The Denver Broncos have been working out off and on for over a month now under new head coach Vance Jospeh, but organized team activities (OTAs) get their officially official start on Tuesday at UC Health Training Center.
Having missed the playoffs for the first time in five years last year, there is already a sense of urgency about what Denver must do to get back into the conversation as AFC title contenders. Here are some of the storylines to watch, and their importance in the grand scheme of things, as Week 1 of OTAs gets underway.
The QB Battle
Importance: High
As we saw last year, this team will only be as successful as its quarterback. Vance Joseph enters his first season promising an open competition between incumbent starter Trevor Siemian and last year’s first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch. However, recent comments Joseph made to The MMQB make it sound like it’s really Siemian’s job to lose. Will they split reps evenly with the first team? That’s what everybody in Denver (especially Lynch) wants to know.
Who is WR3?
Importance: Medium
Jordan Norwood is gone (although still available as a free agent). Bennie Fowler, Cody Latimer and Jordan Taylor are the returning veterans legitimate competing for the spot at present, but if last year’s on-field play was any indication there’s no clear-cut leader entering this year’s OTAs. Marlon Brown was on again, off again last year before landing on IR in December and could get into the mix, as well. Denver drafted a pair of wide receivers in Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie who, along with Kalif Raymond, will not only by vying for a wideout position but also try and catch on to the roster in the return game. There’s a huge dropoff on this roster after Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, so this should be a wide-open competition this year.
The Blind Side
Importance: Low
For as inconsistent as Denver’s offensive tackle play has been over the last two years it might seem like this should be a high-priority item, but we have to be realistic about what to expect. Garett Bolles was a first-round draft pick, but he’s still a rookie. There will be a learning curve. We know what to expect from the other bodies possibly in contention for the left tackle position. Donald Stephenson could be a passable swing, but he certainly didn’t do anything last year to convince anyone he deserves a starting role. Ty Sambrailo may (big may) be healthy, but he’s as big a question mark as Stephenson performance-wise – plus he comes with health risks. The most important thing we need to see is that Bolles can at least hold his own in these early season drills. If he looks overly confused or overmatched, the alarm bells could start sooner than later.
The RBs’ Knees
Importance: Medium-High
The Broncos enter OTAs with the top two running backs on their depth chart both coming off significant knee injuries. There’s a stable of young backs behind C.J. Anderson and Jamaal Charles, but as we saw in 2016 there’s no substitute for experience. Justin Forsett has retired, so they’ll have to look elsewhere if Anderson and Charles aren’t fully healthy. Devontae Booker has a year under his belt now, but the key to running game this year will be Anderson and Charles staying healthy. There’s a good chance neither Anderson nor Charles will be doing anything too aggressive during these workouts. It’s better to not rush them back and risk an injury (see below), but it would be nice to see them both making “quality football moves.”
Greek’s Office
Importance: Very High
Bar none, the most important thing that can happen during OTAs is keeping everyone healthy. What would Jeff Heuerman‘s career look like if he hadn’t gone down with injury his rookie year? Would Ryan Clady still be a Bronco if he hadn’t suffered (another) injury in OTAs in 2015? We’ll never know the answers to those questions. And the biggest key to a successful start to 2017 is keeping players out of Steve Antonopulos’ office.
The Slogan
Importance: Low
Over the past few years, the team has adopted a slogan (of sorts) during the offseason. In 2015 it was “Iron Sharpens Iron.” Last year it was “Into the Fire.” These are never as forced as the efforts from other teams in town (do you hear that Avs, Nuggets and Rapids?), but they never seem to catch on with the fan base in the way you’d imagine here in Broncos Country. Will the new slogan trend continue with Joseph now at the helm? And will the fans finally embrace this one? The answer to that and all the questions above start to come on Tuesday.