ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — To think what Rob Walton, Greg Penner and Carrie Penner thought they were getting for $4.65 billion.
Russell Wilson as their quarterback. Russell Wilson! A general manager in George Paton who in his first draft class with the team received a 2021 draft of the year award. A new head coach in Nathaniel Hackett, who may have been a little goofy as football coaches go, but also was bringing an infectious energy and enthusiasm.
And all of these football folks were wrapped within the proud franchise that was the Denver Broncos of the uber-popular National Football League.
Did we mention, Russell Wilson!
It may be difficult to feel sorry for billionaires but Walton-Penner’s investment doesn’t seem so shrewd four months later. The Broncos are disaster. They are 4-11, their offense is the worst – worst! – in the NFL and Wilson is fourth-to-the-worst quarterback (No. 29), at least statistically.
Greg Penner, the Broncos’ CEO who has been a fan of the team much longer than he’s been in charge of it, delivered a mea culpa Tuesday.
“When we purchased this great franchise in August, this was not the season we were expecting,’’ Penner said in a press conference to address the firing of Hackett. “It has been a season that’s disappointing for our fans and not what they deserve.
“I want to personally apologize to our fans and all of Broncos Country. We know that we need to be better, and we will.”
Broncos ask NFL for help on injury causes
By many measures, including injured reserve payroll, the Broncos were one of the three most injured teams this season. One theory is Hackett didn’t callous his players for football by taking it easy on them every third day in training camp and not playing them in the preseason.
Which would lead to an easy solution if the Broncos’ previous head coach, Vic Fangio wasn’t also crippled by an injury epidemic. Fangio took a much more physical tact to camp and played his starters during the preseason.
“Four coaches in six years, and there’s been injuries for the past six years,’’ Paton said. “Maybe you’re right, and maybe we do need to be calloused. Maybe we need to practice harder, but this has been ongoing in Denver—the injury problems. We have had a number of head coaches, and it’s up to us to fix the problem and do a deep dive in our entire wellness, our training, our strength and conditioning, our nutrition.’’
Said Penner: “Carrie and I started conversations (on Broncos’ injury problem) with folks in the NFL office. A month ago, we visited with (NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen) Sills and others to just look at our program. We are not waiting for a head coach to start looking at what the changes that are needed here.”
Ojemudia cut
In the four-year period from 2017-2020, the Broncos three times took a cornerback in the third round. With Michael Ojemudia getting waived Tuesday, he became the third of the three, third-round cornerbacks to not last with the team past their third year.
2020: Ojemudia
2018: Isaac Yiadom
2017: Brendan Langley
Ojemudia started 11 games as a rookie in 2020, playing in all 16. But he didn’t play much the next two years as he was hindered by injuries.
The Broncos hit on cornerbacks in the first round with Pat Surtain II in 2021 and Damarri Mathis in the fourth round of 2022. But from now on they should take a receiver, a running back, a safety, a punter – anything but a cornerback in the third round.
Besides cutting Ojemudia, the Broncos also released running back Devine Ozigbo from their practice squad while signing defensive back Delonte Hood and tight end Dalton Keene to their practice squad.
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