ESPN Proposes Broncos 'Make a Move' for Veteran WR

ESPN NFL analyst Seth Walder liked most of what the Denver Broncos did this offseason — from landing tight end Evan Engram to bringing back D.J. Jones, which he termed his favorite move. Walder assigned Denver an A- grade for their free agency and draft conquests.

"The Broncos ended last season as the best defense in the league by EPA per play and decided to get even better," he wrote in an article published Thursday. "They signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, re-signed Jones, and used their first-round pick on cornerback Jahdae Barron. This defense could be outrageous, and I like that Denver went this route.

"We often talk about teams pushing their chips in when their quarterback is on a rookie contract, but there's no requirement to use those chips on offense. Bo Nix was fine (perhaps a little overrated) in his first season, ranking 18th in QBR with quite a bit of that value coming from his legs (he ranked 27th in yards per passing attempt and 28% in completion percentage over expectation). He could show growth in Year 2, but a team with a quarterback like Nix needs a stacked roster. Denver has that."

But there's a reason the minus was attached to Denver's grade. Walder knocked the club for not "adding more" at wide receiver, save for the addition of third-round rookie Pat Bryant. He suggested they rectify that by plucking an experienced veteran from the free-agent pool.

"I wanted to see the Broncos do more at receiver," Walder wrote. "Besides counting on Courtland Sutton and Engram, they are likely hoping for Marvin Mims Jr. or Troy Franklin to break out. Perhaps they'll end up making a move for another veteran -- maybe Keenan Allen or Amari Cooper?

Allen and Cooper have languished on the open market since March; common sense would dictate if the Broncos wanted to, they'd have signed one of them by now. Instead, the team left the position largely untouched, instead depending on the sum of its parts — Sutton, Mims, Franklin, Bryant, and Devaughn Vele.

“We saw him take a big step in the middle of the year," head coach Sean Payton said of Mims in May. "I think you’re going to see those types of ascensions with players like Troy. There are a number of young players competing for not so much spots, but competing for touches. He’s one of them.”

However, the national refrain remains: Denver's WR corps is a black mark on an otherwise elite roster.

"Denver has done such a great job of filling needs this offseason," CBS Sports' Josh Edwards wrote Wednesday. "The roster has improved by leaps and bounds over the past two seasons and the organization's investment in Sean Payton is paying off. Wide receiver has a lot of youth and there is confidence in Payton's ability to make it work, but there is not a lot in that room other teams would be tripping over themselves to acquire."

We'll see if that narrative continues when the proverbial bullets start flying this fall.