Mile High Morning: Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson picked as NFL offseason’s second-most impactful, makes Denver ‘scary good’

By Ben Swanson – DenverBroncos.com

The Lead

Over the past few months, the NFL has seen blockbuster trades left and right. Denver’s move to bring Russell Wilson to town was easily one of the biggest, of course, as NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha writes in ranking the top 10 of the offseason.

“Wilson instantly upgrades Denver to scary good,” Chadiha writes. “The Broncos have a roster brimming with young talent. You want a variety of gifted receivers? Check. You want a strong running game? Check that, too. The defense is even more loaded, with a ball-hawking secondary and an assortment of relentless pass rushers. Add Wilson to this mix, and the promising Broncos are suddenly led by a future Hall of Famer who already has one Super Bowl ring and came within a yard of winning a second in Seattle.”

Naturally, the expectations have increased since Wilson’s arrival — for 2022 and years to come — and so has the competition. All four of the AFC West’s teams have made significant moves and any of them could make the playoffs.

“The only real question here is how Wilson, who turns 34 in November, will play as he gets older,” Chadiha writes. “He’s always been most dangerous as a creative scrambler who can frustrate defenders with his legs, vision and downfield accuracy. But as long as he’s anything close to what we’ve seen over the past decade, Denver should make a run in the stacked AFC West.”

Below the Fold

Peter Schrager of “Good Morning Football” has ranked the five best running backs under the age of 25, and how could Javonte Williams not make an appearance?

“Javonte Williams had a breakout rookie season,” Schrager said. “Again, sharing carries with Melvin Gordon and yet still put up 1,200 yards from scrimmage and had seven touchdowns. It was a true 50-50 split with Gordon. Both guys had exactly the same carries — 203. Yet when Javonte touched the ball, people noticed. And that was the game. When they played the Cowboys down there in Dallas, everybody was like, ‘Who is number 33? Oh, that is an absolute beast out of the University of North Carolina.’ This guy averaged four yards per carry after contact — after contact! He was one of the most impossible players in the league to bring down.”