The Wide Receiver The Broncos Should Be Targeting

     Now that the Super Bowl is over people can start looking to how they are going to improve their teams for next season. Luckily Drew Lock was able to step in and go 4-1 in the final 5 games, and gave Bronco fans reason to hope that we finally found the "QB of the future". There are many holes that the Broncos should look to fill, but one of the things on top of that list is finding a true number 2 receiver to go with Courtland Sutton. 

     Currently the Broncos have a two receivers who fill your typical big bodied receiver role in Tim Patrick, and as mentioned before Courtland Sutton. Even the back ups on the roster like Juwan Winfree, and DaeSean Hamilton are both 6'3, and 6'1 respectively. Something the Broncos do not have is a wide receiver is a player who is a legit deep threat. This is a glaring hole on the offense. They simply do not have a player scares the opposing team with their speed. This is something they need to fix in free agency. The Broncos need to bring in a veteran player, who has elite speed. There just so happens to be a player available this year who can fill that role, and his name is Robbie Anderson, and he played for the New York Jets last year. Coming off a 2019-2020 season Anderson had 52 receptions for 779 yards and 5 touchdowns. 

     What Anderson brings to this offense is elite speed. Off the top of my head there is really only one guy in the NFL I would bet would beat Robbie Anderson, and that is Tyrek Hill from the Chiefs. Along with elite speed, Anderson also fits the Broncos profile of having bigger receivers as he is 6'3 and 190lbs. This makes him different than other receivers who run the 40 yard dash in low 4.3's/high 4.2's. Most guys with that speed are not as big as Anderson, and therefore have trouble with bigger, more physical corners. Anderson's size makes him difficult to jam at the line, and his elite speed can keep opposing defenses to play a step or two deeper than they normally would. Courtland Sutton is a perennial pro bowl receiver, and could end up being a top 5 guy in the league, but he has to have a guy who defenses have to worry about playing opposite of him. Robbie Anderson has the speed to be able to do that. 

In Today's NFL Individual Match Ups Are More Important Than Coaching Scheme

     After stepping away from blogging for a few months I decided to go ahead and toss out an idea that goes against the most traditional logic in the NFL; that games in the NFL are no longer won simply by fitting college players into complex schemes, but instead are won by finding, and taking advantage of your players individual athletic, and mental strengths. Then building an offensive, and defensive scheme based around them.

     The game of football is constantly changing. Looking as far back to the time before the forward pass, football coaches have spent hours hunched over notebooks drawing up formations, and plays they feel will outwit their opponents own formations, and schemes. Decades have gone by, and coaches become very good at fitting players into their game plans, and the best coaches have risen to the top. This has been the status quo for as long as I can remember. The game has changed. Coaches, and organizations will either adjust, or suffer the consequences.

     In todays NFL we are witnessing players who are bigger, stronger, and faster than at any point in our history. During the 1960's and 1970's you were considered a big player if you weighed 230lbs. There are wide receivers in today's NFL who weigh 230lbs, and they can also run as fast as world class sprinters. You have tight ends like Rob Gronkowski who played the game at 6'7 and 270lbs going out for passes against linebackers, and safeties sometimes giving up 7 inches, and 70lbs to him. There have always been "special" players who seem to operate on another level than their competition. Players like Jim Brown, and Earl Campbell come to mind, but these players were the exception, not the rule. As players continue to get bigger, and more athletic the game has had to change to accommodate their skill sets.

     I would argue that in today's NFL having players who can play multiple positions, in multiple schemes is just as important as having players who tend to specialize in one scheme. Having that ability is probably more evident right now on the defensive side of the ball. Having linebackers who can play physical against the run, but also are able to cover running backs, and tight ends is becoming mandatory. We are seeing safeties having to be able to cover a wide receiver on one play, and be the eighth man in the box on the next play. I think this is a trend we are going to see continue to become what is considered the "norm".

