We’ll be meeting with ownership next week—Tuesday or Wednesday—and I anticipate to know fairly shortly (what we’re doing with Wilson),” Broncos head coach said Tuesday. “I would anticipate it being within the next two weeks.”
Payton and general manager George Paton spoke with the media before the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Paton had not spoken publicly since his season-ending press conference in January. Payton’s only public statements since then have been during pre-Super Bowl interviews.
While neither Paton nor Payton were willing to announce that the Broncos were moving on from Wilson, their tone suggested that his exit was imminent.
“We want to see the entire landscape,” Paton stated. “We needed to get through our draft meetings. We needed to get through our free agent meetings and analyze what we had. We just want to go through this process. Sean and the coaches need to examine all of these quarterbacks before making an informed selection.”
Even Payton admits it’s impossible to predict which quarterbacks will succeed and which will fail.
“Historically speaking, we’ve had quiet, successful quarterbacks, and we’ve had outspoken, successful quarterbacks,” Payton went on to say. “We’ve had tall and short quarterbacks [who were successful]. So there are many factors that influence your understanding of shapes, sizes, and personality qualities, but there are some constants associated with good players in that position.”
Mobility is one of those things.
“I think offences have changed a little bit, and yet, we’ve never not valued a quarterback that can beat you with his feet,” he went on to say. “That traces back to Young and Montana. That is not a new phenomenon.
However, being able to run is not everything.
“At some point, teams are going to make you win from the pocket,” Payton told reporters. “We may rush in a specific way to prevent a quarterback from escaping. We’ll need to be good enough on third down to take a snap, find a throw, and protect the place you’re referring to, regardless of height. I believe these folks are typically viewing them through lanes rather than above them. For certain quarterbacks, that can be a little more difficult.”
The most crucial characteristics can be the most difficult to recognize.
“I think one thing that’s hard to measure is their ability to multitask, process, and make decisions,” said Payton. “You can meet with someone, and they may be intelligent, but how quickly can they convey information? How soon can they move through the progression?”
Some of the crucial characteristics are simpler to spot.
“I believe we should not overlook correctness simply because we have the opportunity to perceive it. We should not underestimate stature since we can feel it, see it, and measure it. We should not ignore athletics. All of those attributes should be easy to identify, but the more challenging ones, such as leadership, should not be overlooked because we should feel them and be able to investigate them. It’s the other ingredient, and it’s the only difference. Some say it’s two thumbs thick, while others say it’s only one. “You just hope it’s one.”
Sometimes teams realize things aren’t going well early on.
“There’s no certainty, or else we’d be fantastic with the draft,” Payton was quoted as saying. “For some, rookie minicamp makes them realize, ‘Ah, I’ve been with a rookie before and this isn’t how I wanted it to go.'” He’s having difficulties spitting out the plays, and it may take some time. Maybe you’re aware that this will be a hurdle or setback for him.”
Paton was asked about one quarterback in particular, J.J. McCarthy. The Broncos will meet with McCarthy, a projected first-round pick, on Tuesday night.
“He’s a good player, just like seven or eight other quarterbacks,” the coach added. “We are currently working on the procedure. Obviously, he’s the winner. He has won a lot. He has talent. So I’m looking forward to spending time with him tonight.
Paton was also asked about attempting to trade for the first pick in the draft.
“I think you’d really have to love someone,” Paton remarked. “I’m not sure if we have enough draft capital to move up to the [No.] 1 pick. We are open to anything, but it would be difficult to climb up to No. 1 practically.”
Drafting is not a precise science, which might benefit the Broncos. If every team knew the best pick, the Broncos would end up with the fourth or fifth-best quarterback in the draft.
“Sometimes it’s not as difficult as we make it out to be, and then sometimes it’s very difficult,” said Payton. “I think we’ll be really good at this, and I think, to some degree, we’re glad that a lot of people aren’t.”
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