Strike 1: Never mind the throwback uniforms for every game. If only the Denver Broncos could play the Las Vegas Raiders every week.
Sure, the Raiders have had Denver’s number for the past four seasons, but that worm has done a complete 180 now. These are currently two organizations headed in completely opposite directions. The Broncos will return to the postseason far sooner than the Raiders will.
Could that be this season? And just how important would it be to get back to the postseason sooner rather than later? Perhaps before the roster is fully capable of making some noise in January? Is just getting there good enough? Maybe getting another high draft pick would be better for the rebuilding process at this point?
A year ago at this time, the draft pick (turned out to be Bo Nix) was more important than a one-and-done playoff appearance. But things have changed.
Sean Payton’s second Broncos team still doesn’t have enough top shelf, playoff ready NFL talent – especially on offense. If they do make the playoffs this season – and based on how they’ve played the past three weeks and how manageable the schedule is suddenly looking, that could happen – they’re likely to still make an early exit.
Would that be okay with Broncos Country this time around?
Based on preseason (lack of) expectations and (overwhelming) concerns, the answer is most certainly yes.
Getting another set of high draft picks would be great. But “Tanking for Travis” (Hunter) seems very unlikely at this point. Denver will more than likely be picking in the lower half of the first round next April. Fingers crossed, but maybe Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty will still be available?
Everyone knows that Denver hasn’t made the playoffs since the Predominantly Orange won Super Bowl 50 at the end of the 2015 season. That’s a heckuva long time ago. Too long. Getting there this season would reset that bar and breathe life into an organization that’s had nothing but hope to sell for almost a decade. After they finally get there, they’ll be playing with house money. A first round exit would be no biggie.
Next offseason, there will be no huge contracts that need to be dumped. No lingering quarterback drama. The coaching staff would be stable (assuming most assistant coaches opt to remain.) What will be needed is more quality bricks to continue building with.
This is where the next real test for the Denver brain trust begins. It won’t be about gutting the roster and rebuilding from the ground up anymore. It will be about identifying what strength’s you already have, and working to maintain those while figuring out what’s still needed to kick things up a couple of notches.
The Broncos won’t be simply drafting “the best available player” next spring. They’ll be drafting “the best available player at a position(s) of need.” It’s not the same thing.
Uncovering hidden gems – like successful Broncos front offices of years gone by did so well – will be critical and will determine how quickly the rebuilding project comes to fruition.
In the meantime, the Broncos still have a bunch of suddenly winnable games on the upcoming schedule, including two tilts against the mediocre Los Angeles Chargers, one against average Indianapolis and games downward trending clubs like Carolina and Cleveland, plus another against the sorry Raiders.
That week it won’t matter what uniforms the Broncos will be wearing. And that’s a good spot to be in. Finally.