     We are starting to see this in the most innovative offenses of today as well with players like Christian McCaffery, Alvin Kamara, Tyrek Hill, and others. These are players who are incredibly gifted athletically, so much so that they can play another position on offense and create glaring match up problems for opposing defenses. Tight ends have always been used as the proverbial "offensive multi tool". The best guys like Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzales, or Antonio Gates were rare in that they were excellent blockers, but could run routes like a wide receiver. As offensive coordinators become more creative we will probably see wide receivers who can line up and play tight end, tight ends who can play fullback, and whatever other match up problems they can exploit based on the physical abilities of their players. Make no mistake, having a good offensive, and defensive scheme is still important. However,  probably more so now than at any time in the history of the game, the ability to create, and take advantage of mismatches based upon the athletically ability of your players can be the deciding factor between winning and losing the game.

It's Been A Long Time......Let's Talk Rebuilding The Broncos

       The Denver Broncos are rebuilding. There, I said it. Since the first step is admitting it I am glad I have that behind me! It appears that Bronco fans feel the same way about the word 'rebuilding' as Leonidas, and the Spartans felt about the word 'submission' in the movie 300. Sadly, unlike the Spartans we really don't have a choice. Rebuilding has been the elephant in the room since Payton Manning walked out the door. It is time that Broncos Country, from John Elway and Joe Ellis, to the littlest Bronco fan embrace this fact.

       If you hadn't already noticed the Broncos are essentially in rebuild mode then the trade of Emmanuel Sanders should have brought that to your attention. Sanders is an amazing football player, and fan favorite. Sadly, though he is still talented he is over 30 and on the downside of his career. The Broncos need the money that they would spend keeping him here building the rest of the roster, and they also need the draft picks that his deal brought.

      Are the Broncos finished making moves? John Elway said they were, but there has also been rumors of Chris Harris Jr being on the trade block. Personally I think every player on the roster outside of Von Miller, Courtland Sutton, Phil Lindsey, Royce Freeman, Dalton Risner, and Noah Fant should be available. This is the last year of Chris Harris's contract, and I do not think he will resign here no matter what he tells you. Trading him to get something in return is better than watching him leave for nothing. Same thing with Derek Wolfe. Basically, if the player is not a core member of the long term plans of this team they should be on the market.

       I can hear people saying "but I do not want to just tank for the rest of the season." It is not tanking at this point. The Broncos are 2-5, are coming off a terrible loss to a division rival, and traded away their longest tenured wide receiver for draft picks. I do not think it is tanking at this point. The Broncos need to come out, try and win every game, and then evaluate what they have in their younger players so they know which direction to go. In order to rebuild you have to know the materials you are starting with so you know what materials you still need to get in order to finish the project.

       In my opinion the top question facing the Denver Broncos is, is Drew Lock going to be the type of starting quarterback we want him to be?  This is why I think it is important that we give him as much playing time as he can possibly get. We need to know if he is the guy or not by the end of this season so we know which direction to go in the draft. If Drew Lock is our guy and we get a top 10 pick then we get grab an actual left tackle to pair with Dalton Risner on the left side. If Drew Lock isn't the guy we know that we have to be competitive at the top of this draft for one of the many talented QB's coming out.

       Once the quarterback question is answered we can move forward with the rebuild. The Broncos should go out of their way to build both the offensive and defensive lines. If you want to build a championship team you do it up front. It doesn't matter who your QB is if your line cannot block for him, and it doesn't matter if you have Von Miller on the outside rushing the passer if the interior of your line can't stop the run or get a pass rush. The good news for Bronco fans is that with as much turnover as there is in the NFL each year you are never more than a year or two away from being back in the championship race. Denver fans always show up, so hopefully we will get to watch the emergence of the next core of Bronco players!

The Hole In The Middle Of The Broncos

The Denver Broncos have been active thus far in the offseason, and they have addressed some important needs. Adding Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan to Chris Harris Jr, Justin Simmons, and Will Parks suddenly makes our secondary an absolute strength for this team again. Elway addressed the offensive side of the ball by working out a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for quarterback Joe Flacco, and then went out and made Ja'Waun James the highest paid right tackle in the league.

