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Broncos Urged to Trade for Falcons 2nd-Round Safety

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Broncos Urged to Trade for Falcons 2nd-Round Safety


With the Denver Broncos roster being whittled down to 53 players as the regular season quickly approaches, this is still a roster with as many questions as answers. One area on the depth chart with a lot of uncertainty is the safety position.

After years of stability with Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons as the starters, Denver now has a handful of relative unknowns set to protect the back end of the defense. Across the league, the safety position appears to have been greatly devalued, as evidenced by how long it took Simmons to sign with a new team, and for how little money-wise.

Outside of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retaining Antoine Winfield Jr., there were more expensive safeties cut this offseason than signing new big contracts. The Broncos did “reload” at safety after moving on from Simmons by signing 26-year-old Brandon Jones to a three-year, $20 million contract. Still, overall Denver went young and inexperienced at the safety position.

Unfortunately, Jones missed almost the entirety of training camp and preseason with a hamstring issue. He did go through pre-game in the preseason finale, and we heard that he “feels great,” but after Jones, the assortment of P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Devon Key, and Keidron Smith are more or less unproven.

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Given the devaluation of the safety market and the Broncos’ obvious questions at the safety position, perhaps the front office might work the phones to look for an additional option. At least, that’s what Bleacher Report‘s Alex Kay thinks, as he urged the Broncos to pursue a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for starting safety and former second-round pick Richie Grant.  

“The Broncos could make a run at Richie Grant to shore this weak point up. Grant, a second-round pick in 2021, has spent the last two seasons starting for the Atlanta Falcons but may soon be relegated to the bench following the emergence of DeMarcco Hellams. With Jessie Bates III also locked in as a surefire top safety for the Falcons, Grant could be expendable.

“Given Grant’s cheap, expiring contract—he’s only owed a shade over $3 million in base salary on the final year of his rookie deal—and age (26), this move works as both a budget one-year rental and potential tryout for a new deal this coming spring,” Kay wrote.

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The Broncos are obviously a team in transition with financial constraints following the Russell Wilson release, but Kay argues the Broncos “should be on the lookout for serviceable talent at a cheap cost who can help this rebuilding squad contend again.” Specifically, the secondary, outside of superstar cornerback Patrick Surtain II, could use further fortification for the 2024 season.

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Denver could address the cornerback opposite Surtain, especially now that Damarri Mathis is set to miss some time. However, cornerback is a more expensive position with fewer options. Riley Moss is auditioning now for a long-term spot, but Kay believes that “the most concerning is at the safety spot, where Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke are projected to start and little of note in terms of depth behind them.”

Would the Broncos look to make a move at safety? For the cost projected from Kay, acquiring Grant for a 2025 sixth-round selection, there is little risk in adding someone with so much starting experience to the back end of the defense, given the uncertainty of the position. There is also something poetic about Denver adding Grant, who lost his starting spot in Atlanta due to the Falcons signing Simmons.

Grant has been hit or miss during his time in Atlanta but has accumulated 2,338 defensive snaps during his three years in the league. Grant would likely compete with Locke for the starting spot opposite Jones. Grant would also provide insurance should Jones’ hamstring injury do what many hamstring injuries tend to do and linger.

The Broncos could be on the lookout for a number of positions to add to the roster before Week 1’s bout in Seattle. Linebacker, tight end, offensive line depth, and safety seem the most likely spots Denver may peruse outside of its initial roster. If Grant were available for such a cheap cost and the Broncos’ brass assessed the contract as acceptable, the trade would make some semblance of sense.


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Over 400 consumers file complaints over contaminated fuel at Denver-area gas stations

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Over 400 consumers file complaints over contaminated fuel at Denver-area gas stations


More than 400 consumers have filed complaints with the Division of Oil and Public Safety after a contaminated fuel mix was distributed to several gas stations across the Denver metro area last week.

Consumers quickly turned to social media and OPS for answers after learning that diesel fuel was mixed with regular unleaded gasoline and distributed to gas stations operated by Costco, Murphy Express and King Soopers. At least 13 King Soopers gas stations were affected.

