Teams that play in the Super Bowl typically have several players poached from their respective rosters. Who should the Denver Broncos be watching from the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs?
Jerick McKinnon — a former Minnesota Vikings draft pick and current Chiefs running back — is by far my favorite player out of this group that is a possibility. In two games against the Denver Broncos this season, McKinnon caught 12 passes for 164 yards and four touchdowns, as a running back.
Jerick McKinnon to the Denver Broncos would be outstanding
Not only would McKinnon be a great addition to the Denver Broncos, but he would be a nice subtraction from the Kansas City Chiefs. Undoubtedly the Chiefs would fill the void McKinnon left behind, that is just how the cookie crumbles for an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes-led offense.
It seems that no matter the name, the Chiefs will maximize each player’s abilities which is a credit to Andy Reid. That said, the Denver Broncos have a new head coach Sean Payton who brings that same ability to the table.
Sean Payton is a guy who likes to utilize his backs in and out of the backfield, much like Andy Reid. Alvin Kamara is a perfect example of what a player like Jerick McKinnon could be with a coach like Sean Payton.
McKinnon had nine receiving touchdowns this season. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Brandon Johnson scored nine total receiving touchdowns combined. As a group. the entire wide receivers had just 10 receiving touchdowns.
Jerick McKinnon, a running back, had nine. NINE!
Jerick Mckinnon also started his career with the Minnesota Vikings and current Denver Broncos’ General Manager, George Paton. There is a need for a pass-catching back in the Denver Broncos offense, Chase Edmonds can fill that role, but what unreliable during his short stint as a Bronco with injuries.
Edmonds is also a cap casualty candidate in 2023, so the Denver Broncos may move on from his contract. If so, McKinnon should be heavily considered and could be had at a cheaper rate.
2. Khalen Saunders, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
Football in general has become a much more uptempo game, but it will always be won and lost in the trenches. This is an area where the Denver Broncos have lacked for several seasons now.
Von Miller and Bradley Chubb had been great on the outside, but the Denver Broncos need beef, Khalen Saunders is just that, at 6-foot-0 and 324 pounds, Saunders would be a much-needed body to plug in beside D.J. Jones.
Saunders wouldn’t be a game-changing addition, but not every addition has to be. Terrence Knighton was a huge signing for the Denver Broncos years ago. Saunders could have a similar type of impact on the Denver Broncos.
He is young and hopefully has his best football in front of him. During his four seasons with the Chiefs, Saunders has just 4.5 sacks and 81 combined tackles. Saunders also played in about 35-45% of the snaps for the Chiefs this season.
That number is up heavily from 2021 when he was inactive for the majority of the back half of the season. Could this be because it is a contract year for Saunders or just him finally finding his groove after a rough start to his career?
It would be worth a shot to find out.
Gardner Minshew, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
From a backup quarterback perspective, it would be hard to find a better option than the current Philadelphia Eagles‘ backup, Gardner Minshew. During his brief period as a starter in Jacksonville, Minshew looked like he could grow into a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL.
In his career, he has thrown for 44 touchdowns, and over 6,600 yards with just 15 interceptions.
Minshew displayed some of his magic in Denver during the 2019 season when he led the Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against the Denver Broncos. His winning percentage as a starter in the NFL isn’t great at 8-16 but some of that could be because he has played on some poor football teams.
Russell Wilson takes a lot of hits and has done so during his entire career. His health just like any other starting quarterback in the NFL is vital to the success of his team. Broncos Country had to sit through a couple of games from Brett Rypien last season.
It was fine last season because the Denver Broncos never really played meaningful football the entire season. Hoping this season plays out differently, having a backup quarterback that is reliable is a must-have.
Heck, Russell Wilson may have another poor season in 2023 and the Denver Broncos could even consider making the switch to a player like Gardner Minshew if Wilson does in fact struggle. From everything that this ownership group has shown, there is one thing that matters to them, and that is winning.
Gardner Minshew is a name that has been floated around in Denver for several seasons, maybe this is the year he is brought in for a fantastic insurance plan for the Sean Payton-led Denver Broncos.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DB, Philadelphia Eagles
In his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been an important addition to a previously struggling Eagles’ defense.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a fourth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2019, when Sean Payton was coincidentally the head coach. After he left for the booth, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
During his four-year career, Garnder-Johnson has played in multiple roles on defense, cornerback safety, and even some linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. If the Denver Broncos do move on from Ronald Darby this offseason, C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be a viable option to fill his spot in the secondary.
While we still do not know what defense the Denver Broncos will be running this season, or even who the defensive coordinator will be, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is versatile enough that he can play in several schemes.
Gardner-Johnson’s best season of his career has been in 2022 when he tallied six interceptions and 60+ tackles. He is also only 25 years old and has shown to be a talented player, who is willing to tackle, and able to tackle and the same goes for his coverage abilities.
7 players that could follow Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos
There are plenty of players around the NFL that could help the Denver Broncos and follow Sean Payton to the Mile High City in 2023.
Having moving pieces on offense or defense is always a positive attribute to possess. Gardner-Johnson would give the Denver Broncos insurance at the safety and cornerback positions if needed. Playing Patrick Mahomes twice a season is rough, if Gardner-Johnson can make a play or two against Mahomes during the Super Bowl, it will raise a few eyebrows in Broncos Country.