Doesn't mean that won't change if one of those calls turns into something more.
And it doesn't mean the Broncos won't pursue a quarterback with the No. 9 pick. It's just that a pursuit of the best quarterbacks in this draft will likely happen well before the No. 9 pick rolls around and anybody picked after will need plenty of work to even push for the team's backup spot.
As ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. put it recently:
"Quarterback? This year it's five firsts and maybe Kyle Trask in the second round and lot of just guys."
And asked if the distance between the top quarterback -- Clemson's Trevor Lawrence -- and the rest of the potential first-rounders is still there, Kiper said simply "yes, yes it is."
In addition, the Jaguars have the most cap space available in 2021 (approximately $74 million) and there are also some talented players already in place, most notably receiver DJ Chark Jr., running back James Robinson, defensive end Josh Allen, and linebacker Myles Jack. With the right moves -- all of which are plausible -- to comprise a perfect offseason there’s no reason the Jaguars can’t be competitive in the division in 2021.
Here’s the recipe:
Avoid further controversy
Meyer's decision to hire Chris Doyle -- the former strength coach at the University of Iowa who was accused of making racist remarks and belittling and bullying players -- as the team's director of sports performance was a terrible decision and he was rightly criticized for it. The outrage was so intense that Doyle resigned little more than 24 hours after the hiring was announced.
He'd rank his latest candidate, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, with any of them.
"I have not seen many guys that are as great a leader as he is of men," Reid said this week. "In this business, that's huge. You're never going to have to worry about Eric Bieniemy -- never -- on the field, off the field. He's going to be honest with you and straightforward, and then he knows the offense."
That would be a Chiefs offense that has ranked first in the NFL in two of the past three years.
This week, while the Chiefs enjoyed a first-round playoff bye, Bieniemy interviewed with five of the six teams needing a head coach: the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.