State officials said the contaminated fuel originated from the HF Sinclair terminal in Henderson, and was then sent out to “numerous” gas stations. The fuel was distributed to the gas stations between 2 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday.

“OPS continues to log and process these complaints,” the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment wrote in an email to The Post on Monday evening.

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“Inspections and fuel sample testing remain ongoing with a focus on smaller locations that may not have as robust of a claims filing process. All retailers are being encouraged to honor customer claims.”

OPS said it has also requested that Sinclair produce a list of retailers that received the contaminated fuel from the HF Sinclair terminal in Henderson.

Sinclair has not yet produced such a list, but OPS said it is hopeful Sinclair will release a list in the coming days.

Consumers who have been impacted are encouraged to contact their point of sale to start a reimbursement process. Individual gas stations will work with each customer through their specific claims process.

Those affected are encouraged to keep all receipts and repair records.

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To file a complaint, call 303-866-4967 or fill out a consumer complaint form and email it to cdle_oil_inspection@state.co.us.



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Broncos healthy compared to Bills

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Broncos healthy compared to Bills


With the Wild Card round of the playoffs officially in the books, the Broncos are looking to welcome the Buffalo Bills to Mile High this Sunday. Things are different this year than they were last year. The Broncos are no longer a team just happy to be there. They’re a 1-seed juggernaut of football awesome, a real force to be reckoned with.

Truth be told, I think playing the Bills was the most ideal outcome for this weekend. After losing to each during the regular season, Denver wanted nothing to do with the Jaguars or the Chargers. While I’m confident the Broncos would have found a way to come out on top against either team, I’m glad this Sunday’s opponent is one Denver didn’t play during the regular season.

Most importantly, the Broncos are not facing the Bills team from last year, they’re facing thes year’s team who featured no fewer than 16-players on the injury report going into their Wild Card tilt. Versus the Jaguars, the Bills suffered further injury to QB Josh Allen (he was one of the 16 listed), RB James Cook, WR Gabe Davis, S Jordan Poyer, and WR Tyrell Shavers.

By the time the Denver Broncos take the field on Sunday, they will have had 14-days rest and has the opportunity to return guys, like Drew Sanders who may come off IR this week, that needed time to heal up to return to the field. The benefit to rest and health can’t be underestimated when you see teams like the Bills staggering into Sunday bandaged and bruised.

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By contrast, the Broncos featured just 6 players on IR before their regular season finale against the Chargers. Sure, the injuries to S PJ Locke, T Garett Bolles, and CAlex Forsyth were less than ideal. We’ll get an idea soon how recovery has gone with the extra week rest, but we all know they’re better off for having the time off.

The playoff bye week is over. It’s time to get to work, Denver. You’ve got the Bills coming into town and it’s your task to show them their way out of town and into the postseason. It’s a tall order, but there’s no better time than the present to show the world exactly who you are.



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Broncos will face Chargers or Bills in divisional round (date coming soon)

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Broncos will face Chargers or Bills in divisional round (date coming soon)


The Denver Broncos are just hours away from learning their opponent for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

As the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, the Broncos have a bye for the wild-card round this weekend. They will play the lowest advancing seed from the conference, and there are now two candidates.

The Buffalo Bills (the No. 6) seed defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The only lower seed in the AFC are the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 7), who will face the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football this evening. So if L.A. wins, they will face Denver next weekend. If the Chargers lose, the Broncos will host the Bills next weekend.

Broncos divisional opponent

  • If Chargers win: Chargers @ Broncos
  • If Chargers lose: Bills @ Broncos

The NFL will likely announce the date, time and television channel for the Broncos’ playoff game during or just after SNF. Denver is coming off a bye and there’s another AFC wild-card game scheduled for Monday, so the Broncos will likely be scheduled to play on Saturday, Jan. 17 (but that hasn’t been confirmed yet).

Stay tuned. We will know Denver’s opponent later today, and the game date should also arrive soon.

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