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2016 NFL offseason: Denver Broncos needs

By Patrick Morgan

Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; General view of a Denver Broncos helmet on the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; General view of a Denver Broncos helmet on the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

Players to target

Considering the Broncos have the 10th-worst salary cap situation in football, and the fact that they just won a Super Bowl, it will be very, very hard for Elway and the front office to make any major acquisitions this offseason. Clearly the priority lies in retaining as many of Denver’s own players as is humanly possible, and even that will be a stretch considering the imbalance between supply and demand. There are so many quality Broncos contributors who deserve lucrative new contract extensions, but there simply isn’t enough cash to go around to keep everyone from signing with other teams.

If Ronnie Hillman does indeed get released, it opens up a spot in the Bronco backfield for another runner who excels at catching the football and moving the chains on third down. C.J. Anderson, a bruiser with exceptional top speed but not a lot of lateral quickness, is better suited for early down work, and he could be effectively spelled by someone like Matt Forte should he be available for the right price.

Forte might command too steep of a price tag for Denver on the open market, but if Elway and Kubiak could convince him to sign on a more team-friendly deal in exchange for the chance to play on a championship contender, the move would be a win-win. The Broncos would receive a seasoned veteran with a nose for the end zone, and Forte would finally get the chance to experience what winning feels like before he retires. Even at 30, he’s still one of the best two-way backs in the league and is absolutely lethal on third or fourth down in the right offense.

If Forte is too expensive, the team could consider making a play for Bilal Powell. The New York Jet didn’t see a ton of action this season behind starter Chris Ivory, but he made the most of his opportunities, averaging 4.5 yards per carry despite getting only 70 touches during 11 games in 2015. Like Forte, Powell is also a reliable receiving threat – he pulled down 47 of 64 targets last season en route to 388 yards and two touchdowns.

Offensive line is the one area where it might be worth ponying up some extra dough this offseason. Again, this was the most glaring weakness on the team this season (besides erratic quarterback play), and with linemen constituting nearly a fifth of Denver’s free agent list, perhaps it’s time to look outside the current roster for aid. If he can dig some extra coins out from under the couch cushions, poaching offensive tackle Khalif Barnes from division rival Oakland would be a master stroke for Elway.

Next: Draft strategy

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