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Top Offseason Needs of the Denver Broncos
2016 Season Recap
Failing to find a solid replacement for Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler (as odd as that sounds now) ended up being the defending champions’ undoing.
Without a legitimate quarterback under center, the Broncos lacked the offensive punch to complement their still superb defense. And once running back C.J. Anderson injured his knee in Week 7 and never returned to action since getting hurt, Denver’s chances of making it back to the Super Bowl – let alone the playoffs for that matter – continued to dwindle as the season went on.
It also didn’t help that the 9-7 Broncos were pitted in last season’s toughest division, which saw the rise of the Raiders’ aerial assault and the Chiefs’ own brand of a lock-down defense edge out the gang from Mile High. Having said that, new head coach Vance Joseph has a lot of work to do this offseason indeed if it wants to stay on par with the rest of the AFC West.
Top Free Agency Needs
$40 million in cap room has got be be sweet music to the ears for the big-spending Broncos, as their relatively sizeable cap space was mainly due to their core roster from the championship-winning team having been gutted badly in the 2016 free agency period.
The one player under the spotlight right now is 34-year-old DeMarcus Ware, who’ll be shopped as an unrestricted free agent. Although the 34-year-old linebacker is not going to get as much as his $10 million annual salary from 2016 given his age, he’s still a capable edge rusher that Denver would rather retain and hopefully re-sign for a bargain.
If Ware decides to leave, though, count on the Broncos to pursue Arizona’s Calais Campbell heavily. Campbell’s the best defensive end on the market who’s a clear upgrade to Ware, and he’s the only top-tier DE in free agency that’s already a natural fit for the Broncos’ base 3-4 defensive scheme.
After that, the team will be also be inclined to overhaul its offensive line since it was clear from last season that the offense’s problems began with this unit. Restructuring Russell Okung’s contract will be a huge plus for the Broncos, especially since Okung had a down 2016 campaign. Having extra cash on hand will go a long way towards signing one of the better unrestricted offensive linemen like right tackle Ricky Wagner (Baltimore) and right guard Kevin Zeitler (Cincinnati).
Top Draft Needs
If Denver does spend most of its resources in free agency on the O-line, then the team’s best shot of getting new weapons for the passing game will be in the NFL Draft.
The Broncos will likely place Alabama’s O.J. Howard at the top of their list of draft targets. Howard is a pro-ready tight end that has just about every tool required for his position, and his addition to the team’s offense will make either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch’s life easier in short passing-game situations.
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey will probably be on the board as well come the team’s 20th overall pick selection. Having McCaffrey as an insurance policy for Anderson and his surgically-repaired knee is a wide move. Denver also lacks a viable slot receiver behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, so grabbing a wideout like Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook or Virginia Tech’s Isaiah Ford with the team’s first-round pick is a pretty reasonable call too.
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