The NFL offseason is still a long ways from being comple, but we’ve got a better picture of where the Denver Broncos stand today than we did a little over two weeks ago. As of now, we know that Brock Osweiler won’t be our quarterback, that C.J. Anderson will be our running back and that the defense isn’t as talented as it was last season.
Now, at face value, that looks like a net loss for the Broncos. Going from Osweiler to Mark Sanchez or from Danny Trevathan to Todd Davis isn’t necessarily an improvement, but it doesn’t mean the Broncos are a worse team, either.
Are there areas that need to improve? Yes. Can they be improved? Of course.
Sometimes, especially during this free agency period, we tend to look for the quick fix, the big name. When we see a problem, we throw money at it, hoping an outside source will come in and make everything all better. And while John Elway has proven that to be a viable option over the last few seasons, it’s not the only option — far from it.
Maybe Denver won’t bring in many big-name free agents in this offseason, but all that really means is that the guys who are already here have to step up and make an even larger impact than they have in the past.
Here are five Denver Broncos that will have to step up in a big way next season if they want any chance of repeating as champions.
5. Max Garcia
Max Garcia was very solid as a rookie last season — solid enough that they found time to get him on the field in an unusual guard rotation — but next year will be different. Next year he will be the man.
By cutting Louis Vasquez and by letting Evan Mathis walk to Arizona, the Broncos and John Elway showed that they expect big things from Garcia. You don’t just part ways with two former All Pros if you don’t have someone worthwhile waiting in the wings. Apparently, that’s Garcia.
And if this is all going to come together like Elway hopes, Garcia is going to have to play up to a Pro Bowl level; he’s now the core of this offensive line. From left to right, the only starter from the Broncos Super Bowl who’s projected to be starting come Week 1 is Matt Paradis. As we already detailed, both guards have already left the building, and so has starting left tackle Ryan Harris; Michael Schofield, will be back, but I doubt anybody would be less than shocked if he was out there on the field for the first snap of the 2016 season.
Outside of those guys, Russell Okung is a big get, but but Ty Sambrailo and Donald Stephenson are somewhat of a question mark.
If Garcia can shore up the inside of the Broncos line and get this running game rolling in the direction Gary Kubiak envisions it going, then maybe everything else will fall in line. That’s the hope, at least.
4. T.J. Ward
Two seasons ago, T.J. Ward got torched in pass coverage. Every time he got matched up on a tight end or receiving back, opposing quarterbacks would have a field day. That changed last season, for a multitude of reasons. For one, Wade Phillips found more ways to get Ward playing in positions where he could do what he does best: Lay the hammer.
At the same time, though, the emergence of David Bruton was huge. Bruton’s increased role, especially in pass coverage allowed Ward to face less one-on-one matchups than he had the previous season, and it paid off. Bruton — a faster, more-athletic safety — was able to stick in coverage much more easily than Ward, and it helped turn the Broncos defense from great to historic.
With Bruton leaving for Washington, and with Danny Trevathan leaving for Chicago, that likely puts more pressure on Ward to succeed in pass coverage. Now, to be fair, I honestly think that, when given the opportunity, Ward was actually better in coverage than he had been in the past, but that was because it was on a limited basis; I’m not sure that more opportunities doesn’t mean more opportunities to get burned.
Ward is an awesome football player and he’s an awesome safety, but everyone has their weaknesses. If he can turn pass coverage into a strength, we could be talking about him as one of the best safeties in the NFL, if we aren’t already.
3. Demaryius Thomas
If you ask Broncos fans which player needs to step up next season, you’ll hear one resounding answer: “Demaryius Thomas!”
DT, despite the fact that he caught 100-plus passes for over 1,300 yards and six touchdowns, was a major disappointment for the Broncos. He went stretches where he seemingly dropped every pass thrown his way, and in the postseason, he was invisible, grabbing seven receptions for 60 yards in three games.
That’s just not going to cut it.
There’s a reason DT is going to make $13 million next season; he’s a rare talent. Denver needs to see that in 2016.
Now, to be fair, it’s not as if DT doesn’t have an excuse (though not many fans want to hear that). Not only was he playing with one of the worst quarterback situations in the league, but he was having to deal with the early release of his mother from prison; while a great story, it undoubtedly weighed on DT’s mind.
Whomever is starting at quarterback, they’ll need DT to have his head in the game; they’ll need him to be the superstar he’s being paid to be.
2. Derek Wolfe
The Denver Broncos pass rush is powered by Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, but last season Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson were wrecking balls on the inside, too. With Jackson now off to Jacksonville, that puts more pressure on Wolfe, and if his final half of last season is any indication of his future performance, he can deal with it.
Throughout the year, especially as both players’ performances continued to shine, it was clear that the Broncos were likely only going to be able to keep one of the two, Wolfe or Jackson. Because Wolfe signed a team-friendly deal mid-season, he’s the one who’ll be wearing the orange and blue in 2016. The more important question, though, should have been: Who’s better?
If you look at their contracts, the answer is clearly Jackson; he’s getting paid like an absolute superstar. But if you look at the stats, if you look at the game film, the answer is a lot closer than you’d think; in fact, the answer may be Wolfe. Next year, he’ll get the chance to prove that.
Wolfe isnt’ likely to face as many single teams as he did in 2015; he’s on his opponent’s radar, even with Miller on the field.
If Wolfe can step up and grow into the superstar Jackson is being paid to be, there’s a chance this Broncos’ defensive line could be even better, and there’s a chance that whomever is lining up at the other defensive end position could start looking an awful lot like Malik Jackson.
1. C.J. Anderson
Next season, C.J. Anderson will be the third highest-paid running back in the NFL. Let that sink in …
I mean, good for him, but that’s a lot to live up to.
And I have full confidence that C.J. can earn that money. I think he’s a special back at times, but that’s the big caveat: At times. There’s no denying that C.J. wasn’t prepared for the start of last season; he admitted as much. And the coaching staff took notice, too. There’s a reason why he lost his starting job and didn’t regain it until the Super Bowl, despite leading the NFL in yards per carry in the second half of the season.
There’s also a reason why C.J. didn’t get more than 15 carries all year until the AFC Championship (when he got 16) and the Super Bowl (when he got 23); they didn’t see him as an every-down, bell-cow running back.
So what’s changed?
I’m not sure. You’d have to ask John Elway and Gary Kubiak that. From my perspective, though, Anderson has always been capable, and now he’s being given the opportunity. With that kind of money on the books, he needs to be getting 15-20 carries every single game, especially with the state of the Broncos’ quarterback situation.
If Denver is to have an offensive resurgence next year, it’ll be because Anderson earns that top-three quarterback money.