Who’s expendable?
Von Miller (58) and defensive end Malik Jackson (97) celebrate a defensive stop during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports” width=”900″ height=”600″ />
There’s turnover on every roster every year, but the Denver Broncos are in an especially unique situation. Essentially, John Elway has the ability to bring back the gang, run out the same squad that won the Super Bowl and see if the Broncos can go back to back, or he can shuffle the decks, change course and see if this team can get even better.
In the first option, Elway goes defense first, locking down Malik Jackson, Von Miller, Danny Trevathan and company, cutting cost at quarterback and relying on the league’s top defense to carry the load. In the second, maybe Elway lets Malik, Trevathan and others walk, pouring that money towards a revamped offense.
Both make sense, but neither is an easy path to take.
The Denver defense will still be good, maybe even great, without Malik and Trevathan, but they probably won’t be historic; the offense would have to carry a bigger load.
And it’s not just the free agents. Elway could choose to part ways with guys like DeMarcus Ware and Ryan Clady, saving the Broncos millions in cap space, but are they truly expendable?
I guess we’ll see.