The DenverPost's Ryan O'Halloran joined last Thursday's episode of "Chargers Weekly" to detail a busy offseason for the Denver Broncos.
It's the final of three podcast installments breaking down the Chargers' AFC West rivals. Earlier, The Athletic's Tashan Green and Nate Taylor broke down the offseasons of the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.
Highlights from the conversation with O'Halloran are below:
Most impactful offseason acquisition made by the Broncos
"I think it's got to be [cornerback] A.J. Bouye, and you mentioned the trade [vs.] free agent strategy – the Broncos thought outside the box a little bit. They sort of figured Bouye was going to be released by Jacksonville, so instead of getting into a bidding war, give up a fourth-round pick. [Defensive tackle] Jurrell Casey, looks like he was going to be cut by Tennessee, [they] gave up a seventh for a five-time Pro Bowler. It could be a one-year deal, but so what?
"And then in free agency, Graham Glasgow, the right guard from Detroit was their first signing. [Running back] Melvin Gordon, I treat it as a bonus money-wise because you have [quarterback] Drew Lock on a rookie contract; [tight end] Noah Fant, [wide receiver] Courtland Sutton, [guard] Dalton Risner on offense on rookie contracts. So, use that money to splurge a little bit on Gordon, which is what they did. … Combined with free agency and combined with the draft, I'm sure like the Chargers are thinking right now: What are the additions they can make to challenge Kansas City in this division?"
On Chris Harris Jr. leaving Denver for Los Angeles
"Personally, I'm going to miss Chris Harris a lot. Great guy. And on the field, the Broncos are going to miss him too because what he brings to the Chargers is versatility. In a base defense, he can line up against the best receivers in pro football on the outside. In sub-package, he can move inside and cover those quick-twitch guys, be physical, run with them all the way across the field or down the field. So, that's the thing. [I'll] be interested to see how Gus Bradley uses him. Still, he's probably a better slot corner than he is an outside corner at this stage of his career, but that means he's still pretty good. Broncos trying to replace him, they got to hope Bryce Callahan's healthy. He missed all of last season with a foot injury. If he's healthy, he's definitely your nickel guy inside, and you can play Bouye outside and [Michael] Ojemudia – the rookie from Iowa – as the third corner and play him outside."
Browse through photos of the Chargers new CB Chris Harris Jr., a four-time Pro Bowler who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos.
On Harris Jr. joining the Chargers' secondary
"This was a zone team with the Broncos and a lot of times he had to cover the best guy and teams just went elsewhere. So with the Chargers' secondary, it is very intriguing. Will Gus set up some things to let Chris get his hands on the football? Maybe some more man coverage in that respect, or have him sit back and have him jump some routes knowing he has some safety help. Derwin James gives coordinators all kinds of options, so it'll be interesting to see how they use that with Chris Harris."
