In the spring of 2018 John Elway and the Broncos knew they needed fresh blood at the quarterback position. Case Keenum was the apple of their eye (or at least the consolation when Kirk Cousins showed no interest). Then come draft day Youth Royce Freeman Jersey , the Broncos took most expert’s top defensive player in Bradley Chubb at 5. In so doing Elway elected to pass on quarterbacks Josh Rosen, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. They had no chance at Baker Mayfield, who went first overall, and never managed a deal with the Giants to jump above the Jets for Sam Darnold. A quick look at their respective Sundays:Josh Rosen went 10 of 25 for 170 yards and a touchdown while helping the Cardinals convert two of their 12 third downs. He finished with a QBR of 33.4Josh Allen went 10/19 for 82 yards, no touchdowns and a pick. He also ran four times for 19 yards and a touchdown. He had a QBR of 35.5 while the Bills converted four of 13 third downs as well as two of three fourth downs.Sam Darnold went 10/22 for 198 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. The rookie had a 58.0 QBR, while the Jets converted six of 13 third downs.Case Keenum went 35/51 for 377 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. The Broncos converted four of 14 third downs. He had a QBR of 28.6. The question I’m left with once again this Tuesday is why the Broncos coaching staff refuses to buoy Keenum with the elite ground game?Before Sunday Denver had the second best rushing DVOA by FootballOutsiders. The rookie running backs averaged more than five yards a carry Sunday but in a 3rd quarter when time is not yet a critical factor? Philip Lindsay had two carries. Royce Freeman? 0. On to the Broncos linksWhen is it time to bench Case Keenum for Chad Kelly? - Mile High ReportMile High Report writers (including yours truly) gave their thoughts on the QB situation. Audibles at the Line: Week 5 | Football OutsidersIf you’re looking for a reason to stick out the season, do it for the rookies. Sutton got robbed a long catch yesterday, got hurt and still chased down Marcus Maye. Even if they’re not being utilized properly, Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman have been incredible. Bradley Chubb has been quietly impressive. Josey Jewell should improve as he learns to recognize play action. Isaac Yiadom is... a on the field. 5 things we learned from Denver Broncos 34-16 loss to the New York Jets - Mile High ReportHere is what I learned: this team is not a serious playoff contender. Vance Joseph is left hoping that some injury luck will work in their favor and the Broncos will find a way to steal enough wins to squeak in. That may be enough to save his job. Maybe.3 winners, 8 losers in Denver Broncos 34-16 road loss to New York Jets - Mile High ReportThe Jets and Broncos are both sitting at 2-3. This year they’re likely headed for similar finishes. That’s where the similarities probably end though. One team has a top tier defense and very young rookie quarterback who is growing as he goes. The other team has a 30-year old journeyman and aging core. They’re heading in different directions because Elway chose to patch a hole and in order to chase the playoffs this year.Anyone who follows the Broncos knows that Mike Klis basically runs PR for the team, so this tweet is a bit of a weird. The team’s done a great job... at losing?Derek Wolfe: I’m tired of talking about the same shit the last 2 years. - Mile High ReportCan’t help but wonder what the locker room is like behind closed doors if things like this are slipping out into public. Injury Updates: Adam Jones, Garett Bolles suffer injuries against JetsYou’re almost left wondering if it makes sense to have your 35-year old slot corner returning punts. They meant left, obviously, but if Bolles can’t go it means Elijah Wilkinson steps into action for Sunday’s game with the Rams. Billy Turner is already playing for Jared Veldheer. Denver Broncos need to fire Vance Joseph - Mile High ReportI’ve been pretty critical of the Joseph hire from the start, but it’s too soon to move on from Vance Joseph. Not because he’ll figure it out and the Denver will stumble into the dance after a comet strikes Kansas City. Elway would be mistaken to give the coach his walking papers now because the Broncos are all of 5 games into a 16 game schedule. All the move would do now would throw extra work onto the other coaches and potentially shock the roster. It’s a short term feel good move for a longer term issue. Look ahead to Los Angeles. Is there any hope the Broncos can beat the Rams?Ranking 2018 NFL season's biggest playoff risers, fallers - Postseason odds improved and declinedI’ll be doing a deeper dive into this with GIF Horse and potentially 3 and Out this week Cheap Derek Wolfe Jersey , but that’s the recipe in a nutshell. Barnwell’s piece also starts to dig into a potential Derek Carr Jon Gruden split beginning to brew. Worth a look.Rams rally to remain undefeated with 33-31 win at Seattle - Los Angeles TimesRams will need to find some defensive consistency with more big matchups ahead - Los Angeles Rams Blog- ESPNIf Broncos Country is looking for any small semblance of hope, it may be this: 4 takeaways from the Rams’ thrilling win over the SeahawksA look around the rest of the West, where at least the Raiders continue Grudening. Positive momentum from Raiders first win gives way to rash of all too familiar issues in loss to Chargers - Silver And Black PrideAmari Cooper frustrated with just one target in Raiders brutal loss to Chargers - Silver And Black PrideRaiders week five report card vs Chargers - Silver And Black PrideOnly a matter of time before Gruden get's a grade, but right now the faithful at Silver And Black seem to be in denial.What Did the Raiders Say After Losing to the Bolts?From Near Disaster to Incredible TD: The Bizarre Play that Saved the BoltsMelvin Ingram, defense (finally) lead way as Chargers humble Raiders - Los Angeles