In the 30 days leading up to the start of Denver Broncos Training Camp 2016, we’re examining 30 big questions for the season. We’ll make a case for each answer; you’ll vote and tell Broncos Country what’s going to happen this year.
Unlike years past, the 2016 free agency period was unkind to the Denver Broncos.
After the Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, the rest of the league did what it could to ransack the world champions. Denver saw multiple veteran free agents leave for greener pastures. Our list includes a quarterback and three key defensive players – but doesn’t even include a starting offensive lineman (Evan Mathis) and kickoff return man (Omar Bolden). The Broncos lost more than a handful of key veterans, but which loss will hurt the most?
David Bruton
The Denver Broncos lost safety and special teams ace David Bruton to the Washington Redskins after electing not to meet his salary expectations. Bruton was the Broncos’ fourth-round draft selection in 2009, and from that moment on he was an important member of the locker room as well as in the community. Bruton was a longtime captain for the Broncos, largely in part to his performance on special teams. 2015 was a big year for Bruton. Not only was he awarded the Denver Broncos 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year for his actions in the community, he was also a significant contributor on the Broncos defense during their championship run before breaking his leg against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. The Broncos drafted both Justin Simmons out of Boston College and Will Parks out of the Arizona in an attempt to fill the void.
Malik Jackson
Malik Jackson was just one of the monsters on a Broncos defensive line that boasted quite a few in 2015. Jackson elected to sign a six-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth $85.5 million following the Broncos’ Super Bowl victory. Jackson was responsible for 5.5 of the Broncos 52 regular season sacks in 2015. His 60 QB pressures don’t show up on most stat sheets, but were vital to a Broncos pass rush that was among the most feared in the league. His fumble recovery for a touchdown in the Super Bowl nearly matched the offensive output by Denver in the game. The Broncos wasted no time adding Jackson’s potential replacement when they signed former Houston Texans defensive end Jared Crick to a two-year deal.
Brock Osweiler
Brock Osweiler was a large part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl season when he stepped in for an injured Peyton Manning and led the Broncos to a 5-2 record as a starter. Osweiler earned the starting job, but was benched for a healthy Manning in the regular season finale. While the Broncos had a general idea of what they were getting if Osweiler had taken over full-time, it’s still impossible to tell what they would’ve looked like.
Osweiler played huge games against Cincinnati and New England, but was prone to taking sacks and had long spells of offensive inefficiency. Despite winning the Super Bowl, Osweiler was no longer happy in Denver. When Houston came knocking with a four year, $72 million deal, Osweiler decided it was time to say goodbye to the Broncos. After Manning retired and Osweiler left, the only quarterback on the roster was Trevor Siemian. The Broncos made a trade to acquire Mark Sanchez from the Philadelphia Eagles and traded up in the first-round of the draft to select Paxton Lynch out of the University of Memphis.
Danny Trevathan
Danny Trevathan was the Broncos’ leading tackler in two of the last three seasons. Barring a knee injury, he likely would’ve lead the Broncos in all three seasons. Not only a tackling machine, Trevathan provided the Broncos with valuable coverage ability at the linebacker position. Following the Super Bowl 50 victory, former Broncos head coach John Fox and the Chicago Bears made Trevathan a four-year, $24.5 million offer he couldn’t refuse. With the reigning tackles leader now in Chicago, Brandon Marshall will slide into Trevathan’s old position. Todd Davis will likely start at the other inside linebacker position for the Super Bowl champions. He played in all 19 games for the Broncos in 2015.
What does Broncos Country think? Which free agent loss will hurt the Broncos the most?
30 QUESTIONS: Which free agency loss will hurt the most?
— Mile High Sports (@MileHighSports) July 13, 2016
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