The Drive

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys get in a heated debate over the Devaughn Vele trade and if Vele has already reached his ceiling as a wide receiver. Do the other wide receivers for the Broncos provide higher upside? Zach accuses the Denver media of switching up their opinion on Vele since the trade. We look into the expectations for Bo Nix in 2025 as far as his passing yards, interceptions, touchdowns and more. Zach and Phil react to Mike Klis’ projected 53-man roster for the offense of the Broncos. Where do the guys agree and disagree with Klis for his roster and practice squad projections?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil listen to Sean Payton’s first comments on the Devaughn Vele trade. Was Payton’s choice to trade Vele a tough decision? The guys speculate who were the other teams interested in Vele. Was Vele ever going to be in Sean Payton’s vision? Will this move come back to bite the Broncos if Vele shines elsewhere? Today’s “Three Count” includes Von Miller calling Peyton Manning his GOAT for changing how the quarterback position is played, the Rockies shelling Shohei Ohtani in last night’s Rockies win over the Dodgers, and the news about bullets being shot into Andy Reid’s office at the Chiefs facility. With Colorado kicking off their season in 8 days, we discuss the Buffs best and worst case scenarios.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach, Phil and the guys compete in our weekly trivia competition vs the morning show. We address the controversy with one of the questions we gave the morning show as we look continue our hot streak in trivia from over the past few weeks. We hear from Sean Payton with his first comments on the Devaughn Vele trade. Were the Broncos shopping Vele or was the compensation too good for the Broncos to pass up? Will Vele be able to have more opportunities and production in New Orleans? Was Vele ever going to be in Sean Payton’s vision? Zach and Phil react to Mike Klis’ projected 53-man roster for the offense of the Broncos. Where do the guys agree and disagree with Klis for his roster and practice squad projections?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to break down the Broncos Devaughn Vele trade. Were the Broncos shopping Vele or was the compensation too good for the Broncos to pass up? The guys speculate who were the other teams interested in Vele. We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on if the Broncos were shopping Vele, if the location was a part of the trade, and the coincidence of New Orleans being the other team. We react to Mike Klis’ projected 53-man roster for the defense of the Broncos. Where do Phil and Zach agree and disagree with Klis’ projections? We wrap up the show with previewing the Buffs as they kick off their season a week from tomorrow. What would be the ceiling and floor for the Buffs in 2025?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss Shohei Ohtani pitching at Coors Field tonight and how sad it is that the guys have lost interest in the Rockies. Zach throws out the idea of the Broncos bringing in Anthony Richardson to be Sean Payton’s next quarterback reclamation project. Is Richardson a “QB rehab” away from competing for a starting job in the NFL? We look around the league at former Broncos and how they have been doing in preseason, free agency, and other football leagues.

