The Denver Broncos failed to sign a center to replace Lloyd Cushenbery III during the initial waves of free agency.
Thus, unless there is a draft surprise, 2022 draft pick Luke Wattenberg and 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth will be the athletes vying in the upcoming weeks to snap the ball to Jarrett Stidham, Ben DiNucci, or an unidentified quarterback.
General manager George Paton described Forsyth in particular as a “starter in this league” in January.
Though he didn’t state as much two months later, Payton expressed optimism that the Broncos might find a replacement for Lloyd Cushenberry among Day 3 picks Forsyth and Wattenberg.
Sean Payton, the coach of the Broncos, stated, “Those are the two candidates today as we sit here that will have a good opportunity to win that job,” last week at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando.
Furthermore, Payton finds them appealing since they resemble Cushenberry.
“Well, they do have a gritty quality about them. Like Lloyd, they’re both very intelligent and athletic,” Payton remarked.
“Being in the center of things requires not just a certain set of skills but also a certain kind of cerebral mindset.” Both of those people, in my opinion, possess that attitude in addition to the comprehension of what we’re doing.
FOR BRONCOS, MAINTAINING Lloyd Chenery Was Not a Viable Option
Not with their salary cap dilemma, which includes Russell Wilson’s $53 million dead money number. Not when Quinn Meinerz, a guard, is about to enter a contract year and the best players at the position have just had an explosion in contract offers.
There are currently four guards with contracts worth at least $20 million annually on average. Meinerz appears ready to be part of that gang. And the Broncos had to make a difficult decision with Lloyd Cushenberry because to a possible contract rise for Meinerz and cornerback Pat Surtain II, who is anticipated to play the 2025 season on a fifth-year option unless he gets a long-term deal in the next 12 months.
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“You get into these tough decisions for him to [succeed] on our watch and be a part of a group that really improved,” stated Payton. “After that, we have some depth on the offensive line, so you start evaluating your options and making the decision to start taking the medication, so to speak. That’s difficult, particularly with the astute, resilient, and trustworthy player.
The Broncos have acquired two players who they feel share similar qualities in exchange for clever, tough, and dependable players. However, they are unverified. That concludes the question, to which the regular season alone may provide an answer.
