The Broncos can’t pay No. 1 receiver money to Courtland Sutton for a guy that’s barely a No. 2.

– Scott, fiscal conservative

Kiz: Sutton is a solid No. 1 receiver, but hasn’t won enough to be considered special in Broncos Country. If he wants any shot at seeing his name in the team’s Ring of Fame, his next step will be to offer a hometown discount on his contract extension.

Mark Kiszla: What Sean Payton needed to learn before Broncos could become legit championship contender

Kiz, I’m glad you’ve tempered your criticism of Broncos coach Sean Payton. To be a leader of men, you must have an almost unflinching belief in yourself. That doesn’t mean you are unwilling to learn from mistakes. I managed in the trucking business. An old salt in the business told me when I took my first job as foreman: “They love to hate the boss. That’s OK. But they better damn well respect you.” Payton is the right guy for this job. Glad the knuckleheads at Kickin’ It Headquarters might finally realize that.

– Matt, repping the 303

Kiz: Well, the knuckleheads here at Kickin’ It Headquarters have never been accused of touchy-feely tendencies. A great coach can be a grizzly bear. But players must believe the coach has their best interests at heart. A great leader is a great servant, first and foremost. It’s not about the coach’s ego. It’s all about maximizing players’ talent. Payton has a great football mind. But too often, I get the impression Payton believes success has more to do with him than the players. When it comes to winning time with a big game on the line, that seldom serves a coach well.

Your observations about Payton are spot on, Kiz. I’m not sure what Payton understood about the Colorado market before arriving, but it was obvious he didn’t think much of our local media, the Broncos fanbase and the culture of expectation. It has been nice to see Payton morph into a better version of himself without sacrificing why the Broncos gave up a first-round draft choice to get him here.

– Linda, Castle Rock

Kiz: If Payton used some of the energy he expends on picking fights with everyone in the NFL universe to win more games, he’d own more than one Super Bowl ring.

By trading third baseman Ryan McMahon to the Yankees, I can’t believe the Rockies actually did something right for a change.

– Chruffman, Boulder

Kiz: The Rockies are not going to lose 125 games and earn the “distinction” of being the worst team in modern major-league history. My fear? By losing “only” 118, franchise owner Dick Monfort will consider it an achievement and refuse to make meaningful change to an organization without a clue, much less vision.

And today’s parting shot pleads for an executive order to end our baseball pain in Colorado.

In light of recent demands by President Donald Trump for the Cleveland baseball team and the Washington football team to change back to their former nicknames, a thought occurred to me. Perhaps Trump can be persuaded to demand our Rockheads change their name to the MBGA’s (Make Baseball Goofy Again), and move to Washington, D.C., to play home games on the White House lawn.

– M.Z., innovative thinker