NFL Team Previews: Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos
Well, I saved the best team for last, or at least the team that was the best last season. As with what always happens after a team wins a Super Bowl, a lot of players leave for big paydays elsewhere which truly tests the depth of the roster that John Elway put together. He and head coach Gary Kubiak have a new challenge as well, finding a long-term replacement to future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who retired shortly after the Super Bowl. Now, the Broncos don't find themselves an clear-cut favorite in the AFC, let alone their division, and they are looking to maintain the slowly loosening stranglehold on the AFC West.
DRAFT RECAP
The first selection was made by trading up to get the third quarterback in the NFL draft, QB Paxton Lynch from Memphis. After losing Manning and QB Brock Osweiler leaving for Houston, it left Elway scrambling and he brought in Mark Sanchez from Philadelphia. That's not enough, not even close, but the problem is Lynch might not be ready for this season. He should be the starter at latest next season, but for now he needs some seasoning to his game. In the second round, the Broncos took DT Adam Gostis, who may be the future replacement for DT Malik Jackson. Gostis suffered a torn ACL last season, but he hopes to be ready in time for the regular season. The other notable selection was RB Devontae Booker, which makes their backfield even deeper and more explosive.
FREE AGENCY
The Broncos brought in two new starting offensive tackles, Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson, on relatively big contracts. They both should play right away and help keep a solid offensive line grouping in tact after losing a few members last year. The Broncos also brought in a couple of players from Houston, DE Jared Crick and TE Garrett Graham, and both should fill some needs from the departing players. Outside of that, the Broncos did not do much, which means that this team got inherently a bit worse.
PLAYERS LOST
I won't even mention Manning again, because everybody and their grandma knows he retired. Backup QB Brock Osweiler, the QB of the future, signed a huge deal with the Houston Texans. DT Malik Jackson went to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a mega deal for a defensive tackle. ILB Danny Trevathan went to join former head coach John Fox in Chicago. Backup safety David Bruton and former Pro Bowl TE Vernon Davis went to the Washington Redskins. Longtime G Evan Mathis went to the Arizona Cardinals on a one year pact, and LT Ryan Harris is now in Pittsburgh. They also have let G Louis Vasquez remain unsigned along with starting TE Owen Daniels. In other words, they lost probably the most of any team.
STRONGEST POSITION
Despite all of those losses, the Broncos still have a very good defense, with just two notable holes where Jackson and Trevathan were. That said, the outside linebackers, led by one of the best in Von Miller, are the strength of this team. It helps to be playing alongside a future Hall of Famer in DeMarcus Ware, whose age is catching up to him a bit, but he still is a very talented player. Their backups are young and talented as well, with Shane Ray (4 sacks) and Shaquil Barrett (5.5 sacks). In other words, they have no trouble rushing the passer.
WEAKEST POSITION
It's on the offensive side of the football, and although it probably is quarterback, I feel like people talk enough about them as it is. The offensive line is going through a major transition, as C Matt Paradis is the only returning offensive lineman to start all sixteen games for the Broncos last season. But the line still has a few (potential) Pro Bowlers. Wide receiver has Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but not much else. Tight end is where it really hurts, as that was a weakness last season, and then they let their top two tight ends go. It's now left to Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, and newly signed Garrett Graham. In other words, raise your hands if you have heard of them (outside of Denver and/or the players alma maters).
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS TO THE BRONCOS SUCCESS
RB CJ Anderson, DT Sylvester Williams, OLB Von Miller, CB Chris Harris, ILB Brandon Marshall
This team has no shot at beating you through the passing game, and for the first time I think in all 32 of my previews, I don't believe the quarterback is one of the five most important players on the team. This team is all about the ground game and defense if they want to keep things close, which is where CJ Anderson comes in offensively. And defensively, it really could be any of the nine returning starters, but Von Miller is the best player on this defense, and Chris Harris is the best corner. Sylvester Williams and Brandon Marshall both played near the departed Jackson and Trevathan, so they get the edge over a TJ Ward or DeMarcus Ware. Williams and Marshall need to step up this season and not have a Super Bowl hangover.
PREDICTION
Speaking of Super Bowl hangovers, I wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos had a "lying in bed until 4pm, then slowly making your way to Taco Bell" hangover. On top of it being an emotional Super Bowl, everybody in the division got a lot better, you had all of the departures, Von Miller's contract situation, etc. If this team does return to the Super Bowl, it will be a vastly different team. That said, I don't think they will, and I'm not even sure if the postseason is a reality. I like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati as virtual locks, and Kansas City as the divisional favorite. That leaves them competing for the last spot, and virtually everybody outside of Nashville or Northeast Ohio has a "shot" at getting it.
