Do you think Russ can be the answer for Payton or will he still look to be replaced?
Russ has been enjoying a bounce back season. Still not playing quite to the level he did in Seattle, but he seems to be a slightly above average starter again and his stats would probably suggest he’s been better than the eye test.
I would personally rather Payton stick with Russ at this point as I’m not necessarily a believer in the guy, so I unironically rooted for a Broncos to win to worsen their draft position.
How do you think Payton and Denver will proceed with or without Russ after this season?
Russ, unless he suddenly catches fire for the next two years and produces playoff berths, won’t be worth the value of the trade, nor will he be worth the value of the contract.
Essentially, it is how much sunk cost Denver wants to pursue.
The absolute most fascinating thing with Russ, especially now that this has happened across multiple coaches and multiple OCs, is how he can put up gaudy stats on paper and still preside over offenses that seem to struggle to gain yards outside of the “splash” plays. He is also very prone to at least one, maybe two, boneheaded plays a quarter.
This means that Russ will play well enough that the team will be only able to (outside of trades) reach for mid-level talent in the draft and hope they can develop them on the fly.
That said, cutting a mid-performing Russ means that the franchise will probably sink its season for the next few years. While Denver will be able to “rebuild” sooner, the question becomes just how much ownership is willing to bear in losses, both financial and on the field.