Denver, CO
Broncos stock report: Credit GM George Paton for Denver’s first winning season since 2016
Here’s a look at which stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 31-13 win over the Colts on Sunday.
Stock Up
Safety Brandon Jones: Denver’s starting safety has done a solid job of filling the void left behind by Justin Simmons, with the Broncos’ win over Indianapolis another reminder. Jones didn’t allow a reception on four targets in 37 coverage snaps, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. He also intercepted quarterback Anthony Richardson’s pass in the second quarter. In 13 games, Jones has recorded 91 tackles, three interceptions, nine passes defended, a forced fumble and a recovery.
Safety P.J. Locke: Jones’ partner on the back end also made an impact Sunday. In the third quarter, Locke delivered a vicious hit on Michael Pittman to knock the ball out of the Colts receiver’s hands. The ball was then recovered by defensive tackle D.J. Jones. But the most impressive part of the turnover wasn’t the hit. It was the space Locke covered to deliver it. He was positioned at Indianapolis’ 40-yard line when he backpedaled after the ball was snapped. When he saw Richardson targeting Pittman short, Locke rushed forward to make an impressive play.
DT Malcolm Roach: Denver’s run defense wasn’t great but Roach once again showed his value in that department. In 18 run snaps, Roach had six tackles and a run stuff (tackles resulting in no gain or loss), according to Next Gen Stats. The Broncos gave up 1.6 rushing yards per play when Roach was on the field and an alarming 8.6 yards when he was on the sideline.
GM George Paton: Denver’s general manager deserves a ton of credit for helping the Broncos secure their first winning season since 2016. Paton didn’t have much to work with after the team opted to eat $53 million on Russell Wilson’s $85 million dead cap hit in 2024. Still, he worked around the team’s financial limitations. The Brandon Jones and Malcolm Roach signings have paid off. As has trading for defensive end John Franklin-Myers, who had a half sack and four pressures against Indy. Denver’s rookie class has also made an immediate impact. Bo Nix has shown traits of a franchise quarterback and edge rusher Jonah Elliss (five sacks, 22 pressures) and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (one catch allowed on seven targets vs. Indy) look like late-round gems.
Stock Down
Running backs: It’s clear the Broncos need to address the running back position in the offseason. On Sunday, Denver’s running back rotation of Javonte Williams, Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 49 yards on 18 attempts. Williams was held under 20 yards for the fourth time in five games.
Sean Payton: Denver’s head coach has returned the franchise back to its winning ways. However, his play-calling and decision-making have been questionable at times over the last two games. To start the third quarter against the Colts, one of the league’s worst run defenses, the Broncos threw three straight passes, with the last attempt resulting in an interception on third-and-1.
Run defense: Denver’s run defense was inconsistent. The Broncos gave up 149 yards on 32 attempts. Jonathan Taylor led the way with 22 carries for 107 yards while Richardson added 46 yards and a touchdown. The Colts caught Denver slipping a couple of times in the first quarter, running the ball with Taylor on third and long, resulting in a first down. Luckily for the Broncos, Taylor did himself in by fumbling the ball a yard short of a 41-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.
Third down offense: Denver was dreadful on third down. The Broncos were 6 for 17 despite the Colts defense being tied for the fifth-highest conversion rate (44.4%) in those situations. Nix struggled, going 5 for 12 for 38 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. That has to change against the Chargers this week.
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Originally Published:
DENVER (KDVR) — Two officers, one now formerly of the Denver Police Department, face multiple charges relating to separate incidents in the past two months.
According to a release, now-former Denver Police Officer Gabriel Lucero was issued a citation for third-degree assault, official misconduct and false reporting, while Officer Javon Leach was cited for reckless driving and eluding.
The incident involving Lucero reportedly occurred on May 22 just before 1 a.m. in the 500 block of 16th Street. According to a release, Lucero was involved in an assault at a business, as he allegedly assaulted a person and walked away as others continued to assault the victim.
Security guards and an off-duty officer escorted him and the group out; however, Lucero reportedly identified himself as a Denver police officer and attempted to re-enter by using his police badge.
Lucero reportedly provided a false name without any other information, and further investigation verified Lucero as the person involved. Lucero was hired in 2025 and, due to his current probationary status, was fired as of Wednesday.
The incident involving Leach occurred around 1:41 a.m. on June 21, when Leach was reportedly pulling out of a parking lot on Larimer Street, attempting to drive against traffic.
Leach reportedly refused commands to stop as he left the area. Officials said he was found just seven minutes later, traveling at high speeds northbound on Park Avenue West.
He reportedly fled a traffic stop and continued to drive away, and officials deemed Leach to be the suspect following an investigation. He was placed in an off-line assignment while the case progresses, as they are considered misdemeanors.
“The Denver Police Department’s administrative review of Leach’s incident will begin once the criminal case is adjudicated, and that process includes the Denver Department of Safety and the Office of the Independent Monitor, a civilian oversight agency,” the release said.
Denver Nuggets standout forward Peyton Watson could find himself on another team before you know it.
With the Nuggets reportedly open to a sign-and-trade of Watson, could Denver really lose a core piece to their rotation?
It’s hard to imagine many teams being able to shoulder the financial weight of a Watson contract at this point because of the aprons and such, but he’s absolutely an asset to any contending team.
We’ve gone through and identified a few teams that make sense for Watson in the fall… including the one he’s already on at the moment. Hey, he might stay home, you never know!
The Clippers have been linked to Watson as a possible destination; he could help them immensely.
The Pistons have also been linked to Watson, which would help them a lot to contend for an NBA title.
Look, HYPOTHETICALLY, the Nets could move around some cap space with some player trades and such and get a deal done. They are one of the only teams in the NBA right now not in the negative with cap space.
The Grizzlies are the team with the least amount of negative cap space right now, per Spotrac. If they really wanted to pull off a Watson sign-and-trade… it would be hypothetically possible from a money standpoint.
Denver Nuggts
Look, it’s very possible Watson just stays in Denver on a brand-new deal. Who knows at this point?
DENVER (KDVR) – A Denver Park Hill Resident says trash in her alley hasn’t been picked up by city-run waste collection in more than 2 months.
“It’s starting to be frustrating because that pile has been there 2.5 months, and I’m not kidding about that,” Andrea Sanders-Childs said.
A spokesperson for Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) says they did receive a call about the address on Krameria in mid-June and are investigating the case as ‘illegal dumping’ versus ‘missed collection.’
The DOTI spokesperson says more information will be available when the inspector assigned to the area returns on Wednesday.
Sanders-Childs said that the people who live in the home closest to the mess had actually rented a dumpster; however, it was eventually picked up and towed away.
In the meantime, for Denver residents, DOTI provided FOX31 with the following reminders:
- Carts that are overfilled, stuffed or too heavy cannot be emptied
- All trash must be inside the cart, and overflow trash cannot be collected
- To report illegal dumping, call 311
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