Kareem Jackson, and Bryce Callahan will step right into a starting roles with Kareem Jackson playing opposite of Chris Harris Jr, and Callahan being the nickelback. Obviously Joe Flacco and Ja'Waun James will be instant starters on offense, but the football traditionalist in me has noticed a huge missing piece of the puzzle for a successful football team; they are incredibly weak up the middle on both sides of the ball. They lost Matt Paradis in free agency, and Garret Bolles is the only returning starter not coming off a major injury. As of right now Conner McGovern is the starting center, but he might be best used at guard. Ron Leary is coming off injury so there is no telling if he will be able to get back to 100%, and the only other guard listed on the roster with NFL experience is Conner McGovern. Defensively they chose to let Domata Peko go, and while they have Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, and Shelby Harris, there isn't much depth on the team, and they are a bit undersized. Moving back to the linebacking corps, Von Miller and Bradley Chubb make up one of the best pass rushing tandems in the NFL. The starting inside linebacking duo made up of Todd Davis and Josey Jewell are great first and second down linebackers, but are a liability in coverage. In what seems to be a ongoing theme with the Denver defense they continually get shredded by tight ends and running backs out of the backfield.

So what should the Broncos do at this point in the offseason?

Defensively I am 100% on the bandwagon of drafting either Devin White, or Devin Bush with the 10th pick in the draft. Both of these players are the type of players you want in the middle of your defense. There is a rumor I have read that Denver is also looking to make a trade with the Jets for inside linebacker Darron Lee. I for one hope this is true. Darron Lee is a sideline to sideline player that can cover tight ends, and running backs out of the backfield. Devin Bush/White and Darron Lee would give the Broncos a lot more flexibility at linebacker, and give Vic Fangio the type of inside linebackers he has excelled with in his defense. This is a deep draft for defensive linemen, and hopefully Denver will be able to pick up one or two players that can contribute next year.

Offensively they have both their left and right tackles set with Bolles and James. I would not be shocked if they brought in a veteran center either in the coming weeks, or maybe after the June 1st cuts. The Broncos are going to have to address the interior of this line with both a veteran signing, and drafting a potential starter in this draft. Three names of players who have stood out to me on film are Chris Lindstrom from Boston College, Erik McCoy from Texas A&M, and Michael Jordan from Oihio State. Something that stands out about McCoy and Jordan are they are both players that have experience playing both guard and center with McCoy being the highest rated center, and Jordan being the 4th highest rated center in this years draft. Trading for Joe Flacco solidified the quarterback position, but it doesn't matter who your quarterback is if you can't protect him.

As of right now the Denver Broncos are weak up the middle on both sides of the ball. How John Elway addresses this issue will have a drastic effect on whether or not they avoid having a third losing season in a row.

All Signs Point To Denver Drafting..............

Devin Bush, inside linebacker, from the University of Michigan.

The Denver Broncos have multiple issues going into the 2019-2020 season, and I would say they have done a great job addressing those needs thus far in the offseason. Bringing in Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan has returned our secondary to being one of the strengths of the team, and Ja'waun James looks to give Denver it's first consistent right tackle in recent memory. As you begin to cross these holes off the list you come to one huge glaring need in a Vic Fangio defense, inside linebackers who can run.

If you look at the defenses that Vic Fangio is best known for they were his 49ers defense that featured Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman in the middle, and last seasons Chicago Bears defense which had Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith on the inside. Currently the Denver Broncos have Josey Jewell and Todd Davis as their starting inside linebackers. While both are pretty sure tacklers they lack the speed to cover backs out of the backfield, and tight ends. Vic Fangio's defense needs inside linebackers who can cover a lot of ground, and Devin Bush fits that criteria. He ran a 4.44 40 yard dash at the combine, but this is a player who looks even faster on film. Devin Bush was all over the field for the Michigan Wolverine defense, and he is exactly the type of player you want in charge on the field. Drafting Bush would also fit with the Broncos recent trend of drafting team captains. It is rare that you see linebackers with all the tools that Devin Bush has.

