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Peyton Manning (if healthy) does give Denver security for the duration he's signed, but what about the time he retires and leaves the Broncos? What do the Broncos need to be successful in the future? Here's a list of five positions that the team needs to address in order to have a successful franchise in the next few decades or so.
#1 Quarterback
The Broncos have Peyton Manning signed up for five years, yet he may not play that long. Second-round draft pick Brock Osweiler is intelligent about the game and had a good year his junior season at Arizona St., but there is a big transition between college and the NFL. He is 6'7", and quarterbacks with the height of 6'6" and taller don't have a good history in the NFL. Only two quarterbacks at the height of 6'6" has had success and they are Joe Flacco and Cam Newton.
Caleb Hanie is a career backup after what he has shown the football world last season when he couldn't bring Chicago a win and into the playoffs until it was too late in Week 17 in a 17-13 win over the Vikings at Minnesota. Adam Weber from Minnesota hasn't shown much and likely won't get on the field with Osweiler ,Denver's hope for the future, stepping in the way.
I think the Broncos need to draft someone who had consistent success in college (Osweiler only had one year of brilliance at Arizona St.) and a quarterback that looks promising.
#2 Cornerback
Champ Bailey only has three years left on his current extension, and Tracy Porter has only signed on for one year. Some people say Champ should play safety in his later years, but he doesn't want to play there. No telling if Bailey will sign on again after the extension is over, but he does want to stay in Denver and get a ring in Denver.
The other cornerbacks on the Broncos roster I don't see as future starters in the league. Chris Harris (undrafted out of Kansas) is improving, but so far he looks like a nickel corner. Syd'Quan Thompson ,entering his third year from Cal, can pack a punch, but I think he can be a #2 corner at best. Newly signed Drayton Florence is a ten year vet.
Rookie Omar Bolden can make noise in the return game. In addition, he may have been a steal in the fourth round since he was rated as high as the second-round, but hurt his value with a knee injury. Bolden is not as fast as Bailey, but does run a 4.5 40 yard dash and has great agility. He may be Denver's best chance to replace Bailey in the long run, but we still need to see him play and hope he progresses fast.
#3 Safety
The Broncos secondary always has done better with a solid starter at safety. In the years as of recent, John Lynch and Brian Dawkins have commanded and aligned the players from their position helping Champ lead the defense on the outside. For a short time Mike Adams ,going into his ninth season coming over from Cleveland, will do his best to lead the group of young safeties including second-year players Rahim Moore and Quinton Carter and fourth-year player David Bruton. There needs to be leadership from this position to keep the Broncos defense intact and on the same page.
Rahim Moore ,from UCLA, was the highest ranked safety in the 2011 draft, but failed to live up to expectations. With this offseason he has a chance to get better acquainted with the Broncos playbook and be the ball-hawking safety he is expected to be. Quinton Carter, out of Oklahoma, replaced Moore and performed better and even had two interceptions in the playoffs. Moore has been put back as the starting safety in OTAs and camp, and here's hoping he turns into that leader the Broncos will need in the future.
#4 Defensive Tackle
This year the Broncos have a solid unit with Ty Warren, Kevin Vickerson, Justin Bannan, Mitch Unrein, and rookie Derek Wolfe from Cincinnati. Yet the problem is that Warren, Vickerson, and Bannan are all twenty-nine years of age and older.
Derek Wolfe, Ben Garland, and fifth-rounder Malik Jackson out of Tennessee bring youth to the line, but we have yet to see them play and need to know if they will be stud or bust. Both Wolfe and Jackson are versatile in that they can play defensive end, bringing more value to their name. Wolfe will sometimes be moved to the outside of the line in Denver's nickel package with Robert Ayers on the inside to create more pressure on the quarterback.
But the Broncos need to improve their run defense which has been sad in recent years. In 2010 the run defense was ranked thirty-first in the league allowing 154.6 yards per game, and in 2011 the Broncos run defense allowed 126.3 yards per game and was ranked at twenty-second in the league. For quite some time now the Broncos have been a team that opposing teams have been able to run over controlling the tempo of the game, and taking time off the clock preventing Denver's offense from scoring any points.
Fans got what they wanted when Denver drafted a defensive tackle in Derek Wolfe with their first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but I believe Denver will be needing to draft a few more defensive tackles in the early rounds in the coming years.
#5 Linebacker
Not all that important, but the Broncos do not have good depth behind their starters. Von Miller is mainly going after the quarterback all the time, so he's basically another defensive end. Joe Mays is a solid player, but knocks I have on him is that he is short for a linebacker at 5'11" and is not all that fast. Though Mays is their is their strongest linebacker. They really only have one quality backup in Wesley Woodyard.
D.J. Williams is the one Bronco facing the most problems just about every year. With all he's done in his eight years as a Bronco, the savvy veteran has been charged with DUI, violated the NFL's policy of performance-enhancing substances, and most recently he has tweeted pics that were of the Broncos playbook. Williams may file a lawsuit, and he may do well considering the success baseball star Ryan Braun had. He has gotten many Bronco fans upset and wanting to see him be cut by the team. Plus he is facing a six-game suspension for taking the performance-enhancing drugs, leaving Denver even thinner at linebacker during that time. Wesley Woodyard will be replacing Williams at the weak side linebacker spot, and if seventh-round pick Danny Trevathan (Kentucky) makes the 53-man roster, he doesn't have experience in the NFL. Williams needs to stay out of trouble. He is a good linebacker that contributes well on the field and makes an impact.
In the coming years I would like to see the Broncos draft a few linebackers that can give Denver depth like Mario Haggan was for the team in his few seasons with the team. Bringing Jason Hunter back to linebacker would create more depth. Other than Miller, Mays, and Williams the Broncos need to find players to help them out at the position.
The Broncos I believe addressed many of their problems on the offensive side drafting center Philip Blake from Baylor, signing tight ends Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme, and signing wide receivers Andre Caldwell and Jason Hill. Could still use some help on the interior of the offensive line, but I believe they are happy with who they have right now.
What do you think? Do the Broncos need help in other areas? Leave a comment and state your opinion!
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