Getty Predominantly Orange's Lou Scataglia sent a strong message on how the Denver Broncos could solve the Russell Wilson problem
The Denver Broncos may have a Russell Wilson problem following a down year in his debut season in the Mile High City and a massive contract moving forward but a lack of certainty on whether he will be on the team by the end of it. Predominantly Orange’s Lou Scataglia believes the Broncos could rid themselves of a potential cap problem by working through a potential release just as one does a maxed-out credit card.
“Even though Russell Wilson is only entering his second season as the Denver Broncos’ quarterback, is the team laying the framework for his departure? An obvious answer might be yes, as the Broncos could move off of Wilson at the end of the 2023 season, however they’d have to eat $35 million worth of dead money,” Scataglia wrote. “They also wouldn’t save anything on their cap number next year, so it’s a poor finanancial decision but one that is possible to digest, kind of like *almost* maxing out your credit card. It’s a dumb decision, but you can work your way through that mistake.”
Ultimately, Scataglia does believe Denver is preparing to move on from Wilson based on the offseason the Broncos front office had.
“So, I’ll ask again, are the Broncos preparing for his departure already? One way we could argue yes are the free agency moves the team made,” Scataglia wrote. “The team bolstered their offensive line with additions of Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey, being given four and five year contracts. They also signed a true blocking tight end in Chris Manhertz. Secondly, the team doesn’t appear to be moving either Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton this offseason. Sean Payton and George Paton have both spoken about the receivers’ situations, and neither seems that willing to move them.”
Sean Payton Lacks ‘True Commitment’ to Russell Wilson
Scataglia believes new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton lacks a “true commitment” to Wilson ahead of the 2023 season due to the comments he made regarding free agent backup quarterback signing Jarrett Stidham.
“(Payton’s) comments are Stidham are very revealing to me, and do indirectly show a lack of true commitment to Russell Wilson,” Scataglia wrote regarding Payton’s praise for Stidham in comments to reporters on March 28.
“I think (Stidham’s) young, but I think he’s someone that we had a good grade on coming out,” Payton said. “We like the player. I think he played well in the two starts he had (last season) — if you study closely the San Francisco game, he’s smart at the line of scrimmage. There were a couple directions, really, with that position. There were a handful of No. 2s that either I had worked with or we felt comfortable with, but in this case, I think it’s a No. 2 (where) his arrow’s moving in a direction where we feel like he can become an NFL starter in our league. So the evaluation was pretty crystal clear for all of us,” Payton continued. “I think he’s someone that’s gonna be great in the room. He’s smart. And so, quietly, that was an important (signing) for us.”
Analyst: Sean Payton Didn’t Take Broncos Job to Rebuild
Scataglia shared his belief that Payton didn’t take the Denver Broncos job just to guide the franchise through a rebuild — one that has seemingly been never-ending since the 2015 Super Bowl season with Peyton Manning under center.
“You see, Sean Payton did not take this job to endure some rebuilding years,” Scataglia wrote. “I think their free agency additions can be seen as more than just trying to make it work with Russell Wilson this year. What if the true meaning is them wanting to reset at the QB spot in 2024 while at the same time surrounding that new QB with competent weapons and a solid offensive line?”
Ultimately, Scataglia conceded that the Broncos front office could’ve made the moves they did during the 2023 offseason to make things easier for Wilson instead.
“I also think we can take the team’s free agency additions in the complete opposite direction as well to say that they are indeed trying to make this thing work with Russell Wilson,” Scataglia wrote.