Devin Bush is one of two inside linebackers in this draft that can absolutely be a difference maker from day 1. The other linebacker in this draft that will be special is Devin White. At 6'1 and 240lbs White is 2 inches taller than Bush, and White ran his 40 in 4.41 seconds. His stock is rising in the draft and he most likely will not be there at 10 when Denver drafts. Devin Bush should be available at 10, and getting a 3 down linebacker like Bush who can has the speed to cover running backs and tight ends should be Denver's top priority.

A Quick Guess Who Denver Will Draft.......

This is going to be a quick post as I will go into individual positions closer to the draft, but taking a step back and trying to guess who Denver will pick there were a lot of scenarios that made sense. Taking into consideration our teams strengths and weaknesses, up coming free agents, and who is getting older and might not be what they once were is part of the draft process. Another part of the draft process is selecting players who the coaches think they can get the most out of. When you take all those things into consideration then look at coach Fangios most successful defenses, and you compare them to the Broncos current defense it becomes clear we are lacking what coach Fangio wants at inside linebacker. Right now Josey Jewell and Todd Davis are our inside linebackers. When coach Fangio coached the 49ers he had Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman as his inside linebackers. Last year in Chicago he had Danny Trevathan, a former Bronco, and Roquan Smith as his inside linebackers. 

Looking at how coach Fangio uses his inside linebackers it is probably fair to anticipate Denver will add at least one inside linebacker this offseason through free agency, as well as through the draft. So without digging into any of the offseason information who would I guess Denver drafts? With the 10th pick of the draft Denver will pick Devin White, inside linebacker from LSU. Watching his highlights I have not seen a linebacker as violent as White since Vontaze Burfict came out of Arizona State. I think Devin White probably has a better head on his shoulders than Burfict, and with Fangios love for fast, and violent inside linebackers do not be surprised if Devin White is the Broncos pick at 10. Below is a Devin White highlight. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2vg38N3k40&t=78s

The Denver Broncos: Moving Forward

I debated continuing to write throughout the season, but I quickly realized I would essentially be repeating myself week in and week out. Now that the season is over I think it is time to put together a offseason plan to get this team back where we are use to it being year in and year out. 

First thing on this list of course is finding a new head coach, and before you do that you have to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team. The Broncos biggest strength is their defense, and with young players like Bradley Chubb, Josey Jewell, and Justin Simmons the Broncos have a solid young core of players. When you add the young players with current stars Von Miller and Chris Harris you still have the makings for a very solid defense. 

The weakness of this team was its offense. They simply couldn't get the job done, and were inefficient at best. As bad as they were, there were a couple bright spots from this year. We found our starting running back of the future in Phillip Lindsey, and our starting wide receivers in Courtland Sutton and Daesean Hamilton. Those are pretty much the only positive things you can say about the offense. 

So what direction does Denver go for their head coach? Do they get a defensive minded head coach, and bring in a known offensive mastermind for offensive coordinator? Or do the get a offensive minded head coach, and a bring in a defensive coordinator that can continue to play to our strengths? Personally I think it is time to bring in an offensive minded head coach. It doesn't take a genius to coordinate a defense with players like Denver has, and the offense is in desperate need of an identity. Denver needs to find a coach on offense who knows how to play to his players strengths rather than forcing his players to play his system. 

After choosing a head coach, Denver will need to decide how they want to go about getting their next franchise quarterback. Case Keenum was never going to be your franchise QB, and I think everyone knew that even before they signed him. Some people are looking for Denver to draft their next QB this year. I think that would be a mistake. With the top 10 pick this year I think you take the best player available, keep Case as your QB for another season, and then go all in for Tua from Alabama, or Fromm from Georgia. My personal favorite is Trevor Lawrence, but many people are saying he will not come out until 2021. 

This is shaping up to be one of the most important offseason in the history of the team. I can't wait to see how John Elway puts this franchise back together, and how the team takes shape for next season.