The Lead
Two of the most famous Broncos to wear No. 30 reconnected on Friday as Phillip Lindsay and Hall of Famer Terrell Davis talked to each other over Instagram Live.
The 30-minute interview covered a lot of ground, but here are a couple of highlights from the conversation:
When T.D. met M.J.
Like it is for most sports-minded folks these days, the talk of the town is ESPN's new documentary series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, "The Last Dance."
That inspired Davis to share a story about the only time he has met Jordan.
"Remember, Jordan won his championships when we won our Super Bowl, so it kind of coincided with when we won it," Davis said. "I met Michael one time. We're at a party or something, I had went to an event, and Michael was at the bar. I walked into the event and it was like a million people around Michael. …
"I didn't know he was there. And then Mike pointed me out and was like, 'Hey, come here, T.D.! He brought me over and stuff and started giving me a little hug and handshakes and stuff. That was the moment when I realize, you know, homeboy, if Michael Jordan is pointing you out — that was one of the coolest moments I had ever experienced in my entire life."
Super Bowl lessons
Lindsay's biggest question to T.D. showed his goals go far beyond just himself.
The third-year back was wondering about how a championship team coalesces. How did Davis' team achieve that, and how can this team, which "on paper is really, really good," as Lindsay said, do the same thing?
"You're talking about the difference between a collection of talent vs. a collaboration of talent," Davis said.
Reflecting on the Broncos' offense at that time, Davis pointed out how much each of them felt like they had to prove themselves.
"We had a bunch of unselfish players who only cared about the guys they played with and what we were going to accomplish," Davis said. "When you have that, Phillip, you can't beat that. … We kind of labeled ourselves as a bunch of cast-offs. … We were able to come together and make up for each other's deficiencies or whatever wasn't there. And it's a beautiful thing. You've got 53 guys on a team who say, 'I don't care what happened to me, personally,' because you've got to feel that way. … You've got to think about the bigger goal. I'm here to win championships, period."
The other big piece of that formula, Davis said, was the camaraderie they all felt together.
"I couldn't wait to get to practice — not because I wanted to practice," Davis said. "… We had a family. We had a family that was close-knit and we went out there and we played, and the result was when you got guys who are tight, who are going to play for each other, who are unselfish, don't care about the contract. The result is you're going to see championships come. I firmly believe that. You come together, and then you grow together as a squad."
Below the Fold
In spite of the uncertain conditions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, season-ticket renewals are staying strong in Broncos Country, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports. "The Broncos are at a 95% renewal rate for the team's approximately 60,000 general season tickets, with the first payment deadline, March 12, coming just before the pandemic hit Colorado," Newman wrote. "That timing, in conjunction with refund assurances from the team, means the Broncos are likely to finish right around last year's 99% renewal rate."
Mike Sando of The Athletic talked to coaches, executives and evaluators from around the league to hear what NFL decision-makers thought about each team’s draft. Discussing the Broncos' draft, one of the folks Sando talked to said, "The focus on offensive speed in the AFC West makes sense to me. No one is taking the Tennessee approach of, 'We are going to keep the ball away from you.' You saw the explosion by Kansas City against Tennessee and the explosion against Houston, so you say, 'OK, we do have to score and then we need speed defensively to get people down in space.'"
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein highlighted the Broncos’ selection of Jerry Jeudy as one of his favorite picks of the 2020 NFL Draft. "John Elway isn't just trying to build out a roster; he's trying to build out a roster that can compete with the Kansas City Chiefs," he wrote. "To beat the Chiefs, defense is obviously important, but equally important is having the ability to hit explosive plays and keep up with them if they get on a roll offensively. Jeudy has plus speed and is a James Beard-level route chef who can open wider windows for Drew Lock underneath or down the seam."
