Denver, CO
NFL combine buzz: Should Broncos target Georgia TE Brock Bowers in first round?
Parker Gabriel, Broncos beat reporter: Alright, Ryan, another busy day at the NFL combine. Reporters took a massive interest Thursday in Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, and with good reason. NFL teams have massive interest in him, too. Tight end prospects like this don’t come around every year. It just so happens that Denver has a glaring need at tight end, where it received precious little production in 2023 (42 catches, 370 yards, three touchdowns combined) and an injury-riddled season from second-year man Greg Dulcich. So, what should Sean Payton and the Broncos scouting department be thinking here? Is Bowers special enough to consider taking him if he falls to No. 12? Even with the quarterback need looming? Or is this more likely a situation where Denver looks for an interesting later-round prospect — remember, George Kittle was a fifth-round pick, Travis Kelce a third-rounder and Sam LaPorta a second-rounder — or mines free agency?
Ryan McFadden, Broncos beat reporter: This is a tough question, but Payton and general manager George Paton have expressed the need for a tight end. Bowers said he has met with the Broncos and he does fit the “Joker” role Payton covets in his offense. Before coming to Indianapolis, I wasn’t sure if the Broncos would take Bowers at No. 12. But after a few days here, I think they would. Still, I’ll stand pat on my belief that Denver needs to address the left tackle position. If someone like Penn State’s Olu Fashanu or Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is available, the Broncos should lean toward addressing that position or cornerback. They can take a tight end in the later rounds like Penn State’s Theo Johnson, TCU’s Jared Wiley or even Thor himself, Dallin Holker from Colorado State. That said, Payton values tight ends, and prospects like Bowers don’t come around often.
Gabriel: True enough about left tackle. Between that position — it’s a deep tackle class — quarterback or corner, there are plenty of options. But here’s the thing: Payton loves himself a “Joker” type mismatch at tight end or running back. Bowers has that potential. Heck, NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said before the combine that Bowers is what would happen if Dallas Clark and George Kittle had a child together. That’s lofty praise in the tight end pantheon. Plus, when Payton has a standout tight end, they produce at outrageous levels. At his four-year peak (2011-14), Jimmy Graham had four straight years with at least 85 catches, between 889 and 1,310 yards and 46 total touchdown receptions. Not saying Bowers is a guarantee to do that, but he sure would alter Payton’s approach. Twenty-five NFL tight ends had more yards in 2023 than Denver’s room overall. So, there are a lot of ways to get better. Bowers would be the most exciting one.
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Denverites looking for a stellar cup of Joe don’t need to travel far to savor the flavor of excellent coffee.
That’s according to The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, a website that rates global hospitality establishments where coffee lovers can find better brew. The website recently announced its 2026 list of the best coffee shops in North America, Central America and the Caribbean and two local companies made the list.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters came in at No. 43, while Queen City Collective Coffee ranked No. 61. Not bad for a list that includes must-hit destinations in places like Guatemala and Costa Rica, which are known for their exports of coffee beans.
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops decided the ranking through a mix of nominations and voting by both the public and experts. Places were evaluated based on the quality of coffee served, barista expertise, ambiance, sustainability practices, and innovation among other criteria, according to the website.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, which came on the scene in 2013, helped usher the so-called fourth wave of coffee locally, which focuses on honoring the beans’ agricultural roots and using techniques like pour-over to extract more flavor from each brew. The company started with a wholesale roastery and retail shop in Lakewood before expanding to Arvada through a merger with another company called Two Rivers, and later to Westminster. In 2022, Food and Wine magazine named Sweet Bloom’s Westminster locale the best coffee shop in Colorado.
Queen City Collective has certainly earned the popular vote among Mile High City coffee drinkers if the company’s expansion is an indication. Since opening its first retail location in 2018, in a spot shared with Novel Strand Brewing Co., Queen City has expanded to seven locations between Denver and surrounding suburbs, including Wheat Ridge and Aurora.
To see the full list of must-hit coffee shops across the globe, visit theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com. For additional recommendations, check out our list of Colorado’s best coffee shops with picturesque patios and views.
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DENVER (KDVR) — With the mild winter and warm start to spring, beekeepers are seeing swarms earlier in the year and expect the season to be longer than usual.
Gregg McMahan is a dispatcher for the Colorado Swarm Hotline. It’s usually his job to send a beekeeper to collect a swarm when someone calls, but on Sunday afternoon, he decided to handle one himself.
“Nice little swarm,” McMahan said. “It’s tricky, though, because it’s hanging on a fence.”
A warm winter and spring mean swarm season has begun four weeks early.
“Never seen it like this ever,” McMahan said.
This call is to a house on Denver’s east side. When McMahan arrived, he saw a swarm had taken up residence on the fence.
“Absolutely typical, it is on the small side,” McMahan said.
He got to work, first luring them into a box when he spotted a good sign.
“See all these girls, they got their butts up, they’re fanning their wings. That’s telling us the queens in here,” McMahan said.
With the queen in hand, the rest began to follow her into the box.
McMahan said two years ago, he had 400 calls like this. Last year, only 100, the Swarm Hotline was as unpredictable as the weather, which has caused bee activity earlier in the year than ever.
“It makes it hard on the bees, you know? Two days ago, I’m collecting swarms in the snow,” McMahan said.
Rescuing them is integral to Colorado’s ecosystem. McMahan hopes people give a beekeeper a call instead of spraying them or harming them in any other way.
“They do a phenomenal amount of pollination within this state. Not only our native flowers but all the other flowers that people bring in,” McMahan said.
Slowly but surely, the swarm left the fence and moved into the box. McMahan loaded them into his truck to deliver them to their new home.
“Westminster to the Stanley Lake Wildlife Refuge, so these girls will have lakefront property tonight,” he said.
As he wrapped up, McMahan’s phone was buzzing more than the bees. Just another call to start a swarm season, he thinks, could be a long one.
“This year I’m already 20 swarms deep, so I’m expecting way more than 100 this year,” McMahan said.
To have a bee swarm removed for free from your property anywhere statewide, the Swarm Hotline number is 1-844-SPY-BEES.
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