Chargers Blog- ESPNChiefs RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif fractured fibula against Jacksonville - Arrowhead PrideLooks like the Chiefs starting guard is out for the year.Kansas City Chiefs beat Jacksonville Jaguars: 15 winners and 9 losers - Arrowhead PrideChiefs' Chris Jones, Dee Ford ejected vs. Jaguars - NFL.comIn other news, Drew Brees passed Peyton Manning for the All Time Passing Yardage record last night.Where does New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees rank among all-time great quarterbacks? - NFL VideosI would put Brees in the top 5. An interesting theoretical question: how would the careers of Brees, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady gone if they had landed on different teams? Call me crazy, but I think both Brees and Manning do what Brady did if they landed with the Patriots and Belichick.On to the rest of the leagueMike McCarthy: I believe in Mason Crosby – ProFootballTalkWill Colts' Andrew Luck set the NFL career passing records?Graham Gano’s 63-yard field goal saved the Panthers from themselves vs. the Giants - SBNation.comEric Reid takes a knee during national anthem - NFL.comNFL Week 5 Breakdown & Analysis: Bortles, Rams, Gano | SI.comGuess Sports Illustrated doesn’t consider what the 2015 Broncos did a “beating.” I wouldn’t either since they basically strangled both quarterbacks. Buffalo Bills Upsets: Breaking Down How They're Winning | SI.comCould the Eagles trade for Le’Veon Bell or David Johnson?Eagles place Jay Ajayi on injured reserve with torn ACL – ProFootballTalkJerry Jones on OT punt: It was time for risk – ProFootballTalkWhile we’re talking about decisions that cost teams games, on to this week’s Zebra watchMike Tomlin faces possible fine for his comments about officiating – ProFootballTalkTeams Should Aggressively Pursue Arizona LB Haason Reddick - The Draft NetworkYou’re weekly look at what the experts are projecting to Denver in next years NFL draft. Marino's 2019 Mock Draft 2.0 - Page 2 of 3 - The Draft Network When Ian St. Clair and I sat down to record the MHR Radio podcast on Tuesday night, it was apparent that one thing would dominate our conversation. When the Denver Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas away to the Houston Texans it was kind of like the end of an era. Obviously, we as a community have gone about saying goodbye, and thank you. On Sunday, DT will have his chance to give one last goodbye.Thomas has been a huge part of the Denver Broncos since being drafted in with the 22nd pick in 2010. His relationship with Tim Tebow led to one of the biggest playoff moments in Broncos history. Then, as Peyton Manning entered the mix his numbers skyrocketed. They garnered him a big contract, and now Youth Garett Bolles Jersey , here we all are.Make no mistake, the loss of Thomas to salary and age concerns is one of the frustrating aspects of the NFL that plagues most teams. That doesn’t prevent fans like the great Dr. Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann from feeling betrayed, and dismayed at the move. Check out Doc’s little (large) epic rant on Thomas in the podcast. His legacy with the team was cemented long ago, but now it is time to say goodbye.Perhaps most fittingly, Thomas will get the chance to issue his final goodbye to Broncos Country on Sunday when his new team comes to Mile High Stadium to face off with his old team. The Texans needed a replacement for the injured Will Fuller, and Thomas should fill that void nicely. As Ian and I said on the show, he will probably give the team a proper send off, with a big DT game.With the way the Broncos secondary has performed this season, there is no reason to think he can’t have a huge impact. Bradley Roby has struggled. and will likely draw Thomas several times. Their practice battles will now be game time scraps. He is going to want to prove he is still capable. No doubt he will get his targets, and his chance to shine.Watching players like Thomas move on is frustrating. More frustrating will be watching him be great again with a good quarterback to throw him the football. Deshaun Watson has the Houston offense firing. Throwing a capable receiver like Thomas in the mix only makes them more dangerous. Remember how good DT was with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball?Yes, he is older. And yes, he is only going to get older. However, he has the opportunity to make big plays with a new team. His career will likely be injected with meaning, and more catches in the final weeks of the season. Meanwhile, Denver will probably continue the backward slide that will land them a high draft pick, and nothing more.In the end, the most frustrating part of the Thomas trade was it was the lone move that John Elway made. With all the rumors swirling around the Broncos, it seemed inevitable that Denver would be selling at the trade deadline. The Thomas trade seemed to be the indicator of the Broncos intentions to make big changes.And then nothing happened. We sat and waited like Linus in the pumpkin patch Youth Phillip Lindsay Jersey , but the great pumpkin never came. Instead, we are still stuck with Vance Joseph as the head coach, no true direction for the franchise, and a lack of identity that is killing the season. Thomas was the lucky one. He got out. His exit begins with a return. He moves on, but not before one last chance to play in front of the fans that loved him so much. Will there be those who say good riddance to bad rubbish? Of course, but most of Broncos Country appreciates everything that DT has done. It’s just too bad that his move was the beginning and the end, placing the Broncos squarely in NFL purgatory.Thanks for the memories DT. Good luck, and congrats on getting out.The MHR Radio Podcast is now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Acast, Stitcher, TuneIn and a few other podcast hosts. Please subscribe to the one that fits your fancy, and also rate and review what you hear.