Barton will be the two starters most of the season, but we could see Alexander elevated to the gameday roster once or twice from the practice squad.
In all honesty, how surprising is this 2-2 start to the season? What has stood out the most so far? – Ed Helinski.
I’m honestly not surprised at 2-2. I had felt before the season even began that Denver would win against Seattle and had a great chance to win at home against the Steelers, where I felt that Tampa Bay and New York would have been the toughest two games in the first four. These outcomes kind of flipped. What’s stood out the most to me so far has been how good Denver’s defense and special teams units have played and how they’ve managed to do it consistently. The revamped front seven has been a bright spot, and Riley Moss’s emergence at cornerback opposite of Patrick Surtain II has been fun to watch.
With the recent play of Alex Palczewski, should he remain the starting right tackle even when Mike McGlinchey is healthy – Frankie Mack.
This is a great question. I’m a big believer in not messing with something that’s working well, and I’ve been very impressed with Palczewski these last couple of weeks. The dilemma here is that McGlinchey is getting paid a lot of money and was the starter before the injury, he’ll likely return and resume his role in that spot. However, if Denver feels like Palczewski gives them the best chance to sustain the offensive momentum they’ve been building, I wouldn’t be surprised if they slid McGlinchey to left tackle after this season.
The Broncos desperately need to upgrade their tight end room. What would it reasonably take to land Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews or Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts, who seem to be falling out of favor, and may need a change of scenery from their current teams. – Mile High Moments.
I agree with you that Denver needs to upgrade their tight end room. With Isaiah Likely becoming the more featured tight end in Baltimore, Andrews would be an intriguing name. He’s only had nine receiving targets in four games, while Likely has had 18. However, Andrews has one more target in the last three games. I don’t think Baltimore is going to part ways with him because he may be a guy that turns it on in the postseason for them. Pitts is an intriguing name as well, but I don’t think Kirk Cousins would benefit from not having him. I do think TE becomes a bigger offseason priority for Denver this year, but Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins have done their job in the blocking department. It’s needed, whereas Dulcich has struggled to do much this season as a blocker and in the receiving game. If anything, I see Sean Payton looking at Lucas Krull and Donald Parham Jr. at some point this season if the trend doesn’t change. It’s wild to me that four weeks have passed and Trautman has one catch on two targets, Adkins has two catches on three targets, and Dulcich has five catches on 12 targets for 28 yards and two drops through four weeks. That’s inexcusable production for that position, offensively, and something needs to change.
If the Broncos come out at 4-2 after these next two home games (Raiders/Chargers), what would you like to see Denver add at the trade deadline? – DMarq.
I’d have to say wide receiver possibly. I like Denver’s young core that they have, but I feel like Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper could be a nice addition next to Courtland Sutton. The Browns recently converted most of his 2024 salary into a signing bonus, which makes him a clear-cut trade target for teams. I don’t really see any positions they could become buyers for at the deadline on the defensive side of the ball, and trading for a tight end doesn’t seem like something they appear to be interested in right now, at least for the moment.
Could you see Denver trading for a wideout this year? Also, are you concerned with Riley Moss going forward with the pass interference calls on him? – Rachael.
If Denver does look to trade for a receiver, I feel like Amari Cooper would be the most intriguing and affordable option for them. In terms of Riley Moss, I’m not concerned at all with how he’s played. He’s been terrific, and his coverage has been sticky all season. The first pass interference call in the endzone was very ticky-tacky, and I didn’t like the official’s call. The PI call late in the game is a tough one because he’s trying to make a play on the football against a sizeable WR like Mike Williams. I’m more encouraged by Moss than anything through four weeks.
Is Garett Bolles part of our future? – Steve Rickman.
This is a great question, Steve. I know Garett has stated that he wants to remain in Denver for the rest of his career, but I’m not sure he’ll be part of the team’s plans in the long term. They held onto him this year despite his high price tag because they didn’t have a plan for LT after they made the moves to release Justin Simmons and Russell Wilson. We had all thought Bolles was going to be next as Denver looked to embrace a rebuild, but that didn’t happen. With the emergence of Alex Palczewski at right tackle, it’s very possible Denver asks Mike McGlinchey to switch to left tackle next season because they’re already paying him, and he’s on the roster for multiple years to come.
Is it time to activate Donald Parham Jr. from the practice squad? He can help as a blocker and be a sneaky threat in the red zone. – CRAY_92.
It wouldn’t hurt to see what Parham can do for Denver. He’s been on the practice squad since roster cuts happened and has been learning the offense. His size will allow him to be a solid blocker, but also, to your point, create another offensive option for Denver and for Bo Nix. Having a 6’8 receiving option is always a good thing, and with Denver’s lack of production at tight end, I’d like to see them mix some things up personnel-wise and include Parham in the offense for more looks.
