Ignore the Russell Wilson noise with the Broncos. Focus on Sean Payton’s next move at QB

INDIANAPOLIS — For all intents and purposes, the departure of Russell Wilson is a foregone conclusion inside the Denver Broncos. The only holdup is when head coach Sean Payton makes the decision to part company with his veteran quarterback.

That’s currently circulating around the NFL’s annual scouting combine in Indianapolis, where the initial wave of curiosity inside the league’s personnel community is less focused on whether Wilson will actually be jettisoned by the Broncos, and more in wonderment about why Payton — who is effectively running the entire show with the Broncos — hasn’t already made the decision to part company.

The issue at hand: In the early stages of this combine, it appears the Broncos have not yet fleshed out a plan for precisely how they intend to address the quarterback spot in the wake of Wilson’s departure. If anything, that process is just now wading into deeper waters, focusing on a draft pecking order that still feels in flux at the quarterback spot and a free-agent market that has not yet zeroed in on the destinations of starting caliber players like Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield.

Sean Payton sees a future without Russell Wilson as his QB in Denver. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

With that in mind, here are the facts that have become clear in the first few days at the combine …

It’s not about what Wilson wants, it’s about what Payton sees beyond him

Wilson set off ripples in this whole affair recently, when he told former NFL wideout Brandon Marshall in the “I am Athlete” podcast that when it comes to the continuance of his career: “I hope it’s in Denver. I hope I get to finish there. I committed there. I wanted to be there. For me, it’s about winning. Over the next five years, I want to win two [Super Bowls]. I want to feel the chill of that trophy again. I love the city and everything else, but you also want to be in a place that wants you too. The thing I want to…

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