Wyoming linebacker Logan Wilson needed a half-second to list his favorite Broncos player: Champ Bailey.
Wilson grew up in Casper, Wyo., and followed the Broncos. If Broncos coach Vic Fangio passes on an inside linebacker in free agency this week and focuses on other needs early in the draft, Wilson should be a consideration. His numbers demand it.
In 52 games for the Cowboys he had 421 tackles (35 for lost yardage), seven sacks, 10 interceptions and four forced fumbles and recoveries apiece.
At Wyoming’s Pro Day last week, Wilson stood on most of his testing times from the scouting combine, including a 4.63-second 40-yard dash.
In the Senior Bowl practices, Wilson worked at the middle and weak-side linebacker positions and wanted to spend the week focusing on his man to man coverage skills. That will come in handy on a Broncos defense that wants improvement in that area.
Despite being a two-time all-state player, Wilson was offered scholarships by only Wyoming and Utah State.
“Ultimately, I wanted to stay home,” he said. “As a Wyoming kid, playing there and representing the brown and gold was my dream.”
Wilson was 195 pounds when he arrived on campus. By his junior year, he was 250 … which felt too heavy. He played his senior year at 240 pounds and weighed 241 (at 6-foot-2) during the combine.
“(My senior) year was the first time I was able to maintain my weight and dial into my nutrition,” he said. “During the summer (of 2019), I lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 14 pounds of muscle. I just felt leaner, more healthy, faster — just a better athlete.
“It was just a decision on my own. The biggest thing was I stopped eating fast food. Not that I ate a lot of it beforehand, but when I went to Subway, I would get something more healthy.”
Wilson made 105 tackles last year and was named third-team All-America.
“I think it was my best year,” he said. “We had a good year overall as a defense and as a team. But I do think it was my best overall, complete year. I didn’t worry about the future like some guys get caught up with. I let my dad deal with that and focused on what I had to do to get the team win.”
Wilson believes Wyoming’s defensive scheme in 2017-18 will help him in the NFL. Wyoming’s coordinator was Scottie Hazelton (a native of Thornton) who earned his stripes coaching for Gus Bradley in Jacksonville and Monte Kiffin at USC.
“For sure, it did,” Wilson said of Hazelton, who recently left Kansas State for Michigan State. “We ran a very similar system to the Jaguars when coach Hazelton was there. Having that background and understanding the complexity of the defense will help me at the next level.”
Several Broncos rewarded. On Thursday, the NFL sent teams and agents the list of performance-based pay for the 2019 season, which rewards players (like non-first round picks or those undrafted) who out-performed their contracts. Nineteen Broncos were awarded at least $100,000 from the total team pool of $4.623 million.
The top 10: Inside linebacker Alexander Johnson ($256,271), right tackle Elijah Wilkinson ($250,782), outside linebacker Malik Reed ($240,809), cornerback Davontae Harris ($185,345), running back Phillip Lindsay ($162,844), receiver DaeSean Hamilton ($161,374), cornerback Isaac Yiadom ($159,672), fullback/tight end Andrew Beck ($158,326), nose tackle Mike Purcell ($148,926) and left guard Dalton Risner ($148,926).
Every player who saw at least one snap of regular-season action received some money. Last on the Broncos list was right tackle Ja’Wuan James ($1,500). Kansas City cornerback Charvarius Ward led the league ($428,335), one of four players to earn at least $400,000.
More flexibility. The Broncos received three compensatory picks (one fifth-rounder and two seventh-rounders), moving their current total to 11, including three in the third round.
Until 2017, teams could not trade compensatory picks — they received the selection and kept it. But the Broncos are in position to take advantage of their Day 3 picks (six total) to prioritize a player and maybe use two of their sevenths to move into the sixth round.
Around the NFL
NFL stands pat. On Thursday, as the other American pro sports leagues finalized plans to suspend their seasons and college athletics was shut down, the NFL made only one announcement — the cancellation of the annual meeting. There was, of course, the hue and cry that the league should push things back. Why? All of the free agent business is done over the phone and via text message. The only issue will be performing physicals once players have agreed to terms with a new team. As for announcing a plan for next month’s draft, there is plenty of time to figure that out.
Yanda retires. Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco was among the ex-teammates on hand for right guard Marshal Yanda’s retirement press conference in Baltimore. Yanda, 35, played 13 years for the Ravens and was named to the Pro Bowl eight times. Is he a Pro Football Hall of Famer? He’s definitely in the category of “Possibly.” He started 166 regular-season games.
Old band together? Maybe the Broncos should get the “2016 Houston Texans Secondary” back together. They already have safety Kareem Jackson (a corner on that team) and cornerback A.J. Bouye. And, Johnathan Joseph will not re-sign with the Texans. Joseph, 35, had 17 interceptions in 133 games for Houston. Itap probably unlikely, but Joseph could fill a depth spot for the Broncos on a one-year deal.
XFL closes shop. A year ago, the AAF folded because it ran out of money. This spring, the XFL lasted five games before suspending the season because of coronavirus. The league intends to stay in operation for 2021. My review? It wasn’t that interesting. The quarterback/offensive line play early on was tough to watch. The access — particularly listening in on the replay booth and offensive coordinators — was terrific and the NFL should easily adopt the replay booth aspect. A key for Commissioner Oliver Luck and Co., is finding smaller stadiums for the teams instead of playing at the home of the Jets/Giants (New Jersey) and Buccaneers (Tampa Bay) in particular.
