After winning Super Bowl 50 for the franchise’s third world championship, the Denver Broncos have endured one huge story after the next.
Denver could barely enjoy the title for a month when rumors cropped up pointing to acrimony between Von Miller and general manager John Elway. Right after that, free agency took its toll on the champs, with the Broncos allowing Brock Oswiler, Malik Jackson, Evan Mathis, Danny Trevathan, and Owen Daniels — among others — to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
In April, the team drafted future franchise quarterback Paxton Lynch, who is currently slated to back up Trevor Siemian. Despite bringing in Mark Sanchez in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles this spring, head coach Gary Kubiak decided to roll with his second-year man out of Northwestern. While Siemian’s track record would predict mediocre play, Kubiak sees him as Denver’s best chance to defend its crown.
In essence, Denver will once again have to rely on its terrific defense to keep the team in ballgames. The Broncos finished first in overall defense last season and to be a threat for a repeat, might need to replicate that success. It could be a lot harder this time around, why with the departures of both Jackson and Trevathan significantly weakening the vaunted front seven. Jackson leaves behind 5.5 sacks while Trevathan led the team in tackles with 109 to go with a pair of interceptions.
The strength of the defense remains, however, with Miller and DeMarcus Ware coming off the edges. Miller racked up 11 sacks in 2015 before authoring one of the more incredible postseason runs of all time. In three playoff games, Miller posted five sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and one gargantuan interception of Tom Brady, helping to propel Denver to its eighth Super Bowl appearance.
Ware has been bothered by a bad back throughout the preseason, but remains a vital part of the operation. The future Hall of Famer totaled 7.5 sacks last year and is still one of the best in terms of providing pressure off the edge. When Ware needs a rest, Denver has ample depth in second-year man Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett. Between the two youngsters, they amassed 9.5 sacks.
Ultimately, the team’s Super Bowl hopes rest on whether Siemian can keep his interceptions and mis-reads to a minimum. The defense should be good with the No Fly Zone and a front seven still dotted with stars. Yet if the offense doesn’t improve from its woeful state of last season, even winning 12 games again would require more than a few of them aligning.
Denver doesn’t need Sanchez to be great; he simply has to avoid turnovers and get good production from running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson. The huge question is the offensive line, which was porous even with a quick-decision-making quarterback behind it a season ago. Elway went out and signed tackles Russell Okung and Donald Stephenson, both players being talented but riddled with question marks.
For the Broncos, the expectation is always the Super Bowl. This group should have enough defense to get back into the mix, but can the offense do its share?
Schedule
Week 1 – Carolina Panthers (Thurs.)
Week 2 – Indianapolis Colts
Week 3 – at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 4 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 5 – Atlanta Falcons
Week 6 – at San Diego Chargers (Thurs.)
Week 7 – Houston Texans (Mon.)
Week 8 – San Diego Chargers
Week 9 – at Oakland Raiders (Sun. night)
Week 10 – at New Orleans Saints
Week 11 – BYE
Week 12 – Kansas City Chiefs
Week 13 – at Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 14 – at Tennessee Titans
Week 15 – New England Patriots
Week 16 – at Kansas City Chiefs (Christmas)
Week 17 – Oakland Raiders
The beginning of this schedule will tell us plenty about the 2016 Broncos. Denver starts with a pair of home dates against a motivated Panthers team and the Colts with a healthy Andrew Luck. After that awaits a rough road game in Cincinnati before a tricky game in Tampa Bay.
December will be fascinating, with the Broncos hosting the Patriots before visiting Arrowhead Stadium in a game that could determine the AFC West. Week 17 also provides intrigue with the Raiders and Broncos getting together for a divisional clash.
Draft class
Round 1 (26) – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Round 2 (63) – Adam Gotsis, DT, Georgia Tech
Round 3 (98) – Justin Simmons, S, Boston College
Round 4 (136) – Devontae Booker, RB, Utah
Round 5 (144) – Connor McGovern, OG, Missouri
Round 6 (176) – Andy Janovich, FB, Nebraska
Round 6 (219) – Will Parks, S, Arizona
Round 7 (228) – Riley Dixon, P, Syracuse
This class hinges entirely on Lynch, who is raw but has the tools to become elite. The rest of this class doesn’t overwhelm, although Booker could challenge C.J. Anderson for the starting job while McGovern was a steal in the fifth round.
Lynch was drafted to be the franchise quarterback for the next 10-12 years. He won’t get the nod as a rookie, giving him ample opportunity to focus on mechanics and learning the playbook. If Elway got this selection right, the Broncos are set for another decade of excellence.
Offseason moves
Acquired
Russell Okung, OT (5 years, $53 million)
Donald Stephenson, OT (3 years, $14 million)
Jared Crick, DE (2 years, $4 million)
Lost
Malik Jackson, DE (JAX – 6 years, $90 million)
Danny Trevathan, ILB (CHI – 4 years, $28 million)
Brock Osweiler, QB (HOU – 4 years, $72 million)
Evan Mathis, OG (AZ – 1 year, $6 million)
Peyton Manning, QB (Retirement)
X-Factor
Can the defense be dominant again? We know the secondary will be very good with Talib, Harris, and Roby locking down receivers. What about the front seven, though? The defense had no serious injuries last year, so expect one or two in 2016 because luck rarely lasts.
In addition, can the Broncos cover up the losses of Jackson and Trevathan with Jared Crick and Nate Davis? That’s asking a ton. Denver will need the defense to continue being a top-three unit if it wants any shot of repeating as Super Bowl champs.
Bottom Line
The Broncos are definitely going to be tough once again, but expecting a championship might be misguided. Siemian may have good games, but he will also lose a few by himself. Denver also had incredibly good health in 2015, something that tends to be volatile from year to year.
This is a group that should compete for a playoff berth and perhaps even win the AFC West if things break right, but the competition is stiffer now than ever before since Elway’s arrival in 2011. If nothing else, it should be a intriguing winter in the Mile High city.