3 moves Broncos should make next after naming Bo Nix starting quarterback

The Denver Broncos have named Bo Nix the starting quarterback, which is obviously huge and exciting news for the entire fan base. Nix has a chance to (technically) be the first quarterback drafted by the Broncos to actually become the team's franchise quarterback. John Elway was never really not a Bronco, except during the 1983 NFL Draft where he was temporarily a Baltimore Colt (and later traded to the Broncos).

Now that Nix is the future and present, what other moves do the Denver Broncos need to make? There are certainly other areas of the roster that need to be ironed out right now in terms of starting positions but do the Broncos need to look into getting even more bold?

Let's talk through some of what the Broncos need to do next after naming Bo Nix the starter.

1. Name the starting center

This is a bit of an underwhelming one, but we'll get progressively more spicy in a bit. The Broncos haven't named an official winner of the starting center job but it appears things are trending toward that being Luke Wattenberg, a 5th-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Having Wattenberg emerge this season as the starter at center would be great not only for the Broncos from an in-house perspective, but for elevating the 2022 NFL Draft class. That class is certainly not viewed in the most positive light at this point.

Again, it's not the move that's going to make the most headlines, but this should be up next for the Broncos as Wattenberg has been in competition this offseason with Alex Forsyth, a former Oregon Ducks teammate of Bo Nix and 7th-round pick by the Broncos in 2023.

2. Go get Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers

I said it back at the time of the 2024 NFL Draft: If the Broncos are convinced that Bo Nix is their guy long-term at the quarterback position, then start putting other long-term pieces around him. They can create the cap space to facilitate this kind of move not only by making other trades and roster cuts but by extending Aiyuk and getting his salary cap hit down.

And yes, the Broncos have the assets to be able to make this move contractually. Although the team did make the blockbuster trades for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton, the idea that they have "no draft picks" (something I still hear a lot, believe it or not) is also incorrect. The Broncos have basically a full complement of draft picks in the future war chest.

If Aiyuk is even remotely still available, the Broncos should inquire. Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick could be gone after this year. Marvin Mims hasn't had a strong offseason. Troy Franklin is more of a developmental project than expected. Brandon Aiyuk is a proven top-tier NFL receiver. Why would you not want your young quarterback to have that?

3. Trade for DE/EDGE Payton Turner

Just in general, I would love to see the Broncos explore bargain trades for former first or second-round picks who could be considered reclamation projects for Sean Payton.

I'll start the bidding with Payton's last first-round pick as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Turner has only played 15 career games, which is rather shocking since he was drafted in 2021, but he might do well with a change of scenery in a contract year. The idea of the Broncos swinging a trade like this would obviously come with the caveat of not giving much up, but taking shots on talent is something I'm very much in favor of.

We just saw the Eagles get Jahan Dotson from the Commanders in a bit of a dump by Washington. There could be a number of other players out there like Treylon Burks of the Titans, Lewis Cine of the Vikings, and others who could fit this category.