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Athletic’s simulation for the NFL season and how it pertains to the Broncos and the AFC west. Has the hype surrounding the Broncos gone too far to where a 9-8 season would be looked at as very disappointing by many? Are we overlooking the many “green lights” the Broncos had last year? Can the Broncos have the same record as last season and lose in the first round of the playoffs but still have a good season? Today’s “Three Count” features if the Broncos are hiding Kyrese Rowan during preseason games to stache him on the practice squad, Shohei Ohtani hitting a homerun last night and starting on the mound tonight, and the Avalanche signing Victor Olofsson. We react to ESPN’s “way too early” NFL mock draft, in which the Broncos select, wide receiver, Jordan Tyson out of Arizona State.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil break down the Broncos wide receiver room. We hear from Sean Payton and how he plans to use multiple guys in multiple roles throughout the season at wide out. The guys debate how the target share will be distributed in 2025 for the wide receivers. How do the guys feel about Devaughn Vele being mentioned as a trade candidate with a packed wide receiver room? We look around the league at former Broncos and how they have been doing in preseason, free agency, and other football leagues.  Zach throws out the idea of the Broncos bringing in Anthony Richardson to be Sean Payton’s next quarterback reclamation project. Is Richardson a “QB rehab” away from competing for a starting job in the NFL?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the breaking news of the Broncos trading Devaughn Vele to the Saints for draft compensation. Did the Broncos get enough compensation for Vele? Will this move open the door for Pat Bryant to get more snaps? Were the Broncos always planning on trading Vele and that is why they have been keeping his health under wraps? Will this move come back to bite the Broncos by losing valuable depth at wide receiver? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joining the show to discuss his impressions of the trade who is impacted most from the move.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys debate if the Broncos will have/need a 1,000-yard rusher this season. We have news coming out of Indianapolis with the Colts announcing their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones. Have weeks 1 and 2 for the Broncos become “must-win” games? Zach compares Anthony Richardson and if he will be a similar draft bust to Paxton Lynch. The guys attempt to translate what Nik Bonitto’s cryptic message “plan c, iykyk” means. Will we see Bonitto and the Broncos come to an agreement on a contract extension before the season starts?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil break down what they’ve seen from first round pick Jahdae Barron so far in preseason and training camp. What do the guys make of Sean Payton making Barron go out and earn his starting position? We hear from Sean Payton and Barron about what his role will be with the defense. Will the Broncos be able to come out the gates hot with both winning games and getting the run game established? Today’s “Three Count” includes the Rockies hot streak of winning 6 out of 7 games and 4 straight, Patrick Surtain being underrated and coming in at number 6 on the top 25 NFL players under the age of 25, and 5.1 million viewers for the Bears and Bills preseason game. We react to PFF’s grades for Broncos players in game 2 of the preseason.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil are joined by veteran NFL reporter James Palmer to discuss the latest on Nik Bonitto after he posted a cryptic message and spoke to the media today for the first time all season, where Jahdae Barron slots on the corner back depth chart, and if Dillion Gabriel was taking a shot at Shedeur Sanders over the weekend with his “competitors and entertainers” comment. Zach calls his shot and predicts Nik Bonitto and the Broncos will sign a contract extension this week. We have news coming out of Indianapolis with the Colts announcing their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones. Have weeks 1 and 2 for the Broncos become “must-win” games? We react to Coach Prime calling out his team and telling them they are not ready to play next Friday in their season opener.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss the Broncos roster bubble and if we should be on higher alert of the Broncos schedule. We debate if the Broncos will start Jahdae Barron or Jaquan McMillian in week 1 at the nickel corner position. We hear from Sean Payton and his thoughts on what Barron’s role will be. Will we see a surprise cut when the Broncos are finalizing their 53-man roster? The guys react to Jahdae Barron’s comments and how mature he has been since arriving in Denver. How did PFF grade many of the Broncos players after their second preseason game over the weekend? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joining the show to defend his interesting take that the Broncos should trade Jarrett Stidham.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Richie. The guys debate who would win in a 40-yard dash within 104.3 The Fan and all the phrases Richie has copied from Zach. How impressive has the Broncos depth been through the first two preseason games? The guys speak to how important Jarrett Stidham is to this team as the backup and how valuable his services can be on a playoff hopeful team. What did the guys make of Evan Engram breaking through with a huge catch and run in Saturday’s game? Are we seeing the emergence of rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant? How impactful will Bryant be in 2025?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Broncos running back room after their performances on Saturday’s preseason game. Phil shares about getting cut from the Colts and how certain decisions he made led, most likely led to that result. Is Audric Estime still battling for a roster spot with the Broncos or should he be focused on impressing other teams around the league? Today’s “Three Count” features Sean Payton letting Davis Webb call offensive plays during the Broncos second preseason game, Jonah Elliss flashing on Saturday to earn more snaps, and Alex Palczewski struggling with penalties. Did Browns rookie Dillion Gabriel take a shot at Shedeur Sanders with his “competitors and entertains” quote? Is Gabriel jealous of all the attention Shedeur has received and then went and backed it up with playing well in the first preseason game?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the momentum of the Broncos potentially moving to Burham Yards for the next location of their stadium. When will we get news on the Broncos plans for their stadium after Empower Field? How impressive has the Broncos depth been through the first two preseason games? The guys speak to how important Jarrett Stidham is to this team as the backup and how valuable his services can be on a playoff hopeful team. We react to Georgia Tech’s football coach ripping his team just 2 weeks before we will see them take on the Buffs. What did the guys make of Evan Engram breaking through with a huge catch and run in Saturday’s game? Are we seeing the emergence of both Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin this preseason?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil continue to react to what they saw in the Broncos second preseason game. Phil breaks down the Broncos running back room and who flashed in what ways. Would any of the backs competing for a roster spot be picked up by other team’s if they are cut and the Broncos try to add them to their practice squad? Is there momentum for the Broncos potentially moving to Burham Yards for the next location of their stadium. When will we get news on the Broncos plans for their stadium after Empower Field? We wrap up the show with Zach and Phil handing out “game balls” from the Broncos preseason game on Saturday.

Hour one of The Drive, with Zach Bye and Philip Lindsay kicks off with some reactions to the news Sean Payton gave everyone yesterday. With the Broncos starters being left out of tomorrow's game, has the excitement been completely removed from the game? Is there a player on this Broncos team that is reminding Zach of a young Phil Lindsay? Which player is it and how can they take this from a feel good story and turn it into something tangible? The Colorado Buffalos are close to starting back up! Is there more pressure than we initially realized on the Buffs coaching staff, and which coach is in the hottest seat this year? Is there a QB battle up at Folsom or is the answer already right in front of us? How important is running the football at CU this year? Is this the last year for the current offensive and defensive coordinators at CU?

