Shortly after locking down Patrick Surtain with a $96 million extension, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton refused to divulge intel on a full-time running mate for the Pro Bowl cornerback.
That information — who the team plans to start opposite Surtain — will remain on a need-to-know basis until Sunday's season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
“We haven’t named any starters. We kind of have an idea as we’re going," Payton told reporters Wednesday. "No announcements. You know how it is during a game week. I’m not going to talk about injuries. I’m not going to talk about lineups, with respect.”
Payton's non-answer came as the Broncos released their Week 1 depth chart which has second-year man Riley Moss slotted into the CB2 position. Moss had been considered the favorite for the role after competing this preseason with free-agent addition Levi Wallace and rookie Kris Abrams-Draine.
It appears the former Iowa standout prevailed. But not even he knows for certain.
“I hope it’s gonna happen and I’m ready to make a play," Moss said Thursday of potentially winning the starting job.
In reality, the Broncos are likely to empty their kitchen sink in an attempt to combat Seattle's imposing passing attack. This would mean that all of Surtain, Moss, Wallace, Abrams-Draine, and nickelback Ja'Quan McMillian may be called upon to defend wide receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
“He is big, he is fast and his ball skills have grown since the time he’s been in the league," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said of Metcalf on Thursday. "Obviously being in Arizona, I faced him twice a year for a long time. To watch him go from just a big, fast guy playing physical to a guy who can run routes now, who can drop his weight, who has great ball skills and who you have to have a plan to stop [because] if not, you won’t stop him. So he’s definitely grown in those areas. Speaking of him, there are two others also. That’s the challenge this week: they have three really good receivers."
