Last year showed me a lot when it comes to the Denver Broncos. This is not a team I actively root for. I have felt a certain way about them since Super Bowl 33, if we are being totally honest... Regardless of my Atlanta Falcons rooting interests, I find the team Denver put forth last year is something worth celebrating. Against all odds, it just kind of works. Once again, Sean Payton was back in the playoffs.
Right now, I have the Broncos very much in the playoff mix in the AFC, but just so happen to play in the toughest division in football. The Kansas City Chiefs are dynastic and reign supreme over everyone else in the AFC West. While the Las Vegas Raiders can only go up from last year, they are still a rebuilding team. As for Denver, they are still neck-and-neck with the Los Angeles Chargers.
What I am getting at is Denver needs to desperately close the gap on Kansas City, as well as not let a highly-competitive Chargers team overtake them. Las Vegas should be better than the Raiders were a year ago, but that still feels like a fourth-place team to me. What I wanted Denver to do was get Bo Nix more help in the NFL Draft and NFL free agency. They may not have made that a massive priority.
By not trading for George Pickens, Denver did not remove Pittsburgh from the AFC playoff equation.
Denver Broncos may regret not trading for George Pickens this spring
When I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, they are the epitome of a high-floor, low-ceiling team. It is the Mike Tomlin way after all... Both Denver and Pittsburgh were playoff teams a year ago. The Broncos were trampled by the Buffalo Bills in the first round. Pittsburgh has yet to win a playoff game since drafting TJ Watt out of Wisconsin nearly a decade ago. They could win nine games, maybe 10?
Pickens and Nix competed against each other in the SEC for years when the mercurial wide receiver was at Georgia and Nix was trying his best to life up to his father's surname over at Auburn before eventually transferring to Oregon. Both stars hail from The Yellowhammer State. They have also received more than their fair share of flack throughout their college and pro careers up to this point.
In a way, I think they could have formed a great partnership in the context of Payton's offense. Pickens was miscast as a No. 1 wide receiver in Pittsburgh when he was a high-end No. 2 all along. Payton has a way of getting the most out of a player's talent, regardless of the type of baggage he may carry. Trading for Pickens would have been a tad pricey, but it would have Denver a better team.
The only saving grace here is Pickens went to a so-so team in the NFC and not to an AFC contender.