In hour two of The Drive the guys dive into some of the biggest themes of tomorrows preseason game against Arizona? We know that the starters are not playing so who must make an impact? Which receivers are going to play and who are you most interested in seeing make plays? Sean let us know that he wants to keep 3 running backs but isn’t opposed to keeping more. Is there a chance the Broncos have four running backs in their locker room? Who are the three locks to make this roster, and who are fighting for their spot? We come off the top rope to bring you the three count! Which artist just broke the internet again on a big NFL podcast? We’re joined by our 9News insider Mike Klis to preview tomorrows game!

In hour three of The Drive the guys have the Nik Bonitto conversation. Its clear that he is one of the best players in the league, so why is that contract not done yet. How bad is that injury and will we not see him the rest of the pre-season? Will the contract be done before September 7^th, Phill answers that burning question. The segment get hijacked by a crazy story from behind the scenes here at the station. What has been the biggest positive about the training camp? What has been the biggest negative? Is there a player on this Broncos team that is reminding Zach of a young Phil Lindsay? Which player is it and how can they take this from a feel good story and turn it into something tangible?

In the fourth hour of The Drive Zach and Phil take a look at the University of Colorado Football! Has the pressure increased on Pat Shurmer to produce as the offensive coordinator? Is his job on the line if the offense struggles this year? Can CU finally run the ball or will we have more of the same from Primes Buffs? Is that transfer portal really that impactful or have people made it a much bigger deal than it is? The guys give their way too early college football champion predictions, and debate who the best teams in the country are. Which wide receiver are we keeping our eyes on with the starters being out for tomorrows Bronco game. Which QB has a bigger advantage tomorrow, Stidham or Brissett? What tight ends are most interesting, and which defensive players have the most to prove tomorrow? The guys give some predictions for tomorrows game to close out the show!

Hour one of The Drive kicks off with Zach Bye and Phillip Lindsay praising the Broncos offense! This was the best they looked all camp and practice, but some fans are already coming at the guys! Have they been bashing on the Broncos offense or are they just calling it as they see it? How did Bo Nix look in the 7 on 7s? Does Pat Bryant have a higher ceiling than many of us realized? With a lot of receivers looking serviceable how many do the Broncos plan on keeping? What did the running backs look like as many of them continue to fight for a roster spot. An update on Nik Bonitto and Sean confirmed the starters will not be playing this weekend. Which players need to show something special to keep their chance of a roster spot alive?

In hour two Zach and Phil break down the great play from the offense. Which players shined and is this final the look Broncos Country needs to see to feel better about this team? Which player is emerging as receiver two and which other receivers are making big splashes in these practices? In the Three Count which wide receiver is most likely to end up on a different 53 man roster at the end of camp? Will it end up hurting the Broncos or is it a good thing to have a wealth of riches at the receiver position? Which receiver is making a strong case to end up on the 53 man roster despite the room being so full? The Associated Press celebrated 100 years of publication, and they put out a list of the all-time all American football players. Which teams made the roster and who should have? The Nuggets full schedule was released today, is a fast start more important now than ever?

Hour three of The Drive kicks off with Zach, Phil, and Drew getting ready to continue their Triva win streak! Before the questions start, could producer Dante Gomez be in the hot seat? The Broncos offense showed out for the first time this camp. What looked good, what stood out during this great practice? The running back conversation continues. Which players need to put on good tape to land on a 53 man roster, and which ones are on the verge of being Broncos? Could it be that we are somehow over analyzing this roster? Could coach Sean Payton already have his roster ready to go?

In the fourth and final hour of the Drive we take a deep dive at the offense. Bo Nix finally had a good outing! Which player directly benefited from it and is that the sign of life Broncos Country needed to feel better about this offense? A receiver may have stamped himself as the number two in the locker room, but is there still a competition at large to determine the pecking order at wide receiver? Sean was asked a very loaded question today, how did he handle it and is there any truth to the question that was asked? Will Petersen and Aniello Piro join from Denver Sports Tonight to debate which running backs are making the Broncos roster.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil breaking down what they saw out at Broncos training camp today. With an emphasis on the running game at practice, should we expect more improved running production in 2025? We preview the Broncos joint practice preseason game with the Cardinals this week. How much will we see Nik Bonitto play in preseason game 2 after he “tweaked” something this week? We revisit a year ago when Bo Nix was being voted a captain before ever playing a regular season game. Will the Broncos choose the same captains from last season? We preview the Cardinals and what matchups we are most looking forward to.